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Cooking Without Eggs? Bookmark These Two Websites

January 7, 2016 by

Food allergies sometimes make creativity a necessity when it comes to preparing meals on your own. Lucky for those afflicted with allergies, there are many great resources to help people cook delicious food without the ingredient that trigger reactions. If you need to prepare a dish without eggs, bookmark these two websites for help with substitutions.

  1. Cooking and Baking Without Egg Ingredients [Kids With Food Allergies]
    With this website, egg allergies won’t stop you from making your favorite foods like pizza, cake, and pie. Get those recipes, plus suggestions on how to substitute eggs when used in other baked goods.
  2. Egg Substitutions [Chef in You]
    Discover a list of foods that can be used as eggs substitutes in various recipes. They include unlikely items such as bananas, applesauce, and vegetable oil.

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Safety First! Read These Tips Before Preparing Raw Meat

December 17, 2015 by

Lean meats are a healthy part of any nutritious diet, but it’s very important to handle them properly to avoid illness. Be sure to follow these important tips for buying and preparing raw meat.

  1. Purchase only high-quality meats. When shopping for steak, chicken, fish, or other meats, always look for the Safe Food Handling label on the package. Also, use your own discretion to examine meat before purchasing, and be sure that it’s wrapped tightly and packaged in a bag away from other foods.
  2. Store meat safely. Meat must remain at a cold temperature until you’re ready to prepare it, so store it in your refrigerator and put it in the refrigerator’s meat bin if possible. Fresh meats should be used within three to four days, while meats like sausage and ground beef should be used within two days.
  3. Keep yourself (and your counters) safe. Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat. It’s also important to only use cutting boards and utensils for meat to avoid cross-contamination.
  4. Cook meat completely. Be sure to defrost meat in the refrigerator or the microwave; never let raw meat sit on the countertop to defrost. Once it’s time to cook your meat, use a food thermometer to see that ground meats reach at least 160°F and that beef and pork reach 145°F.

Food Safety: How to Handle Raw Meat [Beef Retail]
Keeping Your Meat Safe [Home Food Safety]
Meat [FoodSafety.gov]
Safe Food Handling: What You Need to Know [FDA]

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4 Tips for Serving a Safe Food Buffet

June 18, 2015 by

If you’re hosting a large party, you’re likely concerned with serving tasty foods, but your goal should also be to keep those foods safe for your guests. Here are a few helpful tips that will keep your food buffet just as healthy as it is delicious.

  1. Wash your hands. The first thing you should do when preparing a food buffet is wash your hands. This prevents you from spreading germs to your guests, but it also helps to keep you safe from food borne illnesses caused by raw meat, eggs, and other ingredients. Be sure to wash your hands each time you refill the buffet, as well.
  2. Cook foods completely. It’s safe to keep foods out on a buffet, provided that they’re cooked properly beforehand. Meats like beef and pork chops should be cooked to at least 145º F, while chicken and poultry should reach at least 165º F.
  3. Use the proper serving tools. If you’re serving hot foods, be sure to store them in a chafing dish, slow cooker, or warming tray to keep them from changing temperature. Cold dishes can be served in nesting bowls over bowls of ice, and they must stay at 40°F or lower in order to stop the growth of bacteria.
  4. Abide by the two-hour rule. Finally, never let foods sit on a buffet for more than two hours. Tossing food that’s been at room temperature for too long will ensure a safe and healthy party.

Serving Up Safe Buffets [FDA]
Serving Prepared Foods Safely [Whole Foods]
Holiday or Party Buffets [USDA]
Buffet Safety [NSF]

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Molten Chocolate Cake, Reinvented: Try These Three Recipes

May 21, 2015 by

There may be no more indulgent dessert than molten lava cake, a combination of crumbly pastry and gooey chocolate filling. There are many ways to make this treat with a variety of ingredients, and each rendition is tailored to special tastes and diets. Here are three recipes for molten lava cake that you might want to try.

  1. Red Velvet Molten Lava Cake [Half Baked Harvest]
    Silence your sweet tooth with this delicious twist on red velvet cake. Mix in red food coloring, coconut milk, and melted chocolate for an elegant take on this classic recipe.
  2. Molten Chocolate Cake [Pioneer Woman]
    Real butter, fresh eggs, heavy whipping cream, and semi-sweet baking chocolate all get representation in this authentic molten cake recipe. Enjoy tantalizing step-by-step photographs while you prepare it.
  3. Molten Chocolate Cakes [Food and Wine]
    A mere seven ingredients and four steps; making a fabulous molten chocolate cake doesn’t get any easier than this recipe from Food and Wine.

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Move Over, Dairy! These Foods Are Surprisingly High in Calcium

July 24, 2014 by

You learn from an early age that calcium builds strong bones and teeth, but it has a number of other health benefits as well. This beneficial mineral also helps to regulate your blood pressure, maintains healthy blood vessels, and even aids in preventing Type 2 diabetes. Now that you know why you should eat calcium, here are a few lesser-known ways to get it.

  1. White beans. Beans get a good reputation because of their high levels of protein, but white beans are also very high in calcium as well. In fact, just one cup of canned white beans provides 191 milligrams of calcium, which is about 19% of your daily value. These creamy, mild legumes are great in a hearty chili or mashed as a chickpea substitute in homemade hummus.
  2. Sardines. While these tiny fish may have made you squeamish as a child, sardines are actually one of the healthiest fish that you can eat. Like a lot of seafood, they’re rich in omega 3s, but they also provide 321 milligrams of calcium in just seven sardine filets. Many people choose to eat them plain, but if you prefer to cut down on the fishy flavor, you can also add sardines to a salad.

18 Surprising Dairy-Free Sources of Calcium [Greatist]
18 Surprising Dairy-Free Sources of Calcium [HuffPost Healthy Living]

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Three Heart-Healthy Soup Recipes

February 20, 2014 by

It’s one thing to count calories, but finding foods that are just as beneficial to your health as they are to your weight is another story. These delicious soup recipes provide beneficial vitamins and nutrients, keep your heart strong and help you take control of your weight as they warm you up during colder months.

Homemade Turkey Soup
Perfect for using up those turkey dinner leftovers, this hearty turkey soup is full of flavor from its variety of spices. Turkey is a lean meat that provides energizing protein without the extra fat, and the broth base keeps it from weighing you down. At under 250 calories, this makes a light meal that will still fill you up.

Mexican Pozole
If you love the spicy taste of authentic Mexican food, this traditional soup is for you. With lean beef and a large helping of tomatoes, it provides beneficial nutrients as well as exciting flavor. 

Rockport Fish Chowder
While other chowders are high in calories due to their creamy base, this lighter version provides the same rich texture without the extra calories. By using low-fat milk and a variety of veggies, you can create a delicious fish chowder that will help keep your diet on track.

For more healthy soup recipes, visit the NIH website. 

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Find Creative Thanksgiving Recipes Online with These Sites

November 20, 2013 by

Sure, the big turkey is a given, but planning the rest of your Thanksgiving menu can seem a bit daunting. If you’re looking for simple, easy-to-follow recipes for creative and delicious Thanksgiving foods, these popular websites can help:

The Food Network
The Food Network is a go-to choice for cooking shows and competitions, but the network’s corresponding website is also a great resource for all of your at home cooking needs. Their expansive Thanksgiving recipe guide features top-rated recipes from Food Network chefs like Ina Garten and Bobby Flay, including side dishes, festive appetizers, vegetarian options and more.

Food & Wine
The elegant, accessible dishes in Food & Wine magazine are also available online, and the site even has a Thanksgiving planning page that will be an endless source of inspiration. From how to make the juiciest turkey to classy ways to serve cocktails to table settings that will leave your guests in awe, Food & Wine is an inclusive source for all things Thanksgiving.

Saveur
Saveur is known for blending food with culture, and their Thanksgiving menu guide is a perfect example. With schedules for planning your spread days before the feast, complete Thanksgiving menus from the Chesapeake Bay to down South, and even tips for preparing meals for vegans or gluten-free guests, this a truly innovative take on the traditional holiday meal.

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