Hilary Meyer

4 ways to cook dinner faster

Nifer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:01:10 +0000

Before I had a baby, one minute was one minute. Just 60 seconds. And I had a lot of minutes. I could use them where I wanted, and mostly I chose to use them at dinnertime—leisurely pulling a meal together, eating slowly, sipping wine, then cleaning up. Fast-forward nine months and now my dinnertime routine looks like an episode of Iron Chef. I’m scrambling around, food is flying off the cutting board and I’m yelling, “Hurry up!”

How to cook without a recipe

Nifer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:01:43 +0000

Following a recipe is easy for most people, but not always practical. Oftentimes what we have in our fridge is a hodgepodge of ingredients that a single recipe can’t cover. So we wing it. When I develop recipes in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, I rely on a few basic principles to get me through the first test and ensure that (hopefully) what I make is tasty. Below are some tips to keep in mind when you’re cooking without a recipe:

7 unexpected uses for your microwave

Nifer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:50:41 +0000

Chances are you have a microwave sitting somewhere in your kitchen. They’ve gotten smaller over the years, but even the most svelte version takes up precious real estate. It’s time to put that baby to work.

Here are 7 unexpected uses for your microwave:

5 couscous cooking mistakes to avoid

Nifer — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:12:39 +0000

When it comes to cooking a “starch” for your meal, there are few sides easier to make than couscous. It’s simple, versatile and incredibly fast to cook—it’s ready in just 5 minutes! I made a lot of couscous when testing recipes for our story on this super-fast pantry staple in the January/February 2012 issue of EatingWell Magazine. And through all of that cooking I picked up on these 5 mistakes to avoid in the pursuit of perfect couscous.

5 bad supermarket habits to break to lose weight and save money

Nifer — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:07:51 +0000

Since I need to eat at least three times a day, the grocery store is one of those unavoidable parts of life. And like other activities that I tend to do over and over again, when I’m there, I default to autopilot–idly shoving familiar things into my cart while I think about something else. Well, it’s time I wake up. It’s a new year and the desire to slim down and maybe save some money while doing it just might be enough to snap me back into coherence while I’m shopping for food.

5 things you should learn to cook in 2012

Nifer — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:14:40 +0000

I’m pretty good in the kitchen, but there are a few areas that I feel I could improve upon. It’s the simple things that trip me up the most–maybe because I don’t feel like I really need to follow the recipe (it’s so easy!) or pay that much attention to the specifics.

How to make the best lighter cheesecake

Nifer — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:55:07 +0000

I love everything about cheesecake—the sweet taste with just a hint of saltiness, the creamy texture and the sweet graham cracker crust. What’s not to love? Well, I can think of one thing: how I feel after I’ve eaten only a small slice. That would be guilt mixed with the sensation that I just swallowed a brick. Cheesecake may have the reputation of being tasty, but being healthy has never been one of its virtues.
Recipes to Try: 10 Light and Healthy Cheesecake Recipes

5 tips for perfect gingerbread cookies

Erin McCormick-Interactive Producer — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:45:49 +0000

No holiday cookie platter is complete without gingerbread cookies. I love them because they’re simple, delicious and fun to make. But not every gingerbread cookie is created equal. Of course you want to offer your friends and family the best possible cookie. So here are a few tips to help you create the perfect gingerbread cookies:

How to make healthier holiday cookies

Nifer — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:24:57 +0000

When the holiday season rolls around I eagerly break out my mixer and rolling pin and pump out tons of cookies. They’re not just for me—I send them all over the country to my friends and relatives as gifts.
Recipes to try: Our Top Prize-Winning Holiday Cookies

The right way to boil an egg

Nifer — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:42:30 +0000

Hard-boiled eggs seem simple, but they’re one of the hardest things to cook—or to cook right, anyway. I know it sounds hard to believe, but they’re ridiculously easy to screw up.

Don’t Miss: How to Make a Perfect Omelet

4 secrets to better sweet potato casserole

Penelope Wall-Web Producer/Writer — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:39:45 +0000

Traditionally topped with marshmallows and containing upwards of a stick of butter, sweet potato casserole is one decadent side dish that can become too decadent in a hurry. I want to indulge, but not at that fat- and calorie-laden price. I think EatingWell’s healthy sweet potato casserole is even more delicious than traditional sweet potato casserole recipes and will leave me room for pumpkin pie too. Read on to find out our 4 secrets for making healthier sweet potato casserole.

How to make perfect gravy

Penelope Wall-Web Producer/Writer — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:10:17 +0000

For the past couple of years, we’ve grilled our turkey outside on our charcoal grill. I love the subtle smokiness of the meat and I love the way it frees up space in the oven. But there is one downfall. The gravy suffers. Why? The secret to the perfect gravy (flavor-wise) is those delicious brown caramelized bits you get at the bottom of the roasting pan. And you can really only achieve those if you roast your bird in the oven.

3 secrets to the best pumpkin pie

Matt Malenczak-Tech Producer — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:27:26 +0000

If you’re looking for the easiest possible dessert to whip up for Thanksgiving, it doesn’t get any simpler than pumpkin pie. If you can open a can, you can make pumpkin pie. And unlike other Thanksgiving desserts, it’s relatively healthy (or at least it can be). Pumpkin, like all orange foods, is a rich source of beta carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A plays an important role in bone growth, reproduction and immune function and, perhaps most notably, vision. One slice of our pumpkin pie provides 137% of the daily value of vitamin A.

Thanksgiving for less than $5 per serving

Matt Malenczak-Tech Producer — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:21:23 +0000

I’d love to host my family’s Thanksgiving meal more often, but the one thing that gives me pause is the cost. Granted, I can get carried away—there’s the gourmet food, the candles, the cute centerpiece for the table, not to mention the wine to go along with it. So instead of giving up on hosting altogether I’m committed to focusing on what really matters—the food. I don’t need fancy monogrammed turkey napkins to make the meal taste good after all.

3 secrets for perfect pecan pie (with fewer calories and less fat!)

Matt Malenczak-Tech Producer — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:40:36 +0000

I love the expression “Why fix what isn’t broken?” I use this phrase when it comes to my time-honored Thanksgiving recipes. So why am I throwing out my old “perfect” pecan pie recipe this year in place for something new? Because the Maple Pecan Tart that recipe developer and makeover queen Katie Webster made for EatingWell is so much better.