7 Simple Ways to Start Cooking Incredible Meals At Home

Hey there, fellow food enthusiasts! Are you looking to elevate your home cooking game but need help figuring out where to start? Fear not! Cooking incredible meals at home doesn’t require being a Michelin-star chef. In fact, with a few simple tips and tricks, you can start whipping up mouth-watering dishes in no time. So, let’s dive into five easy ways to take your home cooking from bland to grand!

7 Simple Ways to Start Cooking Incredible Meals At Home

Master the Art of Seasoning:

The secret to a fantastic dish often lies in its seasoning. It’s not just about salt and pepper; it’s about understanding how different spices and herbs can enhance the flavor of your food. Start experimenting with basic herbs like basil, thyme, and oregano and spices like cumin, paprika, and curry powder. Don’t be afraid to taste as you go – it’s the best way to understand how flavors develop. Remember, adding more seasoning than fixing an overly spiced dish is easier!

Invest in Quality Ingredients:

Great cooking starts with great ingredients. You don’t need to break the bank and buy everything organic or top-shelf. But choosing fresh, quality ingredients can make a difference. Fresh vegetables, good-quality meats, high-grade oils, and kinds of vinegar can significantly elevate a dish. Also, try to use in-season produce – it’s cheaper and often tastes better since it’s harvested at its peak.

Get the Right Tools:

You don’t need a kitchen full of fancy gadgets, but a few critical pieces of equipment can make cooking much easier and more enjoyable. A few essentials are:

  • A sharp chef’s knife.
  • A sturdy cutting board.
  • A good set of pots and pans.
  • A reliable non-stick skillet.

These tools make cooking more efficient and help ensure your food cooks evenly and turns out as delicious as possible.

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment:

One of the joys of cooking is the freedom to experiment. Want to add a bit of spice to that chicken recipe? Go for it! Curious about how rosemary would taste in your pasta? Try it out! The more you experiment, the better you understand flavors and what you enjoy. And hey, if a dish doesn’t turn out perfect, that’s okay – it’s all part of the learning process.

Learn from the Pros:

Thanks to the internet, we have access to countless cooking resources. From YouTube tutorials to food blogs, a wealth of information exists. Want to learn how to make a creamy enchilada soup? There’s probably a step-by-step guide for that. These resources are fantastic for beginners because they often include detailed instructions and visuals. Watching someone else cook can also provide valuable tips and techniques that are hard to convey in a recipe.

Practice Meal Planning:

Planning your meals for the week can seem like a chore, but it makes cooking much simpler. It helps you shop more efficiently, reduces waste, and reduces the stress of deciding what to cook each night. Start by planning a few days at a time, and gradually work your way up to preparing for the whole week. You’ll be surprised how much time and money you save, not to mention the satisfaction of having a plan in place.

Embrace the World of Flavors:

Cooking at home is your ticket to a culinary world tour. Every cuisine has its unique palette of flavors and techniques. One day, you could be simmering a classic Italian tomato sauce, and the next, crafting a fragrant Indian curry. Exploring different cuisines diversifies your meals and expands your cooking skills. Start with cuisines that interest you, and don’t hesitate to try exotic ingredients or techniques. It’s a fantastic way to learn about different cultures and bring international flair to your kitchen. Remember, every dish has a story; with each new recipe, you’re experiencing a piece of the world right from home.

Cooking incredible meals at home is all about practice, patience, and creativity. The more you cook, the more comfortable you’ll become in the kitchen, and the better your meals taste. So, grab your apron, pick a recipe, and start cooking! Who knows, you might surprise yourself with what you can create.

Week in review #7 2020

Week in review #7 2020

Hello everyone. It’s another week in review, and boy, this week seemed to go by very slow. Last week was just Thanksgiving, and it feels like ages ago. This week started Vlogmas on Youtube. Do you follow me on Youtube? Vlogmas is where I upload daily vlogs (or not) every day until Christmas. I’ve been working hard on my videos every day, and it is a bit time-consuming. Vlogmas is a challenge this year because there are none of the regular holiday activities going on. Usually, I would run Rock n Roll San Antonio and a trail race, and there…

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Is HelloFresh worth a try?

Is HelloFresh worth a try?

I wanted to do an honest review of HelloFresh to answer the question, “is HelloFresh worth it?” I received a free box by a friend referral, and I thought there was nothing to lose. My overall experience with HelloFresh is positive, but I want to dig into the details with a blog post. Price point: I received three meals of two servings each meal so I could have leftovers. I did get my first week free, but I did pay $61.93 for a second box coming this week. That is $7.99 per serving and a shipping cost of $8.99. For…

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Meal prep this week: Maple Dijon chicken

Meal prep this week: Maple Dijon chicken

I haven’t really been talking about my meal prep on the blog lately. I know it’s bad because people want to know about the meal prep. I haven’t really talked about meal prep in a long time but that doesn’t mean I’m not doing it. Meal prep has become a little less high maintenance these days, but it’s still getting done. I’m not fancy. I don’t create recipes on my own. If I’m doing some creating, I’m just throwing stuff together we have in the fridge and making it work. There’s nothing creative happening in my kitchen. I know the…

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Do I still meal prep?

Do I still meal prep?

I’ve read the e-mails and I know people want more food stuff on the blog because it’s seriously lacking.  I have to be real, we do a modified food prep thing in our house right now.  Eating in our house has been a little lackluster and some weeks I just noticed I was wasting money on food.  The short answer to the questions is: yes.  Now he’s the long explanation: We still make our weekly trips to grocery store and I do start out with good intentions. It’s day to day with me so there are just some days I…

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Carbs are IMPORTANT in my life

Carbs are IMPORTANT in my life

More people have been asking about the food I’ve been making because I haven’t been sharing that in the recent months.  I haven’t been sharing because I am a creature of habit.  If I like something one week, I’ll make it again for the next week.  Sometimes if it’s easy and simple, I keep eating the same thing over and over for convience.  Basically, I’ve just felt a little boring with my food choices lately. I’ve turned chicken breast and chicken thighs, all boneless and skinless, into this: It’s a quick an easy meal. Sautee up some onions and bell…

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Hiding unhealthy choices and back on meal prep

Hiding unhealthy choices and back on meal prep

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been on the move.  It’s been a BUSY few weeks and I haven’t really been home to meal prep.  There was a week that I prepped for two weeks but that only happened one.  I’ve been traveling and missing the grocery store trips.  Everything hasn’t been tip top shape.  And I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t been eating the best food either. A couple of weeks ago Willie and I slammed a whole pizza and enjoyed it…but I think my pizza need may have been met that day. The picture above is not the…

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Recipe: Shredded Chicken Caserole

Recipe: Shredded Chicken Caserole

We’ve been a little pressed for time and Willie doesn’t really want to clean a lot of pots and pans so I’ve been making some casseroles lately.  This one that is great for lunch because it’s easy to pre-portion out and great for on the go. There are few steps but it’s a pretty good meal. I season the skinless chicken breast and thighs and bake them covered in the oven at 450 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  I use a mixture of both breast and thighs for moisture in the dish.  Chicken breast are really dry and I learned through…

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Starting off the New Year right

Starting off the New Year right

It’s the New Year and I’m already behind on my blogging but I have great reason: we’re going to be on the Today Show tomorrow. Things have been really hectic trying to get ready because I needed to meal prep for the week. I’m trying to start the New Year off healthy and active. On New Years Day I ran a marathon. I know you’re not shocked but this is the best way I could start the year. And yesterday, I stocked the house with everything we needed to start the first week of the year starts off on the…

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Willie weight loss update and help me with …

Willie weight loss update and help me with a meal prep guide

Hey all! I should have gotten this up this morning but I’ve been swamped at work. It’s been pretty trying latey. I wanted to keep everyone updated on Willie’s weight loss journey and ask for a little bit of help. I don’t want to spoil the Willie’s weight loss update so you’ll have to watch to find that out: But I am interested in developing a meal prep guide. Is that something you guys would be interested in? What type of things would you like to see in a meal prep guide? This idea won’t go anywhere unless I get…

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Why meal prep hasn’t been a priority

Why meal prep hasn’t been a priority

The month of October has flown by and you may have noticed something was missing from blog.  There has been a noticable absence of meal prepping or cooking going on in my life.  I just wasn’t home long enough to get make it priority.  I spent half the month packing for trips, running and in airports.  The meals I made were quick and easy and didn’t require much prep. Sadly, most of those meals came from the freezer or out of a can.  It was just what worked for me during this time.  The time between trips would sometimes just…

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