Cooking is a skill anyone can learn over time. Whatever your reason for wanting to cook, having this knowledge is very beneficial in life. Here are some nifty little tips that will have you creating delicious masterpieces in no time at all.
TIP! Your spices and herbs should be stored in a cool and dark area. Warmth, humidity and light will make them stale and unflavorful.
The prep work comes first. This is why it’s called prep work, because this is what you want to have done before you begin cooking. 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. Preparing some of the ingredients ahead of time can reduce the amount of stress you feel when it is time to prepare the meal.
Spices should be stored in a cool and dark place. When they are stored in the sun, they lose shelf life because of exposure. Always keep your spices in a dark and cool location to extend their longevity. Meals prepared with fresher spices are simply more delicious.
Mashed Potatoes
For healthier, lower-calorie mashed potatoes, add some cooked cauliflower to your tubers. Cauliflower blends perfectly with your potatoes without changing the taste of your mashed potatoes. 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.
TIP! 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.
Do you want to use fresh basil in your dishes? Gather a small bunch of freshly cut basil and place it in a glass. Fill the glass just enough with water so that the stems can absorb it. This way it will stay fresh for days, even weeks, right on your countertop! With some care, you may even be able to encourage the basil to grow roots. Cut it on occasion and your plant will continue to provide you with fresh basil for a long time to come.
Want to add more protein to your diet? Consider incorporating beans and tofu! They are also easily located at almost every grocery store. Try pan-frying tofu with some interesting seasonings and you will have a tasty alternative to meat. Beans may be boiled with herbs for a delicious protein source.
TIP! Slice your meat very thinly for stir-fry dishes. Some people find it difficult to cut the meat thin, but it is very important.
Never throw away turkey leftovers. You can put them in meal-size containers and keep them in the freezer. Turkey can be used later for many delicious casseroles and salads, since it can last in a freezer for long periods of time.
Every cook knows how important it is to organize their cooking supplies. An unorganized kitchen is an unhappy kitchen. You will have difficulty finding what you want to make your delicious recipes. Store similar items together in the same place. For example, keep all of your spices in one cabinet. You can even organize them further by grouping them according to color, flavor, type or any other effective method.
TIP! You have probably felt guilty for pitching moldy fruits before. Do you wonder if it would be better to just cut off the moldy parts and save the rest? Saving half-rotten fruit in a healthy way is not possible.
Stay organized when you are preparing a meal to avoid kitchen catastrophes. Having an organized cooking area will ensure that you are productive when cooking. If you aren’t organized, you will start to forget what you buy and that will make you spend too much money that could have been spent on something you would have eaten.
Follow the instructions on the packaging to the letter anytime you prepare macaroni and cheese. Wait until the macaroni is done to add the cheese. Let the dish sit for a few minutes so the cheese can melt and blend with the macaroni. Solid faced spoons are great for serving up macaroni and cheese. Add some extra flavor with pepper.
TIP! Whatever you may be cooking, using fresh foods is always better than canned, dried, or frozen. The more fresh ingredients you use in your cooking, the better your dishes will be.
It’s now time to try out what you have learned! Take the ideas from this article, and let them inspire you to cook some incredible dishes. No matter why you have decided to get into cooking, nothing beats serving up a meal that you had a hand in preparing. The truth is that cooking fabulous dishes takes skill. The great dishes and the compliments you’ll receive will be worth the hard work.
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Cooking is a skill anyone can learn over time. Whatever your reason for wanting to cook, having this knowledge is very beneficial in life. Here are some nifty little tips that will have you creating delicious masterpieces in no time at all.
The prep work comes first. This is why it’s called prep work, because this is what you want to have done before you begin cooking. 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. Preparing some of the ingredients ahead of time can reduce the amount of stress you feel when it is time to prepare the meal.
Spices should be stored in a cool and dark place. When they are stored in the sun, they lose shelf life because of exposure. Always keep your spices in a dark and cool location to extend their longevity. Meals prepared with fresher spices are simply more delicious.
Mashed Potatoes
For healthier, lower-calorie mashed potatoes, add some cooked cauliflower to your tubers. Cauliflower blends perfectly with your potatoes without changing the taste of your mashed potatoes. 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.
Do you want to use fresh basil in your dishes? Gather a small bunch of freshly cut basil and place it in a glass. Fill the glass just enough with water so that the stems can absorb it. This way it will stay fresh for days, even weeks, right on your countertop! With some care, you may even be able to encourage the basil to grow roots. Cut it on occasion and your plant will continue to provide you with fresh basil for a long time to come.
Want to add more protein to your diet? Consider incorporating beans and tofu! They are also easily located at almost every grocery store. Try pan-frying tofu with some interesting seasonings and you will have a tasty alternative to meat. Beans may be boiled with herbs for a delicious protein source.
Never throw away turkey leftovers. You can put them in meal-size containers and keep them in the freezer. Turkey can be used later for many delicious casseroles and salads, since it can last in a freezer for long periods of time.
Every cook knows how important it is to organize their cooking supplies. An unorganized kitchen is an unhappy kitchen. You will have difficulty finding what you want to make your delicious recipes. Store similar items together in the same place. For example, keep all of your spices in one cabinet. You can even organize them further by grouping them according to color, flavor, type or any other effective method.
Stay organized when you are preparing a meal to avoid kitchen catastrophes. Having an organized cooking area will ensure that you are productive when cooking. If you aren’t organized, you will start to forget what you buy and that will make you spend too much money that could have been spent on something you would have eaten.
Follow the instructions on the packaging to the letter anytime you prepare macaroni and cheese. Wait until the macaroni is done to add the cheese. Let the dish sit for a few minutes so the cheese can melt and blend with the macaroni. Solid faced spoons are great for serving up macaroni and cheese. Add some extra flavor with pepper.
It’s now time to try out what you have learned! Take the ideas from this article, and let them inspire you to cook some incredible dishes. No matter why you have decided to get into cooking, nothing beats serving up a meal that you had a hand in preparing. The truth is that cooking fabulous dishes takes skill. The great dishes and the compliments you’ll receive will be worth the hard work.