Day 1 - #3

I am trying to write recipes for a single person leaving by herself in a foreign country: less money, less calories & more healthy

Note: small (almost inexistent) kitchen & 2 pans, 2 frying pans & 1 pan to the stove. No microwave. No former experience. No cooking book to help me.

Woke up a little late for breakfast and I am not particularly hungry, which is good because it is horrible to cook when you are hungry. Today I decided I will cook mashed potatoes, lentils & posh egg. To avoid having things going bad on my fridge I will buy most of the things I will need on the day I am cooking it. From today on I have stipulated to myself some objectives:

First: Lose (in a healthy way) the 40 pounds I gained with the first semester leaving by myself in the US.

Second: Develop something by myself that everyday will make me proud (or not) of myself for being able to accomplish it (and eat it).

Recipes of today’s lunch

1 – Mashed Potatoes:

• 1 big potatoe
• ½ onion
• ½ table spoon of butter or oil
• 1 ½ table spoon of honey
• ½ table spoon Garlic Powder
• 3 table spoons of Sour Cream (Fat free)
• ½ glass of milk (Fat free)
• Black Pepper (your taste)
• Salt (your taste)
• Parmesan Cheese (your taste)
• 1 Pan
• 1 Frying pan

First of all, put half a small pan full of water to boil with salt. Meanwhile wash the potatoes and leave their skins on. Cut the potatoes in a half and then cut in a half again (4pieces) and then put the potatoes in the water. You should put the pan lit on, but watch it. It should take you 20-30 minutes until the potatoes get tender (you have to use the fork to see how tender they are). Strain water and leave the potatoes in the pan (be aware that the water and the potatoes are very very hot).

While the potatoes are in the water you can cut your onion (do not forget first to take out its skin) in a half and then again and again, until the pieces are small enough for your mouth. Use the butter in the frying pan. Put your onion there until it starts to get golden (should take 10 minutes). Add the honey whenever you think your onions are roasted enough.

Use the fork to mash the potatoes. It will be easier when you add the sour cream and the milk. Then you can add the onions. You can blend the garlic, the pepper and salt in your taste. Blend a bit of parmesan cheese and when you put it on your plate add a little more of parmesan cheese on the top. You might want to put some olive oil too.

2 – Lentils

· 2 hands full or ¾ of a glass of red lentils

· 2 baby carrots

· ½ onion

· 1 table spoon of Garlic Powder

· Pepper (all/ any types you like)

· Parsley

· Salt (your taste)

First wash the lentils and the carrots. Put a pan with one glass of water to boil with salt. Cut the carrots in small pieces and add to the pan with the water. The water should little by little evaporate and be absorbed. Should take 15 minutes in a medium fire. Add the lentils when the carrots are already tender. Whenever there is no more water try with your fork the carrot and the lentils and see if they are tender enough, if not, add a glass of water and let it get absorbed again. When your carrots and lentils are tender get the other half of onions you used for the mashed potatoes and blend it in the pan. Add the parsley, pepper and salt.

3 – Poached Egg

• 1 egg (try to buy the ones with less cholesterol and Omega 3)
• 1 table spoons of vinegar
• 1/2 table spoon of olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder

I learned this recipe with my grandmother. It is supposed to be one of the healthiest ways of eating eggs and at the same time more delicious. Put one glass of water to boil with vinegar and olive oil. Add the egg when the water is boiling (sometimes it is better to first put the egg in a glass and then drop it on the water). In a very light fire and with the pan lit on let the egg there for about 1-3 minutes. While the egg is there try to use a spoon to avoid the egg to get stuck in the pan. Add salt (aiming in the egg middle), garlic and pepper. Take the egg out and you are ready to eat!

For the neurotics:

1 cup of mashed potatoes 237 calories & 8g fat

1 cup of red lentils with carrots and onions 200 calories & 3g fat

1 poached egg 74 calories & 5g fat

Total consumed on my lunch 511 calories & 16g fat

After writing for 1 hour I am hungry and will run to the supermarket to buy: 2 small potatoes, sour cream (fat free), milk (fat free), vinegar, pepper, salt, 1 small carrot, eggs and parmesan cheese. The butter, honey, olive oil, onion, lentils and garlic powder I already have it here.

** After making these 3 recipes I had to change some of the measures because my portion ended up being for two people. I spent 28 dollars (buying some good stuff and most of the things like eggs and baby carrots I had to buy a big bag).Took me 45 minutes, but it could have been 30 minutes if I did not stop to talk on the phone or forget to turn on the fire to fry the onions. Well I already know what is going to be my dinner (leftovers), but I don’t regret at all because the after all result was pretty delicious. If you are not very fond of garlic you might want to put it only on the mashed potatoes.