Ennui

Some of my most creative meals come about when I'm alone. Most of the time my diet staple is good old Maggi (esp. now that they've introduced the vegetable atta noodles, luuurve them). The day I run out of my Maggi and am too lazy to drive half an hour to the Indian grocery store are the days when my mental acuity is tested to the limit. Which one tempts you?

Take for example, last night. My dinner consisted of Haldiram's aloo bhujia with 2 slices of bread. And if you haven't ever eaten sev with bread, it's crispy, it's crunchy, it's sweet and savory, what's not to like? (Spike I know I laughed at your meals but I was laughing with you all those times).

As I still haven't gone to the grocery store, tonight's meal presents another problem. I've been debating throwing thinly sliced potatoes, red onions, celery and avocado in a skillet with salt and pepper and I doubt it will taste half bad. Actually the only item bothering me is the celery - I hate the stuff. The only reason it entered the house was I was looking for healthy snacks (no scoffing) and was sick of the baby carrots I normally chew on.

In a flash of inspiration (and the result of watching countless shows on food network) I remembered someone mentioning celery and peanut butter is a great snack to get kids to eat their veggies. And if kids can eat it so can I, went the thinking. Well I tried it last night and if that shtuff gets kids to eat their veggies, I'm a size 0. Celery and peanut butter does NOT go together. Unlike bread and bhujia. So, now I have this great hunk of celery in the house and no idea what to do with it. Or atleast I know what to do with it (ref. the potato idea), I'm just not looking forward to eating it. Sigh.

How about you? What are your favorite healthy snacks? Or your favorite quick fix lonely dinner?

Anyways, before I continue to depress myself, let me say that the wonderfully creative avdi presented this award to me sometime ago. Her post giving away the award is inspired. Thanks a lot for thinking of me avdi!


14 comments:

Ava said...

I like to do things with boiled potatoes if I am cooking for just myself. Add it to dahi with a bit of green chilly, some dhania leaves, a bit of ginger and or garlic chopped finely or pounded, a bit of salt and pepper (rough ground), one tomato chopped fine. Mix it all and it makes a filling raita.

Or make a simple pulao with just jeera/ jeera and some thinly sliced onion fried lightly/ jeera, onion and tomato.

Or just slap some peanut butter on multigrain bread... yum yum.

Unknown said...

Celery is a BIG no-no for me... hate that stuff! It doesnt dissolve no matter how much you chew it! Carrots are all time fav along with peas... Throw in some corn, cabbage, spinach leaves, dash of lemon and pepper OR ranch dressing and its a great tasting salad! That used to be my dinner when i was too tired to heat the pan... If u have some grapes or pomogrenate, even better as it lends a surprising juicy crunch to the salad!

I scoff @ my friends wife when she whips out a cook book and makes stuff that her hubby ends up praising to no end! The food texture is what I usually end up eating the next day after its been frozen n microwaved 2 times! Shouldn't cooking be inspirational? Like yours... But Celery n peanut butter? What were u thinking :P

PS: Thanks for the mention...

couchpapaya said...

avdi - great suggestions! ur first one cld also double as a chaat with very little work. hmm, i might try that tonight :) thanks!

spike - oh yes to everything u said abt celery! i like PB so i thought it might make it bearable, but nope nothing can save the thing. as for the inspirational cooking everyone has their moments ... like glucose and pickles?? i doubt i'll ever forget this!! just for curiosity's sake, what kind of pickle? mango,lime, mixed veg?? :P

samir said...

I don't mind celery in soup, it does form the basis of most soups I know (which admittedly is not saying much). Think mirepoix, celery+onions+carrots.

My go to a a toasted tomato sandwich; usually with buttered wholewheat bread, tomatoes, salt & pepper. Sometimes I add cheese (not the yellow/orange bland American), and sometimes I will pan-toast it.

Unknown said...

mango is best... mix veg is good.. lime?
NO!

couchpapaya said...

samir - i dislike celery in soups too. i will often leave it out or look for a substitute instead of using it! a blt sandwich with avocadoes is my go-to lunch, i started this after finding the recipe in one of the barefoot contessa cookbooks. i was disappointed with 3 of the books i got (still have to receive the paris one) but the recipes were either too simple (like the blt) or convoluted. still looking for a good cookbook :(

spike - will take ur word for it :D

Smita said...

Maggie, Bhel, Macroni!!! Thats it...

In fact am off to making maggie now :D

couchpapaya said...

smita - oooh forgot macaroni. tho i must say my pasta-love has been much reduced since i switched to whole-wheat pasta :(

Unknown said...

ah!! And I thought I was opening you to new ideas that do not include celery and peanut butter ;-)

Unknown said...

and since u like pasta/spaghetti... why not keep some handy? along with some pasta sauce? Its a life saver... And is much healthier than maggie!

couchpapaya said...

spike - pasta is our typical weekday dinner, we have it atleast once a week, sometimes more. so when i'm alone i generally dont think of it :) weird i know!

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