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Cooking and General Kitchen Tips For Students
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This
is part VI of a series of articles offering advice to students on
subjects such as cooking on a budget, shopping for food, store-cupboard
staples, cooking tips, kitchen equipment, basic kitchen and
food hygiene plus lots of easy, nutritious and delicious recipes which won’t
break the bank. |
If you've never had charge of a kitchen before, here are some
handy tips to make your life easier. We've divided them into two categories -
Cooking tips and General Prep & Kitchen Tips. Be sure to also read the page
giving advice on kitchen and food hygiene - there are some important things you
may not know about food preparation which could prevent you getting ill.
Cooking Tips for Students
• Oven cook food in aluminium foil parcels which not only keeps food moist but
also seals in the flavour. Saves on washing up too
• Use up excess vegetables by making soups. Simply dice everything, place
in a large saucepan, add the same volume of water, stock or milk and simmer
until everything is tender then liquidise it until smooth
• When cooking dishes such as casseroles, pasta bakes, chilli, Bolognese and
other pasta sauces, make extra so you can freeze some for later use. This
is especially useful when preparing dishes which require a longer cooking time
• When making baked potato, cook an extra one which can be cut in to wedges and
shallow fried as an accompaniment the next day
• Marinate meats, poultry and fish for extra flavour
• Try using natural or Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise or crème fraîche
instead of double cream
• Remember that most vegetables cook much more quickly than meat and
poultry so make allowances and only start cooking them when the meat or poultry
is almost ready to be served
• When following a recipe, assemble the all ingredients before you start
the preparation unless there is a big gap between stages
• Always preheat the oven or grill to the right temperature before
starting to cook
Preparation and Kitchen Tips for Students
• Save on the washing up by lining roasting tins, trays and the grill pan with
aluminium foil
• Open tins upside down so the contents don’t stick to the bottom of the tin
• Rinse out tins and jars of tomatoes or sauces with a very little water, wine
or stock and add it to the rest of the contents
• Keep small jars for making salad dressings. To make salad dressings in a jar,
simply place all the ingredients in the jar, cover with the lid then shake
vigorously until the mixture emulsifies
• Keep plastic carrier bags and use them for rubbish or to line your pedal bin
• Clear up as much as you can as you go along to save a mountain of work at the
end of your meal
• Before you sit down to eat your meal, place used utensils, pans or bowls in a
sink full of hot soapy water so when you come to do the washing up they'll be
easier to get clean
• Hang up tea towels as soon as you've used them to wipe up so they don't
stay soggy for long periods of time
• Clean the cooker top and work-surfaces every time you use them. Even if
they look ok, give them a quick wipe over
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