I swear that there is a cooking muse and that I have been abandoned by her. I find myself able to make only macaroni and cheese and variations on stir fry. Lincoln hates stir fry and I have bad memories of it from the period of time when I lived with Maris before she really learned to cook. Bartleby is in the third week of a some kind of toddler hunger strike. Did I ever really make anything mentioned on this blog or was it a hallucination?
Where has the cooking muse gone? Is she visiting your kitchen? Please let me know!
4 comments:
Hey - don't despair - we've all been there. It's something about the change of seasons. The new spring veggies aren't quite in season yet and the old stuff from winter just can't be tolerated (as much as I love butternut squash, I'm not interested in it at all). Don't even talk to me about a stew. Be easy on yourself. Get a salmon steak and marinated it in some teriyaki sauce (you can even buy the jarred sauce - don't feel guilty for not making it). Get some asparagus or green beans if they look nice and the small red potatoes. Or, do a quick lemon dill sauce - wrap a salmon steak in some foil (or parchment paper) with lemon and fresh dill, and bake until done. Another good quick one is a citrus marinade for whitefish. Take the juice of a lime, lemon, small orange and 1/2 a grapefruit, let marinate for about 10-15 mins while you fix a veggie. Pat dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper with a little olive oil and broil. You can then reduce the marinade (be sure to boil for at least two minutes or make a fresh one) and reduce it. Add a little cornstarch to thicken for a sauce. Fish can get you out of a funk.
Here's a kid-friendly meat (or fake meat) recipe I've shared w/my friends who are moms. Even the ones who hate to cook like this. So do their kids.
Stuffed cornbread:
1/4 olive oil plus 2 tbls
1 lg onion chopped
1 lb ground beef (or soy meat cumbles)
1 c corn meal (not self-rising)
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili paste
1 minced garlic clove
1 c milk (or soy)
2 eggs beaten (or 4 egg whites)
1 c canned corn drained (optional)
1/2 lb grated sharp cheddar (or soy)
2-3 finely chopped jalapenos (optional)
Preheat oven to 350f
Heat 2 tblsp oil in pan, add onion, fry to translucent. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain off any accumulated fat. In large bowl, combine cornmeal, baking soda, salt and spices. In separate bowl mix milk, 1/2 c olive oil, eggs, garlic and corn kernels if using. Stir liquids into cornmeal by hand until just smooth. Mixture will be soupy. Set aside.
Grease a large skillet and warm over very low heat. Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal in pan, brown slightly, then pour in 1/2 of the batter. Gently spread the meat & onion mixture on top. Add cheese & jalapenos. Pour gently the rest of the batter. Bake for 40-50 mins until golden brown - a toothpick inserted in center should come out clean.
Serve with your favorite condiments - sour cream, avocado, salsa, hot sauce, whatever.
What an odd coincidence. I myself have been cooking up a storm during the last two weeks -- and I usually HATE to cook! Sorry -- looks your muse may be hanging around MY house at the moment.
BEGONE, MUSE! GET THEE GONE!!!!!!
Thank you so much for the compassion and the recipes. I will stop beating myself up with a wet noodle and try to cook.
It was not that I couldn't cook - it was a faulty philosophy - all left over proteins (+) veg (+) hosine sauce = weekday night dinner
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