Rethinking Quick Meals
We seem to constantly be on the hunt for quick meal options. Today, I’m challenging you on whether you need it in the first place!
Making the making part of it
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If you want under 15 minute meals, there’s enough inspiration out there to last you a lifetime of cooking. Which famous TV chef hasn’t done a “15 minute or less” cookbook by now? There are even whole websites and social media channels dedicated to quick meals. As I’ve talked about a lot lately, I desperately need quick meals quite often these days due to a genuine lack of time. And this is the case for a lot of people, due to intense work schedules, family responsibilities, or otherwise busy lives. However, sometimes we think we need a quick meal solution when we actually don’t.
The idea that cooking should take no time at all has become very normalised in our society. A the risk of sounding very old-fashioned, we all seem to want to have access to everything instantly. So a lot of us stick to a handful, at best, recipes that we can make quickly– and if we crave something that takes longer to make, we will order it and have it delivered, or maybe more commonly, buy a version of it that is, to varying degrees, ready-made.
A lot of people claim to not have time to cook, but will come home from work, do the quickest meal they can, and then sit in front of the TV and eat it… and stay there. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no judgement from me for wanting to relax in front of the TV, especially if you have a very busy and demanding life, winding down is absolutely needed and allowed. But what if I told you that the cooking can also be the wind down?
Whenever I see footage from places around the world that are considered the “blue zones”, regions in the world where people seem to live longer on average (check out the series on Netflix about blue zones, it’s incredibly inspiring, especially when it comes to the food aspect!), I noticed one thing in particular that’s different from a lot of our lives: food is on the go almost all the time. At any given time, something is simmering, fermenting, slow cooking, brewing. The food is not hiding in the cupboard in a box that says “ready in five minutes” on the side of it.
In my mission statement which I shared at the start of the year, I mentioned about food and cooking being a big part of enjoying life. This is what I mean. Think about when something is cooked in your kitchen, whether you are making it yourself or someone else is making it. Whenever a bit of onion and garlic goes in a pan and starts sautéeing, someone is always bound to say: “something smells lovely!” - and so the excitement about the meal begins. I certainly have strong memories from childhood of starting to notice the smell of the dinner we would be having that evening seeping through onto the first floor and in to my bedroom, and getting very excited. Enjoyment of food can start way before we sit down and have the first bite.
Food is experienced through all the senses. Similarly, the way food looks is hugely important, wouldn’t you say? On MasterChef, presentation counts for a large part of the critique for would-be chefs before any of it even touches anyone’s tongue. “That looks delicious” is not an expression for no reason. When you see beautiful photos of food, in vibrant colours, you feel inspired, don’t you? I certainly do!
The sensation of chopping up different texture food, feeling a stew thicken to the right consistency, achieving crispy croutons or soft bread rolls. These are all ways we enjoy food without even having tasted it.
On top of this, making food can be an enjoyable activity in itself. People pay tons of money to take courses, often just for pleasure, it can even be a date activity or a fun day out with friends. You have the ability to create this fun at home, only at the cost of your chosen ingredients!
So now imagine you come home from work or school, and instead of rushing to have the quickest, easiest meal to sit down with, you make the making of the meal part of the enjoyment of your evening. Now this may not be appropriate for everyone and it may not be appropriate every day, but occasionally this might be a much more relaxing activity than you might think. Or maybe you need an energising activity - so make it that. Put on some lovely music and dance around while you cook. You don’t have to do it alone, if you live with others, this can be a group activity. Instead of rushing to get food on the table to bring people together, the making of the food can already bring you together. This includes kids! Trust them with a task and let them surprise you!
There is absolutely a time for quick meals - and the great news is; there’s an endless amount of possible healthy, from-scratch meals that are super quick, because we don’t need to overcomplicate cooking. But maybe be less concerned with setting a mental timer, and instead roll up your sleeves, take a breath and try to be present in the kitchen when you can. You may find it gives you more to be the master chef than to have your dinner in front of MasterChef.
How is your attitude towards cooking and how much time it takes? Did this make you think differently about it? I’d love to hear from you!
Email me at liv@thefromscratchbody.com
