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.
Slice your meat very thinly for stir-fry dishes. That can be time consuming and a bit difficult. Wait for the meat to get slightly firm and remove it from the freezer, then slice diagonally, cutting across the grain at an angle of roughly 45 degrees.
When certain recipes call for milk or water, try adding some other liquids that you would see fit to experiment with flavors. As a substitute for water, try broth. Juice can work as well. Some people use the water left over from boiling vegetables. You can substitute buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream in place of the milk. Substituting the liquid in a dish can add nutrient content, flavor or both.
There are good reasons to buy meat or fish without the bones removed. You can store the bones in the freezer packed inside plastic bags. They do not have to be cooked first in order to be frozen.
Think big if you plan to make chicken stock. If you make a large pot of stock, you can freeze it and store it for future use. Homemade chicken stock makes a great base for casseroles, soups, stews, and many other wonderful dishes. Put the stock into freezer bags and put it in your freezer.
Many strongly-scented vegetables and herbs will leave an odor on your cutting board, even if you clean it. Get two different cutting boards or mark one side of your board and make sure you use it for certain ingredients only.
Do you feel like you’re wasting money when you throw away a piece of moldy fruit? Is it possible to simply cut out the moldy, rotten part of the fruit? Never try to salvage fruit that is past its prime. Throw this fruit away because of the deep mold growth which you cannot see, and it would make you sick if you ate it.
Use cooking oil to measure sticky foods easily. Coat a spoon with a flavorless oil like canola, then use it to measure out the ingredient. The oil will allow the ingredient to slide right off the spoon, which makes cleanup a snap. This works great for foods such as peanut butter and margarine.
If your regular serving of frozen veggies just is not cutting it any longer, shake things up a bit. Try adding coconut flakes to your corn to create a dish that is reminiscent of Thai flavoring and that children and adults will both enjoy.
Savor hearty greens that grow in winter. When bitten by the season’s frost, many vegetables like broccoli, collard greens and kale can be infused with sweetness. Select greens that have a bright, deep glossy green, and avoid greens that look dull, limp or yellowish. Take good care when washing them because they can be very dirty. Completely submerge greens in cool water. Shake the water off and then rinse the greens until the water is completely clear.
Add a little salt to your cutting board whenever you are slicing up some herbs. This adds flavor and keeps the herbs on the board. Don’t over-salt your foods. The salt that has been sprinkled onto the board, will also have the extra benefit of adding a little bit of extra flavor when it adheres to the herbs.
Start using these tips as you cook. Once you try them, you’ll be assured that cooking isn’t that bad after all! Preparing attractive, tasty meals may even become a hobby you enjoy. You will look forward to trying new recipes and cooking techniques. Go ahead, and begin your cooking journey today!