#25 Sacrifice/Pleasure

I was told by the doctor to eat just fresh raw vegetable for a while. So I was wondering, what can I eat instead of the boring raw plates with some bread? Suddenly, I got it!!!
I decided to go for an exotic dish: a Tabbouleh salad made with couscous!

250g couscous
Some tomatoes (any type)
One red pepper
Edamame Beans
half a cucumber
1 bunch spring onions or red onion, sliced
fresh parsley, (or also basil, mint)
grated zest of a lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 crushed garlic clove

Prepare the couscous: Put the couscous into a large bowl. Pour over the boiling water or stock and stir. Cover with a plate or cling film and leave to stand for 5 mins until all the liquid has been absorbed. Separate the grains by roughing them up with a fork.

Cook the edamame beans in an hob with hot oil and garlic, for 2 minutes.

Finely dice thetomatoes and the cucumber. Slice the onions and finely chop the parsley, then add everything to the couscous with the grated zest of a lemon (or other spices you like: I added a touch of nutmeg).

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and the garlic with plenty of seasoning and drizzle over the couscous. Toss well and serve!

Our lesson:

sometimes you are given to do a sacrifice, but if you are not passive it can turn into a pleasure.

#8 Perseverance

I left this blog for a long time without updates, although secretly I continued sometimes to cook and take pictures. So these are the dishes that I have not written about.

Spelt and lentils stew, with tofu (first time I used tofu!)

Cherry tomatoes and green salad with dry ricotta cheese, pine nuts, oil and roasted bread.

Mushrooms and quinoa soup. Cherry tomatoes and green salad, egg. Blueberries. (yes....I'm still eating colours!)

Roasted butternut squash (first time cooking this nice vegetable!)


Pan cake with raspberry jam and agave syrup on the top. For a sweet breakfast.

And because during these months I didn't write anything, I did not fully understand which meanings I can  take from these dishes.

So, I have not learned anything, except what I am going to write now:

To learn, to love, to cook, to do anything, it takes repetition and perseverance.

Love requires a continue effort (to cook), and a moment of reflection about things (to write). And they must alternate with equal proportion, and in a retively short time.