Someone recently asked the following question: I like to cook but I can never seem to get the portions and timing of the food right. I always make way too much or way too little. And if I’m making several dishes, I can’t seem to get it all done at the same time. Do you have any suggestions?
These are actually very common cooking dilemmas and I think it’s one of those things that all cooks learn over time. It doesn’t come automatically. I can almost guarantee you that your own mother messed up meals by serving cold meat when the vegetables were done or making way too little, when she first started cooking. Here are a few of my tricks to make meals come off seamlessly.
Trick #1: Too Much Is Not a Problem
If you make too much food–freeze it! There really is very little that doesn’t freeze well. This way too, if you freeze it you can save yourself some time next week! (Check out these great freezer recipes if you need some ideas!)
Trick #2: Use Your Hands!
One really easy way to decide how much to make is to use your hands to estimate portions. For example, I buy meat at Costco in super sized packs and then divide it. I put all the meat for the family for one meal in one freezer bag. I estimate that my husband will eat a portion of meat the size of my whole hand. Myself and the children will each eat a meat portion about the size of my fist.
Trick #3: Always Make a Salad
I generally make one large salad per week and keep it in a Tupperware container. It really doesn’t have to be salad, but you will spread your meal farther by serving plenty of vegetables. (And you’ll keep your family healthier too.)
Trick #4: Plan for Dinner First Thing in the Morning
I started doing this when we had the twins and I found it virtually impossible to cook while there was not an extra adult in the house. Essentially every morning, I sit and think about dinner for about 10 minutes. What am I serving? How long does it take to cook? What side dishes do I need? What is required for their preparation? If I am serving dessert I make it well in advance. Vegetables don’t generally take as long to cook so I almost always do them while the main dish is simmering.
Trick #5: Pair the complicated and the simple.
If I am making a tried and true recipe with meatloaf, I might make a much more complicated side dish that requires more effort. However, if I’m making stuffed shells or something that is complicated to prepare as the main dish, I make plain old steamed vegetables or salad on the side. This helps a lot with timing.