Cooking Tips & Cheats

What are your cooking tips & hints?

Here are a few of mine that I'll update regularly.


~ Microwave whatever you can... if you're melting chocolate or condensed milk, cream etc do it in the microwave. I have a double boiler and have only ever used it once.
~ Have more than one microwave jug. Some recipes call for melting different things like white & then dark chocolate etc... this way you never have to wash in between.
~ Get scales that converts to imperial (and if you can afford it liquid measurements too)
~ Don't be afraid of dried herbs... alot of modern cooking requires "fresh" herbs. Which is great but some things actually taste better with dried herbs.
~ Small appliances can do the same as big ones... before I had my food processor and Kitchen Aid I used to use a hand blender and a bamix her chopper (as a mini food processor) to do EVERYTHING! Including making my own minces etc... I would just do them in smaller batches. I use these things for everything! I even started using my hand mixer to make the *BEST* mashed potato LOL! No more standing over with a masher... and its just as easy to clean 2 beaters as it is to clean the potato masher ;)

Ok I started this for you Tracey... so I want everyone to offer up their tips :)

I use brought pastry or those pre packaged just-add-milk/water pastry packs or biscuit bases whenever I need something quickly and don't have the time or the inclination to make pastry.

I have never had a problem but I do it in real short bursts. but yeah you can burn chocolate in the microwave LOL! I'm just *lazy*...

I have found that when melting choc in the micro, do it on meduim power and you are less likely to burn it, I nuke for 3 minutes and it is normally perfect.

These are the tips I learnt when I did 6 months of a chefs apprenticeship:

If your bin is not right where you are cooking use a bowl (or 2 if you are composting) next to your work area to put your scraps in. Saves having to turn around all the time.

Don't rest until your area is clean and ready to go for the next step. So if you are baking and just waiting for the item to come out of the oven, clean down the kitchen and then get out what you need next (eg cooling rack, cutting board). Once done, then you can have your cuppa.

Powder milk is a cheap and convenient substitute for fresh milk in cooking, great when you need to use a lot. My best souffles were made with powdered milk.

If I am making a casserole and it needs thickening and I don't want to use flour, if I have a packet of the DEB instant potato that works a treat. Thickens it up wonderfully and tastes ok too, horrendous in its own, but ok in a casserole.

xxx

If I'm boiling Potatoes add a dash of oil in with the water and potatoes and it stop it from bubbling over.

Don't know if I worded that right sorry.

Ellie

i found using a microwave rice cooker makes my rice nice and fluffy. i always seemed to get sidetracked when cooking rice on the stove and it boiled over or stuck to the bottom of the pan. Either way it was a horrible mess! i bought a cheap microwave cokker and no more burnt mess!!!

xxx
-------------------------
Me 31 DH 33
:angel: 11 Jan 2001
:dance: Thomas 22 Oct 2003
:dance: Cody 8 Dec 2003

sorry guys
my little ones birthdate Thomas should be 22 Oct 2002 (oops!)

when boiling pasta, I add a dab of butter in the pan to stop it from boiling over

Dried onion flakes, I use them all the time as I hate chopping onion and can never get the smell off my hands. They work perfectly fine every time, no mess, no smell and no tears.

Cooking double amounts is so wonderful and can save you down the track. I tend to make more than what I'm going to need for dinner when making bolognaise or stews etc. You can do so much with leftover bolognaise (put in toasted sangas, on top of baked spuds, nachos etc) stews (toasted sangas again, thicken up more and make a pie) or simply freeze to eat at a later date when you can be bothered cooking so you don't have to buy leftovers.

Definitely buy a slow cooker if you don't have one, they do everything and save you money too. Mine is such a godsend and has definitely saved us money.

If you drink lots of soft drink in your house, buy a soda stream. We got one and it has saved us so much money not having to keep buying soft drink, has also saved us lots of room in our recycle bin too.

Crushed garlic/ginger in a jar, saves time and smelly hands. I also buy other herbs etc in tubes from the fruit and veg section. Defintely saves time on having to chop them and if you only need a small amount there's no waste. I was often buying bunches of chives etc and would only use a small amount and have to throw what was left away, now there's no waste. I also buy chilli this way too to save on chopping and the risk of touching eyes/face etc afterwards.

We love potato bake in our household... and I have found the best way to make it is to cut the potatoes up, put them into a microwave safe bowl, add the cream , and then cook until the potatoes are softened... then I put it all into my baking dish, add the other ingredients (ham, onion, cheese etc) and cook it until cheese is melted... it comes out sooooo creamy and perfect.

I want a happy chopper! Can they go in the dishwasher? Whats the RRP?

I LOVE French Onion Soup Mix... we use it in everything too!

I am getting into BBQ'ing EVERYTHING... our BBQ is just outside our back door on the deck and its sooo much easier to cook on the BBQ when its hot.

Microwave onions till tender if you want cooked onion for a recipe :)

Hmm, very interesting

Ooooo just checked them out on ebay :) WOOHOO! I think I might put that on my list LOL!

Agree with the BBQ, that way DH does most of the cooking!

THANK-YOU CAILIN!!!

I have a great tip.... Let Dh cook & always comment on how wonderful it is!!! Then he will do it again & again!!!

LOL Trace, Ben has no idea how to cook so I can't do that, hehehehe.

Another tip from me is when you make Lasagne use fresh pasta sheets, either pre-made or homemade. I used to use the hard sheets but my lasange always turned out crap. Now I use fresh and it turns out perfect every time, best lasagne ever :)

When making homemade pizzas (we made some tonight... I LOVE my breadmaker ;)) use stir through pasta sauces as tomato paste (tastes 100 times better) we normally use basil or olive & chilli... And the bases of spring form tins make fantastic pizza trays but be sure to remove them before cutting with a pizza cutter as you'll ruin your cake tin's LOL!

OOOH Great trips!!!

I woke up when Dh woke up on Sat morning (5:15am) as he had to be at work at 6am, I couldnt get back to sleep & all I kept thinking about was Snapper & prawns.. So I SMS'd him to grab some...
He brought home 2 medium Snapper's a medium Silver Perch & 1 kg of Tiger Prawns!!!
He spent all arvo in the kitchen making sauces etc to marinade the fish in & I grabbed some Seafood ****tail sauce!

He cooked them all & we went to Mum & Dads (just across the driveway) we all sat out the back eating!!! OMG, it was all devine, I made a coleslaw & a garden salad with French dressing... Plus we had herb bread...

OK well it wasnmt a tip or anything, just saying if ya SMS my hubby he comes through wid the goods!!! hee hee

My DH is a great cook!

Asian bread shops often sell home made garlic bread wrapped in foil for $1.00-$1.50. I usually buy a few and freeze them. Cheaper than supermarket brands, and very tasty.

Those pasta stir in sauces make a great quick meal. There is a flavour out called 'roast pumpkin'. I cut up a pumpkin, roast the bite size pieces, and throw it into the ready made pasta sauce and pasta. A great addition to a very easy meal.

Use an Ice cream scoop (the old fashioned type that has a spring release) for doing exact perfect measurements of muffin dough, meatballs etc etc

I am trying to source a truffle scoop (of similar design) which is handy for making truffles, mini muffins, mini meatballs etc

Burn a candle when chopping onions and you will have no tears :)

When Icing a cake cover the plate/board with 4 seperate pieces of baking paper, one per side so that the icing goes onto the paper and not on the plate/board then when done you can slide each piece of paper out easily and left with a clean plate/board :)

ooh I'm gonna try that candle one Cailin. I love onions but hate the tears!

If you are making soup and you put to much salt in it, just add potatoes and that will absorb most of the salt.
If you are making a pie filling or casserole and it is way to waterery use corn flour and add it slowly making sure to mix and i assure you it will thicken up!

:bump:

Would it better to restart this thread. A number of the posters are no longer with BB and as such, some posts have been deleted leaving gaps in thread (bit confusing when there is a one sided conversation)

May be summarise the tips so far in the first post a new thread?