How to Prepare Vegetables Better and Faster
Many people eat more vegetables these days, such as people who are on low-carbohydrate diets. So it makes sense to learn how to prepare your vegetables quickly and efficiently.
First, make sure you have the proper tools in your drawer and you are skilled in using them. You need to have a very good quality chef's knife and keep it very sharp. If you know that it is easy for you to chop up a big pile of veggies in 3 minutes, it means you are much more likely to really do the job. Just having a good knife will mean that you will end up eating more vegetables at the table. It just makes food prep so much easier.
It is not necessary to spend a ton of cash on a sharp knife. You can get a very good knife for $30 or so and it will last you for years. You can learn tips on how to use the knife effectively at any kitchen store or by watching many cooking shows. One of the key things to remember at first is to not try to cut too quickly at first.
Second, you need to make sure that your kitchen workspace is set up efficiently. Running to and fro in your kitchen really does waste time. If you can, have your kitchen set up so that you can have your chopping area next to the stove. Then you can just drop your veggies into the skillet. It's also a good idea to have a small trash can right next to you for any veggie scraps.
Third, have vegetables on hand that are easy to make. You want to have some veggies around that are not dirty, are not hard to cut up and do not need a lot of extra preparation. Save the more complicated vegetables when you have time to deal with them. Asparagus is simple to prep: Just rinse it and chop off the ends. Cabbage is easy, as it falls into many pieces when you slice your knife through. Zucchini is soft and easy to cut up.
Fourth, chop up a lot of vegetables at once. It does not take double the time to chop up double the quantity. Chop up enough for several meals and store it in plastic bags. You also can sometimes cut up all that is left in your vegetable drawer and then sauté it all at once. Throw in some olive oil, herbs and garlic. Use it for side dishes for a few days, or put it into omelets for a few breakfasts.
Fifth, when you are sautéing your vegetables in the skillet, you should begin with the ones that have to cook for the longest. Then you should work your way up to the vegetables that take little time to cook. You will want to start out with onions, carrots and celery. Then you will want to throw in your broccoli and cauliflower, then the peppers. Next, you toss in your zucchini and mushrooms, and finish off with leafy green veggies such as spinach.
Sixth, when you are in a hurry, you can often buy vegetables that have already been washed and chopped. It might cost a bit more to buy chopped up mushrooms, but it is a real time saver when you are in a rush.
Last, do not be afraid to use frozen vegetables when you have no time. Most frozen vegetables have all of the nutrition of fresh; we just prefer the taste of fresh vegetables usually. Just throw that bag of frozen broccoli in the microwave when you don't have much time.
About the Author
Lawrence Reaves writes for kitchen appliance companies, Hamilton Beach -http://www.hamiltonbeach.com and for Proctor Silex found at http://www.proctorsilex.com
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