Quite a few people consider cooking a big hassle. Find some good ways to achieve just that by reading the following article.
Preparation is one of the most important things that you will have to do before you cook a meal for your friends or family. Make sure you have all the ingredients ready. Get all of the items you need prepared the day before so there will be no rushing. This can seriously reduce stress and anxiety levels.
Slice meat on the bias very thin when you are making stir fry. Very often this is difficult to master and takes a lot of time. When the meat is firm, but prior to it becoming completely frozen, remove it from the freezer. Slice the meat across the grain at an angle of 45 degrees.
Here is a little trick that can help you save your sauce so that you can use it right away. Make a mixture of two tablespoons of water and one tablespoon corn starch. Add the mixture into sauce and set to simmer in order to thicken it. The mixture should be added slowly and constantly stirred so that it doesn’t get too thick.
Lengthy cooking processes such as boiling remove many of the important nutrients found in vegetables. To preserve their healthy reputation, choose quick cooking methods such as sauteing or steaming – or better still, enjoy them in their natural, raw state.
If you are cooking a meal for some important occasion, stick with a tried and true recipe. Stay away from using new ingredients, or a new recipe. This makes cooking less stressful.
Improper storage techniques won’t ensure they will last from harvest through the winter months, which is when they are most often desired for inclusion in recipes. Dry warm air will cause them to rot, so make sure they are stored in a loose plastic bag in the fridge or in a cool basement. If one of the apples in a bag begins spoiling, the rest will soon follow.
If you wish to have crispy French fries, then you should soak the potatoes in cool water for 30 minutes and then fry them. When you soak sliced potatoes in cold water, it strengthens their fibers, so that they can stand up to the heat when being deep fried.
You can sprinkle it on many other foods besides meat. Put in on pumpkin seeds or in scrambled eggs to add a new flavor. It will be hard for people to guess where the flavor is coming from!
When making your own chicken stock, prepare more than you need up front. If you make a large pot of stock, you can freeze it and store it for future use. Stock is perfect for many dishes like stew, soup, and even casseroles. Let your stock cool off and pour it inside Ziploc bags.
When serving salad to guests, leave the dressing on the side. It is much better to let guests add the amount of dressing that they prefer according to their needs. Offer a variety of dressings, so there will be something to everyone’s taste.
If preparing dinner becomes overwhelming, try to get some of the prep work done the night before. Chop veggies, prepare a sauce, or marinate meat before heading to bed. You will be more relaxed and better prepared to cook the following day.
You should consider drying your tomatoes on your own. Drying them is easy – simply cut Roma tomatoes in half, or cut larger tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. You should place them on cooling rack, and salt them lightly with the cut side up. Put a cookie sheet underneath the cooling rack and then set the pair in an oven heated to 190 degrees. Leave for as many as ten hours. You can store your dried tomatoes in your freezer. You can also pack dried tomatoes in a jar with fresh herbs and olive oil. The jar can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.
When using fresh herbs like parsley or dill, gather them into bunches and cut them with scissors. The herbs can be fluffier, lighter, and drier than if you just chopped them.
If you are going to make macaroni and cheese, follow the instructions. You will get the best results this way and be glad you did. Use a solid spoon to serve your macaroni and cheese. Use some pepper on your macaroni and cheese!
When you are cooking, don’t be afraid to be creative. Don’t always stick to the exact recipe. With a little resourcefulness in adding extra ingredients, reducing or altering the amount of spices, or substituting one type of meat or vegetable for another, you can often create a meal that tastes far superior to the original. That is how a real cook gets it cooking!
To make your pasta sauce a little better, use some of the water that you cooked your noodles in. Set aside around a quarter of a cup of water. When you’re ready to combine the pasta and sauce, pour in a bit of the water. The combination of water and the starch from the pasta will give your sauce body and creaminess.
As discussed, there are a number of ways to transform cooking from a nuisance into a fun activity. Try following these tips and come up with new ideas on your own to start cooking meals you will enjoy more.
