Eating at Home: Avocado Toast with Cream Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Balsamic Glaze

Avocado toast with cream cheese, heirloom tomatoes, and balsamic glaze

Today's brunch: Avocado toast with cream cheese, heirloom tomatoes, and balsamic glaze. At this point, is it even the weekend if I don't have avocado toast?

Eating at Home: Avocado Toast with Tzatziki, Feta, and Sunny-Side Up Eggs

Avocado toast with tzatziki, feta, and sunny-side up eggs

Looks like I'm having a toasty weekend as I start my morning of working from home and afternoon of errands with avocado toast. I'm always trying to experiment with different combinations of things to eat with my 'cado, and today, I decided to mix it with tzatziki as the base, add sunny-side up eggs, and top it with feta (because I bought a jumbo container of it at Costco and need figure out different ways to use it aside from salad). Folks, this is a delight. A winner. Will absolutely make it again. Might actually get some Greek seasoning for next time and maybe add some tomatoes and olives for a Greek salad-inspired avocado toast. Or maybe some olive tapenade as the base? THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS. 

Eating at Home: Honey Butter Toast with Apriplums

Honey butter toast with apriplums

I bought a bag of apriplums last week but there were so many that there was no way I would finish all of them before they went bad, so I had to get creative. Thus, today's brunch: Honey butter toast with apriplums! (They would also work well with pancakes, but I was too lazy to make them.) As opposed to similar fruits like plums, peaches, or nectarines, these are firmer and more tart, which tastes exceptionally good with honey. Simple, sweet, and splendid. 

Cooking at Home: Farmhouse Chicken with Brown Butter 'Champ' Mash

Farmhouse chicken with brown butter 'champ' mash

My mom came over this evening to drop off some stuff, so I just told her to stay for dinner and cooked us my second Hello Fresh kit of the week: Farmhouse chicken with brown butter 'champ' mash. Okay, everything about this meal was great — the chicken was super tender and juicy and the mashed potatoes were flavourful and fluffy (maybe my best yet, actually) — but the only criticism I have to make is that there weren't nearly enough vegetables to split into two servings. The amount of veg was so paltry that I ended up having to cook another two cups of frozen broccoli just so there was enough substance. I'm just saying, the photo on the recipe sheet was TOTALLY MISLEADING. Otherwise, it was a basic but totally delicious meal. (Even mom agreed.)

Eating at Home: Avocado Toast Two Ways (Herb Cream Cheese with Cocktail Tomatoes and Fresh Dill & Tzatziki with Radishes and Everything Bagel Seasoning)

Avocado toast two ways
(Left: With herb cream cheese, cocktail tomatoes, and fresh dill
Right: With tzatziki, sliced radishes, and everything bagel seasoning)

I haven't bought avocados in months because half of them always spoil before I get to them. (Yes, even in the fridge.) But I've been craving avocado toast for the past week, so I just said, "Fuck it," and bought a bag of five last weekend. The first one has finally reached peak ripeness, and thus, for today's Sunday brunch, avocado toast two ways on sourdough (my favourite type of bread for avocado toast). The first one was topped with avocado mashed with herb cream cheese, cocktail tomatoes, and fresh dill. The second one was topped with tzatziki, mashed avocado, sliced radish, and everything bagel seasoning. Both were PHENOMENAL. Devoured in less than 5 minutes. Could've eaten at least another two.

Alas, my second avocado has not ripened yet.

Cooking at Home: Za'atar Chicken Bulgur Bowls with Baby Spinach and Chopped Olives

Za'atar chicken bulgur bowls with baby spinach and chopped olives
In an effort to both save money and be healthier, I decided to stay home for dinner and make my last Hello Fresh kit of the week: Za'atar chicken bulgur bowls with baby spinach and chopped olives. The chicken came out really juicy (again, props to my air fryer) and I don't mind bulgur (it was my first time trying it), but at the end of the day, the whole dish just tasted really... healthy. I don't mind eating healthy, but with the amount of seasoning and the addition of olives, I thought it would be more enticing. It really was just like a warm chicken salad. Also, I absolutely hate the feta that Hello Fresh includes in their kits. It's already pre-crumbled, so it doesn't look or taste like real feta. It's not a huge deal but, you know, it's a new-found pet peeve.

Cooking at Home: Pork Chops and Garlicky Gravy with Roasted Vegetable Medley

Pork chops with garlicky gravy and roasted vegetable medley

Decided to start off this week's Hello Fresh dinners with something a bit healthier after a weekend of dining out: Pork chops and garlicky gravy with roasted vegetable medley. Okay, aside from the garlicky gravy, which is DELICIOUS and ADDICTIVE AF, I cooked everything in the air fryer, and can I just point out HOW PERFECT EVERYTHING TURNED OUT? The pork, the veg, the potatoes, everything. The air fryer is really my one true love. (And this meal was only 620 calories!)

Cooking at Home: Brothy Spanish-Style Braised Chicken with Olives and Farro

Brothy Spanish-style braised chicken with olives and farro
After the indulgent burger I made yesterday, I needed to make an attempt at being healthy this week (because life is all about balance) with tonight's dinner kit from Hello Fresh: Brothy Spanish-style braised chicken with olives and farro. Okay, so this was my first time trying farro and while it's not my favourite grain ever (it's like undercooked rice?), the olives and hot sauce add a good amount of flavour here, plus the chicken was incredibly moist when cooked this way. So overall, I'd say it's pretty damn good for being a 660-calorie meal.