Things can get tense at the Test Kitchen. Trash talk. Mind games. Watch our annual Rice Krispie Treat competition. Coconut-Date Rice Krispies Ball recipe: bit.lyAmerica's Test Kitchen is a real 2500 square foot test kitchen located just outside of Boston that is home to more than three dozen full-time cooks and product testers. Our mission is simple: to develop the absolute best recipes for all of your favorite foods. To do this, we test each recipe 30, 40, sometimes as many as 70 times, until we arrive at the combination of ingredients, technique, temperature, cooking time, and equipment that yields the best, most-foolproof recipe. Where to find our recipes: With more than 2 million viewers per episode, America'sTest Kitchen is the most-watched cooking show on public television. www.americastestkitchen.com More than 1.3 million home cooks rely on Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines. http www.cookscountry.com Twitter www.twitter.com Facebook: on.fb.me
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Snacks That Raise the Bar
You may be familiar with health professionals suggesting that you eat snacks throughout the day, and 'snack bars' seem like an obvious choice. But walk into that aisle of the grocery store and you are bombarded with bright colors, health claims, and messages on each and every box. Which ones are better choices and which ones are more like camouflaged candy bars?
One main ingredient to look for in snack items is fiber. It helps fill you up and keep your system moving. Current recommendations suggest that adults need 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. A product or a food item can be labeled "high fiber" when it contains more than 5g of fiber per serving. And bran, the outer layer of the whole grain, is fiber rich. However, they don't make it easy - just seeing the words "fiber" or "bran" on the food package does not guarantee a well-balanced product.
In addition to a good amount of fiber, you also want a snack bar to have several grams of protein and fat to balance out the carbohydrates from the grains and not to have too many grams of sugar (aim for 10 grams or less).
Quaker makes an easy lesson for us with its "Breakfast Cookies." At least they are not hiding anything with this product - with 220 calories and 19 grams of sugar, this breakfast item surely is just a cookie fortified with a handful of vitamins. You will find that other bars are often little more than vitamin-fortified Rice Krispies Treats.
The new Oats and Chocolate Fiber One Bar touts 35% of the daily value of fiber in huge print on the front of the box. I give this product an honorable mention. With drizzled chocolate on top and chocolate chips inside, this bar is a sweet and tasty treat. The nutritional information is 140 calories and 9 grams of fiber, but it also has 10 grams of sugar and only 2 grams of protein. In addition, these bars contain high fructose corn syrup, as well as hydrogenated coconut oil. On the other hand, I highly recommend Fiber One cereal as a breakfast food or snack (mix with nuts and dried fruit for a fantastic homemade trail mix). One-half cup has only 60 calories and 15 grams of fiber.
All-Bran also has a bar that I will give an honorable mention. It advertises 20% of your daily fiber needs on the package. Each bar has about 130 calories, 5 grams of fiber, only half a gram of saturated fat, and no refined grains. It has moderately high sugar at 11 grams, but at least it comes with a decent dose of fiber. In contrast, Post Raisin Bran Cereal Bars have only 3 grams of fiber and some refined "wheat flakes" mixed in with their whole grains. Even lower on the continuum would be Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch bars - they have more white rice than any whole grain, leaving each bar with only one gram of fiber. Why even use bran in the name of that bar?
Kashi is a current favorite brand of mine. They now have hot and cold cereals, granola bars, snack bars, and yes, you heard it here, cookies!, all made with their signature seven-grain blend. A cookie with 3-4 grams of fiber may be a nutritionists dream come true. Their TLC crunchy and chewy granola bars, as well as their GoLean snack bars are great choices for snacks on the run. The granola bars have 4 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, and 5-7 grams of sugar. The snack bars have 6 grams of fiber and 9-12 grams of protein. (Numbers vary depending on the flavor). In addition, all of the ingredients are natural - no manufactured sugars or hydrogenated oils.
As you can see, it is all relative. Kashi remains my top choice of brand. However, keep in mind these guidelines when checking food labels: Look for at least 4 or 5 grams of fiber and protein and less than 10 grams of sugar. Read over the ingredient list. Is it nice and short? Can you pronounce all of the words? Going with the old adage that "we are what we eat," it is nice to at least be able to pronounce what we are putting inside our bodies.
Snack on! Without constant sources of energy throughout the day, your mental clarity and mood are sure to suffer. If you don't believe it - ask your coworkers or family. They may hint at a few mood swings, depending on the last time you have eaten that day.
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Saturday, November 26, 2011
Ten Fun and Creepy Halloween Party Snacks
It doesn't matter if you have a big family or if you're on your own... Halloween is one of the most fun holidays ever invented. But if you are a busy mom (and your house is the one house on the block where everyone goes for Halloween parties) you may be looking for some quick and easy Halloween party snacks to have ready for kids, visitors, guests, and freeloading adult friends during the Halloween season.
Looking for some new ideas for festive snacks that don't take a hundred years (or work your fingers to the bone) to put together? The ten Halloween party snack ideas below are lots of fun, simple to make... and some of them are even healthy!
1. Rotting Eyes and Severed Fingers
This is a very healthy but rather creepy Halloween party snack that makes good use of black olives and baby carrots. Arrange the black olives and baby carrots on a party tray with a bowl of your favorite dip (I like a cream cheese veggie dip). Inform your party guests that the tray is filled with rotting black eyes and severed fingers. And then watch this snack disappear. A good way to get your kids excited about veggies!
2. Jack o' Lantern Oranges
This healthy treat is so easy to make, and looks so pretty! Carve jack-o'-lantern faces into oranges and place on a platter. The kids will love it. And they can help, too, without ever having to pick up a knife. Have them simply draw the faces on with a black marker, and carve them yourself. Or don't worry about carving them-- they look just as good with faces drawn on.
As a variation of this fun Halloween party snack, I like to hollow out an orange with a Jack o' Lantern face and fill it with fruit salad. Healthy, easy and quick!
3. Easy Bugs in the Bone Yard
This is such a fun Halloween snack for the kiddos. All you have to do? Sprinkle raisins into a bowl full of white-chocolate covered pretzels. (You could also use chocolate covered raisins.) Kids will eat them up once they learn the name of this snack. Or they'd eat it up anyway, since this mix tastes divine.
4. Slimy Halloween Jigglers
You know those Jello jiggler molds? They work great for Halloween! Either use whatever you have lying around the house, or go out and pick up a brain or a heart-shaped Jello mold. Make up a batch of orange, black, purple, or flesh-colored Jello and pour into your mold(s). Or make a flat pan of Jello and cut out shapes with Halloween cookie cutters instead.
5. Ghost Cereal Bars
Prepare a batch of the Rice Krispies marshmallow treats recipe on the back of the cereal box. When the mixture has set up, cut out shapes with ghost shaped cookie cutter. Pour warm white frosting or melted white chocolate over the shapes to cover. Add M&M eyes and mouth. A delicious and easy Halloween party snack.
6. Green Gelatin Intestines
This is one of the grosser looking Halloween party snacks. Make lime gelatin and add pineapple bits, chopped marshmallows, sliced bananas and mandarin oranges. Pour gelatin mixture into an angel food cake pan and let set up. Invert pan to remove gelatin mold. Slice the mold horizontally into about 5 layers. Slice the layers in half and arrange on a platter in semi-circles to look like intestines. Gross!
7. Spooky Healthy Eyeballs
This Halloween party snack is both easy and healthy. Wash a bunch of green grapes. Insert a raisin into the stem end of the grapes and freeze them all until ready to serve.
8. Monster Crackers
Color some white vegetable spread or cream cheese with green food coloring and spread on your favorite crackers. Arrange small bits of green and red bell peppers to make a green-eyed, red-mouthed cracker monster. Use small amounts of broccoli sprouts to make the monster hair. A sneaky way to get kids eating their veggies.
9. Wormy Halloween Punch Recipe
No respectable Halloween party snack list would do with out having this squeamish punch. Just make green Kool-Aid and put in a clear glass punch bowl. Set the punch bowl on top of a glow necklace so the light shines through the punch bowl. Add some gummy worms and watch the kids squirm when they see it.
10. Vampire Blood
You use V8 juice for this one so it is healthier than the wormy punch above. Pour the V8 juice in a clear picture that you have labeled as "Vampire Blood." For an adult party, add the ingredients for a bloody Mary, if you like. For a kids' party, well... good luck getting them to try it. It is V8, after all!
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011
How to Make Rice Krispies Squares 2 Ways
Visit my blog at www.overthekitchencounter.com for more info on cooking and crafts! Sure, it's easy to make Rice Krispies Squares but you can make them even better by using good quality ingredients (think real butter and best-quality vanilla) and you can even make them a little bit healthier with the addition of a couple ingredients!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Save Time with No-Bake Cookies
Whether you don't want to heat up the kitchen or the demands of getting the kids out the door are upon you, it's nice to have a few no-bake cookie recipes on hand. We thought we would share some of our favorites with you.
Cranberry Coconut Bars
This first recipe, Cranberry Coconut Bars, is more of a big kid cookie-it has too much fruit and too many nuts in it to suit most youngsters. But it so scrumptious and easy, we had to include it. If you are making a lunch for a spouse or a teenager, we think this will be a hit. Of course, it doesn't have to go in a lunch pail.
This is a microwave cookie that can be mixed right in the baking pan. How's that for convenience?
If you are not fond of dried cranberries, consider substituting dates, raisins, or chopped apricot pieces in this recipe.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup walnut pieces
Directions
1. Place butter in an 8-inch square, microwave-safe baking dish. Microwave until the butter is melted.
2. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Press the mixture firmly into the dish.
3. Microwave for three to five minutes or until lightly browned. If your microwave does not have a rotating carousel, rotate the dish twice during cooking.
4. Let the cookies cool and then cut them into bars with a sharp knife. Wrap them individually to pack in a lunch.
This recipe will make sixteen 2 x 2-inch squares.
This next recipe makes a great kid cookie. It's almost confection-like but is so packed with energy and hearty oats that you won't mind giving your youngster a few. This cookie is best with a tall glass of milk.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Drops
This is a range-top cookie. Because it is a no-baker and so full of energy, it makes a great camping cookie.
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cocoa
2 1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for two more minutes stirring constantly and then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla, then the oats.
3. Let cool for several minutes and then drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the waxed paper.
More No-Bakers
When thinking of no-bake cookies, don't forget the perennial favorites, Rice Krispie Treats and Frosted Graham Crackers. We're assuming everyone has the recipe for Rice Krispie Treats. Consider adding chocolate chips, dried fruit pieces, or cinnamon candies for a little pizzazz.
To make Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats, melt 2/3 cup chocolate chips (for a recipe calling for six cups of cereal) with the marshmallows and butter. This is a real favorite-our kids like these more than regular Rice Krispie Treats and they are no more difficult to make.
For Frosted Graham Crackers, simply pick your favorite frosting and sandwich that between two graham cracker squares. Pick a frosting with a powdered-sugar base that will set up firm and won't be messy.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Vegan Rice Krispie Treats!
Making vegan rice krispie treats with Dandies Vegan Marshmallows! I wanted to do a quick demo of how well our vegan marshmallows work for classic Rice Krispie Treats. I used the recipe straight from the box. Timeless and perfect! Dandies are a new vegan marshmallow (free of any animal based ingredients). They are available now online and at various retailers across the country. Please check welovesoy.com for more information. Music by Ben Weasel and His Iron String Quartet (track is "In a Few Days"). Borrowed without permission.
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