How to Spend Less Time in the Kitchen

Cooking can be one of the most enjoyable activities you do, and the pleasure of preparing and cooking a delicious meal is second to none. When you work a full-time job and have more than one mouth to feed, though, the pleasure is often replaced with the need to prepare food as quickly as possible with the least amount of effort. If you’re hungry, or if you have a family all asking when dinner is going to be ready, then a three-hour prep time isn’t ideal! By being prepared and using a few tips and tricks, you can have a delicious home-cooked meal ready in less than 30 minutes. If you’re looking for an alternative for cooking that’s just as fast, then check out some of the new delivery options now available such as foodpanda. 

Clean your food before starting.

Cleaning and preparing vegetables like carrots and potatoes can be one of the most time-consuming activities when cooking a meal, so being efficient with it can speed up your time considerably. Trim the ends of your vegetables first and then set about washing them. If you can scrub your vegetables with a wire brush rather than peeling them, this can cut preparation time in half. Once you’ve done this, add all your vegetables to the same colander and rinse them at the same time. This will save both time and water. If you can persuade other people in your house to take care of this for you, then this will save lots of time, too!

Set out a system for preparing your food.

If there are several steps needed to cook your meal, then think about the most efficient way of doing it and where you can multitask if possible. If you’re using a recipe, then read through it as it has most likely been written out with the most efficient instructions for you. You may see other opportunities to multitask when reading through it, though, and look at where you can be cooking multiple things at once. For example, if you have meat or pasta that will take a while to cook, have this cooking while you prepare your vegetables and sauces.

Use a grater on your butter.

If you need to use butter in your meal, then try grating it straight out of the fridge. Most people have had the issue where they’ve seen butter in the ingredients when baking, and then had to wait for 20 minutes for it to soften enough to use. Microwaving butter is an option, but you generally end up with half of the butter melted and half of it still rock solid. Grated butter, on the other hand, will soften in just minutes due to the larger surface area.

Dice your vegetables smaller.

If you’re preparing a stir-fry, then you can cut the cooking time to a minimum by spending a little extra time chopping your food into smaller chunks. They will cook far faster and allow you to have a meal prepared in only minutes.

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