In my last lengthy text post, I gave my tips for converting to a vegan diet. Number one was learn how to cook- so here’s some help with that! If you feel intimidated in the kitchen, you’re not alone. Cooking is a learned skill, and you just need some practice! Personally, I have always loved to cook- I used to go to the library with my mom as a kid and pick out cookbooks! Anyway, learning to cook is super rewarding, at any age.
1. The art of the meal plan. This is a CRUCIAL part of cooking! Unless you’re the type who doesn’t mind a trip to the grocery store every time you want to make something, you need to plan ahead. Decide what type of things you want to eat that week, and try to find things with crossover ingredients. For example, veggie burritos, stir fries, and curries have almost identical base ingredients (peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, potatoes, etc). Find a few recipes with similar ingredients, and make your meal plan from there.
2. Serves how many? If you are cooking for one (or two), you’ll need to check how many the recipe serves. If you make a big pan of mac and “cheese” or another casserole, you’re going to have a lot of leftovers! Personally, I am not a big fan of leftovers- I rarely want to eat the same thing more than once a week. If you don’t mind them, or need them for convenience, go for it- but if not, half your recipe (and watch your baking/cooking time- less food means less time to cook!) Likewise, if you’re cooking for a big party, and the recipe only serves 4, double it!
3. Read the ENTIRE recipe before you start. Seriously. You don’t want to get to the end and see “simmer for two hours” or “marinate overnight.” Read ahead! Save yourself some trouble!
4. Prep ahead of time. I don’t always do this, but if you’re new in the kitchen, it will be extremely beneficial for you to go ahead and measure out all of your ingredients and prep them before you ever turn on the heat. Chop your veggies, measure your liquids, get it all ready to go, cooking show style. THEN turn on the stove, and follow your recipe. This will keep you from burning your onions while you’re chopping the carrots… or whatever.
5. Be patient. Not every recipe is 5 minutes or less. However, MANY of them are 30 minutes or less. Think ahead, and begin cooking before you’re starving. Otherwise you’ll give in to the microwave or take out place once again!
6. Time your dishes. Before you start cooking, think about which dishes are going to take the longest. Generally you want to start rice and pasta way before you ever make the sauce, because boiling water takes a million years (approximately). I hate when one thing is done and another thing isn’t, and then half your food is cold. This is where reading your recipe through to the end comes in- decide what order you need to start your dishes. And don’t be afraid of cooking more than one thing at once, it’s not as labor-intensive as it seems.
7. Start small, and then go big! If you can barely make toast, don’t try to make the fanciest thing you find right away. Start with stir fries, scrambles, curries, and soups- these are pretty foolproof. You pretty much just throw all your ingredients in a pan or pot and season the hell out of it, and then it’s done! As you get more comfortable with different techniques and recipes, branch out.
8. Don’t waste. If your past cooking attempts resulted in a refrigerator of rotting produce, you’re not alone. But this is pretty wasteful, and no doubt expensive! If this sounds like you, please walk directly to your local grocer’s frozen food section. I always thought frozen produce was somehow less healthy for you than fresh, but they freeze it immediately after picking, so it retains a lot of nutrients. And it NEVER (well, almost never) goes bad. I always have frozen peas and carrots for pilafs or fried rices, a bag of stir fry veggies for stir fries or curries, a bag of peppers and onions for burritos or tacos, hash browns, and frozen fruit for smoothies!
9. Use the magic of the Internet. Want to learn how to press and marinate tofu? Unsure of what an ingredient is or where to get it? Do you have no idea what julienne means? GOOGLE IT, FOOL! Or check out this awesome food dictionary here.
10. Just try, man. You won’t get any better at cooking by staring at your stove. You gotta practice. This is a life-long skill, y’all, and knowing how to feed yourself is part of being an adult. And as a vegan especially, you won’t be satisfied or energized if you continually feed your body with microwaved nonsense.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
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