J is for Jambalaya, Jerk, Julienne, Juice, Jam, Jalebi, Jasmine, Jicama and Jerusalem artichoke

[the_siobhan]

Talking to theevilchemist elsewhere on LJ I mentioned that one of the things I want to do to reduce my gallbladder symptoms is to eat less meat. It's something I've actually wanted to do for years anyway; getting the cattle prod of physical pain is a pretty effective kick in the butt to get on that. So to speak.

So the reason I say "wanting to" as opposed to "trying to" is that I really suck at changing my eating habits.

For one thing I hate cooking. I hate digging through recipes and trying to figure out from the description what might appeal to both Axel and me. I hate searching for the one elusive ingredient that always seems to be impossible to find. I hate left overs moldering in the fridge because I couldn't get it together to use up the last of something or because I can't figure out how to combine the left-overs from three previous experiments into a single meal just to get rid of them. Meat is mindless, you slather in garlic and slap it on the grill and there's dinner taken care of.

It occurs to me as I'm typing this that I'd probably love cooking if it was something I got to do once in a while. It's the tyranny of having to feed myself every damn day that makes it exhausting and sucks all the fun out of it.

So started off by buying a couple of cookbooks from restaurants where I eat once in a while, because I figure then I can try the food out and I'll know what I'm aiming at before I attempt to prepare it at home. That's step 1. Step 2 would probably be, you know, cracking the cover.

But cookbooks are pretty general and restaurants have a team of people making food in large enough quantities that stuff doesn't really go to waste. So this is the part where I turn to people on my f-list and ask you all to throw in your two cents. I know a lot of people on my friends list are major foodies. Some of you are vegetarian or vegan. And whether you're working right now or not, I'll bet that all of you really get the, "I want to be able to come home from a 40+ hours work week and just stick something in my damn mouth without it turning into a major project, thanks."


Dislikes:
I can't tolerate wheat. Other than that I don't seem to have any allergies. Rice, corn, barley, spelt, all OK.

I can say that there is petty much nothing I won't try, but there are things that I am less likely to try. I've tried a dozen or so recipes for eggplant, cauliflower and zucchini and the only way that I found them edible was as tempura. So if a recipe has a lot of those vegetables in it, it is going to go to the bottom of my list of things to experiment with. Oh yeah, and we ate a ton of okra a couple of summers ago and I got heartily sick of it. Having said that, there are very few things I won't enjoy if they are chopped up small and cooked in a curry.

If there are onions or celery I am going to put them in the blender. Love the flavours. The textures drive me around the bend.

I used to hate brussel sprouts and beets but I haven't tasted them in decades so at this point I don't know. My taste buds have changed a lot over the years as I get exposed to more things so it's entirely possible if I ate them now I'd love them. (I used to hate avocados and olives, now I can't get enough of them.)

Likes:
Tomatoes are my favourite food. And peppers. Brocolli. Any kind of peas and beans. Love spinach, kale, pretty much any green leafy vegs. Never met a nut or bean I didn't love. Love mushrooms but they have to be cooked.

I love hot food, and food that is spicy even if not particularly hot. I love garlic lots but not as much as Axel. But then I don't think anybody could possibly love garlic as much as Axel.

Other stuff:
Looking at this list it looks like it should be pretty easy to find things to eat. The big complication - other than the aforementioned "Oh Christ, do I really have to do this again?" reaction - is that I really only cook on weekends. I'll make a big pot of something, divide it up into dishes to take it to work and then stick it in the freezer. This works really well with dishes based on beans or root vegetables, but most dishes that have a lot of veggies in them don't survive the freezer well. And you can only eat so much chili, especially when it's almost 40 degrees outside.

So hit me. I'm sure other stuff will come up as I read your comments. Lets talk about cooking.

ETA 1: Things we already eat are curry and pasta. Having said that, my current recipes are pretty straightforward tomato-sauce based so variation is good.

Another thing I thought of after posting this; I'm not a big fan of "I Can't Believe It's Not Chicken" or whatever the call the current crop of meat-substitutes. I'm not morally opposed or anything, I just find them expensive.

ETA 2: New icon!

ETA 3: I should probably have mentioned that I'm looking for vegan rather than just vegetarian. I've developed an antagonistic truce with my lactose-intolerance but I'm the food prep for both me and Axel and he hates cheese. Also I want to watch my dietary cholesterol consumption since gallstones are formed directly out of cholesterol.

ETA 4: I work nights. There is no "after work" for me. I eat my main meal of the day at work so that's why I need food I can pull out of the freezer for today's dinner.

Comments

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

*perk*

Cooking you say? I know a thing or two about that. :)

I'm running out to do a ton of errands today, but I'll reply tomorrow in greater length. I already have several ideas for you off the top of my head.

[liz-lowlife.livejournal.com]

Vegetable curry then?
All of the good stuff you like goes into one of those!

[inulro.livejournal.com]

I share your feelings about cooking - thus the eating-out budget of a person on three times my wage. I'm almost OK with cooking when it's divorced from the being hungry and eating process, so when I do cook it's like you - a big batch of something at the weekend to portion out & put in freezer.

This basically consists of variations on the chilli theme - a canned tomato base, plenty of herbs & spices, all the veg in the house and a protein source, usually the supermarket's own-brand faux hamburger, as I found the expensive stuff makes no difference.

The variety in my diet comes from whether it goes on pasta, rice or potatoes.

Good thing I love fresh fruit & raw veg, otherwise I'd have died of malnutrition by now.

I keep meaning to make my own veggie or nut burgers, as I tend to survive on the ready-made ones, but have yet to get around to it.

[ravensee.livejournal.com]

After our venture way back when on raw foods (vegan and carnivorous..yes you can have raw meats - and easier on the body), we have at least 5 meals a week that are raw food based. I swear our energy levels went way up with them and actually put a stop to Chris's developing allergy symptoms and lessened Rich's migraine troubles somewhat.

Vegan/health cookbooks I use:

Veganomicon (given to me by panic_girl):

http://www.theppk.com/nomicon.html

Vegan with a Vengeance (a lot of people I know have this, so I think you probably have it already too):

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581

Raw Food Real World (given to me by athena_51):

http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Real-World-Recipes/dp/0060793554


athena_51's Food blog I highly recommend:

http://www.rawrevenge.com/

[ravensee.livejournal.com]

AND they're pretty easy, short recipes with little preparation.

Most of the stuff I make is right on the spot and I'll experiment with standbys and new things I've read. My Colombian instruction on cooking measures taste, quantity and spices by instinct. It's funny. After a while I can see the MAD chemistry that goes it into it all and then have to go back and actually measure for future reference.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Nothing wrong with curry at all. Some bases are thickened with small amounts of wheat, but once that's been checked for, it's good to go. Doing one's own bases isn't that hard either.

I apologize for Imperial measures -- it's what I work with.

4 large onions, chopped
1/3 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons crushed garlic (flexible -- if using fresh garlic, just use two heads)
4 tablespoons crushed fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground paprika
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes (diced or mash up whole ones in the can first)
3-4 cups water
2 teaspoons salt

Onion and oil in a big pot (something that holds about a gallon), heat while stirring occasionally until onions turn translucent. Add spices and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Add onions, water, salt, and heat to a simmer, then cook uncovered (stirring occasionally) for about an hour. Turn off heat, cover, let the mess cool, and portion out. For two people, you'll want about 1/4 of it per meal. Plastic bags are great for storing it, and it'll keep for 10-14 days in the fridge, and it can be frozen. Note: pepper heat gets added when you're using the sauce, not before. Otherwise, the pepper will keep leeching more and more fire into the sauce and what's a mild zing at creation becomes OMGHOT with ten days on.)

To use, fire up a pot of rice, sit back with a beer for a few minutes, then just whack up a bunch of stuff (just about anything; about 4 cups worth), and cook it in a pan with oil until it's done whatever you want it to do: brown, sear, soften, whatever. Add about two cups of water (and optional crushed red pepper), cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Then add a bag of the sauce, stir, and heat that up. Serve with the rice.

WWJuliaChildD?

[http://users.livejournal.com/cincinnatus_c_/]

It was, in fact, ready and waiting. :D

[blackgrrr.livejournal.com]

I have come to love cooking over the years, and I do it every single night. It's not always fun, unless I am trying new things.

One thing I have been doing lately is making up big batches of curry paste from scratch, dividing it, and whipping up a quick curry that'll last 2-3 nights, then switching to something else. Making something thai green curry paste from scratch is time consuming, but I find it satisfying, and once you have the base a curry can be quick to whip up. *shrug*

You don't like onions? Hmmm. Even in a pakora?

Casseroles and hotpots are pretty nifty too in the same way.

How about lentil or chickpea patties as meat replacements? Either commercial mock meat or homemade? I haven't had much luck with the latter, though.

I'm not sure about work issues, but i've never had a huge problem freezing and unfreezing anything. Why not just take soup and a bread roll? Lots of healthy lentils and veges, and the flavor is easy to fudge, and it freezes well.

Except I suppose it's not ideal for summer.


But then I don't think anybody could possibly love garlic as much as Axel.

I beg to differ.

[sloot.livejournal.com]

raw revenge is available here too: rawrevenge

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

can you find/afford non-wheat pasta where you are? pasta bakes are my staple because they can be tomatoey garlicky and spicy, i can cook enough for a week at once, and they freeze well. also, how do you feel about coconut? you can make a nearly foolproof veggie curry with "double the size of your head of assorted veg", a jar of korma paste, and a can of coconut milk.

i'm with you on the cooking at the weekend btw. almost everything i cook is planned around eating leftovers for 3 days.

[excess-and-oohs.livejournal.com]

well, if you like just throwing stuff on the BBQ... foil packets folded with any veggies + oil & garlic and whatever spices you like can be anything you want. dump on rice or pasta or potatoes. also kebabs. not sure about freezing any of that stuff though, but it'll stick in the fridge for a good 3 days at least.

then you also have grilled vegetables you can mix into tomato sauce or soup or whatever for leftovers. on top of salad or in sandwiches too with a sundried tomato or olive tapenade.

a regular staple in our house

[sloot.livejournal.com]

what has evolved from an imitation of gaeng garee gai (http://www.simply-thai.com/thai-food-recipes-gaeng-garee.htm).

can of coconut milk
some curry paste
add stuff

we normally add:
potatoes
chicken or tofu (the_wenchlette is a veggie)
bell peppers (the only peppers I can tolerate)

and sometimes add:
cauliflower
snow peas
beans
eggplant
etc
etc

then let it cook for a little while.

if you don't think the veggies are going to cook in the pan* in time, give them a nuke first.

* historically, we made this in a frying pan, although with the move away from starting by frying chicken, there is no need anymore, and sometimes I use the big f'n pot to avoid overflow issues. It seems to work well kept shallow in a wider pot. I haven't tried pretending it's a soup and putting it deeper in a narrower pot.

Re: a regular staple in our house

[sloot.livejournal.com]

btw: I also hate the cooking process.

I like eating, but I frequently am disappointed by how long it takes to cook and clean vs devour the food.

And I usually want to just EAT.

my eating out budgetexpenses for last year were ASTRONOMICAL.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah... Rice cookers help A LOT in making cooking seem like less of a chore. Good ones can even be rigged in the morning (in the time it takes the coffeemaker to do its thing) to have rice READY when you get home, which means a batch of something you made over the weekend needs only heating and dumping on a bowl of rice to become dinner. Elapsed time can be as little as five minutes.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Rice can sub for pasta in baked dishes with reasonable success. I've done it often. Especially with that nice lumpy quality day-old rice has.

[nicklausse.livejournal.com]

Raw totally rules for this. I started incorporating it several years ago to help tackle the chronic pain and found it rocked to have all these easy recipes to just toss together without lighting a fire. Now I haven't skipped breakfast or dinner due to other responsibilities in eons. I would say my diet is about 50% raw now. Striving for more, but the caveat is that simulating one's comfort foods can be a lot of work. There is a time for more than cashew carrot salad, even though that's a damn good salad.

Make sure your protein level stays at least 20%. My biggest mistake when I was veg/vegan for 7 years in my 20s was that I happened to have a pre-diabetic metabolism and didn't know about it. The carb levels can get out of control, and lots of soy isn't awesome either. Hemp protein powder is good for this, and I have a lot of recipes for it. I use Mum's. It comes in refill pack boxes that are $5 cheaper than the stuff in the plastic cans. 3 T = 20 grams of protein.

Okay, I could write out the 400 books I've read about this or I could drop some with you this weekend. ;) Pet topic!

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

The veggies tend to be limp and flavourless when they come out of the freezer.

I get around this by making a lentil-based curry and then sauteing some veggies to dump on top the night before. That pretty much covers one meal a week, assuming I can get it together to be organized the night before.

[liz-lowlife.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm lentil curry is always a good bet.
Can you eat quorn?

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

They are. I find they don't freeze as well as the wheat-based pastas, but I can get around that by cooking them less in the first place.

As I responded to Liz above, the problem with veggie curries is that the vegetables tend to be limp and flavourless when they come out of the freezer. I have a freezer full of lentil-based curry right now, and if I can get it together I'll saute some veggies the night before to add in.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I don't know if it even exists here.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

No, I like onions. I just can chew on them. It feels like biting on tinfoil.

Bread isn't a problem since a found a nice spelt bread that I like but soup runs into transportation issues. It usually ends up all over the inside of knapsack.

Re: WWJuliaChildD?

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

WIN!

[liz-lowlife.livejournal.com]

Well if you find out I'll give you some good recipes! :o)

We hardly eat any meat in this house....maybe chicken or fish once a fortnight, so I know my veggie stuff!

[sloot.livejournal.com]

+1 on the rice cooker.

mine takes about 20 minutes, but I know this so it isn't a problem.

[sloot.livejournal.com]

there are some good semi-disposable containers available at the grocery store with screw on lids. They're clear with blue tops. I think they might be zip lok brand or something like that.

They work very well for anything I've ever put in them.