Category Archives: how to cook

Mothers Day Brunch Ideas

Show your Mom how much she means to you with these sweet Mother’s Day brunch ideas. Rather than planning breakfast in bed for Mom and waking her up early, why not let her sleep in and use these ideas to create a Mother’s Day brunch Mom will thoroughly enjoy.

She will appreciate not having to cook on Mother’s Day. However, you’ll also want to make sure you’re prepared to clean up after yourself as well. It’s Mom’s special day so there’s no reason to make her clean up after the meal. She’ll really appreciate that you’re letting her relax and enjoy her special day without cooking and cleaning.

Continue reading Mothers Day Brunch Ideas

How to Cook Homemade Turkey Soup

Homemade turkey soup is frugal, healthy and very tasty. What better way to use up some of that left over roast turkey? It’s not hard to make but it does take a bit of
time. You’ll find a simple, basic recipe here and then some optional additional ingredients to make a more hearty meal type soup.

I have to admit turkey is one of our favorite homemade soups, maybe because I only make it a couple of times a year. We really should roast a turkey more often so I can make soup! Continue reading How to Cook Homemade Turkey Soup

How To Make Pancakes From Scratch

Homemade pancakesHere’s how to make pancakes from scratch, it’s easy to make these breakfast favorites simply follow along with the photos below. You’ll find two recipes below, one for pumpkin spice pancakes and a basic pancake recipe. All follow the same method! Your whole family will love these delicious and healthy pancakes on a cold winter morning. Serve them with real maple syrup or your favorite pancake toppings.

Continue reading How To Make Pancakes From Scratch

How To Cook Hard Boiled Eggs

Eggs are quick to cook and a great source of protein. Here’s how to cook hard boiled eggs to eat on their own, to use in recipes that call for hard boiled eggs or to make colored Easter eggs!

Hard-boiled eggs Place desired number of eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Immediately cool eggs in cold water to prevent the yolks from turning grey.

Thanks to Megan for the beautiful egg photo, click the image to see more of her photos.

How To Make Croutons

If you have been wondering how to make croutons, you’ll be delighted to know it’s really easy. Homemade croutons are economical to make, taste better than store bought and they can be healthier for you too. You’ll find several crouton recipes here which areĀ a delicious addition to your soups and salads. Try the whole wheat garlic croutons or one of the herb variations. I prefer to use whole wheat but you can use any type of bread you like, from white, sour dough to rye! Continue reading How To Make Croutons

How to Cook Rice

Rice is one of the easiest things to cook but it can be one of the most challenging as well if you don’t know how. Rice is convenient, goes well with many dishes, tastes great and it’s good for you too, especially if you choose brown rice. It’s available in a wide number of varieties, you can choose white long grain, short grain, jasmine, red, whole grains and my personal favorite is basmati rice.

Here’s how to cook long grain rice:

rice1 cup white long grain rice
1 & 1/2 cups water

Place rice and water in a 1 quart sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with a light fitting lid and cook for twenty minutes. (see tips below)

If you prefer a healthier whole grain version, here’s how to cook brown rice: Continue reading How to Cook Rice

How To Cook Salmon

We had a lovely salmon dinner last night, my Mother always called it brain food and she was pretty close. It’s a good source of protein that’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol and it contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Here’s how to cook salmon.

Watkins Lemon PepperThe easiest method of cooking salmon is to simply season it with a little lemon pepper or fish and seafood seasoning; pan fry the steaks or fillets at medium-high heat in a little grapeseed oil. Cook for about 5 minutes per side or until the flesh has changed a lighter color and no longer looks opaque. The flesh is very delicate so take care when turning the pieces so the fish doesn’t break or fall apart.

As a general rule for each inch (2.5 cm) thickness it takes 10 minutes to cook fresh salmon, you’ll need to allow 12-15 minutes per inch if it’s partially thawed and 20 minutes per inch if the fish is frozen. You’ll need to add 5 minutes to total cooking time if salmon is wrapped in foil (see below).

How to Cook a Whole Salmon Continue reading How To Cook Salmon

How To Cook Corn On The Cob

It’s corn season so I thought it would be a good time to share with you how to cook corn on the cob. There are several ways you can cook corn but we’ll start with the easiest.

BBQ Ribs And Corn On The Cob

First husk the corn, this is simply peeling off the leaves and corn silk that cover the vegetable.

Place the corn on the cob in a large pot along with 2-3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until the kernels have changed color, they’ll turn a darker yellow. Pretty easy right?

If you are having a barbecue you can cook your corn right on the grill. Place the husked cobs on a medium hot grill, then turn cobs every 5 minutes until it done on all sides. Some people say to soak the corn in water for half an hour before you grill it but I’ve never bothered. You can wrap the corn with a dab of butter in tin foil and grill it as above.

Serve your corn on the cob with butter, flavored butter, regular or butter salt and black pepper!

The secret to great corn on the cob is to cook freshly picked corn, the husks and silk should be green, not dry. The kernels should be plump and milky went pierced with your finger nail.

How To Cook A Pot Roast

Learning how to cook a pot roast is something even a beginner can do. You’ll find this roast beef with vegetables is an easy to prepare, economical one pot dinner and it’s great to have for leftovers too. I always cook extra so we can enjoy it for several meals and have enough for sandwiches too. It’s much healthier than cold cuts as it low in sodium and fat.

Roast Beef Dinner Preheat a large cast iron or heavy bottomed fry pan or dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon or two of cooking oil like Watkins grapeseed oil. Sprinkle the pot roast liberally with onion and garlic granules and black pepper to taste. Brown the seasoned roast on all sides in the preheated pan, remove roast and place in roasting pan, or set aside on a plate if you are using a dutch oven. De-glaze frying pan (or dutch oven) by adding about a cup or water and 1-2 teaspoons of Watkins beef soup and gravy base, stir and scrape pan while heating to a boil. Return roast to dutch oven or pour pan juices over roast in the roaster. Cover and place in a 350 deg F oven for 2 – 3 hours. About an hour before the roast is done, add some peeled carrots and potatoes cut into large chunks, you can also add some onions, garlic or parsnips too if you like. Cover and place back in the oven. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the wonderful smell of your dinner as it’s cooking. When the vegetables are tender, remove roast and vegetables from the broth that formed. Make gravy by thickening the broth with about 1/4 cup flour, taste and add some salt & pepper if needed. Serve slices of pot roast with vegetables and gravy poured on top of all.

How To Cook Pot Roast In A Slow Cooker Continue reading How To Cook A Pot Roast

How To Cook Beets

I love beets, they are good for you as they contain lots of fiber and are rich in folic acid, calcium, and iron. The good news is, beets are really easy to cook, here’s how!

Prepare beets by cutting off the tops leaving a half inch of the stem, wash well but do not scrub, take care not to cut or damage the skin before cooking as the color will leach out. Place whole beets in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until done. The time will vary depending on the size of your beets. After 15-20 minutes you can test small beets for tenderness by piercing one with a knife, larger beets will take longer. When beets are tender, drain and cover with cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Gently rub each beet with your fingers, the skin will slip right off, discard the skins and top bits. Slice, dice or leave the cooked beets whole if they are small, serve and enjoy. This sweet vegetable tastes wonderful garnished with a sliver of plain or herb butter.

Beets can be prepared ahead and stored in the fridge until just before serving time, reheat over low heat with a couple of tablespoons of water and a bit of butter or grapeseed oil in a heavy bottomed pot or in the microwave.

What’s the right spices to use with beets? To perk up and ehance the flavor of your beets try a pinch of allspice, a sprinkle of black pepper or cinnamon, some caraway seeds, chives, dill, ginger, horseradish or parsley. To make pickled beets you’ll need pickling spices. I recommend that you use the best pure spices and herbs or organic herbs and spices.