The Secret Recipe: How to make 1000+ Meals in under 20 minutes
Eating healthy does not require breaking the bank or collecting endless stacks of recipe books. I’m about to tell you exactly how I eat. My meals are quick, easy, inexpensive and offer great variety.With my on-the-go lifestyle, it is important that I make my meals as efficient as possible but perhaps more importantly, with quality nutrition and taste. I NOW rarely use recipes with the exception of some salad dressings. In my first few years of adopting cooking my own meals versus eating out, I used just about every cooking magazine, homemade cookbook and whole-foods recipes I could get my hands on. I learned a lot about eating seasonally and organically as well as ensuring whole foods were a staple in my diet. With those years of experience under my belt I found that just about each recipe can be broken down into a less complicated format. I mastered preparing vegetables and achieving a balanced diet. Moreover, his discovery actually encouraged me to be more adventurous with my pairing of foods and most notably, decreased the stack of cookbooks littering my kitchen counter.But before I share what I learned and manifested to eating healthily and with lots of variety, I have to encourage one thing. Practice makes perfect! The more you practice my “Secret Recipe,” the more comfortable you will become with cooking for your on-the-go healthy lifestyle. Don’t sweat it if you find that you are missing an ingredient or you do not have enough spices. You cannot mess this format up! Simply improvise, have fun with it and be resourceful! This secret is literally fool proof!
First, start with your BASE. Then, throw in one or more SIDES, TOPPINGS, or FILLINGS. Lastly, dash up the meal with some SAUCES or SPICES. Below are some ideas of things you can try to mix up and make your first meal using my “Secret Recipe.”
BASE OPTIONS
Bowl: Lentils, beans, split peas, brown rice, quinoa, milletSalad: Spinach, kale, romaine, spring greens, bean sproutsWrap: Nori or seaweed wrap, lettuce or collard leaves, organic corn tortilla, sprouted grain tortillaNoodles: Spaghetti squash, kelp noodles, brown rice pasta, gluten-free whole-grain pastaMeat: Wild-caught salmon, local chicken, organic lean beef, antibiotic free turkey
FILLINGS, SIDES OR TOPPING IDEAS
Fillings: Lentils, beans, split peas, hummus, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa...season however you want!Sides or Toppings: Unsalted sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, olives, pine nuts, slivered almonds, cashews, pecans, raw vegetables(carrots, avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, root vegetables…), sauteed, baked or steamed vegetables (peppers, broccoli, corn, asparagus, onions, squash, zucchini)
SAUCES AND SPICES CHOICES
Sauces: Salad dressings(hand-made or organic), salsa of any kind,pesto sauce, mustard, vegannaise, apple cider vinegar with a dash of olive oil, local honey mixed with a little lime juiceSpices: Organic Mexican, Thai, Italian, Indian or Chinese spice blends(avoid GMOs, MSG, corn syrup and other chemical ingredients), chili pepper,turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, oregano, thyme, basil (little to no salt including sea salt)
