Fast Food Healthy Food

I am not a great cook, in fact I find cooking boring and like to get out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. I also have a busy life style and when I get home I don't want to spend ages cooking - like most working folk I like to open the freezer, pop something in the oven (not the microwave because I mistrust radiated food) and sit back with a glass of wine for 20 minutes, then eat. However I do like to eat healthy food and I know that bought ready-meals are usually full of salt and preservatives.

The easiest way to introduce a healthier diet is to use LESS fat, sugar, salt and additives and MORE fresh food and more fiber. It really is that simple but it does mean cutting out all processed foods, cans and supermarket ready-meals. Don't be deceived by those foods with artificial sweeteners, this does not make for a healthy foodstuff: The additive which is marketed as NutraSweet - Aspartame or saccharin - Has 92 known side effects including loss of short term memory, accelerated aging, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer's. It need not be a bland diet and you will feel 100% better for it. With very little effort and some preparation you can still have a meal from fridge to plate with a minimum of effort.

So what is the solution? Make your own ready meals of course. I spend the minimum time in the kitchen possible by cooking batches of food and freezing them in portions.

To illustrate the point here are four simple recipes that take about 20 minutes from kitchen to table. Cook a batch for several meals at once then not only do you have a meal on the table quickly, you have several more in the freezer for quick meals.

If you are a gourmet this is NOT for you...

SPINACH & RICE SOUP:

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• Teaspoon dried coriander or mixed herbs
• 1 potato
• 8oz spinach washed and torn
• 3/4 pint vegetable stock
• Handful of cooked rice

1. Heat oil in saucepan while you prepare onions.
2. Cook onions until soft.
3. Add garlic, potato, spinach and stock.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Blend with a hand blender (essential for fast food and a great one-time investment for around £10-£20).
6. Serve with wholemeal toast spread with humus.

STIR FRY VEGETABLES:

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time 5 minutes.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot chopped thinly
• 1 leek chopped thinly
• Handful mushrooms sliced
• Broccoli florets
• Handful frozen sweet corn
• Handful frozen garden peas
• 2 oz Soya sauce
• 2 oz nuts - cashew or pine nuts unsalted
• Cup of water

1. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan until smoking - do not leave it unattended!
2. Soften onion onions while you prepare other vegetables.
3. Add each to the pan as they are ready making sure the oil stays hot.
4. Stir frequently adding a little water if necessary.
5. Cook for about 4 minutes.
6. Add Soya sauce and nuts and serve.
7. Serve inside a warm pitta bread.

MUSHROOM STEW:

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion -finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic - finely chopped
• 8 oz mushrooms - cleaned and sliced into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon wholemeal flour
• 4 oz vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• Optional - mixed dried herbs
• Soya sauce

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a saucepan while you finely chop an onion.
2. Fry the onion while you prepare 1 clove of garlic and add this finely chopped to the onion. Stir to keep from sticking and lift off heat if you are not ready to add mushrooms.
3. Clean 8oz of mushrooms (flat head mushrooms give a wonderful dark color but you can use any, try a mixture.) Cut into medium sized chunks and add to pan. Stir to mix with the onion and garlic.
4. Stir in 1 tablespoon of wholemeal flour - take off the heat while you do this and mix it thoroughly.
5. Return to heat and gently blend in 4oz of vegetable stock made from one stock cube.
6. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
7. You can also add a touch of Soya sauce to darken it plus dried mixed herbs if you like.
8. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes while you cook vegetables to accompany it.
9. With the sauce you don't really need to mash potatoes since that would add another fat source (milk or butter).
10. Steam broccoli by placing the cleaned florets in a metal sieve over a saucepan of boiling water with the lid on top.

LOAD OF OLD LENTILS:

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• Dried or fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 oz red lentils
• 2 oz mushrooms
• Salt & pepper

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan while you prepare the onion and garlic.
2. Add onions to the pan and cook until soft.
3. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are soft.
4. Serve over a bed of pasta with a green salad.