Even the most dedicated cooks are not always ready to spend hours at the stove every day. Food blogger Anna Stankevich, who shared her habits in an interview with Wave RBC.UA, is convinced that the key to quick and delicious home-cooked meals lies not in complex recipes, but in the smart organization of the refrigerator and a system of pre-prepared ingredients.
The secret to efficiency is to always have basic ingredients and semi-finished products on hand that allow you to assemble full meals in just a few minutes.
Basic Stock and Supply Strategy
According to Anna, her fridge is always stocked with a specific set of products she cannot imagine her kitchen without. This list includes eggs, milk, cheese, pesto sauce, and fresh vegetables. However, the blogger places real emphasis on pre-prepared items, which radically simplify the daily cooking process.
In the freezer or on the shelves, you can find already boiled rice, pasta, potatoes, as well as Korean-style carrots or beets. An important element of the system is meat or fish, which is thawed in advance in the refrigerator. This allows you to plan the menu for the next day and avoid the rush before dinner.
Chicken Favorite and Sous Vide Technology
A real hit in the blogger's diet has become chicken fillet prepared using the sous vide method. For this, she vacuum-seals the meat and cooks it for about three hours at a temperature of 70 degrees. Although there are specialized devices for this technology, Anna is convinced that a modern multi-oven is quite sufficient for a home kitchen.
Chicken prepared in this way can be stored for up to two weeks. It becomes a universal ingredient for salads, pasta, sandwiches, and quick dinners, eliminating the need to boil or fry protein every time.
The "Cook Before Serving" Rule
The food blogger admits that she tries to cook dishes immediately before serving. That is why soups or borscht, which are usually cooked for several days in advance, are rarely found in her menu. In Anna's opinion, it is much more convenient to have several ready-made components and combine them differently each time than to eat the same dish for several days in a row.
On weekdays, breakfast is usually savory: eggs, cheese, sourdough bread, fresh herbs, and a source of protein. Anna notes that she is a fan of white bread, especially sourdough. On weekends, the family maintains the tradition of making pancakes, fritters, or fresh croissants.
Quick Lunches and Dinners
Lunches are most often assembled from pre-prepared items. This could be pasta with a homemade sauce, which takes 5–10 minutes to prepare, or fried rice with chicken and shrimp. Another popular option is lazy dumplings, which can be made in 15–20 minutes.
For dinner, the food blogger usually chooses fish or chicken with a fresh salad. Anna Stankevich's main philosophy is simple: home cooking should not be complicated. A few pre-prepared items, basic products in the fridge, and a well-thought-out menu help cook quickly, diversely, and without unnecessary stress. A few hours spent on pre-preparation at the beginning of the week can save much more time throughout the entire period.
