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KITCHEN BASICS

 

Many people new to NT are also new to cooking.  So in an effort to answer some of the questions I get often about cooking basics, I decided to add a page of basic cooking directions.  I'll add more to this page as more people ask basic cooking questions.  If there's something you'd like to see written up here, please e-mail me at suggestions@cookingTF.com and I'll add the answer to this page.

 

How to cook dry beans

 

Beans are a very cheap way to add fiber, bulk and protein to your diet.  However, most people rely on canned beans instead of cooking them themselves.  Using dry beans can significantly cut the cost.  I recently compared the cost of dry to canned beans, and I found for that the brands that I use, canned can cost three to four times as much as dry.  And cooking beans from scratch is certainly very easy and not at all labor intensive, so it's a very easy way to save money.  

 

For a long time my attempts at cooking dry beans ended up in a mushy mess.  I later found that a key to getting them done but still firm is to use the crock-pot.  To cook dry beans, you must first soak them overnight in plenty of water.  The next morning, drain them and put in your crock-pot and cover with plenty of water. Put on low and leave for a few hours- check them periodically to see if they're ready.  You want them to be firm but have no hint of crunch left.  This can take 6-12 hours in a crock-pot, depending on the type and age of the bean.    

 

One pound of beans will make 6 cups of cooked beans. I can do one pound of beans in my 3.5 qt crock-pot with plenty of room to spare. They freeze well, so if you have a larger crock-pot it's easy to do a couple of pounds or more and freeze them up in two-cup portions for later use.  

 

 

How to roast a chicken

 

Roasted chicken is an easy to prepare, delicious, and is nice enough to serve to company.  To roast one chicken, take a thawed chicken and rinse it thoroughly and pat dry.  Place it into an empty 9x13 pan.  If you like, you can reach in with your fingers at the neck and separate the skin from the breast meat and stuff the skin with sprigs of rosemary or thyme and thin slices of lemon.  Then rub the skin with oil.  Sprinkle on the spices that you wish to use, and rub them into the skin.  Place diced onion and lemon into the cavity.  Pour 1/4 cup of water or chicken stock into the bottom of the pan.  

 

Place in the oven and roast uncovered for 5 hours at 250 degrees (no, that's not a typo) or you can roast at 350 for approximately an hour to an hour and a half.  Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, parallel to the floor, and make sure it measures 160 degrees before you remove it from the oven.  Carry over will take the temperature up at least another 5 degrees to the 165 degree mark once you remove it from the oven.  Allow the chicken to sit for at least 15 minutes to cool and let the juices redistribute before you attempt to cut the chicken.  Do not remove the thermometer while it is resting, or you will loose a lot of moisture from the meat.

 

Once the  chicken is cool, you can carve it.  Place the leftover meat into the freezer for later use in a casserole or to make chicken salad.  Allow the bones to cool before attempting to make stock with it.

 

 

How to make chicken stock in a crockpot

 

Once your roasted chicken carcass is cooled, you can place the bones  and cartilage into a 6qt crockpot and add 4 cups of water and 2 tbs vinegar.  Add in any carrots, celery an onion or other veggies you'd like.  Allow to soak for 1 hour.  Turn the crockpot on low for 24 hours.  

 

To finish the stock, add one bunch of parsley and allow to cook for 30 minutes, then turn off.  Strain out and discard the solids.  Cool the stock rapidly by placing the stock in a stainless steel bowl in a sink full of ice water.  Place the stock in the fridge overnight.  The next day, remove the solid layer of fat at the top and discard.  Bag or bottle the stock and freeze or use within 1-2 days.

 

If you would like to keep the chicken fat for cooking (schmaltz), then you need to strain the liquid and cool it and get out the chicken fat after only cooking the chicken for a short period of time.  Then return the stock and bones to the crockpot and finish the cooking time.  Long cooking times can cause fat to oxidize, which is why it is discarded if the stock is cooked 24 hours.

 

 

Useful conversions and substitutions

 

There are some useful conversions and substitutions that can help save you from having to do guess work when substituting, planning for company or doing batch cooking.

 

1 square or 1 oz unsweetened chocolate = 3 tbs cocoa plus 1 tbs butter or coconut oil

1 tbs cornstarch = 2 tbs flour

1 tsp dried mustard = 1 tbs prepared mustard

1 clove garlic = 1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 cup light cream = 3 tbs butter or coconut oil plus about 7/8 cup milk (for cooking only)

1 cup heavy cream = 1/3 cup butter or coconut oil plus about 3/4 cup milk (for cooking only, not whipping)

1 cup tomato juice = 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel = the rind of 1 medium lemon