What I learned lying on my back this week
So my last post talked about the importance of sometimes taking a day to cook up a storm so that you had easy throw together meals for during the week. You know what? last weekend i was busy, and i didn’t take my advice. Sure i had some left over food that i could somewhat throw together creatively - but the problem i ran into - i couldn’t stand up long enough to be able to throw it together.
I did something kinda stupid things week and ended up doing a number on my lower back (being picked up off the floor by a VP at work was definitely not a highlight of my career) and i’ve spent the better part of this week either laying on the floor staring at the ceiling or spending time at the chiropractors office. Cooking has been out of the question - not only because of the pain, but because i fear at this point it would have been dangerous - what if something was burning and i couldn’t get up in time?
i’ve had to rely on others for food - and being single - it’s meant calling my sister, or a neighbour and having to have them come over to help. Wouldn’t have been such a big deal if i had food - i could have just asked someone to reheat something, but instead i found myself trying to explain how to make food and frequently eating something i really didn’t want or like.
so why am i telling you this? when you are cooking for one it is not because you are the only person eating - it is because you are the only person. Have a plan - have emergency food that will not take much effort to make because the truth is, eating balanced, and eating healthy is up to you - and being hurt or sick should not be an excuse not to.
Busy Business Travel: Why cooking for yourself when you get home is so important
I’ve been traveling for the last week, finally leaving to go home later today. Throughout this time i’ve been enjoying the fact that i haven’t had to cook for myself, i’ve had plenty of great meals all prepared for me at great restaurants, and even had hotel staff chasing after me with plates of food when they knew i was doing things during lunch (the staff at the Hilton Clearwater are GREAT). But the truth is, i miss making my own food, and as careful as i am about eating healthy while traveling - sometimes things like oreo cookies around breakfast or 11pm cheese burgers happen. (it’s a running around like a crazy woman thing)
Although after a couple trips of asking for advice on avoiding “travel tummy” i have this travel thing down to an art (eat yogurt, and lots of fibre) but i still come back not feeling completely myself (because really, who eats like them selves while traveling). The thing that i found works best for a speedy recovery is getting back into a routine - there is always a temptation when you are tired, and come home to an empty fridge to take a day or two (or 3 or 4) before grocery shopping and just live in takeout or cereal. I’ve done that, and it’s never ended well.
Best thing to do - make a plan before you leave to have something easy to make for the first day (think of things that you can keep and won’t go bad - my kidney bean and tuna salad recipe comes to mind. That way even if you get home later than you thought, you don’t have to worry about groceries right away. The next day, make a list of the meals you want that week and create a grocery list(remember that if you are like me you most likely currently only have pickles and hot sauce in the fridge). By forcing yourself back into a routine, you are more likely to feel yourself in no time! Because even though you may be tired and stressed after a long hectic week it’s important to eat more than cereal.
Sunday Night: The perfect time to cook for the week
By the middle of December i usually find myself in trouble - and by that i mean i never seem to be able to wake up in time to make a decent lunch (grabbing frozen bread and a tub of hummus really doesn’t cut it) and find that with everything going on with the holiday’s coming, i am either never home or home late enough that cooking doesn’t make sense.
It happens, we can all admit that there are times of the year when priorities have to be made, and sometimes things like getting groceries fall to the wayside. But there is only so long that you can put up with making meals out of things you find in your pantry and freezer.
It is for this very reason, that i make time each week to have a cooking day. Sunday night makes sense for me because it tends to be a day i am home early (even if there is a family function or holiday party, they tend to end earlier) so here’s what i did. Stop on the way home at a grocery store (if you are coming from a holiday party - don’t worry, you won’t be the only one in nice clothes) and buy a bunch of stuff (i bought brown rice, lentils, a pack of chicken breasts, carrots and cucumber). Why? you are going to cut up and cook up EVERYTHING so that during the week, there are no excuses for missing meals or taking a really pathetic lunch.
- carrots get peeled and turned into stick (good for snacking, and easy to chop for soup)
- lentils and rice get cooked, cooled, then put into containers (easily added to soup or made into a salad or even turned into a side dish)
- cucumber - the easiest snack/side dish there is, 5 second prep if that
- chicken - so easy to just cook a bunch, then put into the fridge (can make a sandwich, add to a soup, add to a stir fry or just eat on it’s own)
All in all it took me about 2 hours - but i had decent lunches, and fast throw together dinners every day for a week, even on days when i was home late and really tired.
It was an easy, more than cereal, no thinking, cooking for one food adventure!
Beef and Mushroom Stew
Every year around this time i get a craving for stew. That warm, soothing, everything is soft yumminess makes the dark, wet, coldness just that little more bearable.
For this particular recipe, it is perfect for one person who is hungry, or two if you add in crusty bread (or one dinner and a lunch for tomorrow).
You will need the following:
- 1/3cup of onions
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 large carrot
- 6-8 large mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2cup of frozen peas
- 5oz of beef
Once everything is chopped up, heat a pan on medium-high heat with a little bit of olive oil. Add in the beef and brown.
Once browned, remove from the pan and add in the onion and garlic. Stir to prevent it from burning.
Once the onions begin to soften, add in the mushrooms.
Add in the carrots and about a cup of water (if you have any beef stock hanging around use that instead).
Cover and turn the heat down to medium low. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes, add in any frozen veggies you might want to add (i used peas, but corn or green beans would work too)
Turn the heat back up to medium high, and stir another 5 minutes (the stew should thicken up). Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve in a big bowl.
Enjoy the more than cereal, beef and mushroom stew for one.
Comfort food: the problem in cooking for one
We all have them - those days when you come home, maybe it was a hard day, maybe it was just a long one, but we crave those foods that make us feel comfort. Everyone has those days, and there is nothing wrong with that once in a while creamy mac and cheese, or a tuna noodle casserole, or any other “made in a large pan” type dish.
But there is a problem when you are cooking for one, namely, it is very hard to make one big pan of food and actually eat a some-what sane amount (stop looking at me like that, you know you’ve eaten a whole thing of mac and cheese sometime before too!). And even if you say that you can keep portions under control, what do you do with all those left overs? Tuna Noodle Casserole for 4-5 days straight? It just doesn’t make sense.
So how do you go about making comfort food for one? First, forget about a recipe - instead, think serving size. For the most part, 3/4cup of pasta is one serving, add in some veggies, a small can of tuna and you have something that you don’t need to think too much about. As for the cheese sauce - just think ratios, if you know how to make enough for 4-6 people, divide/use fractions (and apologize to your third grade teacher for saying you would never need them.
The best thing about comfort food is not having to think too hard and my goal when i am at a point that a warm bowl of cheesey carbs seem like the best idea in the world is to go mindless and not worry.
Warning: This is a rant
There was a time in my life that i would laugh at the cartoon above, but the truth is, now it makes me sad. Why? because it is true - how many of you have had a moment of self hatred when you stepped on the scale? i know i have in the past - and even sometimes struggle with it these days. I’ve even seen people in a doctor’s office step on backwards or close their eyes so they don’t have to know! Now think about it for a minute - why does it upset people so much? is there any number that would make you happy? truthfully? not just that number you say you will be happy with, but once reach want to go even lower, but a number you would honestly be happy staying at forever. I bet there isn’t.
One thing that many people do not know about me - i use to be overweight - not just a little overweight - but over 200lbs, size 18 overweight - and, i was constantly dieting going through the lose some gain some lose some more gain even more ritual that many people go through. I felt like a failure - and, i always felt hungry. It was horrible, truly horrible. i am not some “always been skinny” girl that goes on rants and doesn’t know your pain. I was there - i get it.
But there are some things you have to think about when you diet - the main one being, “how come the diet industry makes billions of dollars a year?” If you think about it - if there was a diet out there that actually worked, then why would they continue to make that much money every year? Even if someone ended up gaining weight back because they “fell off the wagon” so to speak since they already went through the diet once they should know what to do right? shouldn’t have to go back to the meetings or buy new books - they “learned” how to lose the weight, right? It’s not the case - people go back to try the same thing - or they move on and try the “latest” thing and frankly, it’s sad. People have learned how to successful fail at diets but still have no clue how to eat to be healthy.
Things changed for me back in 2007 - i was dieting at the time and got sick, really sick. Probably wasn’t related to the dieting at the time, but it lead me to open my eyes. During a major medical work up (no one had any clue what was wrong with me so i had a “team” try to figure it out), i met with a dietician and she said something that both really pissed me off and made me think - it was the start of something that would eventually lead me to change the way that i see food - see eating - and see myself.
The main difference between what i ended up working on with her and what i did when i was dieting? I learned - i learned what makes you feel more full when you eat - what gives you the most energy for the longest - what makes your blood sugar spike so that you are going to want to eat really quickly - and most importantly - i learned that really nothing was off limits - if i really wanted to eat it - that was ok. Confused yet? here’s the thing - i haven’t binged since i learned that i could eat what i wanted to - i don’t feel guilty if i want that piece of cake - or candy at the movies - i eat it, i move on and it’s ok. Here’s the thing - i’m not overweight anymore - my weight doesn’t fluctuate more than 4-5lbs anymore - and most importantly i rarely rarely feel hungry (and if i do it is because of something like being stuck in a meeting that is running late and therefore impeding my snack time!)
This rant is because i am starting to get sick of people commenting on what i ate - i actually had someone this week tell me that if i didn’t lay off the cheese cake i was going to get fat! this particular person is currently dieting (and my currently i mean she recently changed a diet plan) and has been on some sort of a diet ever since i knew her. And the truth is - i feel for her - i know her pain - but what hurts the most - she has never learned to eat and refuses to do so. It is always “i will do something once i lose the weight” and never “i will do something to be healthy”. What does it say about the world we live in when people think they are dieting “properly” if they don’t have ketones in their urine????
I get that it is hard to change your mindset - i get that you may not think that you can cook for yourself (use my website, it’s not as hard as you think) but do something for yourself - get help learning how to eat instead of succeeding at failing at dieting- it isn’t worth the pain of fearing that scale.
Dieticians don’t make billions per year (probably because they work so you can stop seeing them after a while!)
Butternut and Carrot Soup
Fall is here, and as much as i hate that that means winter is not far behind, i do love fall veggies. Squashes, and beets and brussel spouts! i love them all (yes i know i am weird, but i do!).
During this week’s shopping trip i came across a gem - a little itty bitty butter nut squash! I fell in love! it isn’t often i get the chance to eat squash, reason? it doesn’t come in single serving size that often, and it isn’t in the salad bar so i can’t use my buy what i need trick. But here it was. (that is a one cup measuring cup)
So i peeled and chopped the lil cutie squash, and chopped up two carrots too (it was an orange kinda day).
Then i added a clove of garlic and some olive oil into a pot.
Then added in the carrots and the squash, added a little salt and pepper, stirred a minute or two, and covered (just barely) with water.
After about half an hour i used a stick blender (regular blender works, or even a potato masher) and blended it all up (i like carrot chunks though so i didn’t over do it). For an extra treat, sprinkle a little parm on the top. Great fall more than cereal dinner for one.
Lentils
I woke up this morning and was cold - strange to be saying that after so many weeks of complaining how ridiculously hot it was, but i put on a hoody before going to make my morning coffee.
It was there in the kitchen that the cold reminded me of something i’ve always found very comforting - lentils. It’s not something that i typically make in the summer months - something about making things that need to be simmered makes me think fall/winter, but I had a craving, and those of you that know me know that when i get a craving, i better eat what it is my body wants or it gets ugly.
For this recipe i used dried lentils - i haven’t mastered the soaking of the beans yet, but lentils are fairly easy if you plan a bit in advance - and because it was in the morning that is exactly what i did.
3/4 cup lentils covered with
water then put into the
fridge until that night.
When i arrived home i sliced up:
a carrot, a clove of garlic,
and a bit of onion (about a
1/4 cup)
Into a hot pot with a little bit
of olive oil, stirring until you
smell the garlic.
Add in the lentils add water or
chicken stock until everything
is covered. Cover the pot with
a lid and turn the temp to
medium-low. Stir every 5 mins
for until most of the water gets
absorbed. (about 20 mins)
Chop up some parsley
(about 1/4 cup when chopped)
And grate 1oz of swiss
cheese
Add cheese and parsley into
the pot and stir until the
cheese melts
Then the most important
part - enjoy a comforting
more than cereal meal for
one
Meatless Mondays
This is one food trend that i am loving! I’ve always tried to eat a couple meat free meals throughout the week - but when it comes to cooking for one, truth is, the meat is usually the easier part of the meal (although the packages aren’t single server, the actual piece of meat usually is). Vegetables, on the other hand, have to usually be cut up to be single serving, and it is not as easy to make sure that the veggies don’t go bad (meat goes into a zip lock and into the freezer).
So, how can you get veggies and enough variety to make a whole meal? i am sure that this is something that vegans can answer more than me, but the dish pictured above is one of my favourites, and with zucchini and corn currently in season and at your local farmers markets, this makes a great, easy, and quick meatless monday meal.
You will need:
- one small can of black beans (or a little more than a cup)
- 1/4 cup of onions
- 1 cob of corn
- 1 small zucchini
- 1oz of cheese (i used pepper jack)
- 1/2 tsp of chilli powder
Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Heat a fry pan to medium. Remove the corn kernels from the cob (careful of your fingers please), cut up the zucchini by quartering then dicing, chop up the onion and add everything into a pan with a little olive oil.
Drain and rinse the black beans - add into the pan along with the chilli powder and stir for about 5 minutes (you may have to add a little bit of water if it looks dry - no more than 1tbsp though). Put everything into an oven safe dish, and add the cheese to the top (either grate it or just cut it into little cubes and put on top). Place dish in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes (watch for the cheese to start to bubble).
Enjoy the meatless Monday more than cereal meal for one.
Lazy Summer No Cook Days
There is something about summer that just seems to make everything move a little slower. Maybe it’s the heat, or maybe it is just that the sun is making everyone happier, but one thing i find - getting “chores” done when it is so amazingly nice outside just doesn’t happen, and unfortunately, sometimes making dinner falls into this category.
But summer is also the time when fresh (not shipped for days on end on boats) produce is around - and a lot less expensive than it is in the winter so take the time to stop and smell the veggies.
Take tonight for instance, i didn’t get home until 8pm - was a little on the cranky side (my last coffee was at 10am, and people that know me know i am NOT happy without it) and really tired from Monday meetings - cooking was honestly the last thing i wanted to do, but i was hungry, and i know the importances of eating, so i looked in the fridge - broccoli, some left over chicken...and sriracha (aka rooster sauce) - so i did this, cut up the chicken, add in some chopped up broccoli, add the rooster, and.....it became a cold stir fry (or i guess stir toss).
Another of my favs at this time of year is anything beans - bean salad is super simple and tastes really good (not to mention fibrelicious). I made some saturday, but realized that i was out of vinegar - looked through the fridge and saw a jar of pickled jalapeno peppers - added a little of the brine to the beans, then some olive oil, green onion and OMG it was amazing, and done in less than 5 minutes (including vinegar searching time)
So i say, be lazy and don’t cook, because there are a million things that you can throw together without cooking at all. My challenge to you, find one thing that you can make that takes the same time as pouring a bowl of cereal with milk, you will be surprised how truly easy it is.
Strange and Funny Food Comments
A couple weeks ago i was killing myself laughing at a twitter conversation between myself and a few of my followers - the topic? hilarious things that people say about food - some just strange, some just so backwards that you have no clue how someone could think that was correct, and some that everyone has probably heard from their grandparents but you have to giggle at (eating bread crusts will give you curly hair for example). here are just a few of the best ones that i have heard:
“cheese and eggs are not animal proteins” - reasoning behind that theory? “vegetarians eat eggs and cheese so they are vegetable proteins”....anyone know where i can get some gouda seeds?
comment when having pasta for dinner, “why don’t we have bread, i don’t feel well if i don’t have carbs with dinner”
this is one of those grandmother comments, “parsley cleans the blood so your breath won’t smell like garlic”
this one made me laugh only because i am sure most woman know someone who has said something along these lines - from the movie, The Devil Wears Prada...”It's for Paris, I'm on this new diet. Well, I don't eat anything and when I feel like I'm about to faint I eat a cube of cheese.” followed by “I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight.” and the ever so popular carb comment, “You don't deserve them, I mean you eat carbs, for Chrissake!”
i went to university (seriously, this girl was a biology major) who said, “i don’t drink milk because the idea of drinking cow pus kinda grosses me out”
my famous (yes i know i am wrong, but it was a good try on my part) comment about coffee, “it’s a complete breakfast, no? i mean, coffee is a bean so it’s a legume, and then add milk, a dairy, and sugar that comes from plants...so a vegetable....complete breakfast? maybe?”
and just because of what my blog is about - every time i hear, “it is impossible to cook well for one”
what are some good ones you have heard?
Easter - Part 2
I have garlic breath! So after marinading over night, the lamb was cooked - i am going to give people a couple options here - i ended up using a charcoal grill, direct heat, and cooked it for about 45 minutes...but not everyone has that option (or is willing to smell like they were stuck in a forest fire).
Option One - Oven:
Pre-heat the oven to 375. Place lamb on a broil pan or baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, then broil for 5-7 (watch it closely so you don’t burn it).
Option Two - Grill Pan:
Pre-heat the grill pan to medium high (it is really really important to make sure that it preheated or else you end up with rubbery limp meat). Place the lamb on the grill, fat side down and do not touch for 15 minutes. Flip, cook on the other side for 20 minutes.
Key is, don’t burn it, but get a crust:
Make sure you let it rest for about 20 minutes or so then slice it up against the grain:
Now - back to if you are only one person. Bake still at 375, but only for 12-15 minutes or use a grill pan and grill for 5 minutes per side.
Easter - Part 1
There are times when i love cooking for more than one, and holidays give me that chance. Certain foods (a lamb leg for instance) can never really be a “for one meal” (unless you are a teenage boy). That being said, there are things you can do with lamb for one person - see the end of this entry for quantities for the marinade.
I am not a pure traditionalist when it comes to lamb (i am really not a fan of mint) but there are some flavours (garlic, rosemary) that really make lamb taste yummy. I start with the herbs, rosemary, basil, oregano and some sea salt:
I add about 2tbsp of each of the herbs (double if you are using fresh), and 1tsp of salt to about one head of peeled garlic:
Then I add in 1/4 cup of olive oil, 3tbsp of hot mustard, and 2 tbsp of grainy mustard:
And blend everything together. Once blended, stir in about a half lemon worth of lemon juice and 1tbsp balsamic vinegar. Then spread the mixture over the lamb:
Cover and place in the fridge overnight (see tomorrow for the cooking instructions).
Now you say, but i want lamb and it’s only me???? you will need to get some lamb loin chops - 2-3each (or lamb leg chops 1-2each) and use the following for the marinade:
-1/4tsp of each of the herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano)
-dash of salt
-1tsp of spicy mustard
-1/2tsp of grainy mustard
-3 cloves of garlic
-juice from a lemon wedge (same amount you would use if you were adding it to a drink)
-1/2 tsp of balsamic vinegar (sometimes i use soy sauce instead)
Sometimes the simplest dishes look the most fancy
This week someone told me that it must be easy for me to not have cereal or other packaged foods for dinner because i love to cook and take the time to do so - true enough, but it is not the meals that take me a long time to prepare that are the ones that people usually rave about. Sometimes it really is the simple things that people love the most.
Take this new recipe that i came up with this week - smoked salmon pasta. Sounds fancy, right? Truth is, boiling the pasta was what took the longest!
Start by bringing a big pot of water to a boil. I used penne, but any type of pasta will work - read the package to see what a serving size is - figure out how much you want to eat - but most importantly, measure it out, because pasta is one of those things that if you dump into a pot you can go from 400cals to 1200 without really noticing. Keep an eye on the pot and add the pasta when the pot boils.
While the pot is coming to a boil, slice up an onion, some garlic, and zest up some lemon:
Cook it up in a little olive oil until the onions soften and the garlic smells super yummy.
Next you want to take a couple forkfuls of capers (i use a fork because they you don’t get the liquid you do from a spoon), a little bit of parm, and a couple slices of smoked salmon (side note: don’t put smoked salmon on a wooden cutting board, it is really really hard to get the oils out - but it did look pretty, huh?)
The pasta should be close to being done by now (try a piece to see). Using a laddle add a little bit of the pasta water in with the onion-garlic-lemon mixture then drain the pasta and add it into the pan stirring everything up. Add the salmon, capers, and parm and stir for about another minute then serve.
It really is that simple - and about a 15 minute dish (if you don’t count the time it takes for the pot to boil). Recipe can be found by clicking here or you can just eyeball it, because really the best dishes are the ones that you don’t have to think about, the easy throw it together ones.
Planning ahead - even more key when cooking for one.
i use to be the worst at getting groceries - horrible - and don’t even get me started on months when i was doing business travel (hmmmm tuna, pickles, hot sauce - oh the meals that i have fake made with you). i have found over the past while that while i still do HATE to get groceries (why do people push and shove over broccoli, really??) that taking time to think about what you want to make in the upcoming week is an important step for in cooking for one - even more so, i would say, than when cooking for a family. Here’s why:
- most vegetables come in “family size” naturally. you will need to decide how to use something like broccoli or a bunch of carrots in different ways
- unless you are going to a butcher shop (i am jealous if you are) you are probably buying a minimum of two of any type of meat
- because of what i said above, variety is hard to get
so, how to deal? meat tends to be the easier thing to plan for me. I go through the flyers each week, see what is on sale - and pick it up, along with some freezer bags. That way, i “usually” will have a variety in my freezer, and in the end, save money because i am buying things when they are on sale (although, if you are just starting this, it may take a bit to get your freezer on-sale-stocked).
now the harder part, veggies - i will fully admit that i have found some scary stuff in the back of my fridge over time. i’ve mentioned it before, and i will mention it again - either buy something that you won’t mind eating 3-4 days in a week, or buy things in the salad bar, or go frozen. Yes i know that buying frozen really sucks when you see really nice produce all around, but if you are not going to get to eat it before it goes bad - maybe it’s not worth it? another option, go organic (you saying “huh?” yet???) - but here’s the thing - organic veggies tend to be smaller and smaller = using it up. Just look at the difference between an organic and non-organic cabbage - there is no way anyone could eat, alone, a non-organic one (or if they did be able to go out in public with the after effects of it) but the organic one, smaller, more manageable maybe 2-3 meals worth.
Ok now for the list - it is important - believe me on this one. Without a list it is really hard to a) remember what you wanted to buy and b) buy enough variety that you aren’t eating the same thing every day for a week. So how to decide on this list? Personally, i start as i mentioned above, with the flyers, then i plan out the week. Decide what on what days and then go from there.
and when all else fails - the best advice that i ever got from a friend of mine was to make “kitchen sink stir fry” - basically, take all the veggies and meat you have left near the end of the week and use it up (or go with “kitchen sink soup” or “kitchen sink pasta” once i even did a “kitchen sink pizza”)
so if you skipped reading some of the above - the gist of it is this PLAN - because without a plan, you end up having cereal for dinner.
Why i cook and not bake
I’ll admit it, i don’t follow directions. Not that i am not capable of doing so (although i have used that excuse in the past) but basically it comes down to this - i look at a recipe and think, “well instead of this, i’ll use that” and “i don’t think that that is really necessary” and in the end, if i am baking, it can end in disaster.
Cooking is much more forgiving, and most of the recipes i post here end up being me making something a couple times, liking it, and thinking, “maybe i should write down what i did” but in all honesty, chances are what i wrote down isn’t exactly how i did it the time before, and probably won’t be the same the next time i make it.
I think of it this way, my sister is an engineer, and she can bake if you give her a recipe. I was always more of an “artsy” child, and measurements take too much time!
Anyone else feel that way? that cooking is more creative and baking is more rules?
Holiday Recovery - Part 2
Raise your hand if you don’t have either the evil cold or really nasty flu that is going around....not many of you out there can say you don’t, or aren’t recovering from it, huh?
So what exactly does this have to do with holiday recovery and food? The honest truth on this one, if you asked me a year ago i would have said nothing, but in the past couple months, more and more i am starting to realize that eating and stress have so much to do with getting sick....does anyone else notice that the people around the office who tend to get sick are the same people who are either eating complete crap on a daily basis or who are on some sort of weird fad i only eat things that start with letter “s” on thursday diet?
i’m not an expert, but it does make a lot of sense, feed yourself well, get all the vitamins and minerals you need naturally, and you body will be a happy happy place that doesn’t wear down when nasty bugs decide they want to come for a visit.
Think of it this way - you know those relatives that you always wish you didn’t have to see but a couple times a year you have to? don’t you deal with them better when you aren’t tired and worn out? Nasty germs are the same way - if your body isn’t stressed and worn out, then it’s going to deal with the “visitors” so much better.
Now onto the food part - if you don’t feel like eating a whole lot, there is still little things you can do. My fav this week has been chicken stock/broth with ginger, lemon, and hot sauce - something about it just seems to make my chest feel better (and yes, i do have a cold and this is a pot calling the kettle black moment), but remember, once you want to eat, do it well because a happy body is a healthy one.
Holiday Recovery - Part 1
Well, it’s been a while, huh? Anyways, i am sure that i am like every other person out there and slowly recovering from a month of completely over indulgence and no need for cooking for one (can we say holiday parties and claiming that hors d'oeuvres are a completely meal in themselves?) So, what to do to get back on track, especially when it is January so things like salads barely have any taste after having traveled for days form far away places? Tis the season for soups!
I know what everyone just pictured, giant pots simmering for hours on the stove, but the truth is, soup for one is a lot easier than you think it would be. Yes, it does take a little planning, because sometimes soup can take a bit of time to make, but it is well worth is...and with a slow cooker, you can plan the night before and come home to a ready made meal (see Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes, Curried Lentil Soup or Spicy Chicken and Black Bean Soup ). But not all soup has to take a long time. Once of my favourite soups of all times takes maybe 20 minutes total. To make it, all you need to do is get some chicken broth, bring to a boil, adding some sliced ginger, some spinach, and some of that asian hot sauce stuff, maybe some pasta or rice, and just boil until everything is cooked (note, if you want pasta or rice, add that way before the spinach or else you will just get wilted brownie goop)
So my point is, time to get back into a routine, soup works, it’s cold out, and it is a lot better on your waist line than any left over frozen hors d’oeuvres you may have kicking around your freezer!
All the reason to grill a ton of chicken
I don’t know if it is the time of year, or the fact the life just seems so much more busy lately, but i’ve been in need of simple ways to have food available once i get home. One trick that i use to do back in the days when my response to, “do you ever go home?” was, “home, what’s that” was that each Sunday, i would make up whatever meat i was planning on needed for the rest of the week. It worked out great for salads (so easy just to throw some chicken on top of a bagged salad) or wraps, and with a little cooking was easy enough to add into a pasta dish
How Eating at Meal Hall Lead to Creative Cooking
I’ve been there, walking into the meal hall at university night after night, seeing the same bland dry food, and after the initial thrill of having pizza and burgers every couple days wears off, you just really want “real food”.
By the middle of my second year i was seriously anemic (as were most of the girls i lived with), and trying to figure out ways to eat better when i was stuck with meal hall food (most meal hall meat is scary, tasteless, or both).
I was luck in some ways, in that there was someone who i met, who had been eating there for years (was a student, then a don at one of the residences) and she taught me something that i will be forever thankful for - cooking with meal hall food instead of just eating it. It may seem crazy but think of it this way - most meal halls have microwaves and toasters - add in some creative uses of bowls, and you honestly have the makings of some really good meals. Here are just a few examples:
Microwave Stir Fry
-whatever the meat of the night is (works best with chicken or roast beef - can even use sandwich meat if that is all you have)
-from the salad bar - things like broccoli, onions, peppers, carrots
-soy sauce (usually somewhere near the salad bar)
-lemon wedges - also usually in the salad bar
-little bit of water (like two spoonfuls max)
-rice (was available every night at my meal hall - but it is not necessary - can use noodles or something similar if you want)
Take all the ingredients, but the rice and put them into a bowl - stir up a little bit. Take a second bowl and place overtop of the first one. Microwave for 2 minutes. Careful taking it out because there will be a lot of steam. Dump over rice. I never measured things, and don’t suggest you do either - bringing measuring cups to the meal hall will get you looks.
Tuna Melt
-Tuna
-pickles
-olives
-cheese
-bread
-mayo
This one takes a couple extra steps. First Toast the bread (you need it to be really toasty or else it will go soggy). Make up the tuna how you normally would if you were making tuna salad. Add to the bread and top with the cheese. Microwave for 1 minute to melt the cheese. (this also works really well on english muffins)
Pasta Primavera
-cooked pasta
-veggies from the salad bar - broccoli, peppers, onions, carrots, etc
-parmesan cheese
-cream cheese
Steam the veggies using the two bowl method mentioned above (without the soy sauce though). Add the veggies including the water you steamed them in into the pasta and add in a couple spoonfuls of cream cheese (usually near the toasters where the bread is) and parmesan cheese. Stir until everything is coated - if it isn’t hot enough to melt, add a spoonful or two of hot water (from where you make tea) or microwave for 30 seconds.
So, with a little creativity, those days when you want to have more than cereal for dinner, even while away at university, can be done by thinking outside the box. Cook with meal hall food instead of just eating it.