Many people see cooking as a tedious task. This article gives you ideas to make cooking fun and a joy it should be.
If you keep herbs and spices handy, make sure you are keeping them in a dark, cool area. If they are exposed to light, moisture, or heat, they will lose much of their flavor. As a general rule, keep your ground spices no more than one year. Whole spices can retain flavor for about three or five years. When stored properly, they will stay fresher longer.
If you are using metal skewers, avoid ones with rounded surfaces and try ones with square or beveled designs.
Keep spices tucked away in cool, dry and dark areas. When they are stored in the sun, they lose shelf life because of exposure. Keep spices fresh by storing them away from light and humidity. Fresh spices can greatly enhance your meals, making this effort well worth your time.
Partially freezing meat makes it easier to slice it into thin strips easier. This method is great for meals that require really thin meat such as Chinese or Thai dishes. However, to make sure that the meat cooks evenly, so it cooks evenly.
Consider freezing your meat a bit so that it will be easier to slice. When you are making stir fry Asian dishes, this technique for thinly sliced meat is ideal. The knife can cut the partly frozen meat with less damage than if it were thawed. This is because the partially frozen meat fibers are not as easily stretched or torn. However, to make sure that the meat cooks evenly, take the time to let it thaw out prior to cooking.
It is absolutely essential that you have sharp knives when cooking. Dull knives make it very difficult to cut and also extremely dangerous to use.
Long cooking processes, like boiling, can “zap” nutrients from foods, like vegetables. Rather than boiling, quickly steam or sauté your vegetables to retain nutrients. Even better, eat them raw!
Cooking processes like boiling can remove most of the critical nutrients that make them a healthy choice. To preserve their nutrition, chose faster cooking methods like steaming or sauteing, or serve them raw.
For crispier French fries, put raw potatoes into cold water and let them sit there for about half an hour before frying. Cold water will allow the sliced potato to retain its internal fibers, meaning that they are less likely to completely break down when cooked at a high heat.
If you wish to have crispy French fries, then soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for a period of at least half an hour before use.
There are many steps you can take towards prepping your food to make your whole cooking process easier. Recipes should be examined and items that won’t spoil that can be prepared a day or two ahead should be done first. The majority of preparation can be done the day before the cooking begins. This makes preparing even more complex recipes fun and fast.
Cooking Vegetables
When you are making chicken stock, think in terms of high volume. Make enough so that you can freeze it and use it in your recipes. That tasty chicken stock is very versatile and can be perfect for your next stew, casserole or soup. Allow the stock to cool before freezing it in durable, Ziploc bags.
Quickly cooking vegetables allows them crispier and more nutrient-filled. Vegetables that are cooked slowly can lose a lot of their taste and nutrition. These cooking techniques make the health benefits of vegetables in general. Cooking vegetables is all about cooking them for only a short amount of time is essential.
Try lowering the amount of oil you cook with if you are trying to lose weight and eat healthier. Butters and oils frequently contain unnecessary fats. A good alternative to using butter and oil is to use a low-fat cooking spray. Even better, you can use nonstick pans and eliminate oil altogether.
Use fresh ingredients whenever possible, as they bring out the flavor in a dish, and they are also less expensive.
If you wish to eat more protein, try one of the many varieties of beans or tofu available. Both beans and tofu are readily available in most grocery stores. For a meat alternative, try pan frying seasoned tofu. Soak and cook the beans with herbs, seasonings, and bits of meat for a flavorful soup, burrito filling, dip or other protein-rich application.
Always use airtight container to store baking ingredients such as sugar or flour. Keeping your ingredients in airtight containers will stop them fresher longer as the air can’t reach them. These are readily available in many stores and make a wise investment.
Try different liquids in recipes calling for water or milk to add some new flavors to your meals. Substitute plain water with juice, broth, or the water that you cooked your vegetables in. Instead of milk, try sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk. Using liquid substitutions in your cooking can increase nutrition and give a standby dish a new flavor.
Plan to make a big pot of stock so you can freeze it for storing. Good chicken stock that you make at home makes a great starter for soups, casseroles, casseroles and more.
Do not use any kind of wine in your cooking that you haven’t tasted on your own. If you use a wine that you are not familiar with or do not enjoy, you are risking culinary disaster when it comes to the flavor of your food. You could try wine that is specifically formulated for cooking purposes.
Oil and butter provide a lot of fat. A god nonstick cooking spray will suffice and is not as unhealthy.
You should try and dry your tomatoes on your own. Try slicing a Roma in half lengthwise, or cut larger tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Lay your tomato slices across a cooling rack with the cut-side facing up, and salt them lightly. The next step is to put the rack on an old cookie sheet and then place in an oven set at 190 degrees for at least 10 hours. Put them in plastic bags for freezer storage. Another option is to store dried tomatoes in a jar that contains fresh, flavorful herbs and olive oil. Place in the refrigerator and consume within two weeks.
This will help to give your dish to become more flavorful.
After Thanksgiving or any other time you cook turkey, save the leftovers. What you want to do with them is slice the meat, put it in a freezer friendly tupperware, and stick it into the freezer. Doing this will keep the turkey fresh for several weeks, and it can be made into a sandwich or a salad whenever you want.
It is vital for cooks to have all cooking supplies nicely organized. If your supplies are disorganized, you will waste valuable time getting everything together at the last minute. Try to keep similar items in one area. For example, put all your spices together in one cabinet.
If you have bought fruit that is not ripe, put it in a plastic bag with holes.
As the fruits ripen, ethylene gas is produced. When you store the fruit in a perforated bag, the ethylene gas can escape so that the natural decay process slows down. This allows your produce and fruits to stay fresh longer.
Place unripened fruits in a plastic bags you have poked small holes into. If you put them in the bag with holds the air will go through the bag, the air can circulate and assure that the gas is retained, helping the fruits retain their wonderful taste.
Macaroni and cheese can take on many forms and varieties, but you’ll get the best results by simply following the instructions on the box. You will want the macaroni to have an ultimate consistency and firmness prior to melting the cheese over it. Stir the cheese sauce into your perfectly cooked noodles. Spice up the macaroni with some pepper!
Always stick to the letter whenever you cook macaroni and cheese properly. The macaroni turns out perfect this way and delicious because the great looking cheese is melted over the noodles. Use a wide spoon to serve up with the macaroni. Use a dash of pepper as the spice on your mac and cheese.
If you want your dishes to be more flavorful, try preparing your own stock. Make a large amount and store it in the freezer. Your yummy stock will be ready for you when you’re ready to create your next culinary treat or just make a simple soup. Homemade soup stock or bullion is a wonderful way to eliminate high sodium and preservatives that are present in commercially made products from your diet.
Use salt liberally in your pasta water when making pasta. This process will allow the most effective time to season pasta. Salting pasta will not have the flavor.
Spreading the mayonnaise evenly across the entire piece of bread results in a much better sandwich. Sometimes, people who are rushed just plop some mayonnaise down on the bread and call it good. An even spread will ensure that every single bite tastes as it should.
Set aside about one-fourth cup. When your sauce is also ready, add some of the saved water. The pasta water’s starch adds a “creaminess” to the starchy water will bulk up your sauce via amalgamation.
Whenever you are sauteing something, be sure that you do not put too much food in the pan. The excess moisture can steam the food versus sauteing, minimizing the chances that you will get that crispness you want. Be sure that you do this when the temperature is low too.
Buy good-quality knives and other cutting tools for food preparation. Dull knives cause more cuts and accidents than sharp blades.
Spices and herbs should be kept in a dark place that is cool and dry. Exposure to light, heat and humidity can cause them to lose a lot of their flavor very fast. Constant exposure to these elements will ruin herbs and spices.
There are several ways you can heat tortillas properly. One of the easiest methods is to simply place the tortilla in your oven rack that has been preheated to 350 degrees and reach desired cripness. You can also heat the tortillas by placing them on a gas stove. These are some ways to prepare a more authentic and flavorful tortilla.
Oily dishes that spatter all over your microwave can be heated more cleanly in an oven. Because microwaves have intense heat, oil separates from other ingredients because it heats faster. Baking produces a more even and consistent heat that can better keep flavors and ingredients together.
Buy a rack that is able to be stacked.Stacking racks keep all of kitchen real estate. Stacking in vertical layers opens up instead of out makes sure you have plenty of room.
You can add flavor to bland food by replacing some or all of the water content with chicken, beef or vegetable stock. Another option is to place bouillon cubes into the water. This gives anything from soup to mashed potatoes a kick of flavor, without sacrificing the moisture of your dish.
You can use bouillon cubes if you are using. This is a good way to moisten your foods moist but more flavor.
To have more juice come out of your citrus fruit, microwave the fruit some before juicing. Heat the orange or lemon, or other citrus fruit in your microwave for about ten seconds. After the fruit is done microwaving, roll it on the counter before you cut it.
You can use leftover vegetables and meat by making them into a delicious fried rice mixture. Fry your veggies and meat in a little oil and then put rice, then throw in your rice an season with some soy sauce, garlic, garlic and other spices of your choice.
Make sure you are using the right type of potato for your dish. These vegetables are defined in three ways, either mealy, waxy or all-purpose, so choose accordingly. If mashed potatoes are on the menu for you, try using ones with a mealy texture. Russet is a common type of mealy potato. A versatile, all-purpose variety is the Yukon gold. For steaming or boiling potatoes, choose a potato of the waxy variety because they hold their shape nicely. Regular white or red potatoes are the most common waxy varieties.
Hopefully, this article has revealed tips for making cooking more exciting and not so much of a chore. Try following these tips and come up with new ideas on your own to start cooking meals you will enjoy more.
If you are cooking dried beans, wait until they have softened before adding any seasonings like garlic or salt. These ingredients can keep your beans from softening as they cook, particularly if you’re using old beans. Hold of on seasoning your beans until that are partially cooked in order to get your desired texture.