This One Kitchen Hack Will Make Your Homecooked Meals Taste Like Restaurant Quality Food

I am, by no means, a good cook, much less a professional chef. That said, years of bingeing Hell’s Kitchen and being best friends with someone who works in the F&B industry has taught me loads of helpful kitchen hacks, especially when it comes to making my homecooked food look and taste good. 

One of the best cooking tips I’ve learnt is this: butter makes the food taste even better. To quote my culinary hero Anthony Bourdain: 

“...at your favourite restaurant, chances are, you’re eating a ton of butter. In a professional kitchen, it’s almost always the first and last thing in the pan. We saute in a mixture of butter and oil for that nice brown, caramelised colour, and we finish nearly every sauce with it; that’s why my sauce tastes richer and creamier and mellower than yours, why it’s got that nice, thick, opaque consistency. Believe me, there’s a big crock of softened butter on almost every cook’s station, and it’s getting a heavy workout.” 

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Besides regular butter, I’ve found that flavoured or infused butter is also a great way to make homecooked meals taste similar to what you would get in a restaurant. SCS Spreadable Butter recently launched two new products: Rosemary & Herb Spreadable Butter and Butterscotch Spreadable Butter, which are already pretty delicious on plain toast. When used in cooking, I’ve found that they can help to elevate simple dishes, resulting in pretty yummy food made using very simple recipes. 

Read on for 4 easy recipes using SCS Rosemary & Herb Spreadable Butter and Butterscotch Spreadable Butter!

#1 Easy Herb Butter Steak

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

It’s not difficult to make a good steak at home. You don’t need much besides a fresh cut of beef from the butcher, some basic seasoning and a super hot pan. Oh, and remember to take note of the cooking time, according to how you like your steak done! 

Ingredients:
Steak (I got a striploin)
3 cloves of garlic
1 spring of rosemary
2 tablespoons of SCS Rosemary & Herb Spreadable Butter
Salt
Pepper

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Steps: 

1. Pat steak dry with a kitchen towel and season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat pan up, then toss in the SCS Rosemary & Herb Spreadable Butter. 
3. As the butter is melting, add in the rosemary and garlic.
4. Once all the butter has melted, place the steak on the pan, letting it cook for around 3-4 minutes (for medium-rare steak). 
5. Flip the steak to cook the other side for another 3 minutes. Start basting by spooning the hot melted butter all over the steak. 
6. Remove the cooked steak from the pan and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

#2 Fragrant Garlic Butter Rice

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

The prep time for this is about 10 minutes, and your rice cooker will do the rest. It’s so easy to make and goes well with pretty much any type of protein. 

Ingredients:
2 cups of rice
1 bulb of garlic
3 tablespoons of SCS Rosemary & Herb Spreadable Butter
Water 

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Steps: 

1. Mince the garlic. 
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add in the garlic.
3. Cook till garlic is soft and fragrant, then set aside. 
4. Wash the rice and add in the appropriate amount of water. 
5. Stir in the garlic butter mixture, then cook the rice. 
6. Serve warm, garnish with fried onions, furikake, or any other toppings as desired. 

#3 10-minute French Toast

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

You can use whatever bread you have, but for the fluffiest stack, we recommend getting brioche toast for this. Top with the fruits of your choice (or ice cream, we won’t judge!), or try making some caramelised bananas - it’s easier than you think! 

Ingredients:
2 slices of brioche toast
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons SCS Butterscotch Spreadable Butter

For caramelised bananas (optional):
1 banana
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons SCS Butterscotch Spreadable Butter

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Steps: 

1. In a bowl, whisk eggs, cream, milk and honey together. 
2. Soak the bread slices for 2 minutes on each side. 
3. In a hot pan, melt the SCS Butterscotch Spreadable Butter, then add in the bread slices.
4. Flip the toast after 2 minutes, cooking till it’s golden brown on both sides.
5. To make caramelised bananas for topping, heat up SCS Butterscotch Spreadable Butter on a pan till it’s melted and toss in the banana slices. 
6. Add in sugar and orange juice, letting everything reduce on a low flame till you get a syrupy consistency. 
7. Stack and serve! 

#4 Butterscotch Latte

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Iced lattes are a great way to kickstart your weekend, and it doesn’t have to burn a hole in your wallet either. With SCS Butterscotch Spreadable Butter, you can easily make yourself a butterscotch latte without much fuss.

Ingredients:
1 cup black coffee
2 tablespoons SCS Butterscotch Spreadable Butter
½ cup milk 

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Steps: 

1. In a saucepan, melt the butterscotch over medium heat.
2. Mix in milk and coffee, stirring frequently until everything is combined.
3. Serve hot or iced, topping with whipped cream and more butterscotch if you want. 

Share this with a friend who loves to cook!
Text: GirlStyle SG

This post is brought to you by SCS Spreadable Butter.