Kitchen Shortcuts for Happy Holidays

A 3 minute read

No rushed take out needed here, use your slow cooker to have a nutritious dinner waiting when you get home. My favorite is beef stew.

Plan shortcuts to eat well and decrease stress this holiday season

Give yourself the gift of cooking shortcuts to decrease stress and enjoy your holiday.  Here are a few thoughts on how to make life easier without sacrificing flavor, nutrition or resorting to take out and overly processed foods.  

Go Semi-Homemade

My clients know I am very pro-cooking, but sometimes shortcuts can turn a potential take-out night into a total kitchen win.

For example:

●       Purchase a rotisserie chicken and incorporate it into soup or chili so you can reap the benefits of high-quality protein without spending extra time cooking it. Shred the chicken and stuff lettuce leaves with a squeeze of lime for lunch.

●       Start with your favorite frozen cauliflower pizza dough, then add your favorite jarred sauce (find one that’s organic without a lot of sugar added) and vegetable toppings plus a sprinkle of flavorful cheese to make it a meal!

●       Buy pre-chopped or frozen produce, especially those hard-to-manage vegetables (winter squash) that are more time-intensive to prepare. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and roast for a side dish or added to salads during the week.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

Batch cooking is an efficient way maintain your healthy diet no matter what time of year. It means cooking more than what you need in the moment so you can take advantage of having all of your cooking tools and gadgets out (read: it’s way more efficient!). Not to be confused with leftovers, batch cooking usually refers to one component so you can repurpose it later. For instance:

●       Need rice or quinoa for your Monday night meal? Make a large batch so you can easily incorporate it in salads and grain bowls all week long.

●       Making hard-boiled eggs? It takes the same amount of time to make six as it does to make two. Enjoy as a snack, crumble into salads, or mash with some avocado.

●       Baking sweet potatoes? Make a few more than you need and you’ll have the base for an easy, customizable lunch ready to go. You can also puree or mash the flesh for baked goods and use in place of pumpkin in a recipe.

Sheet Pan and One Pot Meals

I don’t like clean up and neither do you! Make it easier on yourself by searching for one-dish meals to seriously cut down on time spent doing the dishes. Here are a few to get you started:

●       Create baking pockets by lining foil with unbleached parchment then crimping for perfectly roasted fish (or chicken) that stays juicy, never dry.

●       Roasting your favorite protein with seasonal produce is a tasty no-fuss way to incorporate a few servings of vegetables into a meal

●       Still haven’t learned how to use your Instant Pot? Now would be a good time! You can get frozen proteins to the table fast with this safe and simple pressure cooker. Even better, use the slow cooker method to have dinner warm and waiting for dinnertime. I like slow cooker beef stew with plenty of vegetables. Make plenty of extra servings and freeze for later.

A simple 12-minute Instant Pot or slow cooker recipe: frozen protein, like chicken thighs, add a favorite jarred tomato sauce and a jar of olives = cacciatore that will have everyone running to the table for dinner. This is a great holiday pot luck dinner if you are going to a gathering.

My clients enjoy digital meal plans that are tasty and easy with both of my packages. 

Want to talk about how I can help you put healthy no hassle meals together? Click here.