As I am a hungry (and hangry) person, fast food (not to be confused with junk food) is my favourite kind to make. Once I have acknowledged that I am hungry, I tend to have about 15-20 minutes before the “HM” (Hangry Monster) inside me starts to surface. When I cook for others, I love making complicated dishes but if I am cooking just for myself (which is most of the time) then I am super-lazy. Recognising this laziness and also my predisposition to HIIH (High Intensity Immediate Hunger), I try to ensure that my fridge and store cupboard are stocked with staple ingredients to jumble together fast.
So, for any other hangry and/or time poor, people out there, I will share some of my lazy creations from time to time. I describe them as “Jumbles” rather than “recipes” as they often just involve hurling a few things into a bowl and then being as simple or complicated with the flavour flourishes as I feel like being at the time. Please don’t think of a “Jumble” as careless cooking though; my fast food needs to be nourishing, yummy, satisfying and also mindful. I can’t stir in the love for everyone else unless I extend the same courtesy to myself. You cannot pour from an empty cup, as they say.
So here’s a “Jumble” for you. I’m not writing a “method” for it because you really do just mix it all up. . . it’s a salad, not a space shuttle. I’m not even writing any quantities because as well as being a lazy cook, I am also a very lazy writer. When looking at just a few ingredients jumbled together like this, quantities are going to be based on common sense. Is this going to be a snack or a meal? Are you making some for the next day too? Is this for one person or more? Are you trying to watch your carbs (in which case go lighter on the chickpeas) ? How hangry are you? Do you love or hate lemon/garlic? Answer these types of questions and then you can instinctively work out your quantities. If afterwards you had too much or too little, you will know better for the next time.
It’s lovely following and being inspired by recipes but there is also something really enjoyable about cooking instinctively and this is easily done with simple salads. It is also a really good way to learn how to cook on a “fridge raid” basis i.e with limited ingredients which can actually be jumbled together quite yummily. So no measurements from me for a simple salad like this. I’m lazy and I’m not the boss of you.
Ingredients to jumble:
Some good music - use this prepping/throwing time as a chance to elevate your mood…sing, wiggle, shimmy and smile if you can for at least some of it.
Chickpeas or any other bean/legume (dried & cooked or washed, straight from a tin).
Ripe Avocado, chopped.
Kale (raw, freshly cooked or recently cooked leftovers… whatever you have).
Fresh lemon juice (and zest).
Extra virgin olive oil.
Some raw garlic.
Good quality salt.
Onion seeds (or spring onion/scallion or other kind of mild onion).
The only thing left to do is to stop dancing/wiggling/shimmying (this is for health and safety reasons) and just eat and enjoy.
Shimma-ing to music definitely adds to the flavour😂 Sounds yummy, super healthy & satisfying.