| You Are an Excellent Cook |
 You’re a top cook, but you weren’t born that way. It’s taken a lot of practice, a lot of experimenting, and a lot of learning. It’s likely that you have what it takes to be a top chef, should you have the desire… |
Parmesan cheese is one of my favorite kitchen staples. It can perk-up leftovers or a so-so frozen dinner, it adds flavor to salads or steamed veggies, and it goes great with pasta. When it comes to buying parmesan cheese, I suggest an upgrade from the freeze-dried powdery substance. If you are willing to pay almost $5 for a gourmet cup of coffee, why not splurge a little on some great cheese? Whole blocks of parmesan cheese or (parmigiano-reggiano) aren’t that expensive and can add another dimension to your meals. If you don’t want to shred it yourself, consider a container of pre-shredded parmesan that hasn’t been reduced to little granules. Kraft also makes a great three-cheese shredded blend of parmesan, romano and asiago cheeses. Save the powder for the shakers at the pizza parlor.
Here’s a yummy breakfast treat from my Bisquick cookbook. Sorry, no pictures for this recipe but they were delicious!
2 cups Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup chocolate chips or mini-chocolate chips
Whisk together Bisquick mix, milk, and eggs until just combines. Fold in chocolate chips. Do not over-stir or pancakes will be heavy.
Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle. Turn when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.
Serve with butter and maple syrup as desired, or top with sliced fruit.
From the magazine Cooking Light, “this sweet-tart beverage is refreshing on a hot day. Feel free to adjust the sugar to suit your taste.” Chill out with Ginger Recipe #9.
6 cups cold water, divided
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tbsp grated lime rind
10 mint leaves
1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
lime wedges, for garnish
Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, ginger, rind and mint leaves in a blender. Process until well blended. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
Add remaining 5 3/4 cups water and lime juice. Stir well to combine. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.
This spicy dish comes from Southern Living. The ingredients are similar to Beef with Ginger, but the sauce is completely different. This is a great side to Beef with Ginger and Coconut-Ginger Rice. Heat things up with Ginger Recipe #8.
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 lb fresh broccoli, trimmed and separated into florets
Stir together first 7 ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and saute 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in soy sauce mixture until thoroughly heated, coating well.
