Using Your Microwave to Cook Meals - Microwave Cooking Tips

In this day and age, anything that saves time and unwanted calories is a lifesaver for the individual on the go or who is trying to watch their weight.

When it comes to the microwave, many people disregard its potential for creating delicious meals that doesn’t require extra fat for cooking.
The moist heat of the microwave eliminates the need for grease and fat once used to keep food from sticking to cooking pans.

Additionally, fat drainage is furthered when placing foods in between two paper towels.

Below you will find a few tips that allow you to take advantage of your microwave when looking for new ways to save time and energy:

1) Consider the high setting of power (100%) when preparing soups, drinks, fruits, vegetables, fish, ground meat, and poultry.

2) Use the medium-high power setting (70%) when looking to simmer a stew.

3) When using the microwave to cook, select foods that cook well with moist heat, such as chicken, vegetables, fish, ground meat, sauces, and soups.

4) Keep in mind that pieces of meat that are the same size and shape will cook more evenly than various small and large cuts.

5) To reduce the amount of liquid used when typically preparing drinks, soups, vegetables, fruits, and main courses – the microwave only requires around 1/3 of the usual amount since less liquid evaporates in the microwave.

6) Select a microwave-safe container that is slightly larger than the dish required for cooking your meal in a conventional oven.

7) Use a medium power setting (50%) when baking items, such as breads, cakes and muffins. This power setting is also suggested when preparing cuts of meat that are less tender.

8) To add a crusty appearance to your baked goods, grease the pans with a little bit of vegetable oil and place crumbs or grounded nuts on top.

9) To avoid low fat cheeses and other toppings from becoming tough or soggy, make sure to add them close to the end of cooking.

10) Try to avoid coating your meat with flour if you plan on adding liquid when cooking, as these coatings will only become soggy.

11) When preparing rice, use quick-cooking selections instead of long-grain.

12) No need to add fat when steaming your vegetables. Simply chop your veggies as desired and place in a microwavable container with one to two tablespoons of water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cook on high until they become soft.

Tips for Using Leftovers

Turn Leftovers into a Feast

(ARA) - Whether you cook foods yourself, buy them ready-to-heat or ready-to-eat, it seems there are inevitably leftovers. The amounts might be substantial or miniscule, but there’s always the question of how to use the bits and pieces creatively before they spoil.

All-natural eggs, with their high-quality protein and amazing versatility, can come to the rescue. A number of easy-to-make egg dishes are ideally suited to using up those odds and ends of different foods.

Two possibilities are French omelets and frittatas, the unfolded Italian version of an omelet. You can fill each French omelet with 1/2 cup or so of food, all one food or several combined. For a six-egg frittata to feed six people, use a total of about 1 1/2 cups of flavoring foods. Howard Helmer, holder of the Guinness Word Record for fastest omelet making, likes to fill omelets with the toppings scraped off of leftover pizza, but you could also flavor an omelet or a frittata with pieces of chopped cooked poultry, meat or fish and what’s left of yesterday’s cooked veggies.

A quiche is another choice. When restaurateurs feature the quiche of the day, it’s often filled with whatever didn’t sell out the day before. You can use the same trick at home. A good proportion of ingredients for a standard 9-inch pie shell is: 6 eggs beaten with 1 cup of milk plus 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped, cooked meat, fish, poultry or veggies. Simply put everything in the pie shell, add a sprinkling of your favorite herb or seasoning blend, and bake at 375 F for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Got stale bread around? Revive it by turning it into a strata, a layered casserole. For the most even cooking, cube the bread and toss it with shredded cheese (old and dried is okay) and whatever else you have on hand for flavoring -- maybe cubes of leftover pork chops and a handful of kernel corn. Pour on eggs beaten with milk and bake at 350 F until a knife poked near the center comes out clean, from 30 minutes to a bit over a hour, depending on the size of the casserole dish you use.

For leftover rice or pasta, invent your own spaghetti carbonara or fried rice. Simply heat the rice or pasta with dribs and drabs of leftover vegetables and meat, fish or poultry, if you have any on hand. Then, pour on some eggs beaten with a little milk and scramble. Add some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to the pasta dish and a dash of soy or teriyaki sauce to the rice dish. In just minutes, dinner’s ready to serve and your family probably won’t recognize the leftovers.

For more recipes that make the most of leftovers, visit www.IncredibleEgg.org.

Omelet Rancheros

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetarian refried beans

1/4 cup salsa or taco sauce, divided

2 eggs

2 tablespoons water

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Lemon and lime wedges, optional

Directions:

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together beans and 2 tablespoons of the salsa. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Keep warm while preparing omelet.

In a small bowl, beat together eggs and water until blended. Evenly coat 7- to 10-inch omelet pan or skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Pour in egg mixture. (Mixture should set immediately at edges.)

With an inverted pancake turner, carefully push cooked portions at edges toward center so uncooked portions can reach hot pan surface, tilting pan and moving cooked portions as necessary. Cook until top is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains.

Spread hot bean mixture down center of omelet. Sprinkle with cheese. With pancake turner, fold sides of omelet over beans and cheese. Slide from pan onto plate. Spoon on remaining salsa. Garnish with lemon and lime wedges, if desired.

Instead of the refried beans and salsa in this recipe, you could use leftover red- or green-sauced chili or bits of meatballs and what’s left of a jar of spaghetti sauce. Any shredded cheese will work, including American, brick, mozzarella, provolone and Swiss.

Variable Vegetable Strata

Makes four servings

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

6 slices day-old bread

1 to 2 cups chopped cooked vegetables

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

6 eggs

1 can (10.75 ounces) low-fat, reduced-sodium, condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1/2 cup skim or low-fat milk

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Evenly coat a 2-inch deep 8-by-8 (or 2-quart rectangular) baking dish with spray. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Evenly sprinkle half of the cubes into prepared dish. Sprinkle vegetables and cheese over cubes. Sprinkle with remaining cubes.

In medium bowl, beat together eggs, soup, milk, mustard, basil and pepper. Pour over bread-vegetable mixture and cover. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Bake in preheated 350 F oven until knife inserted near center comes out clean and top is golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes.

To flavor this casserole, you can use any bread and veggies you like or have on hand. You can also substitute a different type of shredded cheese or flavor of soup.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

10 Food Safety Guide Tips For The Holiday

It is holiday time, and everyone is getting ready to cook up a feast. This includes everyone's favorite dishes, from stuffing to pumpkin pie. Friends and families are gathering together and sharing in the love that speaks so loudly this time of year. There are many things rushing through our minds during this time of year, but one of the things that most people forget to consider is food safety. This is actually a very important issue, when you consider how much cooking is going on, and you want to make sure that you take care in the preparation of your food in order to ensure that no one gets sick.

While the United States' food supply is one of the safest in the entire world, there are still some 76 million people each year that get sick from food borne illnesses. Food safety can be especially challenging during the holidays, as not only is it already cold and flu season and so many people are already sick to begin with, but also because the menu includes many more dishes than normal.

It is important to know that there are certain people who are going to be especially vulnerable to food borne illnesses, and this includes children, pregnant and nursing women, and the elderly. There are many tips that you can use to help keep your menu as delicious as possible while also making sure it is safe for your guests to eat. The following are ten of the most important suggestions to implement here:

Food Safety Guide #1 - Set Out A Plan

One of the best things you can do during the holiday season is to have a master plan set out for yourself. After all, the top chefs do it, and so should you. You will want to have the proper heating and cooling devices ready, as although a single oven and refrigerator or freezer is enough for most people, those who are cooking larger amounts of food may require more, and you want to be prepared for this rather than realizing it when it is too late. You need to have plenty of clean ice and always keep foods properly heated or cooled, depending on what is called for.

Food Safety Guide #2 - Wash Your Hands

It is important when cooking that you wash your hands frequently, especially around the holidays when there are so many colds and flu going around. Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to minimize bacterial contamination and keep your food safe. You especially need to make sure you clean your hands thoroughly after handling the turkey or any other raw meat.

Food Safety Guide #3 - Wash all Fresh Produce

Besides washing your hands, you should wash all fresh produce as well. Even greens that are prepackaged should be washed before cooking in order to minimize potential bacterial contamination, and simply rinsing it under cool water will be enough.

Food Safety Guide #4 - Defrost Properly

Defrosting your food completely before cooking it is very important when it comes to food safety issues. If you choose to use a frozen turkey then you are going to want to allocate 24 hours per 5 pounds to defrost in the refrigerator and then you can leave the bird on the counter to defrost the rest of the way, if necessary. Also, in consideration of drought conditions in certain areas of the country, defrosting the turkey using water may seem wasteful but it is one of the safest methods, especially if you need it defrosted in less time.

Food Safety Guide #5 - Cook all Foods to the Proper Temperature

This is quite obvious, but it is alarming how many people assume they have cooked food to the right temperature when it really is not. This is why it is ideal to use a thermometer when cooking, especially when it comes to meat which is very bacteria prone. It is necessary to cook meat to a specific temperature in order to ensure that any potential bacteria are destroyed.

Food Safety Guide #6 - Refrigerate Leftovers Within Two Hours of Preparation

Another incredibly important rule that should be followed, it is important to remember that leaving food out too long is one of the biggest holiday food safety problems. It is fine to leave food out right after eating to give you time to relax, but when food sits out for more than two hours in the danger zone, which refers to any temperature ranging between 40 and 140ºF, then it is prime for bacterial growth. You should store any leftovers in 2-inch deep, shallow containers and make sure that the refrigerator is never too full so that there will be plenty of air circulating throughout it.

Food Safety Guide #7 - Serve Only Pasteurized Apple Cider

One food safety tip that most people would not realize involves apple cider. It is best to serve only pasteurized apple cider because this means that the juice has been pasteurized in order to destroy any harmful bacteria. While you can buy unpasteurized juice you will have to remember that it will contain a warning that it can cause serious illness in vulnerable people.

Food Safety Guide #8 - Be Extra Careful With Eggs

It is important to be careful when cooking meat, but also with eggs. Many eggnog recipes call for uncooked eggs but keep in mind that in these cases you should be using pasteurized eggs or at least cook the yolks lightly to make sure you kill any potential salmonella bacteria. Eggs should be kept refrigerated until used and if you spill any on the counter or floor it should be cleaned up immediately.

Food Safety Guide #9 - Keep Guests Out of the Kitchen

Of course this is the holiday season and you want to be around those that you love, but you should really keep guests out of the kitchen while you are preparing the food. As few people as possible should be around food while it is being prepared in order to prevent anyone from picking at the food and reduce the risk of contamination, especially during this time of year which is cold and flu season.

Food Safety Guide #10 - Reheat Leftovers Properly

It is important that when you go to reheat any leftovers you heat them to a proper temperature. Filling a plate of leftover food and popping it in the microwave may seem safe enough, but there is actually cause for concern here. You still really should use a thermometer in order to make sure that all the food has been reheated to a suitable temperature, to avoid sickness as best you can.

A webmaster of Healthy Lifestyle Blogzine. This blogzine provides a combination of factors to maintain good health - from eating healthy food to exercising regularly, losing weight to being smoke-free, getting sufficient sleep to taking time to de-stress. It also features some latest and up to date health news.
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Crock Pot Cooking Tips

• The main advantage of slow cooking is to set and forget it. You do not need to tend the pot.
  
• Do make sure it is not touching the walls or other appliances.
  
• Stirring is not required for the great majority of crock- pot recipes. Every once in a while you'll find a crock pot recipe that require a little stirring, but that's not too often.
• Leave the Lid On While Cooking! I cannot stress this point enough. Every time the crockpot isuncovered, 1/2 cooking time is lost. Most pots have a glass lid, so you can see pretty much what’s going on inside.
  

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Exploring Dried Foods – Fruits

Ronco٠5-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator

While dried fruit makes a great, nutritious snack, many cooks overlook the potential of using dried fruits in their cooking, as it can find a place in everything – from beef stews to cranberry muffins. Additionally, dried fruit allows us to take advantage of our favorite treats even when they are out of season. It is also quite easy to make dried fruit, as the high levels of sugar combat bacteria, allowing the final results to last for up to a year in the refrigerator.

So, what are you waiting for? Pop your favorite fruits in the oven or dehydrator and start snacking and cooking. Below you will find a few suggestions and interesting facts regarding dried fruit:

Dried Apples: Great in trail mixes. Store-bought dried apples are often treated with sulfur to keep color and prolong shelf life.

Dried Apricots: When purchasing Turkish dried apricots, keep in mind that they are lighter in color, as well as milder in flavor than other varieties.

Dried Apricot Paste: In the Middle East, people usually create drinks out of this type of fruit leather by adding it to boiling water. During Ramadan, dried apricot paste is often served before and after a daylong fast. Most Middle Eastern markets are sure to supply this treat.

Dried Bananas: There are two different kinds of dried bananas to consider. The first offers long spears that are quite sweet and great for cooking. The second kind is chips, which are fried in oil, taste crunchy, and are often included in trail mixes.

Dried Cantaloupe: There is a powerful flavor associated with dried cantaloupe, which is very sweet.

Dried Cherries: These large and sweet cherries are sometimes used in place of raisins in recipes.

Chinese Date: In the United States, you can find the dried variety of the Chinese date, which is crisp like an apple with a mildly sweet flavor when fresh.

Dried Cranberries: With an attractive color and tangy flavor, dried cranberries are often used as a substitute for raisins in recipes.

Dried Fig: There is a decent source of calcium when eating a dried fig, which offers varieties such as the black mission fig, Calimyrna fig, and the green fig, which is quite juicy.

Golden Raisin: When compared to the typical raisin, the golden raisin is more tart.

Dried Mango: Often time, dried mango is coated with sugar.

Dried Nectarines: While similar to a dried peach, the dried nectarine carries a heftier price tag. Often times, this treat is treated with sulfur.

Dried Papaya: Often, you will find dried papaya coated with sugar.

Dried Peaches: Similar to the dried apricot, the dried peach is larger and milder.

Dried Pineapple: Often, sugar is used to coat dried pineapple.

Dried Plum: Also known as a prune, not only will you enjoy sweetness, but also receive a healthy dose of iron, dietary fiber, and other nutrients. Dried plums are eaten whole, chopped up, or added to sauces and stews.

Sour Prunes: While Middle Eastern markets carry this treat, you can soak regular prunes in vinegar overnight to gain the same effect.

Dried Strawberries: With sweetness and chewiness, dried strawberries are found in granola and trail mixes.

What are the Different Types of Olive Oil?

Know the Difference: Olive Oil

It is the green olive that produces the olive oil that has been making headlines as a healthy addition to cooking. Depending on the type of olive oil you bring home, you will encounter a wide-range of flavors, colors, and consistencies. This is because the climate, location, and specific varieties of olives play an important role in the characteristics of the oil.

If you have ever wondered what the difference between extra-virgin and just plain 'ol virgin was in the world of olive oils, consider the following information that will help you know the difference next time you go shopping:

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

In order to gain the distinction of extra-virgin olive oil, the oil should possess less than 1% acidity and was produced by an initial press of the olive fruit that has gone through what is known as the cold pressing process. While there are a lot of olive oils that claim an extra-virgin status, the majority actually meets the very minimum requirement. Extra virgin denotes a chemical requirement that should not be used as an accurate measure of quality and taste.

Virgin Olive Oil

Virgin olive oil is made from olives that are slightly riper than the ones generated for extra-virgin oil. While virgin olive oil is made in the same manner, it is considered a lower quality of virgin oil. The acidity associated with this selection is of a slightly higher level of 1 ½ %.

Refined Olive Oil

This type of oil is nearly tasteless and has been refined. The acidity level is more than 3.3%, which contributes to an unpleasant flavor and not so attractive scent.

Pure Olive Oil

Pure olive oil is often referred to as olive oil and usually is made through a second cold pressing process or undergoes chemical extraction of olives left behind after the first pressing. Pure olive oil (also known as commercial grade oil) is lighter in color and tastes blander than virgin olive oil. When you need general-purpose oil, this is the selection to seek out.

Refined Olive-Pomace Oil

Avoid this type of oil, as it has been tainted by olive pomace treated with solvents. Actually, this grade is not good for your health.

Olive-Pomace Oil

Once again, this olive oil supplies a combination of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oil, and is not good for you to consume.

Light & Extra Light Olive Oil

Some grocery stores carry olive oil that states it is "light" or "extra light," which shows no calorie differentiation but is also viewed as one of the lowest quality of olive oils on the market because it has been mixed with refined selections.

olive oil
cooking tips

Let's Learn About Cooking Chicken

If you're gonna learn how to cook everything (well, most things anyway) then a great place to start is with one of the world's favorite foods: Chicken!

Chicken as a popular food source is nearly as old as recorded history itself. First domesticated around 2000 B.C. in India, early chicken eaters were also found in China and Babylon. Brought to the U.S. by Columbus, the early colonists first bred chickens more for their eggs than their meat. Easy to breed and care for, and easy to digest, chicken has become an American staple.

Chicken provides the necessary protein component needed in our daily diets. Lower in fat, calories (especially when you take the skin off) and cost than any other meat, chicken is also a good source of magnesium and potassium. Its versatility, lending itself to many varieties, cuts and tastes enables people to enjoy variety even while eating the same bird.

The modern supermarket offers many different types of chicken in many different cuts – whole chickens, cut up chickens, breasts, fillets, legs, wings and thighs not only allow us to eat our favorite parts, but to add variety to our diet by simply choosing white over dark meat or vice versa. Chicken can also often be cooked in 30 minutes or less for those of us who have little time to spend in the kitchen.

Types of Chicken

* Broilers-Fryers are specifically bred for eating. They are young chickens, seven to ten weeks old. Weighing from 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds, they are a tender choice and good for broiling, roasting or frying.

* Roasters are slightly older than broilers-fryers – three to five months old and weigh from five to seven pounds.

* Capons are young, castrated roosters weighing from five to seven pounds. They are richly flavored, have a higher fat content and will yield more meat. Their age can range anywhere form 16 weeks to 8 months.

* Rock Cornish Game Hens are small broiler-fryers than weigh between one and two pounds. Originally bred in Connecticut in 1950 for foodies, it is usually stuffed and roasted whole, then served whole or as a half bird.

* Stewing or Baking Hens are a much more mature bird of ten months to a year and a half. Since its meat is less tender, it is best used in stews, stocks and soups.

All chicken is inspected by the USDA to ensure it is healthy for consumption. As with most perishable meat, bacteria multiplies quickly at temperatures between 40 F and 140 F, so safe handling precautions should always be kept.

cooking chicken

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