VEG COOKING TIPS 2

REDUCE THE HOTNESS IN STEWS & SOUPS

If your dish has turned out far too chillie hot, you can add a dollop of sour cream or yogurt to mellow the flavours. Did you know that when using chilies you can reduce the amount of fire you add by discarding the white ribs inside the chili peppers.
SALTING EGGPLANTS

The juices of some eggplants are bitter, therefore sprinkling slices of eggplant with salt draws these bitter compounds to the surface, which can be then blotted away. This is also results in less absorbtion of fat if it is being browned or pan fried. While making stews which involves lengthy simmering or other spices, you can omit salting the eggplant.
To take away traces of bitterness in tomatoes, add a bit of sugar to them.
FRESH LEMONS

To get the maximum juice out fresh lemons and oranges, first bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen slab before squeezing them.
SPINACH DELIGHT

Tie together spinach stalks in bundles with a string. Cook these in boiling salted water for about 25 minutes or until tender. Serve topped with plenty of melting butter.
CRUSH GARLIC

To crush garlic, peel it, chop it fine and then press it with the heel of a knife.
Another method of skinning tomatoes is to place a tomato on a kitchen fork and hold it directly over the gas flame, and keep turning until the skin pops. When cool, peel off the skin.
SKINNED TOMATOES

To remove the skin from tomatoes, in case you have not skinned them before: At the end of the cooking time, boil the mixture rapidly for 2-3 minutes, by which time the skins will rise to the top and you can skim off with a perforated spoon.
PEEL TOMATOES

Make a shallow cross at the bottom of the tomatoes with a knife. Then, place the tomatoes in hot water for a few minutes. Remove them from the water and allow them to cool. The skin can now be peeled easily.
BETTER TASTING TOMATOES

Adding sugar to tomatoes when cooking takes away that slightly bitter taste.
RIPE TOMATOES

Sunlight doesn't ripen tomatoes, warmth does. Find a nice warm spot near the stove or dishwasher where they can get a little heat.
RED ONION STAINS

Red onions really can stain your hands when you handle them with your bare hands, and soap will not get the stains out. Cut a potato in slices, run it under cold water, then rub the wet potato on your hands. The stains will just fade away!
RAW ONION SMELL

If you want to take the sharp smell of onions, and wish to use it as an accompaniment for an Indian dish. Sprinkle some salt, red pepper and lemon, and put it in the fridge for a few hours.
DRY FRESH HERBS

If you purchase picked herbs, wash and pat them dry. Tie a few sprigs together and hang the bunches upside down in a warm, dry spot. Keep the bunches out of direct sunlight, this can burn the leaves and destroy the aroma. The herbs will be dry in 1 to 2 weeks.
FRESHER SALAD

Your salad will taste better and crisper if the vegetables have been soaked in chilled water for a while.
DISCOLORED POTATOES

To keep peeled and sliced potatoes from discoloring before use, keep them covered with cold water.
WELL-BAKED POTATOES

If you would like crisp and well-browned baked potatoes, place them in hot water for half and hour, then pierce the whole skin with a fork, then put them in to bake.
BAKE POTATOES

If you are in a hurry to bake potatoes, you can boil them in salted water for 10 minutes, and after that place it in a hot oven to bake.
SOFT SWEETCORN

To make sure that you don?t; end up with tough corn, do not add salt while cooking it. It will make the corn tough.
SWEETCORN

To keep sweet corn yellow, add one teaspoon lemon juice to the cooking water just about a minute before taking off the stove.
CLEAN MUSHROOMS

To clean mushrooms, wipe them with a damp cloth, or rinse them quickly in cold water. Do not attempt to soak them as that makes them soggy.

Use a paste of mashed boiled potato to any soup to thicken and add body, if you have run out of cornflour.
If you dont want your sliced potatoes to color, dip them in cold water.

To avoid tears while you chop onions, after you peel them, dip them in cold water for a while.

LONG LAST THE LEMONS!

Lemons last longer when refrigerated.

PICK LEMONS

The best lemons to pick are the ones that feel heavy and have a smooth, but a tight and coarse skin