Keeping the Castle - Housekeeping & Homemaking Tips

Once-a-Week-Cooking: The Tools and Equipment

by Maricar on August 20th, 2008

When cooking several meals at once, it’s imperative to multi-task. There should be more than one dish that’s either being prepared or cook at one time. It simply would take too long to cook one dish at a time.

Multi-cooking really doesn’t require specialized equipment. You only need several pots and pans. However, adding some other tools makes the task go quicker:

* Pressure cooker - There’s no better thing for tenderizing meat quickly for stews and soups. If you start meat in a pressure cooker early in the process, they’ll be ready for the stew near the end.

* Oven - Using the oven means having one less pot on the stove. Put the dish in the oven early, and it will be done just as you’re finishing up.

* Your biggest pots and pans. For dishes that keep well in the freezer, it’s a good idea to make enough for 2 or even 3 meals.

* Separate chopping boards and knives for meat and vegetables. There’s no need to wash implements in between cutting vegetables. But for raw meats, it’s important to keep them separate. I also wash the boards and knives in between using them for different types of meat.

* Freezer-safe food containers. Glass is my preferred container for finished dishes. They can go from the freezer straight to the microwave for thawing and heating.

* Foil and/or cling wrap. Some of the containers I use don’t have lids. I just cover the food with cling wrap, leaving as little air as possible. Foil on top of this provides extra protection against freezer burn.

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POSTED IN: Cooking