Did you know that there are chef cooking tips that you can use at home to make life easier? The following are just a small sampling of the more common chef cooking tips that are used around the world to make life easier in the kitchen.

Attach a small note pad to one of your kitchen cabinet doors and keep a running grocery list by writing down items as you run out of them.

These chef cooking tips will help speed up cooking time: Always chop, measure, and prepare your ingredients before beginning to cook.

Some of the best chef cooking tips have to do with minimizing work. When cooking several dishes at once, see if any of them require the same ingredients. If they do, chopping them at the same time saves time and cuts down on cleanup. In other words, if one recipe calls for 1/4 cup onion and another for 3/4 cup, chop 1 cup to begin with and then distribute accordingly.

One very simple tip is to start cooking the dish that takes longest first. It can be cooking while you prepare the other items.

Use kitchen timers as much as possible. Try to keep several in your kitchen and set one for each dish. This allows you to concentrate on what you are doing and not on how long each dish has been cooking.

Secret chef cooking tips often involve the most simple tasks. To keep a mixing bowl from sliding around while you are stirring or whisking, simply place it on a damp kitchen towel.

Using disposable vinyl gloves will keep your hands from becoming stained by certain foods and will also keep them from being irritated by hot peppers or onions.

By using nonstick cooking spray you can keep foods from staining your plastic utensils or storage containers. Simply give them a quick spray before adding the food or using the utensil.

Many chef cooking tips involve using a small, clean spray bottle for spraying oil on various types of foods.

Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vinegar to balance out the taste of a dish that you have made too sweet. Many tricks have to do with balancing flavors. Learn these tricks and you can save just about any dish that goes awry.

To prevent a pot from boiling over, place a toothpick between the pot and the lid. This technique also works with covered casserole dishes.

Some chef cooking tips deal with boiling over issues. Did you know that you can keep pasta, custards, and milk from boiling over by coating the inside of the pot lid with vegetable oil?

Finally, when using a double boiler, place a few marbles or a clean jar lid in the bottom pan. If the water gets low, these objects will become to rattle, warning you of the problem.

Using chef cooking tips can help you save time and money in the kitchen and most of them are super easy.

Dutch ovens are used to make long, slow cooked dishes such as roasts, stews, and casseroles. There are two basic types one for use over a campfire, and one that can be used over a traditional stove or oven.

The camping version of a Dutch oven has three legs, a wire handle, and a slightly convex lid so that coals can rest on top and bottom for uniform heating like an oven. These kinds of ovens are made out of cast iron or aluminum. Stove top ovens are flat on bottom and have two handles. These ovens are made of bare or enameled cast iron, aluminum or ceramic.

Dutch ovens are best used for long, slow cooking like for roasts, stews and casseroles. However, over a campfire Dutch ovens can properly bake biscuits, breads, cakes, pies and pizzas. These containers can be stacked for five or six high.

Dutch ovens can be challenging to regulate the temperature especially over a campfire. A general rule to use is that individuals want the oven to be at about three hundred fifty degrees. One way to estimate that temperature is to take the size of the oven in inches then double that to get the number of briquettes to use. Briquettes should be placed in a circle no less than a half inch from the bottom of the oven. For on top of the oven briquettes should be placed in a checkerboard fashion. For soups and stews place one third of the briquettes on top and two thirds on bottom. For breads, biscuits, and cakes place two thirds on top and one third on bottom. For meats and casseroles split evenly briquettes on top and bottom. Be careful with heating individuals can always add more, but once food is burned it is burned.

There are several tools that individuals need for using Dutch ovens. The first is wooden spoons. Metal utensils can scratch the protective coating and plastic ones will melt from the heat. Having camp or welders gloves will be beneficial to have. Charcoal starters make starting a fire easier because they do not require lighter fluid just newspapers and a match. Long handled tongs make moving the briquettes easier and safer. Lifters or hooks make lifting and handling the lid easier. A lid stand is handy to place lids on while individuals are stirring food. A whisk broom keeps ashes away from the food. Cooking table allows an individual’s Dutch oven to be off the ground. A dust cover protects the Dutch oven when it is not in use.

In this day and age, anything that saves time and unwanted calories is a lifesaver for the individual on the go or who is trying to watch their weight. When it comes to the microwave, many people disregard its potential for creating delicious meals that doesn’t require extra fat for cooking. The moist heat of the microwave eliminates the need for grease and fat once used to keep food from sticking to cooking pans. Additionally, fat drainage is furthered when placing foods in between two paper towels. Below you will find a few tips that allow you to take advantage of your microwave when looking for new ways to save time and energy:

1) Consider the high setting of power (100%) when preparing soups, drinks, fruits, vegetables, fish, ground meat, and poultry.
2) Use the medium-high power setting (70%) when looking to simmer a stew.
3) When using the microwave to cook, select foods that cook well with moist heat, such as chicken, vegetables, fish, ground meat, sauces, and soups.
4) Keep in mind that pieces of meat that are the same size and shape will cook more evenly than various small and large cuts.
5) To reduce the amount of liquid used when typically preparing drinks, soups, vegetables, fruits, and main courses – the microwave only requires around 1/3 of the usual amount since less liquid evaporates in the microwave.
6) Select a microwave-safe container that is slightly larger than the dish required for cooking your meal in a conventional oven.
7) Use a medium power setting (50%) when baking items, such as breads, cakes and muffins. This power setting is also suggested when preparing cuts of meat that are less tender. To add a crusty appearance to your baked goods, grease the pans with a little bit of vegetable oil and place crumbs or grounded nuts on top.
9) To avoid low fat cheeses and other toppings from becoming tough or soggy, make sure to add them close to the end of cooking.
10) Try to avoid coating your meat with flour if you plan on adding liquid when cooking, as these coatings will only become soggy.
11) When preparing rice, use quick-cooking selections instead of long-grain.
12) No need to add fat when steaming your vegetables. Simply chop your veggies as desired and place in a microwavable container with one to two tablespoons of water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cook on high until they become soft.

Country Ham Dinner

Menu

This family-friendly dinner is easy to prepare, though it takes quite some time to cook.

Country Ham
Baked Potato
Steamed Peas
Warm Rolls
Ice Cream

Click Here for the Country Ham Recipe.

Easy Meatloaf

This easy-to-put-together meatloaf dinner is simple to make. Not only will it impress your friends, but there should be enough leftover for sandwiches the next day.

Menu

Molded Jello Fruit Salad
Easy Meatloaf
Oven Baked Potato Quarters
Green Beans
 

Easy Meat Loaf

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 peeled and grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. salt
• Chopped parsley
• Tomato wedges and thinly sliced
• carrot strips for garnish

Read the rest of this entry »

If you have a social life or a family to take care of, let alone a full or even part-time job, consider the ways that meal planning can help improve your life. Meal planning in advance can save you time cooking, time spent in the food market, and the amount of food that was left in the refrigerator after the meal is done. Here are some ways in which meal planning can help improve your life:

Read the rest of this entry »

Menu

Go ahead…put your feet up! This meal plan has a “down home” goodness but is not that difficult to make. Especially since you cook the strogonoff all day in the crockpot.

Crockpot Beef Strogonoff
Cooked Egg Noodles
Pineapple Salad
Whole Wheat Rolls
Apple-Oatmeal Dessert

 

Read the rest of this entry »

When you are short on time, crockpot cooking is the way to go. You don’t necessarily have to brown any meats, except for hamburger meat. You usually would do that because of the excess fat that is left behind when the meat is cooked. It is recommended that you rinse the meat when you are finished browning it. Before cooking chicken in the crock pot, you will want to remove the skin. That is unless you plan to use the skin for flavor. In that case, be sure to take it out of the crock pot when the stock is done cooking. Always be sure to rinse chicken in cold water as well.

Read the rest of this entry »

That’s a resounding “YES!”

The expansion of our nation’s waistline has grown to epidemic proportions. The Cleveland Clinic, ranked as America’s Best Hospital by U.S. News & World Report, asserts that nearly two thirds of adults in the country are overweight, and 30% are obese.

Obesity increases a person’s risk for a number of serious conditions including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and even some forms of cancer.

Read the rest of this entry »

Oven Fried Chicken

Are the autumn days getting a bit cool where you live? This easy chicken meal will warm up the house for you.

Meal Plan

• Easy Oven Chicken
• Whipped Potatoes
• Creamy Gravy (from Chicken)
• Tossed Green Salad
• Chocolate Pudding from package

Easy Oven Chicken

1 2-1/2 to 3-lb. broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
Flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine

Read the rest of this entry »