Different Ways of Food Cooking

After meal planning and meal preparation, the next task is cooking the food. In cooking, food should be prepared with care to keep their vitamins and minerals which tend to be lost during the cooking process. Nutrients may be lost when washing, peeling, or overcooking.

You can cook your food in many ways :

Baking. Food is cooked by the dry heat of an oven. Many flour-based foods, like bread and cakes, are baked. Some meat dishes, like casseroles, can be baked, also fruits and vegetables, like apples and potatoes.

Boiling.This is is a common way of cooking vegetables and fruit. They are heated in boiling water in a saucepan.rgrgrgr

Frying. Small pieces of food are cooked in fat in a long handled pan over a source of heat. Frying adds calories to food, because as it cooks, the food absorbs some of the fat.

Shallow frying. Food is cooked in a small amount of fat. Bacon and eggs fried by this method.

Stir frying. Food is cut into very small pieces and cooked at extremely high temperatures in very little fat. The food must be stirred all the time to prevent burning.

Grilling. Small, tender pieces of meat, fish, and some vegetables can be grilled. The food is placed on a rack, very close to a source of heat either above or below the food. The food must be turned so that both sides are cooked. Barbecuing is a form of grilling.

Microwave. Food in a microwave oven cooked by short radio waves. The waves move through the food, making it heat up from inside. Food cooks very quickly in a microwave oven.

Roasting. Roasting is a form of baking. It usually describes the way a piece of meat is cooked. Roasting meat is usually placed in a pan and left uncovered in the oven to cook.
Simmering. Foods which are simmered are heated in water that is kept just below boiling point. Eggs can be simmered, also combinations of egg and milk, like custard. Meat may be cooked this way (this is also called stewing or braising) and vegetables of the pea and bean family.

Steaming. The food is out on a crack on a saucepan. A little water is added – not enough to reach the rack. The lid is put on, the water heats and the food cooks in the steam from the boiling water. Steaming is the best way of cooking vegetables if you want to keep the nutrients.