Tuesday's Tip

 

I don't like gourmet cooking or "this" cooking or "that" cooking. I like good cooking.

I have decided to start a new weekly post.  I've decided to post it on Tuesdays... thereby earning the name of "Tuesday's Tip".  Basically this will be a weekly tip I've learned about cooking.  For those of you who are looking for simple ways to make cooking more efficient this will probably be one of the posts that you'll find most helpful.  Over the past few years I've learned that if I make sure to follow a few simple guidelines when I'm cooking it helps prevent "lost dishes".  You know those dishes were you end up messing them up when you tried so hard and you finally get to the point where you just tell the husband to "order pizza"?  So here goes the first tip... one of my favorites... zesting.

Zesting is a great way to add flavor to your meals for no extra calories!  Unlike juicing, zesting adds a more intense flavor so it is great for bigger dishes.  When zesting the main thing you need to remember is DO NOT zest the pith.  The pith is the white part of the fruit that is just below the skin that you are zesting (see picture to right).  If you zest the pith your food will taste very bitter, however, just zesting the skin can add a great aromatic flavor to your dish.  To begin zesting make sure you have a microplane or a square box greater that has a "small" side to it.  Wash your fruit well and dry.  Rub the fruit against the microplane or small side of grater roatating so not to use pith.  Add to dish and you're done!!!!  One of my favorite ways to use zest is on grilled or broiled veggies tossed with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and whatever fruit I have on hand to zest.  If you follow the easy steps you will end up with a great, fat free way to flavor your foods!

By the way I'll have another weekly post surprise coming out later this week so check back!