Cookbook Giveaway – Mad Genius Tips

65 Comments

• dbcurrie  on  January 10, 2017

  Not really a hack, but having the right tool for the job makes cooking easier – the right pan, the right knife, a good cutting board. Sure, you can whisk things with a fork, but a whisk does it better.

• jr0717  on  January 10, 2017

  I recently started making big batches of tea in a pot on the stove, some of which I'll save to drink, the remainder of which I leave in the pot, add aromatics, and poach chicken or veggies in for dinner that night!

• lauriesk  on  January 10, 2017

  My hack is to buy some foods that just take too long to prepare. I buy Trader Joe's organic brown rice frozen. So easy to just microwave and add as a side dish, or as a base with leftovers.

• jezpurr  on  January 10, 2017

  I use my hands when baking cookies and breads saves electricity and cleanup!!!^_^

• ravensfan  on  January 10, 2017

  Clean up while I cook.

• camtncook  on  January 10, 2017

  I keep my cast iron on the stove because it's too heavy to keep hauling out when I want to cook. I use those pans on a regular basis because they are ready to grab…

• Siegal  on  January 10, 2017

  I freeze everything

• Lavnder  on  January 11, 2017

  I wash all my dishes and utensils while the food is cooking, makes for a quicker cleanup at the end. And i pre-prep measurements and cuts before hand.

• averythingcooks  on  January 11, 2017

  Not an original but using my food processor for cutting butter/lard into pastry and my Kitchen Aid mixer for mixing / kneading yeast dough ( pizza crust, bread dough, soft pretzels etc ) makes doing both far easier/faster AND they produce a great results.

• vickster  on  January 11, 2017

  Using a spatula to scoop up chopped ingredients into bowl or pan

• lhudson  on  January 11, 2017

  I don't have a hack, so this book would be great!

• uclangel422  on  January 11, 2017

  Definitely planning ahead of time and prepping on the weekends for weeknight meals

• ninaarahgnis  on  January 11, 2017

  I like to clean up as I go, that way I don't feel like I have a huge mess waiting for me to manage after I'm done cooking.

• Rinshin  on  January 11, 2017

  Use fresh baby spinach or baby green as one of the topping for ramen. Hot broth gently cooks the green while you eat.

• dangold  on  January 11, 2017

  Peel garlic easily — separate cloves, then place in small/medium saucepan (cold) and cover. Shake vigorously 15-45 seconds (hold on to cover tightly) and voila! Garlic is peeled.

• SilverSage  on  January 11, 2017

  A scale. Saves time and clean up.

• daniellespinato1  on  January 11, 2017

  It's not the fanciest hack but cleaning up as I go along is key for me!

• dbielick  on  January 11, 2017

  Using a angel food pan to take the kernels off corn ears

• rchesser  on  January 11, 2017

  To make several grilled cheese sandwiches at once, butter both sides of the sandwich, place on a sheet pan, place another sheet pan on top and pop into a 375 degree oven until done.

• lgroom  on  January 11, 2017

  I stir a couple eggs into a package a package of ramen noodles just as they've finished cooking. Then I ladle it all over some shredded spinach or chard and top with minced chives or green onions. A filling meal.

• annieski  on  January 13, 2017

  For "big" family dinners, I create a detailed time line showing when everything needs to go into and come out of the oven at what temp. This allows us to remember everything on the menu and ensure everything is ready at the same time,

• JanScholl  on  January 14, 2017

  I always double or triple the recipes of foods that can be frozen and then I have food for those crazy days that only take a minute or two in the microwave.

• cezovski  on  January 14, 2017

  Freeze leftover tomato paste in ice cube trays. Recipes seldom call for a whole can, so when you need only a few tablespoons, you can pull put a cube.

• cocecitycook  on  January 14, 2017

  Use parchment paper whenever possible, saves on clean up time.

• sarahawker  on  January 14, 2017

  I create weekly menu on Sunday and do a lot of the veggie prep at that time because it's the easiest to "forget" when I'm out of time. Also make big pan of shakshuka so I can thrown an egg on top and ensure I have veg for breakfast every day.

• SheilaS  on  January 14, 2017

  Storing whole ginger root in the freezer and using a microplane to grate it – no need to peel or thaw!

• Mariarosa  on  January 16, 2017

  I use my electric kettle to get boiling water really fast when required for a recipe.

• alirov  on  January 16, 2017

  It really feels like cheating when I can freeze pre-portioned food to cook sous vide. When I get home on a weeknight, I can throw a bag or two into a pot of water and have a hassle free meal ready to go.

• bfg67  on  January 17, 2017

  pit cherries with a chopstick

• motherofpearl81  on  January 17, 2017

  I like to make freezer meals. It's a great way to save time during the week.

• allthatsleftarethecrumbs  on  January 17, 2017

  I am trying to get better about planning and so I am keeping my freezer better organized. This really helps to know what I have and what I need to get at the grocery store.

• Annpie  on  January 17, 2017

  only get small zucchinis don't need to core them!

• tennyogirl  on  January 18, 2017

  Last thing after cleaning the kitchen think about if there's anything you'd like to soak overnight to make the next day. Beans? Nuts for nut milk? It saves a lot of time 🙂

• gjelizabeth  on  January 18, 2017

  I warm plates in te microwave.

• pandapotamus  on  January 18, 2017

  use a food processor

• sgump  on  January 19, 2017

  I look for recipes that require the smallest number of bowls, pans, and other implements–and then I occasionally simplify even more, if I know the outcome won't be affected. Simplifies washing up!

• auntietina  on  January 20, 2017

  I always try to double recipes that can be frozen. It's not much extra work to put together three lasagnas instead of two. And if you make them in disposable foil pans they make great gifts as well.

• t.t  on  January 20, 2017

  I prefer to weigh ingredients rather than measure when baking–saves on cleanup.

• ktwalla  on  January 22, 2017

  I like to freeze baked goods on a sheet pan. Once frozen, I place the items in a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer. I can remove items individually without them sticking together.

• bstewart  on  January 23, 2017

  Apple slicer = perfect french fries.

• rejcooks  on  January 23, 2017

  I bake challah every week, but I only make dough about once a month, I divide the dough into quarters after kneading and freeze 3 of the portions individually. In the following weeks, I take the dough out of the freezer the night before baking and leave it in the fridge overnight to begin to rise.

• MmeFleiss  on  January 24, 2017

  I roll out pie dough over parchment paper.

• PennyG  on  January 24, 2017

  I have an Insinkerator hot water dispenser and will never part with it!

• matag  on  January 25, 2017

  Start with a good rotisserie chicken

• verorenee  on  January 27, 2017

  Have a citrus reamer really helps

• hippiechick1955  on  January 27, 2017

  I wish I knew some hacks. I do a whole lot of baking so some helpful hints in the kitchen would be a gift!

• ltsuk  on  January 27, 2017

  During Meyer lemon season juice and freeze in half ounce ice cubes. Vinaigrette, mixed drinks, and just a pop of flavor all year round. Also, a muddler crushes those cubes so they melt faster. Muddler is also good for smashing fruit to make jam in the bread machine!

• damazinah  on  January 28, 2017

  Pimiento cheese!

• mcrimmins  on  January 28, 2017

  I chop all the vegetables I need for soup the night before and place them in a ziplock bag with a paper towel.

• christineleong  on  January 28, 2017

  Cook more rice and freeze for later use.

• Sfgordon  on  January 30, 2017

  I have an extra-large cutting board that I keep on my counter at all times, which has lots of space for cutting things and storing piles of chopped things separately. I keep a (clean) pastry scraper on my cutting board so when I'm chopping lots of veggies I can easily transfer them to bowls/containers/pots/pans. It's both faster than using the blade of a knife to transfer cut veggies ( because there's more surface area on the pastry scraper) and it also protects the knife blade from wear-and-tear because your'e not constantly dragging the blade across a surface and wearing it down.

• Katiefayhutson  on  January 30, 2017

  Not really a hack, but keep those leftover rotisserie chicken bones in the freezer until you have a couple and then make chicken stock from scratch. It freezes great and adds much more flavor than the boxed kind.

• Teruska  on  January 31, 2017

  I keep my steel close at hand so I don't lose the edge on my knife mid-prep. I am also pretty good about my mis en place.

• elogibs  on  January 31, 2017

  To keep my plastic cutting mats from slipping, I put a hand towel underneath. Then to catch any clippings or cuttings, I keep paper towels or a plastic bag right next to my work area.

• mariehuntoon  on  January 31, 2017

  I don't have any but would love to save time in the kitchen!!!!

• Jbolze  on  February 1, 2017

  I use cooking spray in my measuring spoons and cups when using sticky ingredients like corn syrup and honey so they slide out of the vessel easily.

• choppergirl  on  February 1, 2017

  Open your dirty dishwasher and spray cooking spray on pans over opened dishwasher. The mess just goes to your dirty dishes and is cleaned up on your next cycle.

• CCF4  on  February 2, 2017

  Love the short videos that Justin does….

• elysek  on  February 6, 2017

  I've used the two bowl method where one bowl is placed over the other and one shakes it to peel large amounts of garlic.

• niniacedo  on  February 7, 2017

  You can poach several eggs at the time if you strain them first!

• rlmiller  on  February 11, 2017

  When rinsing beans, rice, etc., or straining hot foods, tuck the handle of the strainer under your dish drying rack.

• rivergait  on  February 11, 2017

  I have a plastic garage bowl on the counter, which can be emptied into a covered stainless steel compost bin, which can then be emptied into a plastic file box with clamp lids….which then goes out to the compost pile when full.

• Dmartin997  on  February 11, 2017

  Chicken noodle soup with a roasted chicken from the market.

• Lynled  on  February 12, 2017

  Make a huge salad when you put away the groceries. Surround it with paper towels and it will keep crispy fresh for days.

• Suzw  on  February 12, 2017

  Make extra and freeze whatever can be frozen.