Shortcut Secrets...
What are your secret (or, not so secret) shortcuts in cooking? Do you do everything from scratch except for that one little trick? What is it?
Mine is Annie Chun's Pad Thai sauce...no experimentation of my own with the million different possible ingredients has ever made home cooked pad thai taste so good.
I know you have them!
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21 Comments:
I have two tips - one for a kitchen utensil and another for a better food product.
I use frozen spinach a lot and the juice has to be squeezed out of defrosted (sometimes hot from the microwave) spinach. I've watched tv chefs use brand new kitchen towels (Rachael), or their hands. One day I decided to try my potato ricer. One whole box of spinach fits in there perfectly (and I thought it was way too small). One good squeeze and voila! I now use it more often for spinach than potatoes.
No boxed or canned chicken broth for me. Of course, fresh is best, but I buy boxes of Mrs Grass noodle soup mix (no meat, just broth and noodles). The broth (with a golden nugget), is awesome. 8 cups to a box with two packets and nuggets. Tastes so much more fresh than the store bought alternative. It's a lot lighter to bring home and takes up less space in the pantry, too. I save the noodles for soup. I'd never drink the canned stuff on it's own, but this is delicious (even has bits of parsley).
PerkyMac at 10:25AM on 01/29/08
Not exactly a short cut, because it takes the same amount of time, but I have a rice tip (works best with white rice - I've used basmati, jasmine, long-grain.) I start with some olive oil or butter in the pan, saute the rice a bit (to coat each grain and add a toasty-nutty flavor,) then add the water & salt or stock I'm using to cook the rice (about 2-1 ratio liquid to rice.) My "secret" is to turn off the flame about half way (7-10 minutes) into the cooking process and let it coast 'til done. No more burned rice.
SSMom at 11:41AM on 01/29/08
@Perky. I love those boxes of Mrs. Grass! We used to always keep them in the cupboard when I was growing up. I'd forgotten about them really. And you say they work well in place of canned chicken broth? Hmmm...
I have a bbq bean casserole recipe that I make for potlucks and picnics. It contains canned pork and beans and bottled bbq sauce. There are some fresh chopped onions and peppers and cooked ground beef thrown in, but, it's mostly a canfest. I suppose I could try making it all from scratch, but it's always been great and I've never felt like messing with it.
This is not exactly a shortcut, but I always take my cakes out of the pan and let cool for about five minutes on cooling racks before placing them directly into my freezer. I was trained to do this when I worked at a bakery in my early 20's. The trip to the freezer was supposed to lock all the steam inside in order for the cake to remain moist. My favorite thing about it is that it makes it really easy to crumb dust and then ice the layers. I suppose trimming could be a problem, but I don't generally do that.
coffeefrappe at 12:34PM on 01/29/08
Here are the ones I can come up with off the cuff.
Dry Mixes for my favorite baked goods. Mix up all the dry ingredients for scones, muffins, breads, pancakes, waffles and put them in a ziplock bag. Label the bag with the rest of the directions to complete the product. (I also give these as gifts, dolled up in cello bags.)
Chop Veggies and Freeze. I like to grab the nice yellow, orange and red bells from Sam's or Costco but I rarely use the whole package at once. I chop the rest and throw them into ziplocks, then into the freezer. Don't forget to label and date the bags.
Set up leftovers as their own "meal." Sometimes what's enough for lunch or a dinner for one is not enough for the whole family. This doesn't mean it needs to end up in the trash or in the fridge as a science project. Pack it in a microwaveable container, put it in the freezer and if you're stuck for a lunch selection, take it to work. Your lunch will be better than most of your peers'!
Oatmeal packs. I take snack sized ziplocks and make up my own oatmeal packs. Aside from Kashi and other natural brands, what comes in most oatmeal envelopes is not good for you. I do 1/4 cup oatmeal, 1/4 cup unprocessed bran, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, pinch of salt, 1 tbsp. brown sugar and maybe raisins or craisins and nuts if you like. Put the mixture in a cup and add enough boiling water (from the coffee station) to make it as thick as you like. I make these about 10 at a time and reuse the ziplocks.
Keep all manner of canned tomatoes in the house. They can be ANYTHING!
chiff0nade at 1:01PM on 01/29/08
@coffeefrappe..........I doctor pork and beans too. I don't like a strong tomato taste. I brown ground beef, saute' onions & green peppers, dump in the beans (use a good brand), add brown mustard, molasses and brown sugar and crumbled crisp bacon on top.. Can be served as is, or baked in the oven. People rave over them! It's a meal in itself.
Great tip for cakes!
I should add that Mrs. Grass chicken broth probably tastes so fantastic because it has a long list of "ingredients", although the box says it is real chicken broth. It tastes better than my own homemade, but I'm sure it's not as good for you.
PerkyMac at 1:07PM on 01/29/08
WOW Perky - that ricer tip for spinach is GENIUS!
Here's mine: I love to put artichoke hearts in salad. So I buy the marinated kind and toss the whole jar into the salad, so the marinade becomes the salad dressing.
CookiePie at 1:15PM on 01/29/08
@chiffOnade.....your ideas are brilliant. Do you just take time and do all of your mixes at once, or do you make extras on the day you make waffles, or muffins, etc. ?
PerkyMac at 1:17PM on 01/29/08
I love the mix ideas Chiffonade!
Here's my shortcut...back when I was single I would mix up a big batch of my chocolate chip cookies, drop them out on a cookie sheet & freeze individually then throw em into a ziploc. When I had a date over for dinner I'd pop a few of those babies into the oven- for that domestic goddess allure...the reaction?
"warm chocolate chip cookies??!!??..for..me?!!...wow!"
got em everytime.
bisbee at 2:20PM on 01/29/08
I do like bisbee I premake the dough for chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter or other cookies, but I don't make them into balls. I make logs out of them then wrap them in wax paper then aluminum foil. When I want cookies I just slice off some and rewrap the log.
I also will make extra french toast and freeze the extra then I can put them in the toaster when I don't have time to "make" breakfast.
mommyme at 2:56PM on 01/29/08
oh yes, like bisbee I always have pre-scooped chunks of cookie dough in the freezer, ready for baking. Great for when company comes a'calling!
CookiePie at 4:14PM on 01/29/08
Thanks CookiePie. I'm always looking for ways to save my arthritic hands. I was pretty pleased with myself when I tried my ricer to squeeze spinach and, not only did it work perfectly, it all fit - problem solved in one fell swoop.
I can't do the frozen cookie tip - I'd eat them all in another fell swoop. ;(
PerkyMac at 4:33PM on 01/29/08
I've been making up mixes in advance for years. I almost don't think about it! And I always make double or triple batches of pancakes, etc., so I can stick 'em in the freezer for the kids to eat on the way out the door.
I also rely heavily on Imagine Free Range Chicken Broth. I frequently make my own stock, but I don't always have time to make more when I need it. There are several boxes in my pantry at all times. It's the only one that tastes even remotely like homemade. I also use the beef stock by Kitchen Basics for stews, chili, etc.
Frozen vegetables. There are certain ones we eat (spinach, baby peas, green beans, corn). But there are several that I use only in recipes, where they'll usually be pureed, but which I'd never serve as a side dish, because they don't freeze well. Things like red peppers, broccoli, potatoes, cauliflower, etc. It cuts way, WAY down on prep time.
LoCo at 4:38PM on 01/29/08
Thanks! I make a huge bunch of mixes for Christmas gifts. I got 20 lbs. of flour, 15 lbs. of sugar, bags and bags of dried fruit and nuts (available in large quantities, especially around the holidays).
You can do the same thing with beans and cook them in a slow cooker. I usually take 1 lb. of black beans and put them in a cello bag. Then I take salt, chili powder, cumin, fresh ground pepper, bay leaf and other seasonings and put them into a smaller bag. When it's time to make the soup, good commercial stock (like Pacific or Kitchen Basics), a cut up carrot and onion are all it takes to be greeted by a fragrant soup at the end of the work day.
During non-holiday times, if I'm making a batch of scones, I'll mix the dries for another batch while the scones are baking. Same with waffles and pancakes. I figure, it's not much of a time investment because everything is already out; but it's sure a time saver if we get in the mood for that item in the near future. Be sure not to keep them that long because the baking chemicals will lose their potency.
PS - want to add my kudos on the spinach squeezer potato ricer idea - you need to send that to Fine Cooking as a tip!
chiff0nade at 6:56PM on 01/29/08
this might be a bit obvious but i love minced frozen herbs - i throw a bunch of whatever (parsley, basil, rosemary, cilantro) into the food processor and then store chopped herbs in small tupperwares in the freezer. that way i also use up the entire bunch (rather than the few sprigs called for in a recipe) and always have them on hand. i also do the same thing with fresh breadcrumbs.
sugartoast at 9:25PM on 01/29/08
Thanks chiffOnade.......I just submitted my tip. I'll let you know if anything comes of it.
Regarding your mixes - can they be frozen? I once had flour go rancid and I tasted it (literally) for a week. I now only keep a small amount around at a time.
PerkyMac at 10:54PM on 01/29/08
im a busy single gal working full time as a night nurse and going part-time grad school during the day. i LOVE to cook, but dont have tons of time so i use the following shortcuts when i can.
pancakes: ill make a double (sometimes triple) batch when i have the time, cook them all, eat the few that i want while i let the "leftovers" cool a bit. then i throw em in a ziploc bag and toss em into the freezer. they actually reheat REALLY well in the microwave for like 30 to 45 seconds on each side. and since i use all the organic, whole wheat stuff, its way healthier (and cheaper) than going to my local diner to satisfy my cravings.
garlic: while i ADORE the taste of garlic, i despise chopping it. also, as im only cooking for myself, i can never use it all before it gets yucky. while not IDEAL, i buy the jars of minced garlic in olive oil and its SUPER easy to add to recipes etc.
knorr concentrated chicken flavor broth: i dont use this to make straight up broth (unless its an emergency) but its nice to use because its a liquid (read, no need to dissolve! hooray!) and can be used when i need to doctor up something. the liquid also means its easier to "portion out" than boullion or soup mix.
i do the same thing as sugartoast when it comes to fresh herbs...
deannagabriel at 11:45PM on 01/29/08
Perky - Yes, by all means freeze the mixes but put them in a large plastic container to protect them from gathering freezer smells. You don't want Trout Scones. :D
chiff0nade at 5:28PM on 01/30/08
I make sofrito - a mixture of onion, garlic and peppers - whip it up in the food processor or blender and store in the fridge. I use it as a base to give instant flavor to anything I make... even cheese sauces for mac & cheese. Really home-made sofrito is traditionally stored in leftover margarine tubs... I once saw a piece where Jennifer Lopez was cooking using the sofrito her mom made stored in a Country Crock tub. I store mine in a reused mayo jar...
I make pesto and use it as a sauce - but also drop a few tablespoons in every recipe that calls for fresh basil. That way I have the basil flavor even if I don't have fresh basil.
I also buy the bruschetta mix from costco - tomatoes, basil, garlic, seasonings... and use it as a quick tomato sauce. I boil pasta and toss it with the bruschetta mix... don't even bother to heat it up. Toss it with fresh mozzarella and voila... dinner. I also use the mix to top pita pizzas or in a quick topping for a salad. Really versatile.
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 5:52PM on 01/30/08
In the winter time, I hate to grill in the cold and the dark. On a grill pan, I'll sear chicken breasts, hamburgers, steaks and then finish them up in a 400 degree oven. Less mess to clean up too.
eatmyfood at 6:58PM on 01/30/08
I like to use the mini ice cube trays for a lot of things. I freeze a lot of my garden herbs in them, especially basil, because I can mix it with some olive oil, and it doesn't turn dark. I do the same with oregano. I also use the regular rectangle trays for basil pesto (without the cheese
cucinacecilia at 12:08PM on 01/31/08
(cont.) OOPS!
and add the cheese later). I also have a good lemon spinach pesto that i do in the mini trays. It goes great on grilled chops, chix, or even fish. I also put tomato paste in the trays. You just pop them out into a freezer bag and use them as you need them to thicken sauce, because, really, who uses a whole can of tomato paste at once.
cucinacecilia at 12:20PM on 01/31/08