When is the last time you cooked something truly extraordinary? Do you remember? Extraordinary cooking doesn't have to be something that is a rare occurrence. You can make every meal new and exciting, if you have the information and skills to do so. Here are a few cooking tips that will help every meal be special.
A great cooking tip is to spray your pan with oil before you cook with it. Spraying the pan with oil will make it so that the food doesn't stick to the pan. Trying to clean a pan with food stuck on it can be very frustrating and time consuming.
To keep foods crispy in the oven, use a wire rack on top of your baking sheet. If your oven "fried" chicken strips or other breaded items, tend to come out soggy on the bottom, try placing them on a wire rack in the oven. This allows air to circulate on all sides of the food and to bake evenly for a nice crunch.
Never try a new recipe or any type of new ingredient when cooking for someone that you want to impress. You don't want to get it wrong when the stakes are important. If your boss is coming to your dinner party, play it safe by making something that you already know will be fabulous.
If you are always in the kitchen cooking, invest in a knife sharpener. This will ensure that your utensils are sharp at all times, which will give you the ability to maximize the quality of your cuts. Keeping your utensils up to par is very important when cooking in the kitchen.
When freezing foods like soups, vegetables, and sauces, place the foods into resealable freezer bags and lay them flat in the freezer. When the foods freeze, they will remain flat, allowing you to easily stack them and maximize the space in your freezer. The foods will also thaw faster, since the surface area of the food is maximized.
Make red beans, sausage and rice the easy way. Brown your sausage in a skillet. Add a can of red beans, liquid included, and then add enough instant rice to soak up the juices. Once the sausage is fully cooked turn off the heat and let the mixture simmer. It is a filling, low-cost meal that you can prepare in minutes.
When cooking stock, make it in a large quantity and store it in smaller bags in the freezer. Stock has a long freezer life and can be useful in so many recipes. Making a larger batch is no more difficult than making a small batch. You'll save yourself time later by having a freezer store to turn to.
No one can really say that they enjoy a dry hamburger. Instead of serving dry tasteless burgers at your next cook out add some cold water to your beef before you grill. Try about 1/2 cup per 1 pound of meat. You will leave your guests amazed with your burgers every time.
Planning out meals for the coming week can save you both time and money. You can buy all of the things you will need beforehand without having to make spontaneous trips to the store during the middle of a busy week. You can have a planned schedule and it will make it easy for you to prepare things before you actually cook.
When it comes to cooking the fresher the better. Sure the bottled and shaker spices cost less but there is no taste comparable to the taste of fresh cut spices such as garlic and parsley. So make sure that you spend the extra fifteen minutes cutting your spices, instead of shaking them.
Home cooking can save you money. Restaurant and fast food costs can quickly add up. By cooking in quantity and freezing leftovers for later, you can really save money. By using the tips in this article, you can add to your cooking repertoire, and put that extra money towards something you really need.
A great cooking tip is to spray your pan with oil before you cook with it. Spraying the pan with oil will make it so that the food doesn't stick to the pan. Trying to clean a pan with food stuck on it can be very frustrating and time consuming.
To keep foods crispy in the oven, use a wire rack on top of your baking sheet. If your oven "fried" chicken strips or other breaded items, tend to come out soggy on the bottom, try placing them on a wire rack in the oven. This allows air to circulate on all sides of the food and to bake evenly for a nice crunch.
Never try a new recipe or any type of new ingredient when cooking for someone that you want to impress. You don't want to get it wrong when the stakes are important. If your boss is coming to your dinner party, play it safe by making something that you already know will be fabulous.
If you are always in the kitchen cooking, invest in a knife sharpener. This will ensure that your utensils are sharp at all times, which will give you the ability to maximize the quality of your cuts. Keeping your utensils up to par is very important when cooking in the kitchen.
When freezing foods like soups, vegetables, and sauces, place the foods into resealable freezer bags and lay them flat in the freezer. When the foods freeze, they will remain flat, allowing you to easily stack them and maximize the space in your freezer. The foods will also thaw faster, since the surface area of the food is maximized.
Make red beans, sausage and rice the easy way. Brown your sausage in a skillet. Add a can of red beans, liquid included, and then add enough instant rice to soak up the juices. Once the sausage is fully cooked turn off the heat and let the mixture simmer. It is a filling, low-cost meal that you can prepare in minutes.
When cooking stock, make it in a large quantity and store it in smaller bags in the freezer. Stock has a long freezer life and can be useful in so many recipes. Making a larger batch is no more difficult than making a small batch. You'll save yourself time later by having a freezer store to turn to.
No one can really say that they enjoy a dry hamburger. Instead of serving dry tasteless burgers at your next cook out add some cold water to your beef before you grill. Try about 1/2 cup per 1 pound of meat. You will leave your guests amazed with your burgers every time.
Planning out meals for the coming week can save you both time and money. You can buy all of the things you will need beforehand without having to make spontaneous trips to the store during the middle of a busy week. You can have a planned schedule and it will make it easy for you to prepare things before you actually cook.
When it comes to cooking the fresher the better. Sure the bottled and shaker spices cost less but there is no taste comparable to the taste of fresh cut spices such as garlic and parsley. So make sure that you spend the extra fifteen minutes cutting your spices, instead of shaking them.
Home cooking can save you money. Restaurant and fast food costs can quickly add up. By cooking in quantity and freezing leftovers for later, you can really save money. By using the tips in this article, you can add to your cooking repertoire, and put that extra money towards something you really need.
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