While this confession is honest it is not random. It is amidst the January (make a resolution) month. Well, technically it's pretty much over (which means all resolutions are in need of either some resuscitation or are already completely dead). I didn't happen to make a New Year's resolution because my husband and I started working out two weeks before January hit so we definitely dodged THAT bullet ;) but I did learn a valuable piece of information that I totally connected with.
I learned about this CRRRRAZY concept where you cook as close to the earth as possible. Hahahahahaha that sounds ridiculous, and you're probably thinking a little unsanitary, but I promise you it's simple and actually simply helpful. It's not complicated, doesn't require any investment or purchase of any tools or pills, and it doesn't require taking a class or doing any sort of math to be able to take part in this non-fad.
It's just.......simple. It's simply the art of trying to make sure that your ingredients that are being used or added into your meals are as straight forward as they can be. For example: instead of purchasing eggs out of a pourable carton you purchase the straight up eggs that you gotta crack. They may not be the brown farm-fresh organic kind that cost an arm and a leg but you can read the ingredients on the label, know what they mean, and are capable of pronouncing them. Like buying a steak instead of a pre-made steak and veggies mix with a pre-made sauce. Then you make whatever sauce to put on the steak. (Or better yet make the steak taste delicious by cooking it medium rare so that you don't HAVE to waste your time with a sauce!) That way you know EXACTLY what you're putting in your body....well.....at least a better idea of it any way. So like, instead of buying the pre-made bag of burssel sprouts that come out a little soggy from the microwavable bag you take 5-10 min one night, sit on your couch, and peel those suckers. Then you have them available for any night that week or the next, or the next to use in a meal.
We can't afford to purchase organic, shop at the glorious Whole Foods or Kowalskis and get the butter wrapped in gold and all that. But I felt like we were really pumping the pre-made meals for a time as well as lotsa carbs and pre-packaged veggies and what not. Then I read this simple article just about this idea that you eat as close to the earth as possible. And while it sounds kinda whackadoodle it more so keeps me accountable then anything. Because, when I get lazy, very quickly our sides become made up of macaroni and cheese, pastas, and rices or breads. (I mean, I do work at a bakery so our bread is about as close to the earth as you can get since we mill our own wheat in house followed by yeast, honey and water....just saying). Instead, now I've got salads tossed, broccoli roasted, homemade sweet potato fries and the like. Let's face it. We're all super busy. Busyness is the ever present danger in our American lives. This is one simple way that I feel like I can make a better choice and feel good about it because it requires almost nothing but the remembrance to eat from the earth.
So when you grocery shopping spend less time in the freezer or prepackaged meals isle. I promise I wouldn't be saying this if it made me feel at all like Gwyneth Paltrow or that I had bought into a fad. It's just taking ingredients that YOU are actually putting together and knowing what those ingredients actually are and what they're made of.
In lieu of this post I even have a handy dandy recipe for you to give a whirl and try out and see how you feel about this concept. Hopefully the previous pictures have you craving those delectable ingredients!
Lemon Butter Shrimp with Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Oh and the recipes are super simple because of this concept (bonus).
-1 lb raw fresh shrimp
-2 Tbsp butter
-1/2 of a lemon
-salt to taste
-1 lb fresh brussel sprouts washed and dried
-two fresh garlic cloves or 1 tsp garlic powder
-4 Tbsp olive oil
-1/2C chicken stock
-salt and pepper to taste
Simply take one pound of fresh shrimp from your favorite local butcher (don't get it from the freezer because come on now we just talked about this!). Then remove the shell from around the shrimp (if necessary) and devein. If you don't know what that means then just get it from your butcher already done for you! See? Simple ;)
Place 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet and let it slowly melt on medium heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with a smudge of salt, no pepper, crank the heat to medium high, and throw the shrimp into the skillet. It will need about 1-2 minutes per side or JUST until the shrimp turns light pink. Do NOT overestimate your cooking time or you will be chewing on rubber. It will not kill you if you eat shrimp that is tender and moist I promise.
Once pink on both sides remove form the heat and spritz with that half of lemon.
Using that same delicious pan add the olive oil, keep the heat at medium high, and add the clean dry brussel sprouts. And by clean I mean you have cut the stump off of the bottom, removed a few of the outer leaves, and cut it in half length wise. Add in the chicken stock and let them simmer until all the stock has cooked almost completely away. Sprinkle the garlic powder or press two cloves into the pan and add a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if you'd like but then you are done!
Here's what the finished products should look like ;)
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