Quarantine Cuisine

Every year I keep promising myself I’ll become more kitchen savvy and chef-like, and every year it keeps not happening. And while I enjoy food very much, I’m not a foodie. I don’t really give a shit about my food’s heritage, how it was raised or where it went to school. All I really care about is if it tastes good, if it’s good for me and if it wasn’t made at the sacrifice of an animal.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy an exquisitely prepared meal at a restaurant or at a friend’s house (certainly never at my house) just as much as I enjoy something simple at a diner. To give you an idea of the broad range of my food enjoyment, I can love a five-star chef’s brilliant vegetarian creation with beautifully prepared exotic grains and greens, and I also love canned corn… with a spoon, right out of the can.

Since restaurants are out during quarantine, and regular take-out erodes a diminishing budget, I keep things simple at home. And with a kitchen the size of an airplane galley with a convection microwave, two burners and an under-counter fridge with no freezer, food prep is VERY basic because it has to be.

After I’ve had my coffee…

Breakfast
Cereal (usually GoLean or muesli) with almond or oat milk
Banana
Orange juice, preferably sold in a paper carton, not plastic

Lunch
Peanut butter sandwich, with all natural peanut butter and whole grain bread
Apple
Coffee

Dinner
Rice and beans
Prepared soup (can or carton)
Pasta
Quinoa
Steamed or sauteed broccoli, spinach or kale
Frozen selections from Amy’s, like the vegan burrito, mac ’n’ cheese or vegetable bowl (all of which I have to prepare that evening, since I have no freezer)

Snacks
Mixed nuts (lightly salted)
Popcorn
Fruit (apples, oranges, bananas)
Triscuits or raw veggies with hummus

As tempting as it is, particularly at a time when we all need comfort, I’ve been pretty well behaved with the sweets, which I will attribute to a concerted effort to dramatically cut down on sugar over the past year or so. I’ve certainly indulged in the occasional pint of ice cream, but my craving for sweets really isn’t what it used to be.

Anyway… That’s how I’m eating these days.