Quick and Easy aka Simple

Most of the recipes I use, I will tell you, are quick and easy.  Mostly because I can’t be bothered with many things that aren’t quick and easy.  Now I realize that the terms quick and easy are subjective.  It will always depend on your personal skills, experience, and equipment.  Which, if you’re just starting out will all be about the same: very little.  The way I have my kitchen set up makes certain recipes faster and easier than others.  My stand mixer sits on the counter next to the refrigerator.  This makes recipes like Better Butter or Whipped Cream extremely easy.  Just throw a few ingredients in and hit the button-done.  Now if your stand mixer lives in a cabinet and has to be hauled out, wiped down, set up, and plugged in, these recipes probably seem like a huge pain in the behind.  Stand mixers are heavy.  Also a lot of you probably don’t ask for things like stand mixers for Christmas-or mango slicers, zesters, mandolins, seriously my kitchen looks like the place where kitchen gadgets go to die-and have to use a hand mixer.  Again, making my quick and easy recipe a big ol’ pain. 

*Side note, if you don’t own any kind of mixer: go get at least a hand mixer.  They are cheap and they really are an essential kitchen tool. 

So consider what kinds of techniques will help you with the things you make most often.  Often used equipment can have a home on the counter-my blender also sits out but my food processor stays in the cupboard (I told you: gadgets galore).  Setting up your work space cooking show style can help too.  Also, prepping ingredients ahead of time, for example keeping a Ziploc bag of chopped onion in the fridge or freezer.  I will try to keep my quick and easy descriptions narrowed down to recipes that I would imagine are quick and easy for most people. 

I also think attitude and practice, as in all things, counts the most.  So have some confidence in your ability to follow the recipe and just dive in.