Kitchen Hints and Tips
Salads and Salad Dressings
Cole Slaw
- Make cole slaw by putting chunks of cabbage with a little carrot and onion in the blender together with a couple of cups of water. Drain off the water before you add the dressing.
Gelatin
- To soften unflavored gelatine in the microwave, place 1/4 cup water in a 1-cup measure. Sprinkle gelatine over water and allow to soften 1 minute. Cook on HIGH for 15 seconds; stir. Cook on HIGH for 20 seconds; stir to fully dissolve gelatine.
- Pour gelatin desserts right into foil cups placed in a muffin tin. You'll have pre-measured servings and, best of all, no cleanup.
- To unmold gelatin, rinse the mold pan in cold water and coat with salad oil. The fill with gelatin mixture. The oil will give the gelatin a nice luster and it will easily fall out of the mold.
- Mix gelatin desserts in a pitcher instead of in a bowl. When you're finished, just pour it into the bowls or mold and eliminate annoying drips.
- To quickly thicken gelatin, pour liquid gelatin into a metal pan; place in freezer for 15 minutes.
- To gel fruit juices that are difficult to gel, such as peach juice, add 1/2 teaspoon plain gelatine to each cup of juice. Soften gelatine in 3 teaspoons juice and add to remaining hot juice. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to each quart of fruit juice.
Molds
- Wet the serving dish before unmolding gelatin. It will be easier to slide the mold into the center of the plate after it comes out of the form.
- To unmold gelatin, run a thin, hot knife around the edge of the mold. Rinse a kitchen towel in very hot water, and squeeze the towel as dry as possible. Wrap the hot towel around the mold. It will create just enough heat so that you can slide the gelatin from its container without any melting.
- Top-of-mold trim and side trims must be firmly chilled in gelatin before filling the mold or design will move in the mold.
Salads and Salad Dressing
- Make a delicious salad dressing by thinning leftover party dip with buttermilk.
- Substitute grapefruit juice for vinegar in oil-vinegar dressings.
- To add some crunch to fruit salads, use almonds and dried banana chips as "croutons."
- If salad greens are wet and you need them right away, place in a clean white pillow case and spin dry in your washing machine for a few seconds. This is especially good to know if you are serving salad to a large crowd.
