MadCookery

To keep sliced apples from turning brown squeeze fresh lemon juice over them and mix well immediately after slicing. The apple slices will look beautiful for several hours and the lemon juice will have very little affect on the flavor. As a variation and to add a slight twist of flavor try any other citrus fruit: limes, oranges, grapefruit, etc. Especially delicious are limes and blood oranges. Just remember to squeeze the juice fresh and just light thin coat is all that is needed.

You can easily make a vinegar based dressing without whisking.  To do so, add all ingredients to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously until well mixed. 

Fail Proof Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs.

I’m always surprised that one of the top questions I am asked by friends and family is how to boil and egg so you can be sure it is done correctly and so the shells don’t crack. I find that most people throw eggs into boiling water and let them boil on high for about 20 minutes, which tends to overcook the eggs as well as crack the shells as the rough high boil of the water thrashes them about. Here is a fool proof method to boil eggs.

1. Fill a pan with tap-hot water

2. Carefully add the eggs to the water

3. salt water liberally with kosher salt

4. Heat until water begins to boil

5. Tightly cover the pot and remove from heat

6. let pot sit off heat, tightly covered, for 15 minutes

7. When eggs are almost done fill a metal bowl large enough to comfortably hold the eggs with ice and water

8. Once 15 minutes has elapse carefully move the eggs from the pot to the ice water with a slotted spoon

9. Let cool in the ice water for 5 – 10 minutes

Since I have an electric range, I often find it difficult to roast peppers and for a few peppers it is not economical to fire up the outside grill. Here is a quick and easy methods to roast peppers in an electric oven.

1. Set the oven rack to the top placement, turn oven to broil, and preheat for 5 minutes

2. Clean the peppers and dry well

3. Place the peppers on a flat piece of foil at least twice the size the peppers or greater

4. Broil the peppers for 5 – 7 minutes until the top side it well charred

5. Turn peppers and continue to broil until the other side is well charred, usually 2 -4 minutes, depending on the pepper

6. Remove the peppers from the oven and wrap the foil loosely over them with no gaps so steam cannot escape

7. Let site on the counter for 10 minutes

8. Remove the peppers and remove charred skin

If you find that you have many leftover chili peppers after a recipe, here is a quick and easy way to store them.

Wash the chili peppers and either wipe them dry or let sit and dry completely.  Place them in a freeze safe bag and freeze.

For most applications you can remove a chili, cut it up while still frozen, and add it directly to a recipe.  If you need to deseed the chili then let it sit in room temperature water until soft, usually about 5 minutes, and then deseed and use.