Tomboy cooking!

The main thing I've had to learn is how to make something that fuels and nourishes, which are really (in my mind) two separate things. But is MUST TASTE GREAT. (or at least good enough that I want to eat it)

"Fuel" to me, means "total calories". It's tricky, but vital, to get enough calories, without (consistently) getting too many. Fuel can be rice and beans, steak and potato, grilled chicken and tabbouli. Salad is generally a poor fuel - unless you load it up with plenty of protein and/or fatty stuff. Even then, it takes a while before it's taken in and used to make fuel (blood sugar). Not enough fuel, and I get droopy. (Note: I personally need about 1800 calories per day just to function. Just sayin'. Those low-cal diets are not my friend!)

"Nourishment" is all those little micronutrients - things that you don't necessarily need a lot of, like vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. Guess what? That same salad, with leafy greens, grated carrot, tomato, grated cabbage, beans, etc - that is wonderfully nourishing! Fruit also has some great micronutrients and I don't ignore it in my day-to-day life. But (as stated previously) - horrible as fuel. Not enough nourishment, and I get sickly - prone to infections, my skin gets drier, etc.

So, I need both FUEL and NOURISHMENT - regularly, and on an ongoing basis. I need fuel three times a day (sometimes more if I've had a good workout). I need nourishment - guess what? - three times a day!

My cooking style tends to revolve around "hmmm, what's in the fridge?" - so a lot of my recipes change depending on what's sitting in the crisper. (Note to self: OUT OF CARROTS)

My cooking is an attempt to incorporate both needs, which isn't really difficult if you are even moderately decent as a cook. Tabbouli, for example, is great: the wheat/bulgur grains are fuel, while all the salad-ish amendments are nourishing. If, like me, you can't eat wheat, you can use quinoa - which is actually even better as fuel because of the protein content. This recipe is great with BBQ chicken or fish, or by itself as a snack. My off the top of my head recipe follows - if there's an ingredient you can't stand, just omit it:

Tabbouli (you could make a double batch, as this keeps in the fridge pretty well for a few days)

One cup cooked bulgur (or quinoa)

Chopped veggies (total of 1-2 cups total): cuke, tomato, green onion, red onion (go out on a limb - try diced avocado in there sometime)

Minced fresh herbs (1/2 to 1 cup total): parsley, mint (go out on a limb and try cilantro sometime)

Other things that are mighty tasty in there: crumbled feta cheese, chopped olives (go out on a limb and try some bacon sometime)

Dressing: Juice of 1-2 lemons, about twice as much olive oil as juice, salt to taste, and ground pepper to taste. You probably won't use it all - but you can save it and it's great later on for a regular tossed salad. (out on a limb: lime juice instead of lemon, or add a pinch of cayenne or chipotle)

Mix it all up. Correct the seasoning - I like to use less dressing than I think I need, and then add more if it's not "right". I do like my tabbouli to be well-moistened with dressing, but it's up to you. If I have more dressing than I need, I save it to use on another salad some other time within the next week or so. No time to make the dressing? you COULD use regular oil and vinegar, or Italian bottled dressing. I don't, but hey, you decide. You are an adult!

Go forth and fuel. And nourish!