Showing posts with label oh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oh. Show all posts
10 Cheap Shortcuts to Making Cooking Oh So Much Easier
Monday, February 17, 2014
When it comes to cooking, theres no doubt about it: time is the chief obstacle to getting started. If you’re pressed for it, whipping up a three-course meal can seem as overwhelming as running a marathon in a bunny suit.
That’s why it pays to know some tricks. Some cheap tricks. Specifically, ten cheap tricks. (Note: not including this Cheap Trick, though they are also quite enjoyable.)
Some might find the following time-savers, like, “Oh, duh. I was born knowing this information. Get a job!” Others may be all like, “Oh, duh. I never thought of this. This is the most informative literature I’ve ever read, and that includes the ‘You’re a Woman Now’ pamphlet I got from my gym teachers in sixth grade.” Either way, they’re my story, and I’m sticking to em.
Readers, what did I miss? What are your easy shortcuts? Add ‘em in the comment section.
1) Wash fruit and veggies as soon as you get home from the supermarket.
It takes ten minutes and you can pick freely from your stash for the rest of the week. Don’t forget to dry the food completely, and include a paper towel in your storage vessel, perably lining the insides. This should extend the life of your produce by a few days, at least. And hey - if you want to chop, slice, or dice to prep for future dinners at the same time, more power to you.
2) Read the recipe (at least twice) beforehand.
Who here has been gotten all psyched up to make a delicious dinner at 6pm, only to find Step #4 takes two hours? (*raises hand*) Or that you’ve forgotten the tomatoes? (*raises both hands*) Or that you have no idea how to braise? (*raises both hands and foot*) Scanning the instructions can save you infinite failed meals, plus a few bucks on last-minute emergency purchases.
3) Set out all your ingredients before you begin to cook.
Not only does it make reaching for stuff much simpler, but it ensures you have all the ingredients on hand. If you want to measure and chop as well, go crazy. Chefs and Frenchy types call this “mise en place,” and it streamlines the whole cooking process. Pretty prep bowls (a la Alton Brown) can make it look professional, too.
4) Take care of long-cooking items (rice, roasted veggies) first.
When I first began cooking, one of my biggest problems was timing every dish so they finished together. The chicken was ready 15 minutes before the broccoli, and the rice wouldn’t be good to go for another half-hour. Nowadays, I take a minute or two to think of cooking intervals: What will take the longest? What can be prepared relatively quickly? Then, I get going on the food that requires the many-est roasting/braising/steaming minutes. Dinner doesn’t always time out perfectly, but at least we’re not eating in installments anymore.
5) Learn how to chop an onion.
Onions are the basis for … every dish, ever. In history. Seriously. I can’t think of an ingredient I use more frequently. And in the olden days, dicing one would cost me ten minutes and two Kleenex. Mincing one? Fuggedaboudit. Now that I know the correct technique, it takes less than 60 seconds. I’m much happier. So are my sinuses.
6) Do dishes as you go along.
Let’s face it: if recipes listed “Dish Washing Time” along with “Cooking Time” and “Prep Time,” they would practically double in duration. (30-Minute Meals – ha!) And for those of us without dishwashers, scrubbing plates, pots, and forks can take all the fun out of cooking. However: if you clean as you go along, you’ll reduce back-end soaping tremendously. (Maybe entirely, even.) And then your night can be your own again. (For Lost, presumably. Did you SEE last night? Husband-Elect has been in the fetal position ever since.)
7) Fear not the eyeball.
We’re using the Rachael Ray-approved definition of “eyeball” here, meaning: approximating ingredient measurements based on what they look like in your hand, rather than precise recipe quantities. As you cook more frequently, you’ll get a feeling for how much chili powder or olive you need. Even better, you’ll be better able to customize to your tastes. Of course, if you’d rather go by specifics…
8) Memorize measurements.
How many teaspoons are in a 1/4 cup? (Twelve.) How many cups are in a quart? (Four.) When a recipe calls for 2/3rd cup of flour, but you’re only making half a batch, how many tablespoons do you need? (A little less than six.) Knowing simple measurements by heart will make the scaling process go much faster. If this seems like too much to commit to memory…
9) Keep a calculator in the kitchen.
It could come in useful for a bunch o’ other things, anyway: estimating grocery bills, projecting portions, showing your roommates how much they owe you in back rent, etc.
10) Have a super-basic erence cookbook at the ready.
Whether it’s Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens, owning a How To tome is invaluable. A good one will give you technique tutorials, cooking times and temperatures, measurements, substitutes, and plenty of pictures. And when you’re stuck, a quick flip-through will solve just about any problem.
BONUS
Get a garbage bowl.
Rachael Ray was right on this one, too; during your prep period, keep a large bowl at your side for scraps and garbage. It cuts down hugely on trips to the trash bin, plus a lot of leaning over. Great for people with bad backs and/or finite patience.
And that’s a wrap. Readers, the comment section awaits. Let’s compile the world’s greatest shortcut thread.
~~~
If you like this post, these might also delight you:
That’s why it pays to know some tricks. Some cheap tricks. Specifically, ten cheap tricks. (Note: not including this Cheap Trick, though they are also quite enjoyable.)
Some might find the following time-savers, like, “Oh, duh. I was born knowing this information. Get a job!” Others may be all like, “Oh, duh. I never thought of this. This is the most informative literature I’ve ever read, and that includes the ‘You’re a Woman Now’ pamphlet I got from my gym teachers in sixth grade.” Either way, they’re my story, and I’m sticking to em.Readers, what did I miss? What are your easy shortcuts? Add ‘em in the comment section.
1) Wash fruit and veggies as soon as you get home from the supermarket.
It takes ten minutes and you can pick freely from your stash for the rest of the week. Don’t forget to dry the food completely, and include a paper towel in your storage vessel, perably lining the insides. This should extend the life of your produce by a few days, at least. And hey - if you want to chop, slice, or dice to prep for future dinners at the same time, more power to you.
2) Read the recipe (at least twice) beforehand.
Who here has been gotten all psyched up to make a delicious dinner at 6pm, only to find Step #4 takes two hours? (*raises hand*) Or that you’ve forgotten the tomatoes? (*raises both hands*) Or that you have no idea how to braise? (*raises both hands and foot*) Scanning the instructions can save you infinite failed meals, plus a few bucks on last-minute emergency purchases.
3) Set out all your ingredients before you begin to cook.Not only does it make reaching for stuff much simpler, but it ensures you have all the ingredients on hand. If you want to measure and chop as well, go crazy. Chefs and Frenchy types call this “mise en place,” and it streamlines the whole cooking process. Pretty prep bowls (a la Alton Brown) can make it look professional, too.
4) Take care of long-cooking items (rice, roasted veggies) first.
When I first began cooking, one of my biggest problems was timing every dish so they finished together. The chicken was ready 15 minutes before the broccoli, and the rice wouldn’t be good to go for another half-hour. Nowadays, I take a minute or two to think of cooking intervals: What will take the longest? What can be prepared relatively quickly? Then, I get going on the food that requires the many-est roasting/braising/steaming minutes. Dinner doesn’t always time out perfectly, but at least we’re not eating in installments anymore.
5) Learn how to chop an onion.
Onions are the basis for … every dish, ever. In history. Seriously. I can’t think of an ingredient I use more frequently. And in the olden days, dicing one would cost me ten minutes and two Kleenex. Mincing one? Fuggedaboudit. Now that I know the correct technique, it takes less than 60 seconds. I’m much happier. So are my sinuses.
6) Do dishes as you go along.
Let’s face it: if recipes listed “Dish Washing Time” along with “Cooking Time” and “Prep Time,” they would practically double in duration. (30-Minute Meals – ha!) And for those of us without dishwashers, scrubbing plates, pots, and forks can take all the fun out of cooking. However: if you clean as you go along, you’ll reduce back-end soaping tremendously. (Maybe entirely, even.) And then your night can be your own again. (For Lost, presumably. Did you SEE last night? Husband-Elect has been in the fetal position ever since.)
7) Fear not the eyeball.
We’re using the Rachael Ray-approved definition of “eyeball” here, meaning: approximating ingredient measurements based on what they look like in your hand, rather than precise recipe quantities. As you cook more frequently, you’ll get a feeling for how much chili powder or olive you need. Even better, you’ll be better able to customize to your tastes. Of course, if you’d rather go by specifics…
8) Memorize measurements.How many teaspoons are in a 1/4 cup? (Twelve.) How many cups are in a quart? (Four.) When a recipe calls for 2/3rd cup of flour, but you’re only making half a batch, how many tablespoons do you need? (A little less than six.) Knowing simple measurements by heart will make the scaling process go much faster. If this seems like too much to commit to memory…
9) Keep a calculator in the kitchen.
It could come in useful for a bunch o’ other things, anyway: estimating grocery bills, projecting portions, showing your roommates how much they owe you in back rent, etc.
10) Have a super-basic erence cookbook at the ready.
Whether it’s Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens, owning a How To tome is invaluable. A good one will give you technique tutorials, cooking times and temperatures, measurements, substitutes, and plenty of pictures. And when you’re stuck, a quick flip-through will solve just about any problem.
BONUS
Get a garbage bowl.
Rachael Ray was right on this one, too; during your prep period, keep a large bowl at your side for scraps and garbage. It cuts down hugely on trips to the trash bin, plus a lot of leaning over. Great for people with bad backs and/or finite patience.
And that’s a wrap. Readers, the comment section awaits. Let’s compile the world’s greatest shortcut thread.
~~~
If you like this post, these might also delight you:
- Cheap Healthy Master Recipes: Eight Versatile Dishes Entirely Adaptable to Your Tastes
- Frugal Food Hacks: 10 Tricks to Simplifying Online Recipe Searches
- Overcoming Your Cooking Obstacles
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Vegetable Wraps with Spinach Oh and a Little About TV
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Today on Serious Eats, Marinated Mushroom Salad, another fine entry in our No-Cook pantheon of goodness.
As a break from talking about A) how hot it is, B) how much we’re perspiring, and C) how it’s currently possible to cook tuna on the streets of NYC, I’m going to talk about D) television. Yay!
(This isn’t meant to detract from today’s recipe – a stunningly easy, very tasty no-cook red pepper and white bean wrap. I’m just feeling punchy.)
I tend not to watch a lot of TV, but it’s a good time when the mood strikes. Since we don’t get cable, we rent Netflix DVDs and take in a few episodes of one show in a single evening. It’s kind of like watching a really long, really good movie over a few nights. It’s how we discovered both Friday Night Lights and Mad Men, which we now quote constantly, to the detriment of actual original language.
Anyway, for kicks, I thought I’d compile my top ten single TV episodes, ever. In history. Of America. Readers, do you agree with any of them? What are your favorites? The comment section is wide open. I think this’ll be a good one.
(Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead. Read with caution. Oh, and try the wraps. They’re good.)
1) The Sopranos – “Long Term Parking”
I am of the opinion that this is the greatest hour of television ever made, and it’s 99% due to Drea de Matteo’s performance as Adriana La Cerva, the FBI-informant girlfriend of gangster Christopher Moltisanti. (She won an Emmy for her troubles.) There’s one scene in which she appears to be escaping from certain death, only it turns out to be a dream, and I think I stopped breathing for about 20 minutes. Sopranos fans, you know what I’m talking about.
2) Six Feet Under – “Finale”
You know how super solid shows seem to mess up their series finales? (See: Seinfeld, The Sopranos, etc.) Totally not the case with SFU. They wrapped it with a pitch-perfect montage that echoed a major plot device within the show, and made me openly weep for about four days straight.
3) Roseanne – “War and Peace”
Sullen, smart, and just trying to navigate adolescence, Darlene Conner was my hero growing up. This episode, she bails her father out of jail after he decks her aunt’s abusive boyfriend. Sara Gilbert kills it. (Other Roseanne contenders: “A Stash From the Past” and the one where Jackie and Roseanne’s dad dies, if only for this scene. Man, Laurie Metcalf is the best.)
4) The Office – “Casino Night”
Yeah, there’s the whole PB&J scene at the end, which catapults this season finale into the canon. But it’s what comes before that makes this Season 2 episode truly outstanding. Every character, from Creed to Bob Vance, have wonderful scenes. Steve Carell/Michael Scott anchors the whole shebang with the funniest imagined love triangle, evah.
5) Friday Night Lights – “The Son”
Why isn’t anyone watching this show? EVERYONE should be watching this show, if only to see Zach Gilford’s portrayal of Matt Saracen, the put-upon second-string quarterback who deals with indignity after indignity with the patience of Job. Here, Matt confronts the death of his dad with heartbreaking confusion and characteristic sacrifice.
6 & 7) The Simpsons – “HOMR”/”Treehouse of Horror IV”
Man, it’s so hard to pick just one. So here are two. The first is largely about the relationship between Lisa and Homer, which always guarantees a good plot. The second is, IMHO, the best of the show’s Halloween episodes, not least because of the hilarious Dracula parody. (“Oh, Lisa! You and your stories! ‘Dad, Bart is a vampire.’ ‘Beer kills brain cells.’ Now, lets get back to that... building thingy... where our beds and T.V... is.”
8) Friends – “The One With the Embryos”
While the first three seasons produced some classic television, Friends really started firing on all cylinders in Season 4. Phoebe was still a sweetheart, Ross had not yet become a shrill drip, and even Monica had moments of hilarity. This episode, in which the girls engage the boys in an all-out trivia war, is the best of the whole series. Miss Chanandler Bong agrees.
9) The Wire – “Misgivings”
A shockingly violent act committed by Chris and Snoop (the scariest henchman and henchwoman in all of television) binds Michael forever to Marlo’s organization. Really, all of Season 4 is exemplary TV, but few include such an obvious turning point for one of the major characters. Horrifying and riveting.
10) Mad Men – “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency”
Aesthetically, it’s easy to like Mad Men. The people, clothing, and sets are all meticulously gorgeous. Emotionally, it takes a little longer to engage. I wasn’t fully in until this episode of Season 3, in which a dippy secretary runs over a bigwig’s foot with a lawnmower at the office. High stakes, personal connections, and hilarious dialogue make it the best in the series.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Community – Paintball episode
Undeclared – the one with the dolphin noises
Planet Earth – the one where the shark eats the seal in one bite
Readers, what about you?
~~~
If you would like this recipe in your stomach, you might also quite enjoy ingesting:
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Vegetable Wraps with Spinach
Serves 6.
Adapted from Supermarket Vegan.
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained thoroughly
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 8-to-10 inch flour tortillas
A few handfuls baby spinach
1) Combine beans, peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Puree.
2) Divide the mixture amongst the tortillas (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup each). Spread, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges of each one. Add a few spinach leaves to each.
3) Roll ‘em up.
4) Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Serve cold.
Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
218 calories, 5.5 g fat, 4.8 g fiber, 8.7 g protein, $0.76
Note: My (Tropical brand) tortillas come in at only 100 calories each. Your calculations may vary, depending on your wraps.
Calculations
1 (15-ounce) can white beans: 536 calories, 1.4 g fat, 22 g fiber, 33.3 g protein $0.89
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers: 35 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $1.39
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice: 6 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.50
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.12
1 medium-large clove garlic: 4 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.2 g protein, $0.05
1/2 teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
6 8-to-10 inch flour tortillas: 600 calories, 18 g fat, 6 g fiber, 18 g protein, $1.07
A few handfuls baby spinach: 6 calories, 0 g fat, 0.7 g fiber, 0.3 g protein, $0.50
TOTAL: 1306 calories, 32.9 g fat, 28.9 g fiber, 51.9 g protein, $4.54
PER SERVING: 218 calories, 5.5 g fat, 4.8 g fiber, 8.7 g protein, $0.76
As a break from talking about A) how hot it is, B) how much we’re perspiring, and C) how it’s currently possible to cook tuna on the streets of NYC, I’m going to talk about D) television. Yay!
(This isn’t meant to detract from today’s recipe – a stunningly easy, very tasty no-cook red pepper and white bean wrap. I’m just feeling punchy.)
I tend not to watch a lot of TV, but it’s a good time when the mood strikes. Since we don’t get cable, we rent Netflix DVDs and take in a few episodes of one show in a single evening. It’s kind of like watching a really long, really good movie over a few nights. It’s how we discovered both Friday Night Lights and Mad Men, which we now quote constantly, to the detriment of actual original language.
Anyway, for kicks, I thought I’d compile my top ten single TV episodes, ever. In history. Of America. Readers, do you agree with any of them? What are your favorites? The comment section is wide open. I think this’ll be a good one.
(Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead. Read with caution. Oh, and try the wraps. They’re good.)
1) The Sopranos – “Long Term Parking”
I am of the opinion that this is the greatest hour of television ever made, and it’s 99% due to Drea de Matteo’s performance as Adriana La Cerva, the FBI-informant girlfriend of gangster Christopher Moltisanti. (She won an Emmy for her troubles.) There’s one scene in which she appears to be escaping from certain death, only it turns out to be a dream, and I think I stopped breathing for about 20 minutes. Sopranos fans, you know what I’m talking about.
2) Six Feet Under – “Finale”
You know how super solid shows seem to mess up their series finales? (See: Seinfeld, The Sopranos, etc.) Totally not the case with SFU. They wrapped it with a pitch-perfect montage that echoed a major plot device within the show, and made me openly weep for about four days straight.
3) Roseanne – “War and Peace”
Sullen, smart, and just trying to navigate adolescence, Darlene Conner was my hero growing up. This episode, she bails her father out of jail after he decks her aunt’s abusive boyfriend. Sara Gilbert kills it. (Other Roseanne contenders: “A Stash From the Past” and the one where Jackie and Roseanne’s dad dies, if only for this scene. Man, Laurie Metcalf is the best.)
4) The Office – “Casino Night”
Yeah, there’s the whole PB&J scene at the end, which catapults this season finale into the canon. But it’s what comes before that makes this Season 2 episode truly outstanding. Every character, from Creed to Bob Vance, have wonderful scenes. Steve Carell/Michael Scott anchors the whole shebang with the funniest imagined love triangle, evah.
5) Friday Night Lights – “The Son”
Why isn’t anyone watching this show? EVERYONE should be watching this show, if only to see Zach Gilford’s portrayal of Matt Saracen, the put-upon second-string quarterback who deals with indignity after indignity with the patience of Job. Here, Matt confronts the death of his dad with heartbreaking confusion and characteristic sacrifice.
6 & 7) The Simpsons – “HOMR”/”Treehouse of Horror IV”
Man, it’s so hard to pick just one. So here are two. The first is largely about the relationship between Lisa and Homer, which always guarantees a good plot. The second is, IMHO, the best of the show’s Halloween episodes, not least because of the hilarious Dracula parody. (“Oh, Lisa! You and your stories! ‘Dad, Bart is a vampire.’ ‘Beer kills brain cells.’ Now, lets get back to that... building thingy... where our beds and T.V... is.”
8) Friends – “The One With the Embryos”
While the first three seasons produced some classic television, Friends really started firing on all cylinders in Season 4. Phoebe was still a sweetheart, Ross had not yet become a shrill drip, and even Monica had moments of hilarity. This episode, in which the girls engage the boys in an all-out trivia war, is the best of the whole series. Miss Chanandler Bong agrees.
9) The Wire – “Misgivings”
A shockingly violent act committed by Chris and Snoop (the scariest henchman and henchwoman in all of television) binds Michael forever to Marlo’s organization. Really, all of Season 4 is exemplary TV, but few include such an obvious turning point for one of the major characters. Horrifying and riveting.
10) Mad Men – “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency”
Aesthetically, it’s easy to like Mad Men. The people, clothing, and sets are all meticulously gorgeous. Emotionally, it takes a little longer to engage. I wasn’t fully in until this episode of Season 3, in which a dippy secretary runs over a bigwig’s foot with a lawnmower at the office. High stakes, personal connections, and hilarious dialogue make it the best in the series.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Community – Paintball episode
Undeclared – the one with the dolphin noises
Planet Earth – the one where the shark eats the seal in one bite
Readers, what about you?
~~~
If you would like this recipe in your stomach, you might also quite enjoy ingesting:
- Chickpea Salad
- Daikon (Jicama) Mango Slaw
- Tomato and Avocado Salsa
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Vegetable Wraps with Spinach
Serves 6.
Adapted from Supermarket Vegan.
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained thoroughly
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 8-to-10 inch flour tortillas
A few handfuls baby spinach
1) Combine beans, peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Puree.
2) Divide the mixture amongst the tortillas (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup each). Spread, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges of each one. Add a few spinach leaves to each.
3) Roll ‘em up.
4) Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Serve cold.
Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
218 calories, 5.5 g fat, 4.8 g fiber, 8.7 g protein, $0.76
Note: My (Tropical brand) tortillas come in at only 100 calories each. Your calculations may vary, depending on your wraps.
Calculations
1 (15-ounce) can white beans: 536 calories, 1.4 g fat, 22 g fiber, 33.3 g protein $0.89
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers: 35 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $1.39
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice: 6 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.50
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.12
1 medium-large clove garlic: 4 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.2 g protein, $0.05
1/2 teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
6 8-to-10 inch flour tortillas: 600 calories, 18 g fat, 6 g fiber, 18 g protein, $1.07
A few handfuls baby spinach: 6 calories, 0 g fat, 0.7 g fiber, 0.3 g protein, $0.50
TOTAL: 1306 calories, 32.9 g fat, 28.9 g fiber, 51.9 g protein, $4.54
PER SERVING: 218 calories, 5.5 g fat, 4.8 g fiber, 8.7 g protein, $0.76
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
