Quick-and-Easy Cooking

Quick-and-Easy Cooking Tips

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Tip #1: Substitute Like-For-Like

If a recipe calls for one ingredient, but you have a similar ingredient already prepared (or one that is easier to prepare) – make the swap! For example…

• Swap pre-cooked shrimp for chicken breast in a stir-fry
• Replace chicken thighs with pre-cooked frozen meatballs or edamame
• Swap 3 eggs for 85% lean ground beef in a stir-fry
• Replace one type of bean with another
• Use frozen vegetables in place of fresh in any cooked recipe (be sure to boil and strain before using to prevent too much water from getting into your recipe)

Tip #2: Bake it

Transferring your meal from the stovetop to the oven may not reduce total cooking time – but it DOES reduce “active cooking time”. While your meal is cooking in the oven, you can do other things rather than hovering over the stovetop. For example…

• Bake meatballs in mini muffin tins at 425°F for about 20 minutes
• Toss together ingredients for a stir fry and roast at 425°F until cooked through
• Bake Grain-Free Waffles in muffin tins OR on a sheet pan at 350°F for 12-18 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean

Tip #3: Use Frozen

Use frozen vegetables, fruits, and pre-cooked frozen proteins to reduce your prep times.

• Use frozen vegetables in place of fresh in any cooked recipe (be sure to boil and strain before using to prevent too much water from getting into your recipe)
• Use pre-cooked proteins like shrimp, meatballs (plain), chicken (plain or seasoned – double check ingredient list), edamame, etc. to reduce total cooking time of your recipe.

Tip #4: Prep-Ahead

Prepare some components ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate for quicker-prep throughout the week. You don’t need to devote an entire day to meal prep – simply prepare little extra as you go. For example…

• Bake a few extra chicken thighs and store for later use.
• Make a double batch of soups/sauces to use later in the week.
• Chop a few extra vegetables when preparing salads to use in recipes later in week.
• Prepare and freeze a few Crustless Quiches for quick snacks or breakfast options throughout the week.

Tip #5: Use Ingredients in Multiple Ways

Re-imagine some of your recipes to be used in many ways. For example…

• Blend leftover sauce (ie: Coconut curry, Moroccan, or Ranchero) with canned coconut milk and white beans for a creamy soup.
• Chop our Coconut Cashew Clusters (AH pg. 284) into smaller pieces and serve over Greek yogurt.
• Use our Grain-Free Waffle batter to prepare savory donuts, muffins, or “sandwich bread”.

Looking for more Quick-and-Easy Cooking Tips?

Download our Quick-and-Easy Cooking Class (Part 1) for more tips, tricks, and recipes to prepare delicious quick-and-easy meals.