For some people, cooking is a fun hobby. For others, cooking is a necessity. No matter what your specific situation is, learning more about cooking is what will make you become a better cook. The following article is going to provide you with this important information. Use it to your advantage.
Indenting the center of a hamburger patty by up to one half inch will prevent bulging during cooking. Just a poke in the middle prior to cooking will allow a more even distribution of heat and will stop your burger from swelling on the top, something most of us are all too familiar with.
Make soup stock in large quantities. Soup stock can be used in many different recipes. If you make a large portion of it once, it is easy to store for later use. Just put it in baggies that can be sealed. Put it in the freezer and thaw it out when you need to use it.
When cutting onions, hold a match between your teeth while you cut. Make sure the match is not lit. This will keep those stinging eyes and unwanted tears away. Your experience cutting the onion will be more pleasant if you follow this simple tip each and every time.
Ensure that your baked fish is moist and tender by cooking "en papillote". This is a French technique that refers to fish baked in a parchment-paper packet. Place the fish and vegetables of your choice in the center of a large piece of parchment-paper. Bring the edges of the paper together, crease them tightly to form a seal, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees. The fish and vegetables steam in the packet, keeping them moist and tender, and creating a tasty, healthy dish. (Clean-up is just as easy - simply throw away the paper after eating!)
Damp paper towel and a plastic bag can extend the life of your greens. If you wrap your fresh herbs or fresh greens with a damp paper towel and then place them in a plastic bag, they will last longer. They will normally stay fresh three to four days longer if you do.
As was stated above, everyone cooks for different reasons. However, no matter what reason you may have, it is crucial that you know everything there is to know about cooking. Use this information to improve your cooking skills. Who knows, maybe you will even want to become a chef with this information.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Cooking Tips To Make You Shine In The Kitchen
Cooking might be something you do in order to prepare your food for your daily meals, but the truth is that cooking is much more than that. Cooking is a way to show creativity, scientific knowledge, and people skills all at once. Enhancing your cooking skills means enhancing your life. Try these tips, and make your meals, and life, that much better.
To prevent your homemade pizza from becoming soggy with all of the juicy toppings you add, lightly coat the bare dough with olive oil. Pizza sauce, peppers and meats can all weigh down a pizza dough and cause it to be soggy even after baking so be sure to brush on a bit of olive oil for a crispier, firmer pizza!
If you're trying to start making more food yourself, try looking at basic cookbooks in your local library or bookstore. Try your hand at several recipes that pique your interest, and forgive yourself for any mistakes you may make along the way.
After cooking with a large amount of garlic, rub both hands on your stainless steel sink before washing them. Use a vigorous scrubbing action. This will help to get rid of that lingering garlic scent on your skin. It will not leave a scent on your stainless steel sink.
One of the things that you can do if you are cooking cauliflower is to add milk, which will help to brighten your vegetable. This will add to the aesthetic appeal of your food and will also maintain the freshness until you decide to serve it to your friends or family.
Keep track of ingredients when baking. Sometimes, when you are adding a lot of dry ingredients to your mixing bowl, it's easy to lose track. An easy solution to this is to place each ingredient in a different part of the bowl. That way, every dry ingredient you add can be seen and counted.
One fun part of learning to cook is showing off your new-found skills. If you are cooking for someone special, though, leave the experimentation for another day. Do not try new recipes or new ingredients (or, worse, both at the same time) when you are cooking a meal for someone you really want to impress.
One of the fun things about cooking is that it is always new. There are always new recipes to try, new skills to learn, and new ways of doing things. You can truly enjoy the art of preparing a meal and it's something that you get to do every day of your life.
To prevent your homemade pizza from becoming soggy with all of the juicy toppings you add, lightly coat the bare dough with olive oil. Pizza sauce, peppers and meats can all weigh down a pizza dough and cause it to be soggy even after baking so be sure to brush on a bit of olive oil for a crispier, firmer pizza!
If you're trying to start making more food yourself, try looking at basic cookbooks in your local library or bookstore. Try your hand at several recipes that pique your interest, and forgive yourself for any mistakes you may make along the way.
After cooking with a large amount of garlic, rub both hands on your stainless steel sink before washing them. Use a vigorous scrubbing action. This will help to get rid of that lingering garlic scent on your skin. It will not leave a scent on your stainless steel sink.
One of the things that you can do if you are cooking cauliflower is to add milk, which will help to brighten your vegetable. This will add to the aesthetic appeal of your food and will also maintain the freshness until you decide to serve it to your friends or family.
Keep track of ingredients when baking. Sometimes, when you are adding a lot of dry ingredients to your mixing bowl, it's easy to lose track. An easy solution to this is to place each ingredient in a different part of the bowl. That way, every dry ingredient you add can be seen and counted.
One fun part of learning to cook is showing off your new-found skills. If you are cooking for someone special, though, leave the experimentation for another day. Do not try new recipes or new ingredients (or, worse, both at the same time) when you are cooking a meal for someone you really want to impress.
One of the fun things about cooking is that it is always new. There are always new recipes to try, new skills to learn, and new ways of doing things. You can truly enjoy the art of preparing a meal and it's something that you get to do every day of your life.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Cook Like A Professional Chef With These Simple Tips And Techniques
Cooking is a vital skill that everyone should have. But it doesn't always come easily to everyone. So below are a few tips that've been accumulated to help you become a better cook. With these tips, you won't have to worry about producing a meal that nobody wants to eat again.
Remember, the smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature. Small cookies will bake on a higher temp than a full cake would. Make sure to double check your recipe to find out the exact temperature it needs to be. You don't want to prepare a perfect item only to have it burn or be under cooked.
For stir fry with an authentic Chinese touch, try using their velveting technique! Prepare a mixture of corn starch, egg whites, seasonings and sherry and set your pork, chicken or shrimp in it for about half an hour. Then, blanch it in hot oil or boiling water for shiny, tender and delicious restaurant quality stir fry.
To keep your cakes from falling flat, mix dense batters by hand with a wooden spoon. Electric mixers beat too much air into the batter, causing the cakes to fall when they are baked. Meanwhile, by using a wooden spoon to gently mix thick batters like carrot cake you protect the consistency of the batter from absorbing too much air.
Always use the freshest ingredients you can find for your cooking. Fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood all taste better when they are fresh. Besides better taste, fresh ingredients are usually healthier than pre-packaged, canned or frozen ones. Fresh foods have superior nutritional content and lack the unhealthy additives found in packaged foods.
If you are planning on buying fish from a supermarket or fish store, make sure that you ask the person behind the counter if you can smell the fish. The fish should be very firm and should not have any pungent odors to them. Otherwise, do not purchase it, as they are probably not fresh.
To have a meal ready when you get home from work use a slow cooker or crock pot. Some meals come prepackaged. All you have to do is pour it into the crock pot, maybe add some water and set the heat. If you like making your own meals you can prepare ingredients the night before. After you've prepared the ingredients put them in the fridge. Add everything to the crock pot in the morning before you go to work.
These are only a fraction of the tips that're out there to help you become a better cook. Hopefully you've learned some valuable information and are on your way to becoming a great cook. Even if you're only cooking for yourself, it's always nice to be able to make a good tasting meal!
Remember, the smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature. Small cookies will bake on a higher temp than a full cake would. Make sure to double check your recipe to find out the exact temperature it needs to be. You don't want to prepare a perfect item only to have it burn or be under cooked.
For stir fry with an authentic Chinese touch, try using their velveting technique! Prepare a mixture of corn starch, egg whites, seasonings and sherry and set your pork, chicken or shrimp in it for about half an hour. Then, blanch it in hot oil or boiling water for shiny, tender and delicious restaurant quality stir fry.
To keep your cakes from falling flat, mix dense batters by hand with a wooden spoon. Electric mixers beat too much air into the batter, causing the cakes to fall when they are baked. Meanwhile, by using a wooden spoon to gently mix thick batters like carrot cake you protect the consistency of the batter from absorbing too much air.
Always use the freshest ingredients you can find for your cooking. Fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood all taste better when they are fresh. Besides better taste, fresh ingredients are usually healthier than pre-packaged, canned or frozen ones. Fresh foods have superior nutritional content and lack the unhealthy additives found in packaged foods.
If you are planning on buying fish from a supermarket or fish store, make sure that you ask the person behind the counter if you can smell the fish. The fish should be very firm and should not have any pungent odors to them. Otherwise, do not purchase it, as they are probably not fresh.
To have a meal ready when you get home from work use a slow cooker or crock pot. Some meals come prepackaged. All you have to do is pour it into the crock pot, maybe add some water and set the heat. If you like making your own meals you can prepare ingredients the night before. After you've prepared the ingredients put them in the fridge. Add everything to the crock pot in the morning before you go to work.
These are only a fraction of the tips that're out there to help you become a better cook. Hopefully you've learned some valuable information and are on your way to becoming a great cook. Even if you're only cooking for yourself, it's always nice to be able to make a good tasting meal!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Cook Like A 5 Star Chef With These Easy Cooking Tips
Learning how to cook is a great way to take control of your life. Cooking skills can improve your health, shrink your food budget and impress friends and family. Whether you are a stranger to the kitchen or an experienced stove-top jockey, there are always new cooking tips and techniques to learn. This article has a few such tips to get you started on sharpening your cooking skills.
Kneading is a tiring task, but the constantly moving board makes it even more difficult. Have you tried a few unsuccessful tricks to secure the board? Try the simplest of all which always deliver the best results. Place a damp towel under the board you are using to knead the dough. It will keep the board in place.
Rising the dough requires patience and an optimal environment. Don't just leave the bowl with the dough where it's not in your way. Create the perfect conditions to get the best results. Find a place with constant, warmer temperature without draft. Constantly changing temperature and draft makes the dough rise slowly and unevenly.
If you plan to let your chicken sit in the oven for a while after it is baked, then subtract a few minutes from its baking time. Since chicken continues to bake even after it is taken away from a heat source, it can dry out quickly in an oven that is still hot.
To save on fat when cooking, use applesauce instead of butter. A cup of applesauce is equal to a cup of butter. This will reduce fat and calorie contents of your dessert recipe. It will also make your recipe moist and delicious. Most people won't even be able to tell the difference.
Avoid limiting yourself to white potatoes in your cooking. They are very high in starch and have the least amount of nutritional content of any of the potatoes. Try varieties that come in blue, red, yellow, and orange. You can substitute almost any root vegetable as your usual white potato.
Feel free to make use of the tips that appeal to you. One of the greatest things about cooking for yourself is that it puts you in control of your diet. You are free to cook the way you want to. As you refine your cooking skills, keep looking for recipes and techniques that will help you to make the kind of food that you want to enjoy.
Kneading is a tiring task, but the constantly moving board makes it even more difficult. Have you tried a few unsuccessful tricks to secure the board? Try the simplest of all which always deliver the best results. Place a damp towel under the board you are using to knead the dough. It will keep the board in place.
Rising the dough requires patience and an optimal environment. Don't just leave the bowl with the dough where it's not in your way. Create the perfect conditions to get the best results. Find a place with constant, warmer temperature without draft. Constantly changing temperature and draft makes the dough rise slowly and unevenly.
If you plan to let your chicken sit in the oven for a while after it is baked, then subtract a few minutes from its baking time. Since chicken continues to bake even after it is taken away from a heat source, it can dry out quickly in an oven that is still hot.
To save on fat when cooking, use applesauce instead of butter. A cup of applesauce is equal to a cup of butter. This will reduce fat and calorie contents of your dessert recipe. It will also make your recipe moist and delicious. Most people won't even be able to tell the difference.
Avoid limiting yourself to white potatoes in your cooking. They are very high in starch and have the least amount of nutritional content of any of the potatoes. Try varieties that come in blue, red, yellow, and orange. You can substitute almost any root vegetable as your usual white potato.
Feel free to make use of the tips that appeal to you. One of the greatest things about cooking for yourself is that it puts you in control of your diet. You are free to cook the way you want to. As you refine your cooking skills, keep looking for recipes and techniques that will help you to make the kind of food that you want to enjoy.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Clean Your Plate! Cooking Tips For You!
Cooking is one of the most interesting ways that people can express themselves. Cooking lets you exercise creativity as you combine food items to create new dishes that are unique. If you wish to express your creativity through cooking, then the tips in the article below will help you get started.
For the most beautiful homemade chocolate chip cookies, do not add all of the chocolate morsels into the mix! Save about a quarter of what your recipe calls for until after the cookies are all arranged on the cooking sheet, then add them evenly to the tops of the dough drops to create bakery looking, perfect chocolate chip cookies!
Change from ordinary table salt when cooking, to sea salt or kosher salt. The latter will add a much better flavor to the recipe. While it is important not to over-salt food for health reasons, leaving salt out of a recipe altogether can result in a meal that tastes bland. So seek a middle ground when using this seasoning.
The smaller the item you are cooking, the higher the baking temperature should be. Baking something delicious does not have to involve leaving food in the oven for hours. If you are baking something small, set the oven temperature higher. Just make sure you leave it in the oven for less time.
If you feel that a piece of food you are about to cook does not look right or may be rotten, always error on the side of caution and throw it away. It is better to lose a few dollars than to cost yourself the next couple of weeks from food poisoning.
Cook your chicken over other ingredients. If you are making a chicken dish that includes an ingredient like onions, cook the chicken over them. Oil the pan and cut the onion into slices. Put them in the pan and place the chicken over them. The juices from the chicken will soak into the onion.
For pasta that is cooked perfectly all the way through, do not place it the in water until the water is boiling. Pasta cooks from the outside in, so to keep your pasta all one texture you need to cook it at the same consistent temperature from the beginning to the end.
As stated before in the article above, cooking is an interesting way to express yourself. You can create many food combinations to create unique signature dishes of your own design. If you remember the tips found in this article, you can take the first step to creating a cooking masterpiece.
For the most beautiful homemade chocolate chip cookies, do not add all of the chocolate morsels into the mix! Save about a quarter of what your recipe calls for until after the cookies are all arranged on the cooking sheet, then add them evenly to the tops of the dough drops to create bakery looking, perfect chocolate chip cookies!
Change from ordinary table salt when cooking, to sea salt or kosher salt. The latter will add a much better flavor to the recipe. While it is important not to over-salt food for health reasons, leaving salt out of a recipe altogether can result in a meal that tastes bland. So seek a middle ground when using this seasoning.
The smaller the item you are cooking, the higher the baking temperature should be. Baking something delicious does not have to involve leaving food in the oven for hours. If you are baking something small, set the oven temperature higher. Just make sure you leave it in the oven for less time.
If you feel that a piece of food you are about to cook does not look right or may be rotten, always error on the side of caution and throw it away. It is better to lose a few dollars than to cost yourself the next couple of weeks from food poisoning.
Cook your chicken over other ingredients. If you are making a chicken dish that includes an ingredient like onions, cook the chicken over them. Oil the pan and cut the onion into slices. Put them in the pan and place the chicken over them. The juices from the chicken will soak into the onion.
For pasta that is cooked perfectly all the way through, do not place it the in water until the water is boiling. Pasta cooks from the outside in, so to keep your pasta all one texture you need to cook it at the same consistent temperature from the beginning to the end.
As stated before in the article above, cooking is an interesting way to express yourself. You can create many food combinations to create unique signature dishes of your own design. If you remember the tips found in this article, you can take the first step to creating a cooking masterpiece.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Change Your Cooking Style With These Recommendations
Food is a major focus of our society and there are so many ways to prepare so many things. If you love food and want to learn how you can get better at cooking your meals at home, then this article can give you some great tips. Cooking gets easier by just doing it, so be sure that you don't just read about how to cook, but you practice cooking, as well.
When you have a really important occasion where you are going to be cooking for someone that you love or your boss, try to stick to a food that you know will turn out good. This is not the time to be trying new things as you want to be certain it comes out right.
Take care when storing chocolate for use in cooking. As a rule, only buy as much chocolate as you can use within a few months. Chocolate contains fat, and under the wrong conditions it can turn rancid. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. A kitchen cupboard away from any heat sources is ideal. Keep the chocolate wrapped in foil or plastic and store it away from anything with a strong smell, as it absorbs odors easily.
When cooking your next large pot of spaghetti, add a drop of oil to the boiling water. This will keep the pasta from sticking together and improve the taste. Your boiling time will remain the same and there is no extra work added by using this method.
Make sure to prepare your dishes the night before. Create marinades and allow your meat to sit in the refrigerator overnight. By doing most of the prep the night before, you make a delicious tasting meal. You also lower the amount of stress when making the meal before your guests arrive.
Cooked turkey freezes beautifully, as does stuffing. When making a big holiday meal, be sure and make plenty so you not only have enough for turkey sandwiches, but to enjoy another turkey dinner in a month or two, without all of the work. Use a spare 9" X 13" pan that you line and divide with aluminum foil into two or three compartments. Cut some turkey for one compartment, add some stuffing in another and if you would like, leftover mashed potatoes can be put in the third compartment. Drizzle some gravy over everything you desire, cover with aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to enjoy turkey again, or perhaps when pressed for time and out of ideas for dinner, grab the pan from the freezer and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Remove the foil from the top of the pan after 45 minutes, bake uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes and enjoy!
This article has some great tips for anyone who wants to be a better cook. Be sure that you begin testing recipes and start experimenting with different foods, because you can only improve with hands-on experience. This article can reveal some great little tricks when it comes to cooking, but you will only get better at cooking when you start practicing all these great tips.
When you have a really important occasion where you are going to be cooking for someone that you love or your boss, try to stick to a food that you know will turn out good. This is not the time to be trying new things as you want to be certain it comes out right.
Take care when storing chocolate for use in cooking. As a rule, only buy as much chocolate as you can use within a few months. Chocolate contains fat, and under the wrong conditions it can turn rancid. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. A kitchen cupboard away from any heat sources is ideal. Keep the chocolate wrapped in foil or plastic and store it away from anything with a strong smell, as it absorbs odors easily.
When cooking your next large pot of spaghetti, add a drop of oil to the boiling water. This will keep the pasta from sticking together and improve the taste. Your boiling time will remain the same and there is no extra work added by using this method.
Make sure to prepare your dishes the night before. Create marinades and allow your meat to sit in the refrigerator overnight. By doing most of the prep the night before, you make a delicious tasting meal. You also lower the amount of stress when making the meal before your guests arrive.
Cooked turkey freezes beautifully, as does stuffing. When making a big holiday meal, be sure and make plenty so you not only have enough for turkey sandwiches, but to enjoy another turkey dinner in a month or two, without all of the work. Use a spare 9" X 13" pan that you line and divide with aluminum foil into two or three compartments. Cut some turkey for one compartment, add some stuffing in another and if you would like, leftover mashed potatoes can be put in the third compartment. Drizzle some gravy over everything you desire, cover with aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to enjoy turkey again, or perhaps when pressed for time and out of ideas for dinner, grab the pan from the freezer and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Remove the foil from the top of the pan after 45 minutes, bake uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes and enjoy!
This article has some great tips for anyone who wants to be a better cook. Be sure that you begin testing recipes and start experimenting with different foods, because you can only improve with hands-on experience. This article can reveal some great little tricks when it comes to cooking, but you will only get better at cooking when you start practicing all these great tips.
Basic Tips To Create Great Food At Home
Cooking might be one of the oldest skills in the world. That does not mean that there are any limits to the knowledge available for the cook interested in increasing his or her skills. Even the finest cooks, even professionals, can always find new recipes, methods and techniques to improve their kitchen skills.
Change from ordinary table salt when cooking, to sea salt or kosher salt. The latter will add a much better flavor to the recipe. While it is important not to over-salt food for health reasons, leaving salt out of a recipe altogether can result in a meal that tastes bland. So seek a middle ground when using this seasoning.
If you have decided that you might like to cook more food at home, look for a great book that can help you. These books can be found in many places: the library, online or even a family member. Try your hand at several recipes that pique your interest, and forgive yourself for any mistakes you may make along the way.
Think about buying large beef roasts or pork shoulders to make during one of your weekend nights. After you have this for dinner, store it in your fridge so that you will be able to create many different types of sandwiches, as the week progresses. Maximize your value and limit your expenses by conserving food.
When you are cutting garlic, one of the things that you can do is to put it in a plastic bag before you cut. Then, slice the garlic cloves inside the bag to protect your board from smelling. This will help to reduce the pungent odor that garlic can give off.
Save time by cooking large quantities, and freezing the extra. When you are planning an elaborate or time consuming meal, prepare extra servings. Making more won't increase your cooking time much, and these extra meals can be frozen, providing a fast and healthy alternative to the typical frozen TV dinner.
Frozen vegetables should only be used as a last resort in home cooking. Though they are cheap and usually available year-round, they fall far short of fresh vegetables in several important areas. Frozen vegetables have lost some of their healthy vitamins and nutrients. They often have unhealthy food additives. They also tend to taste worse than their fresh counterparts.
There is always something new to learn when it comes to cooking and every cook's skill-set is open to improvement. This article included just a few ideas to help improve a cook's performance. There are many more good tips out there and good cooks keep looking for them throughout their lives. Constant learning is the key to ever-improving cooking skills.
Change from ordinary table salt when cooking, to sea salt or kosher salt. The latter will add a much better flavor to the recipe. While it is important not to over-salt food for health reasons, leaving salt out of a recipe altogether can result in a meal that tastes bland. So seek a middle ground when using this seasoning.
If you have decided that you might like to cook more food at home, look for a great book that can help you. These books can be found in many places: the library, online or even a family member. Try your hand at several recipes that pique your interest, and forgive yourself for any mistakes you may make along the way.
Think about buying large beef roasts or pork shoulders to make during one of your weekend nights. After you have this for dinner, store it in your fridge so that you will be able to create many different types of sandwiches, as the week progresses. Maximize your value and limit your expenses by conserving food.
When you are cutting garlic, one of the things that you can do is to put it in a plastic bag before you cut. Then, slice the garlic cloves inside the bag to protect your board from smelling. This will help to reduce the pungent odor that garlic can give off.
Save time by cooking large quantities, and freezing the extra. When you are planning an elaborate or time consuming meal, prepare extra servings. Making more won't increase your cooking time much, and these extra meals can be frozen, providing a fast and healthy alternative to the typical frozen TV dinner.
Frozen vegetables should only be used as a last resort in home cooking. Though they are cheap and usually available year-round, they fall far short of fresh vegetables in several important areas. Frozen vegetables have lost some of their healthy vitamins and nutrients. They often have unhealthy food additives. They also tend to taste worse than their fresh counterparts.
There is always something new to learn when it comes to cooking and every cook's skill-set is open to improvement. This article included just a few ideas to help improve a cook's performance. There are many more good tips out there and good cooks keep looking for them throughout their lives. Constant learning is the key to ever-improving cooking skills.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Want To Impress Your Friends And Family? Try These Cooking Ideas
Cooking does not necessarily need to be something that is best left for the experts. There are many simple yet delicious recipes, that even the most unskilled novice can handle. This article will give you some tips for making the most out of your meals. The following tips will have you feeling like a pro in no time.
Keep a potato masher in your kitchen at all times. This useful device can be used to mash more than just your typical potatoes. Try mashing carrots, cauliflower, and other root vegetables. You can mix any of these in to your usual mashed potatoes to make them more vibrant, nutritious, and interesting.
An electric mixer is a blessing when you have to make your dough, but even this relatively easy task can turn into a nightmare when the dough sticks to the dough hook. To avoid the sticky mess, spray the hook with vegetable cooking spray and your dough will never stick to your mixer again.
If you have ever questioned the freshness of the eggs you bought and you don't know whether the eggs in your fridge are still useable or not, you can break them individually into a cup to see if they are good or not. If you need to test several eggs, put them in a pan of cool, salted water. Use the ones floating on top and throw away the ones that sink to the bottom of the pan.
To keep your cakes from falling flat, mix dense batters by hand with a wooden spoon. Electric mixers beat too much air into the batter, causing the cakes to fall when they are baked. Meanwhile, by using a wooden spoon to gently mix thick batters like carrot cake you protect the consistency of the batter from absorbing too much air.
For fluffier pancakes, allow the batter to sit for about five minutes before you start pouring it into the pan. This will allow the flour to absorb more of the moisture in the mix, making for much lighter pancakes that will rise more when you cook them and give them that great restaurant flavor!
As stated at the beginning of the article, you do not need to be a pro to cook a great dish. There are many recipes that look hard and overwhelming, but are in fact, quite simple. Hopefully, this article has instilled some confidence in you for the next time you are in the kitchen.
Keep a potato masher in your kitchen at all times. This useful device can be used to mash more than just your typical potatoes. Try mashing carrots, cauliflower, and other root vegetables. You can mix any of these in to your usual mashed potatoes to make them more vibrant, nutritious, and interesting.
An electric mixer is a blessing when you have to make your dough, but even this relatively easy task can turn into a nightmare when the dough sticks to the dough hook. To avoid the sticky mess, spray the hook with vegetable cooking spray and your dough will never stick to your mixer again.
If you have ever questioned the freshness of the eggs you bought and you don't know whether the eggs in your fridge are still useable or not, you can break them individually into a cup to see if they are good or not. If you need to test several eggs, put them in a pan of cool, salted water. Use the ones floating on top and throw away the ones that sink to the bottom of the pan.
To keep your cakes from falling flat, mix dense batters by hand with a wooden spoon. Electric mixers beat too much air into the batter, causing the cakes to fall when they are baked. Meanwhile, by using a wooden spoon to gently mix thick batters like carrot cake you protect the consistency of the batter from absorbing too much air.
For fluffier pancakes, allow the batter to sit for about five minutes before you start pouring it into the pan. This will allow the flour to absorb more of the moisture in the mix, making for much lighter pancakes that will rise more when you cook them and give them that great restaurant flavor!
As stated at the beginning of the article, you do not need to be a pro to cook a great dish. There are many recipes that look hard and overwhelming, but are in fact, quite simple. Hopefully, this article has instilled some confidence in you for the next time you are in the kitchen.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Valuable Tips To Become Better At Cooking
Everyone starts with learning the basics when it comes to cooking. Some people have more natural talent for cooking than others. The good news is that everyone can learn how to become a good cook. You do, however, need to understand some basic concepts to cook well. The following paragraphs have some good advice that can point you down the right path.
Finish your prep work in advance. Having your preparation done ahead of time is very important. When you need to create a meal within a certain amount of time it can be stressful. Do the prep work as early as you can to avoid stress later.
Allow the oil to heat up in the pan before adding your food. This helps to bring out the delicious flavors in your food after you are done cooking.
Save sauces in ice cube trays. If you make several meals during a week, consider saving sauces from them in ice cube trays. This will allow you to add some interesting variety to any dishes you might be making later in the week. It will also make the process simple.
Ice water can save the color of your vegetables. Dull washed out vegetables do not look as appealing to eat. If you want bright and vibrant vegetables, then you should plunge them into ice water after blanching them. Vibrantly colored vegetables look much more appetizing in salads and pasta dishes.
Microwaving a lemon or a lime for a few seconds can release the juices. Sometimes the citrus at a grocery store is not as fresh as it could be, making it difficult to juice. If you microwave it for 10 seconds, and then roll it between your hand and the counter it will release more juice.
Cook your rice in vegetable or chicken stock instead of using water. Choosing a stock will add both extra taste and valuable nutrients. The cooking process and time are the same as with water, so you won't be adding any extra work by trying this method.
Rising the dough requires patience and an optimal environment. Don't just leave the bowl with the dough where it's not in your way. Create the perfect conditions to get the best results. Find a place with constant, warmer temperature without draft. Constantly changing temperature and draft makes the dough rise slowly and unevenly.
Some people are said to be born with a natural talent for cooking, but if you are not one of them, you can learn to become an excellent chef. It's not all that hard. If you apply the tips you have learned here, you'll be unstoppable.
Finish your prep work in advance. Having your preparation done ahead of time is very important. When you need to create a meal within a certain amount of time it can be stressful. Do the prep work as early as you can to avoid stress later.
Allow the oil to heat up in the pan before adding your food. This helps to bring out the delicious flavors in your food after you are done cooking.
Save sauces in ice cube trays. If you make several meals during a week, consider saving sauces from them in ice cube trays. This will allow you to add some interesting variety to any dishes you might be making later in the week. It will also make the process simple.
Ice water can save the color of your vegetables. Dull washed out vegetables do not look as appealing to eat. If you want bright and vibrant vegetables, then you should plunge them into ice water after blanching them. Vibrantly colored vegetables look much more appetizing in salads and pasta dishes.
Microwaving a lemon or a lime for a few seconds can release the juices. Sometimes the citrus at a grocery store is not as fresh as it could be, making it difficult to juice. If you microwave it for 10 seconds, and then roll it between your hand and the counter it will release more juice.
Cook your rice in vegetable or chicken stock instead of using water. Choosing a stock will add both extra taste and valuable nutrients. The cooking process and time are the same as with water, so you won't be adding any extra work by trying this method.
Rising the dough requires patience and an optimal environment. Don't just leave the bowl with the dough where it's not in your way. Create the perfect conditions to get the best results. Find a place with constant, warmer temperature without draft. Constantly changing temperature and draft makes the dough rise slowly and unevenly.
Some people are said to be born with a natural talent for cooking, but if you are not one of them, you can learn to become an excellent chef. It's not all that hard. If you apply the tips you have learned here, you'll be unstoppable.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Try These Tips To Learn How To Be A Good Cook
Sometimes we can all use a little advice in the kitchen. There are so many ways to develop flavors and textures in foods. Ask 10 people how to make a pie and you'll get nine different answers. Learning these tips will give you new ideas for cooking meals that you've made a million different times.
When deep frying foods, hold the food below the oil with the tongs for a few seconds. Holding the food under the oil for around five seconds will create a useful seal around the food. This seal will work to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
To prepare for the meal that you are going to cook, make a comprehensive list of everything that you are going to need to cook your meal when you go to the supermarket. This will allow you to stay as organized as possible so there is no part of your meal that you leave out.
Kneading is a tiring task, but the constantly moving board makes it even more difficult. Have you tried a few unsuccessful tricks to secure the board? Try the simplest of all which always deliver the best results. Place a damp towel under the board you are using to knead the dough. It will keep the board in place.
Take the guesswork out of reducing liquids. When a recipe calls for you to cook until the liquid is reduced by a certain amount, dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the liquid to mark the depth. This will leave a line on the wooden spoon. Later, you can dip the spoon again to see how much the liquid has actually reduced.
To reduce the fat and calories in a recipe that calls for a lot of mayonnaise, simply replace half the mayonnaise with sour cream. Since mayonnaise serves primarily a textural purpose in many of these recipes, replacing it with similarly textured sour cream gives you the same texture with a lighter, healthier taste.
One of the things that you can do if you are cooking cauliflower is to add milk, which will help to brighten your vegetable. This will add to the aesthetic appeal of your food and will also maintain the freshness until you decide to serve it to your friends or family.
Learning never ends when it comes to cooking. These tips are just a jumping off point for your exploration into the vast world of foods. Keep learning and trying new ideas and techniques so you can see what works for you. We have to keep our eyes always open for new ways to do the ordinary.
When deep frying foods, hold the food below the oil with the tongs for a few seconds. Holding the food under the oil for around five seconds will create a useful seal around the food. This seal will work to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
To prepare for the meal that you are going to cook, make a comprehensive list of everything that you are going to need to cook your meal when you go to the supermarket. This will allow you to stay as organized as possible so there is no part of your meal that you leave out.
Kneading is a tiring task, but the constantly moving board makes it even more difficult. Have you tried a few unsuccessful tricks to secure the board? Try the simplest of all which always deliver the best results. Place a damp towel under the board you are using to knead the dough. It will keep the board in place.
Take the guesswork out of reducing liquids. When a recipe calls for you to cook until the liquid is reduced by a certain amount, dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the liquid to mark the depth. This will leave a line on the wooden spoon. Later, you can dip the spoon again to see how much the liquid has actually reduced.
To reduce the fat and calories in a recipe that calls for a lot of mayonnaise, simply replace half the mayonnaise with sour cream. Since mayonnaise serves primarily a textural purpose in many of these recipes, replacing it with similarly textured sour cream gives you the same texture with a lighter, healthier taste.
One of the things that you can do if you are cooking cauliflower is to add milk, which will help to brighten your vegetable. This will add to the aesthetic appeal of your food and will also maintain the freshness until you decide to serve it to your friends or family.
Learning never ends when it comes to cooking. These tips are just a jumping off point for your exploration into the vast world of foods. Keep learning and trying new ideas and techniques so you can see what works for you. We have to keep our eyes always open for new ways to do the ordinary.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tips To Sharpen Your Cooking Skills And Tickle Your Taste Buds
Cooking can mean many things to different people. For some, cooking is a science, with the kitchen acting as a lab for different tasty experiments. Some think of cooking as a stress reliever, using time in the kitchen as a way to relax. Others think of cooking as difficult, finding it hard to even boil water. However you think of cooking, the tips in this article should help you be the best cook possible.
Freezing meat slightly before cutting it will help you to get a nice, even thin slice. This works great when you are cutting steak thin for philly's or if you need to cut pancetta into thin slices or strips. Do not freeze it solid; freeze it just enough that it is slightly firm.
Keep a potato masher in your kitchen at all times. This useful device can be used to mash more than just your typical potatoes. Try mashing carrots, cauliflower, and other root vegetables. You can mix any of these in to your usual mashed potatoes to make them more vibrant, nutritious, and interesting.
Cooking a roast? Leave the bone in! By leaving the bone in, heat moves to the inside of the meat faster, speeding up the cooking process. This will, also, allow the entire roast to cook more evenly throughout the cut of meat - by leaving it in rather than removing it.
As your cooking prowess grows, you will learn to appreciate the versatility of stocks and broths. Rather than buying these useful ingredients at the store or wasting your time cooking them in small batches, prepare stocks in large quantities. You can store surplus stock in plastic bags in your freezer, ready for quick use in future recipes.
Try to store spices in dark, cool places and do not store them above your stove. Places that are bright, humid and hot, can cause your spices and herbs to lose their flavor. A good place to put them would be inside of a pantry or in your kitchen cabinets.
If you are making mashed potatoes, return them to the pot after you have drained them cover the pot tightly and then let it steam for about 5 minutes. By doing this, the potatoes are able to dry out, which will make them mash into the perfect texture. It will also soak up butter and and cream easier.
In conclusion, cooking has different meanings to everyone. Some think of it scientifically, some think of it therapeutically, and some think of it as a burden. With the cooking tips found in this article, any one can be a good cook, no matter what their perception of cooking is.
Freezing meat slightly before cutting it will help you to get a nice, even thin slice. This works great when you are cutting steak thin for philly's or if you need to cut pancetta into thin slices or strips. Do not freeze it solid; freeze it just enough that it is slightly firm.
Keep a potato masher in your kitchen at all times. This useful device can be used to mash more than just your typical potatoes. Try mashing carrots, cauliflower, and other root vegetables. You can mix any of these in to your usual mashed potatoes to make them more vibrant, nutritious, and interesting.
Cooking a roast? Leave the bone in! By leaving the bone in, heat moves to the inside of the meat faster, speeding up the cooking process. This will, also, allow the entire roast to cook more evenly throughout the cut of meat - by leaving it in rather than removing it.
As your cooking prowess grows, you will learn to appreciate the versatility of stocks and broths. Rather than buying these useful ingredients at the store or wasting your time cooking them in small batches, prepare stocks in large quantities. You can store surplus stock in plastic bags in your freezer, ready for quick use in future recipes.
Try to store spices in dark, cool places and do not store them above your stove. Places that are bright, humid and hot, can cause your spices and herbs to lose their flavor. A good place to put them would be inside of a pantry or in your kitchen cabinets.
If you are making mashed potatoes, return them to the pot after you have drained them cover the pot tightly and then let it steam for about 5 minutes. By doing this, the potatoes are able to dry out, which will make them mash into the perfect texture. It will also soak up butter and and cream easier.
In conclusion, cooking has different meanings to everyone. Some think of it scientifically, some think of it therapeutically, and some think of it as a burden. With the cooking tips found in this article, any one can be a good cook, no matter what their perception of cooking is.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Tips To Help You Start Cooking Like A Pro
When you cook with love, those around you take notice. Though most wish they were better skilled in the kitchen, it does not come naturally for everyone. However, with the tips and tricks outlined here, you can expand on what you already know, and take your cooking to the next level.
Perfect pasta every time. Never add oil to the water when you are boiling pasta. It prevents the sauce from coating the pasta properly. Just before you drain the pasta, set aside about 1/3 cup of the cooked pasta water. When you mix the sauce with the pasta, add a little of the cooking liquid. The starch in the water adds body and flavor to the sauce.
You can remove the garlic odor from your hands by rubbing them for thirty seconds on your stainless steel stove before washing them. Garlic adds a delightful flavor to many recipes, but the unmistakable odor can linger on your hands. Using this tip, you can enjoy your dinner without your hands smelling strongly of garlic.
Since you are going to be using a lot of sharp knives in the kitchen to cook your meals, you will want to maintain precautions at all times. Instead of simply putting your knife in the drawer, make sure that you put a wine cork on the tip to protect against cuts and scrapes upon use.
If you are cooking pasta and are tired of the same taste, you can add a hint of lemon. Lemon will give it the extra taste that you desire, and this additive is also a very powerful antioxidant. Adding spices and different flavors can help improve the quality of your meals.
People mainly use plenty of apples in cooking during the winter and fall months, but if not stored properly they quickly go bad. Apples spoil in warm, dry air, so keep them in a refrigerator or basement, in plastic bags that are loosely tied. Make sure to keep an eye out for rotting apples, because if you have one rotten apple, it will turn all the other apples rotten in no time.
Impress those you care about with your new-found cooking skills. With a bit of effort, some trial and error, and the tips provided in this article, you can take your cooking up a notch. Time in the kitchen should be enjoyed. Use what you have learned, and go cook up a storm.
Perfect pasta every time. Never add oil to the water when you are boiling pasta. It prevents the sauce from coating the pasta properly. Just before you drain the pasta, set aside about 1/3 cup of the cooked pasta water. When you mix the sauce with the pasta, add a little of the cooking liquid. The starch in the water adds body and flavor to the sauce.
You can remove the garlic odor from your hands by rubbing them for thirty seconds on your stainless steel stove before washing them. Garlic adds a delightful flavor to many recipes, but the unmistakable odor can linger on your hands. Using this tip, you can enjoy your dinner without your hands smelling strongly of garlic.
Since you are going to be using a lot of sharp knives in the kitchen to cook your meals, you will want to maintain precautions at all times. Instead of simply putting your knife in the drawer, make sure that you put a wine cork on the tip to protect against cuts and scrapes upon use.
If you are cooking pasta and are tired of the same taste, you can add a hint of lemon. Lemon will give it the extra taste that you desire, and this additive is also a very powerful antioxidant. Adding spices and different flavors can help improve the quality of your meals.
People mainly use plenty of apples in cooking during the winter and fall months, but if not stored properly they quickly go bad. Apples spoil in warm, dry air, so keep them in a refrigerator or basement, in plastic bags that are loosely tied. Make sure to keep an eye out for rotting apples, because if you have one rotten apple, it will turn all the other apples rotten in no time.
Impress those you care about with your new-found cooking skills. With a bit of effort, some trial and error, and the tips provided in this article, you can take your cooking up a notch. Time in the kitchen should be enjoyed. Use what you have learned, and go cook up a storm.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Cooking Tips And Tricks Of The Pros
When's the last time you cooked something truly extraordinary? Do you remember? Extraordinary cooking doesn't have to be something that is a rare occurrence. You can make every meal new and exciting, if you have the information and skills to do so. Here are a few cooking tips that will help every meal be special.
A cool, dark storage area will preserve your herbs freshness for the longest period of time. If they get exposed to any light, humidity or heat, their flavor will begin to weaken. In general, herbs and spices that are ground will retain their flavor for up to one year. Whole spices may keep their flavors, possibly, three years or longer. When spices are stored in the correct manner, they will stay fresh for much longer.
If you feel that a piece of food you are about to cook does not look right or may be rotten, always error on the side of caution and throw it away. It is better to lose a few dollars than to cost yourself the next couple of weeks from food poisoning.
When you are cutting garlic, one of the things that you can do is to put it in a plastic bag before you cut. Then, slice the garlic cloves inside the bag to protect your board from smelling. This will help to reduce the pungent odor that garlic can give off.
Taste your food as you cook it. Tasting your food is a simple and enjoyable thing to do. It can also really improve your end result. By continuously tasting your food as you cook, you will have a better understanding of how it is progressing. If it needs a little something extra, you are more likely to catch and remedy this.
Know the gender of your eggplant! There are both male and female eggplants, and it pays to know the difference. The seeds of an eggplant can be very bitter. A female eggplant's seeds have a tendency to be more bitter than those of a male eggplant. You can identify a male eggplant by its base - it will be smooth and round, whereas the female base is more oval in shape and deeply indented.
Use these tips to spark your own ideas about what your meals can be like. With a little creativity and a little know-how, the food you prepare can be something wonderful, every single time. Get excited about cooking again and see what you can conjure up in your kitchen.
A cool, dark storage area will preserve your herbs freshness for the longest period of time. If they get exposed to any light, humidity or heat, their flavor will begin to weaken. In general, herbs and spices that are ground will retain their flavor for up to one year. Whole spices may keep their flavors, possibly, three years or longer. When spices are stored in the correct manner, they will stay fresh for much longer.
If you feel that a piece of food you are about to cook does not look right or may be rotten, always error on the side of caution and throw it away. It is better to lose a few dollars than to cost yourself the next couple of weeks from food poisoning.
When you are cutting garlic, one of the things that you can do is to put it in a plastic bag before you cut. Then, slice the garlic cloves inside the bag to protect your board from smelling. This will help to reduce the pungent odor that garlic can give off.
Taste your food as you cook it. Tasting your food is a simple and enjoyable thing to do. It can also really improve your end result. By continuously tasting your food as you cook, you will have a better understanding of how it is progressing. If it needs a little something extra, you are more likely to catch and remedy this.
Know the gender of your eggplant! There are both male and female eggplants, and it pays to know the difference. The seeds of an eggplant can be very bitter. A female eggplant's seeds have a tendency to be more bitter than those of a male eggplant. You can identify a male eggplant by its base - it will be smooth and round, whereas the female base is more oval in shape and deeply indented.
Use these tips to spark your own ideas about what your meals can be like. With a little creativity and a little know-how, the food you prepare can be something wonderful, every single time. Get excited about cooking again and see what you can conjure up in your kitchen.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The Cooking Basics You Can Really Use
Cooking involves taking the best ingredients and combining them with the best recipes to create culinary masterpieces. Cooking can be done by anyone of any skill level, from beginner to expert. The cooking tips found in this article should be beneficial to anyone.
Make sure that all of your spices are stored away from heat and light. Storing them out exposes them to light, excessive heat and humidity, which can reduce their shelf life. You can preserve the flavor and freshness of your spices by storing them in a dark, cool spot. Your culinary preparations will taste better if your spices are fresh.
One of the best things that you can do to save money and improve the quality of your dressings is to make your own. Homemade dressings will save you a lot of money in the long run and will also taste great, as most of the ingredients are natural and healthier.
Save sauces in ice cube trays. If you make several meals during a week, consider saving sauces from them in ice cube trays. This will allow you to add some interesting variety to any dishes you might be making later in the week. It will also make the process simple.
Have you been making the same berry shortcake for a while? Make the flavor pop with the following tip. Mix your berries with a pinch of salt, a little fresh mint and a small spoon of lime juice. Your guests will never guess how you enhanced the flavor of the old family recipe.
Cooking a roast? Leave the bone in! By leaving the bone in, heat moves to the inside of the meat faster, speeding up the cooking process. This will, also, allow the entire roast to cook more evenly throughout the cut of meat - by leaving it in rather than removing it.
If you are making pastries, you should try to maximize the accuracy of your measurements as it is a very exact science. By adding one gram too much or too less, you are going to put the taste of your pastry in jeopardy. Always try to be precise when baking.
Furthermore, cooking is a combination of great ingredients and recipes to create edible works of art. Cooking is accessible to anyone, as it can be done by people of all skill levels. By using the cooking tips found in the article above, you can produce great masterpieces through cooking.
Make sure that all of your spices are stored away from heat and light. Storing them out exposes them to light, excessive heat and humidity, which can reduce their shelf life. You can preserve the flavor and freshness of your spices by storing them in a dark, cool spot. Your culinary preparations will taste better if your spices are fresh.
One of the best things that you can do to save money and improve the quality of your dressings is to make your own. Homemade dressings will save you a lot of money in the long run and will also taste great, as most of the ingredients are natural and healthier.
Save sauces in ice cube trays. If you make several meals during a week, consider saving sauces from them in ice cube trays. This will allow you to add some interesting variety to any dishes you might be making later in the week. It will also make the process simple.
Have you been making the same berry shortcake for a while? Make the flavor pop with the following tip. Mix your berries with a pinch of salt, a little fresh mint and a small spoon of lime juice. Your guests will never guess how you enhanced the flavor of the old family recipe.
Cooking a roast? Leave the bone in! By leaving the bone in, heat moves to the inside of the meat faster, speeding up the cooking process. This will, also, allow the entire roast to cook more evenly throughout the cut of meat - by leaving it in rather than removing it.
If you are making pastries, you should try to maximize the accuracy of your measurements as it is a very exact science. By adding one gram too much or too less, you are going to put the taste of your pastry in jeopardy. Always try to be precise when baking.
Furthermore, cooking is a combination of great ingredients and recipes to create edible works of art. Cooking is accessible to anyone, as it can be done by people of all skill levels. By using the cooking tips found in the article above, you can produce great masterpieces through cooking.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Spice Up Your Life With These Cooking Tips
Cooking is enjoyable once you have gained some skill, experience and confidence. This article will show you how to become a good cook and get the confidence you need to hone your skills. Once you have acquired the necessary basic cooking skills, the fun can begin.
Add a small pinch of sea salt to your ground coffee immediately before brewing. This will add a great punch of flavor to every cup. This process works well in either a traditional coffee maker or a french press. Don't add the salt before brewing time though, or your coffee flavor will be compromised.
These seasonings can also add unexpected flavor to other foods. You can add it to scrambled eggs or make a tasty snack by sprinkling a bit on some roasted pumpkin seeds. It will add a little bit of mysterious flavor to your meal.
If you are looking to save time for cooking dinners because of your busy schedule, being prepared beforehand can make all the difference. Having ingredients already prepared and measured out to be cooked, as well as having the meat thawed out can save you valuable time when it comes to making dinner for the family.
Trying to cook with little children running around under your feet? Give them something to do. Any small and simple task will make them feel like they are helping with the meal, and it will keep them out of trouble for a little while as you try to finish up the dish that you are working so hard on.
One important tip to remember when cooking dishes focuses on the size of the dish being prepared. The smaller the dish is that you are cooking, the higher the baking temperature and less time needed to cook the dish. Smaller dishes generally take only a few minutes at high temperatures to fully cook.
Beans stored for a longer period of time need to be checked for insect damage or mold. Instead of visually looking at each bean put them in a bowl of cold water. Use only the ones sinking to the bottom as those floating are either suffer from insect damage or mold.
Learning to cook is a fun and easy process. You need time and determination to learn to cook. If you use these tips you can be better at learning how to navigate your kitchen. Cooking is fun as long as you have a positive attitude.
Add a small pinch of sea salt to your ground coffee immediately before brewing. This will add a great punch of flavor to every cup. This process works well in either a traditional coffee maker or a french press. Don't add the salt before brewing time though, or your coffee flavor will be compromised.
These seasonings can also add unexpected flavor to other foods. You can add it to scrambled eggs or make a tasty snack by sprinkling a bit on some roasted pumpkin seeds. It will add a little bit of mysterious flavor to your meal.
If you are looking to save time for cooking dinners because of your busy schedule, being prepared beforehand can make all the difference. Having ingredients already prepared and measured out to be cooked, as well as having the meat thawed out can save you valuable time when it comes to making dinner for the family.
Trying to cook with little children running around under your feet? Give them something to do. Any small and simple task will make them feel like they are helping with the meal, and it will keep them out of trouble for a little while as you try to finish up the dish that you are working so hard on.
One important tip to remember when cooking dishes focuses on the size of the dish being prepared. The smaller the dish is that you are cooking, the higher the baking temperature and less time needed to cook the dish. Smaller dishes generally take only a few minutes at high temperatures to fully cook.
Beans stored for a longer period of time need to be checked for insect damage or mold. Instead of visually looking at each bean put them in a bowl of cold water. Use only the ones sinking to the bottom as those floating are either suffer from insect damage or mold.
Learning to cook is a fun and easy process. You need time and determination to learn to cook. If you use these tips you can be better at learning how to navigate your kitchen. Cooking is fun as long as you have a positive attitude.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Proven Solutions To Becoming Great At Cooking
Anyone can cook if they put their mind to it. Are you able to purchase food and follow directions? Is your kitchen full of cooking equipment and utensils that you never use? If so, you can learn to prepare meals! If you want to bring your cooking skills to the next level, study the great tips and advice contained in this article.
To prevent your homemade pizza from becoming soggy with all of the juicy toppings you add, lightly coat the bare dough with olive oil. Pizza sauce, peppers and meats can all weigh down a pizza dough and cause it to be soggy even after baking so be sure to brush on a bit of olive oil for a crispier, firmer pizza!
When you are making stock, make a lot of it. Then save it in a plastic zip bag, date it and freeze it. That way you can pull it when you would like to make a soup. You can use it to boil some veggies in. Having some in the freezer will make preparing healthy meals very much easier.
Put salt on your cutting board. It can be difficult to cut herbs on your cutting board. They tend to go all over the place. To keep this from happening, just sprinkle a little salt on your cutting board before you begin. This will work to keep them from slipping around.
Take care when storing chocolate for use in cooking. As a rule, only buy as much chocolate as you can use within a few months. Chocolate contains fat, and under the wrong conditions it can turn rancid. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. A kitchen cupboard away from any heat sources is ideal. Keep the chocolate wrapped in foil or plastic and store it away from anything with a strong smell, as it absorbs odors easily.
To discover when oil is really hot enough and ready for the food, look to its' surface. If it is no longer completely smooth and appears to be shimmering it is hot enough. When oil is allowed to over-heat it actually starts breaking down and releasing unpleasant compounds and will begin to smoke, so know when to say when!
The art of cooking can be a hobby, an asset and even a source of income. There are so many ways to make food, the most optimal way to learn is to take some advice from great cooks. Keep this article's tips in mind when you next decide to do a little kitchen work!
To prevent your homemade pizza from becoming soggy with all of the juicy toppings you add, lightly coat the bare dough with olive oil. Pizza sauce, peppers and meats can all weigh down a pizza dough and cause it to be soggy even after baking so be sure to brush on a bit of olive oil for a crispier, firmer pizza!
When you are making stock, make a lot of it. Then save it in a plastic zip bag, date it and freeze it. That way you can pull it when you would like to make a soup. You can use it to boil some veggies in. Having some in the freezer will make preparing healthy meals very much easier.
Put salt on your cutting board. It can be difficult to cut herbs on your cutting board. They tend to go all over the place. To keep this from happening, just sprinkle a little salt on your cutting board before you begin. This will work to keep them from slipping around.
Take care when storing chocolate for use in cooking. As a rule, only buy as much chocolate as you can use within a few months. Chocolate contains fat, and under the wrong conditions it can turn rancid. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. A kitchen cupboard away from any heat sources is ideal. Keep the chocolate wrapped in foil or plastic and store it away from anything with a strong smell, as it absorbs odors easily.
To discover when oil is really hot enough and ready for the food, look to its' surface. If it is no longer completely smooth and appears to be shimmering it is hot enough. When oil is allowed to over-heat it actually starts breaking down and releasing unpleasant compounds and will begin to smoke, so know when to say when!
The art of cooking can be a hobby, an asset and even a source of income. There are so many ways to make food, the most optimal way to learn is to take some advice from great cooks. Keep this article's tips in mind when you next decide to do a little kitchen work!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Kiss The Cook: Best No-Nonsense Cooking Tips
If you are a "foodie," you are always searching for a better way to prepare and enjoy food. In this article, you will find several pointers to help you get the most out of your cooking adventures. Read on to learn some new and exciting ways to spice up your cooking.
When cooking any recipe, use the best ingredients that you can afford. Splurge a little on imported cheeses or better quality meats when you can, so that you can experience a restaurant, quality-tasting meal at home. To enhance the experience even further, try to creatively plate up the meal with a little thought, for something different every now and then.
For the most beautiful homemade chocolate chip cookies, do not add all of the chocolate morsels into the mix! Save about a quarter of what your recipe calls for until after the cookies are all arranged on the cooking sheet, then add them evenly to the tops of the dough drops to create bakery looking, perfect chocolate chip cookies!
While most seasonings are added at some point during the cooking process, there are certain spices that are considered good after cooking options. These spices are garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Set these on the table, and let your guests decide on their personal preference to add a little kick to their plate.
Saute tired salad greens. If your salad greens have seen better days, don't discard them - saute them! Salad greens such as radicchio, arugula and endive make a tasty side dish when sauteed. Cook them quickly in olive oil, chopped garlic and sea salt. Sprinkle with a little bacon and goat cheese, and you will be happy that you didn't throw away those unused salad greens!
Microwaving a lemon or a lime for a few seconds can release the juices. Sometimes the citrus at a grocery store is not as fresh as it could be, making it difficult to juice. If you microwave it for 10 seconds, and then roll it between your hand and the counter it will release more juice.
There is no need to let your cooking experiences become boring or dull. There are always new things to try that can bring fun and excitement back into your cooking. Try the tips outlined in this article today and start having more fun in the kitchen and more "yum" on your plate.
When cooking any recipe, use the best ingredients that you can afford. Splurge a little on imported cheeses or better quality meats when you can, so that you can experience a restaurant, quality-tasting meal at home. To enhance the experience even further, try to creatively plate up the meal with a little thought, for something different every now and then.
For the most beautiful homemade chocolate chip cookies, do not add all of the chocolate morsels into the mix! Save about a quarter of what your recipe calls for until after the cookies are all arranged on the cooking sheet, then add them evenly to the tops of the dough drops to create bakery looking, perfect chocolate chip cookies!
While most seasonings are added at some point during the cooking process, there are certain spices that are considered good after cooking options. These spices are garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Set these on the table, and let your guests decide on their personal preference to add a little kick to their plate.
Saute tired salad greens. If your salad greens have seen better days, don't discard them - saute them! Salad greens such as radicchio, arugula and endive make a tasty side dish when sauteed. Cook them quickly in olive oil, chopped garlic and sea salt. Sprinkle with a little bacon and goat cheese, and you will be happy that you didn't throw away those unused salad greens!
Microwaving a lemon or a lime for a few seconds can release the juices. Sometimes the citrus at a grocery store is not as fresh as it could be, making it difficult to juice. If you microwave it for 10 seconds, and then roll it between your hand and the counter it will release more juice.
There is no need to let your cooking experiences become boring or dull. There are always new things to try that can bring fun and excitement back into your cooking. Try the tips outlined in this article today and start having more fun in the kitchen and more "yum" on your plate.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
How Cooking At Home Can Save You Money
Cooking does not have to be a scary thought! Understandably, cooking is easier for some than others. It takes know how, practice, and patience, but you can do it! Below are some helpful tips to make your cooking a pleasure:
You should store all herbs and spices in cool, dark places. Their flavors suffer when they are exposed to heat, light, and humidity. Usually, a freshly ground spice or herb will keep its flavor for around a year. Whole spices may retain flavor for up to five years. Keep spices fresh for the longest time possible by storing them correctly.
When sauteing ingredients in a fry pan ensure that you don't overcrowd the pan with too much food. Trying to cook too much at once will only lower the temperature of the pan and lead to steaming instead of browning. It is wiser to saute the ingredients in two separate batches, if necessary, and this will maintain the quality of cooking.
Get the most juice out of lemons. Fresh lemon juice is much more tasty than the kind that comes out of a bottle, but it is sometimes surprising how little juice you can get out of a lemon. Heat the lemon in a microwave for 20 seconds on high power. Then, roll the lemon on your cutting board using as much pressure as possible. This way, you will get about twice the amount of juice out of the lemon, and your dish will be much more flavorful!
For stir fry with an authentic Chinese touch, try using their velveting technique! Prepare a mixture of corn starch, egg whites, seasonings and sherry and set your pork, chicken or shrimp in it for about half an hour. Then, blanch it in hot oil or boiling water for shiny, tender and delicious restaurant quality stir fry.
One of the best things that you can do to save money and improve the quality of your dressings is to make your own. Homemade dressings will save you a lot of money in the long run and will also taste great, as most of the ingredients are natural and healthier.
The overall quality of vegetables is affected by the length of cooking time. Vegetables that have been slow-cooked are not as nutritional or tasty as vegetables that are cooked in other ways. Speed cooking vegetables also retains the best texture and nutrition. If you learn to cook vegetables for the right amount of time, it will help to keep them tasty and preserve nutrients.
Are you ready to get started? The helpful tips above, no doubt, will contribute to you making a delicious meal! This is just a few suggestions to inspire you to give cooking a try or perhaps a second chance! Enjoy!
You should store all herbs and spices in cool, dark places. Their flavors suffer when they are exposed to heat, light, and humidity. Usually, a freshly ground spice or herb will keep its flavor for around a year. Whole spices may retain flavor for up to five years. Keep spices fresh for the longest time possible by storing them correctly.
When sauteing ingredients in a fry pan ensure that you don't overcrowd the pan with too much food. Trying to cook too much at once will only lower the temperature of the pan and lead to steaming instead of browning. It is wiser to saute the ingredients in two separate batches, if necessary, and this will maintain the quality of cooking.
Get the most juice out of lemons. Fresh lemon juice is much more tasty than the kind that comes out of a bottle, but it is sometimes surprising how little juice you can get out of a lemon. Heat the lemon in a microwave for 20 seconds on high power. Then, roll the lemon on your cutting board using as much pressure as possible. This way, you will get about twice the amount of juice out of the lemon, and your dish will be much more flavorful!
For stir fry with an authentic Chinese touch, try using their velveting technique! Prepare a mixture of corn starch, egg whites, seasonings and sherry and set your pork, chicken or shrimp in it for about half an hour. Then, blanch it in hot oil or boiling water for shiny, tender and delicious restaurant quality stir fry.
One of the best things that you can do to save money and improve the quality of your dressings is to make your own. Homemade dressings will save you a lot of money in the long run and will also taste great, as most of the ingredients are natural and healthier.
The overall quality of vegetables is affected by the length of cooking time. Vegetables that have been slow-cooked are not as nutritional or tasty as vegetables that are cooked in other ways. Speed cooking vegetables also retains the best texture and nutrition. If you learn to cook vegetables for the right amount of time, it will help to keep them tasty and preserve nutrients.
Are you ready to get started? The helpful tips above, no doubt, will contribute to you making a delicious meal! This is just a few suggestions to inspire you to give cooking a try or perhaps a second chance! Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Home-Cooked Food Is Healthier And Cheaper - Check Out These Tips To Get The Most From Your Kitchen!
Whether you enjoy cooking for your family or for a significant other, like to experiment with new recipes, or work in a food service industry, cooking is a huge part of many people's lives. Read this article to find out new cooking tips that can help you in any setting.
To make it easier to peel boiled eggs, run them under cold water immediately after removing from them the stove. Once they are cool enough to touch, tap them lightly to crack and roll on a counter. Once you begin peeling and have an opening in the shell, run this under cold water and you will find the rest of the shell will peel off with the greatest of ease!
It is extremely embarrassing to have lumps in your gravy. It happens to everybody from the beginner cook to the master chef. There is a simple trick you can use to eliminate them. Drain the gravy through a fine strainer and discard the lumps. This technique can be used for other sauces or soups too.
Use a heavy duty, zip-lock plastic bag to separate pan drippings. After roasting meat, pour the pan drippings into a zip-lock plastic bag. Let the fat rise to the top. Carefully snip off one of the bottom corners on the bag, and pour out the fat-free broth. The fat will stay in the plastic bag, and you will have a tasty broth as a base for gravy or a sauce.
One of the things that you will need to realize when you are making meats or fish is that you need to spread your seasoning evenly. Adding too much seasoning in one area of your food can reduce the flavor or lead to a tangy taste that will reduce the quality of your meal.
Do not be afraid to experiment. There is no rule that says you need to follow a recipe exactly. If you do not care for an ingredient, leave it out. If you think a different ingredient would taste better, substitute it. If you think the dish is missing a little something, add it.
Make sure that when you are making your pasta, not to use oil in the water upon cooking. This will reduce the risk that the pasta will stick to the sauce, which can ruin the quality of your meal. Avoid oil in water when you are cooking pasta for maximum results.
Cooking is a very desirable skill to have. It looks good on a resume or can even help to lure in potential love interests! Using the advice from this article will give you cooking skills you have always wanted.
To make it easier to peel boiled eggs, run them under cold water immediately after removing from them the stove. Once they are cool enough to touch, tap them lightly to crack and roll on a counter. Once you begin peeling and have an opening in the shell, run this under cold water and you will find the rest of the shell will peel off with the greatest of ease!
It is extremely embarrassing to have lumps in your gravy. It happens to everybody from the beginner cook to the master chef. There is a simple trick you can use to eliminate them. Drain the gravy through a fine strainer and discard the lumps. This technique can be used for other sauces or soups too.
Use a heavy duty, zip-lock plastic bag to separate pan drippings. After roasting meat, pour the pan drippings into a zip-lock plastic bag. Let the fat rise to the top. Carefully snip off one of the bottom corners on the bag, and pour out the fat-free broth. The fat will stay in the plastic bag, and you will have a tasty broth as a base for gravy or a sauce.
One of the things that you will need to realize when you are making meats or fish is that you need to spread your seasoning evenly. Adding too much seasoning in one area of your food can reduce the flavor or lead to a tangy taste that will reduce the quality of your meal.
Do not be afraid to experiment. There is no rule that says you need to follow a recipe exactly. If you do not care for an ingredient, leave it out. If you think a different ingredient would taste better, substitute it. If you think the dish is missing a little something, add it.
Make sure that when you are making your pasta, not to use oil in the water upon cooking. This will reduce the risk that the pasta will stick to the sauce, which can ruin the quality of your meal. Avoid oil in water when you are cooking pasta for maximum results.
Cooking is a very desirable skill to have. It looks good on a resume or can even help to lure in potential love interests! Using the advice from this article will give you cooking skills you have always wanted.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Get All Your Cooking Questions Answered Here
Cooking is a hobby, which can both reward you with tasty meals and relax you after a long day at work. A kitchen full of yummy aromas and fresh ingredients can lift anyone's mood. But it can be stressful trying to find good recipes and techniques to help you create that great meal. Continue to read the tips below to learn what it takes to cook the perfect meal!
To prevent the crust of your filled pies from getting soggy, coat the dough with egg white first and then bake it for about five minutes to allow it to set. You should then fill and bake as you normally would. This will stop your crust from absorbing too much of the filling during baking and becoming soft and wet.
Understand that the smaller the item, the higher temperature that you are going to need to cook at. This will help to maximize the way that your food tastes during the meal. Cook your smaller foods at very high temperatures and larger foods at lower temperatures for the best results.
Make sure that all of your spices are stored away from heat and light. Leaving your spices out will expose them to moisture and light, which will diminish their quality. Spices last longer and taste better when stored in cool, dark locations. You can prepare tastier meals if you use fresher spices.
To prepare for the meal that you are going to cook, make a comprehensive list of everything that you are going to need to cook your meal when you go to the supermarket. This will allow you to stay as organized as possible so there is no part of your meal that you leave out.
Microwaving a lemon or a lime for a few seconds can release the juices. Sometimes the citrus at a grocery store is not as fresh as it could be, making it difficult to juice. If you microwave it for 10 seconds, and then roll it between your hand and the counter it will release more juice.
After you have cooked a piece of food in the oven, you should give it several minutes to rest before serving. The last thing that you will want to do is serve any part of your meal that is too hot, which will ruin its overall quality for the person you are serving.
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.
To prevent the crust of your filled pies from getting soggy, coat the dough with egg white first and then bake it for about five minutes to allow it to set. You should then fill and bake as you normally would. This will stop your crust from absorbing too much of the filling during baking and becoming soft and wet.
Understand that the smaller the item, the higher temperature that you are going to need to cook at. This will help to maximize the way that your food tastes during the meal. Cook your smaller foods at very high temperatures and larger foods at lower temperatures for the best results.
Make sure that all of your spices are stored away from heat and light. Leaving your spices out will expose them to moisture and light, which will diminish their quality. Spices last longer and taste better when stored in cool, dark locations. You can prepare tastier meals if you use fresher spices.
To prepare for the meal that you are going to cook, make a comprehensive list of everything that you are going to need to cook your meal when you go to the supermarket. This will allow you to stay as organized as possible so there is no part of your meal that you leave out.
Microwaving a lemon or a lime for a few seconds can release the juices. Sometimes the citrus at a grocery store is not as fresh as it could be, making it difficult to juice. If you microwave it for 10 seconds, and then roll it between your hand and the counter it will release more juice.
After you have cooked a piece of food in the oven, you should give it several minutes to rest before serving. The last thing that you will want to do is serve any part of your meal that is too hot, which will ruin its overall quality for the person you are serving.
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.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Easy Tips For Cooking Like A Pro
Many people agree that cooking skills are some of the most difficult to master. You will get plenty of tips and tricks to cook some great recipes.
Use a tried and tested recipe when entertaining. When you have guests over for a meal, always prepare something tasty that you have made before. This is not the time to test a new recipe as it could turn out to be a disaster! Also, remember to find out if your guests have any dietary requirements or allergies, or if they simply don't like a certain kind of food. This will ensure that your evening is a success.
An easy way to experiment with combining savory flavors in the kitchen and not spend a lot of money in food waste, is to turn your ideas into an omelet. Eggs, especially egg whites, are fairly flavor-free and provide a great "canvas" on which to "paint" the ingredients you want and then combining into a dish. Small batches of scrambled eggs that you can fold your ingredients into, will also give a neutral background for your flavor taste tests.
Write out a list for all of the ingredients that you will need for a recipe before you go to the grocery store. This way, you will not forget anything. Many people forget one or two important ingredients for the recipe, which causes them to not be able to make the meal.
When a recipe calls for vegetable shortening, coconut oil is a healthy alternative that should be used. Coconut oil can be difficult to find in the typical grocery stores so you may need to look in a healthfood store to find it. It is important to read the label to make sure it is true coconut oil.
When you do this, you can enjoy your favorite fresh fruits all year. Since many fruits are not in season during certain parts of the year, doing this will allow you to enjoy them anytime.
When you are cooking pumpkin seeds, first, cover the raw seeds in melted butter, olive or vegetable oil. Then spread them out evenly across a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with your favorite seasonings. Bake the seeds at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about forty-five minutes or until golden brown.
Now you can see how easy it is to increase your cooking skill, just by trying some of the tips mentioned here. All you need to do now is get in that kitchen and start cooking! You will be cooking delicious meals that will impress your friends, and family in no time.
Use a tried and tested recipe when entertaining. When you have guests over for a meal, always prepare something tasty that you have made before. This is not the time to test a new recipe as it could turn out to be a disaster! Also, remember to find out if your guests have any dietary requirements or allergies, or if they simply don't like a certain kind of food. This will ensure that your evening is a success.
An easy way to experiment with combining savory flavors in the kitchen and not spend a lot of money in food waste, is to turn your ideas into an omelet. Eggs, especially egg whites, are fairly flavor-free and provide a great "canvas" on which to "paint" the ingredients you want and then combining into a dish. Small batches of scrambled eggs that you can fold your ingredients into, will also give a neutral background for your flavor taste tests.
Write out a list for all of the ingredients that you will need for a recipe before you go to the grocery store. This way, you will not forget anything. Many people forget one or two important ingredients for the recipe, which causes them to not be able to make the meal.
When a recipe calls for vegetable shortening, coconut oil is a healthy alternative that should be used. Coconut oil can be difficult to find in the typical grocery stores so you may need to look in a healthfood store to find it. It is important to read the label to make sure it is true coconut oil.
When you do this, you can enjoy your favorite fresh fruits all year. Since many fruits are not in season during certain parts of the year, doing this will allow you to enjoy them anytime.
When you are cooking pumpkin seeds, first, cover the raw seeds in melted butter, olive or vegetable oil. Then spread them out evenly across a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with your favorite seasonings. Bake the seeds at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about forty-five minutes or until golden brown.
Now you can see how easy it is to increase your cooking skill, just by trying some of the tips mentioned here. All you need to do now is get in that kitchen and start cooking! You will be cooking delicious meals that will impress your friends, and family in no time.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Ditch The Fast Food And Sample These Cooking Tips
So you want to throw a dinner party, plan a picnic or make a family feast but don't know where you should begin? This article will provide you with plenty of simple clues and fancy tips, and you will be in the kitchen cooking up a storm in no time.
Consider recipes to be guidelines rather than rules. Feel free to branch out and switch up the spices or add an extra ingredient. Before long you will be compiling your own personal collection of altered recipes that are better than the original thing. Not only will you will also be able to impress your friends with unique dishes, but you will become a better cook as you experiment with changing recipes.
It is extremely embarrassing to have lumps in your gravy. It happens to everybody from the beginner cook to the master chef. There is a simple trick you can use to eliminate them. Drain the gravy through a fine strainer and discard the lumps. This technique can be used for other sauces or soups too.
If you are planning to sauté garlic, you will want to slice it instead of mincing it, which will reduce the chance for it to burn. Following certain procedures will not only improve the taste of your dishes in the kitchen but will increase your effectiveness and efficiency in getting the job done.
A good tip to do when it comes cooking and preparing food is to prepare all the necessary ingredients that you need at night, that way when morning comes you are not stressing about them. This will help you concentrate at the task at hand which is preparing food in the best way possible.
Purchase a quality loaf of bread that you can use as a side piece to a variety of meals. Bread goes great with any dish that has sauce or cheese, as you can dip it in a variety of different toppings. Include a loaf of Italian or French bread with your next meal.
If you are boiling pasta, make sure that you do not put too much in the pot. This will not cook your food all the way through and will taste very raw and thick. Try to limit the amount of pasta that you put in the pot to maximize taste and quality.
Now that you've got some basics and some insider secrets down, you can't help but have the confidence to start your adventures in cooking. Follow the tips that you have learned here, and you will soon be receiving high praise not only from loved ones, but also from your fellow want-to-be cooks.
Consider recipes to be guidelines rather than rules. Feel free to branch out and switch up the spices or add an extra ingredient. Before long you will be compiling your own personal collection of altered recipes that are better than the original thing. Not only will you will also be able to impress your friends with unique dishes, but you will become a better cook as you experiment with changing recipes.
It is extremely embarrassing to have lumps in your gravy. It happens to everybody from the beginner cook to the master chef. There is a simple trick you can use to eliminate them. Drain the gravy through a fine strainer and discard the lumps. This technique can be used for other sauces or soups too.
If you are planning to sauté garlic, you will want to slice it instead of mincing it, which will reduce the chance for it to burn. Following certain procedures will not only improve the taste of your dishes in the kitchen but will increase your effectiveness and efficiency in getting the job done.
A good tip to do when it comes cooking and preparing food is to prepare all the necessary ingredients that you need at night, that way when morning comes you are not stressing about them. This will help you concentrate at the task at hand which is preparing food in the best way possible.
Purchase a quality loaf of bread that you can use as a side piece to a variety of meals. Bread goes great with any dish that has sauce or cheese, as you can dip it in a variety of different toppings. Include a loaf of Italian or French bread with your next meal.
If you are boiling pasta, make sure that you do not put too much in the pot. This will not cook your food all the way through and will taste very raw and thick. Try to limit the amount of pasta that you put in the pot to maximize taste and quality.
Now that you've got some basics and some insider secrets down, you can't help but have the confidence to start your adventures in cooking. Follow the tips that you have learned here, and you will soon be receiving high praise not only from loved ones, but also from your fellow want-to-be cooks.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Cooking Tips For Your On The Go Lifestyle
What's the greatest meal you've ever eaten? It probably didn't take you long to recall that delicious meal. Now, what if you could cook the most delicious meal you've ever eaten or better yet, be the source of someone else's greatest meal? Here are a few cooking tips to make that a reality.
Store your spices and herbs in a cool and dark spot when you decide where to keep them. Exposure to excessive heat, humidity, or light will affect the flavor of dried seasoning. Herbs and ground spices usually retain their flavor up to a year. Whole spices, on the other hand, can retain their freshness for 36-60 months. Store your spices correctly to make them last.
Season meats evenly. It is important to season all of the meats you are going to be cooking evenly. Sprinkle the seasoning lightly over the meat like it was snowing down. This will keep the seasoning even and prevent clumping. The taste will be more consistent all through it.
If you've forgotten to soak your beans over night, quick soak them instead. Just put the beans in a very large pot and cover with water. Bring this to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about two hours. This method is just as effective as an over night soak and can save you time.
If you want hard boiled eggs that peel easily, then you need to cool your eggs before you peel them. Boiled eggs that are fresh out of hot water have no separation between the egg and its shell. By refilling your pot with cold water before peeling the eggs inside, you encourage the eggs to compress, thereby creating a layer of air between the eggs and their shells, making it easier for you to peel them.
It can also be used on other foods, rather than just on meat. Add these types of seasonings to roasted pumpkin seeds when you need a pick-me-up, or spice up your breakfast by putting it on scrambled eggs. Everyone will wonder what your secret is.
Don't substitute romaine lettuce when making caesar salad. Romaine has the perfect texture and flavor to stand up to the strong ingredients in a classic caesar dressing, such as garlic, anchovies and parmesan cheese. Select romaine that has dark green outer leaves that curl away from the center. To store, leave the head whole and unwashed in the refrigerator, and tear off leaves as needed.
Use these tips as a springboard for your own cooking. Cooking is a never-ending journey, there's always something new and fresh to learn and to try. Keep looking for ways to make meals special and one day, someone will remember you as the cook of the greatest thing that they've ever eaten.
Store your spices and herbs in a cool and dark spot when you decide where to keep them. Exposure to excessive heat, humidity, or light will affect the flavor of dried seasoning. Herbs and ground spices usually retain their flavor up to a year. Whole spices, on the other hand, can retain their freshness for 36-60 months. Store your spices correctly to make them last.
Season meats evenly. It is important to season all of the meats you are going to be cooking evenly. Sprinkle the seasoning lightly over the meat like it was snowing down. This will keep the seasoning even and prevent clumping. The taste will be more consistent all through it.
If you've forgotten to soak your beans over night, quick soak them instead. Just put the beans in a very large pot and cover with water. Bring this to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about two hours. This method is just as effective as an over night soak and can save you time.
If you want hard boiled eggs that peel easily, then you need to cool your eggs before you peel them. Boiled eggs that are fresh out of hot water have no separation between the egg and its shell. By refilling your pot with cold water before peeling the eggs inside, you encourage the eggs to compress, thereby creating a layer of air between the eggs and their shells, making it easier for you to peel them.
It can also be used on other foods, rather than just on meat. Add these types of seasonings to roasted pumpkin seeds when you need a pick-me-up, or spice up your breakfast by putting it on scrambled eggs. Everyone will wonder what your secret is.
Don't substitute romaine lettuce when making caesar salad. Romaine has the perfect texture and flavor to stand up to the strong ingredients in a classic caesar dressing, such as garlic, anchovies and parmesan cheese. Select romaine that has dark green outer leaves that curl away from the center. To store, leave the head whole and unwashed in the refrigerator, and tear off leaves as needed.
Use these tips as a springboard for your own cooking. Cooking is a never-ending journey, there's always something new and fresh to learn and to try. Keep looking for ways to make meals special and one day, someone will remember you as the cook of the greatest thing that they've ever eaten.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Cooking Is Simple When You Know Some Great Tricks!
Many people want to learn how to cook delicious meals, but doing this can be pretty difficult for new beginners. Since cooking skills are based on experience, the more you practice the better you will get. Here in this article are some tips for beginners that can help you get started and avoid common mistakes.
If you are just beginning your adventure with home cooking, look online, at a bookstore, or at the library for a cookbook that has simple, easy recipes that you'll take pleasure in both preparing and eating. Pick out a few recipes to try and decide after it has been eaten if it is a recipe you want to add to your permanent collection. Be sure to be patient as you try these new recipes.
To maximize the efficiency of the cooking that you do, always make your food in large quantities and when you are finished with the meal, store the meats in freezer bags. This will allow you to create a meal the next day for your family that is still fresh and tastes great.
How to pit and peel an avocado. Peeling and pitting an avocado can be quite messy, but there is a simple way. Use a sharp knife and cut around the whole avocado lengthwise. Grip each half of the avocado and twist it apart. Using your knife, carefully but firmly hit the top of the pit and twist it. The pit will slide out, still attached to the knife. To remove the peel, simply take a large spoon and run it between the peel and the flesh. Enjoy!
Make sure that you never give up when you are cooking, as it is going to take a lot of practice and failures before you get it right. If you burn something, keep trying. You will only become a great cook if you maintain your persistence.
Season meats evenly. It is important to season all of the meats you are going to be cooking evenly. Sprinkle the seasoning lightly over the meat like it was snowing down. This will keep the seasoning even and prevent clumping. The taste will be more consistent all through it.
Becoming a great cook is no easy feat. It takes a lot of time and effort, not to mention sometimes making a mess. But these tips can give you valuable advice that others learn through painful mistakes. If you follow these tips, making healthy, delicious meals will be simple and easy.
If you are just beginning your adventure with home cooking, look online, at a bookstore, or at the library for a cookbook that has simple, easy recipes that you'll take pleasure in both preparing and eating. Pick out a few recipes to try and decide after it has been eaten if it is a recipe you want to add to your permanent collection. Be sure to be patient as you try these new recipes.
To maximize the efficiency of the cooking that you do, always make your food in large quantities and when you are finished with the meal, store the meats in freezer bags. This will allow you to create a meal the next day for your family that is still fresh and tastes great.
How to pit and peel an avocado. Peeling and pitting an avocado can be quite messy, but there is a simple way. Use a sharp knife and cut around the whole avocado lengthwise. Grip each half of the avocado and twist it apart. Using your knife, carefully but firmly hit the top of the pit and twist it. The pit will slide out, still attached to the knife. To remove the peel, simply take a large spoon and run it between the peel and the flesh. Enjoy!
Make sure that you never give up when you are cooking, as it is going to take a lot of practice and failures before you get it right. If you burn something, keep trying. You will only become a great cook if you maintain your persistence.
Season meats evenly. It is important to season all of the meats you are going to be cooking evenly. Sprinkle the seasoning lightly over the meat like it was snowing down. This will keep the seasoning even and prevent clumping. The taste will be more consistent all through it.
Becoming a great cook is no easy feat. It takes a lot of time and effort, not to mention sometimes making a mess. But these tips can give you valuable advice that others learn through painful mistakes. If you follow these tips, making healthy, delicious meals will be simple and easy.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Cooking Ideas To Boost Your Confidence In The Kitchen
Cooking is a process that we are never finished learning about. Even the most accomplished world famous chefs will still take a chance to learn a new trick from a colleague. In this article we will try to give you a few highlights of some useful cooking information.
Perfect pasta every time. Never add oil to the water when you are boiling pasta. It prevents the sauce from coating the pasta properly. Just before you drain the pasta, set aside about 1/3 cup of the cooked pasta water. When you mix the sauce with the pasta, add a little of the cooking liquid. The starch in the water adds body and flavor to the sauce.
If you plan to let your chicken sit in the oven for a while after it is baked, then subtract a few minutes from its baking time. Since chicken continues to bake even after it is taken away from a heat source, it can dry out quickly in an oven that is still hot.
For the moistest banana bread ever, peel and then freeze the bananas slated for the next loaf. Bananas placed in a covered container in the freezer will absorb moisture from the freezing process and that little extra "juice", goes a long way. Not only will your bread be more moist, it will also have a more intense banana flavor.
If you are making pastries, you should try to maximize the accuracy of your measurements as it is a very exact science. By adding one gram too much or too less, you are going to put the taste of your pastry in jeopardy. Always try to be precise when baking.
Always choose to cook with a wine that you would drink yourself. If you don't even like the taste of the wine that you are cooking with, chances are that you will end up disliking whatever it is that you are making! So pick out a good wine that you know you love, and you will like your dish even more.
Store your cheese in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic, and away from air. This will help to keep mold away. While a little mold is not harmful to cheese, excessive mold is dangerous to consume. It will certainly affect the quality of your cheese as well.
These tips haven't come close to covering everything you could learn regarding cooking. There is a wealth of information out there just waiting to be discovered. One of the best things about cooking is that the more you learn about it, the more you want to learn. So get out there and get cooking.
Perfect pasta every time. Never add oil to the water when you are boiling pasta. It prevents the sauce from coating the pasta properly. Just before you drain the pasta, set aside about 1/3 cup of the cooked pasta water. When you mix the sauce with the pasta, add a little of the cooking liquid. The starch in the water adds body and flavor to the sauce.
If you plan to let your chicken sit in the oven for a while after it is baked, then subtract a few minutes from its baking time. Since chicken continues to bake even after it is taken away from a heat source, it can dry out quickly in an oven that is still hot.
For the moistest banana bread ever, peel and then freeze the bananas slated for the next loaf. Bananas placed in a covered container in the freezer will absorb moisture from the freezing process and that little extra "juice", goes a long way. Not only will your bread be more moist, it will also have a more intense banana flavor.
If you are making pastries, you should try to maximize the accuracy of your measurements as it is a very exact science. By adding one gram too much or too less, you are going to put the taste of your pastry in jeopardy. Always try to be precise when baking.
Always choose to cook with a wine that you would drink yourself. If you don't even like the taste of the wine that you are cooking with, chances are that you will end up disliking whatever it is that you are making! So pick out a good wine that you know you love, and you will like your dish even more.
Store your cheese in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic, and away from air. This will help to keep mold away. While a little mold is not harmful to cheese, excessive mold is dangerous to consume. It will certainly affect the quality of your cheese as well.
These tips haven't come close to covering everything you could learn regarding cooking. There is a wealth of information out there just waiting to be discovered. One of the best things about cooking is that the more you learn about it, the more you want to learn. So get out there and get cooking.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Change Your Cooking Style With These Recommendations
Many people want to learn the culinary arts but are intimidated by the skill set required. If you are a beginner cook, you too can become a wonderful chef by following the techniques taught in this article.
One of the best things that you can do to save money and improve the quality of your dressings is to make your own. Homemade dressings will save you a lot of money in the long run and will also taste great, as most of the ingredients are natural and healthier.
One of the things that you can do if you are cooking cauliflower is to add milk, which will help to brighten your vegetable. This will add to the aesthetic appeal of your food and will also maintain the freshness until you decide to serve it to your friends or family.
In brief, learning how to cook is learning how to avoid pre-packaged foods and meals. These convenience food products, all too common today, have speed as their solitary real benefit. Home-cooked meals will always beat them in taste and cost. In most cases - even with meals that are not especially healthy - the version made in the kitchen will be healthier than the packaged version.
When cooking steak, make sure the pan you are using is really hot so that it sears the outside of the meat and keeps all of the juices inside. This will make your steak taste great, and it won't be dried out, since all of the flavor is still sealed inside of the meat.
One of the best things that you can do for your cooking is to watch cooking shows during the course of the day. Pick up on what the professionals are doing and implement that into your routine if you want to achieve the best possible results for your dishes. Tips from other people can serve you well while cooking.
Tofu is a great source of protein that vegetarians should use to get the nutrients their body needs. Many vegetarians are lacking in protein because they are not eating meat. Tofu can be prepared in a variety of ways and really soaks up flavors so it can be served as a meal or as a quick snack.
Learning how to cook an amazing meal will help you throughout your life, whether it's to impress a date or your boss. Sharing meals with friends and family is a worldwide practice. If you implement the tips in this article, it won't be long before you are an accomplished cook and your dinner parties are the talk of the town.
One of the best things that you can do to save money and improve the quality of your dressings is to make your own. Homemade dressings will save you a lot of money in the long run and will also taste great, as most of the ingredients are natural and healthier.
One of the things that you can do if you are cooking cauliflower is to add milk, which will help to brighten your vegetable. This will add to the aesthetic appeal of your food and will also maintain the freshness until you decide to serve it to your friends or family.
In brief, learning how to cook is learning how to avoid pre-packaged foods and meals. These convenience food products, all too common today, have speed as their solitary real benefit. Home-cooked meals will always beat them in taste and cost. In most cases - even with meals that are not especially healthy - the version made in the kitchen will be healthier than the packaged version.
When cooking steak, make sure the pan you are using is really hot so that it sears the outside of the meat and keeps all of the juices inside. This will make your steak taste great, and it won't be dried out, since all of the flavor is still sealed inside of the meat.
One of the best things that you can do for your cooking is to watch cooking shows during the course of the day. Pick up on what the professionals are doing and implement that into your routine if you want to achieve the best possible results for your dishes. Tips from other people can serve you well while cooking.
Tofu is a great source of protein that vegetarians should use to get the nutrients their body needs. Many vegetarians are lacking in protein because they are not eating meat. Tofu can be prepared in a variety of ways and really soaks up flavors so it can be served as a meal or as a quick snack.
Learning how to cook an amazing meal will help you throughout your life, whether it's to impress a date or your boss. Sharing meals with friends and family is a worldwide practice. If you implement the tips in this article, it won't be long before you are an accomplished cook and your dinner parties are the talk of the town.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Becoming A Chef In Your Kitchen With These Helpful Tips
Cooking your meals at home can be fun and easy, if you try some of these tips. You can prepare delicious and healthy dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen and make mealtime enjoyable for everyone in your home. Cooking can be a fantastic way to express your creativity.
If you have not yet cooked with skewers you should definitely consider this fact. Not all metal skewers are created equal; traditional round metal skewers are not the best option to keep food in place when grilling. Choosing skewers with a different shape can be the secret to keeping your food from the bottom of your grill.
While most seasonings are added at some point during the cooking process, there are certain spices that are considered good after cooking options. These spices are garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Set these on the table, and let your guests decide on their personal preference to add a little kick to their plate.
How to pit and peel an avocado. Peeling and pitting an avocado can be quite messy, but there is a simple way. Use a sharp knife and cut around the whole avocado lengthwise. Grip each half of the avocado and twist it apart. Using your knife, carefully but firmly hit the top of the pit and twist it. The pit will slide out, still attached to the knife. To remove the peel, simply take a large spoon and run it between the peel and the flesh. Enjoy!
Eat a piece of meat when experimenting with seasoning before cooking all of it. Certain foods require very careful seasonings, especially dishes like meatballs, meatloaf and burgers. After adding your blend of seasonings, do not cook the entire portion of meat. Try making a little patty and cooking it first. After trying the piece, you can cook the rest of the batch or adjust the seasonings that are needed.
After you have cooked mashed potatoes, make sure that you return them to the hot pan so that they can steam for the next ten minutes. This will allow for the potatoes to dry out so that you can get a rich texture when you are applying your milk and butter.
If you try these suggestions, you are sure to increase your cooking skills and find greater joy in meal preparation for your family. Use these tips to inspire your imagination into creating scrumptious cuisine in your home. The people you serve when using these ideas are sure to be impressed.
If you have not yet cooked with skewers you should definitely consider this fact. Not all metal skewers are created equal; traditional round metal skewers are not the best option to keep food in place when grilling. Choosing skewers with a different shape can be the secret to keeping your food from the bottom of your grill.
While most seasonings are added at some point during the cooking process, there are certain spices that are considered good after cooking options. These spices are garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Set these on the table, and let your guests decide on their personal preference to add a little kick to their plate.
How to pit and peel an avocado. Peeling and pitting an avocado can be quite messy, but there is a simple way. Use a sharp knife and cut around the whole avocado lengthwise. Grip each half of the avocado and twist it apart. Using your knife, carefully but firmly hit the top of the pit and twist it. The pit will slide out, still attached to the knife. To remove the peel, simply take a large spoon and run it between the peel and the flesh. Enjoy!
Eat a piece of meat when experimenting with seasoning before cooking all of it. Certain foods require very careful seasonings, especially dishes like meatballs, meatloaf and burgers. After adding your blend of seasonings, do not cook the entire portion of meat. Try making a little patty and cooking it first. After trying the piece, you can cook the rest of the batch or adjust the seasonings that are needed.
After you have cooked mashed potatoes, make sure that you return them to the hot pan so that they can steam for the next ten minutes. This will allow for the potatoes to dry out so that you can get a rich texture when you are applying your milk and butter.
If you try these suggestions, you are sure to increase your cooking skills and find greater joy in meal preparation for your family. Use these tips to inspire your imagination into creating scrumptious cuisine in your home. The people you serve when using these ideas are sure to be impressed.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Slow Cooker Warm Spiced Lamb With Chickpeas And Kale
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb lamb, diced cut into 2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium golden potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp grated ginger root
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz size) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 bunch kale, stem removed and coarse chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced
garnish with fresh chopped mint
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil and lamb and brown lamb quickly, then put in crockpot.
In same skillet, add the onion and garlic and cook just for a minute or so until onion starts to soften slightly, then put in crockpot.
Add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT lemon juice and mint) to crockpot.
Cook covered on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
Sprinkle lemon juice and mint over individual servings.
Will serve 4.
1 1/2 lb lamb, diced cut into 2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium golden potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp grated ginger root
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz size) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 bunch kale, stem removed and coarse chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced
garnish with fresh chopped mint
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil and lamb and brown lamb quickly, then put in crockpot.
In same skillet, add the onion and garlic and cook just for a minute or so until onion starts to soften slightly, then put in crockpot.
Add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT lemon juice and mint) to crockpot.
Cook covered on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
Sprinkle lemon juice and mint over individual servings.
Will serve 4.
Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Sauced Chicken Stew
4 small gold or red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
4 to 6 chicken thighs (depending on how many servings you want)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced and zested
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy style)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp curry powder
hot cooked rice for serving
chopped green onions and peanuts for garnish
Place potatoes in crockpot and arrange chicken thighs evenly over the potatoes.
Top with the bell pepper and onion.
In a separate bowl, stir together the garlic, lime juice, lime zest, peanut butter, chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and curry powder, and pour over the ingredients in the crockpot, trying to get it as evenly distributed as possible.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve over rice, and garnish with onions and peanuts if desired.
Will serve 4 to 6.
4 to 6 chicken thighs (depending on how many servings you want)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced and zested
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy style)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp curry powder
hot cooked rice for serving
chopped green onions and peanuts for garnish
Place potatoes in crockpot and arrange chicken thighs evenly over the potatoes.
Top with the bell pepper and onion.
In a separate bowl, stir together the garlic, lime juice, lime zest, peanut butter, chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and curry powder, and pour over the ingredients in the crockpot, trying to get it as evenly distributed as possible.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve over rice, and garnish with onions and peanuts if desired.
Will serve 4 to 6.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Slow Cooker Tangy Russian Dressed Orange Chicken
6 chicken breasts, bones and skin removed
1 1/2 cups orange marmalade
1 bottle (8 oz) Russian salad dressing
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
cooked rice for serving
Place chicken breasts in crockpot.
In a bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients, then pour over chicken.
Lift chicken up in crockpot so some of the mixture seeps underneath.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
Serve hot over rice if desired.
Will serve 6.
1 1/2 cups orange marmalade
1 bottle (8 oz) Russian salad dressing
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
cooked rice for serving
Place chicken breasts in crockpot.
In a bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients, then pour over chicken.
Lift chicken up in crockpot so some of the mixture seeps underneath.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
Serve hot over rice if desired.
Will serve 6.
Slow Cooker Sweet Curried Lamb
2 lbs lamb meat, cubed
2 medium onions , diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
3 Tbsp golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts, any mix you like
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Put onion, apple, raisins, nuts, and lamb in crockpot, in that order.
In a separate bowl, put the remaining ingredients, whisk, then pour evenly over the ingredients in crockpot.
Cover and cook at LOW for 8 to 9 hours.
Stir once half way through cooking.
Serve over hot cooked rice.
Will serve 6 to 8.
2 medium onions , diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
3 Tbsp golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts, any mix you like
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Put onion, apple, raisins, nuts, and lamb in crockpot, in that order.
In a separate bowl, put the remaining ingredients, whisk, then pour evenly over the ingredients in crockpot.
Cover and cook at LOW for 8 to 9 hours.
Stir once half way through cooking.
Serve over hot cooked rice.
Will serve 6 to 8.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Slow Cooker Sopas- Portuguese Style
2 yellow onions, diced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups red wine
4 quarts water
4 to 5 lb whole beef chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
1 head of cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
4 sprigs (3 inch each) fresh mint
hearty bread slices
Put first 13 ingredients in a large crockpot and stir gently to combine.
Season the whole chuck roast all over with salt and pepper to taste.
Set the whole chuck roast on top of the vegetable mixture in the crockpot.
Cover the crockpot, set temperature to LOW, and let cook for 5 to 6 hours or until meat flakes apart with a fork; lift meat out of crockpot and set aside for a moment.
Arrange the wedges of cabbage over the mixture in the crockpot, then set the meat back in the crockpot, on top of the cabbage.
Cover crockpot and continue cooking on LOW for another 1 to 2 hours or until cabbage and meat are both tender.
Just before serving, snip up mint into crockpot, cover and let heat for JUST 5 more minutes.
Put a piece or two of bread in a big soup bowl, then spoon some of the veggie mixture over the bread, top with a chunk of cabbage and a chunk of beef.
Serves 6 to 8 very hungry people.
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups red wine
4 quarts water
4 to 5 lb whole beef chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
1 head of cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
4 sprigs (3 inch each) fresh mint
hearty bread slices
Put first 13 ingredients in a large crockpot and stir gently to combine.
Season the whole chuck roast all over with salt and pepper to taste.
Set the whole chuck roast on top of the vegetable mixture in the crockpot.
Cover the crockpot, set temperature to LOW, and let cook for 5 to 6 hours or until meat flakes apart with a fork; lift meat out of crockpot and set aside for a moment.
Arrange the wedges of cabbage over the mixture in the crockpot, then set the meat back in the crockpot, on top of the cabbage.
Cover crockpot and continue cooking on LOW for another 1 to 2 hours or until cabbage and meat are both tender.
Just before serving, snip up mint into crockpot, cover and let heat for JUST 5 more minutes.
Put a piece or two of bread in a big soup bowl, then spoon some of the veggie mixture over the bread, top with a chunk of cabbage and a chunk of beef.
Serves 6 to 8 very hungry people.
Slow Cooker Polish Sausage And Cabbage Stew
1 medium head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
6 small red potatoes, scrubbed
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp caraway seed
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. Polish sausage, cut in 2 inch chunks
1 (32 oz size) can chicken broth
Place cabbage, potatoes, and onion in crockpot.
Sprinkle evenly with the salt and caraway seed.
Arrange the Polish sausage evenly over the top.
Pour chicken broth over evenly.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.
Will serve 4 to 6.
6 small red potatoes, scrubbed
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp caraway seed
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. Polish sausage, cut in 2 inch chunks
1 (32 oz size) can chicken broth
Place cabbage, potatoes, and onion in crockpot.
Sprinkle evenly with the salt and caraway seed.
Arrange the Polish sausage evenly over the top.
Pour chicken broth over evenly.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.
Will serve 4 to 6.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Slow Cooker Peppered Beef Stew
4 to 5 lbs beef roast, cubed bite size
1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed black peppercorns
2 large yellow onions, coarse diced
2 large ripe tomatoes, coarse diced
1 large red bell pepper, coarse diced
2 lb small red potatoes, scrubbed
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup dried basil
1/4 cup dried dill weed
1 Tbsp celery seed
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp caraway seed, optional
water to cover
Get out your crockpot.
Put the cubed beef in a bowl, add the crushed peppercorns and toss until well coated.
Put all ingredients in the crockpot, (in the order listed), pour in just enough water to cover the ingredients.
Cover the crockpot, set temperature to LOW, and cook for 8 to 9 hours, stirring twice during the cooking time.
Serves 6 to 8.
1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed black peppercorns
2 large yellow onions, coarse diced
2 large ripe tomatoes, coarse diced
1 large red bell pepper, coarse diced
2 lb small red potatoes, scrubbed
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup dried basil
1/4 cup dried dill weed
1 Tbsp celery seed
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp caraway seed, optional
water to cover
Get out your crockpot.
Put the cubed beef in a bowl, add the crushed peppercorns and toss until well coated.
Put all ingredients in the crockpot, (in the order listed), pour in just enough water to cover the ingredients.
Cover the crockpot, set temperature to LOW, and cook for 8 to 9 hours, stirring twice during the cooking time.
Serves 6 to 8.
Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentil Squash Stew
1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
10 small new red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 cans (14 oz size) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
1 pkg (8 oz) frozen cut green beans, thawed
Combine all ingredients EXCEPT green beans in crockpot, stirring gently.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until lentils are tender.
Add green beans during last 30 minutes of cooking time, stirring to combine.
Will serve 6 to 8.
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
10 small new red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 cans (14 oz size) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
1 pkg (8 oz) frozen cut green beans, thawed
Combine all ingredients EXCEPT green beans in crockpot, stirring gently.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until lentils are tender.
Add green beans during last 30 minutes of cooking time, stirring to combine.
Will serve 6 to 8.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Slow Cooker Marvelous Mulligatawny Soup
2 chicken breast halves, cut in cubes
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced tomatoes, with juice
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 medium apple, cored and diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
salt and black pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in crockpot, stir gently to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.
Serve hot.
Will serve 4 to 6.
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced tomatoes, with juice
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 medium apple, cored and diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
salt and black pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in crockpot, stir gently to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.
Serve hot.
Will serve 4 to 6.
Slow Cooker Lentil Mex Chili
2 lbs dried lentils, rinsed and sorted
6 cups water, boiled
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 bag (16 oz) frozen whole corn kernels, thawed
Boil the 6 cups water in a saucepan, then pour into the crockpot set on HIGH.
Add the lentils to the crockpot, stir, then add the remaining ingredients and stir again to combine.
Cover and cook on HIGH heat for 15 minutes, then turn heat down to LOW and cook for 6 to 7 hours.
You can add more water if it gets too thick.
Serves 6 to 8.
6 cups water, boiled
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 bag (16 oz) frozen whole corn kernels, thawed
Boil the 6 cups water in a saucepan, then pour into the crockpot set on HIGH.
Add the lentils to the crockpot, stir, then add the remaining ingredients and stir again to combine.
Cover and cook on HIGH heat for 15 minutes, then turn heat down to LOW and cook for 6 to 7 hours.
You can add more water if it gets too thick.
Serves 6 to 8.
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