Sometimes when you desire to cook a pie pumpkin, sugar pumpkin, carving pumpkin or kabocha squash (also known as a Japanese pumpkin), it can be time consuming and straining on your hands to cut through and remove the thick tough rind, in order to cut the flesh down into cubes to use in cooking. Roasting…
This may seem like a no-brainer, but I cannot emphasize how important this concept is in the kitchen. It is critical to quick preps and fast cooking, especially if you are starting to prepare more plant-based meals! So take a minute to stop and consider: when was the last time you had your knives sharpened…
Nut or seed butters are a great way to add a nutritious boost into your daily intake. They are a good source of many nutrients like calories, protein, fiber, as well as micronutrients. Nut or seed butters can be especially important for little ones that are too young to eat nuts or seeds for safety…
Have you seen plant-based or vegan recipes calling for a ‘flax egg’ in the ingredients and wondered what it is? Well, a ‘flax egg’ is a substitute for a hen’s egg that can be used in various recipes, including many baking recipes. It is very simple as it only requires two ingredients and takes less…
If you are looking for a food steamer, you will find many different food steamer options available in the marketplace. The options range from multi-compartment steamer machines, multi-tiered steamer pots, simple stand inserts, collapsible steamers and steamer baskets. Steamers can be bought from nearly any place, from sources like Asian supermarkets, online commerce stores, kitchen…
Also known as snap beans, wax beans or string beans, green beans usually abound in the spring season, though better quality crops can be grown in the fall season. Green beans can be further sub-categorized into ‘pole beans’ or ‘bush beans’ depending on whether they require poles for support during growth or not. Long, skinny…
When you hear the word ‘steamed’, does a picture of bland and unappetizing vegetables pop your head? If so, I am sure you are not alone. Actually, the absolute KEY to steaming is to steam just long enough for a food to be cooked through and tender (think ‘al dente’). Don’t over-steam. If you do, the…
To those who are relatively new to the world of kitchen appliances, there IS a difference between blenders and food processors. According to a 2012 Consumer Reports news article, “A blender is better at mixing drinks and whipping up smoothies, while a food processor is ideal for chopping, slicing and shredding. You can puree foods…
Many names refer to this green cruciferous vegetable, so it is easy to get confused. Examples include broccoli raab, broccoli rabe, Chinese broccoli, rapine, rapini, turnip broccoli and rappi (to just name a few) but they all actually refer to the same vegetable. Broccoli raab comes with green flowery like leaves, small florets that resemble…
For those who are unfamiliar with this supernutritious plant, there are actually a myriad of ways to cook beets, or the taproot portion of the beet plant. These include the following methods: Steaming it and applying a bit of butter and salt Adding it into soups Eating thin raw slices as part of a salad…
