Cook It - Home-Ec 101

Dilled Salmon Recipe

Heather says: I have updated this dilled salmon from an old baked salmon recipe that used mayonnaise. Those who know how much I dislike mayonnaise are not the least bit surprised. Fish is much more delicate than chicken, pork, or beef. I will not be giving a specific cook time as oven temperatures vary and …

Heather says: Way back, a hundred years ago, I used to work for a Spanish restaurant. Yes, Spanish as in Spain. One of our top selling lunch dishes was very simple and not exactly Spanish, it was a variation on fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and sweet peppers. My husband requested this dish so often that …

Meatless Meals are Budget Friendly

Heather says: One way to reduce the grocery budget is to serve a meatless meal at least once a week. Meatless is different from vegetarian in that I don’t eschew stock or bacon grease when making these items. Vegetarians should substitute olive oil or vegetable stock as necessary. Here are some options. Over the next …

Heather says: I’m not going to lie. The original name for this classic turns my stomach. There is something about the idea of “fish pie” that brings up all sorts of unspeakable concoctions, rather than the simple and classic combination of fish, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. This makes for a simple meal of comforting flavors …

Pot roasting beef is a great way to get a tender dish from a fairly tough cut of meat. Pot roast typically refers to tougher cuts of beef: chuck, rump, or brisket cooked by braising. Braising simply means a wet, slow cook. Slow cookers and Crock-Pots® work well for this type of cooking, but the …

Bread Making: Rising To the Occasion

Heather says: Leavened breads are those lifted by tiny bubbles. Most of the bread we eat today is leavened, with a few exceptions for items such as tortillas or other flat breads. The lift is provided by chemical, mechanical, or biological reactions. Chemical reactions provide the lift for quick breads, which are your typical …

Heather says: File this meal under pretty good comfort food. Mr. Heather filed it under “should make again” but he’s from Minnesota and used to consider “hotdish” its own food group. Relax, I’m just teasing to pick on my in-laws. Everyone say hi to Nan and Gramps. Back to the food, it’s important to remember …

Bread Making Tutorial: Basic White Bread

girl Heather says:

At long last, the first in the series of simple bread tutorials. We are beginning with a plain white bread recipe. This version is extremely simple. It is free of most allergens (wheat being the obvious exception) so it is useful for those avoiding eggs and dairy. Nutritionally, well, let’s just say that you won’t be making great strides over store-bought, but at least there is no high fructose corn syrup. Warm up the oven, roll up your sleeves, and let’s get started.

Simple White Bread

Ingredients

2 cups warm water ~110°F

1 1/2 TBSP Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil + extra for bread pan & bowl (vegetable or olive

6 cups bread flour (may be slightly less in dry climates)

Directions after the jump.

Frying bacon is actually not rocket science

Ivy says: I might be the last person on earth to discover that frying bacon is easy peasy. When I was a kid at home, my mom always microwaved the bacon. That takes forever and you constantly have to pour off the bacon grease, which is a pain. I asked mom once if you could …

tomato gravy over white rice in the foreground on a black plate in the background on the left are pinto beans and on the right is sautéed greens

Heather says: Digging through old cookbooks you may come across some strange ideas, especially concerning gelatin. However, there are many classic recipes forgotten or replaced by new convenience items. A perfect example is tomato gravy. Sure, the name doesn’t invoke images of glamour or haute couture, but not everything in life has to. Tomato gravy …