By By: TAYLOR WALDRON
Web Editor/Staff Writer
Have you ever been excited to try a new recipe? You get your shopping list together, head to the store, gather the ingredients, head home, and start making the meal. A dash of this, a sprinkle of that, and the meal starts to come together.
I had this experience while preparing for this week’s Tasty Tips recipe. I was so excited to make a one-pot vegan soup for you guys. I was so ready to give you all some tips when making one of my hearty, autumnal, vegan favorites that would be sure to satisfy even some of our most carnivorous readers.
However, I’m sure you can already guess from the title of this column that this recipe did not work out.
I’m not exactly sure what happened, but the soup didn’t set and the flavors were off. Basically it was a bust. So instead, this week we’re going to focus on what to do when your dinner plans don’t work out and you have to improvise with something else that won’t be too disappointing.
When things like this happen, I think there are really only two ways to adapt: Order takeout or whip up something creative. This week, I opted for still making something at home.
I scoured my refrigerator for something that would be fairly quick and delicious. I came across an item that I had purchased from Fresh Thyme Farmers Market in Mishawaka, IN.
It was fresh salmon with asparagus in a prepackaged steamer bag. It’s Fresh Thyme’s store brand and it was only $3.91 for a half-pound of salmon! It cooks right in the steamer bag and can be made in either the microwave or the oven. Personally, I would recommend the oven over the microwave any day.
In just 25 minutes at 350 degrees, I had what tasted like a gourmet salmon filet with steamed asparagus. I drizzled a little melted butter and lemon juice over the top of the salmon and had myself a relaxing evening in with my new Netflix obsession, Rhythm and Flow.
If I didn’t have the salmon, I would have either made up some Ramen or had a couple bowls of cereal, and you know what? That’s okay. Sometimes things don’t work out, whether it be in the kitchen or life in general, and we must cope and adapt to reach a satisfactory solution.
I highly recommend trying some of Fresh Thyme’s prepackaged meals, but also just checking out their store in general. They’ve got a ton of fresh produce, bulk items, and organic options.
Best of luck to all of you this week as you venture to cook, clean, and apply yourselves in the classroom. It’s almost fall break!
