Culinary - Misc

This page is dedicated to small culinary life hacks, tips, tricks and more.

• Time how long to boil 1 and 2 cups cold water from tap
  • Put in pot
  • Set on high heat
    • Run tests for both covered and uncovered
  • Time how long to boil
• Check boiling things at 1/2, 2/3 and 3/4 time marks
• Focus on “simmer” for n minutes starches
  • Once simmering, pretty hands off
  • “ancient” and “whole” grains are all 15 - 45 minute simmer times
• Yogurt that’s “fancy” but cheap and not heavy on processed ingredients
  • Plain, unsweetened yogurt (2 big spoon fulls)
  • Honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup (1 tablespoon ish)
  • Preserves or jam (1 tablespoon ish)
  • Fruit if desired
  • Nuts if desired
• Frozen fruit will defrost in 8 - 12 hours in the fridge
  • Put paper towel in container to prevent water logging and mushy texture
  • Mason jars are a good container for this use case
• Wild rice + long grain rice blends take 40+ minutes to simmer hands off
  • Good low effort nutrition
  • Bullion, broth, and spices can add significant flavor and savoriness
• You can cook rice and chicken together in a rice cooker
  • Search the internet for techniques
  • Ensure the chicken gets to the appropriate temperature prior to eating
• Vegetables like spinach, kale and frozen corn can be cooked in rice directly. Just add it to the pot with the rice and cook per standard methods.
• Spinach and Rice
  • Add spinach to your rice and cook normally
  • Saute onion then add rice + spinach + water for additional flavor
  • Add lemon juice and olive oil when serving for a savory but bright meal
• Quinoa has a good, mild “nutty” flavor that skews neutral
  • Good filler for adding carbs and texture
  • Is a good addition to tuna salad and similar dishes
• Toasting grains / nuts / etc
  • Can be skipped in all but the rarest circumstances
  • Best toasted in non stick pan
  • If the food being toasted has a richer smell and / or darker color, the toasting is done
• Low brain, low spoons, flavorful rice
  • Rinse rice (optional)
  • Add 1 tbsp to pot
  • Medium heat until frothy (optional, melt minimum ; sub olive/canola/sunflower oil for vegan)
  • Add rice
  • Stir/mix until rice turns translucent
  • Add water
  • Bring to boil uncovered
  • Reduce to simmer
  • Cover
  • Wait recommended amount of cook time (usually 20 or 40 minutes and 5 minute rest)
• Sunflower oil…
  • Has a mild flavor that goes well with sauteed vegetables, can be better for cooking than canola or olive oil
  • Is considered a healthy oil
  • Works as a butter substitute for popcorn
• Olive oil works as a dressing in many context. Can be a good addition for dry foods.
• Vinegar comes in many varieties, each having its own flavor profile. This can be a good dressing option.
• Honey + Sumac makes a sweet yet savory dip for proteins like chicken or pork
• Simple baked protein with seasoning
  • Coat meat in olive oil (less is more)
  • Dust with preferred spices on both sides
  • Bake at 350 Fahrenheit until meat reaches safe temperature
• Eggs can be microwaved safely
  • Search the internet for more details
  • Results in fluffy eggs
  • May be good alternative to adding dairy to scrambled eggs
• Non steel cut oats (quick, rolled, 1 minute, 5 minute) are great carb treats from the microwave
  • Add honey, agave nectar or maple syrup to make it properly sweet
  • Add fruit, jam, preserves or similar for flavor
• Steel cut oats can be a good “hands off” base
  • The simmer for at least half an hour
  • One the risk of froth forming is past they simmer untouched (after the first ~10 minutes)
  • They can be refrigerated for 5 - 7 days per the internet
• There are a variety of forms of lentil and it can be a good addition for nutritional needs
• Frozen fish fillets
  • Bake easily when thawed
  • Coat in olive oil and dust with spices
  • Cook 15 - 30 minutes until the center reaches safe temperature
• Steamed Vegetables
  • 1 inch (ish) water at bottom of pot
  • Add vegetables (can be frozen)
  • Bring to boil
  • Cover
  • Simmer until complete (check at 5 minute intervals)
• Cous Cous - fast, thoughtless (gluten / wheat warning)
  • 2:1 water ratio
  • Boil water
  • Remove from head
  • Stir in cous cous
  • Let sit ~5 minutes until water absorbed
  • Eat
  • Can use broth, stock instead of water
  • Can add sauteed vegetable and spices to finished mix
• Seeds and nuts for bulk
  • Great for adding calories to meals
  • Great in yogurt, salad and other cold meals
• Easy Teriyaki sauce
  • Soy sauce (low sodium)
  • Honey
  • Ginger (fresh or powdered)
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Mustard powder (small amount ; optional)
  • Up ginger for bite
  • Up honey for sweet
  • Up soy sauce for savory and salty
  • Mustard for after bite
  • You do not need much as it’s a thin sauce that is absorbed into a stir fry, rice and other ingredients
  • This works as a salad dressing too
• Granola recipes tend to be oats, honey and fruit mixed then baked on a parchment lined sheet
  • This may be a good, low brain option
  • The recipes ask you to mix the ingredients which can get “heavy” enough to be an issue for some
• Jerky
  • Is surprisingly low thought
  • Can be made with ground meat
  • Can be made with fish
  • Needs a low temp oven or dehydrator
  • Will smell up kitchen or whole floor depending
  • Use marinades overnight for flavor
  • Can roll out ground meats and slice into strips like cookie dough
  • Takes 4 - 12 hours untouched
• Dehydration, canning and fermentation can be helpful for some food prep and storage though the up front learning curves may be high
• You can add spices directly to the water grains simmer in. If toasting, add spices when toasting for added flavor
• You do not have to use “official” water ratios for grains like rice, quinoa, barley and others that hold shape like pasta
  • You can just cook them in an excess of water until tender
  • Drain like pasta when cooked to desired tenderness
  • This does not apply to
    • Amaranth
    • Oats (any style)
    • Cous Cous
• Use an electric kettle to heat water ahead of need
  • Best for gas stoves that take a long time to boil water
  • Use if you “bring to a boil” in a recipe
• Some large pots come with baskets for steaming or boiling
  • May be able to get generic one for helping with lifts and getting ingredients transferred to a strainer
• Peeling
  • Some folks prefer peelers
  • Some folks prefer paring knives
  • Both are valid and use different motions – one may be more valid than the other depending on your individual biology
• Rice cookers and pressure cookers are valid options for cooking meat
• Boiling meat is valid
• Look for “chicken and rice one pot” online for easy chicken and rice meals. This also works for other proteins.
• Slow cooker recipes can usually be simplified
  • Can sometimes be turned into “one pot” styled meals
• Instant Pot
  • Can saute, boil, steam and pressure cook
  • It’s a whole kitchen as a single pot
  • This is akin to having a hot plate but more flexible
  • Can be a huge help for not having to fight standing at a stove top
  • Put on floor and sit to cook is valid
    • Do not use on carpet or similar
    • No flammable flooring is valid for use
• Box meal recipes…
  • Tend to be simple and straight forward overall
  • Flavorful
  • Healthier than processed foods
  • Worth reviewing for ideas
  • Sour cream sauces tend to be straight forward and fast to make
  • Wine sauces are tasty with a bite
  • Jam sauces are usually savory sweet
• Stuffed peppers, cabage, grape leaves and similar…
  • Are usually just ground beef (can be subbed), onion, spice and maybe rice as a filling
  • Can be adjusted if needed or desired
  • Are cooked for long periods in a hands off manner after assembly
  • Can be frozen
  • Reheat well
• Brown rice is…
  • Far more nutritious than brown rice
  • Can be substituted for white rice except in rare circumstances
  • Reheats better than white rice
• Fresh baked bread freezes safely
• Fruit juices freeze reasonably well
  • Use ice cube trays for portion control
• Baby red and fingerling potatoes can be added to soup and stew whole usually
• Frozen vegetables can be added – frozen – to soup, stew, slow cooker, baked and other recipes except in rare situations
• Wild rice…
  • Is a separate plant species from rice
  • Is more nutritious than brown rice
  • Is very filling
  • Has a 3:1 water ratio (ish)
• Ethnic foods skew “one pot” and can be surprisingly straight forward to cook
• Most one pot meals and carbs can be judged for “doneness” by smell, using more than a timer in cooking is very valid
• Broiled vegetables
  • Zucchini, squash, potato, asparagus, carrot, etc
  • Cut into larger / thick slices or chunks
  • Toss in olive oil and spices
  • Under broiler or bake until tender
  • This cooks quickly, rarely more than 5 minutes in a broiler and 10 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit
• High end steak houses generally use broilers and salamanders to cook their overpriced slabs of meat they sell
  • You can do this at home
  • Coat in olive oil + Dust with spices
  • Bake / broil until safe to eat at desired “doneness”
• Ghee (if obtainable) is a great fat to use for toasting rice, it adds a richness that you can’t get from other fats
• Spice blend packets and “rubs” tend to list the main spices used (and other crap). You can usually recreate these using component spices
  • The internet has good starting points
  • Requires a lot of trial and error
  • Can be helpful for avoiding filler like “corn meal” (yes… that’s in a common brand’s taco seasoning mix)
• There are “no soak beans” pressure cooker recipes that simplify the process of making beans
• Any ground cooking can be a danger to yourself, children, pets, etc
  • Related to cooking on the ground sitting being valid
• Adding variety, not complexity
  • Meal prep only base ingredients, not full meals (if able)
  • Keep things unseasoned, add when reheating
• Low Brain Tricks
  • Stick to 5 - 6 “staple recipes” that can be made on auto pilot and provide foundational nutrition
  • Find 12 staples that can be varied over time and swap one staple for another over time so food doesn’t feel highly rigid or templated
• Recipe development
  • Find 6 existing recipes that are “close”
  • Look for the minimum of common ingredients
    • protein
    • carb base
    • vegetables
    • spices
  • Make the minimum version
  • Add spices from recipes to fill flavor profile to your preferences