December 27, 2007

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Are You a Recipe or Unrecipe Cook?
• How to Have Harmonious Holidays
• New Blog Posts
• Cheryl’s Soup Kitchen

Are You a Recipe or Unrecipe Cook?

If you’re neither and prefer to eat out…..read on. You may get inspired to cook (without recipes).

I’m an un-recipe cook for the most part. I’d guess that about 5% of my cooking comes from recipes–usually ethnic food that I’m not intuitively connected to like Indian, African, Asian or South American cuisine.

Here’s how I approach cooking without a recipe. I open my refrigerator and after I get over being horrified that I haven’t yet eaten the organic Swiss chard, I take a deep breath and keep scanning for meal ideas. Then I spy the beautiful, long , plump green beans that will go beyond their prime if I don’t eat them soon.

 I continue scanning the refrigerator thinking about what will go well with Swiss chard and green beans. I try not to get uptight that I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. I give myself permission to just “make stuff up.”  I’ve done it many times…and have been mostly successful. Sometimes I fail, but failures add to my information data bank. Better to fail occasionally than to never get started.

I spy carrots…..Yes! Zucchini. Yes! I have two large zucchinis so I know I’ll be  making a BIG batch of something. A little sautéed zucchini on the side would take forever to use up my zucchini stash so I’ve got to think of a dish that uses a lot of zucchini-–either soup, a cassarole or a stir fry. Everything that I have on hand points to making soup because it will use up the most vegetables.  So now I’m thinking soup!

Two of my favorite soup starters are diced spicy tomatoes and boxed organic broth. Either or both will provide the base of a nice soup. One by one I scan the other vegetables in the fridge and accept or reject them for my vegetable soup.

And by the way, when it comes to making vegetable soup, you can throw whatever veggies you have into a big pot and let it simmer.   If you’re getting nervous about not using a recipe, relax.  If a mythic village can make stone soup taste good, real veggies in real life from your fridge will be a pretty sure win. 

Now that I have an idea of what to make—here’s how I proceed…mind you, I continue to get ideas as I jump in and get started.  Let your creative spirit loose - this can be quite fun!  If cooking on the weekend, I might turn on some good music and sip a glass of wine, seltzer, or just plain water.  I let my mood dictate the ambiance. 

• Think fun! Think yum! I get my head on straight and don’t worry if I don’t know what I’m doing.  I’m not lost, I’m exploring.
• You can’t go wrong when you sauté onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil–but don’t turn the heat up too high. The awesome smell alone makes it look like you know what you’re doing. If I have a red, yellow or green pepper I dice it and tossed it in.  I stir and gently sauté this mixture until the onions look a little transparent.
• Then I wash and cut the green beans into short lengths, about an inch, and tossed them in.  Think bite size.
• Next, I wash and rough chop the rainbow Swiss chard and toss that in. Beautiful color! Always enjoy the colors and smells when you’re cooking.
• If your soup is brothy, you might add noodles. If the soup is thick and hearty, I would not add noodles.
• You can add a can of beans to your soup for protein. Any kinds of cooked beans or lentils will work: black, pinto, black eyed peas, Lima, navy, and garbanzo to name a few. 
• Finally, I add  spices. For this soup, I justs add a little salt and pepper.  Nothing fancy.
• Voila. About 45 minutes start to finish and I have soup! Soup is one of the best fast foods. 
  Check out Cheryl’s Soup Kitchen.

Additional, optional ingredient (vegetarians cover your ears!) If you want to add meat, chicken, beef or a spicy sausage would work well with this soup. But, you know, it’s also fabulous without any meat. If you add legumes (beans or lentils), they provide the main protein, and the veggies provided the other nutrients.

Here are a few more tips to help you become an intuitive cook.

• Become a foodie. Read recipes. See what foods go well together. This is fun and educational.
• Watch cooking shows.
• Pay attention when you eat a good meal at a restaurant. What’s in it and why does it taste so good….or so bad!
• Talk about food and cooking with passionate others. I have several people in my life who like to talk about what they cooked. This is very entertaining and educational.

Have the courage to succeed….or fail. You can always compost the failures or feed them to the dog (as long as they’re healthy and edible).

Note: Don’t ever feed spoiled food to animals. Yes, they sometimes eat yucky stuff they find along the trail, but these things have decayed. If cooked food is left to spoil, it may contain harmful bacteria so…..throw spoiled foods in the trash. Spare the dog. There IS a difference between spoiled and decayed. Ask your vet.

Are you an intuitive cook? 
Tell us about it at the comments link at the very, very bottom.

To your healthy, happy, soup-filled life!

P.S. If you’d like to make more soup, but need ideas, recipes, and a plan, check out my Soup Kitchen program below.

Cheryl’s Soup Kitchen (ebook and audio)

Soup has many virtues. You can use it as a super weight loss strategy or as a nurturing cold weather ritual. And you can dramatically improve your diet by eating soup. Soup is versatile–eat it as a snack or for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eat it cold or hot–with friends or snuggled up on the couch after a long day. On a cold day, soup is like a warm blanket. It’s the BEST fast food on the planet.

Soup can be one of the most satisfying and nourishing meals you eat. But this program isn’t just about making soup. It’s about streamlining your kitchen and your preparation processes so you can make soup fast . . . and eat it slow. It’s also about healthy eating and inspiration for cooking and eating at home.

You get 2 60-minute audios, recipes for soups and sides, and a beautifully illustrated ebook. >> more info

Fee: $19.00 Ebook and 2 60-minute audios

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Cheryl’s new posts:

Give the Gift of Time

Weight Loss & Emotional Fitness

How to Have Harmonious Holidays in 2008
(Back by popular demand)

Many of us struggle to enjoy the holidays. We get stressed about the long to-do list, the extra expenses, and the overwhelm. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I have virtually stress-free holidays. Last year at this time I shared my secrets about enjoying less stressful, more Harmonious Holidays. I’ve found strategies that work for me . . . maybe they’ll help you too! Check them out below.

Harmonious Holidays (Part I) I share my best secrets and include a Holiday Makeover Worksheet - here You’ll love this!

Harmonious Holidays (Part II) Do you tend to over function during the holidays? Find out how to create a Family Job Jar Game so you can get somebody else to do the holiday dishes. The Job Jar is the cure for over functioning - here

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Cheryl Miller is a wellness expert and life coach. She specializes in helping people take action to live a healthy, happy life . . . in this lifetime. Get the Healthy, Happy Living monthly newsletter and free Wellness Pack. Sample issues here: www.cherylmillerville.com/newsletter
© 2007 cherylmillerville.com. All rights reserved.

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