With today’s busy lifestyles, the percentage of
people eating out and ordering food online has increased. Whether it is a
matter of convenience or simply because cooking is not a priority in everyday
life, home food is simply the best and most delicious food (EASY EGG RECIPES). As simple as it may
seem, it packs nutrients and nourishment for overall wellness. It is a fact
that eating out regularly can result in health issues without any warning
signs. They may catch up sooner or later.
Truth be told, cooking at home has many advantages. It can be more economical, while meals can be cooked according to individual preferences and dietary needs. Nothing over the top. Easy food can be prepared within a specific time frame without compromising on the quintessential tastes.
Still, commitment and discipline are the leaders when it comes to cooking at home. Making it a priority and squeezing in time between a busy schedule are part of the commitment. It must also be remembered that home cooking is grounded in simplicity, whether cooking for the family or simply for one person.
Undeniably, the first step in home cooking is
planning. It can be done while watching TV or even by taking just a few minutes
at the desk. Rest assured, everything else will fall into place in the kitchen.
Menu
Planning
What
to cook is the main question. But it does not have to be a daily question, as
meal planning is possible on a weekly basis. This can be for the main three
meals of the day, or two or just one.
Think
of simple dishes. This is the more practical thing to do, considering a busy
schedule. Next is putting them into the menu plan. Remember, cooking at home
means planning. It is not about elaborate cooking. Instead, think of jiffy
meals. List the dishes by day of the week. This will indicate not only how much
time will be needed, but also the ingredients.
Perhaps
even leave the menu plan open. Adapt and adjust, instead of wanting to cook a
few dishes at once. This is possible, perhaps, on weekends when there is more
time on hand. Even recipes can be adapted, or one can be created according to
preference (MALAYSIAN DRY SAMBAL).
The
menu plan can be kept on the handphone. The conventional way is to stick it on
the fridge and carry it along when out buying the ingredients.
Monthly
Grocery Shopping
Monthly
grocery shopping is the follow-up to menu planning. In the list come all the
ingredients, mainly the dry ingredients. Yes, even the weekly ingredients can
be included as well.
Yet,
when referring to monthly grocery shopping and dry ingredients, among them are
rice, sugar, salt, spices, beans, oil, dry noodles, and the list can go on.
Even canned food is part of the ingredients, not to mention frozen ingredients
as well.
These
ingredients are needed for daily cooking, or in case time is tight for weekly
grocery shopping. The tip to buying monthly ingredients is to check the expiry
dates. To keep costs low, buy only the necessary ingredients and not for the
sake of stocking up.
Another tip is ensuring these ingredients do not spoil. This means either transferring them into containers or leaving them in the pantry cupboard or in the fridge. When daily cooking begins, these ingredients play a role.
Weekly Grocery Shopping
Fresh
ingredients will require weekly grocery shopping, mainly for vegetables,
poultry or meat, and pre-prepared meals according to what is needed. There is
also online grocery shopping for convenience. In fact, lunchtime at the
workplace can be allocated for weekly grocery shopping, while cutting short the
time spent eating. If eating at the desk is allowed, this time can include
ordering groceries for the week and requesting delivery to the home at a
preferred time.
Another
option is to use the time for picking up groceries instead of being stuck in a
traffic jam when returning home. Once home, the ingredients can be cleaned and
stored in the fridge or freezer compartment. To save time, fish or chicken, for
example, can be requested to be cleaned when buying them.
An
essential tip for weekly grocery shopping is to buy vegetables that can last at
least a week, or to cook them before they turn bad.
Food
Preparation
Food
can also be prepared in advance. For example, when there is time available,
fish, chicken or whatever is needed can be marinated in advance and stored in
the fridge. Ready-made curry pastes and sauces can be considered instead of
making them from scratch.
For
Malaysian cooking, sambal paste can be prepared in advance, portioned and
stored in the fridge. For Chinese cooking, fried garlic or shallots in oil can
also be prepared in advance.
These are some of the ways to cut down cooking time, making it easier to prepare a meal within the time allocated.
Cooking Techniques & Appliances
The
way food is cooked at home will depend on the time available. There are various
cooking techniques, with common stovetop methods including stir-frying,
pan-grilling and steaming, to name a few. These are common choices for
Malaysian food.
Other
cooking techniques include baking and microwaving. All of these require food
preparation, even raw salads. There are also kitchen appliances such as slow
cookers and, of course, air fryers, which are trending now. Pressure cookers
can also be considered for foods that require longer cooking times. These
appliances can make home cooking more convenient.
Nevertheless,
the choice of cooking techniques and kitchen appliances depends on individual
preferences, as well as what is suitable for the type of food being cooked.
Cooking
and Freezing
Whether
cooking in bulk, portioning and storing food in the fridge or freezer is
considered healthy or not can be debated. However, it is ultimately a way to
save time when cooking at home. For those who cannot cook daily, this is one of
the options. The food can be warmed up for a meal instead of eating out.
Curries and sambal or spicy dips are particularly worth considering for cooking ahead. For example, a spicy dip can be eaten with simple plain steamed fish or added to steamed or boiled vegetables. Save time by cooking ahead on days when there is extra time available. It is also convenient for reducing the daily tasks involved in preparing food.
Easy Recipe Ideas
There
is no shortage of recipes today. With so many people sharing recipes online,
the choice can sometimes be overwhelming.
But
a recipe that looks impressive is not necessarily practical for everyday home
cooking. The number of ingredients, preparation involved, cooking technique,
time required and cost are all worth considering before deciding what to cook.
A
recipe is also not always a fixed formula. Understanding the ingredients and
how they work together allows cooking to be adjusted according to what is
available, the number of people to be served and the type of meal being
prepared.
When time or budget is a constraint, it is wise to check the recipe before following it. Recipes and cooking techniques can be impressive, but are they practical for daily home meals?
Cooking Classes
Learning how to cook can be a fun and interesting
way to return to home cooking. Anyone can opt for cooking classes - beginners,
those who have never cooked before, or those who have not been cooking for
reasons they know best.
Regardless, it is not necessarily about choosing a
top chef or well-known chef, but someone who holds cooking credentials and,
like Ms. Nava, has been cooking at home for many years. Someone who knows how
to organise the kitchen and pantry, what to stock up on, how to help with menu
planning and how to guide the preparation of daily comfort food within a
specific time.
Well versed in local Malaysian food, Ms. Nava's cooking classes are also included as part of ZEN RETREAT, making them convenient. No pressure, just the purity of cooking, loving every moment of it and taking the knowledge back home.
Ms. Nava & Credentials: ZEN CONTACT & ZENPRENEUR MS. NAVA
Science & Cooking - HarvardX
Mental Health & Nutrition - University of
CanterburyX
International Certificate in Patisserie - Taylor's
School of Hospitality
International Certificate in Bread Making -
Taylor's Centre for Professional Education, Malaysia
