Hello, how are you?
The week flew by in a blink, didn’t it? Today, I thought about sharing how I simplified my life with really easy, home-cooked meals. I’ve stripped my cooking down to the essentials. For meals at home (mostly dinners) with my young child, I aim for efficiency (approx. 30min prep and cook time), nutritious (least processed possible) and delicious outcomes. I try to use only up to 4 ingredients and basic seasonings. That means on the days that I cook, I would have on rotation the air-fryer cooking a soy/ miso/ mirin/ brown sugar-marinated cod or salmon fillet, and on the stove I have a small pot of udon/ soba/ Korean rice cakes with vegetables (corn/ carrots/ cabbage/ sweet beancurd skin). We will have cold soba or udon on a really hot day, and hot miso soup with rice cakes on a normal, cool or rainy day. Sometimes for variety, I roast the vegetables in the air fryer with a knob of butter and a sprinkle of Italian herbs.
In February earlier this year, I finally unlocked the virgin experience of choosing and purchasing a whole salmon from the supermarket, and had the fishmonger clean and fillet the fish. These salmon fillets were so fresh and creamy when I air-fried them, and I no longer browse prepackaged salmon fillets in styrofoam trays on the shelves. I keep the salmon in the freezer so I can use them whenever. It felt as though I levelled up in my game of grocery shopping.
Of course, I also prepare pasta for dinners and after trying a few brands, now exclusively use La Molisana brand of pasta for its quality and bite. Penne and fusilli are my go-to pastas because we just need a spoon to eat and there is no mess on the dining table. Besides the usual bolognese sauce – made in advance using lean minced beef, carrots, cherry tomatoes and either celery or cabbage – we also love pasta with tiger prawns, cherry tomatoes, and miso paste and butter, finished with a squeeze of lemon (optional bonus).
Most of the time on either Friday or Saturday evenings when I’m spending time with myself, I keep it simple and treat myself to an air-fried medium-rare Denver steak (max 240g). Occasionally, for variety, I will have a small pot of kimchi “stew” using supermarket kimchi, Pulmone brand of tofu for stews and their rice cakes made from wheat flour. I’ve also used the same rice cakes, corn niblets and leftover cabbage for a simple miso soup dish.
Yes, I’ve tried to keep things really simple (think washing up after cooking) and nothing fancy. At the end of the day, home-cooked meals are the best, and I’m doing my best for my child and myself.
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