[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #71CCD5;”] H[/dropcap]ave you ever dreamed of being able to walk into the kitchen, look in the fridge.
And go… ‘I’ve got this and this and this.
I’m going to put these things together and make something amazing’?
Well you’re in the right place!
When I was first learning to cook I followed recipes religiously.
Because I didn’t have the confidence to cook on my own.
But I remember wishing I could just ‘throw something together’.
These days apart from when I’m following my meal plans that’s pretty much how I cook.
I see what I have.
And take it from there.
So how did I make the leap?
It was a few things.
Practice and being willing to give it a try certainly helped.
But one of the biggest game changers was developing the habit of prepping my ingredients.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- Why ingredient prep is so important.
- How to master the art of ingredient prep.
- A cheat sheet to download and keep.
Why ingredient prep?
The simple answer is because there’s nothing like opening the fridge and seeing loads of possibilities.
There’s something about having the broccoli already chopped and steamed.
Or the cauliflower roasted that makes it easier to imagine what you can make.
It really gives confidence that you can throw a meal together.
Not to mention making you feel on top of things as you look into your beautifully organized fridge.
But apart from the creative, inspirational side of things, there are plenty of practical concrete reasons…
Saves time
Prepping ingredients in advance makes it so much quicker to get weeknight (and other) meals on the table.
Plus cooking in bulk generally doesn’t take much more time.
For example cooking a whole cabbage and storing the extras means you’ll have veggies ready to go.
Without spending much more time than a bit of extra chopping. And packing it up.
Plus there’s no extra cleanup!
Helps take the pressure off cooking dinner.
Having different ingredients prepped and cooked means you can quickly toss something together, heat (or not) and serve.
Much less pressure than having to start chopping from scratch.
Keeps thing flexible
Unlike making a whole meal in advance, prepping ingredients doesn’t ‘lock you in’.
For example some roast veggies could become a warming soup for a cold rainy day. BUT if the weather is unseasonably warm they can just as easily turn into a salad.
Reduces waste
For many ingredients, especially fruit and veg, prepping and partially cooking allows them to keep longer.
This is because cooking destroys enzymes and reduces the presence of spoilage microbes.
For example, a bunch of organic kale may start to go yellow and wilted after a week in the fridge.
But if you cook it down, it will easily keep for two weeks.
Good for your wallet.
It’s much better for the planet too!
How to Master the Art of Ingredient Prep.
Step 1. Start small & plan for success.
You’re probably all excited to get going.
But the worst thing you can do is buy a fridge full of fresh produce, get overwhelmed and forget about them.
The real power of the art of ingredient prep is turning it into a habit so it becomes practically effortless.
So focus on taking baby steps and building the habit first.
You can always upscale your ingredient prep efforts later, once you have the habit embedded.
Step 2. Choose 1-2 ingredients to prep.
I’ve included a ‘cheat sheet’ below to download and keep.
Use it to get ideas.
If you’re not very confident in the kitchen it’s a good idea to decide how you’re going to use them.
And make sure you get any other ingredients you need.
Step 3. Buy your ingredient and prep them.
See the ‘cheat sheet’ for instructions. Download below.
Step 4. Use your ingredients this week!
And congratulate yourself for becoming more organized in the kitchen!
Your Cheat Sheet!
Click on the image above to download your printable ‘cheat sheets’.
NOTE: best to ‘right click’ and ‘save link as’.
SUMMARY:
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- Why ingredient prep is so important.
- How to master the art of ingredient prep.
- A cheat sheet to download and keep.
ACTIVITY
Download the Ingredient Prep Cheat Sheet. Then follow the steps above to put this knowledge into delicious action.
LEARN MORE
To dive super deeply into the world of ingredient prep, check out the The Organized Cook Program.
Keep it simple (and organized) in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x
Ingredient prep as a way of planning throws me off balance. I do come up with creative ways to use leftover ingredients (I did a really good one for my husband last night), and I like having certain things, like beans or grains, waiting in the freezer. But I remain big on recipes and prefer to plan and cook that way. My creativity lands best in things like turning cookie recipes into overnight oats, or switching my plans around to better suit our schedule. And sometimes switching out ingredients if I forgot to buy something or I can’t find what I need, or changing to a different use for my ingredients. In a way I envy you your creativeness, but at the same time I am happier with solid ground under my feet, knowing what I need to get and what I’m going to cook. You have definitely inspired me to be more creative, and that feels really good.
This is great Susan!
So important to know yourself and know what is going to work best for your situation.
Creativity comes in many forms so glad you are recognizing it in yourself 🙂 It does feel good!