"Erin" cooking

I come from a great line of cooks, but cooking surely is not hereditary or at least it stopped at my generation.  Though I got extra eating genes.  Can I cook?  Yes, I can.  Maybe it’s the process or the time it takes from start to finish, but cooking tends to get on my nerves.  My form of cooking is add whatever I like together and pray its tastes good.  No, I am not mixing milk with lime juice; I have some sense when it comes to cooking.  I guess I am just too neurotic or impatient for cooking.  I tend to panic if the recipe says browns in twenty minutes but after twenty minutes, there is no browning visible.  Instead of just thinking, it needs more time I get all flustered.  Plus I am busy and cooking seems to be a bit time consuming, yes even 20-minute meals.  I am just not comfortable in the kitchen and not hugely inspired to get more comfortable.  I have tons of recipes, some I have tried some I haven’t I just have to get in the mood or be craving it to make it.

I’m working on it and I can follow recipes well, just I’m not creative or cook as I go type person.  Nor do I know how to “save” a meal by adding said ingredient; I even screwed up chili by adding cornstarch to thicken it.  How was I supposed to know it would thicken as it cooked, (I was scared it would burn).  Currently, I cook maybe 3 meals all on Sunday and eat them progressively throughout the week.  I will cut up whatever produce I purchase to snack on or use in my “cooking” throughout the week.  I’m a grazer, I love snacking!!!  I don’t really get bored with foods I like.  I always have cooked chicken in my freezer & normally have a bag of par-cooked pasta in my fridge.  For the pasta, I take out what I want, put it in a sealed zip lock bag with 1/4c. of water and microwave.  It’s great, perfectly cooked pasta without all the extra dishes.  (Yeah I’m not saving the world with my plastic usage)  I know I’m a complete insult to my heritage but I used store bought sauce.  It’s easier & keeps longer, though I can and have made my own sauce before.  I even made pesto before (shocking right?)

My “creativity” in the kitchen comes in the form of dumping.  Dump, mix, combine things I like together and instant meal.  For example my most recent concoction (well inspired by my cousin):

Bag of arugula, (it was on sale, any type of leafy green works)

Bag of shredded carrots (I can’t get my carrots to get like this, plus I don’t own a dishwasher)

Can of garbanzo beans

Pint of grape tomatoes

5oz container of reduced fat blue cheese

Some freshly ground pepper

Open all containers, drain or rinse if necessary & stir

 Another favorite, (from weight watchers, I think?):

Can of black beans

Can of cooked corn

Jar of salsa

Put on top of a wrap, bread, crackers… etc

Some days I get a bit crazy & make chicken tacos

Frozen Pre-Cooked Chicken

Shredded Cheese

Black Beans or Garbanzo beans

McCormick Perfect Pinch (I like the garlic & basil one)

Peppers

Hummus

I like, no love to eat.  My form of cooking is the greatest especially in the summer during yucky humidity filled days, who wants to turn an oven on when it already feels like an oven in the kitchen.  The occurrences of my cooking are limited.  In my defense I work full time, am a full time grad student and I live alone with no dishwasher.  I like my form of cooking or dumping.  Although I can be a picky eater, I did eat chicken fingers for 3.5 weeks straight during a family road trip cross country (oddly, enough, I rarely, rarely eat them now).

I love the flavor of onions but won’t eat onions or cook with them for that matter.  Mayo… YUCK! Cooked mushrooms taste like slimy worms to me, but I can tolerate raw ones. Coconut is a no go for me. Artichokes & artichoke hearts are always picked out of any dish. Ground beef is another no go.

Though the “foods I eat” have grown yearly in leaps and bounds.  I like good food, plus every year I try new things and what I eat now would gag 10-year-old Erin.  I am in love with cheese, pretty much any cheese other than Swiss or provolone.  In my opinion, cottage cheese does not deserve cheese in its name nor does cheese cake for that matter.  Though I make an awesome cheesecake, but won’t eat it!  Prefer dark chocolate over milk.  Not a fan of pie.  Lobster, scallops, shrimp and occasionally tilapia are my seafood favs.  Will take raw vegetables over cooked any day.  Love milk but hate soy, almond or rice milk.  Have a weakness for juice-cocktails.  Will always pick salty over sweet.

How do you cook?  What won’t you eat?  What is your weakness?