The Most Overlooked Cooking Habits That Everyone Should Try
Everyone loves a fresh, hot, home-cooked meal, but cooking can be daunting, especially after a long, busy day. With the right methods and tools, cooking can be quick, convenient, and even fun!
These simple cooking habits are often overlooked, but they will allow you to spend less time preparing food and more time enjoying it with the people you love.
Line up your ingredients before you start cooking
The best thing you can do to ensure a quicker, smoother cooking experience to prepare ingredients ahead of time. Chop your veggies, measure your seasonings, and line everything up in bowls before you begin cooking.
This way, you can begin the cooking process right away, and won't risk something boiling over or browning too quickly while you're digging for ingredients in the fridge.
Put a damp paper towel under your cutting board
Chopping herbs and vegetables can be difficult, especially when your cutting board is sliding around on the counter. To remedy this, put a damp paper towel underneath the board.
This is a simple way to ensure your cutting board stays in one place, making chopping safer and quicker every time.
Use broth instead of water
Substituting chicken, veggie, or beef broth for water is a reliable way to give food a powerful flavor boost. This works especially well for dishes like fried rice, soup, or pasta.
Broth can be swapped for water at a 1:1 ratio, but it may be best to consider reducing the amount of salt in your recipe since broth contains sodium.
Store ginger in the freezer
It's common for root ginger to spoil before the whole thing can be used, especially when a recipe calls for just a small amount. One easy solution is to store root ginger in the freezer.
When you need it, you can grate it directly using a grater or microplane, and then return the remainder to the freezer for future use.
Use scissors instead of knives to cut meat
Cutting tough meat can be difficult, but scissors make it way easier. It's quick, convenient, and requires less effort than using a knife and a fork.
Scissors can also be used to cut other foods, like homemade pizza or flatbread. Consider setting aside a sharp pair of scissors to use as your designated food cutters.
Use a salad spinner to make lettuce crunchier
For crunchier lettuce, invest in a salad spinner. If you're someone who enjoys fresh salads, this is the answer.
Chop the lettuce and soak it in the salad spinner for 1-10 minutes. Drain the water and spin to dry. This will remove dirt and sediment and ensure your greens stay fresh and crispy for longer.
Marinate your chicken with yogurt
It may sound strange, but yogurt actually makes the perfect marinade for chicken. It's quite common in Indian and Mediterranean cuisine.
Yogurt will make your chicken perfectly moist and tender. Whisk together yogurt, a little bit of oil and lemon juice, and your desired spices and allow chicken to sit in the mixture for 1-8 hours.
Cooking doesn't need to be complicated. By adopting a few of these simple habits, you can feel more confident in your kitchen skills and spend less time stressing over the stove.
Simple habits go a long way when it comes to preparing delicious, home-cooked meals.