An Old Dog Learns New Tricks - or - Using Artificial Intelligence in the Kitchen

Hi folks, this is a complete diversion from my usual theme of caregiving and dementia related videos. As you know, I’m trying to recoup a little bit of normalcy in my life. I’m also trying to think about my health for the first time in four years. Over that period I feel like I’ve aged a decade, cried a bucket of tears and put it on 20 pounds. Maybe I can start with the weight… So to that end I’m going to try to start cooking my own basic nutritional meals like I used to in the past, versus eating convenient stuff from a box.

I think one of the barriers to cooking is that I’m not too familiar with recipes and so on and I tend not to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients for a meal I’m going to make. So what I did was just look at what I have in the fridge and tell ChatGPT, and then I took a photo of the spices in my spice drawer, and I asked what can I make with this? Can I make a nice curry soup?

Less than a minute later, it’s spit out a beautiful recipe with all kinds of suggestions.

Even though AI has all kinds of negative consequences and downsides, there’s no question that a result like this is pretty amazing and it really improves life.

Hope you have a great rest of your day!

YANA from John and Heather

Here’s the recipe:

Creamy Cauliflower, Brussels Sprout & Lentil Curry Soup

Vegetables
Cauliflower, 1 medium head, about 6 to 7 cups chopped
Brussels sprouts, 3 to 4 cups, halved or quartered
Carrots, 3 medium, chopped, about 2 cups
Onion, 1 large, diced
Protein and body
Red or yellow lentils, 1 cup, rinsed
Chickpeas or white beans, 1 can, 540 ml, drained and rinsed

Liquids
Vegetable stock or water, 6 to 7 cups
Coconut milk, 1 can, 400 ml, optional
Oil and seasoning
Olive oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons total
Salt, start with 1 teaspoon and adjust
Black pepper, to taste

Spices
Curry powder, 1 tablespoon
Cumin, 1 teaspoon
Coriander, 1 teaspoon
Turmeric, 1 teaspoon
Ground ginger, 1 half teaspoon
Smoked paprika, 1 half teaspoon
Cinnamon, a very small pinch
Cayenne or chili flakes, optional, start with a pinch

Instructions
Roast the vegetables
Heat oven to 425 F.
Toss cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and carrots with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and a pinch of smoked paprika.
Roast 30 to 40 minutes until soft and nicely browned.
Build the soup
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion and cook 5 to 7 minutes until soft.
Add spices and stir constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Simmer
Add lentils and stir to coat with the spices.
Add roasted vegetables.
Add 6 cups of stock or water to start, more later if needed.
Simmer gently 25 to 30 minutes until lentils are fully tender.
Finish
Add chickpeas or beans and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes.

For creaminess, either blend about half the soup and stir it back in, or add the full can of coconut milk and gently warm through.

Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and heat. If it tastes flat, a small splash of vinegar or lemon juice helps.

Notes
This soup thickens a lot overnight. Add water when reheating.
Freezes very well.
If you want it more stew like, reduce liquid to about 5 cups.