If there is one theme I hear all the time from patients, it is not that don’t know that they need to eat healthy – it is that they just don’t have the time to do it. Too often, high salt, high sugar take-aways and convenience foods are an answer to being too busy, too pressed for time. Organising yourself, even one day per week, and planning your meals can make a huge difference. In the summer, I highly recommend families include snacks in the plan. Here’s my batch cook this week:
The boys are in a sports camp this week, so extra protein snacks for the lunch box. This includes protein balls (I made this last week and they’ve voted for more again) as well as fresh fruit. This week, I’ve also made an avocado-banana bread for snack. I’ve had this recipe for over 10 years – no idea where it came from:, but it is dairy and gluten free.
Avocado-Banana Bread
3 ripe bananas
1 avocado
30g butter or plant-based substitute
4 Tbl maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs (or vegan substitute/flax-seed egg. If you are not vegan, real eggs do work better in this recipe)
1/2 tsp bread soda
200g ground almonds
Preheat oven to 180. Line a loaf tin. Mash together the banana, avocado, and butter. Mix in the other ingredients, and fold in the ground almonds last. Bake for 60 minutes but this will vary depending on the loaf tin type and your oven. I tend to start checking at 45 minutes.
Saving Time and Money in the Kitchen
When it comes to saving €€, buying in bulk and reducing food waste can really help. Here are my tips: 1. Own brand ingredients and skip “organic” – often doesn’t make a huge nutritional difference if you are paying for premium brands or “organic”. 2. For spices, check out your local ethnic/asian grocer. Spices – as well as staples such as rice – are sold in larger and cheaper-per-gram quantities. For health reasons, avoid sugary and salty jarred sauces. 3. For saving time and reducing food waste, it’s all about frozen. Grocery stores often sells already chopped ingredients include onion, coriander, chili, garlic… Use what you need from frozen and put the rest in the freezer. This is also important if you have a medical condition, such as arthitis, which limits your ability to chop.
Chickpea Taco Filling
This recipe can be double or tripled and kept in the fridge for a few days. This can be served hot or cold, wrapped in a tortilla or lettuce, or put into a salad. They can also be layered into tortillas with some cheese to make quesadillas. Side dishes to go with the Mexican theme include “refried” beans and pico de gallo.
“Refried” Black Beans
1 chopped onion**
2-3 cloves of garlic**, minced
chipotle powder/paste – to taste
1 tsp cumin powder – or more to taste.
2 cans black beans (dried black beans will work, but you will need to soak overnight) Drain but save the water from the cans.
Heat a little oil in a pan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic, cumin, and chipotle for 1 minute. Add black beans and a good splash of the water from the cans. Grab a potato masher and mix and mash the beans. Add more water if you want a looser consistency or cook longer to reduce down the water for a firmer mash. Serve with fresh coriander or cheese. You can also layer with cheese between 2 tortillas for a quesadilla.
pico de gallo (homemade salsa)
2-3 spring onions
1/2 – 1 jalopeno pepper (this can be tricky to find. I often use jarred jalopeno peppers which are not as strong but readily available).
One bunch fresh coriander
4 good sized tomatoes
Squeeze of lime juice
pinch of salt if using fresh jalopeno pepper
Pulse all ingredients in a food processor and store in airtight container. For best flavour, make at least a few hours before serving.
0 Comments