Cooking can either be
a lot of fun, or a tedious chore – either way, everyone enjoys when life gets
made easier for them! Here are just a few tips and tricks to ease the cooking
process.
Seasoning:
Adding salt and pepper
can instantly change a dish, but don’t forget about the other seasonings as well.
Chicken dishes benefit from basil and oregano. To beef, why not try some
rosemary or sage? Having a range of herbs and spices can make every dish taste
like new.
Lazy-Seasonings:
Can’t be bothered to
slice onion and dice garlic? Many supermarkets supply pre-cut meal extras, even
pre-seasoned tomato puree and ready-to-serve breadcrumbs. Baking soda can also
be added to mash potatoes before baking to increase their fluffiness.
Pancakes:
Just because it’s not Pancake
Day, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them all year round! Use cookie cutters to
make various shapes suitable for any season. This trick also works with eggs!
No Cutters?
A glass can be used to
cut out meat patties or cookie batter just a quickly and easily!
Boiled Eggs:
Pricking a hole in the
bottom of each egg with a drawing pin makes sure the shell peels away
effortlessly, leaving the egg intact and boiled to perfection. For a golden egg
straight out of fairy tales, shake a raw egg for 3 minutes to mix the yolk and
the whites before boiling.
Recycling:
There is always one
tortilla going to waste after having fajitas for dinner – cut into shapes,
spray with oil and salt, and cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees for a batch of
nachos. Paper cake trays can also be used as ‘cup-hats’ to keep bugs out of
your drink as the weather gets warmer.
Saucepan and grease
become best friends?
Shift those stubborn
stains by heating up on the hob, before soaking in hot water for 10 minutes,
the grease and fat will easily come off with a quick sponge.
Is peeling just not
appealing to you?
Garlic gloves can be
aided in the peeling process by placing in between 2 bowls and shaking vigorously
for 30 seconds. Ginger also peels easily with the use of a spoon, cutting down
on the wastage compared to peeling with a knife.
No baking trays?
By rolling foil into a
spiral, you can create a makeshift baking tray for roasting meat and pizzas. If
you DO have baking trays, cover them in foil before cooking to reduce on the
washing up afterwards.
Leaves being left
everywhere
Remove the root at the
bottom of a lettuce first; the leaves will separate easily meaning fewer
shavings to clean up afterwards.
We all scream for
ice-cream
Storing your ice-cream
tub in a zip lock plastic bag keeps it frozen, yet soft enough to scoop without
bending all the spoons you own.
Gourmet budget
snacks
As hard as we try, we
university students just can’t resist those cheap ramen style noodles! Make
them more exciting and appetizing to eat by adding ham, cheese, veg, or even chili
flakes.
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