90-Minutes of Kitchen Zen™

June 19, 2011

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!

About
Latest Posts

Robin Mallery

Robin Mallery is passionate about food! Starting from where and how it's grown, to how far that food travels to the dinner table, to how it is prepared and savored...Robin blends shopping, cooking, and eating tips with her unique Kitchen Zen and mindful meals approach to enjoying real food.

While you are waiting for her to finish the upcoming book, "Kitchen Zen: The Journey to Nourish Body and Soul in Our Changing World", you can find Robin's sporadic blog posts here or on FaceBook.