I’m so happy to be reunited with my kitchen! I made some favorites today:

*oatmeal with flaxseed meal, banana, soymilk, berries, and sliced almonds

*roasted beets, served in a salad with avocado, cucumber, and soy chicken

*braised & glazed brussels sprouts a la Mark Bittman, served with baked tofu and Chris-made hummus and flatbread

I also stocked up on fresh produce. I love grocery shopping. I have to start taking photos of store layout for part two of my research project soon, but I’m going to wait a few days…

Last night, Chris met me at the airport (he even brought an apple, anticipating I’d be hungry, which I was) and then we took a cab home. There was also a lovely bouquet of flowers on the table when I walked in. Talk about a warm welcome! I was so happy to be back in New York, with its coffee carts and efficient subway system. I crashed out around 8:30 (hello, jetlag) after dinner at our favorite restaurant, Gazala Place.

I’m taking a couple days to get myself settled before I plow into work and summer classes. I love summer in the city—no matter how much craziness is going on, everything still seems so much more relaxed!

Here’s my interpretation of the recipe for the brussels sprouts, which I found in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian:

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup (or more, if needed) water or vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

*Combine olive oil, brussels sprouts, and liquid in a skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Then lower heat so liquid simmers. Cover and allow to cook until sprouts are tender, about 5-10 minutes.

*Remove lid and raise heat, giving liquid a chance to boil off. Resist the urge to constantly stir (clearly, he was talking to me), and just allow the sprouts to sizzle and brown. Shaking the skillet from time to time to loosen them is enough. Some sides may be a little browner than others. They’re not supposed to be totally uniform.

*Serve hot or at room temperature.