Quick dinner recipes begin with a clean, organized kitchen!
Most of us are cutting back on dining out. While we can save some money with this strategy, it does not give us any more hours in a day. So nutritious and quick dinner recipes are in even greater demand than ever. There are a lot of quick dinner recipes to be found, both in print and on the net. Have you ever wondered why the recipe is labeled ‘20 minutes or less’, when your experience shows it is really more like an hour or less? Perhaps your kitchen organization and delegation of cleanup tasks needs tweaking.
you have read several quick dinner recipes in your favorite cooking magazine and you are dying to give them a try. Every one sounds purely delicious. Cooking magazines typically use a test kitchen setup when they cook. Every pot and pan is clean and in place. Utensils and gadgets are ready at their fingertips. The workstation has several sets of everything. They never run out of foil or waxed paper. there is never a need to improvise or substitute. They’ve got the to-die-for counter top (read big), complete with rinsing sinks, pot racks and an array of cutting boards. So you have got to make a certain percentage adjustment in the prep time when you are working in your own kitchen, preparing that quick dinner recipe.
Although the test kitchen setup is ideal, it is likely your kitchen is not! However, with good organization and a neat-freak attitude amply conveyed to family members, you have got a chance. You know what i am talking about here. Your teen aged daughter does her chores, emptying the dishwasher. She does not think it makes a whit of difference where that spatula goes, so long as it is in a drawer. You can not find it, she’s not home and meanwhile your quick dinner is burning. The lesson here? Have your kitchen combat ready! Looking for a two quart saucepan and your only set of measuring spoons does not make that quick dinner recipe come out quickly or successfully. it is OK if your kids and spouse think you are a bit strange. They’ll overlook it when dinner gets on the table quickly.
Perhaps the quickest of quick dinner recipes is the do-ahead. Last week, you made a double batch of spaghetti, slipping one batch into the freezer. You come home, boil some water, get your sauce out of the freezer and into the microwave. Toss a salad and sit down to eat. Now that is a quick dinner recipe I can do in twenty minutes or less!
How about the occasional pancake and sausage dinner? With a normal skillet, this is one of those quick dinner recipes that consumes the better part of an hour. Get one of those large griddles, found in every home appliance section of your favorite store. The large cooking surface allows you to cook both pancakes and sausage at the same time. Ready in minutes. I love mine, with its handy little grease catcher basket that does not overflow and make a mess, over a pound of bacon.
When you think about it, quick dinner recipes rely in great part, on the state and organization of your kitchen and ready-to-go freezer contents. do not forget about those double batches of every possible dinner!
