You’ve probably cooked thousands of meals in your lifetime. Did you enjoy it? If not, why not? Cooking can be a great way to de-stress and a fun way to express your creativity. Here are a few cooking tips to spark excitement so that every time you step in the kitchen, you’ve got something new to try.
When cooking any recipe, use the best ingredients that you can afford. Splurge a little on imported cheeses or better quality meats when you can, so that you can experience a restaurant, quality-tasting meal at home. To enhance the experience even further, try to creatively plate up the meal with a little thought, for something different every now and then.
If you are following a recipe, make sure that you do not follow this religiously, as you should always add a personal spice to your meal. Instead of following a pizza recipe to the tee, add some red pepper to inject a punch into your dish to make it unique and individualized.
Save time by cooking large quantities, and freezing the extra. When you are planning an elaborate or time consuming meal, prepare extra servings. Making more won’t increase your cooking time much, and these extra meals can be frozen, providing a fast and healthy alternative to the typical frozen TV dinner.
If you plan on seasoning the food you are going to make, try to add seasoning in stages. This will bring out the most taste, and help you to layer your spices on the food of your choice. Inject seasoning into your food to maximize its appeal and taste.
Make sure to prepare your dishes the night before. Create marinades and allow your meat to sit in the refrigerator overnight. By doing most of the prep the night before, you make a delicious tasting meal. You also lower the amount of stress when making the meal before your guests arrive.
You should use airtight containers to store flour, baking mixes or sugar in your kitchen. These sorts of containers will help keep all of your foods fresh and safe from bugs. These containers are readily available in the marketplace and will be worth the money invested.
Some recipes call for peeled half or quarter peaches. In most cases peeling is not easy, as the skin sticks to the fruit and doesn’t come off. The easiest way to remedy the problem is to place the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds. After removing the fruits, place them into ice water to stop the boiling effect. Their skin will come off easily.
If you are making a dish where you will need thin strips of meat (fajitas, Chinese) freeze your meet for about 20 minutes before cutting. This will allow you to slice the meat very thinly with ease. You may think this sounds a little strange, but it will definitely do the trick.
When you are going to purchase beef, make sure that the package does not have too much liquid in it. An excessive amount of liquid may indicate that the beef was not stored properly or that it is no longer good. Make sure you always check the expiration date as well.
To preserve more of the nutritional value of your vegetables don’t cook them for too long. As you cook a vegetable, its nutrient content diminishes. Good techniques for quickly cooking vegetables are steaming and stir-frying. Slow cooking has its place, but don’t neglect the quicker techniques with their greater nutrition.
Cooking doesn’t have to be humdrum and boring. It’s a chance to shape your family’s nutrition, as well as to relax and create. Cooking can be much more than mixing ingredients together. Since you have to cook anyway, why not learn to enjoy it? Follow these tips and start having fun in the kitchen.
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