Cooking Tips!
I have a few tips I’ve been wanting to share around cooking.
1. Have you come across recipes that call for just 1 Tbsp of tomato paste? I feel like this is quite common. Sometimes I put the remainder in a container that I stick in the fridge, but so often it gets neglected and pushed to the back until weeks later, and by then it’s turned moldy and disgusting. Blech. I don’t recall where I learned this, but here is a simple hack. Put the remaining tomato paste, in 1 Tbsp scoops, onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet, and then stick that in the freezer. Once frozen, you can pop them into a freezer bag, and then next time your chili or soup called for a tablespoon of tomato paste, you can throw it in straight from the freezer bag.
2. The number of times I have drained pasta without remembering to grab the cup or two of cooking liquid, I can’t even say. I’ve done it a lot, and each time it is met with a lot of cursing and pulling at my hair. And then one day I have this idea. When I know I need to include reserved cooking liquid before draining the pasta, I stick my measuring cup in my colander in the sink. Obviously I won’t pour hot boiling water and cooked pasta right on top of my measuring cup, so it’s the mental jog that I need.
This is what a measuring cup inside a colander looks like, which you could probably have pieced together without my assistance.
3. I love recipes, but this is a reminder of how basic of a meal you can create just by having a few things on hand. Roasted potatoes and sweet potato (I do follow a simple recipe from Oh She Glows Every Day which guides me on which herbs and spices to add, but basic is basic- a drizzle of oil with some salt and pepper and whatever else you like is going to set you on the right path in an instant. Even the cooking instructions- set your oven to some temp, try 400 degrees F, and just mix them around every 5-10 minutes or so until they are done). Add in some avocado on toast, and you have an amazingly satisfying meal that can be enjoyed in the morning or evening.
This is always a reminder for me- we are one week into the new school year when I feel really motivated to cook, but I can move from “This is great!” to “Omg why did I commit myself to making a lasagna on a soccer practice night?” in an instant. Having a list of simple options and keeping those ingredients on hand as well can be so helpful.
4. Another cookbook to share- Practically Vegan by Nisha Melvani. I think I shared pretty early in a Food blog post that the title of this book makes me chuckle. It’s either all vegan, in a practical, easy sense, or it’s practically vegan…like, oh gosh this was so close to being vegan until we added real heavy whipping cream. But other than THAT, it’s vegan! The reason I highlight this book is that it may be one of the books in our collection that my kids fully accept the MOST. So if you have family members that are a bit skittish around vegan or plant-based cooking, this is a good one to introduce.
My grubby copy- shows this is well-used.
5. That brings me to the thing I may be MOST excited to share here- we got a new non-stick cooking skillet this week! I am so thrilled by this. You do NOT need oil for most of the foods you cook with this skillet. This morning I even did pancakes with NO OIL in the skillet. The first batch stuck a bit, but I think that is because the pan needed a few more minutes to heat up, because after that they browned up so beautifully and were a cinch to flip (using a RUBBER spatula and not metal, of course). So, you can get this Caraway skillet for your own kitchen and cook out of the Practically Vegan cookbook using so much less oil than the recipe calls for. The Caraway website does take my breath away a bit… I want everything in their pictures– the cookware organizers, the storage containers, etc., etc., etc….
Fried rice recipe from the Practically Vegan cookbook.
I will finish by adding that I have felt so much joy in packing my kids their school lunches this week. I think it is because I am so happy to have my days back to myself, but I also take the concept of packing my kids’ lunches as a bit of a mini challenge. Like– can I convince my son that what I pack him for school each day beats the lunch that he can get at school? If he comes home each day with empty containers, that feels like such a WIN!
Inside the folded tortillas on the cutting board is just brown rice with seasoned black beans. They got so nice and crispy in our new skillet, without oil. I’m so excited about this.
