Dundon’s kitchen detox

How to keep an oven sparkling

Ovens often are the last thing in the kitchen we look forward to clean. Although most ovens are set with self-cleaning setting, I like to use oven liners to catch all the dripping of fish pies or spats of a roast chicken. Don’t forget to wipe and clean the liner to keep everything clean.

If the door of the oven and the base need some cleaning, a little of bicarbonate of soda and water spread on the needed area and a scrubbing sponge soaked in vinegar will do a perfect job without hard work.

Keep the food hot when serving

Serving the food hot is something that can be frustrating at home especially for large family gathering.

My tip here is to place the cold empty dishes in the microwave for a minute or two until warmed. The ceramic will hold the heat for a while and will help stop cooling the hot food! if you don’t have a microwave, you can also dip them in hot water or keep them in a warm oven!

Keep plates at the right temperature

Keep glasses looking shiny

Glasses are an important touch to a dinner table and nothing is more annoying that stricks or cloudy glasses. An easy trick which we use in the hotel is the fill a bucket or sink with warm water and 500ml of white vinegar.

Then, place the glasses in water to soak for 5-10 minutes. The Vinegar will breaks down the mineral build-up. Just rinse the glasses with warm water and and let them try or polish them for brand new glasses

Steady your chopping board

To ensure your chopping board doesn’t slip when cutting vegetables or meat and avoid hurt and sliced finger, place on a kitchen towel or damp kitchen paper under the board. this will secure the board and make it so much easier.

Remove sink Odours

I like to do this once a week at home especially in the kitchen sink. When you think of all the soapy and dirt water that goes down the drain, it makes sense that it’ll start to smell eventually.

Pour some hot water down the drain, then slowly pour a teacup of bicarbonate of soda over. Add a teacup of lemon juice or vinegar and wait for the fizzy chemical reaction. Clear the sink with hot water and you are ready to go.

Keep the microwave clean

Another tip which my mother do and works very is cleaning the microwave splashed and spats with a lemon. All you have to do is placing some water about 100ml in a small bowl and add the juice of one lemon and add the havled lemon in the bowl too.

Heat at full power for 2-3 minutes until the water boils then let it stand with the steam for 5 minutes or so without opening the microwave door. Once the time lapse , remove the lemon and bowl and wipe off any debris!

Clean your food blender in 30 Seconds

Cleaning blender can be really frustrating. For a quick and efficient clean, fill your bowl of the blender about halfway with a drop of washing up liquid and some vinegar and pulse for a few seconds to grab all the food stuff stuck in the blender.

If you have a reverse setting pulse on both forward and reverse to remove lumps stuck at the base too. ,

Get scratched dishes looking like new

This is something that we have to repeat often in the restaurant. After a while plates can become a little marked and dull. If you have a little bit of time to spare, sprinkle some cream of tartar from the baking section in the supermarket with a few drops of water and rub gently with a wet dishcloth.

Let the dish sit for a minute or two, scrub, and wash the plate with soapy water. This will give them a second life and you can serve up dinner with your sparkling dishes looking like new.

Roast chicken and gravy

To prepare the easiest and tastiest gravy from a roast chicken, make sure to have the chicken in a roasting tray on a raft of vegetables ( slices of onion, carrots and garlic). While roasting the vegetables will absorb the chicken juices and help caramelised the base of the tray which will make a lovely gravy once the chicken has been cooked.

Spaghetti pasta

When cooking pasta do not add oil to the water, this prevents the sauce from sticking to cooked pasta once tossed with the sauce or ragu! And always keep a little of the cooking water from the pasta this will help bid the sauce and pasta toghter.