Omelet wrote:
> Here, it's usually shrimp or Broccoli.
>
> I've finally gone to simply cooking those separately.
>
> Broccoli is SO easily cooked to mush; I now just steam it on it's own
> and add it to the final dish. Timing is everything.
>
> Shrimp gets pan fried in butter and olive oil, most often with a bit of
> garlic and salt free lemon pepper and mixed in with the final dish once
> it pinks up.
>
> I know that there is a way to properly add Broccoli to a final stir fry
> or steamed veggie mix, but I have yet to get it right. :-P Now I just
> stir it in pre-cooked once the heat is turned off.
> Cooking it by itself and then adding it once all else is done has been
> easier and more successful, and it works fine flavor-wise in the final
> dish.
>
> Mushrooms are easy. They don't seem to care. ;-) I may cook them with
> either one for extra flavor, or start them in the original dish that I
> was preparing in the first place.
>
> Eggs are also easily overcooked! I generally cook them by themselves and
> stir them into a final dish... and it keeps them from sticking to the
> rest of the food.
>
> Anyone else?
>
> I just hate food that has had the "life" cooked out of it. ;-p
> Seems to be harder to digest too, especially eggs. Or it just loses
> flavor and texture to the point you may as well not have bothered.

The main reason home cooks overcook food is that they tend to cook
everythijng in high gear, full out, at the highest temperature they
can achieve... because they actually believe foodtv is about cooking,
it's not, it's primarily about selling products... and few, very few
are good enough for that kind of cooking plus they don't possess the
equipment (remember, commercial *style* appliances are not commercial
appliances).

Eggs are the easiest food on the planet to cook, just keep repeating
to yourself, eggs don't get stir fried - eggs don't get stir fried
eggs - don't get stir fried... low heat and keep yer pea pickers
off!

And you never ever boil shrimp, shrimp is simmered, better poached...
fried shrimp get cooked like eggs, gently (no one likes blackened
shrimp). If your shrimp turn out tough anyway it's because they were
frozen.

Broccoli is two different vegetables, crowns and stems, those get
cooked separately... if you want to serve them together start cooking
the stems first, half way through add the crowns.

Cooking is easy, just engage thinker.

Sheldon