Cooking meals at home is a wonderful opportunity for you to experiment with new concoctions and flavours that will get the most out of your palate. Home-cooked meals are not only guaranteed to taste hearty and healthy, but they’re also a cost-effective alternative to eating out and ordering fast food. Unfortunately, if you aren’t too experienced in the number of meals you can cook, meals can quickly become tedious or plain. It’s time for you to add some flavour to your dishes! Here are five unique ways to add some much-needed flavour to your home-cooked meals.

 

Prepare Onions and Garlic Right When You Need Them

 

It’s no secret that onions and garlic accent your meal by adding a mild, aromatic taste to your favourite foods. When you prepare your meals, try leaving the chopping & cutting of onions and garlic until the last possible moment. When you cut into onions and garlic, some powerful odours and flavours are expelled from the vegetables. When you leave them ungarnished for too long, the flavours become accentuated and maybe overpowered in your meals.

 

Wait Until Pan is Hot to Cook Food

 

Sautéing elements of your meals make for an unforgettable cooking experience. However, there is a reason that practice makes perfect, and that’s because not every amateur cook knows exactly when to add their cooking ingredients to the pan. As soon as you add food into the cooking surface, the pan’s temperature will drop, which could thwart the entire experience. When adding vegetables into a sauté, ensure the oil is shimmering. When adding proteins (i.e. chicken, beef, pork, etc.) to your sauté, ensure you wait until the first sign of smoke arising before applying to the pan.

 

Aim for That Golden-Brown Crisp

 

Just in time for the Christmas season, many Canadian households will be baking their loaves of bread, pies and other pastries. While every loaf of bread & pie is warm and delicious, it’s important not to rush the finished product. Allow your bread or pastry to remain cooking until it reaches that golden-brown crisp that allows it’s flavour to reach its full potential. If you’re cooking a puff pastry or a flaky dough, you’ll need to lift the individual pieces and inspect the bottom to see if they’ve reached their golden-brown peak yet. Keep this in mind when preparing Khrustyky, otherwise known as Ukrainian Fried Cookies, for you and your loved one this upcoming Christmas!

 

Now that you have these tips use them next time, you’re cooking dinner for yourself and your family for optimal food texture and flavour. For more information on Ukrainian meal preparation or catering, contact Yo Baba today!