One of my first posts on The Britt Blog detailed how eggplant had become one of my “hero” foods for my Food Assembly lifestyle. Since then, I’ve had many fellow Food Assemblers reach out, and it’s great to know there’s way more of us around than I thought.
For those who are newer to the blog, here’s a quick summary on what being a Food Assembler means.
“Food Assembler” – An unofficial definition
I am not a Person Who Cooks. Cooking is defined as the “art, science, and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption.” While I use heat to prepare food for consumption all the time, I’m not into the “art, science and craft” part. I’m just not interested. So because I still need to eat food to live, I tend to assemble food into meals. I’ve done it for years, and have found creative ways to take whatever is in my fridge and make it into a decent meal.
People hear “food assembly” and often think of charcuterie boards. And it’s true – you literally assemble your food when dealing with charcuterie. Similarly, people may think of meze or tapas, which I’m also a big fan of.
The difference is that people tend to think of eating that way only in restaurants or at parties, when that’s actually how I eat in real life.
4 hero foods
Here are 4 of the foods that have been indispensable to my Food Assembler life.
(Actual cooks beware: you may not find much inspiration here.)
Eggplant
I’ve already written about the glories of eggplant and will talk about it until the proverbial cows come home. You can sauté, roast, fry, bake, purée, and stuff it, and even turn it into meatballs if you want to. Basically, eggplant can shape shift into whatever you need it to be.
I make a mean Eggplant Bruschetta. I used this recipe as a guide, and then went crazy tweaking it to make it work for me. The only “cooking” part is baking your chopped up bits of eggplant. But that only takes around 15 minutes and you can spend that time getting all your other supplies together. It’s perfect for us Food Assemblers, because it’s easy to put together and once you make it, you’ve got meals for the week.
I’ve eaten it for breakfast with eggs, for lunch on toasted sourdough (brushed with a bit of chili oil – *chef’s kiss*), and on top of pasta with a dusting of parmesan cheese for dinner.
Eggs
“The incredible, edible egg” is another food I use a lot. I will boil eggs at the start of my week to have on hand when I need a quick protein and can’t be bothered to bake (or forgot to defrost) chicken.
They’re obviously great for breakfast options. I already mentioned how I put them with soba noodles, but I’ve added a boiled egg to many noodle soups in my day to make them feel more like a meal.
I’ve also chopped them up and mixed them with Dijon mustard to make the simplest egg salad sandwich in the history of egg salad sandwiches (but you can also add any mayo or unflavored Greek yogurt if you’ve got it).
Kimchi
Die-hard kimchi fans may want to cover their ears (eyes?) for this part.
I put kimchi on way too many things. It’s a versatile way to add a vegetable and kick of spice to whatever I’m assembling. And since we found a place in Jordan that delivers homemade kimchi by the kilo, my addiction now has no limits.
I do eat kimchi like a normal person. For example, with soba noodles and a boiled egg. But I’ve also had it in tomato soup, on top of a sweet potato, and mixed into tuna.
Base foods – Noodles, rice, and lettuce
Technically, this means I have 7 hero foods, but I grouped these because they are fabulous “base” foods. Soba or rice noodles, rice (brown or white), and lettuce are staples for me, because I can build healthy meals on top of them if needed with whatever food I have around.
It’s like going to a Chipotle or Sweetgreen, except I’m staring at my fridge and not being judged by a teenager behind the counter for asking for extra peppers.
It’s a lifestyle
For me, being a Food Assembler isn’t about being lazy or not wanting to make an effort. It’s part of my overall lifestyle.
My ADHD means that the more I simplify my environment, the calmer I feel and the easier it is for me to focus. So much like I assemble food into meals to minimize anxiety around cooking, I have a personal style mantra of “30 seconds or less” which helps reduce stress when it comes to what I wear.
This means my approach to style and food are ultimately tools that serve my needs and interests.
So sure, Eggplant Bruschetta isn’t groundbreaking stuff. But it’s something I can make that people will enjoy and that saves me time and energy that I can spend on other things.
Want to see more Food Assembler content?
Let me know! And if you’re a fellow Food Assembler, I’d be interested to hear about your “recipes” and things that have helped you!
