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Stovetop Beans Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:30:36 -0700

Although these legumes were traditionally cooked low and slow in the oven, today's baked beans, as they're often called, are actually cooked on top of a stove for a faster preparation that doesn't compromise flavor. Shed even more cooking time by using canned beans - or save cash by rehydrating dry beans instead. Regardless of how you prepare this dish, bacon plays a crucial part in achieving a pronounced smokiness, while molasses and dark brown sugar add a sweet flavor and pleasing caramel color. Be enticed by both recipes

Red, White, & Blue Parfaits Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:30:51 -0700

July 4 officially celebrates our country's independence, but this year, make your fiesta as much about food as it is about the fireworks. Regardless of whether you serve hamburgers or hot dogs, coleslaw or creamy potato salad, don't forget to leave some serious room for a red, white, and blue parfait, which is both gratifying on a balmy night and visually stunning.

Impress guests by paying a literal homage to the stars and stripes with a dessert composed of berry gelatin and creamy panna cotta. Or, take a far simpler approach to the parfait by serving layer upon layer of whipped yogurt, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Decide which one works best for you this holiday and read more

Sunday Slow Cooker: Vegetable Casserole

YumSugar — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0700

This casserole of polenta and vegetables uses canned beans and store-bought pesto to cut down on preparation time, but the slow cooker does all the hard work.

The recipe calls for an Italian cheese blend and specific vegetables, but feel free to mix things up with an American or Mexican cheese blend and different beans and vegetables, if you like.

To learn more about this easy-to-make, one-pot meal, read more.

Vegetable Casserole
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans
1 19-oz. can garbanzo or fava beans
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 8-oz. pkg. finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup torn radicchio

Directions

Rinse and drain beans.
In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of pesto, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker layer half of bean mixture, half of polenta, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta.
Cover; cook on low heat setting for 4 to 6 hours (or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours).
Add tomato, remaining cheese, spinach, and radicchio.
Combine remaining pesto and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole.
Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Calories 360, Total Fat (g) 12, Saturated Fat (g) 6, Cholesterol (mg) 26, Sodium (mg) 926, Carbohydrate (g) 46,Total Sugar (g) 8, Fiber (g) 10, Protein (g) 21, Vitamin C (DV%) 16, Calcium (DV%) 36, Iron (DV%) 19

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Easy Quick Warm Weather Dinner: Shrimp Quesadillas

partysugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 08:58:32 -0700

I've been craving Mexican inspired food like crazy lately! Although I had tons on Cinco de Mayo, I just can't get enough. Quesadillas have become my go to quick fix meal because they are super easy to make, cook quickly, and feed my Mexican food craving! These shrimp quesadillas have a Greek twist: hummus, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese filling. Add tortillas to your pantry staples list and when you need dinner in a hurry fill with whatever you have on hand (leftover chicken, day old pesto, the last of a bunch of random cheeses, etc.). Now that the weather has turned warm, making them on the grill is super fun because it gives the quesadillas a nice smoky flavor and those pretty grill marks. Make these quesadillas tonight and read more

Shrimp Quesadillas
From Better Homes & Garden magazine

Nonstick cooking spray
4 8-inch vegetable tortillas
1/2 a 7-oz. carton garlic or spicy three-pepper hummus (1/3 cup)
6 oz. peeled, deveined cooked medium shrimp
1 6-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts or half a 16-oz. jar pickled mixed vegetables, drained and coarsely chopped
1 4-oz. pkg. crumbled feta cheese

Coat one side of each tortilla with cooking spray.
Place tortillas, sprayed side down, on work surface; spread with hummus. Top half of each tortilla with shrimp, artichokes, and cheese. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently.
Heat large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat for 1 minute. Cook quesadillas, two at a time, for 4 to 6 minutes or until browned and heated through, turning once.

Serves 4.

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Sunday Slow Cooker: Kielbasa Stew

YumSugar — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 06:00:03 -0700

Make the most of the rest of your weekend by playing hooky and celebrating the luck of the Irish rather than laboring over a Sunday meal.

Using cooked pork sausage not only cuts down on your meat prep time, but it also provides a satisfyingly smoky depth to the other elements of the stew, such as carrots, cabbage, and chicken broth.

As an added bonus, the bold spices of the sausage pair really nicely with any full-bodied beer. To see the two-step recipe, read more.

Kielbasa Stew
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
3 cups peeled, cubed potato
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 pound cooked kielbasa, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions

In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker combine cabbage, potato, and carrots. Top with kielbasa. Sprinkle basil, thyme, and pepper over kielbasa. Pour chicken broth over all.
Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours.

Serves 4 to 5.

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Sunday Slow Cooker: Chicken Rarebit

YumSugar — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:00:36 -0800

If you're in search of a dramatically different recipe for dinner this Winter, take a stab at Welsh rarebit, a classic British dish made of bread topped with a melted cheese mixture.

This contemporary rendition not only makes use of a low-maintenance crockpot, but also incorporates bacon and chicken to add flavor and substance. To get the crowd-pleasing recipe, read more.

Chicken Rarebit
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1-3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 14- to 16-ounce jar cheddar cheese pasta sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large onion, halved crosswise and thinly sliced
6 pumpernickel or rye buns, split and toasted, or 6 slices pumpernickel or rye bread, toasted and halved diagonally
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled (optional)
1 tomato, chopped (optional)
Kosher dill pickles (optional)

Directions

Cut chicken diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, stir together pasta sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add onion and chicken slices.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
To serve, spoon chicken and sauce mixture over bun halves. If desired, sprinkle with crumbled bacon and tomato. Serve with dill pickles, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Calories 340, Total Fat (g) 12, Saturated Fat (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 102, Sodium (mg) 823,
Carbohydrate (g) 21, Fiber (g) 3, Protein (g) 36.

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Enter to Win a TasteBook!

partysugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 05:30:30 -0800

Wouldn't you love to have all of your favorite recipes bound in one fabulous, personalized cookbook? Just in time for the holidays, we're partnering with TasteBook to give away two custom-made recipe books in the month of December. TasteBook is an online service that lets you create a personalized book of recipes. You can search the site's database (with recipes from countless professional sources like Epicurious, Food and Wine, and Better Homes and Gardens) or upload your family's favorites. You select 100 recipes, then TasteBook prints them out, binds them in a book, and sends you the finished product! If you don't have time to choose your own recipes, you can choose from a variety of already-made collections.

To enter to win the TasteBook giveaway, you must log in and take the TasteBook quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member, and you must log in before taking the quiz. If you're not already a member, register here for an account. One quiz entry per person, as all repeat quizzes will be ignored. The contest is open to US residents only and ends on Friday, December 12, at 5 p.m. PST. This is the third and final book we are giving away, so make sure to enter now. Click here for official rules. Enjoy and good luck!

Take the quiz

Enter to Win a TasteBook!

partysugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:00:34 -0800

To enter to win the TasteBook giveaway, you must log in and take the TasteBook quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member, and you must log in before taking the quiz. If you're not already a member, register here for an account. One quiz entry per person, as all repeat quizzes will be ignored.The contest is open to US residents only and ends on Friday, December 5, at 5 p.m. PST. Next week there will be another quiz to win the final book. Click here for official rules. Enjoy and good luck!

Take the quiz

Enter to Win a TasteBook!

partysugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:05:06 -0800

Wouldn't you love to have all of your favorite recipes bound in one fabulous, personalized cookbook? Just in time for Thanksgiving, we're partnering with TasteBook to give away three custom-made recipe books in the month of November. TasteBook is an online service that lets you create a personalized book of recipes. You can search the site's database (with recipes from countless professional sources like Epicurious, Food and Wine, and Better Homes and Gardens) or upload your family's favorites. You select 100 recipes, then TasteBook prints them out, binds them in a book, and sends you the finished product! If you don't have time to choose your own recipes, you can choose from a variety of already-made collections.To enter to win the first of three TasteBook giveaways, you must log in and take the TasteBook quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member, and you must log in before taking the quiz. If you're not already a member, register here for an account. One quiz entry per person, as all repeat quizzes will be ignored.

The contest is open to US residents only and ends on Friday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. PST. Next week there will be another quiz to win the second book. Click here for official rules. Enjoy and good luck!

Take the quiz

Yummy Links: From Kitschy Kitchens to Top Chef 5

partysugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:45:12 -0700

Decorate your kitchen with these kitschy, retro-glam finds. - Hostess with the Mostess
Make gourmet coffee at home. - Slashfood
New to cooking? Check a beginner cookbook out of your library. - Chow
Just how good are Starbucks's smoothies? - Baking Bites
Get to know David Chang of Momofuku fame a little better. - Serious Eats
Take a look at San Francisco's just-planted Slow Food Nation Victory Garden. - CasaSugar
Cookthink gets a stylish new makeover. - Cookthink
Learn how to make crispy and delicious fried green tomatoes. - The Kitchn
Help McDonald's name its new dollar menu. - The Epi-Log
Calling all New Yorkers: be on the lookout for the filming of Top Chef Season 5! - Eater

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