I’m using this Stay Home moment to cook more, and wanted to share some of the things I’ve been making because I am NOT a fancy food person nor a great cook, but I have surprised myself with what you can do in the kitchen when you just get in there and go for it! I have NEVER cooked this much in my life and I gotta say, I ‘m kinda into it! We eat mostly plant-based and vegetarian, with cheese and an occasional egg every so often (like in this delicious Vegetarian Ricotta & Eggplant Casserole). Imagine a lasagne without the noodles! It was delicious and warms up easily the next day.
It’s been really fun buying random ingredients and then searching for a cool recipe based on what we have and tweaking the dish as needed. I’m not one to make a shopping list, so the creativity comes once I get home and have to create a meal with a bunch of random items that looked interesting as I passed them in the shop…leeks, yes! Eggplant, or Aubergine if you prefer…how can you walk by those and not take one home? I’m always weak for radish and beets for some reason too and have started to pickle these to get in touch with my Polish roots!
I have also been making a lot of soups because they can be eaten any time of day, last for days, and are easy to reheat. This week I realized I had some leeks that I’d forgotten about so I searched for soups with leeks in them and found this yummy Creamy Cauliflower, Leek & Potato Soup and just omitted the bacon. I put a ton of pepper in this soup and it was off the hook…with a pint of Guinness it would have been better. 😉 Even TK (who doesn’t like onion or onion-like things) came back for a second bowl!
Here’s a fun snack that I make almost weekly that’s super easy to whip together and serve with veggies or pita or spread on sandwiches. It’s a simple hummus recipe I recently discovered I had blogged about back in early 2000’s when I forgot I even had a blog!!! The difference in this recipe is that you make the chickpeas from scratch in the slow cooker. It makes a really creamy smooth hummus that you can later add extra cumin or garlic or lemon to, depending on what you like. But the texture is oh sooo lovely!!! Try it! You might never buy canned chickpeas again!
Another favorite plant-based dish that has been a staple these past weeks is what I call the Yogi Bowl. It has all of the things I crave after doing yoga in one colorful heaping pile! Mashed sweet potatoes, black beans, sauteed kale, and turmeric rice. The colors alone are like a work of art! I could literally eat this dish every single day. I think we forget that eating well doesn’t have to be difficult, fancy or a time intensive process. You can go to the grocery store and only purchase dried goods and fresh produce and make a ton of really satisfying meals.
Luckily, I live with someone who is an amazing baker, so I am rewarded for my cooking with lots of delicious pies and cookies afterwards! I’m much more comfortable mixing salads, making soups, and winging it in the kitchen but baking takes a very precise mindset which I do not have at all!
I would love to hear what some of your favorite easy to make meals are and how you’ve been adapting to this lifestyle where we are at home a lot more than usual. How often do you shop? Do you order online? Any favorite recipes you want to share are welcome! We can’t just talk jewelry all the time, so here’s to starting some conversations around food!!!
xo,
suzanne
