Feeling burnt out from cooking? Charge your culinary battery with these 4 creative ways to make stepping behind a stove exciting again!

Start with one-pot (or one-sheet-pan) meals 

Let’s be honest, the thought of cleaning a pile of dishes is enough to put you off cooking for good. So why not keep it simple? Combine your protein and veggies in one pot or, if you prefer, put them on a baking tray and roast in the oven. The best part is that you will only focus on one pot (instead of tracking different pots and sauteing in another pan). It’s the perfect solution for a quick-and-easy mid-week meal, and clean-up will be a breeze. 

Also read: Budget-friendly one pot wonders

Experiment with fresh herbs and spices  

When kitchen fatigue sets in, it’s important to find quick ways to boost the flavours. Enter fresh herbs and spices! Adding a handful of fresh coriander to a quick curry adds vibrance, and snipping up chives over your scrambled eggs instantly elevates the taste. You will quickly learn which herbs complement your dishes and be excited to try different flavour combinations. 

@problemsolved How to store fresh herbs #learnontiktok #howto #lifehacks #sustainable #kitchen ♬ Good Times With Friends (New Mix) – Sam Kearney

Cook with your family 

Try cooking with the family once a week. Little (and many) hands in the kitchen may sound like a terrible idea but, on the contrary, it can be a great pastime that may make you fall in love with the kitchen again. Search for recipes together, play music and chat about your day. Your culinary duties will feel less like a chore and be more about the experience. And the tasty dinner is just the bonus.  

Take a cooking class  

You may be stuck in a food rut. Taking a cooking class will teach you the skills, grow your food knowledge and expand your palette. And (most importantly) it will give you the confidence to learn new and exciting dishes to make at home. Take your partner if you don’t want to take on this culinary adventure alone. It can double up as a romantic night out sealed with a (chef’s) kiss. 

@silwoodkitchen Chef Ryan Cole from Salsify teaching our students about seasonality #Silwood #capetown #TopCulinarySchool #capetowntiktok ♬ Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran

Also read: Jargon to improve your cooking experience

Photography: Shutterstock

The post 4 tips to recover from cooking burnout appeared first on MyKitchen.

Cosy up this winter with these delicious one-pot comfort meals

Shepherd’s pie with a cheesy potato topping
SERVES 6–8  •  TOTAL TIME 1 hr 30 min

FOR THE FILLING

Vegetable oil 2 tbsp

Onion, finely chopped 1

Carrots, finely chopped 3

Celery stalk, finely chopped 2

Garlic cloves, minced 3

Beef mince 500 g

Tomato paste 2 tbsp

Flour 2 tbsp

Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp

Dried thyme 1 ½ tsp

Beef stock, 1 ½ cups

Red wine ½ cup

Bay leaves 2

FOR THE CHEESY POTATO TOPPING 

Potatoes, washed and peeled 6

Milk ½ cup

Butter 2 tbsp

Cheddar ¼ cup

Fresh thyme leaves, to garnish 1 tbsp 

FOR THE FILLING

1. Add the oil to a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots and celery. Fry for 5 minutes until the onion is soft.

2. Add the garlic and fry until golden.

Crumble the mince into the pan. Fry for 3 minutes until browned, continuing to break up the mince using a wooden spoon so it doesn’t form lumps.

3. Mix in the tomato paste, flour, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Season well with salt and pepper.

4. Add stock, wine (or more stock) and bay leaves. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck bits of flavour.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the mixture is thick and glossy.

FOR THE POTATO TOPPING

1. Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Drain and mash until chunky. Add the milk, butter and cheese and mash until smooth and fluffy. Season to taste, then cover and set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

2. Spoon the mince filling into a 15 x 25 cm casserole dish. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before topping with the mashed potato.

3. Bake for 20 minutes until the potato topping is golden and crispy.

4. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

Top tip Freeze any leftovers for up to 1 month. Store in an airtight container. When ready to use, defrost and then reheat in a 180ºC oven for 20 minutes.

One-pot Tuscan chicken
SERVES 4  •  TOTAL TIME 30 min

FOR THE CHICKEN

Salt ½ tsp

Pepper ½ tsp

Paprika ¼ tsp

Garlic powder 1 tsp 

Italian herbs 2 tsp 

Chicken breast fillets 4

FOR THE CREAMY GARLIC AND WHITE-WINE SAUCE

Vegetable oil 2 tbsp

Onion, finely chopped 1 

Garlic cloves, minced 3

Italian herbs 2 tsp

Tomato paste 2 tbsp

Paprika ½ tsp

Cherry tomatoes 125 g

White wine ½ cup

Chicken stock 1 cup

Cream 1 cup 

Parmesan 2 tbsp 

Baby spinach 2 cups

TO SERVE

Fresh basil ¼ cup

Fresh bread loaf, toasted

FOR THE CHICKEN

1. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and Italian herbs. Press the sides of the chicken into the seasoning mix, coating evenly.

2. Add some oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until browned and golden. Remove the chicken from the heat and set aside.

FOR THE CREAMY GARLIC AND WHITE-WINE SAUCE

1. Glaze the same pan with more oil and reduce the heat to medium. 

2. Fry the onion until softened. Add the garlic, Italian herbs, tomato paste, paprika and tomatoes. Fry until fragrant.

3. Add the white wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape any bits off of the base of the pan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Add the chicken stock
and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until reduced by half.

4. Keep the mixture on a simmer and stir through the cream, cheese and spinach. Place the chicken back into the pan. Spoon some sauce over the chicken to coat, then cover with a lid. Switch off the heat but keep the pan on the stove – this will allow the chicken to finish cooking through poaching.

5. Serve the Tuscan chicken with basil and some crusty bread on the side.

Top tip Add a side of rice to this dish to bulk it up. It’s perfect for lunch the next day, too.

Oven-baked meatball sandwiches
SERVES 8  •  TOTAL TIME 1 hr 30 min

FOR THE MEATBALLS

Breadcrumbs ½ cup 

Milk ¼ cup 

Pork mince 250 g

Beef mince 250 g

Egg, lightly beaten 1

Garlic cloves, minced 2

Onion, finely chopped ½ 

Black pepper ½ tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Dried oregano 1 tsp

Dried parsley 1 tsp

Fresh basil 1 tbsp 

Parmesan ¼ cup

Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp

TO ASSEMBLE

Hot dog or hero rolls 8

Butter, melted 

Mozzarella, grated 2 cups

Tomato pasta sauce 300 g

Fresh basil, chopped, to garnish 

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease a large oven tray.

2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly using your hands until evenly combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each one. Ours weighed 30 g each. 

4. Bake meatballs for 15–20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from
the oven.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Grease another large oven tray.

2. Make a cut down the top of each roll. Brush the inside of each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Stuff each roll with three meatballs, spoon some tomato sauce over the meatballs and top with a layer of mozzarella.

3. Bake rolls for 10–15 minutes until the rolls are toasted and the cheese has melted.

4. Top with the chopped basil and enjoy!

Top tip Whether you’re watching your favourite sports team or sitting outside admiring the sunset with family, these meatball sandwiches are sure to hit the spot.

Creamy baked chicken pasta
SERVES 4  • TOTAL TIME 20 min 

FOR THE CHICKEN FILLETS

Chicken breast fillets 4

Flour ¼ cup 

Egg 1

Panko breadcrumbs 1 cup

Parmesan, grated ½ cup

Italian herbs 2 tsp

Oil ¼ cup

FOR THE SAUCE

Small onion, finely chopped ½ 

Garlic cloves, minced 2

Butter 2 tbsp

Flour ¼ cup

Milk 2 cups

Chicken stock 1 cup

Cheddar, grated 1 cup

TO SERVE

Penne 500 g

Dried herbs, to sprinkle

 FOR THE CHICKEN FILLETS

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease an oven dish.

2. Lay your chicken breast on a chopping board and cover with cling film. Gently bash the chicken breast using a rolling pin until 1 cm thick.

3. Place the flour and egg in two separate bowls, and the breadcrumbs combined with the Parmesan and Italian herbs in a third bowl.

4. Coat both sides of the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg and finish in the breadcrumb mixture.

5. Heat some oil in a pan until hot. Add the chicken breasts and fry in batches until golden, about 5 min

6. Set the fried chicken on some paper towel to drain.

FOR THE SAUCE

1. Add some oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add
the garlic and fry until golden.

2. In a separate pot over medium heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Add the flour and mix well until a roux forms, about a minute.

3. Add the milk and chicken stock to the pot and whisk well to incorporate. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and whisk as it thickens. 

4. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the sauce along with the cheddar and mix quickly to help it melt.

5. Cook for a few minutes until thick. If you like, use a stick blender to blend the sauce until smooth. Season to taste.

TO SERVE

1. Add the pasta to some salted boiling water and cook until tender. Drain.

2. Slice the chicken into strips.

3. Serve the pasta in bowls topped with creamy cheese sauce, chicken and a sprinkle of dried herbs.

Top tip Halving the chicken breasts allows them to be nice and thin for when they are fried. This allows them to be cooked fully in the pan and super crispy without becoming dry from overcooking.

Recipes & Styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Peet Mocke/hmimages.co.za

This tasty and comforting deep dish pizza recipe is inspired by the US. Did you know that this type of pizza is the most popular in Chicago?

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