Kitchen basics
Oh hey there, I know it's been a hot minute since I've gotten a blog post up. Life has been a crazy roller coaster this year. If you didn't know, I'm in school-studying to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. I'm so excited about this and it's nothing like nursing school-it’s so much better!! I can't say enough about this program so far.
Anywho enough about that, today I wanted to talk to you about kitchen basics. Since I have been a travel nurse for the past three years and only own what fits in the back of my SUV I kinda panicked when I went to sign an actual lease. When I finally did sign that one year lease I was like holy shit, I own nothing. I'm 37 and I feel like I'm starting all over as an adult. Let's be real, I also went from that travel nurse pay to that southern pay (and if you don't know it ain’t great), so I didn't want to break the bank buying all the adult things.
I thought it would be helpful to give you some tips to get you in the kitchen and enjoying the food you're preparing, cooking, and eating (especially when you have limited funds, tools, and space).
This would be my dream kitchen
I would cook all day in this kitchen, just wait…I’ll show you the reality of my kitchen.
I own four knives, four pots and pans (although I did go big on these but you don't have to), two cutting boards, and a toaster oven. I do not have a microwave, dishwasher, baking dishes, strainer, or measuring cups. I mention all of these because at some point I've been like “I really need a measuring cup or a baking dish.” My kitchen also serves as my laundry room-I have no counterspace but I make it work.
I suggest four knives:
-chef's knife
-pairing knife
-serrated knife
-peeler (although I don’t own one but definitely need one)
I took a knife course once and I remember the instructor saying if you’re going to spend money, do it on good high quality knives (that are one piece of metal from tip to handle) and never put your knives in the dishwasher-just FYI.
This is my actual kitchen…somehow I manage to cook in this thing for all three of my meals.
My pots and pans are from Caraway (ceramic pots). They were a pretty penny but I love them. There are less expensive pans you can purchase.
What we cook on definitely has an effect on our health so I would recommend avoiding aluminum and Teflon pans.
Recommended pots/pans:
-Enamel Cast iron
-cast iron
-ceramic
-stainless steel
-glass
I bought wooden and silicone kitchen utensils off amazon and everything else was handed down to me or I got it from a garage sale or a thrift store. I’m all about budget as well as not really owning anything. I tend to be flighty and the thought of spending all this money on fancy amazing kitchenware when I’m just going to pack up my car with a few things and sell everything else seems like a waste for me. I do however want to use products that are good for my health and also the environment. It’s a weird balance for me.
Food Sourcing:Why it matters
I know you’ve heard it, watched a documentary on Netflix it or have someone talk about it online-inhumane food sources, over used soil and the cause and effect. Industrial food systems have been known to treat conventionally raised food animals inhumane with unnatural diets. As well as plants that are grown in over used soil with lots of chemicals (Culinary Wellness 1, 2020). Why would this matter to you? Have you ever heard, “you are what you eat?” I don’t know if you’ve heard me say this but our bodies are magically intelligent and use whatever resources you give them to survive. The continued use of food that is highly processed or food sources that are fed chemicals and exposed to chemicals transfer to our bodies. We build our cells from the nutrients we eat, that is why sourcing for your food is so important. Our society is really really good at wanting instant fast results, we want things done now. We don’t have time to sit down and eat, we don’t have time to even cook our food anymore, so the thought of having to know where we get our chicken from is probably not at the top of your list. However, getting to know your local farmers if you are able, can be so beneficial in terms of nutrient dense food. Looking for food raised animals that are grass fed-grass finished, meaning roaming and eating only grass. Cage free, also means generally that these chicks are not in cages but confined to a large barn. While free range doesn’t necessarily mean these chickens are hanging out in a pasture living their best lives. This means they have access to the outdoors for who knows how long, it could be ten minutes or an hour a day, if at all (Culinary Wellness 1, 2020). Free range and cage free sound appealing though, right? They market it so it sounds as if humane treatment and health of the animal are important.
Hi, I’m living my best life over here…
I’m pasture raised, roaming around doing my own thing.
Where would I find better quality meat and veggies? So happy you asked, honestly I am. I know there are food disparities or food deserts and sometimes finding organic properly fed and raised meat and veggies is challenging- do what you can when you can. Joining a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program (a food share from local farmers) can be an easy swap for veggies. Visiting local farmers market or even googling local farmers and seeing what comes up. Getting to know your community can have such an impact on your health, agriculture, and local business.
My happy place
Eating a Diverse Variety of Foods
Sometimes I get stuck in a rut, I eat the same things over and over. You know the rut I’m talking about, right? The one that you think chicken and broccoli cooked the same way is amazing. The rut that you are so tired of trying to be creative and you just need food now so you just order in…that’s the rut I’m talking about. I’ve been there, in fact more than I’d like to admit during this pandemic. The past couple of months though, I’ve pulled myself together and joined a farm share. Best decision ever. I love the random veggies I get. I get to try a more diverse variety of fruits and veggies and new ways to cook them. I had bok choy the other day and have never cooked bok choy- it was tasty!! I’ve noticed since I’ve started paying attention the quality of food I’ve put in my body I feel more energized, had better periods, and slept more restful (except when Marv loses his mind).
Which brings me to my point, variety and quality matters. Our cells rebuild based on what nutrients we provide our bodies. Diversity gives us different nutrients we need to function, to support structure, and rebuild our cells (Basics of Nutrition, 2020).
Eating vegetables raw and cooked gives you different nutritional profiles. For example, eating carrots and spinach raw will give you the most vitamin C. However, cooked spinach and carrots boosts carotenoids (Culinary Wellness 1, 20202). You can boil your veggies in salt water, steam them, and roast them with a healthy fat to get different nutrient profiles. Most veggies should be served with a healthy fat or cooked in a healthy fat so the body can absorb the nutrients better.
How to properly prepare your food
Baking and roasting are excellent if you want to do some batch cooking. The water soluble (Vit B, C) vitamins are retained. Make sure if you’re roasting veggies they are too close to each other, otherwise they steam instead of roast.
Braising and stewing breaks down tougher meat but can be a long slow process.
Frying can be amazing if using the correct oil and monitoring the heat/temp. The wrong oil can increase trans fat and cause free radials which cause cell damage.
Sautéing and Stir frying can be a quick and easy way to get a meal on the table. Just making sure the oil you’re using doesn’t over heat.
Boiling and simmering can make food easier to digest however some of the nutrients can get lost in the water. Make sure you're salting the water with love.
Soaking, sprouting, and sourdough fermenting can make whole grains, nuts, and seeds more easily absorbed (Culinary Wellness 1, 2020)
Cooking has never been anything I’ve enjoyed, it use to seem like a chore for me. I used to get nervous cooking for others-it was so stressful. Now I enjoy what I cook, I rarely measure anything and I do what feels good. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t but I still have fun doing it. Enjoy your food, slow down when you eat, and be mindful of what you put in your body!!!!
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you have any questions.
References:
Basics of Nutrition, 2020. 1 November 2020. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/Mrs.%20Sharry/Downloads/BON%20-%20Student%20Guide%20
%20NTPO%20(3)%20(2).pdf
Culinary Wellness Pt 1, 2020. 1 November 2020. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/Mrs.%20Sharry/Downloads/CW1%20-%20Student%20Guide-NTPO-SEPT.pdf
