How many times have you dreaded going into the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner? You might need a new perspective. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing if you try to see it in another way. Here are a few cooking tips that are sure to get your taste buds tingling and entice your inner chef to come out.
There is something you can do to rescue your sauce and use it as planned. Make a mixture of two tablespoons of water and one tablespoon corn starch. Slowly stir the mixture into the sauce to thicken it. Add the starch solution slowly, and stir constantly so that the sauce does not become too thick.
Many important nutrients are removed when vegetables are cooked in lengthy processes like boiling. In order to retain their most important attributes, opt for steamed, sauteed or even raw vegetables.
You can reduce the fat and calorie content of regular mashed potatoes by substituting part of the potatoes with mashed cauliflower. This won’t affect the taste but it adds a handful of nutrition. Because cauliflower has a pretty bland taste, it blends well with the potatoes and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. Cauliflower mashes into the same texture and color as potatoes, so no one will notice, and you you will get the benefits.
To reduce fat and calories in mashed potatoes without sacrificing texture or taste, replace some of your potatoes with an equal amount of cauliflower. Since cauliflower is bland, it will mix right in with the potatoes along with the other ingredients. It also mimics the texture and color of the potatoes almost perfectly letting you up your vegetable intake, and drop the calories, all the while giving the same delicious potato experience we all know and love.
if fresh basil what you’re cooking with? Gather a small bunch of freshly cut basil and place it in a glass. Make sure the the stems are completely covered with water. It will remain fresh for weeks, just sitting on the kitchen counter! Your basil will even send out new roots if you change its water regularly. Trim or cut the basil from time to time for additional growth. Now you can enjoy your fresh basil anytime!
Fresh Basil
When you put flour or other baking needs away, put them in a vacuum seal holder. You can protect your food from bugs and keep them fresher using an airtight container. You can easily find affordable containers and you will save money by eating leftovers.
Are you using fresh basil to cook with? Store the basil within a glass. The stems will then need to be covered with water. Keep it on your counter and it will stay fresh for weeks. If you provide the basil with fresh water, it will eventually root in the water and sprout a new plant. If this happens, trim the basil once in a while. This promotes continued growth, which means you have fresh basil at your disposal well into the future.
Use extra virgin olive oil when necessary instead of oils that are high in saturated fat. Oils and butter are a source of fats. Consider giving non-stick cooking spray a shot. The end result is virtually the same, but these sprays are often fat-free and have ingredients that are more friendly to your diet.
Complete as much of the preparatory work as possible for your meals ahead of time to speed up the process of cooking. Try looking at recipes and see what can be done in advance without spoiling. There are many recipes where you can do the prep work the day before you start cooking. Prepping before you cook can make even advanced recipes fun and accessible.
When buying a recipe’s ingredients, read the labels. Some cooking supplies will contain unhealthy ingredients. Do not buy anything that contains a lot of sodium, sugars or fats.
If you are left with extra sauce after a meal, find a clean ice cube tray to pour the leftovers into and store the tray in the freezer. For a quick and easy sauce on another night, simply remove as many cubes as you need and reheat in a pan. Do not worry, the sauce will still be edible after it has been in the ice cube trays!
When cooking a whole pumpkin, place the pumpkin upright first, then cut directly down its middle to create two halves. On a baking sheet, put one of the halves face down. Use a different baking sheet for the other half. Pour a little water on some baking sheets and bake the pumpkin for about 1 hour at 350 F.
If you are going to be making chicken stock, it is best to go big or not at all. If you cook a big pot of stock, you can freeze it for later. This stock is a popular base that can be used in a variety of dishes, from soups to casseroles and much more. Allow the stock to cool before freezing it in durable, Ziploc bags.
Now you may have fresh fruit at anytime during the year. In addition, you’ll get to enjoy out-of-season fruits when no one else can!
Chicken Broth
When making a meal that needs milk or water, try a different substitute to make the dish taste different. Juices, beef broth, or vegetable broth can all be used as a substitute for water. To replace milk, yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk can make good substitutes. By using different liquid ingredients in your side dishes, you can increase their flavor and nutritional value.
When cooking vegetables, it is a good idea to use chicken broth. The broth will give the vegetables a delicious, warm flavor as well as extra moisture so they don’t stick to the pan. Chicken broth costs very little, and can be bought at most any grocery store.
If you have to season food while cooking it, add some in timed intervals rather than all of it at the start of cooking. It is easier to add more seasoning to taste than to take some away, and you’ll more evenly divide your ingredients.
When trying to eat a healthier diet or lose weight, you should decrease the portion of oils used in cooking meals. Butters and oils frequently contain unnecessary fats. A wonderful option for cooking is a nonstick cooking spray. It gives the same nonstick result with far less health ramifications.
Measure how much oil you use when cooking! To make sure the fat content in your food is as low as possible, carefully measure the oil you cook with instead of just eye-balling it. This helps you to better monitor the amount of oil you are using.
Tofu and beans are great sources of protein that can easily be added to your diet. You can buy both items at almost any grocery store, and they will fit into any budget. Tofu is great meat alternative when baked, broiled, or pan-fried with seasonings. You can boil the beans with some herbs to have a flavorful protein packed meal, side or snack.
Dry your own tomatoes. To be able to dry them yourself, cut the tomatoes half an inch thick, or you should cut Romas lengthwise in half. Then put them on a rack that you might use to cool cookies and then lightly cover them with salt. Place the rack on top of a cookie sheet, and bake the tomatoes in an oven set at 190 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 10 hours. Place them in the freezer in plastic bags. Dried tomatoes can be placed into a jar that is filled with fresh herbs and olive oil. Kept in the refrigerator, these tomatoes will keep for a couple of weeks.
Replace the standby liquids of milk and water in recipes to mix things up. If the recipe calls for water, switch it up by using a broth, juice, or cooking liquids. Buttermilk, yogurt and sour cream can be great substitutes for milk. A simple switch like changing a liquid in a recipe can improve the nutritional quality while giving the dish a whole new spin in taste.
If your meals include fresh herbs like dill or parsley, clump them together and use kitchen shears to cut them. This will keep them drier and less heavy than if they are chopped.
Try adding seasoning over the entire cooking process instead of putting on all your seasoning on at the beginning. Add a little spice every few minutes. In this manner, you will be able to enhance the flavors of the final dish.
When you are cooking pasta, use a fair amount of salt in the water. Adding salt at this stage will ensure that the pasta absorbs it completely. Salt and seasonings do not necessarily stick very well to cooked pasta, so seasoning it while it boils is your best bet to enhance the flavor.
Many popular veggies and herbs have a strong residual odor that can remain on cutting boards well after use. Mark the end of your cutting board with indelible ink to remember which side is which.
Being creative is a great way to get better at cooking. You do not have to follow a recipe to the “T”. Sometimes making minor changes can make the dish taste even better than it did when following the original recipe. That is the definition of a true cook!
Head to the store and replace your unused spices every six months. The flavor of spices diminishes if they sit around for too long. When you have to buy certain spices for specific dishes, be sure to give some of the spice away to a family or friend, if you do not plan on using all of it, before it will go bad.
Make all necessary preparations for whatever you are planning on cooking before you start cooking. This way, you will not waste gas when you are cooking, or save yourself danger when cooking.
Use these tips for your next meal. The delicious results will be well worth the effort of learning to cook. You might look forward to cooking after you start out and try brand new recipes. Try cooking right now!
Get your grill ready to go before you start to barbecue. The grill should be prepared 30 minutes before it is used for cooking. The coals should have an ash covering and should emit medium heat. This is optimum grilling temperature.
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