I’ve got my mojo back.
on a bed of kale and amaranth: sauteed onion, broccoli, and chickpeas, drenched in pumpkin-tahini sauce.
Goodbye rut of boredom, hello stovetop fun.
perfectly complete salad to-go: french lentils, brown rice, soaked arame, carrot, broccoli, cashews, miso, agave, rice vinegar.
As I was adjusting to the changes in my life, I believe I needed to keep food simple, predictable, even a little mundane. I can acknowledge that fact – perhaps my little rut was a necessity.
last meal of the week, a result of a fridge without vegetables: amaranth, chickpeas, apple, tahini, lemon juice.
But now I’m back where I love being: knife in one hand, vegetable in the other. Aromas building, flames peeking up from the stove [I have a gas stove; promise I'm not lighting fires]. I’ve felt my creativity return, covering plates and filling up bowls with interesting blends made from simple ingredients. Exactly the way I love it.
Even those very simple, basic meals I crave now and again have seemed more eclectic and exciting:
roasted in coconut oil: turnip, butternut squash, carrot, broccoli. alongside: french lentils+hummus, atop beet greens, garnished with sunflower seeds.
I find endless comfort in my cooking routine. Perhaps because the only “routine” element is the act of preparing a meal. Even with limited ingredients, the flavors, textures, and combinations are boundless. There is always newness and excitement to anticipate, which is certainly how all of life should be.
broccoli-tahini soup; chickpea and savoy cabbage salad
I haven’t tired of broccoli, tahini, amaranth, lentils, or chickpeas; though they appear in almost all of the above meals, they felt different every time. And a result of all the inspiration: an easy new recipe. A soup, obviously.
broccoli-tahini soup for one
- evoo
- 1/4 c onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1.5 c broccoli
- 1 c almond milk
- 1 T tahini
- 1/2 t apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
Sauté onion in oil until soft. Add garlic; sauté another minute. Add broccoli and almond milk; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for ten minutes. Stir in tahini; remove from heat and transfer to blender or food processor. Add vinegar and salt; pureé and serve.
This is a thinner soup, but it could easily be made richer with the addition of a root vegetable. Parsnip would be a good one.
Being back in action never tasted so good.
Do you find excitement within your routine? How do you keep it interesting?
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Wow – you are an artist, seriously. The salads look so “classic and rich” …and the soup looks beautiful. Looks like things I would see at an expensive restaurant !
Those are some great salad creations! I have my “routine” foods, like cereal and PB sammies, that make my hectic schedule a but easier but I like to mix up my foods whenever I have the time. I love trying new things I find at the supermarket!
Everything looks so awesome!! Wow. Great creations!
that first meal looks SO delicious. hope youre doing well darling <3
I’ve made a note to myself to try pumpkin tahini sauce! I feel I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately myself, and I have a lot of free time at work, so I’ve poked around archives in blog world and written down ideas that I’ll blog about in upcoming weeks!
Wow- everything looks really good! I love getting creative- usually I buy a new “ingredient” to play around with
I agree with The EmptyNutJar’s comment above. Your food presentation is art. It is so well crafted. Teach me your ways! (lol) The pumpkin tahini sauce looks amazing.
yayyy for having your mojo back!! and i third lexi ! you have the best picturess..that saad looks amazing
Great Blog! your eats look so fresh and delicious!
I don’t find my routine boring because there is always some form of meeting or something (Sometimes against my will..haha)..that helps to mix things up amidst a busy schedule!
I wish you would come and teach me how to cook like this for a week!
I love that to-go salad. Reminds me that there are more fun things to pack for lunch other than a sandwich :)
My routine is exciting sometimes when I KNOW that a meal I make is going to be delicious and filling, however it still can be boring at times.
Every single one of these recipes looks more and more delicious! I second Jenny: PLEASE be my personal chef for a week!
Welcome back…well its not like you went anywhere really..your food always looks exacellant! Can you please cook me some? I really want to break my habit of just throwing together things for dinner..kabocha and egg omelets are getting old!
xoxo
Maggie