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Seriously Tempting No-Bake Desserts to Try This Summer

July 21, 2016 by

If you can’t even imagine turning on the oven during the summer heat, no-bake desserts are the perfect alternatives to your usual fresh baked cookies. These oven-free desserts are just as delicious as more traditional options, and they’re often much easier to prepare, which leaves you with more time for lounging by the pool! Here are three no-bake dessert recipes to try at your next potluck dinner.

7-Layer Ice Cream Cake [marthastewart.com]
Cool off after a summer dinner with this colorful ice cream cake. Pound cake creates a sweet, dense base stacked between layers of tasty vanilla ice cream, while thick meringue is a wonderfully fluffy replacement for the usual heavy icing.

Creamy Layered Lemon Squares [snackworks.com]
Swap out your usual lemon square recipe for something much quicker — and cooler. Basic graham crackers create a crunchy crust, and the addition of ripe strawberries makes this dessert perfect for the summertime.

Hawaiian Cookie Balls [kraftrecipes.com]
The kids will adore these fun and tasty cookie balls made with sweet, crushed pineapple and flaky coconut. You can also decorate them with colorful gel icings and sprinkles to turn them into fun ducks or chickens for a child’s birthday party.

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Having Everyone Over to Watch the Big Game? Check Out These Football-Themed Recipes!

December 17, 2015 by

The only thing better than seeing your team score the winning touchdown? An excuse to indulge in some utensil-free finger foods! These game-changing recipes promise to keep mouths happily snacking during the big football game—when they're not busy yelling at the TV, that is!

Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread [browneyedbaker.com]
Requiring only a loaf of bread, some cheese, garlic, and scallions, this quick and easy recipe is good in a pinch. Simply cut a grid pattern into a loaf of bread, drizzle a garlic-oil mixture over top, then pop it into the oven. After the bread has toasted, remove it from the oven, tuck cheese into all of the crevices, then continue to bake until it's golden-brown. Your guests will get a kick out of pulling the gooey, cheesy bread bites away from the loaf.

Homemade Pretzel Dogs [thefoodcharlatan.com]
This recipe creates the quitessential party snack: pigs in a blanket. These pigs, however, are tucked into made-from-scratch soft pretzel dough for a salty, savory snack your guests will love. Serve them with a bowl of yellow mustard for dipping.

Peanut Butter Football Dip [crazyforcrust.com]
For the football fanatic with a sweet tooth, this dessert dip doesn't disappoint. Cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips are combined to create a decadent dip, which is then molded into a football shape. Serve the dip with mini pretzels for a salty-sweet treat.

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Fete the Fall Season With These Sweet Apple Recipes

November 19, 2015 by

Give your tried-and-true apple pie recipe a rest and experiment with some new apple recipes this fall season. These three creative culinary ideas offer just as much sweet apple flavor as a traditional pie, but they come in a variety of different forms to last you all season long.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes [southernliving.com]
Caramel apples are delicious, but they’re not exactly practical to bring to social gatherings. This adorable cupcake recipe combines the classic combination of caramel and apples in a handheld form, and they’re topped with toasted pecans and miniature crab apples to give them an extra special appearance.

Mile-High Apple Pie [marthastewart.com]
Most baking enthusiasts are loyal to one apple pie recipe, but this one might just give your usual recipe a run for its money. The deep-dish crust makes the pie incredibly dense, and best of all, it tastes even better the next day.

Apple Squares [allrecipes.com]
All of the flavors of apple pie are packed into conveniently cake-like squares in this simple recipe. Apples and nuts make each bar taste hearty and rustic, while the vanilla and cinnamon will fill your home with a mouthwatering aroma while they’re baking. Slice them into oversized portions and pack them in the kids’ lunches, eat them for breakfast, or serve them as a dessert at your next holiday party.

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Make Rice Pudding Tonight With These Simple Recipes

December 4, 2014 by

Rice pudding brings to mind cozy winter days in front of the fireplace, enjoying its sweet and creamy taste with friends and family. The old-fashioned dessert favorite takes on new life through a few simple and unique recipes, and it's incredibly easy to make at home. Here are a few of the best rice pudding recipes from around the web.

Rice Pudding [Simply Recipes]
Unlike the heavy cream and other fattening ingredients in traditional rice pudding recipes, this one offers a lighter take on the dessert dish. Combine whole milk, white rice, one egg, and a few sweet spices to create this simple treat.

Baked Rice Pudding [Food Network]
While most rice pudding is boiled, Paula Deen's recipe bakes the rice mixture for a thicker consistency. The result is rich, fluffy, and lightly browned on top.

Gingered Crème Caramel Rice Pudding [Fine Cooking]
If you want to add a gourmet flair to your usual rice pudding, this is the recipe for you. It features a sticky caramel coating and fresh ginger to add an extra spicy kick.

Joy of Cooking Rice Pudding [Joy of Baking]
For the visual learner, this rice pudding recipe includes a video tutorial that will help you to perfect each technique involved.

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Hearty Chili Recipes to Try This Fall

September 18, 2014 by

Few things taste better on a chilly fall day than a warm bowl of hearty chili, but your staple recipe may start to get a bit old after a few seasons. Here are three tasty new chili recipes that are equally as comforting but a bit more creative.

All-American Chili [myrecipes.com]
Whether you use it to top grilled hot dogs or to eat right from the bowl on a cold afternoon, it doesn’t get more all-American than this chili recipe. Ground sirloin and hot Italian turkey sausage give this a flavorful, meaty taste, while a hefty splash of merlot makes a delicious secret ingredient that your guests are sure to ask about.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup [allrecipes.com]
Add a Mexican flair to your usual chili with this hearty chicken taco soup made entirely in the slow cooker. Serve it topped with sour cream, green chilies, tortilla strips, or healthy avocado for even more flavor.

Turkey and White Bean Chili [marthastewart.com]
If you prefer a chili that’s a bit lighter than most, this recipe is the perfect choice. Lean turkey and mild white beans are the base ingredients, but jalapenos and ground cumin give it that slight kick that you love about spicy chili.

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Recipes, Decoded: Memorize These Common Cooking Terms

May 14, 2014 by

Whether you're a professional chef or a novice cook, you've likely come across recipe terms that'll have you scratching your head. Breeze through that next recipe by committing these three common kitchen terms to memory.

Braise
The ideal cooking method for preparing tougher cuts of meat, braising entails browning the meat in fat over high heat. Then, the meat is simmered over low heat in a small amount of liquid, either in the oven or on the stovetop.

Chiffonade
A knife technique for cutting leafy herbs, to chiffonade means to thinly slice leafy herbs and greens. The leaves are stacked, rolled into a tight tube lengthwise, then sliced to create thin strips.

Temper
This term is most commonly found in recipes that add eggs to a hot mixture. The hot mixture is introduced to the egg mixture in small increments to slowly raise the temperature of the eggs. This acclimates the eggs to the heat and prevents the eggs from scrambling.

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

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Great Websites for Unique Sandwich Recipes

April 17, 2014 by

You use a recipe for pastas, soups and cakes, but you probably wouldn’t think of looking up a recipe for a sandwich. These helpful websites feature sandwich recipes that are much more elaborate than your usual grilled cheese, and you’ll certainly notice the difference in taste.

Food Network
The Food Network is home to some wonderful shows about sandwiches, and now you can learn to make them yourself. Their Top Sandwich Recipes page features everything from grown-up turkey sandwiches to hot, gravy-covered sandwiches that are more dinner than lunch. The Mahi Mahi Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that you might not have heard of, while the French Dip recipe will show you how to make this diner favorite right at home.

101 Cookbooks
Instead of updating the sandwiches you already love, try something completely new with the unique recipes on 101 Cookbooks. This beautifully-designed website is easy to navigate, and it makes for hours of inspiration for your next sandwich. 101 Cookbooks features an Avocado Asparagus Tartine, Vegetarian Lentil Burgers, and even an Egg Salad Sandwich with Greek yogurt instead of the usual mayonnaise.

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Healthy Seafood Recipes for Lunch or Dinner

January 22, 2014 by

Many home chefs are often intimidated by preparing seafood, either because of its delicate texture or because they simply don’t know which types to buy. These tasty and nutritious recipes will take the guesswork out of cooking with fish, shrimp and other types of seafood.

Baja-Style Salmon Tacos
Unlike many restaurant tacos, this recipe adds up to just 325 calories and is packed with 24 grams of necessary protein. The grilled salmon and whole wheat tortillas give these Baja-style fish tacos a healthy makeover that’s still a flavorful treat.

Fish Veronique
A traditional dish with a healthy, modern twist, this recipe for Fish Veronique is a comfort food that won’t break your diet. By removing the fat from the chicken broth and using low-fat milk, you can create a decadent, creamy sauce with none of the extra fat or calories.

Baked Red Snapper With Zesty Tomato Sauce
Create an elegant dinner for your family or your guests with this low-fat, low-calorie Italian fish dish. Use your choice of either red snapper or bass to find the taste you prefer, and top with zesty tomato sauce for major flavor.

For more nutritious meals using seafood, visit the NIH website here.

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Big Patties: Five Unique Hamburger Ideas

October 31, 2012 by

The humble hamburger is a great go-to meal, especially when you don’t have a lot of time. But with a few simple ingredients, you can elevate the fast food staple into something truly special. Here are five ways to make your burger a little better.

Make a patty out of ground turkey and mix it with a little dill. Stuff the middle with a chunk of Brie cheese and grill until the meat is cooked and the cheese melts. Serve on a roll with pickles and lettuce.

Mix Chinese five-spice powder into your ground beef to give it a rich, complex flavor. Once the patty has cooked, glaze the top with a soy ginger sauce and serve with cilantro, cabbage and pickled carrots.

Make a Chicago-style hot dog burger by topping a traditional patty with sweet relish, chopped white onions and hot peppers. A little ketchup and mustard will bring this one over the top.

For a classic French bistro take on the hamburger, gently caramelize onions in a pan and ladle them generously over the cooked burger along with a slice of Gouda cheese and crisp, thick-cut bacon. Serve on a buttery brioche roll.

To give your burgers a special kick, mix in adobo seasoning, red onion and finely grated lime peels into your ground beef. Grill ears of corn until kernels are just cooked, strip the kernels off and mix them with queso fresco and a little bit of mayonnaise to top the burgers.

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