I got a lot better at cooking in 2013. But only because I started from square one, so leaps and bounds were totally possible. (Baking is still not happening very well, though.) I'm also much better at meal planning, and can actually recall things to make without looking at the computer, and I can usually recall their ingredients (or at least the way I've come to make them).
From the recipes I tried in 2013, the following have become my weeknight go-to's:
Italian sausage and bulgur stuffed acorn squash, based on
this recipe.
Red lentil curry (so easy and delicious!) from
here. I actually DO follow this recipe.
Enchiladas and homemade enchilada sauce. I use the sauce from
Forks Over Knives, but I pretty much put whatever I want into the enchiladas themselves.
Quinoa stir fry. Your favourite stir fry and sauce and just add quinoa instead of rice!
Shepherd's pie,
classic or
lentil based. (I never tried to do the parsnip crust on the lentil version.)
Homemade pizza with whatever on top. We also like using basil pesto instead of tomato sauce. (Maybe 2014 is my year for homemade crust!)
Twice in the past couple of months, I've made my mother-in-law's split pea soup. It's really, really good and only takes all day to make. It's been a weekend dish, but my husband asks for it constantly. That's how he helps with meal planning. I also made my sister's famous bean recipe, which takes almost two days to make, so it's quite the commitment, but you get tons of re-fried-style beans that will freeze really well. Recipes like these, though, are a lot easier than French onion soup, because you don't have to constantly tend to them. They just need to be on the stove forever and you stir them when you walk by.
I also started making granola. I know this is basic, but I am SO glad I learned how to do this. A bag of granola is like $4.00 at the store and lasts us about two days. No more. Guess how much a pound of granola costs? $1.29 organic or $.89 not organic. A pound will last us about a week. I also buy nuts, flax seed, craisins, pumpkin seeds, etc., so this does bump the cost up a bit. (I haven't done the math, but the math of my feelings - which is the only way I do math - tells me that this way is better.) I cook 2-3 cups at a time, every couple of days. It takes 15 minutes, so I can do it in the morning while husband is getting ready for work. Here's how I do it:
2 C thick rolled oats
1/2 cup of each mix-in
2 T melted butter
Maple syrup
brown sugar (optional, but I mix this into the maple syrup and butter until it gets pasty)
vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325.
Mix dry ingredients. Mix butter, syrup, sugar and vanilla. Pour wet mixture over oat mixture. Mix around so that oats and mix-ins have some flavour on them. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until desired crispiness, stirring once. Let cool. (I transfer my granola to another baking pan so it doesn't continue to cook.) Enjoy!
Stay tuned for 2014 cooking shenanigans!
