Quick, Nutritius food

Date: 08/12/2018

Summer, summer, summer, summer… we can already feel relief from the heat. Here and there are some clouds. Early morning is darker, mistier and damper. The longest day of the year was June 21st and the days are now getting shorter.

But the middle of the day is hot and a glance at the fields shows it. Some fruits are right now at their best, especially mangoes. You will notice that their skin is sometime scarred from the hail, but it does not affect their amazing taste and juiciness that is so suitable for us right now. Even the sweet potatoes that are now coming out of the ground have healed from wounds that happened to them in the ground. Not so beautiful, but full of nourishment and taste. The greens are still struggling, but even they can feel and “smell” the change. Midsummer Days, known as the "cucumber season" is a quiet time in which we should simply eat what is in season: apples, pears, mangoes, pineapples, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants. It is also a time to prepare for the coming change.

Kids? Vacation? Food!

A good friend of mine said "I suddenly realized that the fact that they were home meant that they had to be fed. Three times a day!" Well, since the best solution to a complex situation is well planned logistics (at least that's how I beat my kids in Taki), I've developed some ideas on how to get through the notorious month of August, including feeding the kids healthfully without advanced kitchen acrobatics (not only are the kids at home, it’s also hot). I heard that the original purpose of the summer vacation was to allow the children to assist the parents working in the farms. And really, many parents have turned to me wanting me to employ their children. So come on, let's hire an instructor and send them all to the garden!

Here is a suggestion for dealing with the obligation to feed the children:

Meal # 1: Fruits, fruits, fruits – they are already ready to eat and serve and provide truly optimal nutrition!

I noticed that when fruits are cut and on the table they mysteriously disappear. The house hunger level decreases and happiness and calmness take over. Truly, research shows that eating fruit is relaxing. It certainly makes it easier for the digestive system, which consumes a lot of our resources, even though we are used to it and no longer notice it. Fruits are relatively easy to digest.

Another idea is granola with nuts and pumpkin/sunflower seeds. How about a shake? Bananas, two teaspoons of almond butter, cocoa chips, and three dates, and you have a lovely morning shake, full of good fats, proteins and carbohydrates. You can easily make it greener with some leaves, an apple, celery, lemon… If the amount of sweet fruits is greater, it always comes out sweet and tasty. The leftovers can be frozen as popsicles, which is always good to have at home at this time.

Meal # 2: Market Salad plus a cold cooked grain, even quinoa. While the grain is cooking, chop the vegetables “market salad” style. Use tomato, cucumber and sweet pepper; it is definitely recommended to add avocado, and there is a meal.

As a refreshing drink to go with it, go back in time and prepare "compote": rather than cooking the fruit, you can simply pour boiling water over several handfuls of dried fruit and let it cool down. If you like it sweet, add honey. This will help prevent the children being tempted by all the sodas and other sugary vices.

Meal #3: Has everyone survived until dinner? Surely no one feels like cooking. That's why they invented “send and forget” recipes: corn (if you have a pressure cooker, it's even fast), antipasti (which is a fairly sophisticated name for eggplants, zucchini, peppers, sweet potatoes and beets, all sliced, sprinkled with olive oil and put in the oven) and a vegetable salad. You’re done with all the cooking.