MY FAVOURITE SHORTCUTS TIPS TRICKS COOKING

[MrRigatoni]

Hello every one just some shortcuts, tips, tricks cooking.

I use every time. I should explain have to adapt recipes for my disability mental health.

A number of volunteer roles in Kitchens . Run by Charities taught me much .

Also included food items I use and yes many are frozen.

No problem using frozen produce. Working in Kitchens as volunteer we have to do food prep.

One time saver is diced sliced vegetables blanched hot water drained and then cooled shocked ice cubes bowls then frozen.

Then are then ready for service.

When customer orders food is ready prepared chilled and ready to cook. Time from order to actually service presentation is kept to a minimum.

Any one who has worked in any catering establishment knows this, simply then why not buy frozen if the Kitchens are doing this.

Also many products out there in our supermarkets we should be using all there for use. Although there are some many not to be used and ever created.

Supposed to save time but in reality is it worth paying.

These are my favourites. I use again bullets easier for those with certain mental health conditions to understand and others.

Always done this.

I will add if I can one other on line retailers worth looking at if you serious about food and cooking products mainly.

1. Freezer I buy the following . Onions, Peppers, Carrots, Spinach, Peas, Sweetcorn, Mushrooms. Courgettes sliced.

Leeks.

I take them out of the bags label and use zip bags. Remove contents.

Use a scoop and just measure out how much you wish for.

Frozen Fruit, Berries and Cherries.

2. Store cupboard Essentials are Roasted Red Peppers, Tins Maggi Sauce and Certain Pasta sauce brands Barilla being the main ones.

Cherry Tomatoes. Antipasti jars useful.. Cooked roasted vegetables. In jars ideal for Pasta.

Passata organic if possible.

Blitz blenders instant Pasta Ragu sauces any sauces using any of the above.

Herbs dried buy on line mainly Italian mixes. Fennel Seeds, Bay. Rosemary Oregano.

Spices on line. Cinnamon, Coriander ground. Cumin, Ginger, Turmeric, Paprika.

Both Herbs Spices on line lots of offers bargains just need to trawl through and buy small amounts if you not using much.

Large amounts soon go off quickly. Remove from jars as the contents may have stuck hard empty in to separate containers labelled and use measuring spoon .

Too much spices herbs ruin a dish those who have added in to much Chilli.

Lemon Juice use a bottle or use Potatoes. Potatoes contain starch removes some of the Chill.

3 Store cupboard beans and pulses.

Chickpeas, Boleti, Cannellini Beans, Lentils, Haricot Beans, Kidney Beans organic if possible.

Pulses good ones in jars. These are cooked already and ready to use drain rinse off then add.

4. Pasta wholegrain and wheat. Short shapes. Not Penne or Fusilli. You need large pot plenty of water use a kettle boil this and use water. I advise certain amounts quarter cup per person a suggestion.

Salted use one tablespoon. I use rock salt. Also let the water become boiling.

Stir add Pasta timings should be less on the packet. If says ten minutes wholegrains wheat take a little longer. Take one minute off going to finish in the sauce.

Hot boiling water dangerous so use Oven gloves. Mitts. Plus if you have a drainer in the pot. Add a bowl near by with a colander sieve on top to drain in to. Olive oil to coat Pasta then will not stick.

Add to sauce and allow to mingle turn off heat as residual will continue cooking Pasta add Cheese if wish to.

Trick I precook Chicken or Turkey shred it then when Pasta ready to sauce add in .

Oven roast it ten minutes. Frozen Veggies if using add to Pasta water last minute drain saves another pan.

Only other cool Pasta down make enough another meal .

Pasta Salad using Deli Chicken or products. Time saver or use cooked Pasta Soup Minestrone.

5. I ought to add in meat products.

Buy cheap cuts Chicken Thighs, Legs. Turkey Thigh Joint.

Chicken and Turkey Sausages Meat ball some flavoured spiced ready to use.

I used to make my own but hands and disability not good so use ready made.

6. Fish Salmon Mackerel. fresh if I can get it.

Prawns seafood mixes.

7. Cooking tips. Pre plan meal do this in stages write down what your going to make ingredients and everything you need in steps.

How this meal going to make. What does it require have a glass of water spend time thinking that.

Can refer to it if not sure or having stress as we all can do, I do this all the time.

8. Weekends make a meal plan loosely what you going to eat. Plan uses up everything. Understand that if you keep buying same produce old produce never get used.

Use Tumbledown theory.

If making Bolognese next day left overs freeze some and rest in to Chilli.

Vegetables over meals Soup .

9. Only purchase if you need to purchase goods products the thoughts are should I need.

10. When going out make a list, decide what your eating.

Look on websites, recipe books on line.

Have a budget in mind no BOGOF. Think of when buying on line or in shops how can I extend this to make more.

Include vegetable based meals and recipes helps the week pad out not all about meat every day.

11. Use portion control. Eat bread drink water. Plenty of fruit and vegetables whole grains.

Pulses Beans . Pasta, Rice, Grains Couscous Bulgar Wheat, Pearl Barley all help expands the meals you make.

12. Use Slow Cookers, Blenders, Food processors to make meals sauces with a Slow Cooker batch cook .

13. Mentioned freezer things I do add in are making sauces Freeze zip bags Ragu and Pasta.

Bread products many of them we see have short shelf life so freeze then in to individual portions tin foil freeze ready.

Use toaster or grill.

Cheese buy whole grate food processor grater and freeze zip bag labelled. Add to recipes from freezer.

Freeze meat portion tin foil deli meat bacon same.

Poach whole Chicken some for meals freezer Soup tubs rest tin foil instant sandwiches or Pasta or Rice.

14. I buy frozen rice steam in the microwave.

15. Quick short cuts evening meal if you have everything done planned then the cooking experience should not be stressful.

I used to take hours cooking because get pain standing so using learning helps me to make a meal around quicker ones around ten minutes to half a hour.

16. Finally enjoy what you cook mistakes happen learn from them.

17. Need to be proud and admire the skill the talents the pleasure of your own food.

Please any questions or you need to want to know how to do anything sauces, food so on ask me happy to help .

Thank you for reading.

[Whydothis]

What a lot of ideas you manage to come up with!

I like using the pasta water to cook veggies too - as you say, it saves washing up another pan.

I like to eat fresh veg when I can, mainly out of my garden or a friend's allotment, but I do agree that frozen ones are very good for when there aren't many fresh ones or when you are in a hurry.

I agree with you about using a list for shopping, and I like your suggestion of planning carefully before cooking.

[MrRigatoni in reply to Whydothis]

I have lots of ideas as need time to think plan because frankly honest here am disabled have standing issues restrictions movements hands .

Short cuts and much tips tricks learning from others.

Not much money spend time during the lock down advising others.

If you have any problems happy to help be supportive.

Do not know what to cook or make ask me .

Pleasure to meet you

[Zest]

Hi MrRigatoni

Wow, that's another great list. I appreciate your enthusiasm for cooking, and there are certainly many helpful tips there.

I wondered about why you said not to use penne or fusilli pasta?

I appreciated your tips for making the arrabiata sauce, and wanted to thank you for those. Much appreciated.

Zest

[MrRigatoni in reply to Zest]

Hello Use another shapes because it boring .

When you make create a meal want to make it sexy feel yes attractive and stimulating.

Feed the eyes and the senses. Also do I want to spend time long times cooking very much can not stand very long pains.

My food the three S's Sexy, Sassy , Simple.

Seek out other shapes lots on line different ones all over 500 types available.

Besides it looks good in the bowl and talking point also the children if you have any fun shapes.

Rotelle shapes wheels, Alphabeti letters, Stelline, Stars .

Just something different as in mashed Potato awful on it own but add cheese, chives. Swede, Carrots. Sweet Potato.

Exciting and yes am enthusiastic love my food my recipes we all need to be think good food means happiness joy and the Italians do this love dolce vita.

I am poor have no money live on benefits disabled mentally ill but live and eat the best food I can afford.

I have the skill talents abilities of the old days of benefits when I got messed about. Had little than meagre money .

Private landlords bullying me stealing finally demanding me left me with pennies to live on.

I had savings bought freezer and started making my own sauces and then much more.

So need to find answers no point having a plate as some do with piles of food my parents used to and that generation.

Less is more, think if you wish to less is more use what you have go in to a corner shop see a thousand million billion recipes and yet other see tins I do not.

I have to do this do I live to eat or eat to live.

Since spend a lot of time educating those of my community who are disabled mentally ill can burn water.

Clueless and never made anything then I arrive get a call in minutes there cooking the amazing food should see the smile on their faces.

At once thinking not all cooking every time involves the oven. Hot heat and lots of chopping dicing and plenty of pans.

I had a Italian friend used her Oven storage and the grill pan.

Always cooked on the hob one pan and it can be done.

Challenge for you create a recipe with five ingredients or less.

Have ago of course then because a challenge becomes interesting and you suddenly look at food finally different.

Understand I do this weekly daily every time three times a day.

Please take care.

CAIO bella .

[thara9643]

thanks!