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Quck, Delicious and Healthy Ideas

Ok people, I need HELP!!!! My husband and I have been putting in 12 to 15 hour days at work. My husband has always been the cook in my house… because he loves it and my children won’t eat my food. :) He is the one who is the healthy one and the one who puts the love in the food.

For the last month, we have eaten in the lifestyle of the obese and unhealthy… lots of take out and delivery food … It doesn’t look like our schedule is going to get any less hectic for the foreseeable future.

It seems as though cooking is going to be my job for a while in order to get past this little hiccup. My thought is to dust off the crockpot and put together a meal in a pot each morning to feed the family at dinner time.

Here are my restrictions: I have two children who are allergic to dairy and soy. We don’t eat pork. I’m not one of those who likes to start a meal with Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup (a staple here in this community).

Please, give me some ideas for quick, delicious and healthy meals…

  • * * * *

MY AFFIRMATION THAT I SEND WITH THIS THREAD:

Readers of this thread are inspired to share their ideas with me.
I receive many recipes that delight my family and I send love and blessings back to all those who share.

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

In response to meditatingmama’s post:
If you don’t use dairy, what do you add to your soups to give it the cream of -in them?

I AM
Peaceful:
Emotions, Sensations ,
& Feelings

In response to meditatingmama’s post:
Here’s a trick.

Think with your heart and taste buds, when you’re meal planning.
We all know you have a huge heart and you have favorite foods, the rest is easy..though you have to get in the frame of mind.

Make a list of healthy delicious foods. When you salivate over your food choices, you know you are on the right track(: Make a list of your children’s favorites. Give yourself an affirmation like:

My love for myself and my family are expressed with my delicious foods I make. I am creative and responsible, and love the planning, preparing and the results!

I AM
Peaceful:
Emotions, Sensations ,
& Feelings

Last night I was really tired and didnt feel like spending more than 15mins on cooking.

I made a pasta sauce to go with some fresh mushroom ravioli.

The sauce: A creamy mushroom and spinach sauce, high flavour, low fat!
One shallot
One clove of garlic
Cooked in olive oil,
Add sliced mushrooms,
A cube of frozen spinach
teaspoon Dijon mustard,
organic swiss bouillon powder made into stock with water.
A large dollop of extra light philadelphia (the one with garlic and herbs)
Fresh rosemary or whatever you happen to have in.

It made a lovely creamy sauce, minus cream, minus heaviness and low fat.

Bags of flavour – one tablespoon per portion is enough to zing up your pasta.

Mmmm my mouth is watering now thinking about how yummy it was. :o)

A full and thankful heart..

Oh – but you can substitute the cream cheese with your usual substitutes – dairy free cream cheese? does it exist?

Oh, MM – Yoi can use a tomato based sauce instead to omit dairy thats also so quick to make. Just add tomato puree and a couple of fresh toms – high heat, thats the key and your condiments etc and you’re well away to a quick hearty meal. If you are really pushed for time, grate/mince your garlic and put in a jar with olive oil ready for use anytime. Lasts for a few months.

:O)

A full and thankful heart..

In response to anoushka_f’s post:

MMMMMM… this one sounds yummy!! Sometimes I substitute rice milk for dairy, but not this case. I think tomato puree would be nice.

In response to “laurie”:

“My love for myself and my family are expressed with my delicious foods I make. I am creative and responsible, and love the planning, preparing and the results!” —- that one will take HYPNOSIS!!!!! :) hehehe… Put me DEEEEEEP Under and plant that baby in my subconscience!!!

Oh, my husband bought me a new oven – the exact one I’ve had on my vision board for the last couple of weeks – to encourage me. Silly boy!! That vision was to encourage HIM to cook again!!! :) MENTAL NOTE TO SELF – Cut out pictures of FOOD next time…

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

In response to meditatingmama’s post:
I sent you a recipe. You won’t need to go deep into hypnosis, you just need to be hungry and want a tasty healthy meal(:

I AM
Peaceful:
Emotions, Sensations ,
& Feelings

In response to anoushka_f’s post:

That sound so delicious I am going to try it. Thank you very much.

In response to meditatingmama’s post:

MM you might want to substitute coconut milk it is really tasty. I made a shrimp and lime soup with cocounut milk. It was delicious. It does take some time though but you can always cook up big batches of the things you love then bag them and freeze for future use. That way you just warm up what you want.

Can you outsource it? Is there someone out there that needs a few $$$‘s and can cook good healthy food to your requirments? A homecooked meal cooked by someone else might be same price as a takeaway but healthier…

“Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there” Will Rogers

Make a BIG pot of soup when you get a chance and freeze portions and eat with toast &/or salad/steamed veg/boiled egg for a simple dinner. I made a potato & leek soup the other night for first time and my hard to please French husband LOVED it and my kids kept fighting over seconds and thirds (there was nothing left to freeze).

Saute 1 onion & 2-3 leeks in butter/oil until soft. Add 2-3 diced potatoes & chopped fresh rosemary. Add about 1 litre of veg stock. Simmer until tatties are soft, about 20 mins, & wizz with a stick blender, check for seasoning. Snip some chives in it, doesn’t need cream. I think that was it. But you’ll want to make more to save time later.

And MM, don’t be too hard on yourself, you are such a great Mum!

“Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there” Will Rogers

In response to Vivi exercises daily!‘s post:
Here Here! MM you are GREAT MUM!……X

That in mind, use all that love even for baked beans on toast and your kids will love it simply because it was delivered with love by their most loving Mum!!

Sometimes the simplest things taste the best and give the best health benefits because of the positive intentions behind giving them…..x

A full and thankful heart..

Thank you all so much for your ideas and your very kind words!! I do love coconut milk and am excited to try that. It is something that just never occurred to me and seems brilliant!!

The weather is turning chilly, so it is the PERFECT time to drag out the soup pot!! I absolutely LOVE leeks, so it will be next on my list.

I now have a weeks worth of recipes (including my emails), so I am sending you all much love & good energy. My family will be very happy with these ideas!!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! For me the hardest part is what to cook. You all have just fixed that for me!!

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

In response to meditatingmama’s post:

Here’s another idea MM Almond milk. It’s good for you and you can use organic almonds. Be careful with the Coconut milk it can be fattening but Its been said that Coconut oil can make you lose weight. I have used a little of it to cook my eggs.

Almond Milk

Enjoy,
Mary

Hey MM! Saw you online and thought of you and this thread…and remembered a great all in one pot dish I came up with this weekend:

Its an ‘Anoushka take’ on Kedgeree:

Basically you either have some cooked rice left over or just cook some rice whilst you prepare the rest that goes into it:

- boil a couple of eggs (‘just-cooked’ not hard boiled)

-Fry and onion along with a little spice paste (I used a teaspoon of a good curry paste)

- add some flaked smoked makerel (I like the peppered one)

- Add some chopped red pepper (capsicum)

-Some frozen peas

- Some sweetcorn (optional, but I liked it with)

-toss in the cooked rice with some seasoning (e.gstock powder slaked with a bit of water)

and finally fold in the roughly chopped egg (yolk should still be a bit gooey in the centre)

It was so tasty and colourful and all the nutrition you need in one pan!

Enjoy!

A full and thankful heart..

OOOH! Just thought of another one that would be great for your gang with left over rice:

Rice Pudding – ish!!

With Coconut milk, cardamon pods for a great aromatic flavour and some golden sultanas. Boil it up or bake it….yum!

A full and thankful heart..

Ohhhhh…. I just received some awesome cardamom pods from Guatemala the other day. They are sooo fresh and aromatic. I’m in Kansas, so I’ll probably be stuck with raisins, but they should work just fine. Do you have a good Kheer recipe to share???

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

I’m afraid I dont know what Kheer is….??
Sorry! :(

A full and thankful heart..

I just looked it up – it sounds just like my rice pudding idea!!! LOL!
Its basically the same thing, but traditionally condensed milk is used – very sweet. and raisins, cardamon, and sometimes almonds…

A full and thankful heart..

In response to laurie- worksout-daily&w/everything she’s got~ ~‘s post:
Loads of vegetables when mushed with the mixer become creamy by themselves. Pumpkin, zucchini, bell pepper or beet don’t need a creamer at all.
Allright difficult to do with mushrooms.
A trick I was once told to make asparagus souce creamy without cream was to use some mashed potatos.

…what a wonderful world….

In response to aftab’s post:
Mushrooms through a food processor are great, and can be used on lots of dishes.

Love your ideas!

I AM
Peaceful:
Emotions, Sensations ,
& Feelings

Oh Yummy! I am definitely going to try this. I think it is similar to something my husband makes that he calls Zoupa. He boils sweet potatoes, squash & zuchinni and then puts it in the food processor. My kids LOVE it!!

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

In response to meditatingmama’s post:
The Zoupa sounds quite good. Tell me how he does it, and I’ll try it. We might have to get your hubby to start a thread(:

I AM
Peaceful:
Emotions, Sensations ,
& Feelings

My husband is very secretive with his recipes. Whenever I ask him what he puts in it, he only coyly answer “Love”. …sometimes he answers “Sincerity”. Do I ever get the spices? No!! ;) However, when he gets home, I’ll ask him about the Zoupa.

The main thing I see is that he boils the vegetables (I forgot potatoes) until soft. Then he puts them in the food processor until it looks similar to loose mashed potatoes (except orange). He puts some spices in, but I’m not sure what. Of course, I’ll ask.

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

The Zoupa even without any spices sounds delicious. Although I would love to know what spices he uses.

…what a wonderful world….

Wow MM – That Zoupa does sound yummy and of course it would be, with your hubby’s secret ingredient -Love ;o)

Laurie – I like the blitzed mushroom idea. It immediately got my brain ticking and thought of a wonderful mushroom pate you could make – add garlic, black olives perhaps, olive oil and seasoning. Would be best to saute the mushrooms first for best flavour.

Thanks for the inspiration. Might try and make some canapes of mushroom pate on croutons for my hubby at the weekend!

Also, Mushroom Duxelle (spelling??),
sauted finely chopped mushroom, herbs and garlic,
to spread liberally on Meat or fish before baking – or wrapping in pastry (encroute) like beef wellington….? That layer of mushrooms gives that ‘packs a punch’ flavour kick.

A full and thankful heart..

I have been having a mix of honey and cinnamon powder for 3 weeks now and believe me I feel so energentic and alive…never felt as healthy before. My White Blood Cells have gone up to 5500 whereas they never ever crossed the 4000 mark in the last 3 years! Try it it works.

We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.

In response to SONIA’s post:
What quantities do you use, and do you just eat from the spoon or add to other food. I love both honey and cinnamon. Gifts from heaven.

“Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there” Will Rogers

If you have time to cook on the weekend make loads and freeze things. Have a look I my burger recipes on the “V word revisited” thread. they freeze well and the recipe makes 9-12 burgers each time. soups also freeze and stews. or make large batches of sauces to defrost and serve over pasta or veges

In response to melt86’s post:

I brought out my slow cooker and actually made a stew myself yesterday. I have never froze a stew or soup. How do you do it? I mean what kind of container? Just a normal plastic one? (sorry, the kitchen is one place I don’t spend enough time and I just never learned)

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

Platic containers work, don’t put in when really hot. I just use ones from takeaways or yogurt containers, there’s something bad said about reheating in microwave, maybe better to remove from plastic and reheat in a bowl or on stovetop. And you can buy freezer safe plastic containers, they are stronger and don’t get brittle and crack.

Freezer bags/clip seal bags work too, although I’ll give a warning on this one if you have wire rack shelves: sit the bag on a plate in the freezer until it’s frozen, otherwise the shape will mould to the wire shelf and expand as it freezes making it impossible to remove without defrosting. Trust me on this one.

Even small amounts of leftover wine is good to freeze to add to stocks and sauces, although why there would be any leftover wine is beyond me!

I think the general rule is 3 months for freezing? 1 or 2 serve portions of frozen soup have been a great help to me in the past for a quick meal.

Sorry, that was a long-winded post, must mean I’m supposed to be doing an assignment GET ON WITH IT VIVI.

“Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there” Will Rogers

Ooooh! Thanks!! I can see doing it in 1 or 2 serving portions or it would take all day to melt in my cold kitchen!! :)

I’m with you… Exactly how does one have leftover wine? :)

I am living in many dimensions at once; the appearance of being trapped in time and space is only an illusion.

In response to Vivi exercises daily!‘s post:
I use 1/4 teaspn of cinnamon and 1 teaspn of honey. It has amazing health benefits. I checked the net and was really amazed.

We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.

In response to SONIA’s post:
Thank you!

“Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there” Will Rogers

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