Derval O'Rourke: Time-saving kitchen tips

— and almond-crusted chicken strips are a great evening meal and next-day lunch

School is back and I’m trying to get into a good routine to make mealtimes easier in my house. Who doesn’t need to save a bit of time? This week’s recipe is my Almond Crusted Chicken Strips. This is a great evening dinner and also works well as a lunch the next day.

September is one of my favourite months, I quite enjoy getting back into a routine and feeling organised. On top of school in our house, we are juggling after-school activities, work schedules, and lots more. For this reason, I really try to make sure we are all eating well with as little fuss as possible. Here are my fuss-free time-saving kitchen tips.

My top time-saving kitchen tips

Weekly Plan: Make a plan of what you’re going to eat this week. Jot down what you’d like for breakfast, lunch and dinner; what you want to eat post-workout; and what kind of snacks you want to enjoy throughout the day. I take into account what I make for dinner one day, which might be handy for lunch the following day. Consider your household needs. For example, in my house there are two adults and two kids which means that my meal planning needs to consider this.

Make a List: Make a list and take time to stock your kitchen with foods that will nourish you and taste well. Part of this is looking at what you already have and using it up. My cupboard essentials include tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, frozen fruits and vegetables, porridge oats and tinned beans. If you are time-poor, it’s worthwhile considering online shopping and delivery. Set up your account and every time you order, you’ll have a good shopping list to work from.

Prep Time: Set aside ‘prep time’ to organise your shopping and cook a few meals. If you put a little time aside to do it then it becomes far less stressful rather than trying to jam it in with everything else you have to do. On Sundays I often roast chicken, eat some for dinner that night and use the rest for sandwiches or a curry plus I like to use the leftover carcass to make really great stock for soups. I also like to roast vegetables and bake potatoes to use during the week. I try to prepare healthy snacks in bulk too. Another great time-saver is chopping up lots of veg and popping them into the fridge in a container — then I know that it’s there for sandwiches, salads, curries, soups, and stir-fries.

Love your leftovers: Loving your leftovers is an easy way to cut down on prep time and save money. When you cook an evening meal, make a little extra and pop it in a lunchbox for the next day. This means that lunch is sorted for the next day — that’s definitely saved you about 20 minutes. It means you won’t reach for more processed, quick food during the day when you’re under a bit more time pressure.

Freezer Stocking: I consider freezer stocking an important survival skill. By cooking in batches and freezing in individual portions, you can transform your freezer into your go-to place for tasty, healthy, ready-made home-cooked meals. Plus, you can keep food for a long time in your freezer which reduces waste and saves you money. The key to mastering the freezer is putting some extra time into being organised and putting some labels on the outside of each container. Include the name of the dish and the date it was cooked. There are few things more frustrating than a freezer full of mystery foods!

Wellness Tip:

Almonds are a great source of healthy fats and vitamin E. Vitamin E is a good micronutrient to include in your diet because it promotes skin health and is helpful for skin elasticity — which is the skin’s ability to stretch and snap back to its original shape.

Movement of the Week:

Sit-ups are great for your core strength. If you find it hard to do a sit-up then place your feet under something secure such as a couch or step.

Tips on how to perform this exercise include:

Place your hands on your thighs or fingertips by your temples

Keep an open gap between your chin and your chest the size of a tennis ball

Keep your heels flat on the floor, close to your bum and knees bent.

Trace your hands over your thighs until your fingertips reach the other side of your lower kneecap

Slowly resist on the way back down until you are flat on the floor.

Repeat this motion 10 times.

Almond crusted chicken strips 

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

These chicken strips are packed full of flavour and crispness from the almond crust. If you have time to marinate the chicken please do but they will be lovely either way. A top recipe tip is to make extra for lunch tomorrow!

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp honey

• 3 tbsp mixed dried herbs

• pinch of salt

• 4 free-range chicken fillets, cut into strips

• 120g ground almonds

Method

1. Mix the soy sauce, olive oil, honey dried herbs and salt in a big bowl.

2. Add the chicken and use your hands to mix the marinade into the meat.

3. If time allows, cover and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour. If not don’t worry!

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

5. Spread the almonds out on a plate. Roll each chicken strip in the almonds. Place the coated chicken on an ovenproof dish.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes, until each chicken strip is cooked through.