Most people live a hectic lifestyle, one that is dominated by a lack of time. It seems we need more time to do the things we love. If one of the things you love is cooking, you surely end up feeling frustrated that you cannot cook everything you love. Fortunately, there are different things you can do to speed up cooking. Here are some suggestions if you are really busy and you want to make your cooking faster.
Keep A Well-Stocked Pantry
The temptation of ordering takeaway is much higher if the pantry is bare and you cannot cook something fast. What you should always consider is to stock your pantry with long-life ingredients you can combine in different ways for many dishes. If you do not have time to shop, just have your ingredients delivered. Some suggestions:
- Stock on dried pasta.
- Buy vegetables with long shelf life, like onions, carrots and potatoes.
- Stock canned fish like tuna, sardines and salmon.
- Buy tiny legumes like chick peas and kidney beans.
- Always have packed and canned soups.
- Stock up on vinegars and oils.
- Stock on dried herbs.
- Buy dried goods.
- Store nuts.
Properly Use Your Fridge And Freezer
The idea is to always have your freezer and fridge stocked with healthy, handy food. For instance:
- Buy frozen vegetables.
- Citrus fruits are great as they have a long life if refrigerated.
- Seal and store grated cheese in your freezer.
- De-boned meat is recommended and you can divide quantities into portions that are meal-sized. Then, separately freeze.
- Buy lime and lemon juice in bottles you can store inside the fridge.
- Chicken and red meat can be bought already marinated, diced or sliced.
- Buy bulk bread and then keep it in your freezer.
What You Decide To Cook Counts
If you are really busy and do not have much available time, you need to cook fast, easy meals. This is why it is always suggested that you try to cook curries, pastas, stews, casseroles, risottos, salads, stir-fries and soups.
Learn How To Save Time When Cooking And Busy
There are many suggestions that can be offered. Here are some you want to consider:
- Always make extra portions – You can do this as you make soup, pasta sauce or anything else. Just cook double. What remains can be frozen in meal portions. This gives you ready-made meals that you can use at a later point in time.
- Prepare one-pot meals – Examples of this includes risottos, curries, casseroles, curries and soups. They are great since you save time on washing up.
- Use your microwave – You will be surprised to see how many meals can be cooked with a microwave. Also, you can re-heat everything faster, allowing you to take advantage of your past preparation.
- Use thin, small food chunks – These simply cook a lot faster and you save time.
- Never throw leftovers – You want to store these in an appropriate way and have that quick meal you might need the following day. Also, reinventing leftovers can be done in a really creative way
One Response
I not a really busy person, but I still follow a lot of this tips. Your list is spot on Peaches! What I don’t do is buy canned foods, so I make big pots of beans, stews and soups then freeze in serving size containers. It works great.