I am working on a cookbook- and wanted to hear your feedback. Basically, the way I view cooking- it needs to be an organic process. I mean, sometimes you can use whatever you have lying in the fridge- leftovers into do-over creations, sometimes it means not looking at a recipe and seeing where your heart and tummy take you. I find most of my clients are soooo scared of even being in the kitchen. They often lack the essential tools needed for most meals ..ie knives, sieves, pots, pans… so my personal philosophy is to keep it reaaal simple. Simple still means tasty and delicious and healthy! imagine all that…
We got to get the fear out of failure- wow I think I just came up with that one on the spot! meaning- its ok to burn the rice or overcook it into a soggy mess..its ok to make crunchy kale chips – a little too brown..the important part, is that you can laugh at yourself!!! and try again, and never say that you hate cooking.
Cooking is part of self- care, it means that you care enough to provide yummy food in your belly that you made for yourself, based on what you feel like eating. It means taking the time out of your busy schedule to nourish yourself for gods sake! While I was doing house work, I decided to put some ingredients in a pot that I could leave to their own devices to cook and marinade while I wasn’t there stirring the pot. This is a really good technique when you are feeling lazy and dont want to Potchkee around (yiddish term) in the kitchen.. so today- on this lovely cold, gloomy and rainy day, I said “By golly I feel like some hearty and delicious soup…” you know that story Stone Soup? where someone puts in rocks, and buttons into the soup, but it still tastes delicious..that sorta what it felt like I was doing..just using ingredients I had on hand. Feel free to use whatever veggies you have and replace it with mine…so this is what I did….
Soul Soup
6 carrots peeled and cut up
5 sweet/potatoes peeled and chopped into square blocks
3 onions
1 squash peeled and chopped as much as you can.. (it will soften so no worries)
1 cup yellow or brown lentils
4 tbs natural soup mix
3 garlic cloves
salt/pepper to taste
10 cups of boiling water..approx (fill the pot)
basically get big pot, peel all your veggies. put a little olive oil in pot and add just onions and garlic until soft and brown (ie. carmelizes) then add the boiling water and all thte other ingredients…move away from the pot and put on high for 15 minutes, then lower to medium heat for 45min-hour…keep on the stove and serve when you are done running around the house!
When eating: put out a placemat, or tablecloth, set aside napkin and spoon. light candle, put on music. enjoy spoon by spoon…
optionally: you can blend it when you are done, and you can add a little maple syrup, rice milk and cinnamon..mmmmmm
