7 Cooking Hacks & Simple Solutions
Feb 17, 2021 02:28 AM
Cooking hacks and simple solutions are amazing because they make our lives easier, save time, and minimize effort. Today I’d like to share with you some cooking and baking tips, including an easy way to save fresh herbs for later use, to easily cut meat into thin slices for stir-fries, to extend nuts’ shelf life, to make chicken roasting racks, and more. I hope, these simple ideas and tips will make your time in the kitchen a little bit more pleasant!
Save fresh herbs for later use
Accidentally bought too much basil or mint? Use an ice cube tray or muffin tin to freeze fresh chopped herbs in water, olive oil, or stock for later use as a seasoning agent.
Chill wine and cocktails without diluting
No matter how you slice it, it’s just not classy to put ice cubes in your wine. Instead, cool down a fresh glass or a fancy cocktail by plopping a few frozen grapes in your glass.
Steer clear of ice cream freezer burn
Place a piece of wax paper over ice cream before putting it back in the freezer. The barrier will help prevent freezer burn!
Easily cut meat into thin slices for stir-fries
Does your stir-fry ever really look the same as when you ordered take out?
While the veggie part is easy, it’s tough to produce thinly sliced chicken or beef without an infomercial-level knife — unless you partially freeze the meat before cutting it. About 30 minutes should do the trick.
While the veggie part is easy, it’s tough to produce thinly sliced chicken or beef without an infomercial-level knife — unless you partially freeze the meat before cutting it. About 30 minutes should do the trick.
Extend nuts’ shelf life
Add nuts to the list of freezer-friendly foods. If you’re not likely to get through a giant bag fast, freeze shelled nuts to preserve their natural oils (which may go rancid at room temperature over time).
Cool down coffee without diluting it
Fill an ice cube tray with cooled leftover coffee and let the cubes set in the freezer. They’ll keep an iced cup of joe from becoming watered down. You can even customize the cubes by adding milk and sweetener.
Makeshift roasting racks
Next time you’re preparing to roast a bird and find yourself without a V-rack, build your own using one of these tricks.
A. Aluminum Foil + Stovetop Grates
1. Wrap two light-gauge stovetop grates with foil and use a paring knife or skewer to poke large holes in the foil so that juices can drip down into the pan as the bird roasts.
2. Place the grates in the roasting pan, resting them against the sides of the pan so that the bottoms of the grates meet to create a V-shape. Roast the chicken (or turkey) as directed.
B. Aluminum Foil Cylinders
1. Roll three pieces of foil into tight cylinders and place them 2 inches apart across the middle of the roasting pan.
2. Position the chicken so that it sits evenly atop the cylinders. After cooking, cool the foil rolls and discard.
C. Cookie Cutters
Place several open-style metal cookie cutters in the bottom of the roasting pan. Put the item to be roasted on the cutters, suspending it above the bottom of the pan.
A. Aluminum Foil + Stovetop Grates
1. Wrap two light-gauge stovetop grates with foil and use a paring knife or skewer to poke large holes in the foil so that juices can drip down into the pan as the bird roasts.
2. Place the grates in the roasting pan, resting them against the sides of the pan so that the bottoms of the grates meet to create a V-shape. Roast the chicken (or turkey) as directed.
B. Aluminum Foil Cylinders
1. Roll three pieces of foil into tight cylinders and place them 2 inches apart across the middle of the roasting pan.
2. Position the chicken so that it sits evenly atop the cylinders. After cooking, cool the foil rolls and discard.
C. Cookie Cutters
Place several open-style metal cookie cutters in the bottom of the roasting pan. Put the item to be roasted on the cutters, suspending it above the bottom of the pan.
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