Using Less Energy in the Kitchen

There has been a steadily growing interest in how to use less energy in the kitchen for some time. We were all aware that using less energy was good for the planet. However the recent energy crisis in the UK has made this an urgent concern for most people. I want you to continue cooking from scratch as much as possible. We know it is much better for your quality of life and longevity than eating ready made food. With some thought we can ensure that cooking uses as little energy as possible.

Batch cook - You may have heard of this before as a way to save time. Essentially it's making more food than you will eat immediately and freezing or chilling what you don’t eat. Not only does it save time but it also saves a lot of energy too. When you want the frozen food for dinner, remove it from the freezer in the morning and put it into the fridge. By dinner time the food will have defrosted so you can easily reheat it. Stews, curries, soups and pasta sauces are all great for batch cooking.

Put a lid on it - When heating up food in a pan on the hob put the lid on. If the food needs to thicken you can remove the lid once the food is simmering. The lid will make the food heat up quicker.

Simmer rather than boil - with a lot of food that we boil we can simmer and have the same effect.

Use an alternative to the oven - Use a microwave, slow cooker or air fryer rather than an oven - Of course this is only a useful money-saving tip if you already have one of these appliances. The oven uses more energy than any of these appliances. You also should factor in if you are happy to use a microwave as many people are not.

Quick bakes - For those bakers out there you could still use your oven but reduce the time you are using it. Instead of baking one large cake, bake muffins or cupcakes instead. Smaller cakes take less time to bake. Or you could bake large tray bakes, freezing what you won’t be eating in the next few days. Baking what is essentially several cakes in one go, rather than one at a time, will save energy.

Quick-cook roasts - The energy price rise does not mean the end of our British Sunday Roast. We just need to do it differently and, of course, vegan! To save energy cut the roast potatoes into smaller pieces, roast veggies that are quick to cook such as radish, cauliflower, broccoli and squash, put foil over the veggies when they first go into the oven and remove the foil about 10 minutes from the end of the cooking time. Be sure to clean and fold the foil carefully after use so you can re-use it.

Boil just enough - When you are boiling a kettle of water just boil as much as you need.

Water to cover - When you are boiling veggies in water add just enough water to cover them. And, of course, a lid!

Right pan, right hob - Use a pan that is the same size as the hob ring. If the pan is smaller than the hob ring the heat escapes in the part of the hob ring that is exposed.

Quick-to-heat pans - use pans that heat up quickly. Some pans have a coating on them which makes them heat up very slowly so it will take more energy to cook with them.

Recipe selection - There are many recipes that are made on the hob that take 15-20 minutes to cook. Stir fries, noodles, pasta, stews, can all take just minutes to make. You can also opt for one pot dishes which will, of course, use up less energy than recipes that use two or more pans. You will also save less energy with the reduced washing up. You can learn a selection of my one-pot dishes in my Vegan Cooking Diploma. To see more information about this course click HERE.

Grill rather than bake - Most ready-made vegan sausages and burgers can be cooked in the grill. As a grill is smaller than the oven it takes less time to heat up and to cook the food.