By Diana Lamb “Dinner is where the magic happens in the kitchen.” — Kris Carr If you are looking for quick, balanced dinner recipes with less waste and easy cleanup, then definitely check out “Everyday Dinners” by Jessica Merchant. One of the secrets to Merchant’s kitchen success is her […]
Click here to view original web page at www.redlandsdailyfacts.com
By Diana Lamb
“Dinner is where the magic happens in the kitchen.” — Kris Carr
If you are looking for quick, balanced dinner recipes with less waste and easy cleanup, then definitely check out “Everyday Dinners” by Jessica Merchant. One of the secrets to Merchant’s kitchen success is her easy 10-minute meal prep. You can learn all about the time-saving technique plus her tips for making veggies more enticing to picky eaters.
Speaking of vegetables, Merchant supplies an abundant variety of vegetarian dishes. To start, there is Crispy Orange Cauliflower with Coconut Rice. Cheater’s Tomato Pie uses a trio of grated cheeses and fresh basil leaves atop a golden, flaky puff pastry crust. Smoky BBQ Baked Black Beans Burgers smothered in guacamole, sliced red onion and micro greens or a bowl of hearty Tuscan Cheese Tortellini Soup would be a welcome addition to a meatless Monday dinner rotation. For meat lovers, Jessica shares her recipes for fragrant Lemon Butter Chicken, Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken with colorful bell peppers, red onion and scallions, One-Pot Sausage, Greens, and Beans Pasta, kid-friendly Chicken and Bacon Ranch Puff Pastry Pizza and lastly, Honey Dijon Pretzel-Crusted Salmon.
There are loads of delicious-looking recipes on the web and within cookbooks that require a long list of ingredients and a fair amount of time to make. However, at the end of the day, most of us are tired and just want our final meal to have a short ingredient list, with clear instructions and for it to taste great. America’s Test Kitchen is here to help with its latest book “Five Ingredient Dinners.” With over 100 recipes to try, like Coconut Rice Noodles with Shrimp and Snow Peas, Loaded Sweet Potatoes, Skillet Tortellini with Sausage and Cherry Tomatoes, Cod with Cilantro Rice, Refried Bean and Cheese Melts, Grilled Flank Steak with Zucchini and Spicy Honey Butter, you may be adding lots of new meals to your dinnertime rotation. For a post-turkey leftovers option, try the Thanksgiving-ish Calzones baked with two kinds of cheese and dried cranberries.
Does the idea of spending less time in the kitchen preparing homemade dinners without sacrificing flavor appeal to you? If it does, then you’ll want to check out Jenna Helwig’s book “Bare Minimum Dinners.” Her easy recipes and strategies can help you save time with shopping, preparing and cleaning up. If time is scarce, then you’ll appreciate Cauliflower and Chickpea Tikka Masala, Enchilada Bowls and Short Cut Salmon Burgers. All of these dishes and more can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. If quick cleanup is a must, one pot or pan recipes for Skillet Pizza, One-Pan Pierogi Supper and Baked Chicken with Artichokes and Feta may be the answer. There is one chapter devoted to Instant Pot and Slow-Cooker dinners. They include Instant Pot Pork and Bean Burritos, Instant Pot Turkey Chili, Slow-Cooker Beef Ragu and Slow-Cooker Big Batch Lasagna.
In her latest book, “Sheet Cake,” award-winning author and baking instructor Abigail Johnson Dodge reveals her easy-to-follow techniques for turning a simple half-sheet cake into a fancier rolled or triple-layer cake. The sweet and spicy aromas of autumn will fill your kitchen when you bake Pumpkin-Ginger Cream Cheese Cake, Cinnamon-Bun Swirl Cake sprinkled with toasted pecans and cinnamon chips, or a Rolled Maple Walnut Cake filled with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream Frosting. Apples receive the star treatment in Cinnamon-Apple Upside-Downer Cake with a layer of gooey brown sugar, butter and fresh apples. Apple butter, apple brandy and apple compote come together to make a fantastic triple-layer Brandy Apple Cake. Fall never tasted so good!
Diana Lamb is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library, 125 W. Vine St., Redlands.
