First recipe started at last

Well finally I did my first recipe in the Healthy Cooking Basics. It is of the Momentum series in the Weight Watchers Cookbooks.

I did,Vegetable Stock, page 30. I just got in the mood do doing something different. Plus homemade stock is healthy as you make it yourself and know what putting in it. There are filling veggies in the stock. It was not hard to make but a little time consuming. I placed my stock in freezer bags by amount needed to what I was going to use it for. I mainly want to use if for flavoring of making mashed potatoes, or Rice, or Risotto. This can also be used for cooking veggies or making soups, stews.

Hmm, think of stock like building the foundation of good food. Stock adds so much flavor without calories and even plain is very filling. I love soups and stews and hearty meals in the winter and cold days. Homemade broths and stocks taste much better than those from the cans and cartons of the store-bought variety. Helps make dinners in a hurry with these culinary building blocks.

So, as I cut up the veggies, which consist of onion, carrots, leek, celery, parsnip, I thought OK what do all these have in common? They are all the root veggies. So much vitamins and antioxidants. That makes them filling. Vegetarians would love this as they would get nutrients that they need for good healthy body.

After straining off the new liquid broth, what happens to all the veggies? Well, book says to discard the solids. I tasted a carrot and potatoe and celery piece. A little bland, so I added salt. Not bad but a shame to waste it all. Luckly only use one of each vegetable. I wish I had a compose pile or a pig. Living high off the hog, hahaha.

Boy what a day to do it. I chose the hottest day of the year to do this. Weather was about 86 at 11 am. It was to be in triple digits. My house has no air conditioning. We have fans and I kept the windows and curtains closed. I don't know what ever possessed me to do that on a day like it was. Some times my cooking creativity mood just kicks in and I just want to do it. Once, I woke up at 2 am and wanted to make brownies so I got up and done it. Chocolate sure smells good in the morning.

What is it about cooking that fascinates some people? Is it an art or a science?

Until next time,

Christine