8 time-saving tricks in the kitchen

Buy prewashed and pre-chopped veggies. The Woolies range of pre-chopped soup bags are a fantastic way to make a home-made soup in a jiffy. Use pre-made spice pastes and pestos to save time and add flavour fast.

There’s often no need to peel veggies. Baby carrots and sweet potatoes are prime candidates. Ottolenghi purportedly no longer peels a butternut! Simply roast in the skins with the seeds. It’s easier to scoop out once cooked. If you’re making a smooth mash you might want to peel potatoes. If you do this, save the peelings in a bowl of water overnight. The next day, pat them dry and make oven chips.

• The most important thing you can invest in to save time is a good knife. Buy just one good knife, and keep it sharp. That will speed up chopping, and make it a whole lot more pleasant too!
• You can also use a grater or mandoline to speed up chopping and ensure that pieces are the same size, which ensures even cooking.
• The microwave is your friend. Use it to par-cook potatoes, or speed up the cooking time on other veggies.
• A Nutribullet is amazing for making dressings and pastes, and keeping vibrant colour.
• A food processor is better for chopping more chunky items. You can even chop onions in there. Bonus: no tears!
• A julienne peeler is great for Asian salads and slaws.
• Rice pots and instant pots are great for hands-off rice.

“I’m a massive fan of roasting,” says Hannah. While your oven builds flavour, you can get on with other tasks, without having to worry about stirring a pot.

Crank up the heat to help caramelisation, and chop veggies smaller to shorten the roasting time.

• Keep a bowl on the counter to collect food scraps and veggie peelings, to keep your work space tidy and cut down on all those short trips to the bin.
• Clean as you go! Keep hot water and soap in the sink to wash items as you go, that way, you won’t have clutter slowing you down, and cleaning up later will be a much less onerous task.
• If food gets stuck on your griddle pan, a fast way to clean it is to put it back on the heat with water and washing up liquid. The food will lift off and make cleaning much easier.

There’s no shame in buying a ready-made soup or ready meal if you’re in a rush. But if you want to keep things interesting, add your own garnishes. Some of Hannah’s favourites are:

• Chilli oil: buy it or make your own. To make your own, heat ¼ cup neutral oil or cooking olive oil, remove from the heat and add garlic (optional) then add ½ t paprika and chilli flakes to taste. Great on baked chickpeas or on ready-made soup.
• Pickled red onion
• Ready-made basil pesto and red pepper pesto, to add quick flavour or start the base of a tomato sauce
• Crushed roasted salted peanuts (great over Asian dishes)
• Crispy onion bits
• Fresh herbs: chop and sprinkle over salad, stir through corn or over soup, to take it up a notch
• Cheese is always great!
• Add a toasted wrap and anything becomes a meal

Making polenta? Make a double batch. Allow half to set and cut into chips to fry and eat another night. The same goes for bolognese, stew, soup and curry – all of which only improve by being left in the fridge or freezer.

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