Posted by
annebin
20 yrs ago
Starting a thread where we can share time-saving tips, ingredient substitutions and recipe enhancers for a more efficient and enjoyable time in the kitchen :-)
I prepare what I call cooking essentials once a week for easier preparation of meals--mostly stir frys, sandwiches, soups and salads..
I use a lot of garlic when cooking, so to save time and effort, I peel and use a food processor to chop several heads of garlic at a time. I store them with some olive oil in a tightly covered tupperware and keep in the ref for up to 2 weeks.
Hard boiled eggs are a staple in our sandwiches so I boil a dozen at a time and keep them in the ref for quick sandwiches and salad toppers. Boil 12minutes, eggs from ref, use tap water and start timer when I turn on gas. Drain water and rinse with tap water to stop cooking.
I found that if I chop the green onions (without washing them) and store them in a tightly covered container in the ref, they keep longer (a week or so) than if I let them sit in the bin. Rinse before using.
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Here are some of my cook and freeze meals:
home-made Burger patties, use burger separators and store in zipped freezer bags
Meat sauce which I use for:
-- spaghetti
-- add mexican seasoning for tacos and burritos
-- topped with mashed potatoes and cheese for shepherd's pie
Beef stew (add potatoes/carrots and other veggies on day you will serve this)
sliced chicken breast, portioned out per serving
When storing cooked meals/pre-portioned meat:
-- remember to cool completely
-- place inside zipped freezer bags (ordinary sandwich bags cause freezer burns so stick to food grade freezer bags)
-- label, include date
-- flatten bag for easy defrosting
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wow this post is awesome!!
I am trying to learn to cook on a budget!, I have no idea on how to cook so i am trying all ideas that are simple and cheap!
so any ideas on how to budget while eating healthy?
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Choose what you buy-- my staples include skinless chicken breast, sole fillet, minced beef/pork, salmon fillet and a wide variety of vegetables. We keep our consumption of poultry and meat to 3x/week.
I shy away from buying all my ingredients from City Super or Olivers. Our nearby P&S usually carries most of what I need, plus the wet market is quite nearby. I buy fresh seafood and poultry there.
Choose recipes that are steamed, baked, grilled, stir-fried or poached. Use dairy sparingly when cooking. Olive oil might be more expensive, but it is healthier.
I regularly browse through www.meals.com for menu ideas. For beginners in the kitchen, there's a lot of ideas there.
Enjoy!
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Raincatcher,
There are fresh vegetables you don't need to cut like lettuce (just tear them to pieces), baby carrots, baby tomatoes, baby corn, some type of mushrooms,.. and if you do need to cut, I find that using kitchen scissors do the job faster and easier.
I use kitchen shears in chopping green onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, chicken breast fillet, fish fillet, chicken wings. Just make sure you have separate scissors and chopping boards for raw meat and another set for veggies to prevent food contamination.
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Ohhh thanks annebin for the garlic time saving tip. I use garlic in just about everything I cook so this is very useful.
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Can I used condense milk for coffee/tea/pastry for cooking?
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my sister in law loves condensada in her coffee. For pastries, I guess it depends on the recipe..
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gabb
20 yrs ago
Where do you buy wax paper?
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If you have any left over rice, take one portion at a time, wrap it in saran wrap and when it is cool put it in the freezer. When you need a portion, pop it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and it comes out as if freshly cooked! Really convenient for fried rice dishes as well.
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Raincatcher--
Soup stock you can freeze, but those with cream/milk and vegetables do not freeze well. You can actually, but the texture and flavor are affected.
You can make a bigger batch of soup stock and store them in the freezer individually or per serving. I put mine in disposable tupperwares and label accordingly. When the mood strikes, I just add pureed brocolli or whatever vegetable, add cream/milk for "instant" soup.
Other goodies which I find easy to add for a quick dinner are pasta shells with shredded chicken + cream/ yellow egg noodles with some frozen dumplings, mushrooms + green onions.
:)
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A tip for What The?? who is learning to cook on a budget - stick to veggies. I am neither vegetarian nor vegan, but I really appreciate good vegetable dishes. A variety of herbs and other seasonings add flavor, if needed. I am in Shanghai, you in Hong Kong, but I know that you have lots of inexpensive, fresh vegetables. Check google for vegetable recipes - you will be inundated. And don't forget fruit - in salads, or simply for dessert.
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wibb
20 yrs ago
Don't know many kitchen shortcuts as I like to prepare food on the day we eat it and cook only enough for one meal so we don't have leftovers.
However, I do have some tips for desserts and pastry:
When you make ice-cream and end up with extra egg whites, freeze them. they can be used later to use meringue.
If you happne to run out of frozen egg whites and need to crack up a fresh egg, freeze the yolk. But you need to add something to the yolk. If you are using the yolk for dessert later, add 1 tsp corn syrup per yolk (always break up the yolk and scramble). If you'll use it for savory dishes, add 1/2 tsp salt/yolk.
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I like to buy vegetables on a sunday afternoon or whenever i have time and cut and prepare them and then freeze to make minestrone soup.
If you had to go shopping and cut so many veggies each time - i think it would be a pain.
this soup in quick and good to eat with some nice bread in the evening.
Minestrone soup:
Buy a kilo each potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, celery, spinach, peas, and other fresh beans like red beans if available etc
Chop all vegetables into 1cm cubes and mix them -
you can separate them into packets of 1/2 kilo or 3/4 kilo and freeze them.
When you want to make the soup -
In a pressure cooker - heat two table spoons of olive oil - add some crushed garlic and directly empty the mixed vegetable packets from the freezer, stir for 30 seconds, add water and salt or stock cube (dissolved in some hot water) and pressure cook for 5 minutes.
If you want to vary a little - you can add a teaspoon of pesto sauce or add some canned chopped tomato to the oil and garlic at the begining (in this case cook for a few minutes before adding vegetables) so that the soup has a tomato base.
Saves money and time!!
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When making your own broth, use a spaghetti cooker. When you're done, you can just lift the top half to drain and remove the chunks of carrots, celery, onions and chicken or beef bones out.
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gabb
20 yrs ago
But if you eat the carrots, celery and onions, you'll get more from your broth, nutrition-wise.
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etnad
20 yrs ago
There's a "GLAD Bake" baking paper you can buy at Wellcome. I don't classify it as wax paper cause it doesn't seem to do the trick. I still brush both sides with oil before using it to line my baking trays.
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I put this slightly mad tip on another thread here just now, but you might find it useful..
If you use a stick (e.g. Braun) blender you'll have noticed how messy it can be blending soups, dry chickpeas for falafel etc. I use a disposable see-through shower cap and place that over the bowl, having made a hole in the centre big enough to take the stick. It keeps the worktop and your clothes from being splattered with hot soup and bits of vegetables etc. yet you still have room to manouevre the stick and can see what you're doing.
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Creative idea deskbound!
I use a paper plate, punch a hole in the middle and stick in the hand blender through to contain the splatter. But have to lift it every so often cos I can't see what's going on..Have tried using paper towel, but too "soft"
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VANILLA SUGAR
Use vanilla sugar for anything that you want to have a hint of vanilla--sprinkle on top of baked cakes and bread, fruit, coffee, whipped cream..
2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, cut into small pcs
Using a food processor, process sugar and vanilla bean until completely blended and vanila bean has been processed finely. Sift sugar to remove and large pieces. Store in airtight containers
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