Cooking Doesn't Have to be a Chore
I know a few people who really don't like cooking. I think their reluctance to cook is actually born of bad experiences, repetition or a lack of knowledge. For example, if you always eat rice and potatoes, you'll soon find yourself tired of cooking and it'll very quickly become a chore and sit at the bottom of your list.
The worst thing about this feeling is that you end up eating out a lot!! I love eating out and I think there are so many great places to eat out but let's face it, unless you live in a place like Dubai and you have more than the average person's disposable cash levels, you're throwing money away when you eat out! The amount of preservatives, sugar and salt in half of what's available on your high street is so hazardous to your health!
I'm going to share a few tips with you really quickly and as time goes by, I hope you'll stick around and find a bunch of easy and quick alternatives to your "go-to" meals to get you enjoying the time you spend in the kitchen. At the end of the day..."Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."-Maya Angelou. So let's get you liking cooking shall we?!
1- Start small... Find a recipe that makes less than 4 servings. When you're having to pull out a calculator to figure out half of 1/3 cup and then trying to work out how to measure that, you'll get bored and frustrated! Stick to smaller quantities and you'll only have one or two extra servings that week therefore you won't get bored of that meal.
2- Try something new... A lot of people I know are fed up with eating rice and potatoes! There are a host of other options out there but they're scared to try them. I'll have an easy recipe for you later today that you can make with rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, couscous or pasta!
3- Visit a farmers' market... If you're in the UK google farmers' markets! There are so many different options out there. Goat meat, veal, rabbit, quail, guinea fowl and for those outside of the UK, ask your butcher. It's worth finding out what else they've got. I was offered camel meat the other day but he confessed that it's really tough meat so I declined...for now 😃. The plus here is you'll get what's in season so your produce will be full of flavour!
4- Be creative... We're all human and we've all had kitchen fails! I'll share mine once a month because I think it's really important that we keep it real. My first attempt at scones came out pretty flat and bluegrass but I ate them anyway and shared a photo on my private instagram page. When friends laugh at us, we can take it and let's face it you'll soon have a chance to laugh back at them. It's what friends do!
5- Finally, get one good sharp knife! There's nothing worse than hacking away at a tomato because you've grabbed a worn out blade. Make sure you store it safely to avoid any accidents! Knives are to be treated with respect so please be very careful when you've got a great one. A sharpener is pretty inexpensive too... search "knife edge guard" for an inexpensive way to store your knives.
