How to Cook Dried Noodles for Chow Mein
Homemade chow mein is an excellent main dish if you are looking for Asian flair without the saturated fat and MSG present in so many commercially prepackaged dinners.
Read more →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.
How to Cook Wingettes in the Oven
Chicken wingettes are the two larger pieces you get when you snip a chicken wing into three pieces and discard the tip. Chicken wingettes are often breaded and deep fried, but you can prepare chicken wingettes in the oven if you are watching fat and calories.
Read more →
How to Cook Pea Pods Without a Steamer
Cooking pea pods is not necessary since they are sweet and crisp when served raw, but some recipes call for them to be served hot.
Read more →
Bread & Rice for Diarrhea
The B.R.A.T. diet – bananas, rice, apples, toast – has been used for decades to treat diarrhea in children. While it is no longer recommended by pediatricians, it can be useful for adults with a mild case of gastroenteritis.
Read more →
How to Bake a Square Cake and Cut It Out of the Pan
Baking square cakes is just a little bit trickier than baking round cakes. Square cake pans distribute the heat a little differently, letting the center of the cake rise faster than the corners.
Read more →
How to Keep Breading From Falling Off When Frying
Home-fried foods offer the crisp and gorgeous golden crust so appealing in commercially fried products -- but often without unnecessary salt, sugar and additives added in industrial kitchens.
Read more →
How to Add Spice to Gravy
Making homemade gravy is one of the most daunting challenges that a new cook can face. Getting the thickness right, making sure there are no lumps and not scorching it are all hurdles. Once you’ve leapt those, you still have to figure out how to season your gravy.
Read more →
How to Dry Rice
Homemade fried rice rarely achieves the taste and texture of restaurant fried rice for a very simple reason. Many home cooks don’t know the secret behind traditional fried rice: using dried cooked rice.
Read more →
How to Reheat a Rice Ball
Arancini, or fried rice balls, are small, round balls of cheese coated with cooked rice and then deep-fried. Ricotta cheese is sometimes used for the filling, as are parmesan and reggiano. One form of arancini places meat in the center of the cheese filling.
Read more →
How to Cook Minced Beef for Spaghetti Bolognese
Much like American chili, Bolognese sauce has as many variations as there are cooks preparing their own personal version. To protect the integrity of the dish, the city of Bologna adopted an official recipe in 1982.
Read more →
How to Deep Fry With a Mix of Olive & Canola Oils
Olive oil is known for being full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as adding flavor. What is lesser known is that olive oil can be used to deep fry. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the smoke point of olive oil is not appreciably lower than that of canola oil.
Read more →
How to Cook Frozen Gnocchi
Gnocchi are small Italian dumplings made from potatoes, cheese and eggs. The Roman version, made with flour, were so hearty and convenient that it was believed they made the Romans invincible. By the Renaissance, potato gnocchi became the norm, and they haven’t changed much since then.
Read more →
How to Reduce a Liquid to Get it Thick & Make a Glaze for Cooking
Make a glaze by thickening your sauce or drippings with something already glaze like, such as syrup or preserves, and you save yourself effort and time. But you also add sugar and possibly additives. Avoid that by reducing the liquid you already have.
Read more →
How to Cook Crowder Peas
Crowder peas are part of a Southern pea group called field peas. They were most likely brought to America by Spanish explorers or African slaves. Fresh crowder peas have a more robust flavor than black-eyed peas or cream peas and are known for the dark juices they leave in the pot.
Read more →
How to Fry Canned Beans
Canned beans are high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants and are also an easy-to-store and convenient staple for any pantry. Frying canned beans is a quick and simple way to heat them through without adding a lot of fat or calories.
Read more →
How to Cook Haddock on the Grill
Grilling fresh haddock brings out its natural flavor without adding fat, but it can be a frustrating endeavor. Grilled haddock fillets have a delicate texture and too often end up breaking apart and slipping through the grilling rack, no matter how carefully you try to prevent this.
Read more →
How to Cook Frozen Pasta
Frozen pasta is a fast and convenient ingredient to have on hand for those nights when you need a healthy meal in a hurry. Serving frozen pasta provides the carbohydrates needed for energy, and depending on what tortellini or ravioli are stuffed with, can also offer a serving or two of protein.
Read more →
How to Cook Frozen String Beans in Boiling Water
String beans are a quick and nutritious side dish or a colorful and unusual addition to a salad. Farm-fresh produce packs more of a nutritional punch, but keeping frozen vegetables around ensures a healthy meal when there’s no time to shop. Cooking frozen vegetables can be a little tricky.
Read more →
How to Make Your Own Nacho Seasoning
Nacho seasoning mix that comes pre-packaged in an envelope or spice jar at the grocery store is inexpensive and convenient, but can contain a lot of unnecessary sodium and sometimes even sugar. Fortunately, it’s not difficult or complicated to make your own nacho spice mix at home.
Read more →
How to Cook Pasta Shells
Cooking pasta shells is a great start to a simple, nutritious meal. Pasta shell recipes include using small shells in casseroles and soups and stuffing larger ones with anything from blended cheeses to chopped vegetables and chicken, meat or seafood.
Read more →