Dice For Frying

If you’re cooking a dish that requires frying your vegetables, it is usually best to dice them. As a rule of thumb, the smaller the food is the quicker it will cook. Since frying needs to be fairly quick to avoid burning, diced vegetables are best for that.

Medium Chunks For Stews

If you want to make a stew or casserole dish, chop your vegetables into one-inch chunks. Stew dishes simmer for a long time over low heat, and this gives them plenty of opportunity to cook and soak in the flavors. This works best if the vegetables are in substantial chunks.

Medium/Large Pieces For Roasts

If you’re roasting your vegetables, chopping them into larger pieces is usually the best option. Too small and they burn. When roasting, chop your onion, pepper, or eggplant into about two to four pieces.

The post How to Prepare and Cook Veggies Like a Pro appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon

Pop some bread in the toaster. While that’s cooking, beat two to three eggs in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour into a preheated saucepan. Fry with olive oil and turn continuously for about one to two minutes. Butter the toast, pour on the scrambled eggs, and garnish with smoked salmon out of the fridge.

Cinnamon Oats

Add semi-skim milk to your bowl of oats. Season with cinnamon. Sprinkle on nuts and seeds and pop in the microwave for two minutes.

Fruit Salad and Natural Yogurt

Chop up a medley of fruit and add a dollop of natural yogurt on top. This is full of vitamins and minerals, while the yogurt is high in protein and calcium.

The post Nutritious Breakfasts You Can Make in Under 5 Minutes appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Ingredients

All you need are the duck breasts, butter, and five-spice. This can come in a paste or a powder. This recipe will work for any amount of duck. But if you are cooking four duck breasts, use about three teaspoons of five-spice.

Prepare and Fry

Melt a stick of butter in a pan on high heat. Cover the duck breasts in the five-spice. Place them on the buttery pan with the skins down. This makes them get nice and crispy. Cook like this for about 8-9 minutes, or until crispy. When that side is done, turn them over to cook the other side. If there is excess fat, pour it away so it doesn’t spit. Cook on the reverse side for about 7 minutes.

Serve

When they’re cooked, remove them from the pan and slice them into chunks. And there you have it—succulent duck breasts ready to eat!

The post You Can Cook Delicious Duck Dishes in Under 20 Minutes appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Preheat the Oven

Of course, this should go without saying. But it can never be said enough: preheat the oven before cooking. Simply adjust the knob to the required temperature and leave to heat for about 10-20 minutes. This ensures that food is cooked properly all the way through.

Identify Your Oven

It’s important that you know what kind of oven you have. This is because it will affect cooking times, how long you preheat it for, and where to position your food in the oven. Ovens are usually divided up into fan ovens, electric ovens, and gas ovens.

Pay Attention to Positioning

In most ovens, the top of the chamber is the hottest. If you want food to cook quickly, place it here. This is particularly true of gas ovens.

Don’t Turn Off Abruptly

When you turn off the heat on electric and fan ovens, turn the thermostat down as far as it will go without clicking. Leave it for a minute before turning it off, because this will help prevent the oven from breaking over time.

The post 4 Simple Oven Hacks Every Home Cook Should Know appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Different Varieties Of Eggplant

There are many different varieties of eggplant. The American or Globe eggplant is the one that we are most familiar with, while other varieties include the Chinese eggplant, the Sicilian eggplant, the Fairytale eggplant, the Indian eggplant, the Japanese eggplant, the Rosa Bianca, the Thai eggplant, the White eggplant, and many more.

Try out as many of these different varieties as possible, because they’re all unique in their own way.

Methods Of Cooking

You can cook all of these eggplants in many ways. Some of the most effective are roasting, baking, pan-frying, stewing, or deep-frying in batter.

Shapes And Sizes

The Chinese and Japanese eggplants are long thin tubes, very different in shape from the American globe variety. The Thai eggplant is small, round, and green. And the Indian eggplant looks like the globe but is smaller and rounder in shape.

The post Did You Know That There Are Over 11 Varieties Of Eggplant? appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Gather Ingredients

To make top-quality pastry you need 225 grams of plain flour, 115 grams of cubed butter, and one egg yolk.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenn Davis Food + Photo (@twocupsflour)

Mix The Dough

Pop your flour and butter cubes into a food processor and blend the mixture until it goes crumbly. Next, add the egg yolk along with 3-4 tablespoons of cold water. You want just enough water to make the mixture form a smooth dough.

Prepare The Pastry

When the mixture has gone doughy, lay it onto a floured surface and knead to expel excess air. Cover and chill the pastry in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sylvie | A Baking Journey (@a.baking.journey)

Stretch It Out

Lightly flour your kitchen surface again and roll the pastry out into a baking tin. Prick the base and line with greaseproof paper.

Bake

Bake for around 12 minutes. Then, remove the baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes, until golden brown.

The post Your Step-By-Step Guide to Making Top-Quality Pastry appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Opaque

When fish is properly cooked it will turn from a translucent color to an opaque pink or white color. This is a quick and easy way to check whether your fish is cooking properly.

Flakes Off Easily

If the flesh has gone opaque, you know that it is nicely cooked if the flesh flakes off easily when you touch it with a fork.

Not Too Hot

A great way to make sure your fish cooks all the way through is to not cook it on too high a heat. This can cook the outside without getting to the meat on the inside.

Flesh is Firm

Check with a fork that the flesh is firm and not a jelly-like consistency.

The post How to Know When Your Fish is Cooked appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Tomato and Mozzarella

This dish is perfect for a refreshing starter. Simply plate up slices of fresh mozzarella, large tomatoes, and basil leaves. Alternatively, instead of basil, you could pour on some pesto. The taste is much the same but the pesto is better to dip into.

Garlic Shrimp Linguine

Another fresh dish that will leave you feeling rejuvenated, this seafood classic is always a crowd-pleaser. Simply serve up a plate of garlic marinated shrimp with long linguine pasta and olive oil.

Vegetable Pizza With Capers and Anchovies

This always tastes best if it is a homemade pizza. Top with tomato puree, pesto, mozzarella, mushroom, red onion, sweet peppers, capers, and salty anchovies. Each bite is like heaven.

Lasangne

This party classic never fails. Simply serve up a thick lasagne oven bake with a side of fresh salad and fries.

The post 4 Simple Italian Dishes for High Summer appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Piernik

Piernik is a warming honey-spice cake that is fairly similar to traditional gingerbread. Particularly delicious in winter, it is made from a variety of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pepper, and nutmeg. It is baked in a loaf-pan has a bready consistency.

Mazurek

Mazurek is a kind of cake/pastry that is served in little squares. Usually very sweet, each square is made from a combination of marzipan, sponge dough, or brittle dough, and is topped with icing sugar, fruit, nuts, seeds, raisins, chocolate, or caramel.

Makoveic

Makoveic is a poppy seed roll that is twisted into a spiral. It’s like a chocolate log, but less sweet and more fruity. It’s typically made with raisins, almonds, honey, and orange peel.

Sernik

Sernik is a form of Polish cheesecake that is often made with raisins, fresh fruits, and chocolate sauce. Unlike other varieties of cheesecake, the base is typically made with cake rather than biscuit.

The post 4 Mouth-Watering Polish Desserts appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Martini

To make this classic cocktail all you need to do is mix 2 ounces of gin (or vodka) and 1 ounce of dry vermouth. You can also use vodka if you would prefer, but gin is more traditional.

Negroni

To make this delicious cocktail, all you need is to mix 1 ounce of dry gin, 1 ounce of vermouth, and 1 ounce of Campari. Add ice and stir for about 30 seconds before adding an orange peel garnish.

Manhattan

For a darker cocktail, try this old classic on for size. Mix 2 ounces of whiskey, 1 ounce of vermouth, and 2 dashes of bitters. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Serve with an orange garnish.

Dark and Stormy

You can make this in an individual glass, or mix a large punch bowl. All you have to do is mix 1 part dark rum and 2 parts ginger beer. Serve with ice and a lime wedge.

Margarita

Another popular classic, simply mix 2 ounces of tequila, 1 ounce of Cointreau, and 1 ounce of lime juice. Serve with ice.

The post 5 Simple Cocktails You Really Should Know How to Make appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Dice For Frying

If you’re cooking a dish that requires frying your vegetables, it is usually best to dice them. As a rule of thumb, the smaller the food is the quicker it will cook. Since frying needs to be fairly quick to avoid burning, diced vegetables are best for that.

Medium Chunks For Stews

If you want to make a stew or casserole dish, chop your vegetables into one-inch chunks. Stew dishes simmer for a long time over low heat, and this gives them plenty of opportunity to cook and soak in the flavors. This works best if the vegetables are in substantial chunks.

Medium/Large Pieces For Roasts

If you’re roasting your vegetables, chopping them into larger pieces is usually the best option. Too small and they burn. When roasting, chop your onion, pepper, or eggplant into about two to four pieces.

The post How to Prepare and Cook Veggies Like a Pro appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon

Pop some bread in the toaster. While that’s cooking, beat two to three eggs in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour into a preheated saucepan. Fry with olive oil and turn continuously for about one to two minutes. Butter the toast, pour on the scrambled eggs, and garnish with smoked salmon out of the fridge.

Cinnamon Oats

Add semi-skim milk to your bowl of oats. Season with cinnamon. Sprinkle on nuts and seeds and pop in the microwave for two minutes.

Fruit Salad and Natural Yogurt

Chop up a medley of fruit and add a dollop of natural yogurt on top. This is full of vitamins and minerals, while the yogurt is high in protein and calcium.

The post Nutritious Breakfasts You Can Make in Under 5 Minutes appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Ingredients

All you need are the duck breasts, butter, and five-spice. This can come in a paste or a powder. This recipe will work for any amount of duck. But if you are cooking four duck breasts, use about three teaspoons of five-spice.

Prepare and Fry

Melt a stick of butter in a pan on high heat. Cover the duck breasts in the five-spice. Place them on the buttery pan with the skins down. This makes them get nice and crispy. Cook like this for about 8-9 minutes, or until crispy. When that side is done, turn them over to cook the other side. If there is excess fat, pour it away so it doesn’t spit. Cook on the reverse side for about 7 minutes.

Serve

When they’re cooked, remove them from the pan and slice them into chunks. And there you have it—succulent duck breasts ready to eat!

The post You Can Cook Delicious Duck Dishes in Under 20 Minutes appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Preheat the Oven

Of course, this should go without saying. But it can never be said enough: preheat the oven before cooking. Simply adjust the knob to the required temperature and leave to heat for about 10-20 minutes. This ensures that food is cooked properly all the way through.

Identify Your Oven

It’s important that you know what kind of oven you have. This is because it will affect cooking times, how long you preheat it for, and where to position your food in the oven. Ovens are usually divided up into fan ovens, electric ovens, and gas ovens.

Pay Attention to Positioning

In most ovens, the top of the chamber is the hottest. If you want food to cook quickly, place it here. This is particularly true of gas ovens.

Don’t Turn Off Abruptly

When you turn off the heat on electric and fan ovens, turn the thermostat down as far as it will go without clicking. Leave it for a minute before turning it off, because this will help prevent the oven from breaking over time.

The post 4 Simple Oven Hacks Every Home Cook Should Know appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Different Varieties Of Eggplant

There are many different varieties of eggplant. The American or Globe eggplant is the one that we are most familiar with, while other varieties include the Chinese eggplant, the Sicilian eggplant, the Fairytale eggplant, the Indian eggplant, the Japanese eggplant, the Rosa Bianca, the Thai eggplant, the White eggplant, and many more.

Try out as many of these different varieties as possible, because they’re all unique in their own way.

Methods Of Cooking

You can cook all of these eggplants in many ways. Some of the most effective are roasting, baking, pan-frying, stewing, or deep-frying in batter.

Shapes And Sizes

The Chinese and Japanese eggplants are long thin tubes, very different in shape from the American globe variety. The Thai eggplant is small, round, and green. And the Indian eggplant looks like the globe but is smaller and rounder in shape.

The post Did You Know That There Are Over 11 Varieties Of Eggplant? appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Gather Ingredients

To make top-quality pastry you need 225 grams of plain flour, 115 grams of cubed butter, and one egg yolk.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenn Davis Food + Photo (@twocupsflour)

Mix The Dough

Pop your flour and butter cubes into a food processor and blend the mixture until it goes crumbly. Next, add the egg yolk along with 3-4 tablespoons of cold water. You want just enough water to make the mixture form a smooth dough.

Prepare The Pastry

When the mixture has gone doughy, lay it onto a floured surface and knead to expel excess air. Cover and chill the pastry in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sylvie | A Baking Journey (@a.baking.journey)

Stretch It Out

Lightly flour your kitchen surface again and roll the pastry out into a baking tin. Prick the base and line with greaseproof paper.

Bake

Bake for around 12 minutes. Then, remove the baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes, until golden brown.

The post Your Step-By-Step Guide to Making Top-Quality Pastry appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Opaque

When fish is properly cooked it will turn from a translucent color to an opaque pink or white color. This is a quick and easy way to check whether your fish is cooking properly.

Flakes Off Easily

If the flesh has gone opaque, you know that it is nicely cooked if the flesh flakes off easily when you touch it with a fork.

Not Too Hot

A great way to make sure your fish cooks all the way through is to not cook it on too high a heat. This can cook the outside without getting to the meat on the inside.

Flesh is Firm

Check with a fork that the flesh is firm and not a jelly-like consistency.

The post How to Know When Your Fish is Cooked appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Tomato and Mozzarella

This dish is perfect for a refreshing starter. Simply plate up slices of fresh mozzarella, large tomatoes, and basil leaves. Alternatively, instead of basil, you could pour on some pesto. The taste is much the same but the pesto is better to dip into.

Garlic Shrimp Linguine

Another fresh dish that will leave you feeling rejuvenated, this seafood classic is always a crowd-pleaser. Simply serve up a plate of garlic marinated shrimp with long linguine pasta and olive oil.

Vegetable Pizza With Capers and Anchovies

This always tastes best if it is a homemade pizza. Top with tomato puree, pesto, mozzarella, mushroom, red onion, sweet peppers, capers, and salty anchovies. Each bite is like heaven.

Lasangne

This party classic never fails. Simply serve up a thick lasagne oven bake with a side of fresh salad and fries.

The post 4 Simple Italian Dishes for High Summer appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Piernik

Piernik is a warming honey-spice cake that is fairly similar to traditional gingerbread. Particularly delicious in winter, it is made from a variety of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pepper, and nutmeg. It is baked in a loaf-pan has a bready consistency.

Mazurek

Mazurek is a kind of cake/pastry that is served in little squares. Usually very sweet, each square is made from a combination of marzipan, sponge dough, or brittle dough, and is topped with icing sugar, fruit, nuts, seeds, raisins, chocolate, or caramel.

Makoveic

Makoveic is a poppy seed roll that is twisted into a spiral. It’s like a chocolate log, but less sweet and more fruity. It’s typically made with raisins, almonds, honey, and orange peel.

Sernik

Sernik is a form of Polish cheesecake that is often made with raisins, fresh fruits, and chocolate sauce. Unlike other varieties of cheesecake, the base is typically made with cake rather than biscuit.

The post 4 Mouth-Watering Polish Desserts appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Martini

To make this classic cocktail all you need to do is mix 2 ounces of gin (or vodka) and 1 ounce of dry vermouth. You can also use vodka if you would prefer, but gin is more traditional.

Negroni

To make this delicious cocktail, all you need is to mix 1 ounce of dry gin, 1 ounce of vermouth, and 1 ounce of Campari. Add ice and stir for about 30 seconds before adding an orange peel garnish.

Manhattan

For a darker cocktail, try this old classic on for size. Mix 2 ounces of whiskey, 1 ounce of vermouth, and 2 dashes of bitters. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Serve with an orange garnish.

Dark and Stormy

You can make this in an individual glass, or mix a large punch bowl. All you have to do is mix 1 part dark rum and 2 parts ginger beer. Serve with ice and a lime wedge.

Margarita

Another popular classic, simply mix 2 ounces of tequila, 1 ounce of Cointreau, and 1 ounce of lime juice. Serve with ice.

The post 5 Simple Cocktails You Really Should Know How to Make appeared first on Cooking 4 All.