Substitute Spaghetti Squash for Spaghetti Noodles

If you are looking for a healthy substitute to spaghetti noodles, look at using spaghetti squash. When it is cooked it separates into long strands which look just like your traditional spaghetti noodles. Just top it with some marinara or spaghetti sauce and you have a perfect meal.

 

To cook spaghetti squash, cut it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Put the two halves on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for about an hour. The insides should be tender at this point. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Using a fork, crape out the flesh. You will want to just scrape a bit at a time as it will separate into spaghetti-like strands. Plate it up and top with your favorite sauce for a healthier spaghetti dinner.

Baking or Roasting

Root vegetables such as carrots, squash, potatoes, and beets are great for both baking and roasting. You want to make sure the vegetable you are using has a high enough water content, otherwise it will dry out when cooked.

You should always leave on the skins as well because it provides key nutrients. Softer vegetables such as broccoli florets and asparagus should be roasted; this only takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Tips for Storing Produce

Here are some tips for you to safely store all your fresh produce.

• Promptly store produce that needs refrigeration. Fresh whole produce such as bananas and potatoes don't need refrigeration.
• Refrigerate fresh produce within two hours of peeling or cutting.
• Throw away cut produce left at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Discard cooked vegetables after three to four days.

Follow these simple tips to safely store all of your produce.

Keeping Your Cutting Board Clean

Follow these safe food handling practices when it comes to using cutting boards:

• Use two different cutting boards. One for raw meat, chicken, and fish, and another for your fruits, vegetables and breads.
• After cutting meat, poultry, or seafood on your cutting board clean thoroughly with hot soapy water, then disinfect with chlorine bleach or another sanitizer. Rinse thoroughly. 
• Get rid of old cutting boards that are crack or have deep cuts; bacteria can grow in these areas
• After each step of food preparation, clean the cutting board with hot, soapy water. Rinse it, and let dry or dry with paper towels. 
• To disinfect your cutting board use 1 Tbsp of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Allow the solution to penetrate the cutting board for several minutes. Then rinse it and let it air dry or dry with paper towels.

These are the steps you should take to keep your cutting board clean and safe for handling food.

What to Look for When Buying Ribs

When buying a rack of ribs there are a few things that you need to look for. Always buy the freshest ribs possible. So, skip the frozen ribs. Fresh ribs will always give you better flavor. When looking at a rack of ribs make sure that the edges are not dry. 

Another thing to avoid is yellowing fat. This is another sign that the rack of ribs are not the freshest. To make great ribs, you need fresh ribs, so make sure you always check out the ribs closely.

What are St. Louis Style Ribs

What is a Shiner?

The exposed bone on a rack of ribs is referred to as a shiner. This happens when the butcher trims too close to the bone on a rack of ribs. Normally they should have meat all around. When buying a rack of ribs whether it be baby back or spare ribs make sure that there are no shiners, otherwise look for a different rack.

Baby Back Ribs vs. Spare Ribs

Is a Tomato a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Many people argue both sides of this. I have always been on the side that a tomato is a vegetable. In a recent post I discussed whether or not an olive is a fruit or a vegetable too. It can be such tricky area.

It gets all muddled because of how it is defined by cooks and scientists. So, is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Scientifically speaking, a tomato is a fruit. If you are like me, you find this hard to swallow since I have always considered fruits to be sweet. And I use tomatoes as I would vegetables because they are savory and not sweet.

Still, if you go to the grocery store you will still find that tomatoes are with the vegetable and are labeled as such. No wonder there is so much confusion. Legally, tomatoes are considered vegetables, that is why you find them listed as a vegetable, and with other vegetables. The Supreme Court ruled that since tomatoes are consumed in a manner like other vegetables it should be classified as a vegetable.

So, there you have it. Scientifically tomatoes are really fruits, but legally they are considered vegetables.

||Grilled Asparagus||