Moments of Joy in the Kitchen

After dancing last weekend in a 5 rhythms workshop called 'Returning to Joy'* I feel compelled to write about finding moments of joy in the kitchen. I meet people who either love cooking or actually loathe it, as well as those who feel it to be a chore. With the birth of the ideas of  five minute meals in the kitchen and how to speed up the cooking process by plugging in a piece of equipment that will do it all for you, I feel cooking is being promoted as a chore.  Something to get over and done with quickly so you can get on with the rest of your life. Having said that though if you find joy in using a machine to cook all your food or feel joyful whipping up a meal in five minutes then that really is the right way for you to find happiness in the kitchen too.

I know though that people do actually find it a chore to cook and they can't see why people like cooking. Daily I think about how to make it easier for those people and think of ways to entice them into the kitchen. So after this recent workshop I feel the time is right to make a few little suggestions to help you see even tiny glimpses of joy in the kitchen. I am not writing about those superficial ways of trying to make simple actions feel enjoyable but actually looking out for moments that cause you real joy. Maybe by slowing down a few things you will be able to notice when you feel happy in the kitchen.

Below are a few suggestions on how you might be able to make your experience in the kitchen more joyful.

Many people share with me that they are often too tired to cook anything after work so will resort to eating toast and then they feel quite bad about it. If you are one of those people you could possibly refocus how you feel about this and actually just accept that that is all you have time and energy for and make it in a different way. For example (i need to try this one myself) when you pop your toast in the toaster stay with your toast rather than rushing away while it is toasting and cut up a tomato in a different way to how you normally would- dice it and add salt and pepper and mix with some sprouts or some parsley leaves or if using avocado mash the avocado first and add a splash of lemon or lime juice before spreading. Or try an unusual topping altogether- mash up some cooked beans or in a cafe recently they had peanut butter with cherry tomatoes and freshly cracked pepper on the menu (I would use tahini).

Make time to take a photo of your cooking, my partner does not like cooking at all and rarely does it himself but some years back when I went away at Christmas he made himself a simple caprese salad of bocconcini, tomatoes and avocado and took a picture and sent it to me. I remember him being very happy with his creation. It made me happy too to receive the photo.

If mixing in ingredients avoid over mixing, mix slowly and watch the colours and combinations come together. My favourite ones are when I mix beetroot with a grain and watch it all turn pink or when I mix in parsley with cauliflower and watch clumps of green appear amongst the white.

Find something that you would like to master and enjoy the journey. For example just today I decided that I am really bad at poaching eggs and would like to be better at it. So I watched a uTube video on how to poach them and set about to it, out of three eggs one was great and the others were rather average. In the past that would have put me off poaching again for a while but I feel pretty determined and am already looking forward to having another go on the weekend.

If you have children encourage them in the kitchen too, I loved cooking with my mother, I can't remember if she enjoyed it nor do I remember her disliking it but I am sure the joy my brother and I got out of being able to help, did make her feel really happy.

If you live alone invite someone over and cook something simple, I can safely say any of the recipes I have shared on these blog posts will work out for you or if you can't muster anything other than toast, have toast just provide lots of lovely toppings or have a sushi night- cook the rice and slice up things and your guest and you can have fun rolling the sushi.  And if cooking for someone else is just too much why not ask a friend to come and cook together, that could be wonderful fun.

Last night my partner asked me if I needed help with dinner as I was enjoying doing it by myself and didn't need help I asked him if he could play his ukelele and he did just that and sang 'Hotel California' over and over again. I was in cooking heaven. So if you don't have a ukelele player on hand put on your favourite music, trust me the food will taste better.

I hope at least even one of those suggestions helps you to find some joy in the kitchen. I would love you to share your moments of joy in the kitchen with me by making a comment to this blog post- they don't have to be big, the small ones really do linger.  If you comment on this blog post before the 30th July you will go in a prize draw to win one of my new edition cook books. The more moments of joy you find and share the more chances you have at winning the book.

I loved the meal I cooked so much last night that it is the one I want to share with you, it is inspired by a photo of a soup my friend Honor Morningstar put on her facebook page. She called the soup Gypsy soup, I wasnt't sure what was in it but found a recipe from Molly Katzen of Moosewood fame and created this heart warming stew. For you to make this, soak the mung beans the night before. Rinse them in the morning before going to work and cover them with water again. If using buckwheat soak it in the morning before going to work.

Hearty Mung Bean Stew

This is enough for 4 people so if you are inviting one other you will have 2 portions left, one to take to work the next day and one to freeze, maybe. I used buckwheat and this really made it lovely and thick. However you can choose not to use it and eat with crusty or gluten free bread. The combination of beans and grains makes this meal a complete protein meal.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked mung beans (that means soak 1 and a half  to 2 cups of dried beans)

1 Spanish onion finel diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 bunch celery cut up very finely

1/2 bunch basil finely chopped

a handful of parsley finely chopped

3 tsp paprika

2 tsp finely grated fresh tumeric or 1 teaspoon of powdered

2-3 tsp of organic gluten free herb salt

1 cinnamon quill

a pinch of cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

1 large head of brocoli cut into small pieces

1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced finely

200g green beans cut on an angel in small pieces

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup soaked buckwheat

garnish of some sort- maybe more parsley or sprouts or a finely chopped up tomato

Method

1. Put the mung beans on to boil.

2. In another pan add the onion, garlic, spices, herbs and herb salt with a splash of oil and fry on a very low heat until onion starts cooking then add enough water to cover the celery and let simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and then add the rinsed buckwheat cook for 10 minutes. Drain buckwheat from water.

4. Add all the vegetables to the saucepan with celery and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then let simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the mung beans and millet and simmer until all the vegetables are cooked through.

Place in a large bowl and garnish and pop on the table -you and your friend can help themselves.


*The workshop I attended called ' Returning to Joy' was led by Geordie Jahner.  It was brilliant, if you ever get the chance to dance with Geordie, snap it up as it will change your life in some simple yet profound ways. http://www.5rhythms.co.nz/teachers/geordie-jahner/

** My friend Honor Morningstar teaches 5 rhythms in Brisbane, check her out on facebook for anyone living in Brisbane.

And please please do share your moments of joy in the kitchen with me.

Categories:Mains

Tags:basil buckwheat mung beans tumeric

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