Meals in A Jiffy |
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If you're looking to cut the amount of
time you spend preparing meals, begin by thinking about the types of
meals you usually serve. A quick meal is usually a simple meal. If you
do want to prepare a special dessert or a hearty, homemade soup, then
the other components of the meal should be simple foods such as broiled
chicken, a steamed vegetable, and a tossed salad with bottled dressing.
Before beginning to prepare a recipe, read it over carefully, get out
all the ingredients, and do all the necessary preparation. When you're
ready to begin, you'll have everything you need right at your
fingertips. To help you keep track of ingredients, keep them to your
right and as you use each item, move it to the left. This is especially
helpful when baking, since it's easy to add an ingredient twice if
you're not paying close attention. Also, try to plan preparation so the
utensils can be reused without washing (for example, use measuring
spoons to measure dry ingredients before liquid ones). If you have time between steps in a recipe, use it
to do other tasks, such as setting the table or packing a brown-bag
lunch. You can shorten midweek cooking time by using some
extra weekend time for food preparation. Here's how. Let's say your
family likes chicken or turkey. You can roast and serve the bird on the
weekend, then freeze leftovers in individual containers for use in
weekday meals or brown-bag lunches. Remember to label what you freeze
with the date, contents, and quantity. You'll save time in the long run if you prepare
ingredients for several days' recipes at one time. Blanch, slice, or
chop vegetables or shred cheese and then store these items in
resealable plastic bags or plastic containers. Label each with the
date, contents, and quantity. Although it is usually a little more costly to purchase ingredients
in the form called for in a recipe, it's a great timesaver. Shredded
cheese, chicken cutlets, peeled and deveined shrimp, and salad-bar
vegetables maybe worth the higher price to you if your time is at a
premium. |
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