How to set the New Year's table several times faster

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Five simple tips to avoid having to stand at the stove all day on December 31st.

1. Think everything in advance

Have you ever had to run to the store for green peas, cheese or a loaf an hour before the chime? Chaotic New Year's shopping always leads to a waste of time and money: either you forget something, or you buy something extra.

To avoid this, make three detailed lists:

1. How many guests (including children) will be.
2. What will be on the menu (specific recipes).
3. What to buy (from red caviar to canapé skewers)

Based on the number of people, you will understand how much food you need. And recipes will help you buy exactly as many products as you need.

Lists are easy to compose and edit in applications. For example, Google Keep or Trello.

2. Stop for simple snacks

Holiday salads are usually very time consuming. For one, you need to boil eggs, for the other, fry onions with carrots. And also sandwiches and cold cuts. But is it worth bothering so much? Served correctly (in a beautiful salad bowl or in portions with the help of serving rings), even the simplest salad will become a festive one.

The fastest way is to prepare a salad in which the ingredients do not require (well, or almost do not require) cutting or other processing. Here are some examples.

Salad with grapes and chicken

Take 200 g of chicken hooters, cut into cubes, add 50 g of grapes, 100 g of diced feta cheese, a handful of pistachios and a bunch of arugula (break it into large pieces). Season everything with a sauce made from 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of granular mustard, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.

Mushroom and Bean Salad

Take 200 g of small pickled mushrooms and mix them with three chopped boiled eggs and 100 g of canned white beans (don't forget to drain the liquid). Add chopped herbs, salt and mayonnaise to taste.

Fish and apple salad

Mash a can of canned mackerel with a fork, add a can of green peas, a diced sour apple and two boiled eggs (also dice). Season with salt and sour cream.

3. Start preparing the day before

If you can't imagine a New Year's table without traditional Olivier, herring under a fur coat and aspic, then start cooking on December 30th.

1. Boil carrots, potatoes, beets, eggs and chicken breast. They will not deteriorate or lose their taste in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Cut herring and other fish into fillets. This can be done quickly if you use one of the life hacking methods. But it is better to finish off the fish in advance, so as not to smell it before the holiday. To prevent the fish from winding in the refrigerator, cover it with cling film.

3. Marinate the meat. If there is no vinegar in the marinade, then you can safely send meat to it the night before. If there is, then it is better to start preparing the main course in the morning.

4. Use kitchen life hacks

They really simplify life and speed up the process.

1. Grate all the cheese and distribute it among the containers (salad, chops, etc.). So you don't have to wash the grater a hundred times when starting a new dish.

2. Slice and peel the onion at the same time.

3. Slice the potatoes in a circle and dip them in cold water after boiling for easy peeling.

4. Place boiled eggs in container and shake well. After that, you can easily get rid of the shell.

5. Press the orange with your palm on the table and roll it to make it easier to peel.

6. Peel the kiwi with a spoon, not a knife.

5. Find yourself helpers

More precisely, distribute responsibilities among all family members. Even the smallest. Let everyone have their own area of responsibility. For example, the husband bakes chicken and makes cocktails, the wife makes salads, and the children serve and decorate the table.

If you are hosting, assign each dish to bring with you. So you evenly distribute the pre-New Year's chores and yourself spend a minimum of time in the kitchen.