Today I made soup.
I made a delicious Lentil Curry Soup.
It was a combination of leftovers all cooked together in one pot, and turned out to be one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever made! In my kitchen, making soup or curry (or in this case Curry Soup) is a pantry and fridge raiding adventure. I often make these two dishes when I have excess ingredients from other meals or have produce that needs to be used before it goes bad. This meal was no exception! It was simple: just leftover cooked lentils, a bag of frozen vegetables, a can of coconut milk, and some spices. Quick, easy, and delicious.
For some, this style of cooking is a nightmare! Many people want or need a recipe to follow, but I’m not very good at following recipes unless I’m baking. I enjoy cooking more as a creative expression. It’s fun for me to look in my kitchen, see the raw ingredients and try to put something together that’s not only edible, but enjoyable.
My husband and I tried the Hello Fresh meal delivery service once. We were excited to try some new dishes that I don’t normally make. When the box came, I unloaded it into the fridge and read through the recipe cards. It was all laid out, everything we needed for the dishes there already. The meals were individually wrapped so we wouldn’t grab the wrong ingredients. All that was left to do was read and follow the directions.
Ugh! I hated it. No creativity. Just doing exactly what you’re told with the ingredients prepped and ready.
I suppose that’s why it works so well for most families. After a long day at work, it’s probably nice to come home to a pre-portioned healthy meal that will make prep and cleanup super easy. After managing people and kids all day, it’s probably nice to not have to make yet another decision. I’ve had days like that, too, where I was so tired after getting home that I didn’t want to cook anything, whether I followed a recipe or not. So, Hello Fresh did accomplish the task that it set out to do.
The problem was it isn’t a task that’s always needed in my home. My husband and I are both creative people, and experimenting with recipes provides us an outlet to be ourselves after a long day at work. Hello Fresh did not make our dinners easier. It made them boring. Although the food was tasty, it took away the excitement and artistry out of creating!
For me, removing creativity from the seemingly insignificant moments of my day is torture. I like to invent fun new recipes, and whether they turn out well or not, my husband isn’t picky and will eat them anyway!
Sometimes cooking a meal is a means to an end – get the food on the plate and in the belly ASAP. But sometimes it’s an exercise in freedom, choice, and creativity.
Today I made soup.
I made a delicious Lentil Curry Soup out of leftovers, expressing my creativity and turning chaos into beauty. It was the best thing I’ve eaten this week.
