When your days are full but a restaurant take-out just isn’t cutting it, small measures can help you pull off hearty, home-cooked dinners without losing too much time.
From batch-cooking basics to game-changing tools, there are some smart moves you can make to streamline your weeknight routine and help keep things fresh. Here’s what we’re doing to cook a little more efficiently, while still making meals that are worth sitting down for.
Set it and forget it
For rice – and beyond, a rice cooker’s real power is in its versatility. It can handle a variety of grains – quinoa, farro and couscous – all without requiring your undivided attention. You can set it, let it do its thing, and in the meantime you’re free to chop veggies or prep a protein while clearing space on your stovetop.
This Breville rice cooker gets our pick. It knows how to perfect white, brown and sticky sushi rice, but it can also help steam veggies, simmer soups and cook congee for the ultimate multi-functional kitchen gadget. Plus, the keep-warm feature means you can set the rice ahead of time and it’ll be ready whenever you are.
One-pan wonders
One tray, one meal – it’s simple, but oh-so effective. Throw your favourite veggies and protein onto a baking tray, add a few sprigs of thyme, some ground coriander and cumin and then toss everything in olive oil. The trick is to make sure everything is cut roughly to the same size and roast for 20 minutes until caramelised – or slightly less for al dente.
The sheet pan on our wishlist is from Our Place. It’s perfect for oven-roasting your farmer’s market haul, but also doubles as a griddle pan for stovetop grilling. There are six colours to choose from, but the sage green hue has caught our eye for timeless cookware designed to last. Plus, it features a non-toxic non-stick ceramic coating, so you know there are no nasties.
Batch and stash
This one may seem obvious, but there’s magic in simplicity. Dedicate a couple of hours on the weekend to cook up a few big-batch dishes – think soups, stews or curries, but also recipes like Ella Mittas’s zucchini fritters and Christine Manfield’s chickpea dal. You can divide them into portions and store them in the fridge or freezer for a quick reheat when life gets busy.
It’s just about finding some quality storage containers for easy stashing – and the nesting bowls by Styleware make an ideal option. The snap-tight closure keeps food fresh, plus they’re reusable, stackable and lightweight, perfect for fridges, freezers, microwaves and dishwashers. The different sizes mean you can store bigger meals, but also make a solid choice for batch cooking roasted veggies like pumpkin or zucchini to add to pastas, risottos or salads throughout the week.
Chop the shop
Meal kits can cut the decision fatigue and supermarket slogs out of the cooking process. They include fresh ingredients, are pre-measured and recipe-ready, and are delivered straight to your door. Services like Make-Out Meals can help bring inspiration without the legwork, so you can spend more time cooking – and relishing, of course. There are 15 new chef-crafted recipes added to the meal kit's repertoire each week, from two-hat restaurants to local favourites, so you can recreate famed dishes from restaurants like Entrecote, Mamasita and Coda.
Inbox inspiration
If you’re looking for fresh ideas minus the scroll time, you could sign up to Broadsheet’s new Cooking newsletter. Every Thursday, our editors send out a regular dose of curated dinner inspiration with recipes from top Australian chefs, international food people and home cooks, alongside seasonal tips and kitchen tricks to ease a busy routine.
Plus, if you subscribe before November 20, you could win a $1000 Chef’s Hat voucher to spend on brands like Le Creuset, Breville and Kitchenaid for updates to your kitchen gear.
Or if you prefer the physical thing, Broadsheet just released a new cookbook – The New Classics. It’s got 80 recipes that cover breakfast, sandwiches, snacks and sides, mains and desserts from Melbourne’s most beloved spots. It gives you the opportunity to recreate iconic dishes in your own kitchen, like Napier Quarter’s focaccia, Lee Ho Fook’s lamb pancakes, Julie’s octopus ragu, and many more.
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