Time and time again my friends, family, and clients even watch me in the kitchen and wonder "How did you cook that so fast?!" They’re amazed by how I get so much done so quickly whenever I'm in the kitchen. I appreciate the compliments, but trust me, there’s no secret to my kitchen magic that I'm not willing to share!

I have to say some of it is talent, but a majority of it is preparation. In the culinary world, having your mis en place—things in place—is key to any cooking success. How would you plan to cook something without any of your ingredients or tools? There’s just no way, but don’t worry. There’s a solution—several actually--to all of your meal-time mayhem!

Everything I do before I chop any vegetable makes every experience I have in the kitchen enjoyable and stress-free. And as a busy parent, I’m sure you want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your little ones. Therefore, I've created a list of my top five time-saving tricks to get any meal on the table in a pinch.

Kiki's Top Five Time-Saving Tricks (in no particular order)

Gather your ingredients. If this means going grocery shopping beforehand, bring a shopping list! This list will save you the headache of having to remember why you came to the store in the first place. If everything is in order by section ---ie. produce, baking aisle, etc. --- you'll be in and out of the store in no time, with nothing but the necessities in hand! Once you're back in the kitchen, lay out everything on the kitchen counter for easy access.
Cook a meal with the time you have. If you know you only have 30 minutes before everyone in the family starts getting hangry, avoid the store altogether, making a fancy dish or waiting for take out. Cook with what's on hand! About-to-go-bad veggies have a place in any one pan lasagna! Sweet potatoes that have been laying around can be the star of the show in my homemade sweet potato 'n bean burgers! Trust me, sometimes what you already have is enough.
Avoid fancy tools if you don't have them. More often than not, I use a cutting board, knife, and whatever pan or pot to make a meal. There's hardly any super fancy gadgets and gismos in my kitchen, and there doesn't need to be any in yours. Going the old-school way of chopping up veggies by-hand is sometimes just the best way to go. Remember, just because a recipe calls for a certain tool doesn't mean you need to head to the store to grab it. There's usually an alternative just around the corner.
Get the kids involved! If your children are old enough to help out in the kitchen, use that to your advantage! It's a win-win situation for both of you if it means that dinner is getting on the table faster. Hand off some of the easier tasks while you take care of the more difficult, potentially dangerous steps.
Stick to the stovetop. Anytime I want to get a dish done in under 25-30 minutes, I usually save all of the cooking for the stovetop. Having to wait for the oven to heat to the proper temperature along with cooking time, can cause for an extended wait time for dinner. Keep it simple by finding a recipe or a family favorite that requires stovetop preparation only. The fast, direct heat will shave down your cooking time.

Next time you think you won't be able to make a meal in under 30 minutes, just think back to these tips and believe that it's possible! Hopefully you're able to breathe a lot easier during your next family meal-time madness.

in love,

Kiki