Thank goodness it’s Friday. I can tell you that I’m very much looking forward to relaxing this weekend; perhaps in front of a roaring fire if I can convince Tim to make one, perhaps drinking something that will warm the insides as well… One thing that did help me get through this frigid and hectic week, was the fact that I made these 4 Dishes on Monday:
1. A tray of Japanese sweet potatoes.
2. A pot of farro with carrots, onions, and celery.
3. A pot of white beans, slowly simmered with bay leaves, onion, and a parmesan rind.
4. A bowl of chimichurri.
Although these dishes are arguably not even closely related—Asian, European, South American—they somehow all worked together on a level that has nothing to do with their origins. That’s because if you have a roasted vegetable, a grain, a legume, and a piquant condiment/sauce, then you have the complete package. Everything you need for a week of mix-and-match food survival. Of course you can combine all four for a hearty meal, like I did in the photo above, but you can substitute some poached fish or roasted chicken for the beans, use the sweet potatoes in a quesadilla, the farro in a soup, the chimichurri to drizzle on top of the soup. Their brilliance in this power-4 is their versatility.
You can of course make any of the above the way you normally do (or check out KEEPERS where we have recipes for all of them!). But give it a try soon so we can all make it through this winter together. Or tell me YOUR Power 4!
