Category: TOPICS & CATEGORIES

Applebee’s Asian Chicken Salad Dressing

SEE THIS PAGE FOR ENTIRE HISTORY OF THIS POST

Very simple.  A few user comments below recipe.

  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix together and you are good to go.

    1. To get the consistency of the Applebee’s dressing, add a little more sesame oil and take out the honey and sub 3 tablespoons of sugar diluted in a tiny bit of water.
    2. Loved this recipe! I am on a no carb, no sugar diet at the moment so I substitued the honey for 3 tbls Splenda diluted in a bit of water and light Mayo.
    3. Next time I make it, I will use only sugar, as the flavor of honey is too strong and doesn’t really taste like the dressing should.
    4. For those of you who don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can use regular white vinegar– after diluting it. For every 2 tbsp of white vinegar, add 1 tsp of water. Since this recipe just calls for 1 1/2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, just discard the extra.

Easy 4 Ingredient Bread

From Sally’s Baking Addiction

Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 1125 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours, 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2 8-inch loaves

Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or worked with yeast before, this homemade artisan bread is for you. Watch the video tutorial below and review the recipe instructions and recipe notes prior to beginning. If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.

Ingredients

  • 3 and 1/4 cups (about 430g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and pan
  • 2 teaspoons (about 6g) instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons (about 9g) coarse salt (see note)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) water, close to room temperature at about 70°F (21°C)
  • optional: cornmeal for dusting pan

Instructions

  1. In a large ungreased mixing bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together. Pour in the water and gently mix together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands (as I do in the video tutorial below) to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can.
  2. Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!). Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
  3. You can continue with step 4 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Place covered dough in the refrigerator for 12 hours – 3 days. I usually let it rest in the refrigerator for about 18 hours. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s fine and normal—nothing to worry about.
  4. Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims and make sure it’s nonstick) with flour and/or cornmeal. Turn the cold dough out onto a floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough in half. Some air bubbles will deflate as you work with it. Place dough halves on prepared baking sheet. Using floured hands, shape into 2 long loaves about 9×3 inches each (doesn’t have to be exact) about 3 inches apart. Loosely cover and allow to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet.
  5. During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C).
  6. When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears), score the bread loaves with 3 slashes, about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.) If the shaped loaves flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to narrow them out along the sides again.
  7. Optional for a slightly crispier crust: After the oven is preheated and bread is scored, place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13-inch baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and quickly shut the oven, trapping the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.
  8. Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Gently tap the loaves—if they sound hollow, the bread is done. For a more accurate test of doneness, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 195°F (90°C).
  9. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

    1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin ahead of time. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Complete the recipe through step 3. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. To bake, allow dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2-3 hours at room temperature. Continue with step 4 and the rest of the recipe instructions.
    1. Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | 2-cup Measuring Cup | Bread Lame | Instant Read Thermometer
    2. Flour: For absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe. I recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough. If necessary, use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. The bread will taste dense.
    3. Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). The bread will rise faster. I usually use Platinum yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast. 2 teaspoons is a little less than 1 standard packet. If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. The rise time in step 2 may take longer.
    4. Salt: Use a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt, in this bread. I find the flavor slightly lacking when using regular table fine salt. If you only have fine salt, reduce to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons.
  1. Water: Use cool water. 70°F (21°C) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not hot or warm.
  2. Round Loaf: If you want to shape the dough into a boule (round loaf) simply shape into a round ball instead of 2 loaves in step 4. Baking instructions are the same, but the loaf will take a few extra minutes in the oven. If you want to bake the boule in a dutch oven, see next note.
  3. Using a Dutch Oven: Follow this dough recipe through step 3, then follow the simple shaping/baking instructions (steps 2-5) in my Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread recipe including using the parchment paper. If your parchment paper can’t withstand heat this high, you can either lower the oven temperature and bake the bread for longer or grease the Dutch oven instead.
  4. Using a pizza stone: If you want to bake your bread loaves on a pizza stone, place pizza stone in the preheating oven. In step 8, place the shaped and scored dough on your preheated pizza stone. If the bottom of the shaped dough is pretty sticky, dust the hot pizza stone with some extra cornmeal. Bake as directed.
  5. No Nonstick Pan: If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, line it with parchment paper instead. Coat with a dusting of flour and/or cornmeal before placing the dough on top. Parchment paper can burn, so it’s best to check the box to see how much heat yours can tolerate. Lower your oven heat if necessary and bake the bread for longer until golden brown and when gently tapped, sound hollow.
  6. Flavor ideas: Before pouring in the water in step 1, add any of the following ingredients/combination of ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl: 4 cloves minced garlic + 3 Tablespoons chopped rosemary, 3 Tablespoons your favorite fresh herb (chopped), 1 cup your favorite shredded cheese, a diced jalapeño, 3/4 – 1 cup dried cranberries and/or chopped nuts, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, etc.
  7. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
  8. Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour & Red Star Yeast, similar method originally from Jim Lahey.

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-artisan-bread/

Homemade Artisanal Crackers

FROM SALLY’S BAKING ADDICTION

Homemade Artisan Crackers

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.7 from 219 reviews
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (includes cooling)
  • Yield: 75–80 crackers

Give snack time an upgrade with flavorful homemade artisan crackers. Crispy, salty, savory, and endlessly customizable, the simple dough comes together quickly and easily in one bowl from basic pantry ingredients. 

Ingredients

Crackers

  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder 
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or other add-in (see Notes)*
  • 2/3 cup (160g/ml) water
  • 3 Tablespoons (41g/45ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on top
  • flaky sea salt, for topping

Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and rosemary (or other add-ins). Pour in the water and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the dough comes together in a clump.
    1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour your hands and the dough and knead it, sprinkling on a little more flour as you go, until it’s no longer sticking to your hands and you can shape it into a rough ball, about 1 to 2 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes, and up to 1 hour at room temperature.
    2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line large silver baking sheets with parchment paper.
    3. Cut the dough in half. Keep one half of the dough covered while you work with the other half.
    4. On a lightly floured work surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll one half of the dough out into a rectangle. Roll the dough very thin—about 1/16th of an inch (1.5mm). If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to roll it out, lightly cover it and let it rest for 5 minutes, then try again. (Don’t worry if it shrinks, that’s completely normal and expected.)
    5. Using a ruler and a pizza cutter, cut the dough into small rectangles about 3 x 1.5 inches in size. Carefully transfer the crackers to the prepared baking sheet(s).
    6. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the second half of dough.
  1. Dock (poke holes in) the crackers several times with a fork. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt (and everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds, if making those varieties. Note that extra seasonings on top can sometimes fall off of the crackers when eating them).
  2. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 9–12 minutes. To ensure even browning, rotate the baking sheet(s) halfway through baking.
  3. Let crackers cool completely on the baking sheet(s) set on a cooling rack. Crackers need several minutes of cooling before they taste crispy. They taste fantastic with hummus, crab dip or other dips, various cheeses, or serve with a cranberry pecan cheese ball.
  4. Store in an airtight container at room temperature in a dry place for up to 2 days. To re-crisp crackers, spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Notes

    1. Make Ahead & Instructions: These crackers taste best for up to 2 days after you make them. See step 11 for how to re-crisp them, if desired. You can freeze cooled crackers. Cover tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Re-crisp if needed (see step 11).
    2. Other Flavors/Add-Ins: Do not leave the crackers plain. You need a flavor in the dough. Instead of rosemary, try another favorite herb, or any of these team favorites:
      • Black Pepper & Thyme: 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (do not use pre-ground fine pepper) + 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
      • Everything & Chives: 1 Tbsp everything bagel seasoning (plus more for sprinkling on top) + 1 Tbsp dried chives
      • Sesame Seed: 1 and 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds (plus more for sprinkling on top)
  1. Gluten-Free Flour? We don’t recommend using gluten-free flour in this recipe. The test batches we tried with different brands of GF flour came out break-your-teeth hard. You’re better off looking for a cracker recipe that has been developed specifically to be gluten free.
  2. Whole Wheat Flour? Crackers made with whole wheat flour were also quite hard. If you want to use whole wheat flour, try using half all-purpose and half whole wheat. Expect a slightly dense, less crisp cracker.

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-artisan-crackers/

Success Tips for Making Homemade Crackers

  • Let the dough rest. Trying to roll it out too soon is an exercise in frustration, trust me on this!
  • Roll the dough out suuuuuper thin. The crackers need to be very thin to bake up crispy. Too thick and they taste a little chewy.
  • If the dough keeps shrinking back as you roll it out, cover it lightly and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the gluten to relax, then try again.
  • Use a light-colored (silver) baking sheet, not a dark baking sheet, and make sure your parchment paper is safe for high-temperature baking.
  • Rotate the pan(s) halfway through baking, for even browning. Ovens can have hot spots, and this recipe will show you where they are!
  • We don’t recommend using gluten-free flour in this recipe. The test batches we tried with different brands of GF flour came out chip-your-teeth hard. You’re better off looking for a cracker recipe that has been developed specifically to be gluten free.
  • Homemade crackers get stale a lot faster than store-bought crackers, because they don’t have added preservatives. Store them in an airtight container in a dry spot, and, if needed, re-crisp them in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for up to 10 minutes.

Homemade Cheese Crackers

aka Cheese-It’s

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 76 reviews

  • Author: Sally McKenney
    https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-cheese-crackers/print/71682/
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 16 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 64 small crackers

Make homemade cheese crackers with only 6 ingredients! Chilling the dough for 45 minutes is important– the crackers won’t hold their shape otherwise. You’ll appreciate the straightforward instructions and quick baking time!

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded (3/4 cups shredded)*
  • 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 tsp cornstarch*
  • 3 Tablespoons (40g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 3 pieces
  • 1 TBL cold water
  • Sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

    1. Process cheddar cheese, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a food processor until combined, about 30 seconds.
    2. Add butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand, about 20 seconds.
    3. Add water and pulse until dough forms large clumps, about 10 pulses.
    4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and pat each into a 6-inch square. (No need to use a rolling pin, just pat with hands.) If the dough feels dry, moisten your fingers with cold water.
    5. Carefully wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
    6. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
    7. Unwrap dough square and place on a lightly floured work surface.
    8. Roll out into a 9-inch square. Doesn’t need to be perfect! Using a fluted pastry wheel, pizza cutter, crinkle cutter, or small sharp knife, trim dough into a neat 8 inch square. Slice square into 8 strips, each 1 inch wide, then make 8 perpendicular slices, each 1 inch wide. Each 8-inch square will have 64 squares (crackers).
    9. Place squares on prepared baking sheet. Use a skewer or large toothpick to poke a hole through the center of each.
    10. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
    11. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 16-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. For crunchier crackers, bake for 20 minutes.
    12. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.
    13. Store leftover crackers at room temperature for up to 1 week. If tightly sealed, they’ll lose their crunch. Feel free to keep the lid slightly ajar to maintain some crunchiness.

Notes

    1. Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the wrapped dough instead of refrigerating it in step 2. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
    2. Instead of classic yellow cheddar, white cheddar is a wonderful substitute. In fact, any medium-hard cheese is great. Avoid soft cheeses.

HAVING A PARTY?  DOUBLE RECIPE BELOW.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded (1 and 1/2 cups shredded)*
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 6 pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons cold water
  • optional: sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Process cheddar cheese, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a food processor until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand, about 20 seconds. Add water and pulse until dough forms large clumps, about 10 pulses.
  2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half and pat each into a 6-inch square. (No need to use a rolling pin, just pat with hands.) If the dough feels dry, moisten your fingers with cold water. Carefully wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  4. Unwrap each dough square. Place each on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 9-inch square. Doesn’t need to be perfect! Using a fluted pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or small sharp knife, trim dough into a neat 8 inch square. Slice square into 8 strips, each 1 inch wide, then make 8 perpendicular slices, each 1 inch wide. Each 8-inch square will have 64 squares (crackers).
  5. Place squares on prepared baking sheet. Use a skewer or large toothpick to poke a hole through the center of each. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 16-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. For crunchier crackers, bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.

 

Soft Dinner Rolls

LOTS OF DUPLICATION.  GRANDPA – CLEAN THIS UP!

From:  https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/

You only need 7 ingredients to make these dinner rolls. Flaky, soft, and buttery, these fresh dinner rolls outshine any main dish. If you’re a bread beginner, read this blog post to learn more about the yeast rolls recipe, including how to prep the rolls ahead of time. You can also reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs. 

This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.

Overview: How to Make Homemade Dinner Rolls

  1. Make the dough. Continue below to learn more about this dough recipe.
  2. Knead the dough. Reference my How to Knead Dough video tutorial if you need extra help with this step.
  3. Cover the dough and let it rise. The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.
  4. Punch down the dough to release the air and shape into rolls.
  5. Let the rolls rise for about 1 hour.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. If desired, brush the warm rolls with a little honey and melted butter for extra flavor.

Soft Dinner Rolls Require a Rich Dough

The crustier and chewier the bread, the less fat in the dough. This is known as a lean dough. The softer and richer the bread, the more fat in the dough. This is known as a rich dough. Unlike chewy homemade bagels, focaccia, ciabatta, and my artisan bread, soft dinner rolls require a rich dough. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that the dough is swimming in cash. Rather, “rich” correlates with the amount of fat. For example, this dough has milk, butter, and egg.

You need 7 ingredients total. They’re the same ingredients in my easy cinnamon rolls and homemade brioche, which are also rich doughs. (Though I use more sugar for sweeter cinnamon rolls, of course.)

  1. Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. For the softest dinner rolls, use whole milk. Nondairy or low fat milks work too, but whole milk produces phenomenal flavor and texture.
  2. Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a little longer. I recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star, which is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers.
  3. Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.
  4. Egg: 1 egg provides structure and flavor.
  5. Butter: Butter promises a flavorful and soft dinner roll. Make sure it’s room temperature.
  6. Salt: You can’t make flavorful bread without salt!
  7. Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces chewier dinner rolls. There are no other changes to the recipe if you use bread flour.

3 Success Tips

  1. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide, which answers many common yeast FAQs.
  2. Make sure your yeast isn’t expired. Expiration date is on the package.
  3. Directly from the pros at Red StarYeast: Measuring flour correctly is key to avoiding a dense dough, which leads to heavy (not soft!) rolls. Spoon and level your flour, do not scoop it out of the package.

My final piece of advice? Don’t limit these rolls to suppertime. They’re welcome anywhere, with any meal, any time of day. Use for sliders, breakfast sandwiches, soaking up your favorite tomato sauce with slow cooker turkey meatballs, alongside salad, or dunking into a bowl of creamy chicken noodle soup. Above all, don’t doubt yourself because you, too, can become a bread baking pro.

Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 1046 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
  • Yield: 14-16 rolls

Description

You only need 7 ingredients to make these dinner rolls. Flaky, soft, and buttery, these fresh dinner rolls outshine any main dish. See recipe notes for freezing and overnight instructions. You can also reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour or bread flour* (spooned & leveled)
  • optional topping: 2 Tablespoons (28g) melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 Tablespoon honey

 

Instructions

    1. Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.*
    2. Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
    1. Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
    2. 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
    3. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.*
    4. Shape the rolls: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) A bench scraper is always helpful for cutting dough. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
    5. 2nd Rise: Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
  1. Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It’s best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don’t burn.)
  2. Bake the rolls: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.
  3. Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

    1. Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 6. Place shaped rolls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Once frozen, the dough balls won’t stick together anymore and you can place them in a freezer bag if needed. On the day you serve them, arrange the dough balls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, then let them thaw and rise at room temperature for about 4-5 hours. Bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked dinner rolls. Allow them to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired. If reheating the whole pan, lightly cover and reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven for about 10 minutes or until warm.
    2. Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Cover the shaped rolls tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need them the next day, remove the rolls from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking. Alternatively, you can let the dough have its 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to about 15 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 2 more hours. Continue with step 5.
    3. Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl and Wooden Spoon / Spatula | 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan | Bench Scraper | Pastry Brush
    4. Baking Pan: I prefer baking the rolls in a glass 9×13 inch baking pan because I find they brown a little too quickly in metal. As long as you bake the rolls on a lower oven rack and keep your eye on them, any pan is great.
  1. Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. You can use Red Star Yeast active dry yeast instead. Rise times will be slightly longer using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
  2. Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces chewier dinner rolls. The rolls are still soft and fluffy no matter which you use. Either flour is fine and there are no other changes to the recipe if you use one or the other.

Adapted from Homemade Bread Bowls and Honey Butter Rolls

x-x-x-x-x-x-

Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 1063 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
  • Yield: 14-16 rolls

You only need 7 ingredients to make these dinner rolls. Flaky, soft, and buttery, these fresh dinner rolls outshine any main dish. See recipe notes for freezing and overnight instructions. You can also reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.

Ingredients

    • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
    • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour or bread flour* (spooned & leveled)
  • optional topping: 2 Tablespoons (28g) melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions

    1. Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.*
    2. Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
    1. Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
    2. 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
    3. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.*
    4. Shape the rolls: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) A bench scraper is always helpful for cutting dough. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
  1. 2nd Rise: Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
  2. Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It’s best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don’t burn.)
  3. Bake the rolls: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.
  4. Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

    1. Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 6. Place shaped rolls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Once frozen, the dough balls won’t stick together anymore and you can place them in a freezer bag if needed. On the day you serve them, arrange the dough balls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, then let them thaw and rise at room temperature for about 4-5 hours. Bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked dinner rolls. Allow them to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired. If reheating the whole pan, lightly cover and reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven for about 10 minutes or until warm.
    2. Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Cover the shaped rolls tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need them the next day, remove the rolls from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking. Alternatively, you can let the dough have its 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to about 15 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 2 more hours. Continue with step 5.
    3. Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl and Wooden Spoon / Spatula | 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan | Bench Scraper | Pastry Brush
    4. Baking Pan: I prefer baking the rolls in a glass 9×13 inch baking pan because I find they brown a little too quickly in metal. As long as you bake the rolls on a lower oven rack and keep your eye on them, any pan is great.
  1. Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. You can use Red Star Yeast active dry yeast instead. Rise times will be slightly longer using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
  2. Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces chewier dinner rolls. The rolls are still soft and fluffy no matter which you use. Either flour is fine and there are no other changes to the recipe if you use one or the other.

Adapted from Homemade Bread Bowls and Honey Butter Rolls

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/soft-dinner-rolls/

Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip

Filled with four kinds of cheese and plenty of tender artichoke hearts, this dip is creamy with a crisp, golden top. Be sure to drain the thawed frozen spinach well to avoid excess water, which can break the cheese sauce.
By Betsy Andrews

  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 ounces Gouda cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 ounces low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup chopped thawed frozen spinach, drained well
  • 3/4 cup chopped thawed frozen artichoke hearts
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions (from 3 scallions)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (from 1 garlic clove)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
  • Crostini or tortilla chips

Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
    2. Stir together cream cheese, Gouda, mozzarella, spinach, artichoke hearts, scallions, mayonnaise, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl until smooth.
    3. Spoon into a 1-quart baking dish
    4. Sprinkle top evenly with Parmesan.
    5. Bake in preheated oven until browned and bubby, about 25 minutes.
    6. Serve with crostini or tortilla chips.

Claude’s Pumpkin Custard

I asked Claude.ai for a pumpkin custard recipe that did not use heavy cream and that was easy to make. This was the result. Very good!

Here’s a straightforward pumpkin custard recipe:

Pumpkin Custard
Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ± pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
  • 1 apple (my addition)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar (my addition)
  • 1 TBL corn starch (my addition)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
  2. In a large bowl or food processor, blend together the apple, the pumpkin puree and the eggs until smooth.
  3. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Whisk until completely combined.
  4. Pour the mixture into 6 individual ramekins or custard cups, or into one 1½-quart baking dish.
  5. Place the ramekins in a larger baking pan and add hot water to the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (this is a water bath).
  6. Bake for 40-45 minutes for individual custards (or 50-60 minutes for one large dish) until the centers are just set but still slightly jiggly.
  7. Remove from the water bath and let cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

The custard will firm up as it cools. Enjoy!

Non-Perishable Emergency Food

9 Nutritious Nonperishable Foods To Stock for Emergencies

Grocery store aisle showing canned beans in tomato sauce in focus. Down the aisle and out of focus is a woman with a shopping cart.

Natural disasters can strike at any time, often with little or no warning. Even when meteorologists are able to issue early warnings, the public response is often panic buying — leaving grocery store shelves near-empty and bottled water nowhere to be found. When these unlikely events occur, all you can do is be as prepared as possible. This includes having a fully stocked pantry with plenty of nutritious and nonperishable foods. These long-lasting provisions can help you get by until your life returns to normal. Here are a few essentials you should have on hand, just in case.

Canned Tuna

Canned tuna can last for up to several years if kept in a cool, dark place, making it one of the better emergency foods available. Each tin of tuna is loaded with protein to keep you energized, and plenty of healthy omega-3 fatty acids for eye and brain health. Tinned tuna is versatile as well, and can be enjoyed in a sandwich, salad, pasta dish, or even straight out of the can if your supplies are limited. If you’re not a fan of tuna, canned salmon and chicken are suitable substitutes.

Dried Fruit

Fresh fruit can go bad in a matter of days, especially if you’re currently without refrigeration. But dried fruit can provide you with essential nutrients for weeks, if not months. Pick up a bag of dried fruit — preferably one without added sugars, as those could cause dehydration. Also get a package that’s easy to reseal, as a tight seal can keep the dried fruit fresher until things return to normal.

Protein Bars

Protein, granola, and cereal bars are the perfect handheld snack for staying energized when you’re digging your car out of 10 feet of snow. They’re also kid-friendly, and for the most part, not messy. They’ll keep you feeling full and can even be used as a meal replacement if necessary. When shopping for bars that pack a nutritional punch, look for options with high protein content (10 grams or more), no added sugars, and low carbohydrates (under 20 grams).

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is rich in healthy fats and touts plenty of protein, making it a great item to keep on hand in case of emergency. Unopened commercial peanut butter can last six to nine months at room temperature. Once opened, it will remain safe to eat for two to three months. In these situations, it’s best to avoid natural peanut butter, which doesn’t contain stabilizers and needs to be refrigerated. Peanut butter is delicious whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or a meat eater. Enjoy it straight from the jar, on crackers or toast, or in a creamy sauce for noodles.

Bottled Water

Some emergency situations result in contaminated or no running water, which may mean you’ll have difficulty finding water that’s suitable to drink. This is why you should always have an emergency supply of bottled water. Experts recommend having a three-day supply of bottled water on hand, which equates to around a gallon per day for each person in the household. This water can be used for drinking, cooking, bathing, or brushing your teeth until the communal water is safe to drink again.

Trail Mix

Most bags of trail mix contain nuts that’ll keep you full of energy, which can be especially helpful if you’re running around after an emergency. Just try to avoid trail mix that contains a lot of candy, as sugary treats may dehydrate you and make you feel worse. Shop for trail mixes that come in resealable bags, which can keep the contents fresher for longer.

Rice and Beans

Cans of beans and bags of rice are easy to cook when your supplies and appliances are limited, so long as you have access to an open flame or another heat source. Beans are full of protein and essential minerals such as iron and potassium, while rice has plenty of carbs to provide the body with energy. Even better, beans and rice last for a long time, so they’ll be readily available whenever an emergency strikes.

Energy Drinks

Not only is it critical to have drinking water, but energy drinks can also help replenish essential fluids and electrolytes. Keep a few bottles of Gatorade or Powerade handy to provide fuel when a disaster hits. You can also purchase electrolyte drink powders or tablets, such as Liquid IV, LMNT, or Nuun, which you can add to a glass of water for a boost of hydration whenever you need it.

Pet Food

Don’t forget about your fur babies in an emergency situation. While you may like giving them freshly cooked steaks fit for a human, sometimes (as in the event of a natural disaster) you simply don’t have the means. Be sure to have a backup supply of cans or bags of pet food handy. Dry pet food can last up to a year and a half if properly sealed, so purchase a big bag and keep it tucked away in a cool, dry place just in case. Unopened canned food can be eaten by your pet up to two years after its manufacturing date and also can help keep your dog or cat hydrated.

Nonperishable foods are good to have on hand whether you’re preparing for hurricane season or need a quick dinner made from pantry staples. To make it easier on your wallet, pick up a few extra items every time you shop for groceries. While most disasters are unlikely to require more than a three-day food supply, stocking your pantry for two weeks of nutritious meals is even better.

 

No Refrigeration Needed

19 Items Professional Chefs Never Refrigerate

1. Ketchup

Ketchup is something I’m always surprised to see in the fridge. Who wants cold ketchup on their hot fries or burger? Its acidity level is high enough to prevent microbial growth, and its sugar content is also a preservative. Just keep it out of direct sunlight, and it should be fine.

2. Potatoes

Many fruits and vegetables benefit from being stored in the fridge, but spuds are an exception. In refrigeration, they convert some of their starches to sugars (a natural antifreeze), which messes with their flavor and texture. They need a couple of weeks after coming out of refrigeration before the sugars revert to starches, which drove me crazy when I was preparing hand-cut fries at my restaurants. Chilled potatoes brown too quickly, making the fries darker than desired.

3. Mayonnaise

This one may surprise you if you grew up on stories of people getting sick at picnics from foods containing mayonnaise, but it’s true. Store-bought mayonnaise is acidic enough to keep safely at room temperature. Don’t believe me? According to Hellmann’s (aka Best Foods), the top-selling mayonnaise company in the U.S., its product can be stored at room temperature for up to a month after opening, or two months in the refrigerator.

The problem is actually the foods you mix with the mayo. I buy mine in the big jar and use it to refill a squeeze bottle. I only ever reach into the jar with scrupulously clean utensils, so food never comes in contact with it.
Related:

Important note: This only applies to commercial mayonnaise. Your homemade mayonnaise is extremely perishable and requires proper refrigeration.

4. Mustard

Mustard, like ketchup, is a condiment with more than enough acidity to keep it food safe. This applies to plain old yellow “ballpark” mustard, the hot English style, Dijon mustard, or grainy deli-style mustard … whatever you’ve got, in other words.

5. Soy Sauce

I always have a bottle of soy sauce sitting on a shelf near my kitchen work area, and it never goes into the fridge. Its high salt content keeps it food safe, and I use it frequently enough that it never goes bad. (Soy sauce adds a great umami kick to anything you cook.) The same goes for my bottle of Worcestershire sauce that sits beside it.

6. Tomatoes

There are a lot of fruits that only ripen properly at room temperature, and tomatoes are one of them. (We eat them as a vegetable, but they’re technically fruit.) If you refrigerate tomatoes before they’re adequately ripened, their flavor is stunted and their texture suffers. You can refrigerate them once they’re fully ripe to prolong their freshness, but they’ll taste better if you let them come to room temperature before you eat them.

7. Hot Sauce

Hot sauce is another food that’s acidic enough to store sans refrigeration. It’ll last for months at room temperature, and its flavors will remain full and bold. After about six months, though, the hot sauce will finally begin to lose its potency. If you only bring out that bottle of Tabasco a couple of times a year for bloody marys, it’s probably best to refrigerate it.

8. Avocados

Scroll up a few lines to the section about tomatoes — that applies to avocados as well. They simply won’t ripen in the refrigerator, full stop. So leave them on the counter until they’re ripe, and then use them quickly. If you have more than you’ll use in a day or so, at that point, it’s OK to refrigerate the rest to keep them from progressing to the “eww, ick” stage.
Related:

9. Fresh Basil

Most fresh herbs will keep for a long time when stored in the fridge, but basil is an exception. Simply put it in a glass of water and place it on the countertop. (Trust me on this — I grow basil in my garden every year.) That’s why good supermarkets leave the herb out, often near the tomatoes, rather than put it in a refrigerated case.

10. Stone Fruit

Stone fruits, such as peaches, plums, and nectarines, fall into the same camp as avocados and tomatoes because they’ll never fully ripen if you pop them in the fridge. Instead, they’ll develop a mealy texture, which is not what you want at all. As with tomatoes and avocados, though, if you’ve cut into one and won’t finish it, it’s OK to refrigerate the remainder to prevent it from spoiling.

11. Nuts

I’ve personally gone both ways on this, because keeping nuts refrigerated does stop their natural oils from going rancid. Cooler temperatures mess with their flavor and texture, though, so I’ve gone back to buying only what I’ll use in a reasonable time frame and storing them in my pantry. An exception is the pine nuts I use to make pesto, which I buy in bulk and keep vacuum-sealed in my freezer between summers.

12. Chocolate

If you spring for some really good chocolate for baking or an occasional treat, you may be tempted to keep it in the fridge. Don’t do that. The cocoa butter in chocolate misbehaves at cold temperatures, giving it a disappointingly crumbly texture and powdery surface over time. The latter issue is known as “bloom,” and it’s just the cocoa butter coming to the surface, so don’t throw away your chocolate if you see it. It’s perfectly fine to eat and will melt away if you bake with it.

13. Coffee

Like chocolate, its frequent partner, coffee tastes best when not frozen or refrigerated. The chill dampens the volatile oils that give coffee its robust flavor, and going in and out of the fridge can cause condensation on the beans or ground coffee (especially in humid climates like mine). Condensation can lead to spoilage, which is pretty ironic in this context.

14. Apples

I live in apple-growing country, and my grandkids and I eat a lot of apples. OK, they eat the first few bites of a lot of apples, but the point remains the same. Apples are a naturally long-keeping fruit, and refrigeration can mute their flavors. Don’t do it unless the apples are cut up or getting past their prime.

15. Nutella and Peanut Butter

These spreads are also beloved by my grandkids, and both are perfectly fine (better, even) when they aren’t refrigerated. Mainstream peanut butter brands are packed with preservatives and will last months without issue. Natural peanut butter only needs refrigeration if you don’t eat it often. Chocolate and hazelnut Nutella, and its competitors, develop a weird texture if they’re refrigerated.

16. Honey

It would never occur to me to refrigerate honey, so I was quite surprised to learn that some people do. Sugar is a preservative, and honey is mostly sugar. It will last for centuries when sealed to keep out moisture, so relax and leave it in the pantry. Refrigeration also makes honey crystallize faster, making it a pain to get out of the bottle.

17. Cucumbers

For a lot of people I know, cukes go right from the shopping bag to the crisper drawer. That’s a bad idea because the cold, dry air of the refrigerator will make the cucumbers deteriorate pretty quickly. I’ve regularly kept my homegrown cukes on the counter for a couple of weeks without problems

18. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are exceptionally versatile, making them a staple in many kitchens. Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit all keep really well at room temperature, and refrigeration tends to suck the moisture out of them pretty quickly. Leave the fruits out, perhaps in a hanging basket or concrete bowl, and only refrigerate them after they’re cut.

19. Fresh Peppers

We’ll finish with fresh peppers, another fruit masquerading as a vegetable. Like many others on this list, they will continue to ripen if you leave them on the counter, and that’s when their flavor and texture are best. This is true for both sweet and hot peppers. I refrigerate mine after I cut into them, or if I’m looking to preserve hot peppers’ “green” flavor and don’t want them to ripen and sweeten.

Hawaiian Rolls

 

Hawaiian Sweet Bread–Style Dinner Rolls

Hawaiian Sweet Bread–Style Dinner Rolls

  • Makes 15 rolls
  • Cook Time = 4½ hours
    From its small-town roots in Hilo, Hawaii, King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread has become a mainland favorite. This is our homemade dinner roll version that delivers the characteristic soft, sweet, feathery crumb. (For a sandwich loaf, see the recipe below.) King’s doesn’t use pineapple juice, but it is called for by a number of copycat recipes. We found it provides depth without adding fruitiness. Milk powder contributes to a loftier rise, making the crumb light and tender, and promotes deeper browning. The rolls are best the day of baking, but they keep for a day or two at room temperature and will hold for up to a week in the refrigerator. To rewarm, wrap in foil and place in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Tip

Don’t use fresh pineapple juice, which contains bromelain, an enzyme that will affect gluten development. Pasteurized pineapple juice—whether canned, bottled or in a carton—has been heat-treated, which deactivates the bromelain.

Ingredients
  • 445 grams (3¼ cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting
  • 71 grams (⅓ cup) white sugar
  • 27 grams (¼ cup) nonfat or low-fat powdered milk
  • 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 6 ounce can (¾ cup) pasteurized pineapple juice
  • 57 grams (4 tablespoons) salted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for the pan
  • 3 large eggs (1 egg separated)

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, sugar, powdered milk, yeast and salt. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk the pineapple juice, butter and the 2 whole eggs plus the third egg yolk. Attach the bowl and paddle attachment to the mixer. With the mixer running on medium-low, slowly add the pineapple-juice mixture, then mix until a webby, batter-like dough forms, about 3 minutes.

Step 2

Swap the paddle attachment for the dough hook. Knead on medium, scraping the sides of the bowl and hook as needed, until smooth, shiny and extensible, 10 to 12 minutes; the dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. It will be quite slack, not firm and bouncy. Gather the dough in the center. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, brush a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan or glass baking dish with melted butter.

Step 3

Flour the counter and turn the dough out onto it; dust the top with flour. Using a chef’s knife or bench scraper, divide into 15 portions, each about 60 grams (2 ounces). Dusting your hands with flour as needed, form a portion into a taut ball by rolling it against the counter in a circular motion under a cupped hand, then pinch the seam on the bottom. Place seam side down in the prepared pan, about ¼ inch from the corner. Repeat with the remaining portions, placing the dough balls in 5 rows of 3. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let rise at room temperature until doubled and the rolls are touching, about 2 hours.

Step 4

About 1½ hours into rising, heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon water; set aside. When the rolls are ready, gently brush the tops with egg white. Bake until the rolls are risen and deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Gently invert the rolls from the pan, then turn them upright. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Step 5

Hawaiian Sweet Bread–Style Sandwich Loaf: Make the dough and let rise as directed. While the dough is rising, brush a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with melted butter. Flour the counter and turn the dough out onto it. With floured hands, gently pat the dough into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle, with a short side facing you. Tightly roll the dough away from you into a 9-by-4½-inch cylinder. Turn the cylinder seam side down and place it in the prepared loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough domes 1 to 1½ inches over the rim of the pan, about 2 hours. About 1½ hours into rising, heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white with 1 tablespoon water. When the dough is ready, gently brush with egg white. Bake until risen and deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the bread onto the rack, then turn upright. Cool completely before slicing.

 

Potato Pie

CLICK HERE TO WATCH RECIPE

      1. GRATE one frozen chicken breast
      2. SLICE one potato using potato peeler or mandolin
      3. SOAK potato in ice cold water, then drain
      4. ADD potato to chicken
      5. DICE one onion
      6. ADD one egg, salt, pepper, parsley, and other spices to taste
      7. MIX and put half mixture into a skillet
      8. PLACE slices of cheese on the mixture in the pot
      9. TOP the cheese with the other half of the mixture
      10. COVER and COOK on medium heat 12-15 minutes
      11. FLIP using a place as a helper
      12. COVER and COOK another 10 minutes

 

George Washington’s Egg Nog

Ingredients

    • For 1-2 servings:
    • 1 egg, room temperature
    • 1 level tablespoon sugar
    • 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
    • 1/4 cup whipping cream
    • Nutmeg
  • For 3 quarts:
  • 1 dozen eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 fifth bourbon whiskey
  • 1 quart whipping cream
  • Nutmeg

Directions

Break eggs and separate yolks from white. Beat whites of eggs until stiff. Beat whipping cream until stiff. Beat yolks of eggs to an even consistency, slowly adding sugar. Add whiskey slowly. Fold in beaten egg whites. Fold in whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Steak Cooking Tips

From Quora.com

 

Why do steaks from restaurants taste so much better than the steaks I make at home?

I will tell you, but you might not like the answer.

I’m a cook, and I have cooked a lot of steaks, and everything the other answers say is true. A lot depends on the quality of the meat and the technique.

But there is one thing nobody has mentioned.

Once upon a time, I worked as a server in a restaurant that was known for the quality of their steaks. Steak night was a big deal, and always a full house.

The owner did the steaks himself, and he had a secret recipe for basting that he told me he got from a chef at a chain steakhouse. He wouldn’t tell me the recipe but I saw him add a bottle of Italian dressing, so I knew that was one of the ingredients.

We had a new cook, and one day she was filling the big stove salt shakers. She complained that the salt didn’t taste right, and wondered if it had gone bad, so I asked her where she got the salt from. She pulled a big jar off the top shelf, and showed it to me.

It said Monosodium Glutamate.

She read sodium on the label and mistook it for salt.

And instantly I knew the secret to the steaks.

So the next steak night I watched, and sure enough he reached for the MSG.

It makes a noticeable difference in the taste of meat, and it’s in a lot of prepared steak seasonings that you buy, but it might not be good for you. Personally, I don’t use it.

 

 

There are several reasons why steaks from restaurants often taste better than those cooked at home:

  1. Quality of Ingredients: Restaurants frequently source higher-quality cuts of meat, which can be more marbled and flavorful than what is typically available at home. They may also use specialty suppliers or dry-aged beef, enhancing flavor and tenderness.
  2. Seasoning: Restaurants often use more salt and seasoning than home cooks. Proper seasoning enhances the natural flavors of the meat. They may also marinate or brine the meat, adding depth to the flavor.
  3. Cooking Techniques: Professional chefs have access to commercial-grade equipment, such as high-temperature grills or broilers, which can achieve a nice sear and create a flavorful crust. They also often use techniques like reverse searing or sous-vide, which can improve tenderness and juiciness.
  4. Temperature Management: Restaurants usually have better temperature control, allowing them to cook steaks to the perfect doneness consistently, while home cooks might struggle with maintaining the right heat.
  5. Resting Time: Steaks are often allowed to rest after cooking in restaurants, which helps redistribute the juices for a more flavorful bite. Home cooks sometimes skip this step.
  6. Presentation and Accompaniments: The overall dining experience in restaurants includes presentation and sides that complement the steak, enhancing the overall flavor perception.
  7. Experience: Chefs have more experience and training in cooking techniques, flavor pairings, and timing, which can significantly affect the final product.

To replicate restaurant-quality steaks at home, consider investing in higher-quality meat, experimenting with seasoning and cooking techniques, and paying attention to details like resting time and temperature control.

 

 

 

Ok. Here’s what you do.

Go buy a good cut of steak like a T-bone that is approx 1” thick. Salt and pepper it and let it sit out while you prepare.

Chop some garlic and parsley and mix it up with a few tablespoons of butter. I don’t have measurements, You can’t screw this up.

Put a cast iron pan in the oven at 400 for 30 mins, get it really hot

Take it out and put it on the stove on medium

Put oil in the hot pan, like a two tablespoons

Put your steak in and set the timer for 2 mins.

Move quick, Flip to other side, 2 mins,

Flip again and cook 2 mins,

Flip again, cook for 2 mins.

Last flip, only one minute on this side.

This flipping creates the crust on the steak, the inside will still be rare/uncooked. Don’t fear.

Now, Put it on a plate and put your butter mixture on top of the steak and cover it completely with tin foil for 5 mins.

Now, time to savor….take a bite. Restaurant quality, better than restaurant quality. Yum yum yum.

Now take your heart medicine and cholesterol medicine so that you see another day.

Recipe courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen “how to cook a damn good steak” episode

Kay’s Fudge

  • Two squares of chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Melt on low heat
  • Stir in one cup milk
  • Bring to boil
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • Pinch salt
  • Cooked to softball stage
  • Pour onto marble slab or sheet pan
  • Cool and Eat

Instant Pot Pot Roast

This is a note gathering page.  It has not yet been tested.

  • 2 LB pot roast
  • 1 large onion
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper, onion, garlic, horseradish
  • potatoes
  • flour and butter
  1. Sear the roast on all sides
  2. Deglaze with 2 C stock, then add to instant pot
  3. Season:  salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, horseradish
  4. High Pressure 20 minutes per pound.  Slow release 15 minutes.
  5. Remove roast, and add potatoes
  6. Cook 5 minutes
  7. Remove potatoes
  8. Add 2 TBL flour mixed with 2 TBL butter
  9. Add to 1 C broth and cook until thickened.

 

 

Beatitudes Grilled Corn Salsa

Ingredients

  • 1 can Shoepeg Corn or baby corn
  • 1/4 red onion (diced)
  • 2 ripe tomatoes (seeds slightly removed and diced)
  • 1 whole jalapeño pepper (seeded and minced)
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 medium limes, juiced
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro (chopped
  • Scant dill

Instructions

  • Grill corn in cast iron skillet with 1 TBL EVOO and 1 TBL butter
  • Add to bowl with remaining ingredients and stir.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, pepper, or lime juice for added flavor.
  • Serve immediately. Will keep covered in the fridge for several days, but is best when fresh.
 

Fried Dumplings

CLICK HERE for YouTube video from Simple, Fast and Delicious

  • 1.25 C of water (300 ml)
  • 3/4 C flour ( 120 g )
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon of butter or oil
  • 75 g feta cheese, gruyere, or mozzarella
  • some parsley some paprika
  • Other spices and fillings as desired
  1. Bring water up to a boil
  2. Add flour, salt and butter
  3. Stir till combined
  4. Continue to fold and knead over heat
  5. When springy, pinch off golfball-sized balls
  6. Flatten, and add filling
  7. Fold over, fixing edge with a fork
  8. Fry in peanut oil at 360º until browned

Tips and Tricks – December 2023

Microwave – Things it can do

https://news.lobandsmash.com/en/knew-microwave-things-never-capable?ly=native_one

Things We Never Knew Our Microwave Is Capable Of Doing
Brenda Miller

This article was originally published on RightLivin

Many of us use pretty much the same appliances in our kitchens. If we’re all about keeping things quick and convenient, then a microwave is usually a common appliance for heating food and defrosting, but it usually stops there. Yet, it turns out that our microwaves have so many uses, and many of us don’t know half of them. So in this article, we bring you some of the best uses for that wonderful appliance! Take a look, and by the end of it you’ll no doubt be throwing out everything in your kitchen except for that beloved microwave! (Okay, maybe not that far, but trust us – you’re going to be shocked).

Easily Remove Stamps From Envelopes
Did you ever find yourself struggling to take out a stamp that you mistakenly put on an envelope? If yes, then no need to despair. You should be able to use your microwave to help remove that stamp in no time, with a few simple steps.

​Easily Remove Stamps From Envelopes
Simply place the entire envelope in your microwave and turn the heat on to medium for 20 seconds. That should be enough to loosen the glue, so you can peel it right after.

​Regularly Disinfect Your Kitchen Sponge
Let’s be honest, too many of us forget to clean or to change kitchen sponges. But once you realize the number of germs that are probably growing on the bacteria heaven that your moist sponge is, you might want to clean it or change it more often.

​Regularly Disinfect Your Kitchen Sponge
Soak the sponge in some water and leave it for a few minutes. Afterward, place it in your microwave on medium heat for about two minutes. That should be enough time to clean it and, if you’re feeling fancy, add some drops of lemon to freshen it up.

​Bring Some Life Back To Your Stale Bread
There is no reason to throw away your stale bread before you try this small trick. Take baguettes for example. They are definitely a favorite, but many people prefer to not buy them because they go stale pretty quickly.
​Bring Some Life Back To Your Stale Bread

Simply dampen a kitchen towel with some sprayed water, and place the bread into the towel. Then, put both in the microwave for ten seconds on high heat. This will add some needed moisture back to your loaf of bread.

Create Your Own Personal Kiln
In addition to cooking your food, your microwave could be much more helpful in other aspects of your life. For example, if clay pottery has always been something you’ve wanted to try, but you don’t really want to pay for the expensive classes, then just set up your own clay station at home.

To make your own kiln, try placing the clay items you’ve created in the microwave covered with some baking parchment. After a few minutes, the piece should be set and perfectly hardened.

Crisp Your Chips In The Microwave
Isn’t it just the worst when you excitingly grab your bag of chips and realize that someone left it open, so they’re all soggy? And since soggy chips really do take the whole fun out of it, how about trying to salvage those chips with your microwave?

Lay the chips on a paper towel and give them a good blast for a couple of seconds on really high heat. And just like that, your chips will be all crispy again.

Toast A Bunch Of Nuts
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a yummy bowl of toasted nuts? Though many of us end up not going for the snack due to how time-consuming they can be, just listen to this trick.

Pour half a teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil onto the microwave plate. Then, top it with one cup of nuts. Microwave it for a minute, stir, and then another minute until they are toasted. It should take you about three to eight minutes to be ready.

​Peel Tomatoes Or Peaches With Ease
This is for if you feel like eating some fresh veggies or fruit with their skin off. Or, perhaps you want to cook and you don’t feel like struggling to take their skin off.

For a quick and easy solution to take their skin off, you can place your tomatoes or peaches in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds on medium heat. Then, let the fruit stand for about two minutes before you begin peeling them.

Bring Your Dried Mascara Back To Life
While some people love applying makeup on a daily basis, other people may put it only once in a while. For those who only wear it occasionally, the mascara might get a little bit dry with time.

If you feel like it’s not time to toss it away yet and you’d like to bring it back to life, just put your mascara in the microwave for a couple of seconds, and voila!

Peel Garlic Easily
You may love or hate garlic, but there is no doubt that its wonderful flavor and uses are infinite. Still, sometimes it’s incredibly hard to peel them, which discourages anyone from using them.

If you’d like to make your life easier, then place a head of garlic in the microwave and heat it up for 15 seconds on medium heat. In no time, the skin will be loosened and you can easily peel it!

Prevent Those Tears The Next Time You Cut Onions
Cutting onions can be a huge mission, and while there are several hacks out there to prevent crying during the process, many of them can be pretty disappointing. So next time, try this one. Simply cut the onion’s root and take the tip off of it.

Then, microwave it for about 30 seconds on full heat. You can then begin cutting your onion, and your eyes should be safe.

Create Your Own Heating Pad
Heating pads are useful for a number of things – they heat us when it’s cold, and they really help out whenever a part of our body feels sore. Whatever the case is, there is no need to keep buying heating pads since you can simply and easily create your own.

Just grab a clean sock and fill it with a bunch of rice, sew up the top part, and make sure that nothing can escape. Then stick it in the microwave and ta-da! You’ve got a cheap and easy heating pad.

Bake An Entire Cake
For many of us baking a whole cake in the microwave is unheard of. But believe it or not, it’s possible, and it comes out absolutely yummy!

There are tons of recipes online for literally any kind of cake, but for most of them, all you need is some flour, oil, salt, and the milk of your preference. Some cocoa powder wouldn’t hurt either.

Cook Some Yummy S’mores
Who says that you need a bonfire or a barbeque to cook up some s’mores? It turns out that your microwave can easily do the job. Grab your sweet treat and put it in the microwave for as little as 15 seconds until you see the marshmallow puffing up.

Once it’s ready, you can take it out and top it off with your favorite crackers.

Get Your Solid Beauty Products Warmed Up
So many of us have full drawers or even cupboards with a ton of beauty products that we end up not using for years. And when you finally remember they’re there, they might no longer be as warm or as useful as they once were.

So if you’d like to warm up the products that have completely solidified because of the cold, just place them in the microwave for a couple of seconds and they’ll be all loosened up.

Shuck Your Corn In The Microwave
By using the microwave to shuck corn you could save a ton of time. It could sound a little bit too good to be true, but this trick is actually used by several chefs around the world. Start by cutting the stalk end of the corn but make sure to keep the husk intact.

Then, put it all into a microwave for about two to four minutes. Once it’s done, just grab your uncut end and shake it, in no time, you’ll see it all flying right out.

Speed Up The Soaking Time Of Your Beans And Lentils
Sometimes you may not be in the mood to soak up your lentils and beans for too long. Instead of waiting an entire night until they are properly soaked, put them in a microwave-safe bowl and cover them with water.

Add a little bit of baking soda to it and microwave it on high heat for about ten minutes. Afterward, leave the bowl for about 30 to 40 minutes, and then your dish will be ready to go.

Steam Your Veggies
Who says you need a fancy steamer or steamer basket to get your wonderful veggies steamed? The microwave works just as well and pretty quickly too. First, cut your vegetables the way you like them.

Then, put them in a microwavable bowl, cover them with a very thin layer of water and top it with some plastic wrap. Then, heat it up on high heat for a few minutes, and your veggies should be steamed!

Cooking Your Pasta Was Never So Easy
Though you may think that the microwave is not a place for your pasta, you might rethink that once you hear about this hack. All you need for it to work is your dry pasta, a bowl, and water.

Just put the amount of pasta you want in the pot, add the water until it’s all covered by a few inches, and then place the bowl in the microwave for two to three minutes more than what is suggested in the instructions.

Make Homemade Potato Chips
I mean, who doesn’t love some yummy homemade potato chips? And the best thing is that you can make your own if you have a microwave in hand. All you need is some potatoes cut as thin as possible. Then, toss them in the microwave with a little bit of olive oil and salt.

In order for it to work, just make sure that you place them in a single layer before you turn on the full heat for about four minutes. Once they’re cool, dig in!

Soften Old And Clumped Brown Sugar
Brown sugar doesn’t take that long to clump up, so if you ever experience this little glitch, use your microwave to find a solution.
​Soften Old And Clumped Brown Suga

Put your sugar in a bowl, cover the top part of your microwavable container with a damp kitchen towel, then, microwave it all for about 30 seconds at a time. In a few minutes, the clumps should be gone

​Cook Your Dish Of Corn On The Cob
Who would think that corn on the cob made in the microwave could taste so good? Apparently, it does, and you can easily make it at home.

If you’ve got some fresh corn on hand, simply remove all of the husks and silk, then add about two tablespoons of water into a place and put two full-sized cobs on it. Top it all with another plate and put them in the microwave for around five minutes.

Get Your Potting Soil Sterilized
Did you ever think that you could boost up your gardening situation with your microwave? It may be another hack that sounds weird to some, but it’s actually incredibly useful. To begin, get some soil in a resealable bag and add a bit of water.

Then, leave the bag open in the top part and put it in the center of your microwave. Heat it at about 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about three minutes and then seal the bag until it cools.

Cook Up Some Delicious Pieces Of Bacon
It’s undeniable that the smell of bacon is probably one of the best smells out there. They remind us of weekends and fun times, and they’re basically the perfect snack to go with anything.

If you want to cook it quickly, start by covering a dish with a paper towel, add the bacon in one layer, and then add some more sheets of paper on top of it. Microwave it for a few minutes and it should get perfectly crisp in no time.

Soften Up Your Ice Cream
The next time you crave some ice cream but feel discouraged after seeing that it’s frozen solid, think about this hack. Soften your ice cream by placing the entire pot in the microwave for a couple of seconds.

Or you could also put some water in a bowl, heat it up in the microwave, then put your spoon in it for a minute or so until you feel it warm. Then, you may eat your ice cream!

Dye Your Own Yarn At Home
While Kool-Aid is a refreshing drink, it can also serve as the perfect instrument for a DIY craft project. Save yourself some extra money by mixing some Kool-Aid powder with some water.

Choose the color you want to use for your yarn and add just enough yard to the mixture you created. Make sure that the entire thing is all covered up and then place it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Clean And Disinfect Your Cutting Boards
Cutting boards are great and incredibly useful, but they’re another item in our kitchen that we often forget to clean properly. If you’d like an easy way to keep them germ-free, there are a few hacks you could try.

One of them could start with cutting a lemon in half, and begin rubbing the halves on the board. Then, put them in the microwave on medium heat and leave them for a minute. That will leave it smelling fresh and germ-free.

Make A Homemade Proofing Oven For Baking Bread
Proofing ovens may cost hundreds of dollars, so if you’d like to make one of your own with the help of tools that you already have at home, then listen to this one: first, heat up a cup of water in your microwave for just a few minutes.

Let it become steamy and then place the dough inside and let it proof. And that’s it, your bread will be ready to be enjoyed.

Make Some Poached Eggs
Many of us have mastered the art of making scrambled and boiled eggs, but what about those yummy poached eggs? It can be really tricky to make them, but if you use your microwave you may be able to find a simple solution to the situation.

Put a third of a cup of water in a bowl, splash some vinegar, crack an egg into the water and then prick the egg yolk with a toothpick. Once you cover the top of the bowl with some plastic wrap, place it all in the microwave for a minute, and voila!

Bake A Batch Of Brownies
Seriously, everyone loves brownies – so how about learning a quicker way to make the fudgiest and most chocolatey goodies? Instead of spending hours baking, simply melt some butter in a bowl, add sugar, cocoa, some eggs, and flour.

Mix it all up and, after pre-greasing a microwavable dish, add it to the microwave. In five minutes your brownies will be ready!

Make Your Own Cloud
If you have kids and you often find yourself looking for new ways to entertain them, then make this your next homemade science project. Grab a bar of Ivory Soap, place it on a microwavable plate, and heat it on high heat for about two minutes.

You’ll see the soap bar expanding right in front of you and in a second an entire cloud will be created.

Put A Stop To Explosions In The Microwave
No one loves explosions in the microwave, especially when they result in a huge amount of time cleaning up afterward. There is a very simple way to prevent them from happening though.

When you heat up things such as potatoes, tomatoes, or squash, take a knife or a fork and pierce a few holes before heating them up. This will allow the steam to escape while it heats up

Enhance The Taste Of Lemons
Many people may not know that putting your lemons in the microwave for a little bit should make its taste much stronger than usual

Just put it in the microwave for a few seconds, but make sure to not leave it for long as the lemon could explode. While the lemon is still warm, roll it along the side and the juices should beautifully flow inside.

Make Some French Toast
For the best microwavable french toast put some butter in a mug and melt it in the microwave, then add some nutmeg, maple syrup, cinnamon, milk, and of course, an egg. Mix it all up and start adding pieces of bread to it.

Once it’s all combined, let it absorb a bit, put it in the microwave for about 70 seconds until it’s solid, and enjoy.

Clean Your Microwave
So many of us use our microwaves on a daily basis and barely give them the deep clean they deserve. Instead of spending hours scrubbing it, cut a lemon, and squeeze it into a bowl of water.

Then, place each lemon half in the bowl and put it in the microwave. Heat it all for five minutes and all the dirt and gunk will be loosened up for you to wipe off.

​Get The Juice Out Of Any Citrus Fruit
Make sure that you get all the juice out of your citrus fruit the next time you make some freshly squeezed juice. Put the oranges, limes, or lemons in the microwave for about 10 to 20 seconds to gently warm it up.

That will allow it to release much more juice once you begin squeezing it. Just make sure you don’t leave it in the microwave for too long.

Test Your Container Before Putting It In The Microwave
Grab a cup or pot that you know for sure to be safe for the microwave and fill it with water. Then, place the cup or pot in a new container without putting the water in it.

Afterward, microwave both pots at once for a couple of minutes until the water begins to boil. Touch the new container with care, and if it’s hot or warm, then you might not want to put it in the microwave again.

Get Your Coconut Oil To Liquify
Coconut oil is one of those immensely useful ingredients – though it can be a total pain when it solidifies. Once it’s solid, it can be really annoying and hard to use, be it for cooking or for adding it to your beauty routine.

To make it liquid again, just put it in the microwave on high heat for a few seconds and it should be ready to go!

Make Home-Made Pickles
If you’re a fan of pickles then try to use this hack to start making your own! Grab a microwavable bowl, add some celery seeds, sugar, vinegar, turmeric, onion, mustard seeds, and a pinch of salt. Combine it and add in the cucumber slices.

Put it all in the microwave for seven or eight minutes, while stirring it at least twice in between. And just like that, you’ve made pickles.

Make The Easiest Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs are easy and great, but they often require way too much effort to clean up after. To change this, just use your microwave. Crack a few eggs into a mug, whisk them up with a fork, add some seasoning and a splash of milk, then place it in the microwave for 45 seconds.

Take it out, mix it, and add it for another 45 seconds and you’re done.

Soften Crystallized Honey
Honey can be the best way to sweeten up your food while adding some very important nutrients to your diet. But when it becomes crystalized with the cold or with time, then use your microwave to soften it up.

Just microwave it for a couple of seconds and in no time the crystals will all have melted leaving you with a flowing pot of honey.

Froth Your Milk
Milk frothers are great and all but you don’t actually need them if you have a microwave. Just pour some milk into a jar and screw the lid on it. Shake the jar for about 40 to 50 seconds until you see that the milk has doubled its size.

Then, remove the lid and microwave it for about 30 seconds and your milk will be perfectly frothed.

Make A DIY Medical Compress
Hot compresses can be really useful to treat ear infections, sore and tired muscles, and sinus congestions. So instead of heading to the store to buy one – make your own.

Grab a wet towel, fold it up, and put it in a ziplock bag. Place it in the microwave with the ziplock open, and microwave it for two minutes. Then, take it out, seal the bag, wrap it in another towel and you’ve got your compress.

Warm Up Your Dishes
Here’s a sneaky trick that restaurants do that we bet none of you even noticed.
​So to recreate that restaurant atmosphere, put your empty dishes in the microwave and heat them for a minute or two before you begin serving up your meal. That will allow your food to stay warm for longer when you have your homemade fine dining experience.

Pre-Cook Your Meals Before You Grill Them
Grilling veggies can take forever, and sometimes you just want them ready to eat in no time. So to speed things up, pierce your potato, bell pepper, or whatever vegetable you’d like to grill with a fork, and put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Then, add them to the grill and the vegetables should take much less time to get ready.

Make Crispy French Fries
After a day or two, french fries become so soggy that the excitement of eating them simply goes away. But instead of throwing them away, what if we told you that you could “revive” them?

Just lay them out evenly on a piece of paper towel, then sprinkle some vegetable oil and place it in the microwave for about ten minutes. Then remove them and let them rest for a bit until they are crisped up.

Clean Up Candle Wax
Burning a candle can be incredibly calming, and it can fill your entire home with a wonderful scent to your home. But when the wax starts getting everywhere, it can be really annoying to remove it from your candle holders.

But again, do not despair, just place the holders in the microwave for a bit and that should make it easy to take it all off.

Cook Special Fish Dishes
Cooking fish may feel a little weird at first, especially if you don’t do it often. So if you’d like to try to take things slowly, simply wrap your fish in a plastic wrap that can be microwaved.

Leave it for a few minutes in the microwave until the fish is cooked to perfection. If you put a few herbs with some lemon slices, your fish will seriously be delicious.

​Speed Up Your Dinner
Instead of cooking those TV dinners in the microwave, literally any meal could be sped up by using the microwave. You can steam, poach, heat things up, but always remember to stir it and to check it regularly, especially if it’s liquid-like soups and sauces.

Also, you need to make sure to take the food out a couple of minutes before it’s completely cooked.

Make Some Parmesan Wafers
Parmesan wafers are perfect to spice things up when you don’t feel like the usual chips. To make them, just cover a plate with parchment paper and cover it all with the thinnest layer of Parmesan.

Then, turn it on on full power for about 30 seconds and you’ll see them becoming brown. Remove them and there it is, you’ve got some parmesan wafers.

​Dry Out Almost Any Herb
One of the best ways to impress anyone in the kitchen is by making your own aromatic herbs. And while you may think that it will take forever to get that to the right point, it doesn’t have to. Lay the herbs on a kitchen towel and microwave them for 30 seconds.

Then, flip them over and add them for another 30 seconds. Continue flipping and microwaving them for some five minutes until they are dry.

HTML Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com