39B E G I N N E R C O O K I N G T I P S

for kitchen scaredy cats

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 1

Keep the freezer stocked with organic frozen veggies.If you’ve got frozen veggies on hand, all you need is a protein and

some healthy fat and you’ve got a meal. This goes A LONG way

toward staying consistent.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 2

You can always add more.But you can’t take ingredients away once they’re in. This is

especially true with salt. So build up a recipe slowly rather

than getting ballsy on the front end.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 3

Learn spices the easy way.A great way to learn spices is to have a single spice on your eggs in

the morning. One at a time experience the smell and taste of each

spice alone just on your eggs until you have a visceral association

with each one. Then start to combine them. It will enhance your

cooking skills rapidly.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Nina Sugamori ninasnichefitlifestyle.blogspot.com

tip 4

Be okay with failing.Sometimes things just don’t workout or go as planned. Throwing

food away sucks, but all great cooks have thrown food away.

Expect to have to do that sometimes and don’t beat yourself up.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 5

Do NOT cook when hungry.Do not cook when you’re hungry. You will rush things and not

properly season them, Taking your time in the kitchen is critical to a

wonderful outcome.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Maya Angelou

I'm just someone who likes cooking and for whom sharing food is a form

of expression.

tip 6

Listen to music.Listen to music while cooking it helps relax you and passes the

time. Cooking can be meditative and enjoyable, especially when

you cultivate the right atmosphere.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 7

Cook in batches!Batch cooking is amazing. Cook up a bunch of easy peasy turkey

meatballs, meatloaf, hard-boiled eggs, asparagus, broccoli and

whatever other meats/veggies you like. Then, have fruit on hand to

grab as well as individual baggies of nuts. Boom — you’re set for

the entire week and don’t have to slave in the kitchen every day.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Madelyn Moon moonfitness.net

tip 8

Watch cooking shows on TV.Cooking shows will teach you a few things here and there, but

mainly they’ll get you engaged in the process and motivated to

take action. That’s critical.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 9

Get a sharp French knife.One of the best things you can get is a quality French knife and

keep it sharpened. This will make cutting all those veggies a

breeze! Dull knives make cooking painful!

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

French Knife

Full knife set

tip 10

Forget about fancy gadgets.Forget about all the gadgets. Just get real tools for real food. The

worst thing when cooking is not having the right pan, the right

knife, or core things like an electric mixer or baking sheet.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

@heatherjc5

Guy Fieri

Cooking with kids is not just about ingredients, recipes, and cooking. It's

about harnessing imagination, empowerment, and creativity.

tip 11

Don’t improvise!Find a recipe and follow it to the letter. Improvising in the kitchen is

not for beginners! Sometimes it takes a few attempts to get it right,

so don't let mistakes stop you from trying again.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

@painandlane

tip 12

Save on seasonings.instead of investing a lot of money on individual seasonings, buy

spice blends: Mexican, Italian, Greek, sea food, etc. Just be sure to

check ingredients for fillers and other nasties.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 13

Prep and organize ahead of time.Prep and organize your produce, meats and groceries as soon as

possible after you come home from the market based on your

menu for the week. This will save you so much time and stress.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 14

Get an automatic shut off steamerGet an automatic shutoff steamer. All veggies can be steamed in

under 6 minutes. Almost anything can be steamed, really. You can

set it, go workout, and by the time you’re finished showering you

have a healthy homemade meal. Steam On!

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Auto Shut Off Steamer

tip 15

Make mason jar salads.Make mason jar salads on Sunday for the next 5 days. Dressing in

the bottom of the jar, layer the veggies and meat and put the

lettuce on top. Nothing gets soggy and your lunch requires no

more thought for the week.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Mason Jar Salad Instructions

Cindy Morgan

I love spending time with my friends and family. The simplest things in life give me the most pleasure: cooking a

good meal, enjoying my friends.

tip 16

Master two options for each meal time.Find two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners that aren’t

complicated and master them. This builds a platform of

confidence to branch out from.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 17

Get a George Foreman grill.I know it sounds cliche, but it’s so easy to cook chicken and

hamburgers (especially in winter) without worrying about over or

under cooking. And there is practically no mess or cleanup.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

George Foreman Family Grill

tip 18

Definitely start with a slow cooker!Look for as many crockpot meals or freezer meals as possible. For

the most part, these will allow you to chop up some veggies and

meat and then forget about them while they're cooking, which is

great when you're busy or not confident in your cooking skills.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Programmable Slow Cooker

tip 19

Learn the basic cooking terms.Print out a quick guide that tells you what different cooking terms

mean. I avoided cooking meat for so long because I didn't know

what sauté meant!

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Jump to Cooking Terms

tip 20

Clean up as you go.Clean up as you go. The mess won't be as big and it will give you

something to do in between some of the steps that require a little

time to complete on their own. Cooking will be so much more

enjoyable this way because the clean up won’t be daunting.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

@officerdad

Guy Fieri

If you're cooking and not making mistakes, you're not playing outside

your safety zone. I don't expect it all to be good. I have fat dogs because I scrap

that stuff out the back door.

tip 21

Get a cast iron pan.Get a cast iron pan (cheap!) and a decent knife. These two tools will

revolutionize your kitchen. Learn to pan sear meat in it. You can

cook salmon, scallops, steak, pork chops, almost anything with a

bit of good salt and cracked pepper and a nice fat in only a few

minutes. Add a salad and you're done. SO easy, and SO good.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Lodge Cast Iron Pan

Chrispaleosecret.com

tip 22

Taste as you cook.Get into what you’re cooking. Tease yourself as you go. This is

especially true with sauces. It’ll also let you know if what you’re

making needs more seasoning with herbs or spices.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 23

Create a beautiful atmosphereInvest in making your kitchen look pretty! It sounds superficial, but

it creates an atmosphere that you’re happy to be in. And that

makes cooking fun!

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 24

Read recipes ahead of time.Use a recipe and read it all the way through before you begin,

Make sure you have all ingredients, the time to do all the steps

(such as allowing time to marinade), and understand all the

instructions (such as "sauté" or “broil”). Don’t shy away if you don’t

understand something. Look it up or ask someone — that’s how

you expand your skill set.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 25

Defrost meat completely.Defrost your meat completely before baking, frying, grilling, and so

on. If you start cooking with chicken that's still a bit frozen, it's going

to be tough, dry or rubbery.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Jennifitzala.com

Wolfgang Puck

For me, cooking is an expression of the land where you are and the culture of

that place.

tip 26

Season with the trinity.The trinity works for a myriad of recipes. Lemon juice, salt and

pepper. What are you waiting for?

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 27

Choose recipes that have common ingredientsChoose recipes with common ingredients and just a few

ingredients. Most people can't discern exotic ingredients. Simple

foods, well cooked, bring big wins.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

@rhodesdavis

tip 28

Learn to roast veggies.Learn how to roast vegetables. Roasting vegetables in the oven

with a little bit of oil gives them great texture and caramelizes the

natural sugars. It’s a simple way to enhance their flavor. You can

roast any vegetable at 350 degrees until the edges are crispy and

golden. Don't salt them until they're done cooking (salt draws out

water so salting them before cooking can make them soggy),

and play around with artisan salts for different flavors.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

DianaEatingRichly.com

tip 29

Be fully present.Be fully present in your cooking. Things can go from undercooked,

to cooked, to burned within a matter of minutes, and frustrate you.

This is also an important tip to have a better connection with the

food you’re eating, which creates a healthier relationship with food.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 30

Practice with eggs. It’s cheap.Learning to cook eggs a variety of different ways gets you in tune

with your pans and tools, heat variations, and so on. And if you

mess anything up, it’s only a few cents down the drain.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Gwyneth Paltrow

I really like cooking according to the season. I like to get creative with what's

fresh.

tip 31

Involve your family.Cook with your partner or family members. It's a lot more fun & you

can create/improvise together. If you screw up, you screw up

together. If you succeed, you have someone to high five. And it’s a

new way to connect in a world where connection time is growing

more and more scarce.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 32

Conquer one cooking medium.It’s best if you learn to cook on just one medium at a time: the

stove, the oven, the grill, or the slow cooker. It gets you in tune with

each medium so you’re not doing it all at once. Once you’ve

mastered one, move on to the next.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 33

Don’t put food in a cold pan.Let the pan heat up before you start cooking food in it. Sometimes

people rush things and toss the food right in.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 34

Start with soup.Soup, like a slow cooker recipe, is more free-form. There’s a lot

more wiggle room and lot less focus on specific cooking times.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 35

Eggs and dairy products should be room temperature.It’s a beginner mistake to cook with eggs or dairy products straight

out of the fridge. Take dairy products out of the refrigerator 30

minutes prior to use.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

David Chang

Food, to me, is always about cooking and eating with those you

love and care for.

tip 36

Be patient with cooked meat.If you just finished cooking meat, don’t slice into it right away. That

will dry it out. Let cooked meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes before

doing anything to it. If it’s a roast or something of similar size, wait

20 to 25 minutes.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 37

Pre-chop your veggies.Chop veggies as soon as you buy them and store in separate

containers. Then you won't have to do a bunch of cutting all at

once. Totally worth it.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

tip 38

4+4 for quick success.I always make 4 kinds of veggies and 4 kinds of meat at once.

During the busy work week, I can just add seasonings and I have a

quick and easy meal.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Trainer Kimrebootedbody.com

tip 39

Give veggies some space!When roasting veggies in the oven, it’s important that they have

space. People crowd the pan and it ruins the process. If you roast

less veggies at a time, they’ll be 3-4x as good.

r e b o o t e d b o d y . c o m

Basic Cooking TermsBake: To cook in an oven

Beat: To mix ingredients together using a fast, circular movement with a spoon, fork, whisk or mixer

Blend: To mix ingredients together gently with a spoon, fork, or until combined

Boil: To heat a food so that the liquid gets hot enough for bubbles to rise and break the surface

Broil: To cook under direct heat.

Brown: To cook over medium or high heat until surface of food browns or darkens

Chop: To cut into small pieces

Dice: To cut into small cubes

Drain: To remove all the liquid using a colander, strainer, or by pressing a plate against the food while tilting the container

Grate or Shred: To scrape food against the holes of a grater making thin pieces

Grease: To lightly coat with oil, butter, margarine, or non-stick spray so food does not stick when cooking or baking

Knead: To press, fold and stretch dough until it is smooth and uniform, usually done by pressing with the heels of the hands

Marinate: To soak food in a liquid to tenderize or add flavor to it (the liquid is called a“marinade”)

Mash: To squash food with a fork, spoon, or masher

Mince: To cut into very small pieces, smaller than chopped or diced pieces

Mix: To stir ingredients toether with a spoon, fork, or electric mixer until well combined

Preheat: To turn oven on ahead of time so that it is at the desired temperature when needed (usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes)

Roast: To cook with dry heath, like in an oven.

Sauté: To cook quickly in a little oil, butter, or margarine

Simmer: To cook in liquid over low heat (low boil) so that bubbles just begin to break the surface

Steam: To cook food over steam without putting the food directly in water (usually done with a steamer)

Stir Fry: To quickly cook small pieces of food over high heat while constantly stirring the food until it is crisply tender (usually done with a wok)

R E B O O T E D B O D Y . C O M

reprogram your body and mind for sustainable fat loss, vibrant health, and

peak performance at