Philadelphia, PA - If you are as busy as most people, you are always looking for ways to feed your family in convenient, fast, yet not-too-expensive ways. Try the following suggestions:
How to Cook Meals Just Like a Professional Chef
You are cooking several meals for the week at one time. It may take a few hours upfront, but it will pay off in the long run when you come home each evening and have a meal ready to eat quickly.Try cooking a roast, using part of it as a main meal, and then using some for sandwiches, beef stroganoff, or a stir-fry. Fry several pounds of hamburger and make a casserole, taco meat, and chili to freeze for use later in the week.
After returning home from the grocery store, clean all the fruits and vegetables. When it’s time for a meal, you can cook them or add them to a salad or soup.
Get ideas from the cooking shows on T.V. There are great shows that show you how to make a healthy meal quickly.
Develop a revolving recipe file. If you get bogged down by the idea of having to plan 30 meals a month, the recipe file is for you. Let family members choose some of their favorites and put the recipes in a monthly file. Flip to day five or fifteen, and the meal is just waiting to be cooked.
Enlist the help of your family members as soon as the kids are old enough to divide up the cooking responsibilities. Let everyone take turns with specific tasks or the whole meal. Pair these meals with fruit and veggies that have already been washed and cut up, and you are ready for dinner.
Share the cooking with friends or neighbors. I’ve known people who cook four or five of the same meal and then trade with four or five others. This works best when people share the same basic ideas on what they like and don’t like. It’s an excellent idea for a whole week of evening meals.
Save coupons for convenience items at the grocery store. They have entire entrees and dinners, either fresh or frozen. Sometimes, they are rather pricy, but with the coupons, they are good to have on hand for an evening when everyone is running in different directions and time is of the essence.
It’s O.K. to eat out from time to time. Clip coupons for these occasions, and if you have kids, look out for places with special prices for children. Some of the fast-food restaurants are trying to offer item choices that are a little more healthy.
Many larger cities have businesses that prepare food for the evening meal. They seem expensive initially, but they are convenient and available for one person or an entire family. There are many menu choices and meals cooked for special diets. Calculating the groceries you buy and the times you eat out each week may work for you.
Combine several of the above ideas into a plan that is best for you.
With a little planning, you can cook quick, easy meals without spending hours in the kitchen every day.
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