SHEmazing!
follow us
more
 
HomeTagsPosts tagged with "cooking"

cooking

by

The humble spud has been a dinner plate staple for as long as we can remember.

Some days all we want to eat is just a giant plate of chips and live a carb-filled life of no regrets. Other days mashed potatoes are what we really need. Yum. 

minion

So, potatoes are great and we love them dearly. However, peeling them is not something that we enjoy doing to be honest.

However, thanks to this handy tutorial our days spent hovering over the sink getting wrinkled fingers and pieces of potato skin everywhere are no more! 

Yes, it turns out that we have all been peeling spuds the wrong way but this method is about to change your life.

You don’t even need any fancy utensils! As long as you have a knife then you can basically just pull off the skin.

Think of all the time we can save with this. We love it, and we think everyone should give it try at least once. Christmas dinner prep is going to be much easier now.

You can see the hack in action in Foody Tube’s video below: 

Trending

by

Demonised for years as being high in saturated fat, there’s no doubt that butter is now very much back in vogue.

From paleo plans to your morning bulletproof coffee – at the core of a load of healthy eating habits of the moment is grass-fed butter.

In fact, far from being something to avoid, in moderation the food is something of a nutritional powerhouse: think oodles of vitamins A, D, and K-2, not to mention heart-disease preventing CLA.

So here at SHEmazing! we were pretty excited to see that the Improper Butter brand is expanding for the festive season.

Enter the wholly Christmas-appropriate trio of sage, rosemary & thyme butter; boozy brandy butter; and cinnamon & honey butter.

Yes, we’re already thinking of the yuletide delights we’ll be whipping up when the limited-edition range is finally released at the end of this month.

Because, in short, Improper makes us seem waaaay more competent in the kitchen than we actually are – so any expansion of what the brand currently has on shelves is to be warmly welcomed.

Suddenly we are Donal Skehan (albeit with less impressive hair): we bring steak alive with a dollop of garlic, snazzy up fish with sunblushed tomato & basil, and concoct a mean prawn dish from scratch with garlic, chilli & basil.

And it’s not just us either. Since the brand’s launch last year (it’s available in SuperValu stores, close-to a dozen Tesco outlets around Dublin, and in gourmet grocers nationwide) it’s proved immensely popular with fabulous foodies and creative culinary types.

Driven by talented 20-something businesswomen Elaine Lavery and Hannah O’Reilly – the duo met in UCD before they graduated in 2012 AND they’ve already been backed by the Dragons – Improper has recently launched in the UK too.

Need some inspiration to put the brand’s festive range into good use? Check out Elaine and Hannah’s top tips below:

1) Sage, rosemary & thyme butter – with fresh Christmas herbs. Butter under the skin of your turkey or bird of choice before roasting, to keep it succulent and tasty. Or why not create the perfect stuffing? Simply melt down one pack and add 300-500g of breadcrumbs. RRP €2.89 for 100g.

2) Boozy brandy butter – with brown sugar, brandy, lemon and orange zest. Not just for Christmas puddings and mince pies. Slather over scones, toasted brioche and pancakes in the run up to the big day. We’ll go back to counting calories in January. RRP €3.49 for 100g.

3) Cinnamon & honey butter – smooth honey and freshly ground cinnamon. Swirl through porridge or spread on toast, French toast, pancakes, scones and waffles. The best suggestion yet? Melt and toss over popcorn (YES!) while you gather round for your family’s favourite festive film. €1.99 for 100g.

The three new seasonal Improper festive butters will be available from November 23 for a limited five-week run in SuperValu stores nationwide as well as independent stockists, including Fallon & Byrne and Donnybrook Fair, both in Dublin. Also see improperbutter.com.

 

Trending

by

Singer Kelis might be most famous for that eternal single Milkshake, but did you know that she’s also a trained chef.

Of late she has been promoting her new cookbook My Life on a Plate: Recipes From Around the World. The singer, who already has a six-year old song Knight with rapper Nas is also pregnant with her second child.

Speaking to Jezebel the pop star talked about how her cooking career was inspired by an ad she saw for the Le Cordon Bleu School and her mother. Her mom was a caterer and who Kelis credits with helping her find comfort in food.

She also wanted readers to know that her recipes are for everyone, whether they are beginner chefs or not:

“They are made for home cooks, like me, people who are juggling a career, kids, friends, family, and everything else in life, but who still want to put a delicious meal on the table.”

She also added that most of the pleasures she finds in her day are connected to what she’s eating, or what she’s planning to eat.

Kelis pointed out the main difference in her food and her music being that she makes her music for herself: “I make music for myself. I really don’t care what people think about it. And I don’t mean that in some cool rebel way. It’s not for you.”

Food meanwhile is something completely different: “I cook for people. It’s a love thing.”

One ‘food’ trend she is certainly not in support of however are cleanses:

“I did like a raw cleanse for 31 days. I gained weight, so it is a waste of time,” she explained.

While her cookbook includes some tasty sounding snack ideas, there was no confirmation as to whether that famous man-inviting milkshake makes an appearance.

Trending

by

If you are a Chrissy Teigen fan, you have undoubtedly seen the array of gorgeous food photos that she regularly posts from her Instagram account.

Well, you can now get the hard copy as her brand new cookbook is getting set for release.

 

Look at that strrrrrrratch

A photo posted by @chrissyteigen on

Over the weekend, the 29-year-old Sports Illustrated model shared a host of the professional photos from her new book.

And we can tell you that this is going to be a cookbook like no other. Ms Teigen, who is married to singer John Legend, has gotten seriously sexy in her latest shoot to promote her cooking.

 

My wedding photo is exactly this but with slightly less prosciutto

A photo posted by @chrissyteigen on

While Chrissy used most of her captions to explain what food was being photographed, she also had some funny captions to go along with her sexy snaps.

In a photo that shows the TV personality leaning over a bowl of baked seafood, she wrote “my clams”.

 

My clams

A photo posted by @chrissyteigen on

It also appears that Chrissy has decided to obey the rules of Instagram (at least for this shoot) as she decided not to #FreeTheNipple and keep the covered up. Maybe in the interest of health and safety she thought keeping her clothes on would be a better idea!  

Trending

by

We're all very busy people and we just want you to know that these very simple and budget-friendly life hacks are here to help you make your life easier.

The internet is full of wonderful tips and tricks to help you live your very best life. Instead of you having go trolling through hundreds of Pinterest boards and endless Google searches, we did the hard work for you. See, you're already hacking your life just by reading this post! Score.

Shift+click to move multiple Google Chrome tabs to a new window
Use command+click on Mac for the same organisational prowess. 

 

Ziplock bags for softer ice cream
We've tested it and trust us it will work. Also, bonus hack: this is excellent for dairy free brands too. Yay!

 

Waste not, want not

 

Empty bottles for expert level pancakes

 

Save your cables

 

A white base coat makes colours pop

 

Expert smoky eyes made simple
#winning

 

Teach Siri new things (because we all have a friend called Áine)

 

Make your own crop top

Just use your old leggings

 

The cupcake hack

 

Ultimate lazy video watching

You can thank us later!

Trending

by

If you are trying to lose weight, the best thing to do is to be realistic about it.

Eating iceberg lettuce for breakfast, lunch, and dinner isn’t healthy and, let’s face it, we wouldn’t make it past breakfast.

Instead, try some power foods that are great for helping to keep the weight off and that you can turn into delicious meals that will hold off any cravings.  

1. Salmon
A rich source of protein it will fill you up fast. It is also a great source of omega-3s which will get your metabolism going, as well as vitamin D.

2. Eggs
Full of satiating protein, two eggs as part of your breakfast will slow your hunger and prevent you snacking before lunch.

3. Cucumbers
If you need to snack, this is the answer. Made of almost 90 percent water, cucumbers are virtually calorie free. But their crunchy texture will satisfy your need to nibble.

4. Hazelnuts
Not only good for preventing hunger, hazelnuts are full of monounsaturated fats which actually help to shift the fat in your body.

5. Strawberries
The perfect answer to satisfying your sweet tooth. It has been proven that snacking on strawberries instead of sweets led people to eat 134 fewer calories in their next meal.  

Trending

by

Moving into your own place, it quickly becomes apparent that just buying five chicken breasts, a jar of sauce and a bag of pasta every week isn't going to cut it.

The key to being able to whip up a tasty meal at short notice is to have a kitchen that's not just stocked with fresh ingredients but also with all of the essential condiments.

Sauces, oils and dips are what tie a meal together and bring it from basic to downright AMAZING.

Here are six that we definitely can't live without:

1. One good bottle of olive oil
This is the Chanel nail polish of the kitchen cupboard – an investment piece that is pricey but oh-so worth it. Olive oil not only works as a base for cooking but also with bread, fish and in salad dressings. Spend a little bit more on a good extra virgin bottle and you'll never look back.

2. Sour cream
A quick fix for dips, a great base for creamy sauces, and a tasty addition to soups and curries. Keep a tub in your fridge at all times!

3. Dijon mustard
The king of condiments! Add a helping to sandwiches, burgers, or salads, or shake up with honey and balsamic vinegar for a truly mouth-watering dressing. Which brings us to our next point…

4. Balsamic vinegar
Oh, sweet nectar. Pretty much everything tastes better with balsamic, we reckon. A splash over some cherry tomatoes and green leaves make the perfect base for a salad, or add some to veggies before roasting them for a lovely tangy kick. It's low in calories and fat too, so it's a great alternative to creamy salad dressings!

5. Soy sauce
Every twenty-something cook should have an epic stir-fry in their arsenal of go-to recipes. A good glug of soy sauce over pan-fried veg, meat or chicken will take a boring meal to the next level. Yum!

6. Relish or chutney
A good tomato or jalapeno relish brings even the most basic ham-and-cheese sambo to life. Add it to burgers, serve it up with an Irish brekkie or use as a dip if you're stuck. Delish!

Trending

by

Prepare to have your taste buds tingling after reading this post.

Ever found yourself thinking more about a delicious meal served up rather than a serious plot twist in your favourite book?

Well, you’re not alone!

A graphic designer who found herself inspired by the yummy meals from her favourite childhood classics has released a new cookbook, in which she brings these dishes to life.

Dinah Fried first got the idea for new book, Fictitious Dishes, during her final year at Rhode Island School of Design. After being handed an assignment to photograph table tops, Dinah decided to put her fascination with fictitious foods into action.

Fried ran with the idea, compiling 50 amazing recipes inspired by her love of literature into a book – and it looks amazing!

Among the culinary delights Dinah creates in Fictitious Dishes are The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’s famous Turkish delight, Heidi’s bread and melted cheese, and a seafood chowder which draws its inspiration from Moby Dick.

Our tummies are rumbling just looking at these photos. This is definitely one to add to the kitchen bookshelf!

Trending

by

Would you burn a salad? Do you friends grimace when you invite them over for supper?

Cooking is like flirting – it’s all about the confidence.

Once you feel at home in the kitchen, you’ll be a culinary goddess in no time!

Here are a few tips on how to boost your confidence in the kitchen.

1. Keep it simple
You don’t need to kick off your culinary tutorials with a super complicated dish! That would be like trying to run a marathon before you’ve even master the ‘Couch to 5K’ app! Start with a few simple recipes that need few ingredients and not much time to make. Once you’ve got the hang of them, you can move on to something a little trickier.

2. Invest in the right tools
Again, it’s like buying a decent pair of trainers before you decide to start running! You don’t have to spend a ton of money, but it’s worth investing in a few high-quality basics, like a good chopping knife and the right pots and pans.

3. Make it a labour of love
Rather than making some super healthy dish because you feel like you should, start with a recipe for one of your absolute favourite foods, and maybe a little bit naughty too. Looking forward to trying it afterwards is motivation enough to get you cooking!

4. Read the whole recipe

There’s nothing worse than getting  halfway through a recipe and realising you don’t have everything you need.  Read the whole recipe before you start, and make sure you have all of the ingredients on-hand. Try to follow the recipe to the letter the first couple of times you make it. Then, after you’ve mastered the basic version of the recipe, you can move on to trying out some variations.

5. Stick to what you know when cooking for friends

It can be super exciting to try a new recipe out on your friends, but it can be stressful too! Finding that thing you’re really good at making builds confidence, because who wouldn’t feel amazing about her cooking skills after mates gush about it all night!

Trending

by

Last night marked the end of this years MasterChef. Emma from SHEmazing! TV caught up with this year’s winner Diana Dodog earlier today. Check out the video for all the goss!

Trending

by

Cooking steak can be daunting – everybody has their own personal preferences.

This handy guide will give you some important tips on cooking the perfect steak.

1. Picking your steak
Get your steak in the butchers if you can, or the butchers in your local supermarket can also be a great place.

Next you need to choose your cut.

  • Striploin – a popular choice of steak with a layer of fat surrounding it for added flavour
  • Fillet – a luxury cut, the fillet has little or no fat and is generally thicker meaning it may need more cooking time
  • Rib-Eye – marbled with fat this cut is popular as it has lots of flavour
  • T-Bone – as this cut is on the bone it is considered tastier

2. Bring steak to room temperature before cooking

3. Right before cooking, season the steak with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

4. Heat some oil in a pan and get it very hot, to smoking point.

5. Choose how you would like your steak cooked and adjust your timer accordingly.

  • Blue : 1 min each side
  • Rare: 1 1/2 min each side
  • Medium-rare: 2 min each side
  • Medium: 2 1/4 min each side
  • Medium-well: 2 1/2 min each side
  • Well-done: 3 min each side

Cooking times depend on the thickness of your meat. The above guidelines are for a popular striploin steak of approx. 2cm so adjust accordingly.

6. Let the steak rest for about 5-6 mins after cooking.

Trending

by

1. Salt
Salt enhances the flavour of food. Choose salt that is not white if you can as it contains more minerals. Salts such as Celtic sea salt or Himalyan pink salt are much healthier than regular white table salt.

2. Black Pepper
Black pepper promotes intestinal health.

3. Cinnamon
Not only is cinnamon the perfect addition in curries and sweet desserts, it also stabilises blood sugar levels, reducing sugar cravings.

4. Cumin
A curry wouldn’t be the same without cumin.

5. Cayenne
Cayenne adds strong heat to your food and boosts the metabolism.

6. Tumeric
Tumeric is an anti-inflammatory and provides a bright colour for your food.

7. Ginger
Ginger is really versatile and can be used in sweet and savoury dishes. It also relieves headaches and queasy stomachs.

Trending
© Copyright 2012-2024 - Shemazing.net. Déanta in Éirinn - Sheology.