what's cooking? part 5: 2017-2027

add some more soy sauce

I’m trying to get back into cooking again now that I have a way nicer kitchen. This recipe was from a meal kit box years ago - it didn’t have complete measurements so some of this is just my guesses, but it tastes really good and is super fast and easy.

Creamy mushroom pasta:
Get half a pound of penne or similar pasta boiling. About 5mins before it’s done, add a couple tbsp of sundried tomatoes to the pot.

Get a couple of tbsp of oil heating in a large pan. Add a punnet (like 8oz I guess) of mushrooms (my fav is shiitake but reg ones are fine. I don’t like the texture of sliced mushrooms so I dice mine) and sauté till golden (5mins).
Add half a diced onion and a big handful of frozen peas. Sauté till onion is translucent (5mins).
Add 1/2 c coconut cream, 1/4 c pasta water, about a cup of mushroom stock concentrate (I didn’t have any last time so I just used water and like a a tsp of umami seasoning), a pinch of Italian seasoning and 2 tbsp of any kind of parm (I use the cheap shelf stable powder). Stir and let thicken them take off heat and toss in pasta and sun dried tomatoes.

I made shredded and roasted Brussels last time and dumped them on top and it was a great match.

I sometimes add a dash of Braggs at the end just to pump up the umami even more.

I've got my first ever microwave oven arriving tomorrow. If there is another heatwave this summer I'm only using the instant pot or the microwave. And also cooking becomes absolutely exhausting at times. It can be a really stimulating activity when you are learning new tricks and recipes, but doing it routinely for years without a break it becomes like too much work. Perhaps ultra-processed dross in plastic boxes is a necessary evil that I'm going to have to get into for a bit.

I never had a microwave until a couple years ago. Use it pretty regularly to heat rice/grains/soups/etc. Also think it's perfectly acceptable for steaming veg.
Have fun with it!

I've not really got into anything other than warming up chicken chow mein ready meals yet. It's quite liberating having the option of taking a day or two off cooking and just warming up some ultra processed food in a carton, which has actually turned out to be much more substantial and decent than I was expecting.

just made some rice in a microwave steamer pot. It wasn't really any quicker but an easier washing up job and creates less heat and gas is so expensive. So yeah that's one thing I'm into now.

Those microwave rice steamers changed my life. So much easier and zero guesswork.

This certainly broccoli soup is epic, and pretty easy!

https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-broccoli-soup/#recipe

xp

yep, just filled it rice with a 2:1 water ratio and pressed the button on 12 mins. The 20th century was pretty neat in some ways!

calzino do you have an immersion blender? it's great for things like humus and gazpacho when it's too hot out too cook on the stovetop.

something like this is a good option during a heat wave:

https://thewoksoflife.com/cold-skin-noodles-liangpi/

i can't be bothered with making the noodles from scratch. i just make the dressing and the toppings. i live next to a Korean super mega market but you could cook some rice noodles or something in the microwave if fresh ones aren't available.

I have to cook for a young autistic guy with multiple sensory issues with food and trying new things can be difficult and unpredictable. I can't explain the heartbreak I feel when I've been working on a culinary masterpiece for hours and he coldly pushes the plate away and says "bin". Lol it's funny really, but at that moment it really fucking isn't.

aw man, now that's a tough critic <3

feel for you. how many things do you have that are accepted easily?

he generally errs towards spicy food, it's hard to nail anything that he will reliably accept. Some days it takes him 2 to even 3 hours to eat a meal and I'm never sure if it will end up in the bin or be eaten. I'd say the most reliable one is any curry with chick-peas and some other protein with some rice. At his college he frequently misses the afternoon program because by the time he has finished his dinner it's time to go home!

this trend is what has driven me to get a microwave oven and say bollox to 7 days a week cooking for a bit. I still made a curry for dinner today though, just a basic one with jarred spice paste. And it was much more successful than ones I have planned and spent hours on marinating and following instructions pedantically from an Indian food cookbook.

successful = he ate it within half an hour of being served!

that's quite a responsibility and sounds very challenging emotionally and everything. if processed or packaged food gets the job done and gives you some relief, awesome. i also hear you about cooking becoming a drudgery when you have to do it all the time. i've been feeling that way lately.