Home-cooked meals are healthier and more budget-friendly than already-prepared meals or eating out. Plus, few things are homier than staying in with the family and sharing a homemade meal together. However, not everyone has the culinary know-how of a Michelin-starred chef, which means that home-cooked meals can sometimes be a little lackluster. Here are three easy ways to make your homemade meals even tastier.
Change How You Cook
It’s easy to get into a cooking rut, but sticking to one or two cooking methods is a mistake. If you boil everything, you are losing out on a lot of potential flavors. If you are frying everything, you are masking the underlying flavors of your food in all of that oil and breading.
You can boost the flavors and improve the textures of your food by learning a few new cooking techniques. Sauteing, broiling, grilling, and roasting are all excellent ways to pull new and exciting flavors out of your ingredients and keep your family from getting bored.
Add Spice
A critical part of cooking well is learning how to spice things up. Spices and seasonings are often the main difference between a boring, bland, home-cooked meal and a mouth-wateringly delicious meal out. Simply learning about popular seasonings and how to use them can drastically improve your cooking. For example, some herbs and spices should be added early on in the cooking process, while others should be added later.
Robust herbs that should be added early include oregano, sage, and rosemary. Delicate herbs like cilantro, parsley, and basil should be added just before serving. Just be careful not to overdo it on spices such as pepper, chile, and cumin. Eating too many spicy foods can lead to heartburn.
Use Fresh Ingredients
Fresh ingredients are healthier and more flavorful than the alternative. Whenever possible, opt for fresh, local produce, freshly cut meats, and fresh herbs in your dishes. Canned and frozen foods won’t give you the same distinctive flavors and ideal textures that make a great dish. The visual appeal is also diminished with canned produce. However, keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious whether fresh, frozen, or canned, and sometimes frozen or canned produce will actually be preferred to fresh, depending on the recipe.
In today’s high-tech world, there is never an excuse for cooking the same six boring, lackluster meals week after week. New recipes and tutorials are just a click away. Take a little time to learn some basic cooking techniques and try out some new recipes to put a little pizzazz into your home-cooked meals. Who knows? You might never want to eat out again!
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