Staff Writer-Kok Brooks

There are various types of methods and cooking processes to achieve great eating experiences in the end. Recipes can range from easy to especially difficult. In this guide you will see fast and simple tips you can do to improve your current skill level.

For those dishes that have longer cooking times, you will want to add your spices and herbs about an hour or so before eating. If these spices are cooked too long, then the resulting flavors may be too strong. In addition, it's best to keep it simple by not using any more than three herbs or spices in any dish.

To prepare for the meal that you are going to cook, make a comprehensive list of everything that you are going to need to cook your meal when you go to the supermarket. This will allow you to stay as organized as possible so there is no part of your meal that you leave out.

One of the best things that you can do to save money and improve the quality of your dressings is to make your own. Homemade dressings will save you a lot of money in the long run and will also taste great, as most of the ingredients are natural and healthier.

Substitute Greek yogurt for mayonnaise in creamy salad dressings. If you are on a diet or just trying to eat healthy, you can still make creamy salad dressings with healthy ingredients. Just substitute the mayonnaise in them with a low-fat Greek-style yogurt. This will make the dressing much healthier.

Cook your rice in vegetable or chicken stock instead of using water. Choosing a stock will add both extra taste and valuable nutrients. The cooking process and time are the same as with water, so you won't be adding any extra work by trying this method.

Do a little research and find out if there is a farmers' market within shopping distance. These markets - usually held on a weekly basis - are your ticket to purchasing the very freshest ingredients available. Treat food from a farmers' market with respect; usually, the less cooking you do to such ingredients, the better-tasting the results will be.





Cooked turkey freezes beautifully, as does stuffing. When making a big holiday meal, be sure and make plenty so you not only have enough for turkey sandwiches, but to enjoy another turkey dinner in a month or two, without all of the work. Use a spare 9" X 13" pan that you line and divide with aluminum foil into two or three compartments. Cut some turkey for one compartment, add some stuffing in another and if you would like, leftover mashed potatoes can be put in the third compartment. Drizzle some gravy over everything you desire, cover with aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to enjoy turkey again, or perhaps when pressed for time and out of ideas for dinner, grab the pan from the freezer and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Remove check over herea from the top of the pan after 45 minutes, bake uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes and enjoy!

When making https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uwIO3NELToZj0YzXwaqYCugoqigp4ncFPpS5hOrZKqM/edit#gid=0 is a good idea to use extra-virgin olive oil. It has a fruity flavor that really adds to a salad. Extra-virgin olive oil can be somewhat expensive so it is important to buy it when it is on sale or with a coupon to make it more affordable.

If you are going to bake cookies, make sure that the dough is chilled thoroughly before it goes on to the baking pan. By doing it this way, the leavening ingredients can take effect before the butter flattens out, which in turn, can make your cookies lose their flavor.

No one can really say that they enjoy a dry hamburger. Instead of serving dry tasteless burgers at your next barbeque add some cold water to your beef before you grill. Try about 1/2 cup per 1 pound of meat. You will leave your guests amazed with your burgers every time.

Plan your meals in advance. One of the biggest time wasters is engaging in the "what am I going to fix for dinner?" debate. Often, we could have dinner on the table by the time we fuss with examining the options. Over the weekend - or whenever your free time occurs - think through the upcoming week and loosely plan four or five meals you know your family will enjoy. This advance planning allows you the time to stock your fridge and pantry with the items you need.

Save your leftover sauces, and freeze them into ice cube trays. When you're looking for a quick meal, the sauce cubes are easily tossed into a frying or sauce pan to reheat. By keeping the frozen sauce in smaller pieces, the sauce thaws and heats quickly, and your family thinks you spent all day making a homemade meal for them!

It sounds kind of funny, but to be a better cook, one should make sure they have a large enough kitchen. Some kitchens, simply put, are not large enough to accommodate a good cook. The more space you have, the more free you'll feel. The more free, then the less confined, cluttered, and un-inventive you will feel.

To save time when cooking for a big event like Thanksgiving, do all the prep work the night before. You can also make desserts a day or two before the dinner. This will give you more time to focus on what needs to be done and the day will be a lot less stressful.

When you are cooking a roast, go large. Buying a bigger cut of meat, when you buy a roast for a meal, has a couple of benefits. One is that you will have more leftovers from the meal. Another is that the larger the meat, the better the overall finished flavor will be.

To save money and time consider throwing a beef roast or pork roast in the slow cooker. This makes a delicious meal the first night, and the leftovers make tasty sandwiches the rest of the week. Pack this in your lunch instead of deli lunch-meat, which is packed full of preservatives.

For easy low-fat cooking make sure that you measure the oil that you use in your recipes. If you just pour it from the bottle it is easy to accidentally include too much oil in the dish. By measuring it out, you are giving yourself much more control over how much oil you can use, which will help you to keep your dishes healthier.

To remove the odors of fish, garlic, onions or other strong ingredients from your hands, rub them on stainless steel for a minute before washing them. You can use the sink itself, or even a special steel "soap" in order to remove these smells.

To keep your knife from dragging and making a mess of ice cream cake or cheesecake, run it under hot water (or dip it into a nearby bowl) and wipe it with a tea towel. The hot water heats the blade, enabling the knife to glide through the cake, which results in nice, even slices.

As you can see, learning to cook is not as hard as it may seem. By following the tips listed in this article, you can learn to become the best chef you possibly can. Your friends and family will appreciate the great meals you prepare for them by following these tips.