Cooking is one of the most enjoyable activities around … but it takes time! Difficult to find the right balance and to reconcile everything, between shopping, work, everyday life. Discover our 5 tips to rediscover the pleasure of cooking, without spending hours behind the stove.
Article in partnership with HelloFresh
Tip number 1: Plan menus in advance
Here is the key word to make preparing meals for the week easier: anticipation! Nothing could be more disagreeable than thinking about the dinner menu every morning … and having to deal with the desires of each member of the household once at home. To avoid going to the grocery store every night and wandering the shelves looking for THE great idea, take 10 minutes every weekend to think about the menus for the week. Not only will you save money but you will also limit waste. Cooking gourmet, healthy and balanced meals is much less complicated than it looks. First, take an inventory of what you have in your cupboards so that you always have enough basic ingredients. While writing your shopping list, don't forget to indulge yourself, it is quite possible to eat well and tasty.
Tip number 2: succumb to batch cooking
Once you master trick number 1, there is just one step to trick number 2! Coming from the United States, this method allows you to cook all the menus for the week in advance and to make batches. If the concept may seem surprising at first glance, it is nevertheless incredibly effective. This method allows you to establish a list of balanced meals for the whole week that you are going to prepare beforehand, for example on Sunday at the end of the afternoon.
Two possibilities: either you make all the recipes directly, then all you have to do is reheat them, or you prepare only the ingredients (cutting vegetables, etc.) to assemble and season them on D-day. Batch Cooking is also ideal for cooking products. of the season. Planning a squash risotto on Monday? This staple food can be reused on Tuesday in a soup or mash. You will save time and have a much freer mind!
Tip number 3: trust Hellofresh ready-to-cook boxes
What if you truly let go of the mental load of meal preparation while exploring new flavors? This is the promise of Hellofresh, which offers a home delivery service of ready-to-cook meals that are easy to operate.
Each week you choose from 20 healthy, gourmet and balanced recipes, then HelloFresh delivers all the fresh ingredients you need to make your meals at home. Forgotten the drudgery of shopping, forgotten the dinner routine, each meal is made with fresh and tasty products. You thus find the pleasure of home-made without any constraint. Want to suspend delivery for a week or change the number of guests? This is possible with a few clicks on the website. Shepherd's pie revisited, linguine with shrimps, vegetarian or family recipes, HelloFresh develops every week menus that are out of the ordinary but are also very easy to prepare.
Enjoy delicious dinners delivered to your door with a total of $ 80 off 3 boxes, including free shipping on the 1st box.
Hellofresh also pays special attention to the environment and is the only ready-to-eat box company to be carbon neutral. By supporting small local producers, HelloFresh is committed to favoring the short circuit and limiting food waste by delivering only the quantities necessary for the preparation of recipes, and in recyclable packaging!
Tip number 4: Cooking with the family
The meal is a moment of conviviality and sharing. But preparing meals can be too. Do you find that the kitchen intrudes on your family life? So cook with the family! There is nothing better to save time than encouraging children to get their hands dirty. The eldest is responsible for peeling the vegetables or chopping the fresh herbs, your spouse is in charge of the cooking, the youngest sets the table and perfects the seasoning. Not only will the meal be ready in the blink of an eye (a real restaurant team!) But all members of the family will have participated in the preparation of the meal. The experience is rewarding for children who discover the flavors, touch the food, and are generally very proud to participate. With so many arms available, it's the perfect opportunity to cook fresh vegetables, to get started in preparing a fish or creating a sauce.
Tip number 5: Bet on simple but delicious recipes
Not only is it hard to find inspiration every day, but often the most elaborate recipes take a long time to cook. Want to save time but to please yourself? Forget everything you thought you knew about cooking and revisit the basics. Did you know that some typical Quebec recipes are particularly easy to make? This is particularly the case with baked beans, meat pie, cretons, meatball stew or shepherd's pie. Dishes that can very easily be made in large quantities and then frozen, and which also have the merit of pleasing the whole family.