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Like many chefs, I watched a lot of cooking shows during the pandemic. My favorite show: all 18 seasons of “Hell’s Kitchen”. In addition to constantly berating and driving his chefs out of his kitchen, Gordon Ramsay orchestrates challenges aimed at improving a specific area of the participants’ culinary expertise.
I was fascinated by a particular challenge that I soon replicated in my own kitchen. Ramsay attendees spun three wheels, each holding ingredients divided by categories: protein, vegetable, and starch. No matter how irrational the combination was, contestants had to highlight these three ingredients by Ramsay’s standards.
I’m not sure how many times halibut, eggplant, and lentil were used together, but this was one of the many weird combinations I made from my random selection of ingredients. Not only did this teach me how to cook with limited food options, but it changed my perspective on the foods I store in my pantry, fridge, and freezer, and ultimately what foods I should serve together.
In college, I learned the “rule of three” when it comes to making meals effectively by finding three of the healthiest, most durable foods that will make the week easier for everyone.
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Here are a few ways I mix and match different proteins, vegetables, and starches at Syracuse University:
Protein:
This is a category that I thought would be the most challenging for me in college. I am a pescatarian and limit my choices to seafood, which can be more expensive than standard meat. However, I have implemented a lot of variety with proteins by using meat alternatives such as tofu and tempeh.
For fish, I recommend buying it frozen and in large quantities, as it can be kept for over a month in the freezer. The same ideology applies to the preparation of meals with meat. Ideally, you want to find your two favorite fish; I tend to use a leaner white fish – cod or flounder are an easy choice – and a thicker fillet like salmon, my favorite. Canned fish like tuna and salmon are also easy alternatives to cooked proteins, and they’re easy to store because they won’t deteriorate for years.
Tofu is also an underrated protein that I cook about twice a week. I prefer to use it over tempeh as it is pre-cooked so I just either cut the tofu into cubes or stir it into smaller pieces and turn it into a nice golden brown color. A tofu press is a great way to hands-free pour your desired portion of tofu.
Vegetables:
Stocking up on a wide variety of vegetables will make your meals easier to prepare. You don’t have to overload yourself with the freshest produce – some rot quickly – and you definitely don’t need more than eight to ten vegetables in your refrigerator. Just like with proteins, it’s important to know which ones can be bought fresh and which ones can be kept in the pantry or freezer.
The two must-haves for fresh vegetables are spinach and salad because of their versatility and because they usually don’t need to be cooked. Bell peppers are just under a third, but it takes a little longer to chop and clean. For heartier vegetables like carrots and broccoli, you can opt for fresh, frozen, or canned. (Yes, there are canned freeze-dried broccoli!) Both can be eaten raw and are easy to prepare from the freezer as you can just toss them on the stove or in the microwave.
Beans and corn are best canned, as are green beans and other lighter, smaller vegetables that will last a little over a week raw.
Strengthen:
Starch takes the longest to cook, but it is the simplest ingredient that can be stored in the refrigerator and cooked in large quantities. They also provide a nutritional benefit to any meal that is often overlooked by college students. Whether you’re cooking rice, quinoa, or even potatoes, each main starch requires a very similar cooking process.
Rice and quinoa – the simplest and most versatile starchy bases and side dishes to satisfy any meal – are cooked in exactly the same way, just with different cooking times. Quinoa takes the least amount of time on the stove. I usually cook three-quarters to one cup of quinoa for a week. The same goes for rice, and I like to mix them together too.
For quinoa, the quinoa to water ratio I use is one cup of quinoa for every 1 3/4 cups of water. For rice, I use one cup of rice for every two cups of water. Put the grains and water in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until cooked, usually when the water is absorbed and the kernels have expanded. The taste test is usually a reliable check for the degree of doneness – the grains should be soft and moist, but not have a mushy consistency. When you’re done, turn off the heat, remove the saucepan from the hot burner and let it steam for no more than 10-12 minutes.
With these three food groups, the possibilities of different meals are endless. They each differ in cooking times and taste and can be exchanged for almost any protein, vegetable or starch. Here are some of my favorite recipes that you can try for yourself:
Fried halibut with broccoli and rice
– Pat the halibut dry and season with salt and pepper. Also, oil and heat a medium pan over medium heat.
– Put halibut in the pan and fry for about three to four minutes on each side. Cook the halibut until it is firm and golden brown.
– In the meantime, cook frozen broccoli in the microwave according to package specifications or on the stove until it is thawed and hot.
– Warm up rice in the microwave for 30-40 seconds.
Roasted salmon with sauteed asparagus, Brussels sprouts and quinoa
– Chop the Brussels sprouts into thirds and break off the hard ends of the asparagus. Transfer to an oiled, medium-sized pan over medium heat.
– In the meantime, take out a pre-thawed salmon fillet, pat dry with kitchen paper and season with pepper.
– Remove the vegetables when they are slightly colored and soft.
– If necessary, add more oil to the pan. Salt the salmon and immediately place it skin side down in the pan. Cook for three minutes on each side – add or subtract a minute for thicker or thinner fillets.
– Let it rest for a minute or two and then serve.
Flat-fried tofu salad with quinoa
– Cut the lettuce and spinach to the required size and place in a bowl
– Brush the bottom of a pan with oil and heat over a medium to high flame. Cut a third of a block of tofu into cubes and season with salt and pepper.
– Put the tofu in the pan and turn over all sides to get a crispy, golden brown outside. Once all sides are golden brown, turn off the heat and place the tofu cubes on a paper towel to dry. Salt the tofu immediately.
– Heat the quinoa in the microwave for 30-40 seconds.
– Mix the ingredients in the bowl and serve.
Posted on November 15, 2021 at 10:51 pm
