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Quick Dinner Ideas and Kitchen Shortcuts

Illustration of a pan on the stove

Olivier Kugler Page 1 of 91

Kitchen Tricks and Tips From Our Expert Cooks

By Lygeia Grace and Dawn Perry

Simplifying strategies, tips, and techniques—from the Real Simple test kitchen to yours.

How to Prevent Food From Sticking

Love the sear of a stainless skillet but not the way peppers can start to meld to the bottom midway through cooking? A little more oil should help. But don’t just pour it over the top of the food or you’ll end up with a greasy, soggy mess. Instead, use a metal spatula to loosen the vegetables or meat and push them to one side of the skillet. Then tilt the pan so the empty area is over the heat. Add the oil to the empty area (1 or 2 tablespoons should do it) and let it get hot before moving the food back. The heated oil on the hot pan will create a slick, nonstick surface, guaranteeing a surefire sauté.

Next: Reviving Crystallized Honey

Skip to Daily Finds slides.

Illustration of a pan on the stove

Illustration of honey in a bowl of hot water

Illustration of how to cut a potato

Illustration of how to make symple syrup

Illustration of a woman wrapping a plate in plastic wrap

Illustration of steps to grilling corn

Illustration of woman trimming green beans

Illustration of iced coffee and tea steeping

Illustration of how to make whipped cream

Illustration of cracking an egg

Illustration of an oven thermometer

Illustration of trimming, crushing, and chopping garlic

Illustration of a person removing salmon bones

Illustration of orange food in a food processor

Illustration of sheet pans

Illustration of how to season a cast-iron pan

Illustration of how to clean a seasoned pan

Illustration of prepping hearty greens

Illustration of softening brown sugar

Illustration of cutting up a pineapple

Illustration of homemade bread crumbs

Illustration of storing leftover tomato paste

Illustration of how to slice brownies and bars neatly

Illustration of how to keep goodies fresh

Illustration of how to soften butter

Illustration of inside of freezer and nuts on a baking tray

Illustration of a pie baking in an oven

Illustration of taking the temperature of a cooked turkey

Illustration of hands breading a piece of chicken

Illustration of rinsing shrimp

Illustration of hands slicing an apple

Guide to making an aluminum foil ring to protect pie crust

Illustration of zucchini, green beans, and corn on the cob

Illustration of slicing an ice cream cake

Illustration of how to slice a melon

Illustration of a prepared salad in a salad bowl covered with plastic wrap

Illustration of fried chicken on a cooling rack

Illustrations of uses for aluminum foil while grilling

Illustration of chicken being basted while on a grill pan

Illustration of skewered shrimp

Illustration of hands making chicken cutlets

Illustration of hand shredding cheese with a cheese grater

Illustration of greens and other vegetables inside and outside of a glass bowl with water

Removing stuck-on bits without scrubbing illustration

Holding a cutting board in place illustration

Freezing and reheating cooked rice illustration

Seeding a pomegranate illo

Skimming fat illo

Steaming without a steamer basket

Cooling baking sheets

Icing outline cookie

Drizzling chicken broth on turkey illo

Chopping potatoes

Rolling and making pie crust

Pitting an olive with knife

Washing rice illo

Chop leeks illo

Making meatballs illo

Paper towel to clean pan illo

Illustration of how to break up chocolate

Illustration of foolproof cookie cutting

Illustration of how to use your vanilla beans

Illustration of spices going into a pot

Illustration of a casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet

Illustration of shaping pizza dough

Testing the accuracy of a digital thermometer

Illustration of how to make symple syrup

How to truss a turkey

Illustration of the difference between stock, broth, and bouillon

Illustration of substituting dried herbs for fresh

Illustration of the best way to segment an orange

Can of tomatoes

Person ladling hot water into bowl

Pot of boiling water

Illustration of how to make a galette

Illustration of a cutting board, mineral oil, and a lemon

Illustration of a batch of homemade dressing

Illustration of a person cooking scrambled eggs

Illustration of how to blanch vegetables

Illustration of the easiest way to prep artichokes

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