Are you one of those people who can’t cook to save your life? Have you burned water or spilled an entire carton of milk? Don’t worry — cooking is easy, and this article is here to show you how! Read on to find out simple tips to help you cook better!
To reduce the fat and calories in a recipe that calls for a lot of mayonnaise, simply replace half the mayonnaise with sour cream. Since mayonnaise serves primarily a textural purpose in many of these recipes, replacing it with similarly textured sour cream gives you the same texture with a lighter, healthier taste.
When heating oil on the stove top to use for frying, use a low setting and slowly turn the burner up to reach the desired temperature. Most foods do not require much more than 350 degrees, for the oil to fry it to a nice golden brown and not end up burnt to a crisp on the outside, while raw on the inside. If you crank the temperature setting knob to its highest point, you not only run the risk of spattering and burning yourself, as well as the food you are trying to fry, but you are also wasting time while you wait for the oil to cool down enough to use. Oil heats up quickly, but it is very slow to cool down, once it has gotten too hot.
There are many things you can do ahead of time to save time during your meal preparation. Complete as many steps in advance as you can without risking spoilage. Many different prep tasks can be finished a day or so before cooking the meal. This can make even the most difficult recipes fun and easy.
Instead of approaching cooking as an analytic process, you should try to maximize the amount of fun that you have in the kitchen. Put the music on loud and dance from time to time to enjoy what you are doing. Keeping something fun and casual will reduce errors from anxiety.
Add chicken broth to vegetables when you cook them. Chicken broth is a great way to add flavor to your vegetables while keeping them from sticking to your pan. Chicken broth is cheap, and can be bought anywhere.
How to achieve perfect scrambled eggs. Always cook your eggs in butter. Don’t be tempted to use oil. Allow two eggs per person, and beat with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Scrambled eggs should be cooked slowly over a low heat, and stirred continuously. Scrape the bottom of the pan and constantly bring the outside edges into the middle. Serve on a warm plate. Enjoy!
Place salad dressing off to the side of a salad, instead of on top of it, when serving salad to guests. Some people enjoy lots of dressing when eating salads so it is important that each person add their own dressing. You should also provide a large variety of dressings to serve your guests.
Don’t use prepared seasoning mixes when you cook, especially if you have high blood pressure. These mixes often have a high sodium content. Instead, use fresh herbs and spices, or make sure you choose a low-salt mix. For more flavor, try adding lemon or lime zest or a few chili peppers to your meal.
Choose local seasonal ingredients as a showpiece for your dish when you are cooking on a budget. Ingredients that are in the peak of their season are also at the height of their flavor and affordability. The flavors from these peak ingredients will allow you to take an inexpensive item and turn it into a star.
When cutting corn kernels on the cob, try this tip: Use the side of the knife that is not sharp to scrape the cob. This will extract the excess sweet juices from the cob, which can be applied to your corn dish and add a hidden burst of flavor to it, creating a new taste to the dish.
Avoid overcooking pasta when you boil it. Overcooked pasta loses some of its important health benefits, as well as its flavor. When you overcook pasta, the noodles absorb too much water and become swollen and limp. It is better to slightly under-cook it to retain the best texture and flavor.
Treat your herbs like fresh flowers. If you are tired of your fresh herbs going to waste before you can use them all, don’t keep them in the refrigerator. Instead, trim the stems and place them in a vase in which you would like to keep freshly cut flowers. You will keep the herbs alive and healthy much longer.
A meat thermometer can let you know if your meat has been thoroughly cooked. There is a recommended minimum temperature for every type of meat; this ensures that meat is cooked well enough to be safe to eat. All types of bacteria live on meat. Therefore, if the bacteria is not properly cooked, it can stay on the meat, and cause you to get sick.
Campsite cooking can be a breeze if you take along the right tools. Keep your campsite cooking utensils all washed up and stored away ready to go anytime the urge hits you. You can cook anything on a campfire that you cook at home so just plan accordingly. Don’t forget a Dutch oven for the baking and the coffee pot for that morning cup of Joe!
Keep it familiar when you are having guests. Cooking can quickly go from fun to entertainment disaster when you try too many complicated things at the same time. A good rule of thumb successful cooks follow is to never-mix a new ingredient and new recipe in the same meal.
As you can see, cooking isn’t so difficult as you might have made it out to be. As long as you stick with simple recipes and follow the simple tips laid out in this article, you’ll be cooking like a pro and saving yourself money on food in no time.
