Cooking at college doesn’t mean settling for boring, bland food or having to buy expensive take-aways. With a few key tools you can cook for one or twenty people with ease and for less. www.ilovecooking.ie has put together these useful tips that will help you get organised so that you can cook with ease and from scratch in the fastest possible time.
7 MONEY SAVING TIPS WHEN BUYING FOOD
- Make sure you are not hungry when shopping for food or you will be buy more than you need.
- Make a list and stick to it.
- Choose foods such as vegetables and fruit when they are in season otherwise you will pay more
- Visit the supermarket only once a week otherwise you will be tempted to buy more than you can afford.
- Buy wisely and in bulk but be careful when it comes to fresh herbs and vegetables as you will need to use them within days before they spoil
- Make use of shopping discount vouchers or coupons and become aware of special offers and the days for discount items.
- Look for own brand foods – they are cheaper and save you a fortune.
KITCHEN KIT
Wok Buy a large non-stick wok for cooking stir fries, curries or for poaching fish and meat.
Frying pan A large non-stick pan with high sides is a must and can be used instead of a wok for smaller quantities
Large Saucepan A heavy bottomed saucepan is useful for most things such as stews and pastas and if you get one with an oven-friendly lid it can be used to cook casseroles.
Large Knife
Get one that you can use for everything i.e. cutting bread, chopping and peeling vegetables.
Chopping Board Buy two plastic chopping boards as they are easier to clean – one for meat and the other for vegetables.
Tupperware Buy a set of plastic storage containers suitable for freezing leftovers and for portable lunches.
Hand Blender Cheap and handy for soups, smoothies, vegetables purees and soups.
Tin & Bottle opener – get one that is easy to use
KITCHEN CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS
If your kitchen cupboard is properly stocked you will always be able to rustle up a meal in 30 minutes or less. Make sure you stock up well with the following basics
Store Cupboard
Olive Oil
Sunflower Oil
Sesame Oil
White wine vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Wholegrain mustard
Dijon mustard
Tomato ketchup
Soya sauce
Oyster sauce
Plum sauce
Worchester sauce
Mayonnaise
Tinned coconut milk
Sweet chilli sauce
Honey
Maple Syrup
Tinned tomatoes
Tomato Passata
Tomato puree
Tinned Tuna/salmon
Tinned beans
Couscous
Dried Pasta/Noodles/Rice
Lemon juice
Baking
Cornflour
Plain Flour
Strong white (for pizza bases)
Dried yeast
Wholewheat flour
Baking powder
Bicarbonate of soda
Icing sugar
Castor sugar
Brown sugar
Cocoa powder
Spices starter kit
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Ginger
Dried oregano
Parsley
Thyme
Ground cinnamon
Curry powder
Smoked paprika
Chinese 5-spice powder
Sea salt
Black pepper
Dried Parmesan cheese
Dried garlic granules
In your freezer
Peas
Sweetcorn
Mixed berries
Prawns
Chicken breasts
Frozen pastry
Breadcrumbs
Brown Bread
In your fridge
Block of cheese (cheaper and you get more for your Euro)
Chorizo
Peppers
Onions
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Eggs
Garlic