The Denim Diaries by Kami Gray

I’ve been doing this empty nest business for almost four months and I’ve learned some things about myself. First of all, I was keeping the house neat and tidy for the kids. On my own, I’m a lot messier! I only pick up (or make my bed) if I’m absolutely positive someone is coming over and If I know them well, forget about it. Secondly, I really do hate to cook! I thought I hated to cook for my picky, ungrateful kids, but I find the whole process incredibly boring! Plus, by the time I’m hungry, I don’t have a lot of time. I’ve trained myself to only eat when I’m hungry so when that time has clearly arrived, I need something ASAP.

I’ve started to buy and make things that meet my criteria for healthy eating, but are also quick to make and relatively tasty. I have fairly low standards for taste…that’s one of my secret weapons for staying at my ideal, healthy weight. Here are a few 3 (main) ingredient bowls I made last week for lunch or dinner:

The Tuna Bowl – 4 ounces ahi tuna seared in olive oil, sea salt and freshly-ground pepper sliced over sautéed kale and one-half cup quinoa.

The Salmon Bowl – 4 ounces salmon seared in olive oil, sea salt and freshly-ground pepper cut into bite-size chunks over three-fourths cup whole wheat penne pasta with sautéed carrots.

The Veggie Bowl – one-half cup black beans, one-half cup whole wheat couscous, and sautéed spinach seasoned with sea salt, freshly-ground pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Don’t get too hung up on how much of the kale, carrots, and spinach to use…use as much as you want. I use a lot! I also don’t obsess over how much olive oil to use. It’s a heart healthy oil that my body needs. So use what you need…probably around one tablespoon to sauté both the fish and the veggie. You can doctor these up by adding fresh herbs and an assortment of vegetables. Got any more ideas for empty nest bowls?

I rarely cook. I’ve said this before, but I’m as lazy as it gets in the kitchen. I need things on hand that are quick and satisfying. To prove how infrequently I use my oven, I’ll share a little story with you. I had five women over a few weeks ago to help test thirty recipes for my book. I mostly supervised and tasted the results. One gal made spicy bean patties, which were fabulous by the way, but the recipe yielded so much of the mixture that after making four perfect patties, we decided to throw the rest of it in a pie dish and bake it in the oven to see what happens.

We’ll never know because two days ago I opened my oven to put in some sweet potato “fries” and found the spicy bean pie! I’m sharing the recipe here with you. These patties are so good you can eat them by themselves, but throwing them between a whole wheat bun, some avocado, Dijon mustard, lettuce and tomato will make you a superstar tonight at dinner. Put some sweet potato “fries” on the side and your family will be swimming in antioxidants. For the fries, cut up sweet potatoes in strips and throw them in a jelly roll pan. Douse with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper, and broil for 18-20 minutes in the oven. You know they’re easy, because even I make them.

Kelly’s Spicy Bean Patties

1/2  cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels

2 (15-ounce) cans pinto and/or black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cups pre-prepared organic salsa (like Amy’s Organic Mild Salsa)

1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 four-ounce can peeled green chilies, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg and 1 egg white

 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2  teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare quinoa: Place ½ cup quinoa and 1 cup water in a 1 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all water is absorbed (10-15 minutes).

To prepare the patties:  Puree the beans in a food processor until smooth, or put them in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher or puree using a ricer. Add cooked quinoa and all the remaining patty ingredients and mix well to blend. Shape into 6 four-inch patties.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium to high heat. Add the patties and sauté until browned, about 4 minutes on each side.