Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Tomatoes

In 1893 the United States Supreme Court, officially declared the tomato a vegetable.  Botanically, it is a fruit.

Tomato Tips:

1.  Tomatoes can be frozen whole.  The skins will slip off when thawed.  You will not be able to use them for a salad, but they are perfect for cooking.

2.  Tomatoes will keep longer if stored stem down.

3. Tomatoes should be stored at room temperature.  They will loose flavor and the texture will change when refrigerated.

4.  Do not use an aluminum pan when cooking tomatoes.  Aluminum pans make the tomatoes bitter and change their color.

5. Cut the acid in cooked tomato sauce by adding a little sugar or grated carrot.

6.  Plum tomatoes are best to use for making sauces.

7.  Cherry and grape tomatoes are best eaten raw.

8.  Several herbs pair wonderfully with tomatoes; such as, basil, oregano, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, celery seed, tarragon, chives, and parsley.

Check back on Friday, for my

Grilled Salsa recipe.

I am in Cape Town, South Africa.  

You can follow my trip by visiting my Facebook page.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tasty Turkey Burger

Tasty Turkey Burger

1 red pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
12 fresh button mushrooms, diced or 1 (4.5 ounce) jar button mushrooms, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1.25 pounds ground turkey
3 1/2 tablespoons meatloaf seasoning or 33% less sodium meatloaf seasoning
1 egg, slightly beaten

In a large skillet, saute red pepper, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil until golden brown. Cool.

In a large bowl, combine sauteed vegetables, ground turkey, egg and seasoning.  Mix well.  

Form into patties and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  

Grill or fry until cooked through. 

My husband loved this turkey burger!  He said he liked it better than a regular grilled beef burger.  That's big coming from my beef loving husband!

The sauteed vegetables, not only make the turkey burger very moist, they also add a rich savory flavor to it.  The meatloaf seasoning, is the perfect blend of spices, to complement the sauteed vegetables and ground turkey.

Check back on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post about Tomatoes!

I am in Cape Town, South Africa.  
You can follow my trip by visiting my Facebook page.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Onions

There are more than 500 varieties of onions.   Onions are high in vitamin C, and each serving has only 45 calories.  Most grocery stores sell yellow, red, and white onions.

Yellow Onions:  Are a popular choice for cooking.  They have a rich dark brown color, with a sweet tangy flavor when cooked.

Red Onions:  Because of their color, they are often used fresh and uncooked.  Other than the fresh uses, they are delicious grilled and roasted.

White Onions:  Used in salads and classic Mexican recipes.  They have a golden color and a sweet flavor when cooked.

Onion Tips:

1.  Never store your onions in plastic.

2.  Onions should be stored in a dry, cool, dark place.  They will keep for 2 to 3 weeks if stored this way.

3.  When stored in the refrigerator, onions will keep for 2 months, but will lose some of their flavor.

4.  If you only need half of an onion, slice it in half, and store the end with the root in the refrigerator.  The root end will last longer, than the sprout end, when stored in the refrigerator.

5.  When cooking onions and garlic together, saute the onion until cooked at least halfway through, before adding the garlic.  The garlic will cook faster than the onion.

6.  Sweet onions actually have less sugar than regular onions.

 Check back on Friday, for my

Tasty Turkey Burger recipe!

I am traveling to South Africa today.  
You can follow my trip by visiting my Facebook page.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Creamsicle Cake

Creamsicle Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package butter recipe cake mix
12 ounces club soda
2 (14 ounce) cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, divided in half
1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the orange concentrate from it's container.  Cut concentrate in half. Place half of the concentrate in a medium bowl, and set aside.  You do not use the remaining half of the orange concentrate in this recipe. 

 In large bowl, combine cake mix and club soda. Mix well.  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

In the medium bowl with the orange concentrate, add the sweetened condensed milk. Mix well.

While the cake is still warm, poke holes into it with the end of  a wooden spoon.

Pour milk mixture over top. 

Refrigerate overnight. Spread whipped topping over top and serve.

This is another great recipe from our son Tyler's girlfriend, Jordan.  

It is quick and easy to make and was a hit at the potluck that I took the cake to.  

The pan was empty and people were singing it's praises. 

 They liked how moist and creamy the cake was, with the hint of orange, giving it a unique flavor.

Check back on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post about onions!

Thanks again, Jordan, for the wonderful recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips &Tricks: Pie Trick

I am always on the lookout for a good cooking tip or trick.  So when one of my friends got a new job as a baker in a restaurant, I asked her to pass along any new tips she learns.  And being a good friend, that is just what she did with this pie trick.

Have you ever tried to cut a pie into slices and had the filling spill out all over?  If you have, then you are going to love this trick.

Freeze your pie before you cut into it.  Remove the frozen pie from the pie pan, and place on a cutting board.  Cut it into slices and place it back in the pie pan or on serving plates to thaw.   When it is time to serve, you will have perfect slices of pie, with it filling intact.

Check back on Friday, for a 
delicious Creamsicle Cake recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Lemon Heaven Dessert

Lemon Heaven Dessert

1 (20 ounce) can lemon pie filling
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pre-made angel food cake, cut into cubes

In large bowl, combine pie filling and cream cheese.  Mix well using an electric mixer.  Add confectioners' sugar and lemon juice.  Mix well.

Gently fold in the angel food cubes.  Refrigerate over night.

Our son Tyler's girlfriend Jordan, shared this recipe with me.  

Jordan is a fellow foodie, and Tyler loves her cooking, so I knew it had to be good.  

With just my husband Stan and I at home now, I typically wait for a potluck at church or some other event to make desserts.  Lucky for you and I, we had a potluck on Sunday.  I took both of the dessert recipes that, Jordan gave me.  

The people at our church have been taste testing my recipes for years, and they know I value honest criticism.  When my pans are empty at the end of a potluck, and people are asking for the recipe, I know I have a winner.  That is what happened on Sunday. 

Thanks Jordan, for sharing your delicious recipes!

Check back on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks for a cool pie trick!

And next Friday, I will be posting,
 Jordan's Creamsicle Cake recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Lemons

When picking a lemon, look for ones that are bright yellow, with smooth skin, and are heavy for their size.

Do not pick lemons that are soft and spongy.  Lemons have less juice when the skin feels wrinkled, rough, or have a tough skin.

1 Medium size lemon equals approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.

Lemon juice has 4 calories per tablespoon and no fat.

Lemons at room temperature have more juice than refrigerated lemons.

To get more juice flowing, microwave the lemon for a few seconds.  Next, roll it on the counter with the palm of your hand, before you squeeze the juice out.

If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, pierce the skin with a toothpick.  Squeeze out the amount of juice needed. Insert the toothpick back into the hole and place in a plastic bag.

Freeze lemon juice in an ice tray.  When frozen, each lemon ice cube will equal a medium lemon.

Zest is the outer colored part of the skin on a lemon, orange, or lime. Only use the colored part of the fruit peel.  Don't use the white part, it will be bitter.

Try using lemon juice instead of vinegar, when making salad dressing.

Marinades using lemon juice, tenderize chicken.

The world largest lemon was 5 pounds and 13 ounces.

Check back on Friday, for the

Lemon Heaven Dessert recipe!

 

Congratulations to Tangos Treasures 
the Giveaway Winner of the
Drinking Girls' Guide to Spanish Food Cookbook! 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!