Yes really! Eating healthy food can be fun even without Jamie Oliver in the kitchen. Here are some ideas on how to create some basic recipes that you can change and adapt so you don’t get bored and don’t have to be a master chef to make them.
Before you start to get your creative cooking flowing, I just want to mention that healthy eating means omitting some things, like French fries and other fried foods, or at least eating them only once in a while, and including plenty of raw foods and a good mix of fruits and vegetables. Nuts and seeds are also great for a healthy diet. Here are some ideas to get started…
Mince paste (use good quality lean meat)
Because burgers are often a favorite, I have found a mincemeat pasta that is made with half finely minced meat and half shredded carrots, which is what makes it so much healthier than a pure meat pasta. Add any seasoning you like: my favorite is finely chopped onion, ground black pepper, a generous amount of crushed garlic cloves, salt for seasoning, and lots of chopped fresh mint or dried mint leaves. The mint gives it a touch of Arabic kebab. You can use parsley, thyme, rosemary, watercress or add some hot pepper or peppers to the curry to spice it up.
This is what you can do with it:
- Form into patties or roll into olive oil glazed sausage patties and grill.
- Form small balls and put them in a tomato sauce to make meatballs
- Shape into a loaf and bake in a loaf pan for a meatloaf that can be eaten hot or cold and taken to work for lunch.
- Stuff red, green and yellow bell peppers with the paste and roast them in the oven to create a colorful and appetizing dish.
Serve with vegetables, broccoli or cauliflower and a standard sweet potato/potato mix, or if you made meatballs, serve them on a bed of brown rice. Add a raw salad like baby spinach leaves, cucumber, chives and tomato or whatever you like to eat raw. Sprinkle your salad with nuts and seeds for added nutritional value.
Fish to tickle your fancy
I know fish isn’t always a favorite and sometimes it’s hard to get good quality fish, but the best thing about fish is that it’s fast food because it cooks so fast. Buy a fresh or frozen fillet with the skin on (haddock, cod, or whatever looks good on the day). Place on a baking sheet, skin side down, and coat with seasoned cold-pressed olive oil. For the seasoning use a small amount of salt plus a handful of finely chopped parsley, a small finely chopped onion, a crushed garlic clove, and a pinch of salt and pepper, all mixed with the olive oil. Grill under a moderate to hot grill and it will be ready in no time.
You can also use the same fish to make a fish stew by adding some tomato sauce and cooking it in a pan. Leave the skin on or take it off, whichever you prefer, I usually leave it on because I think the flavor is better and the fish holds together better too. Replace the parsley with cilantro for a more oriental flavor.
Serve it with whatever steamed vegetables and raw salad you fancy.
Soup for all seasons
Soup can be a fantastic filling, and it’s so easy to make. My favorite recipe is a rustic bean and vegetable recipe that includes two varieties of beans (soaked for 24 hours before cooking), pearl barley, this is a ‘must have’ in soup because it makes it thick and creamy, red lentils, and brown rice. I usually soak lentils, rice and barley for an hour before cooking. The beans and grains are placed in a large saucepan with three dried bay leaves, boiled briskly for 20 minutes, and then simmered until cooked.
To the cooked grains and beans add plenty of diced or grated vegetables and more water if needed, plus salt and pepper for seasoning. Any vegetables except starchy things like potatoes are fine, for example carrots, green cabbage and sweet corn, bell peppers, and green beans. I always add a large chopped onion and about four crushed garlic cloves, plus some fresh or dried herbs, like rosemary, to develop the flavor. If you want to be healthier, add some nuts and seeds just before serving the soup. A large saucepan of this soup can last for several servings if desired.