Try this: Healthy food at home made easy | North Carolina ...

Article written by Christine Smith, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent

Welcome to Cooking With Chris, a column just for you and all about cooking!?

In today?s society cooking at home has become a dying art.? Many of our young girls, ladies, and boys are not being taught to cook because of the explosion of convenience and FAST food.? We?re going to bring to you all the secrets you wish you had to keep yourself and your family healthy, the tasty way!?

Each article will teach you how to prepare healthy and delicious food.? I?ll try to keep it simple ? simple healthy preparation techniques, simple ingredients and simple equipment.? Each recipe will be one that has been tested, tried and true!? We?ll also include the nutritional information, tips, and or fun modifications to make each dish your very own.

To kick off the first column I want to share with you 10 Keys to incorporate into your everyday life to ensure a great cooking experience.? Whether you are a novice cook or a food guru adopting these basic cooking tips will help you save time and reduce stress in the kitchen.

1.? Keep it Simple.? Always remember SIMPLE is best.? Use simple cooking techniques, simple ingredients, recipes, and simple menu planning.

2.? Make Room to Cook.? If you don?t have space on your counter to cook it will not be a pleasant experience.? Remove all unnecessary clutter such as mail, or decorative items.?
3.? Clean as You Go.? Always clean pots, pans, bowls and cooking utensils as you use them otherwise waiting to do the dishes at the end will cause your cooking area to become cluttered.?
4.? Organize Before You Begin. Assemble ingredients and needed equipment, (this includes all chopping, mixing and measuring as part of the preparations), read the recipes entirely, and always prep your pan and preheat the oven.
5.? Develop Your Own Style.? Use cooking as a way to express your individuality.? Reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows will help generate ideas to enhance your cooking taste and style.?
6.? Go Slow.? Allow yourself to grow the cooking skills you need a little at a time.? If you have never made a box cake don?t be overly ambitious and start by making Tiramisu, an Italian cake and dessert.
7.? Trust Your Instincts.? Use your instincts of smell, taste and touch to make food the way you want it.? When cooking at home YOU are in charge.
8.? Organize Your Recipes.?? Find a system that works for you.? Some use card files, a 3-ring notebook, or store them on your computer.? The important thing is to be able to find recipes when you need them.
9.? Find the Joy.? Look for the joy in cooking.? This is my favorite method of de-stressing from a long day at the office.? Think of cooking as something you do for yourself, your family, and friends, not as a chore.
10.? Plan.? This is probably the most important tip.? If you don?t plan, you will probably not have the foods you need to cook dinner and may result to eating out.

In a culture that demands our constant attention yet provides a reliable source of quick and easy food, it is easy to understand why the idea of ?home-cooked meals? has become so farfetched.?? With this in mind, our recipe this week will focus on a recipe that gives you a break in the kitchen, but produces a delicious, colorful, and nutritious meal.? Try it out!

?No-Cook Loaded Bowl?
serves~ 4-5 adults
cook time: 15-25 minutes
Ingredients:
??3 cups rice
??1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
??1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
??2 fresh avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
??lemon juice (prevents avocado from browning)
??salt and pepper, to taste
??optional herbs: oregano, cilantro, basil
Optional Dressing:
??? cup olive oil
??? cup white vinegar
??1tsp minced garlic (abt 2 -3 cloves)
??combine above ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Instructions:
1. Prepare rice according to package directions. While it is cooking, prepare remaining ingredients.
2.? In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, and herbs of choice.
3.? Dice avocados and drizzle with lemon juice (to prevent browning). Set aside.
4.?Add rice to bean mixture and season with salt and pepper.
5.?Top each serving with avocado pieces and desired dressing (suggested: light Italian)

Fun Modifications:

??Replace rice with quinoa to enhance the nutritional quality of the meal.? Quinoa is a super food rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins with a nutty flavor.? Cooking time is the same, if not shorter, than rice.

??Add grilled chicken for a heartier meal.? (adds about 120-150 calories/chicken breast)

??Meal will store 3-4 days in the fridge and up to 6 days without the avocado or dressing.

??To cut on time: cook extra rice (or quinoa) at the beginning of the week and store to use later for this recipe and more!

Nutritional Information
Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories ? 293
Fat ? 12g
Saturated fat ? 1g
Carbs ? 39g
Fiber ? 6g
Sugars ? 1g
Protein ? 9g
Sodium ? 59mg
Cholesterol ? 0mg

NCSU & NC A&T University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age or disability.? In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

Christine W. Smith
Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Wayne County Center
P. O. Box 68
Goldsboro, NC? 27533
E-Mail:?Christine_Smith@ncsu.edu
Phone:?919-731-1525
Fax:?919-731-1511
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/wayne

Source: http://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/11/try-this-healthy-food-at-home-made-easy/

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