Asian Peanut Broccoli Salad

Gingered Chicken and Almond Stir-Fry

Thai Shrimp Burgers on Garlic Noodles

Asian Honey Sesame Chicken

Cooking authentic Asian food at home is easy as long as you have the right ingredients on hand.

Soy sauce is a familiar Asian ingredient. It’s dark and salty and made from fermented soybeans and roasted wheat or barley. While we tend to use a single, multi-purpose soy sauce in the US, in China and Japan there are a wide variety of soy sauces available- from light and runny to dark and thick. The lighter soy sauces are usually saltier than the darker ones. If salt content concerns you, you can find low sodium soy sauces, too.
Sesame oil is an important ingredient in Asian cuisine. You can find both light and dark Sesame oil. Asian sesame oil is the darker variety and it’s used to flavor lots of dishes. You’ll be impressed by what even a small amount does to make your dish taste authentic.
If you’re not familiar with Fish sauce , it may sound a little strange but once you try it you’ll see it adds great depth of flavor to Asian dishes. It’s made from salted, fermented fish and has, as you can imagine, a strong, salty flavor. It’s sometimes flavored with chiles or sugar, too. Fish sauce is used a lot like soy sauce.
Chili Paste is made from fermented Fava Beans, chiles and sometimes garlic, which is called Chili Paste with Garlic.
If you keep these items in your pantry, it’s easy to make dishes like Asian Peanut Broccoli Salad, Gingered Chicken and Almond Stir Fry, Thai Shrimp Burgers on Garlic Noodles and Asian Honey Sesame Chicken. You can find lots more Asian recipes and cooking tips atCrisco.com

I’m showing Rob and Sheila how to make adorable little mushroom potatoes on Fox 19 this morning. They’re from my book, Amy’s Table: Food for Family and Friends. I’ll also review a little “Potato 101″ with them:

Russet or Idaho potatoes are the ones with rough brown skin and lots of eyes. They’re a low moisture high starch potato and that makes them great for baking and frying.

Round white or round red potatoes. Aside from the color of their skin, they’re nearly [Read more →]

Growing vegetables is so popular and one of the easiest things to grow are peppers. There are more than 200 varieties from nearly a foot long to a tiny 1/4-inch peewee. Their heat varies, too. From barely warm to scorching hot, it’s the capsaicin that makes chiles fiery. A general rule is the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is. Removing the seeds and veins is the only way to reduce the heat.
Scotch Bonnet are the hottest.
Serrano peppers may be tiny but they pack big heat.
Jalapenos range from barely warm to very hot, depending on the age and time of year they’re harvested. Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked Jalapenos.
Poblanos have medium heat. Ancho chiles are dried Poblanos.
Sweet Bell Peppers are much more mild mannered and usually start out bright green. Red bell peppers are simply vine-ripened green bell peppers that have been allowed to ripen longer. They’re very sweet.
Whether hot or mild, choose peppers that are firm, with shiny skin. Here’s some bell pepper inspiration. You can find these recipes and lots more cooking tips at Crisco.com

Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers [Read more →]

How do you take a favorite party food and turn it into a nutritional powerhouse? By adding superfoods. Superfoods are certain fruits and vegetables that are super-rich in nutrients with proven targeted health benefits. Here’s a perfect example. Everybody loves baked brie. Fill it with Dole Baby Spinach dressed with a little balsamic vinegar and strawberry preserves. Add dried blueberries and walnuts and top it with sliced strawberries. Serve it with crusty slices of bread and you’ve got something your guests will feel good about eating. Dole Spinach is an immunity superfood and  a good source of iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Blueberries and Strawberries are superfoods for your brain. Eating good food is a pure pleasure. Eating good food that’s good for you too? Now that’s a beautiful bonus and you’ll discover that little changes can have a big impact. You can find all kinds of healthy tips and salad inspiration at Dole.com/salads

Baked Stuffed Brie

Prep: 10 min. Bake: 6 min. Makes: 6 servings [Read more →]

Did you know that in Gaelic, the word whiskey means water of life? Even if you aren’t Irish, St Patrick’s Day is the day to act like you are and that means celebrating with an Irish menu.  Nothing beats a classic Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner. If you’ve ever prepared it, maybe you boiled the corned beef. You should try roasting it instead! Roasted low and slow, your corned beef will be so tender and [Read more →]

Yum, yum Bumble Bee! I received so many awesome recipes, it was hard to choose! In the end, Michael Schiaparelli’s Gourmet Italian-Style Tuna Melt won the $250 cash prize. Check out the recipes from the other finalists, too! Thanks for entering!

Gourmet, Italian-Style Tuna Melt
by Michael Schiaparelli

Ingredients
2 (5-ounce) cans Bumble Bee ‘Prime Fillet’ Solid Light Tuna packed in Olive Oil
1 small shallot, finely minced [Read more →]

Taco night is a popular night at my house. Since I know we’ll have taco night a couple times each month, I prep extra meat and freeze it for a future meal. I try to keep things interesting with different taco fillings and toppings. Instead of the usual ground beef sometimes I’ll do ground turkey, shredded chicken or pork or slices of grilled beef.  Tossing the tortillas on the grill for just a second makes them taste great, too. I  like to round out the meal with spicy beans, lime scented rice and a nice big salad. Here’s a perfect salad for taco night. Start with Dole Just Lettuce and toss it with Chipotle Ranch Dressing , fresh diced tomato, tortilla strips, and shredded Mexican cheese. Sounds great, doesn’t it? That idea came right from the package, thanks to the pairs well with guide. I’m just loving all this new salad inspiration. It makes eating healthy a whole lot of fun. You can find more salad recipes, ideas and inspiration at Dole.com

I’m having so much fun with the wine dinners at EQ that are leading up to my California Wine Country trip! Tonight I’m preparing a menu that is being  paired  with MacMurray Ranch wines (one of the premier Pinot Noir producers in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley) by wine expert Matt Preston. Here’s the menu:

Tapas Trio
Spinach and Orange Salad with Pine Nuts
Oven Roasted Honey Mustard Salmon
Wild Mushroom and Potato Gratin
Frangelico Bread Pudding with Shaved Chocolate and Toasted Hazelnuts

The dinner is sold out, but you can still come on the trip. For more information, click here.

You say potato I say potah-to and there are a lot of potatoes out there. What’s the right potato for the job?

Russet or Idaho potatoes are the ones with rough brown skin and lots of eyes. They’re a low moisture high starch potato and that makes them great for baking and frying. You’ll also see round white or round red potatoes. Aside from the color of their skin, they’re nearly identical. They have waxy flesh and a lower starch content so they’re great for boiling or in dishes where you want the potato to hold its shape, like potato salad or scalloped potatoes. And then there’s Yukon Gold which has a moist texture and makes a great mashed potato. New potatoes are just that – new. I love to cook them whole, either boiled or pan-roasted.
Whichever one you choose, select potatoes that are firm and unblemished. Steer clear of potatoes that are shriveled, with sprouts or cracks. Sometimes you’ll see a green tinge just under the skin of the potato- it’s bitter and you should peel that away with a vegetable peeler. Potatoes should be stored in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks. I’ve got some great potato recipes to share, like Baked Potato Wedges, Quick and Easy Hash Browns, Twice Baked Potato Casserole and Corn and Potato Soup. You can find these recipes and more at Crisco.com

Baked Potato Wedges

Quick and Easy Hash Browns

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Corn and Potato Soup