I have to eat quick, often one-dish, meals. I’m really busy and find myself eating out a lot too, which gets expensive and isn’t very satisfying. I’ve bought a lot of “on the go” cookbooks but there are always so many ingredients I don’t have, so I never make them. How can I learn to cook some decent fast meals?
First, learn to cook with fresh ingredients and convenience foods in the same dish. Using fresh foods brings natural goodness, vibrant color and sound nutrition to the recipe. You can develop the flavor quickly with convenience foods like condiments, sauces, flavored tomatoes, spice mixtures or canned soups. Food companies have already put the time into concentrating and balancing flavors – time you can’t spare in your home kitchen! So take advantage of those canned, jarred and boxed flavors, but boost the nourishment by adding fresh foods.
Look for quick and healthy, digest-size recipe magazines at the check-out counter in your local supermarket; you’ll find tons of recipes combining fresh ingredients with convenience foods. Keep trying the recipes that appeal to you, until you develop a repertoire of your own. Read the sidebox tips in those magazines for recipe alteration ideas. Don’t be afraid to try a few original ideas to give a dish your own signature!
