Cooking Archives - Page 2 of 5

How to Go Vegan on a Budget: Your Complete Guide

March 25, 2020 by Mandy

If you’ve scrolled through social media posts for vegan recipes or diets, it may seem like a massive and expensive undertaking. It doesn’t have to be. You can achieve a healthy vegan lifestyle without breaking the bank.

Keep reading for tips on how to go vegan on a budget!

Reasons to Go Vegan

If you’ve spent your life as an omnivore you may wonder why people go vegan. The answer varies from person to person. Someone may live a vegan lifestyle:

To reduce their carbon footprint and produce less waste contributing to climate change
To adopt healthier eating habits
To help control or reduce your risk for a chronic disease
For personal or spiritual reasons
In opposition to animal cruelty and industrial farming

Cutting consumption of animal products may help you lower your risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and lower your cholesterol. Plant-based diets come with a lot of benefits and changes.

What Happens to Your Body When You Go Vegan

You may find going from omnivore to vegan to be a difficult process. You’ll likely feel the effect of the lifestyle change after a few weeks. You may experience:

Changes in weight (either loss or gain)
Different food cravings
GI discomfort
Boosted energy levels
Clearer skin

It is important to monitor your nutritional intake and consult your doctor before any drastic dietary changes, as you may need to take supplements (such as B-12 or Iron) when giving up certain foods.

How to Go Vegan on a Budget

According to the USDA, the average American can meet the daily nutritional requirements of fruits and vegetables for less than $3 a day. You can easily save money and meet all of your dietary needs with healthy vegan foods.

Fresh v. Frozen

Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthy as fresh ones. The vegetables in the freezer aisle were picked at peak ripeness, unlike the fresh produce. Fresh produce is picked a few days shy of ripe in order to extend its shelf-life.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are often cheaper and are good additions to meals like stir-fry, soup, and smoothies.

Buy in Bulk

Many vegan staples can be bought in bulk. This is often cheaper than buying in smaller quantities. Here are some common vegan staples:

Legumes (dried beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.)
Tofu
Rice and/or quinoa
Pasta
Nuts
Oats
Nutritional Yeast
Nut Butter

You can use these foods in recipes or eat them on their own. All of these listed also have a long shelf-life, so you can stock up without worrying about expiration dates for a while.

Cook Your Own Food

Plant-based products, such as burgers, have been added to many fast food and quick service restaurant menus, but this is not the most cost-effective option for a vegan lifestyle (nor a healthy one). Making your own vegan dishes at home will save you money.

Maintaining a Vegan Lifestyle

Now that you have a better idea of how to go vegan on a budget, you can start incorporating these tips into your life.

Adopting a vegan lifestyle is affordable, sustainable, and one of the best choices you can make for your health!

Kitchen Talk: A Guide to the Different Types of Knives and Their Uses

February 24, 2020 by Mandy

Do you know the purpose of a cleaver, or why you’d pick a serrated knife over a chef’s knife? Do you tend to grab the same knife no matter what you’re doing?

With the influx of high-tech innovations, more people grow up not knowing about the different types of knives and their uses than ever before.

The problem with this is that using knives outside of their intended purpose leads to blunt edges and warped blades. You’ll end up needing replacement knives more often than you and your budget might like.

Want to learn the differences between all the knives? Listed down below are all of the knives you’ll ever need, so keep reading to find out more!

Chef’s Knife

Although there are many types of knives out there, there are only a few that are essential to any kitchen. The chef’s knife is one of the most important and most versatile.

The blade is a wedged shape, coming to a point at the end, allowing you to anchor the knife on the cutting board as you chop your food. The long blade makes it intimidating to novice chefs, but it’s far safer to use a sharp and large blade than a blunt one.

Although a chef’s knife has a variety of uses, you shouldn’t use it for butchering purposes or opening any kind of packaging.

A chef’s knife is perfect for slicing, chopping, and dicing anything from vegetables and fruits to meat and fish.

Steak Knife

Of all the knives in this list, this is perhaps the most common and easiest to understand. We often use these knives as cutlery, though the knife has other uses besides cutting through cooked steaks. It’s also great for cutting up the more delicate varieties of vegetables.

Modern steak knives often come with a serrated edge to aid in the slicing of meats, which is where this thin blade excels.

A steak knife is perfect for slicing and cutting cooked meats, or slicing up delicate vegetables and salads.

Paring Knife

With a small blade and a sharp pointed tip, a paring knife is great for any activity that requires finesse.

It’s a good sidekick to the chef’s knife. Any time you feel your chef’s knife is too large for the job, grab a paring knife. Its similar shape and smaller size make it easy to use for delicate jobs or smaller-sized foods.

A paring knife is perfect for peeling vegetables and fruits, slicing small pieces of softer food, or mincing ginger and garlic.

Serrated Knife

Although it’s one of the more intimidating knives, a long serrated blade is a must-have for a balanced kitchen.

This knife’s most common purpose goes hand-in-hand with its other common name: bread knife. If you’ve ever tried to cut through a loaf of bread and ended up squashing it instead, then it’s time to find yourself a serrated knife. The long but thin blade and serrated edge make it a breeze to slice through any kind of bread product.

It’s also great for gripping and slicing through slippery surfaces, such as tomatoes or peppers. If the blade is thick enough, it’s even able to slice through melons with no problem.

This knife works best when used with a sawing motion so that the teeth of the blade have ample space to grip and cut through the material.

A serrated knife is perfect for slicing bread of all types, slicing slippery or waxy foods, or carving through melons.

Santoku Knife

Although a santoku knife looks similar to a chef’s knife at first glance, it has a straighter and shorter blade. Instead of anchoring the point and chopping at the food, a santoku knife requires a more precise touch. You’ll need to use up and down motions to get the best cuts from this knife.

The shape of the blade makes it easier to get very thin slices, which is why many Japanese chefs love it for making things like sushi. The holes along the flat of the blade make it so that food doesn’t stick to the side as much, allowing for quicker chopping sessions.

A santoku knife is perfect for getting thin and precise cuts of vegetables and fruits or slicing through sticky fruits and meats.

Boning Knife

This curved blade often comes with a bit of flexibility, which aids in its primary purpose of removing meat from bones. The extra bit of flexibility makes it easier to follow along the curves of the meat’s bones, while still retaining a sharp edge. A stiffer boning knife works well when the bones you’re working with don’t have any kind of curve to them.

Despite its name, it’s important to remember that a boning knife isn’t meant to cut through bone, only the meat going around the bone.

A boning knife is perfect for separating all types of meat and fish from its bones.

Cleaver

If you’re looking to hack your way through bones and thick cuts of meat, then this is the knife you need in your kitchen. It has a strong and thick blade paired with a hefty weight that lets you chop right through all sorts of foods.

It doesn’t work well to slice through anything since you need to use the weight of the blade to get the most out of the knife. A cleaver works best when you raise it above the food and give it a good and careful whack.

A cleaver is perfect for chopping through bones, joints, thick meat, pumpkins, and squashes.

Knowing the Different Types of Knives and Their Uses Makes You a More Confident Chef

With the help of this list, you’ll have no trouble knowing which knife is the right one for the job. Using the right knife at the right time not only makes cooking easier but also extends the life of your knives.

So, instead of grabbing any knife out of the drawer next time, use your newfound knowledge of the different types of knives and their uses. It’ll make a huge difference in your kitchen and your cooking.

If you’re looking for even more tips to improve your culinary skills, don’t forget to check out the rest of our cooking section!

Cook Italian: 4 Ingredients Truly Authentic Italian Recipes

February 19, 2020 by Daisey Bell

There’s a whole lot more than Pizza and spaghetti when it comes to Italian food. There are a plethora of ingredients that enhance the flavor of all Italian Cuisine. Not only is Although Italian food seems heavy or bold, in essentiality, it’s rich and textural at so many levels, and not at all heavy! Let’s not intellectualize Italian Cuisine, it truly comes from a place of evocatively emotional heart, making it one of the heartiest cuisines globally. Unlike most other cuisines that are governed by protein, Italian is an eminent celebration of produce and a huge selection of cured meats. Today, let us focus on the produce that Italy imbibes through and through, in all their major recipes.

Staying traditional to the authentic produce from Italy is what makes Italian Cuisine enjoyable. Trying to recreate the Italian recipes without authentically sourced Italian ingredients is a call for failure on the very first step in the process of trying to emulate this Cuisine.

These are the verifiably sourced Italian produce that sets apart authentic Italian ingredients:

Cheese: Truly, any discussion of Italian Cuisine would not be complete without mentioning cheese sourced from the various regions of Italy. Cheese is not just a part of the Cuisine, but a dominant part of the Italian culture and daily life. Veneto, Lombardy, and Piedmont are some of the quality producers of fine cheese in Italy. Italian food wouldn’t be the same without the presence of its humble cheese production. Some have a delicate flavor, and others are very strong. Parmigiano Reggiano is among the most famously known Italian cheese worldwide. It also termed “The King of Italian Cheeses.” They are aged to perfection.
Olive Oil:In the year 2018, Italians consumed 557,000 tons of olive oil. In comparison, the US consumed 315,000 tons. That above-mentioned figure should be able to put things in perspective with regards to the importance of olive oil in Italian Cuisine. This oil has been a staple of the region for thousands of years. Just as all produce, olive oil is also graded on its quality. Apart from the Cuisine, Italians use olive oil in many different ways. It is common to assume that Italians use the best quality of their olive oils – “the extra virgin” one to cook their food – NOT TRUE! They use lesser quality, less flavorful versions of their extra virgin olive oils while cooking, whereas saving the quality oils from drizzling over portions of pasta, bread, salads, and everything else. Some of the best Italian olive oils are Partanna olive oil, Partanna Sicilian olive oil, and Partanna extra virgin olive oil.

Also Read This: Italian Olive Oil: The Benefits it Give and How to Find an Original Product

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are one of the most commonly used ingredients in Italian cooking. Tomatoes find their way into all kinds of recipes – from lasagna to spaghetti, salads to side dishes, stuffings to paella. All recipes celebrate tomatoes. Today some of the largest producers of tomatoes are Italy – from the regions of Puglia, Sardinia, Campania, and the coveted Sicily. San Marzano is the most popularly known and used tomato sauce. It is a long shaped tomato with very fleshy meat. It contains a minimal amount of seeds and thus deemed perfect for making sauces for pizza toppings, pasta, and other bases. They have just the mild sweetness and the perfect amount of acidity. Make sure to source these products from Italy, if you are trying to get the authentic flavors of Italy.
Mushrooms: Italy’s landscape is home to many forests and fields, and they hold many types of mushroom growth. The rainy and sunny climate is the perfect climatic condition for the growth of mushrooms. During summer and the autumn season, mushroom harvesting is a common household chore across Italy. They are a meaty vegan alternative to game and poultry. They are also eaten in many different ways and even used as stuffings for many recipes. Italians even go to the extent of preserving mushrooms in high-quality extra virgin olive oil and then plate them as starters at mealtimes. Porcini Boletus Mushrooms preserved in extra virgin olive oil is one of the best starter foods all over Italy.

These four ingredients are what makes Italian Cuisine impeccably and authentically Italian. Source these from the right places. Italian food online stores carry a variety of these ingredients and also ships them to your desired address. Begin your journey experiencing Italian Cuisine the right way.

Author Bio:-I am Daisy Bell a pro-level blogger with years of experience in writing for multiple industries. I have extensive knowledge of Food, Fitness, Healthcare, business, fashion, and many other popular niches. I have post graduated in arts and have a keen interest in traveling.

Pros and cons of owning a coffee machine

January 3, 2020 by Mandy

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‘Don’t talk to me before I have had my morning coffee.’ Does this phrase sound familiar? It might if you are not a morning person and crave for a steamy coffee mug right after you open your eyes.

Coffee and its blissful aroma are the reasons why many people look and sound upbeat in the morning. It revs up our nerves and kicks away our sluggish and lazy mood. It is also that one thing that keeps us going through a tough and hectic day. When you are dead exhausted at the end of a workday, the one thing you crave for is a hot, steaming cup of coffee.

Often the love for coffee drives people to the point that they wish to own a coffee machine. It is only fair to want to have at your disposable a machine that can be used to brew the right cup of coffee without a wait.

But are coffee makers worth the investment? A thorough analysis of the pros and cons of owning a coffee maker is required.

This article will help conclude whether owning a coffee maker is a smart choice or rather a decision based on wishful thinking.

Pros of Owning a Coffee Machine

Get Instant Coffee Anytime: the most prominent benefit of owning a coffee machine at home is getting instant coffee. Once the craving hits, brewing yourself a fresh cup of coffee is all you want, and buying yourself a coffee maker will help you achieve it. Say yes to owning a coffee maker and no to stepping out of the house just to get yourself a nice, warm cup of coffee whenever you need it.

In the morning, when all you want is a cup of coffee to recharge your brain, a coffee maker will come in very handy. Just switch the coffee maker on and let the machine do its job while you dress up for work. You wouldn’t have to waste time stopping on the way to work to get yourself whatever coffee preference you have. Convenient, isn’t it?

Provides Convenient Coffee-Making:

We all try our best to minimize work during morning hours. Dragging yourself out of bed and dressing up is already a daunting task. Add in the extra chore of making yourself a cup of coffee, without a machine, and anybody would sulk.

Coffee makers make the task incredibly effortless. Just put in coffee grains, turn it on and your job is done. The coffee will brew itself while you get other tasks finished. You can even place your travel mug in the coffee maker, and all you have to do is pick it up while leaving for work — convenience at its finest.

Skip Spending Cash on the Coffee Shop:

Does your everyday coffee expense disrupt your monthly budget? Running to work and dropping by at your favorite coffee shop to get a cup of coffee may be costly in the long run. Why quit your coffee intake to manage your expenses when you have a better solution in a coffee maker.

Owning a coffee maker at home will help you brew a fresh cup of coffee every day without the added expense. Buying a coffee maker will be a one-time expense that will save you from any further spending. You only need to purchase coffee grains, and you are good to go.

One-cup serving from a coffee maker will also help reduce waste. It is better than making coffee in a pot that can go to waste.

Fresh Coffee Beans Means Fresh Taste:

Nothing compares to the taste of a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Instant coffees are not a match. Also, there is a vast difference between coffee made with grounded grains in comparison to a cup of coffee made with fresh coffee beans, a coffee fanatic would know. Making coffee using coffee beans gives an amazing taste, which is very important for coffee lovers.

Mess-Free Coffee Making:

Using a coffee machine will help you make a cup of coffee without any mess. Cooking on a stove requires pots and pans, which may create a mess. However, using a coffee maker will avoid any chaos and will also make coffee in less time.

The last thing you would want to do on a lazy morning would be wasting time washing the coffee pot. However, the coffee maker and its parts are super easy to clean. You just need to detach and rinse them through water, and you are done.

Timer:

Coffee makers come with switch-off timers. As soon as the coffee is made, they switch off on their own. You can let the coffee brew while you do other tasks. Coffee makers reduce the amount of work you would otherwise have to do to make a cup of coffee. They help save time and effort.

Some coffee machines also come with a time programming option. Using this option, you can set a specific time you need the cup of coffee to be ready at, and the coffee machine will do the assigned task according to the time set. So, let’s say you need a cup of coffee right after you wake up, around 9 o’clock in the morning. Once you program this in the machine, you will have a steamy cup of coffee ready and waiting for you in the kitchen.

Coffee Makers are Speedy: Making coffee is quick when you use a coffee maker except when you use a slow brewing coffee machine. Using grounded beans to make coffee in a pot takes time. While using a coffee maker does the job in a flash.

Makes Serving the Guests Easy: Coffee makers also come with jugs instead of one-serving cups. These come in handy when making coffee for a few people. If you are someone who often has to host several guests, using this coffee maker makes it extremely easy. One-cup coffee makers in such situations are almost a waste.

You can switch the coffee maker on, and while you entertain the guests, fresh coffee will be ready.

Cons of Owning a Coffee Maker:

Coffee Beans/Pods Commitment: Even though owning a coffee maker will massively reduce your costs in comparison to buying coffee every day from a coffee shop, it will still be expensive compared to using instant coffee or ground beans. Coffee machines that require coffee pods to be placed in may become a long-term commitment and an added cost.

Before investing in a coffee maker, you need to weigh the added costs and the investment as opposed to the benefits the machine would reap for you. A decision based on a well-thought comparison will make sure the coffee maker is beneficial in the long run.

Might Work with Only Specific Brand Pods: Buying one espresso machine may also mean committing yourself to a single brand of coffee. Since certain espresso machines exclusively use only their coffee pods for the machine.

This might also mean less variety of coffee. Therefore, before investing in a coffee maker, make sure you check on the availability and the type of coffee pods to be used in it.

Final Word

Buying a coffee maker is a hefty investment since a high-quality coffee machine isn’t that cheap. Therefore, for an avid coffee fan, buying a coffee machine for home is potentially a smart choice. But if you are someone who occasionally craves a freshly brewed coffee mug, then hitting the nearest coffee shop would be your safest bet. Weigh your choices, options, budget, and make a well-informed choice before buying a coffee maker.

Essential Kitchen Supplies for a Fully Stocked Home

November 18, 2019 by Mandy

According to a survey by the Food Network, 28 percent of Americans say they can’t cook. Cooking is an intricate art, for sure, but it doesn’t need to be difficult.

If you own a handful of essential cooking supplies, you can whip up a range of delicious meals. Having the right kitchen tools means that you can try any recipe you like.

Do you know the difference between a chef’s knife and a paring knife? Do you know why you need to own measuring cups? If not, you’re in luck.

I’ve drawn together a list of the most important kitchen supplies you need in your home. Ready to learn to love cooking, and start impressing your family and friends? Then read on and start enjoying the culinary arts!

Kitchen Knives

A good set of knives are among the most important kitchen tools that you need. Sharp and well-balanced knives make cutting and chopping your ingredients easy. Learning how to chop your food into consistently-sized chunks will do wonders for the texture and taste of your meals.

You should own, at a minimum:

A chef’s knife. A well-made chef’s knife is the key to culinary success. Look for a knife that’s razor-sharp, well-balanced, and comfortable to hold.
A bread knife. While you can guess what this serrated knife’s main use is, it can also be useful for slicing pastry, cakes, and pizzas.
A paring knife. The paring knife is used for fine work, like peeling and coring. This knife should be exceptionally sharp and easy to hold.
A ceramic honing rod. This will keep your knives sharp. A blunt blade is more dangerous than a sharp one, so use it regularly!

A Large Chopping Board

Eschew the tiny chopping boards that you get in IKEA. Your chopping board will be among the most used kitchen supplies that you own.

Get one as big as your work area allows. Working in cramped conditions saps the fun out of cooking.

Essential Kitchen Utensils

Wooden spoons have been used in the kitchen for thousands of years. They don’t transfer heat or impact the food’s flavor, and they don’t scratch non-stick pans.
A spatula can be used for everything from turning meat and veg to stirring sauces. Buy one made from stainless steel.
A slotted spoon is perfect for removing vegetables from boiling water. One made from silicone is your best bet.
A ladle is a must for serving soups and stews.
If you often grill or roast meats, a good set of tongs helps you easily flip any food.

Pots and Pans

Good meals come from good pans. If you’re still using those non-stick pans that you bought for $10 back in the day, stop. Invest in these solid pans:

A ceramic grill pan. You can use grill pans on the stovetop and in the oven, making them extremely versatile kitchen utensils. The best ceramic grill pans can be used for everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to marinated veg.
A stainless steel sauté pan. These pans should be used for cooking meat, vegetables, and aromatics. The ingredients will stick lightly while cooking, creating fond on the pan’s base which will make delicious sauces.
Cast-iron skillet. For frying up meats, you can’t beat a cast-iron skillet. These pans will last forever and retain an incredible amount of heat.
A high-quality non-stick frying pan.
Small, medium, and large saucepans.
A stockpot. If you want to make Italian Sunday gravy, warming stews, or delicious stocks, you’ll need a tall stockpot.
A casserole dish.

Measuring Cups and a Measuring Jug

Eyeballing ingredients gets old fast and makes for unreliable success. Invest in a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients and a demarcated measuring jug for wet ones.

You’re going to be using these kitchen supplies a lot, so invest in good quality ones. For the cups, we’d recommend buying ones made of steel. For the jug, buy one made of Pyrex.

Mixing Bowls

Want to make a cake for the ones you love? How about a delicious marinade for meat or fish? You’ll need a set of mixing bowls.

Look for ones made of toughened glass, and avoid plastic. Glass doesn’t absorb flavor, so you can use these bowls over and over again without polluting your other dishes.

Meat Thermometer

Buying one of these changed the way I cook. Stick a meat thermometer into a roast, and you’ll instantly know when it’s done. No need to see if juices run clear, no need to cut a slice to see if it’s still pink in the middle.

Look for a thermometer that gives readings quickly. It should be able to tell you the meat’s temperature in under five seconds.

Blender

Most people forget a blender when buying kitchen stuff, but it’s extremely important. With a blender, you can make smoothies, sauces, and soups with ease. Invest in a good blender with large, strong blades.

Kitchen Scissors

A strong pair of kitchen scissors are essential. No matter whether you’re simply opening a packet, cutting through a crab’s shell, or slicing a pizza, scissors make your life a little easier.

Other Awesome Kitchen Supplies

These kitchen supplies aren’t as important as the ones we’ve already looked at, but they will make your life a lot easier.

A spice grinder. Store-bought spices lose flavor over time. If you buy a spice grinder, you’ll have fresh, delicious spices whenever you want them.
A sous-vide. This little gadget keeps water boiling at a consistent temperature. Seal up ingredients in vacuum bags, put them in the water, and cook them to perfection.
Oil infuser. Want to make your own version of that chili oil they have at Italian restaurants? Add your ingredients to an oil infuser for more flavorful, delicious oils.
A stand mixer. Stand mixers are expensive kitchen tools, but for making batter and kneading dough, they can’t be beaten. Look for a mixer with a variety of attachments, such as a dough hook.

Buying these key kitchen supplies will make your culinary life that little bit easier. If you are looking for more bread or kitchen appliances, then definitely visit make the bread. Ready to start making incredible meals? Then take a look at the cooking section of our blog and find a recipe that you want to try!