A Lesson on Simplifying Indian Cuisine from an American Gal who isn’t even a cook!

For over four years I’ve enjoyed a serious hobby, cooking Indian cuisine. It happened because I made some special friends through my Dad's senior center, Mina, Doris and Sheila, who all grew up and spent many years in India before coming to America. Before that, cooking was never a creative endeavor for me; my husband (who finds it creative) did most of it. Sort of like math, I never really “got” the underlying principles of cooking and was always intimidated trying to “fly by the seat of the pants”. You’d see me shopping for ingredients, recipe in hand.

But, I’m a curious sort. I became intrigued by the dishes my friends introduced me to when we’d enjoy lunch at an Indian restaurant, I’d query them, interested in understanding more about Indian culture and food. Mina suggested that I buy ingredients for certain recipes and come over. Together we’d make some traditional Indian dishes. Numerous afternoons while enjoying tea, we’d construct exotically aromatic, tantalizing dishes that she’d made for years. They opened a new world for me. Under her tutelage I began to understand some of the “underlying principles” or alchemy that had eluded me with American cuisine.

Making Indian dishes is now, for me, an exciting and very creative endeavor. Some weekend mornings I almost need my Indian food “fix” both the creating it and eating it. I often share my concoctions with neighbors and friends. They are often amazed at how delicious is something that, had they looked at the recipe, they may never have tried. There are certain ingredients such as Mina's favorite, Patak's brand mild curry paste, that even my husband has incorporated into some of the dishes he makes. (He uses it not for an overt curry taste but for adding an interesting dimension to things like spaghetti sauce.) And he really enjoys certain dishes like White Fish Simmered in Coconut Milk with Onions and Spices.

Off and on in this blog I’ve shared some of the Indian recipes I’ve tried. I thought that maybe some readers might enjoy some of the things I’ve learned about how to simplify Indian cuisine. My friends have shared quick tips for creating the same taste with less work. I am in no way an expert, but I am a novice American cook who is not intimidated by Indian food and spices. I’ve learned some easy to fix dishes that have flavors that would “knock the socks off” your friends if served. I’ve learned dishes that every single American friend “who thought they weren’t fond of Indian food” has loved. I’ve learned how to blend simple, frugal ingredients (Indians do amazing things with vegetables) into dishes with a sophisticated dimension.

So, blog readers, here is a first “Lesson” I hope might unlock for you some “secrets” of Indian cuisine, show you how simple it can be and maybe encourage you to expand your cooking repertoire

Recipes for Indian dishes can look complicated but there is a fairly simple, underlying process that exists in many recipes.

In recipes for many meat or vegetable based dishes you will see a triad of Ginger-Onion-Garlic. This triad is fried up and into it goes the spices being used, then into that goes the main ingredients. (I'm going to illustrate that using the recipe below.)

I get an online newsletter from About.com column on Indian Cooking (Here’s a link to sign up or look at it - http://indianfood.about.com/od/thebasics/a/regionfood.htm

I came across the recipe shown below. The basic food ingredients here are potatoes and peas. (Talk about an interesting way to use frugal ingredients that are on hand in most kitchens).

Basically they've got hot oil going into which they brown some cumin seeds and green chili chunks.
Then they dump in and fry the Ginger-Onion-Garlic triad
Into that they dump all the spices (measured out ahead) and diced tomato. (In this recipe, diced tomato adds more substance and dimension to the triad) and simmer till blended.
Then they add the potatoes and peas and simmer till done.

Basically it's TRIAD + SPICES + MAIN INGREDIENTS

Indian spices do not exist in most American cupboards (the only one I remember was a bottle of curry powder that sat in our spice cupboard never used, I’m sure, the entire time I was growing up) and the tastes may be unfamiliar at first, but we American cooks can learn from their process. And, if desired, natural food markets that sell spices in bulk often have most of the spices called for in Indian dishes. Also, if you don't have certain called for spices (in the recipe below you'd have to get dry mango powder at an Indian market) just leave it out. And remember, the "finely chopped coriander is cilantro.

Below the recipe is a very simple American twist (no Indian spices) take on this recipe. I just made it and it's delicious.

Aaloo Mutter
from www.about.com column on Indian cuisine
(The gal that writes the newsletter made a spelling error i the fourth line of the Preparation that I got a kick out of so left in. )

Ingredients:
· 2 tbsps vegetable/sunflower/canola oil
· 1 tsp cumin seeds
· 2 green chillies slit (use mild chilis or omit if hot isn't desired)
· 1 large onion diced
· 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (sold fresh or already grated in jars in produce sections)
· 1 tsp crushed garlic
· 2 large tomatoes diced
· 2 tsps coriander powder
· 1 tsp cumin powder
· 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
· 1 tsp red chilli powder
· 1 tsp dry mango powder
· 5-6 large potatoes peeled cut into 8-10 pieces each
· 1 cup shelled peas (you can use frozen peas as well)
· 1 tsp garam masala
· Salt to taste
· 2 tbsps of finely chopped coriander to garnish
(I have found that adding a can of chicken broth is good, added half after adding the potatoes and peas and as much of the other half that you like toward the end of cooking for desired moistness.)

Preparation:
· In a wok/pressure cooker heat the oil and add the cumin seeds to it when hot. They will sizzle and soon turn slightly darker.
· Add the green chillies and when they stop sluttering add the onions.
· Sauté the onions till they turn soft. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for another minute.
· Add the tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, red chilli and raw mango powders and sauté for a minute.
· Last of all add the potatoes and peas and half a cup of water (this is where I add 1/2 can chicken broth instead of water) Add salt to taste.
· Cover the pan and cook till the potatoes are soft adding as much of the rest of the chicken broth as desired.
· When the potatoes are cooked, turn off the fire, sprinkle the garam masala over the dish and cover immediately.
· In a few minutes open, garnish with the finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.
· If you are using a pressure cooker, time the cooking such that the potatoes do not get mashed.

Aaloo Mutter American Style

A very simple American twist on this recipe would be to fry up the triad (I had 1/2 large onion, 1 teas. crushed garlic, 1" piece grated ginger) then add any spices you like or just salt and pepper (I added Johnny's Seasoning salt and a tiny bit of chili powder for zing) along with some diced tomatoes (I used a chopped tomato I had on hand) then add the chopped potatoes (I used 2 Russet) and peas (I used frozen and I added 1/2 can of chicken broth at first and the other half after it had cooked down a bit on 300 degrees in an electric frying pan) cook till done. If you are unfamiliar with using fresh ginger, it won't be an overt taste, just an interesting back taste.

It was a delicious potato dish by itself, then I got carried away and added some teryaki steak and green pepper chunks (already cooked; left over from fajitas.) Voila! A simple hash style dish with dimension.

Amazing Left Over Veges Indian Style

One thing I’ve appreciated about Indian cuisine is how creatively vegetables are used. I could never imagine how vegetarians got much variety until I began to enjoy the rich variety and complex tastes of vegetable dishes created with Indian spices. One day I had some carrots and celery that I needed to use. I took a look through my repertoire of Indian recipes and actually figured this one out on my own. PCC stores have the needed spices, Garam Masala, cumin powder and chili powder, in bulk so you can buy just the amount you need inexpensively. Get your fresh ginger at a supermarket. If you don’t want to grate the ginger, most large supermarkets have small jars of already grated ginger in the produce section along side jars of already crushed garlic. When you prepare this dish, the aroma and the taste do things to carrots and celery you won’t imagine. My boat dock neighbors love it when I fix Indian dishes and often “stop by” to check out how things are going.

Amazing Left Over Veges Indian Style

4 carrots sliced into ¼’ rounds
2 celery stalks sliced diagonally
1 small tomato, coarsely chopped (I used a Roma tomato)
½ medium onion chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed or ½ teas. from jar
1” to 1 ½” fresh ginger grated, or ½ teas. from jar
½ teaspoon Garam Masala
½ teas. cumin powder
¼ teas chili powder

Steam carrots or place covered by water in a microwave for about 6 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil and a little butter in a frying pan. Add onion and celery and fry till onion turns translucent. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 1 minute making sure they don’t burn. Add spices and mix well. Add carrots and continue to stir fry until all are coated and flavorful.

You can substitute different vegetables for the celery and carrots. And, a cooking tip: You can freeze chunks of fresh ginger for very easy peeling and grating when you need them.

Fun with Korean Chapchae

I’ve just discovered a wonderful new dish concept, Korean Chapchae. I call it a concept because it is the type of dish that can be made many ways. I don’t know anything about Korean cooking, but when I came across the dish it looked intriguing. It also looked like something different than our normal fare and, TA DA! something that will make my husband enjoy eating vegetables.

I discovered Korean Chapchae in an article in a free, online newsletter I get called Make A Note. I think I must have found the link to subscribe to it in either Simple Times or The Dollar Stretcher; two other online newsletters I get that are focused on simplifying and the Simplicity Movement. Anyway, I gave the recipe a second glance because I noticed it had a complexity and didn’t use many ingredients my friend with Celiac disease cannot enjoy. Then I took another look at it because I had many of the odder ingredients it called for such as sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. Hm, I thought, a tasty new way to use a piece of beef or chicken. So I went out and found a piece of sirloin a bit more than the 8 oz. it called for. I had one main vegetable ingredient carrots to be grated and just needed fresh mushrooms, a cup of chopped green onion and 10 oz. of fresh spinach. I didn’t have the noodles (cellophane noodles AKA bean threads) but I knew my husband was going to Uwajimaya (Seattle's Oriental supermarket) so I put it on his mental list.

The concept of this dish is to cook the meat, vegetables and noodles separately with their own seasonings and then bring the three pieces together. It offers a dimension of tastes and textures. I’m sure there are many variations of this. Keep the noodles on hand and it’s a great way to use up varying vegetables and meats. Besides the noodles, the only ingredients an American kitchen might probably be lacking would be the sesame oil, rice vinegar and sesame seeds. Stock up and you’re ready to go.

I made it according to the recipe the first time with beef. We ate it down to the last bite, finishing it up the next morning for breakfast cold! One problem is you might be tempted to eat a lot but, hey, it’s vegetables and vegetarian noodles with some meat chunks

I made it a second time again according to the recipe this time with chicken (four boneless skinless thighs cut up). Delicious again and a different taste.

Today, in a new Asian cookbook I acquired, World of the East Vegetarian Cooking by a favorite Indian cookbook author, Madher Jaffrey, I came across a recipe for Vegetarian Korean Chapchae. In this case you cook the vegetables and noodles separately then combine. I didn’t have the vegetables called for but my first Chapchae recipe had said “a great way to experiment with different vegetables and meats”. I had noodles and the stuff for the sauce from my first recipe (it looked better than the way they cooked the noodles in the vegetarian recipe). Then I scoured the fridge. Two bok choy (what had Hank been going to make?) ¾ sweet white onion, a bit of fresh cilantro, about a handful size head of broccoli and a 4” hunk of zucchini. I julienned it all. It called for 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the pan, 4 cloves or around a teaspoon of chopped or crushed garlic fried a little in the oil, a tablespoon of soy sauce (I used a bit more) and a tablespoon of sugar added in as a base to stir fry the vegetables.

The part from the first Chapchae recipe for cooking the noodles is, I think, a good basic way of preparing the noodles you can add to any stir fried veges or veges and meat. I went with that for this vegetarian version.

Noodles for Chapchae
Cook 1- 3.75 oz package of cellophane noodles (AKA bean threads) according to package directions (about 10 cups of water boiling cook till they are translucent) when noodles start to get soft, use clean scissors to cut the noodles, so they're easier to eat. Once noodles are cooked, drain well, then add
1/3 C soy sauce,
1 tblsp brown sugar,
1 tblsp rice vinegar,
1 tblsp sesame oil, and
1 tblsp sesame seeds.

I added the noodles to the vegetables and once again, YUM CITY! Different textures, different tastes and easy to make.

Here is the entire recipe: I was going to send you to the Make A Note Newsletter website but the recipe somehow isn’t on the site. So I'm giving you a link to the site and encourage you to go there and check out past issues of the newsletter:
http://home.att.net/~make-a-note/index.htm
And here is an email address if you’d like to subscribe to it:
http://home.att.net/~make-a-note/subscribe-make-a-note@ds.xc.org


KOREAN CHAPCHAE

FOR THE MEAT
Sprinkle 2 tsp of flour over 8 oz of beef cut into small chunks, toss well.
Add
1 tblsp of soy sauce,
1/2 tsp ground ginger,
1/2 tsp sesame oil,
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Toss again. Let refrigerate 30-60 min.

Coat a large skillet w/oil, heat to med-high heat, then brown meat mixture, remove from pan & cover to keep warm.

FOR THE VEGETABLES
Add the following to the pan in this order:
1 tsp sesame oil,
1 tsp vegetable oil,
1/2 tsp garlic powder,
3C sliced mushrooms,
1C chopped green onions, &
1C shredded carrots.
Stir well.

Then add
1-10 oz bag of fresh spinach and stir until spinach is wilted.

FOR THE NOODLES
While all that is cooking, cook
1- 3.75 oz package of cellophane noodles (AKA bean threads) according to package directions. When noodles start to get soft, use clean scissors to cut the noodles, so they're easier to eat. Once noodles are cooked, drain well, then add
1/3 C soy sauce,
1 tblsp brown sugar,
1 tblsp rice vinegar,
1 tblsp sesame oil, and
1 tblsp sesame seeds.

Stir well, then add vegetables & stir again.
Finally add meat mixture and stir again.

Side note:
After making this dish the first time, I had way more grated carrots than I needed so I chopped up a tart apple, threw in some dried cranberries and made my ol' standby slaw dressing Best Foods Mayonnaise, cider vinegar and sugar to taste. A totally yummy slaw that Hank loved, as well.

Lentils & Rhubarb

As summer wanes, I was reminded today of rhubarb. It was strange, I was looking up a recipe that used orange lentils. Those are small bright orange lentils with the skins off. They cook up very quickly and can be used as a thickening agent in recipes. I have some and I had the urge to try a new Indian dish. Orange lentils are commonly used in dishes called dahls. Those are dishes, usually a mixture of vegetables, that include dried peas and beans or lentils. I love lentils and am fond of frying a chopped onion in bacon grease, then adding some normal green lentils with some water or stock and when they cook down, adding crumbled bacon or bacon chunks. Yum city! Hank doesn't get my fondness for lentils.

A side note about lentils: the town I grew up in was in the middle of wheat fields. The crops were wheat and barley. But since I've left the crops have changed. The area has become known (so says their annual festival and plentiful tee shirts) as the Pea and Lentil Capital of the World. Growing up there, though, I don't believe a lentil ever passed my lips. I don't think my mother knew what a lentil was. Strange.

Back to my quest for a recipe that used my orange lentils, I came across one, an intriguing one, using rhubarb. I love rhubarb, I grew up with rhubarb, rhubarb is my friend. (Ha, what politician did that remind you of?) Ever make rhubarb sauce? This strange recipe has my lentils combined with a sweet potato. Now that's unusual in itself but it also uses rhubarb. This got me thinking, I wonder how many of my readers have had a close relationship to rhubarb, or have a rhubarb tale to tell? Or maybe a tale of lentils, or one of a recipe using an odd mixture of ingredients? Anyway, this is a strange post about lentils leading me back to my old friend rhubarb.

Here's the aforementioned recipe and a link to some great sounding rhubarb recipes from another of this country's ubiquitous festivals, TheLanesboro Minnesotal Annual Rhubarb Festival.

Curried Lentils with Rhubarb
Nancy Martinson
Makes 4 servings

1 cup dried orange lentils
1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
1 Tablespoon oil
1 cup fresh Rhubarb diced
2 Tablespoons sugar
1Tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon hot red chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Cover lentils with water in deep pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add sweet potato slices. Simmer until soft, 30-60 minutes. Remove from heat, drain if necessary, mash with a fork and set aside.

Heat oil in skillet until hot. Add Rhubarb, stir and cook until tender. Stir in the other ingredients add to mashed lentils. Pour into baking dish. Bake 20 minutes until hot.

Serve this dish hot with cooked brown rice. Garnish with coconut if desired.

Caveat:
I made the recipe and 1. I felt too much curry powder 2. the rhubarb tartness didn't really come through 3. It needs to be served heated and with coconut to give it texture and dimension.

More On Simplifying

In my last blog post I offered a simple, well fairly simple, recipe for a delicious Beef Stroganoff. Every time I make this, now, I double it because it freezes well and we love it. This brings to mind some great advice that I am taking more and more - cook ahead and freeze.

I have a longtime acquaintance, Deborah Taylor Hough, who is an expert on an interesting subject, Once A Month Cooking. See the website on her books on the subject and some recipes at: http://frozenassets.wordpress.com/ (She is also the author of, Frugal Living for Dummies
http://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Taylor-Hough/e/B001HCWZNA/ref=sr_tc_img_2_0

I have only a refrigerator top freezer. Though Deborah claims that, used effectively, even a freezer that size can hold two weeks of complete meals frozen ahead, I've only been using her cook ahead concepts for certain dishes like the Beef Stroganoff (recipe in the previous blog), a basic hamburger mixture she offers, certain Indian dishes I love so much I always double and a Mexican Black Bean Stew I make and love. I guess I'm using her concepts more and more.

From her I have learned to always keep on hand freezer quality, quart size Zip Lock bags and a black Sharpie pen. The bags are more expensive, but you are saving a lot by freezing ahead. For the Stroganoff we always keep our eyes out for a good buy on sirloin, I keep a couple of cans of consomme in the cupboard at all times, when I use tomato paste I freeze tablespoonfuls in snack size zip lock bags (cheap up the Dollar Store). I always have onions on hand so, when we get the sirloin, all I need are the fresh mushrooms. I even cook a whole bag of wide noodles ahead and freeze portions in Ziplocs. A double batch of the stroganoff and makes about six meals for us.

Deborah, on her website (link above) offers her recipe for a basic hamburger mixture (click on the word more… under the Make Ahead Ground Beef Mixture recipe description.) I make that as well. It makes for quick spaghetti sauce, pizza topping, or tons of other dishes, even a fancy slumgullion (I promise you will enjoy my earlier post titled SLUMGULLION, it has the recipe.)

As I've written before, my hobby is Indian cooking. I'm more fond of it and its unusual spices than Hank is. Dishes I love often involve an array of vegetables, not Hank's favorite food group. As Indian dishes are often very inexpensive to make and as I thoroughly enjoy concocting them, I often freeze portions to enjoy later and to share with friends. My unusual food gifts are always enjoyed offering another reason for cooking ahead and freezing.

I often make a yummy Mexican Black Bean Stew that is made with and a whole Chiptole pepper (I buy a can of them in sauce and freeze them individually.) It makes a large pot of soup that freezes well (in the freezer grade Ziplocs) and when reheated and topped with a dollop of sour cream makes for a delicious lunch. I'll share the recipe below.

The way I got started using Deborah's cook ahead and freeze concept was taking her advice about doubling recipes when you make something you really enjoy. So, if you're interest is piqued, get yourself some freezer grade Zip Lock bags and a Sharpie pen (for labeling the dish and noting when it was frozen) and double the next recipe that you make and enjoy. A side benefit to the cook ahead and freeze process is that it has caused me to clean out and organize my freezer space. Because of that, I am wasting much less food and I tend to use, more quickly, the dishes I've frozen ahead. You also get a great feeling for participating in the, now very popular, Simple Living Lifestyle. Isn't it great to know that something many of us have been doing all along is now called a lifestyle!



Mexican Black Bean Stew
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (I use vegetable oil)
2 lg. onions, chopped
4 lg. cloves garlic, crushed
4 teaspoons Mexican seasoning
2 cups dried black beans, soaked (I use 2 - 14 ½ oz cans black beans, drained)
1 canned or dried chipotle pepper (I buy canned & freeze them individually)
1 49oz. can chicken broth (I use 4-14 ½ oz cans.)
2 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup chopped tomatoes (I use a 14 ½ o z can of diced tomatoes with the juice)
2/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped (more if desired)
lime juice and sour cream for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion garlic, Mexican seasoning and sauté until onions are soft.

2. Add drained, soaked beans, Chipotle chili and stock or water to pot. (If using canned black beans add them with the corn, tomatoes and cilantro.) Bring to a boil. You will want to taste broth shortly into the boil as you might want to remove the Chipotle pepper when the right hotness is reached. Chipotle pepper can be put back in if desired as hotness mellows when vegetables are added.

3. Lower heat and simmer about 1/2 hour (or until beans are tender).

4. Add salt, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro.

5. Serve garnished with a squeeze of lime and dollop of sour cream.

Mexican Seasoning
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon salt

One Dish Wonder

I’m going to let you in on a secret. Well, it’s not too secret a secret but it was my strategy for saving face when in the dating scene. Yeah, OK, it was a few years ago. I’ve laughed for years saying that when I met a man I made sure he cooked before I dated him in case it got serious. I grew up eating good but basic dishes. The word cuisine wouldn’t have applied unless someone has lumped pot roasts, tuna casseroles, pork chops and gravy, hamburgers and beef stews together giving them their own category in the fancy food world. Though thriving on these good though basic dishes, for some reason I didn’t learn to cook. My mom cooked and once came in second on a statewide bread-baking contest. My Dad enjoyed cooking. As a widower he made killer huckleberry pies and was very popular with the ladies at senior center potlucks. My Grandmother, who lived in walking distance, loved to cook and I still savor the memories of brown beans and ham bone served with her amazing potato salad made creamy with an addition of thick cream. My cousin Donna, a sister to me, loved to cook. Each Easter she would make me bunny rolls, home-made rolls in the shape of bunnies. Donna was the first to introduce me to scalloped potatoes with cheese which, to me, was an amazingly sophisticated dish. The only cheese my mother ever allowed to touch a vegetable was the melting of cheese over a head of cauliflower.

Ok, back to my strategy of saving face for my lack of cooking skills. Meat was particularly challenging. I never bought expensive pieces of meat because I had no instincts whatsoever about cooking meat correctly. I suppose I should have taken a cooking class. (I did take a whole foods cooking class once, but that’s another story surrounding a temporary side step attempt to become vegetarian. Forgive me, it was the 1970’s). As a young single gal dating, there were times when my cooking skills or lack of would come up. What to do, what to do? I remember perusing the red and white Better Homes And Gardens Cookbook. I guess I was hoping for an epiphany. Page turning along in the meat section, I came across a recipe for Beef Stroganoff. Hm, I thought, it didn’t look too complicated. The ingredients stretched me a bit. I’d never used fresh mushrooms, consommé, or sour cream in a dish before. Guys generally liked meat dishes and it looked sort of like a “meat and gravy” dish with a kick, I thought. So, I set out to buy my first piece of sirloin steak and when the dish turned out amazingly good, I hit on something. I could become expert at this dish, and I did. It would turn out perfect every time. And, I never met a guy who wasn’t impressed and who didn’t think me a fabulous cook. Alas, the only trouble was I could only have them over for dinner once. So, I ended up with a guy who cooks, he seduced me with stuffed pork chops on the barbeque grill. I still make my Beef Stroganoff and it still comes out perfectly. It is, though, the only time my husband will let me get near the stove with steak of any kind.

Beef Stroganoff
adapted over many years from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients
2 lbs. beef sirloin sliced in ¼” strips
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 Tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 Tablespoons butter
5 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans Campbell's Beef Consommé

Sour Cream to taste

Instructions
Slice beef and dredge in flour salt and garlic powder.
Brown quickly in oil.
Remove meat and brown onion and mushrooms for a few minutes.

Remove onions and mushrooms. Melt butter and flour mixing well into a roué. Stir in the tomato paste. Add consommé and cook till bubbly gravy consistency. Return meat, onions and mushrooms to pan, stirring into the sauce.

Stir in sour cream when ready to serve. Serve over wide noodles.

Modifications over the years:
I push the mushrooms and onions to the side of the pan and make the roué in the center.
I use Johnnies Seasoning instead of salt.
When sirloin is selling cheap I make a double batch cooling it and freezing it in Ziplocs before adding sour cream. It freezes well.
I cook and freeze wide noodles making for a quick fix dinner.

.

At least turn down your brain

Tired? Having worked for years helping people with a professional method that helps them manage stress, emotion and their effects on the body, I’ve seen a lot of tired folks. Often it isn’t a major crisis that brings them but merely the toll of normal daily life. Our days in this modern world are filled with messages from every direction, “Feel guilty”, “Feel afraid”, “Feel inadequate”. Even with a fairly strong belief in our selves and intellectual clarity about life’s realities, the emotional toll can be great. Add, then, something out of the ordinary. Let us become a victim of crime, take a financial hit, loose someone in our lives, receive a diagnosis of serious illness or experience some other seeming “low blow”. The effects on our minds and bodies can be unexpected. Traditional psychological methods may try to help us “work through our issues” on a psychological level. What happens, though, to the toll on our mind-body mechanism while we are trying to analyze our conflicts, modify our unhealthy behaviors or reframe how we are perceiving things?

Modern folks have come to understand the importance of keeping their bodies in shape in order for physical resilience and health. We now know enough about the mind to clearly say that we must “keep it in shape” as well for our emotional health and intellectual effectiveness. Because, though, the mind is intrinsically tied to the healthy functioning of the body, keeping our minds in shape daily is critically important for the health of the body.

Even the toll of average daily life can be great enough to mandate our learning a powerful method of training our brains and working to practice that brain training every day. That is what I have helped people do. An effective method of brain training goes far beyond relaxation, it gives you the ability to actually diminish the eruptions of emotions in your body.

If that is not possible, we must consider the importance to both our emotional and physical health of at least “turning down” the activity of our brains daily.

Consider yoga
Learn a meditation routine
Take a hot bath or use the hot tub to relax muscles (relaxation helps quiet the mind)
Take time for the sauna or steam room at the gym
Keep a good novel handy (turn to it instead of the loop of thoughts)
Take time again for painting if that has been a release
Give yourself time for quiet moments with your favorite music

Do something that takes your mind away from the endless loop of “thought created emotions”. It’s critical for a healthy life.