What I learnt from cooking for my family for almost 2 years (Part 2)

What I cooked for Reunion Dinner 2022

Well my friends, it's been almost 2 years since I started cooking for my family and 9 months since my last update (see Part 1) *dramatic music plays in the background* As you know, initially I was cooking just ONE meal a day (lunch) for my family but after mum's stroke, I'm now cooking both lunch and dinner (5 months in and counting). 

At first, it really stressed me out because the actual cooking was fast but the prepping and cleaning up was so time-consuming. I have a few hours after lunch to do my own stuff before I had to start cooking dinner. Every single day. My sister would help with the washing up sometimes and the nephew when he's at home. But most of the responsibility was on me.

I can look back now and laugh at how silly I was. But at that time, I was thinking about food before going to bed and thinking about food the moment I got up. Now, I'm down to an hour for food prep and cooking. And maybe 30 minutes for cleanup because I clean as I go along.

Here are some things I learnt from my second year of cooking for my family.

1. Stick to what works. Especially when pressed for time.

The family is very happy with the current way I cook my steak so I haven't tried anything more fancy yet. And I like cooking steak because the actual cooking is super fast and when the meat is resting, you can do some cleaning up. :)

Do I want to make something more complicated like a beef wellington? Of course. But maybe when I have more time.

2. Mix it up.

My family members love variety. So having a wide selection of produce makes it easier to "mix and match" my veggies...which I cook in one of 4 ways - in a fresh salad, oven-roasted, stir-fried or in a soup. I try to vary the methods throughout the week so that they don't get bored. I get an organic produce box once a fortnight so there's always something new to try. :)

3. One dish meals are totally necessary to maintain your sanity.

Some days I have early morning meetings out and have to rush back by 11am to cook lunch and that's when I do my one dish meal like a stir-fried noodle. Usually, the protein would have been cut up and marinated so I just need to cut up the veggies and do a quick stir-fry. FYI, we are all watching our carb intake so it's mostly protein and veggies. *winks*

4.  Try something new every week.

Cooking can get boring sometimes for me so I like to stretch my creativity by trying at least ONE new dish every week. Sometimes it works out and I put it on rotation. But then, I might tweak it again to make it better.

5. Trust your tastebuds.

Initially I was a stickler for following recipes exactly as described. But over time, I've learned to trust my own tastebuds, especially since I've been lucky enough to have eaten some really excellent food in Michelin-starred restaurants in my travels (pre-Covid). 

There you have it...what I learnt from cooking for my family for almost 2 years (Part 2). 

What about you? Any lessons from your second year of stay-at-home cooking?