We may never be the next Iron Chef, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make meals at home that are both easy and delicious.
It just takes a bit of practice — and some smart hacks — for anyone to become a master in their own kitchen.
1. When microwaving leftovers, cover the dish with a wet napkin.
Microwaves work by causing the moisture molecules in the food to vibrate and the friction creates heat. A wet napkin can add the extra moisture needed for reheating your meal evenly.
2. Freeze fresh herbs in ice cube trays with a bit of oil.
You always have to buy more herbs in a bunch than you need for a single recipe. Prevent waste by chopping up the leftovers and freezing them in oil for use later.
3. Cut cooking time and wasted water by cooking pasta in a frying pan.
Skip the big pot and put your pasta in a frying pan with just enough cold water to cover. The small amount of starchy water leftover is perfect for a sauce.
4. If you do need to get a pot boiling, keep the lid on.
The whole time you’re heating the water from the bottom, some of that heat is escaping from the top. To prevent that and speed up the boiling, cover the pot with a lid.
5. Know when your pan is properly preheated with a few drops of water.
You can tell a frying pan is ready for some oil when drops of water dance across the surface.
6. Use a wet finger to retrieve those stubborn bits of egg shell.
For large shards, it’s easy to scoop them out with the remaining shell, but smaller shards can be tricky. Wetting your finger beforehand can help you nab that shell before it runs away.
7. Peel lots of garlic quickly by shaking it inside two bowls.
The cloves will bang against each other and the bowl, knocking the skins free. Don’t be shy. The harder and faster you shake it, the better it will work.
8. Sharpen your knives regularly for safer, easier prep work.
Yes, safer . A sharp knife will easily cut through even the toughest veggies, meaning you risk fewer fingers because you don’t have to put as much force into your slicing.
9. Invest in a good instant-read thermometer.
There are lots of “hacks” for knowing when your food is done, but nothing is faster or more accurate than simply taking the temperature .
10. Always double your recipe for rice, quinoa, and other grains.
By making extra, you’ll have the makings for another quick meal. Turn the leftovers into a tasty quinoa salad for lunch the next day, or make my favorite leftover rice dish: omelet rice .
11. Chop and freeze a whole bunch of onions ahead of time.
Besides limiting your weekly tears to one session every few months, this strategy is great for single folks who never use a whole onion at once. Freeze flat in a ziptop bag.
12. Take it up a level by caramelizing a ton of onions before freezing them.
Then you can add that tasty goodness to all sorts of meals without the extra work of cooking the onions down every time.
13. Freeze your leftover bacon fat to add a ton of flavor to other dishes.
We all know that we shouldn’t be dumping fats down the sink anyway, so keep a jar in your freezer in order to add to it whenever you fry up some bacon. Then roast everything you can think of in it.
14. Cut down on food waste while guaranteeing yourself awesome stock and broth.
Carrot ends, squash skins, and any other vegetable scrap can be frozen. Once you’ve got a ton, make a rich vegetable stock out of them.
Also great in stock: cheese rinds.
15. Don’t forget to deglaze the pan for optimal flavor!
You know the dark brown bits that stick to the pan when you sear meat? Don’t resign yourself to scrubbing it away. Instead, add a bit of water or wine to the pan and scrape those bits off to create the base for an amazing sauce.
16. Keep a pack of plain dental floss with your cooking tools.
It’s perfect for cutting soft foods that are easily squished, like slicing up icebox cookies, portioning cakes, or even cutting soft cheeses.
17. Master this simple no-knead bread recipe.
Imagine the look on your guests’ faces when you tell them you baked the bread yourself. It’s up to you whether or not you tell them how easy it was.
18. Mix pancake batter in a freezer bag for a mess-free breakfast.
Just put all the ingredients in the bag, seal, and then use your hands to mix everything together. To use, snip off a corner of the bag to turn it into a piping bag.
19. Use cookie cutters to make cute, shaped pancakes.
You don’t need to learn fancy pancake art techniques to have a bit of fun. Let the edges set, then remove the cutter before you flip them.
Only metal cutters work for this. Plastic ones will melt on your pan.
20. Know how to test the age of your eggs.
Older eggs are best for hard boiling. Over time, air gets into the egg, creating the familiar pocket, but also loosening the shell membrane, meaning it’s easier to remove.
Place the raw egg in water. The more it floats, the older it is.
21. You can roast any kind of vegetables without the need for a recipe.
Roasting veggies easily turns up the volume on their flavor. Prep them so that everything is about the same size, coat liberally in oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 400–425°F until charred and delicious.
22. Use an ice cube to easily remove excess fat from a soup or stew.
Fat hardens when cold. By dropping an ice cube onto the surface of your dish, the fat around it will congeal and you can easily scoop it out with a spoon.
23. Grate soft ingredients by freezing them.
Of course, you don’t want it rock solid, rather just solid enough that you can grip it firmly without smooshing it. Perfect for soft cheeses, butter, or even fresh ginger.
24. Most importantly: Read the recipe all the way through before starting!
It doesn’t matter how many tricks or hacks you employ if you mess up following the recipe. Read it all the way through so you won’t be surprised when your 30-minute dinner has a 2-hour rest period halfway through.Got any other tips for making your meals taste better while also saving time? Tell us about them in the COMMENTS and SHARE these tips with all your friends!
