The One Big Secret to Easy Meals: Cooking Everything in Advance!

No one who comes home exhausted from work really feels like cooking... or maybe that's a sweeping statement; I do not like to come home from work and have to cook from scratch. But I do like to eat things that got cooked from scratch. So, unless you have someone to cook for you while you are at work, the only possible solution is to cook beforehand.

The problem with cooking beforehand is having the time and foresight to plan a weeks' worth of meals, especially given that I am whimsical and not sure what I will actually feel like eating on any given day. Plus, it's a lot of work.

So what usually ends up happening is, all the wonderful veggies you bought fresh in the market start to sit in the fridge for one day, two days, 5 days... and then they are not as fresh and appetizing as they once were!

The secret to saving time, eating good fresh food and not having to prep your meals from scratch every day is (drum-rolls!!) cooking your veggies as soon as you get them, and storing them cooked!

Carrots, red bell pepper and zucchini, washed, chopped and tossed, are ready for the oven!

Why?!

• Saves time
• Once veggies are washed, chopped up and cooked, turning them into a meal takes just a few minutes!
• Saves time!
• Most veggies keep much better once they have been prepared!
• They actually taste better once cooked and allowed to sit in the fridge for a couple of days!

I usually go to the veggie market on the weekends, and tend to cook my food on Sunday for the whole week.

The best way to cook veggies so they keep well and are flavorful is by roasting them in the oven!

How To:

• Buy fresh veggies, whatever you love most.
• Pre-heat your oven to about 290 degrees Celsius (about 375 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Wash veggies thoroughly.
• Chop them up!
• Toss them in some salt, olive oil, and, if you like, minced garlic and black pepper. Some veggies also go well tossed with some fresh herbs, like rosemary. I especially love that on potatoes!
• Spread veggies on a baking sheet (there doesn't have to be much order to the madness, unless you are putting together veggies with very different cooking times, e.g. carrots with broccoli. In that case, arranging them so it is easy to remove the broccoli before the carrots is a good idea!)
• Most veggies take around 40-45min to cook through, depending how small you chop them. Harder veggies like carrots, potatoes and beets can take longer, around 60min. Your veggies are done when it's easy to stick a fork in them!
• Remove the veggies from the oven, allow them to cool a bit, and then put them in tupperware in the refrigerator.
• Voila! You now have wonderful ingredients you can easily make into a quick meal!

The great thing about baking is that once the veggies are in the oven, you don't really have to do much. You can clean the house, do the laundry, watch tv or write without having to stand over a burner. Your day can be much more productive!

The Tater-Tots:

I bake my beets and potatoes with the skin on. I like to eat the potato skins, and the skin comes off the beets very easily once they are cooked!

Step 1: Wash thoroughly in running water.

Step 2: Chop in half.

Step 3: Toss in salt, olive oil, minced garlic and some fresh rosemary!

I added fresh rosemary to the little tater-tots! They bake well with beets since their cooking time is similar.

The potatoes and beets were done after about 60min in the oven. While they baked I was able to surf the web and watch Brasil vs. US women's volleyball, where Brasil won gold in the olympics!

What About My Spinach?!

Leafy veggies are not that great for the oven, unless you want them crisp (which can be a fun and healthy snack option, e.g. kale or spinach chips!)

I usually just wash my greens thoroughly and, unless they are to be eaten raw, do a quick and deliciously simple sauté with olive oil, garlic and salt. Here's my how-to for spinach:

Step 1: Wash thoroughly, taking care to get the dirt between the stems and leaves!

I don't usually cut my greens, just sauté them whole! In China, where the spinach comes with a bit of the root attached, I eat that too!

 Step 2: Prepare some crushed or minced garlic.

Step 3: Add a drizzle of olive-oil to a large pan and let it get nice and warm. Toss in the spinach, garlic, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Toss around in the pan for a few minutes, to ensure everything gets covered in the oil, garlic and condiments.

Step 5: Cover with a lid and reduce the heat a tad so that the spinach can cook in a bit of its own steam.

Step 6: After about 3-5min your spinach will be done, still bright green and with the roots and stems still a little crunchy!

Spinach is done, delicious and healthy!