While 2020 has been somewhat cruel to all of us this year, it has been a learning curve in the kitchen. Trying to be less dependent on red meat a couple of years ago, my meat dishes shifted completely to fish, chicken or pork. Once in a while when the craving for cow was pushing the demand needle toward that mark of "Lost the Battle", a rib eye or New York Strip found its way into the fry pan. That way, I was more willing to go back to the chicken, fish, pork rotation after having that "red meat" guilt feeling.
Vegetables have never been a problem. But sometimes, I like to make chicken salad or some such thing that is light and easy to fix. I like open face vegetable sandwiches fresh out of the broiler. They are easy to make and are a yummie food during the summer and early fall. Usually, with those, I will add cold slaw or red potato salad. I buy those at the good 'ole K-Rogers which has kind of fallen out of favor for me since they took away their senior discount program. Personally, I have found that their prices have actually increased, contrary to what they advertise about their savings.
So, there have been some items that I have not tried my hand at in the kitchen---like cold slaw and red potato salad. I guess it was just easier to wheel by the deli cold rack and pick up either cold slaw or potato salad than try to make it myself. With so much time being inside these days, I ventured into the unknown and started to experiment to find some where close to the taste that I would expect from either or both of those two dishes.
The first experiment was with the cold slaw. It only took a couple of tries before I found that taste that I have liked with cold slaw, especially when I have fried chicken breast. The two just go together with iced tea, sliced tomatoes and sometimes, backed beans.
For some reason, I just didn't think that potato salad would be just as easy as the cold slaw. Turned out (I'm on my fourth batch this week) to be more easy than I had thought. But, the old taste buds were jumpin for joy. That tangy taste was just right. It even comes in under the calories of the store bought variety by some 40 calories. For me, that is important. After my hospital stays, I dropped some 40 pounds and have been able to keep that weight off.
There will be several things come out of 2020 that were good and positive. But the end game is that my cooking skills have taken another jump forward. Keeping a balanced meal and still keep the daily calories at just under 2000 calories has not been a problem. But, with the two new acquired skills under my belt. I'll not be buying those items store bought anymore.
