So many times we get so self-absorbed that we begin to believe we are the sole source of change and inspiration in our lives. Religions help some people realize they are not alone and that many and more powerful forces abound outside the realm they control or dream they own. Since having more time to spend at home I've slowly gotten back into cooking meals for myself. In the 1980s, after my first encounter with American Buddhism, I became lacto-ovo-vegetarian in an excess of excitement and devotion. For a while adopting the restriction was exhilarating. Going out to eat became a joy because choosing what I was going to order was so simple! Alas! I gained weight on the diet and a couple of years later developed gastric ulcers from subsisting on raw vegetables at lunchtime at work.
Back to the drawing table. In the last couple of years, as work became more intolerable, I found myself seeking comfort food and ingesting more sugar and fat in my diet. I threw caution to the wind and even started eating red meat again. My body swelled up again. Deciding to eat at home and cook my own meals was in part motivated by a desire to eat carefully and joyfully prepared meals again and healthier foods.
I didn't realize that I had gotten stuck again until last November when a random blood sugar showed my fasting level in the borderline. My bad cholesterol was high but was balanced by a very high good cholesterol. I could return to metabolic balance if I lost weight. Easier said than done. I did lose some ten pounds after I left the clinic but my weight has stayed steady for the past year.
Meanwhile I discovered an olive oil spray and non-stick pans. Soon I was pan-roasting everything. Vegetables, including greens we normally think of as salad stuff, tasted wonderful caramelized with a smidgen of extra virgin olive oil. The food didn't even need salt. But once again I got stuck.
The Banthias have re-ignited my interest in vegetarian meals. I've always loved the many cuisines of the world. Many classic and traditional dishes in these cuisines are either vegetarian or can be easily cooked without meat products. I am not sure I want to go all-vegetarian again. Weight is a consideration. For now, I am going back to chicken breast and seafood along with lots of vegetables.
I stewed these boneless chicken breasts with a bouquet garni, refrigerated them and when cool pulled them apart into slivers. I was going to use the chicken meat in Oriental noodle soups and keep some for a mayonnaise-based chicken salad. While making the latter I found myself concocting this salad that used red-wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil as dressing. The taste is refreshingly light. It's tasting the basic ingredients again, without overwhelming them with fats and sauces.
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