Lunch 01 - 05 May 2011

General note on meals and my cooking
People have asked what I cook for lunch. The obvious answer is food. But some also wanted to know if I have any special or specific recipes, and what food exactly I cook. So here are a few words about my meals, and over the next few weeks, or months, I shall from time to time, as the ‘energy’, need, and inspiration, grab me, share some of my concoctions.

There are some who are wheat intolerant, and some who are wheat sensitive. There are some who prefer to not eat spiced or seasoned food. There are some who are lactose intolerant, and then there are at any given time some who will join any one or more of the other groups, either temporarily, or for a longer period of time, for whatever reason. Be it out of sympathy, empathy, support, protest, to be different, to belong, to be counted, … take your pick! Since we are not a hotel, and we do not run a restaurant, plus being on retreat the meals are supposed to be fairly ‘un-exciting’ and actually purely to sustain the ailing body, one tries to not get carried away. None the less, one also tries to accommodate those who have genuine health issues, plus to not have people feel neglected. So I always also try to cater for what we call the ‘gentle’ folk. The ‘intolerant’ ones mentioned earlier on. ;-)

I do not use recipes, other than like a basic road map. It is pretty much like when you I do not know the route to a new place, I will, for example, look at a map to get a general idea where the place is, what I am likely to encounter along the way, what to watch out for, and any other aspects of interest or relevance that there may be along the route. Seldom do I study the map while actually travelling, but I always arrive without too many hassles. I pretty much do likewise with recipes. Only if it is something which I have absolutely no clue how to make, or what to do with, will I read the recipe in detail, but it is still unlikely that I will follow the ingredients to a T, nor quantities and the likes. But that is just me, and others simply have to rely on a recipe. Why am I mentioning this? Well, because I can never give a detailed recipe of any dish, let alone an entire meal, that I have ever cooked.

So what you will see are pretty much concepts and inspirations that came while being busy in the kitchen. Invariably when I walk into the kitchen in the morning I have no idea what I am going to be cooking for lunch, other than what bean or legumes, since they are invariably dried and needed soaking overnight. And that’s about all I have to say about that, for now.

Soup

Borlotti Beans boiled until very soft with Rosemary, add Steamed Green Beans, season with fresh ginger, candied lemon peel, sugar and salt to taste, and sunflower oil. (after boiling the beans take some out to keep separate for the ‘gentle’ folks)  

Steam-fried Green-leafs

Heat some sunflower oil in a deep pot, add caraway seeds and oregano, crushed cashew nuts, and desiccated coconut. Fry everything up for a while. Add boiling water (carefully) to increase liquid, once boiling add chopped curly kale and cabbage. Steam-fry for a while. Add lemon and lime juice, as well as a little salt, and maybe sugar to taste.

Potatoes

Peel, drench with sunflower oil, lightly sprinkle with cinnamon and salt, place in deep Pyrex dish, cover with tin foil, and bake in oven. (keep some potatoes aside to steam for the ‘gentle’ folks)

Beetroot

Peel and cook beetroot well, until done. Coat in olive oil, and sprinkle with cloves dust and salt. Lightly bake in oven. (keep some aside plain for the ‘gentle’ folks)

Rice

Carefully boil brown rice. (hey, how difficult is this?)

!O-3|-W;-