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The Best Tips for Cooking with a Meal Scratch Kit
What is a Scratch Kit?
A scratch kit is a collection of items that helps you create a meal in a short amount of time. It can be anything from complete meal kits where all the ingredients are provided like a Marley Spoon kit, a kit where a few ingredients are provided with instructions like Street Kitchen kits, to simmer sauces that add your base flavour. Then, you add the ingredients like Maggie's new simmer sauces.
Think of a scratch kit like a DIY version of the traditional recipe book, only it saves you from going out and buying many different ingredients separately.
I love cooking, but I don't have the time or energy to do it every day. A scratch kit lets me make something delicious without spending hours in the kitchen. I just need my favourite ingredients and some prep work done beforehand.
A scratch kit is an easy way for busy people to get creative in the kitchen and enjoy cooking more often.
Top 10 Tips for Cooking with a Scratch Kit
Cooking with a scratch kit is not difficult. However, it can be fiddly to know what ingredients you need or how to prepare them.
Here are some top tips for cooking with a scratch kit to get the most out of it and keep cooking time short.
Plan Ahead
When I go shopping, I usually pick up a couple of kits or simmer sauces and take a quick peak at the back to see if there are any additional ingredients I'll need. It's a good feeling knowing I've got a couple of evening meals sorted.
Don't Hesitate to use Frozen Produce
I keep a good supply of frozen vegetables. They come in handy when I run out of fresh veg at the end of the week. The best bit is that it eliminates the need for cutting and preparation. If you are adding frozen veggies to your scratch kit, add them a little later than you would fresh vegetables. Because they've already been blanched, they take less time to cook, and you want to try to maintain their vibrant colour.
Experiment with Different Kinds of Scratch Kits
Scratch kits have been getting popular because they provide easy-to-follow instructions that allow people to make their own dishes without too much effort. There is an abundance of scratch-kit options available now. Try mixing it up to find your favourites. Try complete cooking kits to simmer sauces, different cuisines, and brands; the possibilities are almost limitless.
You Don't have to Stick to all the Rules
Cooking with a scratch kit is the best way to save money and time. It also gives you a chance to experiment with new flavours and ingredients. But you don't have to stick to all the rules on the pack. Experiment a little, add a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes or some additional herbs and see how it turns out. I recently made a Street Kitchen Green Curry and found that I didn't have any rice, so I used pasta as the base ingredient instead. It was yum!
Double Up
Scratch Kits will typically be just enough to serve a small family, but depending on what you're cooking, you might be able to make your kit go a little further to allow for some leftovers for lunch the next day. You could either buy 2 kits and make a double batch or look at adding additional ingredients, vegetables or protein to make it go a little further. This will save you time on future meal prep by using leftovers on other dishes or feeding others with what you have leftover.
Do you use scratch kits? What's your favourite?
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