During the Christmas holidays Tamar and I traveled to Mexico for a week.
We were with her parents, her sister and all our kids for some R&R and sunshine.
At least once a year Tamar and I usually seek a reprieve from winter to allow my psoriasis a chance to heal. This year was different though. For the first time in years I did not need to go away. Not for my skin anyway. It’s true. The winter is here and my skin is relatively clear.
I credit the changes I made in my diet almost three years ago as the thing that has gotten me to the point where I can tolerate winter. I removed gluten, dairy and refined sugar from my diet and it was actually pretty easy. So, creating a ‘clean’ snack, meal or dessert has not been difficult. I just open the pantry or the refrigerator and pull from the vast array of vegetables on my counter top. My biggest challenge has been time. I do not always have enough to make the food I want. So, when time is of the essence what is my secret to maintaining clean eating habits?
I freeze it.
Looking back at my time in professional kitchens, I was very hesitant to buy frozen ingredients or use a freezer, period. But those days are long gone. Today, I do not know what I would do without the convenience of having home-cooked food in the freezer.
Leftovers!
I know how busy life can be. Trust me. We all live parallel lives. Between work, spending time with our significant others, kids, homework, carpooling, extracurricular activities and trying to find time for yourself, cooking and eating food you are 100% proud of all the time is a challenge! Some days it feels next to impossible. Here is the trick – cook extra!
Whenever I make soups, stews, chowders or chilli, I ensure I make a little extra.
Once cooled they are packaged into individual portions and then frozen. This ensures a steady supply of healthy, home-cooked meals.
This week I am re-posting a household favorite- my famous Vegetable Quinoa Chilli. It is so yummy and hearty and when pulled from the freezer during one of these icy cold days, you will be thanking yourself (and me) for the gift of an incredible, tasty, home-cooked meal!
And who knows maybe one day you will be able to order those soups, stews, chowders and chilli from me directly. Hint. Hint. Wouldn’t that be nice?
In good health,
Chef Jordan
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