Tips to Save Time in the Kitchen
Making great tasting, nutritious meals for our families is important but can be time consuming. With life so busy with work, kids, and recreation it is easy to skip the nutrition and go with processed or fast foods. These tips help you make nutritious, yummy meals for your family without slaving away in the kitchen all day.
Cooking Day
Once a month have a cooking day. Enjoy some music or a video while you spend the day in the kitchen. Make your family's favorite dishes, then freeze for later. Then during the rest of the month you need only pull a meal from the freezer, put it in a dish, and pop it in the oven. Easy, nutritious, home-cooked 10 minute meal. Some of my favorite cook, freeze, reheat meals are breakfast burritos, calzones, pizza, pasties, and hamburgers.
Frozen Veggies
Instead of spending time cutting fresh veggies buy packages of cut frozen vegetables. These are easy to pour into a stir-fry, soup, or other dish and require no extra preparation. If you steam them for a side dish, frozen veggies are almost as perfect as fresh steamed veggies.
Rice in a Jiffy
Using instant rice is an excellent time saver. It is better to buy boxes of instant rice instead the microwavable ones in plastic containers since the latter often has an unpleasant odor. You can make rice in about 5 minutes instead of thirty, and if you somehow mess it up, it is easy and quick to make more.
Broth- Ready to Use
Broth is an essential ingredient in many meals. You can find many flavors of broth in pourable containers at the store. If you prefer to make your own broth, make it on cooking day when you make and freeze your meals. Pour the broth into ice cube trays and when frozen, bag them. Whether you use store bought or home-made frozen broth, you save time.
Seasoning
Check out the seasonings sections of the grocery store. There is a multitude of different sauces, seasonings, and rubs available for every conceivable type of meat. Each month try out a couple of these and find your family's favorites.
These tips are designed to help you save time in the kitchen while still feeding your family nutritious, home-cooked meals. Although fast food is okay occasionally, it is much better to sit together as a family eating a delicious meal.
Cooking Day
Once a month have a cooking day. Enjoy some music or a video while you spend the day in the kitchen. Make your family's favorite dishes, then freeze for later. Then during the rest of the month you need only pull a meal from the freezer, put it in a dish, and pop it in the oven. Easy, nutritious, home-cooked 10 minute meal. Some of my favorite cook, freeze, reheat meals are breakfast burritos, calzones, pizza, pasties, and hamburgers.
Frozen Veggies
Instead of spending time cutting fresh veggies buy packages of cut frozen vegetables. These are easy to pour into a stir-fry, soup, or other dish and require no extra preparation. If you steam them for a side dish, frozen veggies are almost as perfect as fresh steamed veggies.
Rice in a Jiffy
Using instant rice is an excellent time saver. It is better to buy boxes of instant rice instead the microwavable ones in plastic containers since the latter often has an unpleasant odor. You can make rice in about 5 minutes instead of thirty, and if you somehow mess it up, it is easy and quick to make more.
Broth- Ready to Use
Broth is an essential ingredient in many meals. You can find many flavors of broth in pourable containers at the store. If you prefer to make your own broth, make it on cooking day when you make and freeze your meals. Pour the broth into ice cube trays and when frozen, bag them. Whether you use store bought or home-made frozen broth, you save time.
Seasoning
Check out the seasonings sections of the grocery store. There is a multitude of different sauces, seasonings, and rubs available for every conceivable type of meat. Each month try out a couple of these and find your family's favorites.
These tips are designed to help you save time in the kitchen while still feeding your family nutritious, home-cooked meals. Although fast food is okay occasionally, it is much better to sit together as a family eating a delicious meal.
Published by Rebecca Rosenburg
Rebecca Rosenburg is a freelance writer and information specialist. Rebecca has worked in the health care industry for 16 years as a CNA/Caregiver. Rebecca is also an educator with 13 years experience specia... View profile
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10 Comments
Post a CommentThese are great ideas , especially now that busy springtime is on the way - Thanks
I hate when I run out of garlic powder:)
Great tips Rebecca. The quicker I can get in and done, the better and so time saving tips and gadgets are always a gift.
Thanks for the great tips
Great tips.
Mondays my son has off and we cook for the week...Good advice.
Good tips, Rebecca.
Thanks! :)
Yesterday, my husband made a mixed-veggie pasta dish using up all of the veggies that we had in the refrigerator with some fresh ground ginger and soy sauce. It was awesome and he threw in one can of diced tomatoes to finish it off :) cheers!
Good tips.