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  • in Recipes

    5 Recipes to Get Kids Cooking

    This month, welcome Sara Bir. Sara Bir is the author of two cookbooks, Tasting Ohio and the IACP award-winning The Fruit Forager’s Companion. She also moderates and replies to your comments here on Simply Recipes. Follow her @sausagetarian.
    If you have school-aged kids, this school year will break new ground. Even if they attend all five days a week in person, their usual routines will likely be vastly different.

    Unlike the abrupt intro to homeschooling parents had back in the spring, this time we have a heads-up. If your kids will be home more than they were back in the good old days, here’s a new distance learning class for them: Making Dinner!
    As a kid, I had a copy of Betty Crocker’s Cook Book for Boys and Girls, and I spent many happy hours browsing its pages for potential dinners I could make. Now, my own 10-year-old does the same thing. I let her pick out recipes and we make them together, the goal being minimal interference from me (mostly, I help her find utensils).
    This meal plan seizes that idea, creating a mini cookbook of sorts for your family. If your kids are small or wary of cooking, give them specific tasks: grating cheese, peeling carrots. If they are older or indomitable, let them run with it! This week is a DIY home ec. class for all ages, one that promises to be fun, fuss-free, and inspiring.
    One last thing: Looking for dinner ideas? You’re in the right spot! We have delicious meal plans to suit every taste and lifestyle—Healthy Eating, Family Favorites, and Vegetarian just to name a few. These one-month plans are $6.95 and, with them, you get a dessert and weekend prep recipe and a shopping list. They’re beautifully designed and perfect to print and save or simply load and cook right from your computer! LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Easy Greek Salad

    This easy Greek Salad is made with plum tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, bell pepper, kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese. Tossed with a lemon and red wine vinegar vinaigrette dressing, it’s ready for a summer picnic!

    Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

    This Greek salad is a favorite of my father’s to make during the summer.
    We usually have plenty of tomatoes and cucumbers growing in the garden, and all you have to do is toss in some red onions, olives, bell pepper, feta cheese, a few herbs, and some olive oil and vinegar and you have beautiful, cooling, fresh, Greek salad.
    All the best ingredients and flavors of Greek cuisine, all in one easy summer salad!

    What To Serve with Greek Salad
    You can serve this salad as a side for just about any of your summer favorites, like grilled chicken or grilled fish. It’s terrific with pita bread that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted or grilled.
    Make-Ahead Tips
    The dressing for this recipe can be made up to three hours ahead and kept at room temperature.
    Except for the tomatoes, all the vegetables can also be chopped a few hours ahead of time and kept refrigerated. Tomatoes are much better when fresh and un-refrigerated, so wait to add those until just before serving.
    Toss all the vegetables with the salad dressing and sprinkle with cheese when ready to serve.

    From the editors of Simply Recipes

    What’s in Greek Salad Dressing?
    The ingredients in this salad are so fresh and vibrant that they only need a simple dressing to bring them together. This one uses olive oil (here’s our favorite!), lemon juice, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, and dill.
    This dressing will separate so if you make it ahead just whisk it together before dressing your salad. Even better, make it in a jam jar and just give the jar a few shakes before pouring it over your salad.
    Tame Your Onions
    If you’re not a huge fan of raw onions try this tip from Elise’s mom: soak the chopped onions in a little vinegar or lemon juice while you chop the rest of the salad ingredients. This softens their flavor and makes them a little more palatable.
    TRY THESE OTHER SUMMER SIDE SALADS!

    Updated August 21, 2020 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle. No changes to the original recipe!

    Easy Greek Salad Recipe

    Tip from my mom: to take some of the bite away from the onions, after you chop them, soak them in a little vinegar or lemon juice.

    Ingredients
    6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
    1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
    1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
    1/2 teaspoon dried dill, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    3 large plum tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped
    3/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
    1/2 red onion, peeled, chopped
    1 bell pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped
    1/2 cup pitted black olives (preferably brine-cured), coarsely chopped
    A heaping half cup crumbled feta cheese

    Method

    1 Make dressing: Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, oregano, and dill together until blended. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    This can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Re-whisk before using.
    2 Combine salad ingredients: Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, olives in a bowl. Toss with dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

    Products We Love

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    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
    More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Precut Parchment Paper

    Kitchen ToolsOne Simply Terrific Thing

    It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference. Precut parchment paper for sheet and cake pans is a time-saving, annoyance-busting product that is worth having in the kitchen.

    Print

    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!

    I have a confession: I get inordinately annoyed every time I have to use a roll of parchment paper.

    The problems:
    The roll never tears cleanly.
    I always over- or under-estimate the amount needed to cover a sheet pan.
    The roll wants to win at all costs. You want the paper to lie flat on the pan? Good luck with that.
    The trace-and-cut method for cake pans leaves scraps that aren’t sized for anything useful, so I have to throw them away.
    Speaking of which, it’s just a hassle to measure and cut parchment paper! And I always think I do a poor job of it, too.
    Anyone else feel this way?!
    The answer to this frustration is simple: precut parchment paper.
    You can get them sized for half sheet pans and 8″ or 9″ cake pans. For the sheet pan size, I love the precut parchment from King Arthur ($24.99 for 100 sheets). They’re more expensive than other brands on Amazon, but they’re made in the USA and each sheet can be used three or four times (great for back-to-back cookie baking sessions!).

    I’ve also tried and like these precut parchment sheets from Baker’s Signature ($13.95 for 100 sheets). They are thinner than the King Arthur parchment sheets, so better suited for single use baking, but otherwise they’re a great value.

    For cake pan parchment rounds, I’ve used both these 9-inch cake pan rounds from Zenology ($7.99 for 50 sheets) and the 9-inch cake pan rounds with tabs from Baker’s Signature ($9 for 120 sheets).

    Both pulled cleanly away from cakes when I made them, but the Zenology round fit perfectly into my 9-inch USA Pan cake pan, while the Baker’s Signature round was a tad big and didn’t sit flat in the bottom of the pan. It didn’t affect how my cake turned out, but if you’re buying pre-cut parchment, a perfect fit is part of what you’re looking for. But the pull tab is a nice feature.
    All told, I don’t see myself going back to parchment rolls anytime soon.

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Cambria Bold
    Cambria Bold is the Product and Lifestyle Director for Simply Recipes. She has almost a decade’s worth of online editorial experience and know-how, first as the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site Re-Nest (RIP) and later as the Design and Lifestyle Editor for The Kitchn. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and their two little girls. And, yes, this is her real name.
    More from Cambria LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Pimm’s Cup Cocktail

    Serve summer in a glass with a Pimm’s Cup Cocktail! Make it with Pimms No. 1, ginger beer (or sparkling lemonade), simple syrup, cucumbers, strawberries, and mint. So refreshing!

    The quintessential slow-sipping summer fruit cup, the Pimm’s Cup is an effervescent mix of fruit, liqueurs, and spices with soda like sparkling lemonade or ginger beer. It’s a thirst-quenching, cooling, life-affirming digestif.

    THE HISTORY OF THE PIMM’S CUP
    Shellfish-monger and oyster bar restaurateur (an oysterateur, if you will) James Pimm is credited with creating this most British summertime drink. Opening his oyster houses in 1840s London, they soon became famous for the “House Cup,” a gin sling built on Pimm’s own patented recipe for the gin-based, be-fruited, and spiced liqueur.
    Over time, Pimm produced cups based on brandy, rum, rye, Scotch, and even vodka—there are seemingly endless varieties of fruit cup—but it wasn’t long before the Pimm’s Cup became the quintessential blend.
    It would be another 80 odd years before the drink made its appearance in print, in Lucius Beebe’s 1946 The Stork Club Bar Book, but soon enough it was adopted by the Napoleon House in New Orleans, and it became the signature cocktail of Wimbledon, where it’s served by the pitcher.

    WHAT IS PIMM’S NO. 1?
    Pimm’s No. 1 is a refreshingly bitter aperitif with the flavor of spiced fruit. It’s still made according to Pimm’s secret original recipe, and is practically irreplaceable.
    So what’s in the No. 1? The gin-based liqueur has a deep red color and is flavored with bitter caramelized orange, herbal botanicals, and a mysterious combination of spices. Like other bottled fruit cups, it is a low-alcohol (just 25% ABV) pre-mixed punch-style liqueur to which you would add a ginger beer or lemonade.
    As a hack, a lark, or just to elevate the strength, you can make your own No. 1 cup by combining in equal parts dry gin, curaçao, and sweet vermouth, and adding a dash or two of Angostura or other aromatic bitters.
    GINGER BEER OR LEMON SODA?
    The effervescence of a soda is the backbone of the Pimm’s Cup, but how you answer this question will probably tell much about you, though you shouldn’t sweat the question:
    Lemonade will make the fruit cup a slightly more tart, but still quite refreshing, summertime cooler.
    Ginger beer—or its typically less-spiced sibling ginger ale—will complement the spicing of the fruit and give the drink a bit of a spine.
    No judgment for the lemonaders, but you have a much more interesting and lively drink with that ginger-spiced finish.

    GREAT GINGER BEERS FOR A PIMM’S CUP?
    Typically, you’ll want a ginger beer rather than a ginger ale, the former typically being drier, somewhat spicier, and less sweet, though “beer” and “ale” can vary much in meaning. If you go too sweet, as many (but not all) ginger ales are, and it will throw off the balance of the drink and squander the opportunity to stand a good taste of ginger up against the fruit.
    Here are three great ginger beers to try:
    Bundaberg, with natural cane sugar and real ginger root, is a good choice.
    As is Fever-Tree, with three types of ginger—from Cochin, the Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. These give it a warm depth over its carbonated spring water.
    Thomas Henry Ginger Ale would also do you quite well.
    MY FAVORITE PIMM’S CUP RECIPE
    This recipe elevates the cucumber by incorporating it into both the mix and the presentation, and opts for a dry ginger ale over a lemonade or bitter lemon soda. In place of the ginger ale, you can substitute champagne.

    MORE EASY-BREEZY COCKTAILS LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Drink

    Episode 160 – Carbonadi Vodka with Ricky Miller

    See, despite its inherent simplicity and lazerbeam focus, we think of the martini like a trick a BMX biker does on a half-pipe, or maybe a figure skating move. For these athletes, it’s all about rotation in mid-air, some other manipulation of the body while in mid-air, and some kind of specialized landing or finishing move. For a martini, it’s all about what booze you use, your ratio of booze to dilution, and what other little flavors or flourishes you want in there (or don’t want in there).
    And just like the triple axel in figure skating or the 360 tail whip in BMX, martini moves come with their own lingo. For example, we could walk up to a bar and order a stirred, 50/50 dirty vodka martini, and someone else could request an upside down, shaken gin martini with a twist. 
    So returning to the question: what is a vodka martini, and how do you make one, we can’t give you a single recipe that will suffice, but we can offer some tips that will help you find your perfect vodka martini.

    Tip #1: Choose your vodka carefully. As we discuss in this and other episodes, vodka has a reputation for being neutral and flavorless, but this is a myth. You can almost always detect some influence of the distillate base when tasting a vodka, so consider which bases appeal most to you. Vodka can (and is) made from just about anything under the sun. It also helps to learn about how your vodka is treated during the manufacturing process, including filtration and resting techniques, which can affect things like mouthfeel and ethanol burn.

    Tip #2: Be honest about what you want. If you want cold vodka without anything in it, just sip it on the rocks. That’s not a martini, and there’s no shame in that. Traditionally, Martinis always have some sort of flavor additive – whether it’s something like vermouth or bitters, or something a little dirtier like olive brine. So if you have strong feelings about either the amount or type of flavor additives in your martini, just specify. Your bartender should be able to replicate any ratio of ingredients you stipulate…as long as you come out and say it.

    Tip #3: Dilution matters intensely. There’s a reason why gin martini purists always stir their drinks. It allows for extremely controlled dilution, which can preserve the relationship between juniper, citrus, and bitters. But then again, there might be a reason why it’s popular to shake a vodka martini (especially a dirty one that contains lactic acid from olive brine). See, shaking increases dilution and introduces a ton of air into the drink, which can result in a creamier, thicker mouthfeel that rounds out the profile. So if you’re really dedicated to ordering or creating your perfect vodka martini, make sure you also put some thought into how you want it prepared.

    Show Notes
    After entrepreneurial ventures in the vitamin, sleep supplement, and energy drink space, Ricky Miller realized his true passion was in beverage marketing. He knew that he wanted to build a luxury brand and to sell a product that people could immediately experience and benefit from in the moment. For him, vodka was the way to go. He knew that he wanted to create a “Western Style” vodka, something that even non-traditional sippers could enjoy.
    When he was trying to build the brand story for his vodka, Ricky looked to Italy, but was told that vodka and Italy are a bit of a non sequitur. However, he realized that Italy and luxury goods (cars, clothing, art) are virtually synonymous and identified it as an opportunity rather than a problem. He settled on Italian wheat as his distillate base and then set about designing the process that would put his product head-and-shoulders above the competition.
    The Carbonado Process LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    10 Freezer Recipes for the Back to School Hustle

    School is back in session and no matter if the kids are in the classroom or logging in from the kitchen table, schedules are busy for everyone. Make it easy on yourself and prep these recipes beforehand. You won’t regret it! Continue reading “10 Freezer Recipes for the Back to School Hustle” » LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Gabriela Cámara’s Must-Have Tool for Cooking Authentic Mexican Food at Home

    If you’re ready to step it up and start making more authentic Mexican food at home, there’s one piece of equipment you’ll want to buy!

    Print

    Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

    This post is part of our Summer Cookbook Club series for August 2020 featuring My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions by Gabriela Cámara.

    It’s impossible for me to pick a favorite Mexican dish, but tacos are pretty high up there. When they’re on-point, they never fail to hit that savory, satisfying, so-good note that made me crave them in the first place. Whether it’s Crispy Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw or Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Tacos, tacos of all kinds are always a win.
    “Everything can be a taco!” writes Gabriela Cámara, in My Mexico City Kitchen. “There are no rules about what constitutes this food … other than that it be wrapped in a tortilla and eaten with your hands.”
    Ah, yes. Tortillas. The one constant among all tacos! So it’s no surprise that when we asked Gabriela what kitchen tools she’d recommend to a home cook with a growing interest in Mexican food, she said a tortilla press!

    What Kind of Tortilla Press to Get?
    “If you can get a nice, heavy wooden one which helps you press the masa into even, flat tortillas, get that one,” said Gabriela.
    These handmade wooden tortilla presses from Central Coast Woodwork are a great option. They come in 8-inch, 10-inch, and 11.5-inch sizes. We love the mixed oak-and-walnut version, but it also comes in a lovely plain red oak.

    Made in California by a family-owned company, these tortilla presses are very well crafted and beautiful enough to keep on your countertop!

    How Do I Use a Tortilla Press?
    Once you have your tortilla press, it’s time to make homemade tortillas! You’ll also want masa harina and a comal or cast iron skillet.
    Then follow this recipe: How To Make Corn Tortillas

    Once You Have Tortillas, Make Some Tacos!

    Products We Love

    Hardwood Tortilla Press

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    Victoria Cast Iron Round Comal Griddle, 10.5″

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    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Cambria Bold
    Cambria Bold is the Product and Lifestyle Director for Simply Recipes. She has almost a decade’s worth of online editorial experience and know-how, first as the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site Re-Nest (RIP) and later as the Design and Lifestyle Editor for The Kitchn. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and their two little girls. And, yes, this is her real name.
    More from Cambria LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Giant Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

    Have a few extra-large zucchinis? Stuff them with Italian sausage, onions, garlic, tomato, and fresh breadcrumbs, and bake. (Swap in medium-sized zucchinis, too!)

    Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

    Fellow gardeners, you know this tale well. You step away from your garden bed for one minute (or a weekend) and come back to find a monster zucchini hiding in the greenery.
    Sometimes the plant warns you. Regular zucchini production starts slowing down, odd for early summer. The reason? All of the plant’s attention is going to feeding that one humongous, baseball bat of a zuke.
    Fortunately, those ginormous zucchini are perfect for stuffing!

    How To Make Stuffed Zucchini
    Making stuffed zucchini is easy. You just cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, and scoop out the insides, leaving a shell to stuff with whatever your heart desires.
    This week my heart desired Italian sausage, so my friends, this is what we are using to stuff this particular zucchini.
    We brown some Italian sausage, onions, garlic, and some of the zucchini insides, and mix it with fresh breadcrumbs, basil, tomatoes, oregano, and Parmesan cheese. One egg is all you need to bind the stuffing together.
    Into the oven go these stuffed zucchini boats to bake for 40 minutes. Yum!
    Make-Ahead Stuffed Zucchini
    Need to make ahead? You can easily stuff the zucchini a day ahead of time. Just stuff the zucchini, keep it chilled, then bake right before serving.
    This is a meal in and of itself—no need to serve it with anything else.
    By the way, zucchini tends to become watery and mushy when frozen, so we don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

    From the editors of Simply Recipes

    Swaps and Substitutions
    Smaller zucchini: Use 3 to 4 normal-sized zucchinis in place of the giant one. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the zucchini is tender when pierced.
    Vegetarian: Swap the sausage for sautéed chopped mushrooms.
    Dairy-free: Swap the Parmesan for nutritional yeast, or leave it out.
    Gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs, or leave out.
    More Ways to Make Stuffed Zucchini

    Updated August 18, 2020 : We spiffed up this post with some additional tips to make sure its foolproof. No changes to the original recipe. Enjoy!

    Giant Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

    You can stuff the zucchini a day ahead of time and bake right before serving.

    Ingredients
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing
    1 large zucchini, 12 to 14 inches long (about 1 1/4 to 2 pounds) or 3 to 4 medium zucchini
    1 cup chopped onion
    3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    2 slices bread, pulsed in food processor or blender to make fresh breadcrumbs (about 1 cup)
    2 medium tomatoes, chopped
    1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
    1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
    3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
    1 large egg, lightly beaten
    3/4 teaspoon salt (less or more to taste)
    1 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Method

    1 Preheat oven to 375°F.
    2 Cook the sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the sausage, and gently cook until it is mostly (but not completely) cooked through.
    Stir frequently and break up the sausage into smaller pieces while it cooks. Remove to a large bowl and set aside.

    3 Prep the zucchini: Cut the zucchini in half. Use a metal spoon to scoop out the insides of the zucchini, leaving the zucchini shell about 1/4-inch thick. Remove and discard any thick seeds from the insides you’ve scooped out.
    Chop up about a cup of the remaining zucchini flesh. (Whatever remains beyond a cup use for another purpose, discard, or compost.)

    4 Cook the onions and garlic: You should have 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan (rendered from the sausage). If not, add more olive oil so that you have at least a tablespoon of fat in the pan, and heat on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
    Add the chopped zucchini and cook a minute or two more, remove from the skillet and add it to the bowl of sausage.

    5 Make the stuffing: Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients to the sausage and onions.

    6 Stuff the zucchini and bake: Place the zucchini halves in a baking dish and add the stuffing. (At this point you can make ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.) Add 1/4-inch of water to the bottom of the pan, which will help zucchini cook evenly and prevent the bottom of it from drying out too much in the oven.
    Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes. Let sit to cool briefly before serving.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
    More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO