There are times when the kitchen is a boring place. You can change that by making a hobby out of cooking. You will enjoy the time spent in your kitchen and gain something from it. You can become a skilled cook, eat better, and save money at the same time. Here are a few tips to give you a few ideas.
When possible, complete all of the prep work in advance. Having everything prepared before you begin cooking is important. Sometimes even when the prep work is done, the deadline for when the meal must be completed can still loom large and become stressful. Preparing some of the ingredients ahead of time can reduce the amount of stress you feel when it is time to prepare the meal.
Meat should always be thinly sliced and cut on the bias if you are adding it to a stir-fry. This may take some time and effort. Remove the meat when it is firm (but not frozen) and slice at a 45 degree angle across the grain of the meat.
Make dishes you already feel confident cooking if you have invited a special guest to dinner. Don’t experiment with recipes or ingredients that you’ve never used before. Making a meal you are confident will taste good can make the night more enjoyable.
You can use it on other foods besides meat. Scrambled eggs taste delicious with it, or you can create a tasty snack by sprinkling it over roasted pumpkin seeds. Everyone will start to wonder about your secret ingredient and what it might be!
When you make chicken stock make as much as you can. If you make a large amount of stock you can freeze it for future use. Having this delicious chicken stock on hand will be useful when you are making soups, casseroles, stews and so much more. First, cool the stock and then stick it in the freezer.
Try cooking your vegetables in chicken broth. Chicken broth is great for preventing sticking of vegetables and incorporating some great flavor with them. Chicken broth is readily available at any grocery store, and is very inexpensive.
Always read the labels of what you buy. You will often find unhealthy ingredients in one of your cooking essentials. By reading the labels, you can check to see if the product contains sugars or sodium in high amounts. Sugars and sodium can be detrimental to your health if over consumed.
If you have a recipe that requires water or milk, you can change out the liquids to create a whole new flavor. If the recipe calls for water, try using chicken or beef broth, or even the water that you used to cook your vegetables in. You can try out buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream instead of milk. Using a variety of liquids can add a bit of zest to a favorite recipe and even make it more nutritious.
Try these tips and come up with your own ones. Don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen and come up with your very own special recipes. Try cooking as a relaxing hobby that can also improve your health. Make eating a pleasure instead of a necessity.