It’s well known that the reward for cooking (eating the meal) only lasts about a tenth the amount of time that it takes to prepare meals.  It’s nice to whip up an extravagant, fancy meal now and then, but for most of us, the best plan is to keep it simple.  A posh dinner is usually far more effort than it is worth.

All you need to do is gain experience with cooking basics,  then you will be able to create tasty meals in next to no time, and they will be a lot healthier than takeout food or even the ready meals you buy from a shop. All the you really need is some meat, a nice sauce, some carbohydrates and some vegetables and that makes a fantastic meal.

Below are 3 tips to help make cooking easier for you:

Don’t waste your time on sauce – A good sauce is an important part of making a great meal, it will add moisture, taste and even texture to what would otherwise be just a regular meal. Unfortunately then they are also the part of cooking that takes the longest and is the easiest to get wrong. So instead of slaving over the stove attempting to get the sauce perfect, just go with a good premade sauce in a jar and you know it is going to taste right, then spend your time on the rest of the meal instead. If you want you can fry up some ground beef or chicken and just add the sauce to the meat in the frying pan if you want a homemade taste.

Don’t waste your time and money on fancy meat – If you are trying to make a really special meal then you might try to buy some exotic, expensive cut of meat for it.  The issue with spending good money on fancy meat is that all too often you can’t tell the difference in the taste anyway, and they are usually far harder to cook.  Try an organic chicken breast or a nice joint of beef, and it will taste delicious!

Invest in your equipment – Having the right equipment always makes things easier and this is expecially true with cooking. You might not think it would make much of a difference, but most cheap saucepans have a stainless steel bottom which is awful for getting an even heat on. So you will find that whatever you are trying to cook will bur in some places and be undercooked in other due to hot spots while you cook.

You aren’t going to have to pay through the nose though, for about $100 or so you can get a fantastic set of cast iron cookware from Lodge which can serve you well for years to come. If you prefer a more traditional stainless steel cookware set then you are going to have to pay more, but then you can get a 12 piece set from Amazon for only $200 or so, making it probably cheaper than the cast iron one.

follow these tips and you should be on your way to making delicious meals even quicker and easier in no time.

Most butchers accept the fact that cheaper pork is the next best alternative to prime meats, because the alternate methods of how each meat is cooked.

Pork can still be a very inexpensive meat, it primarily depends on the cut; a ‘shoulder cut’ for example is great for a spit-roast as it comes out with a  smokey flavor.

It can be sold minced, which is great for casseroles and kebabs, and when put into edible casing and turns it into people’s all time favorite – sausage!

The ‘rib cut’,  is considered an affordable choice to say the least. It can be roasted, grilled, and barbequed – a perfect summer’s day.  The ‘hock’, the lower half of a pig’s leg, involves a longer cooking duration and is most ideal for soups, stews and braised dishes as it brings forth more exciting flavors to the formula.

So enjoy some pork that won’t cost you and arm and a leg, and here are some tips to keep you’re pork dining as healthy as possible:

• Try grilling your pork as opposed to frying.

• Always look for the leanest cut, with little fat.

• Try roasting the meat on a metal rack to help fat run off.

• Omit the oil and excess fat (or additional fat if you’re thinking of leaving it in).

• Use smaller quantities of meat in dishes and more vegetables.

Not only is pork reasonably priced, it does have other beneficial features. It provides a healthy basis of minerals, protein and minerals, such as selenium, iron and zinc.

As we know, vitamins can be obliterated during cooking. Broiling and roasting provide better vitamin preservation than braising, and stewing destroys the majority of vitamins. Does this amaze you? This is very correct – the preparation period will determine how much bateria is killed, and at the same time it can kill useful vitamins in meat.

Pork has a reputation for being fatty and large quantities consumed can be very unhealthy, but this isn’t entirely true – preparation of the meat has a large impact on the health of you meals.

Image: Kittikun Atsawintarangkul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the first questions I’m asked regarding the safety of non-stick Teflon cookware is: “should I only use stainless steel or copper cookware?”

On the official Teflon website the issues of safety are addressed with the following, “In rare instances, a person may accidentally ingest a flake of non-stick coating from an aged pan. The coating flake is non-toxic and would pass through the body without being absorbed. Based on the inert characteristics of the coating, data indicate that there are no health effects from the incidental ingestion of pieces of non-stick coating.” Whew! Okay so we’re all safe, that’s good. However, the whole idea of inert flakes passing through our digestive systems is just not an appetizing thought.

Quality non-stick cookware is considered safe when used appropriately and is perfect for specific cooking techniques. Be selective; choose to use your non-stick cookware for foods that easily stick such as recipes with eggs and not simply boiling water. When using a non-stick pan cook on low or medium heat, do not overheat your non-stick pans. Here’s a rule of thumb for non-stick cookware, when you see smoke it’s way too hot. There are several reasons for the deterioration of a non-stick pan’s coating to occur among them are; aging, excessive high heat, using utensils that scratch or the storage of a pan one on top of the other. Also everything wears out so when you begin to see scratches, toss the pan and joyfully buy a replacement.

Stainless steel or copper are great for its longevity and can handle higher heat, which is perfect for browning or searing. Actually the newer designs, particularly the triple ply copper conduct heat evenly and efficiently at lower temperatures. Copper is a terrific choice for cookware because it is two times more conductive than aluminium and ten times more conductive than stainless steel.

When using either stainless steel or copper the trick is patience. One example is searing fish with the skin side down first. Our first reaction is that it’s going to stick and ruin the finished dish. Make certain that the pan is coated with oil sufficiently and then, using moderate heat allow the fish to actually sear. Don’t panic and start to try and put your spatula under it for fear of sticking. Give it some time and the cooking process takes care of the rest. Once properly seared the fish will come up from the pan intact so that it can be turned over for the remaining brief time in the pan. Just because you can stand the heat in the kitchen doesn’t mean that your pan can. Happy cooking!

source: ezinearticles.com

Image: chokphoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Take a whole chicken and remove the packets within that generally have a neck, liver and some giblets. Then remove the guts and the excess fat from the opening. Wash it out and then dry the chicken fully with paper towels.

The secret to a crisp skin is to separate it from the meat. Take your hands, reach underneath the skin, and carefully get the skin to come away from the meat. You can also just pull on the skin from the outside to get it to divide.

You can leave the skin as is or you can stuff things like fresh herbs and garlic or butter under the skin. Thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage are good choices. A lemon inside the cavity will give it a nice aroma.

Some people like to put a rub on their chicken. Easy rubs would include onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, etc. Lightly brush some oil on your chicken first and then sprinkle the rub all over the chicken.

Place the chicken on a roasting rack in the oven or on an outdoor grill set up for indirect cooking. Indirect cooking on a charcoal grill would put the charcoal on opposite ends of the grill with the chicken in the centre away from the coals and a drip pan underneath. On a gas grill, turn the burners on both ends but not the one that will be underneath the chicken in the centre.

I mostly like a crispy skin so I cook my chickens on a high heat from 450 deg and higher.

I cook the chicken for a half hour with the breast side up for 30 minutes and then turn it over on the other side to finish. By finishing the chicken with the breast side down, it lets the juices drain down to the breast.

After 45 minutes, place a thermometer in the breast of the chicken and check to see if it is done.

Take the chicken out when the breast reads 150 degrees in the thermometer. I then let it rest for 10 minutes more or less. When this happens, the temperature will go up to 160 in the breast and it will be completed perfectly.

If you over cook your chicken it will become too dry which is all too frequent with many cooks. Remember you can always repair an undercooked item but if you cannot if it is overdone.

Use these simple tips for cooking an entire chicken and you will love the tender and moist meat and crispy skin.

The traditional Cuban has thinly sliced roast pork and baked ham, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced dill pickles and mustard between two sliced of Cuban bread… the outer sides of the bread slathered in butter and grilled to perfection… the tastes mingle so well… now you can make it with other types of bread (it was fabulous on a bagel)… but it is best on Cuban bread.

The sandwich does not have to be grilled… but I highly recommend it… the buttery outside and the melted Swiss cheese really make it outstanding.

Of course I just had to get a Panini maker …. It’s been on my list of things I want ever since I started making Paninis … they are infinitely easier to make with a Panini maker than trying to just grill and flip the sandwiches….and what better sandwich to break in the new Panini maker but the beloved Cuban.

A word about Cuban bread… I had never had it before coming to south Georgia… and now I’m hopelessly addicted to this bread. I will have to get a recipe for it and make it in the not too distant future… our local supermarket, Publix, has it in their bakery and I swear Warren and I could sit and eat it for supper alone… crusty thin layer on the outside, soft on the inside… it’s just so good! BUT… buyers beware… it does go stale quickly… so buy it and enjoy it!

TIP

Slice the bread on an angle to get more surface area.

Serve these fantastic sandwiches with some steak fries and you have yourself a great little supper!

I hope you try this wonderful sandwich!

Recipe: The Cuban Sandwich

All you need:

Thinly sliced roast pork
Thinly sliced baked ham
Sliced Swiss cheese
Golden mustard
Thinly sliced dill pickles
Butter
Slices of Cuban bread

All you need to do:

Butter one side of the bread slices.

Turn them over and put mustard on the other side.

Lay a slice of Swiss cheese on one slice of bread.

Then lay pickle slices, then roast pork and ham on it.

Lay another slice of Swiss cheese on top.

Put the other slice on top (mustard side down).

Grill until the cheese is melted and the bread is a golden brown.

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A Pirogue is a flat-bottomed boat made from a hollowed tree trunk.  In this case, we will be using a loaf of bread as the tree trunk.  This is a great dish when you are hosting or making food to bring to a large party.

Ingredients:
4 Loaves of Italian Bread

3 lbs lean ground beef

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons minced onion

3 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

½ cup lowfat milk

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 bottle (12oz.) chili sauce

1 cup water

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Butter or margarine

Directions:

1. Cut a ½-inch-thick slice from the top of each loaf of bread.  Cut out the inside leaving a ½-inch-thick boat-shaped shell.  Crumble enough of the insides to measure 2½ cups. Cover the loaves to keep them from drying out.
2. Combine the ground beef, the 2½ cups of bread crumbs, eggs, onion, salt, paprika, and milk in a large bowl’ mix lightly until well-blended.  Shape into tiny balls, using 1 tbsp (there should be about 110 meatballs).
3. Brown meatballs in manageable batches in vegetable oil in a large frying pan; remove them with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
4. Stir flour into drippings in a frying pan; cook stirring constantly, just until simmering.  Stir in chili sauce and water; continue cooking and stirring, scraping cooked-on juices from bottom and side of pan, until sauce thickens and boils 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar and mustard.
5. Place the meatballs in sauce; cover. Simmer 30 minutes.
6. Spread hollows of bread loaves with butter or margarine; heat in slow oven (325 degrees) for 10 minutes.
7. Scoop about 2 cups of meatballs and sauce into each. Cut into quarters to eat with a knife and fork.

If you buy coffee that is single origin, it means that the coffee has come from one geographical region. This may be one farm or specific beans from one country such as Brazil which is the world`s biggest coffee producer. Blends are those that may include a number of different types of beans to produce a specific flavour.

When green coffee beans are roasted, the colour that they are roasted to affects their flavour. When selecting beans the rule of thumb is to remember that the lighter the colour (or the roast) the `weaker` the coffee will tend to be. Roasts vary from light to espresso with medium roast tending to offer all of the flavour potential of the coffee. Dark roasts are also popular.

There are actually more than six thousand types of coffee bean around the world, but only around twenty five of these are considered major varieties. From these twenty five, Arabica, Robusta and Kona are the main three of commercial interest.

Arabica will usually be aromatic, smooth and is considered to be the best quality coffee. It has many flavours available and a popular type of Arabica coffee is Columbian, which tends to be rich and heavy bodied with a strong aroma. Another popular variety of Arabica is Kenyan. This is also strong and has a bold and balanced flavour. If you like Kenyan because of its complex flavours then do try Ethiopian or Sumatran. Jamaican Blue Mountain is very similar, but as the most expensive coffee in the world you may wish to try a Blue Mountain blend.

The Caneohira or Robusta accounts for around 40% of the world`s coffee production and the bean itself takes less time to grow and has around twice the caffeine content of Arabica. Because the flavour of Robusta varies little it is easy to blend with other coffees and it is usually the Robusta that gives the `kick` in coffee as well as helping produce the `crema` on espressos.

Kona tends to be more expensive that Arabica and Robusta but is still desirable because of its strong aroma.

Do spend time trying different coffees as this will help you to find what type of beans and roast you prefer and whichever coffee ticks the flavour boxes for you, then bean to cup coffee machines will ensure that this flavour always moves from the bean to the cup.