Ways to make cooking fun again

Don’t love cooking? I hear you! That used to be me, many moons ago. I’d do any type of housework except cooking. Hated it!

Part of the problem was that I didn’t see any joy in how my elders went about preparing food. It just seemed like drudgery and plain hard, drawn-out work. No fun whatsoever.

Fast forward to my move to the USA. I was literally forced to cook for myself. I still didn’t enjoy it much, but as I became more inquisitive about food, how it impacted me (hello inflammation), and my role in ensuring that I ate well, the pendulum began to swing in the direction of cooking as an adventure.

So, I get it if you need to curb your enthusiasm (insert sarcasm) when your mind turns toward prepping your next meal. But maybe–just maybe–I can flip the script for you and help to make cooking more fun for you?

Here are my best “fun” cooking tips for you. Hopefully, they can help get you out of the rut of run-of-the-mill cooking.

Check out new recipes

Sometimes, just looking at beautiful food photos and reading the recipes can spark some fun in your kitchen. They might even remind you of ingredients in your fridge and pantry that are just waiting to be combined in a novel way!

So, where can you go for cooking inspiration? Google. Pinterest. Your local bookstore. Or, you can look up your favorite nutritionists, chefs, bakers, and other online foodies. I’m a Pinterest-aholic when it comes to recipes, so the thousands of new ideas I find over there are literally like catnip to me.

Pro Tip: Searching through recipes can be incredibly fun and inspiring, but it can also take up waaaay more of your time than you had anticipated. The last thing you want is to do is to spend so much time looking at recipes that you don’t leave enough time for cooking. Solution? Set a timer when you start browsing and be disciplined enough to stop when the timer goes off.

Make grocery shopping fun

When you’re at the grocery store, try to pick up a food item (preferably produce) that you haven’t had in a while. Is there a seasonal fruit or vegetable you haven’t eaten for months? What about a childhood favorite? Did you come across something totally delicious at a restaurant or get-together lately?

Another alternative is to browse the grocery store and buy something you haven’t had before. Be adventurous! Then when you get home, revert to Fun Cooking Tip #1 to find new and inspiring recipes for your new-found discovery.

Keep your cooking simple!

Sometimes when I see a great food picture, I immediately get inspired to make the recipe. But if there are too many ingredients or too many steps in the instructions, I pump my brakes. There are times when I’m stoked and will dive into a more complex new recipe; however, when I’m not all that inspired, I need to keep things simple.

Here are a few ways to KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetheart):

• Search for recipes with 10 or fewer ingredients, and five or fewer instruction steps;
• Search for recipes that can be made in one pot or pan;
• Buy ingredients that are ready to be cooked, such as pre-washed salad greens, diced squash, grated cauliflower, or frozen vegetables.

Make cooking a group event

Do your kids need to learn the critical life skill of cooking? Perhaps your partner would love to join you in the kitchen as you prepare something delicious? What about having a “cooking party”: invite friends, neighbors, r work mates to bring ingredients or food and you all pitch in to create a fun meal?

Invest in some cooking swag!

Having proper kitchen tools makes cooking so much easier and faster. When was the last time you sharpened–or bought yourself a new–knife? Could dicing carrots with a dull knife be draining the fun from cooking? Or are your smoothies ending up too chunky to enjoy because you’re using a crummy blender? Perhaps it’s time to invest in an Instant Pot, air fryer, or even a mini processor. They all come with great recipe books, and you can join groups on social media devoted to trying out new recipes for these tools.

In the mean time, check out this simple and fun recipe to get your frittata skills back in shape!

Recipe: One-Skillet Frittata

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup almond milk, unsweetened
• 1 tsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1 small zucchini, sliced into thin coins
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 dash herbs and spices, to taste (parsley, sage, paprika, turmeric, etc.)
• 1 dash salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Whisk together eggs and almond milk.
3. Heat an ovenproof skillet (e.g. cast iron) on the stove with the olive oil.
4. To the hot skillet, add garlic, spinach, and zucchini. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the zucchini starts to soften.
5. Add the tomatoes, herbs, spices, salt, and pepper.
6. Pour in the eggs and milk.
7. Place the skillet in the oven and bake the mixture for 20-30 minutes, until eggs are set.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Tip: Feel free to switch up the veggies in this recipe. Make sure to use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Try diced pepper instead of tomatoes, or chopped kale instead of spinach. Have fun!

Are you a kitchenista, loving all thing food and meal prep? Or do you balk at the idea of getting your cooking on?  Let me know in the comments!

And if you’ve not yet joined the Fab and Fit, Healthy and Happy Woman Facebook group, what are you waiting for? We’re over here waiting to welcome you to our community!