by Nava Atlas
It's a pleasure to be communicating with all of you! I was excited to be invited to prepare these four articles; you see, I really have far more in common with the average computer user than I do with the average chef, who spends unlimited hours in the kitchen.
In addition to having written six vegetarian cookbooks, I also design and illustrate them; all of which adds up to far more time working at my Mac and at the drawing table than experimenting in the kitchen. And on top of that, I'm also the mother of two young boys--both vegetarians like my husband and myself, but just as finicky as any other kids. Yes, there were the days when I had a lot more time for leisurely experimentation in the kitchen. But that was the B.C. era--Before Children.
After that first chaotic year in which we dealt with two kids in diapers, my husband (a non-cook) and I tired of catch-as-catch-can meals. I resolved to reinstate the colorful, tasty meals that we had become accustomed to; only now, they had to be streamlined right down to their essence. I developed ways to prepare an entire meal that we could truly enjoy (like pastas, Mexican-style, soup-and-salad combos, hearty grain and bean dishes) in less than 30 minutes.
Today's supermarket and natural food store certainly helps make life easier for health-conscious people with fast-paced lives. While natural convenience foods like soy pizzas, veggie burgers, and instant soups are a great boon for days when you need something just short of take out, all the wonderful convenient products make everyday meal preparation a snap--and aren't nearly to costly as convenience foods. In this category, I include precut fresh vegetables like coleslaw and broccoli florets, tofu and other soyfoods, good-quality canned beans, quick-cooking grains, and pastas.
In the following articles, I'll share some of my observations, tips and tactics, and recipes that will help you prepare dishes that won't take longer to prepare than they will to eat. My fondest wish is to give hope to those who feel they're too busy to eat well; take heart--it can be done!
A note from The Natural Connection:
Nava's cookbooks are available through The Natural Connection's Bookstore.
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