I’m a lucky girl. My friend Mary and I made a deal, she would cook her amazing creations for me if I would write an article for her blog describing it. So I sat at her counter overlooking Mary’s creative process. It’s like I have a ringside seat. Actually, I didn’t watch her that closely because I was helping her update her facebook profile. You see as wonderful as Mary can cook she is equally bad at anything having to do with computers. All I know is I looked up from the computer and it was time to eat. YESSSS!! I was hungry so I made a bee-line for the table, we said a blessing (you gotta slow down for that and that God for all that he has blessed us with- including Mary’s awesome meals- okay I could only think about food- Let’s Eat!!!). I look down and the delicious dish in front of me looked like something out of Cooking Light or Southern Living magazine. Mary’s Pasta Shrimp Fiesta Bowl was a lively mingle of mexican herbs and spices with a harmonious blend of vegetables, black beans, whole wheat cork screw pasta and zesty shrimp: all topped with fresh avocado wedges, queso blanco and fresh cilantro.
What is amazing about Mary is her approach to healthy, budget friendly cooking. I will do my best to get inside the mind of my genius friend and relay how she does it. First, she asks her family what kind of meal they are in the mood for such as italian, mexican, cuban etc. This may sound like a mundane task but when you are trying to nourish your family it is of important consideration. If they are able to eat what appeals to them at the time you have a better shot of infusing them with healthy nutrient dense food. Next Mary will take inventory of what is available in the refrigerator and pantry and make new enticing meal. It’s like every time Mary cooks something it’s a new creation. In order for Mary to have the creative flexibility to do this she says it is critical to have a well stocked pantry and freezer. This alleviates the amount of trips to the store and the amount of food waste. Also, saves money from unnecessary purchase of other items at the grocery store. I will expand on this concept more in my next entry but I learned another interesting nugget today.
When Mary cooks, herbs and spices are key to her healthy dishes. To help release their flavor she always “blooms” these key ingredients in a hot saute pan with the optimal and appropriate oil. Sometimes she will do this with aromatics of the dish (like garlic, onion etc) or sometimes other ingredients such as vegetables (more on this principle later). I hope these few tidbits give you a glimpse into Ms. Mary’s cooking and all that she has to offer.
Adios!
Your FFF – Fellow Foodie Friend
