Can you guys believe I fell off the wagon already?

Don’t answer that.

My apologies to all my veggies out there. Meatless Monday was non existent this week in my kitchen. Unless you count the whole grain pasta I made and then proceeded to dump jarred sauce on top and call it a night. Yes, I’m like the aerobics instructor that gets lipo or the nutritionist that makes late-night Carl’s Jr. runs.

But I’ll make a pathetic attempt to redeem myself with this week’s Tasty Tip.

Grating cheese seems to be everyone’s least favorite job. But there are some tricks to make the grating go easy and fast.

1) Get your cheese cold: The colder the cheese, the firmer it is, making it easier to grate. Semi-soft cheeses, like mozarella, can be put in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you grate it to help ease the grating. Just remember to let all cheeses, even that rock-hard parmesan, come to room temp after you’ve grated it. Its taste is amped up at room temp over colder climates.

2) Don’t just grate down: I see people grating the cheese downward, then they lift the cheese from the grater surface and start all over. No need. Simply rub it up and down the grater, like you would if you lived out on the prairie and had to wash clothes on a washboard.

3) Use a food processor: Got a lot of cheese to shred? Drop it in and watch the magic.  Lotso cheese in not-so-lotso seconds.

Anyone minions here ever get cheese elbow? How do you grate your cheeses?