How to turn those cooking disasters into culinary masterpieces
Whether you’re an experienced MasterChef or a home cook, anyone can make mistakes in the kitchen that can spell disaster for your most tried and trusted recipes. Even the best chefs in the world can make mistakes - whether it’s too much salt or some overcooked veggies, one wrong move can turn your dish into a failure. The good news is there are remedies to correct them. Here’s how to fix those common kitchen nightmares.
Too salty
One of the most common mistakes in cooking is when you’ve added too much salt to the dish. It’s not good for your health and it makes the food inedible. But – depending on the situation - there are some remedies that can help. If you are cooking a dish with a lot of liquid like a stew or a soup, throw in some uncooked pasta or add a peeled medium potato into the pot. These will help to absorb the salt, so make sure you discard them afterwards. You can also double or triple the quantity of your recipe but don’t add any more salt. Just save the extra food in the fridge or freezer and use for lunches the next day or for when you just don’t feel like cooking.
Burnt toast
Okay, so, you got so engrossed watching the early morning news that you forgot about the toast until the aroma of burning bread started to fill the air. Don’t fret! Simply scrape it with a bread knife until the char is gone. If the toast is still too hard even when the burnt bits are removed, just brush it with some olive oil and sprinkle it with grated parmesan cheese and presto. Just like that you have fresh and tasty crostini for breakfast! You can also use it as croutons to top your favourite soup or toss it in a food processor to make breadcrumbs.
Lumpy sauce or gravy
When you’ve cooked a delicious roast chicken or your all-time favourite steak, the last thing that you want to happen is to find lumps in your gravy. Sauces and gravies use flour to thicken them but if the flour isn’t mixed in well, it makes the gravy lumpy. But you can easily turn that gravy catastrophe into a triumph by blitzing it in the blender for a few seconds. It will become nice and smooth and the perfect accompaniment to your dinner.
Mushy pasta
Even the best Italian cook can sometimes forget about the pasta that’s boiling in the pot. Overcooked pasta becomes mushy and it’s never enjoyable to eat when it’s not al dente. If this happens to you, immediately put the pasta in a bucket of ice water or place it in a colander and place it under running cold water. That should stop the cooking process and bond the starch. But if you want to turn it into a masterpiece, just add the mushy pasta into a minestrone or chicken soup and no one will ever guess what happened.
Overcooked chicken
Got a little distracted with other things and left the chicken in the oven a bit too long? Overcooked chicken becomes dried out which makes it a little hard to chew. If this happens to you, cut it up into small pieces, mix them with mayonnaise, chopped celery, some raisins, nuts, and spices and you will have an instant delectable chicken salad. Trust us, mayonnaise can turn the driest chicken into a masterpiece.
Overcooked vegetables
Overcooking the veggies is a common mistake - not only are they unenjoyable to eat, overcooked vegetables lose their vital nutrients, defeating the purpose of including vegetables in your meal in the first place. But if the damage has already been done, cool the veggies immediately in ice water or cold running water just like pasta. Then reheat in a hot stock and squeeze some lemon or orange juice onto your veggies just before serving.
Stock up
While cooking is enjoyable, mistakes are sometimes inevitable (especially when you're learning). But now that you know how to turn those kitchen disasters into culinary masterpieces, it’s time to stock up your fridge and cupboards with the right ingredients and equipment to handle emergency situations like these. If your budget doesn’t allow you to do that right now, we’re here to help. Just check out our cash loans from $1,000 to find out how quick and easy it is to get your hands on some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually deposit the cash into your bank account within a few hours - and with the right utensils and ingredients at your fingertips, you'll be ready and able to whip up a culinary delight in next to no time!