Cooking

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

Espresso may seem intimidating, especially perfecting a shot. Contrary to popular belief you don’t need the fanciest manual machine. There are many options out there for making espresso, either with stovetop makers or automatic capsule methods. Regardless of your method, you should learn the basics of espresso and how to operate the machine of your choice. If you’re looking for an authentic Italian espresso, you’ll need an espresso machine. A manual machine where you can tamp and brew everything yourself generally offers a greater level of control. Here’s how you can prepare espresso with one of these machines. Grind and measure your beans. Using dark roast coffee beans and a quality grinder, grind enough beans to make one or two espresso shots. An average single espresso shot will require between 6 and 8 grams of coffee grounds, although this can be adjusted up or down. For a double shot, about 15 grams. Your grounds should be powdery and fine, so go ahead and use the finest setting on your grinder. If you want to be sure you measured correctly, you can weigh your grounds on a kitchen scale — just make sure to tare out the portafilter first. Distribute and tamp down your shot. Once you have an amount of grounds in your portafilter that you’re happy with, distribute the grounds evenly with a finger, place the portafilter on the countertop or other flat surface, and then use the tamper to tamp down on the grounds. You’ll then have a compact disk of espresso in the portafilter. Pull your shot. Before you start, run the machine briefly without a portafilter in place to clear the ground head. Then, lock the portafilter into the machine, position your demitasse glass or other vessel underneath, and start your shot. The espresso should be ready after 25 to 30 seconds, but it will take practice with your specific machine and lots of taste tests to achieve shots to your liking. (Some machines require you to time it manually, while others offer different settings.) The final product shouldn’t be too light or dark in color, shouldn’t taste too acidic or too bitter, and should have a fine layer of caramel-colored crema on top. Prepare milk if using and enjoy your espresso. If you’re trying to make a latte or other drink with milk, you’ll then need to steam your milk. If not, enjoy your espresso as is! Make sure to clean and dry the portafilter, as well as purge and wipe down the milk frothing wand, when you’re done. Source: Good Housekeeping

If you’ve ever baked a chocolate or mocha-flavored cake, then you’ve probably seen a recipe call for espresso powder or instant espresso. This ingredient is a quick way to boost the flavor of the chocolate. You may also have seen espresso powder called for in dry spice rubs for meat, especially to grill. So what exactly is espresso powder? Here’s how to best utilize it, and what to do if you don’t have any on hand. Espresso is a very dark and concentrated instant coffee. It’s not just espresso beans that are grounded finely. These crystals will dissolve in liquid quickly. It’s also important to note that this isn’t technically made for a morning latte. Bakers primarily use it for flavoring cookies, cakes and more. An espresso powder is different from instant coffee in that it’s much more concentrated. Use this powder in your chocolate recipes to enhance flavor. A teaspoon won’t make them taste much like coffee. Using more than a teaspoon will start to bring out coffee flavors. If you ever find yourself without espresso powder, use instant espresso instead. Add 50% more than the amount of espresso powder a recipe usually calls for. Be mindful with instant espresso as it can taste harsh or sour if too much is used. Source: the Kitchn

Bread crumbs add texture, color and a crunch that immediately elevates any dish. You can sprinkle these on a dish to take a dinner from drab to delicious. While there are store-bought options out there, you can easily make your own. Breadcrumbs can come from any kind of bread or roll that can be going stale in the freezer. These breads are great to turn into crumbs. Sourdough French bread Rye Whole wheat or white sandwich bread Leftover hot dog and hamburger buns Use a food processor to quickly turn any bread into tiny bits. Tear the bread into smaller pieces and then pulse in the processor until the crumbs are coarse. If you have a thicker crust bread like French or sourdough you can also trim the crusts beforehand. Total time: 10 minsYield: 2 cups Ingredients: 4 slices bread, about 2 to 3 cups 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ teaspoon dried thyme 1 pinch salt 1 pinch ground black pepper Directions: To make breadcrumbs quickly in a food processor, remove the crusts from the bread (if you want to), tear the bread into pieces, and pulse in a food processor until they form coarse crumbs. Pulse longer for finer crumbs.Freeze the crumbs for later or toast them to use within a few days. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the bread crumbs (either fresh or frozen), thyme, salt, and ground black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp. Cool completely. Transfer to an airtight jar, and store on your countertop for up to a week. Source: Simply Recipes