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The
plan is totally flexible. If you
feel like having the breakfast from
day one on day six, or the dinner
from day five on day three, go for
it! There are no hard and fast rules—it's
totally up to you. Of course, if you
prefer a more structured plan you
can follow the 7-day example of
MediterrAsian living to the letter.
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Choose
your own fruit if you like. The
type of fruits you can eat are also
flexible. In fact, the fruits that
are listed in the plan are a suggestion
only. If some of the fruits are out
of season or hard to come by, or if
you don't like that particular type
of fruit, simply substitute the fruit
with your own choice.
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You
can buy packaged pre-cut vegetables
to save on time. The wonderful colors
and textures of the vegetables you will
use in MediterrAsian cooking make them
a pleasure to prepare. But if you find
that time isn't on your side you can
opt to buy packaged pre-cut vegetables.
Just make sure to check the use-by date
to ensure freshness. |
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Substitute
frozen or canned food for fresh.
If you find it difficult to get certain
food items fresh, you can substitute
them for a frozen or canned version.
Frozen shrimp instead of fresh, or canned
fruit (in natural juice) instead of
fresh are examples. Frozen vegetables
are also a handy alternative to fresh.
Actually, frozen vegetables often have
a higher nutrient content than fresh
vegetables that have been sitting on
the shelf for a few days because the
nutrients have been snap frozen in.
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Do
your chopping and preparation before
you start cooking.
Mediterranean and Asian dishes are usually
quick to cook, so it's essential to
chop and prepare all the ingredients
before you start cooking. That way,
when an ingredient is needed during
cooking it will always be on hand. |
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If
you have a partner or kids, get them
involved. More hands makes lighter
work, so if you have a partner or
kids get them involved in the preparation
and cooking process. Not only will
it make lighter work, but preparing
food together is a great way of catching
up. Kids also love all the wonderful
colors, shapes and textures of Mediterranean
and Asian ingredients. And at the
end of it you get to enjoy the fruits
of your labor together, which is a
great bonding experience!
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If
you don't have time to prepare a certain
meal, eat out instead. If you
find you just don't have enough time
to prepare a certain meal, by all
means go to a restaurant or get takeout
instead. The key is to try to keep
your food as traditionally Mediterranean
or Asian as possible. This makes Mediterranean
and Asian-style restaurants the ideal
choice (examples include Greek, Italian,
Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Indian,
Thai and Moroccan). Even though some
of the foods on the menu will be Westernized,
you should always be able to find
plenty of traditional dishes based
around fish, seafood, chicken, legumes,
grains and vegetables. For dessert,
go for something fruit-based (like
fresh fruit salad). For lunch on the
run your local sandwich bar is the
ideal place to visit. Simply order
a sandwich or 6-inch sub (preferably
on whole grain bread) based around
either tuna, chicken, crab or turkey.
Include lots of vegetables such as
lettuce, tomatoes, sliced onions,
cucumber, grated carrot and peppers.
Use mustard, mayo, olives, pickles
and preserved chili as flavor enhancers.
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2004 - 2008 MEDITERRASIAN.COM
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