Cooking is something we can all improve at. Even seasoned cooks can benefit from learning new tips that will make them enjoy cooking more. Inexperienced cooks need little tips that can facilitate their cooking process. Read the advice in this article to find out more about cooking.
When you have a really important occasion where you are going to be cooking for someone that you love or your boss, try to stick to a food that you know will turn out good. This is not the time to be trying new things as you want to be certain it comes out right.
Substitute Greek yogurt for mayonnaise in creamy salad dressings. If you are on a diet or just trying to eat healthy, you can still make creamy salad dressings with healthy ingredients. Just substitute the mayonnaise in them with a low-fat Greek-style yogurt. This will make the dressing much healthier.
The smell of garlic can transfer to your hands easily. Rub your hands thoroughly on the interior of a stainless steel sink after working with garlic or other odoriferous cooking ingredients. This will take care of the odors clinging to your hands and enable you to handle other ingredients without contaminating them with strong aromas.
If you make sauce, freeze it into ice cubs to use later on. 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. Not to worry, it freezes well and is perfectly edible when stored this way.
Airtight containers should be used when you are storing sugar, flour or baking mixes in your kitchen. Using airtight containers helps food stay fresh for longer periods of time because it keeps them from air and other contaminants. The containers can be bought anywhere and can be an invaluable investment.
To greatly enhance your chances of weight loss and a better diet, reduce the amount of oil you use in meal preparation. Substances such as oil and butter contain unnecessary fat. To achieve the same results as oil without the unhealthy fat, try using a nonstick spray.
When you are cooking pasta, follow this useful tip. Instead of strictly following the instructions given on the pasta box or package, try cooking the pasta one minute less than the time indicated. Then finish off the pasta by cooking it in a pan with sauce for the final minute. Doing so will give the pasta more flavor.
If you are preparing a recipe that calls for milk or water, try substituting with an alternate liquid to add new flavor to your meals. When a recipe calls for water, you can try chicken or beef broths. You may even want to try something like juice. Instead of milk, try sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk. By using different liquid ingredients in your side dishes, you can increase their flavor and nutritional value.
Drinks
Drinks are an essential part of every meal as you will want to have the appropriate wine with your dish if you are eating meat. Make sure that you choose a fine red wine if you are having a quality meat, and this is sure to maximize the quality of your experience with friends and family.
If you are going on a picnic, put lettuce and other vegetables in separate containers from condiments. Condiments are not to make sandwiches soggy, so by separating them, you are ensuring your sandwich will taste fresh. Also, do not place any food items next to drinks inside of the basket.
If you have left over wine in a bottle from dinner or drinks with friends, you can pour out the remaining wine in an ice tray and put it in the freezer. When you are making a sauce that has wine in the recipe you can drop in a couple of cubes.
Freeze some ice tea and other cold drinks up in ice cube trays. You can use the frozen drink cubes as ice on those particularly hot days. That way, your drink won’t be diluted by the quickly melting ice cubes. It makes for a nice change, not having to run back and forth to the refrigerator, just to top off your drink glass.
When cutting up apples for a fruit tray or lunch box, place the slices in a bowl of lemon-lime soda, ginger ale or pineapple juice to soak for 5 minutes or so. Any of these drinks will prevent the apples from turning that unappealing brown shade, and they won’t drastically alter the flavor of your apple slices.
No cook can boast they know every secret there is to cooking. There is always something new to learn or find out. It is important that you have access to detailed information when you wish to try something new. Give these tips a try and see how much you can improve your cooking and how much more you enjoy spending time in the kitchen.
