First, you need to start with good quality “dry packed” scallops, or natural scallops, not “wet packed” that are soaked in preservatives. The scallops should be fresh and sweet smelling, not fishy, or you are buying scallops that are past their use-by date. To get a good sear, you need a strong burner, and a relatively stick-free pan that can withstand the heat, such as a well-seasoned cast iron pan, or a hard anodized aluminum pan....

This is an easy one-dish meal, baked on a sheet pan with broccoli. The miso butter is salty and rich, and it complements the sweet, slightly charred broccoli to a tee. If you like, serve them with baked or roasted potatoes. Which Salmon To Buy When you are buying salmon, ask for center-cut pieces of the fillet that are 6 to 7 ounces each. The center cut pieces are of a fairly even in thickness, so they will also cook evenly....

Light and easy dinners are popular in my Central Texan home. Cutting down on oven use, which heats up the house unbearably, is important to maintaining everyone’s good attitude. Heat = irritability. I’m also doing my best to introduce new cuisines and types of food, like Vietnamese-Style Noodles, while keeping favorites, such as Chicken Piccata, close at hand. New to Meal Planning? Start here! Need More Meal Planning Ideas? We Have You Covered!...

And then, just when I think I’ve mastered the calendar – the holidays roll around and I’m back on the hamster-wheel. The most powerful weapon I have in arsenal is my deep-freezer. As a food blogger, there’s always food that needs to be made, but not always the desire to actually make it – can you relate? On those days when I don’t want to cook dinner, I like the option of going to my freezer and grabbing a pre-made meal that can be thawed and re-heated....

But on a recent jaunt to San Francisco, of all places, I had an unexpected opportunity to try it. You can guess what happened next! I was in the city for work, but for all of my meals, I made a point to go out and tick another well-known San Francisco restaurant off of my bucket list. Arctic char amandine at Monsieur Benjamin? Check. The roast chicken at Zuni Cafe?...

Think of tofu scramble as a hearty yet healthy dish in its own right, and not a second-class stand in for eggs. Tofu scramble takes minutes to make, utilizes ingredients you have on hand, and is packed with protein. Is Tofu Scramble Vegan? Yes! Tofu scramble got a bad rap as bland hippy food back in the days when a lot of vegan cooking was, well, bland hippy food. Tofu is pretty neutral in flavor, but it easily absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients....

This summer pea soup is an Evie inspiration, a re-creation of soup she often finds in restaurants throughout France during her summer trips. Unlike split pea soup, this soup uses frozen peas (Petite Peas are available at Trader Joe’s), and it cooks up in less than half an hour. It’s just as good cold as hot, so it’s ideal for the warm days of summer. An infusion of mint in the broth adds a delicious touch to the flavor of the peas....

In my family, you were either strictly a sour cream latke-lover or team applesauce—you couldn’t be both. My mother would make homemade applesauce just for Hanukkah, and I grew up topping my crispy latkes with it. Why Use Sweet Potatoes? There’s no doubt that classic potato latkes are delicious, but if you’re looking to update or upgrade your holiday latkes, look no further than the humble sweet potato. These latkes are what happens when a Hanukkah classic meets your favorite holiday sweet potato side dish....

Guacamole: A Classic Mexican Dish The word “guacamole” and the dip, are both originally from Mexico, where avocados have been cultivated for thousands of years. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words—ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). Ingredients for Easy Guacamole All you really need to make guacamole is ripe avocados and salt. After that, a little lime or lemon juice—a splash of acidity—will help balance the richness of the avocado....

But selecting a loaf pan is pretty easy once you know how you want to use it. Sure, you can go all specialized and have a different pan for each task. The options are endless. But before getting fancy, make sure you have the basics of a good loaf pan down. This pan can cover many bases, from meatloaf to monkey bread. If you have the space and the bucks for many different loaf pans, that’s great—but think like the inimitable Julia Child: Find your favorites, stick with them, and keep things organized....

A good measuring spoon is a tool used by any cook. Accurate measurement of the small details that make any dish drool-worthy isn’t only just about making a delicious dish, though. It’s also about learning the strengths and weaknesses of your ingredients and how an overall final dish becomes balanced. Practice making a dish enough and you might not need the spoons anymore, but there’s something that can be quite satisfying about these tiny, well-wrought tools that act as conveyances of flavor....

Coriander vs Cilantro First, it’s important to clear up any confusion that may arise between “coriander” and “cilantro,” both of which actually come from the same plant. In the United States, coriander refers to the seed or the seed in ground form, both of which are used as a spice, while cilantro refers to the fresh green leaves, which are used as an herb. In the United Kingdom, however, coriander refers to the fresh herb....

Problems With Using a Meat Thermometer The problem with the meat thermometer approach is that when you poke a hole into the meat with a thermometer, it can let juices escape, juices that you would rather have stay in the meat. For this reason, most experienced cooks rely on a “finger test” method, especially on steaks. (Whole roasts are better tested with a thermometer.) How to Check the Doneness of Meat With Your Fingers My mother has been trying to get me to test meat with my fingertips for years, and for years, being somewhat of a scaredy-cat (Won’t it burn my fingers?...

Follow this game plan for cooking Thanksgiving dishes ahead of time, and all you’ll have to do on the big day is negotiate oven and stove space to reheat a few items, and maybe pour yourself an extra glass of wine. This is your Thanksgiving destiny if you choose to accept it. Many Thanksgiving staples can be made entirely ahead of time and reheated before mealtime – think Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, and Apple Pie....

If you’re looking for new ways to use up that can of chickpeas hanging out in your pantry, we’ve got you covered from sandwiches to salads and even slow cooker meals. Chickpeas are pulses (so are peas, beans, and lentils) known to be nutritious. Because they are a fantastic replacement for meat and poultry, most mothers and grandmothers I know feed their kids or grandkids chickpeas to pump them full of iron....

Are you ready to hear the best part? Most of these chicken pasta dishes are ready in about 30 minutes, some even quicker. Even those that have a lengthier prep time have components that can be prepped ahead of time. If a recipe requires marinating chicken, you can do that the morning of or get a little help from the grocery store and use jarred sauces. You can also make swaps if needed....

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a highly-munchable, but simple snack. All you really need to make them are pumpkin seeds (obviously), salt, and a glug of olive oil. This year, however, I wanted to jazz things up a little and add a couple sweet and savory mini recipes into the mix. They’re all still on the easy side of things, requiring just four ingredients or less. Maple Pumpkin Spice Yes, you can absolutely flavor pumpkin seeds with… pumpkin pie spice!...

And just like that, it’s over. Dull, watery orbs fill supermarket crates, and honestly, you’re better off skipping the T in BLT altogether than suffering the disappointment. Right? I’ve got good news for all of you tomato lovers out there who can’t help but grieve for the end of the season just as soon as it starts. There are simple yet highly effective ways to improve out-of-season season tomatoes and make them, well, not just edible but worth eating....

This is your future self writing to remind you to take a deep breath. You’re home from dropping the kids at school and dwelling on the fact that you yelled at them to get in the car. Now you’re staring down the aftermath of the morning: a dirty egg pan that may never recover, evidence of a last-minute lunch packing frenzy, and undoubtedly, wet towels on unmade beds upstairs. But you got the job done....