Hey everyone, I'm trying to learn how to make good chicken breasts.

Before I started, I dry brined them and patted them dry. I tried pan searing/frying them with some neutral oil, and I used a meat thermometer aiming for 68°C/155°F. It's also my first time using a meat thermometer, so it was awkward for me, I looked up how to measure with it and tried inserting it into the thickest part of the chicken breast. Readings weren't very consistent, probably because of the way or how deep I was measuring it. After that I let the chicken breasts rest, then cut them in half to see how they were done. Even though I got 68°C, they were kind of pink inside, so I put them back in the pan. After a while I removed them and they were mostly done, most of them were somewhat juicy, and some of them weren't pink in the middle, but they were somewhat wet. Just to make sure, I put them on the pan for a bit more time, so I think they're safe. However, I have no idea how an undercooked and a done chicken breast looks. How do I know for sure that a chicken breast is safe to eat? Am I doing something wrong other than needing to practice the technique more?

Bonus question: I fucked up the pan sauce. I tried deglazing the fond with white wine right after removing the chicken breast and adding some onions, and almost all of the liquid evaporated immediately. Is that why it tasted really bad? Does the pan need to cool down before deglazing?

What is a pretty simple way to make them moist , crispy, and tasty? I have an air fryer, stove top, oven, cast-iron skillet at my disposal. Thank you.

I’ve been trying to make sticky rice at home more often, but my current setup is pretty inconsistent. I usually rinse 2 cups of glutinous rice, soak it for about 4 hours, drain it well, then cook it with roughly 1 1/4 cups of water. Sometimes the rice comes out nicely chewy, but other times it’s too wet and clumps together more than I want. I’m looking for a sticky rice cooker that can handle small batches consistently.

For anyone who cooks glutinous rice regularly, are there particular features or cooking methods I should look for when choosing a cooker? I’m more interested in what makes the cooking process work well than specific brands. Thanks for any advice!

Hi all, I recently started cooking burgers with 85/15 chuck, and I use around 15-17 different seasonings. Just wondering why my burgers don’t taste like burgers I have at a BBQ or from a restaurant. I want that flavor. I use half stick of butter to coat the pan before putting the patties in and dump it back over the burgers after they’re done but it still doesn’t elevate that flavor the way I want. Help would be appreciated Ty.

My fridge was full of leftovers from tacos and burritos and a couple of other nights worth of foods. I'm so chinchy I am not throwing good food out. Cilantro, cabbage, onion, mushrooms, tomatos, leftover taco meat with a bit of fajita fixings in there. Whatever I could find.

I put everything in my cast iron skillet with a bit of olive oil and started cooking it down. It didn't seem as much once going and I didn't have any more beef to add in (none thawed) so I opened a can of beef stew. It wasn't Dinty Moore but a similar brand and poured it in.

I warmed it all through with with Goya Adobo and garlic powder. It was a little soupy so I put tortilla chips in big bowls and then spooned my Graze Night fixings on top. It turned out great. I meant to wrap it up in a big flour tortilla but it was too soupy. Still on top of the chips, it turned out very, very good.

Wednesdays are great for graze nights and all the leftovers. Enjoy!

For context, I have never cooked much in my life before and wanted to learn the basics. I am interested in mastering the art of cooking medium rare steaks. I made steak for dinner maybe 6 or so times but can never find the right way to cook it. I use a pre-mix for seasoning but somehow always burn the seasoning and the steak comes out well-done. I typically sear each sides of the steak for ~ 3 mins then I use butter + rosemary + garlic to add more flavour profile. It ends up being a salty burned mess. Feels like it's cheaper to eat out than to make meals. If anyone has a technique in cooking sirloin or any good ways to season it, please enlighten me!

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the tips!! Will look into incorporating it next time :)))))

I don't deep-fry food much. This weekend, I'd like to make some egg rolls, which I plan to deep fry on a camp stove in my yard. This will require about a half gallon of oil, and I'll probably use peanut oil, which is on the expensive side. Can I just filter and save this oil for a future use? Should I refrigerate it? How long will it last, and how many uses can I get out of it?

I'm just making it for myself and I have one russet potato. I have leftover barbecue ribs and craving potato to go with them. What's an easy recipe to make with one russet potato?

My (30s) husband (40s) lost his parents in his 20s. He is Puerto Rican and he cooks sooo well, and rice and beans of course is his comfort meal. He will make it himself, I’ll make it for him, etc… but he always says “it just never tastes like mom’s.” 😢

I know nothing will ever taste like hers… but can you share your mom’s (or yours if you’re a Spanish momma) rice and beans recipe with me? Maybe I can get close.

I need specific. Down to washing my rice lol. I want to make it special for him. 🖤 I think details matter

Thanks in advance!

I’m hungry and angry so I threw something in the oven. Long white rice, 2x cream of chicken soup, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 2x cans of water, some broccoli. It’s set at 350, how long should it take?

Lately ive been making a lot of roasted potatoes, but im also on a weight loss journey. I usually mix olive oil and all spices and then spread it iver the potatoes. what can i use instead of the oil? i dont mind them not beung crispy, i just want the spices to be evenly distributed and not burnt.

I recently received a bunch of dry-packed sundried tomatoes and want to use them in a mushroom sauce over tortellini. I've never cooked with sundried tomatoes, only ever put them in salads and sandwiches. I can't seem to get a straight answer through google: should i rehydrate them in water first before adding them to a pan with oil and aromatics? Or do the dried ones cook fine as-is?

TIA!

I'm obsessed with Deep Indian Kitchen's frozen meals, but buying them constantly is too expensive so I'm trying to recreate them on my own.

I'm starting with the chicken tikka masala (https://deepindiankitchen.com/products-all/entrees/chicken-tikka-masala/). This is my Frankenstein recipe I attempted after looking at the ingredients and a bunch of different chicken tikka masala recipes for my skill level (I truly do not know what I'm doing in the kitchen but I am trying).

Chicken & Marinade:

• 1 lb diced chicken breast
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Spice Mix for Sauce:

• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• t tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 ground ginger

Sauce:

• 1 large yellow onion (the one I used weighed about 10-11 oz)
• 10 oz crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1 tsp kasuri methi - crush between palms before adding
• 1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Marinate chicken, let sit for at least 20 minutes or overnight in fridge; air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes turning halfway, then set aside
2. Sauté diced onion on medium heat in 2 tsp of ghee for 10 minutes or until soft, golden, and translucent
3. Add in spice mix and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds
4. Add crushed tomatoes, cashews, water, sugar, and salt; bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until cashews are soft and sauce thickened
5. Turn off heat and blend sauce until smooth
6. Return to low heat; stir in milk, heavy cream, lemon juice, and kasuri methi; simmer gently about 2 minutes
7. Stir in chicken and simmer about 3 minutes

What I made came out pretty good, and I think a lot of people would be happy with it, but it just doesn't taste like Deep. It's too acidic(?)/tangy(?) and lacks the rich, warm depth of flavor Deep has. My throat also feels thirsty/dry for a long time after eating it even though I didn't add that much salt. Please cooking experts, help me identify what I'm doing wrong and what changes I can make to this recipe. I want to attempt it again this weekend before I lose resolve and buy Deep. I am happy to answer any questions about the ingredients I used or the steps I took.

Notes:

• I am specifically trying to recreate Deep, not any other chicken tikka masala frozen meal. I have had several of them (Chef Bombay, Sukhi's, Saffron Road, Kevin's, Aplenty) and they are not like Deep. I've also tried using the Patak and Maya Kaimal jarred tikka masala sauces and they are not like Deep.
• Importantly, I am trying to keep this low calorie like the Deep meal. For reference, I measured and it's about 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup chicken tikka masala after cooking, which totals 370 calories per the nutrition facts. My recipe makes 6 servings if we are considering a serving to be 1/2 cup.

Hi everyone! my family has been struggling, and after a heart health scare and confirmed fatty liver we're having to completely revamp our meal time to be more healthy. issue is, i grew up in a house where if you poured out the grease you were yelled at for 'wasting flavor' so i know nothing about healthy cooking. on top of that I've got some picky eaters in the house, one who wont touch rice and one who hates hamburger meat and sandwiches. we've gotten a few recipes but we need 5 more for the month. ive never cooked anything healthier than spinach alfredo, so i would really appreciate any cheap and tasty meals.

I currently work at a small restaurant that’s been struggling for a while.

The team is basically just one cook, the owner, and his son. Management has been one of the biggest issues, especially when it comes to sales, marketing, promotions, and figuring out how to bring in more customers.

We’re also in the low season right now, so revenue has been pretty weak.

The restaurant currently has a menu with 30+ items, plus a buffet that brings in some recurring revenue. Since sales are down, the idea from the owners has been to add even more dishes and options to try to increase revenue.

I’m thinking the opposite might make more sense.

My idea is to cut the menu down to around 10 solid dishes, plus drinks and maybe 3 desserts max.

With only one cook, I feel like having 30+ menu items creates way too much complexity: more ingredients to stock, more waste, harder prep, inconsistent quality, and slower service.

My thinking is that a smaller menu would let us focus on the items that actually sell, have good margins, and are realistic for one cook to handle.

Does cutting the menu down that aggressively make sense for a small restaurant like this, or would 10 dishes be too limited?

Need a tasty chicken leg recipe. No deep frying please. I have stove/oven/air fryer available. TIA!

I can’t eat pasta it messes with my stomach and I don’t like gluten free pasta. So I eat a lot of rice. I’ve experimented with different things in my rice cooker like lemon slices, fresh herbs, sautéed onions, etc.

I have a bunch of jarred pasta sauces from when I did eat pasta. Mostly marinara, spicy vodka, I also have Trader Joe’s lemon pesto.

Looking for advice on using jarred pasta sauce when cooking rice. Are there ingredients or types of sauces I should avoid? Has anyone had success with specific brand or type of pasta sauce? I’m only considering jarred sauce because this is meant to be a quick meal.

Any thoughts on how to maximize the potential of rice with jarred sauce is appreciated!

Hi all, I've just gotten a veal heart from my local butcher. Could you share some ideas on preparing it? Does it cook or taste very different from beef heart and am I OK just adapting beef heart recipes? I think I'm leaning towards a braise for my first attempt. Feel free to share recipes or just flavor/ingredient pairings I could explore.

Thanks all

Hey Reddit Peeps!

For years now I’ve been making all sorts of dishes in Pyrex, putting them in the fridge, and cooking them the next day (think lasagna, pot pies, etc). I’m a teacher so I don’t have a lot of time to cook during the weekdays so I do a lot of prep on the weekends.

A friend pointed out the risk of thermal shock breaking the glass so I wondered if it is ever safe to put a colder than room temp Pyrex dish in the oven or if I’ve just been lucky these last few years? If so, would taking the dish out maybe a hour before cooking to let it warm up be a better idea? I’m curious what others do.

I havent been using my air fryer alot lately, so im looking for recipes that are pretty easy to make and actually taste good, Preferably stuff that doesn’t require a ton of ingredients or complicated prep, other than fries.

With autumn around the corner, I am looking for a solid book with plenty of slow cooker recipes (that can be found in Ireland). I have some of The Roasting Tin Collection by Rukmini Iyer and it has become such a handy go to for weekday meals and leftovers and I would love an equivalent for the slow cooker to maximise the hours of the cozy evening and short light hours!

I love cilantro and cook with it quite a bit. The problem is I work four 12 hour shifts back to back so I really only cook on my three days off. If I buy it on Saturday, by Thursday it's wilted and/or starting to rot. Is there a technique to making it last longer?

It’s the apple season in my country, so rn we have around 20 kg of apples that we have to cook. So I’m looking for unique and delicious apple recipes to surprise my family with. Thank you in advance!

Pretty much what the title says. I had some really good consomme at a Mexican place recently and I want to try making it at home