Cooking Tips

Are you on a lookout for a recipe to experiment? Or would you just like to try something new to cook for a family weekend? Well, you have come to the right place for the right answers!

Whether it is an experiment or a quick recipe fix, there could only be one secret: spicing things up! Nothing could go wrong with a little help from some tasty herbs like rosemary.

But before heating the pan up, first things first: How much is a sprig of rosemary?

How Big is a “Sprig”?

You may have found that most recipes in cookbooks need “a ‘sprig’ of rosemary.” You know where to get rosemary alright, but the initial problem is: How big is that ‘sprig’?

These recipes usually just test your ability as a home cook who can add or mix ingredients by instinct or by taste. Well, that’s not entirely wrong considering that this gives you the freedom to have the dish suit your taste.

If you are someone who wants to keep everything organized, though, you would want an exact measurement. No one wants to put too much or too little of these flavorful plants, right?

According to Gather Baltimore, a sprig is just under a tablespoon or 15 mL. Meanwhile, home cooks in the Garden Web forum suggest that it is basically two- to six-inches long.

If you don’t have the plant to cut, the dried ones will do. In that case, you will need only half a teaspoon as a substitute. Now, if you want to put in “a bunch” … Read on Gather baltimore

Goat cheese has become more and more popular in most of the U.S kitchens and famous restaurants. Thanks to its delicious taste and creamy texture, the Americans are now putting it in their favorite dishes such as ravioli, appetizers, pizza, sauces, etc. or pairing with wines and beers.

Since the demand for the fresh goat cheese is so high, many wonder whether they can freeze it to keep the freshness.

Can You Freeze Goat Cheese?

Of course, yes. No matter what it might be in a spreadable or smoother form or a solid block, the goat cheese can be frozen with ease. Please follow the instructions below and sticks to these steps, you’re guaranteed to get the desired result.

How To Freeze Solid Blocks Of The Goat Cheese

• First of all, decide on whether you want to freeze the whole block or separate it into portions.
• If you don’t plan on using all at once, the best thing is to cut the cheese with the best santoku knife in individual pieces. How many pieces? Well, it depends on you and your big/small cheese.
• Wrap each piece in a double plastic layer and avoid leaving any holes.
• Put each in a separate freezer bag. In case you don’t have enough smaller bags, you can place all in the big one. Make sure you leave some spaces between each piece.
• Remember to remove any excess air from the bag and seal tightly.
• Write the date of first freezing on each bag and place all in the freezer.

How To Freeze Spreadable Goat Cheese

• Normally, the spreadable and soft goat

Sweet Potatoes are a sweet little gem of a root. They are high in Vitamin A as well as many other nutrients. They taste great and they are a perfect way for Trim Healthy Mama’s to their E meals going.

These little cubes work great as a side dish or added to salads and soups. They are great right out of the oven but I usually store them in a container in the fridge to be added to anything that I want some healthy, sweet tasting carbs added to.

Read more: What To Serve With Chicken Marbella

Roasted Sweet Potatoes Brown Sugar Recipe

• 3 to 4 cups of cubed, peeled sweet potatoes
• 1 Tbls of Coconut Oil
• 1 Tbls brown sugar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Paprika, (I like the smoked one but regular will work too)
• A sprinkle of Black or Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Cube Sweet Potatoes and put into a mixing bowl. Add melted coconut oil (or other oil of your choice) and mix well with hands being sure to evenly coat the pieces.

Add spices and stir to distribute. Pour onto a baking dish. Bake at 375 for 30 min or until they are softened and slightly browned. You may want to stir them once or twice during baking.

Sometimes at the end, I like to turn the broiler on to get them a little more browned and crispy on the outside. This is optional but if you do it you will want to watch them very closely.

These are going to have about 27 carbs per cup … Read on Gather baltimore

Chicken Marbella is a classic dish among the boomer generation. Featured in the popular “Silver Palate Cookbook” authored by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, the recipe first debuted in 1982, and was timely published on Mother’s Day.

Chicken Marbella carries with it a significant degree of sophistication owing to its Spanish origi, but it’s easy enough to cook for a kitchen beginner.

Chicken Marbella is an excellent dish when entertaining guests or during a picnic. Olives, capers, and prunes provide tempting colors and layers of textures.

It’s also important to marinade chicken parts overnight for optimum moisture and juiciness.

Overall, Chicken Marbella is fairly easy to cook, but you don’t want to shortcut the marinating time to get the most of the flavors.

Read more:

• How to Become a Pastry Chef without Formal Education
• Unroasted Coffee Beans: Once You Only Have to Roast Them Yourself

What To Serve With Chicken Marbella

If you’re looking for excellent options on what to serve with Chicken Marbella, here are ideas worth exploring:

1. Mashed Potatoes

One of most obvious choices to pair with Chicken Marbella is your fair share of starch, and this is where mashed potatoes come to mind.

Mashed potatoes complement the tenderness of the chicken as well as its texture and flavors.

Mashed potatoes are also a good source of carbohydrates, so when paired with the protein-rich chicken, you have a full and complete meal.

2. Couscous

Couscous is a great option if you’re looking for a lighter alternative for common starches like mashed potatoes and rice.

Its tiny grains and bland flavor will absorb much of the … Read on Gather baltimore

If you enjoy playing with dough, mixing sugar and butter and coming up with elegant dessert presentations and a knack for creating artisanal wedding cakes that looks as good as it tastes, you probably would want to know how to become a pastry chef professionally.

The Traditional Road to Becoming a Pastry Chef

Many people believe that formal education on baking and dessert making is required to becoming a professional pastry chef.

If you’re taking this route, you’ll have to enroll in a culinary school and specialize in pastry. After earning your degree or certificate, you will then have to go into apprenticeship.

This is an on-the-job training where you’ll be able to apply the theories you learned from school. In some cases, an apprenticeship program could last for 2-3 years.

After graduating from your degree and apprenticeship, you can now apply as a full-fledged pastry chef in restaurants, bakeries and other related establishments.

You might also want to gain certifications from the American Culinary Federation. This will help enhance your credibility and marketability as pastry chef.

The key advantage of getting formal education is that the school could help arrange your apprenticeship program and get you a job after graduation.

Taking the Road Less Taken

However, getting a degree from a culinary school can get very expensive despite its advantages. You can still become a pastry chef by cutting some corners, doing your own legwork and being open to learning in a real-kitchen setting, all without the aid of formal education.

Take for example Caroline Schiff, a pastry chef who carved her name in the food industry … Read on Gather baltimore

There are typically two versions of the fish head curry dish in Singapore – the Chinese style and the Indian style. The Chinese style is milder, sweeter and has a richer flavor since coconut milk is used in the recipe. Canned pineapple slices are also added for sweetness.

The Indian curry version is thicker in consistency, spicy and fiery and has a sour tang to it. Assam (tamarind) paste is used to give it the sour flavor. At home, we sometimes add 2 small green mangoes, halved and with skin unpeeled, to enhance the piquant flavor of the curry.

True connoisseurs of curry fish head relish the gelatinous parts of the fish head, including the eye sockets, fish lips and areas around the jaw bone. I love the gelatinous parts of the fish but have not yet managed to bring myself to eat the fish eye. Fiona’s father loves it though, so no part of the head goes to waste at our home!

Red snapper fish head is an excellent choice for this dish. The flesh is firm and white and has lots of prized gelatinous goodness that make this dish such an exotic delicacy. Other popular fish head choices that have a lot of gelatin and firm white flesh are threadfin (ikan kurau), gold-banded jobfish (angoli) and coral trout (in picture above).

If you’re squeamish about cooking (or eating!) a fish head, you can use fish steaks instead. But if you do, you can’t honestly say that you cooked ‘fish head curry’, right?

In the recipe that follows, I use a short cut to greatly reduce preparation … Read on Gather baltimore

What a treat these tacos were. We’ve made fish tacos and bean burritos before, but I’ve never ventured into the pork or red meat category for these.

I was surprised how juicy and delicious these turned out from the crock pot! You know I love a recipe that requires me dumping things in a pot and then coming back eight hours later to a ready made meal.

Here’s what you’ll need… For the carnitas

• 2 pork tenderloins
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 poblano peppers, quartered
• 2 tbsp Fajita seasoning
• 1/2 C water

For the tacos

• Corn tortillas
• Avocado
• Fresh jalapeno
• Cilantro
• Lime

Get your crock pot out and set it to Low. Cut your tenderloins up into large chunks (about 4 pieces per tenderloin).

Add the sliced onion and quartered peppers (make sure you removed the seeds from these) to the pot.

Add a healthy covering of fajita seasoning and 1/2 C water (or enough to cover the items in the pot about 1/2 way).

Now, go and do something fun while your crock pot does all the work. Come back about eight hours later and your pork will be juicy and ready for you to pull apart.

We like to eat our tacos with fresh avocado, jalapeno and lime juice squeezed on top. Amir loves fresh cilantro, too! Here’s a tip for warming your tortillas to make sure they’re soft and fresh tasting every time.

We like to buy the big bags of corn tortillas and then freeze them so they don’t go bad before we eat all of them. Pull them out of the freezer (or refrigerator … Read on Gather baltimore

Losing weight by setting up a healthy diet plan is undisputed. So what foods should be included in the daily menu? Let’s find out in the article below.

Do you always feel worried about your weight? Does it prevent you from engaging in activities and threaten your health?

If you are obese or overweight, admit this. Evasion only makes you suffer.

There are many ways to lose weight, but one of the most effective and simple ways we want to mention this article is to set up a diet that includes weight-loss foods.

But first, let’s find out some more information about overweight and obesity.

What Are Common Causes Of Overweight And Obesity?

• High-fat diet

This is the first and also the most common cause of overweight or obesity. Fast foods, processed foods, and carbonated beverages are foods that have very high-fat contents. As a result, consuming them regularly will lead to excess energy and fat accumulation.

• Stress

Stress, anxiety, and depression are also the causes of weight problems. Stress causes the body to form peptides, which form fat masses, especially in the abdomen.

There have been many studies conducted to understand the relationship between obesity and stress. The results showed that with the same diet, people with stress could gain twice as much weight as those who did not experience this mental condition.

• Gluten food

Gluten is a type of carbohydrate that causes weight gain and many health problems such as constipation, indigestion, and intestinal inflammation. It is abundant in bread, pasta, pizza, cookies, and pastries.

• Metabolic disorder

Metabolic disorders are common in people with psychological … Read on Gather baltimore

One great thing about being married to a Persian man – Persian food! Of course there are many other perks, but since I’m obsessed with food, we’ll focus on that one.

A lot of Persian dishes center around a ‘Khoresh,’ or a sort of stew that is served over rice. This can be made with okra, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, etc. This one if quite different from most Khoresh dishes in that it is a stew of walnuts, pomegranate and chicken. Weird, right? It’s amazing.

When my mother-in-law first made this dish I fell in love. Now, every time we visit I secretly say a little prayer in hopes that she is going to serve Fessenjoon for dinner. I finally decided it was time for me to learn to make this dish so I didn’t have to rely on her for my culinary happiness.

On her last visit we did a Fessenjoon cooking session, and I’m excited to now have the recipe to share with you all! This is a unique dish with a mix of savory and sweet flavors, and it won’t be for everyone’s taste, but I think it’s amazing!

Right now, I’m working with leftovers, and I’ve been rationing it out to myself to make sure I don’t run out too fast. It’s that good!

Fessenjoon Khoresh Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need… For Fessenjoon Khoresh

• 4 C walnuts
• 3 C water
• 1 medium onion
• 2 chicken breast (this can be made with stew beef as well)
• 1/2 bottle of pomegranate molasses
• 2-4 tbsp sugar

Rice

• 4 C long grain, basmati rice
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 1/4

For the past year I have developed a knack for making meals ahead of time. Let’s face it who has time after coming home from a long commute to make dinner from scratch?

I must admit it requires some planning and organization, but its doable. One of my favorite meals is make ahead meatballs; it’s easy and red-meat eating men friendly.

*This recipe can be easily adapted to a slow cooker recipe too! Please see note below

I have found that the best tasting meatballs require a mixture of meats. You can use one meat if you like. I like buying from my local butcher the “meatloaf” mix of ground meats.

It contains a mixture of ground pork, ground beef and ground veal. This saves me a lot of time from grinding my own meat. I don’t own a meat grinder and I can’t say I can justify buying an accessory meat grinder for my kitchen aid.

Plus, I’m trying to save time and make less work for myself. If you have a personal preference to grind your own meats, by all means go for it.

Let’s start!

Place the ground meatloaf mix into a large bowl.

Next, add all the seasonings and gently mixed until well combined.

It should look something like this.

If you have the time to hand roll the meatballs, roll them into a walnut size ball and gently coat with breadcrumbs…but I use an ice cream scoop!

This makes the process a lot more streamline. Don’t worry about the meatballs having one flat side, the meatballs will round out when you roll them … Read on Gather baltimore