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Plan a Warm-Weather Dinner Party With These Delicious Desserts

August 18, 2016 by

Now that the weather is warmer and the days are longer, you're likely planning more social events to add to your calendar. This also means that you're on the hunt for warn-weather recipes for all of those cook-outs and dinner parties. Here are just a few fresh desserts that are perfect for the spring and summer seasons.

Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake [foodnetwork.com]
With its bright, zesty flavor and moist texture, Ina Garten's recipe for lemon yogurt cake is perfect for your spring and summer brunches and other occasions. It also features a light drizzle of glaze on top to add even more sweetness.

Ducle de Leche Crepe Cake [foodnetwork.com]
With layers upon layers of homemade crepes, this is one of the most unique desserts that you'll try this spring. The recipe also features a creamy icing and a gooey caramel topping that creates that recognizable dulce de leche flavor.

Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting [myrecipes.com]
While you likely already enjoy sherbet during the warm weather of springtime, you'll love it even more in this innovative cupcake recipe. These cupcakes feature the citrus flavor of sherbet in their base, while the buttercream frosting on top makes them taste rich and creamy.

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Allergic to Eggs? These 3 Webpages Provide Info About Egg Substitutions

January 21, 2016 by

Vegans and those with egg allergies may think that certain foods are off limits, but thanks to egg substitutes, you can still enjoy things like cakes, breads, and other baked goods. These helpful websites are full of tips for using egg substitutes to help you create egg-free dishes that taste just as good as the originals.

PETA
Though this website is tailored toward vegans, its tips are helpful for anyone who wants to remove eggs from their diet. The Egg Replacements page features information about all of the different types of egg substitutes, including silken tofu, potato starch, ground flax seed, and canned pumpkin. There’s also a list full of tips about egg substitutions.

The Kitchn
The Kitchn’s Vegan Egg Substitutes page helps you to choose the perfect egg substitute for any dish. It offers full descriptions of everything from tofu to applesauce, and it also provides information about the best brands of commercial egg replacers.

About.com
The vegetarian section of About.com is a wonderful resource to learn more about egg substitutes. It answers readers’ most pressing questions about cooking without eggs, and it also describes which egg substitutes work best in different types of recipes.

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If You’re Running Low on Eggs or Vinegar, Try These Substitutes Instead

September 17, 2015 by

When you’re running short on ingredients, you might have to get creative in the kitchen. There are a few well-known replacements for some common ingredients if you don't have everything you need on-hand. Here are four cooking substitutes for when you're in a pinch in the kitchen.

  1. If you're missing eggs: It might seem impossible to replace this unique ingredient, but you can do so with half a banana mashed with 1/2-teaspoon baking powder.
  2. If you're missing mayonnaise: If you’re whipping up a summer salad and find you're short on this condiment, substitute one cup of sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese pureed in a blender for one cup of mayo.
  3. If you're missing vinegar: Don’t give up if you're running low and the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of white vinegar. You can use 1/4-cup of apple cider vinegar or 1/3-cup freshly squeezed lemon juice instead.
  4. If you're missing soy sauce: You won’t have to stop in the middle of your stir-fry to run out and by more soy sauce. Just use four tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with one tablespoon water.

Top 3 Ingredient Substitutions [All Recipes]
Ingredient Substitutions [University of Nebraska]
Baking Ingredient Substitution Table [Joys of Baking]

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Seeking Healthy Dessert Recipes? These Pinterest Boards Are for You!

June 18, 2015 by

If you have a major sweet tooth that just can’t be contained, you’re likely always looking for delicious recipes that aren’t too much of an indulgence. Pinterest is a great resource for discovering new, healthy dessert recipes, as the online bulletin board’s thousands of recipes contain quite a few sinfully sweet dishes that you’ll love to try. Browse these Pinterest boards filled with Paleo, gluten-free, or just low-fat dessert recipes and get to pinning your own.

Ripped Recipes
The Ripped Recipes dessert board isn’t just filled with delicious desserts; it’s actually filled with desserts that won’t ruin your diet. Each of these recipes is made with protein-rich ingredients, sugar substitutes, and all natural, nutritious foods combined in such a way that they taste just as decadent as your favorite chocolate cake. Browse single serving chocolate chip cookies, birthday cake protein pancakes, and hundreds of other deceivingly healthy dessert recipes from Ripped Recipes.

Healthy Recipes
If you want to indulge without going overboard, you’ll love the artfully photographed recipes on Healthy Recipes’ dessert board. Many of these recipes adhere to vegan or gluten-free restrictions, but they’re still all downright delicious. Just click on the photos and you’ll be redirected to the simple recipe instructions on the Healthy Recipes website.

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You Might Be Surprised That These Common Foods Are High in Sugar

April 16, 2015 by

Some foods are obviously high in sugar, such as cakes, sodas, and ice cream. But did you know that there are sneaky high-sugar foods that may be sabotaging your diet without you even knowing it? Here are a few foods that are surprisingly high in sugar.

  1. Fat-free yogurts. Sure, fat-free yogurts don’t contain fat, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re low in sugar, too! In fact, the majority of low-fat and fat-free yogurts overcompensate by adding quite a bit of sugar to sweeten up the taste. Be sure to check the label on your favorite sweet side, because some 0% yogurts can contain as many as 20 grams of sugar.
  2. Marinara sauce. Marinara sauce is often viewed as a healthy alternative to creamy Alfredo sauces, but this savory pasta topping can be packed full of sugars. Beware of store bought cans and jars especially, as they’re the most common culprits.
  3. Bread. Even supposedly healthy breads, like whole grain and wheat, can contain about three grams of sugar per slice. Processed breads are usually much higher in sugars than freshly baked options, so opt for a loaf from the bakery or a sprouted wheat bread from the health food store.

6 Surprising Sources of Sugar [Eating Well]
6 Hidden Sugar Mines in Your Diet [Next Avenue]
Sugar: Five Foods Surprisingly High in Sugar [BBC]

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Tips for Healthy Snacking

November 20, 2014 by

Your little ones love sugary cookies, while you just can’t resist a savory snack every now and then. If you’re looking for healthier snacks for the whole family that still tasty and satisfying, these tips from the NIH can help you find them.

  • Create healthier versions of your favorite snacks. Instead of your usual cheese and crackers, substitute low-fat cheese and whole-grain crackers. Instead of buttery, salty movie theater popcorn, make some fat-free or low-fat popcorn.
  • Make healthier dessert choices. Instead of your usual homemade milkshake, blend a banana, ice and low-fat chocolate milk for a chocolate smoothie that’s still delicious.
  • Choose smarter condiments. Sauces and other toppings can add fat and empty calories to an otherwise healthy snack. Instead of cheese, choose salsa, and instead of regular ranch dressing opt for a fat-free variety.

For more healthy snacking tips, visit the NIH website.

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Culinary Terms for Gourmet Recipes

June 19, 2014 by

It’s fun to try new recipes in the kitchen, but that fancy new dish may involve a few cooking techniques that make you scratch your head. Here are a few helpful definitions of some kitchen terms that you might encounter in a gourmet-style recipe.

  1. Crème Fraiche. Crème fraiche is a sort of sauce with a tangy, sharp flavor. You can purchase it in most high end grocery stores, or you can make your own using 1/2 cup of whipping cream and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Cover the mixture and let it sit for at least two hours to thicken.
  2. Fillet. If the word is used as a verb, fillet means to remove the bones from meats like steak or fish. As a noun, this is the piece of meat after the bones have already been removed.
  3. Glaze. A glaze is a thin coat of sugar syrup that’s applied before cooking. After cooking, the glaze turns to a hard finish that’s almost to the point of cracking.
  4. Gratin. Gratin is literally the French word for “crust.” This is usually used for oven-baked savory dishes, which are prepared in a shallow, oval-shaped gratin dish and covered with a browned crust of breadcrumbs or cheese.

Glossary of Basic Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [UMN]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Better Homes & Gardens]
Culinary Terms [About.com]

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Cooking, Decoded: Memorize These Common Recipe Terms

May 14, 2014 by

No matter how experienced you are in the kitchen, there will come a day when you find yourself stumped by the terminology in a recipe. Memorize these three terms so that your next cooking session goes off without a hitch.

Al Dente
We've all come across this term when cooking pasta, but what does it mean? In Italian, al dente translates to "to the tooth." Pasta cooked al dente should retain a slight resistance when chewed, as opposed to being soft.

Simple Syrup
Any mixologist worth his salt is familiar with this one. Commonly used to sweeten cocktails, simple syrup is a homogenous mixture of equal parts water and white sugar. The process for making simple syrup is, well, simple: Combine the two ingredients in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil to create a syrup.

Clarified Butter
A common accompaniment to fresh seafood, clarified butter is the liquid that remains when milk solids are removed from butter. To make clarified butter, melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted, remove the butter from the heat and allow it to sit for five minutes. Skim any foam from the top of the butter, then slowly pour the liquid butter into a container, leaving the white milk solids behind in the saucepan.

Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
The Basic Kitchen: Glossary of Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [BHG]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Cookery]

Public Domain/Photos-Public-Domain
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Healthy Brunch Recipes to Try this Weekend

January 22, 2014 by

On the weekend, you have more time to cook a big breakfast — or brunch! If you and your friends or family enjoy having a late, leisurely brunch, these healthy recipes make delightful options:

Baked French Toast Fritters With Apples and Bananas
The addition of fruit makes this recipe the perfect combination of nutritious and decadent. Using whole-wheat bread instead of carb-heavy white helps you stay on track with your diet, while peanut butter and fruits are sweet substitutes for the usual maple syrup.

Pita Pizzas
For those who enjoy a more savory taste for brunch, these pita pizzas are fast, simple to make, and incredibly tasty. Using grilled chicken, whole-wheat pitas and a few other common ingredients, you can create a filling meal that guests of all ages will love.

Tuna and Avocado Cobb Salad
Avocado is a nice addition to just about any brunch dish, and this Cobb salad combines it with protein-rich tuna for a fresh, healthy meal.  The usual heavy Cobb dressing gets a makeover with lemon, lime, honey and olive oil, and the whole thing equals just 224 calories.

To browse even more healthy brunch recipes, visit the NIH website here.

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