One of my New Year’s goals for about 4 years running, not including this year when I finally just gave up, was to cook and eat more veggies.
I’ve failed at it every time.
I’ve had excuses, mostly that I am just not a fan of veggies, especially cooked veggies, plus there are the texture issues – mine & the boys, but it’s been since I surrendered on the whole topic that I have finally seen the actual problem.
Despite being able to multitask in every other area of my life (I can crochet and read at the same time), I am a cooking unitasker.
So if my attention is focused on prepping, browning & stewing chicken in a skillet, it cannot be on the cauliflower gratin.
Which is why we either have raw veggies or slow roasted veggies or veggies in stir fry.
I made the Pioneer Woman’s chicken fried steak the other night.
OMG y’all! this is excellent!
(where has this southern accent suddenly come from anyway? I grew up outside of Pittsburgh. We say y’unz. Though OMG y’unz! just doesn’t sound the same.)
We had it with raw carrots.
Unpeeled.
Because chicken fried steak consumes my entire attention & the thought of making mashed potatoes or Brussel sprouts sautéed with bacon as well just about makes my mind explode.
I can’t deal with two things on the burners.
Even if one is just boiling potatoes.
I can put something in the oven or in the crock pot and then put something on the stove. But not two things on the stove.
And roasting & crock potting requires advance planning. I can manage that on weekends but not so much during the week.
I discovered this while trying various recipes from Rachel Ray’s “365 No Repeats” book. She almost always has several burners going at once, plus endless bowls and dishes with prep stuff on them & lacking a staff of prep minions and dishwashers I just can’t cope with that. 30 minute meals are great in theory but I’d rather have 60 minute meals with one pot & one prep bowl.
But, now that I know this I can plan ahead. I can make pot roast (our favorite recipe for it has no veggies, adding some changes the taste in a negative way) and plan for the brussel sprouts with bacon since I don’t have to think about the pot roast.
I foresee more braised and crock pot dishes in the future.
