Since I was young, I have been fascinated with cooking. I've watched my mom in the kitchen from the time I was a little peanut, and The Food Network is my most-viewed TV channel. I would say I am probably more obsessed with watching people cook than actually doing it myself, but I definitely try my hand in the kitchen daily. I thought it might be helpful for some of my readers if I provided you with a few kitchen tips and tricks to help those of you transitioning from dining hall food or momma's cooking to apartment life. So, here is the first installment of Kitchen Tips for the College Foodie. Bon appetit!
1. Treat fresh herbs as you would flowers.
Cut the stems, place them in cool water in a vase, and refrigerate if you have the space. They go bad very quickly if you just throw them in a bag in your fridge. If it is summer, potted herbs are in season in most states. If you have a sunny window sill or a balcony in your apartment, you can plant your own herbs in pots. Water them daily!
For more food storage tips, check this out: http://videos.hgtv.com/video/how-to-keep-fruit-and...
2. Use olive oil rather than butter when you cook foods in a skillet.
It is not only healthier for you, but it also works very well to keep things from sticking. I use it whenever I cook veggies or eggs on my stove top.
3. Keep several spice staples on hand.
Garlic powder, salt and pepper, a Cajun spice mix, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano are musts. You can use these to jazz up any food item, and using spices to season foods is typically much healthier than eating store bought sauces.
4. When you go to the store, only buy what you will eat in about a week's time.
Over buying is a big waste of money because you'll end up throwing half of your fresh items away when they go bad. Lord knows college kids generally don't have money to waste.
5. Try to stay around the perimeter of the grocery store.
Meats, dairy, and fresh produce items are found here. You'll notice that the majority of processed foods are in the interior aisles. I've realized that this helps me save money because I am less tempted to buy snack foods and also helps me to eat healthier.
6. Buy an assortment of fresh and frozen vegetables.
Eat the fresh ones first, and later in the week, move to the frozen ones. This is a good way of spacing out your grocery runs and is especially helpful when you rely on other people for rides to the grocery store (aka you have no car aka me).
7. You can actually do a lot of cool things with frozen vegetables other than the classic microwave steam job.
One of my favorite new things to do is to roast my frozen broccoli. Dump the bag into a colander, wash it in cool water to thaw it slightly, pat dry with a paper towel and lay it out on a foil lined cookie sheet. Then, drizzle it all with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and bake it for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. So yummy and good with a little bit of balsamic vinegar.
8. The crock pot is your friend.
I strongly suggest investing in one. Make a soup or chili that feeds six, and freeze that bad boy in meal-sized batches.
9. Separate your meats into serving-sized amounts before you freeze them.
So, if you buy a pack of four chicken breasts, remove them from their original packaging and place each one in a Ziploc bag. Then, you only have to defrost one at a time when you are ready to eat them for meal-sized portions.
10. Frequent farmers markets when they are in season.
This is usually the cheapest way to get farm-fresh produce, and most cities in the U.S. have some sort of farmers market going on in the summertime and into fall. Research what is in season in your area, and plan your meals accordingly.
Stay tuned for more suggestions to come!
