Choose easy-to-process, quick-cook ingredients
One of the most effective ways to save time is to choose ingredients that do not require much preparation such as eggs, tofu, pre-shrimp, filtered fish or pre-washed, sliced vegetables. Vegetables such as Malabar spinach, sweet cabbage, water spinach can be cooked in soup, boiled or stir-fried quickly and easily.
For example: with just eggs, you can make fried eggs, steamed eggs, boiled eggs with fish sauce and they are delicious for no more than 10 minutes.
Prioritize "2 in 1"
Some dishes can integrate both vegetables and meat, helping to reduce the number of dishes to cook. For example: pumpkin soup with meat, tofu stuffed with pumpkin sauce, or stir-fry beef with vegetables. These dishes make meals simpler but still have enough nutrients: starch, protein, fiber.
Take advantage of air fryer, electric rice cooker
Modern technology is an indispensable "assistant" for busy people. An air fryer can help you grill meat, fish, beans, and make cakes without cooking soup. The current rice cooker has many functions, just add the ingredients and you're done.
For example: you can make tomato sauce with an air fryer, then steep it in a microwave or pan that is still delicious without worrying about the smell of grease.
Cook according to the "3 dishes - 30 minutes" recipe
Lunch does not require many dishes, just 1 salty dish, 1 soup, 1 vegetable is enough. This way of dividing is both nutritious and helps you not take too much time. Here is a sample combo:
Salty dishes: Bacon is only burned next to
Soup: Amaranth soup for shrimp
Vegetables: Cucumbers mixed with vinegar
It can be done in 30 minutes if you know how to operate in parallel and prepare the ingredients in advance.
Make a ready menu for the whole week
It sounds professional to hear, but making a menu in advance helps you save time going to the market, without having to worry every time you stand in front of the refrigerator. You can write out 5 - 6 simple combos to rotate during the week. When used to it, each meal only takes 20 - 30 minutes, you can even prepare some ingredients in advance such as: washing vegetables, marinating meat, boiling eggs, pruning onions to make cooking easier.
