Yesterday, I talked a little about the evolution of my usual cooking style, but neglected to mention that it all really began back in college, when I was known among roommates and other friends for making something called “pot of stuff.”

This usually began with a cup of rice cooked in a pot on the stove, to which I’d add things like kidney beans, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, canned veggies, or cans of Campbell’s condensed soup — usually without cooking any further. I’d just let the heat of the rice warm everything else up. I’d eat half right away, and save the other half for the next meal.

Once I started cooking with a skillet and finding good ingredients, my basic method remained the same: Put everything into a single pan/pot, cooking it all together, making enough so that I can save half for a second meal. Most of the food I make tastes better to me this way, because I’m cooking with complementary flavors and letting them meld. The veggies soak up the meat juices, the cooking fat is thoroughly distributed instead of drained off and wasted, and — best of all — very little cleanup is required.

Here are my food photos for day 16:

Thursday, Jan. 30

I woke up at 9:25 a.m. (after heading to bed at 3:00 a.m.).

Breakfast: 10:45 a.m. | 10 oz. ground chicken, 1/8 head cabbage, 1 carrot, 1/2 red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, herbs & spices

Leftovers from last night’s dinner.

Lunch: 4:20 p.m. | 7 oz. roast beef, 4 stalks celery, 5,000 IU Vitamin D capsule, Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc caplet

Dinner: 8:35 p.m. | 8 oz. salmon, 1/4 butternut squash, 1/2 oz. baby kale/spinach/chard/beet greens mix, 1/2 sweet onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, herbs & spices