By now, you’ve probably already broken all those New Year’s resolutions you made amidst the strands of party poppers and crumbled Champagne foils. Never fear! I have a suite of achievable resolutions far less lofty than ‘quit something I really like and don’t want to give up’. I want to be kind to you, so you can be kind to yourself. So, here is my list of things that you no longer have to do in the kitchen. I shall phrase these as affirmations, to make them even more powerful.

I WILL NOT PEEL
Roasting carrots or parsnips? You won’t notice if you leave the peel on! Making mash or a potato salad? Call it rustic and leave the skins on for flavour, texture and to save time.

I WILL NOT BE AFRAID OF TOFU
No, it’s not just you. We must be brave together. Head here for some tasty inspiration.

I WILL NOT SPURN FLOUR
It’s not just for baking. After years of belittling it, I am back in flour’s corner, claiming it IS great for so much more than baking. First up, rediscover the power of flour and butter to thicken your braise or stew before serving.

I WILL NOT COOK WITH OLD OILS
I’m far more enthusiastic about buying a new oil I see in the shops than actually using it. Result: lots of old oils going rancid in a drawer or cupboard. Throw out all your old oils or any oils that smell rancid.

I WILL NOT USE BLUNT KNIVES
Time-consuming, dangerous and bad for your ingredients – the blunt knives must go. Pick your three favourite knives and get them sharpened.

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I WILL NOT WORK IN A CLUTTERED KITCHEN 
There’s much to do here. Throw away all those chipped mugs and bowls. Hit the fridge and pantry. Throw out any jars or packets past their use-by date. Divide your kitchen implements into regular and occasional use. Put the ‘occasional’ ones into a box and hide it in a cupboard.

I WILL NOT HAVE DINNER PARTIES
Take some of the self-inflicted pressure off yourself. Just call it ‘having friends over for dinner’ and be done with it.

I WILL NOT FORGET WINTER
I hate wishing away the summer, but the cornucopia of fresh fruits and berries we are wallowing in now will all too soon be gone. Save summer by freezing stewed plums and peaches for your winter muesli. And make small batches of jam with just a few kilos of fruit.

I WILL NOT SETTLE FOR ORDINARY
Romance and ease often anchor us to certain dishes, but it’s so easy to make them fresh with a little twist or two. Here, this strog is turned vegetarian as a mushroom stroganoff with green beans. It also employs a new way of cooking the mushrooms – poaching them in stock and shiitake powder first, to boost their juiciness and umami levels for the best mushroom strog ever.

Cook Matt Preston’s boosted mushroom stroganoff here.

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