As mentioned in my first post, this adventure started for a few reasons… wanting a better relationship with food, wanting to cook more, also to help split the work load with my partner, and to work on my own health by taking control of my food a bit more.
Nick has always done most, if not nearly all of the cooking. Why? He’s good at it, he loves it, and I am not and do not. When I say he’s good I mean it…. everything from homemade pasta and homemade sauces, to his wonderful, beautiful curries. He makes a southwestern chicken, avocado salad with this dressing… mmmmmmmm. I would willingly devour it 5 days a week, and twice on Sunday.
Me… I don’t really cook. I mean I can, but when given the option, I will throw together lots of stuff, put it on toast, or in a bowl, and call it good, often without ever touching a stove, and never taking more than 20 min max. I don’t spend much time, if any, building flavors, or even thinking about seasoning. And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. I think of it more in terms of what will fill me up, meet basic health needs, is quick, tastes fine or good, and not gross or unpleasant.
In the past, Nick hasn’t really enjoyed much of what I’ve made, leading to reason 5 for me trying this. I want to work on finding a way to make things that both meet my requirements of being mostly simple, fresh, and balanced, but are also things that Nick and others will enjoy. So Week 1: Be more thoughtful… of flavors, textures, and temperatures.
Day one:
A light, three part meal. I started by picking out a pre-made soup (we all start somewhere), Barley and Vegetable, not canned. Then threw together a salad, we had cabbage and plain lettuce that needed to be used but wasn’t much to look at. I chopped some cashews and cucumber to add texture, flavor, and body to a somewhat weak beginning. I added a balsamic based dressing and some fresh feta cheese, which I have always thought went together in a quirky way… the salt versus the tangy.
Lastly I made a parfait. I took plain Greek yogurt and added chai and vanilla. I had a raspberry, maple, chocolate, nut and grain granola. I took some strawberries and macerated them with coconut sugar. Added baked coconut chips. Then a pile of fresh blueberries, banana, apple, and raspberries.
Ratings :
- Salad:
- Me: 3/5 Okay… not much finesse or perfection in ingredients, but decent for a clean out the fridge kind of salad.
- Nick: 4/5 Should be on a curve, it’s more than a 3 for what it is, an unplanned, clean out the fridge salad.
- Soup:
- Me: 3.5/5 Good… only way it’s better is if it’s homemade.
- Nick: 2.5/5 Alright, it’s more of a you soup than a me soup. I would’ve picked something else. But it’s fine.
- Parfait:
- Me: 3/5 Good… maybe need to edit myself a little better, there was a lot going on, but still a nice treat.
- Nick: 4.5/5 loved the depth and layers of all the flavors and didn’t think I did too much at all.
- Overall:
- Me: 3.2/5 Good. Filling and balanced, nothing was bad. Some thought put in, executed in timely manner, and simple enough. Had some fun.
- Nick: 3.7/5 Appreciate the thought and efforts, we could totally have this again sometime. Really nice.
Coffee & Conundrums 