Creative Cooking Skills Every Chef Should Have

Even the most experienced master chef is always willing to learn new things about the culinary arts. With the right tools and information, anyone has the power to transform a bland, tired dish into a delectable offering. This article will give you some great tips for livening up your meals.

If you are going to make a stir-fry dish, slice the meat on the bias, as thinly as possible. This can be a bit difficult, and it takes some time to do it right. Take the meat out of the freezer when it is slightly frozen and cut at a forty five degree angle, do it across the meat's grain.

For crispier French fries, put raw potatoes into cold water and let them sit there for about half an hour before frying. The fibers of raw cut potatoes that have been soaked in cold water prior to hitting the deep fryer, are stronger and can handle the heat better without breakage.

It is always better to choose fresh ingredients for your recipes instead of dried or frozen ones. When you use fresh ingredients you can bring out the true flavor of your food, and they can sometimes be cheaper in the end.

When you do this, the mushroom will become absorbent and soak up the water. You should wet a cloth and wipe the mushrooms off, rather than soaking them.

Do you have a difficult time deciding how long you should grill your meat? The best way to be sure that your meat has cooked fully is to test it with a digital meat thermometer near the center of the thickest part of the meat. Another tip is to close the lid on your grill if the meat you're cooking is thicker than an inch and a half.

When cooking a whole pumpkin, place the pumpkin upright first, then cut directly down its middle to create two halves. Set each half cut-side down on its own baking sheet. Add a few tablespoons of water to the pan and roast the pumpkin for one hour in a 350 degree oven.

Preserve the flavor of your herbs and spices by storing them in an area with low light and cool temperatures. Storing herbs and spices in a warm location will cause them to lose their flavor.

After eating turkey, such as for Thanksgiving, never throw away leftovers. Place the remains in a container and store in the freezer for preservation. This will keep the meat fresh for a couple of weeks. When you are ready to use it, you can make sandwiches or have it in a salad.

Replace and refresh your spices twice a year. Spices do not last forever. They will eventually lose their flavor. When you know you're not going to be using a spice for a long time, give it away to someone in your family or to a friend before it loses its flavor.

Apply the tips from this article to help guide you towards having a better handle on cooking. The tips detailed in this article should be used as an example of finding information that can help you become a better cook both for yourself and for your loved ones.

Easy Cooking Tips For Professional Quality Meals At Home

Everyone can prepare basic dishes, but great cooking requires training. The following article will give you the information you need to be able to prepare meals with ease. Don't let complicated recipes, ingredients, or kitchen equipment put you off. Once you become more comfortable and confident in the kitchen, you may find that you love to cook. Take this advice to heart, and you will be enthusiastic about whipping up something special with greater regularity.

Keep spices tucked away in cool, dry and dark areas. Shelf life can be significantly decreased for those spices which have been exposed to too much light, dampness and heat. Spices last longer and taste better when stored in cool, dark locations. Fresh spices can greatly enhance your meals, making this effort well worth your time.

A good tip when using cooking oil is to put some on the sides of the pan while cooking. This way, it will already be hot when it gets near the food. This will help your food be more flavorful.

Here is a little trick that can help you save your sauce so that you can use it right away. Take one tablespoon corn starch, and combine with two tablespoons water in a mixing bowl. Then, stir the resulting solution with the sauce to thicken it. Make sure not to add the corn starch too quickly; keep stirring and stop when the sauce is thick enough.

If you want crispier and crunchier French fries, then soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for a period of at least half an hour before use. The soaking process will reinforce the vegetable fibers, and they will be better able to withstand heat when you fry them.

Do you cook often with fresh basil? Get a sprout of fresh basil and place it in a glass. Then, add water to the glass, immersing the stems in water. To keep the basil fresh for several weeks, set it down on the kitchen counter. The basil may even start growing roots if you change out the water regularly. By cutting or trimming the basil on occasion, it will grow even further, so you can have fresh basil for quite a while.

It works on other foods, as well as meat. Sprinkle it over popcorn for an evening treat, or add a dash to pasta. People will wonder where that burst of flavor is coming from.

By doing so, the mushrooms will absorb the water like a sponge. Instead, get a wet, clean cloth and wipe off the mushroom by hand.

If you are serious about losing weight and getting healthy, you need to cut back on cooking oils. These types of foods contain many unnecessary fats you can live without. Consider using a nonstick cooking spray as replacement for oil.

Cooking need not feel difficult. Making food at home is a money saver, much more healthy, nutritious and fun. Use the tips provided in the article when you are purchasing, preparing and eating your foods. Have fun with your cooking, and get ready to enjoy a fabulous meal.

Apply These Easy Tips To Cook Like A Pro

Making daily meals for your family can sometimes get frustrating. Cooking is not an activity that should make you feel hopeless! This article provides several fantastic tips that will make cooking more enjoyable, and stress-free. When you apply these tips, you'll wish you had known about them sooner.

Make sure to keep herbs and spices in an area that is cool and dim. Heat, humidity, and light will all weaken your spices' flavor. When properly stored, ground herbs and spices can retain full flavor for up to a year. Whole spices are hardier, and will retain their robust flavoring for several years. They can remain fresh longer if stored properly.

You should do the prep work for your meals in advance. It is essential to have all prep work finished before it's time to begin cooking. When you have a timeline for your meal to be ready, things can get a bit stressful once you start cooking. You can help lessen the potential stress by getting all your prep work done early.

Vegetables that are cooked more quickly will be of higher quality. Vegetables that are slowly and thoroughly cooked, are less tasty and nutritious than vegetables that are cooked briefly. These quick cooking techniques will produce generally, healthier vegetable sides. Learning to cook them for the minimum necessary time is the key to better vegetables.

You can use it on other foods besides meat. Seasoned salt can be added to a variety of dishes and snacks, from popcorn and pumpkin seeds to scrambled eggs and vegetables. Everyone will start to wonder about your secret ingredient and what it might be!

If you make sauce, freeze it into ice cubs to use later on. For a quick and easy sauce on another night, simply remove as many cubes as you need and reheat in a pan. Not to worry, it freezes well and is perfectly edible when stored this way.

If your burgers seem to be sticking to the surface of your grill, it may be hard to take them off without breaking them. To avoid this possibility, you can apply a light coat of vegetable oil to the grill before cooking.

If you want to make chicken stock, you might as well make a lot of it. Make a giant pot and store what you don't use in your freezer. A rich chicken stock makes a savory base for soups, stews and other dishes. Let your stock cool off and pour it inside Ziploc bags.

If you are trying to lose weight or lower your cholesterol, try to decrease the amount of fat in your diet. Most of the time, the oils you cook with have high amounts of unnecessary and unhealthy fats. This is also true of butter. Using a nonstick spray is a good alternative as it has the same effects without all the calories.

Regular meal preparation can seem like a major chore at times. Fixing great, tasty meals does not have to be that difficult or complicated, though. When you are cooking, relax and enjoy utilizing the new skills you have gained.

Chop, Dice, And Fry: Sneaky Hints And Cooking Tips

Eating is easy; cooking is hard...at first. The tips in this article will help you learn a thing or two about preparing your own food. There is no need to feel intimidated by your cooking tools, tricky recipes, or uncommon ingredients. Knowing your way around the kitchen is a skill you can use for a lifetime and can offer joy to you, as well as others. Now discover a few great tips that will have you feeling confident in the kitchen in time for dinner!

When making a stir-fry dish, the meat needs to be cut into very thin slices, always on the bias. It is possible that you may have a little trouble doing so in a time efficient manner. Remove meat when firm but no longer frozen, and slice it 45 degrees across the grain.

There is a great trick to thicken up your sauce so it isn't wasted. Mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. While stirring, introduce the liquid into your sauce while it is simmering. Don't add all the starch at once, and avoid stirring erratically. Either of these could over-thicken the sauce.

For crispier French fries, let raw potatoes stand for 30 minutes in a cold pot of water. The fibers of raw cut potatoes that have been soaked in cold water prior to hitting the deep fryer, are stronger and can handle the heat better without breakage.

Garlic can easily stay on your hands. Stainless steel can remove the bad odor that comes from garlic and other smelly items. Hands will then be clean, and odors will not be transferred on.

If you want to eat well and lose weight, it's a good idea to decrease the amount of oil you use in cooking. Most fats are brought into a diet through oil and butter. Replace them with a nonstick cooking spray and you won't notice the difference.

When you're making foods that need seasoning, use a little in intervals of a few minutes versus all of it directly at the beginning. This results in a better blending of the flavors of the ingredients.

When serving salads to guests, it is a good idea to leave the dressing on the side of the salad rather than on it. Some people prefer more dressing than others; let guests pour their own dressing. Offer several different types of dressing.

When preparing a meal, make sure you have clean cooking utensils. Any food particles left on a utensil could get into the food your are cooking, ruining the taste. This could allow bacteria to easily spread.

When you have a large or complicated meal to prepare, you can eliminate a lot of the stress by doing any prep work the day before. Group ingredients, verify that you have all necessities on hand, and do all measuring and chopping tasks that can be done ahead of time. When you are ready to start cooking, all you have to do is combine the ingredients and cook them.

The more you cook, the easier and less intimidating it gets. Making your own home-cooked meals can be healthier, more nutritious and cost-effective, as well. It is also lots of fun! Use the tips provided in the article when you are purchasing, preparing and eating your foods. Happy home cooking and bon appetit!

Better Cooking With Less Effort - Quick Ways To Brush Up On Your Kitchen Skills

Great cooking skills don't happen naturally, and even those who possess them are capable of learning more. Cooking is a life skill that everyone works on, every day. If you want to be on your way to making that foie gras, then this article is the place to start. These tips can really help you become a better cook.

When storing your herbs and spices, they should be kept in a cool, dark spot. Herbs and spices can quickly lose their flavor if exposed to continuous light or heat. Usually, ground herbs and spices retain their flavor for 12 months. It is possible for whole spices to hold their flavor for several years. When stored properly, spice stay fresh for longer periods of time.

bake tart or pie crusts longer that you think they should be baked. Wait until the crust turns golden rather than pale blond. This golden color means that the sugar has caramelized, leaving a sweet flavor.

When preparing stir-fry dishes, slice meat as thinly as possible and on its bias. Very often this is difficult to master and takes a lot of time. When the meat is stiff but not frozen, take it out and slice immediately across the grain at a slight angle.

If you put your meat in the freezer to make it a little hard, it will be easier to cut into thin strips. This works especially well for meats to be used with Asian recipes. Partially freezing meat keep the fibers in meat from stretching and tearing resulting in perfectly sliced strips. Though before cooking the meat strips, make sure you let them thaw completely. This allows for even cooking.

If you are making a meal for someone that you want to make a good impression on, be sure to make something you know how to make well. You should never attempt to cook some new dish or even a new ingredient you've never attempted. Doing this will decrease the stress that you feel, which is always a good thing.

Are you preparing a dish with fresh basil? Take some fresh basil and put some of it in a glass. Pour water into the glass so that the stems are covered with water. You could let it sit on your counter and it will stay fresh for weeks. If you change the water occasionally, the basil will even grow roots in the water. Trim or cut the basil periodically to provide for added growth so you can partake in some fresh basil for a while!

By completing some food preparation ahead of time you can simplify your cooking process. Peruse your recipes and look for things you can do ahead of time. Choose items that will not spoil. You can make a lot of your preparations a day or more in advance. In this manner, even complicated recipes become simple and easy meals.

As the above article has demonstrated, learning new methods of cooking is very exciting! In fact, learning to prepare delicious meals is almost as enjoyable as eating them. Other useful hints and techniques are available in cookbooks, magazines and websites to help you continue improving your cooking abilities. Learning how to cook is something you should always strive to do.

A Culinary Cut Above: Fast Cooking Tips For The Home Chef

Do you enjoy a variety of food? Do you crave and always want to eat sweets? Foreign foods and ethnic cuisine don't have to be difficult to prepare at home. Do you wonder how you can cook meals such as these at home? You do not have to think about this any longer. Use this article as a guide, and start discovering how easy it is to cook delicious meals.

Do you ever hesitate to toss moldy food? Is it alright to cut out the rotten part and save them? Cutting off rotten bits of fruit will not make them safer. Throw this fruit away because of the deep mold growth which you cannot see, and it would make you sick if you ate it.

Quickly cooking vegetables allows them to retain much of their nutritional value. Taste and nutritional value suffer when vegetables are slow-cooked. If you do this, it will provide you a vegetable that is higher in nutritious value. Cooking vegetables for only a short amount of time is essential.

These seasonings can also add unexpected flavor to other foods. Scrambled eggs taste delicious with it, or you can create a tasty snack by sprinkling it over roasted pumpkin seeds. The interesting flavor will leave everyone wondering what the secret ingredient it.

By completing some food preparation ahead of time you can simplify your cooking process. Complete as many steps in advance as you can without risking spoilage. A lot of the preliminary work can be done a day before you cook the meal. This is a great time saver, and can make that complex recipe into something that is quick and fun.

To prepare pumpkins for baking, cut the standing pumpkin in half through the center. Lay the cut halves on individual baking pans. Sprinkle or spray a bit of water on your baking sheets, then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The pumpkin takes about an hour to bake.

Add the seasonings a little at a time throughout the cooking process. In this way you will give your food all the flavoring you can as well as using your ingredients more efficiently.

The odors of many spices and vegetables will stay on your cutting board and will be impervious to soap. Use permanent ink to mark one end of the cutting board to identify which is which.

Replace and refresh your spices twice a year. If you keep them longer than this, they may lose their flavor. If you purchase a specific spice, knowing that you probably won't use it all, split it with someone.

Follow the recipe exactly when you are making macaroni and cheese. The dish turns out perfectly when you follow the recipe, and is absolutely delicious when the velvet, soft cheese sauce melts on top of the macaroni. A solid-faced spoon should be used to serve macaroni and cheese. Pepper up your macaroni for some spice and extra taste sensation.

If you apply all the advice that you have read, you will be a lot closer to making meals you will enjoy eating. Try to spice things up with spices! You might even find a favorite food in this process! Think about these tips the next time you are in your kitchen and let your creativity and personal taste direct you to culinary success at home.

Yuca Fish Patties Recipe

1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 green onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, grated
1 lb cooked flaky fish (not oily fish)
1 cup cooked smashed yuca
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp yellow or brown prepared mustard
1/2 tsp ground cumin
sprinkle red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Get out a skillet and put over low heat. Add the oil, green onion, and garlic and cook just until onion softens slightly and garlic is fragrant; remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the fish, yuca, bread crumbs, mustard, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and cilantro; blend with a fork until combined, then add the egg and onion/garlic, and mix until incorporated.

Form into patties and set aside while you prepare a skillet.

Get out a large heavy skillet and put over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil enough to come up to 1/8 inch in skillet. When hot, carefully add the patties a few at a time and cook until browned on both sides. This should take only a few minutes on each side.

Remove and let cool slightly before serving. May serve alongside a salad or in a bun like you would a burger. Top with guacamole, salsa, or sour cream if you wish.

Makes 6 medium size patties.

You Don't Have To Be A Master Chef To Cook Like One

There are some things you need to know in order to become a terrific cook. The information in the following article will teach you all about the world of cooking and some of the secrets you can use to become a skilled chef. This informative article is broken down into easy to follow tips that anyone can understand.

You must prep well if you want to cook a large, festive meal. Double-check to make sure you have all the necessary ingredients. Assemble utensils and other needed equipment before you start to cook. Being prepared will settle your anxiety and ensure that you are ready to create a fantastic meal.

If your stir fry recipe calls for meat, make sure to slice it very thinly on the bias. It can be a tedious, lengthy process. Remove the meat when it is firm but before it freezes, and cut at an angle of 45 degrees against the grain.

When you are going to cook, make certain all the knives are sharp. Only the dull-witted use dull knives, as they are both ineffective and dangerous. A sharp knife, however, makes quick and clean work of vegetables, meat, and anything else that you're cutting. You won't have to force the issue; a sharp knife glides through the task.

Stick to recipes you are comfortable with when you are cooking for important company. Don't attempt a dish that is new or very far out of your experience level. By using a recipe that you are comfortable cooking, you will be less stressed and can concentrate on your company.

Do you ever feel bad for disposing of fruit with a little mold on it? Could you instead just cut off the mold and eat the rest like you can with cheese? Trying to salvage fruit when half of it is bad may save money, but it is not worth the health risks. The bacteria that causes mold goes deeper than you think, so it's always best to throw away food with even the smallest of mold spots.

It is sometimes difficult to determine when your foods are thoroughly cooked on a grill. Use a digital or other high-quality internal thermometer to check whether your meat is cooked enough. You should close the grill lid when you are cooking meat that is 1.5 inches thick or thicker to cut down on the grilling time.

When making your own chicken stock, prepare more than you need up front. If you make a large amount of stock you can freeze it for future use. You can use that delicious chicken stock in stews, casseroles, and soups. Put the stock into freezer bags and put it in your freezer.

Chicken broth is a great cooking base for vegetables. Chicken broth adds flavor to vegetables and prevents them from getting stuck to the bottom of the pan. Chicken broth can be found at almost all local grocery stores at a very cheap price.

Becoming a better cook will require you to take the time to learn more about this activity. Some people have natural cooking ability, while others need to work at it. This article should provide you with the information necessary to become a better cook.

Want To Learn How To Cook Better? Read These Easy Tips

You need to get educated if you want to become a five-star cook. This article is full of helpful advice for all kinds of cooks. Read on and take note of these tips so that you can cultivate your cooking prowess.

Prepare as much of your recipe as you can ahead of time. Having everything prepared before you begin cooking is important. If you are cooking a complex dish, take some of the stress out of it by having your needed ingredients lined up and ready. Having as much prep work done as possible will save you both time and frustration!

A great starting point when looking to expand your cooking repertoire is your local library or bookstore. Look for cookbooks which contain basic and simple recipes for you to practice and have fun preparing. Experiment with a few, and be patient; remember, you're learning new skills.

If you are making stir-fry meals, you should slice the meat as thin as possible and cut it on the bias. This can be a bit difficult, and it takes some time to do it right. Wait for the meat to get slightly firm and remove it from the freezer, then slice diagonally, cutting across the grain at an angle of roughly 45 degrees.

Did you ever feel bad for throwing old, moldy fruit away? Is it a good practice to save them by cutting out the rotten, moldy part? Never try to salvage fruit that is past its prime. You need to throw them away, as mold tends to grow deeper than the eye can see, and eating moldy foods can make someone quite ill.

Are you aiming to reduce the amount of fat and calories you consume in your mashed potatoes without having to give up taste or texture? If so, consider replacing a certain amount of the potatoes with cauliflower. Their bland flavor blends effortlessly with the potatoes while taking flavor from the other ingredients. Additionally, mashed cauliflower has the same texture and color as mashed potatoes, so no one will know that you've boosted the veggie content of the dish while removing calories.

Do you enjoy flavoring your food with fresh basil? Place several sprigs of fresh basil into a glass container. Put enough water into the glass to cover the stems but not the leaves. It will remain fresh for weeks, just sitting on the kitchen counter! By changing the water every so often, your basil will develop roots. Trim your basil plants once in awhile to promote more growth, and enjoy your fresh basil for quite a long time.

Whenever you have a meal to cook, if you do your all your prep work ahead of time, it will be much less stressful and quicker. Check recipes to find out what can be prepared ahead of time without risking spoilage. Many of the preparatory steps can be taken a day before cooking. Completing half the work ahead of time makes cooking time quicker and more enjoyable.

As stated before, there are some tricks and secrets you have to learn in order to be a good cook. Some of the tips that were found in this article can even help well-established cooks become better. The information found in the article should have helped you learn what you need to do to be a great cook.

Yuca Empanada Dough Recipe

1 lb raw yuca, peeled
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup cold water

Grate the peeled yuca into a bowl lined with a clean flour-sack or similar towel. Lift the towel from the bowl and squeeze the yuca until all the moisture is removed.

Get out a saucepan and pour in the water and salt. Put over medium heat and bring it to a boil, then add in the yuca, turn heat to very low, and cook, stirring often, until the yuca turns slightly transparent and a bit darker in color. Remove the pot from heat and continue stirring until cooled somewhat and dough sets up a bit.

Dump the contents out onto a lightly oiled work surface and allow the mixture to reach room temperature.

When cooled, lightly oil your hands, then begin kneading the yuca 'dough' until it feels stretchy or elastic and it keeps its shape and is completely cooled.

Divide the dough into 12 equal balls. Place each ball onto a work surface lightly brushed with oil and roll out into thin circles. You can do this by hand or with a pastry roller.

Fill as you would any empanada or pasty and deep fry or bake as desired.

Makes 12 small empanada.

Traditional Guacamole Recipe

4 ripe avocados, pit and peel removed, then diced
1 small sweet onion, minced
1 garlic clove, grated
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and grated or finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

In a shallow bowl, smash the avocados with a fork until semi-smooth, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or as a topper for tacos, salads or soups.

These Tips Guide Cooking A Snap For You

No matter how skilled you may be in cooking, it is a skill where there is always room for improvement. Even experienced chefs are constantly learning new things to impress their hungry customers. When you are first becoming a cook, there are many tips to learn to help make cooking easier. This article is full of tips you will find helpful in getting you started as a cook.

If you are just beginning to cook more of your meals, go straight to the nearest bookstore or library to find a cookbook that has simple, fun recipes. 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.

Keep spices tucked away in cool, dry and dark areas. The shelf life of spices is greatly reduced if they are exposed to heat, humidity, or light. Store spices in a dark, cool location to keep them flavorful and fresher for longer. Using fresher spices can make tastier meals.

You can boil away all of the health benefits of many vegetables. Vegetables are healthiest when eaten raw, and by steaming and sauteing them, less nutrients are removed.

They behave like sponges and absorb the water. Instead, get a wet, clean cloth and wipe off the mushroom by hand.

Once in awhile, burgers stick to the cooking surface making it nearly impossible to get them off in one piece. You can use a brush to apply some vegetable oil to the grill and make it to where nothing will stick to it.

You should think big when preparing chicken stock. When you prepare stock, make a large amount, so it can be frozen for later use. Homemade chicken stock makes a great base for casseroles, soups, stews, and many other wonderful dishes. Let your stock cool off and pour it inside Ziploc bags.

Before cooking your pumpkin, have it standing in a vertical position and slice it directly down from the stem the entire way around, making two equal halves. Put the halves with the sides down on your baking sheets. Add a bit of water to the pans. Cooking time is roughly an hour, and the oven temp should stay 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Substituting another liquid for milk or water can help give your meals a new flavor. If the recipe calls for water, switch it up by using a broth, juice, or cooking liquids. You can substitute buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream in place of the milk. You can increase the nutritional and wow factors of any dish, simply by trying different substitutions for liquids that recipes call for.

Even veteran cooks should always be willing to learn new cooking techniques that will make their experience in the kitchen simpler and more enjoyable. It is important that you have access to detailed information when you wish to try something new. Try applying the tips from this article and come up with your own tips and secrets as you experiment.

Tomato Salsa Fresca Recipe

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 or 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp good olive oil

Put tomatoes in a food processor and chop until semi-smooth but not entirely pureed.
Add the salt, pulse, turn off, taste and adjust as needed.

Spoon tomato mixture out into a non-reactive bowl (glass or plastic).

Add the remaining ingredients, stir gently, cover the bowl with plastic food wrap, and leave at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. This will help the flavors meld.

Mix gently again before serving.

Serve with home-baked tortilla chips.

Makes about 3 cups of salsa.

Simple Kitchen Tips And Tricks No Cook Should Be Without

When you start learning how to cook, it is important to understand that you must start somewhere. Not everyone has that natural talent to cook. However, everyone has the ability to learn how to cook the right way. If you want to improve your culinary skills, there are few important things that you should be aware of. In this article, we will offer you good advice to get you started.

Always bake pie and tart crusts for longer than the recipe specifies for best results. The crust should turn a golden color, not simple blonde. When you see the golden color it indicates carmelization, which lends a crisp, sweet flavor to the pie crust.

When cooking a large meal for a family gathering or dinner party, preparation is key. Make sure that you have all of the ingredients available. Plan out your cooking the day before. Make sure all the necessary utensils are clean and ready to use.
 Being prepared will settle your anxiety and ensure that you are ready to create a fantastic meal.

Slice meat on the bias very thin when you are making stir fry. This can be a bit difficult, and it takes some time to do it right. Freeze the meat until it is firm and then slice the thin slices across the grain.

Longer cooking times and techniques, like boiling, destroys healthful nutrients in veggies. Allow your vegetables to keep their nutritional benefits by cooking them quickly, or eating them raw!

If you have made sauce, put the leftovers into an ice cube tray and freeze. Take them out to use on another night when you'd like a no hassle home cooked meal. Simply reheat the sauce cubes slowly in a medium pan on your stove top. Do not worry, the sauce will still be edible after it has been in the ice cube trays!

Burgers cooked on the grill are delicious; however, many times they stick to your grill. If, however, you brush the grill with oil, this will help prevent sticking.

When you do this, you can enjoy your favorite fresh fruits all year. This is also advantageous for those seasonal fruits that you can only find during certain growing seasons.

Make your own dried tomatoes. To be able to dry them yourself, cut the tomatoes half an inch thick, or you should cut Romas lengthwise in half. Place on a cooling rack, cut-side up and lightly salt them. Use a cookie sheet to hold the rack and set it in the oven at 190 degrees for at least 10 hours. Put the tomatoes in plastic bags, and store them in the freezer. Another option is to store dried tomatoes in a jar that contains fresh, flavorful herbs and olive oil. Dried tomatoes should be stored within the refrigerator and used within two weeks.

Although not everyone is a naturally talented cook, by following these tips, you could be a good chef very soon. Cooking delicious meals is not as challenging as it first appears. Make sure you apply the tips you have just read and experiment with new ideas.

Tomato Avocado Guacamole Recipe

4 ripe avocados, seed and skin removed
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
1 Roma tomato, finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
dash ground cumin
dash hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Mash avocado with lemon juice and garlic in a heavy, shallow bowl until avocado is smooth, but with just a few chunks left.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, taste, and adjust seasonings.

Serve immediately.

Delicious Cooking Tips To Help You In The Kitchen

Cooking is an invaluable skill to possess. Learning how to do it well will benefit you in many ways. Everyone is capable of cooking healthy and delicious meals at home, and it saves money!

Keep spices in a dark and cool place. Exposing spices to heat, humidity, and light will shorten their lifespan. When spices are stored in an adequately dark and cool area, they tend to retain their taste and shelf life for greater periods of time. Using fresher spices can make tastier meals.

Sharp knives are a kitchen necessity. You are more likely to injure yourself using a dull knife. When your knife is dull, it can be easier for it to slip off the vegetable and end up cutting you instead. Keep your knives sharp for safety as well as convenience.

Don't overcook your vegetables. They will lose a lot of food value and won't taste good. The healthier way to prepare vegetables is by cooking them quickly, such as steaming or sauteing them; the most nutritious way of all is by serving them raw.

Let raw potatoes soak in some cold water for a half hour prior to frying them to increase the crispiness of French fries. A cold water soak helps the potatoes stand up to the rigors of deep fat frying.

Vegetables that are cooked more quickly will be of higher quality. The longer you cook vegetables, the less flavor and nutrition they have. These quick cooking techniques will produce generally, healthier vegetable sides. The less time you take to cook them, the better your vegetables will be.

Measure out your cooking oil! It will be easier to control how much oil you consume by measuring instead of pouring "enough" oil into a pan. By doing this, you can keep a close eye on the amount of oil you use in cooking.

Clean cooking utensils are an absolute necessity when you start any cooking project. If food is left behind on the utensils after washing, this may spoil what you are planning to cook. This could cause a lot of very serious problems due to the spread of bacteria.

You may have heard master chefs on TV say, "Let the meat rest before serving it." It is often overlooked, but it makes a difference when you let the food sit and allow the flavors to be absorbed. Many are tempted to quickly serve food hot off the grill or stovetop. If you do this, you'll miss out on the meat's full flavor. To maximize taste and satisfaction, wait a little while before you serve your meal to friends or family.

If you take the time to learn from the following advice, cooking can be one of the easiest tasks of your day. With enough practice, you will quickly be able to cook delicious and healthy meals at home. You will also save a lot of money! Cooking for your family is the best way to ensure that they are eating right. Follow these suggestions to have meals that taste much better.

Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

18 tomatillos, husked and chopped
1 small sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup minced cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp kosher salt (more or less to taste)
pinch raw sugar
2 serrano or jalepeno peppers, clean out seeds and mince

Put all ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl, stir, cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. Stir once more just before serving.

Makes enough for 4 to 6 condiment servings.

May be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Just be sure to stir each time you serve.

Makes a nice topping for tacos, taco salads, burritos, scrambled eggs, or anywhere you would enjoy salsa or ketchup.

Become A Master Chef In Your Kitchen With These Simple Tips

There are some things you need to know in order to become a terrific cook. The information in the following article will teach you all about the world of cooking and some of the secrets you can use to become a skilled chef. Take the tips you learn and start eating better immediately.

If you keep herbs and spices handy, make sure you are keeping them in a dark, cool area. Humidity, heat, and light all affect the flavor of your spices. As a general rule, most of your ground herbs and spices will stay fresh for about a year if stored correctly. Though if you have whole spices, you will notice the flavors are strong for 3-5 years. Storing your spices properly can help you achieve a longer shelf-life for your spices.

Boiling and other lengthy cooking processes remove some of the vital nutrients contained in vegetables. You can keep all those healthy nutrients by using a quick method of cooking like steaming or by eating the vegetables raw.

Have you found yourself regretting disposing of moldy fruits? Should you save the moldy fruit and cut away the bad parts? There is, unfortunately, no good way to save fruit that is half-rotten. Throw this fruit away because of the deep mold growth which you cannot see, and it would make you sick if you ate it.

Do you enjoy flavoring your food with fresh basil? Place a few fresh sprouts in a glass. Next, put water on the stems until they are covered. Keep it on the kitchen counter and it will stay fresh for weeks. If the water is changed periodically, the basil may even sprout roots. Cut or trim the basil occasionally to encourage additional growth and you can enjoy fresh basil for some time!

When you do this, the mushroom will become absorbent and soak up the water. Get a wet cloth instead, and wipe off each mushroom by hand.

It is important to keep your items fresh, so always store your perishable items, sugars, flours, etc, in sealed, airtight bins. Avoid exposure to moisture and insects by sealing food in airtight containers. You can get them at a number of places and are well worth the small amount of money.

Wooden skewers should be soaked in plain water before each use for an absolute minimum of thirty minutes. This way, they won't burn while cooking. You can make sure that food stays on your skewers by skewing the food with parallel skewers.

When you want to add a bit of protein to your diet, tofu and beans are a great source of it. These can be found at most grocery stores these days. Fry up the tofu with seasonings to get a great meat alternative. The beans can be boiled with some herbs for a flavorful protein source.

As said preciously, there are some easy tricks you can learn to cook well. Some people have natural cooking ability, while others need to work at it. By reading this article, it is possible to become the cook you have always wanted to be.

Fruit Stuffed Poblanos Recipe

8 large fresh poblanos, prepared as directed below
olive oil
1 stick (4 oz) butter
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped prunes
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
salt to taste

Prepare poblanos by roasting them in a hot (400 degree oven) on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil.

When poblanos flatten and char slightly, remove to a glass bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let sit out until cooled. Peel the outer skin off using paper towels and pull the stems off, then carefully slice through just one layer and remove seeds, leaving the poblanos intact for stuffing.

(Note: You can prepare the stuffing while the poblanos cool.)

Prepare the stuffing in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; add butter and onions, cooking just until onions soften, stirring often, then add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds longer. Add the dried fruit and olives to the skillet, turn heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cumin, cloves, and cinnamon, then add the chicken and stir to combine. Taste and salt as needed. Loosely cover skillet, make sure heat is on very low, and let simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Stuff the poblanos with the fruit and olive filling you prepared, arranging them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake the poblanos in a 400 degree oven just until they are hot all the way through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve immediately while poblanos are still warm out of the oven. You may like to spoon salsa or sour cream over each one as you serve them. Will serve 4 to 8 depending on appetites.

Are You A Stranger In Your Kitchen? Try These Simple Cooking Tips!

How many times have you dreaded going into the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner? You might need a new perspective. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing if you try to see it in another way. Here are a few cooking tips that are sure to get your taste buds tingling and entice your inner chef to come out.

Try going to a library or buying a cook book if you are wanting to cook different foods. Create at your own pace and allow for patience as you get the trick of cooking down.

When you are seasoning meat, try a small piece prior to adding seasoning to the entire thing. Foods like meatloaf, meatballs, and even hamburgers can require careful seasoning. Don't cook it all at once after you have seasoned it. Try cooking a small patty first. If it tastes good, then cook it, if it needs some additional seasoning, then you can adjust your recipe before making the entire meal.

Apples are used in cooking mostly during the fall, but you must make sure they are properly kept so that they do not rot. When exposed to dry, warm air, the apples will rot. To prevent this, apples should be stored in plastic bags and placed in the fridge or perhaps a basement. You'll want to monitor them, though, because if one goes bad, it can cause the all the others to spoil also.

Adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes is a great way to reduce the amount of fat and calories they contain. You should use equal portions of potatoes and cauliflower when making this delicious side. Cauliflower blends perfectly with your potatoes without changing the taste of your mashed potatoes. You'll still be able to enjoy mashed potatoes, but with less fat and calories!

Are you planning to use freshly picked basil in a recipe? Take some fresh basil and put some of it in a glass. Now fill the glass with water to just above the stems. Just set it on the counter top, and it will be good for several weeks. You can even grow new basil plants if you feel like changing the water every day or so. The stems will sprout roots; that's the wonder of plant life. Occasionally trim the basil, which will encourage more growth, and you will be able to have the benefits of fresh basil for quite some time.

A useful tip when making chicken stock is to think big! Make sure that you prepare a large amount of stock so that you will have more than enough to store and use for future kitchen adventures. Excellent chicken stock that is homemade is a great base for use in stews, soups, casseroles, and more. First, cool the stock and then stick it in the freezer.

Try some of these handy tips the next time you make a meal. After you have given a few new dishes a try, you might just understand that cooking isn't so awful after all! Actually, you might like it enough to make a hobby out of it, and find yourself making all sorts of new dishes. Try out some new cooking techniques and start enjoying the process!

Spiced Pork In Corn Husk Recipe

1 Tbsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 to 2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 6 pieces
6 clean dried corn husks, soaked for 1 hour in warm water, then patted to remove excess water, but not dry
butchers twine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Lay the prepared corn husks out onto a work surface.

In a shallow dish, mix together the chile powder, cumin, coriander, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Press each piece of pork tenderloin into the spice mixture and gently set in a corn husk.

Wrap the corn husk around the pork piece and tie securely with a couple pieces of butchers twine. Place each bundle onto a baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 145 degrees.

Remove and let rest for 5 minutes, then place each bundle on a plate to serve. Cut butcher twine and open the corn husk carefully to reveal the pork tenderloin.

Will serve 6.

Is Your Kitchen A Mystery? Get Help With These Easy Cooking Tips!

Do you see the delicious meals that loved ones cook and marvel at how they are able to create such masterpieces? The information in the following article can turn anyone into a skilled chef.

If you keep herbs and spices handy, make sure you are keeping them in a dark, cool area. Heat, light, and a large amount of humidity can ruin spices and herbs. Ground herbs and spices can retain full flavor for about a year. Whole spices may retain flavor for up to five years. When stored in the correct place, they will keep their freshness for longer.

Stir-fry meat needs to be sliced thin, on the bias. It takes a little practice and time to get it right. When the meat feels firm, pull it from the freezer and cut across the grain at a 45 degree angle.

Slicing meat into thin even strips is easier when the meat is partially frozen. This method is especially useful when preparing Chinese or Thai entrees. When the meat is frozen slightly, cutting it is easier because the fibers in the muscle do not tear or stretch when slicing. However, wait until the slices are thawed before you cook them. By doing this, the strips will more evenly cook.

When planning on seasoning meats, first use a little piece, before cooking all of it. You may have to use caution when you season foods such as meatballs, meatloaf or hamburgers. After seasoning the meat, do not cook all of it. You should cook a smaller patty first, so that you can make sure that the seasoning is delicious. You are then able to decide whether to cook the rest of the meat that way, or adjust your seasoning accordingly.

The longer the cooking process, the more nutrients that you lose from most vegetables. To retain these nutrients, rely on cooking methods that don't take a lot of time, including steaming or sauteing. You can even eat them raw if you have the taste for it.

Let raw potatoes soak in some cold water for a half hour prior to frying them to increase the crispiness of French fries. When potatoes are allowed to absorb cold water, the texture is able to withstand the extreme heat of cooking without breaking down and becoming mushy.

Do you want to cook with fresh basil? Gather a small bunch of freshly cut basil and place it in a glass. Add water until the stems are covered. This will help to keep it from going bad for quite a few days. Change the water regularly and roots will grow. By cutting or trimming the basil on occasion, it will grow even further, so you can have fresh basil for quite a while.

This seasoning not only goes well with meat, but it can also work with other foods. It can be put on pumpkin seeds for a yummy snack, or even in scrambled eggs for a zesty breakfast. Simply sprinkling on these kinds of seasonings can turn your dish into an instant hit.

Look for different opportunities to use these tips. Everyone you know will be bothering you for cooking tips!

Cilantro Shrimp Verde Skillet Recipe

1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 to 2 lbs fresh, cleaned shrimp
2 cups homemade salsa verde (or good jarred)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine
fresh lemon juice
brown rice optional

Get out a large cast iron (or other heavy) skillet and put over medium heat.

Add butter and olive oil to the skillet - when hot, add the shrimp.

Cook just 1 minute, stirring, then add the salsa verde and stir to combine.

Turn heat to low and cook just until the shrimp firms and turns pink, then remove from heat.

Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately, squeezing fresh lemon juice over before serving.  May be spooned over brown rice for a complete meal.

Improve Your Cooking Arsenal With These Easy Tips

Do you find your kitchen boring? You can change that feeling by turning cooking into a hobby. Your kitchen will transform into a place that you like to be, and you'll be able to make delicious meals the whole family will love. The tips below will get you started.

Keep your herbs in a place that is both dark and cool. If light, humidity and heat are present, these items will begin to lose their flavor. A lot of the time, you can expect an herb or a space to retain flavor for about a year. Spices that are not ground can keep their flavors for 3 to 5 years. When stored properly, they will stay fresher longer.

The prep work comes first. Try to have the prep work completed before cooking; this is important. Of course, cooking under a strict deadline can really increase stress levels. Try to complete your preparations, so you can avoid scrambling later on.

If you are looking for new ideas for meals to prepare for yourself or your family two great places to look are the library and the internet, where you can find a vast array of options. Create at your own pace and allow for patience as you get the trick of cooking down.

Your spices should be stored in a place that is cool and dark. By storing them in excessive light and heat, their shelf life will decrease. Try to find a cool, dark cupboard if you want to increase the flavor and lifespan of your favorite spices. Meals prepared with fresher spices are simply more delicious.

Freeze meat partially to facilitate slicing meat into thin strips. This is ideal for Asian meals like Chinese or Thai dishes. When meat is slightly frozen, it becomes simpler to slice because the fibers won't stretch and tear that easy. Make sure to let the meat thaw before you cook it, frozen ice and hot oil do mix well together.

There are many dishes you can make with apples, especially in cold-weather months. But if stored improperly, well, one bad apple does spoil the bushel. Dry warm air will cause them to rot, so make sure they are stored in a loose plastic bag in the fridge or in a cool basement. Remember the rule, one bad apple will spoil the bunch.

Save time and money by freezing leftover sauce in ice cube trays in the freezer. When you feel the need to create another meal, you will have them handy to heat up. Don't worry, your sauce will taste great even after having been frozen.

Do you have trouble determining how long you should grill a piece of meat? You may want to consider investing in a meat thermometer so that you know when your food is properly cooked. For a steak, or any other meat, that is more than one and a half inches thick, you can speed up the cooking time by covering it with the grill lid.

Use the ideas presented here as a jumping off point for your own ideas. Fix awesome dishes that everyone in the family will love and talk about for days to come. If you cook as a hobby, it can help your life and your diet. The heart of many a great home is in its kitchen; make yours one of them.

Mixed Pepper Fajitas Recipes

1 large red onion
1 large carrot
1 sweet red bell pepper
1 sweet green bell pepper
1 sweet yellow bell pepper
high heat cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained well
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
cooked strips of meat or chicken, optional
tortillas for serving

Cut the onion, carrot, and all the peppers up into thin strips.

Get out a large heavy skillet and drizzle cooking oil in enough to lightly coat the bottom.

Put skillet over medium-high heat and add all the vegetables, quickly cooking and stirring until just softened a bit.

Stir in the garlic, beans, seasonings, and meat if you are adding, stirring and cooking for 1 minute, just until hot.

Remove skillet from heat.

Use tongs to fill tortillas for serving.

Will serve 4 to 6.

Improve Your Cooking Abilities With These Easy Tips

Cooking is a life skill that is useful in a variety of ways. It's true that people love to eat, especially dishes cooked by friends or family members. However, not everyone has the skills necessary in order to cook good meals. The following article offers you many great tips on how you can go about improving your cooking skills.

Make sure that all your preparation is done prior to cooking. This will simplify matters when you are cooking your meals. Cooking with a deadline to meet can become stressful. Do your prep work in advance, if you can.

Try to add the oil into your pans from the sides, so that by the time it touches the food, it will be hot. Doing so will maximize the flavors of the food you are cooking by keeping them inside the food.

Invest in a knife sharpener to make cutting any ingredient easier. If you try to cut using a dull knife, you will have a lot of difficulty, and it can also a very dangerous. You are more likely to cut yourself by using a dull knife, as opposed to when cutting using a sharp knife.

Apples spoil quickly if stored incorrectly. Keeping your apples in a cool, dry place will keep them from rotting. Make sure to inspect your apples regularly, as one rotten apple means that the others are soon to follow.

Adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes is a great way to reduce the amount of fat and calories they contain. You should use equal portions of potatoes and cauliflower when making this delicious side. Because cauliflower has a pretty bland taste, it blends well with the potatoes and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. It also mimics the texture and color of the potatoes almost perfectly letting you up your vegetable intake, and drop the calories, all the while giving the same delicious potato experience we all know and love.

You can use this on other foods besides meat! Sprinkle the seasoning on top of roasted pumpkin seeds and make a tasty snack, or sprinkle it on scrambled eggs. Anyone who tastes these is sure to wonder and ask if you have a special or secret ingredient.

If you find yourself with leftover homemade sauce, freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays. When you need sauce for another meal, you already have individual portions, ready to grab and reheat in a pan. No worries, because the sauce is still quite edible after being frozen in ice cube trays.

When you are grilling burgers, they sometimes lose their shape when they stick to your grill and become hard to remove. Brushing vegetable oil on the grill will help keep your food from sticking.

As you can see, cooking can be easy. With the right techniques, creating delicious dishes for family and friends can suddenly become a breeze! Now that you have been introduced to these great tips and tricks, you just need to make the time to go and give them a try!

Simply Yummy Yuca Recipe

1 lb yuca, peeled
cooking oil

Get out a large soup pot and fill it with cold water. Add the yuca and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the yuca slowly for 20 minutes or until just fork tender.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

When yuca is tender, drain and transfer to a cutting board.

Cut yuca into thin wedges, trimming off the inner core.

Generously coat a baking sheet with cooking oil then arrange the wedges evenly on the baking sheet. Drizzle more cooking oil over the top of the yuca wedges.

Loosely cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil, then put in oven and bake for 8 minutes.

Remove aluminum foil and return to oven to bake an additional 8 minutes or until edges crisp slightly and become golden brown.

Remove from oven, salt as desired, and put on rack to cool. Serve with dips for a snack, lunch, or a side dish.

Impress Your Guests With These Amazing Cooking Tips

Do you ever find yourself wishing that you could recreate a favorite restaurant dish? Maybe you've fantasized about being able to cook that well at home. By following the tips below, you can not only learn to cook your favorite meals, you'll also be able to create new ones. Cooking is an enjoyable and calming hobby for all kinds of people.

When possible, complete all of the prep work in advance. It is essential to have all prep work finished before it's time to begin cooking. Having a deadline for an important meal or event can become quite stressful when you are starting from scratch. Having as much prep work done as possible will save you both time and frustration!

Always bake pie and tart crusts for longer than the recipe specifies for best results. They need to be a golden caramel color rather than pale blonde. The darker color results when the sugar from the crust has started to caramelize and will have a much sweeter and crisper flavor.

Slowly stir corn starch into simmering sauce to thicken. Mix one tablespoon of starch from corn and two tablespoons of water together in a bowl. Stir this mixture into the thin sauce and it will thicken up. Add your starch slowly, then stir constantly to not over-thicken it.

It's vital that you always use sharp knives when cooking. Knives that have not been sharpened in a while can not only pose a threat to your health, but also a threat to smashing your food. It is much easier to cut yourself trying to force a dull knife through a vegetable, than cutting it with a sharp knife.

You can use it on other types of food besides meat. Sprinkle it over popcorn for an evening treat, or add a dash to pasta. Everyone will start to wonder about your secret ingredient and what it might be!

You can make a lot of preparations when you are cooking to make it easy and fast. Look through your recipes and determine whether or not certain steps can be completed beforehand. There is a lot of preparation that you can take care of a day in advance. Prepping before you cook can make even advanced recipes fun and accessible.

They'll just simply work as a sponge and soak up the majority of the water. Get a wet cloth instead, and wipe off each mushroom by hand.

Ice cube trays are fabulous for freezing and storing leftover sauce. You will then have it readily available for when you need to make a quick and easy meal. All that needs to be done is to warm it up in a pan. Do not worry, the sauce will still be edible after it has been in the ice cube trays!

You can now begin your journey to being an accomplished chef at home. You should try new foods and recipes so that meal time turns into experiment time. There are so many options available that there literally is no end to the number of dishes you can make.

Red Bell Pepper Jicama Cole Slaw Recipe

2 large limes, juiced
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce (more or less to taste)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 jicama, peeled and cut into very thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cleaned and cut into very thin strips
1 green onion, chopped

In a large glass bowl, whisk together the lime juice, hot pepper sauce, and brown sugar. While whisking, start slowly drizzling in the olive oil, whisking until the dressing thickens. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed, then whisk to combine.

When satisfied with the dressing, add into the bowl the jicama, red bell pepper, and the onion and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Will serve 2 to 4.

Develop Better Cooking Skills With These Tips

Having the skills to cook is one of life's most valuable lessons learned. Cooking food at home not only saves money but ensure that you are eating delicious and healthy food.

In order to make it easier to slice meat into thin strips, you should first marginally freeze the meat. The thin sliced meat is great in many dishes including many Chinese and Thai meals. When you freeze the meat, fibers stretch less making it cut easier. To ensure the meat cooks evenly, you must let the meat strips thaw thoroughly before cooking.

When you cook vegetables quickly over high heat, their quality is best. Though slow cooking is popular in some cultures, the process actually eliminates important nutrients and renders the vegetables tasteless. 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.

By doing so, the mushrooms will absorb the water like a sponge. You should wet a cloth and wipe the mushrooms off, rather than soaking them.

It is desirable to store dry goods like flour and sugar in tightly sealed containers. Containers that are airtight will help keep your foods fresh a lot longer because they aren't exposed to air, while also keeping it safe from bugs. You can purchase them at many places, and they are well worth the money.

When trying to add protein to a diet, you need to remember that beans and tofu are great sources. Both can be found at any grocery store. Seasoned tofu is a wonderful alternative to meat, and can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as pan frying. Soak and cook the beans with herbs, seasonings, and bits of meat for a flavorful soup, burrito filling, dip or other protein-rich application.

If you are cooking a meal where seasoning gets added, don't add it all at the beginning, add a little every couple of minutes instead. If you do it this way you can ensure that you do not overdo your seasonings or use too little.

Every cook needs some method for organizing his cooking supplies. You will consistently find it difficult to locate necessary items in a disorganized kitchen. You may find it beneficial to group similar items together. For instance, place parsley and basil in one cabinet, since both are spices.

Every six months to one year, replace spices that have grown dull. The flavor of spices diminishes if they sit around for too long. If you purchase a spice that you don't use very often, give some of it to friends or relatives.

Follow these tips and you will quickly develop better cooking skills and an affinity for good home cooking. As you practice and get better, you begin to understand just how yummy and healthy cooking your own meals can be, and you save a lot of money too. In addition to being delicious, home cooked meals will also teach your family healthy eating habits that they will carry forward in their own lives. There is no better time to start preparing your own meals than right now.

Pineapple Jicama Slushie Recipe

1 can pineapple chunks in natural juices (do not drain!)
1/2 cup jicama, peeled and diced
2 cups fresh orange juice
4 ice cubes

Put pineapple with juice, jicama, orange juice, and ice in a blender and puree until smooth.

Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Will serve 2 to 3.

Helpful Cooking Tips That Will Work Well For Everyone

You will need to develop your skills, though! No matter your reasoning for wanting to know how to cook better, it is always good to know how. Here are some wonderful ideas to lead you down a tasty path.

If you can, do all the preparing of the meal's ingredients in advance. The wise cook prepares as much as possible before starting to cook. Trying to prepare a meal without handling the preparation beforehand can get stressful, especially if you need to finish your cooking in a set amount of time. Do the prep work as early as you can to avoid stress later.

A good tip when using cooking oil is to put some on the sides of the pan while cooking. This way, it will already be hot when it gets near the food. A drop of water on the pan will sizzle when the oil is at the proper temperature.

Store your apples correctly so you can use them to cook during the winter months. Apples rot in dry warm air, so store them in loosely tied plastic bags in the refrigerator or a cool basement. If there is one apple that is rotten, it can make the rest of the apples go bad.

A nutritious way to reduce the calories from your mashed potatoes is to replace some of the potatoes with cauliflower. You will not even taste the cauliflower in with the potatoes, because it is so bland. When they're mashed, cauliflowers have the same appearance and consistency as potatoes, too. Adding a little cauliflower can take calories out of your favorite mashed potato recipes and add in a little vegetable goodness, too.

You can use it on a variety of foods, not just meat. You can sprinkle it on scrambled eggs or on roasted nuts and seeds for a snack. You can cultivate a reputation as a mysterious wizard of flavor just by using a judicious dash of such seasonings.

Do you know how long your meat should be grilled? The best way to figure this out is by using a meat thermometer (a digital one will work best). This will ensure that the inside of your meat is cooked properly. Try grilling with the lid on if your pieces of meat are particularly thick to lower the cooking time.

Several times your burgers will stick to the grill, and it is hard or impossible to remove them without destroying their shape. Brush the grill with oil so that food does not stick to it. Vegetable oil works great and will not make your grill greasy.

Hopefully, you are now prepared to apply what you have learned in this article. Utilize the advice in this article to start cooking fantastic meals! Whatever your motivation is for learning to cook, you can gain great satisfaction preparing a meal with your own hands! Obviously it takes time and practice to master cooking. However, once you taste your creation, you'll realize that it's all worth the effort!

Mango Black Bean Wraps Recipe

2 sweet bell peppers, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 mangos, diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, diced
4 (medium size) healthy tortillas (corn, sun-dried tomato, spinach, low carb, whatever you like); you may warm these if you wish before filling

In a skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil, the diced bell peppers and onion, stir and cook just until softened, then add the beans, reduce heat to low and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, take out a bowl and add the mangos, lime juice, cilantro, and avocado, stir and keep cold.

Lay the tortillas out on a work surface. Evenly divide the warm bean mixture in the middle of each tortilla, then evenly divide the cold mango mixture on top of each.

Roll the tortillas up and enjoy immediately.

Makes 4 wraps.

Get Help In The Kitchen Today With These Quick And Easy Cooking Tips

There are various types of methods and cooking processes to achieve great eating experiences in the end. Some methods are very complicated and some are very easy to execute. This article is jam-packed with information that will be helpful to even the most experienced of cooks.

A great starting point when looking to expand your cooking repertoire is your local library or bookstore. Look for cookbooks which contain basic and simple recipes for you to practice and have fun preparing. Create at your own pace and allow for patience as you get the trick of cooking down.

Preparation is one of the most important things that you will have to do before you cook a meal for your friends or family. Save yourself time and trouble by having all your ingredients ready. Organize everything so you can start cooking, including the spices and utensils. This means you don't have to worry when time is short, which means your cooking will be better.

Store your spices in a cool, dark place. If you leave them out somewhere, you will expose them to light, wetness, and heat, and it could ruin them. To keep your spices spicy and fresh, store them in an area that is cool and dark. Fresh spices offer better taste profiles than stale ones.

A must when cooking is the availability of sharp knives. Blunted knives do not cut things well, and they can also pose a safety hazard. You can cut yourself so easily trying to force dull knives through something than it is to make a simple cut with a sharp one.

When you cook vegetables for a long time, like boiling them, a lot of essential nutrients will be cooked away. To keep them loaded with nutrients that are beneficial to your body, chose faster cooking methods like steaming or sauteing, or enjoy them raw.

Do you feel guilty when you toss rotten, uneaten fruit in the garbage? Is it possible to save the fruit by cutting the bad part out of it? A half rotten fruit cannot be saved. Mold and other potentially dangerous contaminants can be found even in portions of the fruit that look healthy, so you should pitch the whole thing.

Adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes is a great way to reduce the amount of fat and calories they contain. You should use equal portions of potatoes and cauliflower when making this delicious side. Cauliflower blends perfectly with your potatoes without changing the taste of your mashed potatoes. Cauliflower mixes easily with potatoes and will become hard to notice while reducing your intake of carbs.

Do you enjoy flavoring your food with fresh basil? Place the basil in a container that is glass. Make sure the basil's stems are covered in water. Store it on the counter of your kitchen; it will stay fresh for weeks. Your basil will even send out new roots if you change its water regularly. Cut or trim basil occasionally so it grows more and you get fresh herbs every time.

Have you heard the saying, "too many cooks spoil the broth?" The same is true about too many techniques, ingredients, or elements to a dish. Keeping your cooking simple will help you to create healthy, tasty meals which are quick to make and enjoyable to eat. Implementing these tips will allow you to understand how to become a better cook.

Food Can Be Easier To Prepare With These Cooking Tips

How many times have you dreaded going into the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner? You might need a new perspective. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing if you try to see it in another way. Here are a few cooking tips that are sure to get your taste buds tingling and entice your inner chef to come out.

Always have your spices stored in a dark and cool place. Storing them out exposes them to light, excessive heat and humidity, which can reduce their shelf life. If you store your spices in dark place with relatively low temperatures like a pantry, the spices will retain their taste and take longer to spoil. Fresh spices offer better taste profiles than stale ones.

To make slicing meat into thin strips a little easier, partially freeze it. This is great to do when you need to slice meat thinly for Chinese or Thai meals. When you freeze meat, it makes the slicing much cleaner because it prevents the meat from being as flexible. To ensure the meat cooks evenly, you must let the meat strips thaw thoroughly before cooking.

When you cook vegetables for a long time, like boiling them, a lot of essential nutrients will be cooked away. To keep them loaded with nutrients that are beneficial to your body, chose faster cooking methods like steaming or sauteing, or enjoy them raw.

Do you feel bad when you throw away fruit that has gone bad? Can you actually save your fruit by cutting the part out that is rotten? If you have fruit that is just a little rotten, throw it away. Get rid of them quickly, as mold can develop and cause health problems.

This seasoning can be used with various foods other than meat. Try spreading it on some roasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy the savory flavor by itself, or with some eggs. Simply sprinkling on these kinds of seasonings can turn your dish into an instant hit.

Mushrooms will soak up a large amount of water. The right way to clean the mushrooms would be by hand, using a clean, wet cloth.

When you are planning to use skewers for your cooking, always soak wooden skewers for at least thirty minutes in water prior to use. This can cut down on the chances of the wood becoming burnt and singed during the cooking process. If you have issues with food falling off skewers, make it a double. Food is much more stable when you use two skewers parallel from one another instead of one.

Beans or tofu are excellent sources of protein that you may not have yet considered adding to your diet. They can be bought at pretty much any grocery store. For a meat alternative, try pan frying seasoned tofu. Boil beans with a sauce or herbs, or add them to a salad to serve up some additional protein.

Use this advice to improve every meal. Once you do, you'll realize that cooking isn't as hard as you once believed it to be. You could actually come to love cooking and the world of interesting dishes that it opens to you. Start cooking now!

Easy Turkey Empanadas Recipes

1 lb ground turkey meat
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch ground cloves
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
refrigerated pie crust sheets - for 2 pie crusts

In a large cast iron skillet, brown the turkey. Add the onions when the turkey is almost cooked, and continue cooking until the onions are translucent. Then add the next 7 ingredients (everything except the pie crusts) and turn heat down to low; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking oil.

Unroll the pie crust sheets and cut both into even quarters and place on baking sheet. Spoon the mixture into the middle and fold over, matching edges of the crust. Seal the edges by pressing the tines of a fork along.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove and cool slightly.

Makes 8 empanadas and will serve 4 to 8 depending on appetites.

Healthy Baked Tortilla Chips Recipe

8 small (6 inch) corn tortillas
olive oil cooking spray
sea salt to taste

Make sure the oven racks are in the middle of the oven. Turn oven on to 375 degrees and allow to preheat.
Lay tortillas out on a work surface and cut into quarters.

Spray the tortillas lightly with the cooking oil, flip and spray the other side.

Get out a couple large baking sheets or cookie sheets and lay the tortillas out on the sheets, avoiding any over-lapping.

Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, turning the tortilla pieces over with a tongs about half way through. They should become golden brown and crispy as they bake and will even crisp up more after you remove them from the oven.

Remove and immediately sprinkle with the sea salt or any other flavorings you like while the chips are still warm.

Will make 32 chips - enough for a large gathering. Serve with salsa, guacamole, or other favorite dips.

Fast Cooking Tips For Your Best Meals Ever

Is preparing food for the rest of your family a pain? Never allow cooking to frustrate you! Read on to get some invaluable insights on how to create stress-free and delicious meals for your family. After you take the guidance in this piece to heart, you will wonder where it was all of your life!

Save yourself some time and stress by doing prep work a day ahead. This is why it's called prep work, because this is what you want to have done before you begin cooking. When you have a timeline for your meal to be ready, things can get a bit stressful once you start cooking. Do your prep work in advance, if you can.

Get a cookbook with easy recipes or a specific theme you find interesting to get you started. Try looking online or to your local library or bookstore. Focus on one recipe at a time and give yourself enough time to improve your cooking.

You must prep well if you want to cook a large, festive meal. You need to have the ingredients readily available. Set all of the non-perishable ingredients and utensils out the day ahead. This will allow you to cook without having to worry.

Do you feel bad for getting rid of fruits that are moldy? Ever thought if you could just pick out the mold and salvage the fruit? Sadly, there really isn't a healthy way to save fruit if it has begun to rot. You should dispose of any rotten fruit, as mold penetrates further than the naked eye can see. Rotting food can carry a number of pathogens, so it is best to avoid the risk.

Try adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to lower the fat content. Cauliflower blends perfectly with your potatoes without changing the taste of your mashed potatoes. In addition, cauliflowers can blend into the same texture and color as potatoes, which makes cauliflower an excellent method of adding vegetables and decreasing calories from a mashed potato dish.

Nearly any recipe benefits from using fresh ingredients rather than the frozen or dried version. Use fresh ingredients as much as you can, because they add better flavor to your dish and tend to be a lot cheaper.

If you have sauce left over after a meal, store the remainder in one or more ice cube trays and let it freeze. Take them out to use on another night when you'd like a no hassle home cooked meal. Simply reheat the sauce cubes slowly in a medium pan on your stove top. Nothing to worry about as the sauce will be fine even after it's been sitting in ice cube trays.

Saute vegetables with chicken broth to cook them in a healthy way. Broth adds flavor to the vegetables while reducing the quantity of oil necessary for sauteing. This is a wonderful way to cook, and enjoy, your vegetables.

Preparing family meals can seem like an agonizing task. There are a lot of different methods that you can use to simplify your cooking. You can take a deep breath and relax when you plan your family's next meal.

Fish And Cole Slaw Tacos Recipes

2 lbs fresh firm white fish (tilapia, cod, haddock, etc)
2 Tbsp lite soy sauce
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp real orange juice
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 bag (14 oz) cole slaw mix
salt and black pepper to taste
8 whole wheat, sun-dried tomato, spinach, or corn tortillas (warmed or fried if you like)

Cut the fish up into 8 equal pieces and put in a large glass bowl. Pour the soy sauce over the fish, toss to coat well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Prepare cole slaw for taco topping: put olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, and rice wine vinegar in a large bowl and whisk until frothy, then add the cole slaw mix to the bowl and stir to coat the cabbage well with the dressing. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed. Set aside.

Prepare the fish: Remove the fish from the refrigerator and take out of bowl, allowing any excess moisture to drip off. Drizzle cooking oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add the fish, browning on one side before flipping and browning on the other side. Make sure the fish is cooked all the way through before removing from the skillet.

Lay the tortillas out on a work surface and set a piece of fish on each tortilla, then spoon some of the cole slaw mixture over the top. You may wish to add some guacamole, sour cream, salsa, or other toppings. Fold each tortilla and serve.

Makes 8 tacos.

Cooking Tips And Advice That Will Help You In The Kitchen

Have you ever wanted the recipe for a delicious meal you have had in a restaurant? Have you even tried to prepare the same dish at home? By taking notes from the following advice, you can find out how to create all your favorite dishes, and a whole lot of new ones, to cover all occasions. Cooking is a wonderful hobby to have and it is also very relaxing.

If you keep herbs and spices handy, make sure you are keeping them in a dark, cool area. If they are exposed to light, heat or humidity, they will lose much of their flavor. Ground spices, when stored correctly, can retain flavor for up to a year. Spices in their whole form can be stored for between 3 to 5 years. They'll remain fresh longer if stored properly.

Cut your meat very thin and with the bias when you are stirfrying. It may be difficult to do. Take out the meat before it is frozen, but very firm, and cut into it at an angle of 45 degrees perpendicular to the grain.

When cooking with oil, add it not to the bottom but to the pan's sides. This will allow the oil to heat up as it works its way down to the center. This helps to bring out the flavor in your food.

When trying a new seasoning for your meat, season one small piece and sample prior to cooking the entire batch of meat. Meats like meatballs, hamburgers or meatloaf can be easily under or over seasoned. Spices and seasonings added when the meat is fully cooked are unlikely to stick. Cook a tiny portion of it in the shape of a patty first. After trying the piece, you can cook the rest of the batch or adjust the seasonings that are needed.

They will act like a sponge and just soak up a lot of that water. The right way to clean the mushrooms would be by hand, using a clean, wet cloth.

A useful tip when making chicken stock is to think big! Making more than you need in a large pot can allow you to have some left over to store in the freezer for later use. You can use the stock as a base for all kinds of soups or even casseroles. Once your stock is cooked, let the leftovers reach room temperature, then portion them into freezer bags.

Tofu and beans are excellent sources of protein. Both can be found at any grocery store. Tofu is great meat alternative when baked, broiled, or pan-fried with seasonings. You can boil the beans with some herbs to have a flavorful protein packed meal, side or snack.

You have lots more tools now to help make you a skilled home chef. You can be creative in using favorite recipes and try new ones with confidence. Whether it is old favorites or food from far away places, this solid advice will bring you a whole new way to approach cooking!

Easy Skillet Chilaquiles Recipe

12 small corn tortillas, torn into small strips
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 to 2 cups homemade salsa (roja or verde)
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese
homemade salsa for topping

Put a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the cooking oil; when hot add the tortilla strips and cook, flipping often with tongs until they brown slightly and crisp up a bit.

Pour in the salsa (as much or as little as you like) and stir to coat the tortilla pieces well; turn heat down to low.

Top the tortilla strips with chicken and cover with shredded cheese. Loosely cover the skillet, allowing the chicken to warm and the cheese to melt. Remove from heat.

Top with a little more salsa if you wish and serve immediately.

Will make 4 to 6 servings.

You may substitute shredded beef or pork if you like, but using chicken helps keep this dish on the healthier side. Corn tortillas are a healthier choice than plain flour tortillas, but you may also use spinach or sun-dried tomato tortillas for another healthy choice. Add black beans for even more protein and dietary fiber.

Easy Cooking Tips That Will Change Your Life

It's really not that difficult to become a great chef. When cooking, experimentation is a good thing and will make you meals more interesting. These tips can help you become the cook you've always wanted to be. Use this information to enhance your cooking abilities quickly and efficiently.

It is a good practice to place cut potatoes in a bath of cold water for about half and hour, before frying in order to get crispy fries. A cold water soak helps the potatoes stand up to the rigors of deep fat frying.

Garlic is one of those delicious ingredient that has a drawback; its flavor gets onto your hands. An easy way to prevent such scents from adhering to your skin is to rub exposed areas on the stainless steel of your sink. Doing this will remove the scent from your hands, and keep it from spreading to the next food you touch.

Freeze sauces by pouring leftovers into ice cube trays. Just melt the sauce cubes in a sauce pan when you are ready to prepare dinner. Don't worry, your sauce will taste great even after having been frozen.

If your burgers tend to stick to your grill, it might be hard to cook them while preserving their shape. To avoid this possibility, you can apply a light coat of vegetable oil to the grill before cooking.

You should use airtight containers to store flour, baking mixes or sugar in your kitchen. Airtight containers will keep your foods safe from bugs, and allow them to stay fresh longer because they are not exposed to air. These containers are readily available in the marketplace and will be worth the money invested.

For a good pumpkin cooking method, make sure the pumpkin is upright, you then want to cut it directly down in half, in the middle. Put the halves down on the baking sheets. Lightly sprinkle a bit of water over the pans, then bake the pumpkin for about one hour in an oven heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many vegetables and herbs have a smell that has a tendency to remain on cutting boards, despite how many times you wash them. You should mark your cutting board on the side you will be cutting herbs on.

It is very important to make sure your cooking utensils are clean before you start cooking. If food is left behind on the utensils after washing, this may spoil what you are planning to cook. Beyond that, dirty utensils allow bacteria to grow which could make you ill.

Fresh herbs in a meal are delicious. Bunch them together and then use a pair of scissors to snip them. This will prevent them from clumping together and they will be drier than when you chop them.

Start implementing some of these tips, and you'll see a noticeable improvement in your cooking skills. Try each of these tips at least one time. It is a great idea to practice these ideas in order to perfect your cooking techniques. You'll become much better at cooking in a short amount of time when you apply these tips in your kitchen.

Jicama Salsa Recipe

1 cup finely diced jicama
1/2 cup finely diced tomatilla
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp finely chopped jalapenos (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir again before serving.

Serve like any crunchy salsa as a side or even over greens for a simple salad.

Will serve 2 to 4.

Culinary Tips, Straight From The Chef's Mouth

Cooking is something anyone can do. Are you able to purchase ingredients and follow recipe directions? Is cooking equipment available to you? If so, cooking is clearly within your realm of capabilities! If you want to learn how to enhance your culinary abilities, look at these tips to find advice on how to prepare great meals.

Prep work can be done way ahead of time. Having your preparation done ahead of time is very important. However, when you are ready to start cooking and have a deadline for when your meal needs to be finished, it can be a bit stressful. If all of the prep work is completed well before the actual cooking begins, this will help alleviate some stress later.

Texture and taste don't have to suffer when you are trying to lighten up your mashed potatoes. Cauliflower makes for a great substitute to help drop the fat and calorie content. The bland cauliflower taste will make it so that you do not notice much difference in the taste, while accentuating the taste of some of the other ingredients. Your mashed potato dish will also look the same if you add cauliflower, allowing it to retain its color and texture while taking the calories out of your potatoes.

Have you ever wanted to cook a meal using fresh basil? Place your basil into a large glass. Then, add water to the glass, immersing the stems in water. Keep it on the kitchen counter and it should stay fresh. If you occasionally change its water, it will sprout roots. By cutting or trimming the basil on occasion, it will grow even further, so you can have fresh basil for quite a while.

The mushrooms will just absorb the water. Instead of this, you should use a clean, wet cloth, and proceed to wipe the mushroom off by using your hands.

Sauteing vegetables in chicken broth is very healthy. The chicken broth will cut down on the fat in your vegetable dishes while enhancing their flavor. This is a great and delicious way to cook vegetables.

When certain recipes call for milk or water, try adding some other liquids that you would see fit to experiment with flavors. When a recipe calls for water, you can try chicken or beef broths. You may even want to try something like juice. To replace milk, yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk can make good substitutes. Changing up the liquids in your recipes can add nutrition, while livening up a standby dish.

When you need to season your food, add your seasoning a little bit at a time instead of all at once. Then the foods absorb the seasonings rather than being caked with them.

Take cooking as seriously as you want to. There are so many ways of preparing food, and you should learn all you can from the people that are best at it. In the meantime, however, you can use some of the cooking tips presented above the next time you are responsible for preparing a family meal.

Corn Jicama Relish Recipe

1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen kind, thawed and drained
1 cup finely diced jicama
1 cup finely diced Roma tomato
1/4 cup finely diced sweet bell pepper
2 Tbsp chopped ripe olives
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp picante, salsa roja, or salsa verde
2 Tbsp olive oil

In a glass bowl, put all the ingredients and mix together to combine well.

Cover bowl and let sit on kitchen counter for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve as a condiment with grilled meats and seafood or as a topping for tacos or in wraps.

Prepare Meals Like A Pro With These Simple Cooking Tips

Everybody loves a good dinner. This is even more true when the food is being prepared by someone who knows their way around a kitchen. This article is filled with useful advice on preparing great meals.

Keep your herbs in a place that is both dark and cool. Exposure to heat, light, and humidity can cause them to lose their flavor. As a general rule, most of your ground herbs and spices will stay fresh for about a year if stored correctly. If spices are kept whole, they could stay fresh for up to five years. Store your herbs and spices correctly, so that they will stay fresh and keep their full flavor!

Get a cookbook with easy recipes or a specific theme you find interesting to get you started. Try looking online or to your local library or bookstore. Work your way through a few different recipes, but do not allow yourself to become discouraged during the learning process.

When trying out a new marinade or seasoning, test it on a small piece of meat before you cook the entire meal. Certain foods like hamburgers, meatloaf and meatballs have certain kinds of seasonings. Never prepare the full amount after its initial seasoning. A better way is to form a patty with a little bit of meat, then cook it. You are then able to decide whether to cook the rest of the meat that way, or adjust your seasoning accordingly.

When you are having an important person over for dinner, prepare a meal that you are experienced with. Never prepare an unfamiliar recipe or try to use a different ingredient than you are used to. You will feel less stressed while cooking if you follow this tip.

Have you found yourself regretting disposing of moldy fruits? Should you save the moldy fruit and cut away the bad parts? The truth is that a rotten spot often signifies that the whole fruit is bad. Mold grows inward to places that you can't even see and can make you sick so throw moldy fruit in the garbage.

People use apples for cooking many things during the holiday season, but the apples must be stored properly. Apples will be ruined if they are stored in a warm place, make sure you store them in the fridge or in a cool place. Sort your apples carefully before storing them, as one bad apple will end up spoiling the rest.

It is possible to lower the fat and calorie content of mashed potatoes without impacting the taste or texture by replacing some of the potato content with cauliflower. You will not even taste the cauliflower in with the potatoes, because it is so bland. You'll still be able to enjoy mashed potatoes, but with less fat and calories!

There is nothing that compares to sitting down to a delicious meal, where the first bite has your mouth watering. Perhaps you are under the impression that it takes a lot of training to be a skilled cook, but that is not the case. This can be achieved by anyone. This article should enhance your ideas for your next foray into the kitchen.

Tomato Avocado Salsa Recipe

6 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, grated
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 ripe avocado, finely diced

Toss all the ingredients into a large glass bowl, combining well.

Taste and add more salt if needed, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes, at room temperature, then toss again and serve immediately.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips.

Will make about 2 to 3 cups of salsa, depending on the size of the tomatoes. This does not keep well because of the avocado, so enjoy it while it's fresh.

Mexican Food Comes In Many Colors

Comfort Food Starts With The Colors Of The Mexican Flag

You don't have to search too hard in Mexico for true comfort food "a la Mexicana." With the three colors of the Mexican flag - green, white, and red - you get a pretty good picture of how this particular cuisine is created to feed the body as well as the soul.

How does the Mexican flag represent comfort food with just those three simple colors? It's easy to imagine the vibrant green chilies, bright white onions, and deep red tomatoes gathered together in a rich, satisfying meal that says 'comfort food' in any language. This 'holy trinity' can easily form the basis for many nutritious meals. Let's take a look at a few delicious ideas for healthy comfort foods that begin with a nod to the Mexican flag.

Salsa

You knew we would have to begin with this classic Mexican comfort food. Salsa is the pinnacle of nutritious meals, but only when made right. Homemade salsa is so easy to do, there is no reason to buy it in a jar.

Using fresh green poblano chilies, vine ripened tomatoes, and sweet white onions, just chop everything up, throw it all in a food processor or blender, and give it a whirl. Taste and add salt, pepper, and other seasonings as you wish. If you like cilantro, oregano, or other herbs, go ahead and add it. You may like a splash of vinegar or lime to brighten the flavor. The aroma alone provides comfort in a busy day. But, don't stop there - dig in and relax. This salsa is guaranteed good and good for you.

Fajita

The fajita is basically a sizzling hot mix of whatever you want it to be. You are in control of the ingredients so you make it fresh and nutritious. Start with a screaming hot skillet, then add the onion, and when the onion is slightly softened, add any other vegetables you want and quickly heat until just crisp-tender. Now add the rest of the holy trinity (chilies and tomatoes) and stir, then immediately dump out onto a plate and serve over rice or wrapped in a corn tortilla. This is hot, filling, and definitely a bona-fide comfort food. Of course, you can add meat or seafood for more protein if you wish.

Roasted Onions

We've turned the tables a bit on the traditional dish of roasted, stuffed poblanos. Instead, we're going to put the beautiful white onion at the center of our creation. Choose the largest sweet white onions you can find.

Remove the top and cut out most of the center. Dice up what you removed and mix with chopped tomatoes and green chilies, any kind you like, or a blend of chilies. Stuff the onions with this mixture, seal in foil, and put on the grill or in the oven until the onion is softened. Remember to salt and pepper generously to bring out the flavor of the onion and tomatoes. This is a great way to feature these three vegetables together in one glorious dish.

It's not difficult to come up with ways to create comfort foods "a la Mexicana" with just the three colors of the Mexican flag. Each of the three ingredients we used are uniquely rich and deep with many levels of savory and sweet flavors, which is exactly what comfort food is all about!