Grow to Love Your Kitchen!

There is nothing better in the Springtime than getting your hands dirty. And I’m not talking in the garden! I’m talking in your kitchen, the heart of your home, where nature’s bounty is transformed into delicious, home-cooked meals.  

Well, at least that’s the plan, right?

I love nothing more than whipping up a tasty, healthy dish for myself and my friends, but when life gets super busy, most of us tend to put cooking on the back burner. It’s so much easier to Postmates some takeout when you’re exhausted. Plus, after a while, the old staples get boring.  

Or, if you’re someone who uses your oven to store sweaters ala Carrie Bradshaw, the kitchen can be an intimidating place where only microwave meals and cereal boxes fear to tread.

But it doesn’t have to be! I’ve put together a little list to help you fall in love with cooking (once again or for the very first time!). It’s one healthy relationship you definitely need in your life.

Check out my Top 5 Tips below. Your mind, body, spirit, immune system, energy levels, waistline, and your everyday mood will thank you for it!

Rev Up Your Routine

We’re living in the digital age, baby! It’s time your kitchen made its way into the 21st century. There are countless blogs, cookbooks, apps and videos online to help you find new recipes to spice up your menu. Best of all, you don’t need to immediately go to the grocery and buy ingredients for 14 new lunches and dinners. Start slow! Pick one veggie or ingredient you already have in your kitchen and search for a recipe that uses that.

Here are a few online resources: SuperCook, AllRecipes and Big Oven. And here are a few of my favorite food blogs: Oh She Glows, Cookie + Kate, Naturally Ella, The Minimalist Baker, Food52 and Sprouted Kitchen.

When you’re ready to dive in and plan something special, choose one new recipe at a time, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Maybe designate Wednesday as the day of the week you try something a little exciting and different to give you something to look forward to at the end of hump day. Savor the process of making that one recipe, and find out what really tingles your taste buds—it might surprise you!

Stock Your Freezer with Starters

When you’re new to cooking, it’s helpful to know a few shortcuts. One tip is to start with healthy frozen basics that can be a jumping off point for a meal. You can buy staples ahead of time, and it will save you time on chopping and prep without sacrificing the nutritional content. Plus, you can stockpile homemade treats by making a big batch and freezing smaller portions.

I love to keep on hand stir fry veggies, medleys of fruit (for smoothies, desserts and summer salads), homemade sauces, veggie chili, pre-cooked whole grains, cauliflower pizza crust, veggie burgers, and that buzz-worthy gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. (P.S. My TJ’s cashier recommended spraying a baking sheet with coconut oil and putting the gnocchi in at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Don’t forget to flip them once to get both sides golden brown.)

Give Your Meal A Supermodel Makeover

You don’t have to stop eating the old favorites you love, but you can breathe new life into them with a healthy makeover. And the process of recipe editing can be just as fun as experimenting with different looks and makeup – and yummy too! Click here to download my 9 easy ingredient swaps to give any recipe a healthy makeover.

Turn Takeout Meals into In-Home Delights

Speaking for favorites… let’s be real, we all have that one takeout dish that we just can’t quit forever. But instead of suffering because you “just shouldn’t” have it, why not try to create a healthy home version. Pinterest is an excellent resource for this, by the way, so recreating your favorite takeout dishes doesn’t have to be tough.

The best part is that you will now have control over the ingredients, so you can choose the primo stuff to put in your beautiful bod. Check out this Plante Life reboot of a traditional meat lasagna recipe, like something you’d get at a little Italian restaurant.

I also love this recipe for Vegan Crunchwraps by Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen, made with lentil taco meat, for when those late-night Taco Bell cravings kick in.

Take “Cooking” Out of the Equation

Okay, okay, this may sound counter-intuitive to this article but it’s not.  What I mean by “no cooking” is trying raw food recipes. I have spoken before about the benefits of consuming raw foods and absorbing nutrients in their most natural state. And the possibilities are positively mouth-watering: crisp salads, raw chilled soups, bright yummy bowls with fresh fruits and veggies… These options are easy during the spring and summer, especially when so much great produce is in season. Raw food is a great alternative plan for when you’re super busy and still want healthy eats.

What’s been standing in the way of you using your kitchen more? What recipe will you try out first? Let me know in the comments below, and I want pictures!  Be sure to share a picture with me on Instagram and tag @theplantelife.