To me, cooking always meant wasting hours for recipe brainstorming, grocery shopping, meal prepping and cleaning all the mess up. I also lacked the necessary skills to actually enjoy making my own food. I'd spend hours on the easiest dishes, just to be left with over-salted rice, overcooked pasta, and sauces that tasted plain boring.
Ordering takeout and eating out became my unhealthy, expensive routine until my friend cooked me a HelloFresh meal for my birthday – Silky Sicilian Penne & Chicken. I couldn’t believe how tasty it was, and that she cooked it herself as someone who is as inexperienced as me.
After that, I decided to give HelloFresh (btw they are offering 16 free meals plus 3 gifts right now) a try since I could cancel my plan at any time, and I haven’t looked back since. HelloFresh literally taught me how to cook while saving me tons of money and time!
Here are my top 5 HelloFresh cooking hacks:
Quick Pickling
Did you know that you can pickle pretty much anything? Me neither, until HelloFresh introduced me to quick pickling. I usually use this handy method to preserve any leftover veggies. Plus, pickled veggies add delicious flavors to sandwiches, salads, stir-fries, and even mashed potatoes. My favorite HelloFresh recipe is Mushroom Po’boys & Boardwalk Fries with Slaw, Pickles & Spicy Remoulade.
- Chop your veggies in any shape you like
- Add them into a jar together with HelloFresh's pickling marinade (4 cups cider or white vinegar, 4 cups water, 2 tablespoons sea salt, 2 cups extra virgin olive oil, 5 cloves peeled and sliced garlic, fresh black pepper cloves, and chopped fresh thyme)
- Keep in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks (at least)
- Enjoy
Seasoning Properly
HelloFresh taught me that there are hundreds of different spices to flavor food with – not just salt. All their recipes come with one of their signature spice blends, for example, their Southwest Spice Blend for the Hearty One-Pot Black and Bean & Poblano Soup or their Shawarma Spice Blend for the Middle Eastern Chickpea Bowls.
Another secret I learned is to season rice while it's cooking. Just heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot, add minced onion, garlic, and Shawarma Spice and then stir in the rice with the right amount of water and let it cook until the rice is tender.
Caramelizing Onions
Onion is a key ingredient to add taste and depth to creamy sauces and other dishes. While I was well aware of the importance of onions in meals, I didn't know that cooking onions right could make such a huge difference.
HelloFresh taught me to caramelize onions (low and slow) and let me tell you, it's a MUST, especially for rich and crave-able sauces for chicken and other meat. Heat some oil, add the onion and cook until browned and softened. Then add some vinegar, thyme, sugar, and a splash of water until caramelized, jammy, and juicy. You have to try their Caramelized Onion Shepherd's Pie - it’s mouthwatering!
Searing Proteins
Thanks to HelloFresh, I became known for making the most flavorful roasts among my friends. Their Seared Steak with Cauliflower Mash and Green Beans has become my signature dish.
The key to searing meat is to leave it alone! When roasting or browning, we tend to turn, check and move, making browning evenly impossible.
When a recipe calls for cooking each side for 3-5 minutes, it's essential to let it cook for the allotted time. This little secret gives your meat a distinctive flavor. You can also think of it as the caramelization of the meat. You can thank me later!
Identifying Flavor
Before HelloFresh improved my cooking skills, I'd taste my food, and if it didn't taste right, I added salt. Man, what a mistake!
HelloFresh taught me about our five basic tastes; salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami. If you feel like your dish is too spicy, add some citrus or dairy to balance out the spice. Add a sour ingredient like herbs or vinegar if it tastes too sweet. If it's too sour – add something sweet and so on. Getting the right flavor has never been easier!
Yep, If you're struggling with cooking or simply want to improve your cooking skills, you need to try HelloFresh. I was a complete beginner before I signed up, and now I have cooking skills to last a lifetime.
Their meal kits are super convenient, delicious, and affordable! You won't go back, trust me!
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