3 Ideas For Healthy And Uncomplicated Cooking
To eat 100% vegetable you don’t have to create the most colorful and spectacular dish, but rather choose vegetable ingredients and combine them to your liking.
We live in an age where food is visual. We eat through the eyes on social networks but at the same time it can frustrate us not getting those presentations, those dozens of colorful … or it’s just not our style, we don’t have time or we don’t have resources (or all at the same time).
Today I leave you some tips and ideas to make meals simple, frugal, fast, without complications and with hardly any utensils and ingredients.
Just because a meal is simple and quick doesn’t mean it’s bland and sad. If we choose ingredients and cooking methods wisely, we will need very little to make lunches and dinners that stand out for their simplicity and satisfy us.
1. Ingredients: the fair and simple
To assemble a balanced dish we do not need a large amount of ingredients, neither exotic nor “decoration” or prepared products. It is enough for us to include vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
Use vegetables that are in season, which will be much better in appearance, ripening and price. And if there is not one that you like, you can resort to the frozen ones, which are also a very good option.
To make a salad you do n’t need many ingredients either, but choose quality ingredients. Instead of cut bag lettuces, buy whole lettuces whenever possible. Arugula and lamb’s lettuce are also good options .
Among the preserves you also have sweet corn, bean sprouts, palm hearts and asparagus. Spice up your plate with pickles. Olives, pickles, aubergines, lupins, capers … When you want an extra flavor put a handful on your plate.
Also, as an extra flavor and texture, use nuts : walnuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, etc. Just put a handful on top or on one side.
If you don’t have time to soak and cook your dried legumes, use a pot. These legumes are already cooked and can be washed and eaten as is, cold, or heated with other ingredients. It is not necessary that they come with vegetables, because you have the option of buying frozen stew, which is well priced and is basically the same as they are usually added. Here are a few ideas on how to use your legumes.
For the cereals choose what you want and you like. For example, a few slices of whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, etc. The fastest and simplest thing is bread. You can buy several loaves or bars, cut them up and freeze them to have whenever you want.
Plant-based patés and creams like hummus and guacamole are great for simple dishes, even if they’re just steamed vegetables, because they act as both an ingredient and a dressing. You can make them at home or buy them made. Always look at the ingredients and that they are quality creams, without added sugars and with a good amount of raw material.
2. Simple cooking methods
For vegetables and greens, use a single cooking method that allows you to cook and serve them. For example steamed, baked or sauteed. You can put potatoes cut into medium pieces, carrots and sweet potatoes, which take the same time to cook, in the same basket and you will have them ready in about 20 minutes.
In the oven you can also roast several vegetables together : potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, onions, leeks, sweet potatoes, etc. Put everything that fits, whole with skin, well washed, and in medium pieces.
For quick, hassle-free cooking of vegetables like zucchini, onion, asparagus, broccoli, chard, spinach, mushrooms and mushrooms, etc., use stir fry. Wash the vegetables, cut them into smaller pieces and sauté them for a few minutes with a pinch of salt.
3. Assemble a simple chainring
Use whatever ingredients you have on hand and whatever you feel like. Cook those that need some kind of cooking (for example, potato and carrot steamed), and meanwhile put the rest on your plate or prepare a salad in a separate bowl.
Your plate can perfectly carry half a cup of cooked chickpeas (cold, washed and drained), potato, carrot, a couple of large white asparagus, a handful of pumpkin seeds, some lamb’s lettuce and a couple of tablespoons of guacamole (it can be bought if it’s good quality).
If you fancy hot legumes, you can sauté zucchini, onion and cooked lentils (washed and drained) in the same pan with a little salt and add tomato sauce.
Serve it on your plate with whole wheat bread and some pickles. For a simple pasta dish, cook it, drain it and serve it with roasted vegetables (for example cherry tomatoes, eggplant and leek), fresh spinach, a few tablespoons of hummus and a handful of pine nuts.
