Share your cooking tips
 

Spend less time in the kitchen! Make cooking fun! Impress your friends with your cooking skills :)

Do you have any shortcuts or tips to make cooking easier?

Here's a tip I use often. Emeril suggested this one.

I use frozen spinach in a lot of recipes, and most require that you squeeze it dry before adding to the dish. Use a potato ricer! Place a good portion of spinach in the ricer, squeeze it and watch the water get extracted within seconds without any effort, and mess-free.

Btw, the one on amazon that I linked costs 20 bucks. I bought mine at TJ Maxx for $3.50. Love a bargain :)

My most favorite and cherished kitchen tool is my meat thermometer. It cost next to nothing and it makes me a much better cook. No longer do I serve dry meat...or worse....chicken that is pink in the middle. I wish I had gotten a meat thermometer years ago.

Second tip, which I think is what separates good cooks from great cooks...don't be afraid to experiment with different flavors or techniques...variety is the spice of life and it keeps the family on thier toes!

I would be lost w/o my Tupperware Micro-Steamer. You can steam chicken breasts, shrimps, veggies, etc.

I never cook rice on the stove anymore, I nuke it.

Salt-free seasonings rock, as does Pace Thick & Chunky salsa.

My crockpot and my george forman grill are my most used kitchen utensild...along with my food processor although its a nightmare to clean...thank god for dishwashers!! :lol:

My favorite kitchen tool is my hand held Braun mixer... I whip up yummy shakes, sauces, creamy soups without cream with this machine... :love:

I love my George Foreman Grill too! I use it a lot in the summer so I don't have to heat up the kitchen :) and having a mini chopper is really handy.

Best buy ever- a professional chef's knife set - one large knife, one bread knife and one paring knife with a sharpener included. These cut like a dream, wash well and are a joy to work with - well worth the money and I have had the same set for years :chef:

My best advice is to start with a clean kitchen, clean as you go and set up all the ingredients you need for your recipe before you start - just makes the whole process a little easier :D

My favorite things:
- Kitchen-Aid mixer
- Cuisinart mini-processor (my DH picked this up on a whim & I love it. No more tears when chopping onions :cry: )
- George Foreman grill (it beats firing up the grill out back for just DH & me)
- meat thermometer (success no matter what)

Like Mauvaisroux, I like to start with a clean kitchen & have all my ingredients out & prepped.

Quick easies ........ great thread! ~smiling brightly~ my problem comin up with any to share with you was that my quick easies turned into second nature and i had to really rack my brain. ~laughing~ will pay more attention while i cook ~winka winka~



when i use my hand mixer i always grab a paper plate as well. tip it over poke 2 holes in the center about an inch apart. pop the beater posts thru the holes then click them into the mixer. Viola i have a splatter guard lid. i have found that a cheapie, regular sized paper plate covers most any bowl.

another thing i found real handy is to keep a garbage receptical next to me on the counter while i am preparring dishes. like a cereal bowl, or egg carton anything i can toss my remenants into, i.e: egg shells, yolks, trimmed fat, veggie ends or peels, boullion wrappers, paper towel. then its just one trip to the garbage can and saves my sink and drain from a lot of gunk.

if you ever make one of those diet soda cakes or have a special low cal and you would like to try something different to dress it up, may i suggest one of those paper doillies. place that on top of your cake and dust with powdered sugar. they have some of the prettiest designs. depending on the cake and its flavour, take your veggie peeler and and shave a curly fruit rind for the center.

not sure if this is a time saver but with summer and out door cooking, picnics and so on its cute, fun, keeps the bugs out of condiments, and you can just toss them when its over. i take 3 peppers, red, green, and yellow. cut the tops off, making a zig tag design ( with the points my brain if failing ~laughing~) de-seed the centers. then in the red i will put Ketchup, the green, either diced onions or relish, and the yellow is filled with Mustard. just adorable on a table.

like my tag says............ its the lil things! again fabulous thread i look forward to reading more!!

sincerely,
sassy

Great tips Sassy! Thanks for sharing - I love the idea of the condiment covers :D

Use dental floss to cut dough. Just wrap the floss around your dough and cross the ends, then pull them in opposite directions. The dough cuts cleanly and doesn't mash.

For any sauteeing you do replace oil with low sodium chicken or vegetable stock if you don't do meat. Adds flavour.

Try freezing boneless skinless chicken breasts in a bag with your favorite marinade -- when it defrosts it will be marinated and you can slap it on the grill or broil it in no time

Sassy!
So nice to know you are still "out there". Have missed you on the other thread you were posting to regularly.
Great idea, I'll try it!
Linda

After the professional knife set, one of my favorite kitchen gadgets is a mandoline, with attachments. I love to make a veggie platter now, and pre-prep all my salad ingredients ahead of time - all bite size and ready to go. Its especially great for carrots.

hi
heres a good cooking tip when you are frying up a pork chop put water in the bottom in you pan place a pork chop (frozen or not) in the water add a little salt and pepper and onions if you want and what ever else you want. Turn it up on high and cover it. Let it cook and when you think it is done cut it open to make sure it is. (Its faster and a little better for you because of the water not only boils the pork chop but its better than oil or butter.
Theresa

I poach eggs in my microwave. Poke the yolks first.

If you're going to grill fish on your Foreman grill, wash it IMMEDIATELY afterwards.

First day back (again) I HATE TO COOK HELP
 

Hi, all I have to admit i hate to cook so we only eat, sandwiches,pizza,hotdot, fast food,order out, i want this time to work i haven't been here since 2002,and have gained alot. the problem is if i don't cook early before 12 (i stay home) i won't cook, i'll just sit on my lazy *** all day, and sleep,(having a hard time sleeping at night so i sleep in the daytime)


ok enough:

I need help with very fast healthy meals, 3-4 ingredents. I have three at home 16 and 6,7,3

thanks you

oh i have a slow cooker for four months still haven't took out. :>

majestical -- Welcome Back and stick around with us, I promise we can help....

I just found this on the Dr. Weil site about sleep:

Establish a consistent bedtime routine, and try to go to bed at the same time every night.
Get plenty of exercise during the day. The more energy you expend during the day, the sleepier you will feel at bedtime.
Reduce or eliminate your intake of caffeine, stimulants and alcohol. Even when consumed early in the day, these can affect sleep.
Avoid large meals late in the evening.
Learn and practice a relaxation technique regularly. Breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are good examples.
Don't obsess about not sleeping. Instead, remind yourself that while sleeplessness is troublesome, it isn't life-threatening.

Now for the cooking tips:

1. Start using your slow cooker for goodness sake it's a lifesaver... you can make soups, stews and so much more and freeze them in single serving containers... I use mine all the time...

2. If you have alot of energy in the morning before noon, make all your daily meals at that time and just nuke it at lunch and supper times...

HTH...

I love to cook so finding healthy alternatives to help my weight loss journey has been alot of fun. First things first for me, after grocery shopping I wash all my produce and prep it out for consumption. I just bought a salad spinner and I love it for prepping veggies. It makes sure that all the excess water is off so that they don't spoil. I've spent some money and bought Tupperware Fridgesmart containers for my veggies. They are designed to keep food longer and boy do they ever!!!

I bought a nice fruit bowl and keep it well stocked with fruits ready to eat. Making it easier for me to grab fruit instead of something else.

I've completely stopped shopping the inner rows in the grocery store. I don't buy pre-made food anymore, I pre-make them myself. I save all my veggie ends in a bag in the freezer and whenever I cook a chicken I throw the broth, bones and my bag of veggies in a stock pot and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Then I strain it and pour it into muffin tins and freeze it. When it's frozen it goes into a huge freezer bag and I have portion controlled chicken broth (1/2 cups) to use in recipes. You could skip the chicken and use water and veggies to make vegetable broth or add fish to make fish broth. I find that chicken is the one I use the most. Then I know that there are No preservatives in it and no added sodium etc.
When I make pasta sauce I bake whole tomatoes in the oven till they are soft (cut a cross in the top) and then add them into my food processor and chop. Then I add them, one muffin sized broth, garlic, couple of dried chili pepper flakes, and assorted veggies to make a quick, healthy pasta sauce.

I could not live without my BBQ, Chef knives, good sautee pan, good stock pot, and bread maker. Love them all!

Hope this was helpful!

Wanda

stove grill
 

I have one of those gas stoves/ovens, and i found a grill that sits like a pan on the stove. It is great. No matter the weather, or the amount of food i am cooking, it is easy and fast to use, and to clean. (is has a pot type for the bottom part, you put water here, and there is a large hole in the middle-not sure how that helps out!, the top half is the grill, which is like a pan, only it has holes all around. the water heats up and the steam heats up the pan and voila!) I only hope when i move that the pan can be used on the regular stoves!!!

I also use plastic bags almost all the time in the fridge or disposable tubberware. that way if food goes to long in the fridge i dont have to clean a nasty bowl-or waste my good bowls holding fridge food-and the plastic bags makes more room in the fridge-especially since i prepack all my meals for work.

Whenever I cook pasta or rice, I cook extra and freeze the leftovers in individual servings in ziploc bags. It freezes well and zaps up quick in the microwave.

A few things that have made healthy cooking easier and more interesting...

Growing my own fresh herbs
Keeping lemons and limes in the house at all times (a little juice or zest adds a lot of flavor)
Building a collection of different vinegars and oils - lots of flavor and healthy fat at my disposal
Buying good knives and keeping them sharp
Buying a zester (for the above mentioned fruits and for hard cheeses)
Separating portions of fresh meat into plastic bags and freezing them individually

What changed how I cook is to look at recipies as guides. When cooking, I cut out all the oil.

I do the ziplock meats seperate thing, very handy.

When I cook, (it's just me) I make enough to last for a few days, but I serve it all into containers and portion it all out into equal sized before I take my first bite. When I am done eating, I know that the rest of what I made is already cool in the fridge and prevents me from taking seconds.

When I make casseroles, I typically make 2 and freeze 1, for nights when I don't feel like cooking.

Also, I buy my meat at Sam's Club in bulk, but when I get home, I go ahead &:
1. boil the chicken and cut it up into bite size chunks for use in casseroles, soups, etc -- freeze in 1 lb packages (freezer bags)
2. separate the ground beef into 3 categories - 1) make into hamburger patties separated with wax paper, season and freeze, 2) brown the hamburger meat, and freeze in 1 lb packages for use in spaghetti, lasagna, tacos, hamburger helper, etc etc etc, 3) remainder I don't cook, but just put into 1 lb packages for things such as meatloafs.

By doing this, I can pull out meat for dinner and 1/2 the battle is already done!

Buy great spices and seasonings! I'm a big Penzey's fan - they have great blends and rubs so I can grill or bake chicken 3 nights a week and not feel like I'm eating the same thing over and over again.

I also try to "prepare" two meals at a time. Tonight we're having roast pork so I bought a big one. We'll eat about 1/3 for dinner and I'll throw the rest in the crock pot with a can of ginger ale and some onions and a little seasoning. When it's really tender I dump it, throw it back into the crock pot and shred it, then add a bottle of spicy BBQ sauce. VIOLA! Easy pulled pork that freezes really well in portion controlled freezer bags. (just be careful to use BBQ sause with low sugar content or it may burn)

Nathan's Grill and Griddle! The griddle part is cool cuz you can spray the no fat no cal Mazola Cooking Spray and it cooks great!

As mentioned above, Mazola is a lifesaver! Its so much better that using oil, margerine, or even butter in the pots for greasing. Same can go for greasing casseroles, its a great healthy alternative! :cb:

this is agreat thread!!! ok low fat recipe tips from me

If you want a hearty low fat meal always use a tomato base ie: sautee onions and garlic in vege stock, add oregano, basil, salt pepper a little sugar, tinned tomatoes, tomato paste a little water all your fav eges and serve 1/2 cup of this on 1 cup pasta and sprinkle with a little parmesan delicious!!!

Replace butter with apple sauce in brownie and pudding recipes works well!!

use skim milk and stock in bechamel (white) sauce instead of butter and whole milk

mashed potatoes are nice with skim milk no butter and if you add some cooked pumpkin it's gorgeous (golden mash)

for creamy pasta sauces use light evaporated milk tastes creamy, but next to no fat and low cals

Diet Coke Cake
 

I usually take the honors of making my friends' birthday cakes, because I make them lower in fat, and no one knows. They even like them better. I have to say that my absolute favorite, AND easiest thing in the world to make is the Diet Coke Cake! All you need is a cake mix, a can of diet coke, and voila!!! Mix them together and you are ready to entertain.

Just make sure to keep checking on it, because I find the time that it bakes in is inconsistent. It comes out very spongey!

Chocolate mix + Diet Coke, Yellow Mix + Diet Sprite, but have fun! I have had Diet Coke in yellow mix and it is really, really good.

For frosting, blend a packet of fat free, sugar free pudding with fat free cool whip. TRY IT!!! :o)

My favorite "keep in the fridge ready and waiting" recipe. Most of the recipe is done in advance. I freeze half the bean mixture, keep the other half ready to go in the fridge. It's a huge time saver!

Shrimp Burritos

Make ahead Bean Mixture

2 onions, chopped
1 tsp Oil
Salt
1 can fat free refried beans
1 package Uncle Ben's Precooked Spanish Rice
1/3 Cup Salsa (I prefer a mild, chunky kind, use what you like)

Cook onions over low heat in a frying pan until caramelized. This will take a while. The will shrink down quite a bit. When done, they should be a light brown color. Add the other ingredients, and stir combine. Heat till hot, then remove from stove. At this point I divide the mixture, and one goes into the freezer.

For 1 Burrito:

A handful of Frozen, cooked, shelled shrimps

2-3 tablespoons salsa (I use Newmans's med Peach salsa here, I like a bit of sweetness. But any salsa would work fine)

1 Tortilla, about 8 inch's. I use Honey wheat tortillas here, but again, any kind would be fine.

About 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture

Put the shrimps and salsa in a small fry pan, heat on medium until shrimp is defrosted and some of the water cooks out of the salsa. Mixture should be fairly thick. While shrimps are heating up, nuke the bean mix for about a minute to heat. Nuke Tortilla for about 15-30 sec till hot.

Assembly: Put Shrimp in a line down middle of tortilla. Put Bean mix on top. Wrap up and enjoy! I eat this with home made carrot and jalapeno fridge pickles.

This is filling, and very yum!

Hi!

I use my Tupperware steamer to par-cook ground beef. I put in for 5-7 minutes and start testing it around 5 minutes. You should see how much grease comes out. :chef:

Wow, what a great thread! I have for sure learned some good tips here! Thanks!

When i went to ireland i picked this trick up from my dad: Lay out a sheet of aluminium foil on your working area. This way, when you're finished you barely have to clean up, you just wrap up all the mess into the foil and chuck it away... If you live on your own you can use aluminium foil for plates aswell. or even paper plates. It's great for people who like cooking but hate cleaning.

I have a rotisseries and love cooking chicken and pork loin in it. The grills are nice to have for chicken, burgers etc. I have steamer for boiling eggs, steaming veggies, cooking rice in and corn in the cob for my family.

My most important cooking utensil: High-quality knives!

Chicken tip :chicken:
When preparing the dieter's staple of low-fat chicken breasts, it is much easier to cut them for a saute or fajitas if they are PARTIALLY frozen.

Many dishes taste great if you veer from the recipe and use lots more veggies than the recipe calls for. This gives you more "fullness" for less calories. (i.e. I make cabbage rolls with 1/2 the meat called for, and use peppers, celery, and onion to replace it)

Experiment with recipes. Can you make that recipe that calls for eggs with just the whites and leave the yolks out? Does the recipe still work with 1 tbsp of oil instead of 2?

You won't have to sacrifice flavor in most cheesy recipes if you reduce the cheese amounts by 1/3 and use low-fat cheese instead of regular. :cheese:

SPICES, SPICES, SPICES. Try thyme on corn, cinnamon on carrots, anything to make a healthy dish that has started to bore you more interesting. Buy some spice mixtures. I never use regular black pepper anymore, because there are so many wild and fabulous peppers available, black pepper has become boring to me.

Use extra lean ground turkey instead of ground beef.

Replace white rice with brown rice. I haven't had any recipes that were not better when I did this, IMHO.

When making a tossed salad, make enough for a few days, but don't mix the ingredients except for what you actually use that day. Especially keep tomatos separate. This way, if one ingredient goes bad, you don't have to throw the whole salad out. The ingredients will all keep longer if not mixed with tomatos.

I love pancakes and was missing them. I found that I can make up buckwheat pancakes that are a flavorful joy by substituting cinnamon applesauce for the oil and just skipping the egg. These don't need syrup.

i would be lost without vietnamese chili garlic sauce to add spice to my meats, stir-frys... everything! no calories, and it packs so much flavor. spicy, flavorful food keeps me fuller longer and does away with the need to add oil or extra meat to my meals.

Sue, when you do the thing with the pork roast and putting part of it in the crockpot, is the part that goes in the crock pot already cooked? Or do you divide that roast and bake part one night and slow-cook the rest?

Sounds delish!

Donna D., Columbus, Ohio

An inside grill pan. I got mine at Target...i think mine is Calphalon, but you can find something cheaper. If you have this and non-fat cooking spray with No-salt seasoning, you can make anything! Chicken, eggplant, zuchinni, salmon, asparagus.

It's just the the Foreman, but a lot easier to clean and can be stored with you pots and pans.