Many of us, I’m sure, have moved back home ever since graduating from college. Although this definitely does not help with things like attracting members of the opposite sex (especially if you’re a guy), it definitely is nice to have parents who will feed you…especially if your mom is an amazing cook. For everyone else, you’re on your own.
If you’re tired of cooking microwaveable dinners, or you’ve been getting quite pudgy from eating too much McDonald’s and Carls Jr. here are some cooking tips that could make your next meal an absolutely delicious entree.
1.) Learn some simple dishes to prepare. There are a ton of super easy meals that you can prepare. One of my favorites is Garlic/Olive Oil/Shrimp Pasta. Instead of buying your garlic at Ralph’s (which you have to dice all by yourself), visit your local Asian market (more specifically, Korean) and buy pre diced garlic for $2.99. This thing is AMAZING, and will save you a lot of time for preparing your food. After that, making this dish is pretty simple.
First, boil the pasta (it doesn’t really matter what type of pasta you use). In a separate pan, saute diced onions, garlic, and the shrimp in olive oil. You have to be careful with timing here. Don’t forget pasta takes a longer time to cook than the shrimp/onion/garlic combination, so you might want to start cooking the onions/garlic/shrimp later than the pasta. I usually cook on medium heat.
Once your pasta is ready, drain the pasta. Then take that pasta and put it in the pan with your already cooked Shrimp/Onion/Garlic combination. Add a decent amount of olive oil to your pasta. Mix everything up. Add Oregano, Basil leaf, some salt, and pepper for taste (I also like to add Cilantro afterwards). VOILA. Super delicious pasta ready to eat that is decently healthy. If you want to make it healthier, replace the shrimp with chicken. If you want other simple recipe ideas, let me know and I’ll post them up in a future post.
2.) Be creative with leftovers. One thing I like to do is take leftover meals and use them as part of a different meal. For instance, after eating 3/4 of my Korean Bulgogi last week, I used the 1/4 left to make a delicious Kimchi Fried Rice. It’s super easy to make this dish as well: get a decent amount of kimchi and garlic, saute them in olive oil. Then throw in the bulgogi. After about 10-15 minutes of sauteing the kimchi, garlic, and bulgogi combination, add some rice to the mixture. Mix it all up, then add Sesame Oil (SUPER IMPORTANT!), some salt, and more olive oil. You can also add some Red Hot Chili Paste here (buy this at a korean market). In a separate pan cook an egg sunny side up. Put your kimchi fried rice on a plate, and throw that egg on top of it. VOILA. Some bomb ass kimchi fried rice. FREAK I’m getting hungry.
3.) Seasoning is key. People in America love strongly seasoned foods. Just think about our average pizza. Most of our pizza is littered with tons of toppings. You will never get that in Italy. All this to say that we love our foods heavily seasoned, so you have to make sure you do a good job with seasoning. That’s why I tend to use a lot of garlic in the foods I prepare. I love the taste of garlic, onions, cilantro, and sesame oil. If you’re not really into those types of foods, then find something that makes you happy (taste wise) and experiment with that type of seasoning in your foods!
4.) Go grocery shopping for multiple meals. When you shop for groceries, plan out 3-4 meals you’re going to make. This will help a LOT with cost and saving money, and will also ensure that you don’t waste anything you buy. For instance, if I buy cilantro, I’m intentionally going to plan 3-4 meals I will make with that cilantro. If I buy a certain type of meat or vegetable, I have a good idea when I’m going to use that meat/vegetable. Planning ahead will save you TONS of money.
All this talk of food has got me absolutely hungry. Instead of eating out all the time, try some simple and delicious home made recipes! It’ll save you money in the long run, and is also a great skill/habit to develop.
