A Really Looooooong Break
My last post on March 31, 2024 was not meant to be six and a half months ago. I really intended to cook more but just couldn’t get started. So that’s a really looooooong break and that was not my intention, but entirely predictable. I take any opportunity to avoid the kitchen. This case started with my two-week vacation in Depoe Bay. Thoughts that were running through my head were…I’m on vacation, I’m not in my kitchen, and I lack tools. I’m good at making excuses; I mean, I’m terrific. After 40+ years of living as an adult human, I regularly stay up late and can convince myself, “I’ll be fine in the morning.” I never am, and yet I repeat this self-induced lie regularly.
So, another area I’ve lied to myself about is the kitchen. As I said, I’m an excellent excuse maker or at lying to myself. The result was a really loooooong break.
However, I’m finally back at it. Or I’ve taken the first small step. Its taken some time and distance, literally, at just over 1300 miles one way) to get to this first small step.
Traveling and Learning
Earlier this year when I started my blog my cousin Lisa was a regular reader. She reached out and offered to work with me and have some fun. Lisa loves to cook and is really good at it as well. Currently she spends the bulk of her time in Colorado Springs because of her husband’s job. I was excited to spend time with Lisa and getting some expert kitchen tips. I left home in early September and made my way to Colorado Springs with stops in Boise, and Eden, Utah. It was such a lovely drive, except for the nasty thunder/lightening/rain/hail/wind storm I suffered through just after entering Colorado on Highway 25. That storm rocked my little Honda Fit and I was driving white-knuckled for around 30 minutes. Colorado Springs is beautiful, and I had a lovely time with my cousin and her husband, Lisa, and Scott.
Lisa recommended I try leaning and then incorporating some “pantry” meals into my meal rotation. These types of meals allow me to cook without a trip to the grocery store. My most-cooked dish, chili, is a mostly pantry meal but I usually make it with ground beef. However, I’ve been transitioning to beluga lentils in place of ground beef so that is going to be in my pantry meal rotation soon.
The Pantry
Lisa gave me a list of useful pantry items that I should have on hand to ease and enhance time in the kitchen. If you might find it useful here a few of the items I’m adding to my pantry.
- balsamic glaze (you can make your own but easier to buy) she advises to read the ingredient list for added sugar and avoid those that have added sweeteners.
- curry paste-i have some red curry paste that Julie, my personal trainer, gave me. I have used it – YUM
- garam masala (really good on roasted cauliflower according to Lisa, which I love)
- herbes de provence or Italian seasoning
- coconut milk
- prepared lentils in a bag, should be found near canned beans
- Better than Bouillon bases
i haven’t acquired any of these items yet other than the curry paste which was gifted to me.
Today’s Recipe
However I finally wanted to move forward with my cooking journey today so I was inspired to make one of the dishes Lisa made while I was visiting. It is from the cookbook The Plant-Forward Solution by Charlotte Martin and the recipe is Miso Mushroom & Barley Stew it was so yummy I wanted to give it a try. One new technique for me was making a creamy soup with blended cashews and broth instead of half-and-half or heavy cream. I was additionally challenged in the preparation because it called for the use of a blender which I don’t own. I own an immersion blender and a simple, small food processor (on/off only). For todays version I used the immersion blender for each called-for blending. The result was maybe not as smooth as it might be with a blender but acceptable.
The original recipe called for vegetable broth (the plant-forward version), but I had plenty of chicken broth, so I used that instead. I believe it changed the flavor a bit. It is not an objectionable change, though.
Mistakes were Made
As I usually do I made a couple of errors in the preparation. First, I failed to add the balsamic vinegar in the saute phase as directed in the recipe. I added it to the stew after I had added the broth and when I realized I had missed it in the sauteed items. I am unsure of the impact of this mistake. Second, I failed to add the miso to the blended broth/cashews/1-cup stew. I added it just before putting the lid on my beautiful new orange Dutch oven and finishing the stew. It was quite difficult to stir it in at that point. Again, unsure of the impact of this error.
Even after these errors the resulting dish was good so I’m happy there was no overall disaster as happens often enough that I live in dread of said disaster. It was saltier than Lisa’s preparation. Not unbearable but definitely saltier. Source? Maybe the broth as I don’t use low sodium broth but haven’t found the Kroger brand to be salty in other dishes I prepare so maybe that’s it. It may be the miso but I’m not sure as I l’ve never cooked with miso before. One other difference is that I don’t normally add salt when called for in a recipe but depend on salting at the table but in this case I salted when called for in the recipe.
What’s Next?
Another sojourn with this recipe that corrects the errors I made and uses the vegetable broth instead the chicken broth may be instructive. So I’ve broken a really looooooong break and will be making Penne with Fire-Roasted Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. This is from then Fall 2024 America’s Test Kitchen 6 Ingredient Recipes magazine. I’ll be making it a pantry meal by switching out the heavy cream for coconut milk.
if you don’t know about me check me out here Savoring Sixty-Four.