So today I wanted to share with you some tips how to get real food and don't spend hours in the kitchen.
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Having a little collection of easy recipes that focus on speedy cooking techniques is half the battle. Especially when you’re just getting into cooking real food.
If a recipe has an ingredients list as long as your arm or has instructions like ‘boil for 40 minutes’ it’s the best to save them for weekend cooking when you have loads of time.
Look for simple stir frys, salads or one pot meals. If you are stuck for inspiration then Google has a collection of many 5-10 minute meals.
Try to do experiment with different kind of ingredients.
Avoid getting stuck in a food rut by swapping different ingredients into your favourite speedy meals.
For example, if you normally make a stir fry with tofu and kale, try it instead with bok choy or broccoli. Same goes for flavourings. If you normally use garlic, try ginger or a new spice.
Why not to try it raw.
I’m far from being a raw food purist, but I do try to include some raw vegetables in my diet every day. Not only is this beneficial for getting extra enzymes and heat-sensitive vitamins, it’s also much quicker than cooking.
For example, it takes a fraction of the time to finely slice a bunch of broccoli and toss it in a dressing than it takes to steam it.
Think about finely slicing or grating veg and serving them raw. Some of my favorites are shaved raw broccoli or grated raw cauliflower to serve in place of steamed rice with curries or stir frys. I also love shaved fennel or cabbage in salads and finely sliced kale or raw bok choy – which has a surprisingly moreish crunchy texture.
You can use the most convenient ingredients.
Nobody isn’t going to arrest you because you haven’t prepared everything yourself from scratch. So don’t be afraid to cheat and use prepared veg when it makes sense for you.
I’m a big fan of things like pre-washed salad leaves and scrubbed potatoes. I usually don’t like paying extra for pre-chopped veg, but if it works for you, go for it. I do use grilled veg from the deli from time to time.
Also try convenient ingredients as a flavor highlight or sauce like pesto, soy sauce, salsa or olive tapenade.
Did youforget about frozen veg ?
Freezing is just about the most practical method for protecting veg without burning off a lot of the diet. In fact, iced veg chosen at its best typically have more nutrition than old ‘fresh’ vegetables.
Frozen veg are specially beneficial if your timetable is variable because they will sit in the freezer ready so that you can be equipped for them. In addition they save you plenty of prep time. Compare seated to shell a huge plate of peas with enough time it requires to open up the packet and put them into a pot.