The art of cooking is a lovely pastime. It enables you to make fantastic, tasty meals ahead of time. In other words, it’s a tonne of fun and something you’ll get a lot of out of. But if it’s something you have to do frequently, it can get old, especially if time is of the essence. Knowing a few tricks will help you through these difficult situations.
“Saving money can be as simple as avoiding food waste. Spending money on wasted food is a waste of money. For some, using a meal planner is the most efficient method; for others, shopping online helps them avoid making unnecessary purchases; for me, it’s checking out the sales at the grocery store before determining what to eat for the week.”
Food Hacks
Cooking “hacks” are entertaining shortcuts that save time and effort in the kitchen. So, to help you save time when cooking and keep your kitchen in better shape, here are some tips and tricks. The expense of living is rising rapidly, and food and fuel are no exception “Caroline Blight, of the food blog The Happy Food Kitchen, is all about simple, inexpensive meals for the whole family.
1. Make Two-Ingredient Pizza Dough
I bet you never imagined a pizza could be made out of the half-empty tub of yogurt lurking at the back of your fridge. Greek yogurt and some self-rising flour from the pantry will serve just fine for making a pizza crust.
Spread some passata on top (you can use the leftover to make spaghetti sauce) and tear some mozzarella over the top. Ocado now sells premade pizzas from Pizza Express, and if you order a Margherita for £5.50, you won’t need to go out and get one.
2. Make Your Own ‘posh’ Drinks
Iced coffees and bubble teas are examples of expensive specialty drinks that can be replicated at home for much less money and in much less time “remarked Caroline. “Rather than heating water in a kettle to make a short coffee, which wastes energy, you may make real iced coffee by combining ice, your preferred milk, and coffee syrup.
The most genuine flavor, in my opinion, comes from a combination of Camp coffee, traditional chicory, and coffee syrup. And others who are sensitive to caffeine will like it just as much. Bubble tea’s signature tapioca pearls can be found rehydrated and added to drinks at home in Asian shops.”
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3. Use Leftover Mash to Make a Meal
The potato scraps from your bangers and mash dinner may not seem like much now, but they have a lot of potential uses down the road. It’s tough to estimate how much-mashed potatoes you’ll need for a meal, but even a small amount left over can serve as the foundation for something else “expresses Caroline.
“Fish cakes made from white potato mash and canned tuna or precooked mackerel are a delicious and easy meal. Make sweet or savory pancakes out of sweet potato mash for a tasty and healthy meal. While we’re on the topic of mashed foods, here’s how to achieve consistently smooth and velvety mashed potatoes, every time.
4. Batch Bake and Freeze Lunch Box Treats
Convenient yet pricey, prepackaged goodies for school lunches are a common complaint. Create a homemade version of the treat box in your freezer that is both cost-effective and delightful. Bake some Rice Krispie cakes, cookies, brownies, or other treats, and then divide them into individual servings before packaging and freezing them. Then, either the night before or first thing in the morning, grab one and toss it into your child’s lunchbox.
Such brownies made with stale bananas and oat cookies are significantly better for your children’s health. When compared to the £3.35 for a pack of triple-loaded chocolate brownies at Tesco or the £2.50 for four Graze oat square bites at Sainsbury’s, this is a lot more cost-effective and original way to enjoy sweets. In the long term, you can save a lot of money by making your own snacks in quantity at home.
5. Freeze Sandwiches
Bread, cheese, ham, and poultry that may not have much longer to live should not be wasted. Have you ever seen a discounted loaf of bread and not needed any bread at the time? Make sandwich wraps out of it. Did you know that simple sammie can be made ahead of time and frozen?
Sandwiches made with cheese, jam, peanut butter, ham, or chicken can all be prepared ahead of time, buttered, and frozen. You can’t use mayonnaise or salad, but mustard, chutney, and pickle are great substitutes “Caroline said. “You can prepare them the night before, or even first thing in the morning, by wrapping and labeling them for the freezer, and then placing them in a lunchbox. The cheese variety can be toasted even when frozen solid.
6. Peel Ginger With A Spoon
Do you tend to throw away the peel and half the ginger when you peel it? You can save time and effort the next time you make a curry that calls for ginger by peeling it with a spoon instead of a knife. Our favorite clever way to prepare meals.
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7. Make Your Own Buttermilk
No need to be spending your cash on buttermilk from the grocery every time you bake anymore. This clever tip reveals how easy it is to whip up some homemade buttermilk. You only need milk and lemon juice for this recipe, and it’s a fantastic way to use up perishables before they go bad.
8. Ripen Your Fruit More Quickly
Did you know you can ripen bananas in the oven? Faster ripening of bananas without sacrificing flavor is possible with this easy method. Put them on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at a low temperature, watching closely as they brown. Put your unripe avocado in a paper bag and keep it out of the fridge for a day or two at room temperature.
Throwing an apple into the mix only speeds things up. Likewise, there is no reason to throw away your fruit just because it has ripened too much. Black bananas offer the best flavor, despite their unappealing appearance “as Caroline puts it.
“If you don’t like banana bread, then try banana pancakes or freeze the banana before combining with cocoa powder and a dash of milk for a delightful healthy chocolate ice cream. A cold, thick smoothie can be made by blending ice, water, and fruit such as berries.
9. Save Fresh Herbs for Later
Whenever does a packet of fresh herbs all get consumed before it goes past its best? Rarely if ever. However, they may be frozen for use in future dishes. Put them in an ice cube tray with some water or stock and cut them up; then, whenever you want to add some flavor to your dish, you can just slip one of the cubes in.
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10. Keep Your Fruit and Veg Fresher for Longer
Asparagus can be kept fresh by snipping off the ends (at the base, not the spears) and placing them in water in a jar like a bouquet of flowers. They’ll keep for a long time without needing to be stored in the fridge. Did you know that if you store potatoes with apples, neither will sprout? Read this helpful guide to learn more about extending the shelf life of your produce.
