5 Tips for Cooking a Successful Meal From Scratch

Today I wanted to share a few helpful tips that may come in handy during your scratch-cooking endeavors. Obviously preparation is key, but here are a few helpful hints that can make your cooking experience easier, more fruitful, and fun!

1. Plan ahead.
Planning out your meals for the week ahead of time can keep you on track, save stress later on, and prevent falling into the common trap of eating quick and unhealthy fast food meals because you are pressed for time and can't think of anything to prepare. Typically (unless you have a very large family of hungry teenagers!) you can get away with cooking a large meal only 3-4 times per week, and using the leftovers on the other days. This can also help avoid extra shopping trips, as you can plan what ingredients you need, and shop for these all at one time, so you are prepared for the rest of the week.

2. Use simple recipes with ingredients you already have on hand.
This can mean the difference between frustrating, time-consuming (and costly) extra shopping trips, and an easy, quick, and stress-free cooking experience. I try to only shop once per week (less during the summer, when my CSA share provides almost all of my grocery needs).  It's great to try new and more complicated recipes from time to time, but if you try to plan a gourmet feast every day of the week, you're going to get overwhelmed and burn out before too long, and risk slipping back into the "quick-fix" convenience foods habit. I've been cooking for years, but some of my favorite tried-and-true recipes only have 5-7 ingredients, at the most. Keep it simple, and make it easy on yourself!

Image via Wikipedia3. Have all your stuff together ahead of time.
The easiest way to to cook a successful meal is to have all your ingredients and tools close at hand. This may mean you need to reorganize your kitchen, if you haven't cooked much before. Try cooking a meal and paying particular attention to every tool and utensil that you use -- how easy it is to get to it, and where might be a better location for easier access in the future. (If you're new to cooking and not sure what utensils you need, and which are essential to have on hand, visit our website for some recommendations: http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html.)

It is also helpful, especially if you are preparing something with a number of ingredients, to have all of your ingredients washed, peeled, and chopped before you begin cooking. Once you are more experienced and know how long everything takes to cook, you will be able to utilize cooking time to prepare the next ingredient, but if you are just starting out or getting used to a certain recipe, it can be a real time (and stress) saver to have all your ingredients prepped and in bowls, ready to add at the appropriate time. (If you have kids, get them involved in the process and have them help out with this!  There is little better that you can pass down to your children than the knowledge of how to prepare their own healthy meals.)

4. Experiment.
Once you get the hang of what you are doing, have some favorite recipes on hand, and have developed your own rhythm in the kitchen, it's time to get creative!  Cooking can be a great creative outlet, and it lets you test your talent out on your tastebuds, so you can always know what you need to improve on. Try adding your own twist to favorite recipes you've already tried. Or try new and more challenging fare. Or, once you really get used to combining flavors, cooking techniques, and timing, create your own recipes from scratch!  I just came up with a new one this week, which tasted like a creation from a 5-star restaurant, and only took 20 minutes (and had only about 5 ingredients).  I will post it later this week (to give you something to look forward to), so make sure to come back and check it out!

5. And above all, have fun!
Cooking doesn't have to be a chore or an ordeal -- it can be easy, simple, and even relaxing. It can be a great stress reliever, or even a good way to bond with your spouse or children. Preparing ahead and having a plan and everything close at hand will remove the element of stress and frazzle, giving you more time to enjoy the experience. So put on some music, open the windows, grab a glass of wine, and get cooking! You, your mouth, and your tummy will be glad you did.

Related articles on Simple Cooking Tips:

• Kitchen tips acquired along the way (anotherwineblog.com)
• Conscious Shopper Challenge: Learn to Cook (greenphonebooth.com)
• Creativity in the Kitchen (groupon.co.uk)
• Weekend Cooking for Week Long Eats (eatdrinkbetter.com)
• Ten Tips to Simplify Meal Planning (creativeorganizing.typepad.com)