Cooking well-balanced, nutritious meals that satisfy everyone at the dinner table can be a daunting task given our busy lives. But Ross B Kitchen can help you keep dinner on track with a little planning and prep. Here’s how:

1. Swap Salt for Herbs

Chop fresh herbs in advance and then freeze them in herb freezing trays for easy access when you’re ready to make dinner. Heat up what you’ll need, and save the rest for later in the week.

2. Store Extra Pasta Sauce

Make pasta sauces ahead of time and freeze them in leak-proof containers. Thaw them the day you’ll use them and cook your favourite pasta. It’s an Italian feast in no time. Serve with a side dish of steamed vegetables or a fresh, tossed salad to balance out the carbs.

3. Lighten up the Carbs

Swap regular white rice for a vegetable, such as cauliflower. Thai Fried Cauliflower “Rice” works as a side dish or a meal. It’s easy to make the vegetable rice using a blender.

4. Stock up on Homemade Chicken Stock

Chicken stock from the shop is loaded with salt. And you won’t believe what a difference making your own can have on all your soups and stews.

Freeze chicken bones and then use them to make stock by adding water and ingredients like celery, carrots, onions, and parsley. Cool the broth, skim the fat off the top, then strain the liquid. Use it in soups like Hearty Tuscan Soup with Parmesan Croutons.

5. Root Vegetable Side Dish Idea

Parboil root vegetables and then freeze them. Toss them with olive oil and put them under a broiler on a sheet pan. They’ll be ready to serve alongside your chicken or fish.

6. Jar Your Own Minced Garlic

Chop garlic using our food chopper, put it in a glass jar, and cover it with olive oil to store in the fridge. Use it when you’re ready