Productivity

The Grown-Up Kitchen: How to Time Your Cooking So Everything Is Ready at Once

The more cooking you do, the more intuitive timing becomes, but it can still be overwhelming. Here are some basic tips and guidelines for streamlining and timing a meal that all comes together at once. This is part of The Grown Up Kitchen series designed to answer your most basic culinary questions and fill in any gaps that may be missing in your home chef education.

Step One: Make Good Choices and Keep Things Simple

Make sure the other dishes you’re preparing are things you’re familiar with

Don’t go crazy with the menu
Know what you’re going to make ahead of time and stick to it
Resist the urge to make absolutely everything yourself
Once that’s done, you’re ready to plan your attack

Step 2: Make a Timeline

Decide on when dinner is going to be served, and work backward from there

Write down everything you are making, with recipe times and cooking temperatures beside each item
General roasting times for vegetables: Thin and soft vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, peppers, green beans, asparagus, tomatoes) 10-20 minutes, Greens: (Kale, mustard greens, collard greens) 6-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them
Hearty crucifers (Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower) 15-25 minutes, Onions: 30-45 minutes, Mushrooms: 20-40 minutes, Depending on size
Winter Squash (winter squash, carrots, beets) 35-60 minutes depending on size

Step 3: Execute That Timeline

Write out a timeline for yourself and not overwhelming yourself with a whole bunch of new recipes and ingredients can make cooking a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience.