Cooking Protip: Slice Veggies In Seconds
And get them perfect every time!
Don't have a lot of time for chopping veggies? Hate using blunt knives on slipper cutting boards? Or maybe you love homemade food, but spending ages cooking prep?
We're going to let you in on a little chef's secret... Get yourself a mandoline!
No, we're not talking about the Baroque musical instrument (that's a mandolin) — we're talking about about a little tool that's every chef's secret weapon. Here's what it looks like:
A mandoline allows you to slice vegetables very quickly, thinly and totally uniformly. You can cut a tiny mountain of paper-thin slices, julienned sticks, or perfect disks in seconds — thereby cutting down prep time on pretty much any dish. You're going to suddenly find yourself eating a lot more vegetables. Salads, stir-frys, veggie chips, cole slaws, gratins... all sliced and ready within seconds.
Restaurant line cooks spend a lot of time with these little tools (and you can see why!). But there's one word of caution: they are extremely sharp and dangerous if used incorrectly. Here are our tips for using a mandoline the safe way:
- Always use the hand guard.
- Watch your fingers!
- Slice with control. If you find yourself rushing, slow down and focus on the movement.
- Toss any nubs in the trash. No need to risk your fingers for the stubs at the end.
Mandolines come in all price ranger (from $30 to $300) and are incredibly useful. The best part about using a mandonline? All that extra time you'll have to make extras for leftovers!
Do you use a mandoline at home? Tell us in the comments!
Like this article? Follow us on Facebook for more great cooking tips, daily!
More steaming articles
25 fast beef dinners you can't mess up
50 ways to make the most of summer...
10 habits that will make you a better...
Chef Tips and Tricks
These salted caramel thumbprint cookies are easy to make and super delicious!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/4 cup / 50g of softened butter
- 1 egg (divide the yolk and white)
- 1/4 cup / 50g of sugar
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup / 150g of flour
- 1 cup / 100g of chopped nuts
- Salted caramel
- Melted dark chocolate
METHOD:
-
In a bowl, mix together the butter, egg yolk, sugar, and salt.
-
Add the flour and mix. Roll into a ball.
-
Chill for 30 minutes.
-
Remove from refrigerator. Divide the dough and roll into 1-inch balls.
-
Dip each ball in egg yolk, and then roll in chopped nuts.
-
Place on baking sheet (lined with parchment paper), and press your thumb into the center.
-
Bake at 340°F/170°C for 12 minutes, or until golden.
-
Remove from oven and let cool.
-
Pour the salted caramel into the center groove,and drizzle with dark chocolate.
-
Enjoy!
Comment on this article