Broccoli and Couscous
I do not know how I survived all these years without Couscous (semolina wheat in a special preparation) (I use the instant kind. Contains gluten). For one thing, as I said, it is instant – add the same amount of boiling water as you have couscous and you’re finished with the main underpinnings of a meal. No cooking of spaghetti, potatoes, rice just in order to have something under whatever else you are eating. And if you are eating it alone and not under something else, butter, salt and pepper make it a great side dish or a meal in itself.

And Now the Creamed Broccoli. Put the broccoli into boiling water for about 2 minutes. Do not really cook them. Pour out the water and pour about 2/3rds cup of milk into the pan. Add 1 tsp of flour and stir, adding more flour or milk as necessary to make a smooth free covering sauce. Add cheese – as much as you like, or have if its not as much as you want, add 1 tsp of sweet  basil. If you want to be really healthy, add about 1 tsp of turmeric (see the virtues of turmeric (curcumin) in other parts of the blog). Once on the plate, add sweet paprika.

 Poached Egg on Couscous. The end of the supplies and the beginning of a great day.
Poached? Would never make it for myself. But this is the other half of what I make for Cat about 3 times a month. She doesn’t like it either but it is said to do wonders for her fur. I don’t think she agrees but then…  So this was the last egg, on top of the last of the couscous, with the tail end of the cayenne pepper mix and cheese. To make it even tastier, a pad of butter, salt and pepper. For the full rundown on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couscous and there are thousands of recipes out there.

Spices and Their Medical Potential

Very worth taking a look at.
A sort of shorthand description of the medical potential of a number of different spices. http://www.medspice.com/content/view/34/38/  For instance Oregano and its medical effects on cancer, cardiovascular disease, blood lipids, and anti-inflammatory effects. Also http://medspice.com/content/view/13/47/ which gives the cardio protective properties of some key spices, and spice equivalents of some key prescription drugs.
 

Spaghetti and Carrot Salad Lunch. Cayenne pepper and tomato paste sauce. Grated cheese. Carrot salad in olive oil with sweet basil, black pepper, and thyme (in the form of za’atar with sesame seeds, and sumac). This last was particularly important because the carrot next to the one I used was moldy. And thyme is a great antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial spice. We underrate carrots. Yeh, see in the dark stuff, but they are great for A (over 600% of daily recommended value in one cup). Great for night vision, and I quote “help provide protection against macular degeneration and the development of senile cataracts, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.” http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21 But, the most interesting concept related in the link above is the possibility that if you are a smoker or are constantly in the vicinity of second hand smoke, the vitamin A may restore the A reduced by smoke and may help prevent emphysema and hopefully a longer healthier life. Carrots may also be great for the skin. According to one source, applied to a blemish or uneven shaded area of the skin reduces the blemish http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-Of-Carrot-Juice&id=807641es.
 

LENTILS. I know. Who likes them? This will change your mind. Plus, I added something after the shot which made it much more photographable and eatable but couldn’t go through the setup again, so use your imagination, and besides, I was hungry.
Lentils, diced onion, 4 garlic cloves, shiitake mushrooms and the sauce: Tomato paste, 1 tsp of cayenne pepper sauce, ketchup. Additional spices: Coriander, turmeric, oregano, sweet basil. The extras mentioned above were extra ketchup on top of the mound, and salsa for the pan fried chips. If you are not healthy before this, you will be after.
 

Important Rules If You Are Cooking For Yourself, Or For Anyone Else
This is the beginning of a list of important rules, and rule number one is:
1. Always leave something behind. There is an animal which when it takes something, always leaves something in its place. Very smart. You may be very upset with what was taken, but you are somewhat mollified by the fact that something was exchanged for it even if you can’t use it, don’t like it, etc.  while this is not quite the same thing, it does provide some material for expanding the next meal. Even if you have the supermarket next door, or the raw materials right outside your doorway, you will always be glad that you left something. 
2. Never let convention get in the way. If your mouth says it will work, then it will – or at least it’s worth a try.
 

 This is the result of rule number one.
Lentil and Shiitake soup with a side of chili slices. The soup was the left over from the lentil dish before. By the way, be sure to cut the shiitake into bit size pieces. Very chewy and gives the sense of something significant to eat. Also, when making the soup, do not put the water in the pan first. Add it to your soup stock so that you do not end up with the essence of bouillon unless you have 100 mouths to feed. This is very think soup, with toasted whole wheat in olive oil and a mixture of salsa and a small amount of cayenne pepper sauce, topped with cheese – also left over by design. This was really the last of the cheese. Tomorrow I have to start being creative again.

 This is the second result of rule number one combined with rule number two.

Lentil Pancake with Salsa. Added more cayenne pepper sauce, turmeric, oregano and flour to make a pancake batter which was then fried. The salsa was the little bit left over which had been saved. The cake was so good I was looking for another. Followed by a cookie which my niece sent me for my doesn’t-matter-the-number birthday. My mouth was definitely in on that decision. As for the birthday, I have reached the age where it just doesn’t matter unless you’re going for a Guinness record.