Spices

Store your dried spices and herbs in a cool dark place, not above or beside your stove. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavour and health giving properties. Buy dried spices and herbs in small quantities, as they do have a shelf life. Use fresh spices whenever you can. Grow your own Basil, Thyme, Mint, Oregano, Sage, Cilantro and whatever else you like. At the end of the growing season; harvest your fresh herbs and freeze in baggies or blend with your favourite oil and freeze in ice cub tray. These cubes are a great start to almost any dish and are ready to go! You can also do this with garlic, onions and ginger.

Mise en place

Mise en place is a french phrase – which means “putting in place, or everything in it's place”. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients a chef will need to prepare their dish, sauce, marinade. This practice is equally effective for home cooks.

 

Prep, prep, prep. Many a great chef will sing the praises of having a great Sous chef or prep cook. For regular folks, who must prep themselves - take away some stress from preparing dishes by breaking the task up. Prep the day before, then all you have to do on cooking day, is put it all together.

 

Make larger than normal batches of soup, stew, chili and freeze for another day, when the mood to cook is absent.

Seasoning

Go easy on the Salt. Just remember that we all have different pallets, some more sensitive to salt than others. You can always add a touch of salt to a meal, but you can never take it away! Besides, we all know it is unhealthy to have a diet too high in Sodium. Add a few additional herbs and spices or a splash of lemon or lime instead.

Room to Breath 

It is Crucial to have elbow room in the kitchen. If you have too many machines and stuff all over your countertop and nowhere to lay out your ingredients, it can not only be tricky and messy but stressful. An island or designated area for food prep is ideal – keep it clear for when inspiration hits!