Success In The Kithchen Is Only A Few Tips Away
By Outdoor Kitchen Grills
February 2 ,2012
Cooking is really a skill worth acquiring, though. Cooking at home also
saves huge sums of money and allows you to eat healthier foods than what
you would find at a traditional fast-food restaurant.
If you are going to be cooking vegetables and want them steamed you
should invest in a folding steamer for your pot. There is nothing better
for cooking fresh vegetables than to steam them. This will keep them
fresh and ensure that all of the vitamins and minerals are still in the
veggies when you cook them.
Always read a new recipe thoroughly before you begin cooking,
preheating, or prepping. This prevents the hassles of running into
surprise ingredients, equipment, or techniques and gives you a chance to
hunt down substitutions--or a new recipe--if needed. Ideally, read the
recipe before you do your shopping to ensure that you grab everything
you need.
To save time on busy weeknights, cook ahead on the weekends and stock
your freezer with meals that are ready to heat through. Lasagnas,
enchiladas, and other casseroles are great for freezing, as are many
soups. Alternately, you can cook an extra batch of dinner any day of the
week to freeze for a day when you don't have the time.
To keep your knife from dragging and making a mess of ice cream cake or
cheesecake, run it under hot water (or dip it into a nearby bowl) and
wipe it with a tea towel. The hot water heats the blade, enabling the
knife to glide through the cake, which results in nice, even slices.
Are you looking for an easy way to reduce, that not so pleasant smell in
your kitchen, when cooking cabbage. One easy trick will keep your
kitchen smelling nice when boiling cabbage. Adding caraway seeds to
cabbage will help reduce the smell and adding caraway leaves will give
your cabbage a pleasant taste.
Have you ever tried to do a "tri-tip" roast. The beef tri-tip roast is a
lean, boneless roast from the bottom part of the sirloin. Due to its
unique triangular shape, it cooks unusually - from well done at the
corners, to medium rare in the center. It is very tender, and doesn't
require marinating. This cut is ideal for roasting or grilling. With its
short cooking time, it is an excellent choice for a mid-week meal.
Keep a pack of unflavored, unwaxed dental floss in your kitchen. If you
need to make clean, precise cuts, dental floss is typically much more
effective than using even the sharpest kitchen knife because of it's
small width. Simply pass the piece of dental floss through the item you
are cutting for a nice, clean slice.
When cooking fruit pies, avoid messy spills in your oven, To avoid a
bubbling mess on the bottom of your oven, place a baking sheet or pizza
pan on a shelf below the pie. Don't line the bottom of the stove with
aluminum foil, as this will prevent proper circulation.
To clean your hands after cooking a recipe that includes garlic,
vigorously rub your hands on your stainless steel sink or counter. Do
this for 30 seconds to one minute, and then wash your hands. This will
remove garlic odor from your fingers, and it will be as if you'd never
touched it.
To keep lettuce fresher longer, do not wash it until you are ready to
use it. When the leaves are refrigerated wet, they hold in the excess
moisture, which speeds up the decomposition process. By keeping it dry
when in the refrigerator, the lettuce will keep better and remain fresh.
When cooking any kind of packaged pasta, cook it a few minutes less than
what the instructions tell you to. It will continue to cook when you put
it in the pan with the sauce that you are making. This way, the pasta is
not likely to dry out from too much cooking.
When pressing sticky ingredients into a pan, such as marshmallow treats
or cheesy casseroles, coat the back of a spoon with non-stick cooking
spray before using it. This prevents the goo from sticking to the spoon
and makes it possible to evenly smooth the food into the pan. You can
reapply spray as needed.
Experiment with different breadings for everything from chicken to
vegetables to appetizers. To add an extra dimension of flavor to breaded
foods, try using coatings other than the usual breadcrumbs or panko. Get
creative! Cereals like corn flakes, toasted o's, and crispy rice work
well too. Don't forget to try crushed crackers and cookies as well.
If you envy the straightness of restaurant bacon, here's an easy tip
that will help you get the same effect. Simply dip each slice of bacon
into cold water before you place it in the frying pan. This keeps the
bacon strips from becoming curly and gives a straighter edge.
Looking for an easy way to prepare the perfect poached egg. While
cooking the eggs, adding lemon juice or vinegar, to the water you are
using for poaching the eggs will stop them from spreading out. Proteins
will coagulate when an acid is used; this will help ensure your get that
perfect poached egg every time.
If you are out of bread crumbs you can try these simple substitutions in
your recipe: cracker crumbs, matzo, crushed cornflakes, grounds oats, or
even potato chips. Simply substitute an equal amount of the replacement
food for the bread crumbs. You can also make fresh bread crumbs by
finely chopping four slices of bread per cup you need.
If you have a cup of coffee left over from breakfast, try adding it to
baked goods. Coffee imparts a deep, smoky flavor that pairs especially
well with chocolate. Use the flavors together in cake, cookies, or
cupcakes. Serve them with mocha or caramel ice cream for a great taste
combination.
Cooking is all practice. With these tips in hand, you're ready to get on
the road toward being a better cook, and reducing your dependence on
expensive and unhealthy pre-made food. Don't keep eating out- apply what
this article has taught you and soon you'll be making your own delicious
meals and saving tons of money! |
