When the festive season comes knocking, often there’s more to do than not. You want to whip up that ‘wow-factor’ dessert, but you also really just want to kick off your shoes and recover from the year. What to do…
Here are some cooking hacks that will save you time and stress this festive season!
Cooking mistakes
Did you accidentally add too much salt to your sauce or soup? Put some pieces of raw potato into the pot and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes. The potato will act like a sponge and soak up excess salt! Did you put too much spice into your food and don’t want to offend your guests? A dash of honey can help to counteract the heat.
Extra-fluffy whipped cream
Did you know that refrigerating your bowl can help your whipped cream become extra fluffy? It’s true! If you have a stainless steel bowl, put it in the fridge for a little while before whipping your cream. Then whip your cream as you normally would and watch it turn out so much lighter and airier than usual.
Mis en place
This is a French term that refers to having all of your ingredients measured out before you start cooking. This is a great hack as it makes the cooking process smooth and fuss-free. On top of this, measuring out ingredients before starting to cook means that you will be able to see if you are missing anything, something that you don’t want to find out in the middle of making something.
Clean as you go
A great tip that we often fail to follow is to clean as we cook. This is honestly one of the best tips to save you time and stress after your guests have left, as you won’t be left with a kitchen that looks like a disaster zone. Not to mention, working in a tidy space helps us to work more efficiently and keeps our stress levels down.
Buy ready-to-use veggies
A huge time waster is ingredient prep, which can be avoided by buying already chopped vegetables. They might be slightly more expensive, but they will save you boatloads of time and hassle in the long run.
Cook ahead
Usually, a large number of dishes for festive gatherings can be made well in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer. Most recipes will tell you how long the food will keep for once made, so use this to make a schedule of cooking in advance. This means that you won’t be pulling your hair out on the day trying to cook everything at once, and will actually be able to enjoy the time with your friends and family.
Written by: Courtney Westly
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