Cooking Tips To Simplify Your Meal Planning

It is not uncommon to feel like your kitchen is a dull, uninspired place. But taking up cooking as a hobby changes that. 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. Keep reading for some new and exciting cooking ideas.

You can use some spices after food has already finished cooking. There are many great spices, such as salt, cayenne, or garlic powder. A lot of people have different preferences in taste when choosing spices. Provide spices and seasonings at the table when the dish is done, rather than adding them while you cook. This way, each person can personalize their own meal.

You can add another level of flavor to your fried foods by adding ketchup to your batter. Not only is ketchup good for dipping food into after they're cooked, it's also good when you dip food into it before putting them in breadcrumbs. Ketchup will add a spice and dynamic to foods that you never thought about before.

When serving salad to guests, always offer the dressing on the side rather than pouring it directly on the salad. The amount dressing that people prefer on their salad varies so allow guests to add their own dressing. Offering a variety of dressing for their salad is the best way to make sure that all guests are happy.

If you enjoy using fresh herbs, consider bunching them together and cutting them with scissors while preparing your next meal. This practice does not get herbs wet like chopping would, and makes them generally fluffier and lighter.

Do food preparations prior to cooking food. This allows you to economize on the amount of gas or electricity used when cooking, and keeps you from becoming distracted and accidentally getting injured by something like hot oil splashing out of a pan.

Try this quick and handy trick to salvage your efforts. Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl. Stir it into your sauce as it simmers and it will get thicker. Stir the sauce constantly as you slowly add the starch mixture until it reaches the desired thickness.

If you are making a salad ahead of time, put some thought into how you layer its ingredients. Place juicy ingredients and the bottom and place the lettuce at the top.

By doing so, the mushrooms will absorb the water like a sponge. The right way to clean the mushrooms would be by hand, using a clean, wet cloth.

You can reduce your stress level by doing your prep work for an important meal the day or night before the event. Get everything together beforehand; ensure you have all the ingredients, and chop or measure anything you can in advance. When the time comes to make the meal, all you need to do is put it all together and cook it!

Do you enjoy oysters? Oysters are typically eaten raw with a some lemon juice, but they can be prepared in a number of other ways. Put opened oysters on the shell in your broiler pan and cover with some cream. Cover them with a dash of Parmesan cheese and fresh pepper and broil them until you see bubbles. You can also saute the oysters. To saute oysters, dredge oysters through seasoned flour and place in a pan of hot butter and fry for a couple of minutes until golden brown. You can also keep the oysters inside their shells, then bake them. You place them in a casserole type dish, place a dollop of butter along with fresh breadcrumbs on top of each oyster, then bake them four or five minutes at 425 degrees. Once the butter begins to bubble, enjoy them hot alongside some crusty bread.

Wash your dishes as you go when cooking a meal. If you have a double sink, be sure to keep one half filled with hot, soapy water and the other with clean rinse water. Cooking bowls and tools can be quickly cleaned as needed, and ready for their next use.

Mushrooms will absorb the water like a sponge. So, in order to clean them, wipe off each mushroom with a clean, wet cloth.

If you've made sauce, you should place any that is leftover in an ice tray and freeze it. This way, the next time you want some sauce, all you need to do is saute it in a pan. Don't worry; the sauce will taste delicious after being frozen in an ice cube tray!

You don't have to be scared of cooking; you just need to learn the techniques that will give you some confidence. Cooking is fun, helps you eat better and saves you money. Apply these tips to your food preparation today. Three cheers for home cooking and bon appetit!