How Creating Delicious Meals is Easier than You Think

So I’m going to be super honest and say that while I enjoy cooking, sometimes cooking can be exhausting. Coming up with meal ideas, preparing the meals, and the clean up…it’s a lot, and this is why when I cook I always try to make my meals super delicious and quick that it’s rewarding and fills my tummy. No one wants to spend an hour cooking a meal they don’t enjoy after all. The truth is, no one wants to spend an hour cooking a meal at all. But it’s equally true that we want to eat tasty food. It’s also true that a lot of meals take time to make, time that most of us aren’t willing to invest in this time poor world we lived in. Over the years I’ve picked up a few tricks to make pretty much every meal really tasty and fairly quick to cook. Here are some tips on how to create delicious meals quick and easily.

Pairing Herbs and Spices

My first tip is to stock your pantry with spices and herbs. This goes so far in creating tasty meals. I have pretty much every herb and spice you can find, from your basics like garlic powder and oregano to more exotic spices like grand masala and lemongrass. Having these spices and herbs allows me to create a wide variety of dishes from Mexican to Indian to middle eastern. I honestly cannot say how amazing your meals with turn out with just a few added spices and herbs. I could not live with my pantry stocked with spices and herbs.

For potatoes, try some basics like garlic powder and rosemary. I personally like to add a dash or two of paprika. Thyme, basil, parsley will also pair tastily with potatoes. Or, dash on an Italian seasoning mix. Roast these and enjoy!!

I adore mushrooms, and my secret to tasty mushrooms is cooking with them with some butter and olive oil. I also mix in diced onions and garlic and then season with garlic powder (it’s not too much garlic, trust me) and paprika. I add some dried chives and parsley and then I’m in heaven.

For roast, rub in some salt, pepper, paprika and herbs de provence. I don’t even like meat much but this is the perfect pairing. Garlic powder can also be added to the rub.

Instead of using a store bought taco seasoning, cook your beans with onions, garlic, chilli powder and garlic powder. Ground coriander and chilli pepper will also add that Mexican flare to your dish.

Cooking with Good Fat

Now, my second tip is to have good fats on hand. Good fats include things like nuts, nut butters, avocado and oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and sesame oil. A little fat does a big job in adding flavour to your meals. I add nuts to salads, and I use oil in most other meals to add flavour or cook. For Asian dishes, a dash of sesame oil is amazing, for other dishes I mostly use olive oil. I also keep a small bottle of truffle oil on hand for certain dishes that have mushrooms. Avocados go great in salads and can also be used to make tasty dressings for your salad. Avocado, olive oil, some chopped cilantro, dash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt…can you taste that dressing yet?

Whenever I cook a stir fry, I always start with a good fat oil. Sesame seed oil or avocado oil are great for stir frys; avocado oil won’t add a strong flavour, but sesame seed oil so be aware of that. A good olive oil can also add flavour, so be mindful of that. I use oil olive for Mediterranean dishes like spicy eggplant, which I make by sauteing onion, garlic in olive oil, then I add the eggplant a dash of chopped chilli pepper. I also use olive oil whenever I make a salad dressing, it’s a delicious base.

Oil is not just for frying though, be sure to drizzle some over your roasted veggies like potatoes. I like to lightly roast my peas using olive oil and paprika. Sometimes I throw in some chopped carrots and onions too, cooked onions add a lot of flavour to dishes.

Kitchen Must Haves

Tip three is to invest in some kitchen gadgets. When I invested in some kitchen gadgets, my meals became more delicious. I really did not think that these appliances would help me make more delicious meals, I just thought they’d help me cook faster. But I discovered that they totally helped me create more tasty meals as a result. The two kitchen gadgets I would totally recommend are an immersion blender (buy one that can convert into other gadgets like a mini chopper) and an Instant Pot. The Instant Pot cuts down cooking time tremendously and you can cook so much with it that your mind will be blown, trust me. It’s worth every cent and is affordable. It will totally change your weeknight dinners. I don’t think I’ll ever part with my Instant Pot.

Creating delicious meals with these tools and ingredients is not as time consuming or difficult as you might think. My meals have gone from jumped on the scale of tastiness, and it didn’t require me spending hours in the kitchen, or investing in a cooking class. Delicious eating friends!

What are your tricks and tips for creating tasty meals? What do you do to save time in the kitchen? Share in the comments below.