Life-Changing Cooking and Baking Tips

Whether you are a novice or a seasoned chef, it is always nice when you come across some new tips and tricks that make cooking easier, more efficient, more budget-friendly, and of course more delectable.

Here is a list of just a few cooking tips that you may find enhance your cooking experience:

• Prep your potatoes the day before. Wash, dice (and peel, if that's your preference) the potatoes and place in a bowl of cool water. Set the bowl in the refrigerator until making your potato dish. It isn't necessary to cover the bowl but is helpful to keep it from spilling.

• Adding a teaspoon or two of orange juice to your homemade tomato soup will bring out the flavoring.

• Melt a few teaspoons of butter or buttery spread in your homemade tomato sauce to make it creamy.

• Using kitchen shears versus a knife for some food prep makes cutting pizza, chicken, spices, and other food items easier.

• Adding an extra egg (or two), using melted butter (or buttery spread) in place of oil, and using milk (or a milk substitute) instead of water will make homemade or box mix cake much richer and more like a professional bakery cake.

• Using lemon zest in dishes gives them a little zing.

• Use coco aminos instead of soy sauce for a great taste and it's naturally free from gluten.

• Soak your seeds or nuts in tea instead of water. This will give your dish an enhanced flavor.

• For fluffy scrambled eggs whisk the eggs until they foam, then let them sit a few seconds before placing them in a preheated pan.

• Use parchment paper (unbleached) in your baking pans instead of oils and flours.

• Use parchment paper (unbleached) when cooking chicken breasts, fish fillets, roasting vegetables, etc. for easy cleanup. *Do not use aluminum foil, aluminum is hard on your kidneys.

• Use a mixer with standard beaters to shred chicken, it is so much easier!

• Add a tablespoon of butter or buttery spread and a single spice to your steamed vegetables. This takes plain 'ole vegetables to restaurant vegetables! Some spices to try: basil, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, dill weed, etc.

• Add pickle juice to casseroles, tuna salad, chicken salad, etc. Just a small amount gives the flavor of the dish more depth.

• Toast spices before adding them to a dish, espeically one heavy on the spices. It only takes about 30 to 60 seconds and it smells amazing too!

• Freeze your block of cheese before shredding, SO much easier to shred this way!

• Keep your fresh ginger in the freezer, use a zester to add to your favorite dishes.

• Substitute ginger ale for a small portion of the liquid in your pancakes, this will make they fluffy.

• Add a little salt to your sweet treats like cookies, pies, brownies, cakes, etc. The salt really brings out the sweetness.

• Add coffee instead of water to box cake mixes. This gives them a richer taste.

• Use your waffle maker for more than just waffles. It can make a great panini press, brown hashbrowns, and more.

What are some of your favorite cooking and baking hacks? Feel free to share them, they may be added to this list. Share your hacks by clicking HERE! Check the "other" box and add your hack under "message".