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Another thing I gave up for most of July was cooking. The only dishes I made were ones I’ve made enough times in the past that I didn’t have to think about them or spend much time on them. I can get my Southwestern Soup ready in about fifteen minutes (although it takes three or four hours in the slow cooker before it’s ready). And the Beef Taco Skillet recipe comes off a Campbell’s can, so you know there’s not much to it.
That’s something I need to change in August, although I didn’t think of it until after I’d already come home from the supermarket this morning. But the fact that I’ve been eating the same soup every other day for two weeks (and tuna salad sandwiches on the alternate days) made me take some time to think it all over tonight. I did make Black Bean Burritos over the weekend, but only because I had a lime I wanted to use before I had to throw it out. Otherwise, I haven’t shown much imagination lately.
And to be fair, imagination isn’t what I look for in a recipe. My signature cuisine leans toward easy, rather than exciting. In fact, I’ve pretty much come to the decision that from now on, I’ll be making soups, stews and casseroles, and nothing else. Well, almost nothing else, but nothing that includes more ingredients than can be printed on one side of an index card or requires more steps than I can remember in my head without having to look back too often. And if it can made using one pot (or one pan), so much the better.
So now I’m on the prowl for more easy crock pot recipes, because after all, what’s easier than that? I’ve proven to myself that I can make tasty dishes without having to work very hard, and that’s pretty much my goal in the kitchen (and, frankly, every other room in the house). And you know what? Those recipes are easy to find on the web. This is the first one I found on my latest Google search, so it’ll be the first one I try, right after the next time I go to the store. Then I’ll search again and find something else. Or I’ll make the same one again, because I tend to fall into those kinds of ruts. But I like ruts. They work for me. |
