BASIC COOKING
Cooking is not as hard as most people may make it look. However, it requires you to have some skills. Below are some cooking skills that you will find helpful in preparing some of the common meals. The list is not exhaustive but it will give you a chance to learn some basic cooking skills.
- Making a smoothie. A good smoothie requires more than just yogurt and blended fruits. However, making a smoothie is not as hard as you may think. A good rule worth trying in making a smoothie is to use 1 cup fruit, ¾ cup liquid, ice and a spoonful of seed butter or nut butter (a quarter of an avocado can also be used). It is also good to include a handful of spinach. In case you want a thicker smoothie, make sure to add half a frozen banana. You can also add a spoonful of honey to get a sweeter smoothie.
- Making a pasta. Boil water containing several pinches of kosher salt. The next step is to pour in pasta, stir and cook as guided by the package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and then douse with a little olive oil (this is done to prevent sticky noodles). It is good to take extra caution on the amount of water that you use. Do not put too much water, just put enough.
- Making a salad. The key to making a salad is to be creative and to start using different greens such as spinach, arugula, Brussels sprouts and shredded kale. Add roasted or raw veggies, a handful of seeds or nuts and a few slices of fruits. Finally, drizzle with the vinaigrette that you can comfortably make.
- Cooking chicken. This may be the simplest skill in this list. If you are using an oven, just preheat to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a parchment paper. Place the chicken (thighs or breasts) on the baking sheet, drizzle with oil and then sprinkle with pepper and salt. Bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of about 165 degrees. Start checking after every 20 minutes, this should take an approximate of 35 minutes. It is important to note that raw chicken carries with it salmonella, it is therefore important to clean every surface that is touched with a lot of soap and hot water.
- Baking fish. Similar to baking chicken, baking fish is also easy. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with a parchment paper. Place your fish on the on the baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Flip and repeat. In case the fish has a skin, make sure that you bake it skin-side down. Bake the fish for about 20 minutes, or until the point where the fish flakes when poked with a fork.
- Roasting vegetables. Roasted veggies make a very important part of a meal. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and start chopping. Douse the veggies with oil, salt and pepper and bake until the veggies are tender and just starting to brown.
- Making vinaigrette and other dressings. A simple vinaigrette is a mixture of acid and oil (such as vinegar or lemon juice), often seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper. In order to get the dressing to emulsify (not separate into weird balsamic and oily bubbles), stick with a ration of three parts of oil to one part of acid. Add a spoonful of mustard in order to make sure that the smooth dressing does not break. Once you have mastered the simple vinaigrette, try out new seasonings and emulsifiers like hummus, maple syrup and miso paste.
