I enjoy cooking. And my family enjoys eating what I cook. But lately, I have not had the time or leisure to cook – really cook – thoughtful meals each night; it’s been a go-with-the-flow scheduling circus. Regular menu planning has been out of my reach and semi-regular grocery shopping has been a notable improvement in my modus operandi. And, no, we don’t go hungry; things just are not as organized as they could be.

What I generally end up doing concerning meal preparation (dinner in particular), is to think through what food I have on hand a couple hours before dinner time. The timing is a little “close” because the actual meal preparation must fit into those two hours, but it is what I have to work with. As I mentally “look through the fridge”, ideas begin to percolate; certain ingredients are cast in lead roles; other ingredients are brought on stage to support the main presentation.

I like this kind of planning – to a certain extent: as long as I have some spare brain-power in order to “think through” the evening meal. I like not necessarily knowing what the meal will be ahead of time; I enjoy the discovery process of putting together ingredients, and pursuing culinary ideas as they arise; my time in the kitchen is dynamic, creative and usually very focused. (Read: I don’t like to be interrupted.) (Also read: I usually attempt to do too much in too short a time!)

I do like to have “semi-plans” for dinner. For example, here are some options for dinner menus: baked chicken night, leftover chicken night (this one has lots of possibilities!), and beans and rice night. Beans and rice might sound boring, but it’s very versatile and usually very tasty; surprisingly enough, these dishes are some of my family’s favorites!)

So what are my three favorite seasonings? Butter, garlic and sea salt – that’s it. Now these are not the only spices I use, but they are my anchor seasonings; I use them again and again. They are tried and true, they are my “go to” seasonings, they are adaptable to many applications.

I hope to share a few favorite recipes from our house this week. The first is a seasoning mix for roast chicken. It can be used either as a rub or sprinkled over the chicken before baking. The second recipe is a yogurt curry sauce. It is delicious and is much requested as a topping for baked potatoes. It can also be used over hot vegetables or as a dip. I hope you enjoy the tastes.

ROAST CHICKEN RUB
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix spices together and rub or sprinkle on chicken. Note: I’ve been experimenting on the amount of salt. The last time I made this, I cut the salt to 1 teaspoon. It tasted great.

YOGURT CURRY SAUCE
2/3 cup goat yogurt, plain
1/3 cup mayonnaise (we use Trader Joes)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all ingredients until smooth. You can refrigerate until serving to let the tastes marry. And feel free to adjust the seasonings (and ingredients) to your taste. Enjoy!