It's All Coming Together!

Hi, everyone! Vanessa here. Karen will be discussing Component Cooking with you all this week, which is not only one of my go-to recommendations for clients who are looking to make cooking easier, but also has truly been part of my own routine for well…ever.

What does component cooking look like for me? Some of it will depend on the season, but generally this:

I cook a pot of beans in my Instant Pot, which apparently isn’t cool anymore but it’s honestly perfect for this ungodly hot weather we’ve been experiencing. I’ll season those beans pretty simply: salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and maybe some cumin or lemon and olive oil at the end.

Once that is going, I’ll cook a pot of grains. Lately I’ve been very into this brown rice, jasmine rice, and quinoa pilaf from the new cookbook by Hetty Lui McKinnon, Tenderheart. All the grains are cooked together at once, they don’t get gummy, and it’s delicious as a side on its own, with the beans in a burrito, as part of fried rice or tossed with sauteed veggies and an egg.

Speaking of eggs, I’ll also go on and boil eggs. I usually have about a dozen for the week, and I use this absolutely foolproof method by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. The eggs are great with green salad, as egg salad, sliced on a sandwich or added to that rice bowl mentioned above.

These are almost all hands-off. While they’re cooking, I’ll probably cut up some peppers, cucumbers and radishes, or maybe make a quick vinaigrette in a mason jar. Then I can relax knowing that these components are going to make my week a lot easier. Give these ideas a try – see what you think!