A Clean Kitchen in Just 15 Minutes!

SERIES "3"

Let's Get Cooking

Now that your kitchen is clean and organized, you may cringe at the thought of actually cooking in it! Not to worry. Heed this advice, and you'll find that meal preparation is not only neater, it's easier, too.

Appreciate the power of prep. Hours before their first customer enters the restaurant, the professional chef is inside--cleaning and chopping produce, preparing meats, creating dressings and sauces. There's no reason you can't do the same, not only for tonight but also for the week. Store prepped ingredients in the fridge, and enjoy less labor (and mess) later in the week.

Get your cooking done early. Most meals don't have to be made just before serving. In fact, soups, roasts, and casseroles often taste better when made ahead of time. If possible, make your main course long before mealtime. That way, the kitchen is clean and clear hours before serving.

Use portable cutting boards. Buy at least three thin, flexible, hygienic cutting boards made out of advanced plastics. They keep heavy cutting boards and counters from getting messy, allow you to chop food anywhere in the kitchen, can be used to carry ingredients directly to pans, and can be taken to the sink and cleaned instantly.

Clean as you go! This is arguably the most important step to make after-meal cleanup a breeze. The moment you finish with a bowl or cooking tool, put it in the dishwasher or clean it at the sink. Remember, it only takes a few seconds to soap, scrub, and rinse a dirty dish, even if food is sizzling away on the stove. And as noted already, don't let food scraps, empty bottles, or used plastic wrap accumulate on your counters--toss garbage the first moment you can.