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Pique your culinary curiosity with these trends

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(Family Features) Forget the rules and restrictions. Today’s food trends are about enjoyment and simplicity, from decadent flavors your taste buds can’t wait to explore to convenient packaging that makes it incredibly easy to eat no matter where or when you make time to dine.

Whether you’re a foodie keeping tabs on the latest culinary trends or an everyday eater with a dose of culinary curiosity, these trends can give you something to chew on.

Unique Herbs and Spices
Most often associated with salad dressings and hummus as a flavor additive, tahini has stepped beyond just savory foods and has found its way into many new dishes, including desserts and cocktails. From ice cream and milkshakes to muffins, cookies and other baked goods, this toasted ground sesame seed spread used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine can also be added as an alternative to nearly any dish that calls for peanut butter.

On the Go
For most people, a busy day is just part of the program. Even if you take your hectic lifestyle in stride, chances are it affects your eating habits to some extent. Fortunately, you’re not alone and conveniently packaged foods can make eating on the go tasty and enjoyable. The options are even crossing into areas traditionally reserved for a sit-down meal, such as Aunt Jemima’s Pancake on the Go Cups, which offer a soft and fluffy texture like the typical pancake in Chocolate Chip or Buttermilk & Maple flavors. They’re surprisingly simple to prepare; just add water, stir and microwave for a pancake in a cup that you can enjoy from anywhere. Learn more at auntjemima.com.

Ugly Eats
Save your judgment for someplace else; ugly produce is actually in vogue. A growing number of chefs and brands are promoting recipes made with ugly foods – usually produce that is perfectly useful and edible but likely to be overlooked at the store due to a physical imperfection. Think oddly shaped tomatoes or a smaller melon than you might not normally choose. Often those options are offered at a discount and it’s a savvy way to reduce food waste.

Hot and Spicy
Palettes are growing ever-adventurous, and that means flavors that pack a strong punch are gaining traction. If you’re not sure your taste buds are up to the challenge, try adding some spice to a familiar dish like rice or pasta. For example, you can find a spicy take on Rice a Roni, Pasta Roni and Quaker Instant Grits with Jalapeno Cheddar varieties, which include cheddar cheese and real jalapeno bits that leave lingering heat. Include these as the perfect side for your next taco night or try in place of mashed potatoes for an extra kick. Find more spicy ideas for dinner at ricearoni.com.

Move Over, Meat
Opting for more plant-based foods in place of meat no longer means forgoing those flavors and textures. While not a completely new trend, plant-based and blended burgers and sliders have become more mainstream and found places on menus at restaurants nationwide with more people (even non-vegans) searching for a break from meat or ways to add flavors like mushrooms into meals and snacks.

Salty-Sweet Flavors
Sweet-meets-salty combos are hardly new, but products featuring this blend are showing up in more and more places, including at the breakfast table. Sea salt is a perfect match for the sweetness of chocolate or caramel; it adds a rich depth of flavor that strikes a balance between too sweet or too salty. Start the day off with an option like Quaker’s Cocoa & Sea Salt Instant Oatmeal, which contains 100% whole grains, no high-fructose corn syrup, no artificial preservatives, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial flavors and no added colors. Explore additional ideas to sweeten your breakfast plans at quakeroats.com.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Aunt Jemima

Rice a Roni

Quaker Oats

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EDIBLES

Green onions welcome the spring season

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By Suzanne Storey

Do you have an abundance of green onions this time of year? If you’re fortunate enough to experience this, consider yourself lucky! First, let’s clarify a few terms.
Essentially, green onions and scallions refer to the same vegetable; however, the terminology often depends on cultural context. I often call them spring onions, and my parents referred to them the same way. On the other hand, fancy chefs and culinary experts typically use the term “scallions.”
I wasn’t even aware of what a scallion was until about 10 years ago, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re in the same boat.

Read the full story on spring onions, along with definitions of onions and the efforts to grow a community garden in Nocona in your Thursday Bowie News.

Onions from the Nocona Community Garden. (Photos by Suzanne Storey)
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EDIBLES

Celebrate Easter with creative cakes

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(Family Features) Sweet, delicious treats make Easter celebrations magical, putting the final touch on brunch, lunch or dinner gatherings. Whether your crowd enjoys the sweet-tart combination of fruit-infused cakes, mini bundts with personalized decorations or rich, creamy cheesecake, the dessert table is sure to be popular.

Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake and Carrot Cheesecake from “Cookin’ Savvy” are perfect desserts for sharing with loved ones, made with little effort and a lot of love. You can even let little ones help in the kitchen with Fun Mini Easter Bundts by allowing their creativity to run wild – just hand over the icing and chocolate toppers then watch the artistry unfold.

To ensure your feast goes off without a hitch, create these tempting cakes the day before for a no-hassle Easter.

Find more ways to elevate Easter celebrations with food by visiting Culinary.net.

Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy
Yield: 1 cake

  • 1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed
  • 1 box lemon cake mix
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk

Glaze:

  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Grease bundt pan and place rinsed blueberries in bottom. Mix cake mix, butter, eggs and milk; pour on top of blueberries. Bake 35 minutes. Let cool and remove from pan.
  3. To make glaze: Mix butter, sugar and milk then pour over cake.

Fun Mini Easter Bundts

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy
Yield: 24 mini bundts

  • 1 box confetti cake mix
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk

Chocolate Toppers:

  • 1 cup each color melting chips of desired colors
  • silicone Easter candy molds of desired shapes
  • 1 pouch ready-made green icing
  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Mix cake mix, butter, eggs and milk. Pour into greased mini bundt pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool and remove from pan.
  3. To make chocolate toppers: In bowl for each color, melt melting chips in 1-minute intervals in microwave until thoroughly melted. Pour into baggies and snip corner. Pipe melted chips into molds and freeze 15-20 minutes. Pipe green icing onto mini bundt cakes for “grass” then place chocolate mold pieces on top.

Substitution: Save time on toppers by replacing with store-bought chocolate bunnies, eggs, crosses or marshmallow bunnies.

Carrot Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy
Yield: 1 cake

Cake:

  • 1 box spice cake mix
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

Cheesecake:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate chips
  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. To make cake: Mix cake mix with carrot and coconut. Using hand mixer, blend in eggs, butter and yogurt. Pour mixture into greased springform pan and bake 30 minutes. Let completely cool in pan.
  3. To make cheesecake: Using hand mixer, whip whipping cream and sugar to form whipped cream and set aside.
  4. Using hand mixer, whip cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar. Add in whipped cream and mix. Pour onto completely cooled carrot cake in springform pan. Let set in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight before unspringing pan.
  5. For topping: Sprinkle chopped nuts and chocolate chips on cake before serving.

Tip: For extra festive appearance, add desired Easter candy on top.


SOURCE:
Culinary.net

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EDIBLES

Street tacos from the slow cooker

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(Family Features) If your idea of street tacos includes standing over a hot skillet, wipe that sweat off your brow and give these Savory Street Tacos a try. They put the slow cooker and oven to work for you, providing that delicious street taco taste without the hassle. For more ways to simplify cooking at home, visit Culinary.net.

Savory Street Tacos

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy
Servings: 4-6

  • 1 chuck roast (2-3 pounds)
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 1 can (10 ounces) beef consommé
  • 16-20 street taco tortillas
  • 1 package (8 ounces) shredded cheese
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • salsa, for serving
  • guacamole, for serving
  • queso, for serving
  1. Cover chuck roast with taco seasoning then place in slow cooker. Pour beef consommé over roast and cook on low 6 hours to braise.
  2. Heat oven to 425 F.
  3. Use fork to shred roast.
  4. Brush outside of tortillas with avocado oil and fill with meat and shredded cheese. Place in casserole dish and bake 10-15 minutes until tacos reach desired crispiness.
  5. Place on tray and serve with salsa, guacamole and queso.

Tip: Recipe can be doubled for large crowds.


SOURCE:
Culinary.net

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