If there is a single bit of kit that can dramatically decrease cooking times, it’s a large freezer.
Having the capacity to store for long periods batches of food you make should at least halve your total preparation time. It generally does not add a lot more to cooking times to double the quantities, so, just always cook twice the amout of stuff, and, bingo, you’ve just halved your total preparation time.
Things I prepare in huge batches and freeze:
- Tomato sauce (for pasta)
- Pesto Sauce
- Kräuterbutter (herb butter)
- Gulash (done in a large crockpot)
- Vegetable Soup
Note that you should try to keep the small freezer in your fridge as empty as possible, because then it’s really useful. If it’s crammed, it’s useless.