food therapy

Some people drink when they’re stressed, some people shop; I like to cook. For one thing it’s cheaper than shopping and it is also far more acceptable for the kids to come home from school and find me with a batch of just-baked cookies rather than a bottle of vodka and a hangover.

Banana Muffins

this recipe is so easy, my daughter (10) can bake them. And they are surprisingly good.

Mix together:

1 egg slightly beaten

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

3 bananas, mashed

In a large bowl, mix:

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Pour wet mixture into dry. Stir only until blended (do not overmix, it should still be lumpy) Pour into a greased muffin pan and bake around 15-20 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F. Makes 12.

Italian Minestrone

My mother is from Lucca, Italy, a place of great gastronomic inspiration. She makes this soup, which, unlike other vegetable soups, has it’s own flavour, and even my children cannot differentiate any particular vegetable flavour in it.

Simply chop up all the vegetables you have in your fridge into tiny pieces: broccoli, carrots, potatoes, bok choy, zucchini (courgette), spinach, etc, fresh basil.
Saute a finely chopped onion in a generous portion of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add a couple of cloves of garlic (crushed through a press).

Add in your vegetables and saute gently for around 30 minutes. Pour in homemade stock if you have it (otherwise equal parts canned stock and water), some tinned tomatoes and some dried red pepper flakes. Throw in some dry lentils. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours. Season to taste. This soup freezes well.