Delicious Ways to Transition Your Favorite Comfort Foods to Summer

The weather's getting warmer, but that doesn't mean you have to give up these comforting classics. Here's how to give them a summertime makeover.

Grilled cheese

Give your oozing grilled cheese a crunchy summer makeover by adding tomato, basil, and dill. Try this recipe by SuperHealthyKids. This is how one Food Network chef makes the perfect grilled cheese.

Mac and cheese

Everyone's cold-weather favorite? Mac and cheese. Make it a BBQ side dish by adding corn, zucchini, and queso. Try this summery recipe by TheFoodInMyBeard. You won't want to miss how Guy Fieri makes his favorite mac and cheese dish, either.

Hot tomato soup

While a frozen soup is arguably way different than hot soup, we say it's worth a try. Try this Bellalimento shot-glass version as an appetizer at your next hot-weather get-together. Not sold? These are the best and worst hot soups for weight loss.

Lasagna

No one wants a sweltering kitchen in the middle of the summer. But that doesn't mean you should have to sacrifice lasagna. Try this no-bake recipe by Taste of Home.

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This Is the Secret to Making Amazing DIY Microwave Popcorn

Microwave popcorn couldn't be easier (and healthier) when you use this method.

Most of us have enjoyed the buttery goodness of microwave popcorn by simply unfolding a bag and pressing the “popcorn” button. Unfortunately, that buttery goodness can be a chemcialized butter flavor with additives and ingredients that less healthy than popping corn the old-fashioned way. Microwave bags aren’t much better either. When bags of microwave popcorn are heated, they emit fine and ultrafine particles that may come with health risks, Yifang Zhu, associate professor of the environmental health sciences department in UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told Time. Exposure to high levels of the chemicals found in the bags has been linked to lung disease among those who work in popcorn manufacturing, Time reported. We asked Sonali Ruder, MD, who is also a chef and blogger at thefoodiephysician.com how to make an amazing (and simple) bag of healthy microwave popcorn. Here’s the recipe she gave us.

Microwave Popcorn

Makes 1 serving Ingredients: 1/4 cup popcorn kernels* 1/4 teaspoon oil Pinch of salt Yellow and white popcorn are a bit different in appearance but not in nutrition profiles. Yellow kernels are larger and take longer to cook. They also have a tougher hull and chewier. White is smaller, lighter, and crispier than yellow. Choose a non-GMO variety like Bob’s Red Mill. Directions: Toss the popcorn kernels in a small bowl with the oil and a pinch of salt. Pour the contents into a brown paper lunch bag. Fold the bag over a couple of times and then fold the corners in so that the bag doesn’t open during cooking. Place the bag upright in the microwave and set the “cook” button for about 2 minutes. Turn off the microwave when the popping slows down to about two kernels between pops – otherwise, you risk scorching it. Take the bag out of the microwave and open it carefully, watching out for hot steam. Pour the popcorn into a bowl and toss with seasonings of your choice. The heat will maximize the absorption of the seasoning’s flavor. Personalize Your Popcorn The beauty of this recipe is its so versatile. The basic recipe is tasty on its own but you can the toppings are limited only by your taste buds. What’s also fun about this recipe is that it makes an individual portion so everyone can make their own bag, the way they like it! Set out melted butter, olive oil or toasted sesame oil, spices, cheeses and dried fruit and have everyone sprinkle on their own combos. Here’s some ideas:

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9 Chocolate Chip Cookie Hacks You Need in Your Life Right Now

Whether you like them gooey, chewy, or crispy, chocolate chip cookies never fail to please. Make your next batch better than ever with these deliciously brilliant hacks. Yum!

"To make the perfect chocolate chip cookie, make sure you use high-quality chocolate chips," says Nicole Bandklayder, creator of The Cookie Cups. "It will make a huge difference in the taste, and your friends or guests will wonder how you make them SO good! Don't go cheap!" As for what kind of chocolate chips to buy, Serious Eats did the work for you. In a blind taste test of semisweet chocolate chips, top marks went to Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Chunks, and Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips was voted the best supermarket brand. While you're making your batch, try adding these secret ingredients for absolutely irresistible chocolate chips.

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The Science-Backed Secret to Enjoying Any Meal More

Eating spaghetti and meatballs as your main dish? You might want to start with egg drop soup.

The days of Italian wedding soup followed by pasta carbonara and a tiramisu for dessert are about to be long gone. In this multicultural world, your cuisines no longer have to match, and in fact, that’s what makes them more enjoyable, according to a new study from Drexel University.

“I was at a very nice restaurant and I remember really enjoying the first course, but being underwhelmed with the second,” says study co-author Jacob Lahne, PhD, an assistant professor and food researcher at Drexel University. “It was this really weird experience because objectively it was really good, but it was kind of boring, so I wanted to know why this occurred.”

Lahne’s study looked at whether the disparity in how much we like certain courses could be lessened or completely eliminated by serving up a mismatch of cuisine, instead of say, all French, or all Chinese. In the study, nearly 150 study participants were served a two-course meal featuring an appetizer of either Thai tom kha soup or Italian minestrone, followed by a main dish of Italian “pasta aglio e oilio” (pasta with garlic and oil). The researchers added another nuance by also serving both “good” and “mediocre” versions of each soup to test subtle differences.

As the research team expected, participants who were served the Thai tom kha soup—either the tasty or mediocre versions—liked the Italian main dish equally, meaning that the quality of the soup didn’t impact their enjoyment of the meal overall. Among participants who were served the Italian minestrone appetizer, those who started with the mediocre soup enjoyed the overall meal more than those who started with the tastier minestrone soup. Researchers believe this is because “we would compare the main course to the appetizer and think, ‘wow, this entree is disappointing compared to the appetizer,”‘ says study co-author Debra Zellner, PhD, professor of psychology at Montclair State University, but that doesn’t happen when the appetizer wasn’t so great.

So what does this mean for you? Whether you’re dining out or looking to cook something new, you’ll enjoy your meal a lot more if you mismatch your cuisine types. If you want Indian chicken tikka masala for your main course, why not try a Greek appetizer or a French dessert? Or how about adding a Morrocan soup or Mexican side salad to go with your Italian entree? Mismatching your cuisine should be fun. “The idea is that they should not go together so that each course is a separate experience,” Dr. Zellner says.

You might try this out on friends at family at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. Just make sure to check out the answers to the 20 most-asked Thanksgiving questions first!

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Tricks to Cut Back on Food Waste (and Save Money)

A shocking 40 percent of food in the United States ends up not on your dinner table, but in the trash. That means we're not only wasting food but money, too, to the tune of $164 billion each year. To top it off, the foods rotting in landfills are the single largest component of U.S.municipal solid waste. Learn how to stop wasting food, save money, and make the world a healthier place.

Give leftovers new life

Leftovers again? Give them a tasty second life by turning them into something new. Take roast chicken. The next day, shred the leftover for tacos or cut-up and toss in a salad. When you've cleaned up all the meat, toss the chicken carcass in a large pot or slow cooker. Add water, spices, and chopped veggies to make stock. Leftover beef or pot roast from Sunday dinner? "Turn leftover beef or pork roast into soup or pulled beef/pork dish for an easy meal the next day or slow cook the leftovers in water with onion and garlic overnight and freeze as a base for a future meal," says Heather McCurdy, creator of Real: The Kitchen and Beyond. Leaving town for a few days? Instead of returning to a smelly fridge and tossing the contents in the trash, McCurdy suggests freezing any leftovers. You'll have a meal ready to thaw and heat when you return exhausted from a trip.

Use vegtable scraps to grow new food

Seriously! You can reduce food waste and simultaneously grow new food from the scraps you would normally toss in the trash. Romaine lettuce, green onions, bok choy, celery, fennel, garlic chives, cabbage, leeks, and lemongrass can all be regrown with just a bit of water. "Save and place the core or trimmed end of the food in a jar or bowl of water," says Stephanie Merchant and founder of thenutritionmom.com. "Replace the water daily to keep it clean and look for new growth." What about the scraps you can't regrow? Broccoli stems are great in stir fries, soups and stews, and for juicing. The core of a fresh pineapple is too tough to eat but you can chop it up and use for a smoothie or toss the chunks into your water bottle for a flavor boost. Check out these 10 natural flavored water recipes.

Serve dinner on small plates

Kids are notorious for wasting food. It's the whole "eyes are bigger than their stomach" mentality. It moves them to put mountains of food on their plate, only to leave most of it behind, says Stacy Haynes Ed.D, LPC, of Little Hands Family Services in Turnersville New Jersey. To combat this, she recommends serving meals on smaller plates. This works great for young children because they are more inclined to eat all the food when it is on a little plate. It has a great benefit for adults too because we can trick ourselves into eating less by managing portion control.

Double down at meal prep

If you're already chopping the veggies, washing the lettuce, and making pasta, why not make extra for lunches or future meals? "Consider what happens when you don't use the other half of that onion or leaves of lettuce," says Lauren Feingold, co-founder of the Shanti Bar. If you do't use it immediately, chances are you'll toss it a few days later, she says. Feingold suggests giving leftovers a new flavor profile by spicing it up with hot chilies, fresh ginger, or soy sauce.

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This Is How to Bake a Box Cake When You’re Missing One or More of the Ingredients

Box cakes are a simple alternative to breaking out all the baking supplies in your home. They’re effortless; most recipes call for just water, oil, eggs, and in some cases, butter. So what do you do when you’ve mixed the water and oil and just realized you don’t have any eggs? Follow these simple substitutions.

If you’re missing eggs, try pureed fruit. Because eggs help your cake to rise and keep it moist, they can be difficult to replace. Fortunately, most box-cake mixes include powder leavening agents that will pick up some of the slack. Replace each egg your recipe calls for with one smashed banana or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Note that the change in ingredients could slightly disrupt the texture of your cake, or the amount of time it takes to bake.

If you’re missing oil, try melted butter. Some experts say using melted butter as a replacement for oil improves the taste and texture of box cakes. Use the same measurement of butter as the recipe calls for in oil.

If you want to replace water, try milk. If you’re baking a white cake, consider adding milk instead of water. This simple swap will add density and flavor to your cake.

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The Frosting Hack That Will Change Your Cake Game Forever

Use this cheap, simple trick to give your cake professional-looking results in minutes.

Frosting a cake can be a messy job, with uneven globs of frosting that never seem to turn out like the Pinterest-perfect picture next to the recipe. But this trick from sweetcsdesigns.com will give you clean results, and it even uses store-bought frosting to save you time.

Once your unfrosted cake has cooled, transfer a can of icing into a microwave-safe bowl and nuke it at 15-second intervals until it is melted but not hot. Let it cool down for a couple minutes so it’s not warm but still keeps its liquid consistency.

Place your cake on a cookie rack with a flexible cutting board underneath—this process gets a bit messy, but the board will make it easy to get any frosting drips back into your bowl so you can reuse it.

Now, pour about a quarter of the icing over the cake in a circular motion. The icing should pour nicely over the cake, giving it a smooth coating. If it seems too runny and drips right off, let it cool down for a little longer before pouring again.

After the icing has hardened for about 10 minutes, pop the unused frosting back in the microwave for another 15 seconds and pour more over the cake once it has cooled down. Repeat once more if you’d like a thicker coating. Any lumps can be smoothed out with a knife or spatula. You’ll end up with a lovely cake that looks even better with a generous smattering of sprinkles.

This method works on cupcakes, too. Just leave the wrappers off when you bake them, and you can create cupcakes coated on all sides without getting frosting all over your nose.

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10 Cooking Tricks Only a Diner Can Teach You

Steal these secrets for your own kitchen.

We love diners for their homey, no-nonsense food. But sometimes it seems like a magic show, doesn’t it? The menu is massive and yet, each and every item is perfectly executed. No, it’s not fancy, but it’s the kind of food you wish you could recreate at home.

Well, take a few tips from the diner rule book and your cooking can mimic some of the most-loved menu classics.

1)Aim for Extra-Crispy Bacon.

Thick-cut bacon doesn’t have any place in a BLT, and a good diner knows this. The best BLT is made with thin, super-crispy bacon that gives the sandwich the crunch it needs. Same goes for just that simple side of bacon—it should practically shatter when you bite into it.

2)Embrace White Bread.

It’s nothing fancy, but thick-sliced white bread makes a mean French toast. Most times you can find a thick slab of challah or brioche, but they’re also using regular ol’ white bread, and there should be no shame in you using it too.

3)Cook Your Onions Separately for Home Fries.

The best home fries are speckled with crispy, caramelized onions. To achieve this, you actually need to cook those onions separately before adding them to the potatoes so they have plenty of time (and space in the skillet) to caramelize.

4)Use Plenty of Butter for Crispy Hash Browns.

If you’re on Team Hash Brown, you know they need to be extra-crispy. Diners accomplish this by making sure the shredded potatoes are as dry as possible before they’re cooked (which is achieved by squeezing them out) and by using a generous knob of butter.

5)Let Your Pancake Batter Rest.

Since diners are flipping pancakes 24/7, they have the batter ready to go at all times. This means the batter has usually sat for at least a few hours, which allows it to thicken up and results in pancakes that are extra-tender and fluffy. Recreate this at home by making your batter the night before and letting it rest, either in a cool, dark spot in your kitchen or in your refrigerator.

6)Warm Your Plates.

Hot food, hot plate. Good diners aren’t plopping their fluffy scrambled eggs onto an ice-cold plate—they’re spooning them onto one that’s nice and warm, so the food stays warm too. Go ahead and tuck your plates into a warm oven for a few minutes before using them.

7)Work On a Flat-Top Griddle for the Best Omelet.

From pancakes to grilled cheese sandwiches to omelets, diners use a flat-top for practically everything. The large surface area means you can spread your eggs out nice and thin, resulting in an omelet that’s practically crêpe-like.

8)Add a Shot of Syrup to Your Milkshakes.

The secret to the most vanilla-flavored vanilla milkshake is that shot of vanilla syrup the diner cook snuck in while making it. Of course, that also means that the addition of a little chocolate syrup in a chocolate milkshake is also brilliant.

9)When In Doubt, Grill Your Sandwich.

Tuna melts, patty melts—everything’s better as a melt. A grilled cheese proves this point; if it wasn’t grilled until the cheese melted and the bread got toasty, it would just be a cheese sandwich. The best way to make a sandwich better, particularly if there is cheese involved, is to grill it.

10)Smash Your Burger Patty.

Diner-style burgers get their glorious crispy edges as a result of being griddled and smashed. Don’t be afraid to do the same when making burgers inside, on the stovetop: Smash the patties flat with a large spatula as soon as they hit the skillet.

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How to Preserve Your Summer Fruits

Do you have more fruit than you know what to do with? Try making preserves, jam, or jelly

You don’t need to be a canning expert to make fruit preserve, you just need to know how to boil and stir. Preserves are basically fruit that is cooked in a thick sugar syrup, and once the preserves are made, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, frozen for a couple of months, or canned and stored for a couple of years.

What about jam and jelly? Jams and jellies have a thicker consistency than preserves because of pectin, a substance found in most fruits, but often in modest amounts. You can add pectin by stirring in a box of pectin product, which you can find with the canning supplies in supermarkets. For jellies, the pectin is added after the juice has been extracted from the fruit.

Because they have plenty of pectin and sugar, jams and jellies are easy to can in a waterbath canner, which can be any large pot in which the filled and capped hot canning jars can be covered with at least 1 inch of water and held at the simmering point for about 10 minutes. Here are the basic steps:

Step 1:  Prepare the fruit using a recipe from any basic cookbook. Citrus rinds, spices, and other flavors can be added to create slightly different taste twists. While the fruit is cooking with sugar, sterilize canning jars and lids in another pot of boiling water. Keep the sterilized jars warm by placing them in a pan in a 250˚ oven.

Step 2:  Fill the jars to within ½ inch of the tops with the prepared preserves, jam, or jelly. To make sure jam is ready to put into jars, pour ½ tablespoon of boiling jam onto a plate. Let it cool and slant the plate. If the jam doesn’t slide, it’s ready to be put up. If it slides easily, cook it a bit longer. Hot jelly is easier to put in jars if you pour it into a Pyrex or other heat resistant glass pitcher first.

Step 3:  Keep lids and rubber seals in simmering water before putting them on the hot jars. Screw the tops on firmly and place the jars in gently boiling water for 10 minutes. Don’t let hot-packed jars cool before processing in a waterbath canner. Once they lose their heat, they can crack when submerged in hot water.

Step 4:  Remove the jars and let them cool. Listen for the telltale pop that lets you know that the jars are sealing. Recheck all jars the day after canning. If there’s a slight depression in the lid and a jar gives off a light “ping” when tapped, it’s firmly sealed. If any processed jars failed to seal, place them in the refrigerator and use the contents within two weeks.

Note:  Because of their acidity, properly sterilized fruit preserves rarely become contaminated by bacteria. But to be safe, store them in a basement or other area where temperatures stay between 50˚ and 70˚ F. Before serving check the jar. Discard if the contents seem foamy or discolored, if the lid bulges or is misshaped, or if the rim is leaking. Odd odors, mold, or spurting liquid are also warnings to steer clear.

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7 Tricks to Keep Fruits and Vegetables Fresh Longer

Purge that guilt over food waste (and save cash and time grocery shopping) with these smart tricks to make your produce last longer.

Onions: Wrap in pantyhose

It sounds strange, but the mesh-like material allows just enough air to reach the vegetable, which helps them stay fresh. Simply slip the onions into the nylons, tying a knot between each bulb. Tip: Use a new pair of pantyhose to avoid any foot odors in your next stew. Here are more strangely awesome ways to use pantyhose (besides wearing them!).

Potatoes: Store with apples

Apples produce ethylene gas that can keep your spuds fresh for more than eight weeks. Say goodbye to those pesky sprouts that pop up on potatoes after just a few weeks.

Berries: Rinse with vinegar

Before you stash them in the fridge, wash strawberries, raspberries, and other berries with a mix of vinegar and water (think a 1:3 ratio). This disinfects against mold, which can lengthen shelf life by weeks. Then rinse with water and dry thoroughly. Here are other genius uses for vinegar.

Lettuce: Store with paper towel

Prepared a bit too much lettuce for your salad? Store leftover leaves in a bowl with a paper towel on top, then seal with plastic wrap. The towel absorbs moisture, which is what turns leaves soggy and brown. Replace the towel when it becomes damp. Another trick: Sprinkle the leaves with a dash of salt, which also helps draw out extra wetness.

Avocado: Squirt with lemon

Avocado contains enzymes that produce a brown pigment when exposed to oxygen, which is why that halved avocado looks unappetizing so soon after its stored. To avoid this, squirt it with lemon or lime juice. (You can also do this on guacamole.) The citric acid will help prevent browning for at least a day. You could also store avocado slices with large chunks of onion. The same gasses that make your eyes burn when you chop an onion also prevent oxidation in your avocado. As long as the onion touches only the skin of the avocado, there won’t be a noticeable flavor. These are amazing avocado benefits you might not know about.

Carrots: Store with water

To avoid that dried-out look old carrots tend to get, first chop off the leafy greens if you bought your carrots whole (the leaves can pull nutrients out of the roots). Carrots do best with moisture, so put them in a container filled with water, seal with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator. Or, wrap them in bubble wrap before stashing in the fridge: It will allow just enough moisture to reach the carrots if you prefer not to soak them in water. Check out these surprising health benefits of carrots: they're even better for you than you thought!

Lemons: Avoid cutting in half

If you need just a squeeze of citrus juice for your recipe or drink, puncture a whole lemon with a fork or skewer instead of cutting it in half. This way, you can squeeze out what you need without drying out the entire lemon. Here are dozens of ways to use lemons around your house.

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Cantaloupe Ice Pops Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed cantaloupe
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
12 plastic cups or Popsicle molds (3 ounces each)
12 Popsicle sticks

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine the first five ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Pour 1/4 cup into each cup or mold; insert Popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm. Yield: 1 dozen.

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Sol Kadi (Konkani Kokum Drink)

This is a famous drink from Maharashtra's Konkan region. Sol Kadi is drink which is made from Kokum or Aamsol and coconut milk. Sol kadi cools down the digestive system after eating spicy food. It is a natural digestive. Kokum itself is supposed to be an excellent antidote for acidity.

Ingredients

6- 8 kokum or aamsol

1 cup of fresh grated coconut

1 cup of hot water

2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp of ginger

1 - 2  green chillies

A pinch of asafoetida (heeng)

Rock Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Soak the kokum in about 3/4th cup water adding the heeng and salt. Keep aside for 3 - 4 hours.

Grind the grated coconut, garlic and chillies together with little water in a blender or mixer. When it grinds to a thick paste like texture, squeeze the 'milk' out of the paste and keep aside.

Add another 3/4th cup of water to the dry remains and run the mixer again for a minute or so. Again extract the milk - adding to the original extract.

Repeat this process two to three times till basically all the 'milk' gets extracted from the coconut .

NOTE :This process can be repeated a couple of times, but bear in mind that the milk gets thinner with every consecutive extraction.

Discard the kokum from the water, add the coconut milk mixture into the kokum water, mix well to get a creamy pink coloured solkadhi.

Taste it and adjust seasoning as required.

Keep aside for an hour or more .

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Throw a Flawless Backyard Party: Some Tricks to Make It Look Effortless

Everything your need to know to secure a flyaway tablecloth and prevent bugs from diving into drinks.

Amplify music outside

No need to rent or borrow expensive sound equipment. Simply position your iPod doc or home speakers so that the speaker points toward the wall of your house (as opposed to facing out toward the yard). The sound will bounce off the wall and amplify to the perfect volume.

Find enough seating

If your patio furniture alone won't cut it, bring kitchen stools and dining room chairs outside. You might also consider renting furniture; folding chairs and tables can run between $1 and $6 a piece. For a cheaper option, ask neighbors if they would lend you their weatherproof furniture for the day. (Don't forget to invite them to the party and help them move the items you borrow.) Check out these tips to clean your patio and lawn furniture.

Let there be light

When the sun goes down, don't leave guests in the dark. Try stringing holiday twinkle lights in a straight line, X- or V-shape for an elegant look, or drape them across tree branches for a more whimsical feel. To prevent guests from tripping on extension cords, secure them the the ground. Bend a six-inch piece of wire into a U-shape, position it over the extension cord, and push the wire into the ground. Tiki torches and candles are other great ways to add light and create a warm atmosphere.

Secure a flyaway tablecloth

Don't let a little wind dictate how you set the table. Use a sewing machine (or even a few concealed safety pins) to add small pocket pouches to the inside corners of your tablecloth. Fill the pockets with stones to keep the tablecloth weighted down (see full instructions on Curbly). Another option: Stick Velcro onto the legs of your table and the corners of your tablecloth.

Keep bugs out of drinks

Don't let glasses of sangria become swimming pools for pests. Try this trick: place a cupcake liner over the top of a glass and poke a straw through the center. Keep things looking fresh by choosing a patterned liner and a pretty straw (see full instructions at Martha Stewart). Avoid cup chaos by placing a magic marker at your bar station. Guests can write their names on drinks.

Prevent full bellies before dinner

While everyone loves an amazing spread of appetizers, you also want guests to still be hungry come dinner. Let partygoers know what time you plan to serve the main course and remove appetizers approximately a half hour before. Replacing finger food with condiments and other toppings will send a subtle cue that the party is entering a new phase. Perfect your grilling technique with these expert tips.

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Recipes to Make with Fresh Blueberries

Toss blueberries in the slow cooker, pop them in the oven—these delicious treats range from classic to inventive. Whip one up today!

Lemon-blueberry pound cake

Pair a slice of this moist cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's a staple at our family barbecues. —Rebecca Little, Park Ridge, Illinois Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com

Cape Cod blueberry pie

We Northeasterners have been baking this pie since the 18th century. Settlers would’ve used little wild blueberries and topped it with cream. I do, too. —Nancy O'Connell, Biddeford, Maine Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com

Slow-cooked blueberry grunt

If you love blueberries, then you can't go wrong with this easy slow-cooked dessert. For a special treat, serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. —Cleo Gonske, Redding, California Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com

Luscious blueberry jam

This perfectly spreadable blueberry jam boasts a beautiful dark color with a sweet, seasonal flavor. —Karen Haen, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com

Glazed lemon blueberry muffins

Bursting with berries and drizzled with a light lemony glaze, these muffins are moist, tender, and truly something special. This is one recipe you simply must try for family and friends. —Kathy Harding, Richmond, Missouri Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com

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Genius Microwave Tricks: 7 Foods You Had No Clue You Could Nuke

Think your microwave is only good for heating frozen dinners? Use these microwave hacks to froth milk, soften sugar, whip up French toast, and more.

Speed Bread Making

Itching to make homemade pizza crust or bread? Yeast dough can take hours to rise at room temperature, but your microwave can proof yeast dough in about 15 minutes. Place an 8-ounce cup of water in the back of the microwave. Put the dough in a microwave-safe bowl in the center of the microwave and heat on the lowest power for three minutes. Let it sit in the microwave for three minutes. Heat the dough for three minutes more and then let it rest for six minutes. Your dough has now doubled in size and is ready for baking.

Concoct French toast

Care for brunch in five minutes? Rub a pat of butter on the bottom of a mug; fill to the top with chopped bread. In a separate cup, mix 1 egg, 3 tablespoons milk, and a sprinkle of cinnamon with a fork. Pour mixture into the cup and microwave for one minute.

Peel Garlic Quickly

Nuke garlic bulbs for 15 seconds and the skin will slide off like magic. The water in the garlic steams and breaks down the bond between the clove and the skin for fast removal.

Rescue Stale Bread

Oops! If you forgot to completely close your bread or bagel bag, simply wrap the loaf in a moist paper towel and zap it in the microwave for 20-second increments. The moisture from the towel will soak into the bread to make it taste fresh again, but not enough to make it soggy.

Juice Fruit With Ease

Before juicing an orange or lemon, microwave the uncut fruit for 10 seconds. The microwave will loosen the fibers inside the fruit and make it easier to juice every last drop.

De-clump Brown Sugar

When your brown sugar is as hard as a rock, try this. Moisten a paper towel, place it in the sugar bag, then zap in the microwave for 25 seconds. The moisture from the towel will transfer to the sugar and make it easier to scoop.

Smooth Crystallized Honey

If your glass jar of honey has crystallized in the back of your pantry, simply remove the lid, and heat it in the microwave in 30 to 40 second increments until it returns to its original smooth texture. Be sure to not microwave your honey in those plastic bear-shaped containers.

Peel Veggie Skin Faster

Hard squashes and root vegetables can be tough to peel. To make the job easier, place the vegetable in your microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on low power and the skin should be more pliable for peeling and cutting—just be careful when removing the hot veggie so you don't burn your fingers.

Slice onions easier

To avoid crying when chopping, wash an onion, trim its ends, and microwave for 30 seconds before cutting. You tear up while chopping onions because the knife damages the onion’s cells, causing the release of sulphuric gas. This gas reacts with tear ducts and irritates the eye. Heating the onion first breaks apart the enzymes that trigger the gas release.

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Moong Dal Chila

For the Cheela:

Ingredients:

2 cups split moong dal (without skin)

1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Olive oil/ghee

Method:

Wash the moong dal under running water, till water comes out clean. Then cover it with water and leave it to soak for 2 hours

Grind the moong dal in a food processor to make a fine paste. Add more water if required to get the consistency of crepe batter.

Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add oil or ghee and then swirl to coat all sides of the pan.

Pour a ladleful of the batter onto the pan and with the help of a ladle spread the it into a circular shape from the center outwards.

Cook for 2-3 minute till its underside is browned. Then flip it and cook till the other side is golden too.

Remove from pan and serve immediately with topping of your choice.

For topping option 1:

Ingredients:

100 gm mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp oil

100 gm paneer

Salt to taste

Freshly crushed black peppercorns

Method:

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, then add sliced paneer and cook from both sides. Remove from pan and keep it aside. 

Now add sliced mushrooms, cook for 5-6 minutes till mushrooms start to caramelize and add salt and crushed black peppers.

Remove from heat and keep aside.

For topping option 2:

Ingredients:

200 gm tofu

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1-2 pinch turmeric powder

1 tsp oil

Method:

Heat oil in another pan, add chopped onion and chilies. Cook for 2-3 minutes so that the onions are cooked but not browned.

Add turmeric powder and salt followed by crumbled tofu. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot!

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