My hubby was crestfallen after asking the waiter at his favorite Mexican restaurant to slip him their “famous” queso recipe and the guy simply answered, “What recipe? Just go pick up a can at the store." I laughed, while at the same time, realizing this meant that I was going to have to create a Mexican queso that was better than the canned stuff he’d grown to love. It wasn’t hard to do....
When it comes to cooking quinoa, and all of the delicious ways it can be used, we have a lot of catching up to do! Quinoa is high in protein and completely gluten-free. You can make a pilaf with it, or use it for stuffing, or just eat it plain. I stumbled upon a recipe for “Quinoa con Queso”, or quinoa with fresh farmers cheese, in Culinaria: The United States: A Culinary Discovery, and have since found many other variations online....
It’s all about the sauce We’ve been experimenting a lot with creamy, dairy-free sauces and have found a base mixture that is easy to make and works really well. A lot of dairy-free sauces use coconut milk, which works fine but sometimes adds too much coconut flavor. Instead, we use cashews, water and some simple seasonings to make a thick and creamy sauce with tons of flavor. For this recipe we added roasted red peppers to the mix and it’s the perfect combo for this steak and zoodle pasta recipe....
A not-so-subtle voice in my head screamed, “Stop what you are doing right now and go directly into the kitchen.” Get the book! Cake, I Love You: Decadent, Delectable, and Do-Able Recipes by Jill O’Connor As it happened, I needed something to take to a friend’s house for supper that night, so out came the mixer and the cake pan. Salt and caramel and pecans! I was all over that, and so was my host that night....
My friend Hank came to my rescue the other day with several bunches of Swiss chard that he had just picked from his garden. Normally I do just a simple sauté with Swiss chard. This time I decided to punch it up a bit with some shiitake mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. So good! Shiitakes are like intense mushroom flavor bombs. They cost a little more, but they are so worth it....
Despite being a trained chef, packing a not-sad lunch for my family is a drag. This is the recipe I turn to again and again. From starting to zipping up the lunch bags and pushing the kids out the door for school, it takes 15 minutes. If I’m in the headspace to plan, I make it the night before and keep it in the fridge. 3 Reasons Soba Noodles are a Lunchbox Magic Bullet What Are Soba Noodles?...
Sheet Pan FTW We are always happy when a meal is made in one pan or on a sheet pan. It makes for much less work and clean up, which who’s going to be mad about that?! Just prep the ingredients that need to be cooked and load them on a sheet pan (or two). Transfer them to the oven, and let it do its thing! A Peanutty Sauce Sans The Peanuts Do you ever miss that peanutty flavor?...
Pretty much anything can go into fried rice—usually a combination of veggies, beaten egg, and a protein such as the shrimp we are using in this recipe, or chicken, fish, or tofu. This recipe for Shrimp Fried Rice comes from my dear friend Jaden of SteamyKitchen.com. She learned how to make the best fried rice from her mother (after a rather funny failed attempt when she was a teen). It’s super easy, and comes together in less than half an hour....
Shrimp Scampi: Easy and Quick I’ll put some frozen shrimp in a bowl of ice water. If I’m serving them with pasta, by the time the pasta water has come to a boil, the shrimp are defrosted enough to cook. Shrimp scampi has to be one of the easiest ways to quickly prepare shrimp! How to Make Shrimp Scampi We simply sauté the shrimp with garlic in butter and olive oil, splash it with some white wine, let the wine reduce while the shrimp cooks, and then toss it with fresh parsley, lemon juice and black pepper....
Now having tried my hand at gardening a few times, I realize how many hours of planning and tending it required to grow such a bounty. I have dreams of one day growing more than the basil plant currently on my deck. Until then, I’ll lean into the farmers market and fresh produce aisle for my summer meals. In honor of all the amazing gardeners, this week’s recipes treat the garden harvest with the same love and care that you have....
Our family likes to commemorate the new school year by having a favorite dinner on the first day. Each of these meals makes an excellent choice. They make the most of the late summer bounty as well as help us transition to a busier schedule. The shrimp quesadillas are a great way to dress up the standard cheese version. The curried chicken salad with mango is a beautiful golden hue and perfect for a simple late summer meal, preferably eaten outside....
It’s sort of like frittata meets quiche meets Spanish tortilla. The torta has more structure than a frittata, it is sturdier than a quiche, it’s more delicately flavored than the tortilla. Like best friends in a sandbox, smoked salmon, leeks, potatoes, and dill play well together! They especially enjoy each other’s company in this recipe. The torta can be served warm or room temperature. You can make it ahead and reheat to serve....
Spaghetti squash is called such because the cooked flesh shreds into strands like spaghetti. You can use it as a lower carb and gluten-free replacement for spaghetti noodles in many recipes. Also, it being a winter squash, uncooked and whole, a spaghetti squash will last for months! The squash is very happy baked, shredded, and then tossed in a sauté with garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan. Some chopped greens thrown into the mix make it a meal....
What is carbonara Carbonara is traditionally an Italian pasta dish made with noodles, pancetta and a sauce made with egg, cheese and heavy cream. It’s typically a quick and easy dish to whip up and one that just feels like comfort food. We played with this traditional idea a bit to come up with a Paleo-fied version. How to make carbonara Paleo Here’s how we modified this traditional dish to make it Paleo and even Whole30 friendly!...
Cooks prepare them in a lot of ways, but the most common is to throw them into a wok for a quick stir-fry with either dried red chiles or fresh (searingly spicy) green chiles. I’m partial to the dried chile version because it really brings out the flavor of the mushrooms. It’s fantastic paired with other Chinese dishes like a ginger-beef stir fry or a whole steamed fish, but it’s also flavorful enough to use as a vegetarian main with other vegetable side dishes, such as a Chinese cucumber salad or Sichuan-style long beans....
We all have dishes from our childhood that we look back on fondly—sometimes to the bafflement of those around us. For me, that dish is a Jell-O salad. For the uninitiated, Jell-O salads are an American classic. Flavored gelatin is mixed with everything from canned fruit to frozen peas, whipped cream to cottage cheese, and toasted nuts to salty pretzels. The final mix is poured into elaborate molds or layered into bars and served at family gatherings, holiday parties, and summer picnics as a main, side, or of course, dessert....
Ready within 30 minutes, these Asian-spiced meatballs are one of our favorite weeknight dinners because they’re so quick and easy to prepare. They are Paleo and Whole30 friendly too! Healthy meatballs are where it’s at These ground pork meatballs are just delicious! They’ve got the perfect combo of savory and sweet. And they really hit the spot, especially when you need a quick and easy meal. The meatballs themselves are flavored with sesame oil, coconut aminos (or this coconut aminos substitute) and scallions....
Once you’ve installed this energy-efficient cooktop, you might need to overhaul your set of pots and pans to something that is compatible. To help you get back to cooking, we’ve rounded up the top induction-compatible cookware sets, focusing on both their durability and the variety of the pieces included. We also put some of our top picks to the test in our dedicated testing lab, specifically looking at heat distribution and hot spots, the amount of splatter, ease of pouring, nonstick qualities, how hot the handles get, and how easy they were to clean....
When choosing an oven mitt, it’s good to keep in mind the length and width (some don’t provide nearly enough coverage while others can be too cumbersome, but that depends on your own limbs) and the material. There are several oven mitts to consider—some even with fingers!—from silicone to cloth, each with its own pros and cons. Here are the best oven mitts to keep by your stove. Big Red House’s oven mitts might just be the only ones you need to have in your kitchen....
There’s a variety of different sets on the market, with your first big decision being whether you want plastic or glass containers. Next, consider if you need stackable, space-saving sets for between-use storage. Also, think about whether you want to have round, square, or rectangular containers. In the end, the Rubbermaid Brilliance Storage 14-Piece Food Storage Set stood out among the rest for its 100 percent leakproof design. Ditch the stained and smelly mismatched deli containers and tired-out Tupperware and upgrade your kitchen with one of these fantastic sets....
