Try these helpful hints in your kitchen! Happy cooking! Marinating meats is a cinch if you use a plastic bag. The meat stays in the marinade and it's easy to turn and rearrange. Cleanup couldn't be easier -- just toss the bag! To slice meats thinly before cooking, pop them into the freezer for about 20 minutes. Partially frozen meats slice quite easily! Seeds and nuts, both shelled and unshelled, keep best and longest when stored in the freezer. Unshelled nuts crack more easily when frozen. Nuts and seeds can be used directly from the freezer. To toast them quickly, microwave them on high for 30 seconds at a time, tossing until they are toasted and fragrant. To prevent cheese from sticking to a grater, spray the grater with non-stick cooking spray before beginning. When cooking vegetables that grow above ground, a good rule of thumb is to cook them without a cover. The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing them in a large bowl of cold water; if they float, don't use them! To save money, purchase solid chocolate bunnies after Easter, or Santas after Christmas when they are half price. Store them in the freezer, and when you want to dress up a dessert, simply pull out your 'off season' chocolate and grate or shave it with a vegetable peeler. Beautiful! For a pretty dip holder, use a large green, red or yellow bell pepper. Remove the top and scrape the pepper clean of ribs and seeds. Fill with your favorite dip and serve immediately. When mixing thick batters, spray the beaters with non-stick cooking spray before using them and the batter won't 'climb up' the beaters. Meats should be allowed to 'rest' for about 15 minutes after cooking. This allows the proteins in the meat to reabsorb the juices, so they stay with the meat rather than on the cutting board. |
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