One of my 2015 goals is to cook a meal every week. My intention is multi-faceted. First, I’m trying to eat healthier. I’m defining ‘healthier’ as more organic. Obviously, I want to get in more fruits and vegetables. And I’m trying to avoid synthetic foods; items ingested with chemicals for a longer shelf life or to look prettier. Second, I want to eat out at restaurants less to avoid unhealthy choices but also to save money. I spend a lot of money dining out. And a lot of times, I’m not really excited about the menu options. It’s just convenient. Third, I’d like to invite friends over for a home-cooked meal. I enjoy entertaining. And I appreciate dining at friends‘ houses. It’s much cozier than a restaurant. I love sampling someone’s efforts. And a homemade anything has the extra TLC that makes it special.
Josh turned me on to Gourmet Nutrition, the cookbook for the fit food lover. I ordered it over the holidays and cracked it open this weekend. During my initial examination, I was delighted by the enticing recipes boasting 10-15 minute prep time and 20-25 minute cook time. Many of the recipes are only single or double servings which is perfect for a gal living alone. I ambitiously selected four recipes for a dinner party and a fifth recipe of granola bars for a snack alternative.
I made my lengthy grocery list. The thing about Gourmet Nutrition is the authors are going for flavorful. The recipes have lots of ingredients to make them tastier. At the store, I asked for assistance three times. I had no clue where shiro miso paste would be hiding. I needed to confirm that garbanzo beans are indeed chick peas. And I couldn’t find pine nuts in the nut section.
I made the granola bars yesterday morning. I wanted to give one to Josh during our training session but they didn’t ‘bar.‘ It definitely is granola but it’s more the spoon-it-in-your-yogurt than eat-it-on-the-go. It’s tasty but crumbly. I have all the ingredients to give it another try… maybe more honey!
My menu for Monday evening dinner was…
Classy Chicken
Portobello Pizzas
Chickpea cakes
Poached Pears
Classy Chicken boasted 15 minute prep time. It took me 90 minutes! It had 13 ingredients. There was a lot of sauteing, dicing, mixing. I doubled the recipe because I had three meat eating guests and myself. It was good and I now have lunch for the next three days. The recipe had a real freshness from the vegetables and peaches. And coconut milk, shiro miso paste and the spices gave it a subtle, Asian flare.
I put the chicken aside to work on one of the sides, chickpea cakes. Two of my guests were on a flourless, sugarless January. The chickpea cakes offered an interesting non-bread option. My plan was to serve them with a dollop of guacamole. Well, I thwarted my own plan. This recipe was a ‘ten minute prep’ description. I doubled the recipe of 14 ingredients. I was humming along in my dicing and sauteing. I was feeling fairly confident because it was coming together quicker than the chicken. When it called for the ingredients to be all blended together, I did that. I liquified the chickpeas, zucchini, red pepper, onion, etc. I felt good until I realized the concoction included the 14th ingredient. I had added the yogurt to the mixture. I realized after the fact it was intended as a garnish. When I went to fry the mixture, I couldn’t get the cakes to stay together. They crumbled all over. I tried five of them. It just wasn’t working and my guests were thirty minutes out. So, I’m improvised.
I had pre-made veggie chili for my vegetarian guest. It was my dad’s recipe and I had been making it for years. I decided instead of tossing the chickpea mixture out, I would add it to the chili for a chickpea-cake-chili-skillet-casserole. Well, it didn’t look pretty but it didn’t taste bad! People ate it. There was murmur that the chickpea addition dried it out but it was digestible.
The easiest item was portobello pizzas. Prep time stated 5 minutes and I agree. I had gotten nice big mushroom caps that I covered with salsa, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. They looked like the picture and were a hit! Thankfully!
I can’t report on the poached pears. I didn’t make them. I was too spent from the first two items. I skipped it. I explained that I wouldn’t be serving a dessert. And my guests indicated they were too full anyway. Of course, later they ate the chocolate kisses leftover from my birthday. I worry that was their favorite part of the meal.
I’m going to give my first dinner party of 2015 a C+. Although in hindsight, my menu was too ambitious for a cooking newcomer, I’m pleased I took it on. And I’ve learned from the experience. Next time, I’m going simpler!