15 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Started Cooking

When we start cooking we have a lot of doubts and there are things that are difficult for us because we don’t know or practice correct techniques or don’t know the ingredients.

Cooking tips for beginners

Today I am going to give you some very simple and basic tips that can make your life easier if you are just starting out.

1. You don’t need every kitchen accessory you see, just a few.

A board, a proper knife, a grater and a mixer are enough to make all kinds of basic dishes. You don’t need cutters in a thousand shapes, weird juicers, blowtorches or siphons.

2. Do not put the spices on top of the extractor or on top of the fires

Better keep them in a closet next to, where steam from cooking or heat from the stove does not enter. This way they will last longer and with a better aroma.

3. Do double

Rice, quinoa, legumes in general, millet… It takes the same time to make one cup than to make twoso make double and keep in the fridge what is left over, so you will have ready-made ingredients for the next meals.

4. Taste your meals while you make them

when in doubt use a spoon to taste a little broth, sauce or ingredient (already cooked). It is better to start with a bland dish and correct it than to overdo it with salt.

The same with the rest of the flavors that we incorporate: spices, sauces, etc.

5. Minced garlic burns quickly.

When you are going to make a stir-fry or a base for any dish, do not put the minced garlic first because it will end up burning. Put the onion, leek, carrots, peppers, etc. first, and the garlic later, before adding liquids.

6. Caramelized onion should not contain sugar

It can be frustrating to wait and wait until it’s done, but it’s the best way to make caramelized onions. For a start, don’t do just one onion, do 3 or 4. It takes almost the same, and with what it reduces it ends up in nothing.

For make caramelized onion: Peel the onion and cut it into thin strips. Put it in a large skillet with a dash of oil and a pinch of salt over medium heat. When it starts to brown, stir it well and put it on low heat. Stir every 5-6 minutes until fully caramelized (takes 20-40 minutes).

You don’t have to be looking at it all the time, just keep an eye on it and stir it from time to time. What you can add is a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking soda (approx ⅛ teaspoon for 3-4 onions), as raising the pH makes them caramelize faster.

7. For vegetables to brown, stop moving them

If you want al dente vegetables, golden on the outside but still crunchy and retaining their color, make them on higher heat, skipping them from time to time, but leaving them in contact with the pan. If not, it is impossible for them to brown.

8. Use frozen without the puddle of water

If we put frozen vegetables or mushrooms directly into the pan, it is easy for them to release the internal water that had frozen after a while. If you want to avoid it, let them thaw with time in the fridge and drain before using.

9. Marinate while you’re away

Leave tofu, textured soybeans, seitan, tempeh or vegetables marinating before you leave for work. When you return you will only have to do it on the grill.

10. Soak while you sleep or while you’re away

It has always been said of legumes that “soak overnight”. It’s the habit, but now we didn’t get up to put the pressure cooker on at 8 in the morning, we rather get up and go to work or to fulfill other obligations.

When you say “all night” they are about 8 hours. Legumes in general can be left for longer, especially if you work part-time. Before you go leave them to soak, when you come back you just have to put them in the pressure cooker and let them cook.

11. Use the right utensils and accessories

Put baking paper on the baking sheets when roasting vegetables, seitan, etc.; cook with that same paper “en papillote”; also use it to line bread molds and that does not stick. Use small pans to make cakes and breads (20 cm in diameter or less). Use the large trays to roast loads of vegetables. Remove hot pans from the oven with oven mitts that insulate against heat (not poorly folded rags). Flip the vegetables with kitchen tongs, not a fork.

12. Let it cool before cutting it

When you make cakes and cakes let them cool completely before cutting them. The internal structure is much more delicate when it is hot and it can seem pasty to us. Once cold you can cut it and serve it, it will have a much better texture.

13. Any stew, stew, soup or broth tastes better with a stir-fry

And make it homemade, not store bought, with ingredients that you were going to put in anyway or that go well with your preparation. It is not necessary to add tomatoes to all the stir-fries, you can do it with onion, shallots and leeks, with onion, carrots and peppers, etc. Do not forget the spices and a pinch of salt.

14. Mise en place

When in doubt, before cooking a recipe take out all the necessary ingredients and prepare them (peel, cut, wash, etc.), so you will see if you have everything, if it is enough, and enough time to read the instructions and add the ingredients without haste.

15. Clean as you go

Cooking is cool, but cleaning is not so much.. To make it more bearable, clean as you go.

Every time you cut a type of vegetable on the board, wipe it with a clean, damp cloth, and clean the counter if bits have fallen on it. When you finish with the board and the knife, wash them in a moment.

The same with the bowls and utensils that you have used. So then all you have to do is wash the dishes in which you served it and the container in which you cooked it.

Allow pans and saucepans to cool before putting them in the sink to wash.