Monthly Archives: April 2018

COOKING HACKS

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  1. WET YOUR FINGERS to remove pieces of eggshell from egg white and yolk easily.
  2. IF AN EGG IS FRESH, it will sink in water; if it is not, it will float.
  3. PUT A FEW MARSHMALLOWS in your brown sugar to keep it soft and avoid clumping.
  4. KEEP YOUR ICE CREAM soft and fresh by putting the container in a large zip-top bag.
  5. REMOVE POMEGRANATE SEEDS in seconds by cutting the fruit horizontally and placing it seed-side down on your palm. Spread your fingers so the seeds will be able to fall through easily. Hit the top of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon and catch the seeds in a bowl below. The will come right out.
  6. TO GET THE MOST JUICE out of citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges, microwave them for about 20 seconds and roll them around on a hard surface before squeezing them. You will get almost double the juice!
  7. SOFTENED YOUR BUTTER too much? Place the too-soft butter in a small bowl. Fill a larger bowl with ice and cold water, then place the little bowl in the ice to let the butter harden a little more.
  8. PLACE CRYSTALLIZED HONEY in a bowl of hot water for about 10 minutes.
  9. FREEZE SHELLED NUTS to preserve their shelf life.
  10. DO YOU HAVE A PAN WITH STICKY RESIDUE that refuses to come off: Fill the pan up with water so all of the problem areas are submersed and place on a medium-warm burner on the stove. This can take 10-15 minutes, but all of the residue will come right off.
  11. PLACE A PIECE OF BREAD in your mouth to keep you eyes from watering when you are chopping an onion. Swim googles also work for this.
  12. MICROWAVE LEFTOVERS with a separate cup of water alongside them to keep your food moist.
  13. NO CUPCAKE OR MUFFIN LINERS? Cut out parchment paper; it will definitely do the trick.
  14. MEASURING STICKY INGREDIENTS? Spray the inside of your measuring cups with nonstick cooking spray before filling.
  15. ONCE A WEEL, run the dishwasher without any dishes and one cup of vinegar, pour directly in the bottom of the dishwasher. This cleans our any food residue and keeps it smelling fresh.

SKILLET PIZZA

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1 lb ground Italian sausage

1 med onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/4 c elbow macaroni

1 (14 oz) jar pasta sauce

1 (14 oz) jar water

1 (2.5 oz) can sliced black olives, drained

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

15-20 slices pepperoni

grated parmesan cheese, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

garlic salt, to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a lg oven-safe skillet, brown sausage, onion, pepper, garlic, and sliced mushrooms over med-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until meat is cooked through; drain excess fat. Add in macaroni, pasta sauce, water, and olives.

Simmer 15 minutes, or until macaroni is soft and liquid has evaporated. Top with shredded cheese and pepperoni. Sprinkle grated parmesan, salt, pepper, and garlic salt on top to taste. Bake 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

serves 6

STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

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2 lbs lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 c beef broth

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

2 c cooked rice

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1/4 c brown sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

In a lg stock pot over med heat, brown ground beef with onion and garlic until beef is no longer pink. Drain off fat and stir in remaining ingredients. Increase heat to med high and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and simmer 35-45 minutes.

serves 8-10

 

SUNRISE SKILLET

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1/2 lb bacon

4 c cubed hash browns OR peeled and diced potatoes

1/2 onion, diced

6 eggs, beaten

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 green onions, chopped

Cook bacon in a lg skillet over medium heat until slightly crispy; drain on paper towels and reserve 2 tbs bacon fat in the skillet.

Add hash browns and diced onions to bacon drippings, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Crumble bacon into potatoes. Add beaten eggs and stir until they are fully cooked, about 2 minutes.

Finish by sprinkling with cheese and chopped green onions. Serve immediately.

serves 6-8

ONE-POT CREAMY SPAGHETTI AND SAUSAGE

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2 (24 oz) jars ragu traditional pasta sauce

1 (15 oz) can chicken broth

1 lb thin spaghetti

1 lb precooked Italian sausage, sliced

1 c cherry tomatoes, halved

1 med onion, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 c water

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Italian parsley, for garnishing

shredded parmesan cheese, for garnishing

Pour one jar of pasta sauce and the can of chicken broth into the bottom of a lg braising pan or Dutch oven. Break spaghetti in half and toss with sauce and broth. Add sausage, tomatoes, onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Pour second jar of spaghetti sauce and 1 cup of water into the pan and turn the heat on high. Once mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 9-10 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream and mozzarella cheese. Let it cook over the low heat 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted.

Scoop into individual serving bowls and top with Italian parsley and shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.

serves 8

MAN-CATCHING CHICKEN

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2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 c Dijon mustard

3/4 c pure maple syrup

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9″x13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer chicken breasts on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar. Pour sauce on top of the chicken and sprinkle with dried rosemary. Bake 20 minutes. Flip breasts over and cook another 20 minutes, until chicken is browned and its juices run clear.

Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving. Spoon some extra sauce over the top when serving.

serves 6

 

ONE-PAN CHICKEN ALFREDO

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3 tbs olive oil

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

1 c heavy cream

2 c penne pasta OR any bite-sized pasta, uncooked

1/4 tsp dried basil

2 c grated parmesan cheese

3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Add oil to a lg skillet and heat over med-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Saute 2-3 minutes, or until chicken starts to lightly brown. Stir in garlic and saute another minute.

Pour in chicken broth, cream, pasta, and basil and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover pan, and reduce heat so mixture simmers. Let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and full mixed in, then serve.

serves 4