Cooking can be fun - a time to get together with loved ones or treat yourself to a delicious, homemade meal. Then again, it can also be a stressful, hectic experience that leaves you with nothing to eat but burnt chicken and rice. That's why we compiled these easy-to-follow cooking tips and tricks that just about anyone can implement. So put that chef hat on and grab a notebook because you'll want to write some of these down.
Be Patient When Searing Meat In Nonstick Pans
Cooking meat in a nonstick pan might seem counterintuitive to most. There are dozens of cooking videos and tutorials online showing a chef using a large and heavy cast iron skillet or simply cooking on a grill when searing meat. This is mainly because meat tends to stick to the slick surface of nonstick pans if not cooked properly. Some nonstick pans can also be too thin to handle the high heat needed for searing meats. However, cooking things like steak or fish in a nonstick pan is actually relatively simple and can save you the trouble of buying a large, heavy cast-iron skillet.
One needs only a little patience to sear meat in a nonstick pan. If you try to move the meat too soon, it will try to grab onto the pan and stick. But, wait for the fat in the meat to render, and it will be easy to remove from the pan and flip.
Peeling Ginger Can Be Easy
Ginger tastes great and is good for stomach health, too. But, it can be a bit tough to peel as the root can be rubbery, knobby, and tough. It can also dry out fairly quickly if left sitting on the counter too long. Some say they use a spoon to peel ginger, which certainly works. However, there is another way to peel ginger that might be quicker and more manageable if looking for thinner slices.
Keeping ginger in the freezer helps the vegetable stay fresh for longer and allows you to peel it using a grater. The skin will fall away first, leaving behind fresh, easily-grated ginger.
Easily Clean A Dirty Microwave
The microwave is a quick-cooking marvel. It can easily heat up leftovers, bake a potato in minutes, or pop a bag of popcorn. It can also be a high-maintenance piece of machinery. Overcooked liquids or cheese can burst, covering the inside in scorched, hard-to-remove food. Scrubbing all of this up can take some serious time and effort. But, there is another, much easier and quicker way to clean the inside of a microwave.
To easily clean the inside of a microwave, wet a rag in water and soap. Then, stick it in the microwave and let it heat up for two to three minutes. Afterward, the burnt food should easily wipe down with a paper towel, leaving a clean surface (at least until the next accident).
Cook Perfectly Roasted Vegetables
For many, roasting vegetables can be a confusing affair. They can often come out either too soft or undercooked and hard. Neither of these results is very desirable when trying to eat healthily and cook good-tasting food. Those vegetables need to taste firm on the outside and tender on the inside, and they need to make you want to take another bite, not leave you demoralized after another attempt to up your cooking game.
It might come as a surprise, but the secret to roasting vegetables is actually just leaving them in for longer than you normally would. After they become soft in the oven, the moisture will begin to be sucked out by the heat, leaving firm, perfectly roasted vegetables for any dish or side.
Easily Weigh Ingredients
Baking or cooking complex dishes can often be tedious, especially when breaking out another plate or mixing bowl just to measure one ingredient. Nobody wants to add to the pile of dishes already waiting in the sink to measure a small amount of vanilla extract or flour. This is where it really does pay to work smarter and not harder, as this simple tip can save time and frustration when cooking.
In order to accurately and quickly measure hard-to-work with ingredients, you can use a simple trick called reverse taring. Set your container with whatever ingredient you want to measure on the scale and zero out the scale. Then, slowly start to scoop out the ingredient, and the scale should begin to show how much you used in a negative value. This allows you to accurately measure ingredients without the risk of using too much or too little.
The Secret To Fried Rice
Fried rice is an easy, delicious dish equally suited for a late weeknight dinner or more cordial gathering with friends and family. However, it can also be one of those dishes that can be drastically held back if cooked without knowing proper preparation. Often, the most tricky part about cooking fried rice is ensuring that the rice is not too mushy and attains the right consistency after it finishes frying.
The easiest way to achieve this is actually rather simple. Be sure to cook the rice a day ahead of time. It can be left in the fridge, and when it comes time to fry the rice, it's sure to come out with just the right texture.
Preserving Parsley And Other Green Herbs
Fresh parsley, basil, or mint can add an extra layer to dishes or help bring out and elevate already present flavors. However, the leafy greens also spoil pretty quickly. Even if they are left in the fridge, their leaves tend to start to wilt after a couple of days. This is unfortunate, but luckily there is a simple solution to ensuring those herbs stay fresh and usable a bit longer.
To keep leafy herbs fresh, place them in a zip-lock bag and put them in the freezer. After they are frozen, roll up the bags and squeeze out the excess air. And that's it; you now have fresh parsley or herbs whenever you need them.
Mastering Sunny-Side Up Eggs
Sunny-side up eggs are a staple for anyone that likes their yolks runny. But, despite this being a relatively simple dish, it can be frustrating trying to get those yolks to cook perfectly to where there is no transparent membrane left on the top. The eggs could always be flipped to cook them over easy, but then the yolk might pop, or they might sit there for too long and leave the inside cooked through.
A simple and easy tip for cooking those eggs involves using a lid. After the whites are relatively cooked through or just right before, place a lid on the pan and let sit for around 30 seconds. The steam will cook the top layer of the egg while leaving the inside warm and runny.
Grind Your Own Spices
Every at-home cook dreams of having a perfectly filled-out spice rack. And, why not? Spices turn bland food enjoyable and make great food memorable. Depending on where one lives, they can also be pricey or hard to find. And while this tip might not entirely fix that problem, it can help you be better prepared and preserve what you do find a lot better. It can also help save money.
Preferably, try to buy spices whole and use a pestle to grind out what you need. If spices are hard to find or expensive, try to pick them up on trips or wait till coming across cheaper options. Whole spices last longer and taste better.
Cooking Better Tomato Sauce
Whether layered on pizza, soaked up by pasta, or mixed with eggs and toast, tomato sauce is now a dinner staple the world over. This dish does require a bit of care when cooking, though, and recipes can vary wildly depending on who you ask. The type of tomatoes used, size, quantity, color, and time tomato sauce takes to cook all play a factor in how the finished product tastes.
However, there is one tip just about anyone can use when cooking tomato sauce. Simply add one or two tablespoons of butter to the sauce towards the end of cooking it to give it a creamy texture and richer flavor.
Make Leftovers Last Longer
It's important to remember that preserving leftovers for longer than a day is perfectly doable in today's world. Keeping and consuming leftovers also helps cut down on food waste and save money, something most of us (and the environment) could certainly use. If you know that you will probably not finish off those leftovers in the fridge within a couple of days, then simply throw them in the freezer.
Making use of leftovers cuts down on cooking time if you are ever tired after a long day of work or returning from a trip, and who doesn't want that?
Bloom Those Spices
Spices are excellent at adding all kinds of flavors to food and really elevating just about any dish. But did you know there is actually a way to get even more out of those spices? Blooming is the process of slightly toasting spices in a pan until they become aromatic (around 30 seconds to a minute). This helps deepen their flavor and also improves taste. The process is relatively simple.
But be careful because if you use this method with something hot or spicey like chili flakes, that aroma might have some eyes watering in the kitchen or adjacent rooms.
Protect That Knife And Cutting Board
A sharp knife is one of the most important tools in a kitchen. Adversely, a dull knife can be a dangerous hindrance. While sharpening kitchen knives should be a part of every good cook's routine, there are also simple things that can be done to ensure the blade lasts longer. This tip also helps extend the life of a cutting board and, if using a plastic board, ensures no particles are swept up with food.
After chopping, use the backside of the knife to collect any chopped ingredients or clear the board. This helps prevent damage to both the blade and board while working just as well.
Add This Ingredient If Something Is Missing
When cooking, simple things can often work wonders to freshen up a dish. Often, this can include things like herbs, spices, or fats. But there is also a little-known ingredient that works overtime, especially when working with vegetables, seafood, or just about anything, to be honest. If you have ever tasted a dish and felt like something is missing, odds are this tip will explain what that something is.
Acidity interacts chemically with food. And though it often comes in the form of lemons or limes, don't be afraid to mix it up a bit and use something like oranges to bring out extra flavors.
The Right Tool Can Make All The Difference
When it comes to having the right tool, cooking is no different from anything else that involves the making or fixing of something. Whether with mechanics, carpentry, art, or cooking, the right tools can be game-changing when it comes to saving time and hassle. And a knife is often the most valuable and versatile tool in the kitchen, with designs that can be as varied as the many different cultures spread worldwide.
The knife pictured here is called an ulu. It hails from Alaska, though similar devices are used throughout the world. The ulu is perfect for chopping and cutting, as well as versatile enough for deboning and filleting.
Be Careful With The Salt (Sometimes)
It's safe to say that most food that is cooked contains some amount of salt. And our body needs it to survive. Plus, it just makes food taste better. However, there are certain cases when one should be careful when pouring salt into a dish. This mainly has to do with how the dish is prepared and cooked, but it is worth noting nonetheless as no one likes food that tastes like seawater.
Salt should be limited when cooking dishes that tend to reduce. This is because those dishes shrink in size, and what might have tasted just fine before reduction now tastes like a mouthful of salt.
Save The Ends
It's generally a good idea to save the ends when chopping up vegetables like celery, carrots, and onions. They can be saved in the freezer and quickly used later to make the broth or base for a soup. This also helps cut down on waste and saves time and money. If not sure what to save, just save everything. It can all pretty much be used to make a broth: roots, skins, stems, and all.
This rule also applies to some meats. Throwaways like chicken bones and some other types of meat can be frozen and used to make chicken stock or some other broth later.
Spoons Have More Than One Use
While we briefly covered this before, it is worth mentioning again as this is a really helpful tip. Spoons are not just for mixing or drinking soup - they can also be a great tool for peeling. So when you don't have enough time to put the ginger in the freezer and sit around until it's ready, just use a spoon to peel it, instead! This method also allows you to later cut larger pieces from the ginger if the recipe requires it.
Scrape the ginger away from you, and those knobby roots should come clean fairly quickly. Just remember to freeze and save any leftovers for a vegetable broth later on. Nobody likes waste.
Grated Butter
This tip is a lifesaver for any baker out there. It is also recommended if you are cooking something like American biscuits, as it allows the butter to distribute evenly as the biscuit is baked. It can also be utilized when baking pies if you do not mind a little mess here and there. There is one caveat, though. And that is to try and freeze the butter beforehand, so it is harder.
After the butter is chilled, it can be grated and mixed into the flower of whatever is being baked. However, one might want to add this as the last dry ingredient because the butter can quickly melt and become hard to manage.
Grease Can Work Wonders
Every grandmother out there has probably used this little trick. After cooking with bacon grease, the grease can actually be saved and used in place of oil or butter. This works especially well if cooking something that might need a little flavor boost, such as cornbread or even vegetables. The grease can be stored inside a container in the fridge and should be just fine the next time you need some liquid gold.
While bacon grease is the most common alternative to oil, other fats, especially from pork, can be saved and stored. However, it is worth researching what kind of grease is best for what application.
Reheating Cold Pizza
While there is certainly a debate to be had about whether or not cold pizza should be heated up at all or just eaten nice and cold, here is a tip for all those who prefer their pizza hot. It is also worth keeping in mind that this is not the only way to heat up cold pizza if you subscribe to that camp (which can honestly be quite controversial).
When heating up pizza in a microwave, take just a little bit of water and sprinkle it around or on the plate. This will create steam and ensure the pizza comes out soft.
Water Prevents Searing
Attaining that perfect sear is often hard, especially for those just starting out cooking meats. But, there are some simple tips on how to get that crispy brown outside on a steak or just about any other piece of meat when cooking. What's more, the process of cooking is all rather scientific, so rest assured that cooking really just takes practice, repetition, and knowledge at the end of the day.
When searing, it is important to remember that meat will not brown when there is water in the pan. This is because the boiling point is much lower than the searing point. It is also why it's a good idea to pat down meat before cooking to try to get any excess moisture out.
Thinking Outside The Box With Nutmeg
Even if someone does not cook, chances are they have heard of nutmeg. For one reason or another, it is always the secret ingredient in every dish in every show or movie. The classic spice is usually used in baking things like bread or pies. However, nutmeg, as well as classic cinnamon, can be used in dishes you might not expect in order to create some surprisingly delightful flavor combinations.
Nutmeg can actually be utilized in marinaras. A good rule of thumb is if it is savory, nutmeg might be a good addition. Some vegetables also benefit from the spice, while cinnamon can be used to add dimension to chili.
Taste As You Go
This might seem like an obvious tip, but oftentimes people blindly follow recipes or forget to add an ingredient, or even accidentally add too much or not enough. As long as the food is able to be eaten raw, it is always a good idea to taste as you cook. It can help prevent disappointments at the end of cooking and even help find new flavor variations if you are feeling adventurous.
It is worth noting that most recipes are simply guidelines written for a general audience. Everyone's taste is slightly different, and if, while cooking, the food does not taste salty enough, add more. Experimentation will only help with development in the kitchen.
How To Thicken Soup That Is Too Thin
While some recipes call for a thinner soup, others need to be creamy and a bit more savory. However, if a soup does come out a bit too thin or even watery, there is no need to fret. An easy way to thicken it is to add a few spoons of instant mashed potatoes. The starch will work to thicken the soup. It is also such a small amount that there is no residual taste from the potatoes.
Another ingredient that can be used to thicken soup is corn starch. This is one of its main purposes; however, absent any starch, then instant mashed potatoes work just as well.
The Secret About "Seasoning To Taste"
Recipes will oftentimes say to "season to taste" after adding things like salt and pepper. However, a general rule is that this really applies to anything. When cooking, it is all about balancing a dish out. So, if something tends to taste too bland or overly seasoned, just remember that one always has the freedom to tailor a recipe to their specific taste. However, a good rule of thumb is that you can always add more, but it's slightly more difficult to add less.
This tip goes nicely with another, which is to taste while cooking. Recipes aren't set in stone, and variations are fine and can even end up tasting better than the original.
Work Efficiently
While it is always best to try to reuse in some form or another, that might not be possible every time someone makes a new meal. So, it is a good idea to have a trash can close at hand when cutting things like vegetables, which can be easily thrown away. This will save time and the potential mess of walking back and forth from a table or counter to the trash.
Keeping a trash can close at hand might also help with kitchen safety. Nobody wants to walk back and forth from the counter while balancing a knife on a cutting board.
The Secret To Peeling Garlic
There are a lot of gadgets and tips on the internet that claim to know the secret to peeling garlic. But, it is actually fairly easy and simple. To peel garlic, simply smash the unpeeled cloves between the flat edge of a knife. That's right; it is that simple. No fancy gadgets are needed, no heating the garlic up in a microwave, just place on the cutting board and smash with a wide kitchen knife.
After the garlic is smashed, the skin should fall off without much effort. Also, do not be afraid to use a bit of force when smashing garlic. The harder it is smashed, the easier it will peel.
How To Safely Cut Round Vegetables
Cutting vegetables can be a bit tricky. They come in a million different shapes and sizes, and they all seem to have special techniques for cutting. But, round vegetables, in particular, can come with a few dangers. After all, nobody wants to lose their grip on something they are pressing down against using a very sharp blade. To cut things like carrots, cucumbers, or even fruits like watermelon, try to create a flat surface.
For example, make an initial cut to half the vegetable. That way, there is now a flat surface to safely and firmly slice the rest of the carrot or whatever other vegetable it might be.
Browning Butter
This simple tip is sure to elevate any type of sweet, such as brownies or cookies. Before adding in the butter, melt it and stir until it begins to turn a light brown color. This results in a chemical reaction, but the just of it is that it adds a nutty flavor to the butter. This further enhances the dish and can an entirely new and unique dimension to baked goods.
Make sure to brown butter over medium heat and continually stir so as not to burn it. The longer it is stirred, the browner it gets, and the richer the flavor becomes.
How To Check If Eggs Are Have Gone Bad
Eggs are a kitchen staple. And they can usually last for a while in the fridge (or on the counter as many European countries store eggs). However, everyone fears the day they accidentally open a raw egg. Even worse, if said egg is dropped into a mixture or pan, ruining any work that has already been done. Luckily, there is a quick and simple way to check if an egg has gone bad.
Simply fill a glass with water and drop the egg in for a little swim. If the egg floats, it is still good, but if it immediately sinks, then it is probably best to throw the egg out.
Effectively Fishing Out Egg Shells
Picking eggshells out of a bowl can be tedious. You use a fork or spoon to ever so carefully pin the egg down or scoop it up, only for it to somehow escape from your clutches and go sliding back down into the bowl. You could just leave the shell in there, but then again, nobody wants to be eating and then munch down on something hard and mysterious in their food.
A quick and easy way to remove the shell is to simply use your hands. The shell will stick to your fingers much better than if you were using a metal utensil, and it will save time and frustration.
Removing Seeds With The Right Tool
For anyone that has ever carved a pumpkin, this tip may come as no surprise. To easily remove seeds from vegetables, try using a spoon. Or even better, use an ice cream scoop. A scoop is much larger than a spoon, and it will remove more seeds. This can actually help save a lot of time over using a normal spoon, and you can get down to carving (or cooking) much faster.
Another bonus of using a scoop is that ice creams scoops tend to have sharper edges than normal spoons. This allows them to dig in deeper when clearing out vegetables.
Squeezing Lemons Without A Lemon Squeezer
Squeezing lemons can be tedious, especially if doing it by hand. Luckily, there is probably a tool lying around in most kitchens that can help. A pair of tongs can be used to squeeze lemons for whatever drink or dish you might want to prepare easily. Start by simply cutting the lemon in half. Then take one half and place it between the two arms of the tong, and squeeze.
To make sure you get all of the lemon juice out, you can also start from the top of the lemon and slowly work your way down, similar to what some might do with toothpaste.
Baking Without A Rolling Pin
Rolling pins are great to have around the kitchen, especially if you find yourself doing a bit of baking. But, if you are just starting out and have not yet invested in one of those iconic wooden rollers, there is probably something lying around your kitchen that might work a bit better. A wine bottle works just as well for rolling dough on a kitchen counter. It also has an added benefit.
Wooden rolling pins often need to be generously flowered, so the dough does not stick to them. But, a glass bottle has no such problem; just be careful if it still has a bit of wine left in it.
Easy Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes are a hearty, wholesome meal that can go with just about any main course. However, they can also be time-consuming to make. Luckily, if you have a microwave, then there is another way that does not take much work and ends with nearly the same results. Simply wash a potato and place it in the microwave for around eight minutes. This will soften it enough to be easily smashed when it finishes.
Afterward, be sure to mix with a generous helping of butter and any other seasoning you might want to add, such as green onions and voila, you have quick, easy mashed potatoes.
Prevent Water From Boiling Over
We've all been there and had to step away from the stove while cooking something like pasta, only to return at the sound of water sizzling on the stovetop. However, there is actually a pretty easy way to prevent this from happening. If you want to prevent a pot from boiling over, just place a wooden spoon on top, and it should keep the water in the pan and save the hassle of cleanup.
This works because a wooden spoon actually breaks the bubbles up as the water rises. Once the surface is punctured, the spoon is unable to absorb the water, which then retreats back into the pot.
Easy At-Home Hashbrowns
Hashbrowns are a diner staple and a treat whether eaten alone or with a topping such as cheese, onions, or jalapenos. However, they can also be a hassle to make at home. And when cooking on a normal stove, it can be hard to get them crispy and all the way cooked through. But, if you have this common tool lying around the kitchen, then you might be in luck.
A waffle maker can be used to make quick, easy hashbrowns. Simply throw shredded potatoes into the iron, press down, and let cook. The hashbrowns will come out crispy and ready to be topped.
Effortlessly Pit Cherries
Cherries are one of those simple yet satisfying snacks many of us do not have very often. They are delicious and easy to eat, but they can be somewhat annoying because of their seeds. However, there is an easier and much more efficient way to get those pesky pits out of cherries. All you need is a bottle of some kind (preferably one you plan on throwing out) and a chopstick.
Then, simply place the cherry on top of the bottle and, using the chopstick, push down. This will pierce the cherry and push the pit into the bottle, leaving the snack seedless.
Revive Stale Bread
A good loaf of bread is food for the soul. Add a little butter, cut, and use for a sandwich or for toast; something like a baguette tastes good just about any way it is eaten. However, bread (at least good bread) often goes stale not long after it is left out. Luckily, there is a simple and easy way to bring old, stale bread back to life and taste nearly as good as it did when it was at the bakery.
Simply pour some water onto the bread or wrap it in a wet towel and let it sit for a little while. Then, stick the wet bread in the oven, and when it comes out, it will be good as new.