By Amanda Cushman Real Simple Food
I THINK WITH THE BUSY LIVES WE ALL lead these days it is increasingly difficult to cook at the end of the day. This may be why one of the largest growing areas of the food business is prepared foods.
That said I am a dedicated “eat at home person” who cooks almost every night for two and even for one. Of course as a professional chef I find it easy to throw together a simple and delicious meal in 30 minutes, but I also teach this skill in cooking classes around the Los Angeles area as well as in private homes.
It is this easy; take a few fresh ingredients, add a few staple items and voila. You will have a meal in less than 30 minutes that is not only fabulous, healthy and mouth watering but worth making even if your are dining alone.
I encourage my students to take the extra time they save to shop on the way home or if you are really thinking on your feet, shop all at once on the weekend to insure you can enjoy your own home cooked meal.
Now why go to all that trouble if you are just cooking for yourself? Why not just hit the drive-thru window? I am invariably asked those questions by people that I teach and the answer I consistently give them is this. Why get take out or eat in a restaurant with semi-decent food that God only knows who preared it, and then find not only are you eating too much fat, but the portion is more than likely too large which means you eat it and before you know it you wonder why am I getting a little chunky around the middle? Then there’s the whole health and bacteria issue, which I am reluctant to even start to comment on because believe it or not it is serious. So, that said, it is maybe more appealing to eat your own food than you thought, right?
The bare minimum of staples to have on hand are canned chicken and vegetable broth, pastas, canned tomatoes, rice, beans, tuna, olives, olive oil and a variety of vinegars. Make one stop to pick up a piece of chicken or fish and a vegetable and dinner can be on the table within half an hour of arriving home.
Or you can take a few cooking classes at a local culinary school (there are a number of them in the L.A. area) to learn a few skills and help motivate you to get in the cooking groove.
Here are a couple quick and easy recipes for everyday dinners. You’ll be amazed at how fast you can prepare them and how better you’ll feel after eating.
AMANDA CUSHMAN is a culinary educator who has cooked professionally for 25 years. She teaches privately for groups of two to 20 students. She has developed hundreds of recipes for cookbooks as well as food magazines and Web sites. She
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 29, 2008. Read the original PDF.