Learning to cook delicious meals will be a benefit to yourself, your friends and your family. The following article will help you vastly improve your culinary skills.
When using knives to prepare your food, it is critical that they all have a sharp edge. Dull knives are dangerous and difficult to use. You’re less likely to cut yourself chopping up a vegetable with the clean, fast strokes of a sharp knife, than when you are forcing and wiggling a dull knife.
Whenever you have cooked a whole turkey, never throw away your leftovers. Rather, cut the turkey into pieces, pile it into a sealed container and freeze it. This will keep the meat fresh for a couple of weeks. When you are ready to use it, you can make sandwiches or have it in a salad.
When you truss your bird, you tie its legs and wings together. This helps keep the bird’s legs and wings close to his body, helping it cook more consistently. If you don’t truss your bird, the smaller pieces could dry out and burn.
Greens are extremely healthy, especially the dark, leafy ones, but preparation can be difficult. Taking out the tough stems may be tedious. Try this tip, fold up the leaf lengthwise and then pull out the stem. If not, utilize a knife or other sharp blade to cut out the stem from the folded leaf. When you unfold the leaf, it will be ready for cooking and completely edible.
Chicken Stock
When preparing chicken stock, it is best to make a large batch. Instead of making just what you need, make a huge pot so you have some to freeze and use later. Excellent chicken stock that is homemade is a great base for use in stews, soups, casseroles, and more. Once your stock is finished, cool it and put it in heavy freezer bags.
To make a soup or stew that is almost fat free, begin your recipe with a fat-free broth or soup stock. Add many different types of vegetables and choose a cut of lean meat to add to the soup to make sure that you are keeping the it low-fat. When your soup finishes cooking, chill it in the refrigerator for a bit. Excess fat will rise to the top and congeal. The fat can then be removed and tossed out. For every teaspoon of fat that you remove, you will be taking 100 calories out of the soup.
Freeze sauces by pouring leftovers into ice cube trays. For a quick and easy sauce on another night, simply remove as many cubes as you need and reheat in a pan. The sauce is still good after it is frozen.
Pie Crust
Give your pie crust a new lease on life! Spending too much time kneading and rolling your dough can cause it to become overworked and cracked. You need to lightly sprinkle cold water on the cracks. You will then gently rub the areas with your finger until the cracks appear to be filled. If there is cracking on the top pie crust, use some milk on a brush and sprinkle with coarse grind sugar. Once it is baked, the crust will be glazed and golden brown, disguising any cracks.
Before chopping fresh herbs sprinkle some salt on the cutting board. It will not only add flavor to the herbs but it will also keep them in place while they are being chopped. If you add the salt to your cutting board, reduce the salt in the recipe by the same amount, so that you don’t add too much salt to your dish. The salt sprinkled on the board adheres to the herbs, which takes the flavor up to 11.
A well organized kitchen will simplify cooking. If they’re not organized, you’ll waste time looking for needed items. Store similar items together in the same place. Keep pots in the same cupboard, for instance, or all spatulas in the same drawer.
When fresh fruits, including avocados, bananas, pears, peaches, and apples, are sliced and therefore exposed to air, they have a higher chance of turning brown. Lemon or salt water can do an adequate job of staving off the browning process, but it’s better to use is pineapple juice. It is not necessary to completely saturate the fruit; just a quick dip in and out of the juice is perfect.
Before washing your hands, try rubbing them on stainless steal to remove strong odors such as garlic or fish. You can keep your hands free from odors no matter the source, by using stainless steel rubbed onto your hands. Try the side of the sink or a spoon.
Color plays an important part in cooking. Using a rainbow of colored ingredients in your recipes will make the food as healthy for you as it is great to look at. Garnishes like parsley, carrots, or tomatoes will add beautiful color to your meals. Put some creativity into your color combinations, and your dishes are sure to get eaten every time.
Chicken Broth
Try cooking your vegetables in chicken broth. Using chicken broth will prevent the vegetables from sticking in the pan as well as add some tasty flavor at the same time. You can make your own chicken broth or you can buy it at most any supermarket at a very low price.
This type of seasoning can be added to all types of foods other than meat. Experiment with adding it to roasted seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin, or even sprinkle into salads and egg dishes. Everyone will be wondering what your secret ingredient is!
One highly effective and simple way to prepare interesting and new foods is to change up the sauces and spices you use on a regular basis. Using different spices really changes the taste of a dish. Something that people do not think of is shopping at a ethnic food store for new spices.
Food is the essence of life, and the power it contains is astonishing. Take the insights you’ve been given here to elevate your standing with those who matter the most to you.