In truth - 'cause that's what it's all about, right? - it feels pretty hard to blog this week. Lately I find myself swinging between huge waves of gratitude for all that's well with life, to fairly major feelings of uncertainty and overwhelm. The effects are enervating. All I want to do when I get home in the evening is just lie on the rug with my eyes closed, preferably in silence. Which is pretty hard to come by at our house. And besides, somebody still needs to make dinner.
As for me, the appetite is gone for now, which takes all the fun out of cooking. So this week it's been what I call 'survival cooking' - meals that meet the basic requirements of nutrition and good taste, but nothing approaching the rarefied echelons of what my stepson calls 'a vacation for your mouth.' Oh, he is a funny guy.
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| So much to be grateful for...if only I can stay focused on it. |
Well, perhaps there are some folks reading this who don't feel so much like cooking either. Maybe they would appreciate a few ideas for what to make in 15 minutes or less. After all, at this time of year it is usually well over 105 degrees where I come from and God knows that is no time to be slaving away in the kitchen! So here is a sample offering and then I'm going to force myself to get back on the bicycle. (I do mean that literally - even my triathalon training is taking a hit lately and I really need to get it together if I'm not going to embarrass myself next month!)
Tican platter (oh, to be back in Costa Rica living a carefree existence right now!) - brown rice, refried pinto beans, saute of summer squashes, garlic, onions. Garnished with diced tomato, avocado and lime.
Chips 'n dip (yes, I served my children tortilla chips for dinner) - 1/2 jar salsa, 1 drained can of mashed kidney beans, corn scraped from 1 cob, 1 diced avocado, lime juice, 1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach and some shredded sharp cheddar cheese stirred in.
Cucumber yogurt soup - In a food processor, puree 2 peeled, seeded, chopped cucumbers, 4 cups plain yogurt, 1 pressed garlic clove, a couple spoonfuls of olive oil and a handful of fresh dill and another of fresh mint. Divine. We ate it with a simple spinach salad and garlic toast.
Gazpacho - an approximate recipe is below, since I can't seem to find the basic one I usually start off with right now. I served it with grilled sandwiches stuffed with fresh basil, goat cheese, sauteed onions and zucchini. The kids barely managed choke this meal down but it could have been b/c we ate it at the lake and they were distracted by fun. Next time I'm going to sneak some cannelini beans into the soup and see if anyone notices...
Basic Gazpacho Soup (a traditional version, with bread)
- 1 slice stale artisan bread, soaked in water to cover
- 8 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, chopped
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded, chopped
- 2 small cloves garlic
- handful basil leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp balsalmic vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Dump all ingredients in a large food processor and puree for several minutes until relatively smooth.
Garnish with diced avocado, tiny croutons, fresh herbs, etc.
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| Celebrating Thumbelina's birthday - thank God for children and their natural joyfulness! |
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