The Kitchen Helper

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176335952011-12-14T19:03:02.462-08:00The Kitchen HelperThe place to get help for all you cooking and kitchen problems.Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.comBlogger131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-87900169896101975502009-12-12T20:59:00.000-08:002009-12-12T21:16:07.679-08:00Mastering the art of . . .

Thursday night my wife and I watched Julie & Julia, the Julia Childs movie. It was very good.I remember watching Julia Childs on tv when I was a kids and since I still love cooking I really did want to see this movie. I was inspired by the movie and felt the need to dive into the kitchen. Last night I went on a baking spree.It started with a batch of raspberry mousse. This recipe is great and

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1142193221793210722006-03-12T11:44:00.000-08:002006-03-12T11:53:41.793-08:00The more delicious dessert ever!

The Best DessertI stumbles upon this last night while trying to come up with something for dessert. I was going to make Boston Cream and pour it over some fresh strawberries but I had no eggs to make the Boston Cream .I started with about 250 ml (1 cup) whipping cream and wripped it to stiff peaks. I heated near half a small container of Nutella (the hazelnut and chocolate spread) in the

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1132530593736138902005-11-20T15:44:00.000-08:002005-11-20T15:49:53.746-08:00A great cup of coffee

For a greater cup of coffee you simply cannot beat a fresh cup. In fact that is how I make coffee all the time, by the cup. It doesn't get any fresher then that. Most department stores sell a #2 cone filter holder that is ideal for 1 cup of coffee. Use fresh ground beans only. Pre ground department store coffee blends are bitter and inferior. Add 2.5 tsp of fresh grounds to the filter. Boil fresh

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1130731444060469292005-10-30T20:00:00.000-08:002005-10-30T20:04:04.066-08:00My pumpkin seeds

In the spirit of Halloween I thought I would post how I do pumpkin seeds. It really isn't a big mystery or anything. Clean the pumpkin and seperate the seeds from the pulp. Wash the seeds and rinse. Now soak in the saltiest brine that you can come up with. Water and salt. Leave in the fridge overnight and drain the water out before baking in the oven at 325 degrees until they just start to brown.

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1130542205503956912005-10-28T16:25:00.000-07:002005-10-28T16:30:05.526-07:00Don't waste the drippings

Whenever I fry meat in the frying pan I never waste the yummy drippings that collect in the pan. This is the base for a great sauce for whatever meat you are cooking.Once the meat is cooked remove it from the pan and add about a half a cup of beef or chicken stock, depending on the meat. Stir around with a whisk to remove all the good stuff on the bottom of the pan. Add about a half a cup of milk

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1130026333770733002005-10-22T17:09:00.000-07:002005-10-22T17:12:13.776-07:00Roll your fruit

Cooking dinner tonight and I needed to add lemon to a dreesing I was making. I prefer fresh lemon. To maximize the amount of juice from a lemon, lime or any citrus fruit roll it with the palm of your hand before cutting it. This loosens the juice inside the fruit and yields more. It also leaves your hands with a wonderful citrus smell. :)

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1129606305216355912005-10-17T20:29:00.000-07:002005-10-17T20:31:45.226-07:00Individual Bacon

I just remembered a little trick my dad showed me. It is a great way to store bacon without having to have it thawed in the fridge.When you bring a new package of bacon home lay the strips on a cooking sheet and freeze them. After they are froze simply bag them and use the individual pieces in whatever dish you choose. No more wasted bacon that has gone bad in the fridge.

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1129481744527797292005-10-16T09:50:00.000-07:002005-10-16T09:55:44.530-07:00Super Garlic Roast Beef

It is Sunday, a great day for cooking a roast in the slow cooker.I start with a 3 or 4 pound beef roast. I stud the roast with 3 or 4 cloves of garlic. Cut the cloves in half length wise and insert into the roast by using a knife to make a insertion.Next place the roast into the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add some dry garlic flakes, 1/2 cup of water and 2 table spoons of beef

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1129322533937070902005-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:002005-10-14T13:42:13.940-07:00A Quick Way to Cut Veggies and Such

I was watching the Amazing Race last season and one of the tasks the teams had was to cut 50 pounds of onions. I remember saying to my wife that we would speed through that. The trick to cutting veggies is to not just start cutting without a plan. Try to keep the cut pieces together.An onion for example is easy. Cut into slices across the rings of the onion whatever width you want. For coarsely

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1129005511324937312005-10-10T21:35:00.000-07:002005-10-10T21:39:23.616-07:00Just a reminder

I just wanted to remind everyone that all the recipes on the Kitchen Helper are free to use. Print off each one in PDF format and add them to your recipe collection. I will be adding 2 more recipes in the next few days as well. Cabbage rolls and mandarine salad. Free Easy Recipes

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1128914721351427072005-10-09T20:19:00.000-07:002005-10-09T20:25:21.356-07:00Dishes, dishes, dishes

Doing the main Thankgiving dinner today and I could not believe the amount of dishes that get dirty just preparing the meal. With a house full of family I have done dishes twice today and my mom did them once. A way of keeping up with the mess is to rinse dishes as you go. I had a bowl full of raw veggies waiting to be cooked. Instead of putting the bowl into the dirty dish pile I just rinsed it

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1128827122758148932005-10-08T19:56:00.000-07:002005-10-08T20:05:22.763-07:00Early Thanksgiving Leftovers

Well it is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and with that comes loads of turkey leftovers.We had one of our Thankgiving dinners on Friday night and I have a huge plate full of turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots and gravy. The last thing I wanted to have was heated up leftovers.So here is a 10 minute turkey soup.Heat up your crock pot and pour all the leftovers in there. Add a cup of water. I

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17633595.post-1128825400180025462005-10-08T19:31:00.000-07:002005-10-08T19:36:40.186-07:00Welcome to the Kitchen Helper Blog

Welcome.The Kitchen Helper is here to make working in the kitchen easier. Cooking good food doesn't have to be difficult. There are many little tricks to make working in the kitchen a pleasure.I have been an avid cook since I was a child. I remember sitting on the counter helping my grandma at a very young age. My love for cooking has never changed.My experience is mostly self taught. I have

Simon Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351927545127018381noreply@blogger.com0