Well for most mums and dads the holidays are over and the kids are back at school. Back to the old routine and pace of the school and working week. With my focus on all things culinary, I have been disturbed while shopping wondering what my fellow shoppers are taking home and what they are going to cook. Frankly, I do not see much healthy stuff going in the trolley. It does not have to be like this. It is possible by having a staple of ingredients and some basic cooking tools to make easy, cheap, tasty, quick and healthy meals during the week. At weekends you have a bit more time and so can eat out or make something a bit special but during the week this can be hard particularly at the start of school when a routine is being re-established.
There is also the “pressure” all of those cooking shows and “celebrity” chefs” generate for perfectly plated 5-star meals – that you, in reality, do not eat or need to eat every night during the week. Don’t get me wrong these shows and people are doing a great job to improve relationships with food and generate a desire for people to have a richer experience. The trouble as I see it is that most people will find it all too much and switch to doing things safe and easy – by buying take away or precooked reheat meals from the supermarket that in a short time can put something on the table quickly. My view is that there is a better alternative.
For everyday meals, you don’t want to have to source a range of unfamiliar ingredients, have to buy a load of new equipment that you need to practice on. There is no magic to this and people like Jamie Oliver are on to it. Jamie has sold zillions of books to teach you how to cook a meal in 30 then 15 minutes. Buy the books, but let me tell you the secret.
The answer is to plan your meals – know in advance what you are going to eat. The question then is – what are you going to eat? If you do cook for your family start by thinking about what you like to eat that you have been cooking. If the kitchen is not your favourite place then at least give this a go. My aim with this blog is to give you a range of simple master recipes that you can easily prepare and then simply vary to morph into another but different meal.
Start by pulling together a wish list of what you want to cook – this blog is a guide and I am happy to answer emails. I want to get a conversation going with people reading my blog about this because I see this is very important. We are constantly told we are all getting fatter and that fast food is part of the problem – but it is fast! This blog is about showing you an alternative that will instil healthy eating habits particular for your children as they grow by surrounding them with better food options. Let me give you some tips on portion sizes, food storage, cuts of meat, poultry to use, selection of seafood. Ultimately I want you to be able to open the fridge and pantry and be able to create a meal that meets my goal of easy, cheap, tasty, quick and healthy.
Spend 10 minutes after dinner at the weekend and discuss with the family that you want to try some different meals – what do people in the family like to eat? and what they would like to eat more of? Make a list and see if a consensus can be reached about what the family wants to eat. Have a discussion about what is on the list and prioritise on the basis of health, cost, complexity and taste/flavour. Hopefully, with this blog, you will have a head start and can guide things along. I will help provide guidance through the seasons, so you can use what is in season – and is usually cheap. Make and keep notes of these discussions – you are starting your own family recipe book.
Let’s conclude this blog by telling you what I think should be in the pantry, fridge and freezer as ingredients you will always need to use. You need these basic ingredients not only for the master recipes but also to help with variations. If you think I have missed something – let me know – and put it in your list.
In the Pantry:
- Dijon mustard
- English mustard
- Olive oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Sea Salt
- Table Salt
- Black Pepper
- Dried herbs such as oregano, bay leaves, ground cinnamon, ground cumin
- Long grain rice
- Dried pasta
- Tinned tomatoes
- Tinned salmon or tuna
- Tinned kidney beans
- Tomato paste
- Plain flour
- Self-raising flour
- Corn flour
- Caster sugar
- Brown sugar
In the Fridge:
The basic dairy ingredients you should have would be milk, butter, cheese and eggs.
In the Freezer:
Puff pastry
With the use of some of the above ingredients, you are on your way to creating a meal to be enjoyed with the family. After you have prepared and eaten your meal have a quick review with the family – how did it stack up? – how did it rate against easy, cheap, tasty, quick and healthy?
Check the Recipe section of the Blog regularly – I will be posting recipes. Keep reading the General section as I describe how to use the recipes to build your repertoire.