this is not a food blog

in the term thus far, i have not had the problem of craving animals.  partially because i try to eat some sort of animal every few days when eating consistently at home (or i get sick), and partially because i have been traveling often enough that i eat out and eat meat

i am certain that when my body craves bloody rare meat and animal fat, it means it is time i indulge my dear body.  i am also trying to eat the things out of my fridge in a preemptive measure not to leave a lot of things left in my fridge at the end of term (in less than seven weeks!!)

since i have a vegetarian roommate, all the meat-related things that my mother helped me purchase have largely been left alone.  i decided today would be a good day to make a stew: it is getting really chilly, i have corn, potatoes and various meats, and my new vegetable bouillon cubes (no MSG, no salt added, organic) came in the mail

i started with shallots, garlic, jalapenos and fresh oregano, all finely chopped/minced/diced in heated butter and olive oil.  i added chicken, cut into thin small strips against the grain, and two short, fat links of longaniza sausage, cut up to be crumbled. impatient as i am, and unwilling to stir, i put the lid on to steam cook the meat.

a lot of liquid and delicious pork fat came out of that, and the longaniza smelled like having a bbq, which i welcomed on this super cold day. i added my veg bouillon cube, which melted and reduced, and two spoons of flour, followed by diced potatoes, coating everything with all the delicious flavors by stirring around with a wooden spoon

bay leaf, cumin, paprika, and cayenne were added, followed by two cups of water, and two cups of corn (that my mama had cut off the cob for me and put in bags for the freezer)

after i salted to taste, i felt that the stew still lacked depth, so i added a sprinkle of taco seasoning ( i cannot help myself!), a few threads of saffron, and a splash of soy sauce

i simmered for about 15 minutes and served in a bowl, with a sprinkle of cheese & buttered toast

hearty, meaty with a little kick. and so, so satisfying

i have had meals that i love that i did not document, and it is unfortunate

but i have some that i have documented, that i have yet to share, but here they are!

this is a simple bean soup (pinto, veg bouillon, cumin, cayenne, taco seasoning and bay leaf), topped with yogurt, dill and sliced onion. i ate it with some pita

this is breakfast. omelet filled with zucchini, onion, garlic, cheese. multi-grain toast. homemade hash browns

bean and kale enchilada casserole. layered corn tortillas with enchilada sauce (from a can), bean medley (garbanzo, pinto, kidney), sauteed kale, cheddar, onion, diced tomato. served with a dollop of Daisy

…as you can see, i have been eating predominantly vegetarian…