Tips and Tricks to Help You Cook Like A Pro
I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade along the way that have helped me really impress others with my cooking. I’d love to share these tricks with you now!
Egg Replacer
For cookies and brownies, use ground flax seed as an egg substitute. You need 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water for each egg. Stir well and set for 15 minutes.
For cheesecake, mix cornstarch and sour cream. You need 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1/3 tablespoon of cornstarch (plus 1 tbsp water, as needed) for each egg.
Breads
To get a nice brown glaze on top of any homemade bread/biscuits/croissants, brush melted butter on top of the dough when there are about 5 minutes left of baking.
Cookies & Brownies
Mix green and red enchilada sauce for a professional taste. No one will guess what you did!
Enchiladas
Mix green and red enchilada sauce for a professional taste. No one will guess what you did!
Pasta
Mix 1 spoonful of pesto and 1 spoonful of Alfredo sauce with your Marinara sauce for a heartier taste.
Glazed Strawberries (Or Any Berry)
For a delicious cheesecake topping, glazed berries look amazing. You need cornstarch, orange juice, water and sugar – follow the instructions from my eggless cheesecake recipe to make the perfect garnish.
Rice
For fluffier and whiter rice, add lemon juice once the rice has cooked 3/4 of the way
To make non-sticky, fluffy rice where each grain is separate, add extra water to the pot and strain it at the end
Soaked Berries
A great biscuit or ice cream topping, soaked berries can’t be beaten! Simply add a few tablespoons of sugar to freshly cut berries and let it soak for a few hours, or even overnight.
Maintaining a Pro Kitchen
Food Storage Hints
If you prepare a large batch of chutney or some other sauce that will only be used little by little, store it in small clear Tupperware containers in individual servings. This way, you can freeze most of it and only pull out one small container at a time. No hassle of breaking the large container, or finding enough space for it, or defrosting the whole thing. Works great for tamarind and green chutney!
Refrigerator Cleanliness
To avoid foul smells in the refrigerator, put a few teaspoons of coffee grounds or baking soda in an open container on one of your shelves. Read more about maintaining a clean fridge here.