17 tips and tricks to cook dinner faster
In today’s fast-paced living, cooking dinner quickly while maintaining a delicious taste and proper nutrition can be essential. Here are 17 tips and tricks to cook dinner faster:
1. Planning: Planning your meals ahead of time can help you stay organized and speed up the cooking process.
2. Prep Ahead: Whenever possible, prep your ingredients earlier in the day or the night before.
3. Batch Cooking: Prepare large quantities of meals at once and store the rest for later use.
4. Kitchen Tools: Utilize kitchen tools like slow cookers, pressure cookers, and instant pots that can cook food faster.
5. Frozen Vegetables: Use frozen vegetables instead of fresh ones as they are already cut and cleaned.
6. One-Pot Meals: Opt for one-pot meals – they are less time-consuming and easier to clean up.
7. Microwave Use: Save time by using the microwave for tasks like melting butter or heating water.
8. Use a Timer: It keeps you on track and helps prevent overcooked or burnt dishes.
9. Stir-Fries: Stir-frying is a quick way to cook your veggies and meat with a burst of flavors.
10. Store Properly: Store ingredients in clear containers so you can easily see what’s inside without wasting time searching.
11. Clean as You Go: To avoid an overwhelming cleanup job at the end of cooking, try cleaning as you go along.
12. Knife Skills: Improving your knife skills can significantly cut down prep times.
13. Cookware Size: Choose the appropriate size of the pan/pot considering the quantity of food being cooked to ensure quick, even cooking.
14. Ingredient Substitution: Learn common ingredient substitutions to avoid last-minute store runs when you’re missing something.
15. Ready-Made Products: High-quality canned goods or pre-packed mixed veggies/seasonings can save a lot of time.
16. Master Simple Recipes: Have a repertoire of simple, quick-to-make but tasty recipes under your sleeve for busy days when you don’t have time for elaborate meals.
17. Multiple Tasks Simultaneously: Practice on doing multiple tasks simultaneously e.g., While water is boiling, you can chop veggies.
Remember, speeding up your cooking process doesn’t require sacrificing quality or enjoyment of your mealtime – it’s about being efficient and organized while having some good recipes up your sleeve!