Not everyone considers themselves to be the Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson of their kitchen. In fact, some people even wish to avoid the kitchen completely if they can! But despite the opposition, there are times when cooking is inevitable, and there are a few tricks to ease the mind and effort it takes to have dinner ready by hungry o’clock.

By Jana du Plessis

Get planning
The last thing that you want to do when you don’t like spending time in the kitchen, is to plan the time you have to spend there. But don’t be put off just yet! By quickly putting together an action plan of what to cook, what to buy and when it’s going to happen, you’ll save time and brainpower in the long run. Choose your recipes and figure out how long each component will take to prepare. We recommend one-pan dishes so there is no fuss over multiple elements, or a meal that can freeze well so you can prep it when you have spare time.

Stay simple
If you’re not comfortable in the kitchen, don’t overcomplicate things by cooking a dish or using ingredients you are unfamiliar with. It’s all about doing what you know and doing it well. The more you cook the same type of dish, the less of an uphill battle it will be. That doesn’t mean that you will only be cooking chicken and rice for the rest of your days – sometimes it will be garlicky chicken, other days it could be tomatoey rice. Just make sure you know your ingredients and understand the flavours you love.

Prep in advance
Short on time when you get home from work? Cut up your veg the night before and divide your meat between individual bags before you freeze it. If cooking a big batch of pasta on the weekend will take some pressure off during the week, by all means do so. Just take into consideration what you cook in advance and how long it will keep for.

Mean, clean machine
There is no worse feeling to turn around and see a sink-full of dirty dishes after you have been slaving away in front of your stove. Fill your basin with warm, soapy water and wash each utensil as you use it – by the time dinner is served, the dishes are already taken care of.

What are your tips to keep your time in the kitchen effortless and enjoyable? Share them with us here or on our social media!

The post How to enjoy cooking (even when you don’t) appeared first on MyKitchen.

Pots are like friends! There’s nothing better than that one that you can rely on, which will you cook up something delicious in times of need. Here are our top picks of the pots and pans that no home chef should go without.

Wok

 If you are a fan of Asian-style cooking, having a beautiful wok in your kitchen is an absolute must. Classic woks have a rounded bottom with handles on either side. They are spectacular for whipping up something in a flash. It’s also incredibly versatile; use it for stir-frying, steaming, pan-frying, deep-frying, poaching, boiling, braising, searing, stewing and even soup-making!

Small frying pan

A good frying pan is an essential item for every self-respecting cook. Frying pans were originally made using cast iron although now they are made the more durable stainless steel or aluminium. Use a small frying pan to whip up the ultimate breakfast; fry a single egg, sauté onions and button mushrooms, and of course, cook up some bacon!

Large frying pan

 A well-made large frying pan will help you cook just about anything, from frittatas and tarte Tatins to one-pan meals like chicken curry or a healthy stir-fries. And if you know you are going to be using it (mostly) for foods like like to stick, we recommend a non-stick stainless steel option.

Griddle pan

 Calling all meat-lovers – this is the pan you shouldn’t go without. A griddle pan is best for cooking a beautiful juicy steak. It will give your cut of meat those mouth-watering griddle marks and maintain a high heat so you can cook your dinner to just the right temperature.

Small pot

Use one of these babies for sauces, be it a rich tomato and onion gravy, a hollandaise or some melting chocolate sauce.

Medium pot

A sturdy medium pot is just the right size to cook pasta, rice and veggies for the whole family without having too many leftovers.

Large pot

As for a large pot, whip up a crowd-sized batch of soup, stew or whatever tickles your fancy. Make it now and easily freeze the rest for a night you don’t feel like cooking.

The post The Seven Pot Wonders: the must-have pots for your kitchen appeared first on MyKitchen.