Most of us can agree that cooking and eating healthy takes a bit of extra effort. Quick tips and shortcuts can go a long way toward not only saving you time but they help you embrace healthy cooking at home.
Chef Hollie Greene of JoyFoodly knows a thing or two about cooking healthy meals and saving time in the kitchen. As a cooking instructor, Wellness in the Schools consultant, and a Professional Expert for the California Healthy Kids Initiative, Hollie makes healthy cooking simple, fun and fast! She’s sharing her top 5 favorite kitchen short cuts with us.
Ginger Peeling Made Easy
Peel your ginger with a spoon. It can really get into the nooks and crannies and is less wasteful than using a knife or vegetable peeler because you’ll preserve more of the ginger. Ginger can be expensive!
Don’t Toss Your Scraps
Save your weekly vegetable scraps in a zip-lock bag and freeze them until you’re ready to make stock. Use the stock as a base for soups and stews.
Make Your Own Salad Dressing
Ditch store bought salad dressings and make your own by shaking the ingredients up in a mason jar. Use a ratio of one-part acid, like vinegar or citrus to three-parts good quality olive oil. Add your seasonings like salt or other spices and herbs, and bind them with some Dijon mustard, plus honey if you want it sweet. A favorite go-to is lemon juice, grated garlic, olive oil, and salt – simple but divine on grain salads
Re-purpose Ice Cube Trays
Freeze leftover pesto in ice cube trays, then you can pop them out as you need them. Use the pesto as a condiment on chicken, baked sweet potatoes, and your favorite breakfast frittata.
A Different Kind of Egg Substitute
Did you run out of eggs and need them for a recipe? Use up those chia seeds or flax seeds in your pantry by using a ratio of one tablespoon ground flax or whole chia seeds to three tablespoons water. The fantastic thing about chia seeds is they are very hydrophilic so you don’t have to grind them and they absorb the water like a magnet
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