There are lots of methods and techniques to learn when cooking. There are easy and more intricate methods. This article is going to show you easy ideas for improving your cooking skills, regardless of your current abilities.
Store your spices in a cool, dark place. When spices are exposed to light and heat, they lose their flavor and it reduces their storage life. Keep spices fresh by storing them away from light and humidity. Keeping your spices fresh can improve the taste of every recipe you prepare.
Here is a handy trick you can use to save your sauce. Combine 1 tablespoon corn starch with 2 tablespoons water, and stir together in a separate bowl. Continually stir the sauce while adding corn starch slowly. Add the starch solution slowly, and stir constantly so that the sauce does not become too thick.
Many people find slicing meat into thin strips very difficult; however, if you partially freeze the meat, the task is much simpler. This is an especially strong technique for the meats called for in Asian meals. When the meat is partially frozen, the cuts will be much cleaner as the fibers in the meat are less likely to stretch. Though before cooking the meat strips, make sure you let them thaw completely. This allows for even cooking.
Mashed Potatoes
Try putting some cauliflower in with your mashed potatoes to cut some calories and fat. Their bland flavor blends effortlessly with the potatoes while taking flavor from the other ingredients. Additionally, cauliflower has the same texture and color as mashed potatoes, so it makes it an easy, healthy addition to your dish.
Do you cook with fresh basil? Take a bunch of the basil and set it in a glass. Make sure the the stems are completely covered with water. Keep it on the kitchen counter and it will stay fresh for weeks. Even if the water is varied on occasion, the basil will still grow their roots regardless. If you maintain the basil by trimming the outgrowth, you can get quite a lot of free basil using this method.
Mushrooms absorb large amounts of water, and this excess water will go into whatever you are cooking with. Wipe off each mushroom with a clean wet cloth to prepare them for cooking.
For a good pumpkin cooking method, make sure the pumpkin is upright, you then want to cut it directly down in half, in the middle. Lay the cut halves on individual baking pans. Sprinkle the baking sheet with water, and bake the pumpkin for an hour at 350 degrees.
Many liquids are interchangeable within a recipe; try replacing the water or milk with something new. For example, you might try chicken broth or beef broth instead of water in a meat dish. You might even try fruit juice when cooking certain veggies. Substitute sour cream, buttermilk or even yogurt in place of regular milk. Using liquid substitutions in your cooking can increase nutrition and give a standby dish a new flavor.
Carefully measure the oil you are going to cook with. This will help you reduce how much fat is present in your cooking. Measuring your oil is the only way to control the impact it has on the flavor and fat content of your dish.
A complex, poorly understood recipe is a great way to turn a potentially marvelous meal into a mess. Try to keep it simple and you can create wonderful, tasty meals that are fast and healthy! By using the tips you have read in this article, you now have a bit more knowledge on how to cook a much better meal.