Meal Improvisation and Having Fun

OK, I need to talk to you about cooking for a moment. I was told by one of my readers recently that they sometimes feel intimidated when it comes to putting together something special or something new. Here is what I believe and practice. If you screw up you screw up, who cares! Most of what I cook is crazily simple, give or take a few things. First and foremost please enjoy the cooking journey and even more importantly than that, the pleasure of it all. Meals do not need to be complicated, and the truth is, the simpler the better. Don't focus on impressing, focus on keeping it simple and having fun. I remember Maya Angelou once said (she loves cooking by the way) that when you feel the love when you're cooking for your family and friends they'll feel that in the food.

Growing up my mom was the master of improvise. We didn't have all the "right or fancy" utensils, but not only could we cut her steak with a butter knife, we could whisk an egg, not with a fancy whisk but with a fork and it would taste amazing. So here is the lesson of the day. Do not focus on image and looking good, focus on hospitality, being your charming lovely self, and making your guests feel at home.

On occassion I've had friends and family stay for dinner (when we didn't plan for it) or my children and their friends have an impromptu sleep over and I needed to come up with something quick to eat. Not every meal is a seriously thought out plan and it doesn't have to be gourmet. But let me tell you, when you let go of trying to be the perfect cook, your creativity will flow.....and maybe that's why I love it so. Here are some of my more recent improvs that worked out amazingly!

Pizza: of course you can order it - but that can add up when you're always feeding your son's friends. So last night I made pizza dough in my bread maker. Holy Crap I thought, I have no pizza sauce. So I opened a tin of tomato soup and added some pesto to it to make it less sweet. The kids ate it all up. If you don't have pesto, you could add some creamy salad dressing to cream it up and make it less sweet. You can also add dinner left overs to it. Got extra chicken or sausage from Wednesday's dinner? How about left over hamburger or tomatoes that need to be used up. You can also use any other kind of sauce. Do you have some jarred Alfredo or Indian Sauce? Give it a whirl and soften up the flavours if need be with some sour cream.

Frittata: You got eggs? Always keep these handy. I had two girlfriends over to my home and we were having so much fun. I stepped in the house for a few minutes, cracked a few eggs, added some cheese, left over potato, herbs, some pantry spices, baked and served with a salad. Friends were happy. :)

Greek Salad Pasta: My hubby was coming home from work and I'd figured he'd already eatten. "Hey hon, what's for dinner?" Oh my, nothing I didn't want to say. Pasta is amazing! I boiled some linguine noodles (any pasta will do), and once drained tossed in some left over Greek salad (no lettuce) with some Feta cheese and spices and he thought it was amazing.

Marinated Banana Dessert: I peeled a few bananas, sliced them, added them to a buttered pan and on medium heat, added a little rum with sugar and cinnamon. You can serve this over ice cream. You can do the same with apples or even orange and grapefruit segments and of course PEACHES!

Bowl of Soup: Got a Can? Add some sauteed sliced mushrooms to a can of mushroom soup. Do you have left over rice? Add it to a can of chicken or tomato soup. How about a dollop of sour cream with chopped chives or green onion. Serve with Garlic Bread...

Garlic Bread: Left over hamburger buns or hot dog buns just need a swipe of butter, garlic powder and a sprig of rosemary or some pantry parsley sprinkles.

Philly Cheese Appetizer: Unwrap the cream cheese and drizzle with some sugared/brandy/nut mixture. Or drizzle with some spaghetti sauce and herbs or some jam like strawberry or apricot and serve with crackers.

Chips: Got a bag of chips? Put them on a platter and put some sour cream and chopped sundried tomato or even a sliver of red pepper on the tip of the chip.

Left over cake: Mix some jam and a little water or wine in a pot until it gets thin, add a little more sugar if need be and drizzle over cake with maybe a little whip cream...no whip cream...how about a little sour cream that's been mixed with some sugar or even yogurt would be nice too!