I made a spontaneous trip home this weekend - and I took a vacation from the kitchen too! As much as I love to cook, all the meal planning and time spent the kitchen can get exhausting, and it can be nice to take a break from it. So that's just what I did and I ended up eating most of my meals out!
When I got home on Saturday I picked up some Kindfood takeout for my mom and I. They recently expanded the restaurant, and they added more items to their menu to go along with it! So I tried out one of their new dishes called the QuinWOW Bowl, which was grilled tempeh with sauteed mushrooms, spinach, and shredded carrots with miso gravy over quinoa. The flavour of the miso gravy was fantastic - I would love to find a similar recipe to make!
Later that night we went over to our family friends' house for their famous smoked meat night that they do a few times per year. The smoked meat is the real deal from Montreal and it is incredible! We had it on rye bread with Dijon mustard, with an Asian coleslaw and french fries on the side.
On Sunday my mom and I had a shopping date to find some outfits for my upcoming interviews, so we stopped at Whole Foods for lunch. I got a smorgasbord of tofu, roasted sweet potatoes, chickpea Florentine salad, sesame kale salad, wheatberry and broccoli salad, roasted beets, lentil and quinoa salad, and black bean and corn salad. I don't get to go to Whole Foods very often, so I love to try out as many buffet items as possible when I do go!
When I got home on Saturday I picked up some Kindfood takeout for my mom and I. They recently expanded the restaurant, and they added more items to their menu to go along with it! So I tried out one of their new dishes called the QuinWOW Bowl, which was grilled tempeh with sauteed mushrooms, spinach, and shredded carrots with miso gravy over quinoa. The flavour of the miso gravy was fantastic - I would love to find a similar recipe to make!
Later that night we went over to our family friends' house for their famous smoked meat night that they do a few times per year. The smoked meat is the real deal from Montreal and it is incredible! We had it on rye bread with Dijon mustard, with an Asian coleslaw and french fries on the side.
On Sunday my mom and I had a shopping date to find some outfits for my upcoming interviews, so we stopped at Whole Foods for lunch. I got a smorgasbord of tofu, roasted sweet potatoes, chickpea Florentine salad, sesame kale salad, wheatberry and broccoli salad, roasted beets, lentil and quinoa salad, and black bean and corn salad. I don't get to go to Whole Foods very often, so I love to try out as many buffet items as possible when I do go!
Yesterday we all had the day off because of Family Day, so we went out for a family breakfast at Sunnyside Grill, which none of us had tried before. I ordered the "Light and Lively", which came with a fried egg, an English muffin, and yogurt topped with fruit. I also stole some of my mom's hashbrowns because they're always my favourite part of going out for breakfast!
Now I'm back at my apartment and I'm continuing my break from cooking by living off of leftovers from my freezer this week. I'm excited to dig out some of my Bolognese sauce, butternut squash risotto and leek & potato soup from last month!
Do you ever take breaks from cooking?
What do you eat when you don't feel like cooking?
I live in montreal right by a smoked meat place and yesss its amazing :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful break from cooking! I definitely need a breather once in a while too but I usually end up with cereal when I don't want to cook!
ReplyDeleteThe smoked meat night sounds so cool - and it makes me want rye bread :-p Nice the you got a weekend at home! When I don't feel like cooking, I tend to go for eggs, grilled cheese, leftovers and sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteI would say that I'm kind of on a 6 month hiatus from cooking ;) I'll make the odd dish that requires more effort once in a while, but most of the time I settle for something that's quick and easy like eggs, frozen pizza, grilled chicken salads, sandwiches, wraps, or cereal. Baking, on the other hand, is a whoooole other story... lately I've been on a real kick with that :)
ReplyDeleteAll of these meals look tasty!
ReplyDeleteI just love bowls that are a mish-mash of healthy stuff all thrown in there. If I didn't feel like making food and I had a whole foods around, I would be hitting that hot bar.
ReplyDeleteI most definitely go through my cooking spurts! Some weeks I'll make a ton of food because I just feel like cooking. Other weeks, I don't want to be within 10 ft. of a whisk or pot. So, like you, I just roll with it! Your eats look fantastic, by the way. :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite meals to eat when I'm not in the mood for cooking is just a simple veggie burger on a whole wheat bun with sweet potato fries and a side salad. Or if REALLY don't feel like cooking, I'll use up leftovers or 'make' a yogurt/oatmeal bowl...or eat out, which is always a fun change of pace! :)
Sometimes we just need others to cook for us! Glad you had a great weekend
ReplyDeleteI love how you described your salad from Whole Foods as a "smorgasbord"- so true for all of us :) Also, the smoked meat dinner sounds so fun- unique occasions like that always bring people together in a more intimate and fun way. Re: your questions, although I rarely don't feel like cooking because I find it very therapeutic, when I am simply too tired, or if it's getting too late, I usually just pick up a little smorgasbord (heehee) of goodies from our local health food store's hot bar. On the rare occasion, I just break open a box of cereal, dump on some toppings, pour in some ice cold milk and call it a night :)
ReplyDeleteP.s. check out my new blog at http://styleandastory.wordpress.com/
DeleteMmmm, sometimes a weekend of eating out is just what the doctor ordered! I have a blogger confession: I've never eaten at a Whole Foods before. And I feel like that's not ok haha. I have a Whole Foods just down the street from me, and I've always wanted to try it, but for some reason I just haven't taken the plunge (money for a quick meal may have something to do with it...but it's also good food so I know that should even it out). And when I don't feel like cooking I make brinner...eggs and toast or waffles...my favorite things to make so they seem easier to me :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes it feels great to not have to cook!
ReplyDeleteIt sure looks like you enjoyed a delicious weekend! All of the meals you've posted from Kindfood look absolutely amazing; I'd like to go there someday! The smoked meat you ate at your friends' house later that night sounds delicious, too! Oh, and you know how I feel about the Whole Foods salad bar...I practically live there. In fact, I eat at Whole Foods so frequently, it isn't special anymore, which kind of makes me sad!
ReplyDeleteI take cooking breaks so frequently, I probably shouldn't call them breaks. Since I live in the heart of Washington, DC, there are TONS of healthy to-go options right outside my door. Couple variety with a busy schedule, and sometimes it's hard to justify cooking! That said, I really do prefer to make my own meals, and since this semester has been calmer than last, I've been doing a bit more work in the kitchen. I'm loving it, and so is my wallet!
Happy Tuesday, Chelsea!! <3
WHOLE FOODS!! I'm such a sucker for that place haha and I too try to cram as many dishes into my to-go box as possible :-D. I definitely don't cook very often - maybe 2-3 times a week. I generally cook a lot of stuff in bulk and then eat it for dinners and lunches throughout the week, definitely not as much fun though! hence my lent mission to try new dishes :-D
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly as it is, I've never been a big breakfast person. Until recently I didn't eat eggs, so French Toast and Eggs were off the list. Finally, my friend convinced me to go out, and we tried Sunnyside Grill. It definitely exceeded my expectations and I actually got the Light and Lively as well. Besides that outing, I've only ever gone to Coras where I enjoy the fruit and yogurt. I must make a commitment to getting eggs more often or even trying the pancakes! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so great that you are able to take a break from cooking your meals. You deserve the rest. Happy Reading Week :)
I took a break from cooking a couple weekends ago and we picked up food both nights - so not like us but it was kind of fun and relaxing! I was definitely ready to get back in the kitchen though!!
ReplyDeleteEggs are always my go-to when I don't feel like cooking! I usually like fast meals too. I never have the patience to wait!
ReplyDeleteYour meal from whole foods looks incredible. I love the colours
What a lovely weekend you had Chelsea, and filled with tasty tasty food :) The miso gravy does intrigue me as well.. miso is a newer flavor to me and I really love it!
ReplyDeleteI neverrrr feel like cooking when I am busy, it takes the backseat in my mind so I turn to easy-peasy meals that require no thought- oatmeal, sweet potatoes, stir frys, that sort of thing
The breakfast you ordered is so ideal, definitely something I would go for! And heck yes to home fries, extra ketchup please ;)
A break from the kitchen is always needed :D I love going out and having the opportunity to try new and different things. I am also the same way at Whole Foods since I never go except sometimes at home (just got one) or when we visit NYC we get a to-go box and eat in Central Park. Where are your interviews?!?
ReplyDeleteAhhh, so great to take a break from the kitchen every once in a while! A couple of weekends ago, I took a little step back and just decided that recipe developing needed to take a back seat for a while. Sometimes you don't want to think about measuring ingredients, pairing flavors, or finding the perfect garnish...you just want to EAT! Most of the time, my little kitchen vacations are spent eating cereal or other random assortments I find in the fridge, but I REALLY need to get better about freezing stuff so I have that as an option too! Actually, I made some soup over the weekend and I KNOW I'll never finish it all this week so that's just what I plan on doing!
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