7 Tips to Simplify Your Summer Cooking Life
Want to eat your way to a healthier and happier you this summer? Does the hot weather make you run away from the kitchen? Stop munching on those French fries and store-bought snacks and meals. Your summer cooking life might be a lot easier if you follow the tips I am going to share with you below. They do not require cooking skills, money, and plenty of time. All you need is a tiny bit of creativity and effort.
1 Declutter your fridge and pantry
I am not telling you to get rid of processed foods, though it is necessary too. What I want you to do right now is to take a quick look at your pantry and fridge and eliminate hard to cook ingredients from them. Also, get rid of the foods that have already expired. Write a grocery shopping list for the entire summer that will include only simple ingredients like fruit, veggies, yogurt, oatmeal, beans, etc. Ditch meat that takes an age to cook.
2 Fall in love with a slow cooker
I must confess that I do love my slow cooker, especially during the summer months. This machine works miracles and saves me time. Just think, you can prepare all the ingredients within a few minutes and let the cooker make all the rest job for you. What can be simpler?
3 Keep the recipes handy
Collect all the easiest yet healthiest recipes – the more, the better – and keep them handy. I suggest you keep the breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes separately to save time on seeking the needed recipe. Go through the cooking book or blogs once a week to know what you will be cooking this week.
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4 Prepare the ingredients in advance
Let’s say you want to make oatmeal with berries for your breakfast. Then, you’re planning to make some detox salad for lunch and a refreshing soup for dinner. Prepare all the ingredients in the evening. Put them in three large bowls and place them in the fridge, if needed.
5 Make the most of the leftovers
Leftovers do not sound tasty, but they can be as delicious as a meal from scratch. Again, the Internet can help you turn any miserable leftover into a fabulously tasty meal. Cooked grains, including oats and quinoa, or a vegetable soup can last in the fridge for several days, so why not spice up them a little and serve for dinner?
6 Cook once, eat all week
Speaking of leftovers, it is also a great idea to cook all the meals for the entire week. Sure, you are going to spend a few hours cooking on Sunday, but this will help you forget about the kitchen life for the entire week. You do not need to cook something extraordinary. Just choose simple recipes of the meals that can last in your fridge for a week or so and voila.
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7 Chop, bake, or roast in batches
Check out your recipes before cooking. If a few recipes feature chopped onions or roasted almonds, write it down and do this process first. This will simplify your cooking and speed up the prep time. You can also chop, dice, or grate veggies that you use often and keep them in the freezer.
Cooking is tricky when you make it tricky. Simplify your summer cooking life and focus on enjoying plenty of family and beach time, instead. Remember, summer is all about fun?
