Have a classic take out dish that's calling your name, but can't get out? That’s where fakeaway comes in. Fakeaway is a term used to describe takeaway meals reimagined at home, prepared with healthy ingredients and significantly less sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. These tips will not only help you make better fakeaway choices, they’ll also ensure you’re prepped for any last-minute cravings.
Keep staple ingredients within easy reach
Try to keep the foundations of your favourite fakeaway meals handy, whether that’s homemade burger patties in the freezer or pre-cut veggies for a stir fry. Jarred salsa, curry paste, coconut milk, and tomato sauce are all shelf-stable which means you can save them for when you’re hit with a sudden craving for store-bought takeaway.
Cook meat and poultry low and slow
Allow slow cookers to do the work for you, especially if you’re making tacos, burritos, pulled pork sandwiches, or doner kebab. Tougher cuts of beef, pork, poultry, and lamb are ideal for longer cooking times and can be shredded with two forks and added back into the sauce before seasoning. Freeze leftovers in individual portions for easy weekday lunches.
Turn up the pressure on pulses
Using a pressure cooker to cook dried pulses will cut the cooking time down by at least half. For extra flavour, use broth in place of water and add a bay leaf, and a whole clove or two of garlic. Use the cooked beans to make burritos, tacos, black bean soup, and refried beans. Chickpeas can be used to make homemade hummus or chana masala.
Go against the grain with beef
Use lean cuts of beef like flank or skirt steak when making stir fry or fajitas, making sure to slice the meat across the grain to help tenderize the meat. To get extra-thin slices (and help prevent injury) put the steak in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before cutting with a very sharp chef’s knife.
Use cornstarch to achieve a crispy texture
Craving the crispy texture of fried foods without all the oil? Toss thinly sliced meat, poultry or vegetable in just enough cornstarch to coat and then sauté in a small amount of oil over medium-high heat. Extra-firm tofu is particularly delicious when prepared this way; cube the tofu instead of slicing and cook over medium-high heat in a neutral oil until crispy on all sides.
