Making lunch without Instagram
I really enjoy cooking, and I try to treat it like a hobby sometimes and not just a begrudging requirement. So, I’ve been challenging myself to cook without a recipe— today I made a rice bowl with chicken thighs, sweet potato, avocado, and radish sprouts.
Whenever I’m not sure what to eat, I typically go for something with soy sauce. It’s always satisfying, and I generally have what I need to make it without having to run to the store. Today, however, I really wanted to try something new (because I was inspired by the sweet potatoes to make a sweet, spicy sauce), but I ended up going with a soy, honey, cayenne situation. I had roasted Japanese sweet potatoes from H Mart that I sautéed until they were browned, then I cooked my marinated chicken. Honestly, I should’ve done a better job trimming the fat off the chicken, but I was kinda lazy.
I realized halfway through that this bowl wouldn’t have much variety in textures, and I simply couldn't eat a bowl of mush. My quick solution lately has been toasted panko! When in doubt, I toast some breadcrumbs in a pan and sprinkle them on my food, and it adds just the right variation to feel satisfying.
After everything was cooked, I set up my bowl and added avocado and radish sprouts. The sauce turned out great, but it had a bit of a shallow flavor. I think it needed some acid to bring out some depth, but I’m not sure. The chicken is just not that good because of how I cut it, so I mostly just ate the rice and potatoes. The potatoes turned out GREAT. They were very chewy and sautéing them gave them a good crisp on the sides and skins.
I deleted Instagram, and this is the longest I’ve been without it since I was fifteen. It’s good for a variety of reasons, but one benefit (and downside) is I have more space to think. My inner monologue while cooking today was vibrant since I wasn’t scrolling on my phone between steps, and now I have a blog post! How easy!
Spending 30 minutes cooking in the middle of the day isn’t a bad way to spend my time, and it’s definitely better than scrolling. So, even though it wasn’t the best dish, I’m glad I made something.