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- use induction cook top with preset timers for preparing rice.
- use food processor to prepare dough
- use two induction cook tops for parallel processing.
total meal preparation time 20 mins.
And yes I know that reducing the calories of a staple food is the very definition of a First World Problem...
Use cookbooks as inspiration for your own concoction. Use the ingredients you have, don't measure and be creative. It's more fun and less work-like (i.e. no treasure hunts for random ingredients) and cheaper. Note: this method doesn't work well for breads, cakes, soufflés and other precise baking recipes.
We got an instant pot a few years back, and now we use that. Besides replacing the slow cooker, the pressure cooker function of it can cook a frozen meal in 30 minutes instead of 8 hours.
Good tip make “sofrito” ahead of time (puree peppers, onions, cilantro, garlic) and freeze it in an ice tray so it is already portioned and ready for when you cook.
Rice and beans takes about 20 min to make without much effort, and is pretty nutritious. Not to mention you can eat for dollars a day.
Edit: My grandmother used to feed the whole family for less than $20. And most of that cost is in meat.
Shop at Sam's club or costco and potion large items ahead of time.
Plan menu items that can be prepared in individual servings like a restaurant so everyone can have what they want for dinner with little hassle.
The above tips let me run a family of 5 for about $300 per month food budget while serving delicious foods.
- chopping (onions): - - Cut with a big, sharp knife, use your knuckles for alignment so you don't cut yourself. - - Cut one direction, but don't worry about retaining the shape for the next cross-cut. Roughly align the stick-shapes after the first cut (spread out in to a longer line if too much to handle) and do the 2nd cut. It's not so bothersome if some onion pieces are not perfectly square, for things to cook eve…
See here: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniq...