Hopefully you've caught my first edition of 20 quick and easy cooking hacks I shared everything from baking powder substitutes to softening butter quickly.  I thought in part 2 I would share a few more tips to make your more efficient in the kitchen!

Quick And Easy Cooking Hacks Part 2

1. Beef keeps longer in the freezer than fish or chicken. You can store beef for up to six months; fish and chicken, no more than three.
2. Follow recipes exactly, the first time you make them. After that, you’ll have a much better idea on how to successfully adjust ingredients.
3. Make 3-4 days’ worth of carrot sticks in advance and store in your refrigerator in a glass container of cold water, for maximum freshness.
4. If you can’t open a jar and have no jar opener, try slipping on a rubber kitchen glove first.
5. Use beer or sparkling wine to make a tasty, unique mock loaf of “bread”—without yeast.

1. Slightly toast sunflower seeds or nuts before sprinkling them on top of bread. They will be much more digestible.
2. Place a paper lace doily over your cake and sift icing sugar all over it. Carefully remove doily—the pattern remains
3. ¼ cup applesauce, puréed tofu or one mashed banana will replace one whole egg in vegan recipes. Use tofu in savory recipes.
4. Mix up your own pumpkin pie spice: Two parts cinnamon to one part ground nutmeg, one part ground allspice, one part ground ginger.
5. Be sure to pat your fruit or veggie pieces thoroughly dry with paper towel, before freezing.

1. For under-ripe bananas, bake them on a cookie tray for 40 minutes at 300ºF. The skins will turn black, but when cool, they’ll be ripe.
2. Running your mixers at half-speed or lower will greatly extend their lifespans.
3. Flour your surfaces or flour your dough before rolling—and to make extra-sure it doesn’t stick, place between floured parchment paper.
4. Room temperature ingredients or liquids should feel neither cold nor hot when you test them on the back of your wrist.
5. Clean your kitchen thoroughly before you cook, and clean as you go during cooking. You’ll have minimal clean up after.

1. Place items or utensils you use all the time at waist height or in your first row of overhead shelves.
2. Roll peeled banana chunks in toasted coconut, cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles to increase kid-appeal.
3. Replace half of the oil in your marinade with wine for a more acidic effect.
4. Print cooking infographics like measurement conversions or baking substitutions and tape them inside your cupboard doors, for easy reference.
5. For almost-instant applesauce: Microwave apple pieces for 3-4 minutes to soften. Add cinnamon. Purée in food processor.

Hopefully these tips will save you some time and headaches in the kitchen!  Having yourself set up and prepared before you jump into a day of baking, cooking or just organizing will make things that much easier.

I'd love to hear your best cooking hacks!