Sunday Cooking: It's like I invented cooking

I am not a natural cook. I avoided it all costs as a kid, preferring to be the one whose chores were to set the table, do the dishes, entertain the guests, anything to get away from actually chopping and mixing and learning how to make food for myself. The first few years of living on my own, I rented apartments where I never turned on the oven the entire time I lived there. Frozen dinners, sandwiches, and restaurant food was my main sustenance. I worked in food service (irony at its finest) so my meals at work were covered -- and prepared by someone else. When I got married, my husband did know how, but everything he knew how to make was elaborate for family holiday meals. So we fell into the same patterns that I had as a single person.

About five years ago, I started to teach myself how to cook. It's been an eye-opening experience, and oftentimes I end up laughing at myself because when I come up with something new (to me), I act like I am the first person to come up with this idea.

For example, chicken salad.

On Sunday, I roasted a chicken. Not my first time, but the first of the season.



I ended up being frustrated by it, mainly because I didn't set the oven temp high enough and it took twice as long to cook as it normally does. But the prep was very easy, and it tasted great once we were able to eat it hours later. When it cooled, I pulled it apart, and put the meat in a container for the week and the carcass and leftover veggies in a bag in the freezer for chicken stock next week.

On Monday, I could not figure out what to do with the chicken for lunch. I only had unseasoned spaghetti squash and carrot soup for veggies, so I was at a loss as to how to prepare anything. I ended up cutting up some chicken and throwing it in the squash, then adding in some dressing and cheese and microwaving the whole mess at work. It was supremely unsatisfying, especially since I had spent all Sunday cooking all of it.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up dreaming about chicken salad. Of course! But I'd never made it before, in fact I rarely eat it. But I gave it a try, making up a recipe out of items in my kitchen.




Chicken, 2 ribs of chopped celery, a handful of dried cranberries, a tablespoon of real mayo (I didn't have light, and since it was my only fat of the day I knew it would be okay), and plenty of Penzey's Mural of Flavor seasoning (with orange and lemon peel so it's a high, bright taste). It was delicious. I toasted some wheat bread, slathered the chicken salad on, and had my lunch ready to go.



The rest of the meal was fruits and veggies -- a big container of my carrot-ginger soup, and plenty of clemetines. I used my third lunch bag, one without any special containers that just fits in whatever I have wrapped. It's not as fun as a Bento, but it gets the job done. Plus there is a top section where I can fit snacks and whatnot.



I splurged with a small Vosges bar, a leftover stocking gift from Hubby. Bacon-chocolate, yum. And yet another clementine and some sugar-free Jello. (It's filling a needed dessert hole right now for me. Who knew?)

It was so good I am having the exact same thing today. Good thing I made an extra portion!



I felt like I had invented cooking. With chicken salad. Hee!

Are there items that you make that you feel when you make them, you have cracked some secret code of cooking?