• Break off the tough lower portion of the asparagus stems. If time permits, use a potato peeler to peel the skin from the remaining lower half of each stem.
• Wash the spinach thoroughly and remove the stalks. Place the spinach in a saucepan. Cover and cook without any additional water, for 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Alternatively, place the washed spinach in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and cook on High for 3-5 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander or sieve. When cooked spinach is to be used as part of a recipe, squeeze out as much water as possible and then chop the spinach if required.
• To remove the skin and all of the pith from the orange using a serrated knife will make this easier. Once the skin has been removed cut out the segments by sliding a small sharp knife toward the centre of the orange along each membrane on either side of a segment. Repeat on the other side of the segment then ease the segment out. Repeat until all the segments have been removed. The membranes should remain attached to the central ‘core’.
• To peel whole tomatoes, make a cross in the bottom of each tomato using a small sharp knife. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour over sufficient boiling water to cover them. Stand for about 10 seconds or until the skin begins to curl where the cross was made. Drain and place in cold water for at least 10 seconds. Peel off the skin.
• Spread the nuts or seeds in a single layer in a shallow pan. Bake in a preheated oven, 180°C, for 5-7 minutes or until just golden. Alternatively, place in a shallow microwave-safe dish. Microwave on High for 2-4 minutes, stirring twice.
• A good and fast way to skin grilled capsicums is to place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap while they are still hot. The steam will loosen the skin and allow it to be then removed more easily.

• One cup of rice usually yields 3-4 cups of cooked rice - sufficient for four servings. Rice can be cooked in a number of ways:
  
• Boiling Water Method: Bring 2-3 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add salt if desired. Add the rice in a steady stream. Stir, then boil uncovered, for 12-15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir occasionally. Drain. Rinse the rice with hot water and then drain thoroughly.
• Absorption Method: Place the rice in a heavy-based saucepan. Add 2 cups of boiling water for every 1 cup of rice. Add salt if desired. Bring to boil. Cover the pan and cook over a very low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Alternatively, place the rice and water in an ovenproof dish. Cover and cook in a preheated oven, 180°C, for 30-40 minutes or until the rice is tender.
• Microwave Method: Place the rice in a microwave-safe dish. Add 2 cups of boiling water for every 1 cup of rice. Add salt if desired. Cook the rice, uncovered, on High, for approximately 10 minutes or until the rice is tender. DO NOT KEEP UN-USED COOKED RICE as its ph neutrality makes it a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
• When cooking rice with stock, it is better not to soak the rice. Instead, wash the rice in cold water to maximise the taste from the stock used.

Cooking times

To prevent the growth of harmful micro-organisms, always follow the cooking times given in the recipe and check that the food is thoroughly cooked before serving.

Roasted, Grilled and Barbequed Meats

Make a small cut in the thickest portion or close to the bone and note the colour of the interior. Rare meat will still be red in the centre, medium meat will be pinkish red and well done meat will have no trace of pink.

Pan Cooked Meat

When pierced with a fork the meat should be tender.

Chicken

Pierce the thickest part of the whole bird (usually the thigh) or the chicken portion. The juice should be clear with no trace of pink.

Fish

Insert the point of a knife. The fish should separate easily into flakes.

For more information about food safety, visit www.foodsafe.org.nz

Thawing meat and poultry

Thaw frozen meat and poultry in the refrigerator overnight on a tray with a wire rack placed directly under the food. For faster thawing, place the packages under cold running water or use a microwave oven. Do not leave meat and poultry on the kitchen bench to thaw.

Use frozen foods as soon as possible after thawing. Do not re-freeze.

• When buying shellfish, make sure it is from a reliable source. Do check mussels and oysters before cooking. Tap any open shells with a knife and if they do not close discard them. After cooking, all shells should be open, discard any that remain closed.
• When using wooden skewers for cooking or barbequing, soak them at least 30 minutes in water (preferably warm to the touch) prior to use. This keeps them from easily catching fire.
• Store whole chilli in the freezer before chopping, to prevent getting hot chilli juice on fingers

You can freeze all types of meat, poultry, and seafood. Any whole fruits that have a low water content are suitable for freezing, and also cooked fruits and cooked purees. Whole fruits and vegetables with a high water content are unsuitable to freeze – such as capsicums, cucumbers and courgette. If these types of vegetables are an ingredient of a cooked dish, such as a casserole or stew, freezing is more successful - however they don't tend to hold their shape very well on reheating.

Defrost frozen food in the fridge overnight or in the microwave oven - making sure you follow the microwave oven manufacturer’s defrosting guidelines.

You can freeze prepared dishes such as casseroles. Prepare from fresh ingredients, cool quickly after cooking and when cold place covered in freezer safe dishes in the coldest part of the freezer.

• Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 litre of water when soaking dried beans to speed up cooking.
• To make squeezing a whole orange or lemon easier, put it in hot water for 10 minutes or the microwave for 5 seconds.
• Putting garlic cloves into hot water for 5 minutes will make peeling easier.
• To avoid eggs cracking when being boiled, put the eggs in cold water and then bring to the boil.
• When using a cup for measuring rice, flour or beans, use a knife to remove the excess and get a level measure.
• To peel almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios, place in boiling water for 10 seconds, remove and drain. Then rub them between your hands to remove their skin.
• You'll find it easier to cut chicken fillets into pieces using kitchen scissors.
• Using aluminium foil to cover a baking dish when roasting meat fish or chicken in the oven makes cleaning easier, the foil must be removed during the later stages of cooking to allow the meat to brown.
• To remove excess starch from pasta, drain the boiling water and rinse the pasta with warm water.
• If you prefer using butter for cooking, add a little vegetable oil to prevent the butter from burning.
• When preparing fruit salad, place the fruit (already cut) in a large bowl with orange juice, so that it remains fresh for a longer period of time.
• To avoid green salads from getting withered, only dress when serving, never when storing.
• Adding a peeled and chopped ripe kiwi fruit to a marinade of meat, chicken or squid to make the meat more tender and juicier.
• Unless the recipe specifically calls for it, don't use more than three herbs and spices in any one dish.
• For a quick and delicious appetiser, stuff cherry tomatoes with a mix of roasted garlic, cream cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper.
• Use lemon juice, garlic, herbs and spices to perk up the flavours of vegetables instead of rich sauces.
• Fry dried whole chilli with onions and curry leaves, then add immediately to meat and vegetable dishes for an appetizing aroma and flavour.
• To Roast Garlic; Drizzle olive oil over a bulb of garlic and roast on a baking tray in a preheated 200.C for 20 minutes. When cool squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

• Roasting means to cook by exposing to the heat of a naked flame or grill, or to the radiant heat of an oven. To get a roasted finish, one can barbeque, grill or bake, depending on the ingredient (for example, you can bake chicken in the oven, grill a steak or barbeque sausages and all of them will have the “roasted” finish).
• Blanched is a cooking term derived from French "blanchir”, which means to whiten but in cuisine it means to par-boil. It is most commonly used when cooking vegetables and means to quickly boil vegetables (with or without salt/ vinegar) before draining and refreshing in cold water.
• To simmer means to cook food gently in liquid that bubbles steadily just below boiling point so that the food cooks evenly without breaking up.
• Zest is the thin coloured outer layer of citrus fruits that contain the aromatic citrus oil.
• Stir-fry is a common type of cooking in Asian cuisine and means to cook small pieces of food rapidly in very little fat, tossing constantly over high heat, usually in a wok.
• To sift means to shake a dry ingredients through a sieve or sifter to remove any lumps and give lightness.
• Sauté is a French cooking term that means to cook small pieces of food over high heat, in fat, butter or oil, shaking the pan so that the food is evenly coated and browned.
• To baste means to moisten food with melted fat or highly flavoured sauce, usually during roasting, barbecuing or grilling.

• Do not wash eggs when you store them, it will remove the 'coating' on the shell that helps keep odours and bacteria from entering.
• Washing eggs before breaking provides a further protection from salmonella, commonly thought to be found on the outside of the egg.
• Do not store dry herbs and spices near stoves and microwaves, on countertops, or next to any humid source, such as sinks, dishwashers, kettles, or coffeemakers. 
• Store spices in a cool, dark place. Heat, humidity and excessive light will result in the dry herbs and spices losing their flavour more quickly.
• If stored properly, dried herbs and ground spices will retain their flavours for a year. While whole spices may last for 3 to 5 years.
• To keep large quantities of herbs and spices fresh, store them in tightly sealed containers in the freezer.
• Soaking potatoes in cold water for a prolonged period is not recommended as it can result in some vitamin loss. - Peeled potatoes turn dark if not cooked right away. To keep raw potatoes looking white, toss them with a little lemon juice.
• Freezing does not affect the nutritional value of food as long as it is stored, handled and cooked correctly.

• The term poultry applies to any bird you might want to cook - not just chicken!
• To determine if the poultry is cooked, pierce the flesh at the thickest part with a fork. The juices will be clear when cooked
• The wings and legs of larger poultry can dry out during long cooking processes like roasting. Cover these parts with aluminium foil to protect them from burning
• When cutting poultry to be stir fried, be sure that the pieces are the same size so they will cook evenly

• Preheat oven
• Place roast on a rack in a baking dish
• The cooking times provided are a guide only, for accuracy in cooking times use a meat thermometer (available at supermarkets and kitchenware retailers)
• Remove roast when cooked to the desired level and cover with foil
• Let red meat rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes before carving
• When the roast is a fillet, brown before roasting

Lamb steak cooking times / 500g

Leg (bone-in), Easy carve leg, boned & rolled shoulder, easy carve shoulder, boned and rolled loin, trim lamb tunnel-boned leg

Temp 180ºC
Rare 20-25 min
Medium 25-30 min
Well Done 30-35 min

Round roast, topside roast, neck fillet roast, trim lamb eye of loin

Temp 220ºC
Rare 30-35 min
Medium 35-40 min
Well Done 40-45 min

Loin rack, party rack, four rib roast

Temp 200ºC
Rare 30-35 min
Medium 35-40 min
Well Done 40-45 min

 

Beef steak cooking times / 500g

Rib Eye/Scotch Fillet, Rump, Sirloin, Fillet, Topside

Temp 200ºC
Rare 15-20 min
Medium 20-25 min
Well Done 25-30 min

Silverside, Blade, Round

Temp 160ºC
Rare 20-25 min
Medium 25-30 min
Well Done 30 35min

Before cooking

• Only buy steaks of even thickness
• Steaks should be at least 20mm thick
• Always defrost steaks in the fridge if frozen
• If using a pan, it should be heavy based
• Pre-heat pan, grill or BBQt before putting steaks on

Cooking steak - well done

• Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface
• Turn and cook on second side until moisture is pooling on top
• Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook until steak feels very firm when pressed with back of tongs
• Internal temperature should be approximately 75°C
• After Cooking  - place steaks in a warm place, or cover with foil and rest for 3-5 minutes

Cooking steak - rare

• Cook for a few minutes per side (depending on thickness)
• Turn only once
• Cook until steak feels very soft with the back of tongs
• Internal temperature should be approximately 35°C

Medium Rare

• Cook on one side until moisture is just visible on tip surface
• Turn only once
• Cook on other side until surface moisture is visible
• Cook until steak feels soft when pressed with back of tongs
• Internal temperature should be approximately 45°C

Cooking steak - medium

• Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface
• Turn only once
• Cook on second side until moisture is visible
• Cook until steak feels springy when pressed with back of tongs
• Internal temperature should be approximately 55°C

Medium Well

• Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface
• Turn and cook on second side until moisture is pooling on top
• Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook until steak feels firm when pressed with back of tongs
• Internal temperature should be approximately 65°C

• Ensure that cooking surface is hot - there should be lots of sizzle
• If cooking large amounts of meat, brown in small batches (about 200g at a time). This keeps the pan hot and prevents the meat from stewing
• Add aromatics (garlic, chilli and spice)
• Stir fry vegetables
• Return meat and add any sauces
• Heat through and be sure not to bring to the boil
• Serve immediately

Suitable Beef Cuts

Fillet, rib eye, rump, sirloin

Suitable Lamb Cuts

Fillet, rump, leg steaks or schnitzel