My Virgin Kitchen: Delicious recipes you can make every day

PREP LIKE YOU’RE ON A COOKING SHOW

When I’m filming I always have my ingredients ready and laid out before attempting a recipe, but even when I’m not filming and am just cooking at home for the family I still find it beneficial. It’s worth getting a nice little collection of small food prep bowls that you can stack after each ingredient is used; anything that will take the hassle out of the steps so you are fully prepared and can concentrate on the good stuff is good in my book.

USE EGGSHELL TO REMOVE SHELL

In the early years of MyVirginKitchen, whenever we cracked eggs into a bowl both Phoebe and I would quite often end up with a little eggshell floating in the bowl. I’d be trying to scoop it out with my fingers – if you’ve ever done this you’ll know it can take ages to fish out! A great little tip is to take a large piece of eggshell and scoop it into the bowl – the smaller piece of shell will cling to it. Try it – it works a charm!

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE KITCHEN UTENSILS (#ulink_6c86d4f4-f394-5b11-befb-bc723105fd12)

SILICONE SPATULA

My favourite kitchen utensil ever. I love a good wooden spoon when it comes to mixing but there is no greater satisfaction than scraping a bowl clean in one good swoop with a spatula!

FOOD SCISSORS

Yep, having a decent set of kitchen scissors in your drawer can be a lifesaver in certain circumstances. Obviously useful for opening cartons and packets, but I also use them for roughly cutting up bunches of fresh herbs, or even slicing chicken portions, sausages or bacon into smaller pieces. If I can use scissors instead of a knife, I will!

TONGS

Love tongs! I look at them as being like a giant finger and thumb that you can use to manipulate your food, allowing you to flip, spin and grab most items of food safely. A well-known chef (who shall remain nameless) actually pinched my favourite pair at a food festival! Obviously a fan too.

DECENT NON-STICK PANS

I used to have quite a cheap set of pans but I soon realised what a difference a decent set makes. Like all pans they have a shelf life and you need to treat them right, but a good set of non-stick pans in a few sizes can make the whole cooking experience so much easier.

TOP 5 KITCHEN FAIL SOLUTIONS (#ulink_395e1103-a21a-5b43-85c5-a49454bc7486)

CAKE RISES UP IN THE MIDDLE

I have found spreading the batter to the outer edges of the cake tin with a palette knife can prevent this happening most of the time. If it does still happen, use a long, serrated knife to carefully slice off the top once cooled, especially if the final cake is being covered in icing and decorated.

PASTRY DOESN’T ROLL OUT/BREAKS

Whether you’re using homemade or shop-bought pastry it’s important to chill it in the fridge until needed, but you’ll need to take it out of the fridge to bring to room temperature before working with it. Adding too much flour when you are rolling out will affect the consistency of the pastry, so avoid this by rolling the pastry between two sheets of baking parchment; this also makes it less messy, too!

BURNT BOTTOM OF SAUCEPAN

I get this a lot! In fact it happens to everyone I’m sure; there’s nothing worse than trying to scrub the bottom of a burnt pan. The best solution I’ve found? Add water with a few squirts of washing-up liquid to the pan and place it back over the heat. Bring to the boil, letting it simmer for around 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour out the water and scrub with a wire cloth or silicone spatula.

CASSEROLE IS TOO THICK/THIN

If something is too thick adding extra water, stock or other liquid usually does the trick. In terms of thickening a recipe adding cornflour (mixed with a little water first into a paste) works, as does adding cooked grains or pulses or even breadcrumbs.

OOPS, MY RECIPE IS TOO SPICY

Sometimes a blob of soured cream just won’t cut it to cool things down! If it’s a beef chilli, for example, fry some extra beef mince and add to the dish to spread out the flavour. Another trick is to add sugar, particularly to casseroles or soups. Just add very small pinches and keep tasting until you are happy.

10 TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK (#ulink_c97ddf58-9483-519a-8b2e-734d4f20cd9b)

BLIND BAKE

To bake something (usually pastry) before you add the filling to prevent the pastry becoming soggy on the bottom.

CREAM

To mix ingredients (usually butter and sugar) together to achieve a smooth, creamy finish.

WHIP/WHISK

To use a hand-held electric whisk to beat ingredients, for example cream or egg whites.

KNEAD

To handle dough in a strong manner – essential in breadmaking to develop the gluten.

GARNISH

To finish a dish with savoury toppings, usually herbs or spices

PARBOIL

To partially cook an ingredient in boiling water.

PROVE

To allow a homemade dough to rise in a warm area.

BASTE

To spoon cooking juices over food to keep it moist, usually during cooking.

POACH

To simmer slowly in a pan of liquid (often stock or milk).

FOLD

To gently combine ingredients while taking care not to knock out all the air, for example when adding flour to a cake batter.

20 FOOD HACKS (#ulink_61a9fdbe-17b9-5b5b-83a5-80d0559b1421)

Why not try to make things in the kitchen a little easier? Try these food hacks for yourself – they really do work!

PLASTIC BOTTLE TO TRANSFER AN EGG YOLK

Finished that plastic bottle? Crack an egg into a bowl and take a clean, empty plastic bottle. Squeeze it slightly, hover the top over the yolk and release the bottle. It will lift the egg yolk straight out.

RIPEN A BANANA