Easy Cooking Tips to Make Your Meals Hassle Free

Try some of these easy cooking tips to take away the Kitchen Nightmare! Imagine cooking without some of the hassles that occasionally crop up. Imagine never again creating a mess by spilling or burning the food. This isn't just a desire of novice cooks, believe me; we all want to be able to prepare a meal without having to enlist the assistance of a high pressure blaster to get the burnt milk off the stove once we have finished cooking. Hmm, maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get the picture. :) Enjoying seamless cooking does not have to consist of cleverly devised camera angles and production crew quickly running on the set to make the mess just - go away! I have no smoke screens and mirrors in my kitchen; but I do have a good smoke alarm! Seriously though, trouble free cooking can be a bit of a myth. There are, however certain things you can do that will take a good deal of the trouble out of your cooking and make it pretty close to seamless. Here are a few easy cooking tips that may assist you:

Easy Cooking Tip 1: Clean as you go - This will take the hassle of a massive clean up after cooking. Once we sit down for a nice meal, it can be very difficult to have to get up and clean up. Keep a sink full of hot sudsy water on stand by and wash and rinse any bowls, utensils etc. Try to immediately wipe down any spills or used work areas with the hot soapy water. This not only avoids sticky messes that can prove to be difficult to remove if left stand but also cuts down on nasty cross contamination of foods. Cleaning while you go also means that your preparation areas remain relatively clear. This will assist in eradicating spillage by knocking things over while trying to clear space for another dish.

Easy Cooking Tip 2: Cooking Temperature - High is high and low is low; this is how it goes right? Nope. When cooking, try using a recipe and cook according to the heat recommendation. Not a lot of food should be cooked on high; there is almost always some variation. If you are not cooking by a recipe, try starting at a medium or medium high heat and adjust as needed. When frying, make sure that the oil has heated up sufficiently (normally a good temp for frying is about 190C). It may be worthwhile investing in a frying thermometer so you can test the temp. If the oil is not heated enough, the food will absorb the oil and you end up with oily soggy food. Too high? Definitely not good. TIP: When frying food and a frying thermometer is not available, test the oil by adding a minute pinch of breadcrumbs. If the oil sizzles around it, it is ready.

Easy Cooking Tip 3: Oven - The temperature of your oven makes a difference to the cooking process. Optimal results are always achieved when you preheat your oven. Most ovens these days will have an indicator light which will let you know when the desired temperature has been achieved.

Easy Cooking Tip 4: Simplicity is the Key for a Beginner - Just learning? Perhaps it's not the right time to start on Double Baked Cheese Soufflé's or that Bombe Alaska dish just yet. Keep things relatively simple to start. Gradually learn new cooking techniques and get used to manoeuvring around the kitchen. When learning, a comfort zone is a nice place to stay for a little while. Become efficient in simple techniques and move onto something a little more difficult after that. Your guests don't expect you to straight away prepare that 5 Star Michelin meal you saw on Hell's Kitchen, but they will love you and rave over that simple Lasagne you created that came out "just right".

Easy Cooking Tip 5: Recipes - I love a good recipe! My fiancé, God bless him; attempted to make a chocolate cake without a recipe a few months back. The thought was wonderful, and I will love him forever for it. Don't drop it on your foot though; you will be in traction for a month! We have recipes we live by. We occasionally make a few changes here and there, but not until we have mastered the original. Try reading the recipe through a couple of times first to understand the process and steps involved.

Easy Cooking Tip 6: Ingredients - When creating a meal, make sure you have all your ingredients at the ready.

Easy Cooking Tip 7: Hygiene - You have your sink full of sudsy water. Make sure you frequently wash your hands and wipe down preparation areas, cutting boards and wash utensils such as knives especially if you are preparing raw meat, chicken or fish. Making sure your area is cleaned frequently will assist in avoiding cross contamination.

Although simple, following these easy cooking tips will assist in making your cooking experience a pleasant one. No smoke screens and mirrors needed. Goodbye Kitchen Nightmare, welcome Easy Cooking!