That’s right. My soldier has been deployed for almost 3 weeks now which means, for the first time in over 5 years, I have no one to cook for. No husband, no clients, no roommate. Just lil’ ol’ me. And, to make matters worse, the best restaurant in town offers a choice of:

Deep Fried Pork Schnitzel Covered in Re-hydrated Brown “Gravy”
Nitrite Sausage in a Bun So Crusty You’ll Sever the Roof of Your Mouth
Seven Pounds of Noodles Smothered in Something White

Which means, I have no choice but to cook every single meal for myself, all the time. Sounds great, right? Right…

Pretty soon, even I was running out of inspiration. I’m not surrounded by awesome chefs, food writers, and obsessive foodies like I was in Austin. Options for great food – not only at restaurants, but also at grocery stores – are just limited. I finally reached my lowest state this week: Every other meal consisted of PB&J on a rice cake and some cucumber slices. And, then, bored with that, I just stopped eating.

Bored, bored, bored.

And, that’s when I was, like, WHOA. This has got to stop. I have to find some inspiration. I have to find something worth eating or I’m going to waste away – and, lose my cooking skills.

So, I headed to the library and stumbled upon Jamie Oliver’s very simple, yet just enough of a kick in the pants, book Jamie’s Food Revolution.

I picked this recipe because I knew that I could easily find the ingredients it called for, and I hoped the flavors might just rouse my culinary curiosity. It worked!

That Jamie Oliver. There he goes, even saving me from MY rut. Someone give that man a high five!

SWEET AND SOUR PORK
serves two very hungry people
adapted from Jamie Oliver’s recipe

olive oil or coconut oil
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tsp. garam masala
salt
1Tbs. sesame oil
2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
5 big cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 small onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tsp. cornstarch
3 Tbs. wheat free tamari
(1) 8 ounce can of pineapple chunks
(1 little can) 6 ounces pineapple juice
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1. Heat a good amount of olive oil or coconut oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Toss the pork and garam masala together and throw them in the pan. Brown the meat on all sides. When the meat is browned, transfer it to a plate.
2. Clean the saute pan and return it to the heat. Add some more olive or coconut oil and the sesame oil. When the oil becomes fragrant, add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and salt. Cook for about 30 seconds and add the onion and bell pepper.
3. Cook everything together for about 2 minutes. In a small cup, combine the cornstarch and tamari. Add it to the pan and toss everything together.
4. Quickly add the pineapple chunks (with their juices), the balsamic vinegar and the pineapple juice.
5. Return the pork to the pan, stir to get it nicely coated in sauce, and then, cover.
6. Allow everything to simmer together until the sauce has reduced to a nice consistency and the pork is cooked through.
7. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with steamed rice and heart of romaine leaves on the side.

Along with this geographic accessibility comes the ease of finding new ingredients and foods that aren’t super common across the pond. For instance, besides German food, the easiest cuisine to find in Deutschland is Turkish food. There was an influx of Turkish immigrants to help rebuild after the war, and they brought an uh-may-zing cuisine with them. In addition to the Turkish imports, Germany is just just a hop, skip, and a jump to Morocco across a little, beautiful body of water we call the Mediterranean. Moroccan cuisine also brings incredible warm flavors to the table.

These meatballs, while not specifically from one particular cuisine, reminded me of the flavors used all around the eastern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. Spain, Italy and Greece might get the official Mediterranean Diet seal, but by not including the unbelievable flavors from these other seaside countries we are missing out on some truly delicious experiences.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MEATBALLS
makes about twenty golf ball-sized meatballs

enough olive oil to evenly coat the pan
12 oz. ground beef, bison or lamb
1 small onion, minced
2 Tbs. minced cilantro
2 huge garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 Tbs. turmeric
1 Tbs. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and thoroughly mix using your hands.
3. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Roll the meat mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs and drop into the hot skillet.
4. When the first side of the meatballs are browned, roll them onto the opposite side and transfer them to the oven.
5. Bake until they are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Serve with a yummy Tzatziki sauce and a little salad on the side.

Seriously, there is no other explanation for the incredible depth of flavor, my inability to find even a merely adequate substitution, and the sense of joy I feel when that smoky essence hits my tongue.

For those of you who don’t know, Pimenton is a Spanish smoked paprika. It is made by smoke-drying various types of peppers, usually with oak wood. The type of pepper used determines whether the Pimenton is sweet (Pimenton Dulce), kinda hot (Pimenton Agridulce), or a little more than kinda hot (Pimenton Picante). When I was in Barcelona last month, I noticed its unmistakable characteristics in just about every dish I ate. In my opinion, it is absolutely essential in every kitchen. It’s such an easy way to make even the most mundane roast chicken taste like something Ferran Adria threw together.

If you can’t find it in the spice aisle or specialty food aisle of your local store, you can order it (and a bunch of other awesome Spanish stuff) online at La Tienda.

PIMENTON POTATO SALAD
serves four to six as a side dish
For this recipe, I used Pimenton de La Vera which has an especially smoky flavor and a good kick of spice. It works great, but any kind of Pimenton would work really well.

6 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large eggs, hard boiled and chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 to 1/3 cup mayo, or enough to make it as creamy as you like it
2 Tbs. capers
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. Pimenton
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil the potatoes, until they are just soft. Drain and transfer them to a large-ish mixing bowl.
2. Add everything else to the potatoes, and stir to evenly mix. Cool to room temp.
3. Transfer the potato salad to a storage container and place in the fridge for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.

P.S. Be on the lookout for a new project I’ve got coming up. It’s a blog about my travels through Europe. I’ll also be speaking more about how my life as a new military spouse is affected by my husband’s year long deployment to Afghanistan. Stay tuned…

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can snap us back into reality, reminding us what the true source of joy is in our lives. For me, it was simply watching My Soldier getting his uniform ready for the following morning.

For the last three weeks, he has been on block leave and we have been gallivanting around fabulous places such as Barcelona – and our living room, in jammies all day. Last night, he pulled his uniform out of the closet, and I was so excited at the thought of seeing him in it again after so long. It struck me as such an odd sensation, but I realized that being a soldier is who he is; It is a huge part of his identity and the man that I love so much. No wonder I missed seeing that uniform everyday…

But, it made me also realize something very troubling – He had never seen me in MY uniform. He had never seen me in the uniform that defines me in so many ways and is how I identify myself. I quickly ran upstairs, strapped on my Chef-R’alls (the now discontinued chef overalls from Chefwear), tied on a neckerchief, buttoned up a freshly starched coat, and slid my feet into the warm comfort of my tired, old SuperBirki clogs. I pulled a skullcap over my messy curls, ran downstairs and, before he could catch a glimpse, I donned the final touches: an Instant Read Thermometer and a Sharpie in my arm pocket.

He saw me. We were both speechless.

Tears started to roll down my face.

I miss it. I miss propping 30 pound Lexans on my shoulder and lugging them to the walk in. I miss sweating bullets behind eight blazing burners and two scorching ovens for 8 hours. I miss the foul-mouthed banter. But, most of all, I miss nourishing dozens of palates a night, and in the process, honing my craft.

Standing in the kitchen with My Soldier, both of us in our uniforms, I realized that I never want to sacrifice my identity and the title that I work so hard to earn:

Chef.

ASIAN MANGO SALSA
makes about three cups

1 huge mango, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup minced cilantro
3 limes, juiced
1 Tbs. Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce
salt, to taste

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss. You may adjust the spice as you wish.

We’ve had some good times, but our journey ends here -

With you in a steamy, hot bowl of spicy coconut-y goodness.

I know what you are thinking. “Day four? Doesn’t that mean that your chicken is pretty old at this point?” Well, it could have been. However, the behind the scenes action that you didn’t see is that I made the Chicken Quinoa Chicken Salad and the Cabbage Potato Soup on the same day. I ate the salad for lunch, and the soup for dinner, so technically day two and three were actually one day…

So, this lovely curry was made on day 3. I ate it for dinner, and froze the remaining curry in portion sized containers for future meals. (I also did this with the soup since it made 3-4 portions, as well.)

Curry is not a super common food in the restaurants of rural Germany, as one might imagine. I did manage to find Curry Powder at a street market vender, although I later found some in one of the larger grocery stores in town.

With the weather getting colder and the lack of ethnic food running through my veins, this curry was exactly what I needed.

CHICKEN, SWEET POTATO, AND SPINACH CURRY
makes three to four servings

2 Tbs. canola oil
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a Microplane
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp. curry powder
1.25 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne, or as desired
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
a ton of salt
1 tomato, diced
1.25-1.5 cups coconut milk
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch pieces
4 cups baby spinach
chopped cilantro, for garnishing
Steamed Jasmine Rice, for serving

1. Cook your sweet potatoes until just soft in a pot of boiling water. Strain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until just beginning to soften. Add the onion and continue cooking until it begins to turn translucent.
3. Combine all of the spices and add them to the pot. Add salt. Start with 1/2 tsp. but you will definitely be adding more. Stir consistently to evenly coat every vegetable in the pan. When the pan becomes dry and the spices fragrant, add the tomatoes and scrape all the goodies from the bottom of the pot. Continue stirring until it becomes almost like a paste.
4. Slowly add your coconut milk while stirring.
5. Add the sweet potato and chicken and bring them up to heat. Taste your sauce. If it seems sort of bland, it’s because you need more salt.
6. When everything is cooked through and tastes good, add your spinach. Cook, stirring consistently, until it just starts to wilt, about 30 seconds.
7. Turn off the burner, cover your curry, and serve up your rice. Spoon the curry over the rice, sprinkle it with chopped cilantro, and serve.

Chicken Experiment Wrap Up:

Rosemary Roasted Chicken = 1 serving
Chickpea Quinoa Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing = 1 very large serving
Cabbage Potato Soup = 4 servings
Chicken, Sweet Potato, Spinach Curry = 3 servings

So, all in all, I managed to eke out 9 meals with plenty of variety from a single chicken. Luckily, the soup and the curry freeze well so I have more yummy lunches and dinners ahead of me. This was a really great challenge for me. We should all strive to make the most out of the food that we get. Not only will it save money, it will also help lessen our burden on the planet. Less trash = more space to grow veggies and/or more forests we can keep intact!

This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time. Over the last week, my youngest stepson, Julian, and I have had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time together. A few days ago, I took him to the gym with me. Instead of a daycare center that most gyms have, the gym on post simply has a “Family Room” – a room full of treadmills and elipticals with a chunk of the room cordoned off for the kiddos to play. The floors and walls of this stark white room are padded for the childrens’ safety making it seem much more like an asylum rather than a “Family Room”, but I digress…

Another mommy was there with her daughter whose nasal floodgates were wide open. Wouldn’t you know it, the only child we came into contact with was sick, and consequently, we both woke up the next morning with puffy eyes and sniffles.

At that moment I knew exactly what we were having for dinner.

Little Julian who is only 18 months old couldn’t eat the broth from this soup on his own, but, to my surprise, he ate a ton of the veggies all by himself. I fed him the broth, and it seemed he couldn’t get enough.

The Jewish mommy in me can’t help but believe that this soup is the reason he didn’t get much more than a little cranky and a runny nose.

Yes, this recipe is simple and not super flashy. But, when you don’t feel good and nothing sounds good to eat, this soup tastes like a big, cozy hug from Mom.

CABBAGE POTATO SOUP
makes three to four servings
If you are making this soup from the leftover chicken for the chicken experiment, please remove the meat from one of the breasts as you will be using it for the final chicken recipe.

2 Tbs. mild-flavored oil, such as rapeseed, canola, or grapeseed
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 roasted chicken carcass, butterflied and cut into 2 pieces
8-10 cups water
1 tsp. dried thyme, or 1 Tbs. fresh thyme
6 cups chopped green cabbage
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
lots of salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a stock pot over high heat. When it is hot, add the onion, garlic, 1 carrot, and the celery.
2. When the veggies are browned, add the chicken pieces in an even-ish layer across the bottom of the pot, and deglaze the pan with the water. Add the thyme and season very, very well with salt and pepper.
3. Bring the soup just to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer, covered, for 2-3 hours.
4. When the soup has a super yummy, chicken-y flavor, remove the pot from the heat, strain, and return the stock to the pot. Set the chicken and veggies aside. Return the stock to the stove, and bring it back up to a simmer over medium high heat.
5. Add the potatoes and remaining carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes and add the cabbage.
6. While the veggies are cooking, remove the chicken meat from strained chicken and veggies. Shred the meat and add it to the soup when the veggies are just cooked through.
7. Taste for seasoning. It will probably need a lot more salt. If it tastes bland, it just needs more salt.
8. Grab some crackers and serve.

Part of my goal with this experiment is to do very different preparations of chicken. I figure if I have to eat chicken everyday for a couple of days, I want some variety, ya know?

In all honesty, this preparation came about out of necessity to use up some things in the fridge. European fridges are notoriously teeny tiny and mine is no exception. Gone are the days of shopping for a whole weeks groceries – I can’t even fit a whole head of romaine lettuce in my veggie bin. Small amounts of leftovers are doable, but for the most part, I can only store about 2 or 3 days worth of food in the fridge.

It just so happened that I had the quinoa, chickpeas, herbs, half an avocado and bits and pieces of other veggies in the fridge. Plus, I had some honey mustard sauce already prepared from a chicken nugget dinner with the kiddos two nights previous. If you already have about 1/4 cup prepared honey mustard on hand, just add some olive oil and lemon juice to it to make the dressing for this salad.

I threw it all together with some chicken and had a pretty fantastic little lunch.

CHICKPEA QUINOA CHICKEN SALAD WITH HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING
serves one as a main course, or two as a side dish

Salad:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, cooled
meat from 1 chicken leg quarter, skinned and shredded
2 inch piece cucumber, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 Tbs. dijon mustard
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

1. For the salad: Combine all of the salad ingredients together in a bowl.
2. For the dressing: In a small jar, combine all of the dressing ingredients and shake it up until it is emulsified.
3. Assemble: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

So, I reverted back to my days as a single woman and started cooking for one again. What is great about it this time is that in the past, I’ve sort of neglected feeding myself properly because I was just cooking for me. Somehow I came up with excuses as to why I didn’t need to cook and how, of course, an almond butter and jelly sandwich is a sufficient dinner for an adult. But, since I had already fallen into the routine of making a proper dinner every night, I stuck with it – even after My Soldier left.

Oddly enough, while chicken is the main component of a butcher’s case in the states, it is not such a common find here in small town Germany. Pork in various forms of schnitzel, sausage, bottled forcemeat, and processed deli slices is definitely the primary find. I never thought I would say it, but living here really makes me appreciate chicken more. So, as an ode to my American standby meat, I decided to give myself a challenge:

How many meals can a single person get out of one chicken?

Here are my results from Day One:

ROSEMARY ROASTED CHICKEN

1 (3.5 pound) chicken, patted dry with paper towels
1 small onion, cut into chunks
6 garlic cloves
4 springs fresh rosemary
3 Tbs. olive oil
lots of salt and pepper
2 small yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Loosen the skin at the bottom and each breast and each thigh, and place a sprig of rosemary under the skin. Try to stretch the rosemary over the entire length of each breast. Also, try to loosen the skin enough on the leg that the sprig reaches to both the thigh and the drumstick.
3. Place the onion and garlic inside the cavity of the chicken.
4. Rub the entire chicken down with the olive oil and lots and lots of salt and pepper. If you think you have way over salted the chicken you probably need to salt it some more.
5. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast iron pan, scatter the potatoes around the chicken, and drizzle them with a little extra oil.
6. Roast the chicken until the skin is browned and crispy and until the breast is 160 degrees internally.
7. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Waiting allows the juices to remain inside the chicken and keeps it super moist.

After eating one serving, put the remaining cooled chicken and any leftover bones into a large container or ziploc bag to use for tomorrows’ lunch…

And, I went on the most amazing cross country trip from Austin, Texas to Anacortes, WA with my best friend, Olivia. And, that trip was the inspiration for this yummy recipe I am sharing today.

Because Olivia and I both are gluten free and pretty dang particular about what food we put in our bodies, the only thing that we really had planned going into the trip was what we were going to be eating. One of the things that I thought would be great road trip food was Baba Ganoush with Crudite. You know, instead of the typical Funyun and SlimJim fare. As it turns out, Olivia had never had Baba Ganoush before, but after just one savory bite, the entire 8 oz. tub was annihilated before we even got out of central Texas. So much for that lasting until we got to LA…

So, in homage to our once in a lifetime trip through the desert of New Mexico, hiking the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona, up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, through the Redwoods, Oregon and finally to Olivia’s new home – the stellar state of Washington – I bring you our most favorite snack in the world.

This one’s for you, Liv! I miss you.

Olivia (L) and Rachel (R) viewing a gorgeous sunset over the pacific

And, to all you Washingtonians out there reading this, you just got the coolest new resident, and I’m totally jealous of you.

ROASTED GARLIC BABA GANOUSH
makes about one cup

1 large eggplant, quartered lengthwise
3 large whole garlic cloves, skins removed
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. grapeseed oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbs. tahini
lots of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant slices and garlic inside. Rub 2 Tbs. of oil on the eggplant and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and roast until the garlic is browned and the eggplant is very soft, about 30-45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2. Peel the skin off the eggplant. Place the garlic and eggplant flesh in the food processor along with the lemon juice, tahini, and about a 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Turn on the machine and let it run until the mixture starts to get pretty smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, turn the machine back on, and, while it is running, add 1/4 cup grapeseed oil though the feed tube.

3. Continue to process the mixture until it is nice and smooth, tasting periodically for more salt or pepper. Enjoy this super yummy treat at room temperature or chilled with crudite, gluten free crackers, or pita bread.

This evening for dinner I had planned to eat the leftover Dal Curry with Spinach and Brown Rice that I had made a few nights ago. But, for lunch today, I attended the Annual Vegan Chili Cookoff and couldn’t seem to muster the strength for another meal consisting almost exclusively of legumes. I needed veggies. STAT.

So, I started rummaging. Somehow, through some amazing intervention of the Leftover Food Gods, this was literally all that I had left in my produce bin. Well, okay, I also had some tomatoes, a russet potato, and a pear. But, other than that, this was what I had left. Actually, now that I think about it, I should have thrown the pear into this salad as well. It would have been amazing. Oh, well. Maybe next time.

And, yes, there will be a next time.

This salad was a beautiful, perfect combination of crunch from the veggies and soft suppleness of young coconut flesh. The flavors melded smoothly with the sweetness of the ginger and maple and the tang of the vinegars. The umeboshi plum vinegar provided a lovely splash of saltiness, and there with a subtle kick with the last minute addition of chili garlic sauce.

In order to make this dish raw, (obviously) leave out the chicken, use untoasted sesame oil, and replace the caramelized ginger with 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger. If you would like a little extra protein, throw in some slivered almonds. Also, you can use agave nectar in place of the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar in place of the other vinegars. Unfortunately, you will have to leave out the chili garlic sauce altogether, but if you throw half of a minced jalapeno in with the veggies, I’m sure you won’t even miss it.

If you are new to the magic that is the young coconut, here is a tutorial on how to open it and get to the meat. And, don’t forget to save the coconut water inside. That stuff is the nectar of the gods. Seriously.

CABBAGE SALAD WITH YOUNG COCONUT NOODLES AND CRYSTALLIZED GINGER
serves four

For the Salad:
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
1 cup shredded cooked chicken, optional
meat from 1 young coconut, sliced thinly into “noodles”
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, diced or shredded
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 Tbs. each black and white sesame seeds

For the Dressing:
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. brown rice vinegar
1 Tbs. umeboshi plum vinegar
1 tsp. Asian chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Himalayan salt, or 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the fixins for the salad.

2. Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake it up until it emulsifies. Or, just whisk it all together in a small bowl. You may need to tweek the amount of each ingredient to find the balance that is just right for you.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix it up, and dig in.

OTHER CABBAGE SALAD RECIPES FROM AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE:
Tassajara Warm Red Cabbage Salad at 101 Cookbooks
Red Cabbage Salad with Braeburn Apples and Spiced Pecans at Serious Eats
Thai Cabbage Salad with Chicken at Eat This.
Swiss Chard Cabbage Salad with Garbanzo Beans, Broccoli Stems and Cottage Cheese
Red Cabbage and Dried Figs Salad at Chocolate and Zucchini