Coming together

I was struggling a lot to get organized for the week and keep that commitment to healthy eating.  I do have to say, I have fallen into more of a routine and I am getting to be a much better multi-tasking cook.  But by far the most successful tactic I have developed is this: a food partnership.

This is a very obvious approach which I can't believe I didn't think of earlier.  I was noticing that as I followed various recipes, massive amounts of food were produced.  We would eat it for dinner and then I would eat it for lunch.  And then lunch again.  Maybe breakfast depending on what it was.  The Husband does not eat leftovers for some reason beyond my comprehension, and he only minimally consumes vegetables to begin with.  Therefore, the bulk of eating any one dish fell to me.  Serious burnout occurs after days of lentils and radishes.  A lot of food was being thrown away.  I HATE to waste food (for a history of my neurosis, look here) so this was not an optimal situation.

The solution? I buddied up with my friend, who I will call the Vegetarian (she's super dedicated and way less...flexible...than me).  Over the weekend we each cook a few dishes, split them in half, and trade.  Voila!  We each have a variety of things to eat for the week, nominal weeknight cooking, and reduced waste.  Plus, lots of experimenting.  "Falafel??? Not giving up, will try another recipe sometime" is exchanged for "Herbed potato rosti - greasy!"  It's kind of exciting to see what the other person makes for the week.

One month in, and so far it is working great.  Having someone with whom to share recipes and cooking responsibilities has really made the quest for a healthier life easier.

I may have said this before, but I am amazed at how much breaking free of meat and bread has expanded my palate.  Amanda Cohen, owner/author of Dirt Candy (possibly the most awesome title for a veg restaurant/cookbook ever), is quoted as saying "Too often people think that eating vegetarian food is about saying no to meat, when in reality it needs to be more about saying yes to vegetables."  I love that.  It has really been a growing experience.  Lots of stuff I've tried I've liked (aduki beans, millet, roasted cauliflower, spicy chickpeas) and other stuff not so much (just can't get into the sea vegetables).  Looking forward to more culinary research.  Currently I am trying to convince someone I'll christen the Friend with a Smoker that we need to smoke some vegetables.  Maybe eggplant?  Cauliflower?  Totally open to suggestions.  Although Friend with a Smoker may take more persuasion.