Let’s share our best cooking tips

[Metoodear]

Never put milk in mash when making a shepherds or cottage pie just butter you want a stiff robust mash that will support the pie
Creamy mash is for sides not on top

Equal parts fat free greek yogurt and self raising flour makes the BEST pizza base. Literally mix them into a dough, roll out on a tray, but your topping on and bake in a really hot oven for 12mins. No pissing about with yeast etc and everyone thinks youve slaved for hours to make a pizza. Tastes like stone baked pizza even tho it takes 20mins and just chucked in the oven. The same dough works well for flatbreads.. 2mins each side in a hot frying pan

use a nan bread as a pizza base
garlic and coriander is nice

We make this pizza base cheaptastyandeasy.wordpress.com/friday-night-pizza-for-movie-night/
No fucking about with yeast. I'm going to try the Greek yogurt/flour way though. I can't be arsed with long drawn out recipes so this will be perfect.

I love threads like these!

Instant sauce for fish, particularly salmon/trout - just mix plain yoghurt and pesto.

Make preserved lemons in old jam jars. They are SO delicious and take 10 mins to make. I use them in casseroles, tagine, marinades, with steamed veg...

I always add some garlic cloves when cooking potatoes for mash. Lovely subtle flavour and not at all overpowering.

Chinese five spice sprinkled liberally over Home made wedges with some oil before cooking make them delicious

Oh and freeze end of the wine in ice cube trays; then you can just get a couple out for gravy/stews/bolognaise. Also works for caramelised onion mush.

Put cooked boiled eggs into a glass of cold water until they’re cool enough to peel. This will stop the eggs cooking further in the shell and the yolk turning grey and crumbly or turning into hard boiled eggs if you want soft.

If using half an avocado, leave the stone in the other half to stop it turning brown when storing in the fridge

@MogThoughtDarkThoughts
Make preserved lemons in old jam jars. They are SO delicious and take 10 mins to make. I use them in casseroles, tagine, marinades, with steamed veg

How?

Grate the rind of an orange and a lemon over roasties and add unpeeled garlic cloves to the pan before cooking.

@DiggertyDam
There are loads of recipes out there, but this is what I did, based on www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/15/make-your-own-preserved-lemons:

Get some washed, unwaxed lemons, flaky salt and some jam/kilner jars that you've sterilised in the oven/dishwasher. (I also put a red chili in each jar but that was more for decorative purposes, as I made these for xmas presents.)

Cut the lemons into quarters and put into the jars - after each lemon goes in, add a tablespoon of salt. Keep pressing down as you put them in - after a while you'll notice all the juice coming out due to the salt. When you've filled the jars, check the juice is covering the lemons - add more lemon juice if you need to. Add lid and shake vigorously to dissolve the salt. Then you just put them in a dark cupboard for a month or two. Upend/shake them occasionally if you remember.

The amount of salt is a bit scary while you're making them, granted, but the flavour is so concentrated, you don't need to use much.

@LostNAlone
Your pizza/flatbread recipe sounds amazing. I can't wait to try that out!

Beat stuff in the sink. (Not in the actual sink, put the bowl into the sink when using an electric mixer.)

No spatters!

squigglirl
Instead of using unsalted butter when making cakes, use regular butter and don't add salt to the cake mixture. Way cheaper to buy regular butter than unsalted.

What are you on about? No it’s not!

Use oven liners.

Some of these are reminding me of that episode of Friends when Rachel put the mince into the trifle, and everyone was to polite to tell her.

The yoghurt and flour pizza base is the most batshit tip I've seen in a while. I'll have to try it obvs. Does full fat yoghurt work?

After you've cooked rice place a tea towel over the top of the saucepan for a couple of minutes before serving, it'll absorb the steam and remaining water leaving it very fluffy

I've been making that pizza base for over 30 years, it's something my mum showed me. Means you can make a pizza with just a frying pan.

Use a pulled pork recipe on any "cheap" fatty roasting joint. Smoked gammon, fore rib of beef, whole shoulder of lamb, ox tails, etc.

Yoghurt in bread dough is the classic naan recipe

A friend makes the yoghurt and flour pizza base. It doesn't taste anything like a 'proper' stone-baked pizza base to me, but it's something to try if you have the ingredients I guess!

I find a normal yeast/flour/water pizza base only takes minutes to throw together though, so happy to stick with that!

Another easy super cheesy cheese sauce (which is also idea for low carb meal plans)

Melt 2 tbsp butter, whisk in a whole pack of cream cheese (full fat) and then any other cheese you have lying around, I use plenty of grated cheddar, a tap mustard and a grating of nutmeg, whisk until smooth, you can think out with a splash of water if needs be.

I use it to pour over steamed cauli and broccoli and then bake for a delicious dinner.

For perfect rice evertime and no mess
2 mugs of rice
3 mugs water (cold)
Microwave in a coveredPyrex dish for 20 mins
Perfect basmati rice every time

I mentioned to DH that I was going to try a new pizza base recipe tonight. There was a flash of fear in his eyes and it was clear that he hasn't forgotten the cauliflower.