In a food rut

[diablita]

they fight over kale chips in this house

[gebuh]

Oh, I hear that.  There are a lot of bad kale recipes out there.  I think of kale as a vegetable that needs to be prepared very carefully before it's even faintly edible, let alone delicious.  Unlike green beans, for instance, which you can pretty much cook any old which-way.  Which kale recipes did you try? 

My latest success was this one, which technically calls for chard, but I subbed in kale (and sautéed it a little longer because kale has more substance than chard) and it was delicious.  I mean so delicious that I ate way, way too much and pooped green for a while.  Okay, maybe that was TMI, but it was pretty damned good.

Oh, and one other thing about kale.  Some people might like the stemmy parts of the kale leaf, but I think they are bitter and fiberous so I always strip out the stem and use only the leafy parts.  Try that, it only takes a minute.  Oh, and one other thing, just because you have tried a few of recipes that haven't worked out, maybe that just means you haven't yet found the right recipes.  Finding new things that you like is a process of trial and error.  You have to play to win. 

No way, kale is dead easy.  Saute with some garlic , salt and pepper, you're done. Cook it like greens, mix it with beans.  That stuff is awesome.

[Run Amok]

I just don't think you should feel too badly ifyou're happy with the food you're eating.

A simple soup I made this week that everyone (even my super pick daughter) enjoyed is just an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, 2 14.5 oz cans of crushed tomatoes and a cup of barley. Sautee the onion & garlic until it's translucent. Add the other ingredients + 4 cups of stock. Simmer until the barley is soft. Serve with a little grated parmesan and fresh basil. (I've made it with rosemary, that's also good). Also lovely to add some beans into.

I don't really like quoina much either.

I do like farro though. It has the added benefit of being high in protein and fiber. What do you dislike about rice?

[redkitty]

I think rice is tasteless and not worth the effort.  If it is in soup I would eat it...mainly bcz it was there. As in I would not turn down soup bcz it had rice in it. 

That soup recipe sounds pretty good and pretty easy.  I did buy ingredients to make some minestrone today. But it is too warm today, so I will wait for later in the week.  I should have enough to make that soup recipe.

I cannot remember the kale recipes off the top fo my head, it has been 2 years now.  I know one had bacon.  I do not like kale chips.  K does not seem to mind kale...at least the last time she had it...but that was about a year ago, so who knows if she would eat it now. 

[merigayle]

This is the best rice combo i have had in a long time.

[radial]

I cannot remember the kale recipes off the top fo my head, it has been 2 years now.  I know one had bacon.  I do not like kale chips.  K does not seem to mind kale...at least the last time she had it...but that was about a year ago, so who knows if she would eat it now.

I would probably like the kale/bacon combination, but the other person I often cook for doesn't eat pork, so that would only work when I'm eating solo.  It's interesting that your K seems to have the most adventurous palate in the family.  Maybe you guys should just cook things she seems to like whether you think you like them or not and try to learn from her.  From the mouths of babes and all that. 

[redkitty]

I would probably like the kale/bacon combination, but the other person I often cook for doesn't eat pork, so that would only work when I'm eating solo.  It's interesting that your K seems to have the most adventurous palate in the family.  Maybe you guys should just cook things she seems to like whether you think you like them or not and try to learn from her.  From the mouths of babes and all that. 

I actually have expanded my palate because of her.  One of her pickiness issues is seasonings.  We can hardly use any at all.  That limits some of our cooking options. As I stated earlier in this thread, I prefer the italian, french, polish, hungarian spices, but even using mild/not a lot of these, she doesn't seem to like it all that much.  I am not even talking about spicy food. 

Meri--I will have to look for that.  I am willing to try it. 

[redkitty]

I just bookmarked that Lundberg site.  There are a lot of good looking recipes on that site that I am willing to try...almost all RICE.  I am also surprised by where I can buy it. Rite Aid. Just seems like a weird place to be able to buy this foodie product.  But hey, it might be cheaper than Earth Fare.

[diablita]

You have an EarthFare up by you, rk?  They're local to Asheville.  I didn't realize they had opened locations that far away.

[merigayle]

we eat a lot of rice and quinoa here.

[redkitty]

You have an EarthFare up by you, rk?  They're local to Asheville.  I didn't realize they had opened locations that far away.

Yup. Opened up about 2 or 3 years ago.  Funny thing, I just read a book that took place in NC and they mentioned Earth Fare in it (it was a mystery novel). Made me laugh.  I do not think our Earth Fare is the first in Ohio, either.  I really like their bulk food sections. Much better than any other store we have around us.  I also really like their gum drop candy (bcz I am healthy that way) though I do think $11 a lb is a bit expensive. 

We also have a local grocer that is like Trader Joe's/Whole foods...I would not be surprised if they carried this brand as well (though the brand's website did not state that it does, it doesn't mean that the local place doesn't.) I shop at the local one most of the time anyway. 

ETA: Just checked local grocer's store...not only do they carry this brand, but they carry some of it in bulk. 

[caribougrrl]

a friend of mine was similar to your DH in the vegetable department... though she would eat other veg than carrots, but only if they were swimming in white sauce, cheese sauce, or candied.

then they had a kid and she said she suddenly realized that sometimes you just have to suck it up and pretend to like vegetables so you don't set a bad example... pretending includes eating... she said that at first, it was like an acting job that importantly included actually eating the vegetables, then suddenly she realized that she'd started to LIKE broccoli, then tomatoes, etc.

she still doesn't have a wide range of veg she eats, but enough that they aren't only carrots and they don't have to drown in butter and cream to be palatable

[Run Amok]

In answer to your original question, when I'm in a food rut I usually pick up a couple of food magazines or some cookbooks (usually from the library). I have a big binder that I keep all the recipes I have enjoyed over the years (and some "to make later" also). Or, I go to myrecipes.com or epicurious or 101cookbooks and poke around a bit. All great resources.

[redkitty]

Thanks RA.  I have not heard of 101 cook books before. I have a ton of cookbooks...get excited abotu recipes and then just never try them.  I think perhaps I need to change that. 

Also, my DD told me she wanted me to make her pumpkin guts...so I guess I can try that for her (I do not like pumpkin, but glad she wants to try it.)  I just now have to buy a pumpkin to make. 

[Run Amok]

101cookbooks.com is just a blog I like.

I wasn't a fan of the pumpkin bake, but I know a lot of people really like it.

I would start with something you know you like and go from there.

But, I seriously do not think it's a problem to have a core group of recipes you enjoy and not branch out too much from that.

Do you guys eat out much? Trying something at a restaurant and recreating it at home is also fun, imo. But, I love to cook. So, trying a recipe a few times until I get it just right is one of the things I really enjoy.

[redkitty]

We don't eat out a lot anymore. But where I live, it is mostly chain-ville.  I do not mind chains in general, but you don't get a lot of different foods that way.  The non-chain places tend to be very expensive and I am not about to take my 2.5 yr old there (and we rarely get a babysitter just for dinner bcz it isn't worth it.)  So when we go out, we go to places like Frisch's Big Boy (if you don't have ethose...think Bob Evans  but umm...lower on the socio-economic scale clientele) or bar type restaurants (Roosters...they serve wings and bar food.)  Most of the non-chains tend to be Chinese or Thai...neither of which I like (and I have had enough different foods at both places to know I do not like them...I am done experimenting with those cuisines.)  There are a few other non-chains that have a better variety of food, but as I said, we just don't tend to go there. 

[merigayle]

You do not like Chinese or Thai??  DOES. NOT. COMPUTE.




Any butternut squash recipe can use pumpkin instead. You can also buy small pumpkins and then serve the meal INSIDE the pumpkin.

[rocketgirl]

You do not like Chinese or Thai??  DOES. NOT. COMPUTE.




Any butternut squash recipe can use pumpkin instead. You can also buy small pumpkins and then serve the meal INSIDE the pumpkin.

I'm not a fan of Chinese food either.  Plus I'm starving within an hour or two.  Last time I ate a stir fry, I woke up at 3 am with my stomach grumbling.   

I like a few Thai dishes, but there's still the starving way too soon thing.  I don't know why.

Interestingly, I kind of like rice noodles, but not a big fan of rice.

[merigayle]

I love thai food. Yum.

[radial]

I love thai food. Yum.

Me too.  And Japanese, and Vietnamese, and northern Chinese.  Korean, not so much.  Although, come to think of it, I've probably only had faux Korean food and might actually like the authentic stuff.