If you are sick and tired of eating at evening hours Ever just stood looking into the fridge blankly wondering what to cook, Sound familiar? You are not alone, do not despair. A lot of us feel this struggle every night. But fear not! But there are ways of turning those boring meals into truly flavoursome and nutritious feasts. Here are some kitchen hacks to make weeknights cooking a more pleasant experience.
Planning is Key
Planning is your secret weapon when it comes to weeknight dinners without the stress. Even just take a little time on the weekend to plan out your meals for next week. Make a meal plan for the week or month, make shopping and prepare in advance. This simple step will actually end up saving you time and money.
Prep Ahead
Set aside a couple of hours on Sunday to chop veggies, saute some grains or marinate proteins. Prep these items and your cooking time will be cut back by a mile.
Freezer Friendly Meals
Maximize your freezer with batch-cooked meals. Make a big pot of your favorite chili, soup or curry and divide it up into small containers. Which is GREAT because that means you can just freeze them until you need to thaw and reheat later when life gets too crazy.
One-Pan Wonders
KEEP IT CLEAN: Do it all in one pan. Cook your protein, put in some veggies inside a stir fry skillet with sauce – make everything on the same pan. And you get fewer pots and pans to wash, another great thing about making things sheet pan dinner style.
Versatile Ingredients
Have a well-stocked pantry with versatile food items that can be used in many dishes. Use canned beans, lentils and whole grains. These ingredients are versatile, and with a few staple additions you can make different meals.
Leftover Magic
Seriously, don’t let your leftovers go to waste! Be innovative and convert them to new items. Leftover rotisserie chicken can be turned into a tasty Chicken Salad, Stir-Fry or Hearty Soup. Salads, pasta dishes and omelets can also be spruced up with your leftover roasted vegetables.
Flavor Boosters
Start with a primer on adding flavor that will elevate your dishes. Using fresh herbs, garlic and ginger they make shelf-stable pantry staples taste like a delicious chicken curry from an Indian restaurant. Create your own unique flavors by mixing a number of combinations together.
Batch Cooking
Batch cook to save time and energy Make a big pot of something like bolognese or meatballs, individual serve and then freeze for later. That way there is always a cooked meal ready to go.
Make-Ahead Sauces
Make sauces and marinations ahead of time Once ready to use, keep it in the refrigerator or freeze. This way you are saving some time in case when you finally decide to cook.
Because let’s face it… we all need more simple fun in our weeknight cooking. Experiment with different ingredient mixes, cooking methods and colouring flavours. That, and some planning is all it takes to elevate dinner from ordinary to beyond-extraordinary.