Kitchen Witchery

One of the things I was afraid I would have the most trouble with after being banded was not being able to eat out. I'd gotten myself into a lazy rut consisting of a lot of fast food, take out, and restaurant meals, partly because I just like to eat out (I'm a self-confessed foodie and loooooove trying new restaurants) and partly because it always seems like a waste of time to cook for one person. When I did cook at home, it was usually something special (and fattening) at the request of my roomie/bff. That made it worthwhile because we'd share the meal; I wasn't just cooking for one.

I've found myself slowly shaking off that mentality. Now I try not to think about cooking for one being a waste of energy and look at it as a way of actually taking care of myself (imagine that!!!) for a change. As part of this odyssey, I've been reading an apropos (but not specifically bandster) book called The Art of Eating In, by Cathy Erway. Erway is a New Yorker who decided to start an eating experiment by giving up restaurant and take-out eating in NYC and blogging about it. Her writing is engaging and the story is pretty inspiring. She isn't talking about weight or anything like that, but she does talk about health, the environment, and the monetary savings that she discovered when she began cooking for herself for each and every meal. As a self-pay bandster, monetary savings are right up my alley! Anyway, the book is a fun read and while I have to adjust my own cooking in order to accommodate my band and my new lifestyle, I've found a lot of inspiration in the idea of cooking for myself, exploring new foods, and experimenting with new recipes. So far, I'm having a blast.

Most of the time, I try to keep it simple, since I love to cook, but hate to clean up. I'm also reveling in the freedom to experiment with recipes I know my spice-phobic bff would never touch. Take today, for instance. For lunch, I made myself black beans and rice--a double whammy for the bff, who eats neither spicy food (and she classifies spaghetti sauce as spicy) nor beans in any form. But I LOVED it! It turned out great and it was sooooooo simple, that it didn't seem like a waste at all. It seemed like the right thing to do for myself and my new lifestyle. Yay, me!

Black Beans and Rice

(My band is not restrictive at the moment, so I have no problem with rice. If you can't tolerate the little grains, I suggest serving the black beans with sauteed kale instead. Yum!)

1 can (16 oz.) black beans (preferably organic)
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. finely diced jalepeno
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 bay leaf

In a small saucepan, saute the onion, garlic and jalepeno over medium-low heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the canned beans (liquid included), the bay leaf, the cumin, and the oregano and stir to combine. Let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Don't add the salt yet, since it can cause the beans to seem a little tough. After 30 minutes, check the beans. They should have thickened to a soft, thick stew. If they seem soupy, remove about 1/2 c. to a bowl, mash with a fork and return to pot. Add the salt and stir. Simmer 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard. Serve 1/2 c. beans over 1/2 c. steamed white rice.

Makes 3-4 servings.

I served mine with home-baked tortilla chips (cut 1 corn tortilla into 6 triangles, mist with olive oil, salt and bake 5-10 min at 400 or until golden and crispy), salsa, low-fat sour cream and a slice of avocado. You could add or substitute low fat cheese if you like. Simple, yummy, and filling!