In college, I wrote a column in the school newspaper, called “Cookbook Confessions.” I’d look through 100-year-old cookbooks and find the wackiest recipes – things like pig’s feet and prune cake. My little college kitchen saw several disasters, but lots of laughs. It was an adventure every time, and I had to be really resourceful to come up with substitutions and alternate techniques. For example, I learned how to can pickles in my oven.
Recently though, my cooking has become really BORING. I meal prep the same foods over and over again, and while this is certainly efficient, the side effect is that I’m choosing to eat out more. (As in, I’m a Chick-fil-A One Silver Member.) To kick this habit, I’m attempting to cook more interesting, healthy recipes using the Defined Dish Cookbook. It’s a Whole30 cookbook from a delightful, Texan gal named Alex Snodgrass. My friend Becca and I are doing it together, and it’s also a way to bring a little more spice to our friendship.
I’m bringing cookbook confessions back.
I’ve already had one revelation. If you’re on a tight budget like me, the bulk spice isle at Central Market will be your best friend. The Defined Dish cookbook sells itself as simple, weeknight meals, but honestly it’s still a ton of new ingredients! I picked up some oregano for seven cents and some cayenne pepper for 12 cents.
Onto the actual cooking – I started with the Greek Lemon and Oregano Potato Soup. It’s January and it’s the weekend, which means comfort food central.
My first attempt was an utter failure. To keep the story short, I poured in some expired chicken broth into my carefully chopped potatoes, garlic and onion. RUINING EVERYTHING. But I’m nothing if not determined (at least for the first few days of a new hobby, okay), so I started again today from scratch.
I had a couple hiccups along the way. For one, I don’t have a lid for my large pot. Tis, the life of a 26-year-old gal. Most of my kitchen gear is cast-offs of roommates who got married and left their unwanted pots behind. Proof that even single people can gain from wedding registries! Second, I don’t have an immersion blender. My Ninja blender did the job though… with lots of mess. Don’t fill the whole thing up! The steam pushed the liquid spurting out.
However, the recipe was overall fairly easy and crazy delicious. It was a little bland for my taste at first, so I doubled the cayenne pepper. Then boop, bop, boop.. I plunked in some meatballs in too. Alex recommended adding meatballs to another soup in the book, so I stole the idea. Thankfully, I already had some mini turkey meatballs in the freezer.
“My husband and kids are never super-thrilled when soup is on the menu. But when I add meatballs? Very different story. Suddenly a meh dinner is one that everyone is excited about – and without a lot of extra effort.”
Meatballs in soup are my new favorite thing. Meatballs, and homemade bread. The end.
