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Food Network Magazine
The Food Network Magazine reader is a total food enthusiast–passionate, imaginative, and sees cooking as an expression of their creative spirit. Whether it’s a quick weeknight meal or planning a dinner party with friends, the The Food Network Magazine reader loves to experiment with new ideas and add a unique signature twist to every meal.
Popularity: 5% [?]
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When you’re a working mother, no matter whether you work outside the home or you’re a work-at-home mom, dinner is always an issue you deal with every day. What will you fix for dinner that will be healthy and the family will enjoy? Menu planning will make dinner easier - here’s how to do it.
Decide which day you’ll sit down and make your plans. Will you make a menu plan for a week, two weeks, or a month at a time? The further out you plan, the more prepared you can be. You can also choose to make a list of regularly-served meals and rotate them throughout the month.
Start out by making a list of main dishes, vegetables, starches, and desserts that you know your family enjoys. You may want to include a few new dishes that you’ve wanted to try. Break your lists, especially meats, down into sub-categories such as beef, chicken, casseroles, etc. You should be able to mix and match each type of food to create a number of different meals your family will love.
After you have your list of dishes that you know will be eaten, you can make a list of items you need from the grocery store. By knowing what you’re going to have to eat, maybe weeks in advance, you’ll be able to take advantage of any sales your local stores may have. You can also plan to use the items you already have in your pantry or freezer.
If you know you’re planning on several chicken meals in the coming weeks and the store has chicken on sale, now would be a great time to stock up on them. You can use the same line of reasoning with any item that you know you’ll be using. Of course, you may find that other items you need have increased in price, but if you stick to items that are on sale, you could save a good amount during each time you go shopping.
Besides helping you save money on your food budget, menu planning will make dinner easier by enabling you to feed your family healthier meals and snacks. This process will also allow you to save time because you won’t have to run out to the store during the week. You’ll know what you need well in advance so you should have everything you need when the time comes to fix each meal.
Post your menu plan on your refrigerator to help you prepare meals each day. You’ll know which items to take out of the freezer to defrost. You can put planned meals into the crock pot. Menu planning will make dinner so much easier than deciding each day what you will have. The plan has been made - now all you have to do is cook.
Popularity: 28% [?]
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Cherry Pecan Macaroons Recipe
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
2/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
Place the egg whites, coconut, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large stainless steel bowl. Fill a large skillet 2/3 full of water and place of medium heat. Allow the water to start to simmer. Place the stainless steel bowl into the simmering water. Cook on medium temperature 5 minutes being sure to stir continuously from the bottom up (so the mixture doesn’t burn) until the egg whites begin to thicken and turn opaque in cooler. Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries. Allow mixture to cool. Bring the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Once the cherry mixture has cooled stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Drop batter, 2 teaspoons at a time, onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake 14 minutes or until cookies are a golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
Popularity: 12% [?]
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Caramelized Butternut Custard Recipe
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
Brush the entire squash with the canola oil. Place cut side won on a baking sheet. Heat the oven up to 400 degrees. Bake the squash for 55 minutes. The squash should be fork tender when done. Set the baked squash aside until cool enough to handle with your hands. Bring the oven temperature down to 300 degrees. Once the squash has cooled remove the skin. Place the flesh into the blender and puree until smooth. Place 2 cups of the puree into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs. Pour in the half and half and the maple syrup. Blend together until completely combined and very smooth. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper and stir to incorporate into the mixture. Very lightly spray a ceramic baking dish with a non stick cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Fill a slightly larger pan 1/2 full of water. Place the baking dish into the water filled pan. Bake 50 minutes or until the custard sets and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Be sure to cool before cutting.
Serves 6
Popularity: 14% [?]
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There are so many people that would like to lose weight that losing weight is the number one New Year’s resolution each year. Whether you’ve been trying all along to lose weight or you’re just starting out, there are sweet treats that won’t ruin your resolution. And you shouldn’t have to look too far to find them.
Chocolate is a weakness for many men and women - with people in general. Unfortunately, part of the allure of chocolates comes from the sugar and fat in them. This means that, even though chocolate tastes great, it’s not good for helping someone lose weight.
Instead of giving in to the craving for chocolate, you do have another option that is nutritious and can help to curb your craving. Have you ever tried carob? The pods of this plant are ground into a powder that looks an awful lot like cocoa. Carob is naturally sweet; you can buy it in drops, bars, or powder form. Use carob instead of chocolate when you’re baking or making candy and you may not be able to tell the difference.
Do you have the desire for something chewy? Try licorice which is sweeter than sugar. Licorice root, which is what licorice candy is made from, also has health benefits such as easing menstrual cramps, fighting respiratory problems, and easing sore throats.
Peppermint candy is another sweet option that won’t sink your New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Peppermint has been found to help relieve coughing, headaches, and nausea. It’s great to put in tea as well as to eat as a hard candy. Be careful not to eat too much of it, however.
Fresh fruit is another great choice when you want something sweet that won’t ruin your figure. You’ll also enjoy the crunch you’ll get along with the sweet taste. And you’ll have the benefit of receiving the many vitamins, nutrients, and fiber in its natural form.
Fruit smoothies are something that can be enjoyed any time you want something sweet. They’re full of nutrition and healthy. You can make smoothies out of nearly any fruit so you don’t have to get bored and have only one flavor. They’re easy to make and taste great.
Several companies have begun making 100 calorie snack packages. These would be good to take with you when you’re on the go. You may also be able to find brownies, muffins, and fruit squares in the same 100 calorie varieties.
Trying to lose weight, whether as a New Year’s resolution or at any other time of year, doesn’t mean you can’t ever have anything sweet again. In fact, there are many sweet treats that won’t ruin your resolution to shed some pounds. Use any of the ideas above or find some of your own and you’ll soon be shedding weight with your sweet tooth intact.
Popularity: 19% [?]
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Ready to Serve Apricot Pie Recipe
What You Need:
1 T lemon juice
4 C apricots, sliced
3/4 C light brown sugar, packed
1/4 C sugar
2 T quick cooking tapioca
1/2 t salt
Freezer pie crust for 2 crusts
2 T butter or margarine
Heavy duty aluminum foil
How to Make It:
Place the apricots in a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice. Toss lightly. In a separate bowl combine the brown sugar, regular sugar, tapioca and salt. Add the apricots and toss lightly being sure to cover the apricots with the mixture. Let stand 15 minutes. Line a 9 inch pie plate with the aluminum foil extending the foil 6 in beyond the plate. Fill the foil with the pie filling. Fold the foil over the top of the filling. Freeze until firm several hours or overnight. Remove from freezer. Wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 6 months. To bake remove both the pie crust and the filling from the freezer. Allow the pie crust to come to room temperature. Roll out one crust on a flour surface to make an 11 in circle. Place in the pie plate. Fill crust with the filling. Dot the top of the filling with butter. Roll out the second crust to a 10 in circle. Place on top of pie and crimp the edges together. Cut off any excess crust. Cut slits in the top to vent the steam. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake the pie 45 to 50 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.
Popularity: 13% [?]
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