Nurturing my inner... from ho hum to yum

If food doesn't look appetizing, you may not be so keen to dig right in.  So it could also be said that simple food when plated in a fancy way can be even more appetizing than you imagined.  You're not getting any actual recipes today.  But instead, a lesson in taking a few extra minutes to present your creations restaurant style.

Cooking a lovely dinner doesn't always have to involve a lot of ingredients or painstaking processes and how you arrange the elements when all is done can make a world of difference in going from ordinary to wowie kazowie.  Here are a few easy pointers.

1. Marinate your meat.  A simple salad dressing will do.  Put thawed beef in a glass dish and cover with dressing.  Leave for a couple hours or longer.

Balsamic has deep tangy notes.

Lots of flavor without a lot of effort.  Can throw on the grill or broil in the oven like I did.

Out of dish, onto pan.

2. Add a little bit of butter.  Simple sauteed butter with garlic or shallots gives plain veggies a fast flavor boost.  And you don't need a ton of butter like they use on TV.  Just a pat or two.  Steam green beans for five minutes in preparation.  Melt butter on medium heat and add sliced garlic.  Saute until soft.

Garlic and butter. Such a simple, but reliable
combo.

Add steamed veggies to butter and garlic and toss for a few minutes until well-coated.  Add some slivered almonds at the end for some crunch.

So quick.

3. Use your tools.  Multipurpose your kitchen tools in new ways to lay a fun foundation.  Large biscuit cutters can be stuffed with wild rice.  Pack lightly before removing the mould to get a shape that stays in tact.

Won't take you but a minute.

Put it all together.  A circle of wild rice, sliced balsamic marinated steak and string beans with garlic and sliced almonds.  That's a pretty ordinary meal that didn't take a lot of time to prepare, but once plated, it looks like you just went to a five star restaurant.

As good as any steakhouse.

Here's a sample of what I did with chicken I bought in a premarinated pack and baked.  I made some black rice and put it in the bottom of a bowl. Then sauteed up some shallots with olive oil and tossed in some fresh snow peas for the next layer.  Cook just for a few minutes.  To finish, I sliced the baked chicken and placed on top.  Again, looking like a pro.

It really doesn't take much to gussy things up.

One more for you.  Fish.  A simple mixture of Israeli cous cous with sauteed zucchini, mushrooms and spinach for the bed on which the fish shall lay.

I do this often. Wild rice or cous cous with
a combo of veggies I change up each time.
(Shallots and garlic, of course too.)

I baked some cod in cornflake crumbs, like my mom used to when I was growing up, and landed it on my mixture from above.  Even though I don't blog all the time about what's going on, it doesn't mean I'm not cooking at home. I may be remaking tried and true favorites or conjuring up slight variations based on what I picked up at the market.  (And on occasion I'm completely failing at something that needs more work before I can present it to you.)

Just two items, but looks like more.

Must be the artist in me, but I think it's super fun to take a regular weeknight dinner and jazz it up with some simple tricks.  Like slicing meat on an angle or piling up veggies over a rounded stack of rice.  And putting my creation on a cool plate.  For a moment, I can picture myself in a small bistro in the city, listening to some lively music by candlelight, taking my time and savoring every forkful.  Now that's nice.  (Not bad for a girl who grew up in the woods with a mom who doesn't like to cook.)

Even if you're just cooking for you, treat yourself well.  Like a welcomed guest in your own home.  Don't always rely on Styrofoam takeout containers to satisfy your physical hunger.  You're not any less deserving of home cooked meals served in lovely ways because, like me, you may not have a family to cook for.  Be your own good company.  It will also feed your soul.