How to preserve pasta, rice and meat for several days

Hello again!

We're all aware that there are times when we don't have time to even think about what we are going to eat, and that some weeks there is only time for work, essays and exams. The last thing that we feel like is opening the refrigerator to find that we have to make food at the same time.

500 grams of spaghetti

One solution to this is pasta, the most handy resource in the kitchen. If we have pre-cooked pasta, we have a ready-made meal in the blink of an eye. It's a matter of being foresighted and having the pasta already cooked; it makes no difference if you boil 100 or 300 grams. The trick is to put a drizzle of olive oil over the pasta once it has been drained and removed well. The pasta will stay soft and remain this way for at least four days, if we keep in in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This way, you can keep using it whenever necessary and the only thing that we have to do is put on something that we want to eat with it.

A handful of macaroni ready to be boiled.

Ideas to accompany pasta

• Tuna mayonnaise

• Tomato, pepper, olives, turkey, olive oil and vinegar

• Pineapple, apple, chicken and mayonnaise

• Tinned peas, lemon juice and garlic salt

• Anchovies and tomato sauce

• Fried garlic and chilli

• Broccoli and tomato, chopped and put in the microwave, with a drizzle of olive oil

You all already know that the possibilities are endless: There are very few foods that don't go well with pasta; in reality I can't actually think of anything that wouldn't go well.

Rice is also a great alternative for those days where time seems to go more quickly than usual and there isn't even a minutes peace to shut our eyes for ten minutes. Just as with pasta, you can pre-cook a larger quantity than usual and we only have to think about an accompaniment.

To preserve rice well you must rinse it well under the tap, once it has been boiled, and then drain it. In a tupperware it will keep, in good condition, for many days and we can later combine it with whatever we have at home: in a salad, with vegetables steamed in the microwave, with apple and onion sautéed in olive oil; with sausages and tomato etc.

Finally, I would like to share with you all a suggestion on how to make your raw meat withstand a longer time in the fridge and not end up wasting it. The trick is quite simple: smear it with chopped garlic (we have to do this with our hands) or marinade it in a mixture of aromatic herbs, white wine (from a carton, of course! ) and quite a bit of crushed garlic. By doing this when we return home with our shopping, we can be certain that our meat with maintain in perfect condition and will last much longer. This way, if we had been planning to cook meat for dinner and a dinner out comes up if we don't eat at home for a couple of days, we can be sure that our food shopping won't go to waste. Improved food conservation is down to the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of garlic. Additionally, with this method, if we make chicken breast, for example, which normally tastes quite bland when grilled, will have a much more intense flavour and delicious aroma.

Garlic mincer

Chicken fillets about to be marinated with minced garlic

In spite of the poor quality photos, for which I apologise, I hope that you will find these tips useful and, if it comes up, you might put them into practice. I'm certain that they work because I have tried them dozens of times.

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