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.
Use extra virgin olive oil when necessary instead of oils that are high in saturated fat. Most oils, and butters, too, contain a very high fat content, and this fat is neither necessary or always the good kind. Try cooking with a cooking spray so that you will use less oil but the same effect.
It works on other foods, as well as meat. Try roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled with the seasoning for a tasty snack or mix it in your scrambled eggs. You’ll even surprise yourself with just how delicious your food tastes.
Tofu and beans are great sources of protein that can easily be added to your diet. Both can be purchased at just about any grocery store. Seasoned tofu is a wonderful alternative to meat, and can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as pan frying. Likewise, beans cooked with herbs can also be a flavorful dish.
Be sure to read labels when purchasing ingredients for recipes. Many often-used ingredients contain hidden, unhealthy ingredients. Look out for excessive levels of sodium or sugar, since over-consumption of either leads to health problems.
If you are looking for a new, exotic seasoning, try cooking with saffron. Saffron lends a unique, exotic flavoring that is unmatched by other spices. Saffron is a delightful ancient herb. Not surprisingly, saffron is a flavor that is sought the world over. Because of this, this herb is considered one of the priciest on the market.
When cooking for someone that you want to impress it is important to make sure that you are preparing a meal that you have prepared before and know you can prepare well. Preparing a meal for someone important, or that you hope to impress, is not the time to experiment with new recipes or exotic ingredients that you have never used before. This makes cooking less stressful.
If you’re pressed for time and are making a roast, it helps if you fix a bone-in roast. Heat will be distributed to the center of the roasting pan more quickly by the bone. When the joint is cooked, carefully cut the meat from the bones and serve.
Organize your materials as best as possible, if you desire to prevent the hazards of burns in the kitchen. An organized cooking station is a productive cooking station. Unorganized cooking stations may mean you lose money and valuable food that is better suited to eating.
Use another timer in addition to the oven timer. By having a watch set up to beep when food is done, you do not have to worry about under or overcooking your foods.
Use cooking oil for measuring sticky foods! Dip the measuring spoon in cooking oil and the food will slide off your spoon more easily. This method works well for peanut butter as well as honey.
Optimize your efforts when making your own chicken stock. If you prepare a large pot of stock, it can be frozen and stored for future use. Homemade chicken stock adds great flavor to everything from soups to casseroles. Once your stock is finished, cool it and put it in heavy freezer bags.
Take these tips and try them in cooking your meals. Once you eat some of your meals, you will know you did the right thing. You may find that you actually begin to look forward to cooking your meals. You may find that you can be a good cook, if you give it a try!