Thai Salad and Whole Wheat Pitas

Last night Dianna and I made Thai Salad and Whole Wheat Pitas. It was a really good meal: filling, but not rich! The salad components were: romaine lettuce, carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, potato, hard boiled egg, tofu, fresh basil, and a lemon wedge. I had never had cooked potato in a green salad before and I really liked it! The dressing was peanut butter based with a little salt, honey, garlic, and spices in it. While it was a little too runny, it flavored the salad well.

The pitas ended up being a little crispier that anticipated, but totally delicious. Pita bread is one of those things I never really thought to make from scratch. But it was so stinkin' easy to do (yeast, water, honey, salt, flour) that I will make them myself instead of buying them at the grocery store from now on!

Additionally, check out these adorable Norwegian napkins we used with dinner. Dianna translated for us: "Welcome to our home." Perfect!

Cauliflower Cheese Pie

Tonight I made Cauliflower Cheese Pie with Dianna and Josh! We were a little tight on space with three bodies in the kitchen but I'd cook just about anywhere as long as it's with friends.

The crust of the pie was a refreshing combination of grated potato, onion, egg white, and a little salt. I am not a huge fan of pie crust, so this was a wonderful alternative! We mixed these ingredients in a bowl and then transferred to a pie tin, "building up the sides into a handsome edge." (Mollie's words, not mine... how could you not adore this woman!?)

Next we cooked onion, herbs, and chopped cauliflower over medium heat. Improvising with a lid for a pot, the cauliflower was covered to soften. Looks a little like popcorn!
The pie crust baked for about thirty minutes, then we assembled the filling: a layer of grated cheddar cheese, the warm cauliflower, a little more cheese, then poured an egg and milk mixture over the top. Josh ceremoniously dusted our creation with paprika, and into the oven it went! It came out perfect, as Dianna models here:

The pie was delicious! The potato crust was a little bit tough, but the overall flavor was superb. The cauliflower was a suprisingly delightful filling and the herbs (basil and thyme) were just right. I loved this recipe! A little rocket & mushroom salad on the side, some rootbeer, and an introduction to spray-on salad dressing... a terrifically enjoyable evening with friends. <3