Handy Cooking Tips
Keto based diet from the FHALL Low Carb Kitchen
Ripen Avocado in the Microwave
Speed up the ripening process with this useful avocado-ripening trick.
Cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit, then wrap each half with microwave-safe wrap. Cook the avocado on a medium-high setting for short bursts of 30-seconds. Check the fruit between each interval. Once the avocado is cool enough to handle, unwrap them and refrigerate for about six minutes. Allow 2 or 3 minutes extra for hard avocados.
Why it Works
Avocados produce ethylene gas, which assists in the ripening process. When wrapped in plastic, the gas close to the fruit gets trapped, causing it to ripen faster.
How to Rescue Herbs
Don't waste fresh herbs that look a little wilted; dry them and store them in an air tight container to preserve the flavor.
Heat your oven to between 100 and 150 C. Cut the stems off the herbs and lay them in a baking sheet. Place the herbs in the oven for 7-10 minutes until they are dry.
Cool completely before placing it in an airtight container.
Freezing your favorite smoothie ingredients together in small bags – bananas, yoghurt, berries etc, will give you extra time in the morning.
To remove scalded milk from the bottom of a pan fill it 1/3 full with water and add 1/4 cup baking soda. Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, and hey presto a quick scrub will finish the job!
Removing the skins from tomatoes is easier than you think. Simply cut a small ‘x’ in the bottom and cover with boiling water. Leave the tomatoes for 5 minutes. The peel should come away easily.
To roast garlic, preheat your oven to 180 C. Cut the top off a bulb to just nip the tops of the cloves. Encase the garlic in foil and put them on a roasting tray for 30 minutes or so until soft and tender.
Store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge to use as required.
Using cold water, soak bamboo skewers for 10-15 minutes before threading meat or vegetables. This will help prevent the skewers from burning.
How can you tell when mussels are off? When raw, any opened ones should be discarded. When cooked, the closed ones should be thrown away.
Keep tomatoes out of the fridge to preserve the flavor. Keeping them refrigerated eliminates the fantastic taste.
Toast nuts and seeds to bring out their flavour. It's so easy to do. Place the nuts in a non-stick pan over low-medium heat. Shake the nuts and or seeds occasionally until they turn golden brown. They burn easily, so keep an eye on them.
Melt chocolate in a bowl over a small saucepan of water. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of your bowl as the chocolate will split and become grainy. If this happens, remove the chocolate from the heat and allow it to cool a little. Whisk in a bit of cold water.
Don't forget to add a teaspoon of coconut oil to give your chocolate a nice sheen.
5 tips to Help Bread Rise Higher
Ginger
I found this tip about adding 1/4 Tsp ginger from an old cookbook.
Ginger is my favorite dough enhancer additive. This common spice boosts the yeast-like that first cup of tea in the morning boosts you! The yeast gets active much more quickly.
It only takes 1/4 teaspoon of ginger with the water when you first proof the yeast to help your bread rise. But don't worry. You won't be eating bread that tastes like ginger.
Wheat Gluten
Unless you are unfortunate to have a gluten allergy, this is the number one solution for a perfectly baked loaf. Gluten gives the dough that elastic feel, strengthens the dough and holds the bubbles produced by the yeast to ensure your bread rises.
You can buy vital wheat gluten, and as well as using it in bread, you can use it for pizza and pasta etc.
Dry Milk Powder
2 Tbsp of instant dry milk powder per loaf will help your bread rise, stay soft, and hold moisture for longer.
Dry milk powder creates a more decadent golden-brown crust and improves nutrition values.
Vitamin C powder
Don't use this in your artisan-type bread with a coarser crumb, but it will help make sandwich loaves soft.
The vitamin C acid helps the yeast to work better and acts as a preservative by deterring mould and bacteria growth.
Use 1/8 tsp per loaf, added in with the flour.