Redefining Easy, Cheap and Healthy

I'm learning quite a few quick subtitutions for plant based food which, quite surprisingly, have added even more edible hours to my day. Here are just a few:

Veggie Burgers (I love Amy's California Burger) go on a George Foreman perfectly, and with a soft whole wheat hamburger bun, some traditional burger fixings and 5 minutes, they are my NEW definition of fast food. No worries about ground meat, "well done" cooking temperatures to prevent contamination, and a very easy clean up.

Soup. I remember watching one of the first daily cooking shows in law school, an old Vancouver chef named James Barbour, and his assertion that all soup begins by cutting up an onion. Then, you just add whatever ingredient for the kind of soup you want to have, plus some salt. If you keep vegetable stock on hand in your pantry, this is a very cool trick. What could be easier?

Here's 10 soups in 60 seconds:

Onion + sweet potato + stock?
Onion + lentils + stock?
Onion + squash + stock?
Onion + broccoli + stock?
Onion + garlic + stock?
Onion + black beans + stock?
Onion + red pepper + stock?
Onion + leeks + stock?
Onion + tomato + stock?
And the easiest? Onions + stock.

Most stocks contain the trinity of aromatics, which are onion, carrot and celery, so you will get flavour by just pouring into a pot and then give it a whirl in a blender. If you train your palate to appreciate a simple soup in a hearty bowl, you will be rewarded with your own trinity. Time, energy and health.

BREAKFAST: If you do not yet own a magic bullet, you are really missing out on a modern miracle. Smoothies are impossibly simple in these, and a great way to start your day. Try any kind of frozen berry, a banana, some OJ, somt Apple J, or some almond milk. Yum. Plus you can easily knock off two servings of fruit, and introduce some stabilizing, antioxidant rich energy before you even leave the house.

Popcorn I LOVE salty snacks, especially chips. But I get the same snacky, crispy, treaty, crunch from a nosh on some popcorn. It is a whole grain, and without the butter, a nice source of fibre. I sprinkle mine with hot sauce.

Vegetable Muffins. Think carrot cake, zucchini bread, and apple muffins, and expand your mind to include things like grated sweet potato, beets, squash, pumpkin, berries, nuts, seeds, and even chocolate. Beets and chocolate are a PERFECT pair, and add a moistness to muffins. Once a week spend a half an hour baking off a batch, and you'll have a healthy grab-and-go breakfast, a tasty dessert or an after school snack at your fingertips.

I had to explain to Harrison this morning what the expression "time is money" means. I perform better in all areas of my life if I have proper fuel, and these quick tips can really add performance to your week, too.