Having to cook meals three times, every single day can become tedious over time. To make things more interesting, try to learn about cooking as an art. After all, cooking not only creates a nourishing meal, but it can be a pleasurable activity with something new to uncover at every turn. Here are a few great cooking guidelines to get you started.

Being organized is a key step when planning to prepare a meal for family or friends. Make sure you have everything you need to make your food. Prepare everything the day prior, including the correct utensils and other cooking tools. This will help to alleviate your anxiety and maximize your potential.

You can make healthier mashed potatoes with the same taste and texture you love by substituting cauliflower for potatoes in equal proportions. Their bland flavor blends effortlessly with the potatoes while taking flavor from the other ingredients. Cauliflower mixes easily with potatoes and will become hard to notice while reducing your intake of carbs.

Nutritional Value

Vegetables that are cooked more quickly will be of higher quality. Slow-cooked vegetables lose nutritional value and taste. As an added benefit, these techniques tend to produce healthier vegetables in general. Only cook vegetables as much as you have to, in order to preserve their taste and nutritional value.

When boiling or sauteing veggies, use chicken broth instead of water. Using chicken broth will prevent the vegetables from sticking in the pan as well as add some tasty flavor at the same time. Chicken broth costs very little, and can be bought at most any grocery store.

If your recipe calls for a liquid, try using something other than water or milk. This will add a spark to that tired old dish. Substitute plain water with juice, broth, or the water that you cooked your vegetables in. Sour cream, buttermilk and yogurt make good milk substitutes. Mixing up the base of your sauces and soups is a great way to liven up old recipes.

Don’t mix unfamiliar wine into your food. The taste of the wine will be reflected in your meal. Try using wines that are sold specifically for cooking.

Place any unripened fruit that you buy in a plastic bag that is perforated. As fruits ripen, ethylene gas is released. If you put them in the bag with holds the air will go through the bag, and the gas will stay in, helping the fruits retain their wonderful taste.

When chopping fresh herbs, try shaking a small amount of salt on your cutting board first. This gives the herbs a little flavor. Mostly, though, a little salt keeps the herbs from flying off the board. Make sure to avoid over-salting by not adding additional salt directly to what you are preparing. The salt that is added to your dish with the herbs will provide enough flavor.

If you are sauteing, don’t use too much liquid in the pan. The excess moisture can steam the food versus sauteing, minimizing the chances that you will get that crispness you want. You need to make certain you are sauteing items at a lower temperature.

You should utilize a meat thermometer, so that you can be sure that the meats are thoroughly cooked. All of the different meats require a certain internal temperature in order for it to be safe to eat. Meat usually contains bacteria. Make sure you cook your meat thoroughly so that eating meat remains healthy.

When you’re trying to cook with an ingredient that’s new to you, learn a little about it first. You might be surprised to learn that with a little bit of information, you can see the different ways to incorporate it into your meals. The better prepared you are before you start, the better your kitchen experiences will be.

If you enjoy cooking, you should learn more and make it your new hobby. Cooking is a great way to find out more about nutrition. You might even get to know yourself better, while you’re finding out what things you like to cook. When cooking becomes less of a chore and more of an adventure, your meals will be tastier.