Of green bananas & other kitchen tips for the ‘hustler’ – when time is at a premium

1. Green bananas are a good alternative to Ugali.
   • Boil them whole, without peeling, for 5 – 10 minutes.  You need less time if they are semi-ripe.
   • Peel and drop them in your plate of stew when ready. You can mash them if you have time. Try with beef, chicken, greens, beans, peas etc
   • They can keep for up to two days without refrigeration, which means you can prepare for more than one meal at a time
   • 2 – 4 plantains can be enough per meal depending on their size
   • They are also ideal for breakfast or snack. Try with avocado, kachubali, eggs,’ kus-kus’ etc.
   • Nutrition content includes resistant starch (hence ideal for weight management) , pectin, fibre, potassium, vitamins B6 and C, magnesium, copper and manganese
   • The cooked peels (skin) and the soup are also edible and have great health benefit.  Google some recipes. Or better still make up your own.
2. Invest in a good pressure cooker. It will save you time and reduce your gas / power bills. (Avoid using it for meats though)
3. Did you know that you don’t have to peel potatoes? That in fact by throwing away the peels, you have been throwing away the best part? Clean your potatoes well (instead of peeling) and cook them sliced up or whole. Save time and get more nutrition value. This applies to Irish and sweet potatoes.
4. That you do not have to pre-fry onions and tomatoes.
   • Try steaming kale, spinach etc and throw in onions, tomatoes, spices and add oil towards the end and cook for a minute or two.
   • Similarly, boil beans / githeri/ peas etc first and throw in… (..as above)
   • Try this with meat too. Add salt and let it steam /fry in its own moisture / fat stirring as necessary. If too dry add some water just enough to keep from sticking to the pot. Add onions, tomatoes etc towards the end.
     Save time and get more nutrition value. Also this way, you can use less onions, tomatoes and oil and the food still tastes great.
5. Avoid artificial and over-processed spices and sauces. Natural ones like ginger, turmeric, rosemary, chilli, coriander (dania),  garlic, green pepper (hoho) gives far better results, are cheaper and way healthier.
6. Let food sit (cool) for a few minutes before serving. This enhances flavours and avoids scalding your mouth.
7. Try to settle down (sit) to enjoy your meals. Take a deep breath. Helps in digestion and stress management.