Squash Shortcut

I have several recipes that I need to post, but in the meantime, I'll sneak in and offer you this shortcut I learned.  If you're cooking squash like butternut, acorn, or spaghetti, instead of working yourself to death trying to chop through the rock-hard squash, then gutting removing the seeds, laying face down in a pan of shallow water and baking or nuking...

Take the whole squash. Stab it with knife to create a slit vent on two sides. Place it in your microwave and cook--whole!--8(acorn)-15 (spaghetti) minutes, depending on the size of the squash. (You may hear a little sizzle of escaping steam, but it won't explode.) When you remove the squash (be sure to use pot holders!!), it will be soft and super easy to cut open and de-seed.

Voila!

It's French for Toast!

In this installment, we dabble in international cuisine. Have some old, stale bread laying around? Why not make some Pain Perdu (French for "Lost Bread"). French toast is a great way to take care of that stale bread that might not be useable in other cases. Watch this episode of How to Cook When There is No Cook to learn the basics of making French toast.

How to Make Egg Salad for Sandwiches

Hard boiled eggs can be used in many ways to make various meals. In this episode of How to Cook When There Is No Cook, we'll go over the basics of making egg salad. It's a great way to transform hard boiled eggs into a sandwich spread.

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

A simple skill the backup chef needs to learn How To Cook When There Is No Cook is how to make hard boiled eggs. Hard boiled eggs can be used for multiple things like deviled eggs, egg salad, on sandwiches or in salads. We may go over some of these specific uses in later videos. Until then, here's a video to help you master the basics.

How to Cook White Rice

How to Cook When There Is No Cook: Sometimes the main cook in the house isn't around, is sick, or just not feeling it for cooking. When this happens, the hungry mouths are usually less then understanding. This leaves the back up chef to struggle to make something, or go get take out. This series is designed to help that back up chef learn some basics to keep the hungry bodies alive until the main cook returns!
The first in the series is How To Cook White Rice. Enjoy and be sure to leave any comments or additional tips you have below.

Cooking Tips: Apples

Cooking with apples? Different apples are good for different uses; for example, a Macintosh tastes great as a snack but will turn to mush in a pie. Golden Delicious, while not terribly flavorful raw, really hold their shape when baked. When possible, buy your apples at local farm stands--the growers will usually be glad to give you samples and advice.--FN Calendar

I found this easily referenced Apple Varieties & Uses Chart helpful:
http://www.belltownhillorchards.com/pick-your-own/apple-varieties-uses

Cooking Tips: Drip-Free

Use science to keep your kitchen drip-free--when ladling something out of a pot, lower the ladle back into the liquid by about halfway before you draw it out entirely. The surface tension created by the lowering action will keep any potential drips in the pot and not your counter.--FN Calendar

To Top It Off

Ever since the inception of Easy Peasy, I have cooked more than ever before. Some recipes I approached with enthusiasm, some with trepidation. I’ll let you in on a little secret I discovered….shhh, come closer…closer….if the results are a little…questionable…you can disguise it with a clever topping. That’s right! A prime topping can carry a subpar body of food. For example,

• A layer of crushed Lays Potato Chips will make any casserole better and is more kid-friendly (and cheaper) than fried onion strips.

• Top vegetables with a generous sprinkle of crushed Ritz Crackers. I did this for green beans last night—delicious!

• Bacon makes it better. My research of looking through food magazines confirms that 6 out of 8 “holiday” main dish/side recipes include bacon. Despite the cholesterol police, this time of year the chefs just “ham” at it! (heehee)

• More Cheese, please. Tastes “grate”(sorry, I’m apparently mentally vacating) on top of mashed potatoes, soups, bread, and more.

What are your favorite toppings?

Cooking Tips: Oven-dried Tomatoes

Make your own oven-dried tomatoes. Smaller varieties like cherry, pear, and plum tomatoes work best; just make sure you use tomatoes of a similar size. Preheat the oven to 250'F and put a rack on a baking sheet. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and lay on the rack, skin side down. Generously sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and strew some fresh herb sprigs, like thyme or rosemary, over the top. Roast until the tomatoes are barely moist and shriveled, anywhere from 2 to 6 hours, depending on their size. Pack oven-dried tomatoes tightly in a sealed jar drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and keep in the fridge.--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Cooking oils

Cooking oils--like corn, sunflower, or peanut--can deteriorate, or turn rancid, faster in the warm summer months. Rancid oils have an unpleasant paint-like aroma, and the container often feels "tacky."  Once an oil has become rancid, there is nothing to do but discard it. Consider refrigerating your oils during the summer for better shelf life.--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Chopping Herbs

To chop a handful herbs, drop them in a small glass and snip away with kitchen shears. It much faster and easier than chasing them around the cutting board (and you can get smaller pieces, too).

Cooking Tips: Instant salad dressing

Picture from hauteapplepie.com

If you have leftover pesto, either homemade or store-bought, make a vinaigrette with it. Just add white-wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. It's an instant, delicious salad dressing.--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Zucchini

When cooking zucchini, stick with methods that will concentrate its natural flavors. Grill them in long slices and serve with a simple dipping sauce, or skewer 1" chunks with other vegetables. Deep-fry them batter-dipped or pan-fry in a light breading. For something a little different, use zucchini as an ingredient for salad by slicing very thinly or cutting into julienne. When faced with the inevitability of too much zucchini, peel, puree, and store in the freezer for up to a year for the possibility of zucchini bread all year round.--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Bananas

In the summer heat, bananas tend to ripen faster than you can eat them. Slow things down by separating bunches and storing bananas apart from each other, preferably not in a bowl. As they age, bananas, like many fruits and vegetables, emit a gas called ethylene that accelerates ripening. (Ethylene is the reason a bad apple spoils the bunch, as they say.) By separating bananas, you are allowing room for the ethylene to escape, thus reducing exposure to ethylene and slowing ripening.--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Water with a twist

Throw handfuls of fresh mint, or even lemon balm or lemon verbena, into a large pitcher, then fill with water and refrigerate. Fresh lemon or lime slices, and even thinly sliced Granny Smith apples are also especially refreshing.--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Cucumbers

Cucumbers come into their prime in the summer. To prep them, peel, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds using a spoon or melon baller. Salt them liberally, and let them sit in a colander in your sink for about an hour. Rinse them well before using. This stops them from getting soggy and making the rest of the dish watery. To make a simple Indian raita, slice the cucumbers, and toss them with yogurt and mint. For a Turkish-style cacik (also sometimes known as tzatziki), drain yogurt in cheesecloth, or use creamy Greek yogurt, and add olive oil and finely minced garlic, along with mint or dill. Or try using a vegetable peeler to shave cucumber "noodles," and toss them with a tangy viaigrette (you don't have to salt them for this one).--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Chopping Onions

When chopping onions, a sharp blade slices more cleanly and demands less pressure than a dull edge. The result: less of the squeezing and tearing that releases tear-inducing sulfur compounds. What's more, a sharp knife allows you to work much more quickly and safely, so you don't spend as much time inhaling sulfuric acids.--FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Adding Milk



picture from www.physicsforums.com

 When adding milk to acidic foods like tomato soup, first add a pinch of baking soda (it should fizz) to neutralize the acid and prevent the milk from curdling. --FN Calendar

Cooking Tips: Quiche

If you're making quiches or frittatas with leftover cooked vegetables, put them for a quick spin through the salad spinner to get all the excess liquid out before adding them to your eggs.--Food Network Calendar

Cooking Tips: Thawing

When thawing frozen foods in a bowl of water, turn a smaller bowl upside-down on top of them to keep them submerged in the water.  The more that's covered by water, the less time it will take to thaw. Change water regularly, about once every half hour to 45 minutes.