Rice and beans or lentils really are great options (depending on how they are prepared) because rice and beans are rich in vitamins and proteins and rice is a good filler. Lentils and rice are dry (beans potentially too but I prefer the canned ones as otherwise they need to soak forever) so they are good shelve items that last for a long time. I’ll look for some more recipes around these. My nanny usually cooks the lentils and my kids love them. I prefer the way my mom makes them but my kids don’t like that version.  

Healthy and Hearty Black Bean Soup:

Ingredients:

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in large pot until it starts to simmer
• Add chopped onion, celery, carrot and bell pepper – cook for 5 min with occasional stirring until vegetables begin to soften
• Add garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another 5 min until onions are translucent
• Add cumin, black beans, vegetable stock (or water) and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer
• Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 30 min until beans are tender
• Adult option: transfer about 4 cups to blender and puree until smooth
• Children version we always make: blend the entire soup and puree until smooth

We serve over rice as when the entire soup is pureed it’s fairly thick in consistency. We add Mexican white cheese (queso fresco), avocado and tortilla chips.

My kids (4.5 and 2.5 love this and my oldest is a super picky eater). It’s rich in protein and works well on a budget. Depending on family size and quantity made, this can last for days and freezes very well

This serves 4 people

Spaghetti Bolognese (Italian Meat Sauce)

Ingredients

Optional: Tomato paste

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in large pot until it starts to simmer
• Add diced onion and cook for about 3-5 min until onions are translucent
• Add ground beef and cook until well done and slightly browned
• Optional: add about an teaspoon of tomato paste (more as liked)
• Add celery and carrot, and top off with crushed tomatoes and water
• Season with salt, pepper and oregano and let simmer at low heat for about 30 min (the longer this simmers the better the taste, add water as needed)
• While sauce simmers, cook spaghetti as per instructions on package (Tip, add a bit of oil into the water to avoid pasta from sticking, season the water with 1 tablespoon of salt once it boils – careful water may splash)
• Serve with Parmesan cheese (optional)

This serves 4 people

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions:

• Melt butter over medium heat
• Add garlic and slightly brown for about 30 seconds (careful not to burn)
• Add flour little by little and whisk until creamy consistency
• Add tomato paste (optional) and whisk together
• Add water, little by little while whisking as water is being added to avoid clumps – until a creamy and a bit watery consistency is reached
• Add crushed or pureed tomatoes
• Season with salt, pepper and oregano to taste
• Simmer for as long as pasta needs to cook according to instructions on packaging. (Iip, add a bit of oil into the water to avoid pasta from sticking, season the water with 1 tablespoon of salt once it boils – careful water may splash)

We like to serve this with shredded swiss cheese but parmesan cheese works well (or no cheese at all)

This serves 4 people

Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

Instructions:

• Cut the chicken breast into about 1 inch big cubes
• Put each into a deep plate: flour, egg and breadcrumbs
• Season egg with a pinch of salt and pepper – whisk until combined
• Season breadcrumbs with garlic, salt and pepper – stir until combined
• Take each chicken cube and move through:

1. Flour
2. Egg
3. Breadcrumbs

Make sure that each piece is evenly coated

• Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat until hot
• Add chicken cubes and fry on all sides until done (medium heat)

Serve with fries (if you have a fryer, cut up your potatoes and fry them) and condiments. A side salad is a great addition as well

This should serve 4 people depending on appetite

There are plenty of models out there to create efficiency, this one was just new to me. Please share thoughts.

Message me @ maisha@malimaja.net and I will be sure to get you a copy of the book once it’s published.