Sometimes you want to eat at home but there’s nothing the fridge and anyway, who has the time? Here to solve this dilemma is Nona Lim, a partner behind Cook! a company that offers fresh prepped meals, that are ready to cook. As an expert in quick cooking I asked Nona to share some tips for time-starved couples and families who still want to have home cooked meals.

1. Cut your prep time as much as possible. Buy pre-washed lettuce, pre-cut veggies and ready-for-the-oven-or-grill meat, chicken or fish that has already been marinated, stuffed, strung on a skewer or breaded. The caveat here is to look more carefully for freshness – read sell by/use by dates closely. Sometimes, the grocery store has marinated meat for several days by the time you buy it, so it should be cooked the day of purchase. Also, if you want organic ingredients, you may find that many of the prepped items are not usually organic. Again, diligently read the labels. At Cook! we provide both convenience and quality by offering mostly organic ingredients prepped and ready to cook.

2. Spend a few minutes when you grocery shop over the weekend to plan and shop for work night dinners. This keeps your pantry and fridge stocked and eliminates time-wasting weekday trips to the market.

3. Prepare meals over the weekend that you can use for leftovers during the week. For example, if you’re roasting a chicken for Saturday night dinner, roast two. Then you will have cooked chicken for sandwiches, salads and a number of quick-fix recipes during the busy work week.

4. Pasta-based meals can be quick, yummy and nutritious. If you’re making your own tomato sauce, double the recipe and freeze what you don’t immediately use in clearly labeled two-four cup freezer bags. You can quickly transform your marinara sauce into amatriciana sauce by frying up several slices of diced bacon and adding to the sauce, along with some red pepper flakes.

5. Quick meals don’t need to be expensive meals - often the priciest cut of meat isn’t the best value. You can make your own spice rubs and marinades and keep in the pantry or refrigerator for weeks. Then you can toss a flank steak in a baggie along with some marinade before you go to work in the morning. Or rub pork or lamb chops with a spice rub before putting them on the grill or under the broiler.

Nona’s Spice Rub

¼ cup paprika
3 tbs chili powder
2½ tbs dry mustard
2 tbs kosher salt
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs cumin
2 tbs granulated garlic
1 tbs cayenne pepper
1 tbs ground black pepper

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a plastic container. Store, tightly sealed, in cool, dark, dry pantry for up to two months. Liberally pat on chops prior to grilling or broiling.

Thanks Nona! For those in the San Francisco Bay Area looking for truly fresh prepped meals ready to cook at home, check out Cook!

Technorati Tags: easy, quick, meals, recipe, spice mix

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