Easy Everyday Cooking Tips

If you are part of a family or a single person where cooking has become more work than fun you are not alone. There are a few tips for easy everyday cooking which can help you bring fun back into cooking during the busy work week.

The first tip is to plan your purchases for the coming week. Buy the larger "family packs" of meat, usually five pounds or more, and create a range of meals using similar base ingredients. The larger packages of hamburger, chicken or pork can be split up into smaller portions to use in everyday cooking. Another easy tip is to buy lean steaks and stew meats which can also be divided in similar fashion. You can always create soups or use rice and pasta in different dishes.
The next tip which helps keep everyday cooking easy is to have plenty of spices available. Spices always help in emergencies or when you are in need of quick flavor to liven bland soup or a basic dish. A word of caution should be given to overusing or mixing spices which can give odd or inedible flavors. A few of the best seasonings to have around include:

Salt and Pepper

Garlic, Onion,

Cumin or Thyme

Basil, Celery and Parsley

A third tip to making cooking every day easier is to remember the oven. This is especially helpful when you don't feel like standing around the kitchen for half an hour preparing meals. Baking meals can be as simple as pre-thawing your portioned meat, placing it into an oven pan, seasoning to taste and then bake. This method of easy everyday cooking suits itself well to dishes using Pot Roast, chicken or a tuna noodle base. This way you are cooking and have time away from the kitchen if you need it.

Another cooking tip making every day easier, and related to the previous tip, is to make use of the Crock Pot or Slow Cooker. You will not know how much of a time saver this can be until you try it out. This is one of the handiest tips for people working long odd shifts or when the children get home before you. Using the slow cooker is as simple as tossing the chicken or stew meat into the cooker with some vegetables and adding water. Then you let the cooker go for up to ten hours. Most crock pots and slow cookers come with a set of recipes for making easy dishes.

One final tip which makes cooking every day easier is to use low fat cooking methods. Not only healthier, but also time savers, these methods can quickly become part of your daily routine.

Broiling

Here is a method which doesn't require any cooking oils, thus no spatter or messy stovetop to clean later. Broiling works very well with lean and thinner cuts of meat allowing them to cook through before drying out. You can place baking potatoes alongside the meat to provide for the vegetable.

Purees

This is an easy everyday cooking idea for when you have fresh vegetables but wish to do something different with them. Simply simmer the vegetables until they are soft and tender, drain and place into a blender with broth or milk. The blender's puree button will make a wonderful cream or sauce which you can pour over your main dish.

Steaming

Here is a way of easy everyday cooking which, while requiring no fat, retains much of the nutrition from the meat and vegetables. Steaming is a method where the ingredients are cooked in an enclosed container which keeps the moisture locked in.

Wraps

This is an easy everyday cooking tip which takes very little time and works well with both fish and chicken meals. Rub the meat being used with seasonings and garnish, and then wrap it in foil and bake. The wrap allows the meat to use its own juices as the cooking method.

Another advantage to using any of these tips for easy everyday cooking is that you save on the cost of food and pre-packaged meals which tend to get expensive. You can also create many of the gourmet dishes served in restaurant food. Creating a menu either weekly or daily is very simple when you have the ability to use a wide range of cooking methods such as these.