easy cooking hacks
As much as I love to cook, I will admit that I occasionally, sometimes, fairly frequently cut corners when I'm cooking. It's not that I'm completely lazy - it's just...who has time to follow the rules every. single. time. In the infamous words of Jenna Marbles, I got stuff to do (watch the whole video, it's hilarious but FF to 2:15 if you, too, have stuff to do).
No matter how busy you are, these are a couple of my favorite easy cooking hacks that make life around the kitchen a little more time saving and money-conscious.
lunch meat totes
The Man Friend eats a lot of sandwiches, so I started buying the brands with resealable plastic containers. They work great as throwaway plastic containers. Hosting a party and want to send people home with leftovers? Instead of turning into Dog the Bounty Hunter tracking down your good Tupperware, use those little gems. You won't be heartbroken if it doesn't make it back. Just don't be embarrassed that it says "Hillshire Farms" on the lid.
excess canned sauces
I rarely, if ever, use an entire can of tomato paste or every chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Instead of tossing them out or buying the stupid expensive stuff in a tube, grab some handy dandy snack-sized plastic zipper bags. Spoon out the portions you expect to use (usually 1-2 tablespoons for most recipes that call for tomato paste), squeeze all of the air out, and pop them into the fridge. Thaw them one at a time as you need it.
smoothie ready cubes
Do you have yogurt that's about to expire or fruit needs to be eaten? Instead of chunking it, fill up an ice cube tray with washed and dried fruit topped with the yogurt. Freeze them until solid and store them in an airtight container. They make quick and easy smoothies.
easy whipped cream
If you're planning on gettin' all fancy by making your own whipped cream (it's genuinely not that hard, promise!), pop your bowls and beaters in the freeze for 10 minutes before you make it. The chilled utensils make the cream whip up faster, which is helpful if you're using a hand mixer.
avocado saver
Avocados are one of my favorite foods but they're a total pain to know when to eat. I started using this little trick recently and it's saved me a ton of money on buying replacements. Choose one or two that are firm to the touch and a bit green still. Let them sit on your counter for a day, them put them in the fridge. I've seriously kept an avocado for 2 weeks and it was damn near perfect. I don't know what it is (I'm sure there's some science behind it) or if I'm not doing it the correct way (I imagine there's some foodie who thinks this hack is blasphemous), but if I'm wrong...I don't wanna be right.
have a 911 meal or dessert on reserve
Have you ever gotten a last minute invitation somewhere and you don't have time to make anything spectacular? Always have one go-to dish that makes a huge impression. I'm totally giving away my secrets but mine are:
- Pasta Perfecto - The hardest part is waiting for the water to boil. Cook a pound of pasta, add 1 tbsp unsalted butter, a drizzle of olive oil, 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, a pinch of salt, and, if you're feeling industrious, some fresh chopped parsley (dried is okay, too). Top with a touch of Parmesan cheese and you'll be the dahl-ing of the dinner party.
- Mexican Brownies - I always keep a box of brownie mix on-hand and I add 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. They get rave reviews and everyone wants the recipe.
