Cooking & Baking Tips: Healthy Fats, Grain Prep & Substitutes

Mastering the kitchen involves understanding healthy fat profiles, variety-specific grain preparation, and safe food handling techniques.

Spaghetti Carbonara with mushroom on white dish

How to Cook Spaghetti With Milk

Mixing milk, cheddar cheese and butter with spaghetti gives you a homemade version of macaroni and cheese that is creamy, inexpensive and simple to prepare.

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fresh dough

How to Cook Frozen Bread

Frozen bread is a convenient way to enjoy the taste of freshly baked bread. You can also make and then freeze the dough to keep it fresh until you are ready to use it. Store-bought frozen bread usually comes in two varieties: self-rising dough and ready-to-bake bread.

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bowl of rice

How to Count Carbohydrates in Rice

Rice contains versatile complex carbohydrates that can help provide your body with fuel for energy. Of the numerous varieties of rice, the two people consume the most are white and brown.

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Penne pasta in tomato sauce on plate

How to Cook Penne Rigate Pasta

Penne is a thin tube pasta that goes well with hearty sauces such as pesto and meat-based marinara. "Rigate" in the name indicates that the penne has a ridged surface.

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Homemade Hot Buttermilk Biscuits

How to Cook Frozen Biscuits

Melt-in-your-mouth, flaky buttermilk biscuits are a comfort food that often evokes warm, happy feelings. Though delicious with eggs or used for breakfast sandwiches, biscuits can be enjoyed any time of day and go well with salads for lunch or soups and stews for dinner.

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Homemade Healthy Zucchini Bread

How to Grate Zucchini for Baking Zucchini Bread

Combining the summer abundance of fresh grated zucchini with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves in homemade zucchini bread is a treat for the whole family. Though zucchini bread is more of a cake, the addition of fresh grated zucchini lends it a healthy element.

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Pappardelle

How to Dry Fresh Pasta for Storing

If you are a pasta lover, you likely enjoy the fresh taste of pasta that is made from scratch. Making your own pasta noodles at home requires just a few simple ingredients, such as flour, eggs and salt, or you can expand the taste by adding other flavors like garlic, spinach or onion.

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woman holds cake pan

How to Prevent an Air Bubble When Mixing

Though baking your own cake may seem intimidating, basic batters, such as butter cakes, actually require minimal ingredients and are fairly simple to make. One problem beginning bakers have is the formation of air bubbles in the batter when mixing.

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Pizza with cheese and pizza paddle

How to Bake Thawed Pizza

If you’re searching for a meal that’s easy and will satisfy your whole family, turn to the time honored tradition of pizza. Whether you make it yourself, get delivery or buy it pre-made, pizza is an easy crowd pleaser. Thawing frozen pizza before baking can shave some time off of the cooking process.

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How to Freeze a Cake Before Icing

If your homemade cakes taste delicious but end up looking like a hot mess after your attempt at frosting, it may be time to take some icing cues from the pros. One of the tricks of having your cake appear as if a professional chef baked it is to freeze it before adding the icing.

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Put spaghetti pasta into boiling water

How to Cook Pasta in a Steamer

Pasta steamers are a convenient way to cook noodles, especially if you are preparing a meal for a large number of people. Although they are called steamers, the pots cook pasta in boiling water similar to any other pot.

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Tots

How to Cook Tater Tots in the Microwave

Tater tots have been a favorite of kids, young and old, since the 1950s. The bite-sized crispy treats made of shredded potatoes are a satisfying side dish that provides antioxidants, fiber, potassium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin C.

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Chicken drumsticks

How to Slow Cook Drumsticks

Crock-pots are becoming increasingly more popular as people work longer hours and have less free time to spend on activities like cooking meals. With slow cookers, you can combine all the ingredients into the crock-pot in the morning, allow it to cook all day and come home after work to a piping hot meal.

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How to Cook a Hot Pocket in a Toaster Oven

Hot Pockets are turnovers filled with savory cheeses, meats and vegetables that are suitable for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The tasty treats, which area available in over 30 varieties, can often be found in the frozen section of your grocery store.

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How to Cook Buttered Rice

Rice is a relatively inexpensive complex carbohydrate that helps to fuel your body with energy. It is one of the most commonly consumed foods around the world and comes in varieties like white, brown, red, black and wild.

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Elevated view of a croissant on a plate

How to Cook a Frozen Croissant in an Oven

Though not exactly good for the waistline, croissants are a delectable French pastry treat. The key to including flaky, rich buttery treats, such as croissants, into your meal plan is to eat them in moderation, making them a once-in-a-while indulgence rather than something you would consume every day.

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Raw chicken breast fillets

How to Brine a Boneless Turkey Breast

Just like whole turkeys, boneless turkey breasts come in a variety of sizes, ranging from about 2 to 3 pounds to more than 20 pounds. No matter the size, a benefit of the breast is that it takes less time to cook than a comparable whole turkey.

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Potato pancakes

How to Cook Frozen Hashbrowns

Cooking breakfast or brunch on Sunday mornings is a tradition in many homes, and including frozen hash browns in your meal can be a delicious treat for both you and your kids. Along with tasting great, potatoes are a nutritious food, containing potassium, fiber, magnesium, iron, B vitamins and vitamin C.

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Mushroom whole wheat spaghetti

How to Cook Brown-Rice Pasta

If you love pasta but prefer not to eat white flour or can’t because it contains gluten, then you may want to try brown-rice pasta.

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