In A Cooking Slump? I Swear By These 8 Hacks All Winter

We all know it’s soup season and warm soup combats the ice this time of year. All kinds. Make some and share some with friends, build community, stay warm…in body and heart, right? Right. But I think we’ve got our soup routines down, eh? I’m here to share a few additional winter (and year-round) kitchen hacks/tips/suggestions that I hope prove helpful.

I’ve been in a major cooking slump. I went through a huge life change last year (yes, divorce…100% DO and do not recommend.) And, though I’m typically someone who–adores cooking a few times a week, loves trying new recipes, enjoys food as a hobby– I just did not have the spoons to make it happen (pun intended) beyond a quesadilla or grilled cheese last year. (We subsisted on a lot of cheese.)

8 Easy Kitchen Hacks That Make Cooking Feel Doable Again

Something has changed as I enter my almost-one-year in this process of starting a whole new life…I feel lighter and so much of my energy has come back. And while I can thank HRT and B Vitamins for some of that, a lot of it is thanks to time…and processing…and friends and family…and luck/grace/sweat/tears. Regardless, I have energy to cook again. I’m not saying I’m going to be busting out the 1 hour + recipes nightly, but I can feel my love of food returning. And I’m so excited.

In the past month or so, as my kitchen energy has returned, I’ve found a few little hacks/tips/go-to’s that have helped me so much…so I thought I’d share. You know I’m a no-gatekeeping-kinda-gal and am heavily compelled in my soul to share good things, so here we go. Xoxo

1 Easy Panko Garlicky Topping

This is my newest favorite thing to keep on hand and it lasts a good week or so. It’s so simple. 1 pat of butter melted in the pan over medium heat, throw in about ½ cup or so of Panko breadcrumbs and toast for a few minutes until just golden brown. Add some shakes of garlic salt to taste (be sure to taste especially if you’ve used salted butter) and let them cool. Put them on top of salads, pastas, roasted veggies, etc. for added crunch and flavor that is game-changing. Trust. Store in an airtight container on the counter. Updated to say this is so delish on avocado toast!

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2 | Roasted Then Air-fried Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have so many vitamins and fiber and are just so good for you AND they’re cheap. Roast them when you’re already in the kitchen (be sure to poke fork holes in them and put them in foil or in a baking dish.) I do this around breakfast time since I tend to be in the kitchen more and then they’re done for later. Let them cool and keep them in the fridge until you want to eat them. When you’re ready, slice them into rounds and air fry (my favorite air fryer) them with a little oil and garlic salt (I love garlic salt like, a lot. It’s so easy and adds so much flavor.)

-eat for breakfast with breakfast sausage and your favorite green hot sauce

-use as a base for leftover proteins

-season ground chicken, turkey, pork with sage + paprika and make a sweet potato hash (way quicker if your sweet potatoes are already roasted)

-put on greens with some of those Panko garlic crumbs as an easy yummy lunch

-split in half instead of slicing into rounds and treat like a baked potato for dinner

-white chicken chili would be SO good on top of sweet potatoes.

**if you don’t like a super sweet sweet potato for these uses, get the white or purple varieties as they tend to be much less sweet, but they need lots of toppings/seasonings IMO.

 

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3 | Make Your Own Granola Again

I used to do this more often but I made some again the other day and holy, you guys. I forgot HOW much better it is than store bought. I don’t love love yogurt bowls all that much for breakfast, but with homemade granola and berries and a little honey…okkk. It helps me get excited for a breakfast beyond toast and coffee. (I love toast. Although I recently heard that’s what Ina eats for breakfast is toast and coffee, so some days I feel justified.) Ooh and a little swap I started just last week that I learned from Aliya? Use cottage cheese instead of yogurt in this setup. I like the cultured cottage cheeses for this and they almost taste like ricotta. So yum.

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4 | My Easiest Garlic Hack

There are admittedly lots of garlic hacks out there, but this is my favorite. Buy the peeled garlic cloves in the bag and keep them in your freezer. Pop a few out when a recipe calls for garlic and grate them on the microplane right into the dish/pan/etc. That’s it. No peeling garlic and having the skins stick to your hands, no lengthy prep with a food processor…just ready-to-use garlic cloves that grate easily and melt into your dishes. The only time I go for buying a whole fresh clove is if I’m making something that calls for roasted garlic or a bunch of garlic (but that’s rare, honestly.)

I loathe mincing garlic mostly because of the smell on my hands and because it sticks to everything. This makes it so easy.

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5 | Pickled Red Onions

Pickled red onions are so so easy to make and add that punch of flavor to so many foods, from grain bowls to tacos to salads to eggs. They keep in the fridge for a while and also make a nice little gift. This is my favorite easy recipe right now.

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6 | Get A Rice Cooker

I got one a few years ago at Em’s suggestion and haven’t looked back. I had to downsize to a smaller duplex this year and got rid of my beloved toaster oven (sob) but kept my airfryer and my rice cooker. There was no question. I use it all of the time to make perfect rice without thinking. I like this model a lot, but I haven’t tried others. I always trust Em’s recs when it comes to the kitchen!

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7 | Parchment Sheets In The Flat Box

Get the parchment paper sheets that come in a flat box. I think this may have been another Em rec? I can’t remember but I will never go back to rolls. I keep the box of these sideways in the cabinet above my fridge with sheet pans, etc. as it makes them so easy to grab as needed, especially since I’m typically mid-prep with messy hands when I need to grab. These fit a standard sheet pan size and make cooking and clean up beyond easy. I’ve used parchment for years now and there really is nothing like the easy of using it for baking and roasting. Dare I say I’ve never had anything stick to it?? I think I can report that.

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8 | Deconstructed Tuna Mayo Seaweed Bowls

Sorry, this is never the prettiest of dishes to photograph, but it is one of my daughter’s favorite meals lately…and it’s so so simple. Mix whatever packaged or canned tuna you like (we like lemon pepper, kept in the fridge) with kewpie mayo to taste (regular mayo is fine but kewpie is best IYKYK.) Put over warm white rice, top with furikake or EBTB seasoning and top with crumbled pieces of the snacking seaweed.

We like to chill our tuna in the fridge for this so you have the cold tuna mayo on top of the warm rice. This would be an easy lunch, too, obviously. And while making onigiri is fun if you have the mold, this is faster and easier! We like it on those busy nights when she doesn’t get home until 8pm from dance class.

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I hope these are helpful little reminders, swaps, updates to your weekly routine. We need all the help we can get right now, busy mama friends. We got you.

xo,

L

Say hey over on my Instagram, too, @laurajansenstyle