Lots of people enjoy cooking as a relaxing, rewarding and creative hobby. A welcoming kitchen filled with pleasant smells is something everyone enjoys coming home to. It can be hard to find the right type of recipes in order to prepare the perfect meal. This article has a number of great cooking tips so you can create that perfect meal.
Always slice your meat thinly and on the bias when you are cooking stir-fry. This can take a lot of time and be hard. Once the meat has become more firm, you should slice against the grain at 45 degrees.
Liven up your old recipes by simply changing the sauces or spices that go in it. You can create drastically different flavors and dishes by using new marinades, sauces and garnishes. Something that people do not think of is shopping at a ethnic food store for new spices.
Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens can be considered a pain to prepare, but they are very healthy. Taking out the stems can be tiresome and time-consuming. To prepare most leafy greens, you can fold the actual leaf in half like a piece of paper, grab the stem from the bottom, and then rip it out. Use any sharpened blade to remove the stem from the folded leaf. When you unfold the leaf it will be a de-stemmed green, which was done perfectly.
Always take good care of your wooden cutting board. Excess moisture, heat and dryness may cause a wooden chopping board to split and warp. Don’t submerge your board in water to clean it. Use a sponge and warm soapy water instead. If you have a damaged cutting board, you should purchase an oil product that is designed for cutting board restoration. Before using it again, make sure the oil is completely dry.
Use cooking oil to measure sticky foods easily. Just coat your measuring spoon with an oil that has a very mild flavor (Canola is a good option). When you use that spoon to pick up the sticky substance, it will slip off the spoon, and into your mixing bowl, with ease. This works for honey and peanut butter too.
This seasoning can also be utilized on various other ingredients. Use it with roasted pumpkin seeds for a wonderful snack, or go ahead and add some to scrambled eggs. All your guests will be left wondering where the delightful flavor came from.
For an improvement to your pasta sauce, save some of the water used to cook the pasta. Reserve a small quarter cup portion of the water you cook the pasta in after you cook it. When you’re ready to combine the pasta and sauce, pour in a bit of the water. Residual starch in the water adds volume and creaminess to the sauce of your choice.
If your family enjoys corn, but you find it grows boring as a side dish night after night, change things up a bit. Add coconut flakes to the corn for a very exotic flavor.
There are few things more frustrating in grilling than going to flip a burger and finding that it has stuck to the grill. To prevent this, brush the grill with a bit of vegetable oil to keep your foods from sticking.
Cooling Rack
Try drying your own fresh tomatoes. Simply cut them into 1/2 half inch slices, or cut lengthwise for Romas. Using a cooling rack, lay the sliced tomatoes with the side that is cut facing upward, and then sprinkle them lightly with salt. Heat your oven to 190 degrees and put the cooling rack with the tomatoes directly onto a cookie sheet, baking for no more than ten hours. After the tomatoes have cooled, place them in plastic bags, and store them in the freezer. Another way to preserve your dried tomatoes is in olive oil, with herbs for added flavor, in a glass jar. The jar can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Wok-fried rice is a delicious meal and a simple way to use up some of the leftover meats and veggies that are still sitting around in your fridge. Cold, day-old rice works great, but if you desire to use fresh rice be sure to use less water to make the rice drier. Fry up your veggies and meat in a little bit of oil, then add rice, and season your dish with garlic, soy sauce, ginger, white pepper and any other seasonings you like.
After finishing up your Thanksgiving dinner, don’t just discard the leftovers. Instead, cut it into slices, store it in an airtight container, and place it directly in the freezer. The turkey meat will keep its freshness and can later be used for making sandwiches or as a salad ingredient.
If you are cooking for an important guest, don’t use that as an opportunity to try out a new recipe. Your date, boss or family will be impressed with your cooking if you prepare something great, not if you try a complicated recipe you are not mastering. Cooking them one of your specialties is a safe bet.
Always get the freshest garlic available when you have a recipe that calls for it. Fresh garlic has a sweeter taste. Don’t buy garlic that is soft, shriveled or bruised.
Have you felt bad before when you have had to throw away your moldy fruit? Is it alright to cut out the rotten part and save them? It is unfortunate, but it is not safe to save fruit that is partly rotted. You need to throw them away, as mold tends to grow deeper than the eye can see, and eating moldy foods can make someone quite ill.
It is easy to keep your cooked pancakes and waffles warm while you finish cooking the batch. Turn your oven on to 300 degrees. Place your breakfast goodies on a platter, and leave them in the oven to stay warm until they are ready to eat.
As this article has discussed, cooking is revered by many as an excellent and enjoyable hobby. However, some people don’t know where to start, in terms of picking the right recipes or using the proper techniques. Follow this article’s advice and you will be on your way to cooking great food.