The last thing you want to be doing after a long day is thinking about preparing a meal. The thought alone can cause you to hop onto your favourite food delivery app and order something you know isn’t the healthiest and will burn a hole in your wallet.
So, what are your options if you still need to feed the family and want to spend some quality time with them before bed? Let’s take a look at some useful tips that make cooking quick, easy, and just as convenient as ordering takeout – minus the added calories and light wallet.
1. Roast without flipping
Roasted veggies with baked crumbed chicken steaklets are a favourite in many South African households. Add a couple of French fries or nuggets for the kids and you have a quick, effortless meal. But what if we told you there is a way to speed up the process and make it even more hands off?
You see, when preparing these meals, the instructions typically say to flip the food halfway through for even browning. But if you heat the tray beforehand, the food will cook evenly and faster! This speeds up the cooking process, giving you more time to relax and unwind with the fam without constantly needing to check on the food.
2. Wash your fruits and veg before putting them away
To save some time on cooking day, it’s a good idea to prep the fruit and veg as soon as they enter your kitchen. It’s easy enough to scrub the skins of root veggies with a brush so you won’t have to peel them later or quickly rinse leafy greens, pat them dry, and store them in a colander.
Imagine how easy it will be if you have all your salad ingredients already neatly prepped and cut to your liking. From there it’s as simple as opening a couple of storage containers and putting the dish together – easy peasy!
3. Rearrange your cupboards
How annoying is it when you’re 1) not really looking forward to cooking and 2) struggling to find the right kitchen tool for the job? Eliminate the headache of having to unpack the entire cupboard by storing items you use the most at the front.
Make sure all those essentials you rely on for preparing food in a jiffy are the easiest to grab. It just makes sense to store these items in front of things like that fancy platter you only use now and again. It’s all about effective arrangement and how to organise your space to work with you – not against you.
4. Pre-set the table
A clever way to help you save some time is to stack your clean dishes and cutlery on the dining table as soon as you finish washing them. Transfer the clean silverware from the drying rack or the dishwasher to a spot that’s out of the way from being knocked over, and you’ll always have a clean stack on hand when dinner is ready to be served. The only thing that’s left is to dish up the next meal – yum!
5. Invest in appliances that speed up cooking time
We’re always looking for something new to help make our home life a little easier, right? With 9in1 functionality, the LG Neochef Convection can do a number of tasks in the kitchen. From baking and roasting, to steaming and making biltong and of course warming dinner for the late comers.
The LG NeoChef opens up a whole new world of dishes that can be cooked with great speed thanks to Smart Inverter technology. And that goes for defrosting too. Gone are the hot or cold spots. A crispy roasted chicken can be done up to 1.6 times faster! It even has healthier options for frying and grilling methods. The result? Quicker and more evenly cooked food, regardless of how big or small the food item is.
The LG Neochef also features 99.99% Anti-Bacterial EasyClean™ that not only provides hygienic clean protection, but also makes cleaning simple and convenient.