Cooking

If you’ve ever made a smoothie with peanut or almond butter then you’ve probably run into a common issue. After struggling to get the ingredient out of the jar and into a measuring cup, half of it sticks and stays there. You’ll be left with a mess and a slightly-less-than-accurate amount for your recipe. However, there’s an easy trick to avoid this issue altogether. Simply spray the measuring cup with a little oil or cooking spray before using it. Afterwards, the ingredient will slide right out. It works for many other sticky ingredients such as honey and corn syrup. You can apply this same cooking spray trick to other common kitchen hassles. If you ever need to grate cheese, apply some cooking spray to the grater before using it. Spray tupperware before using it to prevent colored stains. Source: the Kitchn

Stock recipes tend to involve simmering bones and/or meat with some aromatics for a few hours, then strained. The technique transforms food scraps into a flavorful ingredient for sauces, soups and stews. You should always watch out to not let it boil, or else the stock could come out cloudy. However, there’s another technique for a clear, clean-tasting broth known as blanching. Blanching is when you drop something in boiling water briefly, usually done with vegetables to pre-cook them. You can apply the same technique to stock, by blanching the bones and meat in water before you add the aromatics and simmer. While it may seem counterintuitive to cook the meat and bones twice, the initial boil is important because it helps the proteins clump together. This will prevent any residue that can cloud the water and give the stock a muddy flavor. It’ll minimize any scum in your final stock. The French Method. This technique involves putting bones in a pot with cold water and bringing it up to a simmer. Afterwards, pour out the water and rinse the bones. The Chinese Method. With this method, you bring the water to a boil, then blanch the bones and meat for 10 to 15 seconds. Then, fish them out and rinse them. Afterwards, the blanched bones and the aromatics are added to fresh, cold water and then simmered to make the final stock. Source: the Kitchn

Pressing out a patty and throwing it on the grill might seem simple enough, but often we end up with burgers that are too crumbly or too small for the buns. The goal is to have a juicy and tender burger that stays together and fits the bun perfectly. Here’s how to get a perfect patty every time. Temperature. Other meats are often brought up to room temperature before cooking, but with patties you want to break this habit. If a patty is warm and further warmed by hands, the fat will melt too quickly on the grill, resulting in a dry burger. Keep the beef refrigerated all the way up until it’s time to season and press the patties. Toss them on the grill immediately after or cover with plastic wrap and put back in the refrigerator until it’s time to grill. Handle with Care. Ground beef consists of two parts, lean meat and fat. The goal is to have these two parts stick together once pressed. If a patty is overworked the burger will be dry and crumbly. Handle the beef as little as possible. Fold the seasonings into the ground beef gently, and don’t spend more than 30-45 seconds mixing. You can test the mixture by scooping a tablespoon and pressing it between your palms. Turn it over and if the meat sticks, then it’s well mixed and ready to be pressed into patties. Four-Inch Rule. A patty will shrink when it’s cooked, so make the patties one inch thick and one inch larger than the bun. Most of the time, buns are around three inches, so a four-inch patty should do the trick. If you’re still unsure about how to press out the patties, trace out the desired sized circles on parchment paper before shaping. Shaping Patties. Here’s how to get a perfectly flat patty every time. Start with a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wet your hands and then place 5-ounce mounds of beef on the parchment paper. Press each mount in the center gently with the palm of your hand. Use your other hand to cup the beef and help shape it into a circle. You should end up with a patty with a depression, or dimple in the center with a ½ inch lip around the edge. Patties will bloat in the middle and shrink everywhere else during grilling. Source: Simply Recipes

Stocking up on frozen produce is one of the best ways to stick to a budget. There are myths that fresh is always better than frozen, but in fact sometimes the opposite is true! Frozen foods are picked and frozen when they’re ripe, sometimes between eight to 12 hours. This ensures all the valuable nutrients are locked in. Nutrients in fresh produce are lost during harvesting, packaging or while sitting on shelves in a store for weeks at a time. Frozen produce is usually less expensive and will save you money in the long-run. Here are a few must-buy frozen items. Dark Sweet Cherries. Fresh cherries come with a hefty premium price. Frozen cherries are rich in antioxidants, fiber and nutrients making them perfect for smoothies and healthy desserts. Edamame. Edamame is a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. They’re very affordable to buy in frozen form, and make for an easy snack. Let them thaw on the counter before preparing. Broccoli. Without a doubt much easier to prepare when frozen, broccoli is a super-healthy veggie. You’ll only want to opt for fresh broccoli when you’d like to grill it. Green Beans. Frozen green beans are consistently more flavorful and have a better texture. They’re also easier to find! Packed with fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, they’re another great source of plant-based protein. Pre-Made Smoothie Packs. We all get busy and pre-made packs are the perfect solution to making smoothies. They have all the healthiest fruits and veggies in perfect portions. You’ll pay a little more upfront but nothing beats the convenience. Mixed Vegetable Blends. This is a no-brainer for essential frozen food purchases. These are a staple in meal prep. Steam them in soups, stews, curries and even casseroles. Change up the varieties you buy and purchase them in bulk to save even more. Source: the Kitchn

Recipes can call for a multitude of ingredients, and with all the different measurements it can be a puzzle to solve just what you need. There are fluid ounces, weight ounces, imperial and metric systems, and liquid and dry measures. When a recipe relies on precise measurements, how you measure these ingredients really matters. First, make sure you’re using the correct measuring cup for an ingredient. Measuring flour with a liquid measuring cup will mess up your recipe. The same goes for measuring liquid with a dry measuring cup. A dry and liquid ingredient will have differing properties, changing how they should be measured. The types of cups you’re using also matters! Sadly, decorative ceramic cups may be designed for looks instead of accuracy. Basic metal cups usually provide the best results. Common Units of Volume Teaspoons: 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon Tablespoons: 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons Cups: 1 cup equals 8 fluid ounces Pints: There are 2 cups in 1 pint Quarts: There are 4 cups in 1 quart Gallons: There are 4 quarts in a gallon Fluid ounces: Fluid ounces are not the same as weight ounces. 1 cup of water is 8 fluid ounces but weighs 8.3 ounces Liters: This is metric measurement, equal to 33.8 ounces Milliliters: There are 1,000 ml in a liter Essentials for Measuring Liquid measuring cups, which are made of clear glass or plastic and have a spout so you can pour from them. Dry measuring cups, which are made of metal or plastic. A basic set includes 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/4 cup. Measuring spoons, which are used for amounts of dry and liquid ingredients. The largest measure in the set is a tablespoon. The smallest is usually 1/4 teaspoon, though some sets include 1/8 teaspoon. To measure 3/4 teaspoon, just measure 1/2 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon of the ingredient. Tips on Measuring Dry Ingredients How you measure ingredients such as flour, can make the difference between a dense and gluey banana bread versus a light and cakey banana bread. The best method for measuring is the fluff-and-scoop method: Lightly fluff the flour in its container. Scoop or spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Level it off with a flat edge, such as the back of a table knife. Do not pack the flour or tap the cup. If you ever find yourself looking for the most accurate method, try a kitchen scale! Weight will give you better results as it’s an absolute measurement. It’ll eliminate any guesswork. Source: Simply Recipes

A grilled cheese sandwich at its most basic, consists of three ingredients. Choosing the right cheese will give you the exact flavor, crunch and melt you desire. Make sure that the cheese will compliment the bread and vice versa. Texture is key, you’ll want to go for a cheese that is somewhat soft and moist. If your cheese is too cold, it may not melt before the bread is toasted. Always have it at room temperature, or if you’re short on time, cover the pan or griddle. Top Cheese Choices Cheddar. The most popular choice. Pick one that’s medium to sharp for a good melt-to-flavor ratio.American. Pairs perfectly with white bread. It’s mild, salty, a little sweet and has a major melting component. A deli slice will be thicker than the plastic-wrapped versions.Gruyère. This cheese has a nutty flavor and melts easily. It has a nice kick without being overpowering.Gouda. The Dutch cheese is creamy, nutty and slightly sweet. A younger version will melt better.Muenster. Popular among kids for the typically mild taste.Parmesan. While not meant for the filling, parmesan sprinkled on the outside of your sandwich will transform it into an extra crunchy snack. Source: Good Housekeeping

How you choose to fry an egg depends on how you like to enjoy them. You may be looking for lacy, bronzed edges or the whites just set. Here are five techniques to help you get the style you like best. Crispy Edges: For an egg with golden edges, you’ll need to place the egg in a pool of olive oil. The egg will cook in the oil, which you use to baste over the white until just set. Be sure to have the pan hot, but not smoking, to get the best crunch. Water-Basted: These eggs will call for adding a little hot water to the pan. If you baste the eggs with water, you’ll end up with soft, tender edges rather than crispy ones. It should feel just like an over-easy egg. Heavy Cream: One of the most decadent ways to enjoy an egg is frying it with heavy cream. As the ingredients cook, the cream will simmer and break into milk and butter solids. This will result in an intensely flavored egg with caramelized edges and a runny yolk. Butter-Basted: A classic technique, butter basting will give you an egg that isn’t too crispy or too tender. Cook it on a medium heat in a nonstick pan. The egg should be gently covered in brown butter until just set. Consider this your everyday egg. Sheet Pan: You can skip the stove altogether with a quarter sheet pan. Preheat the well-oiled tray in a 450 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Crack a dozen eggs into a large bowl and slide them gently onto the pan. After five minutes you’ll have a pan ready with diner-style eggs. Source: the Kitchn