If you knew me prior to 2002, you'd probably say that I was lying and likely recount some ridiculous thing that I attempted to make and, if you were being honest at the time, you probably asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead. I mean, I burnt spaghetti... spaghetti! The one thing that I was told I couldn't screw up.
Cooking for me is a lot like writing. When I was in high school, I was a decent writer. I had creative ideas, but was forced into a 5 paragraph essay format. Even the longer research papers fit neatly into the mold of "tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them." In college, my freshman English professor threw that mold in the trash like a moldy piece of cheese. From that point forward, I felt free to write in any style I chose, so long as there was a solid thesis somewhere that was supported then concluded. I started to enjoy writing and the writing process ever since.
Cooking was very similar. Follow these steps and these recipes and that's how you cook. Frankly, it's overwhelming, and that's why I think so many people run away from the fresh food cooking ideals that they could provide for their family. And it's certainly not woman's work, nor is it man's work- it's human's work. Cooking fresh, homemade food is actually very simple. In fact, in light of my current Sunday school series (Three Simple Rules), I think it best to put cooking to the test. These are the three simple rules of cooking wholesome, fresh homemade food.
1.) You need a protein (meat, fish, tofu, etc)
-Fish- there are thousands of awesome ways to cook fish, but to summarize- cook them until they are flaky (some can be rarer, like Tuna and Salmon, some need to be well done)
-Beef- ground beef needs to be completely cooked/ others between 160-170 (get a meat thermometer)
-Pork- cook until 170 degrees
-Chicken/Poultry- cook until 170-180 degrees
-Tofu- heat it up, it will take the flavor of whatever is in the pan
-Beans- can be used as a starch, but they have good fiber and protein and have all the essential ingredients to create life... so they're pretty good for you
-Eggs- they've gotten a bad reputation, but eggs are an excellent source of a lot of goodness- if you think about it, eggs (with the yolks) have all the amino acids, nutrients, proteins, etc necessary for life
2.) Vegetables- rule of thumb for cooking vegetables. You do not need to cook most vegetables, but if you choose to cook them, think of it more as heating them up.
-Blanching vegetables (ideal for broccoli, or other hearty vegetables that can be eaten raw)- simply boil water in a kettle and pour over them, then serve
-Steaming vegetables- I actually haven't done this in a while, but the idea is that they shouldn't touch the water and the steaming should be light
-Grilling vegetables- should be the last step in the cooking process, thrown on the grill or in the pan in the last few minutes to give them that grilled taste, but not to overcook them
3.) Starch/Grain- everyone will have an opinion on this, so I'll try to make it brief. Find starches like brown rice, quinoa, beans (beans can be your protein and starch)- basically you want your starch to be high in fiber, nutrients, and ideally protein. I generally avoid potatoes- however- they can fill you up fast (good for over eaters), and are fairly high in potassium... the skin has fiber.
Meat serving size is arguable (old rule is, no bigger than a deck of cards), eat as many veggies as you want (load up the plate), and eat the starches sparingly.
I had left-over rice in the fridge, so this evening I decided to make black beans and rice... then I decided to make black beans, rice and chicken... then I decided to make chicken, veggies and rice stir-fry. These decisions were made fluidly and without thought. In the end, I realized that I had a lot of veggies in the fridge and left-over rice. I just needed to thaw and cook the chicken.
1. I started by chopping up and putting some chicken on a hot pan with some peanut oil- I sprinkled it with salt and pepper
2. As it cooked, I chopped up some onion, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans (never from a can), okra, and jalapeno (de-seeded- if you want spice, leave the seeds in)
3. I added some fresh herbs from the garden (now at this point, if you don't have a garden, then this is more complicated than it needed to be- I added rosemary, thyme, cilantro, chamomile)- you can add whatever the heck you want, it's your food!
4. Once the chicken started to brown I added all the veggies and cooked them all together on medium heat
6. I added some soy sauce to taste
7. I served it in a smallish bowl
Ta da.
Cooking is not magic. Sometimes it just takes someone with an idea that grows. It might take a day to figure out what you want to cook, or an hour, or 10 minutes. If you simply follow the three simple rules, then you can experiment and learn how to do it... just like I had to. Just don't let yourself get too bogged down with all the dang rules, and have fun!
God Bless!
Paul
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