Cook-In

via Martha Stewart

I don't fancy myself a great chef. My preferred diet consists of mainly cheese and bread with a little lettuce thrown in and topped off with ice cream. No cooking required. However, apparently our bodies need fruits, vegetables and proteins so I try to sneak those in where I can. In an effort to break up the monotony of mine and my beau's past few dinners (pasta, pizza, frozen lasagna, Thanksgiving leftovers, pasta, pizza), I staged a no holds barred indoor cook-out...from hereon known as the winter cook-in.

Of course, there were potatoes- helloooo starch- but I snuck in the asparagus for its promise to de-bloat and to add a little green. I roasted the potatoes for 30 minutes at 415 degrees and then added the asparagus to cook them and the potatoes for 10 more minutes.

While they were cooking, black-eyed peas and kidney beans simmered on the stovetop. Once they had softened, I mashed them up and mixed them in with grated carrots and bread crumbs. The mash can be easily rounded into bean patties, which I then cooked in oil on the stove. Three to four minutes on each side does the trick. (There must be a healthier option but this is a COOK-IN for goodness sake!)

And would you believe me if I told you that I made barbecue sauce from scratch? It's actually really easy. Real chefs probably already knew that. But it is taaaaasty on those burgers!

Voila! The finished product! It's a good little meal to remind of summer's sunshine and warmth.

Of course, no cook-in would be complete without dessert. Double fudge brownies offer deliciousness. I could tell you I made those from scratch too but I'd be lying...