It's summer and it's hot. Keep it simple!
It's summer and it’s HOT; most of us are not thinking about cooking on our Viking appliances…but there are some simple things we can do to make it a lot more enjoyable and have a meal on the table in less than thirty minutes.
I’m not Rachel Ray, but I think I can handle myself pretty well in the kitchen. Even I struggle with having a meal on the kitchen table in less than thirty minutes with out complete chaos. If I have learned anything in life, it is that I do not thrive on chaos and the opposite of chaos is being organized.
If you are going to be cooking your meals in fewer than thirty minutes, that means you need to get yourself organized, have your pantry ready, and your tools (pots and pans, etc) ready to go. Yes it will take a little effort on your part to get yourself organized, but it is definitely worth the effort. That way you will be ready to “shoot from the hip”, as they say.
You will want to be using quick techniques such as broiling, boiling, sautéing, steaming, poaching and of course my favorite grilling.
Begin with the dish that will take you the longest to prepare, and then move between each recipe so they will be finished at the same time. Don’t think you have to finish a dish before you have to start on the next one. If you need 1 cup of onions for a recipe and need a ½ cup for the next, it is much easier to chop it all together.
To be able to finish a recipe in less than 30 minutes, that means you STAY FOCUSED, no chatting on the phone, watching TV, reading your mail. If you can, have someone else set the table. Possibly while you are prepping for one recipe, somebody can be prepping the next recipe. Just stay cool, everything will be fine.
If have any questions or would just like to chat, feel free to send me an email, Cathie Mooers. Enjoy!
