Healthy, hearty and easy

I live a hard-eating, extreme-socializing, eventful lifestyle all washed down with beer, wine, whiskey and the occasional dreaded tequila shot. There are real moments when I crave my ratty pajamas, the soft couch and a cheesy TV series. I look for home-cooked food — not too rich, not too fussy. A writer interviewing me once asked, “What do you cook for yourself at home?” And strangely enough, with all my loving fondness for succulent Kurobuta pork bellies and juicy Wagyu steaks, I actually answered, “Vegetables.”

In a restaurant, no self-respecting foodie would ever order just a soup and salad, ignoring the slow-cooked veal cheeks. I never deprive myself when I eat out, so when I am at home, I take pure pleasure in preparing rather quick and healthy meals. I know that my veggies are nice and fresh, of topnotch quality because I buy them myself. I tend to be wary of vegetables in restaurants because they tend to be a fragile and dejected food group that most people use as a garnish rather than a highlight. They are then more often than not served to you in a very poor state. Sometimes when I do order a salad, I look at the withered lettuce leaves and am reminded of washed-out stage artists trying desperately to hide their miserable last performance behind slivers of onions and tomatoes.

So when I am home, it is my chance to eat healthy. To have crisp, shiny veggies, bright with color. The ultimate question is how to prepare them in a fast yet satisfying way. Today I am going to share my tips for having a well-stocked kitchen cupboard so you can turn that ordinary carrot into an extraordinary meal.

Top Ten Essential Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

1. Olive oil – We’ve heard so much about its health benefits but we often forget the wonderful flavor it brings to simple dishes. Keep even just a small bottle of extra-virgin olive oil and use it for salads, drizzle on grilled fish or even use to coat pasta. The uses are endless!

2. Balsamic vinegar – This isn’t just for salads; balsamic vinegar can add a nice, rich, caramelized taste to anything. I often splash some on my tomato sauce to deglaze juices or replace regular cane vinegar in my adobo recipe. You can even reduce it until it’s syrupy, use it on sautéed chicken, tomatoes … you name it. You can keep the reduced version for up to one month in the refrigerator.

3. White wine – I always have one of these bottles with screw caps in the refrigerator. It’s great for making a really quick jus or sauce by deglazing the pan with some white wine. Making a steak? Keep the pan hot when it’s done, add white wine, scrape pan and reduce for a minute or so … voila! Instant sauce. I also think it makes a great steaming liquid for seafood and fish.

4. Butter – I lived in France for six years. A knob of butter makes everything taste better.

5. A bottle of pesto sauce – Grocery-bought pesto keeps for a rather long time in the refrigerator. A teaspoon in your salad dressing, toss some sautéed cauliflower in it, marinate your shrimp with pesto and lemon … it’s an instant upgrade.

6. Soy sauce – Soy sauce does not necessarily mean pang-sawsaw or Asian food, you need to think out of the box. My boyfriend’s secret vinaigrette recipe uses a dash of soy sauce to make everything blend well together.

7. Fresh herbs – Parsley, rosemary, thyme, spring onions, wansoy … you name it. They wilt fast but I have a trick: buy a bunch, chop, toss in Zip-Loc bags and freeze them. The fresher you freeze them, the better. Just sprinkle some on your hot food and in the fashion of those Greenwich commercials, “nag-level up ka na!” Your dish goes from bland to gourmet in seconds.

8. Crushed tomatoes in can – I don’t buy tomato sauce. I hate that slightly suspicious, even, red gloop that is often too sweet or industrial for my taste. I like crushed tomatoes in the can because it actually looks like tomatoes! I like to see what I eat. Sauté some onions and garlic, throw in a can of crushed tomatoes and you have instant, Italian-style marinara. You can use this on pasta, chicken and stews and it’s much healthier and tastier than pre-made tomato sauces.

9. Parmesan cheese – Parmesan tends to store well and please buy the real thing, not those in tubes sitting on a shelf. You can freeze what you don’t use, but in general it’ll last awhile. It’s not just for pasta toppings but great on salads, to add richness to sauces and even to add to breadcrumbs used to coat chicken, broccoli, etc.

10. Your favorite carbohydrate, preferably wholegrain – Red rice, pasta, soba noodles … I personally love pasta because it’s versatile, quick and satisfying. I also enjoy the occasional instant noodles topped with fresh ingredients like spring onions or chili peppers and maybe leftover chicken breasts.

These staples help me spruce up any ingredient I have on hand. Canned tuna, eggplants, sigarilyas, shrimp, tomatoes… Here’s one of my favorite comfort food recipes that is great for detox and vitamins, a vegetarian “Bolognese” made with diced vegetables and whole-wheat spaghettini. Surprisingly delicious! Although at the last minute, in an almost animalistic impulse, I have to admit I snuck in a teensy bit of crumbled chorizo.

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Vegetarian Bolognese

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 carrot, peeled and diced very small

1 eggplant, diced very small

1 zucchini, diced very small

1 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 can crushed tomato

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan and fresh herbs for garnish

Procedure:

Sauté vegetables in olive oil. I like them crunchy so I do this quickly … you may cook to your desired softness. Remove from pan, add onions and garlic with more oil, if necessary. When softened, deglaze with a little balsamic, scraping the pan and then add crushed tomatoes. Simmer until it becomes a deeper red, about five to 10 minutes. Toss in vegetables, add butter and season with salt and pepper. Those who like spice can add some cayenne pepper. Use with your favorite pasta and top with whatever herbs you prefer or have on hand. Basil and rosemary will give it a more Italian feel, thyme more Provencale, cilantro a more Asian — even Mexican — taste. You may even use it as a sauce for chicken or fish.

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You can contact me at http://twitter.com/stephaniezubiri.