MasterChef Winner Kelsey Murphy Has Some Tips For Amateur Chefs - Exclusive
Before becoming the winner of Season 11 of the beloved show "MasterChef," Kelsey Murphy already had a number of titles in her life. These include physical therapist and mom — and to three kids, at that — so it's little wonder that while cooking at home, preparing healthy foods has always been of paramount importance. Seeing as Murphy managed to win out against more than a dozen competitors, clearly making delicious and visually appealing dishes is a priority of hers too.
So what advice does this MasterChef have for home cooks interested in taking their own culinary chops up a notch or two? During an exclusive interview with Mashed, Murphy had a few choice pieces of advice to share. "So my biggest tip for amateur or home cooks is to learn some basic cooking techniques," Murphy said. "Learn how to make a béchamel sauce, learn how to season pasta water. Just learn basic things that you can apply to a number of different dishes. So then you're not so cornered into a certain recipe. You can start with a basic technique and just build off of whatever food you have in your kitchen at that time."
And once you have the basics down, of course, Murphy wants you to get creative in the kitchen.
'MasterChef' winner Kelsey Murphy swears by one-pot dishes
How does a busy physical therapist and mother manage to stay creative in the kitchen? The "MasterChef" champ shared a bit of insight into how she keeps things healthy and refreshing.
"My biggest tip for healthier home cooking is to always have your kitchen stocked as much as you can," Murphy explained. "Having fresh produce, having a good supply of healthy canned goods too, is so important and it really makes it easier to stick to more healthy choices throughout the week. ... So I even have things just kind of like stacked in my refrigerator that I've made during the weekend, healthy salads, or different sides and stuff that are high [in] protein and that are easy for me to just grab and go during the week."
As for making healthy meals all of the kids will actually eat, Murphy said sometimes you have to get crafty — if not outright sneaky. "Anything that is a one-pot dish, honestly, is key when it's feeding children, it's sneaking things in where you can. So anything that involves some sort of starch and cheese is good. And then you just hide things in there. I've also noticed being a parent — and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way — kids will only eat food that's on their parents' plate. So lots of times I will put a little extra on my plate or put a little bowl on the side of whatever me and my husband are eating, and that really then makes the kids want to try it, and I say that's a success. If they only try one bite of my food, that's great."
To learn more about the upcoming "MasterChef" meals available on Grubhub, visit their website. Be sure to tune into "MasterChef" on FOX.