10 Kitchen Hacks to Save Time and Eat Fresh
In our modern world, time is energy. Finding ways to cook wholesome meals and save time can be challenging. Ayurveda advocates for wise cooking and eliminating leftovers. Foods should be consumed within 24 hours of cooking as they loose their Prana or Life Force the longer they sit. The ‘no leftover’ rule requires the chef to be creative in time management. Here are 10 tips to help make cooking sacred and fun.
1. Plan your meals ahead of time.
Pick your recipes, get familiar with them. See what ingredients you need. Organize your grocery list. Decide what equipment will support you. Planning helps save time in the long run.
2. Pre-wash your veggies and don’t peel them when you chop.
Buy organic if you can to avoid foods coated in pesticides and chemicals. Wash your veggies ahead of time. Don’t bother peeling the skin when it comes time to chop, as this tends to be one of the most nutritious parts of the vegetable! Saves time and adds more goodness!
3. Chop your ingredients and vegetables ahead of time.
While Ayurveda doesn’t like leftovers, you can still pre-chop most ingredients. However, do not pre cut avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers or leafy greens that may bruise, discolor or weep as those need to be fresh.
4, Cut your veggies small to speed up cooking.
If you have limited time, chopping the vegetables into tinier pieces will help them cook faster.
5. Embrace the crock pot.
You can prepare the ingredients the evening before and wake up to a delicious breakfast or lunch. Or prep your dinner while you’re making breakfast too, and leave it while you’re off at work.
6. Use a pressure cooker.
Another passive cooking technique, especially useful for legumes. It can save cooking time by up to 70%.
7. Invest in an Electric kettle.
Beats time you wait for the water to boil on the stove. Boiling your water with an electric kettle can be especially helpful if you plan to make soups, grains, steamed vegetables or teas.
8. Make your favorite, balancing spice blends.
Spices help stoke your ‘agni’ or digestive fire. Experiment with a savory spice blend and a sweet spice blend to save time.
9. Try some one-pot meals.
Hello Kitchari! Ayurveda’s favorite one pot meal. These can be simple and quick.
10. Embrace a positive mind-set.
Yoga and Ayurveda remind us that wherever your attention goes, our Prana or Life Force flows. Allow cooking to be your sadhana, or sacred practice. Let your attention rest on the process rather than the result. It is believed that the energy you cook with is transferred to the food. So avoid cooking when angry. Cultivating abundance and gratitude can make a meel more nourishing than you can imagine!
For recipe inspiration visit below.