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HANDY HINTS
an assortment of simple, useful tips and suggestions for the home
Here's the latest:
Cooking with Eggs
This might sound like teaching grandma to suck eggs. I mean, surely everyone knows how to boil and fry eggs; but here are a couple of tips to make the job easier.
To start with, eggs stored in the fridge will last longer than left on the side in a basket. This can, however, cause problems when it comes to cooking. Should boiling be the intention the eggs need to be taken out of the fridge and left to reach room temperature before placing in a pan in cold water to be heated until boiling for however long you wish - 5 minutes is pretty standard for hard-boiled, about 3 for soft-boiled. If you try boiling them when straight from the fridge they will possibly crack.
As for frying it's slightly different. When the eggs are cold they are less likely to break as they are cracked. Do this individually in a small dish (just in case they have gone off) and tip them gently into the frying pan. A good idea is to lightly heat a little oil in the pan and add a bit of water. Keep the heat low, cover with a lid - a glass one is ideal - and check frequently until the white has set. They are then ready to serve immediately: consigned to keep warm in the oven will result in the yolks setting.
Low Cholesterol Cream
Being told to go on a low-cholesterol diet meant I could no longer have cream; and as I used this in some of my favourite dishes, I thought I'd just have to go without. Then I came up with a solution you might like to try.
In a small bowl, put 2 tablespoons cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon skim milk - there is very little saturated fat in either of them. Mash with the back of a fork until most of the lumps have gone. It remains a little grainy, but I don't have a problem with that.
So, here is a basic low-cholesterol cream which can be included in any number of recipes such as: Recipe03 Tuna & Mushroom; and Recipe38 Chicken in Mushroom Sauce. If you need a light sour cream simply mix in 1 teaspoon of vinegar. This works well in Recipe02 Tender Beef Stroganoff; and is also good for a light roux sauce which can be used for cauliflower cheese and Recipe27 Eggs au Gratin. The last two won't be as cheesy; but if you want to be naughty you can mix in some powdered parmesan. It still contains saturated fat, but not as much as cheddar cheese; and with a pinch of cayenne pepper you don't need a lot to give it a bit of taste.
See below for links to other Handy Hints pages:
Bicarbonate of Soda
Cleaning
Cooking
Cooking using a Microwave
Doc in a Pot
Fresh Fruit, Vegetables & Herbs
Keeping Vegetables Fresh
General
In the Kitchen
Mix your own Spices
Safety & Health
Spices & Dried Herbs
Stove top tips
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