There are many things one can cook with a punnet of minced beef; it is perhaps one of the most versatile ingredients available. This, for instance, is a variation of a dish I used to eat a lot of at university, though since I’m a much better cook than I was 2-3 years ago it tastes slightly better. This recipe is taken from BBC GoodFood, though I used my own blend of spices and perhaps even my own initiative at times – do not be too shocked, WordPress.
According to this Neurvana Health home page, my last recipe was fairly rich in calories and it seemed only fair to give my body a rest from all the fat and carbohydrates and prepare something a little more forgiving. During our most recent food shop we picked up 3 large bags of dried pulses; pinto beans; kidney beans and borlotti beans. Naturally I jumped at the chance of doing something extremely healthy with such wonderful ingredients. This salad is exceedingly fresh and has a taste not dissimilar to a recipe for Tabbouleh I posted not long ago. It is perfect eaten on its own, as a snack, or as a side dish – perhaps it would do rather well paired with a Mexican main.
I discovered a recipe a while ago, though I can’t remember from where, for a really simple bulgur wheat salad. The perfect opportunity to make it arose today when I realised I hadn’t soaked my split peas, with which I had intended to make a chana dahl. This dish really is incredibly simple, delicious, healthy and quick. It also contains bulgur wheat which is, at the moment, one of my favourite foods. Bulgur wheat is filling, healthy and very versatile, not to mention the fact it has a much better taste than couscous, its man-made equivalent.
One of the most enjoyable things about being a cook is “inventing” your own dishes however simple they may be. Recently I’ve been following more and more recipes as I try new food and new cuisines; however I think it’s important to keep one’s true creative credentials. Creative flair is what separates those who are cooks from those who can cook. I’m not by any stretch of the imagination saying I have masses of imagination and skill, but I can at least promise that this dish is my own creation and that it went down a treat!
In the past week, and particularly the past 3 or 4 days, I’ve begun what is commonly known as a “health-kick”. Basically this means walk everywhere, eat healthily and go for a 2.5 mile jog every other day. One thing I have completely stopped eating is bread – I haven’t touched the stuff. In some way I miss it, in others I don’t. Basically the problem with bread is that although good bread is cheap and tastes absolutely delicious, it can make one feel really bloated. When added to the fact that bread, and white bread in particular, is essentially a bad carbohydrate that, if eaten in excess, can really pile the pounds on. In addition I’ve completely stopped drinking cider, a drink which is even more bloating than beer, and a lot sweeter. So, recently I’ve started feeling much healthier and already a little slimmer.