After freshman year on campus, many students decide to leave the comfortable nest of dorm rooms and dining halls to find a place of their own. Taking yourself off the meal plan system may seem freeing. You no longer are constrained by the limited choices of Wright and making the trek to your kitchen is much easier than to Forest’s dining hall. However, don’t be fooled. Cooking on your own may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Here are ten tips to get you through as a new chef.
How to not overcook chicken
Chicken is actually one of the harder meats to cook because the line between raw chicken and dry chicken is as thin as paper. A typical chicken recipe will say to cook for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. This will dry out your chicken way too much. Shoot for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
A rice cooker is the best investment... or a crock pot
Both of these appliances should be on your next Christmas list. Both the rice cooker and crock pot allow you to make meals hours ahead of time. Coming home after class and not having to cook is the best feeling ever.
Thawing meats
Chances are you’re going to forget to plan ahead sometimes. You’ll come home wanting to cook your frozen solid hamburgers. Put whatever frozen item you have and put into a small plastic baggy. Put this baggy in cold water and it shouldn’t be more than an hour or so until it’s ready to cook.
Freeze dry herbs...garlic, red onion, parsley
So many recipes call for fresh herbs and the freshness does make a difference. However, keeping them on hand isn’t easy. Many groceries sell freeze-dried herbs. They’re more expensive up front, but you’ll save money not wasting rotten ingredients.
If you have non-stick pans, use plastic only
One mistake my roommates and I made sophomore year was using metal utensils on non-stick pans. Maybe this is obvious, but non-stick pans require plastic only. Metal utensils will scrape away the non-stick and add metal to your food. This ruins your pans and food.
Easy grilled cheese and tomato basil soup
One of my winter favorites is simple grilled cheese. Instead of melting butter in the skillet, put it directly on the bread and just coat the pan with a non-stick spray. It will make that nice, crispy, golden color you’ve always wanted in a grilled cheese. For the tomato soup, add a cup of milk instead of water for a creamier taste and a hint of dry basil to send it over the top.
Get small, glass storage containers to cook in
Another great investment is glass storage containers over basic plastic. You can reheat your food directly in the oven and better yet, cook your food in them to begin with. Often you’ll be cooking for one, and small glass storage units are perfect for that one chicken breast.
For great pancakes, use nutmeg and cinnamon
So you’ve probably known how to make pancakes for years, but you still can’t seem to get them as fluffy as The Village Deli? To get them there, or even better, add a couple pinches of cinnamon. To get the fluffy add an extra ½ cup of flour to your mix to make it thicker. Then use a small pan so the edges of the pancake get that nice, crisp edge.
Olive oil over everything
You should always keep olive oil on hand. It’s vital you get extra virgin olive oil to get the best flavor and maximum nutrition. Buying a cheap oil decanter is also key because it will help prevent you from overusing oil while cooking.
And remember,
Take risks, you’re new
