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February 17th, 2025

Blog, Cooking Technique, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, Hiking Food, Microwave, One Bowl Meals, Running Food, Salad Dressings, Salads, Salads & Salad Dressings

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Quick & Easy Microwave Warmed Spinach & Pear Salad Picture Recipe

Last post showed how to make a quick and easy microwave warmed spinach and apple salad. This post shows how to make a quick and easy microwave warmed spinach and pear salad, which is an example of improvising by changing only two ingredients.

Here are the ingredients I used to make the warmed spinach and apple salad.

All I did to improvise on that salad was substitute a fresh pear for the apple and use dried apricots instead of dried cranberries, as shown below.

ingredients needed to make quick & easy microwave warmed spinach and pear salad

Nothing changes regarding needed equipment. Here’s all you need: microwave oven, microwave safe bowl, colander or strainer, sharp paring knife and cutting board.

Equipment needed to make quick & easy microwave warmed spinach & pear salad

One of the keys to this recipe, just like the warmed spinach and apple salad, is warming the spinach and pear in the microwave oven only until the spinach leaves just start to wilt as shown below, which took only 1 minute in my 1200 Watt microwave oven. As I say in the recipe itself, cooking time will vary depending on your own microwave oven’s Watt power.

spinach and pear are warmed enough when the spinach leaves just start to wilt

Click any picture on this page for a complete, easy to follow picture book recipe.

Quick & Easy Microwave Warmed Spinach & Pear Salad Recipe Pages

More very soon!

December 24th, 2024

Blog, Cooking Technique, How To & Tips, Nuts, Special Recipes

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Oven Roasted Chestnuts – All In Pictures

It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s hard to imagine this time of year without hearing “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” playing downtown – or in my head. Unfortunately, I’ve never roasted chestnuts on an open fire, but some day I will.

As I’ve mentioned before, roasting chestnuts has been a big part of Tretter tradition. But recently, since meeting Celso Paganini, owner of Italian foods importer Bella Vita, I’ve tried roasting chestnuts using two different techniques. The first technique, completely new to me, involves soaking freshly cross cut chestnuts in cold water for 6-10 hours or in warm water for 5-10 minutes before roasting them. I tried that technique, which I’d also found on other websites and, which, of course, was bit more time consuming. The results turned out great as shown here.

But I also saw on one of the sites, Aysegul Sanford’s Foolproof Living, that she saw no difference between soaking and not soaking chestnuts before roasting, as explained below.

After trying both the soaking and not soaking technique, I agree with Aysegul completely. At the same time, though, I like Celso’s idea of pre-heating the oven to high heat, though I chose 500° F (260° C) instead of Celso’s preferred 550° F (290° C) because not all home ovens can warm to 550° F (290° C), and then right away turning the heat down to 425° F (220° C) as soon as the chestnuts go in the oven. I also like the idea that I learned from both Celso and Aysegul of wrapping the hot chestnuts right out of the oven in a clean dish towel for 5-10 minutes to allow the chestnut meat to soften and make peeling easier.

Wrapping Hot Chestnuts in a Towel After Roasting

In the end, here is my new favorite way of oven roasting chestnuts – no rinsing or soaking in water required – that you can get by clicking this link or the picture below.

Of course, I love freedom of choice. If you’d like to try the chestnut pre-roast water soaking technique, or you’ve read about it and want picture book directions to make it plainly easy, either click this link or the picture below.

Most of all, I hope you make the most of your own family traditions, and I wish you a warm, fun and spirit-renewing holiday week!

November 27th, 2024

Blog, Chicken & Turkey, Cooking Technique, How To & Tips, Seasonal/Holiday Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner

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Easiest, Go-To Roast Turkey Recipe – All in Pictures

Here’s an easy-to-use, go-to cooking technique that makes for a terrifically tender, fully flavor – and good looking – roast turkey.

First some quick tips:

I highly recommend using an oven-proof meat thermometer, as shown in the equipment needed picture below, to ensure roasting the turkey to the proper doneness temperature.
Traditional recipes usually call for roasting the turkey with stuffing in the main cavity. I recommend roasting the turkey without stuffing for the best turkey roasting result.
Make sure the turkey is completely defrosted, if you’re using a frozen turkey, and then allow that defrosted or fresh turkey to warm close to room temperature before roasting.
Start cooking the turkey breast-side down for most of the roasting timeand turn the turkey breast-side up for the last 50 minutes no matter the turkey weight.
Let the freshly roasted turkey rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before carving and serving.

Regarding temperature and timing, start with the turkey placed in a roasting pan BREAST-SIDE DOWN and cook at high oven heat (450℉/230℃) for the first 30 minutes no matter the turkey’s weight. After 30 minutes, turn the oven heat down to 325℉ /165℃ for the bulk of roasting time with the turkey still breast-side down. Again, no matter the turkey weight, turn the turkey breast-side up and keep the temperature at the same 325℉ /165℃ for the last 50 minutes of cooking. See the note below about how to turn the turkey breast-side down to breast-side up.

Here are all the ingredients you need to make a stress-free roast turkey.

Here’s the equipment you need.

The most difficult part of this recipe is turning the turkey from breast-side down to breast side-up, but the picture book directions show how to do that as easily and safely as possible as shown here.

Click this link or any picture on this page for a complete, newly revised step-by-step picture book recipe.

November 25th, 2024

Blog, Chicken & Turkey, Cooking Technique, How To & Tips, Thanksgiving Dinner

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Stress-Free Thanksgiving Dinner Planning & Timing Guide With Recipe Links

Thanksgiving food shopping list by grocery store aisle and stress-free Thanksgiving dinner planning and timing guide blog banner image.

All right! Thanksgiving’s just 3 days away, and if you’re the one on the hook to make Thanksgiving dinner, it’s time to flip the action switch to on – without making yourself crazy.

First, if you haven’t yet gotten all the ingredients you need to make Thanksgiving dinner, please get to the grocery store today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday), especially if you’re roasting a frozen turkey as frozen turkeys take at least 2 days to defrost properly. To make grocery shopping as easy as possible either click this link or the picture below to download a Thanksgiving Dinner Shopping List Organized By Grocery Store Aisle.

Thanksgiving Food Shopping List Organized By Grocery Store Aisle

Next, either click this link or the picture below to download the Stress-Free Thanksgiving Planning and Timing Guide so you know in advance what to expect realistically over the next few days, which is all manageable even if you have little to no experience in the kitchen.

Next couple days: fully flavorful and easy-to-make Thanksgiving Day recipes.

November 15th, 2024

Blog, Breakfast, Cooking Technique, Cycling Food, Fruit Pancakes, Pancakes

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Fresh Apple Pancake: Full-On Fall Flavor All in Pictures

Here’s a great way to warm up to full-on Thanksgiving flavors. Apples are the iconic fall fruit, and there’s nothing much more comforting on a cool morning than the soul-warming smell of cooked apples and cinnamon.

The hardest part about making the fresh apple pancake you see above is turning the pancake from fruit side up to fruit side down in the frying pan and then back to fruit side up to serve on a plate.

No problem.

The step-by-step directions you can get here show how to make those turns as easily and safely as possible using either a pan top (as shown below) or large plate (shown in the recipe).

Here’s what you need for ingredients and…

…equipment.

Click this link or any picture on this page for a complete, easy to follow step-by-step picture book recipe.

More Thanksgiving seasonal recipes very soon!

November 4th, 2024

Blog, Cooking Technique, Dessert, Poultry, Thanksgiving Dinner, Vegetables

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Stress-Free Picture Book Thanksgiving Dinner Help

I know it’s just the beginning of November, and Thanksgiving comes late this year: November 28th. But time flies, and these next posts will be about how make the most of that most excellent holiday.

First, Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. All that’s expected is a fully flavorful meal with good friends and family. Great – unless you’re the host AND you’re stressed about how to put that meal together.

Breathe easy – no problem!

To make any of the standard Thanksgiving dishes you see above – and more – as stress-free as possible, just click any picture on this page or this link to the Gotta’ Eat, Can’t Cook Thanksgiving Help page for step-by-step picture directions that will show how how to make any of the fully flavorful Thanksgiving dishes you see above – and more – as easily as possible.

In following posts, I’ll highlight some of those recipes along with other recipes and tips to help you make your Thanksgiving as fun and flavorful as possible.

More soon!

October 23rd, 2024

Blog, Cooking Technique, Dessert, Nuts, Special Recipes

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Killer Flavorful Roasted Chestnuts: Picture Book Directions

Good friend, Shane Stuart, rolled into Hickory with his Suttle’s Nut Farm truck 2 weekends ago with my favorite fresh chestnuts, South Carolina grown North American chestnuts.

“How’re things looking this year, Shane?”

“Great! Last year we harvested 6000 pounds. This year we have 9000 pounds.”

I picked up a 2 pound bag and have been loving them for evening dessert, especially as the nights get cooler.

Roasted chestnuts have been a warm, richly flavorful rite of winter all my life. And though I’ve seen and used different methods of roasting, the easiest, most practical way I’ve found to roast chestnuts is with a toaster oven.

As shown in the step-by-step picture book conventional oven/toaster oven chestnut roasting directions you can get by clicking this link or any picture below, here are four tips before actually getting to the roasting:

I like using a toaster oven for convenience and power savings, but if you don’t have a toaster oven, a conventional kitchen oven will work just as well. Also note: if you’re using American chestnuts, which are half the size of Italian chestnuts, cut roasting time in half.
When buying fresh chestnuts, select those that are firm to the touch – the shell should not give when squeezed with your thumb as shown in the picture below. Also, choose those chestnuts that are heavier rather than lighter in weight and don’t have any signs of mold or small round wormholes in their shells.

Select fresh chestnuts that are firm to the touch

3. To prevent chestnuts from exploding while roasting and avoid a nasty mess to clean up (you bet, I know this from experience), make sure to cut into the shells before roasting chestnuts.

Cutting an "X" through chestnut shells to prevent chestnuts from exploding while roasting

4. If you’re not roasting fresh chestnuts the same day you bought them, put them in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator for at least 1 week. Just beware that the meat of the chestnut inside the shell dries out steadily over time.

Putting fresh chestnuts in a plastic bag and refrigerating them to preserve them best

If you live in the Hickory area, check out the Suttle’s Farm Fresh Nut truck loaded with nuts grown in South Carolina and parked at 2231 N. Center St. (Rt. 127).

Most of all, roast on and enjoy!

April 19th, 2023

Blog, Breakfast, Cooking Technique, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, Fruit Pancakes, Hiking Food, How To & Tips, Pancakes, Running Food

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On the Road Improvised “On the Fly” Meals

Top left & right: In DC for National Bike Summit. Bottom left: riding Fiesta Island with good Navy bud, Stormin’ Walker. Bottom right: “on the fly” improvised fruit pancake.

Been on the road the past 3+ weeks. First to DC as a new BikeWalkNC rep. to advocate with League of American Bicyclists at their National Bike Summit for improved road safety for all (For why, click 5 Reasons US Roads Are Dangerous for Pedestrians and Cyclists). Now in Monterey, California, to attend the country’s largest bike festival, Sea Otter. Have had almost all my meals “on the fly” (aka: completely improvised) whether I’ve stayed in Airbnb’s, like the one shown below, or with good friends and family.

Here’s an “on the fly” example. Was in San Diego last week at my Navy big brother’s place and made this improvised strawberry, blackberry and banana pancake for breakfast.

I’ve certainly made lots of fruit pancakes but never one with strawberries, bananas and blackberries. No big deal.

The keys to improvising are having a good, reliable, easy to remember base recipe and trusting your taste to make what you want. Also no big deal – but a lot of fun.

My base recipe for fruit pancakes: apple pancake. If you’re an apple fan at all, I think you’ll find that pancake both fully-flavor-satisfying and one that will let answer the question, “I wonder how it would taste if I made it with _______?” As soon as you ask that question – and you’re willing to take a little leap in faith – you’re off to the “on the fly” improvised races!

November 3rd, 2022

Blog, Cooking Technique, How To & Tips, Microwave

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How to Prevent Splatter Safely When Cooking with a Microwave Oven

As I wrote in February this year, microwave ovens, used as they are designed, are perfectly safe for warming and cooking foods.

But then there’s the issue of how control microwave cooking splatter that is always pure misery to clean. Using any of what you see directly below made of plastic (unless that plastic is clearly certified as “microwave safe”), wax or metal is out.

Plastics from plastic wrap, plastic bags and plastic containers leach what they’re made of, petrochemicals (chemicals made from oil), when heated. The wax from wax paper can melt into microwave cooked foods. Metals, like aluminum foil, reflect microwave energy and, in doing so, will destroy the microwave oven’s energy emitting magnetron – sometimes with spectacular fire. As a good friend would say, “That is NOT good”!

The best solution I’ve found to prevent microwave splatter safely is to cover whatever you’re cooking with a wetted paper towel. Why wet? Because a dry paper towel can slide off a microwave safe plate or bowl, especially if your microwave oven, like the one you see below, has a spinning turntable.

Here’s all you have to do to use this method. Wet and squeeze dry a piece of paper towel.

Cover the bowl or plate with the wetted paper towel the same way you would if you were using plastic wrap, and…

…remove the paper towel after cooking. Easy, safe – and big time splatter avoidance.

April 25th, 2022

Blog, Cooking Technique, Cycling Food, Running Food, Snacks

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Turning a Recipe Failure into Fully Flavorful Success

Mistakes? Ha! That’s just part of learning no matter how skilled you are in any field. And, no way to sugar coat it, the Chocolate, Grain & Nut Butter Power Bars I made recently, and intended to add to the recipe lineup here, just didn’t work out as planned – not even with the terrifically flavorful ingredients shown here.

The first signs regarding intended purpose as power bars: crumbling dough when I formed it a baking sheet. Then, cracks in the finished loaf (see the red arrows below), which was a clear sign the bars would fall apart easily, especially if tucked in a pocket for a hop on the bike or run.

The worst part: the flavor wasn’t as full on as I’d expected – and that happens.

But no way were all those terrific ingredients getting tossed in the trash. Instead, I did what the bars wanted to do anyway and crumbled them into a container to be “repurposed” as a chocolate-granola cereal and then…

…made this much more full-on flavorful chocolate, grain and nut butter cereal breakfast bowl.

I’ll get that picture book recipe out right after I first put together a purposely made picture book Chocolate, Grain & Nut Butter Power Cereal recipe.

More very soon!