Music Teacher Eats: MTNA 2022 Edition

This past week was the 2022 Music Teachers National Conference. Since it was virtual, a few teacher friends and I decided to come together so as to not miss out on one of the best aspects – spending time together. Plus, it’s easier to feel more enveloped in the virtual experience when you’re not alone and easily distracted by other life happenings.

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How to Make Music Teacher Friends (The Piano Pantry Podcast) – 12 min.

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As someone who loves to cook and host, I was quick to volunteer our home as the location. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to come together with other teacher friends. It’s practically like a spa day as you walk away feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and newly motivated!

Call me crazy, but since I usually cook for two, I considered cooking for five for multiple meals and days as a fun opportunity. Of course, my teacher friends were happy to oblige. Meet my friends and guests:

Joy Morin – Color in My Piano

Christina Whitlock – Beyond Measure Podcast

Janna Williamson- JannaWilliamson.com

In this post, I thought it would be fun to share all the recipes I cooked over the course of the week (at least those that are available online).

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For more recommended recipes, visit the first post in this series: Music Teacher Eats: Fall Edition.

Breakfast

Raspberry Orange Almond Muffins with Sprouted Wheat Flour (Amy Chaplin – the chef, not me.)

These muffins are not only healthy but incredibly moist and delicious! Sugar free and egg free, the shocking component is 1.5 WHOLE oranges that are first boiled and then puréed.

Cheesy-Baked Eggs (The Girl Who Ate Everything)

Egg casseroles aren’t usually my thing but this simple baked egg recipe is a winner. Pepper-jack cheese is the star ingredient that adds tons of flavor without actually making it spicy. I’ve tried substituting cheddar cheese and it’s not nearly as good! Definitely go with the pepper jack. Also, the original recipe calls for 16 oz (1 lb!) of shredded cheese but I find that to be too much and 8oz to be a lovely amount.

Lunch

Honey Mustard Chicken Tender Salad (The Kitchn)

One of my favorite simple salads. The dressing is oil-free, comprised of only Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar.

Shanghai-Style Scallion Noodles (177 Milk Street)

(Pictured above). Unfortunately, Milk Street is a subscription website, but I’m sure you could google something similar! The base is noodles, ground pork, and scallions, and the sauce is simply soy sauce and sugar – so simple!

Obsessively Good Avocado Cucumber Salad (Smitten Kitchen)

I served this alongside the Shanghai-Style Noodles, and it really is “obsessively good”. It’s best eaten fresh, so I wouldn’t recommend making it ahead of time, although you could at least mix the dressing ingredients ahead of time and then toss them with the avocado and cucumber right before eating. 

Dinner

Skillet Chicken with Mexican Green Rice (Meaningful Eats)

A one-dish recipe full of good southwest flavor. I would suggest serving it with sour cream and taco chips on the side. We also had a very simple shredded cabbage salad with a chili-powder-based dressing 

Milk-Can Supper (Cook’s Country)

The title alludes to the fact that the dish was inspired by the old practice on dairy farms, repurposing old large milk cans for travel and camping meal preparation. All the ingredients are essentially steamed in the pot flavored by beer, bay leaf, thyme, and S&P. Don’t be tempted to double, as the recipe amount is about all you can get in a 6-7 quart Dutch oven!

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Dill and Garlic (Cook’s Country)

An excellent and hands-free preparation that will feed 5-6 people. This recipe pairs really nicely with the slow-roasted sweet potatoes linked below.

Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Smitten Kitchen)

Chicken and Sugar Snap Pea Stir Fry (Williams Sonoma)

My absolute favorite stir-fry. The only downside is sugar snap peas can be a little bit of a pain as they’re best if you remove the stringy portion (check out this post). Serve with rice or quinoa.

Snacks/Dessert

A one-dish recipe full of good southwest flavor. I would suggest serving it with sour cream and taco chips on the side. We also had a very simple shredded cabbage salad with a chili-powder-based dressing.