Wonder where they get that? – When I let the kids cook…
Sometimes, it’s just plain easier to do the cooking myself. You know how it goes….you’re limited on time or patience or the desire to clean up after.
And then sometimes, I’m so happy to let them help.
L created both of these when given the task of chopping pickles and onions for tuna salad. She was in a particularly creative mood and came up with both ideas on her own, surprising me with a cutting board full of quirky food art. <3
Broccoli raisin salad – Recipe or no recipe?
I was recently denied from a food blog site because I didn’t post enough recipes. So fine, here, have a recipe, pfft. :P
Broccoli Raisin Salad
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sugar
Mix together first and let set while you make the rest
Salad:
- A head of broccoli (maybe it’ll be 2 cups, maybe it’ll be 4 cups)
- The half an onion that’s sitting in your fridge (or maybe that small red one you didn’t have plans for yet)
- The rest of the raisins in the box (about 1/2 cup, if you really want a number)
- 1/2 cup of almonds…or walnuts…or both….or maybe 3/4 cup if you like nuts…or maybe chop a whole cup ‘cause you’ll likely eat half of them while you’re making this
Mix together. Add dressing. Mix some more. Make more dressing if you think you need it or like it creamier….or don’t. Maybe add some salt. Maybe don’t. Maybe sneak the kids some broccoli while you’re at it ‘cause they’ll think it’s a treat at this point…not a veggie. Put in the fridge until ready to be served. The mayo/sugar dressing gets better with time and nothing in the salad can really get “soggy” with it, so don’t be afraid to let it set for several hours or even overnight. Or eat it now. Whatever.
And that’s why I don’t do many recipes. I don’t *remember* the recipes. I didn’t *follow* the recipe I found online in the first place.
As much as I hated my mother always telling me “until it looks right” (and still do! how do I know what it’s supposed to look like if I’ve never made it before??), that’s how I end up cooking a lot of times. I work with what I have in the fridge or pantry….I adjust to taste a lot….I leave out ingredients (this likely called for bacon or something….and vinegar in the dressing) or add other ingredients.
In the end, if it tastes good, we eat it, and nobody cares if it was supposed to be walnuts instead of almonds or if the recipe called for red onions instead. It just works. But it really doesn’t translate well to publishing a recipe online. :P
Glico curry mix – Curry should not smell like ramen and look like fake meat ice cubes
Being from a place where curry isn’t a daily dish or even a yearly dish, having prepackaged curry sauces was rather foreign for me.
I thought when I opened it, there would be an overwhelming smell of curry spice. After all, it’s curry, right?
(Yes, the fork fell all the way in, oops)
Instead, it smelled like cheap chicken ramen noodle seasoning packets. *gasp!* I was not expecting that.
(I really need to remember not to take pictures under the stove overhead light.)
Nor was I expecting to watch it broken into blocks that waivered back and forth between looking like fake meat and funky colored ice cubes. Weird.
Fortunately, a half hour later, it was completely transformed, both in appearance and taste/texture.
See that? Absolutely delicious. Full of rich, spicy, curry flavor, and not even a faint whiff of ramen noodle smell. The best part was that there was no need to adjust the seasoning or deal with finicky thickeners to pull it together. If you have access to Glico curry mix, give it a go!
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