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| Best In Food |
| I love cooking and baking, but I always want my cooking to be healthy and all natural - yet taste DIVINE! Here I share recipes with you, my thoughts on cooking, as well as the great new food items I've found on my latest trip to the supermarket. |
| Language: English |
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Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 10 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 38752 |
| Visitors Out: 1317 |
| Total Visitors Out: 2839 |
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| It's been a while.... |
| 2007-03-02 13:16:00 |
I can't believe how long it's been since my last post - well, I have had my baby and I'm finally getting back to cooking - although I still can't seem to get caught up on sleep :) The other night I made an easy and tasty pasta side dish to go with our fish sticks for Ash Wednesday - here is the recipe:Ingredients:2 garlic cloves - minced3 plum tomatoes - choppeddried oreganodried basilsaltpepperspaghettifrozen corngrated cheeseolive oilDirections:Sauté the garlic in a bit of olive oil. When the garlic is slightly brown, add in the plum tomatoes, a dash of salt and pepper, and the oregano and basil to taste. Meanwhile, cook your spaghetti. When the spaghetti is done, add into the tomato mixture and stir in your frozen corn (amount to your liking). I served this with grated cheese sprinkled...
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| Baked Eggplant Sandwiches |
| 2006-08-24 20:45:00 |
About a week ago I went to another local farmstand and in their surplus bin they had 6 sweet green peppers (made wonderful pepper and cheese sandwiches for 2 nights of dinners) and one good size eggplant for only $2. I decided to bread eggplant slices and bake them until crispy and serve them in a sandwich with slices of crusty italian bread, ranch dressing, tomato slices and lettuce. I actually ran out of room on my baking sheets so I had to freeze the remainder of the eggplant and hopefully one night soon I will be able to roast it with some other veggies and add it to couscous for a quick side dish. Here's my recipe for the baked eggplant:Ingredients1 egg1 egg white1 3/4-1 lb eggplant, cut into slices1/2 cup finely crushed italian & whole wheat brea...
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| Fresh from the Farmers Market |
| 2006-08-07 21:03:00 |
I made this recipe about a week ago after stopping by my local farmers market - there's nothing like fresh veggies and fruit from area farmers. I altered the recipe slightly from the one provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension.Fresh Beans with Basil and PastaIngredientsServes 2-31/3 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing1 lb green or yellow beans, trimmed1 small boiling onion, sliced3 tbsp. fresh basil, choppedpasta of your choiceStep 1 - Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add in beans and onions, cover. Cook for 5 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender.Step 2 - While beans are cooking, begin cooking your pastaStep 3 - When done, mix pasta with beans. Top with basil and cook for an additional minute, covered. Se...
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| I'm Back in the Kitchen |
| 2006-07-10 20:35:00 |
It's taken quite a long time, but I'm finally back to cooking and enjoying more than bland food for my meals. This past weekend I made Penne with Pine Nuts and Zucchini from a magazine called Healthy Cooking that I found at Borders and served it with my own Baked Chicken Tenders. The recipes for both follow:Penne with Pine Nuts and ZucchiniAdapted from Healthy Cooking MagazineIngredientsServes 4-61/2 lb penne pasta3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup pine nuts1-2 garlic cloves, sliced into thin rounds, then in half3-4 medium zucchini, but into bite size chunkssea saltblack pepper1/3 cup grated parmesan cheeseStep 1 - Cook pasta according to package directions.Step 2 - While penne is cooking, combine olive oil and pine nuts in a large skillet cooking on medium heat until nuts start to turn ...
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| Feeling Under the Weather... |
| 2006-03-28 15:24:00 |
I haven't been doing much cooking lately that's worthy of being posted. I've been trying to eat blander foods these past weeks as I'm now pregnant. While I'm excited about this new chapter in life with my husband, my stomach is definitely saying "NO" to experimenting with new recipes. I'm at the stage where no food sounds good to me.I have found that I can't drink a glass of milk anymore - so to make sure I'm getting my milk/dairy in me, I have to make a milkshake with my dinner each night (milk, Breyers Light Double Churned Vanilla Bean ice cream, and a dash of vanilla extract). Mid-morning, I eat crackers with slices of cheese on them. For fruit these past few days, it's been apple sauce or mandarin oranges in pear juice. I sure hope this part of the pregnancy ends soon - I don't like no...
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| Free Shipping at Kitchen Etc. |
| 2006-03-14 19:52:00 |
Just found out about an exclusive offer that I can pass along to my readers from Kitchen Etc. From now until April 8, 2006, you can receive Free Shipping on Shipments Over $25. You will need to use coupon code C93925 at checkout. What a great way to treat yourself to some cookware or bakeware you've been wanting.Be sure to come back as I'll be posting a recipe in the coming days for delicious oat bran cookies....
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| My Urge to Bake on Saturday |
| 2006-02-25 16:06:00 |
Not sure what came over me last Saturday, but I wanted to do lots of baking for dinner (of course this meant lots of dishes as a result, but I didn't mind). I decided to try the all natural fish sticks I found when I went to the supermarket recently (sorry I can't remember the brand right now - but, I'll write about them again when I pick up another package on the next trip to the store). To go with the fish sticks (which were very good), I served honey glazed baby carrots, couscous and freshly baked corn bread muffins. I even made dessert, oatmeal raisin cookies - I tried a different recipe then I usually use, and they didn't quite hold together like I'm used to, but they still turned out delicious and were nice and crispy (even the next day).If you have a ...
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| Cranberry Walnut Scones |
| 2006-02-15 20:33:00 |
I found a basic recipe for scones online the other day and tonight before dinner I had time to make a batch. I started with the basic recipe, but made some adjustments and added a few additional ingredients that I thought would make a perfect scone. They smelled terrific when I took them out of the oven. They taste amazing.If you're able to make these scones, I'd love to know what you think. And, if you have a favorite scone recipe of your own, feel free to post it here.Ingredients1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup whole wheat flour1/2 cup oatmeal8 tbsp sugar3/4 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp baking soda1/8 tsp salt1/4 tsp cinnamon1/2 cup chopped walnuts8 tbsp cold margarine1/2 cup dried cranberries3/4 cup buttermilkPreheat oven to 375 degrees F.Yields 8Step 1 - In a ...
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| Pizza Stones - why all the raves? |
| 2006-02-09 12:19:00 |
Last night was the first time I used a pizza stone - thought it was supposed to make the pizza nice and crispy with easy clean up. Boy, was I wrong! The pizza looked delicious and the crust did get crispy - but not much of it was able to be eaten, as the entire edge of the pizza stuck to the stone. The center was a bit firmer than when I would make a pizza on an air bake cookie sheet, but not like I expected. I even had cornmeal under the pizza like it instructed when pressing the dough into shape. (unfortunately, the instructions that came with the stone didn't tell me much) The clean up was horrible - it took forever to get the baked on crust off the stone. Has anybody else used a pizza stone? Do you have any suggestions on how to make it bake better and ...
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| Healthy Comfort Food |
| 2006-01-31 12:00:00 |
The weekend before last my husband and I went to Newport, Rhode Island for a little getaway and on our last day there, we found D Kelley Fine Used Books. (please see my first post for details on our used bookstore excursions) I found a great selection of books by my favorite romance authors and I picked up a great cookbook for my collection that is filled with slow cooker recipes (Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes) from soups to stews and side dishes to main dishes.This past Saturday I felt like making a dinner that would be good comfort food so I thought I would try the slow cooker 'Turkey Mushroom Stew' (slightly adapted to make healthier - ex. substituting half and half for fat free milk). I served the mixture over biscuits...
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| Banana Walnut Muffins |
| 2006-01-25 20:31:00 |
Yesterday I had bananas that were a tad on the too ripe side for adding into my cereal in the morning....so I thought I would make some banana walnut muffins. I completely adjusted a recipe I found to make it healthier, but they definitely don't taste like anything is missing. I especially love eating them the day they are made because they keep the fresh baked crispiness on the outside and are moist and soft on the inside.Ingredients 3/4 cup chopped walnuts1 cup all-purpose flour3/4 cup whole wheat flour1/4 ground flax seed1 tbsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt6 tbsp margarine, softened1/2 cup brown sugar1 egg1 egg white1 1/2 tsp vanilla2-3 mashed ripe bananasIf bananas are large, 2 should be plenty, but adding more is okYields 12 MuffinsI made 11, think I ove...
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| Baked Cod Filets |
| 2006-01-19 21:01:00 |
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare fish. It's easy and quick for any night of the week. If there are leftovers, I like to reheat the fish in the microwave the next day for lunch and add some cocktail sauce on the side for dipping.Ingredients1 16oz package of frozen cod filets (thawed)1/2 tsp. dried parsley1 tbsp. melted margarine1 tsbp. lemon juice1/2 cup breadcrumbsServes 2-4 (based on size of filets)Preheat oven to 350 degreesStep 1 - Combine parsley, melted butter, lemon juice, and breadcrumbs in a bowl, mix to blend.Step 2 - Lightly spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray before adding in fish. Top each fish filet with a layer of the parley mixture, lightly press down.Step 3 - Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.The vegetables I ser...
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| Baked Turkey Breast Cutlets |
| 2006-01-15 14:48:00 |
This dish is not only healthy, but very tasty with hardly any clean-up when cooked on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The breading gets crispy and the turkey stays moist and tender.Ingredients4 Turkey Breast Cutlets (ex. Shady Brook Farms, MSG and gluten-free)1 cup Breadcrumbs (Ian's Panko Whole Wheat variety)2 garlic cloves, finely chopped1 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped1/2 tsp ground pepper1 large egg white3 tbsp. honey dijon mustardflour for dredgingServes 4Preheat oven to 350 degrees FStep 1 - In a shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and pepper. Set aside.Step 2 - In another shallow dish, beat egg white with mustard.Step 3 - In third dish, add flour. Dredge each turkey breast cutlet in flour ... then dip in egg ...
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| Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce |
| 2006-01-10 21:41:00 |
This recipe makes a nice thick sauce that can easily be served over pasta with or without meatballs. I served our dinner with a mix of whole wheat and regular spiral pasta. For vegetables, I cooked a chopped red pepper and frozen green beans with some water in a skillet and added a dash of salt and pepper.Serves 4-6Ingredients1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes1 8oz. can of no salt added tomato paste1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley2 cloves of garlic, minced1 tsp. dried oregano1 tsp. dried basil leaves1/4 tsp. ground black pepper1/2 tbsp. sugar ...not necessary, but helps to balance out the flavors between the tomatoes & wine2 boiling onions, chopped4 tbsp olive oil1/2 cup white wine ...I used Pinot Grigiobaking sodaParmigiano Regiano ...if desired to sprinkle on ...
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| Meatballs with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce |
| 2006-01-04 21:52:00 |
Some nights I like to take the time to make a dinner for my husband and myself that tastes like one you might eat in a restaurant (minus the butter and cream that's almost always guaranteed to be in your restaurant meal). When these whims hit, I turn to The Newlywed Cookbook by Robin Vitetta-Miller. Tonight I based our dinner on a combination of two of Robin's sauces and added my own spin to create a scrumptious dish.Meatballs1 pound mix of ground veal, pork and beef1 boiling onion, chopped1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs1/4 tsp. dried oregano1/4 tsp. dried basil2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped1/2 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. ground pepper1 eggSauce1 tbsp. olive oil1 8 oz. package of sliced mushroomsI...
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| Pork Burgers |
| 2006-01-02 16:17:00 |
Here's a recipe that I created last week when I wanted to make burgers for dinner but realized I only had ground pork in the refrigerator. After gathering the ingredients I had on hand, these burgers turned out great. My husband and I couldn't wait to have them again the next night. Let me know what you think if you get a chance to make them (I apologize in advance if some of the measurements aren't exact, sometimes I tend to just throw things together and realize after that I should have made a note of the amounts used).1 lb. Ground Pork1 garlic clove chopped1 tbsp. water1/4 cup or less honey dijon mustard2 tbsp. chili sauce1/2 tsp ground pepper1/2 tsp ground thyme1/4 tsp poultry seasoning1-2 slices of swiss cheese cut int...
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| Birthday Cake for Mom |
| 2005-12-21 20:49:00 |
I just finished baking a cake for my mom's birthday tomorrow. It's called a Busy Day Cake with a broiled coconut topping from Better Homes and Gardens. You're probably wondering what is that purple thing, right? It's the best way to bake a cake - I also used it the other night for a Gingerbread Applesauce cake I made when we had another couple over for dinner. I ordered it from HSN.com when Suzanne Somers was selling her silicone bakeware line. HSN.com has many other silicone bakeware options to choose from as well. I like baking a cake in this particular style because it creates a flower shape, much more appealing to your guests than the traditional round cakes. And with the silicone bakeware, cleanup is a breeze. The cak...
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| Blueberry Muffins |
| 2005-12-13 15:59:00 |
Last week my mom came over and we made these delicious Blueberry Muffins. There are lots of healthy ingredients in them, plus they taste yummy - you will have to try these and let me know what you think. Here's the recipe:Note on margarine: For all cooking I now use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Sticks (79% vegetable oil spread) - they contain no trans fatty acids and are non-hydrogenated. I find them at our local Price Chopper.1 cup sifted all-purpose flour3/4 cup whole-wheat flour1/4 cup ground flax seed1 cup sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt3/4 cup milk6 tablespoons margarine (see note below)1 egg, lightly beaten1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries1/2 cup toasted walnut piecesPr...
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| It's all about the 'Best in Food' |
| 2005-12-07 15:35:00 |
Well, it's time for my first blog entry of many. I've decided that the time has come to share my love of cooking with everyone. Before getting married, I never thought that I would enjoy cooking so much. But, in the now 3+ years of my happily married life, I have come to love the time spent cooking and baking in our kitchen. For me, it's an escape from all the work demands of the day. When I'm cooking I can pretty much only concentrate on that, just ask my husband :)But, I guess I can't always escape from cooking either. My husband and I have grown to love going into used bookstores either in our area or when we are away on vacation. As soon as we enter the store my husband knows exactly where he can find me - I'll either be in the romantic novel section, or you guessed it... surrounded by...
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