Managing time is like managing money—some people are geniuses at it, and then there’s me, somewhere in the middle. I sit somewhere in the middle of the pack, being decent at saving time and money but also a seasoned pro at wasting both. What I’ve gotten pretty good at, though, is laughing at my mistakes and saving the day with a good meal.
I love the expression, ‘deep dive.’ It perfectly describes what I’ve done to transform my diet and kitchen into a plant-based one. I’ve spent countless hours watching videos, reading blogs, and diving into research studies—enough to either earn a degree from Google University or at least a pat on the back. Since Google doesn’t hand out degrees, I’ll settle for an attaboy.
Converting to a plant-based kitchen has taken both time and money. It’s not just about figuring out how to replace animal proteins in my diet but also about understanding what’s necessary to put together a full meal plan. This conversion was essential to support my cooking style, which I call ‘Whadya Got?’ It means I often open the fridge or pantry, pick an item, and build a meal around it. It turns cooking into a game or challenge. The real challenge, though, is to avoid making a trip to the store to pick something up. I can only use what I’ve got! And right there, I’ve managed to save both time and money.
To make your cooking journey smoother and maybe even fun, here are some tips from Vegans Ave.:
### 1. **Start Simple and Build Up**
– **Begin with Basic Recipes**: Start with simple recipes to build your confidence. Dishes like pasta, or stir-fries which are easy and forgiving. Once you’re comfortable, move on to more complex meals.
– **Master Basic Skills**: Focus on mastering basic techniques like chopping, sautéing, and boiling before diving into intricate dishes.
### 2. **Watch the Right Videos**
– **Choose Well-Reviewed Channels**: Look for channels with clear instructions and positive reviews. Some great ones include:
– *Derek Sarno* If I could have a mentor from YouTube it would be Derek Sarno. He, more than any of the other YouTube content creators strives for a great recipe and a clean organized kitchen. He combines instruction on how to organize a meal and prep your workstation which is extremely helpful. He is a trained chef filming in a small kitchen. His techniques are easy to follow without feeling intimidated. Working from a space that fits in frame you see how simple vegan cooking can be. A cutting block a stove top and an oven is all he uses. His instruction is delivered in a conversational style making him easy to follow. The explanations always encourage you to find your personal tastes, “I’m adding this because I like spicy, but you don’t have to.” This commentary helps you to discover how you like to eat, you can follow precisely or modify it to suit your palette. His recipes are amazingly tasty and most of his ingredients are easy to find.
– *Gaz Oakley* He was my first find on YouTube, he picked up where the movie the Game Changers left off. He’s a trained chef as well as a well-trained athlete. His recipes are very creative when he is not trying to recreate a traditional dish. He cooks in a massive kitchen and covers many aspects of plant-based cooking. He grows a lot of his own food in his garden where he sometimes cooks outside as well. Some of his videos will cover fermenting pickling and making condiments for other recipes. Some of his recipes require some confidence in the kitchen although he makes it look easy.
– *Yeung Man Cooking* for great Asian styled recipes. His approach comes from his background as a food photographer. Visually stunning recipes that aren’t too difficult to make. You will need a decent Asian food store in your area to make many of his recipes. His delivery and instruction are super simple to follow. His recipes are, from all three chefs, perhaps the easiest to make but don’t quite look as good as his presentations. He is a food photographer so I learned to judge the resulting taste over the spectacular presentation. It seems he has a special plate to present each individual dish that most households just don’t collect.
– **Look for Recipe Videos with Full Ingredient Lists and Instructions**: Some videos give clear written instructions in the description or on screen, which makes following along easier. A kitchen iPad or tablet was a clever addition to my kitchen.
### 3. **Plan and Prep Ahead**
– **Organize Your Ingredients**: Have everything ready before you start cooking. This “mise en place” (everything in its place) approach will help you stay organized and reduce stress while cooking. When I try to teach my son to cook this is the first step to follow for him. Nothing worse than running around the house looking for something while your meal burns to the pan!
– **Prep Ingredients in Advance**: If a recipe has a lot of chopping, slicing, or measuring, do it before you start cooking. This saves time and keeps you focused on cooking. This is a great habit to form, however when your freestyling in the kitchen and not following a recipe it’s difficult to prep all the ingredients. I can actually save time by starting with e.g. onions. While they sauté you can chop the next veggie. Depending upon what you are cooking I follow the order of chopping and cooking based on crispiness. The crispier the veggie the quicker it follows the order of chopping.
### 4. **Invest in Good Tools**
– **Essential Kitchen Tools**: Invest in a good knife, cutting board, a large pot, and a few pans (non-stick or cast iron). These will help you cook a variety of dishes. Measure your stove top before buying anything! A variety of sizes maybe in order to do more than one thing at a time.
– **Measuring Cups and Spoons**: Accurate measurements are key in cooking. These helps ensure you follow the recipe correctly. Your true goal is being able to follow your senses. You will soon learn how big your personal pinch of this pinch of that is. The teaspoon of that a tablespoon of this is based on someone else’s personal taste. Learn to trust yourself.
– **Blender/Food Processor**: If you enjoy making smoothies, soups, or dough, these tools can save you time and effort.
### 5. **Stay Organized**
– **Follow the Recipe Closely**: At first, try sticking to the recipe as much as possible. Once you get more comfortable, you can experiment with flavors and substitutions.
– **Clean as You Go**: It makes the process less overwhelming and keeps your workspace organized. Watch any Derek Sarno video and he constantly emphasizes this tip. There is nothing worse than running out of pots and pans because they are just piled up in the sink. And Never I mean Never put your beautiful chef’s knives in the sink!
### 6. **Experiment and Have Fun**
– **Try New Ingredients**: Get creative and explore new herbs, spices, or cooking methods to keep things exciting.
– **Cook with Friends or Family**: It can be more fun to learn together, and you’ll get to share the experience (and the food!).
### 7. **Practice Patience**
– Cooking is a skill that improves with time. Take your time to understand flavors, textures, and techniques. It’s all part of the learning process.
### 8. **Learn to Tweak Recipes**
– **Understand Flavors**: Learning how different spices and seasonings work will allow you to make tweaks to any recipe. This helps when you want to adapt a dish to your taste or dietary needs. One way to learn your flavor preferences is to experiment with what you know. Pick three herbs like basil oregano parsley thyme or rosemary. Most people know oregano and basil from eating pizza. Now experiment with adding one of the other herbs to a sauce. See how it turns out see if you can taste the difference?? Then try a different combination learn what each herb does to the flavor and determine which ones you like. You may discover many other herbs as well you like, herbs are the leaves or dried leaves of various plants. Spices on the other hand are the roots, seeds, flowers, or bark from different plants. I’ve listed many different herbs and spices, both have unique flavors and change not only the taste but the look of your finished dishes. You have to learn by trial and error, for example my wife hates ginger and prefers milder foods. My son and I like hot and spicy. So learn not only what you like but how your family and friends enjoy their spicing of foods.
I hate measuring herbs and spices and for the most part I salt things on the table. There is no going back from over salted/spiced food unless doubling or tripling the recipe is an option. I made the most beautiful loaf of bread, it was baked to perfection. I however miss read tsp and Tbsp and added too much salt. Even the deer that frequent our backyard wouldn’t eat it
### 9. **Be Prepared to Make Mistakes**
– **It’s Okay to Fail**: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Each failure is a lesson. Most recipes are forgiving, and you can usually adjust by tasting along the way. The one thing you can’t fix is not paying attention. Cooking is a verb it’s what you should be doing at that moment. If you have a burner on stay close! Don’t fold laundry or send an email to your friends Stay Focused!
– **Keep a Cooking Journal**: Take notes on what worked and what didn’t. This helps you improve next time. This could be useful, but I can’t do it. I’m currently writing this with no appliances running except the coffee machine! Making or taking notes while cooking seems crazy or I’m too lazy.
### Bonus Tip:
– **Watch Videos and Pause Often**: As you follow along, pause frequently to catch up. It’s better to take your time and get the technique right than to rush through and miss important steps. A willingness to start all over is often required, know your skill level first of keep a package of ramen noodles in the pantry just in case.
By following these tips, you’ll feel more confident, save time, and enjoy cooking more! What type of dishes are you most interested in learning?