Kitchen Tips

I am mostly a self taught foodie. Although, I’m not sure that I’m really a foodie. I wouldn’t really call myself a chef either. I’m a cook, a cook that really likes to cook and try new things. Along the way, I have picked up a few techniques and short cuts to making cooking easier. I thought I would pass along those tips.

1. Place a cabinet liner under cutting board to keep it from sliding around. Some times cutting boards slide around the counter and make it more difficult to chop or slice the ingredients you need.

2. Put herbs in a coffee mug and use scissors to cut. Herbs can be a little tricky to chop. Containing them helps them not move around to much while chopping.

3. Use scissors to cut green onions. Green onions like to flatten out when you are trying to cut them. By holding them in one hand and cutting them with scissors with the other hand makes cutting them go much faster.

4. Use a pastry blender to mash avocado for guacamole. Mashing avocado with a fork can take a while. A pastry blender is easier and faster.

5. Buy dried spices in bulk and refill spice containers. You can buy jars for the spices or just refill the spice jars you have. Refilling the jars from bulk spices is less expensive.

6. When buying spices in bulk, take a marker with you to the store to write the number on the bag so the tie doesn’t add weight to the bag. And I’m all about spending less money on groceries.

7. Store basil in a glass of water to keep it fresh after cutting. This will keep your basil fresh longer and you will be able to use it for much longer.

8. If you family doesn’t like leftovers, put leftovers in freezer and use in a couple weeks. It will be fresh to them and not what they had a couple nights ago.

9. Find out when your grocery store marks meat down and shop on that day to pick up less expensive meat. Freeze or use right away. The Hardworking Husband really likes this tip because he can get expensive cuts of meat for much less.

10. Add salt to your pasta while boiling. This is your only chance to season your pasta. Don’t add oil to your pasta. This makes the sauce not stick to the pasta.

11. After cooking meat, allow it to rest before cutting. It will give the juice to redistribute through the meat.

12. When freezing berries, lay them out on a sheet tray and freeze. Once frozen, place in a zip top bag. This will keep them from sticking to each other and you can use as many or as little as you want.

13. When marinating meat, place in a zip top bag with marinade. Then when you are finished marinating, you can just toss the bag with the marinade in it. I always struggle with what to do with the oily marinade. I don’t want to put it down the drain, but I usually don’t have a container to put it in to throw away.

13. You should always preheat your grill before cooking anything. Turn burners up to high for about 15 minutes, then turn to low to cook. This will cook your meat or veggies without charring them.

14. When grilling chicken, sear both sides and then turn down to low to finish cooking. This will seal in the juices and your chicken will be juicier.

15. Instead of cooking bacon and then crumbling it, cut the bacon with kitchen scissors before cooking.

Do you have any kitchen tips to share? I’m always open to new things to help me in the kitchen.