{"id":72,"date":"2012-10-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-10-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/simple-cooking-ideas-you-can-use-today-2\/"},"modified":"2012-10-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-10-20T00:00:00","slug":"simple-cooking-ideas-you-can-use-today-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/simple-cooking-ideas-you-can-use-today-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Simple Cooking Ideas You Can Use Today"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Are you starting to go nuts from cooking everyday for your family? Do not let cooking tire you out! By reading this article, you will discover great tips to help eliminate the stress of preparing meals. The advice given here will make you realize that you have waited too long to learn how to make cooking much easier.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> To have more juice come out of your citrus fruit, microwave the fruit some before juicing. Put fruits such as oranges, lemons or limes in for about ten seconds.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

One good way to store extra sauce is to freeze it using ice cube trays. For a quick and easy sauce on another night, simply remove as many cubes as you need and reheat in a pan. Not to worry, it freezes well and is perfectly edible when stored this way.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Beautiful pies start with beautiful crusts. Overworking a pie dough can lead to cracking.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Repair cracks in a pie crust! Many times your pie dough will develop cracks if it has been overworked. If you find cracks in your dough, sprinkle a bit of cold water on the dough and rub the cracks gently with your finger. Cracks on the top crust can be masked by brushing the crust with milk and sprinkling it with sugar. This way, your crust will look glazed once it comes out of the oven.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Keep tabs on the amount of cooking oil you use. To lower the amount of fat in your cooking, be sure to carefully measure the amount of oil that you use when you cook, instead of simply pouring from the bottle into a pan.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Add a squirt of ketchup to the batter when making fried foods. Most people usually only use ketchup to dip their cooked foods in, but it is actually a great choice to dip uncooked foods into before they are dipped into the dry coating. Ketchup will add a spice and dynamic to foods that you never thought about before.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> To make your sauce thicker, stir cornstarch into the simmering sauce. In a medium sized bowl, mix together 1 tblsp water and 2 tblsp corn starch.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Some ingredients can leave a rather strong odor on your cutting board. This can save you from eating garlic strawberries.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> When you are cooking, a good habit to get into is to wash the dishes as soon as you are done with them. When you are cooking, keep one side of the sink full of water with soap and a clean rinse in the other side.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

You can salvage the work you\u2019ve done and quickly rectify the situation with this little trick. Mix one tablespoon of starch from corn and two tablespoons of water together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to your simmering sauce to thicken it up. Avoid over-thickening by adding the starch mixture slowly and stirring the sauce often.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Prepare all of your ingredient before you begin cooking. This can help you avoid too much heat or gas when you cook, and can also make it safer to cook with a hot pan, oil, or other dangers that could harm you if you\u2019re distracted.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When preparing to barbecue, make sure you light the charcoal in your grill ahead of time. The charcoal will need to burn about 30 minutes before your coals are hot enough to start grilling. Your coals should be kept at a medium heat range and covered with a layer of ash. This is the optimal temperature for grilling.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Do you often feel a bit guilty throwing out fruit that is rotten? Can you cut out the rotten areas or moldy areas and still eat the fruit? A half rotten fruit cannot be saved. Throw this fruit away because of the deep mold growth which you cannot see, and it would make you sick if you ate it.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When you want to add a bit of protein to your diet, tofu and beans are a great source of it. The vast majority of grocery stores stock both of these products. Tofu is great meat alternative when baked, broiled, or pan-fried with seasonings. You can boil the beans with some herbs to have a flavorful protein packed meal, side or snack.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> If you cook using herbs and spices, keep them stored under dark, cool conditions to preserve their freshness and flavor. You should never store herbs and spices above a stove or in any other warm location because that will cause them to lose their flavor, and of course you will be out the money.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

If you are preparing a meal that is to be served after several hours of sitting, choose your layers sensibly. Items like tomatoes, which are juicy, should be on the bottom, while other ingredients that may be more delicate and prone to wilting should go on top.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Being creative is a great way to get better at cooking. Following every recipe to the letter will give results, but it won\u2019t make you a great cook.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s vital that you ensure that the utensils you cook with are clean prior to cooking. If old, leftover food is stuck on your cooking utensils, it could ruin the meal you are making. Another concern is the potential cost to your health, as you could possibly be exposed to bacteria.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Consider adding cooling racks that stack t your baking supplies. Especially if you are whipping up big batches of your favorites cookies or other goodies, the results of your baking can take up a considerable amount of space in your kitchen \u2013 space you could better utilize.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Always taste a cooked sample of you dish before cooking the rest of the meat. Certain foods like meatballs, hamburgers and meatloaf could require very careful seasoning. Do not cook all of the meat immediately after seasoning. Try making a little patty and cooking it first. Change your seasoning, or cook the rest of the meat if you are satisfied with your sample.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Use nylon, rubber or silicone utensils if you have nonstick cookware. Utensils made from wood or metal can scratch the coating on your pans, which reduces the non-stick properties and may cause the coating to peel or flake while you cook.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It is always important to follow a macaroni and cheese recipe very carefully, to ensure you get the best possible results. The macaroni will turn out great and when you melt the cheese on top, it is even better. Use a solid spoon to serve your macaroni and cheese. Add you favorite condiments and spices for a delicious meal.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> A meat thermometer should be used to ensure that meat is being cooked properly. All types of meat should be cooked to a specific, minimum internal temperature before it can be safely consumed.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Give pre-cut, raw potatoes a cold water bath for a half-hour prior to frying for crispier French fries. Soaking potatoes accomplishes two important things for your French fries; it takes out sugar and starch during the soaking process.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Always follow the recipe, even going so far as to select the potatoes specified. There are three basic categories of cooking potatoes: all-purpose, mealy and waxy.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Use airtight containers whenever you store unused baking mixes, flour or sugar in your pantry or kitchen. Keeping food fresh and bug-free is simple with these containers. These are carried in many stores and make a wise investment.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> To make pasta sauce even more delicious, save some of the water you boiled the pasta in. Remove approximately a quarter of a cup and set it aside.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Keep your spices and herbs fresh by not exposing them to humidity and light. If your spices are exposed to light, moisture and humidity, they may lose their unique flavors. This just exposes them to the elements and degrades their flavors.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Always seek out garlic that is fresh and firm. By having fresh garlic, it will taste sweeter.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Slice meats into thin strips on the bias when prepping for stir-fry. This can be quite tricky and time-consuming. Before the meat is frozen (but when it is firm), pull the meat from the freezer, and slice the meat at a forty-five degree angle.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> Proper care for a wood cutting board. Cutting boards made of wood can often warp due to climate.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Even the simple things can make the family go wow, like spreading mayo evening completely across a piece of bread. You can\u2019t be in a rush and just squirt it on the bread! If you spread condiments evenly, your sandwiches will have more flavor.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> If you are frying something, try using ketchup in the batter. The ketchup can replace milk or egg in your preparation.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Cooking for your family can sometimes drive you crazy. Hopefully, the suggestions you have learned in this article will simplify your time in the kitchen. With these tips, you can make fixing a good meal a snap.<\/p>\n

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TIP!<\/b><\/font> When you make chicken stock make as much as you can. If you prepare a large pot of stock, it can be frozen and stored for future use.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"Ron
\nBlogging to the Bank<\/a>
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0PS \u2013 Learn how I dropped 50 pounds in 6 months with the Body
\nBy VI 90 Day Challenge.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you starting to go nuts from cooking everyday for your family? Do not let cooking tire you out! By reading this article, you will discover great tips to help eliminate the stress of preparing meals. The advice given here will make you realize that you have waited too long to learn how to make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2012,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3,5,6,7,8,9,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-100-commissions-empower-network","category-article-marketing","category-blogging","category-cooking","category-health-fitness","category-just-for-fun","category-our-why","category-parenting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2012"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/kimberlyolsen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}