simple | Nourish Yourself

Everywhere I’ve been this week, people have been abuzz with talk of resolutions. I wrote earlier about how important it is to take it one step (or one bite!) at a time when it comes to tackling those long lists of commitments designed to build the “new you”. Taking on too much at once is a recipe for failure. So, we’ll tackle just one change at a time.

Even then, if we over-complicate the plan to change that one behavior, we’re doomed to fall short. And when we fall short, we often just abandon the whole idea and go back to our old ways. So, to help you stay on track, I offer you one very important piece of advice.

KISS – keep it simple, sweetheart.

Let’s look at an example. Imagine you’ve resolved to cook at home more often. Many MANY of my clients begin coaching programs with this goal in mind, and it’s one I wholeheartedly support. But here’s the thing. Cooking at home does not have to mean Gourmet Tuesday! In fact, I often tell people who are just beginning to cook at home that if it requires a recipe it’s probably too complicated for a weeknight! Seriously! K-I-S-S.

Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you’re on Day 2 of your New Year’s Resolution and to find inspiration, you’re flipping through the January issue of your favorite cooking magazine. You see a meal that looks terrific. You decide to make it tonight, to begin your first week of “more cooking at home.” With side dishes, it involves three recipes, 24 ingredients (18 of which you don’t already have on hand), and several hours of prep time. Are you going to do this every night? Are you going to do this even ONCE?

So, how do we KISS this dinner? Like this:

Grilled salmon (topped with chopped fresh herbs)
Baked sweet potato (topped with a dollop of Greek Yogurt)
Steamed broccoli (drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil)

Now that’s a healthy meal you can prepare in about 15 minutes – and by doing the little things in parenthesis, which don’t even require a recipe, you can take the whole meal from good to great. You can cook this way routinely and save those delicious but complicated recipes for those days when you have more time to devote to playing in the kitchen.

Try it. Test me. See if you can cook at home more often without even getting out a cookbook. Discover for yourself that simple is better. And when you do? You might just want to kiss me.

I am loving the bounty of fresh produce available at my local farmer’s markets and in my parents’ garden this summer! Every day presents another opportunity to do something simple and wonderful with all those fresh flavors. I’ve worked my way through tomato sandwiches, BLT’s, caprese, Greek salad, fresh tomato dressing (the one I wrote about in my July newsletter), corn on the cob, grilled zucchini and squash, ratatouille, and all my other standby favorites. And then I started trying new things…like this salad from a cookbook called Clean Food that my husband got me for Christmas last year. It was written by Terry Walters, a fellow graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and since all of the recipes are vegetarian (many are even vegan) it’s a great source when I’m looking for vegetable recipes in particular! This one jumped out at me when I found myself in possession of a rather large quantity of fresh green beans.

I’d serve this with a simply grilled meat or fish (flank steak? pork tenderloin? salmon? tilapia?) and a big bowl of fruit for an easy summer meal. It would also pack well for a picnic or barbecue – I’d add the dressing just before serving so the tomatoes don’t get overly juicy.

Green Beans and Sweet Corn with Summer Vinaigrette
photo credit: Whole Foods website

adapted from Clean Food Cookbook by Terry Walters

serves 6

1 1/2 cups fresh corn, cut from the cob
2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steam corn in microwave or steamer basket until tender (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.

Steam or boil green beans for 3 minutes or until bright green or just tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking, drain and add to corn.

In small bowl, whisk together olive oil through salt and pepper and pour over beans and corn. Add tomatoes and onions and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature (or cold).

Tag Archives: simple

KISS-able Meals to Cook at Home

Green Beans and Sweet Corn with Summer Vinaigrette