Sprint cooking: 9 chef tricks to make dinner in half the time
If you come home late at night, have very little time on your hands, or simply want to reduce the hours spent at the stove without sacrificing taste, you've come to the right place. We have selected 9 clever tricks, inspired by the best home chefs, that will help you cut your time in the kitchen in half. From strategic preparation of ingredients to clever techniques for speeding up cooking, you'll find practical tips you can put into practice right away. Perfect for young professionals always on the run, multitasking parents, and anyone who wants to bring tasty dishes to the table without wasting precious time!
1. Prepare and freeze vegetables in advance
Cut onions, carrots, peppers, and zucchini over the weekend and freeze them in portioned bags. That way you save time every night and avoid getting knives and cutting boards dirty every time. A small effort worth a week of quick dinners.
2. Use the kettle to heat the pasta water.
Heating water with an electric kettle is up to two times faster than with a stove. Once boiled, pour it into the pot and proceed with cooking: perfect for last-minute noodles!
3. Cook multiple dishes together in the oven
Take advantage of every shelf in the oven to cook multiple dishes at once: baked vegetables below, salmon in the middle, croutons on top. Optimize time and energy.
4. Aim for one-pot or one-pan dishes
Fewer pans = less time. Recipes in one pan (such as vegetable and chicken wok) or in one pan (express baked pasta) make your life easier. The flavor is not affected, on the contrary!
5. Keep a "smart" pantry with wildcard foods.
Canned lentils, cous cous, tomato puree, tuna, and precooked rice are perfect dinner savers. Having these ingredients always ready allows you to improvise complete dishes in 10 minutes.
6. Cut everything with a mandoline or food processor
Why waste time with a knife and cutting board? With a mandoline or mini robot chop, slice and grate in seconds. Great for stir-fries, salads and quick side dishes.
7. Blanch and preserve
Blanch broccoli, spinach or green beans on Sunday, then store them in the refrigerator. During the week, you'll only need to saute them 2 minutes for an express and tasty side dish.
8. Cook big and use leftovers
Make large portions and use leftovers as the basis for new dishes. Yesterday's roast chicken becomes a gourmet salad today. The meat sauce? A great filling for savory crepes.
9. Take advantage of passive cooking
Pasta can finish cooking even when the heat is off with a lid on. Rice can "cook" while you are in the shower. Techniques used by chefs to optimize every second without losing flavor.
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Daniele Mainieri
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