ITS THE MARINATING BEFORE ANY COOKING     

In our quest to cook our food the healthier way, we have utilized other underestimated methods.

1. Steaming  – I steam vegetables and fish. This is not my favourite way of cooking because the food turns out to be quite bland. If any of you can suggest anything to make this method more fun, let me know!
2. Baking – this is my second favourite way of cooking. I usually roast vegetables at 350F for about 15-20 minutes. My favourite vegetable to roast is butternut squash. 
3. I slice the squash into quarters
4. Put them skin side down in the oven which was preheated
5. Drizzle olive oil, some thyme, and rosemary
6. Keep in the oven for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked (the fork goes right through it)
7. Serve hot with a little butter
8. Slow cooker – my favourite!!!
   
   I use this method to cook chicken, turkey, goat, and beef. If you want “falling off the bone” kind of meat, this is what you do. Additionally, you can turn the broth into soup by drinking it straight or using an electric hand blender to pulverize the vegetables.

• Just put the meat and whatever vegetable you have (onion, garlic, leeks, cabbage, brussel sprouts etc.) in the slow cooker
• Add about 1-inch of water and seasoning (curry, cumin, low sodium soy sauce, what have you)
• Put on low and cook for 6-8 hours 
  
  I prepare the ingredients beforehand and put them in containers. So before we leave for work, I put everything in the slow cooker. When we get home, we already have dinner and lunch for the next morning. 
  
  Another thing I love to eat is salad. The greens are really good for you, but the dressings you buy in the grocery are not. So I usually just make my own dressing. My base is always olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

• In a mixing bowl, I pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• I add swerve confectioner sweetener, lemon juice, herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
• You can definitely experiment: maybe add some pureed berries

I asked my dad if he wanted to have some vegetables. He answered, “What am I? A horse?” 

Exactly. Horses are lean, strong, and fast!

THE SCIENCE

Frying is a way to cook food, but you need to be careful with the oil you use. You may use coconut oil, grass fed butter, ghee, oil derived from animal fat such as bacon and meat products.

Grilling and high temperature frying may be fun but lends food to carcinogenic agents.

Season with natural herbs and spices.  They give your food unique tastes and flavour.  At the same time, they have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.  

Compiled and written by: Lourdes Hizon – Guevara

Reference:

A Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs- Health Encyclopedia – University of Rochester. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu Medical Reviewers: Freeborn, Donna, PhD, CNM, FNP, and Garilli, Bianca, ND

The Herbs 11 Natural Antibiotic https://hhdresearch.org11-all-natural Antibiotics Provided by mother nature