Cooking can be a meditative experience for some, which is a great way to make the most of your experience. However, there are also times when you want cooking to be quick and easy, especially after a long, hard day at work. Sometimes it is a race against the clock to get a meal on the table for your family, or perhaps you want to create some extra time in the evening to do something you love. Fortunately, there are a plethora of different ways you can make your cooking faster so that you can spare some time. Here are some top tips to help you get started.
#1 Equip your kitchen
Having the right equipment in your kitchen is vital to speed up the process of preparing food, and cooking. Start with simple items such as a variety of cooking utensils, and make sure your knives are sharp. You can also invest in appliances that cut down on cooking time, such as a Faberware Air Fryer.
As well as furnishing your kitchen, you should make sure you are well equipped before preparing each meal. Take a moment before you begin and heat the oven, get the water boiling, and gather all the utensils and appliances that you will need. This will eliminate the need to scramble around the kitchen in the middle of cooking and cause delays.
#2 Make a meal plan
Planning your meals is a great way to save money, reduce waste and most importantly, save time. By taking some time at the start of each week, or month, to sit down and plan your meals, you will save time procrastinating about what to buy at the shop, and what you’re going to eat each night. A detailed meal plan will give you the recipes, the ingredients and the equipment that you need to use so that you can prepare in advance. Take a look at what you already have in your kitchen and research some meals that are quick and easy to create. Check your calendar for the week and ensure you align your meals with your activities and available time. Consider which meals you can double up on, to save time and eat leftovers on the following day.
#3 Prep your meals
Take your meal planning to the next level and prepare your meals in advance. All you need is a few hours, and you can cook all of your meals for the week in advance. This will entail a detailed meal plan that includes your breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks, a food shop to obtain all the ingredients, and Tupperware. You can prepare the entire meals for the week and store them in the freezer so they can quickly be heated up during the day, or you can prepare the time-consuming parts of meals, such as the sauces of vegetables.
A little bit of effort at the beginning of each week, or month, to equip your kitchen, make a meal plan, and prepare your meals in advance can go a long way to making your weeks and mealtimes more efficient.