My #1 Cooking Rule:
If you want to make it, make it! What’s the harm in trying?
General Cooking Tips
- Cook pasta in a shallow pan or skillet, not a huge pot of water. The water will boil faster, which means you get to eat sooner!
- Prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking. If you prep as you go, you’ll get overwhelmed and risk ruining what you’re cooking.
- When frying anything, put a pinch of flour in the oil to test the heat. If it doesn’t sizzle, your oil is too cold; if it burns, your oil is too hot; if it sizzles and bubbles, your oil is just right!
- Non-stick spray is your new best friend.
Recipe Modification:
- Don’t be afraid to deviate from the recipe. Missing an ingredient? Have an allergy to an ingredient, or just don’t like it? Swap it!
- You can swap the oil in almost any baking recipe for unsweetened applesauce, a mashed banana, or pumpkin puree. It’s low calorie and low fat, but doesn’t leave your baked goods dry.
- You don’t have to measure everything (exception: measuring when baking is important). When you’re cooking, however, it’s perfectly okay to eyeball what 1/4 tsp of salt looks like. You’ll start to learn what things are supposed to look/smell/taste like.