Shortcuts in cooking.

Not in our nearest Tesco!

Asda and Tesco sell small (180 gm) bags of sliced red onions.
Tesco also sells frozen sliced red onions, which are much cheaper per 100 gms.

kittylester

Or, as someone said above, use Lazy Garlic.

Ditto lemongrass and ginger.

Aldi cauliflower cheese is now gf. I don’t think I’ll ever bother to make it again.

or a very few seconds in the microwave softens enough for creaming without melting.😁
I often manage to make some of it melt in the microwave but, if making a cake, it seems to make no difference even if semi-melted.

When wanting to do baking with only fridge-cold butter, I press it through my hard boiled egg slicer. Rubbing into flour is then easy, or a very few seconds in the microwave softens enough for creaming without melting.

They sell them in all supermarkets.

I've recently discovered Heinz white sauce in a jar. It's lovely and can easily be made into cheese sauce for macaroni or cauliflower. I keep a jar in the pantry and use for all sorts of things . Saves all that bother with a roux

Jaime Oliver did a short cut to get mas. Put 2 large potatoes inthe microwave of 10 mins onhigh. Then bring them out cut n half and turn them skin side downob board and cut surface up. Pound with masher, scoop into a bown with butter cisp up the empty skins in microwave if you wish.

When making a crumble melt your butter and pour into flour sugar - it’s a game changer rather than all that rubbing butter through your cool fingers

Frozen garlic and ginger cubes. So handy. Ditto frozen chopped onion

Thanks, that is good to know. I will have to track down a farm foods.

I can get diced onions KKOB but some recipes call for sliced- my paprika chicken is one. It is just not the same with diced.

I have just bought sliced onions in Farmfoods 49p for 450 grams they have both red and white onions

Iceland offer some quite delicious curries to which I add lots of vegetables and chickpeas

kittylester

I wish sliced onions were easier to find.

IMO, may be easier to chop or slice and freeze several onions at one time, than look for frozen in a shop. For me that's an easy "when I'm bored" task.

kittylester

I wish sliced onions were easier to find.

Most of the supermarkets have them in their freezers. Maybe not sliced but definitely diced.

I am all for cheating, am not a great cook anyway so have always taken shortcuts, but especially now I am caring for my DH full time.

I freeze ginger and chillies as they do not keep well in the fridge . Can grate the ginger straight from the freezer. I freeze breadcrumbs made from odds and ends from the bread bin ,very useful for a quick topping.

I also freeze pastry mix for pies and crumbles, just add your egg or water when almost defrosted for a lovely light pastry.

I use a mezzoluna for chopping, using two hands make it easy for me with arthritic hands, onion, peppers herbs, I use it for everything. The curved wooden shallow bowl stops bits flying in all directions.

I recently was given an electric knife sharpener it is a joy to always have sharp knives.

Sallywally1

Very lazy garlic, another favourite!

I find it tastes of vinegar.

Or, as someone said above, use Lazy Garlic.

Instead of peeling and chopping, grate a clove of garlic straight into the pan. The skin stays behind on the grated and you get it nice and small, oozing the juice as well.

Ooooh, it definitely was me if you like it that much.

I think a few of us advocated it actually but it is definitely great.

If it was you kitty I thank you very much.
It is a boon to have it all ready to cook, just get it out of the freezer, pour into a dish and into the oven.

Usedtobeblonde

A real cheat but good is frozen cauliflower cheese recommended on GN.
It is loose and you just put the required amount in a dish and stick it in the oven.
Very useful to keep in the freezer and actually tastes good.

That could have been me. I love it. The Sainsbury's one is gf. I add a bit of grated nutmeg and top it with a bit more grated cheese.

My favourite shortcut is to get the Waitrose dine in!

I’m a keen batch cooker and I also prepare vegetables ahead of time and freeze, particularly when they’re in abundance and cheap.
I use a vacuum packing machine and then put those in the freezer. Each bag will have either carrots, onions, swede etc or a mixture ready for casseroles, stews or just cooking on the hob, ie fried onions, boiled carrots.

dogsmother

Oh dollyrocker, I haven’t seen a potato tumbler for about 50 years! Amazing machines I’d love one to save my poor hands.

Oh me too, and to think that as a teen I used to easily hoik a sack of King Edwards and tip into a tumbler at work!

I'd have to aim them one by one now