HOW-TO:
Top-Notch Cooking Tips
If every day is starting to feel like “cook, feed, clean, repeat”, we understand. Cooking can feel like its own full-time job if you’re not strategic in the kitchen. We compiled some of the most important need-to-know kitchen tips so you can start making your culinary endeavors easy and efficient.
See these culinary hacks in action here.
Soften Butter Fast
If your recipe calls for softened butter but you forgot to take it out of the fridge, all hope is not lost. Cut butter into cubes and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. The smaller pieces will soften faster than a whole stick.
Keep Mixing Bowls in Place
Heavy duty mixing can make bowls slip and slide across the counter. Prevent any big messes and slide a damp dish towel under your mixing bowl. It’ll stay put no matter how much you mix. (Bonus tip: it works with cutting boards too!)
Great Grater Clean-Up
Grater clean-up can be quite the chore! Before grate your ingredients, give your tool a quick spritz of non-stick cooking spray. You’ll end up with more grated cheese goodness and less sticky residue!
Get More Juice
The next time you need fresh lemon, lime or orange juice, warm them up!. Simply microwaving the fruit for 7-10 seconds and rolling it on the counter will help you get the most juice out of your squeeze with less effort.
Sweeten the Sauce with Carrots
If your tomato sauce tastes acidic, carrots can come to the rescue! Peel a carrot, simmer it with the sauce and remove before serving. The carrot will add a subtle sweetness and complexity of flavor to your sauce.
Shred Meat Quick
Shredding chicken, beef or pork can be a challenge if you’re using just forks. Make fast work of this tricky task with a hand mixer and paddle attachment. Give it a quick spin, and your meat will be shredded and ready for any recipe.
Make Herbs Last Longer
Nothing can brighten a meal like fresh herbs, but often they’re the first thing to go bad. Help your herbs last until the end of the week by trimming their stems, placing stems in a glass of water, covering leaves with a small, loose-fitting food storage bag and placing in the refrigerator.
Meatballs with Less Fat
If spaghetti and meatballs is one of your family favorites, this is a great way to keep the flavor but lose the extra fat. Simply bake the meatballs on a baking rack. The fat will drip away and leave you with flavor and a beautiful caramelization.
Repurpose Your Pizza Cutter
Get creative with those kitchen tools! Use your pizza cutter wheel to make herbs hassle free. Wheeling your cutter back and forth will get your herbs finely chopped in no time.
Rescue a Salty Soup
Don’t stress over too much salt in your soup. Toss in a few wedges of raw apple or potato and simmer. After ten minutes, you can discard the wedges and your soup will be back to normal.
Make Measuring Non-Stick
It can be difficult to accurately portion out sticky substances like peanut butter or honey. Spray your measuring cups with nonstick spray first for an easier and more accurate task.
Cut Cake Like a Pro
Your beautiful cake deserves premium plating. Dip the blade in hot water and slice. Wipe and repeat as you continue. You’ll get beautiful share-worthy slices every time. Alternatively, you can use floss—works well for cheesecake!
Slice Steak Fries
Wanting those thick fries just like the restaurant? After cutting a flat edge on one end of a potato, use an apple slicer for steak fries in no time.