I am a working mom with a husband who often needs to work late. So, to prepare healthy and quick meals, below are what I often do:
- Steam my rice (our staple) while I do the cutting and washing
- Whenever possible, steam along some vegetables along with the rice (e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, etc) but put them in only after the rice is almost done to avoid over-cooking
- Add some herbs, nuts (cashews, pine nut, etc) on the rice for extra flavour and nutrition
- Fry some crunchy stuff needed in a little oil, after that pour in some water for blanching some vegetables
- Lightly blanch the vegetables in a little hot boiling water (just enough to cover the surface) added with a little oil(from previous frying) and salt. Bring to plate quickly to preserve the nutrients. Reuse the water for cooking soups, this makes a tasty broth.
So with herbs and nuts on my rice, mushrooms in the soup, lightly-cooked vegetables, and maybe some lightly-fried potatoes or other protein food, I have a quick yet scrumptious meal all in less than 30 minutes. (Did I tell you that I am a vegetarian!)
By Alohamolly from KL, Malaysia
