You may be new to cooking or perhaps you’re a seasoned pro in the kitchen.  Either way there is no avoiding using your knives to create culinary masterpieces.  Here is a quick tutorial on a few common knife cuts you will inevitably use when meal prepping.

Large Dice: Roughly 1” in size; vegetables are coarsely chopped when they need to retain their shape.  Roasted butternut squash and beets or sweet potatoes come to mind.

Medium Dice: ½” in size; chopped vegetables create bite sized morsels.  Ideal for salads, sautés and casseroles.

Small Dice: Finely chopped tiny pieces are best for quick cooking.  Garlic, onions and other aromatics are typically finely chopped.

Bias Cut: Slicing a veggie on an angle make the dish a little more presentable when trying to impress.

Julienne: Cutting vegetables into matchsticks.  Perfect for stir-fries or coleslaws.

Chiffonade: Cutting the flat leaves of herbs and veggies into ribbons.  By stacking the leaves rolling them like a cigar, then slicing them you produce tiny ribbons of deliciousness. Ideal for finishing a dish with herbs.

Preparing your food with even cuts helps your dishes cook evenly.  Keep this in mind as you head back to the cutting board.  You will have plenty of practice mastering your cuts as you take this journey healing from the inside out.