Think You Can't (or Don't Like to) Cook? Try This...

The #1 excuse I get from clients and friends who want to cook real whole foods, but don’t, is “I don’t have time!” (The #2 excuse is “It’s too expensive!).)

I get it.

I’ve been there too. And to be honest, I’ve been there very recently, where I’ve resorted to pizza nightS (PLURAL – meaning more than once a week) and I’ve filled my cart with a few “time saving” foods like precooked chicken wings, frozen foods and various sauces and dressings to save me a few steps. I was the Nutritionist who hated cooking (most of the time).

The thing is, anytime a food is pre-prepared and ready to heat and eat, it’s processed – even if it’s organic. That means it’ll be lacking in nutrients and preserved in some undisclosed way to make it last on the shelf longer. And most of the time, it also means it’ll cost more than the real, whole food would’ve cost to begin with. These are OK in a pinch but more of a LOSE, LOSE when you think about it.

So what to do?

I have 3 tips that I recently learned at Stella Culinary Bootcamp that will save you time, stress and money. Chef Jacob, a superb fine dining chef knows a thing or two about making great food efficiently and affordably and he was happy to share his knowledge with our class and I’d like to share some key prep tips with you too:

Meal Planning – Plan your dinners a few days (or even a week) in advance, but be flexible about it because some things may work out better subbed if there’s a sale or better quality choices. My sister has been doing this for a while and it makes such a huge difference in terms of sanity and budgeting. Not only will you know what you need to get at the market each time, but it takes the angst and guesswork out of wondering what to make at 5 o’clock every night. You know that dreaded feeling that hits and then sometimes results in ordering less than stellar takeout. It’s like failure or giving up – I hate that feeling!
Batch Processing – When you’re planning your meals, look at ways to leverage some of your protein and veggie prep (and grains/legumes if you choose to eat them). One good strategy, with chicken for example, is to buy whole chickens instead of parts – this is cheaper and more efficient in the long run. Roast 1-2 chickens (or even better,spatchcock your chicken – Google it 🙂 ) and break them down into parts for a few meals. Chop up any leftover meat for chicken salad or protein snacks. Save the bones for chicken stock in a baggie in the freezer or start them simmering overnight. The broth can then be used for cooking or a nice soup later in the week. You can do the same with veggies by chopping a few extra onions, mincing a bunch of garlic cloves, etc..
“Mise en Place” – (Pronounced meez-n-plahs) This is a french phrase which essentially means having all your tools and ingredients prepped and ready to cook before you start cooking. This is a culinary requirement in a good restaurant – all good chefs do this or they wouldn’t survive! It looks something like this: Say it’s Monday evening after you make a fantastic roasted chicken dinner and in your meal plan for Tuesday you’ve planned seared pork chops with a sweet and savory sauce of onions and apples with roasted Brussels Sprouts. As Monday evening clean up is happening, this would be a good time to gather some of that chopped onion and garlic (from Tip #2 – Batch Processing), trim and split the Brussels Sprouts and maybe even chop the apple and sprinkle it with some lemon to keep it from browning (or you could just have it ready to chop the next day). Are you brining the pork? or breaking it down from a larger cut? Get that ready too. Keep all the ingredients together in one place in the fridge so you can just grab and go the next day. This tip is a game changer and makes me feel so much more confident and calm – like a real chef!

So there you have it! Three small but super effective practices to save you time and money while you eat real whole foods. Decide you’re going to do at least one of these and just start practicing. Like building a muscle it may take a few tries to build a stronger habit and make it second nature. But if I can do it – anyone can! Believe me!

Bon Appetito! …and please let me know how you do!

Red Curry Coconut Shrimp

(Paleo, Keto, Low Carb – serves 4ish)

2 lbs wild shrimp peeled and deveined
Coconut oil for sautéing
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 T ginger minced
1 cup stop light pepper strips (i used frozen ?)
2-4 T red curry paste (to taste)
1 can coconut milk
Red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin, salt to taste
Chopped cilantro, finishing salt and lime on top
PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
Sauté shrimp in coconut oil separately until pink and cooked through. Keep warm. In large saucepan or pot heat curry paste until fragrant. Add onions and cook until soft, add ginger, garlic. Then add milk and spices. Simmer for 10-20 minutes. Stir and adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle curry sauce over shrimp and top with lime, cilantro and finishing salt. You can serve over cauli-rice or steamed rice if desired, but it’s really filling as is.

How I saved time with this recipe:
(TIP 1) I planned a curry based meal loosely as I went shopping earlier in the week. Wild shrimp was on sale at Whole Foods so I decided that would be my protein. I work from home mostly, so after lunch, I peeled the shrimp (this was the worst part – so next time I might get pre-peeled shrimp?).. I got out the rice (not for me, but for my grain loving family) and cooked it so it was ready for them (TIP 3). I had chopped onion and minced garlic from the night before ready to go (TIP 2). When the kids came home from school, I minced the garlic and chopped the cilantro, took out the peppers, curry paste, coconut milk and lime and put them on the counter (this took 10 mins). My pans and tools were ready to go. I always have coconut oil and salt near the stove. (TIP 3). This meal was ready in 15 minutes. It was stress free, delicious (if I do say so myself) and best of all, someone else did the dishes because they thought I was so amazing for cooking :).