Wednesday mid-week dinner at home with BB — phase 2 reopening was rolling out gradually but we were still mostly home-cooking on weekdays. The home dinner routine was working too well to break it for restaurant visits.

Today’s plate:

Hot rice base
A protein dish (pan-seared or grilled)
Stir-fried vegetables
A small soup
Chilli sauce

Mid-week dinners during lockdown were the underrated part of the weekly food routine. By Wednesday you’ve burned through the weekend’s home-cooking enthusiasm and you’re cycling through the weekday standard formats. The trick is to keep the rotation just varied enough that you don’t get bored, without trying anything elaborate enough to require new shopping.

The rice was hot fluffy jasmine, properly steamed. The forever base.

Protein today was a pan-seared chicken thigh — skin-on, salt-and-pepper seasoning, hit in a hot skillet skin-side first for the crispy render. Finished with a small splash of soy and a squeeze of lime. The kind of cooking that takes 15 minutes and delivers proper restaurant-quality results when done with attention.

Stir-fried vegetables — kai lan today, with garlic and oyster sauce. Quick wok toss, stems still crunchy, leaves wilted. Sesame oil drizzle to finish.

Small bowl of soup — corn-and-egg-drop today. Sweet corn kernels in a chicken broth, whisked egg drizzled in at the end to create the silky ribbons. Restorative without being heavy.

Chilli sauce on the side as always.

The mid-week dinner is the small ritual that anchors the work week. We sit at the kitchen table, eat slow, talk about the day, drink water, ignore the news.

Phase 2 reopening was about to give us back the option of restaurant dinners, but the home routine had become the default and we were in no rush to abandon it.

Overall: 4.3 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Reliable mid-week dinner — keeping the routine.

Original IG post