Home Chef Cooking Tips

Steamed Carrots

When preparing healthy meals for your children, there are many different ways to cook their vegetables, but only three methods will retain their color, flavor and nutrients. These three methods are blanching, steaming and stir frying.

All of these methods are quick cooking, so there is no time for the color, flavor or nutrients to be lost. Here’s a quick look at each method.

Blanching The vegetables are plunged briefly into a pot of boiling water, removed and then plunged into cold water to stop the cooking process. This method preserves the brilliant green color of leafy vegetables. Blanching is typically used when adding vegetables to other cooked dishes or salads, or before freezing.

Steaming The vegetables are cooked in the steam directly above boiling water (or stock). A steaming basket, or rack, is inserted into a saucepan with a small amount of liquid which is tightly covered. In order for the vegetables to steam evenly, they should be cut into similar sized pieces. Steaming is preferred to boiling since the vegetable juices (and color and nutrients) are not removed into the cooking liquid.

Stir fry The key to good stir fry is to have the oil hot, and have the vegetables cut on a diagonal. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan, or wok and have the vegetables pre-cut. The diagonal cuts provide a greater surface area for the vegetables to cook than a standard straight cut. The increased surface area and the hot oil, reduces the amount of cooking time required. Once the vegetables are added to the hot oil, stir continually with a wooden spatula/spoon for a few minutes. Never let the vegetables sit in the bottom of the pan, since they will burn and soak up the oil.

In order to obtain a vegetables maximum nutritional benefit when preparing healthy meals for your kids, these three techniques are the preferred cooking methods to maintain their color, flavor, and most of all the vegetables nutritional content.

Walnuts - Image by funadium

Believe it or not, there are actually a few things on your Holiday table that are quite healthy for you. If you happen to be the one hosting the family gathering this year, make sure these in your pantry, and they find their way onto your table.

Roasted Nuts

Nuts are heart healthy for two reasons, protein and unsaturated fat. The protein in nuts is high in the amino acid arginine that relaxes blood vessels. The unsaturated (good) fat in nuts also lowers blood cholesterol. Additionally, the unsaturated fats trigger a chemical reaction in your body that will cause you to digest food slower, which means you’ll feel fuller longer (and less likely to have that second round of desserts).

Chocolate

As far as sweet indulgences go, a good quality chocolate (at least 70%) has several health benefits. High percent chocolate doesn’t contain the milk fat of lesser quality chocolate. Also, dark chocolates are rich in a specific type of antioxidant called flavenoids, which have been shown to lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes. Flavenoids also reduce the amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream, which can lead to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Cranberries

The health benefits of cranberries are totally under appreciated. Like chocolate, cranberries also are high in flavenoids and provide the same health benefits. Additionally, cranberries have been shown to reduce cavity and plaque producing bacteria in the mouth. This means better breath and fewer cavities.

So as the Holiday season gets in full swing, instead of reaching for another chip full of dip, or helping of sausage stuffing, try adding a little more of these healthy powerhouses to your plate. Your body will thank you for the healthy snacks.

It is a widely accepted fact in scientific circles that eating foods rich in antioxidants help to protect your body from harmful free radicals. By helping to neutralize these radicals, antioxidants provide a barrier against heart disease, premature aging and some types of cancer.

By neutralizing free radicals that enter your body, antioxidants provide a protective barrier within your body. Free radicals are simply chemically active atoms or molecule fragments. They are active because they are electrically charged, either positively, missing electron(s), or negatively, containing excessive electron(s). This electrical charge seeks to become neutralize itself by scavenging your body to remove (or donate) electrons, in the process damaging your healthy cells.

Free radicals are generated naturally within, and are generated externally. Internal sources of free radicals include aerobic respiration, metabolism, and inflammation. External sources include sunlight, strenuous exercise, x-rays, smoking, alcohol and pollution.

Regardless of the source excessive free radicals (generated by pollutants) can cause damage to your body in excess of what it can naturally combat. Every time a free radical is neutralized by an antioxidant, the antioxidant itself is consumed, and is no longer able to defend your body. This is why your body’s level of antioxidants must be maintained.

The most antioxidant rich foods are nuts and berries – natural and unprocessed – which make a very tasty and healthy snack.

The top seven antioxidant rich nuts and berries (in terms of antioxidant content per serving) are:

-          Blackberries

-          Walnuts

-          Strawberries

-          Cranberries

-          Raspberries

-          Pecans

-          Blueberries

To make sure that your child receives the full benefit of theses nutritional powerhouses, each healthy snack should be at least a single serving in size.

For the berries, a single serving is 1/2 cup, and for nuts a single serving is 1 oz, or approximately 1/4 cup.

Are you one of those parents who thinks it takes too much time to prepare healthy meals for your kids? After all, is it really worth the effort to save a few calories? Then why don’t you consider this:

• Childhood obesity rates have tripled in America since 1980
• 16% of all children aged 6 – 19 are obese 
• 70% of obese adolescents will be obese as adults
• Obesity leads to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and early death

Children’s Health magazine recently determined the 20 Worst Kid’s Foods in America.

If you’re in the food industry, the color of money isn’t green-it’s beige.

Parents know that the majority of their kids favorite foods, from french fries to white bread to chicken nuggets, are beige. Beige is the color of highly processed foods, which means cheap, calorie-rich, nutritionally bankrupt food.

Next time you’re at your favorite fast food restaurant and your child is checking out the kids menu, steer them clear of those monochromatic clusters of cheese sticks, dinosaur-shaped chicken and fried potatoes.

When eating out, follow this simple rule: all kids dishes must come with at least two colors (and ketchup doesn’t count).

In case you’re interested,  the #1 Worst Kids Meal in America is the Uno Chicago Grill Kids’ Kombo with French Fries

• 1,250 calories
• 79 g fat (11.5 g saturated)
• 2,850 mg sodium

The moderately active 8 year old only requires 1600 calories and ~60 gms of total fat (17 saturated) per day! Add to this 150% of your child’s recommended daily allowance of sodium (salt) and you can see why this is the worst kid’s meal in America.

Should you find yourself at Uno’s with a hungry child, have them try this instead;

Kids Pasta

• 300 calories
• 3 g fat (0 g saturated)
• 270 mg sodium

It’s getting close to the time of year when we all dust off our favorite family recipes in hopes of making something truly memorable for the Holiday’s. For most, this ins not a big deal, but for some, it’s nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen.

This year, have no fear. No matter what your recipe, when it comes to desserts, we’ve got you covered with a list of the most helpful Holiday Baking Hotlines available.

Whether it’s pies, cakes or cookies, these experts are on call to answer your most vexing questions (not only during the Holiday’s, but year round).

Crisco Pie Hotline

Phone: 1-800-766-7309
Pre-recorded answers to FAQs and option to connect to live pie expert

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 9am – 7pm EST
Except for: Nov. 13 – 22 (8 – 8 EST) and Dec. 18 – 22 (8 – 8 EST).

Land o Lakes Holiday Bakeline

Phone: 1-800-782-9606

Hours of operation: 9am – 9pm CST 7 days a week

Betty Crocker

Phone: 1-888-ASK-BETTY (888-275-2388)

Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST 7 days a week

Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line

Phone: 1-800-637-8537
Pre-recorded answers to FAQs and option to connect to live pie expert

Hours of operation: 8am – 8pm EST (Mon – Fri only)

Pillsbury

Phone: 1-800-775-4777

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CST

Duncan Hines

Phone: 1-800-362-9834

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST

King Arthur Flour

Phone: 1-802.649.3717

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time
Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time

If you have other non-baking questions that you need help with visit Holiday Cooking Hotlines to find out who to call.

Summer is when everyone fires up the barbecue for some great grilled foods. But how many times have you purchased some thick , plump sausages only to have them shrivel up as you grilled them.

One of the problems with grilling pork sausages is that they need to be cooked completely through, to kill all bacteria (and prevent any possibility of trichinosis). So the longer you grill the sausages, the more it will dry out. The easiest way to prevent this is to cook the sausage first, then grill it.

The technique you will use is called parboiling. Parboiling consists of partially cooking in boiling water, then completing the cooking process at a later time. For 2 lbs of pork sausages, bring ~6qts of water to a boil. Add the sausages, return to boil, reduce heat and simmer for ~20 minutes. Remove the sausages from the simmering water, then grill until the outsides are browned and crisp. You can also parboil the sausages ahead of time, set the sausages in a bowl, then transfer to the grill when ready.

Not only does the parboiling reduce the grilling time, so the sausage doesn’t dry out, but by partially cooking it in water, the sausage remains juicy, like it should.

Now that summer is here and kids are more acitve, it’s even more important for kids to eat healthy. Yogurt not only provides an excellent source of calcium and vitamins, but it is also cool and refreshing – which is especially useful on hot summer days. What is great about this Fruity Yogurt Snack, is that by making it yourself, you can customize the flavor to suit your child. If you paln ahead, you can also involve your child in the selection of the fruit, and have them prepare it (blend in the fruit). Depending upon your child’s age, they could be fascinated at how the yogurt changes color to match the fruit they added in (this works especially well with juicy fruits like berries).

Ingredients:

- Plain Low-fat or vanilla-flavored yogurt
- Fresh fruit of choice, cut into small pieces
- Honey or maple syrup (to be added only if a little extra sweetness is desired)
- Granola (optional – adds fiber)

Directions:

1. Mix fresh fruit of child’s choice into low-fat unsweetened yogurt.
2. Add a dash of honey or maple syrup for a touch of sweetness if desired
3. Sprinkle granola on top for crunch (a kid friendly texture).

You’ll be amazed at how fast the yogurt disappears when kids get to flavor it
themselves.
Get more information on How to Prepare Healthy Meals for Kids here.

Le Chef et le Pain

The chef jacket, is one of the most recognizeable pieces of the chefs uniform. It is such a distinguishing component, that no matter what the cuisine, or where in the world the restaurant is, the chef is immediately recognised by his white jacket.

The chef jacket is not only symbolic of the chef’s profession, it is also a highly functional piece of clothing. It is made from a double layer of cotton which is designed to insulate the body from the heat of the stove. The jacket also serves as protection against accidental splashes of hot liquid. The buttons are typically knotted cloth, in order to withstand the frequent washings and continuous contact (bumping and rubbing) with the pots and pans.

Additionally, the overall style of the chef jacket is double-breasted. Dating back to the mid-1800’s, it was Chef Marie-Antoine Careme who popularized this style of jacket since it allows the chef to reverse it in order to cover the occassional stain. No customer would want to compliment a chef who looks like he’s wearing their entree. The traditional white color of the chef jacket also dates back to Chef Careme, who wanted his cooks (and kitchen) to appear clean.

Today’s chef’s however, are no longer restricted to the traditional white jacket. Many favor Chef Jackets in solid colors, to better reflect either their restaurant’s atmosphere or their personal tastes.

Photo by DennisSylvesterHurd

Rice cookers are not vegetable steamers that can also be used for rice.  They are a highly specialized appliance that can prepare any type of rice perfectly, and all you need to do is add the ingredients. Rice cookers will also keep the rice warm once it is fully cooked, and even reheat cold rice.

The big question is, do you really need gadget that makes only rice?

By answering a few simple questions, you can determine if a rice cooker is right for you. The answers will also tell you if you’re better off spending your money on another more useful appliance.

If you eat rice at least 3x a week, a rice cooker is a good investment. If you are eating rice only once a week, but consistently every week, you may want to consider a rice cooker with a smaller capacity (4 cups). If rice is only an occassional side dish (or you enjoy the taste of Uncel Ben’s or Rice a Roni) you will be better off perfecting rice on your stove top, and saving the counter space for another appliance.

Assuming rice is a dietary staple, you’re most likely not concerned with the 15 – 20 minutes it takes to simmer on your stove top. This is important, becuase good rice, like good barbecue, takes time, and for perfect rice, rice cookers take their time.

rice cooker are available in two basic varieties: the simpler on/off, and the more sophisticated fuzzy logic.

On/Off Cookers

This style of rice cooker operates exactly how the name implies, the heating unit turns on – cooks the rice – turn off. Some manufacturers offer basic programming features like preset timers and warming capability once the rice is finished, but the key component is that the heating cycle turns on and remains at a fixed temperature during the cooking cycle, then turns off. As a result, these models will cook the rice faster, and some of the simpler models will only be capable of preparing white rice.

Models include:

Panasonic SR-TMB10
Sanyo ECJ-N55W

Fuzzy-Logic Cookers

These rice cookers are microprocessor controlled, so by continuously monitoring the temperature they are able to continuously adjust both the cooking time and temperature in order to maintain the optimum moisture level for perfect rice every time. Since the time and temperature are continuously monitored and adjusted, fuzzy logic models will require longer cooking times than the simpler on/off models.

The fuzzy-logic rice cookers are also much more versatile in that they can also cook specialty rices such as arborio, basmati, and sushi rice. The best models are not only highly programmable (timer settings, and warming options) but will even allow you to program in your preferences for texture (hard, soft, sticky or wet).

Models include:

Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy-logic NS-ZCC10
Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy-logic NS-ZCC18
Sanyo Micom ECJ-D55S

The best fuzzy logic rice cookers also utilize induction heating. Instead of the heat being generated from an electrical plate under the cooker, and electric current creates a magnetic field which generates heat all around the cooking chamber. Induction heating provides four key improvements:

1. More uniform heating
2. More accurate temperture sensing
3. More accurate and finer temperature control
4. Temperature changes are immediate

Now do you really need the latest and greatest style of rice cooker?

Remember, before even starting to look for a rice cooker, answer the following questions: 

How often do I eat rice?
How much rice will I typically cook at any one time?
What type of rice do I prefer?
What features do I need (timer, programmable, etc)?

This will insure you purchase an appliance that you need and will use.