How To & Tips | Gotta Eat, Can't Cook

Archive for the ‘How To & Tips’ Category

March 6th, 2024

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, Hiking Food, How To & Tips, Running Food, Salads & Salad Dressings

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Easy Fresh 5-Ingredient Salad Dressing Picture Book Recipe

About a month ago, I posted this extremely easy-to-make Instant 5-Ingredient Salad Dressing that’s so versatile, it goes great, of course, on salads, but also on pasta, rice, sandwiches, cooked vegetables – imagination is your only limit.

This post is about how to make that dressing fresh-er just by substituting garlic powder with fresh garlic.

I’m a big fan of fresh garlic for its rich, bold flavor – and its broad spectrum health benefits that include: improved immune system, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, cancer prevention, improved athletic performance – and more (for more details in short, easy-to-read form, click this Spice World link).

Two quick practical tips about fresh garlic. First, choose fresh garlic bulbs, like the one shown below, that are firm to a hand squeeze, heavier in weight (more water content) and show no signs of dark grey mold under the skin or green shoots growing out of the bulb.

Second, to make peeling the garlic skin easy, which is the least fun part about dealing with fresh garlic, first crunch the individual garlic cloves with a forceful press and satisfying garlic skin pop using the side of a wide-bladed chef’s knife, as shown here.

Once you chop the fresh garlic, as shown briefly below, the rest is all down hill. Just add mustard, ground black pepper, vinegar and yogurt.

Peeling the skin off a fresh garlic clove, then slicing and chopping that fresh garlic clove

You can see all the above – and more – by clicking this link for the complete Fresh 5-Ingredient Salad Dressing picture book recipe.

January 29th, 2024

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Cycling Food, Empowerment, Fitness Food, Hiking Food, How To & Tips, Salad Dressings, Salads, Salads & Salad Dressings

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Pear and Avocado Salad Picture Book Directions

Last pos t showed how to make a fully flavorful, exceptionally easy to make, highly versatile Instant 5-Ingredient Salad Dressing. I made that dressing most recently to start a “Gotta’ Eat Smartly” series of food demos with AARP at Eastway Recreation Center in Charlotte earlier this month. That series is designed to give senior citizens the hands-on kitchen skills and knowledge they need to empower themselves to make life-promoting/quality of life improving meals.

If you’re a regular to this site – or know me personally, you know flavor rules – always! Here’s an example. Sure, we could’ve used that Instant 5-Ingredient Salad dressing on a traditional lettuce and tomato salad, but where’s the flavor fun in that? So instead, I showed the group of a dozen very engaged women how to make a Pear and Avocado Salad – and then how to improvise on that very easy base recipe. First, here’s what you need to make the base recipe – and you’ll see that we replaced a store-bought salad dressing in the top picture with our Instant 5-Ingredient Salad Dressing.

I mentioned “improvising” above, and by improvising I mean adding or substituting ingredients based on either/both your taste and/or ingredients you have on hand – and remember, recipes are just guides. So, for example, I asked the women if they thought it would be ok to substitute or even supplement the pears with apples. Sure! And then I suggested adding adding flavors as they liked based on personal taste.

That last sentence fired up a lively discussion. “Can I add chicken or any other meat?” Yes! “What about fresh herbs?” Sure!

“What about adding potato salad?” Absolutely! And that potato salad question led to a talk about mayonnaise in potato salad and which mayonnaise brand I like. My comment: I don’t like using processed foods, like store-bought mayonnaise, with long paragraphs of ingredients, some of which are NOT found in nature. So, I improvise and substitute mayonnaise with Greek yogurt, mustard and spices.

“If you do that, then what about making homemade mayonnaise?” one of the women asked. “A friend of mine makes it all the time and says it’s easy.” Great idea! I’ve never made it before, but I’ll learn and we’ll make it together next time we’re together.

Next time is coming up fast: Thursday, February 8th – and I’ve already started practicing.

I first picked a top-rated homemade mayonnaise recipe from Inspired Taste. I then improvised a bit, as they suggested, and will need to do more of that. You know the flavor deal. I’m not rolling out my version until that flavor kicks it full-on.

In the meantime, back to the Pear and Avocado Salad featured here. Please click this link and pass it on for the easy to follow picture book recipe shown below. And remember: that recipe is just a guide. Play with it. Improvise. And, most of all, have fun!

More soon!

January 24th, 2024

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, Hiking Food, How To & Tips, Running Food, Salad Dressings, Salads & Salad Dressings

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Instant 5-Ingredient Salad Dressing Picture Book Recipe

Last post mentioned work I’ve just started with AARP (American Association of Retired People) and Eastway Rec. Center in Charlotte, NC, to help senior citizens empower themselves in the kitchen to make life-promoting foods.

The first recipe we made together was the Instant 5-Ingredient Salad Dressing shown below, which is just as incredibly versatile as it is easy to make.

First, a quick back story. The first time I ever made this recipe was with a group of fellow veterans who were turning their lives around through Veterans Incorporated (Vets Inc.) in Shrewsbury, MA. One of the guys in the group, a fellow Navy veteran – and terrific character, chimed in when I listed the seven ingredients I intended to use: garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, mustard, honey, vinegar and oil.

“Why do we need the added salt and sugar? A lot of guys here have diabetes and/or high blood pressure. We don’t need that _____(4-letter word for “stuff”)!”

I get blunt beautifully and had to agree about the added salt and sugar. But this was the first recipe I was rolling out with these guys and first time I’d ever met them. My inner thought: “Fine, I’ll cut the salt and honey – but, boy, this dressing’s gonna’ taste like crap.”

I quickly made the dressing and asked the guys to taste a spoon of it full-on before I tasted it myself. The stunner? They loved it – and so did I.

Not only does this dressing taste great (most important), but it’s also incredibly versatile. As shown in the few sample pictures below, it goes great on any kind of warm or cold salad, over cooked vegetables, meat, chicken, fish, pasta, rice – imagination is your only limit.

Here are the ingredients needed to make this salad dressing. You’ll actually see six ingredients below because I often use two different types of vinegars for added flavor, which you certainly don’t have to do.

Click this link or any picture on this page for a complete step-by-step picture recipe that includes information about the sourness of different vinegars and why this recipe is considered low in both salt and sugar.

November 9th, 2023

Blog, Breakfast, How To & Tips, Seasonal/Holiday Recipes, Special Recipes

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Fully Flavorful Whipped Cream Variations – Even If You’re Lactose Intolerant

Flavor rules – always!

Last two posts showed how easy it is to make fully flavorful fresh whipped cream and then how to boost flavor to that same whipped cream by just adding ground cinnamon. This post shows a couple ways to vary whipped cream flavor very quickly and easily – even if you’re lactose intolerant. As always here, imagination is your only limit!

To kick that imagination in gear, here’s Pumpkin Pumped Whipped Cream.

Killer easy to make! As shown in the picture thumbnail sketch below,…

…just add pumpkin butter and pumpkin pie spice to the base fresh whipped cream recipe. And you don’t have to be limited by pumpkin butter. You can use apple butter, your favorite jam, butterscotch spread – anything you like to get the flavor you want.

Then if you or someone you know is lactose intolerant, here’s how you can easily switch out heavy cream with coconut cream and coconut milk to make both a basic coconut based whipped cream and then use the above ideas to vary the flavor any way you like.

The key here – as always – learn the base recipe and then use your imagination to have fully flavorful fun with it!

September 29th, 2023

Blog, Breakfast, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, How To & Tips, Running Food, Special Recipes

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Pumped Up Flavor Fresh Whipped Cream With Cinnamon and Coconut Sugar

The other day I mentioned that I keep a vat of fresh whipped cream in the fridge. That vat went dry just after I wrote that. So, what a great opportunity to whip up a new one – and add flavor, all fun and very easily. As shown below, all I did was add a good shake of ground cinnamon (I do that all the time now) and use coconut sugar instead of regular white table sugar.

Whipping then took only 2 minutes as I’d used heavy cream right out of the fridge and a frosted glass measuring cup I’d put in the freezer over night.

You’ll notice in the last shot above that I didn’t whip the cream until it was firm enough to keep the ejected hand mixer blades standing. All fine. That’s the consistency I like, as it dissolves more easily in coffee, works great on anything else I top with it and makes it easy to pour into a “vat” I put in the fridge for easy access anytime I want it.

Click any picture on this page for step-by-step picture book Fresh Whipped Cream directions that you can vary however your personal taste desires.

Enjoy & have fun!

September 27th, 2023

Blog, Breakfast, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, How To & Tips, Running Food, Special Recipes, Sports Nutrition

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Rocket Fuel Breakfast, Part 5: Fresh Whipped Cream

Fresh whipped cream tastes far better than whipped cream spritzed from a can or scooped from a plastic tub – and it’s both as incredibly easy to make as it is versatile to use. I love it with the “rocket fuel breakfast” you see above: on fruit pancake, with yogurt and fruit, in coffee. But, as always, imagination is your only limit!

Here’s what you need for both for ingredients and equipment – easy.

Before you get started, here’s an easy tip. Make sure the heavy cream is cold and put whatever container you’re going to use to whip the cream in the freezer until it is well chilled as shown below. The reason: cold cream and a cold container make the cream whip faster – I like that!

Please click any picture on this page or this link for step-by-step fresh whipped cream picture book directions – 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!

January 10th, 2023

Blog, Fitness/Health, How To & Tips

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3 Ingredients That Make You YOU: Food, Body, Mind

You’ve heard it many times, “You are what you eat”. That’s only 1/3 true.

Sure, what you eat – plus what you drink and breathe – are the building blocks of every cell in your body. But you are just as much the product of how you move your body and use your mind – and regarding the mind, how you manage stress. As shown in the diagram below, YOU = Food + Body + Mind.

That simple 3 part equation has held true since man evolved as a distinctly separate species from primates four (or so) million years ago. And, despite our transition from millions of years as nomadic hunter gatherers to predominantly agriculturally-based community members only ten thousand years ago, our bodies, and what our bodies need to survive and thrive, have not changed. We still have the same bodies that were built through evolution to survive on foods close to the earth and that still need the same level of daily physical activity and stress management to function properly that we had to rely on to hunt and gather everyday.

That’s just how it is.

And that’s exactly what prompted me to learn for myself, put to practice and then promote how we can best take sensible, life-promoting measures, one step at a time, to help us (me included) make the most of our food, body and mind equation – and do it without making ourselves crazy.

To help provide you with the kitchen skills needed to empower you to make life-promoting foods, I’ll continue putting out fully flavorful picture book recipes to make food preparation as easy as possible no matter how little cooking experience you have.

At the same time, I’ll mix it up with pieces about physical activity and mental/spiritual well being, like, for example the mindfulness/consciousness “Waking Up” practice I’ve been doing daily for over 2 years. Though I’m not pushing any particular program, you get an idea about what I do by checking out the 9-minute video you can see by clicking the image below.

Please contact me directly if you have any questions about any of the above: bruce@gotta-eat.com.

All the best always!

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.

October 3rd, 2022

Blog, Crepes, Fish, How To & Tips, Leftovers

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Tuna and Provolone Cheese Crepe Picture Book Directions

Last post showed how to make fully flavorful Fresh Crepes with Nut Butter, Jam, Yogurt & Whipped Cream all very easily. Like I mentioned this summer in Killer Versatile Active Life Power Food: Fresh Crepes with Picture Book Recipe, crepes are incredibly versatile – way more versatile than regular syrup-sucking flapjack pancakes.

And crepes make for great “on-the-fly” food. I made a stack of crepes before taking off across the country this summer. On that trip, I loved keeping my foot on the gas to take in all I could about our wonderfully vibrant country. Those crepes worked great for making lunches that I enjoyed rolling on the road, like the ham, cheese and mustard crepe shown above.

I made that crepe no-kidding while gassing up the car and, therefore, didn’t take pictures. When I got home, though, I shot this easy to make Tuna and Provolone Cheese Crepe that you can make either as shown below or by substituting the tuna and provolone cheese with any meat, vegetable and cheese you like. Imagination and flavor rule!

Here’s what I used to put together this Tuna and Provolone Cheese Crepe: leftover pan cooked tuna, provolone cheese, mustard and crepe.

Tuna and Provolone Cheese Crepe Ingredients

I started by spreading mustard on the crepe, laying on a slice of provolone cheese and hand-pulling apart pieces of leftover cooked tuna on half the crepe.