Learning to cook and prepare your own meals
Learning to cook and prepare your own meals is a valuable skill in an increasingly fast-paced world.
This blog post will teach you the basics of cooking, like how to purchase and store the ingredients needed for your next meal, as well as methods that will help save time in the kitchen. You’ll also learn about safety precautions that should always be taken when using any kind of equipment or recipes you find online.
Buying Ingredients
When you’re first starting to cook, it may seem overwhelming to pick out ingredients for meals, especially when you go into a supermarket. Today I’m going to share with you the top three tips for beginners when they shop.
1) Organize your shopping list by sections of the store. In most supermarkets, there are sections that group together similar items, like produce or seafood. I find it easier to find things if I organize them by section rather than alphabetically by name or randomly piled together in my cart which usually results in overspending and wasted time hunting for ingredients.
2) Keep a budget in mind while shopping. You may have the intention to spend more than your monthly budget but remember, you can always splurge once in a while.
3) Try not to go overboard with things that can be purchased consistently and yet you don't really need. Like always buying a huge package of frozen chicken breasts because it's what you always buy and sometimes it's really hard to find chicken breasts that are already cooked and plump. It is healthier if you cook meat and fish instead of buying them frozen or precooked, but then again, convenience is a big factor too when it comes to shopping for these items. If you cook your own meals, however, it is much easier to make a new recipe rather than changing the ingredients every time. That said, if you're just starting out and unsure of what ingredients you'll need for each dish, go ahead and purchase a lot of these items at once as you can always use them for other recipes.
Storing Ingredients
As I said in my previous post on How to Buy Ingredients , storing your ingredients will save money and time when preparing meals. Listed below are the top three ways to store your ingredients:
1) Keep them in their original packaging – this is the most common way that people store their ingredients.
2) Separate them by category – this is great for people who have a lot of different ingredients. It takes longer to do this, but it also makes for a cleaner house and eliminates clutter.
3) Use airtight containers – these are great for storing ingredients that you plan on using within a few days or weeks. But remember, if you're unsure about whether or not your recipe will last long enough to use it before going bad, you probably shouldn't use that particular ingredient.
Safety Precautions/Recipes
When preparing your own meals, you want to take as much care as possible when using any potentially dangerous items in the kitchen. Here are a few tips to help you stay safe:
1) Treat any new appliance or tool as if it's your own. Follow safety instructions, and avoid using unsafe metal utensils or cutting boards.
2) Wash all tools with hot soapy water before and after use. Most of these items can be sterilized (sterilize in an autoclave, for example), but if you don't want to invest in one, at least clean them thoroughly every few uses.
3) Be sure the appliance you're using is in good working order before starting to use it on food. Test the temperature, and make sure that all parts are clean, without any loose parts.
4) Be careful when using sharp knives and blades. Remember, if you're not comfortable with the blade or knife, either don't use it or ask for help from someone who is experienced.
5) Watch out for hot liquids when cooking. If you drop a pot or pan with hot liquids in it, always wear protective clothing (like a pair of oven mitts) to prevent burns on your hands or face. Because water can be very heavy when it's heated up and stored in a pot/pan, always be careful and have someone else hold the pan while you pour out the water/liquids into another container.
6) Be aware of what you're cooking and the potential dangers involved. For example, if you're cooking with a gas stove or oven, always turn it off when it's not being used. If you have a pan on fire, do not use water to extinguish it -- just use a lid or lid cover to smother the fire. Always keep a fire extinguisher and an automated external defibrillator (AED) nearby in the kitchen/living room for emergencies.
7) Always wear appropriate clothing while preparing food. For example, when cooking with hot liquids like boiling water or oil, wear an apron and closed-toed shoes (or else your feet will get burned).
8) Always keep a first aid kit nearby. Keep an eye on the children while they're playing in the kitchen, and have a small first aid kit (with bandages, splints, gauze, and antibiotic ointments) for minor injuries.
There's no denying that cooking your own meals is an excellent way to splurge on healthy food and save money. But keep in mind that cooking your own foods is a lot of work (at least when you're first starting out), so it may be easier for you if you place a meal order from one of those catering companies that offer pre-made food kits. These are usually cheaper than making your own meals and give you a wide variety of choices, allowing you to mess up a few recipes without wasting much time.
The question is, how do you know which ones are the best? I've done some research on a number of them to write this post. If you're interested in reading about them, check it out below!
WOW! - A Healthy Food Delivery Service (Based in Canada)
ClassyMeal - Cheap Restaurant-Style Meals (Based in Canada)
1) WOW! - A Healthy Food Delivery Service (Based in Canada): This is another Canadian food delivery service that offers different types of meal kits for a variety of dishes. They're priced at $10.95 per kit, and each kit usually comes with the meal ingredients, a recipe card, a pre-measured bag of spices, and cooking instructions. Their recipes are designed for two people, but you can always scale down the recipe if you want to make it for just yourself. The most affordable kits are the breakfast kits, which range from oatmeal to eggs benny and hash browns to pancakes (and everything in between). There are also dinner kits that include a meat or seafood protein along with vegetables and/or grains.
Conclusion: Overall, this is a great way to cook healthy meals at home without having to prep all of your own ingredients. The only thing I don't like about this service is that you can't always choose what type of protein you want in your meal kits, which means you may end up spending a little extra on proteins that you don't really like. But they have a huge selection, with over 193 different recipes.
2) ClassyMeal - Cheap Restaurant-Style Meals (Based in Canada): This meal delivery service (which is based in Toronto and Vancouver) offers a wide variety of pre-made meals for $8-$9 per serving (and you can choose any ingredients and sauces that you want).