Cooking on a regular basis can be an exhausting and stressful task, especially for parents who work full time, and come home to children who need their attention. When I was first married and had young children and worked full time, the last thing I wanted to do was come home and cook, not to mention clean up. I can remember evenings when I was finished working and first had to go to the grocery store to shop for the week. Yikes!
Going out to dinner every night like we did when we didn’t have children was not a possibility any more. I had to learn how to cook– there was no alternative. I did it step by step, just as you would learn a language word by word. Cooking is a process, it takes time, planning, skill, and desire. Cooking is putting yourself out there, and you can’t help but fear how it will be received. My younger son was a picky eater, so he did not have a big repertoire. That was tough to handle sometimes, especially when I made a nice dish that he did not like. On the other hand, my husband’s mother was a horrible cook, so anything I made for him was gobbled up instantly.
I admit, praise is an important part of learning to cook. If you know an aspiring cook, take care to find something to compliment. Tell them how much you enjoyed their meal– it might inspire them to continue to grow and learn as a cook. All aspects of cooking, from menu planning to table layout, are difficult, so be kind and plentiful with your praises, it really does make one feel better about anything.
If cooking seems like an intimidating task, keep it simple. Maybe some chicken with a vegetable, or a steak with some roasted potatoes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need to. Assign clean-up tasks to your family and make them do it. Every little bit of help will lessen the stress.
Most of all, remember to enjoy what you are making. Pour yourself a glass of wine, put on your favorite music, and dance from the stove to the sink. We are all going to make mistakes, so let’s learn how to laugh about it and learn– a disaster one day is a funny story the next!
Making Latin food is not my forte, so I wasn’t sure how this would turn out. To my delight this dish is scrumptious. All the veggies blend beautifully together. The shrimp are moist and flavorful. The turmeric and garlic add delicious savory goodness and the peas are wonderful bursts of deliciousness. Dare to use the hot sauce, it adds an additional depth of flavor you shouldn’t miss.
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This recipe is courtesy of Food Network and will serve 4 people who will offer their compliments to the chef.
Ingredients for Spanish Shrimp and Rice:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1-pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups converted white rice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Hot sauce, for serving (optional)
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion, cook until edges turn slightly brown, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and turmeric and cook, about 1 minute.
Add the tomato, carrot and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.
Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to turn pink, about 1 minute.
Add the rice, 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon parsley; bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the peas and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon parsley.
Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Fluff the rice mixture with a fork and incorporate the peas and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with hot sauce.
It’s that simple!
