Easy Ways To Make Cooking Less Hectic
My friend, Umm Zayaan, is really efficient in the kitchen and knows how to put yummy food on the table for her family without the fuss. I asked her to tell me her best tips, and I added mine too for this article. Together, we share how we cook delicious food for our families in under an hour. Cooking does not need to be a big chore if you know how to keep it simple and organized, so it doesn’t feel so hectic.
Message fromUmm Zayaan
As a mom of three, I'm always trying to find shortcuts in the kitchen and put a healthy meal on the table. So when Sr. Zakeeya invited me to write and share my secrets, I put together my most important tips for cooking tasty meals in a short time. I hope you benefit, Insha-Allah! I love cooking, but the thought of spending hours in the kitchen does not appeal to me. I would rather spend that time with my kids, and browse Pinterest ;-). Most of my dishes are prepared in under an hour!
15 Cooking Tips From Our Kitchen to Yours
1. Ask Your Husband and Kids for Ideas
For most busy moms, the biggest problem is not how to cook but what to cook. Ask your husband and kids to give you ideas on what to cook for the week or to tell you what they would like for dinner that day. You will be surprised at what kids come up with. If all else fails, ask a friend.
2. Take OutMeat Earlier to Defrost
Once you know what you're cooking, take out the meat to defrost the night before if you're cooking in the morning. Take out the meat early in the morning, if you prefer to cook later in the day. This reduces cooking time as your meat is ready to prepare.
3. Set a Specific Time to Cook
Set a specific time to cook each day and stick to it! For Umm Zayaan, that's 10 am, when her two older kids are gone to school. That way, dinner is ready when they get back from school, and she can spend her time with them rather than being in the kitchen. During the summer holidays, she prefers to cook at 5 p.m. and have a hot dinner on the table by 6 p.m. The key is to be consistent.
4. Decide What to Cook Ahead of Time
Decide each evening what you are making for the next day. Tell yourself that you can't sleep until you have a meal planned out for tomorrow. You will have a great week when you plan your menus out for the week, like on a Sunday. That way, you can also grocery shop in advance, so you’re not running around during the week to pick up ingredients.
5. Organize Your kitchen
It’s a good idea to organize your kitchen for convenience. This is especially important for cooking faster. Put your most-used tools (e.g., knives, spoons, peelers, chopping boards) in a drawer or on the counter top, close to the stove. Have your spices right beside the stove or in a cupboard close by, and keep your pots and pans in the cupboards near the stove.
6. Use Gadgets
Use gadgets to make cooking easy and to cook with speed. Umm Zayaan’s favorite gadget is a V-slicer, which she uses to slice onions. My favorite gadget is my InstantPot because it cooks the meat really fast and tender. There are many other gadgets you can find to help with chopping, slicing, and grating, beating, and blending. Just stick to quality gadgets, as it makes a world of difference.
7. Read the Entire Recipe First
Always read a recipe all the way through before attempting to cook a meal. It helps keep you three steps ahead of the cooking process and is another time saver! How many times have you started cooking and realized that you did not have all the ingredients? Take them all out first.
8. Cut Corners When Possible
Cut corners whenever you can. My biggest tips as a mom of six are that I sometimes use canned tomatoes instead of fresh, soup mixes, boxed spices, pre-made jars of sauce, and ginger and garlic. If you prefer using fresh ingredients like Umm Zayaan, she will freeze her fresh ingredients to have it on hand when needed. For example, she freezes whole ginger and garlic cloves and just grates them into the food as needed.
9. Buy Prepped Veggies in Bulk
Some stores, like warehouses, sell vegetables that are already pre-washed and pre-chopped, which is a big time saver! You can also find pre-bagged veggies that you can steam in the microwave, and there you have a quick and healthy side dish in a few minutes.
10. Learn to Multitask When Cooking
Multitask in the kitchen when you are waiting. For example, if you're making pasta, the first thing you normally do, is boil the water. So while you are waiting for the water to boil, you can whip up a pasta sauce to go with it. It may seem obvious to some, but there are people who don’t cook this way.
11. Cook on High Heat
Umm Zayaan fries her onions on high heat (contrary to what she was taught, she said). Then she adds the meat and continues frying it with the onions until it turns golden. Next, she adds the spices and continues to fry. Once the spices are integrated into the meat, she reduces the heat to let it simmer on low. Try and find the right temperature for your food, as too low a temperature will slow the cooking process, a too high temperature may burn the food - it takes some logic to get this right.
12. Cook Some Things in Bulk and Freeze
When cooking, try to make extra of what you are already making, and freeze the rest. Some great suggestions are hamburger patties, chicken fingers, kabobs, or any pre-cooked meat, these are great for freezing and a time-saver for busy days.
13. Choose Your Menu Wisely
Select easy dishes for the week when you have less on your plate and everyone's different schedules are adding pressure to your day. Leave the more difficult dishes or anything gourmet for weekends when your husband is home to help with the kids.
14. Make One-Pot Meals
Try to keep the meals you make in one pot! Save time on the clean-up, especially in the busy school week, by preparing foods that can have all the ingredients cooked together. Balance your meals with a carb, protein, and vegetable to be hearty.
15. Clean As You Cook
Clean up as you go to avoid a big mess at the end. Try and wash the dishes as you are waiting for something to braise or cook longer. Having dishes sit around the sink and on the counter-tops makes it look cluttered and will be more tiring to clean later.
We hope these steps will make your cooking easier and within an hour or less. Umm Zayaan is sharing some of her favorite recipes that are tasty, quick, easy to prepare, and aimed at intermediate cooks who want to make delicious and fast meals with a healthy twist. Find the ebook, A Week of Tasty Recipes by Umm Zayaan in the Member Vault or sign up in the footer to become a member for free!
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe that making our homes a safe haven for our families, as well as being a wife and mother, brings us great blessings, contentment, and benefits to society as a whole. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to assisting Muslimas in finding tranquility in their roles, taking better care of themselves, and achieving inner peace. Our journey in this world is not an easy one, but I pray the tools and guidance I offer will help you face life's challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! Read more about me here.
