Even if you only cook for your family, there is always something new to learn. Knowing the proper methods and how to go about applying them, will turn simple meals into amazing feasts that everyone will remember you for. Try some of these tips to make your meals interesting and exciting!
New spices should be purchased every six months. Often, spices that have sat upon the shelf for a long period of time lose their pungency. If you purchase a specific spice, knowing that you probably won’t use it all, split it with someone.
The quality of vegetables improves when cooked. Using slow cooking methods can rob vegetable of their taste and nutritional value. These quick cooking techniques will produce generally, healthier vegetable sides. You should only cook them just as long as it takes for them to be done.
Add flavor to your bland dishes by replacing water with a stock. If you don’t have prepared stock, you can a bullion cube to the water. In this way, you can be sure your food has enough moisture and extra flavor!
Chicken Stock
You should think big when preparing chicken stock. If you make a large amount of stock you can freeze it for future use. There’s nothing better than homemade chicken stock as a flavorful base for casseroles, stews and soups. Simply cool the stock, and then freeze it into Ziploc, heavyweight freezer bags.
If you leave some sliced fruits, such as avocados, bananas, and pears out in the open air, they can become brown. Using lemon mixed with salt water is the common way to stop this, but pineapple juice does a better job overall. As a rapid dip will suffice, you don’t need to immerse the fruit.
Buying quality knives is an important investment in your kitchen. Not only will you save time by not having to mess with dull knives, but it is also much safer to use a sharp utensil than a dull one! More accidents occur when utensils are dull, because they have a tendency to slip as you cut.
Dark, leafy greens are super healthy, but preparing them can be a pain. They often have tough stems, which must be removed. Make it easier by folding the leaf and breaking the stem. If not try using a knife to chop out the stem from the folded leaf. When you unfold the leaf, you will see a de-stemmed green.
Extra Flavor
This can be applied on many other foods other than just meat. This type of seasoning can be applied to pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and even roasted peanuts to create a great on the go snack. The interesting flavor will leave everyone wondering what the secret ingredient it.
Sprinkle salt on your cutting board before cutting fresh herbs. This gives extra flavor and helps to hold the herbs in place. Don’t put too much salt on the board, though. Don’t add salt later, either, as there should be enough absorbed when you are chopping. The salt will stick to the herbs, adding some extra flavor to your dish.
Measure your cooking oil! This will help you lower the fat content when you cook as opposed to just pouring directly into the pan without measuring. This will give you the ability to know exactly how much oil you are using.
Before you begin to cook, you must make sure that your kitchen utensils are clean. If food is left behind on the utensils after washing, this may spoil what you are planning to cook. This can cost you a lot because it might cause bacteria to spread.
If you are on a diet or perhaps just health-conscious, you can easily make a flavorful, low-fat soup or stew. First, you will need to purchase a fat-free stock or broth. Keep fat content to a minimum by loading the soup with lean meats and vegetables. When the soup is ready to eat, place the soup in the refrigerator and let it chill. Any excess fat will harden and rise to the top. Then, all you have to do is spoon out the excess fat from the top of the soup. The calorie savings is around 100 per tablespoon you remove.
When you want to become a better cook, the first step is making use of the information available to you. These cooking tips can help you learn to cook better for either yourself, a crowd, family, or friends.