Easy Tips and Tricks for Quick Cooking

If an hour's worth of cooking takes a lot of your energy and gets you frustrated, imagine how your female ancestors felt when they had to spend 6 hours or more each day to prepare meals. These days, though, there is no excuse for heating those store-bought pizzas and microwave meals. There are plenty of tricks you can use for quick cooking. All it takes is a little patience, preparation and creativity. Here's how:

Prepare ahead of time.
Half of the time you waste when cooking meals is actually spent on preparation including the planning, ingredient selection, washing, cutting and scraping. If you prefer fresh vegetables, cut them in the sizes you will be using and store them in the fridge. Next time you need julienned carrots, for example, you can just open a prepared batch and use for quick cooking.

The same holds true for pre-cooked ingredients, especially meat and chicken. Simply cook some extra pieces, store them and use them later for a different dish.

Another trick is to use convenience products, such as frozen vegetables, preserved fruits, canned or bottled sauces. This is a step above eating microwave meals and you can shave time off from preparing them. Need pesto sauce for your pasta? Don’t bring out your food processor and open a prepared bottle instead. That's 10 or 15 minutes of cooking time saved.

Review the recipe.
Another quick cooking trick is to learn your recipe beforehand. If you're unsure about a dish, read the recipe thoroughly to acquaint yourself with the ingredients and cooking process. It's a lot quicker to cook something if you have envisioned how the process will unfold and what you will need to use. That way, you can have your utensils and ingredients ready.

Cut up in small pieces and use quick cooking techniques.
Foods that are cut in small, bite-sized pieces are easier to cook compared to larger pieces. Even small pieces of beef or pork will work well even when stir-fried. If pieces are larger, grilling will be an excellent quick cooking method, as well as frying and deep-frying.

Cut once, use twice.
Rachael Ray had it right when she urged people to cut up the ingredients they need all at once and use them as needed. For example, if you need garlic for two dishes, chop up the number of cloves once and use accordingly. It saves you time so you can focus on doing something else.

Learn your specialty.
It's quicker to cook something that you know. When pressed for time, cook a recipe that you are familiar with to save time.

Low Fat Cooking Tips and Recipes

If you have to eat healthy but don’t have the time to prepare what you must eat, then you have to maximize, right? You need to meet the required dietary amount of fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains and proteins despite your busy schedule in order to maintain your health.

Therefore, you should try low-fat cooking regimens to spice up your eating lifestyle and to keep you motivated in eating healthy. Here are some of them.

1. Salmon has Omega 3

Salmon may not be the leanest fish but it does give you the required amount of Omega 3 that you need. It has garlic and olive oil; which are two of the powerhouses of nutrition.

2. Making the most out of chicken breast

If you’re getting sick and tired of always having to eat chicken breasts (because it has the lowest fat content), you can cook it in different ways for variety. You can cook it with pasta and broccoli, with pineapple or make chicken soup.

3. Your vegetables as a work of art

If you’re not craving microwaved broccoli or sautéd vegetables with chicken broth. You can also microwave sweet potatoes instead of broccoli. If you want additional flavor, you can drizzle it with honey.

4. Spicing up the fruits

You can mix blueberries and strawberries with low-fat cottage cheese for a snack. It may be light but it’s filling because of the healthy nutrients you’re getting. You can sauté sliced nectarines or peaches and drop a pinch of cinnamon or vanilla on them. You can also broil baked bananas and flavor them with some cinnamon.

5. Lowering the fat content

In place of oil, use cooking sprays. A light mist is enough to keep the food from sticking. Get the brands that have canola oil or olive oil. There are some brands offering flavors for the food.

6. Remove the skin from poultry and trim the fat from the meat. Do this before refrigerating them so you won’t forget. It also saves you time when you want to cook.

7. It helps to have a bottle of water near you. A giant sports bottle will do the trick. Fill it up every morning and toss some ice cubes in it and you’re good for the day. Water will help your digestion and will also keep your skin clear. Drinking the required 8 to 10 glasses of water is the best thing you can do for your body.