Deliciously Lovely Pinterest Boards for Vegans

If you’re a vegan, Pinterest is a wonderful way to discover thousands of meat and dairy-free recipes that you can save to try later. This online community operates just like a digital bulletin board, enabling users to share their own content or pin content that you love. Check out these vegan Pinterest boards and you just may discover some recipes to make at home.

Vegan Richa’s Dessert Board
This Pinterest board is dedicated entirely to vegan desserts that are made without dairy or meat products. At a glance, the pins looks so decadent that you can’t even tell that they’re not the original recipes, from creamy vegan chocolate milkshakes to dairy-free peanut butter cheesecakes. Best of all, this board is so large that you’ll discover a new dish every time you visit.

Vegan Recipes
If you’re simply searching for versatile vegan recipes for everyday breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, you’ll love this board of recipes. All of the photos are so high quality that you’ll get hungry just looking at them, and they link back to reliable websites that provide step-by-step recipes to prepare the dishes at home. From colorful salads to splurge-worthy vegan baked onion rings, you’ll find a vegan recipe for every craving on this expansive Pinterest board.

Pinterest Can Help You Lose Weight! Here’s How!

Pinterest is a social media site that operates just like a digital bulletin board, and its incredibly large community makes a great support group to help you lose weight. Pinterest contains thousands of articles, tips, workouts, and recipes that will help you to create a weight loss plan and sustain a healthy lifestyle even after you drop those extra pounds. Here are two of Pinterest’s best weight loss boards.

Cardio Workouts
This board is packed full of fast-paced, high-energy cardio workouts that will help you to burn calories without spending hours on the treadmill. There are so many workout ideas on this board that you’ll never have to do the same routine twice, and you can pick and choose which sound the most enjoyable to you. Visit the board any time you need a bit of pre-workout motivation, or create your own version filled with only the workouts that you like.

Healthy Eating
If you struggle with eating low-calorie, nutrient-rich meals, all it takes is a bit of healthy eating inspiration to make you excited about cooking nutritious meals at home. This board is filled with mouthwatering recipes that look so delicious, you’ll forget they’re actually good for you, from chewy cookies made with fruit and oatmeal to chicken tenders dipped in a low-fat avocado dipping sauce.

Please Picky Eaters With These Healthy Fast Food-Inspired Recipes

You love the burger and fries at your favorite fast food restaurant, but you also know that too much grab-and-go food can take a toll on your health—and your waistline! If you’re dealing with a brood of picky eaters, these recipes will satisfy those fast food cravings, without all of the saturated fat.

Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders with Five Spice Barbecue Sauce [Good Housekeeping]
While regular fast food chicken tenders are deep fried and served with sugary sauces, this oven-baked alternative is just as tasty, but a whole lot healthier. Use Panko bread crumbs, sesame seeds, and a Chinese five-spice powder to create a crispy, Asian-inspired breading for the chicken, and then serve them with your own homemade barbecue sauce that’s free of unnecessary fat and calories.

Healthy Chocolate Banana Shake [abeautifulmess.com]
A thick, creamy milkshake from the local drive-through is a truly delicious indulgence, but it certainly isn’t the best thing for your waistline. This fruit-filled alternative is made with a whole banana, but it still packs that chocolatey punch that you love about traditional shakes.

Spicy Barbecue Chickpea Burgers [ohsheglows.com]
Instead of grabbing an artery-clogging burger, try this flavorful veggie burger. Hearty, protein-rich chickpeas hold the whole thing together, but the spicy barbecue sauce gives it a boost of flavor that's so good, you won’t even miss the meat.

3 Kid-Friendly Dinner Recipes That’ll Satisfy Even the Finickiest of Eaters

A picky eater in the family can make cooking dinner difficult, but it’s important for everyone in your family to get the proper nutrition. If you’re looking for healthy, filling recipes that even small children will love, these three dishes are both simple and tasty.

Ham and Cheese Quesadillas [Real Simple]
Using deli ham and cheese instead of the usual complicated taco meats and seasonings, these ham and cheese quesadillas are ideal for nights when you don’t have much time to cook or when you’re short on groceries. Serve them with a slice of cantaloupe for a boost of healthy nutrients.

Taco Pizza [Martha Stewart]
This is a fun one that will get the kids excited to eat dinner. Taco pizza combines two of children’s favorite foods—pizza and tacos—and it takes just 25 minutes from start to finish. Use lean ground beef and fresh veggies to make it a bit healthier than the usual pizza.

Chicken Tenders With Creamy Honey Mustard [Kraft]
Even the pickiest eaters love chicken tenders, but this recipe is a less fattening alternative to the usual fast food fare. To make this dish even more convenient, the honey mustard sauce doubles as a dip for a side of vegetables.

Check Out These 6 Tips for Baking the Perfect Cookies

Leave the grocery store frozen cookie dough behind in favor of something fresh, homemade, and much more flavorful. Making cookies from scratch is much easier than you may think, and if you follow a few simple guidelines, it doesn’t take much extra time, either. Here are some quick tips for making wonderful-tasting cookies at home.

  1. Don’t skimp on ingredients. If a recipe calls for something unusual or specific, it’s likely because it’s important.
  2. Always use pure forms of base ingredients. That means unsalted butter, large eggs, and pure vanilla extract.
  3. Use parchment paper instead of cooking spray. Parchment paper creates much less mess to clean up, and it prevents your cookies from burning.
  4. Adjust baking times to your unique preferences. If you prefer soft, chewy cookies, shave off a minute or two. If you like a crunchy cookie, add an extra minute.
  5. Place cookies approximately two inches apart. If you place them too close together on the baking pan, your cookies will melt together and lose their nice, round shape.
  6. For bar cookies, make sure you use the pan size indicated. It can be difficult to adjust the cooking time depending on the pan size, so it’s always smart to go with the size that the recipe specifies.

Rely On These Cooking Substitutes When You’re in a Pinch

There’s nothing worse than realizing that you don’t have all the required ingredients to make your favorite dish, especially if you realize after you’ve already started baking. These handy kitchen substitutions will show you how to use one ingredient in place of another the next time you’re in a pinch.

  1. Butter. If a recipe calls for one cup of butter, you can substitute one cup of regular margarine or one cup of vegetable shortening in baking. If the recipe calls for melted butter, you can use one cup of oil instead.
  2. Whipping Cream. Instead of whipping your own cream, which can often be difficult and time consuming, you can substitute a commercial pre-whipped cream if you know how to do it. Keep in mind that one cup of unwhipped whipping cream expands to two cups after it’s whipped. This means that if a recipe calls for one cup of whipping cream, you could substitute two cups of already-whipped cream.
  3. Egg. There are a number of different substitutes for a basic egg, which come in handy when your carton runs out or if you’re attempting to do some vegan baking. Try 1/4 cup of an egg substitute product or two tablespoons of mayonnaise for a perfectly moist cake or other baked goods. If you don’t have those products, you can also use a blend of 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of water.

Common Ingredients Substitutions [All Recipes]
Cooking: Ingredient Substitutions [UNL Food]
Baking Ingredient Substitution Table [Joy of Baking]

Replace Your Potato Salad With These 5 Unique Recipes

Potato salad is a staple dish at any picnic, barbecue, or summer party, but after a while it can start to lose its charm. If you love potato salad but want to update your outdated recipe, these five creative versions offer the same great taste with some subtle changes.

Yellow Mustard Potato Salad [Food Network]
The zesty taste of yellow mustard, relish, and pimento gives a unique flavor to this thick, hearty potato salad.

German Potato Salad [Food Network]
Prepared just like the Germans make it, this potato salad uses a broth rather than a creamy sauce. Adding bacon and apple cider vinegar ensures that it’s anything but bland.

Dairy-Free Potato Salad [AllRecipes]
This one is ideal for vegans or those with milk sensitivities. Simply toss cubed red potatoes with spices and roast until they’re slightly browned for a potato salad with a vinaigrette-style dressing.

Texas Ranch Potato Salad [AllRecipes]
By incorporating the zesty tastes of ranch dressing and bacon, this potato salad takes on a whole new dimension of flavors. Plus it’s so hearty, this one eats more like an entree than a side dish.

No-Mayo Potato Salad [AllRecipes]
Cutting the mayo also cuts a great deal of calories for those trying to manage their weight, but it doesn’t take away any of the savory taste.

Public Domain/Public Domain

Expecting Company? Try These 4 Simple, Elegant Appetizer Recipes

Don’t get caught off guard the next time you have a last-minute gathering at home. With these convenient appetizer recipes, you can prepare beautiful and delicious hors d'oeuvres without taking time out of your busy schedule.

Bacon-Wrapped Apricots with Sage [Real Simple]
With such contrasting ingredients coming into play, this appetizer seems like it’s much more complicated than it is. All it takes is some apricots, crispy bacon, simple seasonings, and a few toothpicks to create a handheld appetizer.

Orange and Fennel Marinated Olives [Oprah]
No one hosts a party better than Oprah, and her sweet and savory marinated olives will have your guests asking for the recipe all night.

Endive with Ricotta, Almonds and Raisins [Real Simple]
Endives make an attractive vessel for eating the creamy ricotta in this simple appetizer, and the crunchy almonds and sweet raisins are just the icing on the cake.

Leek Tart [Martha Stewart]
A tart looks pretty and it’s easy for guests to eat, but most tarts are complicated and time-consuming to make. This one uses basic frozen dough and a few simple tricks to turn create a perfect tart crust.

5 Classic Apple Pie Recipes

There are few things more American than sweet apple pie, and there are a number of different ways to prepare this classic dessert. Here are a few delicious apple pie recipes that are easy enough to make at home.

Scrumptious Apple Pie [Betty Crocker]
With a buttery, flaky crust and perfectly gooey filling, this is a classic recipe for everyone’s favorite dessert.

Old Fashioned Apple Pie [Simply Recipes]
If you don’t have an old family recipe, this apple pie recipe can be just that. It uses real, whole apples, a variety of spices, and even an egg wash to finish everything off.

Apple Pie [Williams Sonoma]
When you want an apple pie that looks just as good as it tastes, this pretty latticed version is the recipe to use.

Apple Pie Recipe and Video [The Joy of Baking]
Ideal for beginning bakers, this recipe features an informative video to follow along with as you bake.

Dreamy Apple Pie [The Pioneer Woman]
This recipe involves real butter and heavy cream to create a truly decadent apple pie.

Healthy Seafood Recipes for Lunch or Dinner

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 can 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 creates 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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