Learning how to cook healthy, delicious meals is easier than you might think, and can be quite relaxing and rewarding. Opening your fridge to reveal a vast array of tempting ingredients prepared just for your recipe is an amazing mood-booster. However, it can be difficult to find the exact recipes and tips that you need to prepare the perfect meal. The following paragraphs have a handful of helpful hints that will enable you to make memorable meals.
A good tip when using cooking oil is to put some on the sides of the pan while cooking. This way, it will already be hot when it gets near the food. The already heated oil will do a much better job at cooking and flavoring your food.
You can make healthier mashed potatoes with the same taste and texture you love by substituting cauliflower for potatoes in equal proportions. The taste of cauliflower will blend nicely with the potatoes. It also mimics the texture and color of the potatoes almost perfectly letting you up your vegetable intake, and drop the calories, all the while giving the same delicious potato experience we all know and love.
Are you cooking using fresh basil? Put a some of it in a cup. Fill the glass just enough with water so that the stems can absorb it. Set the glass on the kitchen counter or windowsill to maintain its freshness for weeks. Refresh the water quite often, and you will notice that the basil starts to grow roots. All you need to do is keep the roots of the basil trimmed regularly and you will have fresh basil ready for use for quite some time.
You can use this on a variety of foods, not just meat. Blended seasonings add a delicious flavor to any food, from pumpkin seeds to scrambled eggs. The interesting flavor will leave everyone wondering what the secret ingredient it.
Have you ever struggled to determine the time it takes to grill your meat? It is always a good idea to use a quality meat thermometer (preferably a digital one for precise reading) to make sure the inside is also cooked properly. Another tip is to close the lid on your grill if the meat you’re cooking is thicker than an inch and a half.
Once in awhile, burgers stick to the cooking surface making it nearly impossible to get them off in one piece. Try brushing a thin coating of vegetable oil on the grill or pan to keep food from sticking.
If you want a healthier diet, use less oil when you cook. Oils and butters generally contain needless fats. A good alternative to using butter and oil is to use a low-fat cooking spray. Even better, you can use nonstick pans and eliminate oil altogether.
For a high-protein diet, meat isn’t the only source available. Tofu, lentils and beans are great protein substitutes. Most grocery stores sell both items. A delicious alternative to meat is tofu pan fried with your favorite seasonings. Boil the beans with herbs to make a tasty protein-filled dish.
If you need to cook a roast quickly, do not remove the bone. The meat cooks faster because the bone will carry the heat through the inside of the roast, helping it cook from the inside out. Once it is finished cooking, cut the meat off the bone.
Dry your own tomatoes. Slice tomatoes 1/2″ thick to dry. Romas should be cut in two lengthwise. Put them facing upwards onto a cooling rack and add a little salt. The next step is to put the rack on an old cookie sheet and then place in an oven set at 190 degrees for at least 10 hours. You can then freeze your tomatoes in Ziplock bags. Another way to preserve your dried tomatoes is in olive oil, with herbs for added flavor, in a glass jar. Tomatoes stored in this fashion will last for two weeks in the refrigerator.
If you cook using herbs and spices, keep them stored under dark, cool conditions to preserve their freshness and flavor. Heat will cause flavor loss in your herbs and spices; therefore, they should be kept away from heat sources such as stoves.
Place unripe fruits in a plastic bags you have poked small holes into. As a fruit ripens, it produces ethylene gas. By placing them in a plastic bag with holes, air will circulate in the bag, making sure that ethylene gas is retained, and the fruit keeps its great taste.
Make sure that prior to cooking, your utensils are sparkling clean. You could contaminate what you’re going to cook if the utensils aren’t completely clean from previous cooking sessions. Bacteria will develop and spread on unclean utensils.
If you want your dishes to be more flavorful, try preparing your own stock. Making it in huge quantities can allow you to store the leftover in some resealable bags in the freezer. By doing this, you’ll always have great tasting homemade stock when you desire to create soups or other types of dishes. Making the stock yourself will allow you to know that you are using a stock that is not loaded with preservatives.
A simple sandwich can impress your family and friends if you make it perfectly by spreading the mayonnaise in a smooth, even layer across the entire surface of the bread. Sometimes, people who are rushed just plop some mayonnaise down on the bread and call it good. A smooth, even spread results in a sandwich in which each bite is as good as the last.
If you are using onions in a salsa that will sit for a while, rinse them in cool water, blot dry and then put them in the salsa dish. Fresh onions contain gas that has sulfur in it. Obviously, the gas from raw onions can do a real number on your salsa, practically ruining it. Rinsing and drying the onions is enough to get rid of this gas.
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.
