Secrets to Standout Sweet and Sour Chicken The secret is in the chicken marinade, specifically using egg whites and cornstarch, which creates a super-light coating all around the chicken. It won’t be a crunchy, deep fried coating. But we think it’s a nice alternative, both texture-wise and weight-wise! Just like our Shrimp Fried Rice recipe, a very hot pan is essential to making this Sweet and Sour Chicken so that the chicken can sear quickly....

Why is It Called al Pastor? Tacos al pastor means “shepherd-style tacos.” The influence comes from Lebanese immigrants to Mexico, who brought the shawarma, thinly sliced meat stacked and roasted on a slowly turning vertical spit roast. Shawarma is traditionally prepared with lamb, hence the shepherd reference. Tacos al pastor are prepared with foundational Mexican ingredients, such as chiles, achiote paste, and pork. The Traditional Tacos al Pastor The meat for tacos al pastor is thinly pounded pork steaks tightly stacked in a vertical spit roast with a whole peeled pineapple placed at the top....

Tempeh bacon is a smoky, salty, and slightly sweet plant-based alternative to bacon. It’s easy to make at home and doesn’t require much hands-on time. Marinate the tempeh one day ahead, then bake or fry it just before serving. I make a batch on Sunday mornings, then I get to enjoy a few slices for breakfast over the next few days. A little goes a long way since it is highly flavorful and well-seasoned....

Layer on Thanksgiving, a giant food holiday squished between busy traveling (or a regular workday for those that aren’t taking off) and mingling with guests, and I am frazzled. What are we supposed to eat for dinner the rest of the week? There’s a bright side! Not all delicious, nourishing, and worthy meals require a pan, a stove, or an oven. Slapping together a cold sandwich, pressing buttons on the microwave, and tossing a salad, are all making dinner too and what I’m leaning on this week....

“Having a toaster is a huge time saver. The alternative is either an oven, which requires more time to preheat, or a microwave, which changes the texture of food,” says Nicole Pomije, a professional baker and founder of The Cookie Cups outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Some criteria I would consider when purchasing a toaster include the size, range of shade settings, and design.” My husband and I use our 2-slice toaster every single day....

It’s important to keep in mind that Ninja approaches blenders a little differently than most manufacturers. It offers something unique with each option. Maybe it’s a super-powerful motor. Maybe it’s several accessories that go with your base. Maybe it’s a host of programs, which allow you to make silky sauces, delicious smoothies, and even cook soup. Because it can tackle multiple culinary tasks with ease, the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ is our top choice....

There are a few features that set over-the-range microwaves apart from your standard countertop and newer drawer models. For starters, these appliances won’t take up precious real estate on your countertop, they double as ventilating range hoods, and—because there are hundreds of models out there—it won’t be challenging to find one that will match your existing stovetop and kitchen aesthetic. The number one thing to look for in an over-the-range microwave is the size....

Popsicle molds are typically made of silicone or plastic and come in different shapes and sizes. Some are even designed to make sure getting your popsicle out is a breeze, such as our top pick Zoku Classic Pop Molds. Besides convenience, using popsicle molds to make your own frozen pops means you can experiment with different flavors and ingredients like juice, fruit and vegetable purees, yogurt, plus add-ins like granola or sprinkles....

Buying a smaller coffee machine does come with a few drawbacks. You won’t usually find fancier features like specific brewing temperature or espresso add-ons. But what these lack in size, they make up for in simplicity. With the help of expert input from coffee professionals, I’ve found the best small coffee makers that provide consistency, ease of use, and streamlined silhouettes for simple storage. What We Don’t Love: Can only brew up to 3 cups at a time Our top pick for a small coffee maker comes in the form of the sleek, speedy, and manually operated AeroPress, an established favorite among baristas and coffee connoisseurs....

The birthday boy adores Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce and has specifically requested it for his birthday dinner so of course, I had to add them to the meal plan. It makes a big batch which is nice because I know I can quickly reheat it for weekday lunches now that everyone is working and schooling at home. I’m also making these chocolate cupcakes, you can’t have a birthday without chocolate....

If you’re meant to relax on a holiday, my family didn’t know anything about that. On Seollal, we converted our kitchen into an industrious mandu factory. We set up a hand-cranked pasta machine to roll out sheets of dough. The sheets were cut into dumpling wrappers using bright red Nestlé instant coffee jar lids we recycled to double as cutters. We formed hundreds of dumplings—round ones for soup and half-moon shaped ones for steaming or frying....

This watermelon granita is an icy, refreshing treat that is at once light and satiating. It’s sweet without being cloyingly so, and has a fresh, bright, lightly acidic taste. A watermelon granita is the perfect ending to a barbecue or cookout meal, makes for an excellent mid-afternoon chilled treat, and even works as a frozen cocktail base. It’s kid friendly, but also sophisticated enough to serve for a dinner party....

Recently, I discovered that green split peas also come in a yellow variety. Simmer these along with a handful of Indian spices, and you have a bright, filling vegetarian supper. Yellow Split Pea Tips Look for yellow split peas at any well-stocked grocery store, especially one with a good selection of Indian ingredients. Store any split peas not used for this recipe in an airtight container in a cool place and use with a year....

A spiralizer, or a spiral vegetable slicer. It’s basically a lathe that lets you turn a cylindrical vegetable such as zucchini or sweet potato into “noodles”, or in the case of zucchini, “zoodles”. I love pasta as much as anyone, but the truth is my body will not cooperate and let me eat as much pasta as I want without undesired consequences. So, the idea of making noodles with zucchini?...

Don’t have an air fryer? No worries, you can still make these! New to the air fryer? Check out our First Timer’s Guide to Using an Air Fryer. What Kind of Figs Should I Use? This recipe works best with dried figs. Fresh figs are very juicy and have a tendency to make a huge mess when they are fried or exposed to really high heat. If you are lucky enough to have fresh figs around, just snack on them raw!...

Our basil got a late start but is now happily bursting out of the raised beds, requiring daily snipping. Those two—tomatoes and basil—such perfect partners in the garden, and on the plate. Here’s a quick and easy, kid-pleasing angel hair pasta dish we made recently with chopped canned clams and cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden. I say “kid pleasing” because my 16-year old nephew gobbled it up and came back for more....

But I figured it out! If you want an exceptionally creamy filling in quiche, use all heavy cream. That might seem obvious, but in all my quiches before this, I used either a mix of cream and milk or all half-and-half, and it was never quite right. I’ve found that you also need to pay attention to the egg-to-cream ratio: 1/4 cup of cream per egg is just right. I now make my quiches by beating four eggs with a single cup of heavy cream....

I picked up this fillet at Whole Foods (they usually have a good selection of fresh fish) where they told me that the lingcod had just come in that morning. With this lemon-garlic butter sauce it was divine. More Seafood Recipes to Try! Grilled Shrimp With Lemon Pepper Couscous Shrimp Cakes Quick Easy Fish Stew Fresh Salmon Salad Grilled Swordfish Steaks With Lemon Oregano Marinade The sauce recipe makes 1-1/2 cups, about twice as much as you’ll need....

The flavor is all in the crust, a mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, Panko breadcrumbs, and spices—perfect to liven up tilapia, or another mild white fish like snapper or cod. We originally made the recipe paired with a mixed berry sauce, just a simple reduction of mixed berries, a little sugar, and water. The sauce is fabulous with the fish, though I think it sounds kind of weird. Who puts a berry sauce on white fish?...