I'm all about time-and-motion and not doing more work than is absolutely required in the kitchen. I am also a fan of making it easy to monitor nutrition. Finally, I know some people love the gadgets and want unitaskers for everything, but I'm trying to get to a point where I can do the maximum number of tasks with the minimum number of tools.
1. You know how in a baking recipe, you often are asked to sift together the dry ingredients? I've discovered a simple tool that works just as well, especially if you're working with baking mix (hey, it's a time-saver): use a whisk. Just dump the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl, and stir it vigorously with the whisk. The ingredients will be combined, and the mixture will have air added to lighten it so that the wet ingredients will blend evenly. It's a lot less hassle, and easier to clean up, than the sifter.
2. If you add sugar or another sweetener to your coffee that isn't from a premeasured packet, add it to the empty cup. That way you'll be able to see exactly how much you are adding. Then pour in your coffee.
3. If you have a pan with a crusty residue from cooking, don't try to scrub it. Just use a paper towel to wipe out any excess oil (you really don't want to pour that down your drain), then fill the pan with hot water and a drop of dish soap and let it sit overnight. Let water do the work for you. In the morning, or after work the next day, the residue will be softened and loosened, and can be lifted out with a spatula before washing the pan.
4. If you're trying to add healthy oils to your diet, make it easy by keeping a selection of shelled nuts in your cupboard. Toss a handful into a grinder and add them to your oatmeal before heating, or to your yogurt or granola or rice dishes or couscous or salads. Keep them handy and you will use them. It's best to use shelled but not chopped nuts, as once the kernels are broken up the oils are exposed and can oxidize (or even get rancid, in some climates). Grinding them yourself, you know they are fresh and will have only as much as you want to use.
5. If you're making a cake batter or a quick bread, most of the time you don't need an electric mixer. A wooden spoon and a little muscle will do the job just as well, especially if you're using a mix. A hand mixer is a great tool if you're beating cream or egg whites, but these tasks can also be done by hand with a whisk in not much more time than using the mixer. It's great exercise for the upper arms, especially if you learn to switch hands.
6. Don't peel most vegetables or fruit. If you're roasting vegetables, scrub them well and scrape off the whiskery little rootlets, then toss them in your oil and seasonings and let them go. For a fruit salad or pie, leaving the skin on will add color, fiber, and nutrients. Same with skin-on mashed potatoes. Obviously there are exceptions - pineapple, banana, and citrus rinds aren't really edible; melon and squash rinds vary; the papery skin on onions and garlic should come off; yam hides get pretty leathery - but the majority of nature's products are best just the way they come.
Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
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