MEAL PREPARATION TIPS

You don't have to be a short-order cook to create meals in a hurry, but through the years as my culinary wisdom and knowledge developed, I learned some shortcuts to making meal preparation flow more easily.  Follow these short-order steps to make healthy meals easy.

Tip 1:

Relax, put on some music, and pour yourself a cup of tea or whatever you drink (let’s try to keep it non-alcoholic as you need your wits about you in a kitchen). A composed cook is a more efficient one.

Tip 2

Read the recipe through ahead of time so you know everything that’s going to happen. Take a minute to imagine doing the steps.

Tip 3

Lay out your prepared ingredients in bowls. Having everything at your fingertips means the dish will come together faster. Cutting an onion before you start to cook is actually a time saver; cutting it after the cooking has already begun wastes time—you have to take the skillet off the heat, then heat it back up when you’re done chopping. That being said, remember that quick cooking is about getting maximal results in minimal time. So, for instance, if a recipe calls for cooking an ingredient first, make use of that cooking time to get other prep work done. Make sure your skillets or pots are preheated before you put an ingredient in them.

Tip 4

Room-temperature vegetables cook faster than cold ones. While we don’t advocate letting meat, poultry, fish or dairy sit out, we do let our vegetables come to room temperature so they will sear quickly, cook evenly, and blend more readily with other ingredients.

Tip 5

Substitute carefully. Although some substitutions seem obvious, they can be tricky business. A ruined dish is a waste of time, so best advice: when in doubt don't substitute.

Tip 6

Measure accurately. Nothing wrecks a quick-cooking saute like a double portion of flour or an overdose of salt.

Tip 7

Work in a bigger bowl than you think you need. Have you ever seen someone try to make tuna salad for four in a cereal bowl? Get out the big bowls—you’ll avoid a mess on the counter, and you won’t have to transfer contents to bigger bowls once they become unwieldy.

Tip 8

Do messy work in the sink.  Stir batters, coatings, and spice mixtures in bowls set in the sink. Spills are simply washed down the drain.

Tip 9

Turn up the heat. While you shouldn’t saute onions in butter over high heat (the butter solids will burn and the onions will then stick and scorch), you also shouldn’t do so over low (the onions will just wilt and turn greasy). Don’t be afraid of higher temperatures—within reason. If you’re minding the skillet, the ingredients will not burn. Key here is minding the skillet.

Tip 10

Always have towels and oven mitts at the ready. And make sure they’re dry. Wet mitts conduct heat right to your hands.

Tip 11

Clean up as you cook. Put things in the dishwasher while you’re waiting for the onions to soften, or wash the cutting boards and mixing bowls while you’re waiting for the tomato sauce to come to a simmer. Always put each tool back in the same place so you will know exactly where to find it next time. Aim to start and finish with a clean kitchen. Don’t be afraid to recruit help from the ranks of those who will be eating what you cook.  My husband was my official taster; if he did not like it then the chances were good that no one else would either.

Tip 12

A watched pot always boils. Pay attention to the dish as it cooks; don’t just set a timer and leave it. All timing guidelines are just that: guidelines, not laws. Pay more attention to visual signs of a dish.

Here is a healthy alternative to a favorite dish of many people.  This works great for a busy Sunday, when football is everyone’s priority.  You can prepare the chicken early in the morning and bake it off in the oven when you are ready to eat.  Make some sweet potato fries and you have a great meal for a Sunday afternoon football game!

BBQ Chicken Tenders

These crispy chicken “wings,” made with boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders, stay crispy with only a light coating of oil—no deep-frying needed. Serve as an appetizer or try them for dinner with crunchy vegetables and dip on the side, and if you are one of those people who have to have your chicken tenders with fries, try sweet potato fries baked in the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
• Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray

Preparation

1. Combine barbecue sauce, mustard and honey in a large bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce in a small bowl. Cut any large chicken tenders in half lengthwise, then add all the tenders to the large bowl with the remaining sauce; stir to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish. Coat each tender in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then roll in the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Place the tenders on the prepared baking sheet. Generously coat both sides of each tender with cooking spray.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each tender over and continue baking until the outside is crisp and the tenders are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Serve with the reserved sauce for dipping.