Talent No. 1

At 17 years of age, after reading the Biblical parable  of the three servants left talents by their Master (Matthew 25: 14-30), I decided that I wasn't going back to God with my talents unused.  The use of and development of my talents has been all I've wanted out of life and it scares me to think that I may die without truly understanding or using them, so that it benefits the Master within us all.

I can cook and that is no idle boast.  It's just truth.  What is also a truth, I believe, is that adversity brings out the creativeness  in our best talent.   So, one of my best talents is that I can take a "little bit of somethings"  and make a "something else meal".  I can make a little money stretch til all the elastic is out.  Your inventiveness may be the ability to create  work for yourself or to talk  your way into a good deal as you make people feel assured .  We all have talents.

Started to get hungry and began to forage for food.  So I looked through the larder for the stuff I'd bought a while aback.  Larder, looking pretty spare but as Nennie Kerr used to say "eat little, live long".  Found the beef filet wrapped  in bacon (that was a  great deal from the fancy shop !), and the spinach tagliatelle (another deal but from the ordinary supermarket).  Beef and pasta.  Pretty dull, eh?  I made a cup of chai with coconut milk and went on Facebook.    As I read and shared, read and shared, I got hungry again and then I remembered, there's  a handful of fresh spinach in a ziplock bag,  some cheese growing old  and walnuts.  I'm thinking pesto!

And so a meal is created.   The filet is cooked just right, well done but not over-done.   Yes, I know it should be medium rare but I eat meat only when it's  dead.  The cheesy goodness, hint of lemon, and the texture of the walnuts lifts the al dente tagliatelle making it seem to be more than flour and water.   Feeling so good about my pesto I'm sharing the recipe below !

A  meal out of little, that's my creation.  I got my protein, carbohydrate and vegetable Tell me about what you created today - a garden, an app, some art work, wrote a play, or the best creation of all, which is, made someone happy!

Pesto My Style

1 sandwich-sized  ziplock bag of spinach (am thinking kale might work too)
1 pot of boiling water
1 bowl cold water
1/4 cup cheese or a couple of hunks  ( use what you've  got.  I had low fat provolone  and rat cheese  (cheddar ).
1/2 handful walnuts (that should be about 1/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic
Grated lemon peel
4 dashes pepper wine liqueur  (made by JinJin)
Grating of nutmeg (up & down the grater once)
1/2 cup coconut oil (optional )
Salt, black pepper to taste


Directions

1. Wash spinach removing all the dirt and grit.
2. Dump into boiling water for 60 secs.  Kale, 90 secs.
3. Remove from hot water and immediately place in cold water.   Drain, squeeze  out excess water. 
4. Place spinach, cheese,  walnuts, garlic, grated lemon peel, pepper wine liqueur, nutmeg into food processor or blender and hit the button.  
5. If using oil gently pour in as food processor or blender is on.  
6. Process to the consistency you like.  I like it a bit chunky-smooth.
7. Season with salt & pepper, if you like.

n.b. no pepper-wine liquer?  Then use whatever you've got or nothing at all.

Until