Pantry Makeover

For the last several months we’ve been living in my parents’ home, as we prepare to re-launch in Toronto. So there have been two families cooking in one kitchen. It has been a surprisingly peaceful transition. In fact, my mother has even learned a thing a two from watching us work. I credit my mother for having such an open mind, and at sixty being willing to change her patterns. Here are some of the ways she has revamped her cooking to incorporate the principles we believe in at enableyourhealth:

• Probably her biggest change has been the elimination of white sugar, white flour, and white rice in her everyday cooking. This does not mean we don’t like sweet or white things in our household. We do! We’re just making different choices. We opt for natural sweetners like agave or herbs like stevia. We choose short grain brown rice and more wholesome flours. There is so much variety out there! At a market in downtown Toronto, there is a rice seller who offers thirty varieties of rice. I didn’t even know these varieties existed! ‘Yeah for diversification and variation on our dinner plates’—to quote my mother. Well, she didn’t quuite say ‘yeah,’ but you get my point!
• Since my mother has basically eliminated the white processed stuff, she is constantly altering her recipes. She still gets to cook the foods she likes, she just has to do a litter adjusting to make them more nutritious. This means substituting spelt flour for white flour or natural sweetners for processed white sugar. Initially, this was difficult for my mom. She worried about ‘wrecking’ her favorite meals. But after enough positive experiences, her mindset and language has changed. She is now embracing the taste of goodness. Try this altered carrot cake to experience her creative genius at work! Not to mention these spelt crepes. And even her renowned stir fry seasoned with Bragg Liquid Soy Seasoning and cayenne nstead of the preservative-laden spice packets she’s been accustomed to. All her meals have remained delicious and flavorful—she just had to get creative.
• My mother now opts for spices over sauces. We’ve read enough labels to be forever wary of processed jars and bottles! In our household, we no longer reach for the ketchup but add a couple dashes of cayenne. Store bought salad dressing is out; we make our own dressing using olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon. (Granted if I’m at a restaurant I might indulge in ketchup on occasion or the house dressing, but we don’t make these processed items staples in our kitchen.) You actually start to develop a distaste for all that sugar. Did you know that one of the first ingredients in ketchup and store bought salad dressings is sugar? Yikes.
• My mother has started growing some of her favorite herbs and experimenting in the kitchen. Basil leaves on pizza? Sure! She leaves off the BBQ sauce. Fresh thyme on salmon? Sure. She uses half the salt. Not to mention cutting your own basil leaves and sprigs of rosemary is hugely rewarding and leaves you feeling like a top notch chef. I speak from experience. You will be inspired to take your cooking to new heights! Just ask my mom!
• My mother now makes a point of eating slower and actually tasting her food. This mindfulness takes practice and is a constant battle for all of us, particularly when there’s an infant at the table. But what better time of our lives to begin modeling a love of food and the community that is created around a table.

  In this way, meal times become a sacred occasion where our senses are heightened and we are encouraged to interact as a family. Yes, it takes effort to eat more slowly and bring consciousness to what is going down our throats. But the effort is worth it. I think my mom and everybody in our dual household would agree.

Try this recipe if you really want to experience the wonders that is our revamped kitchen! This is a staple dish in our house developed by my mother and prepared in minutes. Introducing: Spicy Lentils.

• Soak 2 cups of green lentils for a couple hours until they swell up (cuts down the cooking time) and then boil them in a soup pot.
• Fry up some onions and celery and add to lentils
• Add sea salt to taste and maybe a can of diced tomatoes.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of Madras curry paste, and voila.

It sounds too simple to be worth eating, but the combination is just right and tastes like authentic Indian cuisine.