WIAW #3

WIAW#3

What I Ate Wednesday – some of this will look rather familiar…

For breakfast, oatmeal and a protein shake. The shake is a bit different this time, though – it’s a salt lassi.WIAW#3 - breakfast

Many of us are familiar with sweet lassi – a creamy sweet/tart beverage common in India. They’re made of yogurt, ice water, sometimes sugar, and some kind of fruit – mango is most common in restaurants here, but others can be used. I first had one years ago in an Indian restaurant in an Indian neighborhood, at the urging of the nice waitress who, at my request, was advising me on putting the meal together.

But a few years ago (in a different but equally Indian neighborhood – one of the joys of living in the New York area) I saw Salt Lassi on the menu – and asked. It turns out that it’s a similar combination of yogurt and ice water – but with either spices or herbs. (Cumin and/or mint seem to be the most common.) There is a pinch of salt, but it’s not really salty – that’s just to differentiate it from the sweet lassi. I had one, and liked it even better with the meal than the sweet – it was wonderfully refreshing. I’ve asked for it ever since – enjoying it when available, and, I hope, encouraging it when it is not…  (One place I asked made it for me, as an off menu item! They were clearly pleased that an American knew enough to look for it.) Salt lassi protein shake

Anyhow, it occurred to me a while back that this would work in a protein shake – a change from the usual fruit or juice. I grind a generous pinch of cumin with just a scant pinch of salt (and of course you can use already ground cumin, if that’s what you have – I mostly have whole spices.) Then I just mix it in a shaker bottle with plain yogurt and water from the fridge, and my protein powder.  A straw would be a good idea – some of the cumin settles to the bottom – but I didn’t have one and that was OK. (I don’t measure first thing in the morning – except coffee – I’m not awake. I’d estimate about 1/4 t whole cumin – less of ground – and less than 1/8 t salt, to a cup of yogurt, 1/2 c of ice water, and my soy powder.)

WIAW #3 - LunchAnyhow… Lunch is the pea soup I wrote about the other day, with rice cakes and Swiss cheese. and a glass of water.  I also had some jalapeno and scallion pickles I made last summer.

Dinner was chicken left/planned from the night before, white beans from a couple of days before, frozen leeks, and frozen green beans, served over microwaved brown rice. (Why, yes, I got home from a job 20 minutes before I wanted to eat dinner – how could you tell?)  Daikon and scape kimchee I also made last summer – the pickles add both zest and vegetables to a winter meal… I had lemon seltzer, Rich had ice water. WIAW #3 Dinner

I am again joining the Peas and Crayons blog party – I think it is a wonderful way to show how the foods I talk about actually fit into a day. 



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