Make plans, but do less. This mindset is helping me cure decades of type-A overdrive, and enjoy more peace and calm.
There have been days when I can do it all with the family food: new dinner idea, ingredient shopping, the actual cooking part, and getting it on the table while it’s still warm and nobody’s patience or energy has run out, including my own. Those are great days! But those are not the “every days”; the days with alarm clocks, work schedules, kid shuttling, and not enough time.
On “every days”, I find it hard to keep up with my own plans. But, I’m learning: do less. Who cares if you planned to serve the jicama and grapefruit salad as a side to shrimp adobo, a new recipe with many steps that including dirtying a knife and cutting board, blender, pot, and grill pan? Throw the shrimp on the grill with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Forget the adobo. At least for today.
Keep things simple. Focus your energy on fresh flavor combinations that give a spark to anything else you plan to serve, like a beautiful bread (thank you Wild Crumb for the caramelized onion and fragrant thyme ciabatta) and/or simply grilled shrimp or chicken. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1/4 red onion, finely sliced
- juice from 1/2 lime
- several handfuls arugula
- 1/2 bunch cilantro (approx. 1" diameter collection of stems)
- 2 red grapefruit
- 2 avocados
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- flaky salt
Instructions
- Put red onion slices in medium-sized salad bowl. Add juice from 1/2 lime and let sit while you prepare the grapefruit and avocado. Peel and segment the grapefruits, halve and cut avocado into chunks. Chop cilantro, mostly leaves, discard stems.
- Add arugula, grapefruit segments, avocado chunks, and cilantro to the red onion in the salad bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss gently with salad servers. Sprinkle with flaky salt and it's ready to serve.
