Vegetables and fruit

• Rescue wilted vegetables

You can revive wilted vegetables by soaking them for an hour in 500 ml water mixed with a tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Pat dry and prepare as usual. Or plunge limp vegetables into hot water, remove and then plunge them into a bowl of ice water mixed with a little cider vinegar.

• Easy cheesy creamed spinach

If you like creamed spinach, try this yummy recipe. Saute a clove of finely crushed garlic in 1 tablespoon butter for 30-40 seconds. Add about 500g washed spinach leaves and toss until they are just wilted. Stir in 55g ricotta cheese and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

• Liven up green beans

Add extra flavour to steamed green beans and give them a little kick as well by tossing them in this mixture: 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder plus a dash or two of garlic powder.

• The benefits of a milk boost

Adding milk to cooking water can enhance the taste of certain vegetables. Two examples are:

1. Keep cauliflower whiter by adding 80ml milk to the cooking water.
2. Sweet corn-on-the-cob becomes sweeter when a little milk is added to the water.

• ‘Almost the real thing’ vegetable lasagna

This recipe is suitable for strict vegetarians and may fool even the most die-hard carnivore. Replace the meat in a lasagna recipe with a mixture of diced zucchinis, lentils and ground walnuts — a combination that closely resembles minced beef.

• Quick-bake potatoes

Cut potato baking times in half (without the help of a microwave) by choosing smaller potatoes and standing them up in the cups of a muffin tray before putting them in the oven.

To reduce the baking time for a medium whole potato by 15 minutes, try inserting a skewer into the flesh. This will help to distribute the heat throughout the potato more quickly.

• Keep baked capsicums upright

Stuffed green capsicums sometimes lean to one side while cooking. Give them a firm footing by setting each capsicum in the cup of a muffin tray sprayed with a little non-stick cooking spray to ensure easy removal.

• Cola-caramelised onions

For the best caramelised onions, you need only three ingredients: 2-3 sweet onions, barbecue sauce and cola. Slice the onions about 1.5cm thick and set in a microwaveable dish. Pour cola over the onions to cover. Stir in 2 teaspoons barbecue sauce and microwave on Medium for 30 minutes. No trouble, great taste!

• Save those vegetable tops

Beetroot leaves? Fennel fronds? Carrot tops? Don’t throw them out. Cut them away from their respective vegetables, wash and dry well, chop, then saute them in a bit of olive oil with garlic to taste for a healthy side dish. Or mince them finely and mix together with scrambled eggs, salad leaves or leftover pasta.

• A toothbrush as a mushroom cleaner

Use a new soft-bristled toothbrush to clean mushrooms and other soft-skinned vegetables before cooking. A medium or hard-bristled brush is more suitable for potatoes.

• Foolproof ways to slice dried fruit

Have you ever tried to cut dried fruit into small pieces, only to have your knife stick on the fruit? Just squeeze lemon juice over the fruit you’re about to cut. The knife should then slice through with ease.

• More juice from your lemons

Store lemons in a sealed jar of water and when it’s time to squeeze them, you will get twice as much juice. Another trick is to prick the lemon skin once or twice with a sharp knife and then microwave it on Medium for 15 seconds before slicing and squeezing.