Kitchen shortcuts

[jimmyjazz 45912]

I'm not a great cook (yet), but I do try to do things the "right way" in the kitchen, at least most of the time.  Some things are just a bit more of a pain than they need to be, especially when shortcuts exist that are just as good.  I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours. 

The first two that come to mind are quick paths to minced/sliced garlic, onions and peppers, and I swear there is virtually no difference between these and fresh produce once they're cooked.  The  garlic cubes are a flash-frozen pastes of garlic, canola oil, water and sea salt, with each cube being the equivalent to a clove of garlic.  There are other brands out there, and Dorot also has similar ginger, cilantro & basil versions that are equally as useful.  I haven't used their parsley, dill, or turmeric.

The frozen onions and peppers are . . . well, they're onions and peppers.

None of these are suitable in recipes calling for fresh produce eaten raw, but if you're gonna cook it, I see no reason to go through the hassle.

 

 

 

[dcbc 14480]

I can taste a difference between frozen vegetables and fresh, but I will use canned drained mushrooms in some recipes, but not in others.

[ztejas 43419]

HEB sells pre-chopped veggies like mirepoix or onion or bell pepper etc. 

Garlic is definitely a pain in the ass and while I prefer fresh garlic just getting minced garlic in a jar isn't a bad time-saver. Canola oil is gross, though. That would be a no-go for me. 

Jarred pasta sauce is obviously a classic shortcut, and some brands are as good or better than anyone would realistically pull off anyway. 

[jimmyjazz 45912]

I try to avoid any preservatives, "natural flavors", MSG, yeasts, etc. but those I posted are pure.  I can't taste any difference.

Some pantry tomatoes are nothing but tomatoes -- POMI, some Cento, and while I wouldn't use them in a fresh salsa I can't really tell on cooked recipes.

[jimmyjazz 45912]

Just now, ztejas said:

HEB sells pre-chopped veggies like mirepoix

They sell mirepoix?  I swear I scoured the freezer section and couldn't find any.

 

Quote

Jarred pasta sauce is obviously a classic shortcut, and some brands are as good or better than anyone would realistically pull off anyway. 

Rao's is one of the few I'll use.  Most of the others have a funk to my taste.  I make a basic marinara with Cento crushed tomatoes, frozen onions, garlic & basil and I think it beats anything in a jar, but I'm not as averse to canola oil as you.  I mean, I simmer it for hours, so maybe that blunts any obvious differences.

[Js1 85320]

6 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

They sell mirepoix?  I swear I scoured the freezer section and couldn't find any.

 

Rao's is one of the few I'll use.  Most of the others have a funk to my taste.  I make a basic marinara with Cento crushed tomatoes, frozen onions, garlic & basil and I think it beats anything in a jar, but I'm not as averse to canola oil as you.  I mean, I simmer it for hours, so maybe that blunts any obvious differences.

Fresh section. My the produce. Lots of different pre-diced stuff for recipes. Jalapeños, onions, tomatoes, mirepoix, etc 

[Celery Man 20943]

i still sometimes fight with the skins a bit but a garlic press makes fresh garlic easy enough

this is the opposite of what this thread is for, but I also got pretty quick with onions once I learned how to julienne (prime meridian, lop off the top, peel off the whole first layer fuck it life is too short, lop off the root end, radial slices, repeat for the other half). I don't think that takes me more than a minute, maybe minute and a half.

i frequently use ginger paste instead of ginger. when I don't, using a spoon to peel the ginger was a game changer

[dcbc 14480]

The Cento tomato paste in the toothpaste type tube has been great for not wasting half a can of tomato paste every time a recipe calls for a tablespoon's worth.

[jimmyjazz 45912]

12 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Fresh section. My the produce. Lots of different pre-diced stuff for recipes. Jalapeños, onions, tomatoes, mirepoix, etc 

Oh, fresh.  Yeah, that shit's expensive.  I just buy an onion, a carrot and a bag of celery.  Then I have to figure out what to do with all the leftover celery, but we have 2 guinea pigs, so that's an out.

I have been known to buy HEB's fresh pico de gallo.  Often.

Edited July 31, 2022 by jimmyjazz

[jimmyjazz 45912]

5 minutes ago, dcbc said:

The Cento tomato paste in the toothpaste type tube has been great for not wasting half a can of tomato paste every time a recipe calls for a tablespoon's worth.

Yeah, absolutely.  I currently have some other brand in the fridge.  It's so much better than taking a Tbsp of paste out of a can and throwing the rest of the can away.

[dcbc 14480]

5 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Oh, fresh.  Yeah, that shit's expensive.  I just buy an onion, a carrot and a bag of celery.  Then I have to figure out what to do with all the leftover celery, but we have 2 guinea pigs, so that's an out.

I have been known to buy HEB's fresh pico de gallo.  Often.

I'll freeze celery before it goes bad, if only to use it to make stock later.

[jimmyjazz 45912]

1 minute ago, dcbc said:

I'll freeze celery before it goes bad, if only to use it to make stock later.

Good idea, thanks.

[Da Fino 2781]

Dorot also makes ginger in those frozen cubes.

[ztejas 43419]

46 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Oh, fresh.  Yeah, that shit's expensive.  I just buy an onion, a carrot and a bag of celery.  Then I have to figure out what to do with all the leftover celery, but we have 2 guinea pigs, so that's an out.

I have been known to buy HEB's fresh pico de gallo.  Often.

Yeah I don't buy it either - it's way more expensive. But, it's in the spirit of the thread. 

[CooterBrown 18007]

If you’re heating up frozen chicken nuggets, French fries, tots, etc., put them in the oven right when you turn it on. By the time the oven gets to temp, they’re only 1-2 minutes away from being done and the browning is much more uniform.

[Celery Man 20943]

I mean, ultimate save time in the kitchen thing is rinse (or even clean!) bowls before their contents dry out. and keep a sprayer of dawn + water to hit counter and stove messes quickly. But try telling my wife that

Edited July 31, 2022 by Celery Man

[ztejas 43419]

27 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

If you’re heating up frozen chicken nuggets, French fries, tots, etc., put them in the oven right when you turn it on. By the time the oven gets to temp, they’re only 1-2 minutes away from being done and the browning is much more uniform.

This works with pretty much all frozen foods. I think I used to do this with totinos pizzas. 

[Mo Horn 8833]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

The Cento tomato paste in the toothpaste type tube has been great for not wasting half a can of tomato paste every time a recipe calls for a tablespoon's worth.

I put any left over paste in a freezer safe container and freeze it. For future uses you can slice off what you need. But I also love the squeeze tube. 

[Covri 6249]

1 hour ago, Celery Man said:

i still sometimes fight with the skins a bit but a garlic press makes fresh garlic easy enough

this is the opposite of what this thread is for, but I also got pretty quick with onions once I learned how to julienne (prime meridian, lop off the top, peel off the whole first layer fuck it life is too short, lop off the root end, radial slices, repeat for the other half). I don't think that takes me more than a minute, maybe minute and a half.

i frequently use ginger paste instead of ginger. when I don't, using a spoon to peel the ginger was a game changer

Peeling garlic is more of a pain then cutting/mincing it imo and I recently got a couple of these that actually work pretty good to quick peel a handful at a time. Just shove them in the tube and roll back and forth along the counter a few seconds. If I'm doing a lot I'll probably still use the bowl and lid method, but this little roller does it quickly and easily for a regular amount.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Covri
Spelling hard

[conVINCEd 21469]

17 minutes ago, Covri said:

Peeling garlic is more of a pain then cutting/mincing it imo and I recently got a couple of these that actually work pretty good to quick peel a handful at a time. Just shove them in the tube and roll back and forth along the counter a few seconds. If I'm doing a lot I'll probably still use the bowl and lid method, but this little roller does it quickly and easily for a regular amount.

 

 

+1 on these little things being all kinds of kickass for about $3.50.

[jimmyjazz 45912]

I have one of those things somewhere, I should try it again.

I tried the 2-bowl method and completely struck out.

[CooterBrown 18007]

If you’re using a garlic press, you don’t need to peel the garlic. It’ll press out of the skin and you can just pull the skin out of the press.

[ztejas 43419]

All good comments. The issue is sometimes I don't want it minced. I want it a bit chunkier and uneven. 

[jimmyjazz 45912]

It always cracks me up to see some mega-chef on TV admit "fuck it, just throw the whole thing (garlic, onion, whatever) in the pot, don't worry about the peel or stems".

[CooterBrown 18007]

All good comments. The issue is sometimes I don't want it minced. I want it a bit chunkier and uneven. 

I just crush it with a knife and 90% of the time, the skin is completely removed 100% of the time.

[Irwin F Fletcher 3550]

Freeze your ginger. When you need it, take it out of the freezer and use a microplane to zest/grate as much as you need.

[Covri 6249]

41 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I have one of those things somewhere, I should try it again.

I tried the 2-bowl method and completely struck out.

I find it works best with a smaller bowl/plastic container with air tight lid so you can really shake the shit out of it. Just 15-30 seconds of tambourine shaking and most of the garlic is peeled.  Bonus is you can leave the unused garlic in it for like a week before it starts to turn brown. 

[Covri 6249]

45 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

If you’re using a garlic press, you don’t need to peel the garlic. It’ll press out of the skin and you can just pull the skin out of the press.

My issue is the garlic press is a pain in the ass to clean and I seem to get less garlic out of it for cooking than the sink gets cleaning it lol

Edited July 31, 2022 by Covri

[Brew 3049]

Spice World minced garlic in the produce section. I use it most of the time now to save time.

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

Stream of consciousness post here:

We always buy the HEB prepped veggies like peeled garlic, chopped onions, etc. whenever they are on expiration date sale (usually 50% off) and just stick them in our freezer to use later.  Ditto on using the tubes of tomato paste, ginger, and such -- very handy, and no waste.  The frozen basil cubes are very good. There is no need to let any produce go bad -- just freeze it and use it for stock.  We make ice cubes out of any leftover stock.  They can come in handy later.

[dcbc 14480]

46 minutes ago, Covri said:

My issue is the garlic press is a pain in the ass to clean and I seem to get less garlic out of it for cooking than the sink gets cleaning it lol

I recently read a Bourdain quote saying something like, If you put your garlic through one of those presses or use the stuff from the jar, you don't deserve to taste garlic.  I laughed.  Then, appropriately shamed, I bought a couple of heads of garlic on my last grocery trip.

[Surly Bevo 24908]

You assholes are slipping.

Shortcut

[Sam Lin 3556]

2 hours ago, Covri said:

My issue is the garlic press is a pain in the ass to clean and I seem to get less garlic out of it for cooking than the sink gets cleaning it lol

The Ikea Koncis garlic press has a removable grate for cleaning, and slightly larger holes than most presses. Wouldn't think it would matter so much, but the removable grate makes cleaning so much easier.

[Neonmoon 38129]

[Jerry Callo 8700]

I just crush it with a knife and 90% of the time, the skin is completely removed 100% of the time.

This. Good knives and a learned set of skills are the most important aspect of cooking.

[SmokeyTheBear 5562]

2 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Stream of consciousness post here:

We always buy the HEB prepped veggies like peeled garlic, chopped onions, etc. whenever they are on expiration date sale (usually 50% off) and just stick them in our freezer to use later.  Ditto on using the tubes of tomato paste, ginger, and such -- very handy, and no waste.  The frozen basil cubes are very good. There is no need to let any produce go bad -- just freeze it and use it for stock.  We make ice cubes out of any leftover stock.  They can come in handy later.

Those prepeeled garlic packages are a life saver. Especially when making 40 clove chicken. 

[ztejas 43419]

6 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

3 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

I just crush it with a knife and 90% of the time, the skin is completely removed 100% of the time.

This. Good knives and a learned set of skills are the most important aspect of cooking.

A "learned set of skills" i.e. being good at cooking? 

[Irwin F Fletcher 3550]

This. Good knives and a learned set of skills are the most important aspect of cooking.

Yes this is true. However, the thread is kitchen shortcuts. Give me a tub of HEB pre-peeled garlic and a microplane and I'm set

[Irwin F Fletcher 3550]

Those prepeeled garlic packages are a life saver. Especially when making 40 clove chicken. 

Love me some chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.

[jimmyjazz 45912]

Randalls (when they're open . . . wait, what?) sells a cool package of pre-peeled garlic cloves, but it's broken down into maybe a half dozen smaller sealed packages.  Keeps longer.

[52-80 19151]

11 hours ago, Celery Man said:

this is the opposite of what this thread is for, but I also got pretty quick with onions once I learned how to julienne (prime meridian, lop off the top, peel off the whole first layer fuck it life is too short, lop off the root end, radial slices, repeat for the other half). I don't think that takes me more than a minute, maybe minute and a half.

The cutting of onions and garlic is fine. The annoying part is peeling the flaky skin, having it blown everywhere, getting pieces stuck on your finger, etc. 

[Texzilla58 4735]

The first thing I learned about cooking was In fourth grade watching Graham Kerr on Tv. Took a clove of garlic and smashed it with a chefs knife. It worked so well and it’s so fast. The hardest thing is finding decent fresh garlic in stores.

I still use McCormick dried minced garlic in bucketfuls, and use the jarred chopped garlic in certain things though I often find it bitter.

A micro plane is a critical tool. It makes zesting a lemon for any dish simple.

[BabaYaga 15292]

17 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm not a great cook (yet), but I do try to do things the "right way" in the kitchen, at least most of the time.  Some things are just a bit more of a pain than they need to be, especially when shortcuts exist that are just as good.  I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours. 

The first two that come to mind are quick paths to minced/sliced garlic, onions and peppers, and I swear there is virtually no difference between these and fresh produce once they're cooked.  The  garlic cubes are a flash-frozen pastes of garlic, canola oil, water and sea salt, with each cube being the equivalent to a clove of garlic.  There are other brands out there, and Dorot also has similar ginger, cilantro & basil versions that are equally as useful.  I haven't used their parsley, dill, or turmeric.

The frozen onions and peppers are . . . well, they're onions and peppers.

None of these are suitable in recipes calling for fresh produce eaten raw, but if you're gonna cook it, I see no reason to go through the hassle.

 

 

 

Find a hole in the wall Mexican meat market ASAP and buy everything from them.

Sauces

Marinated meats

Spices

Etc

[BabaYaga 15292]

Master this

[jimmyjazz 45912]

I know how to cut an onion.

[CooterBrown 18007]

If you're using raw onions in a dish, rinse them after cutting. 

[Limp Brisket 546]

https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Chopper-Blade-Vegetable-Fruit-Cheese-Onion-Chopper-Dicer-Kitchen/dp/B07SVBY6BH/ref=asc_df_B07SVBY6BH?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80127036657058&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583726556840195&psc=1

[Bill Brasky 1445]

when I can't decide if I want to eat another sandwich or not I leave the blade of the knife hanging over the edge of the sink.   if I want another sandwich I just use the same knife again.   follow me for more kitchen hacks.   

[hullabelew 3724]

10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Randalls (when they're open . . . wait, what?) sells a cool package of pre-peeled garlic cloves, but it's broken down into maybe a half dozen smaller sealed packages.  Keeps longer.

Be carefull man.  Shit goes down at the Randalls.  

[Captain Ron 12876]

Another vote for per-peeled garlic. I don't mind chopping it.

 

For those of you with bad knife skills, slap chop or any of the other chopping devices are great.