| Many of us are time pressured. We want to cook | | | | * Plan ahead and use shortcuts - buy ready chopped |
| healthy meals for our family but, between working | | | | vegetables and prepared salads. |
| long hours and spending time with our partner and | | | | * If you are making a sauce, make double and |
| kids, we just haven't got time to cook, have we? | | | | freeze a batch. If you freezer is big enough, you can |
| Actually, there is time. By changing your methods, | | | | keep months worth of tasty sauces available at a |
| looking through your recipe collection for quick | | | | moment or two's notice. |
| healthy recipes or searching online for free recipes, | | | | * When you have found some healthy recipes or low |
| you can cook healthy meals for your family and do | | | | fat recipes, read through them and choose ones that |
| everything else that your busy lifestyle requires. | | | | have fewer steps or ingredients. Some free recipes |
| Ultimately, its all about 'efficiency' - in much the same | | | | online will give preparation and cooking times to help |
| way as business managers use time and motion | | | | you plan. |
| studies, you can refine your kitchen techniques to be | | | | * Spend a weekend re-organising your kitchen - |
| time efficient and sitll produce great cooking. | | | | move saucepans nearer to your cooker, keep knives |
| Here are 14 quick cooking tips to help you:- | | | | in a block on the worktop or on a magnetic strip on |
| * If you are chopping onions, peppers or herbs, chop | | | | the wall, hang utensils on hooks above the work |
| twice the amount and freeze - this will save time in | | | | surface and know where measuring jugs and bowls |
| the future as they will be on hand for healthy recipes | | | | are. Having things to hand and knowing where things |
| and vegetable recipes. | | | | are will cut down preparation time. |
| * Prepare a washing up bowl of hot soapy water so | | | | * Keep ingredients you use frequently on hand and |
| you can throw things in it to soak or wash up when | | | | within reach. |
| things are cooking. | | | | * Have a plastic bag or container on the work top |
| * Use a magnetic, erasable shopping list board on the | | | | for rubbish so that you don't have to keep going to |
| fridge to note down items as you run low on them. | | | | the rubbish bin. |
| That way you will never run out of vital ingredients. | | | | * Don't rush - Rushing around can cause mistakes |
| * Don't be put off by recipes that seem to take a | | | | and accidents and therefore add more time to |
| long time. If you read the instructions carefully, you | | | | cooking. |
| will find that many recipes involve just 15 minutes | | | | |
| prepartation and 45 minutes cooking in the oven. | | | | Remember, although preparing quick meals is a great |
| These are great for a busy lifestyle as the allow you | | | | idea to help manage your busy life, it is also |
| to do other things during the 'oven time'. | | | | important to 'cook with love'. Fast cooking does not |
| * Build a collection of recipes - keep a file on your | | | | have to be 'shoddy' or cut corners, you are, after all, |
| computer or a ring binder file of favourite healthy | | | | cooking for those you love the most and they |
| recipes which are quick to prepare and cook. Choose | | | | deserve your best. Remember to pay full attention |
| a range of recipes - diet recipes, vegetarian recipes, | | | | to any recipe you are preparing, no matter how |
| dessert recipes and low carb recipes. | | | | quickly it is prepared - one moments loss of focus |
| * Read through the recipe first and then gather | | | | can result in a meal that is virtually inedible, and |
| together all of the ingredients and equipment you will | | | | nobody will enjoy that experience. |
| need before you start. | | | | I hope you find these quick cooking tips useful, and |
| * Use the microwave - speed up grilled chicken by | | | | that you are able to maintain a healthy time/family |
| microwaving it first on medium high until it starts to | | | | balance in your lives. |
| turn white and then grill. | | | | |