Archive for Tips & How To...
The Difference between Yellow, White, and Red Onions
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Welcome to The Cooking Dish blog! This is one of the highest read articles about onions, and I hope you find the answer you’re looking for. If not, please leave a comment below and I’m more than happy to answer your question.
If you’ve ever been in the grocery store buying onions and couldn’t figure out which color of onion to buy, you’re not alone. Or perhaps you’re cooking and realize your recipe calls for a white onion and all you have are yellow onions… dont’ worry. There are many onions out there, each with their different purposes, but typically they fit into two categories, green and dry onions. This post discusses the dry onions (red onions, yellow onions, and white onions). Although there are many types of each of these dry onions, the general rules for them are as follows.
All about Watercress
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My first memories of watercress are at my grandma’s house. I was spending the evening with her after elementary school and she gave me a sandwich with a stringy, small-leaf herb packed between the sandwich meat and bread. I didn’t know my herbs back then and thought she had packed it full of sprouts. It was quite a shock when I took a hefty bite full of fresh watercress and its vibrant flavor filled my mouth.
Watercress is an excellent herb you can use in salads (watercress salad), salad dressings, herb butters, soups, hamburgers, sandwiches, brussels spreads, etc. I’m not quite sure how to explain the flavor, it’s a little different than other herbs, but I’d say it has a zippy, peppery, fresh, maybe pungent taste (as if that description helps). Additional from a unique flavor, it’s also high in vitamins and minerals and is often recognized as a super food.
When you prepare watercress, thoroughly rinse it in cold water and then cut off the stems. once the stems are cut off, you can chop the rest of it up and mix it in with your spreads or add it to your soups. If you’re using it fresh in sandwiches or salads, consider adding it to the dish without cutting it up. Also, if you want the original flavor, you can eat it fresh; cooking the watercress diminishes the flavor substantially and also eliminates some if it’s health benefits.
As a word of caution, if you’re new to watercress, I’d recommend taking it in easy doses first, or you might find the flavor overwhelming.
What is Kosher Salt, and What is It Used For?
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The other day I posted a short article regarding the differences between Sea Salt and regular Table Salt, but I didn’t mention Kosher salt. And why didn’t I mention kosher salt? There’s a deep physiological reason behind this, so think deeply. Have you figured it out yet? The truth is, I just didn’t feel like writing any more about salt, so I stopped after sea salt and table salt. But, one of my co-workers caught me on it… so now here’s a post dedicated especially to my coworker (you know who you are). So, what is kosher salt and what is it used for?
I like to think that kosher salt belongs somewhere in between sea salt and table salt because it’s an excellent salt to both cook and cure with. Kosher salt has larger crystals which make drawing out a meat’s moisture and blood easier. (This also is the reason it’s called kosher salt, as this is part of the process to make meats kosher.)
Because kosher salt has a larger surface area that absorbs the moisture more readily than regular table salt and because of it’s subtler flavor, it might take a few trial and error dishes to learn how to use it instead of table salt. But once you start cooking with it, chances are you’ll learn to love it. And, by the way, this is a great salt to top homemade pretzels with.
As a quick note, kosher salt doesn’t contain iodine, but no fears, there’s plenty of iodine in other foods you consume.
Read about sea salt and table salt by clicking here.
Sea Salt vs Table Salt: Which One Do You Use?
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Sea salt vs. table salt: which do you choose? They are the two most common salts used in your kitchen. Both salts have the same nutritional value. You can argue about the differences in the minerals and iodine, etc. but in the end, they’re both sodium chloride crystals. Good ol’ NaCl.
As a kid I remember going to a large salt mine and was amazed at the process that salt when through from start to finish, meaning earth to table. It really is amazing what the earth produces. It’s a good thing too, because without it some foods would be pretty bland! I hear from my non-American friends though that they think our food here in America is too salty. I guess that wouldn’t surprise me, I know a lot of people who over-salt their foods, and this rising generation seems to be raised on potato chips and popcorn. Well, that’s a little off topic–stay focused, Chris– salt is staple in any kitchen, and when it’s used correctly makes food tastes amazing!
But enough of the ranting, I’ve created just a short summary of the difference between sea salt and table salt that I think you’ll find helpful if you’re trying to figure out if you should use sea salt or the regular table salt. Keep in mind that these are short descriptions, and there’s gad’s more information out there on salt. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments and I’ll answer them for you.
How to Deglaze Your Pans + Recipe
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Deglazing a pan is the key to making delicious sauces and gravies for your meats and vegetables. After cooking meat or vegetables instead of scrapping all the leftover fat and dregs into a grease jar, make it into a divine sauce. Deglazing a pan is simply adding stock, lime juice, water, or some other liquid to break up and dissolve the dregs left over from sauteing, searing, or roasting. I especially like to deglaze my cast iron pans, as it helps the cast iron’s flavor–not that I eat cast iron or anything.
If you haven’t deglazed your pans before, now’s a good time to get started. You’ll be surprised how well you can get the junk off your pan when doing so ad also the delicious sauces you can make. So for starters, here’s how to deglaze your pots and pans and make a delicious sauce.
How to Blacken Chicken or Fish
Posted by: | CommentsBlackening chicken and fish can be a lot of fun, especially if you like smoke and flames (read the helpful tips below). Most of the time you hear of blackened chicken, blackened salmon, and blackened catfish. That’s because they’re a tender meat that will still hold together under the intense blackening process. You can blacken other meats as well, but you’ll want to be sure they’re thinly sliced.
Before we get started on the actual process, here are a few tips to achieve the best blackening results.
- Use a cast iron skillet. These truly are the best for blackening. They can stand the intense prolonged heat and provide excellent flavor for your chicken or fish, whereas other pans may warp. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet and still want to blacken your meat, do not use a non-stick pan, instead use a thick-bottomed pan meant for higher heats.
- Keep your food cool before blackening. Butter and oils will stick better to a cool piece of chicken and fish.
- Open all your windows and turn on the fans. Blackening food creates a lot of smoke and sometimes some flames.
- Keep your filets around 1/2″ thick. If they’re any thicker they may not cook all the way through.
- Make sure you use a thick oven mitt or thick hot pads because your pan is going to get really hot.
To make blackened chicken or blackened fish
- Heat your cast-iron skillet to a high temperature.
- Meanwhile, create a butter & spice mixture. Melt enough butter (use a microwave-safe pie plate) to coat all the meat your making on both sides, and then a few tablespoons extra to spare. Add your favorite chicken or fish spices to the butter and mix it up well. The blackening is caused by the butter charring in the pan, and the spices will add to the flavor. Cajun spices are the most popular for blackening. You can also buy a blackening seasoning from the grocery store. Don’t use fresh herbs, they instantly burn and turn bitter.
- Pat your chicken or fish dry. This helps the butter create a sealing crust on the meat, keeping it from drying out.
- Dip the meat into your melted butter and spice mixture. At this point, you can add a little extra spices to your meat, but don’t set it down, because you’ll remove the butter from the meat.
- Place the meat in the pre-heated HOT cast iron skillet. Be prepared for a lot of smoke and maybe some flames.
- This step is optional: Immediately after laying your meat in the skillet, spoon another tablespoon of your butter and spice mixture over the fish. Be prepared for more smoke and possible flames.
- Allow the meat to cook for about 3 minutes (depends on how thick it is), then flip it over (add another tablespoon of butter if you want) and cook it for another three minutes.
- When the food is done cooking, you can add additional spices or lime (or lemon) juice if you wish. As a suggestion, also try adding lime juice to your butter and spice mixture.
With a little bit of practice and a smokey house later, you’ll be a pro at cooking your own blackened chicken, blackened salmon, and blackened catfish.
