Monday, August 27, 2012

Simple Microwave Meals In 10 Minutes Or Less

Food is one of the basic requirements humans must have to survive. Why limit yourself to subsistence grade food? Cooking a delicious meal for others can be even better than just eating one. These tips can help you take those cooking skills to an other level.

Try ketchup as a batter ingredient in fried foods. 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. The tangy flavor of the ketchup adds a nice, unexpected kick to fried foods, and it will leave your friends begging for the recipe.

You have probably felt guilty for pitching moldy fruits before. Have you ever thought to just remove the moldy section by cutting it out? There are no two ways about it; rotting fruit is unhealthful. Mold and other potentially dangerous contaminants can be found even in portions of the fruit that look healthy, so you should pitch the whole thing.

Try adding oil to foods from the sides of a pot or pan in able to jump-start the heating process. Hot oil adds more flavor to the food, giving you the tastiest results when you're finished.

Mix things up if you're feeling like you and your children want something different instead of using frozen sweet corn. Be creative and serve Asian dishes that call for coconut flakes and corn mixed together.

It important to neither overcook or undercook a cake. Recommended baking times are just that, recommendations, and can sometimes be misleading because simple things like elevation can change the baking times of the cake. Sticking a toothpick in the center of the cake is a time proven test for doneness. If the toothpick can be removed without any batter sticking to it, the cake is finished baking. If not, it needs to be cooked longer.

Keep your wood cutting board in tip-top shape. Excess moisture, heat and dryness may cause a wooden chopping board to split and warp. Do not immerse the cutting board in water, but instead, wipe it off with a sponge using warm water and soap. To repair a damaged cutting board, use an oil designed to restore this type of board. Make sure it is completely dry before you use it.

To eat healthier and get rid of unwanted weight, it is important to use less oil when you cook. Most of the time, the oils you cook with have high amounts of unnecessary and unhealthy fats. This is also true of butter. If you want to prepare your food in essentially the same fashion, substitute a non-fat cooking spray for the oil. These sprays are non-stick, and many have the flavors of your favorite oils infused.

Make sure that you take care with the cooking time for a perfectly baked cake. The times on the recipe are great as a guide for cooking, but factors like elevation and various oven temperatures can effect the actual cooking time of cakes. You need to push a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out with no batter on it, the cake has finished cooking. If the toothpick has batter on it when it is pulled out, the cake needs to stay in the oven for a few more minutes or so.

Consider warming citrus fruits in the microwave for a bit before juicing. Heat your fruit for just a short time -- usually about ten seconds. After microwaving, you will want to roll it back and forth on the counter before you cut and start juicing.

A well organized kitchen will simplify cooking. If they're not organized, you'll waste time looking for needed items. Try to keep similar things in one place. To be more specific, put peanut butter and jelly on the same shelf, since they both serve the same purpose.

When cooking with fruits and vegetables that you have never used before, gather as much knowledge about them beforehand as you can. By performing some research, you could be surprised at how versatile a new food can be. If you take the time to learn about the item before heading into the kitchen, the experience will be that much more enjoyable.

Fresh garlic is ideal when preparing dishes that call for garlic. It's well-known that fresher garlic equals sweeter taste. If it isn't soft, bruised or shriveled and it has some firm skin then you know that the garlic is fresh.

Cooking your own meals allows you to control the ingredients you and your family consume. As you can see, cooking has the ability to make your life better, no matter what kind of food you like. Going to the drive-thru may be convenient here or there, but nothing is better than a home-cooked meal!

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