Cook fast and smart!

You like to cook, but you would rather not spend too much time doing it? You are right! It is a waste of time to stand in the kitchen while the spring unfolds its charms outside! We have some useful tips for a clever housekeeper.

Groceries? Only with a list

You know what takes the most of your time in the kitchen? Figuring out what to cook with your groceries! Why did you buy four tomato cans if there is no pasta? What do you need another tuna can for, if you already have five of them? Begin doing groceries with a list. Once a week plan carefully your menu and make your grocery list accordingly. You will avoid chaos - logistics is half the battle in the kitchen. And if you are on a diet, this approach makes losing weight much easier.

Do not fill your fridge to the brim

Groceries with a list do not mean hoarding as if the war was coming at any given moment. The less you have, the easier you will create a simple meal. Make sure you have in your kitchen products that are basics in food pyramid: vegetables, grains, pasta, dairy, and a piece of meat in the freezer. The rest is redundant! Give up cookies, sweetened muesli, semi-ready meals, casseroles, pizza or frozen microwavable meals. They only take space and fatten you up. And by no means they help you save time! After finishing huge stuffing ready meal you do feel full, but only for a short time! You quickly enter the kitchen again trying to find something to munch on. These kinds of dishes do not provide good energy. It is better to eat something healthy that you can prepare yourself, and fast. Do not waste sunny weather on feeling sick after heavy ready meals.

Smart tools

You used only the knife until now? And just one for everything, out of habit? That is why all went so slow. Try other tools that enable, for example, chopping vegetables in few minutes. A peeler catcher or a chopper can prove to be very helpful. You will chop herbs quickly with mezzaluna knife, used for ages by the Greeks and Italians - they do know it is a clever tool! Rinse your vegetables in soft sieve, which takes little space when folded and is easy to clean. Cut products on comfortable and dishwasher-proof plastic mat easy to rinse. Wooden cutting board requires scraping, and that is too time consuming! Look for novelties - there are plenty of culinary utensils to transform cooking into great fun!

Clever soups, quick salads

Spring and summer are the easiest seasons in the kitchen. There is abundance of fresh vegetables to conjure exquisite meals. Start eating salads for dinner. If this does not satisfy you, eat a soup. Both dishes can be done very quickly! Meat is the most time consuming food, and you do not have to eat it daily. You can freeze the soup broth in plastic containers for further use – once in a while make plenty, so you can just defrost it while needed. Crèmes are especially nutritious, e.g. from broccoli, asparagus or pumpkin. Salad dressing can be prepared in advance as well – you can keep it in a glass jar in your refrigerator. Try making warm salads, e.g. with grilled vegetables and chicken, fried sausage or poached egg. You will prepare it in a flash on a double grill pan!

Quick dessert?

The same goes with desserts! If you feel like something sweet, bake a cake with fresh fruits. Simple tart can be kneaded in few minutes, even before you go to work. All you need is soft butter. Place the dough in the fridge, and in the afternoon roll it out and bake. Use rollup baking mat for rolling, it is easy to wash. Do not pull out huge wooden pastry board or cutting boards; it is a waste of time. You need 15-17 minutes to bake a tart. After it has cooled down, fill it with fruits and whipped or light cream. It is delicious, and oh so quick! What is essential is good organization and wise time spending while preparing products.

Follow good advice

You will find plenty of great ideas online. Check out sites of famous chefs who often share their know-how on clever cooking. Ask you mom and grandma. The best culinary practices are transmitted from generation to generation, e.g. freezing meals. One day prepare more food, preferably something that needs just one pot, such as ragout, ratatouille, or goulash. Place cooled meal into plastic containers and do not forget to sign it adding a date of freezing. Use it over two or three months, whenever you lack time for preparing fresh meal.

Cooking should be fun. Engage your family to help, so it is even cleverer. Enjoy your meal together and then go for a walk – the day is much too precious to waste it in the kitchen.