Job hunting is…draining. At least it is for me. Maybe it’s an introvert thing? I consider myself confident, but when it comes to selling my skills and potential contribution, I start to feel awkward. I’d rather put my head down, get the work done, and the let the results speak for themselves. Then there’s the fact that searching for work is a time suck that leaves little room to create and develop – two things I feel a pull toward and wonder if are requisite to next steps career-wise, anyway.
At some point after I start to get irritated over how to allocate and find more time, I remind myself that frustration is wasted energy. You just gotta hustle.
The hustle, my friend, is not fueled by cronuts. It is most powerful and efficient when its source of energy is whole foods, particularly ample servings of vegetables. I’ve been prioritizing making my meals and snacks as nutrient-dense as I can manage, forgoing my previous habit of popcorn for lunch.
So, despite a feeling of busyness, my lunches are starting to mean business, as is the case with this meal of roots, greens, and fish. It’s saturated with color, richly textured, and includes multifarious flavors (sweet, earthy, tangy, herbaceous, salty, smoky, spicy) while still feeling cohesive.
Each vegetable component is lovely on its own. The beet puree is punchy & nutty and the thyme flavor is quite strong. Both creamy and velvety, it would be a lovely dip but I also had no trouble putting it down solo, one spoonful at a time.
I don’t think I need to tell you why kale chips are great, but after trying numerous seasonings, I’d say this version with smoked paprika is in my top five. In addition to the crunch and salt, the spicy factor makes these delightfully addictive. If I’m making them for the kids, I use about half the paprika, but I prefer to make a whole batch for myself anyway. After all, I need to keep my energy up.
Back to the hustle.
Herbed Beet Puree
3 medium beets, washed and trimmed
1/3 c tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and seal tightly. Roast until pierced easily with a fork, about 45 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, gently rub off the skins.
Add the cooked and peel beets to a blender or food processor, along with the tahini, lemon juice, thyme, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy. Serve under pan-seared salmon.
Smoky Spicy Kale Chips
method adapted from Oh She Glows
1 bunch kale, woody stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
Move two baking racks as close to the center as you can and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cut or tear kale into chip-sized pieces. Rinse and pat or spin fully dry. You could also at this point store them in an open container in the refrigerator to completely dry out.
Split the greens between two half sheet pans. Drizzle each with half the olive oil and massage into the kale or collards to fully coat. sprinkle with the salt and paprika, and toss to combine. Spread in a single layer; if you have any extra, reserve to roast as a second batch.
Cook for 15-20 minutes, swapping the baking sheets at the 10-minute mark, until the chips feel dry to the touch but are not browning. Serve on top and alongside pan-seared salmon.
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