{"id":2389,"date":"2022-10-02T14:05:05","date_gmt":"2022-10-02T19:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/counselorsroom.org\/LifeStyles\/?p=2389"},"modified":"2022-11-01T03:17:42","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T08:17:42","slug":"simplifycooking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/counselorsroom.org\/LifeStyles\/simplifycooking\/","title":{"rendered":"KISS Cooking: Keep Cooking Simple, Stupid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PHOTO BY ANNIE SPRATT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KISS Cooking: Keep Cooking Simple, Stupid<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simplify meal prep, and make cooking fun again<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Catherine Gannon Taintor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Cooking is a joy\u2014meal prep not so much. As we get older, we tire more quickly. Preparing a meal–planning, cooking, and cleaning up after a meal–can become overwhelming. What we need as we age is the person in the restaurant kitchen wearing checkered pants who chops vegetables, butchers meat, and prepares sauces. We need a line cook\u2014the person who follows the chef\u2019s orders and keeps the work area clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of us can\u2019t afford a line cook. Instead, we need a strategy to simplify the cooking process. The payoff is less stress and more time to spend on ourselves and our loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PLAN: THINK 5-INGREDIENT RECIPES AND ONE-POT MEALS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There are many wonderful 5-ingredient or even 12-ingredient cookbooks or online recipes to help us whip up quick and nutritious weekday meals. Consider making a one-pot meal, a healthy dish in which all the ingredients are combined in a single pot for cooking. One-pot meals are easy to prepare and a cinch to clean up afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHOP FROM A LIST<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Plan out what you will eat for the week making sure to include lots of fruits and veggies. Make a list of the ingredients you will need to buy. Grocery shopping will go more quickly if you know exactly what you need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Stock your pantry with staples. Our pantries may differ, but we all need to have an easy meal or two we can make from what\u2019s in our pantry. Think pasta and tuna casserole. Add items to your shopping list when your pantry is running low.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Use a recipe organizer app to store your collection of recipes and make a shopping list. They also help you scan and organize online recipes. Big Oven<\/a> and Chef Tap<\/a> are two free apps with good reviews. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Go ahead and cheat! Buy prepared meals in the grocery store and salads in the deli section and save yourself some work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    COOK: PACE YOURSELF<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Ideas to help you simplify the meal prep process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n