Friday, October 12, 2012

Be a Lazy Cook

I will be the first one to admit that I can be lazy in the kitchen. I will avoid any recipes that require lots of ingredients (which means lots of shopping - which I hate). A dish that requires multiple cooking techniques? Forget it. I will only make risotto once or twice a year because I can't bear the thought of constant stirring. Well, it just so happens that my laziness efficiency  is actually saving energy and money.

Oxfam GROW Method #4: Cook Smarter
"We rely on precious fossil fuels to cook and heat our food, and these everyday tasks add up to big emissions, as well as big energy bills. Try cooking with as little water as possible, using a flat bottomed pan, covering your pan with a lid and reducing the heat as soon as the water starts to boil - you 'll save energy, water and money!"

1. Change How You Cook
Did you know that by 1) using just enough water to cover your food while cooking on the stove (rather than filling the pan up to the top);  2) Using a flat-bottomed pan and covering with a lid; and 3) reducing the heat as soon as the water starts to boil can reduce up to 70% of the energy you use?

And the next factoid is truly amazing to me: If all urban households in Brazil, India, Philippines, Spain, the UK and the US took these three steps, we would save over 30 million megawatt hours of energy a year. You're picturing Doc from Back to the Future shouting "1.21 gigawatts?! Great Scott!" right about now, huh? Or put in another way, saving 30 million megawatt hours a year is greater than if the same households each planted a seedling and let it grow for ten years. Woah. That's heavy.



2. Change What You Cook
Another way to save energy is to make things that don't require energy, like sandwiches, salads, cold soups or no-bake treats. So those nights when you'll eat a bowl of cereal for dinner because you don't feel like cooking for yourself? Great! Or you can try some of these one-pot or no-cook recipes such as Chicken Pho Naan SandwichShrimp GazpachoBaby Bok Choy, Carrot and Apple Slaw,  Peach Plum Salsa, Almond Butter, Cream Cheese and Strawberry Sandwich, or Chicken Sofrito. And be sure to check out Oxfam's pinterest board for more recipe ideas.

Some of my favorite no-cook and one-pot meals

So go ahead - be lazy in the kitchen. Just make sure you put don't leave a mess, because I would NEVER do that (wink, wink).

This post (and my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about Oxfam America's GROW Method. All commentary and opinions are, of course, my own.

Categories

4th of July (1) Ace of Cakes (1) almonds (1) american lamb (3) anchovies (1) anna's taqueria (1) Announcement (8) Appetizer (67) apple (3) apples (1) apps (1) asian (1) Asian pear (4) asparagus (2) AZ (1) Back To School (2) Bars (3) BBQ (1) BBQ chicken (1) bean sprout (3) Beef (43) bibimbap (6) Bindaetteok (1) Blogger (1) blogger event (2) blueberry cake (1) Boston Brunchers (2) Boston Parent Bloggers (1) Bread (12) Breakfast (59) broccoli (1) broil (1) Brunch (1) bulgogi (2) Burger (5) burritos (1) butternut squash soup (1) cabbage (6) Cajun and Creole (9) Cake (3) Cakes (2) California (1) Canadian (2) Cheesecake (4) Chicken (63) chicken soup (1) children's books (2) chili paste (gochujang) (3) Chinese (12) chinese food (1) Chinese New Year (2) chocolate (1) chocolate cookies (2) ChopChop Magazine (2) christmas gifts (2) CitySprouts (1) coconut (1) Condiment (48) cookbooks (3) Cookie (11) cookies (9) cooking school (2) cooking with kids (3) cooks illustrated (1) corn (1) craft (1) Crockpot (6) csa (1) cucumber (1) Curry (3) Cutty's (1) DailyFeats (1) dairy-free (1) David Chang (1) Davis Square (1) day off (1) delivery (1) Dessert (37) dining out with kids (1) dinner planning (1) Dip (15) Donburi (1) dragon boat festival (1) Dressing (3) Drink (4) drinks (1) Duck (2) Duff Goldman (1) dumpling (2) easy and simple (27) Easy Lunchboxes (1) Egg (43) eggplant (1) eggs (1) English (1) fair trade (1) family activity (1) family event (1) family-friendly (3) fish (4) Flour Bakery (2) Food (483) foodie (1) foodie family (1) Foodler (1) freeze (1) French (2) french toast (1) fried rice (1) Fritter (6) fusion (1) gardening (1) Gather Here (1) gift (1) Greek (30) grill (1) Grilled Cheese Sandwich (28) Halloween (2) Ham (8) Healthy Lunchtime Challenge (1) herbs (1) Indian (9) Irish (4) Italian (53) Jam (1) Jamaican (2) Jamie Oliver (2) Japanese (2) japchae (3) Joe's American Bar and Grill (1) kale (1) Katie Workman (1) kid-friendly (5) kid-friendly recipes (3) kimbap (1) Kimchee (14) kimchi (16) kitchen appliance (1) kitchen tools (1) Korean (32) Korean beef (7) Korean chicken (4) Korean fish (3) Korean fried chicken (2) Korean grocery (1) Korean ingredients (1) Korean noodle (3) Korean pancake (5) Korean pork (1) Korean rice rolls (2) Korean side dish (27) Korean soup (4) Korean stew (5) Lamb (5) leftovers (1) lemon (2) lemon cookies (1) lentils (1) Lion's Head (1) Little Q Hot Pot (1) local (1) lunchbox (1) M3 (1) mackerel (1) Macy's (1) Macy's Culinary Council (1) Maggiano's (1) Main Course (160) main dish (27) Make-A-Wish (1) Maple (2) March of Dimes (1) Mark Bittman (1) Martha Stewart (1) meal planning (3) meatballs (1) meatless (2) Mediterranean (4) metrowest (1) Mexican (5) mexican food (1) Michelle Obama (1) milk (2) Ming Tsai (1) momofuku (1) monkey bread (1) Moroccan (4) mother's day (1) Muffin (3) mung bean (1) Mushroom (21) noodle (5) noodles (1) nutrition (1) oatmeal (1) Omelette (5) one-pot dish (1) Oxfam Grow campaign (6) painting (1) Palettes (1) pancakes (1) Pasta (25) PB Boulangerie (1) Pesto (10) pho (1) Phoenix (1) Pickle (3) picky eater (3) Pie (3) Pizza (8) Pizzeria Bianco (1) Pork (34) porridge (1) potato (2) potatoes (1) potluck (2) potstickers (2) Presto Pasta Nights (15) Pumpkin (18) Quesadilla (8) quick and easy (3) Quick Bread (3) Quinoa (14) radish (7) reality TV (1) Recipe (458) resource (1) restaurant review (4) Rice (21) rice cake (3) rice crispy treat (1) Risotto (4) Roundup (19) Salad (38) salmon (1) Salsa (9) Sandwich (73) sandwiches (1) Sauce (3) sausage (1) save energy (1) save food (1) school garden (1) school lunch (3) Scollay Square (1) Seafood (48) seasonal (1) seaweed (1) shortcakes (1) shrimp (3) Side Dish (55) side dish(반찬) (1) Slow Cooker (5) snack (1) Soup (21) soups and stews (10) Southern (23) soybean paste (1) spicy (18) spinach (2) sriracha (1) steak (1) Stew (8) stir fry (1) strawberries (1) Strawberry (4) strawberry shortcake (1) stuffing (1) summer (3) sweet potato (1) takeout (2) Tart (7) Texmex (71) Thai (14) Thai food (1) Thailand (2) thanksgiving (1) tofu (9) traditions (1) travel (1) Turkey (8) Turkish (1) turnip (1) Tutorial (1) Valentine's Day (1) Veal (1) Vegetable (62) Vegetables (3) Vegetarian (236) vegeterian (25) Vietnamese (7) weeknight meal (2) White House (1) Whole Foods Market (1) Whole Grains (16) wordless wednesday (5) WorldFoods (1) Wrap (3) zucchini (1)
    kpop