Sweet Apple Cider Red Cabbage Soup Recipe

1 medium size red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 cups real apple cider (or apple juice)
1 cup water
1 regular size carrot, coarse grated

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, put all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, put the lid on the pot, and simmer very slowly for 20 minutes, or until cabbage is very tender.

Serve hot. To balance the sweetness of this soup you may want to add a dollop of Greek yogurt to the top of each serving.

Will make 2 to 4 servings.

Think You Can't Cook? Think Again! Simple Tips Every Chef Needs To Know

Cooking is a skill that can always get better. Even a cook with lots of experience can always learn something new in the kitchen to improve their skills and make it more fun. The quick tips and tricks that make cooking less of a hassle are even more important to cooks who are just starting out. The advice listed here can help you learn more about cooking.

Do all the prep work ahead of time. You'll be glad you have your prep work done when it's time to cook. When you're ready to begin cooking and have set your deadline to finish, you can get really stressed. You can help lessen the potential stress by getting all your prep work done early.

Make slicing meat into strips easier by partially freezing it. If you are making Asian dishes, such as Thai or Chinese food, this is a great idea. With meat that is somewhat frozen, the fibers tend not to stretch or tear as much when they are sliced, making for much cleaner cuts. However, you must allow the sliced meat time to thaw out before the cooking process, so it cooks evenly.

Did you ever regret throwing moldy fruit away? You may wonder if it's okay to salvage them by trimming away the moldy parts. Half-rotten fruit is not save worthy. There is no way to use this food without compromising your health. The mold and spoilage that you can see is only part of the problem with marginal-looking fruit; even the parts that appear pristine can be unsafe to eat.

Give pre-cut, raw potatoes a cold water bath for a half-hour prior to frying for crispier French fries. The fibers of raw cut potatoes that have been soaked in cold water prior to hitting the deep fryer, are stronger and can handle the heat better without breakage.

Many times your burgers can stick to your grill and it could be nearly impossible to free them without destroying them. Try brushing vegetable oil on the cooking surface prior to cooking so that food does not stick.

Avoid cooking foods in excessive oil when you are trying to become healthier or drop a few extra pounds. Many foods can be prepared in an alternative way that does not involve frying in oil. Most of the time, the oils you cook with have high amounts of unnecessary and unhealthy fats. This is also true of butter. Use nonstick cooking spray instead to get the same results as you do with oil but with fewer unhealthy ingredients.

Don't use any wine in your meals that you wouldn't drink. You run the risk of ruining the taste of the dish if you use a wine you haven't tried before. Cooking wines are available.

Even seasoned cooks can use new tips to ease their cooking process. And if you are new to cooking, you will need to learn all you can to make your meals special. Try out some of these tips to see how much more enjoyable and accomplished your cooking becomes.

Healthy Fresh Asparagus Soup Recipe

2 lbs fresh asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped spring onion
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Wash and trim tips off asparagus and set them aside, then cut asparagus stalks into small pieces; set aside.
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, add the olive oil and onion and cook just until onions soften.

Pour the broth into the pot and bring to a boil, then add the cut up asparagus stalks, reduce to low, and simmer gently with lid loosely on top of soup pot. Simmer stirring several times for about 15 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

Remove pot from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let soup cool slightly.

Ladle soup into a blender a little bit at a time and blend until smooth, returning blended soup to a fresh pot.
When all soup is blended smooth, put over medium heat and add the asparagus tips to the pot, stirring to combine.

Bring the soup to a gentle boil and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes JUST until asparagus tips have softened. Remove from heat.

Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, stirring gently, and serve while hot.

Will make 4 to 6 servings.

A Few Things You Have To Know About Cooking

There are quite a few different ways you can learn to use to prepare memorable meals. Some are easy and some are quite complex. This article will provide you with easy and efficient tips which will help you to become a better chef with a broad knowledge of techniques.

Make sure to keep herbs and spices in an area that is cool and dim. Many factors can cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor, especially humidity and light. Generally speaking, spices that have been ground will keep their flavor for about one year. Spices that have not been ground have the potential to last upwards of five years. They'll remain fresh longer if stored properly.

Prepare in advance as much as possible. Do not start cooking until the prep work is done. Having a deadline for an important meal or event can become quite stressful when you are starting from scratch. Having as much prep work done as possible will save you both time and frustration!

Slowly stir corn starch into simmering sauce to thicken. In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of water and 3 teaspoons of corn starch. Stir the solution into the simmering thin sauce to make it thicker. Add your starch slowly, then stir constantly to not over-thicken it.

Season meat very sparingly to begin with and add more during the cooking process. You may have to use caution when you season foods such as meatballs, meatloaf or hamburgers. It's best then to not cook all of it immediately, only to find out that the seasoning is off. Just cook a small piece formed into a patty. After you have done this, you can decide if you need to change the seasoning or cook it.

Do you ever feel bad for disposing of fruit with a little mold on it? Is it a good practice to save them by cutting out the rotten, moldy part? It's a shame, but partially rotten fruit can't be saved without being unhealthy. The mold and spoilage that you can see is only part of the problem with marginal-looking fruit; even the parts that appear pristine can be unsafe to eat.

Do you enjoy flavoring your food with fresh basil? Put a bunch of fresh basil in a glass. Now fill the glass with water to just above the stems. Just put it out in an open space to maintain its freshness. Most often times, basil will actually take root in water. Periodically prune the fresh basil; this will stimulate the plant to continue growing for a week or so.

Steak and poultry seasonings can be added to other types of foods, such as vegetables or eggs. Add this seasoning to roasted pumpkin seeds for a great snack or to scrambled eggs for your breakfast. It will add a little bit of mysterious flavor to your meal.

A lot of fine meals have been ruined due to over-complicated directions in recipes. Sometimes the simplest meals are the tastiest. Using the tips here, you can go forward with a better understanding of cooking and make every meal a little better.

Spicy Beet And Tomato Soup Recipe

1/4 cup cooking oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp flour
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 small fresh beet roots, scrubbed and diced
2 small fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 can (14-oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Put a large soup pot over medium heat, add the oil and the onion, and cook, stirring, just until the onion softens slightly.

Stir in the garlic and the flour, continuing to stir for 1 minute.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stir, and bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat down to very low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beets are fork tender.

Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly, then puree the soup in batches in a blender, pouring each batch into a fresh soup pot.

When all the batches are done and in the soup pot, put pot over medium heat and cook gently just until heated through nice and hot. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle into soup bowls. You may wish to garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Will serve 4 to 6.

The Culinary Secrets Of Every Great Chef

Do you enjoy devouring all different types of food? Is your appetite for fat-filled, calorie-laden, delicious sweet dishes unrelenting? Or are spicy ethnic dishes what you crave? Have you wondered how to make these types of meals in the privacy of your home? Well, now you can stop dreaming and start cooking! You'll be well on your way to doing your own delectable cooking if you make use of the following tips.

You should store all herbs and spices in cool, dark places. Exposure to humidity, light and heat all affect the flavor of your spices. In general, herbs and spices that are ground will retain their flavor for up to one year. Spices that are whole will retain flavor longer, closer to 3-5 years. As long as they are stored properly, they will hold onto their flavor for several years.

Preparation is incredibly important prior to cooking a meal for loved ones. Ensure that you aren't missing important ingredients before you start cooking. Prepare everything the day prior, including the correct utensils and other cooking tools. With the right groundwork, you can enter your kitchen confidently and get right to work whipping up a fantastic meal.

When making a stir-fry meal, meat should always be thinly sliced, and cut on the bias. It may be difficult to do. Wait for the meat to get slightly firm and remove it from the freezer, then slice diagonally, cutting across the grain at an angle of roughly 45 degrees.

Always have your spices stored in a dark and cool place. If they are stored in an area that they are exposed to light, heat and humidity, their shelf life is shortened. Keep spices fresh by storing them away from light and humidity. Using fresh spices makes meals even more delicious.

To easily slice meat thinly, place it in the freezer until firm but not frozen. Thin strips of meat are ideal for meals that are originally ethnically Asian. When the meat is partially frozen, it is much easier to slice and doesn't tear or stretch. But, if you use this technique make sure that the meat strips thaw out again before you cook them.

Long cooking processes, like boiling, can "zap" nutrients from foods, like vegetables. To keep the nutrients in tact, consider steaming or sauteing your food, or even serving them raw.

Popular French fried potato recipes suggest soaking the potatoes in water for 30 minutes before cooking them. Soaking potatoes accomplishes two important things for your French fries; it takes out sugar and starch during the soaking process.

Whatever you may be cooking, using fresh foods is always better than canned, dried, or frozen. Use fresh foods any time you can, as they bring out the best flavor of the dish, and can be real money-savers too.

By following these tips, you will soon be able to make great meals at home. Be creative, and experiment with interesting spices and herbs. You may even discover a new favorite dish! Be guided by your taste buds and the tips laid out here; find that chef inside of you!

Healthy Green Bean Parmesan Soup Recipe

8 oz fresh young green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 garlic clove, grated
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup cream or half-and-half
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, add the beans and cooking oil, place over medium-high heat and stir until beans start to soften; about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the stock and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the beans are tender.

Let cool slightly, then put into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot over low heat and stir until heated through again.

Add the Parmesan cheese and cream and stir until cheese melts.

Taste and add salt and pepper as needed; serve hot.

Will make 4 servings.

The Basics In Cooking Gourmet Food Like The Pros

Cooking can be joyful when you have learned these skills. This article will help you to transform into a more confident chef with a huge skill set. All you need is a little confidence to have fun in the kitchen!

In your journey to cook more meals yourself, utilize the library or local bookstore in acquiring cookbooks. Target simple books with simple recipes that make you comfortable. Experiment with several recipes, and give yourself the time in perfecting your cooking skills.

If making stir-fry, meat must be cut on the bias and sliced thinly. This can take time and be tricky. Take out the meat before it is frozen, but very firm, and cut into it at an angle of 45 degrees perpendicular to the grain.

You can salvage the work you've done and quickly rectify the situation with this little trick. Combine 2 tbsp. of water with 1 tbsp. of corn starch in a bowl. Stir the mixture into simmering sauce to make the sauce thicker. Be sure to slowly add the starch solution to your sauce until you achieve the desired thickness.

When trying to cut strips of meat, partially freeze it for a more firm cut. When you are making stir fry Asian dishes, this technique for thinly sliced meat is ideal. If the meat is partially frozen, a sharp knife will create perfect thin strips, as it will be less likely to tear or stretch the meat fibers. Make sure that you let the meat thaw before cooking, so the meat is cooked evenly.

Apples are widely used in recipes during fall and winter, but they will spoil fast if incorrectly stored. Apples spoil in warm, dry air, so keep them in a refrigerator or basement, in plastic bags that are loosely tied. If there is one apple that is rotten, it can make the rest of the apples go bad.

If you want to reduce the amount of calories and fat in a mashed potato dish, substitute cauliflower for some of the potatoes. Cauliflower does not have a strong taste and will be virtually undetectable when mixed with the potatoes and other ingredients. Additionally, cauliflower has the same texture and color as mashed potatoes, so it makes it an easy, healthy addition to your dish.

When you are cooking, use fresh ingredients instead of frozen or dried ones for the best results. Use fresh foods any time you can, as they bring out the best flavor of the dish, and can be real money-savers too.

Do you find it tough to know the right amount of grilling time for different cuts of meat? The best way to figure this out is by using a meat thermometer (a digital one will work best). This will ensure that the inside of your meat is cooked properly. For extremely thick cuts of meat you should cook it with the lid closed to reduce the amount of time it needs to cook.

As you can see from this article, cooking skills are something you can learn and constantly improve on. All you need is the longing to learn and time. Take the tips you have learned from this article and you will gain the skills necessary to move around the kitchen with simplicity. Cooking can be a delight, if you have the proper attitude.

Smoky Sweet And Sour Cabbage Stew Recipe

1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 medium size onion, sliced into thin strips
3 Roma tomatoes, diced fine
2 small heads (or 1 large head) green cabbage, shredded (or 1 large bag cole slaw)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Put a large soup pot over medium heat, add the oil, onion, and the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the onions and tomatoes soften.

Add the cabbage, broth, paprika, and brown sugar, stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, loosely cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the cabbage is very tender.

Stir in the apple cider vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

Will make 4 to 6 servings.

Need Help In The Kitchen? Follow These SImple Home Cooking Tips

Although everyone has to eat, not everyone knows how to make food. This article can help you to become a great cook. Don't be afraid to try new things in your kitchen. Preparing tasty meals is something that anyone can do, and it's fun too! Have fun cooking and don't stress if you go a bit overboard and make a mess occasionally.

Try to keep your spices and herbs in a dark, cool area of your kitchen. Exposure to heat, light, and humidity can cause them to lose their flavor. Ground spices typically maintain their flavor for around a year. Whole spices last longer, possibly as long as five years. If they are stored properly, they will stay fresh longer.

Make sure that all of your spices are stored away from heat and light. If they are stored in an area that they are exposed to light, heat and humidity, their shelf life is shortened. Storing your spices in a cool location far from direct sunlight will help them last longer and taste better. These fresh spices will help add flavor to your meals, making them tastier!

If you put your meat in the freezer to make it a little hard, it will be easier to cut into thin strips. This tip is particularly handy for Asian dishes. By marginally freezing meat, slicing it is made cleaner, as its fibers will not tear quite as easily. Allow the meat to thaw prior to cooking though, so that it can cook evenly.

Have you felt sorry for tossing moldy fruit away? Be sure to check apples occasionally because one bad apple will ruin all of them. Never try to salvage fruit that is past its prime. Immediately dispose of any fruits with a little rot because this can cause mold to grow deep into the fruits that can't be seen by the human eye. This mold can cause you to become extremely sick.

You can use it on other types of food besides meat. Experiment with adding it to roasted seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin, or even sprinkle into salads and egg dishes. Simply sprinkling on these kinds of seasonings can turn your dish into an instant hit.

Garlic is a wonderful taste, but not such a wonderful smell to have on your hands. To remove it, rub your hands along the inside of a stainless sink or bowl . This will take the scent off of you hands.

If your burgers seem to be sticking to the surface of your grill, it may be hard to take them off without breaking them. If, however, you brush the grill with oil, this will help prevent sticking.

To prep a pumpkin for cooking, set the pumpkin upright, and then cleave it down the center, effectively cutting it into two halves. Place them on an ungreased baking pan with the cut side down. Add a bit of water to the pans. Cooking time is roughly an hour, and the oven temp should stay 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cooking doesn't have to be scary. Cooking for yourself saves you money, improves your health and can even be a fun hobby. Apply these tips to your food preparation today. Good luck with your home cooking adventure!

Ranch Style Potatoe And Celery Soup Recipe

2 bunches celery, stalks washed and diced small
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced small
2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp dry Ranch Style dressing-dip mix
6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Put celery, onion, potatoes, and oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cook until all vegetables start to soften; stir often, then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Sprinkle the flour and Ranch Style seasoning over the vegetables and stir until the flour is incorporated.

Pour in the broth, stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer soup for about 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender, then remove and let cool slightly.

Ladle the cooled soup into a blender (in batches) and puree on high until frothy and smooth; pour out into a clean pot.

Put pot over low heat and bring back up to temperature. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. The packaged dressing mix is usually salty enough. You may also wish to add milk to the soup before blending for an even smoother finish, but it's not necessary.

Serve hot.

Will make 6 to 8 servings.

Every Good Cook Looks For Ways To Improve Thier Cooking Skills

It is common for people consider cooking a duty. But for many, cooking is an enjoyable hobby, something to look forward to. It can also become your gateway to a healthier life. Every good cook constantly looks for ways to improve their cooking skills. Use the tips in this article to learn more about cooking and to start seeing cooking as an enjoyable activity.

A great starting point when looking to expand your cooking repertoire is your local library or bookstore. Look for cookbooks which contain basic and simple recipes for you to practice and have fun preparing. Try different recipes until you come up with something that works for you.

Pie crusts and tart crusts should be cook a bit past the point that you think they should be cooked. Wait until the crust turns golden rather than pale blond. The deep caramel color demonstrates that the sugar has melded with the other ingredients, giving you an optimal flavor.

When you are making stir-fry dishes, make certain the meat is thinly sliced on the bias. Getting the perfect cut can sometimes be a challenge. Before the meat is frozen (but when it is firm), pull the meat from the freezer, and slice the meat at a forty-five degree angle.

Here is a handy trick you can use to save your sauce. Put some corn starch into water and mix it in your sauce. In order to create a thicker sauce, add the mixture to the sauce, while it is cooking on low heat. The mixture should be added slowly and constantly stirred so that it doesn't get too thick.

Boiling vegetables is a cooking process that decreases valuable nutrients in them. Use quick cooking methods instead to maintain their healthy quality. Examples of these methods are steaming, sauteing, or the best one is to eat them raw.

They will act like a sponge and just soak up a lot of that water. Instead of this, you should use a clean, wet cloth, and proceed to wipe the mushroom off by using your hands.

When cooking vegetables, it is a good idea to use chicken broth. Chicken broth is an excellent base to use when preparing vegetable dishes that helps keep them from sticking and gives them some flavor. There is not a lot of expense when buying chicken broth, and most grocers carry it.

It is vital for cooks to have their supplies organized when cooking. Disorganization will have you rushing around the kitchen in a frenzy looking for your equipment, ingredients and utensils. Put all the things that are the same in one place. Keep pots in the same cupboard, for instance, or all spatulas in the same drawer.

As you have seen, the key to becoming better at cooking is continuing to learn all you can. The beauty of cooking is that it is not just about the physical act, but also about different types of food and cooking methods. In addition, it provides you with the pleasure of teaching others the wonderful things you have learned. The ability to cook well is a skill, but it is also a treasure that is meant for sharing.

Healthy Salad Greens And Pasta Soup Recipe

8 cups vegetable broth
2 Roma tomatoes, diced fine
4 spring onions, chopped (include green tops)
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well
4 cups mixed salad greens (frisee, escarole, and radicchio are all good, but just use any prepackaged mixed greens if you like)
1/2 cup small size pasta
kosher salt and  black pepper to taste
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Put a large soup pot over medium heat, add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the onion, garbanzo beans, salad greens, and pasta; loosely cover the pot and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes or until pasta is tender. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve hot with generous sprinkles of cheese on top of each bowl.

Will serve 6 to 8.

Helpful Advice To Improve Your Cooking Experience

Cooking is a skill that gets better the more you use it. There are always new methods, tips, and techniques that can improve a recipe, expand a chef's repertoire, and increase the pleasure of time spent in the kitchen. People with little cooking experience will need to find some tips that make it easier. Here, we will give you some great advice to make your cooking adventures more satisfying.

Get your ingredients squared away ahead of time. You'll be glad you have your prep work done when it's time to cook. Sometimes even when the prep work is done, the deadline for when the meal must be completed can still loom large and become stressful. Prepare early to avoid later stress.

If you have decided that you might like to cook more food at home, look for a great book that can help you. These books can be found in many places: the library, online or even a family member. Cooking might take a while to master, as it requires perfecting certain techniques.

If your recipe calls for slicing meat very thin, you can do this most easily by partly freezing the meat first. This is great for various Oriental meals, such as Thai or Chinese dishes. There's less tearing of the semi-frozen meat as it's cleanly sliced. Make sure that you let the meat thaw before cooking, so the meat is cooked evenly.

A sharp knife is imperative when preparing food. Blunted knives do not cut things well, and they can also pose a safety hazard. With a dull knife it is easy to slip and cut yourself because it is harder to slice the food, but a knife that is sharp makes much smoother cuts.

You can boil away all of the health benefits of many vegetables. To retain the healthy nutrients, quickly steam or sauté your vegetables, or even better, eat them raw.

They will act like a sponge and just soak up a lot of that water. Get a soft, clean and wet cloth to wipe the dirt off each individual mushroom for better results.

A useful tip when making chicken stock is to think big! If you make a large pot of stock, you can freeze it and store it for future use. Excellent chicken stock that is homemade is a great base for use in stews, soups, casseroles, and more. Freeze premeasured amounts of your stock in freezer proof containers or bags when cool.

If you are trying to eat smarter to lose weight, it is vital to use less oil when you cook. These oils are often loaded with unhealthy fats. You can use non-stick cooking spray as an alternative to get the same results without the extra fats.

There is no cook so experienced that a novel piece of advice can't improve their skill and satisfaction in the kitchen. It is important that you have access to detailed information when you wish to try something new. Try these tips and see if you have a new love of cooking.

Fall Harvest Root Vegetable Stew Recipe

1 sweet potato
1 white potato
1 small rutabaga
2 onions
3 parsnips
4 regular carrots
6 cups vegetable broth
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Peel and dice all the vegetables, then add to a big soup pot with the vegetable broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put pot over medium heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, lightly cover the pot and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are fork tender, then serve hot.

You may put this soup in the blender and puree for a creamy soup instead of a chunky soup, if you wish.

Sprinkle chopped fresh flat leaf parsley on top of each serving if you wish.

Will serve 4 to 6.

Great Strategies To Help You Become A Successful Cook

Sometimes, you might be tempted to call the kitchen the dullest room in the house. But approaching cooking as an art in which you want to gain expertise changes how you feel about it. Eventually, you start to spend more time in the kitchen, excited to try your next creation while sharing it with others who are just as eager to try it. Read the following suggestions for a few handy cooking ideas you can make use of.

Keep all dried spices in a dark space that stays room temperature. Light, heat, and humidity will cause their flavor to weaken. Herbs and ground spices usually retain their flavor up to a year. Whole spices might retain their flavors for three to five years. If spices are stored properly there is a better chance that they will stay fresher for a longer period of time

When possible, complete all of the prep work in advance. Try to have the prep work completed before cooking; this is important. When you need to create a meal within a certain amount of time it can be stressful. Prepare early to avoid later stress.

Slice your meat very thinly for stir-fry dishes. This can be quite tricky and time-consuming. When you remove the meat from the freezer, it should be firm, not frozen. Slice across the meat's grain while holding the knife at a 45-degree angle.

You can save the sauce if you use the following information. Mix 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch into a bowl. Stir this into the sauce to thicken it up. Stir the sauce constantly as you slowly add the starch mixture until it reaches the desired thickness.

Sharp knives are an essential tool. Knives that have not been sharpened in a while can not only pose a threat to your health, but also a threat to smashing your food. When you use a dull knife, you often have to force the blade through whatever you are cutting. Using a sharp knife is much easier and safer.

Boiling and other long preparation methods tend to eliminate key nutrients in vegetables. Opt for quicker cooking methods instead. You can steam or saute your vegetables or eat them raw.

When preparing a meal for someone who is important such as a new date or your boss, you should cook something that you are really good at making. Don't attempt a dish that is new or very far out of your experience level. This can lessen the stress of your cooking.

Fresh ingredients are much better to use in all of your cooking than those that are frozen or dried. When you use fresh ingredients you can bring out the true flavor of your food, and they can sometimes be cheaper in the end.

These tips might give you some creativity of your own. You are capable of cooking the sorts of meals that people linger over and that friends and family rave about. Try cooking as a relaxing hobby that can also improve your health. The kitchen should be the centerpiece of your home.

Fall Harvest Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup Recipe

1 1/2 lbs of diced cooking pumpkin
1 large firm apple, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and get out a large baking sheet.

Put the pumpkin pieces, apple pieces, cooking oil, salt, and cumin in a large bowl and stir to coat very well; dump out onto the baking sheet and roast in oven fo4 45 minutes, or until pumpkin and apple are browned and soft. Stir with a spatula several times during the roasting time. Remove and let cool slightly.

Scrape pumpkin/apple mixture (with all the oil and seasonings on the baking sheet) into a blender, add some of the vegetable stock and puree until smooth. Do this in batches if necessary, pouring each batch out into a clean soup pot as you go.

When mixture is all pureed and in the soup pot, put over low heat and stir in milk. Heat just until hot, do not boil.

Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

For a creamier soup, add the milk during the puree process along with the milk.
Serve hot.

Will make 2 to 4 servings.

Get Cooking With These Simple Kitchen Tips And Tricks

There are some things you need to know in order to become a terrific cook. In this article, you will be given some cooking advice and secrets that can greatly improve your culinary talents! This informative article is broken down into easy to follow tips that anyone can understand.

When storing your herbs and spices, they should be kept in a cool, dark spot. Exposure to excessive heat, humidity, or light will affect the flavor of dried seasoning. Herbs and spices that are ground usually remain flavorful for a year. Spices that have not been ground have the potential to last upwards of five years. Spices that are stored correctly remain fresher for longer.

In your journey to cook more meals yourself, utilize the library or local bookstore in acquiring cookbooks. Target simple books with simple recipes that make you comfortable. Pick a few simple, interesting recipes and work up to more elaborate dishes as your skills increase.

Apples tend to be a big ingredient during fall and winter, but they tend to spoil quickly if not stored properly. To avoid rotting, store apples in open-mesh bags or baskets in a cool basement or in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. However, you will still need to keep a watchful eye on your apples. Even properly stored apples can spoil. They're a fickle fruit.

They will soak up a ton of water, just like a sponge. Wipe off each mushroom with a clean wet cloth to prepare them for cooking.

It can be difficult to figure out how long you need to keep meat on the grill. Use an accurate digital meat thermometer to ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked. If the meat is any thicker than one and a half inches, you can reduce your grill time by closing the lid.

There are few things more frustrating in grilling than going to flip a burger and finding that it has stuck to the grill. Try brushing a thin coating of vegetable oil on the grill or pan to keep food from sticking.

Always purchase the freshest garlic available if you plan to be cooking with this wonderfully aromatic seasoning. The general rule is that the fresher garlic is, the sweeter it will taste. If your garlic is not shriveled up or soft and has a nice and firm skin, your garlic is fresh.

Don't use bitter, sour, or tasteless wine in your recipes. Using cheap or unfamiliar wine puts the flavor of your food in danger. Try using wines that are sold specifically for cooking.

Don't waste your turkey leftovers after Thanksgiving dinner. Cut up the meat instead, put it in a container, and freeze it. Freezing can add weeks to the life of your leftovers and turkey can be pulled out as desired, and thawed for sandwiches or shredded for salads.

Being a good cook is not rocket science. It takes a little effort and time, but it isn't overly complicated. Some people can cook naturally, but the rest of us need a little assistance to do our best. By taking our advice, you can be well on the path to great cooking!

Roasted Cauliflower And Herbed Goat Cheese Soup Recipe

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup of crumbled herbed goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and get out large baking sheet.

Put cauliflower on baking sheet, drizzle on 1 Tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and spread around with your hands. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, using a spatula several times during cooking times to turn cauliflower pieces over; remove when fork tender and set aside.

In a large soup pot, add the onion with a Tbsp of olive oil, put over medium-low heat and cook until the onion softens, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

Add the roasted cauliflower into the pot, scraping all the oils off the baking sheet along with the cauliflower.
Continue cooking over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring the cauliflower into the onion mixture.

Stir in the vegetable broth, turn heat up and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, loosely cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly.

Ladle soup into a blender and puree until smooth, then return to pot over low heat.

slowly stir in the goat cheese, continuing to stir until cheese completely melts.

Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve hot.

Will serve 4 to 6.

Home Cooking Tips You Cannot Find Anywhere Else

If you are fairly new to cooking, then you must start somewhere. The fact is that even professional chefs had to start somewhere. You can always learn how to cook. There are several key pieces of information that are sure to improve your cooking skills. The article below will offer some handy tips to steer you on the right path.

You need to prepare to cook a meal before you can actually cook it. Look at your recipe, and ensure that you aren't missing any ingredients. Prepare everything you need for cooking ahead of time; don't forget the utensils! With the right groundwork, you can enter your kitchen confidently and get right to work whipping up a fantastic meal.

Slice meat thinly on the bias for stir-fry dishes. Slicing the meat can take a lot of time and be rather tricky. Once the meat is firm, not frozen, cut across the grain at a 45-degree angle.

Many people find slicing meat into thin strips very difficult; however, if you partially freeze the meat, the task is much simpler. Asian inspired dishes such as Chinese and Thai will particularly benefit from this technique. With meat that is somewhat frozen, the fibers tend not to stretch or tear as much when they are sliced, making for much cleaner cuts. Once you have cut your meat to preference, place them to the side to finish thawing. This allows your meat strips to cook evenly.

It is extremely important that your knives are always sharp. Knives that have been allowed to dull are dangerous and difficult to use. You are more likely to get cut exerting force on a dull knife to slice a vegetable than you are when using a sharp knife.

Do you feel like you're wasting money when you throw away a piece of moldy fruit? Would it be less wasteful to cut off the moldy sections and save the rest? Never try to salvage fruit that is past its prime. Get rid of anything that has mold on it. Mold goes deeper than the eye can see and could be very harmful.

Do you enjoy preparing dishes that contain fresh basil? Place a fresh bunch of basil in a jar or glass. Make sure the the stems are completely covered with water. This will allow it to stay fresh for weeks! Frequent changes of the water might even encourage the basil to spread out some roots. Cut or trim basil occasionally so it grows more and you get fresh herbs every time.

There are many things you can do ahead of time to save time during your meal preparation. Recipes should be examined and items that won't spoil that can be prepared a day or two ahead should be done first. You can make a lot of your preparations a day or more in advance. This takes a lot of the stress out of even the most complicated recipes and dishes.

Not everyone can cook but if you follow these suggestions, you can become a better chef. It is easier than you might think it is. By keeping in mind the above advice, you will succeed.

Healthy Harvest Red Bell Pepper Soup Recipe

4 red bell peppers, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 cup tomato juice
3 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs - oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, or any blend you like
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Put a soup pot over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onion, tomato juice, and vegetable broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until bell peppers and onion are tender.

Remove and let cool slightly, then spoon the soup into a blender and puree until smooth.

Pour into a bowl, add the herbs, stir, taste and add salt and pepper if needed, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Stir again before serving, taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve cold with a dollop of yogurt if you like and a sprinkle of more fresh herbs.

Will serve 2 to 4.

Home Cooking Tips And Techniques No Chef Should Be Without!

There are various types of methods and cooking processes to achieve great eating experiences in the end. Some are a snap and only take a few minutes, while some are really involved and can take hours. Read along to gain access to great tips, regardless of your skills at the moment.

Before cooking with skewers there are a few things that you need to know. Using metal skewer types will increase your chances of success when compared to wooden options.

Always taste test what you are cooking to check the seasoning. Hamburgers, meatballs and meatloaf all require some careful seasoning. After you season the meat, do not cook all of the batch. Cook a tiny portion of it in the shape of a patty first. If you are satisfied with the flavor you can move on to the rest of the batch, or, if the flavor is off, you can add more seasonings to get the flavor right.

If you are cooking a meal for someone you want to impress, stick with something you are already familiar with. That would be a bad time to experiment with the unknown, whether it is an untried recipe or ingredient. This will allow for an easier cooking process.

You can use it on other foods besides meat. Try roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled with the seasoning for a tasty snack or mix it in your scrambled eggs. It will be hard for people to guess where the flavor is coming from!

If you want the cooking process to be both faster and easier, prepare as much as you can ahead of time. Look through any recipes you make before you begin and prep accordingly, this can save you time before you cook letting you concentrate on your task when the time comes. Do the prep work the day before. This can make it even easier to cook complicated dishes and make them more enjoyable.

Sauteing vegetables in a bit of broth is a healthy cooking method. The chicken broth will add a dimension of flavor, and let you cut down on how much oil you use. This is a delicious, simple way to cook fresh vegetables.

Always read the labels of the ingredients you buy. Cooking staples can be full of not-so-nice things that can spoil your health. Two of the main culprits are added sugar and sodium. Avoiding both as often as possible, and especially in large quantities, is vital to your health.

This will allow your fruits to stay fresh and delicious for long periods of time. This is a great way to ensure that you have your favorite fruits during their off seasons.

As you cook, try to wash your dishes along the way. Keep a fresh sink of hot soapy water in one side of your sink and clear rinse water in the other. If you wash while you are cooking, the dishes and pots will be easier to scrub and you will save time on cleaning up after dinner. Plus, they will be immediately available to use again.

Potentially great meals can be ruined by complicating the recipe or method of cooking. Keeping things simple is always a winner taste wise. Heed the advice given here to create better meals with a finer understanding of the principles involved.

Healthy Harvest Parsnips And Carrots Soup Recipe

3 medium size carrots
3 medium size parsnips
6 cups vegetable broth
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp marjoram or 1/4 tsp thyme

Peel and dice the carrots and parsnips, then put in a big soup pot with the vegetable broth; add salt and pepper to taste.
Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Ladle the mixture from the pot into a blender and puree until smooth. Add only enough cooking liquid as you need to make the soup a nice consistency, to your liking.
Return the puree to a soup pot, stir in the lemon juice and herbs, then put over low heat and bring back up to temperature and serve hot.
Will serve 2 to 4.

Cooking Pointers That Can Help Everyone In The Kitchen

Cooking is a handy skill that you can use so many different ways. If there's one thing everyone likes to do, it's eat. That goes double when the dish is home-cooked. As is often the case, some are less skilled than others. The following article will give you some helpful hints to improve your cooking ability.

If you are having guests over for dinner, cook a meal you are confident making. Stay away from using new ingredients, or a new recipe. This will allow you to cook with less stress.

Improper storage techniques won't ensure they will last from harvest through the winter months, which is when they are most often desired for inclusion in recipes. Apples spoil in warm, dry air, so keep them in a refrigerator or basement, in plastic bags that are loosely tied. Check your apples regularly. If one apple starts rotting, the whole bag will be spoiled.

Cook your vegetables quickly to retain quality and nutrients. Slow cooking, and overcooking, vegetables will destroy their nutritional content and flavor. These cooking techniques are much healthier. Discovering how to quickly cook veggies in a safe manner is an important step in preparing more nutritious vegetables.

Dried and frozen ingredients should never be used over fresh ingredients if you want to get the most out of your cooking. Fresh ingredients can really enhance the flavor of your meal, as well as be more economical to prepare.

Sometimes, your burgers can stick onto the grill. This makes removing them extremely difficult or impossible without compromising their shape. To avoid this possibility, you can apply a light coat of vegetable oil to the grill before cooking.

To cook flavorful veggies that turn out well, use chicken broth. The chicken broth will help to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan and will also add some delicious flavor to them. Chicken broth is readily available at most grocery stores, and it is very affordably priced.

To cook a whole pumpkin, cut an upright pumpkin in half vertically. Take each half cut side down and place on different baking sheets. Sprinkle some water on the sheets and bake them around 350 degrees Fahrenheit; they will be done in about an hour.

Freezing helps ensure fresh fruit throughout the year. You also have the added benefit of having fruits out of season whenever you want them.

When adding your seasonings during cooking, add small amounts of seasonings at a time, rather than adding everything at once. Your food will taste as flavorful as ever if you season it this way.

Only cook with wine that you have tasted before and that you enjoy. You risk the final flavor of any dish if you make it with an unfamiliar wine or one with an off taste. There is wine available that was made specifically for cooking.

As you can see, cooking can be easy. With the right techniques, creating delicious dishes for family and friends can suddenly become a breeze! Now that you have been introduced to these great tips and tricks, you just need to make the time to go and give them a try!

New Potato And Mixed Garden Stew Recipe

1 1/2 lbs new red potatoes, scrubbed and cut bite size
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp kosher salt
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup fresh green beans, cut
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the potatoes, carrots, and broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are knife tender only, (they should still have some firmness).

Add the remaining ingredients and continue simmering until all the vegetables are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed, then serve hot.

Will make 4 to 6 servings.

Cook As Good As A Pro With These Home Kitchen Tips

Sometimes your kitchen can feel like an office. If you look at cooking as an enjoyable experience, this may change. Your kitchen will transform into a place that you like to be, and you'll be able to make delicious meals the whole family will love. The next few parts of this article will inspire you with a few tips that revolve around cooking.

Keep herbs and spices in a location that is cool and dark. If they are exposed to light, moisture, or heat, they will lose much of their flavor. Most spices will retain their flavor for about a year. Whole spices can keep their flavor for up to five years. Proper storage is essential to maintaining fresh, robust flavors.

Bake pie and tart crusts for a longer time than you think is really necessary. They should be golden caramel in color instead of pale blonde. The crust changes to the caramel color only after the sugar has had time to caramelize. This will give the crust the sweet flavor you want.

It is extremely important to prepare your ingredients before you begin cooking your meal for a group. Make sure you have everything you need to make your food. It is not too much to get your meals ready the day before. Make sure you have the necessary utensils. Did you think of everything? This will allow you to cook without having to worry.

If you are cooking meats that need seasoning, season a small piece first before making the entire meal. You have to use caution when seasoning certain meats, such as meatballs, meatloaf and hamburgers. Therefore, you should never cook the whole cut of meat after seasoning it. Cut a little piece of meat into a patty before cooking it thoroughly. Once you like the way this piece comes out, you can cook the rest.

Garlic is delicious; however the pungent aroma will get stuck on your hands. After you have finished doing your prep work with the garlic, run your hands along the stainless steel interior of your sink. This will clean your hands, while preventing any odors from being transferred to the next food item you touch.

You should use airtight containers to store flour, baking mixes or sugar in your kitchen. Airtight containers are best because they prevent bugs from getting into your food and also allow it to stay fresh for a longer time. You buy them pretty much anywhere and they are a beneficial asset.

By doing this, you can have fresh fruit all year! Furthermore, you can satisfy cravings for out-of-season fruit without the cost or the pesticides.

Try these tips and come up with your own ones. Make meals that will relax you and that you can enjoy and your family will appreciate them as well. Cooking will not only provide you with the nutrients you need to survive, but it can also allow you to find a relaxing way to express yourself. Make the kitchen the heart of your home.

Healthy Harvest Kale Meatball Soup Recipe

1 lb frozen meatballs, thawed
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
6 cups fresh kale, washed, trimmed, and rough chopped
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
shredded Parmesan cheese for serving

Put thawed meatballs and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cook until the meatballs are browned nicely.

Pour in the chicken stock and tomatoes, stirring as you do to loosen the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the kale, stir, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pot, and slowly simmer for 20 minutes or until kale is tender.

Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve hot with sprinkles of Parmesan cheese on top.

Will serve 4 to 6.

Become A Better Cook Using The Smart Cooking Tips Below

It can be boring to cook all the time. To makes mealtimes more interesting, you could learn how to cook properly. Cooking is not only the way to get your nourishment; it can also be a fun experience that shows you something new every time you go about it. You can get off to a great start by taking a look at the smart cooking tips below.

If you have not yet cooked with skewers you should definitely consider this fact. Regarding metal skewers, square or twisted varieties are preferable to round ones, as the round ones do not hold food items as well as the other two types.

Prep work can be done way ahead of time. Save time by doing the prep work before you begin cooking the meal. That way, when you're ready to cook, it takes some of the stress out of it, especially if you have a deadline to meet. By doing all of your preparation in advance, you avoid the stress and just enjoy your meal.

When preparing meals at home, you must use sharp knives for best results. Dull knives not only make it difficult to cut foods with, but dull knives are considered dangerous to use also. If you are putting too much pressure onto the knife due to its dullness, the likelihood of having an accident is increased.

Do you feel bad for getting rid of fruits that are moldy? Is it safe to save a portion of fruit by cutting around the mold? Sadly half rotten fruit is something you can never really save. You need to throw them away, as mold tends to grow deeper than the eye can see, and eating moldy foods can make someone quite ill.

If you are trying to eat smarter to lose weight, it is vital to use less oil when you cook. Most oils, and butters, too, contain a very high fat content, and this fat is neither necessary or always the good kind. A wonderful option for cooking is a nonstick cooking spray. It gives the same nonstick result with far less health ramifications.

Be sure to soak your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using. If you do this, the skewers won't burn on the grill. To prevent food from falling from the skewers, use two parallel skewers rather than just one.

If your recipe calls for a liquid, try using something other than water or milk. This will add a spark to that tired old dish. In place of water, try adding beef or chicken broth, juice or even water used to cook vegetables. You can substitute buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream in place of the milk. Try making your recipes stand out and more nutritious by interchanging your liquids.

With your improved outlook about cooking, this may be the beginning of a new favorite pastime for you. Cooking is an exciting and tasty way to learn about food. You can learn about yourself too by cooking. As you progress, you will start having more fun and cooking even better meals.

Healthy Harvest Gingered Pea Soup Recipe

1/2 to 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger root (to taste)
1 Tbsp chopped spring onions, include green tops
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb fresh green peas
2 to 3 cups vegetable stock or broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Put the ginger, spring onions, and olive oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat and let cook together for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

When onions are softened, add the peas and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Slowly add the vegetable broth, stirring as you go. Start with less stock, then add more if you want a thinner consistency.

Turn heat up and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, or until peas soften and become bright green; remove from heat.

Add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, then return to a soup pot and re-heat, but do not boil.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh mint and a dollop of yogurt on each serving.

Will serve 2 to 4.

Awesome Tips For Cooking Well And Efficiantly

One of the great things about cooking is that there is always a little room for improvement. Even the most experienced cook can better their abilities through learning new techniques. When you are first becoming a cook, there are many tips to learn to help make cooking easier. Check out the following paragraphs to increase your cooking knowledge.

Be sure to keep your spices in an area that is cool and dark. Your spices and herbs will lose some of their flavor when exposed to light, humidity and heat. For most grounded herbs and spices keep a lot of their flavor more than a year. Spices that come in the whole form will keep their flavor for around 3-5 years. If you store them correctly, they will stay fresh for an even longer period of time.

If you are learning to cook for yourself or your family, pick up a cookbook from your bookstore or library. Look for one that has basic, easy recipes that will be fun to cook. Pick a few simple, interesting recipes and work up to more elaborate dishes as your skills increase.

Being organized is a key step when planning to prepare a meal for family or friends. You need to have the ingredients readily available. Along with the ingredients, you need to make sure you have the correct utensils for cooking the next day. This will allow you to cook without having to worry.

If you messed it up, you can use this trick to fix it and no one will be the wiser. Mix 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch into a bowl. Thicken your sauce by stirring the mixture into the simmering liquid. Don't add all the starch at once, and avoid stirring erratically. Either of these could over-thicken the sauce.

When you are cooking, it is important to remember that a fresh ingredient is always better than a frozen or dried ingredient. When you use fresh ingredients you can bring out the true flavor of your food, and they can sometimes be cheaper in the end.

Garlic is amazing, but comes at the cost of smelly hands. If you have a stainless steel sink, simply rub your hands vigorously on the inside of it, when you are finished handling the garlic. This process removes the odors from your hands and keeps you from transferring them to the next piece of food you work with.

When cooking vegetables, it is a good idea to use chicken broth. This helps to prevent vegetables from sticking on the pan. In addition, chicken broth improves the vegetables' flavor. Chicken broth is cheap, and can be bought anywhere.

Even veteran cooks should always be willing to learn new cooking techniques that will make their experience in the kitchen simpler and more enjoyable. Read up on the subject of cooking so you can get as much as you can out of your learning experience in the kitchen. Give these tips a try and see how much you can improve your cooking and how much more you enjoy spending time in the kitchen.

Angelic Egg Appetizers Recipe

8 eggs, hardboiled, peeled, sliced lengthwise, yolk removed
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup good salsa

These 'deviled eggs' are yolk-less - so remove the yolk and discard or use elsewhere.

Get out your blender or food processor.

Put all the ingredients EXCEPT EGG WHITES into the blender and puree until smooth. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more seasonings to tastes.

Spoon the mixture into the hollows in the egg whites and serve at room temperature for best flavor.

Makes 16 'deviled eggs' which will serve 8 to 16 on a buffet or as an appetizer.

Quick And Easy Advice For Cooking Like A Pro

Are you just dying to know how your favorite restaurant meal was made? Have you tried to cook a dish you once ate at a restaurant? Use the tips provided to prepare favorite meals and make new meals for all kinds of occasions. People from all different backgrounds and walks of life love to cook.

If you are going to stir-fry meat, be sure to have it cut on the bias and finely sliced. This can require some time and some effort. Take the meat out of the freezer when it's firm to the touch, and slice across the grain at an angle of 45 degrees.

Did you ever regret throwing moldy fruit away? Is it possible to save the fruit by cutting the bad part out of it? You can't save a piece of fruit that has begun to rot. After a certain point, the fruit may become moldy, though you may not be able to tell by looking at it. Consuming the fruit could make you very ill.

Dried and frozen ingredients should never be used over fresh ingredients if you want to get the most out of your cooking. When you use fresh ingredients you can bring out the true flavor of your food, and they can sometimes be cheaper in the end.

A useful tip when making chicken stock is to think big! Plan on preparing a large pot of stock in order to freeze it for storing. Good homemade chicken stock is a wonderful base in soups, stews, casseroles and more. To store your homemade stock, let it cool, pour it into a freezer bag, and stick it in the freezer.

Replace the standby liquids of milk and water in recipes to mix things up. Substitute plain water with juice, broth, or the water that you cooked your vegetables in. Rather than using milk, think about yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream. Changing up the liquids in your recipes can add nutrition, while livening up a standby dish.

Many veggies and herbs have a scent that remains on cutting boards even after they are washed. Separate the halves by using indelible ink on the cutting board so you know what belongs on each side.

When you make boxed mac and cheese, closely follow the directions. This allows the macaroni to come out just as delicious as it was intended to with the cheese melted perfectly over the noodles. A solid serving spoon is an easy way to portion out your macaroni and cheese. Adding a little pepper will give the macaroni a little zing!

Whenever you make salsa that won't immediately be eaten, you should use raw onions that have been run under cold water first. Onions from the store have gas that smells like sulfur. After about twenty minutes, the gas can have an effect on the taste of your salsa. Rinsing and drying the onions gets rid of the gas.

You can now begin your journey to being an accomplished chef at home. Instead of preparing the same old meals you will be able to expand your knowledge of places around the world by preparing recipes for foods from different cultures. Recipes from different cultures and places will also help you stay motivated and interested in preparing food rather than having it become a repetitive chore.

Healthy Harvest Cucumber Beet Borscht

2 lbs small young beets, scrubbed clean
2 seedless cucumbers, peeled and grated
3 spring onions, chopped, include green tops
3 Tbsps finely chopped fresh dill
2 cups plain yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Fill a large soup pot with cold water and the beets, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the beets are fork tender.

Remove the beets from the cooking liquid to a surface to cool, then pour the cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a separate container to cool; set aside.

When the beets have cooled enough to handle, take paper towels and rub off the peels, then grate the beets into a bowl.

Add to the bowl the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Add to the bowl 1/2 to 1 cup of the reserved beet cooking liquid (more or less for consistency you want).
Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator, stir, and serve in chilled bowls. May garnish with more yogurt and fresh dill.

Creating Great Meals From Your Home Garden

Turn Your Garden Harvest Into A Meal In Minutes

Planting a vegetable garden is work – perhaps a lot of work. Depending on the scale of your operation, you have your hands full during the growing season. What with planning, tilling, planting, weeding, watering, and more weeding, and more watering, there doesn't seem to be much time left over to relax and enjoy the results.

After all that work, when it's time to harvest, you want to get to the eating part fast! Let's look at a few ideas for dishes you can quickly prepare from both your summer garden and your fall garden.

Summer Garden Soup

Don't wait for the fall harvest to create soups. The summer garden provides ample opportunity to serve up big pots of satisfying soups. Cold soups are a great time saver, and so delicious and refreshing after a day spent in the garden. Pick ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions and you have the basis for a cold soup such as gazpacho. Blended sweet pea soup is another favorite. Get out your blender, or invest in an immersion blender, and throw your summer vegetables in to make creamy cold soups that are filling and ready in minutes.

Summer Garden Salad

Of course, salad ingredients are there for the picking right under your nose. But, don't forget some of the less obvious choices in your garden. Pea vines are becoming very popular in salads. They have a very delicate flavor and are so economical, and prolific! Also, those zucchini don't have to get gigantic before you can eat them. Pick tiny zucchini, and the blossoms, too, and use them in salads for a delicious and pretty addition to your meals.

Walk around your summer garden and you'll find tender greens, blossoms, and all sorts of young sprouts to quickly pluck and add to your salad; ingredients like baby broccoli buds, tiny beets clinging to their tender greens, and itchy-bitsy radishes. Just wash them up and toss them into a salad. Cucumbers can also be the star of a salad, not just a bit player. A big bowl of young cucumbers, sliced and marinated with fresh herbs, vinegar, and olive oil is a wonderful treat on a hot summer day.

Fall Garden Soup

When the season changes and nights start getting colder, you need a nice bowl of hot soup to finish off the day. But, you don't have to stand in front of the stove for hours to make a soup that's satisfying. When the vegetables are right out of the garden, the flavors will do the magic without hours of cooking. Harvest an armful of squash, onions, beans, carrots, rutabaga, potatoes, and any other vegetables you can pick or dig, then scrub and dice them. The trick here is to roast them for a few minutes to sweeten and intensify the flavor, then throw them in a big pot with water or broth and simmer for just a few minutes. When the vegetables are tender, it's time to dig in.

Fall Garden Salad

It may seem like summer is the time for salads, but not when you have such lovely fresh fall vegetables to choose from. For a delightful cold salad, cut beets in half and roast them just until knife tender, then peel them, dice them and refrigerate. Once they are cold, toss the beets in a bowl with chopped onion, vinegar or salad dressing, then top with some crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.

Any fall vegetable such as squash, sweet potatoes, or even pumpkin can be diced and roasted and then tossed with tangy oil and vinegar dressing for a filling salad. If you have the end of the season tomatoes still hanging on, you can blend those, strain the juice, and create lovely creamy dressings. And check your pepper plants! You may be surprised with a few that have turned a gorgeous red color and are just waiting to be chopped up and tossed in with a big bowl of shredded cabbage.

Walk around your garden any season and think about what you could do with your harvest without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. It's really quite easy to turn your fresh produce into delicious soups and salads without fussing with lots of ingredients or preparation. A well tended garden will always provide satisfying meals in minutes – all it needs is your imagination!

Healthy Harvest Creamy Avocado Soup Recipe

2 large ripe avocados
4 to 5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup half-and-half or cream
dash onion powder
dash garlic powder
dash hot sauce
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp minced cilantro leaves for garnish

Cut avocados in half, pull out the pit and remove the flesh; discard peel and pit.

Smash the avocado flesh with a potato masher, then use a potato ricer if you have one to make flesh even finer. Or mash it with a fork or a pastry cutter; set aside.

Heat the stock and cream in a saucepan over low heat. When warm (do not boil!) add the avocado to the saucepan and stir.

Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Creating Healthy Harvest Soups Kids Will Love

Digging into a big pot of hearty vegetable soup might seem like the perfect meal to end a busy day, but not necessarily of you're a kid. It seems a kid's taste in soup is often limited to chicken noodle soup out of a can. When it comes to serving healthier soups, kids don't always appreciate your delicious creations.

Feeding kids a healthier bowl of soup can be tricky since most nutritious soups have a fair amount of vegetables in them. And kids tend to turn their noses up at vegetables, so it's pretty hard to get them to even try a bowl of soup that contains more than broth and noodles. Let's take a look at a few tricks to create a nutritious soup loaded with nutrients that even the fussiest kids will try.

Ranch Style Soup

As most parents know, dipping vegetables in creamy Ranch style dressing usually results in the kids ingesting at least some nutrition. Why not use this trick to serve a whole bowl of soup filled with vegetables? Cook up a batch of broccoli, for instance, then throw it in the blender and puree it until smooth. Now, sprinkle in a little bit of dry Ranch style dip seasoning and some milk, and puree again. Crush some whole wheat crackers into the bowl for a bit of crunch.

Your kid may think they are eating a whole bowl of Ranch style dressing, but you know better. This trick works with any vegetable you can puree. However, if you prefer a chunky soup, just simmer chopped vegetables in broth until tender, then add Ranch style seasoning, milk, and stir. It's the flavor of the seasoning that will grab, and keep, a kid's attention.

Sweet Surprise Soup

Take a dessert or sweet side dish and turn it into soup. Pumpkin is a good example of a vegetable that most kids equate with dessert. Use plain canned pumpkin and flavor with spices and a pinch of sugar to taste. Or, you can dice a cooking (sugar) pumpkin and simmer until tender, then puree until smooth. Add a swirl of heavy cream to the top of the bowl for a pretty soup presentation, and sprinkle with cinnamon or allspice.

You can also use sweet potatoes in the same way, mimicking a sweet potato casserole. Add a generous sprinkling of crushed pecans to complete this nutritious soup that also happens to be just sweet enough to please a picky eater.

Vegetable Noodle Soup

If chicken noodle soup out of a can is the only soup your child will even consider eating, why not give in – sort of.  To make the leap to a more nutritious option, begin by making broth at home with lots of fresh garden vegetables. Simmer a variety of vegetables to get the most nutrients you can right in the broth itself.

Use carrots, celery, onion, parsnips, kale, turnips, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, zucchini, yellow squash, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, and anything else you can pull or dig out of the garden. Simmer these vegetables until they are completely soft, then strain and set the solids aside to puree later for another soup.

Use the super-vegetable broth to make a more nutritious noodle soup. Add even more nutrition by choosing whole wheat, spinach, or sun-dried tomato noodles. Your child gets the beloved noodle soup, and you get the satisfaction of knowing it's loaded with nutrition.

Look at your kids' eating habits right now. No matter what they like to eat, you can usually find a way to re-create those eating habits into new healthier habits. It takes a bit of imagination and, let's admit it, a bit of trickery, but it's all worth it. Soon you'll be feeding your kids healthy soups they will actually eat, and enjoy!

Healthy Harvest Cauliflower And Collard Stew Recipe

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
6 cups cauliflower florets (bite size)
3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you prefer)
6 cups cleaned and chopped collards, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Put a large soup pot over medium-low heat, add the onions and cook, stirring, just until the onions soften.

Add the thyme leaves, salt, cauliflower, and broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer gently about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is knife tender.

Add the chopped collard greens to the pot, cover the pot, and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes or until the collards are tender.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top to serve.

Will make 4 to 6 servings.

Making Healthy Soups With Your Kids

Teach Your Kids Kitchen Skills By Making Harvest Soups Together

We know that kids who cook meals eat healthier. There is something about getting involved in the kitchen that seems to get kids interested in what they are actually eating. And, when kids are aware of what they are eating, they want to learn more, and more, and more.

Involving your kids in the kitchen can start at any age and learning level. Let's take a look at a few ways kids can dig in and enjoy the cooking process by making simple soups.

Washing Produce

Even toddlers can help clean vegetables and fruit. Get out a bucket or tub and set it on a towel on the floor, then put a couple inches of fresh water in it. Trim the produce as needed then put them in the bucket. Give your toddler a clean brush, sponge, or cloth and watch the action! This is good fun for your youngster and gets the carrots clean in the process.

Toddlers are at the age where they should be able to pick the produce out of the bucket and put them into another. Anything that needs to be washed can go into the bucket with the clean water. Don't be surprised if a few carrots get nibbled on in the process, but that's half the fun and a big part of learning.

Measuring Ingredients

At the next level, you can start having your child measure ingredients. Start with the simplest measurements, such as one cup of berries. You can dice the vegetables for the soup and throw them into a bowl, then ask your child to use a measuring cup to fill the pot and tell you how many cups they put in. It's all about learning some basics and staying involved in the cooking process. Accuracy isn't as important as involvement at this point, so relax and enjoy.

Chopping Produce

At what age a child can handle a knife depends on the child. Many older children can handle a small knife properly, but it takes practice and patience. In order to learn this skill, parents often buy a knife 'glove' to help protect their child from accidental cuts. This is a good idea, but the parent still has to teach the skill, then observe closely. You don't want the glove to give your child a false sense of security, or cockiness.

Spend a good amount of time with your older child teaching him or her how to properly use a knife. You want your older child to have a healthy respect for the knife, but not be scared of it, either. Chopping vegetables for a harvest soup will give your child plenty of opportunity to learn this valuable skill.

Stirring the Pot

Once the soup is on the stove, your older child can certainly help stir and watch the pot. This level will help your child learn about what boiling and simmering looks like and how they differ. You can even help your older child understand how vegetables cook at different rates by adding the denser produce first, then adding more delicate vegetables to the pot, and so on. As your child stirs the pot after each addition, he or she will see how timing a recipe is as important as what ingredients are in the soup.

Serving

Young children can help serve by putting the crackers or bread on the table, while older children can handle the utensils and actually ladling the soup into the bowls. Again, the age will dictate which tasks go to which child, but no matter what age, each child can have a duty to perform.

Clean Up

Putting the leftovers away and clearing the table are tasks that older children can help with. However, even the youngest child can help by getting out the plastic food containers. Store them all in one easy to reach drawer or box and let your toddler dig in and hand you what you need. Take whatever they give you and, if you need more, ask your older child to help. This way, everyone gets involved and you have a free hand to finish what needs to be done.

Making a big pot of harvest soup together is the perfect way to learn lots of kitchen skills. From washing and chopping the vegetables, to measuring ingredients and stirring the pot, there are any number of tasks that you can assign to your children. You're not asking your kids to prepare the soup so you can bow out; you are asking your kids to join you in the kitchen and learn skills that will last a lifetime. But, most importantly, you are asking your kids to have fun with you as you cook together. Now, that's what makes everything worthwhile!

Healthy Harvest Chilled Cucumber Soup Recipe

4 lbs seedless cucumbers
dash or two of dried red pepper flakes
dash sea salt to taste
3 limes, juiced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Scrub the cucumbers in clean water, then dice them and put them in a blender; puree until smooth.

Pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a glass bowl to strain out any larger pieces, especially of the peel. This may take awhile to strain, so be patient and let it sit.

When cucumber pulp has strained, add the red pepper flakes, sea salt, and lime juice; stir to combine well.
Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve in chilled bowls with sprinkles of chopped mint leaves on each bowl.

Will serve 2 to 4.

Quick Tips For Creating Healthy Harvest Soups

Stock Your Kitchen With These Staples To Create Your Healthy Harvest Soups

Have you ever had a quick and easy soup recipe become slow and difficult? It's usually not that the recipe is more complicated than you thought, but that the kitchen is missing a few ingredients. Yes, those simple soup recipes are often written by folks who assume the cook has prepared their kitchen with the basics. But, many of us have not.

In order to make simple recipes work, there are some ingredients you'll need to keep in your kitchen. Let's take a look at kitchen staples that will help you speed through any simple soup  recipe and make it even simpler.

Broth

This ingredient seems almost like a given, but some cooks still have not gotten used to having chicken, vegetable, or beef broth on hand at all times. You can, of course, get by with water as a base for your simple soup recipe, but broth adds so much flavor it would be a shame not to take advantage of this kitchen staple.

You can buy canned or boxed broth, but you may want to make your own to save money. Plan a day to simmer chicken, vegetables, or a beef bone for hours and you'll have a rich broth ready when you are. If standing over a pot doesn't thrill you, just throw the ingredients in your crockpot and let it cook all day. Either way, creating big quantities of broth and having it in the freezer is a big help when it comes time to make your quick soups and stews.

Chopped Vegetables

Soup making time can be cut drastically when you prepare at least some of the vegetables ahead of time and store them. These vegetables would include the ones we use most often as the basis for any soup – onion, celery, carrots, etc. As soon as you get home from the grocery store, wash and dice these vegetables, then store separately in zipper food bags either in the refrigerator or in the freezer.

Then, when the recipe calls for the standard “saute onion, celery, and carrots” step, you are ahead of the game. Stopping to chop these basic vegetables takes time, which is something we are trying to avoid by making simple soups to begin with. This is a kitchen staple everyone needs to keep on hand.

Seasoning Blends

It doesn't matter what the blend is, having a favorite pre-mixed seasoning blend of any kind or flavor helps the busy cook with the creative process. Instead of stopping to search, measure, or think about substitutions, grab a seasoning blend you like and sprinkle it in the soup. It's like decorating a house; if you buy the styles you like, the house will look nicely decorated. That's because we all tend to lean toward the same styles over and over, making the house unified and pleasing to your taste.

Likes and dislikes in flavors and seasonings are the same. Use seasonings you find tasty and your soup will please you, too. Once you find a seasoning blend you like, or several blends you like, stock up. Now when you are following a recipe that has a list of spices as long as your arm, you can skip the frustration and grab your favorite seasoning blend and move on.

Any Starch

A quick and easy soup recipe can sometimes be on the watery side. Part of this may be because there just isn't a lot of cooking time involved, or a lot of ingredients, or both. Some recipes solve this by turning the soup into a blender to puree. This works just fine, but there are soup recipes you might want to serve chunky.

 Keep potatoes, pasta, and rice on hand to add body to your soup. These starches will thicken the broth without adding a lot of extra work. You can even keep dried potato flakes in your pantry and simply sprinkle into the soup if you don't want to bother peeling potatoes and waiting for them to cook. Both pasta and rice can be added to the soup raw or cooked, but raw will provide a little more thickening power.

These kitchen staples are particularly helpful when making simple soup recipes. Be sure to have the basics on hand in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer and you can have your soup on the table quickly and easily, just like the recipe says!

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup Recipe

1 1/2 lbs ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and diced (do not remove skins)
1/2 cup good tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
dash chili powder
2 Tbsps white wine vinegar
3 Tbsps good olive oil
6 to 10 fresh basil leaves (to taste)
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups water (to texture you desire)
sea salt and black pepper as needed

Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. Start with 1 1/2 cups water, then add more if you wish as you puree mixture.

Taste and add salt, pepper, or other seasonings as needed.

Refrigerate soup overnight for best flavor, then blend again before serving.

Serve in chilled bowls. Sprinkle chopped fresh basil leaves on top for garnish if you like.

Will serve 4 to 6.

Make Classic Soups Classy With These Simple Cooking Tricks

We all enjoy a good classic soup recipe, right? It's comforting to dig into a favorite soup with all the ingredients we know and have grown to love. But, sometimes it would be nice to kick up these classics and make them a little classier. Perhaps you'd like to serve soup as a starter for a special dinner, and that soup needs to stand out. Or maybe the soup is the star of the meal and needs to stand out even more.
Let's take a look at a few classic soup recipes and see what you can do to turn up the class a little.

Tomato Soup

This basic soup is well know on lunch menus everywhere. It's an easy soup to make and very comforting, especially when served with a grilled cheese sandwich, right? What if you took those flavors and combined them into one glorious, cheesy soup?

Start by roasting the diced tomatoes to bring out the garden fresh sweet flavor, adding onion and garlic to the roasting pan if you wish. Then, once the tomatoes are roasted, pour into a soup pot along with the broth, and simmer slowly.

Want more magic? Create a cheesy, creamy soup by stirring Bleu cheese or goat cheese or any soft, rich cheese into the tomato soup. Then toast some bread cubes with a little butter and garlic, and sprinkle the croutons on top of the cheesy roasted tomato soup. Add a pinch of freshly chopped basil and the meal is complete, and in grand fashion, too!

French Onion Soup

Even though we sometimes want our soup fast and easy, in order to turn this classic soup into a classy soup, you'll need time. The trick for getting this soup 'ready for the runway' is caramelizing the onions. This is the process of very slowly cooking onions until the sugars develop and the onions turn a light golden brown and become quite sweet.

Slice the onions thinly and cook them in a big heavy pot over very low heat with some butter, but no salt, for a good twenty minutes or more. Once they are soft and sweet, you will be adding some very classy ingredients – red wine and balsamic vinegar – before you add your vegetable or chicken stock. Simmer this slowly until fragrant and you are ready for the classy finish.

Ladle the soup into broiler proof bowls, then top each with a piece of cocktail rye bread and a good amount of Gruyere or other very rich cheese. Finish the soup under the broiler just long enough for the cheese to melt, then sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over the cheese and serve hot. By just slowing down the onion cooking process, and bumping up the level of ingredients, you have moved from ordinary to extraordinary with this formerly simple soup.

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

For this classic favorite you only need to add one ingredient – curry. The classic soup stands on its own quite well, but the addition of curry makes the soup more substantial and noteworthy. You may want to use a stronger Cheddar cheese in order to complement the curry, and use cream instead of milk when you puree the cooked cauliflower. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped chives for a pretty, and delicious, classy soup.

Soup can be a classic, even humble meal. Or, you can tweak the preparation and ingredients and turn just about any simple soup into something quite classy. Try these ideas, and the next time you call “soup's on,” watch the surprise, and delight, on the faces around your table!

Healthy Harvest Gazpacho Recipe

2 ripe tomatoes, diced small (capture the juice)
2 young fresh cucumbers, seedless or seeds removed, peeled, diced small
2 green spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato-vegetable juice
sea salt and black pepper to taste
dash hot sauce
drizzle olive oil
drizzle white wine vinegar

Put all the ingredients in a large glass bowl, tasting as you add.

Stir well, cover the bowl, refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

When ready to serve, stir, taste, and adjust seasonings again.

Serve in cold soup mugs.

Will serve 2.

Tips For Growing Vegetable In A Container Garden

Grow Fresh Food In Tiny Spaces With Container Gardening

Many folks dream of having a big garden filled with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, potatoes, and all sorts of goodies ready and waiting for a delicious meal. But, many of us also are lacking the yard space to create such a garden.

Never fear - all you really need is sunshine, water, seeds or plantings, and something to put them all together. Let's take a look at what is known as 'container gardening' to see how easily food can be grown in a limited space.

The Elements

Of course, we need to start at the very basic; the elements. Here we mean sun and water. Without these two basic requirements, it doesn't matter how fancy you build your container, nothing will grow.

Pick a spot in your yard (or patio, balcony, or wherever you plan to plant) and watch it throughout the day. Is the sun hitting it most of the day? Is there water accessible nearby? This is essential, but, for beginner container gardeners it's something that can be missed. So, pay attention to these simplest of details - sun and water - and pick the spot accordingly.

The Container

Here is where the fun begins! Most of us really enjoy searching for the right containers for our new garden. But, again, we have to remember the basics. When it comes to planting a garden in containers, you will want to think about what an in-ground garden provides for the plants.

Good garden soil holds moisture but also provides for drainage. If water puddles, the plants will rot and drown. If water runs right through, the plants will be starving for moisture and will dry up. A good garden also has plenty of room for the roots to grow.

In order to duplicate a good in-ground garden in containers, you will need to provide a container that; a) holds moisture, b) drains excess moisture, and c) has plenty of room for roots. Just about any container can work, but only if you create the right environment.

If you are using a porous container, such as clay or wood, you won't have a big problem with adequate drainage as the excess moisture will seep right through the container. However, you will still want to provide a layer of drainage material, such as rocks or old broken pots, in the bottom to keep the roots from sitting in water that may accumulate. Even with this layer of rocks for drainage, you will still want to have some holes in the bottom of whatever container you are using.

Go ahead and use metal, plastic, or even tempered glass containers to grow your garden. In this case, you will need to plan for plenty of drainage since these materials are not porous and moisture will not dissipate easily. Remember to choose containers that have holes in the bottom, or containers that you can drill holes into.

The Soil

Once you have a sunny spot with plenty of water, and a container that's big enough to let the roots spread out and take hold, and you have provided good drainage, it's time to choose the soil.

Garden soil is not appropriate for container gardening as it is typically more dense than you need. Remember, the soil in a container garden needs to drain well because it's, well, contained. Unlike an in-ground garden plot, your container won't have as much surface area to let the plant breathe.

Choose, instead, good potting soil you might use for your indoor plants. You may even find soil specifically made for outdoor container gardening, but any good light potting soil will work.  If you wish, you may add a bit of peat moss or vermiculite to the soil to help excess moisture evaporate and to help keep the soil light and airy.

Now that you have the perfect place chosen, have the container ready, and have filled it with  good soil, it's time to choose your plants and dig in! With a bit of care you should be enjoying your delicious fresh produce in no time at all.

Healthy Harvest Cauliflower Coconut Bisque Recipe

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 to 1 tsp salt

Put the olive oil, onion, and cauliflower in a soup pot over medium heat and cook until onion softens, then pour in the broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.

Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly.

When cooled, put mixture in a blender and puree until smooth, returning to a soup pot as you go.

When all the cauliflower is blended and in the pot, stir in the coconut milk, coriander, and salt, stirring to combine.

Turn heat to low under the pot and gently reheat, then taste and add more seasonings as needed.
Serve warm.

Will serve 2 to 4.

How To Create A Hanging Vegetable Garden

Four Steps To Creating A Hanging Vegetable Garden

When the winter cold gives way to spring warming, many people start thinking about garden fresh vegetables for the table. The seed catalogs once again have us dreaming, and drooling!

But, many of us also don't have space to dig up and plant the vegetables we crave. We may not even have much of a patio to put big containers to grow vegetables. What we may have, however, is places to hang our plants. If you hope for a plentiful harvest in a small hanging garden, we have good news - it's quite possible. Let's take a look at the basics for growing vegetables in hanging baskets.

Step 1 – Choose Pot Size

You will want to start with a very large pot; at least 12 inches, but larger is better. You won't have the depth you would in an in-ground garden, or even in a container on the ground, since to plant such a deep pot would create a very heavy monster to try to handle.

By choosing a diameter of 12 inches or more, you will give the vegetable's roots a place to go without having to try to hang an outrageous amount of soil. So, a large, somewhat shallow pot is fine for hanging.

Step 2 – Choose Pot Material

Clay pots are beautiful, but they can also be very heavy. Depending on the structure you intend to hang your pot from, choose your pot material wisely.

A large pot filled with soil, drainage material, and eventually a plant, weighs a lot. By choosing a plastic pot, you will be lightening the load. If the weight of the hanging garden concerns you, this is definitely an option. Wire baskets are also a good choice to help eliminate some of the weight, but keep in mind that you will need to adjust your thinking when it comes to planting material.

Step 3 – Choose Planting Material

Of course, your hanging vegetable garden will need good, loose soil that maintains moisture. Soil in a clay pot will dry out more quickly than soil in a plastic pot, and soil in a wire basket will need to be wrapped in peat moss, canvas, plastic, or other material to help keep it in the basket and to keep it moist, as well.
All containers, whether hanging or sitting, need plenty of drainage.

Line your basket bottom with small pebbles or broken clay pots or other organic non-porous material to keep plant roots from sitting in water that may collect in the bottom. If you are concerned about the weight of the pot, remember there are materials available to help absorb moisture specifically made for container gardening. Check your local greenhouse for ideas on lightweight drainage materials.

Step 4 – Choose Support Material

It goes without saying that you will need a very strong support system for your hanging garden. I say it goes without saying, but still somehow people every year have their hanging gardens fall.

Begin by choosing a very sturdy structure to hang your basket from. This needs to be in a sunny location, about five to six hours of sunlight a day, and have access to water. You will need a large, heavy fastener, such as an eye-bolt, to hook the basket to. The structure and the fastener must be very strong. A fully watered pot of soil is about twice as heavy as a pot with dry soil, so be sure to test your structure with the extra weight.

Now, be sure to choose a chain or wire cable that is strong enough to hold up the basket once it is full of soil and water. Don't skimp - go a few sizes bigger when in doubt. Of course, you can choose a smaller pot to begin with if you are uncertain about the support you have. If you do, you will just have to limit the total number of plants in the basket, which is fine, too.

I know there's a lot to think about when choosing the location for your hanging garden, but it will be well worth it when you pick your first crop of sun-ripened tomatoes. Enjoy!

Cajun Blended Broccoli Soup Recipe

6 cups fresh broccoli florets and pieces
1 garlic clove, grated
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp mixed Cajun seasoning (any spicy blend you like)
salt and black pepper as needed

Put broccoli in a large pot, add about 1 inch of water, and place pot over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, cover the pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook the broccoli until just tender.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Spoon the cooked broccoli (along with the liquid in pot) into a blender or food processor and blend until chopped very fine, then pour out into a clean soup pot.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, put heat on medium, and stir, cooking until the soup begins to boil gently, then turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, just long enough for flavors to meld.

Taste and adjust seasoning as you wish.

Serve hot, ladling into soup bowls.

Will serve 4 to 6.

Healthy Vegetables You Should Grow At Home

Five Vegetables Every Gardener Needs To Grow

All gardeners dream big. But, as planting time approaches, most gardeners realize they have to reign in their dreams a bit. Sure, it would be nice to have a gigantic garden filled with a produce aisle worth of vegetables. However, the reality is that time, space, and money must be considered. Most of us are not blessed with endless supplies of any of those items.

Given our limited resources (time, space, and/or money), how should we approach the desire to create a garden that will make us happy, and hopefully produce some delicious vegetables? Here is a list of vegetables to plant that should satisfy the want-to-be farmer, and give anyone a harvest to be proud of.

Tomatoes

Every garden, big or small, needs tomatoes. This is a fun vegetable to grow, takes up very little room when handled properly, and gives us great joy. Whether you choose a small variety, like a cherry tomato, or a big tomato, like a beefsteak, when you pick that first ripe tomato off the plant, there is a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction.

Part of the pleasure is the time it takes to ripen, especially if you choose a large variety of tomato. You will be watching a single tomato for days, counting the minute when you can pick it. There is a lot of fun in that, but there is also fun in picking lots of little cherry tomatoes and filling bowls and bowls with them. Either way, tomatoes are a must for any gardener because there is just so much fun (and lots of flavor!) in a nice ripe tomato.

Onions

This is a vegetable that is almost too easy to grow. Plant some onions, they get big, and you pick them. It can't get much easier than that. You can also decide if you want little tiny salad type onions or just leave them in the ground until they get to be cooking onion size. There is not much work to them and they can be used just about any time for any meal. The one bonus that you may not know about onions, though, is onions help keep pests out of your garden. Surround your garden with onions and critters don't want to bother trying to eat their way through the onions (which they don't enjoy) to get to the veggies they do enjoy.

Sugar Snap Peas

These lovely plants are as pretty as they are delicious. Some gardeners avoid planting them because they require room to climb and they have tendrils that curl around everything in their path. Peas also require cooler weather, which is both good and bad. You can plant them early, giving you a nice spring gift, but they will burn off as summer wears on if they are not shaded a bit.

The wonderful thing about these peas is they offer us several ways to enjoy them. Pick the peas before they develop and you have pea pods, great for stir fry and salads. Wait until the peas develop inside the pods and pick them, shell them, and you have peas ready for cooking, salads, or even to blend into cold soups. Then there are the pea vines, which can be clipped off, chopped, and eaten as a green in salads. Give these little peas room to grow and they will pay you back plenty!

Yellow Squash

This is a vegetable that needs very little tending to grow and even less preparation to eat. They are tender and have no real seeds, especially when picked when they should be picked, when they're small. You don't peel them or scoop out seeds. Just plant, water, pick, wash, chop, and eat. You can roast, grill, boil, or fry them. Throw them in a soup, salad, or a casserole. Any time you need a vegetable in a hurry, this is the one you can grab and go with. They also won't take over your garden like some of their relatives do.

Potatoes

Okay, I know what you're thinking; “Why potatoes? They seem so boring.” Yes, potatoes have a reputation of being dull, but, not if you choose the right potato. You don't need acres of boiling potatoes in your back yard. However, a little spot of tiny gold, new red, or even fingerling potatoes would be a welcome addition to your garden. And, they are fun to grow, especially if you have kids in the house. Potatoes grow in the ground, under the plants, so they are somewhat of a surprise when it comes time to dig them up. Every potato discovered is like a buried treasure. I guarantee, once you uncover your first crop of potatoes, you'll be hooked.

You don't need to go crazy digging up your entire yard to plant a garden. With just a small patch to grow these five vegetables, you will have the joy of harvesting a mix of treats that will be a delicious pleasure!