Handy thread of quick cooking questions & tips

The Lovely Muffin · 19-06-2012 12:20am

Could anyone recommend a quick, simple, spicy tomato sauce that can be frozen please?

I have half a bottle of passata which needs to be used by tomorrow and I don't' want to throw it out, so was hoping to make a tomato sauce which can be frozen into portions.

BBDBB · 19-06-2012 12:30am

The Lovely Muffin wrote: »

Could anyone recommend a quick, simple, spicy tomato sauce that can be frozen please?

I have half a bottle of passata which needs to be used by tomorrow and I don't' want to throw it out, so was hoping to make a tomato sauce which can be frozen into portions.

gently heat a chopped onion & some chunks of chorizo sausage with a sprinkle of dry herbs, you can add some paprika (i prefer the smoked) to add a kick, add your tomato passata and then salt pepper and sugar to taste, leave it cook down and serve with pasta

The Lovely Muffin · 19-06-2012 12:40am

BBDBB wrote: »

gently heat a chopped onion & some chunks of chorizo sausage with a sprinkle of dry herbs, you can add some paprika (i prefer the smoked) to add a kick, add your tomato passata and then salt pepper and sugar to taste, leave it cook down and serve with pasta

Thanks, would the tomato sauce on it's own be nice?

I don't have any chorizo and I was hoping to freeze the sauce as I won't get to use it all tomorrow.

LaChatteGitane · 19-06-2012 7:35am

Why not just freeze the leftover passata ? Take it out when you next need it for something.

BBDBB · 19-06-2012 8:55am

The Lovely Muffin wrote: »

Thanks, would the tomato sauce on it's own be nice?

I don't have any chorizo and I was hoping to freeze the sauce as I won't get to use it all tomorrow.

its very tasty so I suppose it would

as an alternative you could just chop up a stick of pepperami and fry that (though for not as long) which I have done on occasion

The Lovely Muffin · 19-06-2012 3:48pm

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

Why not just freeze the leftover passata ? Take it out when you next need it for something.

Because it has been opened since Saturday so I thought it would need to be cooked before being frozen, am I wrong? It'd be great if it could be frozen without being cooked actually.

BBDBB wrote: »

its very tasty so I suppose it would

as an alternative you could just chop up a stick of pepperami and fry that (though for not as long) which I have done on occasion

Might give this a try so, without the meat and just use it whenever I need it.

Thanks guys

LaChatteGitane · 19-06-2012 4:26pm

The Lovely Muffin wrote: »

Because it has been opened since Saturday so I thought it would need to be cooked before being frozen, am I wrong? It'd be great if it could be frozen without being cooked actually.

Might give this a try so, without the meat and just use it whenever I need it.

Thanks guys

I wouldn't put my hand in the fire for it.;) Maybe safest bet is to cook something with it first.

Faith · 10-10-2012 5:22pm

I'm currently making a recipe that called for cumin seeds, toasted and ground. I didn't grind them enough

. Should I just serve the meal with the fairly intact cumin seeds, or attempt to sieve them out?

GastroBoy · 10-10-2012 5:24pm

Faith wrote: »

I'm currently making a recipe that called for cumin seeds, toasted and ground. I didn't grind them enough . Should I just serve the meal with the fairly intact cumin seeds, or attempt to sieve them out?

You should be able to get away with putting them in semi ground. Whats the dish?

Faith · 10-10-2012 5:29pm

It's a lamb tagine. I wasn't paying attention. It tastes fine, but the seeds would get stuck in your teeth a bit...

The Sweeper · 11-10-2012 9:12pm

Cumin seeds are pretty small and are often served whole in flavoured rice. Should be fine and they shouldn't be too harsh on the palette. As opposed to trying to sieve them out, you could always take the lamb chunks out of the sauce and put the sauce through a blender, but honestly I don't think it'll make that much of a difference.

Faith · 11-10-2012 9:39pm

Yeah, it worked out fine in the end. When I was tasting it, I kept getting seeds stuck in my teeth, but once we were actually eating the whole dish, they weren't noticeable.

Merkin · 17-10-2012 4:12pm

To tone down a curry that's WAYYYYY too hot (---->this was genuinely the colour I went when I tasted it earlier :mad:) add some low-fat creme freche and a spoon of chutney. I know people say to add cream or to add coconut milk but the addition of those ingredients interferes with the authenticity of the curry itself. A light creme freche will tone down heat without changing the dish while the sugar cuts through any sharpness from the over-zelaous addition of some spices!!

Diddler1977 · 17-10-2012 4:21pm

Jambo221 wrote: »

Not a cooking tip, more of a serving tip, but I've found that this one gets overlooked so often. Heat your plates, I hate eating hot food from cold plates, a hot plate will keep the food hotter for longer, which makes it more enjoyable.
.

If you don't have room in your oven to heat your plates, pop them in a sink of warm water.

Cork Boy · 18-10-2012 11:42am

Diddler1977 wrote: »

If you don't have room in your oven to heat your plates, pop them in a sink of warm water.

I also heat up my plates by using them as lids/covers for any pots i'm using, especially if i'm only cooking on the stovetop and not the oven.

If you're cooking rice or pasta drain them over any other plates that need heating and give them a quick dry.

My own tip is freeze leftover wine in ice-trays - then you have cube size chunks of wine to add to sauces, gravies, etc.

Mellor · 19-10-2012 3:30am

Merkin wrote: »

To tone down a curry that's WAYYYYY too hot (---->this was genuinely the colour I went when I tasted it earlier :mad:) add some low-fat creme freche and a spoon of chutney. I know people say to add cream or to add coconut milk but the addition of those ingredients interferes with the authenticity of the curry itself. A light creme freche will tone down heat without changing the dish while the sugar cuts through any sharpness from the over-zelaous addition of some spices!!

why do you think creme fraiche is more authentic than cream or coconut milk/cream?

Isn't is just slightly soured cream anyway, and coconut milk is the base for lots of currys.

Merkin · 19-10-2012 9:15am

Because it was so much lighter than cream it didn't automatically turn it into some kind of Korma concoction! Also I only ever use coconut milk when cooking Thai dishes

Faith · 01-10-2013 4:54pm

I bought a deep fat fryer recently and it's time to change the oil. What's the best way to dispose of the old oil? I'm not mad about the idea of just pouring it down the drain.

ElleEm · 01-10-2013 5:11pm

Faith wrote: »

I bought a deep fat fryer recently and it's time to change the oil. What's the best way to dispose of the old oil? I'm not mad about the idea of just pouring it down the drain.

Never pour it down the drain! It will just clog up. I used to dispose of small amounts of oil in empty tins, but on a larger scale I would probably put old newspapers in a sturdy bin bag and pour it in there. Or even pour it into an old milk carton or bottle.

oscarBravo · 01-10-2013 5:25pm

I think most civic amenity centres (the artists formerly known as "dumps") have cooking oil disposal facilities.

Gloomtastic! · 01-10-2013 5:34pm

Faith wrote: »

I bought a deep fat fryer recently and it's time to change the oil. What's the best way to dispose of the old oil? I'm not mad about the idea of just pouring it down the drain.

Stick it in the compost bin.

LaChatteGitane · 01-10-2013 5:50pm

NO !!!! Not in the drain and not on the compost !!
I keep the empty bottles of cooking oil and use them to fill back up with used oils.
Bring to recycle center.

Gloomtastic! · 01-10-2013 6:05pm

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

NO !!!! Not in the drain and not on the compost !!
I keep the empty bottles of cooking oil and use them to fill back up with used oils.
Bring to recycle center.

http://www.aesirl.ie/household-customers/what-goes-in-my-bin/what-goes-in-my-brown-bin

Fats are perfectly acceptable in your brown bin

Faith · 01-10-2013 6:07pm

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

NO !!!! Not in the drain and not on the compost !!
I keep the empty bottles of cooking oil and use them to fill back up with used oils.
Bring to recycle center.

Hey you, I was wondering where you'd got to! Glad to see you back!

I don't have a compost bin so that point is moot

. I remember my mum putting it into empty oil cartons alright. I imagine it will be a messy task without a funnel

the beer revolu · 01-10-2013 6:12pm

Faith wrote: »

Hey you, I was wondering where you'd got to! Glad to see you back!

Me too!
And Mrs Beer has missed your posts in here's what I had for dinner thread.

So, Chat, get your ass in gear start posting dinners again!!:D

I hope your disappearance wasn't a result of any troubles.

Dizzyblonde · 01-10-2013 7:04pm

Welcome back LCG

LaChatteGitane · 01-10-2013 7:23pm

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

http://www.aesirl.ie/household-customers/what-goes-in-my-bin/what-goes-in-my-brown-bin

Fats are perfectly acceptable in your brown bin

Haha ! Brown bin ? What brown bin ?
Living in the sticks in south Kerry we have to bring our rubbish to the recycle center in Kenmare, which I love doing by the way !
But we've always been very conscious about our rubbish disposal.

LaChatteGitane · 01-10-2013 7:31pm

Faith wrote: »

Hey you, I was wondering where you'd got to! Glad to see you back!

I don't have a compost bin so that point is moot . I remember my mum putting it into empty oil cartons alright. I imagine it will be a messy task without a funnel

Better buy a funnel for next time, eh!

Thanks.

the beer revolu wrote: »

Me too!
And Mrs Beer has missed your posts in here's what I had for dinner thread.

So, Chat, get your ass in gear start posting dinners again!!:D

I hope your disappearance wasn't a result of any troubles.

Thanks. My disappearance was/is due to moving from Belgium to Ireland last April, which was quite an adventure. We still have half a container load of belongings in storage in Belgium and we are trying hard to find space for it here (not going to happen before extending house considerably) haha.

I've made plenty of dinners, but didn't photograph any of it. Plenty of family/friends visitors during the summer months and I'm pooped.;)
I hope I can find the motivation to get my ass into gear and contribute to the dinner thread soon.

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Welcome back LCG

Thanks Dizzyblonde.:)

Merkin · 01-10-2013 8:12pm

So lovely to see your little name pop up LCG, have really missed you and your amazing pictures!! xx

Loire · 03-01-2014 10:39am

Regarding warming plates - I just pop them in the microwave for 60 seconds. In the winter, you could also leave them on a radiator when cooking.

When making pancakes, get rid of lumps easily by passing the mixture through the sieve you used at the beginning to sieve the flour. It will leave all the stodgy gunk in the sieve leaving smooth pancake mixture to use.

Handy thread of quick cooking questions & tips

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