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.
Follow the instructions on the packaging to the letter anytime you prepare macaroni and cheese. The macaroni cooks perfectly when you do this and is nothing short of spectacular after the nice, creamy, melted cheese is poured over the noodles. Serving this dish can be enhanced by using a simple spoon with a solid face. Sprinkle some pepper on top for added spice, and enjoy!
Before you start cooking, all your ingredients should be prepared so it isn’t as stressful. You don’t want to get halfway through a dish and find out you are missing a crucial ingredient. It doesn’t take any longer to prepare before you cook than while you cook, but it does make the experience easier and faster.
Your cutting board retains the odors of certain herbs and vegetables despite repeated scrubbings. Get two different cutting boards or mark one side of your board and make sure you use it for certain ingredients only.
If you are cooking a large batch of pancakes or waffles, it is important to keep the food warm until you are ready to serve. Keep your oven preheated to 300 degrees. Place the waffles or pancakes on an oven safe plate inside the warm oven as you cook.
Try baking rather than using the microwave when you want to reheat a dish that contains oil. Oil heats more quickly than other ingredients, and the strong heat that a microwave has will cause it to separate from everything else. Baking will allow the entire dish to heat at the same time and keep all of the ingredients cohesive.
Read the nutrition facts, even for raw ingredients you purchase. The reason you want to do this is because many supplies that pop up in a lot of recipes can have ingredients in them that are not good for your health. Too much salt, sugar, and those dreaded unpronounceable chemicals can really alter the flavors of dishes and be generally unhealthy for you.
Tomatoes can be easily dried. Drying them is easy – simply cut Roma tomatoes in half, or cut larger tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Place the resulting tomato pieces on a rack, then salt their exposed flesh lightly. Then place that on a baking sheet and dry them in an oven that is 190 degrees for 10 hours. They can then be stored in plastic freezer bags in your freezer. Dried tomatoes may also be stored in a jar containing fresh herbs and olive oil. This will be good for up to two weeks, and should be refrigerated during that time.
Make sure that you do not dispose of any leftovers after your Thanksgiving dinner. Try cutting them up, storing them in a container that is airtight, and then place them in the freezer. The turkey stays fresh for a few weeks this way and can be used to make sandwiches or can be put into a salad.
Do not keep your herbs or spices in a place that is not cool and dark. When they are stored in the sun, they lose shelf life because of exposure. Keeping your spices in darkened, cool areas will lend extra longevity and flavor. Fresh spices can greatly enhance your meals, making this effort well worth your time.
Now that you’ve read this article, take this advice, and apply it to your meals. Once you try them, you’ll be assured that cooking isn’t that bad after all! You might look forward to cooking after you start out and try brand new recipes. Give cooking a shot!