HOW TO MAKE IT WORK
i.e. how to improve your cooking game when you don’t really cook….
Here’s the thing…
I am a health coach, so I enjoy eating nourishing foods and educating others on how to do the same.
I am also a poor excuse for a cook!
Insert: My Italian ancestors rolling in their graves whenever I heat up pasta sauce from a jar…
I do enjoy the process of making simple dishes, but I really:
a) don’t have the budget to spend a million dollars every week on components for separate meals
AND
b) lack the time, patience, energy and skills to accomplish a great feat for each meal
I’m sure many of you are in the same boat.
So, how do I MAKE IT WORK?
It’s all in the PREPARATION.
No, I’m not talking about meal plans or planned recipes for the week.
It’s about taking an hour or less out of your week to gather ingredients that will SET YOU UP FOR SUCCESS in the kitchen.
There are a few things that I always keep stocked in my fridge, freezer, and pantry that allow me to create makeshift combos on the fly.
It’s a little more fun when you play your fridge like a game anyways…
THE ESSENTIALS
Freezer
VEGGIES + FRUIT + PROTEIN
Need an addition to eggs at breakfast? Frozen spinach has your back. Want to bulk up your batch of roasted veggies? Grab those Brussel sprouts! Eat chicken once a week, but not much else? Buy a pack of chicken breasts and keep them in the freezer for when you feel like it.
I often have a hard time using up fresh produce before it starts to go bad. Cut down on food waste and expand your wallet by stocking up with frozen!
Bonus fact: Veggies and fruit are frozen at their peak of freshness. So unlike that lil bunch of kale you snagged from your local store (that has traveled many miles to come to you) frozen produce is always packed with maximum nutrients!
Fridge
PLAIN GREEK YOGURT
Breakfast
with pears, bananas, apples, or frozen fruit
with nut/seed butters
in overnight oats
on toast with berries
Lunch + Dinner
as a base for homemade salad dressing
as a meat marinade base
as a component in a tomato based sauce or stew
as a makeshift Tzatziki
to cool down hot dishes like chili or spicy Indian cuisine
in a healthy pasta salad or pasta dish
mix with avocado for a creamy dip
Dessert
with cacao nibs or chocolate chips + fruit with honey
as a base for “healthier” pudding
sweeten it up and add it over the top of a fruit crisp, pie, or brownies
EGGS
over pasta or gnocchi for Cacio e Pepe vibes
rest an over-easy on roasted veg + fresh green for a yummy breakfast salad
hard boil for great snacking + to help out cold tuna dishes or pasta salads
soft boil + top it over a cheap ramen
top on dishes like pizza and burgers
layer with avocado + sauteed tomatoes over oats= savory oats
CHEESE
Honestly I don’t think I need to really explain this one :)
FRESH FRUIT/ FRESH VEG
adds fiber + completes the integrity of a meal
gives a bulk to your diet
great potential for portable quick snacks with other elements
works as a nice juicy component when cooked to a softened state + layered over:
animal protein or large vegetable bases like cauliflower steak.
counteract spice with sweetness
use citrus fruits to add easy flavor
honorable flavor mentions
tahini
mustard
avocado
olives
cilantro
Pantry
RED LENTIL PASTA
I swear by this product from Trader Joe’s.
Regular lentils take a bit of time to cook, but this version is fast to make, protein filled, and packs such delicious flavor.
I love to eat it with broccoli and avocado.
BEANS
throw them in salad
mash them together and make a veggie sandwich filling
blend them to create a dip
use them on the side as bulk against other produce and protein
toss them in a soup
ONIONS + GARLIC
Pretty much any recipe you seek on the web is going to include one of these two things, maybe both
ultimate ingredients for cooking
add to virtually any dish
STOCK UP YOUR SPICES
A worthy investment…handy spices include:
oregano, basil, parsley, thyme
cayenne, ginger, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
OLIVE OIL + BALSAMIC
What would I do without them, I do not know
Simple bases for cooking
TOMATO/PASTA SAUCE
Obvious uses are applicable, others include:
throw in some meat, onions + spices for it a quick bolognese
as a base for a stew like dish
as a base for tikka masala
as a dip for sandwiches or on the side of other meals
blend it down + add some stock to make soup
as a base for pizza
heat it up and serve with eggs over the top + peppers + cilantro for a halfway Shakshuka
mix with other carbs like rice or quinoa for added flavor
*
happy cooking!
All this typing has got me feeling like i should share some of my weird, easy makeshift creations with y’all.
New instagram page in the future??