A good meal needs expensive ingredients and a long time to make. It also needs a good recipe and a piece of fish or meat as a centre of attention. Right? Mary Contrary begs to differ. She has put aside her previous ideas about cooking. And she feels a lot better for it, she says. Here are some of her ideas: Time to shake things up a bit.
Image thanks to Pexels, Ketut Subiyanto
People often say they cannot afford good quality, healthy food. Or that during the week there is no time for it. I used to say the same. Until I started cooking in a way that is different. In a way that is fast, easy, tasty and healthy. It just kind of happened over time. Whilst I am by no means a good cook, I thought I would share some of my ideas with you. Just in case you like them too.
When I cook like this (I also love slow cooking by the way, this is just one way of doing things), I try not to compare it to ”what a dish should be like.” I don’t label it or give it a name, like “vegetarian” or “Italian.” I also don’t worry about measuring things, I just like to develop my feeling about what I cook and what I like over time. But mostly, I like to keep it simple.
Preparations and ingredients
Things I like to have in my kitchen: Herb plants, fresh pepper (white pepper has a nice taste), and salt for grinding (personally I like himalayan salt), and fresh lemons. Vegetables that are easy to fry (bits of courgette, cherry tomatoes), or easy to boil (frozen peas or spinach). Basics that are easy to prepare: Couscous (I like full grain for a nice bite), macaroni, bulgur, red lentils (take less long to cook than green), wraps and pittas (I find the best ones are the ones with the least ingredients), and lastly (baked) beans for fibre and taste.
A thought on organic: Personally, I prefer organic or naturally-grown ingredients. From the Dirty Dozen shopper’s guide to keep it simple. I love the taste and texture, and using them helps me on the way. As if I’m half way there with the dish. I also feel better since I do, and I like what it does for my brain, health and planet. Personally I see organic as food the way it was before we turned it into a commodity and subject to marketing. Especially after I saw what pesticides were doing to those poor French grape vineyard workers.
Planning ahead: I like to cook extra pasta, bulgur, and lentils for the next day as well. Or to store some in the freezer. On the day of cooking I let the frozen pasta or bulgur get to temperature in the fridge in advance.
Adding the magic to the ingredients
There are a lot of things you can add to the warm pasta or couscous (perhaps not all at once) (or perhaps all at once!), such as: Olive oil, fresh pepper, lemon juice (watching out for those pips), spring onions, garlic, fresh herbs, crème fraiche, coconut cream, oatmilk cream, ricotta, feta, fresh butter, some tinned fish, tinned beans, nuts, olives, hummus, lentils, beans, soya sauce, apple cider for salads (powerhouse of goodness), or fried tofu. With tinned fish, or old cheese, I find you only need a little for taste.
Side dishes
Salad: I like to begin my meal with a salad. I cut some spinach or chicory, and then add finely cut bits of tomato, cucumber, apple etc. Then I like to add nuts, seeds, dried fruits, olive oil and lemon juice. Lastly I finish it off with some mayo, feta, hummus, fried tofu or beans.
Aioli: I add fresh garlic, lemon juice and herbs and spices to mayonnaise (or yoghurt with some olive oil). Sometimes I add some tinned fish, it only needs a little for taste.
Hummus & pesto: I could make things like hummus and pesto myself. But I find it easier to use ready-made ones, especially when I have less time to cook and wash up. Luckily I find there are more and more organic ones available. However, when you do, you have the added benefit of being able to add things like fresh tops of stinging nettles (from not near a road so you don’t have to worry about exhaust fumes that came onto it), for taste and about a thousand health benefits.
Lentil soup: I begin with frying some garlic, then I add water and lentils and boil the required time. In the process I add some tinned tomato, bits of carrot. Later on also things like cumin, curcuma, a little chilli, paprika, whatever I feel like at the moment. Season. You can use stock cubes, but personally I don’t feel I need it.
Toast-with-things: I like knäckebröd, toast or bread with my soup or salad. On it I put some aioli, fresh butter and boiled egg, hummus, or avocado and some olive oil and lemon juice and pepper.
Some ideas
One-pot-fry: After frying small bits of vegetables, and adding herbs and spices, salt, pepper, garlic etc, I mix in the pre-boiled pasta, bulgur or couscous to the pan until it’s all steaming and piping hot. I might add feta or oatmilk cream, and a little bit of tinned fish just for taste.
One-pot-boil: Boil rice (best not reheat this one) or (sweet) potatoes, and other root veg (parsnips, carrot). I like to add an egg in the last 10 minutes, some frozen vegetables such as peas, spinach or green beans. When done, I add butter or olive oil. Easy peasy. I like to serve with (fish) aioli on the side. Nice alternative to “Two Veg and Meat”?
One-oven-bake: I begin to fry some small bits of potato and other root vegetables such as carrots. This takes a little longer and I might add a tiny bit of water. After adding some salt, pepper and herbs, I serve it with some kind of aioli. Anything left over is nice in a salad next day.
One-fry-pitta: I fry vegetables on one side of a frying pan, and add a pitta or a folded wrap to the other side, which I keep flipping with kitchen tongs to brown. Sometimes I also fry an egg next to it. Then I fill the wrap or pitta with the vegetables, and perhaps some hummus or feta.
Click here for some additional cooking ideas
One-pot-fry
Fry small bits of bell pepper, courgette (you can also fry bits of carrot which take a bit longer but add a lovely sweet taste). Fold a wrap, and fry in the same pan next to the vegetable, unfold it and turn around. You can also fry an egg next to it. When done, add feta or aioli.
Fry small bits of carrot, and a bit later on slices of courgette. Add garlic and some fresh herbs. Put on couscous with olive oil, some lemon juice, feta, black (Kalamate) olives, and freshly ground salt and pepper. That’s really all it needs.
Fry mushrooms, courgette, fresh thyme and rosemary, garlic, tomato paste. Add to couscous or pasta with olive oil, seasoning and parmesan pieces or some kind of old cheese (you only need a little for its strong taste), or some oatmilk cream.
Fry courgette, bell pepper. Add herbs, garlic, tomato paste or tinned tomatoes and your pre-cooked spaghetti. Add black olives, a little tinned fish for a deeper taste. Add some kind of old cheese, crème fraiche or oatmilk cream, season and add extra olive oil for taste.
Fry small cubes of aubergine and tofu, let it brown off for quite some time. Add bits of red bell pepper and courgette (which take less long to cook than aubergine and tofu). Add garlic in the last stage, fresh French ‘erbs, tomato paste. Add pasta to the pan, mix it all.
Fry small bits of carrot, sweet potato (if normal potato: make bits smaller as it takes longer), and bits of cauliflower in coconut oil (healthiest burning point) in wok, keep stirring. Add spices (curcuma, curry), garlic, and mushroom later. Make a separate kind of yogurt aioli: garlic, mustard, honey/ something sweet, oil, yoghurt, spices. Season veg. Mix all together.
If you have a grill pan even better! It is supposed to be a healthy way of cooking, and so easy. For example: Grill slices of courgette, some smaller bits of paprika. Put on couscous with olive oil, freshly ground salt and pepper, fresh herbs, feta and black olives.
One-pot-boil
Prepare couscous (with hot water in a bowl, let it stand, who’s talking about cooking here), when still warm add: garlic, avocado, olives, olive oil, fresh herbs, goats cheese, season. Simples.
Boil pasta. When still hot add: a little cream cheese, some sardines from a tin, fresh green herbs (oregano, thyme), spring onion, olive oil, season. Et voila.
Boil bulgur. During the last minutes add frozen green beans. When done, mix some fresh spinach leaves. Make sure it’s all warmed through nicely. Then add bits of spring onion, olive oil, and season. Mix all and add bits of feta and avocado last.
Boil bulgur and add green cabbage later on. When done and still warm add hummus, garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper…Serve with stick bread with homemade aioli (mayo with garlic, herbs and fresh lemon juice).
Boil potatoes. A bit later (or steam it on top of the potatoes in a steamer basket): Add cauliflower, whatever vegetables you fancy really. Make aioli with spices such as paprika, curcuma, chili, and add tinned tuna. Arrange veg and aoili next to each other on your plate.
Boil small bits of sweet potato, add frozen peas and spinach last minute. When done, add garlic, butter, olive oil, cayenne, salt and pepper, mix it up. On your plate, add baked beans, hummus and / or some tinned fish on top for a deeper taste.
Boil rice, in the last five minutes add frozen green vegetables like peas or beans. When done and still warm, add some tinned mackerel with oil, soya sauce, curry spices, curcuma, and fresh pepper.
One-oven-bake
Warm up your pita in the oven, with next to it on the tray: oiled, seasoned and herbed cherry tomatoes, bits of courgette and bell pepper (these vegetables, cut finely, don’t take too long). Serve with hummus.
Soup
Lentil soup: Warm it up, add (oatmilk or coconut) cream (or crème fraiche /ricotta/ feta), season. Serve with knäckebröd with fresh butter or mayo and tuna (or boiled egg), salt and fresh pepper.
About the author
Mary Contrary just knows. Or maybe she has no idea. Who knows? In any case, she likes to think about life and see it from different perspectives. Being a little contrary has never hurt anyone, she says. Mary lives in a beautiful country, with her dog and lovely acquaintances around her, and together they enjoy watching the bat show at dusk with a glass of sherry.
Image courtesy of Pexels, Beyzaa Yurtkuran
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