90-Minutes of Kitchen Zen™
90-minutes of Kitchen Zen!™
You’ll enjoy these benefits
• Engage in healthful commitment
• Delight in creating and sustaining your own vibrant health.
• Shop for and eat local foods when possible.
• Support small farms using sustainable agricultural methods.
• Know that you are contributing to the health of the planet.
• Cultivate a time for mindfulness
• Express gratitude, for giving yourself the time to prepare and enjoy good quality food
• Experience the “zen” of cooking.
• Experiment during one or two dinners per week…
• Family time
• Age-appropriate kitchen and food preparation jobs.
• Quality time with children and sweetheart: share the workload!
• Role model your commitment to the planet and your health.
• Create the opportunity to discuss the environment and the impact of your decisions.
• Create a comfort level in the kitchen for the next generation.
• Explore the benefits of eating “real food” versus drive-through food.
How To’s
• Veggies: 6 colors on your plate!
• Cut ahead of time, store in glass, Tupperware or zip lock bag.
• Use in salads, casseroles, stir-fry
• Grilled peppers, eggplant, zucchini, onion, you-name-it: brush with (garlic infused) olive oil; place under broiler on low or onto grill for 10-ish minutes each side. These will keep in the fridge for a at least a week!
• Roast garlic, peel, and store in fridge for added zip to any meal!
• Wash greens and dry well. Tear into small pieces for salad mix.
• make up salads ahead and store in fridge
• add “wet” veggies at meal time to avoid a soggy salad
• cukes, cut tomatoes, olives, onions…
• Pre-cut veggies are available in the produce section of some grocery stores; they are more expensive, but very convenient!
• Fruits
• Cut ahead of time, squeeze a drop of fresh lemon juice on top, and seal well in glass or Tupperware.
• Perfect for smoothies, salad with yogurt or cottage cheese, just as a snack, or in a cobbler.
• Grains
• 2 parts water to 1 part grain.
• Bring to a boil, simmer for ½ hour.
• brown rice, millet, couscous, barley, bulgur
• Exceptions
• polenta requires more water, longer cook time and constant stirring!
• quinoa cooks in 12 minutes.
• Cook up a pot of grains each week to be used in salads, casseroles, and soups.
• Meat, tempeh, and eggs
• Marinade ahead of time (2 – 3 days), then cook; or
• Bake tempeh or chicken breast early in the week for a yummy addition to a dinner casserole, a lunch sandwich, or on top of a salad.
• Hard-boil a half-dozen eggs for a salad topper or snack.
• Beans
• Soak overnight.
• Rinse with fresh water. Add fresh water to pot and bring to a boil, simmer 1 – 6 hours, depending on the bean.
• Cook up a pot of beans each week to be used in salads, casseroles, and soups.
• NEWS FLASH! Beans are available in cans with low or no salt and organically cultivated.
• Nuts
• Roasted: no oil needed; put in a pan on medium heat, stirring often, until they pop—about 5 minutes. Store in fridge.
• Not only are roasted nuts very high in nutritional value, but also add a lovely flavor to a salad or on top of a cooked casserole.
Miscellaneous
• Add raisins or any dried fruit for flavor and interesting texture, especially with sun-dried tomatoes.
• Taking the time, once a week, to prepare the basics for healthy lunch and dinner is an investment in YOU that will provide more pay-back than you can imagine! Once you cultivate the habit of 90-minutes of Kitchen Zen, you will eat more healthfully while spending less time in the kitchen overall. Have fun with this!
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