Many whole, natural foods do not necessarily require cooking. Raw fruits & veggies, canned wild-caught fish, grass fed cheese & uncured natural deli meats, organic additive-free rotisserie chicken, grass fed organic yogurt & kefir, etc. all make fabulous light meals & snacks and can often be consumed “on-the-go”. For meals that require a little more attention, today’s array of slow-cookers, pressure-cookers, Vitamix models, convection ovens, food processors, semi-vacuum cookware and induction cooktops can really speed up the process.
I own a Saladmaster machine that enables me to create a 7 veggie chopped salad providing 6 to 8 servings, in 6 minutes. Many salads and soups can be prepared today, from scratch, within minutes. Modern thermos and insulated food containers enable foods to remain hot or cold while being transported to work, sporting events or elsewhere.
Tips:
• Include your kids in the meal preparation process
• Teach them along the way
• Help them to create recipes and have fun experimenting
• Invest in small food appliances to make the cooking process faster and easier
• Invest in portable and insulated food storage containers to transport cold and hot dishes
• Don’t make your kitchen a “showpiece only” room. Use your appliances on a regular basis to make food preparation fast, easy and a natural habit.
Fast Ideas for Slow Food
Again, the term “slow food” (a popular term for whole, natural foods) denotes a long and lingering process to preparing meals, desserts and snacks with whole organic ingredients, from scratch. This doesn’t have to be your process. For example, try my “generic” Meat Sauté recipe below:
“Fast & Easy Main Meat Sauté”
Serves 4
Total time w/prep & cleanup: 15 – 20 minutes
Ingredients
• 1 – 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
• (4) 6-8 oz cuts of meat (beef, poultry, fish, pork)
• Splash of reduced sodium Tamari sauce
• Splash of red or white wine
• Pat of butter
• Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep time – approximately 3 minutes
1. Heat pan
2. Mince garlic
Cook time – 9 to 15 minutes
1. Add oil to pan
2. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute
3. Add meat to pan and sauté for 7 to 10 minutes
4. Turn meat and add splash of Tamari
5. Sauté for an additional 2 to 8 minutes
6. Remove from pan and turn up heat
7. Add wine and reduce, approximately 1 – 2 minutes
8. Turn off heat and add butter
9. When butter is melted, pour over meat and serve
While meat is cooking, simply prepare a 3 veggie salad or stovetop veggie combo. With little practice, this dinner can be prepared and served within 15 to 18 minutes and is a fabulous weeknight system.
Also, preparing whole, natural and organic dishes does not require numerous ingredients. Here are a few ideas from my website at www.kcthor.com , for fast, easy & delicious 3-ingredient dishes:
3-ingredient “Sweet Potato Chips” (Vegetarian)
1 lg organic sweet potato (scrubbed and unpeeled)
2 tsp melted organic/pastured ghee (clarified butter)
1/8 tsp (or to taste) Celtic sea salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice potato thinly, in food processor. Toss with ghee and sprinkle with salt. Bake for approx 15 minutes or until browned. Cool on rack and serve with your favorite dip.
3 – Ingredient “Grilled Coconut Aminos Wings”
8 organic chicken wings, halved
Organic coconut aminos sauce (or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
1/2 tsp raw organic sesame seeds
Grill wings over medium-low heat, turning occasionally and brushing with coconut aminos for approx 20 – 25 min. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with additional sauce for dipping.
3-Ingredient “Breakfast Cookies” (Vegetarian, Vegan)
1 cup organic flax meal
2 very ripe organic bananas
1 tbsp Arrowhead Mills organic peanut butter
(smooth or crunchy)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mash all ingredients together. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
Tips:
• Go to www.kcthor.com for more fast, easy & delicious ideas and recipes
• Increase the ingredients in your dishes to create easy leftovers
o Use leftovers for easy breakfasts and lunches
o Use leftovers to reinvent another dish
• Freeze or store leftover food items in BPA-free glass containers
These ideas and tips will help you to better understand the Simplicity of Organic Cooking. By creating new habits and with a little practice, you’ll find that your palate will prefer the fresh living flavors of organic foods and ingredients while supplying your body with optimal health benefits. You will also find, as I did, that cooking with organic foods often requires fewer ingredients and less fuss due to the enhanced freshness and flavor of the foods.
