Minimalism in food « Back to Group Discussions

[Paigekitten]

Do any of you eat simply?  What foods do you eat?  How do you prepare them?  

Lately we've been eating a lot of salad and meat for dinner.  The salad is premade in the fridge and I cook the meat in the crockpot so it just stays on warm for a few days until we polish it off. I'm eating low carb, but I'll bake some potatoes or make a pot of rice for the kids.

I am trying to limit packaging, and I'm having a hard time thinking of simple breakfast and lunch foods.

[Persephone]

Oooh, I am leaning this way. You might like the book, "Unplugged Kitchen" very simple vegetarian recipes in there. I don't know how simple it is, but for breakfast, I like eggs and greens, and sometimes a piece of fruit- I have some form of that nearly every day- and for lunches... how about this for kids?: http://www.steadymom.com/2010/05/easy-lunches-for-kids.html For myself, I usually have some form of leftovers. Or use something like this to make a salad: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ultimate-salad-recipe/#axzz1pnAaidTf

I like Garden of Eating, mainly because of the "formulas" for meals. You really have to read the book to know what I mean, but as an example, here are my formulas: breakfast: egg+ green+ fruit (opt), dinner: protein+ green vegetable + starchy vegetable. One night a week, fruit based dessert. This keeps it simple for me, but also provides enough variety that I don't get sick of any one thing.

[Paigekitten]

Cool, I just put unplugged kitchen on hold. 

I've read Mark's Daily Apple, but I hadn't come across the salad link, and that is a really cool list. 

[ziursrm]

Keeping it simple without getting boring. Now there's a challenge. I'm so bad in the kitchen already

[SomethingAnonymous]

We made this recently and it was so good! The cool thing about it was that it made enough for dinner, breakfast and lunch. It reheats well in a cast iron pan- we don't do microwaves. And did I say how good it was? Better than any beef tacos I've ever had.

We've been eating dinner leftovers for breakfast a lot. I have always objected to the idea of designated "breakfast foods" so it's not hard for me to rebel against that.

Then we also made this the other night - http://www.ordinaryvegetarian.com/2010/05/tibetan-momos-in-darjeeling.html

It was from the same woman's blog with the lentil recipe so I figured it was worth trying. That recipe made 100 momos. It took my partner and I about an hour to do but we had dinner, breakfast and lunch again from 1 hour's work. We just ate them cold the second day, they tasted good cold. 

We've also found in the past that just cooking some meat and a vegetable is a good simple way to go. 

I like making chicken broth in the crockpot, then putting it in the fridge in jars- I can just pour some into a pot, chop some vegetables like carrots, leeks, zucchini and then add maybe some pieces of chicken or stir in an egg- it barely takes any time at all. If you use a vegetable peeler to slice the vegetables it kinda makes them like noodles if you are skipping grains. Or if you aren't, it only take 10 minutes to boil pasta in the broth. I often feel like soup for breakfast.. maybe I am just weird I don't know.

Smoothies are also very easy. One of our favorites is apple juice, frozen mangos and frozen raspberries. For every cup of mango it's about 6 or 7 raspberries. And about a cup of apple juice. 

If anyone has any good smoothie recipes that are simple and include a vegetable I'd be interested in hearing about them :)

[Paigekitten]

until our blender broke I would just add a handful of kale or spinach in with the fruit

[SomethingAnonymous]

ah ok good to know! thanks, we'll try it out.

[heyitskalista]

For breakfast we usually do crock pot steel cut oats on Mondays, make it into muffins for Tuesday and then granola on Wednesdays.  The rest of the week is finishing up any of the leftover oatmeal or eggs and smoothies or toast. 

Our favourite oatmeal recipes are from here: http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2011/03/159/Overnight,+Slow+Cooker,+Apple+Cinnamon+Steel-Cut+Oatmeal

Lunches are mostly leftovers. 

I am a terrible cook but I'm learning (slowly).  Our biggest thing has been trying to leave nothing un-used.  We buy a whole chicken and roast it with veggies for one dinner, use the extra chicken for tacos or something similar another night then use the bones and innards to make broth for soup.

I love baking so we do all our own breads, etc. which cuts down on packaging.

[Paigekitten]

Originally Posted by Persephone 

Oooh, I am leaning this way. You might like the book, "Unplugged Kitchen" very simple vegetarian recipes in there. 

I'm really enjoying this book.  Thanks!

[litlwons]

I am not so good in the kitchen.... mostly because of lack of desire, I would rather be doing something else. So simplicity and minimalism in the kitchen is what I aim for. I love cutting up a bunch of raw vege's and put them out on the table with hummus and pita. My boys love love this and I am able to get lots of veggies into them this way. I like to do this with fruit in the mornings as well, but this is more difficult because we tend to be running late getting my oldest to school, so with him I need to be more planned out. My boys do eat meat, so I try to keep that to grilling on the BBQ and I will cook up extra, to make sanwiches for them on other days. I always have a bowl of nuts arounds, for more finger food, and smoothies are usually super simple for me too. Food has always been "difficult" for me, esp. since I started to prepare food for other than myself....... I really eat to live, snacking usually most of the day....

I would love to hear more ideas on this topic...

thank you,

Kathleen

[SomethingAnonymous]

Originally Posted by Persephone 
 

Oooh, I am leaning this way. You might like the book, "Unplugged Kitchen" very simple vegetarian recipes in there.

Originally Posted by Paigekitten 

I'm really enjoying this book.  Thanks!

I just got the cookbook and it's great!  Thanks for mentioning it!

[Mommel]

I just started eating very simply again. I've found that making a menu plan for the week works well to simplify my grocery shopping and cooking. Also, while it isn't as convenient as say, sticking a frozen lasagna in the microwave, I prefer to eat whole foods exclusively so there's a bit more prep and cook time involved, but this is where I prefer to spend my time, money and energy. As for kitchen wares, I am very minimalist, although I did get a food processor recently, but I use it a lot. :)

[Persephone]

Oh, I"m so glad you're enjoying the book! :) I might have to reread it too. :)

[litlwons]

I just found the book you are recomending/reading and ordered it! Looking forward to getting it in the mail! :)

Kathleen

[featherstory]

I'm pretty minimal in the kitchen.  We eat a high raw diet...so we usually eat one-three different fruits for each meal, breakfast, lunch, 1st dinner ;), and then the last meal is salad and potatoes or rice and something else, maybe beans or a cooked veggie or rarely a veggie burger.  I don't really make complicated meals, most of what I make will have less than 5 ingredients, though I make a soup or stew about once or twice a week with whatever needs to be cooked and that lasts us a few nights. 

It's nice to not have to think about what we're going to eat and most of our waste is compostable.  Whatever fruits are in season is what we'll eat and the seasons don't last too long that we ever get bored of anything, and there's always a few different fruits to focus on at a time.  I used to get so stressed about food and since I started eating this way it has been such a breeze and so easy for me.  My oldest daughter goes through phases of caring about what other people are eating so sometimes I have to give her something different, but usually we all eat the same, except that she eats way more beans than me and my youngest!

[Mommel]

Originally Posted by featherstory 

I'm pretty minimal in the kitchen.  We eat a high raw diet...so we usually eat one-three different fruits for each meal, breakfast, lunch, 1st dinner ;), and then the last meal is salad and potatoes or rice and something else, maybe beans or a cooked veggie or rarely a veggie burger.  I don't really make complicated meals, most of what I make will have less than 5 ingredients, though I make a soup or stew about once or twice a week with whatever needs to be cooked and that lasts us a few nights. 

It's nice to not have to think about what we're going to eat and most of our waste is compostable.  Whatever fruits are in season is what we'll eat and the seasons don't last too long that we ever get bored of anything, and there's always a few different fruits to focus on at a time.  I used to get so stressed about food and since I started eating this way it has been such a breeze and so easy for me.  My oldest daughter goes through phases of caring about what other people are eating so sometimes I have to give her something different, but usually we all eat the same, except that she eats way more beans than me and my youngest!

I am very interested in this... do you have any links or sources you used to learn about this that you can share? You cook the potatoes and rice though, right? It sounds like it's a whole foods diet, but maybe with some extra restrictions?