Unleash Your Inner Chef: 5 Pro Secrets to Effortlessly Create Delicious, High-Protein Meals!

What's Aliye cooking this week? 5 quick & delicious high-protein meals!
[Grab the recipes here]

Are you tired of bland, boring high-protein meals? Do you dream of creating delicious, nutritious dishes without spending hours in the kitchen? Then get ready to unlock the secrets the pros use! In this episode, I'm sharing 5 pro chef techniques that will transform your high-protein cooking forever. Ready to level up your high-protein cooking game? Tune in and unlock these pro secrets!

In this episode you'll hear:

• The 4 "flavor pillars" that every great dish needs... and how to master them effortlessly. (Hint: Are you making this one common salting mistake?)
• A simple meal planning trick that gives you ultimate flexibility in the kitchen – say goodbye to rigid, boring meal prep!
• How understanding different cuts of meat can unlock a whole new world of flavor and save you money at the grocery store. (Find out which cuts you should NEVER marinate in acid!)
• Why mastering a few core cooking techniques is far more powerful than relying on hundreds of recipes. (Discover the "second brain" trick that will make you a confident cook!)
• The surprisingly enjoyable way to improve your knife skills – even if you dread chopping onions!
• How to build a global pantry and explore exciting international flavor profiles, without feeling overwhelmed.

Links & Resources:

• Podcast Episode 13: Salt & Fat
• Knife Skills Video

Links:

• Aliye's cooking videos: Watch now on Youtube
• FREE High-Protein Meals Training

Transcript

Hello and welcome! Today I'm sharing 5 pro chef skills I use all the time to make my weeknight meals easy and so so flavorful. Now, when you hear ‘pro chef skills’ you might think ooh these are going to be difficult, but stay tuned because I'm going to break it down so it's super easy for you to incorporate these concepts into your meals right away!

Number 1: Mastering the 4 Elements of Flavor 

Mastering the four elements of flavor: salt, fat, acid, and heat is fundamental to cooking and creating delicious meals. Each of these elements plays a role in cooking, and understanding how these 4 components interact allows you to control the taste and texture of your meals, transforming even the simplest ingredients into something extraordinary.

None of these elements requires extensive study to get a grasp on the basics, and you’ll always learn gradually as you cook. For the purposes of today’s episode, here are easy ways to get started:

We’ll start with salt: I did an entire podcast episode on just salt and fat, episode 13, so go listen to that. BUT what I will say here is: A dish that has the proper amount of salt added to it should “pop” in flavor, and not taste “flat”. Said another way, if you add more salt, it’s not necessarily going to make the food taste more salty, but rather bring out the flavor of the food itself. 

One thing that’s essential to understand about salt and animal protein is that it takes TIME to penetrate into the meat. So when you’re salting a thicker cut of meat, say a thick steak, it’s going to be the most flavorful if you salt it anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours in advance. Even for just weeknight cooking, if you’re short on time, salt your meat, like chicken, whatever it is, first while you prepare other ingredients.

Also, not all salts are created equal. Everyone has their favorite types of salt, and it's not so much abt the type of salt you use, but rather that you're familiar with and know the qualities of your salt. Some salts taste saltier than others, because of their crystal size and other factors. 

Salt is essential for us to have in our diets, as our bodies don’t store much of it. 

I’m going to put the link in the show notes that links to the podcast episode where I talk all about the different types of salt, but what I’ll talk about here is one of the biggest questions I get abt salt, and that's how do I know whether to add more salt to a dish (for fear of oversalting). One way is to take a little bit of the dish you're making on a spoon or in a bowl, and taste it with and without a sprinkle of salt. If it tastes better with salt, add more to the dish! This can start to train your palate and instincts when salting your food, and after a while you'll get a feel for how much salt to add to your dishes.

Now, let’s move on to fat. Fat adds richness, texture, and affects flavor intensity of foods. Fat is both an element of good tasting food AND a building block of all foods, along with protein, carbohydrates, and water. Fat enhances the flavor of foods, both by the flavor of the fat itself that is used (like olive oil, butter, etc) but also any fat coats the tongue and allows our tastebuds to have a more prolonged experience with the aromatic compounds of foods. So the basic thing to remember is that fat = flavor. You can listen to more about fat in podcast episode 13.

Sometimes when a dish tastes flat, it's not always salt that's necessary to add, but rather more fat so that our tastebuds can experience the aromatic compounds, i.e. FLAVOR in the food.

So how do you know if a dish needs more fat? I start by asking myself questions about the ingredient I’m cooking. Is it low in fat to begin with, like a chicken breast or canned tuna? Then I know I'm probably going to be adding more fat to the dish. Is it naturally higher in fat, like certain cuts of pork or an 85-10 ground beef? In this case I probably wouldn't be adding more fat to a dish. If I've made a dish and I taste it at the end and it doesn't have that “zing” yet, I think abt the fat in the dish. For example, homemade chicken soup, if made with chicken breast and prepackaged broth, can often be low in fat and bland. Sauteing veggies in oil or butter at the beginning or adding butter at the end can help make the final dish more flavorful. 

From a nutritional standpoint, fat is essential in our diets, and unfortunately diet culture has demonized fat for years. In my Priority Protein Kitchen membership, I bring in nutritional experts for classes to address these concerns, and if you have specific health concerns abt fat, I suggest working with a functional nutritionist or health coach.

Let’s move onto acid. I’m talking about lemon juice, vinegar, and even spices can add acidity to dishes. Acid balances dishes and brightens flavors. Helps balance sweetness, richness, saltiness and bitterness. Acid is also great for tenderizing foods, for example a tough cut of meat. 

In baking, acids can react with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide, which helps baked goods rise. This reaction is essential in recipes like cakes and quick breads.

1. Preservation: Acids are often used in preserving foods, such as pickling. The acidity helps inhibit the growth of bacteria, prolonging the shelf life of the food.
2. Color and Texture: Acids can affect the color of fruits and vegetables, helping to maintain bright colors orange colors, like in a salad, but acid DOES dull green color in a salad. Acid can also alter the texture of certain ingredients (like preventing browning in apples).

Let’s move onto heat, the 4th element of cooking! Controlling heat is essential for affecting the final flavor and outcome of any dish. 

It’s important for food safety, as heat kills harmful bacteria and pathogens present in raw foods. Heat lends to flavor development through various chemical reactions, such as the Maillard reaction, which browns proteins and sugars, creating complex flavors and aromas. Thinking browning a steak in a pan or sauteing vegetables. Heat also causes physical changes in food, altering textures. For instance, it can make vegetables tender, meats juicy, and baked goods rise and become fluffy. Heat also affects nutrient availability. Certain cooking methods can increase the bioavailability of nutrients, making them easier for our bodies to absorb. For example, cooking tomatoes increases the availability of lycopene, an antioxidant. Cooking with heat also changes the taste and digestibility of foods, often making them more palatable and easier to digest compared to their raw counterparts.

Over time, you'll develop a natural intuition for balancing these elements without feeling pressured to follow strict guidelines. This approach allows for a more organic learning experience tailored to your cooking style.

Number 2: Rough Meal Plan and Prep (Optional)
Creating a rough meal plan can streamline your cooking process and minimize stress during the week. Even a basic outline of what you want to cook can help you shop efficiently and prep ingredients in advance. This flexibility allows you to adapt based on what’s available while ensuring you have the right components for high-protein meals, making your cooking experience more enjoyable and less chaotic.

My favorite kind of meal planning is to create a loose framework rather than a rigid schedule for the week. I create a simple list of proteins, grains, and vegetables that me and my family enjoy and mix and match them throughout the week based on fresh ingredients, cravings, or spontaneous decisions. This adaptability not only makes cooking less stressful but also encourages you to experiment with new combinations, keeping meals exciting and varied without the pressure of sticking to a set plan.

So that’s meal PLANNING. Meal prep on the other hand, I find to be completely optional, depending on your schedule. Some people prefer to do a lot of prep on the weekends because that structure helps them throughout the week, and others find this too stressful and prefer to just spend 20 minutes a day making dinner. What I encourage people to do is find the place that feels good for them. There is no right or wrong way. If you like to spend some time chopping ingredients in advance, or fully cooking whole meals, that’s great! Everyone has different cooking styles and preferences. For some, the idea of prepping meals in advance can feel restrictive or tedious. By framing meal prep as optional, it empowers you to choose what works best for you, making the cooking process more enjoyable and less daunting.

I do find that extensive meal prep cuts down on adaptability and creative freedom in your meals however.  - By not adhering to a strict meal prep routine, you open yourself up to experimentation in the kitchen. This allows you to discover new flavors and cuisines based on what inspires you that day, making cooking a more enjoyable and spontaneous experience.

Number 3 Know Your Meat (The Cuts, meaning where on the Animal It Comes From)
Familiarizing yourself with different cuts of meat and their origins makes you a better cook. Each cut varies in flavor, tenderness, and therefore best cooking methods. For instance, knowing that brisket benefits from slow cooking while tenderloin is best cooked quickly can elevate your cooking game. This knowledge not only improves meal outcomes but also helps you make informed choices at the butcher or grocery store.

Knowing where the cut of meat came from on the animal can help you improvise meals. For example, a chicken thigh is naturally a tougher cut of meal because it has more muscle that was used during the animal’s lifetime, and would benefit from tenderizing, like adding lemon juice to a marinade. Opposite of that would be a chicken breast, with less muscular tissue, and therefore naturally more tender. I don’t add acids to marinades for chicken breast, it dries them out, I always add at the end after it’s cooked. 

Gaining knowledge about different cuts of meat can profoundly influence your cooking, but it doesn't have to be an exhaustive study. Start by familiarizing yourself with just a few cuts that you frequently use or enjoy. As you gain confidence, gradually explore other cuts and their best cooking methods. This incremental learning allows you to enhance your culinary skills without feeling overwhelmed. Plus, understanding your meat options can empower you to make better choices at the store based on what looks good and fits your budget, rather than being confined to a specific list of cuts.

Pro Chef Skill Number 4: Memorize (Rely on) Techniques, Not Recipes
Instead of feeling stressed that you don’t have a recipe to make dinner, focus on fundamental cooking techniques. Skills like sautéing, roasting, or braising can be applied to a variety of dishes. By understanding the underlying techniques, you’ll gain confidence in the kitchen and can experiment with different ingredients and flavors, allowing for greater creativity and adaptability in your high-protein meal preparation.

That being said, I don’t like to banish recipes completely. They are great for serving as a “second brain”, and what I mean by that is using them as a reference point. I don’t run around with 100s of recipes memorized in my head, but I will often look up an ingredient to get some ideas on how to cook it to jog my memory.   

So next time you make a recipe, I want you to pay attention to the techniques that are being used, and notice if these are techniques that you’ve used before. By noticing them, they will start to stick in your mind.

Number 5 Practice Basic Knife Skills and Using the Right Equipment
Developing knife skills and familiarity with kitchen equipment can greatly enhance your cooking efficiency, but the process can be tailored to your comfort level. You don’t need to master every technique at once. Start with basic cuts, like dicing or julienning, and progressively build on those skills as you feel more comfortable. Additionally, experiment with different tools to discover what works best for you, whether it's a particular knife or a specialized gadget. This gradual approach to honing your skills allows you to enjoy the learning process without the pressure of perfection.

In my cooking videos on Youtube @soulspacechef, I always show and explain basic knife skills at the beginning of most videos because it’s practice that will make the skill become less overwhelming. If you don’t like to cook because you’re dreading cutting an onion, let’s get you over that hump! Practice creates progress!

Number 6 Understanding International Flavor Profiles
Understanding international flavor profiles can significantly elevate your cooking. These profiles involve how different cuisines balance flavors—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—and how these can be combined to create harmonious dishes. This skill does not require memorizing every combination; instead, begin by identifying and experimenting with the flavors you enjoy most.

Example from Thai Cuisine:
Thai cuisine exemplifies effective flavor balancing. A classic dish like Tom Yum soup showcases the harmonious interplay of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors. The sweetness can come from sugar or palm sugar, the saltiness from fish sauce, the sourness from lime juice, and the spiciness from fresh chilies or chili paste.

In preparing this dish, you might start with a base of broth, adding fresh herbs like lemongrass and Makrut lime leaves for aroma and depth. As you taste, you can adjust the levels of sweetness and acidity to find the perfect balance for your palate, experimenting with these flavor categories to achieve a dish that reflects your personal taste.

In my art of seasoning masterclass inside my priority protein kitchen membership, I go into this in great detail.

To facilitate this exploration of flavors, consider maintaining a pantry stocked with essential ingredients from various cuisines. For Thai cuisine, include items such as:

• Fish Sauce - For richness and umami
• Palm Sugar - Adds sweetness with a distinct flavor
• Lime Juice - Essential for acidity
• Chilies - Fresh or dried for varying levels of heat
• Coconut Milk - For creaminess and additional flavor

By keeping these ingredients on hand, you can easily experiment with Thai flavors and combine them with elements from other cuisines in your cooking. For instance, you might blend Thai fish sauce and lime juice with a Mexican ceviche recipe, creating a unique fusion dish that reflects both culinary traditions.

This practice of stocking your pantry with items from different cuisines encourages creativity and adaptability, allowing you to explore various flavor combinations without the constraints of traditional recipes. As you become more comfortable with ingredients from around the world, you’ll develop an even greater understanding of how to balance flavors and create delicious, well-rounded meals that suit your taste preferences.

So as not to make it overwhelming, I suggest starting with 2-3 of your favorite types of cuisine, and keeping ingredients for those flavor pantries on hand. 

That’s it for today’s episode, 5 Pro Chef Skills, actually 6, to effortlessly create delicious high-protein meals. Until next time!