It's pretty easy, when you're cooking for yourself and on a budget, to get stuck in a rut. And am I ever stuck. Other than my ever-more-frequent trips to the supermarket for chips and chocolate, I've been eating the same two or three things for a couple months now.
Last year I got stuck on fried rice. It's fast(-ish), healthy(-ish), and easy once you get used to cooking it. Now I seem to have taken a giant step down even from that.
It's all cinnamon pancakes (though not for the last couple weeks), pasta with tomatoes, onion, and American cheese, or rice with beans, tomatoes, onion and American cheese. That's it. The only real variety comes from the every once-in-a-while splurge of food out, or the two days last week when I managed to scarf down half a dozen bagels. With, of course, American cheese melted on top.
Hopefully, moving on will change my diet again. Getting out of Guatemala should do that as well. If I were a fruit-eating kinda girl this would be a great place.
Because of the elevation and lower temps, strawberries are in season pretty much all year here. And there are these red things that look kinda like lychees, but I don't think are. And papaya, and starfruit (2 for 1Q, or about 8 US cents *each*). And pineapple.
You know, back home I could never figure out why anyone would want to eat a pineapple. I mean, they're cardboardy and crunchy in a bad way, and stringy, and rarely sweet back home. Or they come from a can and are oddly floppy.
But the ones I've had here have been sweet, and so ripe they dripped juice when cut into, or even when pressed on too hard. Actually pretty tasty. I still won't be buying many of them.
The thing is, I know I can make that rice-or-pasta and veggies and cheese thing. I can do it in my sleep, I'm so used to it. And you can get the stuff to make it pretty much anywhere, they aren't harmed by the odd blackout, and all but the cheese can be locked safely in my locker.
Other stuff... I might not be able to find it, so I don't even try anymore.
So, have you been in a food rut, and how did you get out of it. Or... Are you still stuck there?
I always felt like I need to get excited about something to get out of a food rut. Are there any recipes you want to try? Maybe try looking for recipes online or at a library....
ReplyDeleteThe problem isn't so much a lack of recipes. I could totally find some that interest me. More, it's a question of equipment and available ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI really only have access to a frying pan and three pots, a knife, and a couple of spoons. The food in Guatemala is similarly lacking in variety.
I suspect getting out of Guatemala will help with inspiration. I just hope for a better equipped kitchen.