Cooking Tips

[SassyMummy]

I've been thinking about some things I've discovered with cooking, and thought I might share.

Would be fabulous if you could share YOUR cooking tips too. Could be as simple as how to mash potato perfectly, or how to crumb chicken... so please, add away! :thumbsup:

Here are a few of the tips I can think of right now:

Buying Gnocchi - If you can make your own, then that's fabulous... but if you can't... buying gnocchi from the DRIED PASTA section, rather than from the FRESH PASTA section, takes better. No idea why, but it does. Fresh Gnocchi always tastes floury and a bit chewy. If you buy the pantry gnocchi in hte same brand, it's more like restaurant-quality (though of course not as a good, but closer than the fresh stuff). Doesn't take longer to cook either... and I think it's actually cheaper.

Cooking Mince - You know mince used to crumble, and now it tends to need to be broken up with a wooden spoon? Since moving, I have discovered the problem - the type of pans they're being cooked in!

We have various pans, but I also bought a set of cheap ENAMEL saucepans. They are always GUARANTEE to make my mince crumble well... and never need breaking up. They need a bit of oil though, as they aren't non-stick.

So those are the two I can think of right now.

Please add your own!

Thanks!

[catalicious]

I dont have anything to add stacy but I will be keeping my eye on this thread...

I need all the tips i can get

[cwsmum]

Another way to help make mince break up easily is to pour a little water into the pan once it has started to cook.

Oh, and to make mashed potatos nice and fluffy wisk them after you've mashed them :D

[punkbaby]

when cooking a roast lamb or beef put about an inch of water in the base of the pan it will stop it drying out :) will share my yummy roast lamb recipe when i have time to type it up

[honeydew]

This is a great thread Sassymummy!

Ok, so I have one tip I can think of right now. I have this DELICIOUS recipe for mars bar cheesecake and I have made it twice. The first time I made it the dissolved gelatine went all lumpy through the cream cheese. So the 2nd time I made it I mixed the gelatine in with the cream cheese while it was still warm and it didn't go lumpy :smiliedance: So my tip is when making cheesecake, mix the dissolved gelatine in while still warm :chef:

[catalicious]

WOuld you be able to post the recipe to he mars bar cheescake please.....

YUM YUM!!!


And Id love your recipe too Punk baby!!

[Fuchsia!]

when cooking a roast lamb or beef put about an inch of water in the base of the pan it will stop it drying out :) will share my yummy roast lamb recipe when i have time to type it up

Yes i do that with my roast chicken. I also slice garlic and put it in the water and place garlic on top of the roasts

[honeydew]

No probs Catalicious, here it is-

Mars Bar Cheesecake

250g plain chocolate biscuits
150g butter, melted
2 tbs brown sugar
20g butter as extra
300 ml thickened cream
50g milk chocolate, chopped finely
3 tsp gelatine
¼ cup (60ml) water
2 x 250g packets of cream cheese, softened
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
3 x 60g mars bars, chopped finely


Blend or process biscuits until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add butter; process until just combined. Using one hand, press biscuit mixture evenly over base and side of 20cm springform tin, cover; refrigerate about 30mins until firm.

Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, extra butter and 2 tbs of the cream in a small saucepan; stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, to make butterscotch sauce.

Combine chocolate and another 2 tbs of the cream in another small saucepan; stir over low heat until chocolate melts.

Sprinkle gelatine over the water in small heatproof jug; stand jug in small saucepan of simmering simmering water. Stir until gelatine dissolves; cool 5 mins.

Beat cheese and caster sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat remaining cream in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir slightly warm gelatine mixture into cheese mixture with mars bars. Fold in cream.

Pour half the cheese mixture into prepared tin; drizzle half of the butterscotch and chocolate sauces over cheese mixture. Pull skewer backwards and forwards through mixture several times to create marbled effect. Repeat process with remaining cheese mixture and sauces. Cover cheesecake. Refrigerate about 3 hours until set.:chef:

[subaruforestermum]

Or if you want a bit more flavour, add stock to the bottom of the roasting pan instead of plain water, gives the vegies a yummy flavour!

I have found the DOVE choclocate is better than cooking chocolate, the plain Milk Choc Dove, melts better and tastes soo much better too!

Also if you need to use Gelatine, use gelatine leaves, as they are easier to disovle, and less problems!

I make a yummy cheese cake, but I use a packet biscuit base instead, its a triple choc bikkie base with a original cheesecake filling, so not too sweet! Beautiful!

A teaspoon of dissovled coffee in the mince mixture when making spaghetti bog, increases the flavour makes it rich! But you cant taste the coffee...

[earthfairy]

My DH says he married me because i make the best Mashed Potato in the Universe:thumbsup:

After i have boiled the spuds i use a little bit of butter, about a TableSpoon of Kraft Cream Cheese & a dribble of cream instead of milk.... mash away....

The mashed potato is so cheesy & creamy its YUM!!!:p

---------------------------------------

I have a good recepie for THE BEST Chocolate cake You'll ever taste - it's called "Chocolate Lemonade Cake With Toblerone Ganache"

And it only takes 6 minutes :O
All you need is a flexi form (you know the plastic flexible forms?) because its cooked in the microwave....


Chocolate Lemonade Cake With Toblerone Ganache!


:chef:
***You will need a silicone bake form of some sort for this recipe as its cooked in the microwave!***


- 1 packet of white wings plain ol' chocolate cake mix - no icing....

- 1 packet of cottee's pudding mix


- 1 can of lemonade


- 1/4 cup oil


- 1 egg


- 1 large bar of toblerone chocolate


- 1 small tub of dollop cream


------------------------------------------


* in a bowl add cake mix, egg, 1 cup of lemonade & the oil. Mix really, really well!!!


* Lightly spray bake form with oil or just run under hot water from tap. Pour in cake mix.


* place bake form in microwave for 6 minutes.
VOILA! One moist, fluffy chocolate cake!


* For the icing, melt the toblerone chocolate in a container in the microwave, stop & stir every minute or so until completely melted. Mix in the dollop cream. There is your ganache!


* When cake is cooled, cover in the toblerone ganache! ENJOY!!!!!!!!

[honeydew]

Oooh KirstyB that sounds so delicious! I am going to try it after I do the groceries this week :yes:

I thought of one more tip- instead of having just plain boiled or microwaved pototoes, make them into jacket potatoes which are so easy and yum. I microwave the potato until soft, cut a little lid off the top, scoop out the middle, use the scooped out stuff to make mashed potato (with butter & milk), sprinkle some grated cheese on the bottom on the jacket, fill with mashed potato, then sprinkle more cheese on top and grill until cheese is melted. YUM! And I usually add chopped ham but you could add anything really and it tastes so much better than plain potato and is so easy.

[Freya]

My mash potato is SOOOOOO yummy! It has philly cheese and cracked pepper and like someone else said I also whisk it after I mash it. Soooo tasty!

[Mahjong]

Instead of using pastry with a vanilla slice, use sao biscuits instead. My neighbour taught me this trick and it's delish, looks and tastes exactly the same!

[Noah_and_Elijah]

KirstyB - We make the same mashed potato!! Isn't it just the BEST!! :D

[earthfairy]

Ohhh - so sorry ladies - i forgot to add in the ingredients for the choc lemonade cake - a packet of Cottee's Pudding mix - its in a small blue packet..... sorry ladies - im going to add it to my previous post now :D



Oooh KirstyB that sounds so delicious! I am going to try it after I do the groceries this week

Please make sure you do! It is the best & most easiest cake! It is so soft & moist! And its great if you get that chocolate craving & you can "whizz" it up in just 6 minutes!:yes:




KirstyB - We make the same mashed potato!! Isn't it just the BEST!! :D

Definitely Hun! Nothing beats creamy, cheesy mashed potato...:chef:

[Noah_and_Elijah]

KirstyB - Maybe we can be friends after all :eek: :p

[earthfairy]

KirstyB - Maybe we can be friends after all :eek: :p


Hun - i'll be friends with anyone with a mashed potato obsession like i have!:laughing:

[Milk_Monkey]

Ooh, i can second that cake. It is so quick and easy. i remember it being made at a tupperware night once and it was so yummy!

[M O P]

when I make chicken gravy from scratch in the baking dish-I add a teaspoon of chicken stock with the flour for more flavour

I always rest roast meat & steaks before serving under al-foil

when I make a chocolate cake I make a double size in a roasting dish then ice and freeze on a tray- wrap in glad wrap once the icing is hard-cut in to quarters so you really have 4 cakes ready to go in the freezer

I always make double batches of biscuits too and freeze them in bags

instead of making a sponge for lamingtons- make cup cakes and ice them as you would lamingtons- heaps easier

store tomato paste with the jar upside down in the fridge- lasts a lot longer

for stir fries I get strips of capsicum & carrot with my potato peeler

[honeydew]

Thought of one more :p

This might be totally obvious and something everyone does but I will add it in anyways-

When you are getting towards the end of your pregnancy (while you still have some sort of energy) spend a whole day cooking casseroles and yummy freezable dishes. Freeze them into one person portions in chinese containers. That way, once the baby is born and you have no time to cook, especially in that first week where everything seems such a daze, you have ready made meals that just need to be microwaved and it saves buying take-away.

I did this when I was pregnant with Mason and it was a life saver, I didn't cook for the first 2 weeks :thumbsup: And it's also good for hubby if he isn't staying in the hospital with you because he doesn't need to buy takeaway each day (and lets face it, most of them do :rolleyes:)

[BoyCrazy]

Okay this thread has made me totally hungry!!

Definately trying that marsbar cheeskake..omg! sounds devine.

heres a few of my tips..
when cooking mince for spaghetti bog, also cook up some diced bacon (seperately cook it tho-i cook them in seperate pans, then add them together when both are cooked) the bacon just adds so much flavour to the bolognaise its incredible.

garlic,bacon & cheese potato bake- this is so easy its not funny, but its like a meal in itself! you can put whatever really, but i just buy the maggi garlic and cheese potato bake recipe base, (yello packet) follow those directions, slice potato, and put into layers like a lasange but in the layers have diced bacon, onion, & grated cheese, then mix up the milk sauce & recipe base mix, instead of using the full milk amount, substitute half with cream to thicken it up a bit. on the top layer put more grated cheese and also sprinke parmesan.

trust me..u cant go wrong! and yes! we love bacon at the moment! LOL

[honeydew]

That potato bake is making my mouth water! I should make that, Mason would probably love it.

[HugsAndKisses]

ok my tip is similar to another....

when roasting a lamb put little slits in the lamb and add a few whole garlic cloves in various spots...also sprinkle over a desent ammount of lamb herbs:yes:

another variation i do with potatoes is serve them boiled and still in there jacket and have on the table little bowls of diced cooked bacon, shallots chopped up,grated cheese and sour cream whatever u like really and everyone can help themself....just a bit different!!:thumbsup:

[Roseythorn]

My tip:

To make mushrooms last longer don't store them in a brown paper bag.

Instead, wrap the mushrooms up in kitchen paper towel and then place in a freezer bag, then pop them in the fridge. They will keep longer and fresher.