If You Need Help With Cooking, Read This

Cooking can be intimidating. Many people have convinced themselves that they simply cant do it, and then, waste hundreds of dollars a month on eating out or buying premade food. Dont let this happen to you! Cooking can be simple and effective, and this article is here to show you how.

To prevent the crust of your filled pies from getting soggy, coat the dough with egg white first and then bake it for about five minutes to allow it to set. You should then fill and bake as you normally would. This will stop your crust from absorbing too much of the filling during baking and becoming soft and wet.

While most seasonings are added at some point during the cooking process, there are certain spices that are considered good after cooking options. These spices are garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Set these on the table, and let your guests decide on their personal preference to add a little kick to their plate.

If you are wanting to make a good sandwich, make sure you put the mayonnaise on from corner to corner. You dont want to rush this step. Doing it this way will ensure that every bit is full of flavor. This will make the whole sandwich that much more tasty.

When deep frying foods, hold the food below the oil with the tongs for a few seconds. Holding the food under the oil for around five seconds will create a useful seal around the food. This seal will work to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook your rice in vegetable or chicken stock instead of using water. Choosing a stock will add both extra taste and valuable nutrients. The cooking process and time are the same as with water, so you wont be adding any extra work by trying this method.

Lengthy cooking processes such as boiling remove many of the important nutrients found in vegetables. To retain their nutritional value, saute or steam them. Better yet, eat them raw.

If you plan to let your chicken sit in the oven for a while after it is baked, then subtract a few minutes from its baking time. Since chicken continues to bake even after it is taken away from a heat source, it can dry out quickly in an oven that is still hot.

When you are going to the store, do not always have a large shopping list which can restrain you to just getting certain items. See what you like and what you are in the mood for and purchase based on that. This will give you the spontaneity to cook whatever you choose.

Nutrition

If you want to add flavor to your dishes, use a liquid other than milk or water. When you cook vegetables you can use chicken broth or add beef instead of water. Try to use buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream in place of milk. A good method for increasing your nutritional intake is by increasing the amount of liquids you drink throughout the day.

To preserve more of the nutritional value of your vegetables dont cook them for too long. As you cook a vegetable, its nutrient content diminishes. Good techniques for quickly cooking vegetables are steaming and stir-frying. Slow cooking has its place, but dont neglect the quicker techniques with their greater nutrition.

As you can see, cooking isnt hard when you know what to do. By following these instructions, youll be a home chef in no time. Stop wasting so much money, eating unhealthy fast food and prepackaged food, and start making your own easy meals at home! You can do it!