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Hi There!

In my last post, I confessed to you and to whoever was reading that I am a lazy chef. As promised, in this post I am going to give you some of the tools of a lazy chef. That’s right. You too can join the ranks of those laying out delicious home-cooked meals in the easiest way possible. Well, other than having someone else cook them for you. Obviously, that would be easier. And if you know someone who will do that for you, go for it! I certainly would. Can you imagine how wonderful that would be? To have someone else cook a home-cooked meal for you every night?

I digress.

Back to reality. If like me, you don’t have someone willing to do that for you, or if it is your job or pleasure to cook those meals, then check out some of the things I use to make it easier. You don’t have to do everything in the hardest way possible.

Top of my list is the Instant Pot. This wonderful gadget was around for a couple of years before I got one. Before I purchased it, I asked a lot of people if it was worth the money. Although one or two people said they preferred to cook the regular way, the vast majority of people replied with an overwhelming “Yes!”

The reasons they gave were different. Some people said they loved to cook with it in the summer to keep their kitchen cool. Some said it was extremely efficient. You can cook a great meal in half the time. Others said the meat was incredibly tender. Well, I decided to go ahead and purchase one and guess what? They were all right.

Keeping it cool!

I live in an old house…122-year-old, old house. We have central air. But in the summer, spring, or fall when I cook it gets hot in that kitchen. Miserably hot. I often have the stove and oven going at the same time. The Instant Pot makes a big difference. I don’t have to turn on the stove or oven. The only time heat is released is when you do the quick release to release the pressure.

Tender in half the time!

Plus, it cooks in half the time. It’s less than that. Follow whatever directions you have and set the timer. Pop back over when it’s time to release the pressure and you’re done. My favorite meat to cook in it is chicken. It cooks extremely fast and turns out moist and tender.

I must confess that at first it really did scare me. A pressure cooker…will it blow up? However, if you read the directions, it is quite simple. It’s not hard to get used to at all.

When I purchased mine, I got the big one. If you read my last post, you probably have a good idea of what I do. I find a recipe that I like. Then I make it big. I figure if one meal of delicious hamburger and vegetable soup is good, why not make enough to last for a few meals. When making your recipes big, you don’t really have to worry about adjusting the time with the Instant Pot. It will take longer for the pressure to build so it will take longer. But don’t adjust the cooking time. It is unnecessary.

Bake that Bread

My second favorite tool is a bread machine. It is simply wonderful. There are few things better than the smell of bread baking. You can do a couple of things with a bread machine. My machine will let you completely bake the bread or use the dough setting to make the dough. Then you can take it out, shape it, let it rise, and then bake it.

My daughter-in-law loves to bake bread.  She likes the whole process of it and she makes the most delicious bread. But me…not so much. I want freshly baked bread without all the work. (Remember…lazy chef here!) My bread machine makes that possible. I can either let the machine do all the work or take it out after the dough is made and bake it in the oven. I do both.

Can you peel eggs?

Do you like deviled eggs? I sure do! I could boil them alright. But peeling those eggs has always presented a problem for me. I always tore them to pieces. I was talking to my oldest daughter, and she told me I needed an egg cooker. A what?? I thought she was kidding.  I really didn’t think I needed one. But she did. So she ordered me one! And I am so glad she did. It makes boiling eggs so easy. Everything you need, including instructions, is included. You just put a little hole in the top of the egg, add the desired amount of water, and push the button. I don’t know how it works. When I tried my first dozen, I called my daughter to see how it worked. It just made no sense. She said, “Trust the process mom”. They came out great.  And it makes the eggs incredibly easy to peel. Easy-peasy.

One last thing!

If you like to bake, a large cupcake tin is worth the investment. Instead of baking 12 cupcakes or muffins at one time, you can bake 24 of them. It really is a great time saver! For my family, it only makes sense.

Well, I hope this has helped you. If you want to continue to lay out great meals for your family in the easiest possible way, the tools of a lazy chef might be beneficial. They certainly have helped me!