Cooking. It’s complicated. I’m not a foodie. I wouldn’t mind being married to one. But Kory isn’t a foodie. We call our youngest Mini Foodie because he loves to try new foods, but he’s only 7, and black olives are not a meal.
I kind of like to cook, but I think I need to go on a journey of cooking self-discovery. This is a nice way of saying I wish all the opinionated members of our household would find alternate methods of nourishment.
As far as my cooking heritage, I was raised by a recipe-follower, my grandmother, and the queen of improvisation, my mother. This has made me a schizophrenic cook. I tend to follow recipes when we’re having guests over for dinner. Unfortunately, they’re always NEW recipes so dinner, although planned, is still a gamble.
When I’m cooking for the family, I improvise. Take last night.
I’d inadvertently bought chorizo.
“How do you inadvertently buy chorizo, Evangeline?”
“You go to Costco and leave your brain at home stuck in a book.”
I decided to make stuffed mushrooms since Mom and I are doing the low-carb thing. But I had lots of chorizo left over.
What goes with chorizo? Beans, obviously.
What else? Maybe canned pumpkin? I added that.
The contents of my skillet looked, well, brown. I added Rotel tomatoes. Brown and red is a good color combo, right?
That’s about the time I realized that nobody was going to eat my . . . stuff. What does Evangeline do when she’s created something weird for dinner? Try to fix it with something even weirder. I made guacamole with Greek yogurt.
And since I needed something close to normal, I also made breakfast sausage, rice, and cornbread.
By the end of the evening I'd cooked three separate meals, my kitchen was a disaster, and I had heaps of chorizo “stuff” left over. I ended up eating my guacamole with apple slices.
I think I need help. Are there any culinary therapists out there? What am I going to do with the second package of chorizo in my freezer? Should I stop adding canned pumpkin to everything? Is it normal for a thirty-something woman to not really be interested in eating anything but avocados?
Please advise. My family has started coming to the table wearing fight-or-flight expressions.
14 comments:
Breakfast Burritos for dinner - potato, chorizo, scrambled eggs, cheese, salsa! Chorizo Fondue with veggie dippers! Chorizo and Sweet Potato Enchiladas! Chorizo Meatloaf! Chorizo, Spinach, & Tomato Omelets! Chorizo Corn Chowder!
Daphne, could thos Chorizo and Sweet Potato Enchiladas be Chorizo and pumpkin enchiladas? that sounds like a reasonable jump to me. Another thought that occurred to me is that you sound like you are in need of a package of frozen Chorizo. Check your front porch.
Breakfast burritos are a really good idea! Here is the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/foodnation-with-bobby-flay/chorizo-breakfast-burrito-recipe/index.html
The potato is a good idea too. I would cook the potato first and then the rest of the recipe because potatoes can take forever.
And, if you make a lot, the leftovers are just fine reheated. so if you bought this meat at COSTCO and you have half or more left, you should be able to make enough for what ... 2 1/2 breakfasts ... with three boys in the house... :-)
I always like to stick to a recipe for the first adventure with a dish, then I get crazy and try alterations after that.
Now I want chorizo ...
Sorry. I didn't even know what chorizo was. Had to look it up.
My favorite food is "reservations."
;o)
ROFLOL!
Evangeline, how hilarious! I don't know that I've ever bought chorizo, but if I do by accident, I'll be sure to look this post up and check the comments--
I'm so glad someone else occasionally gets creative in the kitchen...and that I'm not the only one who concocts creative messes!
:D
If you're running low, I have an extra case of canned pumpkin in my garage. :)
~Debbie
In Mexico they sprinkle the Chorizo on a corn tortilla with some cheese, like a tostada. YUM!
And yeah, it's good with eggs.
You can google it and then use a recipe as a spring board for improv. That's what I do a lot.
I usually only use recipes for baking and sometimes for company. But I've been known to experiment on company, too.
But I took a Food Science class in college. I'm highly trained. (bwaahahahahaha)
You have everyone in our family fooled. They all think you are a fabulous cook.
I have to admit, I would never have put chorizo and pumpkin together.
Wait...
Nope, still can't imagine that.
Donita, if that Chorizo is gluten free, I would take it in a heart beat!!
Thanks for all the suggestions! Next time I'll remember to ask before experimenting. And Debbie, I think my family would be fine if they didn't see another can of pumpkin until Thanksgiving. But the fact that you have a case of in your garage is oddly reassuring. Maybe we need to form Pumpkinaholics Anonymous.
I have a case of organic pumpkin in my pantry. I have already gone through the first case that I bought last year. We do need a group.
Evangeline, I tagged you for a fun quiz. It'll be on my blog Tuesday, April 10th. Hop on over to check it out. No pressure, though :-)
I took the Chorizo/pumpkin concoction from the refrigerator in E's kitchen and brought it down to mine. I don't think she mentioned she had thrown black beans in. I love black beans because they look so good, not that I like the taste. Anyway, I played with her masterpiece. I added beef broth and some marinara sauce. The result was fantabulous. Yum and a half.
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