Simplifying midweek cooking

As you know I love food and cooking and everything associated with it. When I think of trying new recipes or writing a new recipe however this is not something I generally do mid-week, it is a weekend thing where I can spend hours barefooted, music playing, loving life chopping, stirring and fully immersing in it. 

For mid-week cooking I like either to cook quick and fast or very low and slow, not really spending more than 30 mins (if that) preparing and cooking. Work is tiring and the thought of spending hours in the kitchen is not a happy one.  My mid-week meals usually sees me incorporating things that will make my life easier such as frozen ready chopped soffritto, garlic, ginger, onions, shallots, chillies and herbs; frozen vegetables, stock pots, ready-made ravioli, pasta, gnocchi and tinned, pulped tomatoes.  Why?  Well the veg are often picked prepared chopped and frozen fairly quickly meaning the vitamins and goodness are still there and the quality is generally good and they make cooking so much quicker and easier.

While none of the chopped frozen vegetables take an age to chop it can save a good amount of time and on a quick cook meal that does mean you can cook in often in only 20 mins of time. Perfect. 

Home-made pasta is delicious but it does take a little time to make with the making, kneading, rolling and resting so during the week I think nothing of using either bought fresh or dried, is it cheating? I don’t believe it is, it is making life simpler.

Some of my favourite recipes using ready-made ingredients are gnocchi, butternut ravioli with chicken and asparagus, Thai curries, and low and slow stews.

So don’t feel when cooking everything always needs to be fully prepared from scratch, yes a home made stock might taste better in it’s purest form but once in a stew will anybody really know?