Cooking Club

The April Cooking Club Theme was cooking and working with whole grains.  Many people are interested in changing to consuming more whole grains, but just aren’t sure how to go about it, and are unsure if they will like it.  The whole grains that most of us are familiar with are popcorn, sweet corn, rice, and oatmeal.  Nothing too scary there, right? 

Our group tackled some of the lesser known whole grains and preparations of them. 

Wild Rice, Barley and Wheat Berries.

The goal of the cooking club is to learn something, cook together and relax over the delicious meal we prepare together.  The focus is on Fun!  Most everyone who enjoys cooking misses out on making this into a social and educational venture, and that is exactly why cooking clubs are formed. 

Taste is Everything!

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What flavor combinations do you enjoy?  Do you notice that you order the same basic things over and over in restaurants?  Or do you like to mix it up all the time?  These behaviors are clues to the way that you want to cook also. 

--> I notice when I talk with people that they will have all sorts of preferences when they talk about what they want to eat, but then don’t know what they should make for dinner.  I might hear someone tell me about a particular meal they recently enjoyed at a restaurant, and it might be a very basic meal: roasted chicken, a cheeseburger, a meat loaf sandwich, a grilled or broiled piece of fish, etc.  Other times someone will tell me about a delicious spatch-cocked chicken from a particular restaurant, or a fabulous pasta made with fresh vegetables and a simple sauce.  These are things anyone can make from scratch with some simple instruction, and it will be healthier and tastier when you make it at home.  You can also make it to your own taste.  

Butternut Squash, Onions and Apples.  From this.....

To this!  Butternut Squash Soup.

A No-Recipe Salad: Part Two, or The Salad That Will Change Your Life!

If you read my last blog, and your life didn't change, read on.  This blog is intended to show you how versatile and liberating this no-recipe thing can be, and how easily you can create delicious whole grain salads that suit your taste buds.

Cook up some whole grains like this:

My favorite whole grain combination: wild rice, wheat berries, barley

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Divide this into equal portions in 4 separate bowls.  Each of these we will make into a different flavor, so although the background (whole grains) doesn't change, you will not feel that you are eating the same thing. To each bowl of whole grains, you can add an incredible variety of ingredients. 

My Most Requested Salad Recipe: also a Clean the Fridge Salad!

My Famous Salad without a Recipe!

One of the most wonderful things about this salad is that it uses up little bits of whatever you have on hand, thus you can clean your fridge with this one, and it won't taste even one little bit like leftovers!

Secondly, there isn't an official recipe so you can do this without a shopping list, and without a run to a grocery or specialty store. I make this salad at least once a week, although it is never the same twice, and it is something all members of this household love to find in the fridge whenever the hungries strike.  I have learned to make enough to last a few days for my household, but you will have to play around with this for your particulars.  It makes a great lunch to take to work also.

Some of the great tasting vegetables you can put into this salad.

Who Wants Leftovers?

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I have always disliked leftovers.  That beef roast, pork roast, or steak, that was great for dinner loses its appeal once it’s cooled for a night.  Those side dishes—not so tasty after they were served the first time.  Often times, they sat in the fridge until I had to throw them out because they were beyond their prime. 

Now I have learned ways to make my leftovers into something that doesn’t seem old, drab, tasteless, and dull.  Sometimes it’s a matter of cooking enough for the meal I’m making, and the one I plan for later.  

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