Biting Into Something New

I am a creature of habit but even I get bored with following the same routine day in, day out. This also true with my weekly dinner menu. It can feel as though I shuffle through the same five recipe cards every single week. 

So recently, I scrolled through my favorite cooking blog, Smitten Kitchen, for something new to spice up dinner time. 

I discovered a recipe called white bean carrot burgers. The picture showcased patties the color of orange creamsicles. I was intrigued; this could be just the thing to shake up the week night meal. So I bought a can of cannellini beans, a bag of carrots and an avocado for a garnish and Monday night I pulled out a skillet and turned on the stove to make my veggie burgers. 

A little history about me and cooking: I had a rough start in the kitchen. When I was kid I would slice bread that was tissue paper thin on one side and several inches thick on the other. In college my roommate constantly chastised me for freezing, thawing out and then tossing back into freezer various food stuff. It poisoned the food she would tell me; I was making our food inventory uneatable. Later, I struggled with cooking hamburger meat. The results always gave the meat a tough, burnt black shell while its interior was just as red and raw as it was when I removed the hamburger from the styrofoam packaging.  

Things have improved but I still felt extra at ease making those carrot bean burgers because who cares if they are raw on the inside? An uncooked carrot never killed anyone.  

I grated carrots and mashed up beans. I added a splash of apple cider and cracked an egg and sprinkled in  some bread crumbs. As I attempted to mold and press this soft mixture into circular patties, I felt like a mad scientist in my kitchen and I wondered if my creation would be miraculous or monstrous. 

The verdict? Surprisingly tangy. There was a zip, a zest to each bite. Or maybe it was just the delight of eating something new. 

So I decided to continue this journey into unknown culinary territory. I clicked the "surprise me" link on the Smitten Kitchen blog. It randomly gave me a recipe for banana bread, which doesn't work because I don't bake. I asked the website to surprise me again. Next, I got  a recipe for cooking green beans - I'll pass. Then, I got stewed lentils and tomatoes. Hmmmm....now that sounds appetizing!