Recipe Mutiny steals recipes from food blogs and recipe sites. Then we publish them. With credit (Naturally).
Saturday, January 19, 2019
How to Ripen an Avocado
You feel like tacos tonight. And your dinner won’t be complete without some creamy avocado — in either beautifully green sliced moons or mashed into guacamole. Problem: When you zero-in on the avocados at your supermarket, they’re green and rock-hard. By the time your avocado ripens, you’ll have resorted to a taco shop to satisfy your craving. It could take up to six days for that avocado to turn soft and creamy inside. Six. Days. Oh, the agony.
Avocados ripen after they have been harvested, not while on the tree, according to the Hass Avocado Board. As your fruit sits on the counter, it releases the plant hormone ethylene, a type of gas that triggers the ripening process.
If you need a ripe avocado for tonight’s dinner, you better find a soft avocado at the store. There’s no other way. Don’t resort to store-bought guacamole, even if you forgot to plan ahead and need it for the weekend’s Super Bowl party. You want the secret on how to ripen avocados fast? Trouble is, the fastest you’ll get a rock-hard avocado to turn soft is in a full day… or two. So don’t be fooled by claims you find online that you can ripen an avocado in 10 minutes, says the California Avocado Commission, either in the microwave or by wrapping the avocado in aluminum foil and baking it at 200 F. Your fruit may get softer, but it won’t have the buttery, nutty taste and creamy texture you know and love.
Evriholder Avo Saver Avocado Holder, $8.60 on Amazon
Once it's ripe, keep it fresh with this nifty avo case!
Here’s what you need to know. (Let’s assume we’re talking about a Haas avocado, the most common variety.)
- Select your avocado. How do you know when an avocado is ready to eat without cutting it open and tasting it? You can tell when the skin turns from green to black (if it’s a Haas avocado) and when you squeeze it in your palm, it gives a little — but not too much. If you want the avocado for slices, slightly firm-ripe is fine. For guacamole, you want it ripe-ripe.
- If you can’t find a properly ripe avocado, you’ll need to wait a couple days to make the recipe that requires it. Sorry.
- You can speed up the ripening process, though. Don’t lose hope. Place an unripe avocado in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana.
- Close or fold up the bag so that no air can get out, and check on your avocado for one to three days until it’s ripe and ready. Even better, place the bag in sunlight. This method works faster than simply leaving your avocado on the counter because the other fruits also emit ethylene gas, and when they’re all inside the sealed paper bag, the gas is trapped inside and works double-time on the avocado. (There’s also the avocado sock.)
- Never refrigerate your avocado until it’s already ripe and you want to delay it from ripening further. Squeeze some lemon or lime juice on any exposed parts of the flesh to prevent browning, and wrap in plastic wrap or in a sealed container. Eat it within a couple days.
Beware! Cutting avocados has proven to be more dangerous than it seems. Slice the right way (and prevent a Meryl) with this informative video.
Try these party-style avocado recipes.
1. Avocado Pico de Gallo Salsa
Chowhound
Inject cubes of creaminess to your freshly diced tomatoes, onions, and chiles for a salsa that earns its chip like no other. With this version, you won’t need a separate guacamole dip. It’s an all-in-one munchie, perfect for parties and watching football. Get our Avocado Pico de Gallo Salsa recipe.
2. Mini Black Bean Cakes with Carnitas and Avocado
Chowhound
Set aside at least three hours to make these mouthwatering bean morsels piled with pulled pork and mashed avocado brightened with lime. You can make some of the components ahead of time if that helps. The combination of these elements is stellar, making your efforts for a memorable appetizer worthwhile. Get our Mini Black Bean Cakes recipe.
3. Fried Avocado Tacos
Chowhound
Deep-fried wedges of avocado are the star, instead of the garnish, in these tacos. In this case, you want your avocado relatively firm. Pickled red cabbage and a soothing yogurt-cilantro sauce round out the flavor and texture profile within the tortilla. Get our Fried Avocado Tacos recipe.
4. Avocado Crema
Chowhound
Instead of guacamole, try a smoother, even creamier variety for topping your tacos, enchiladas, and nachos. This kind uses sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Get our Avocado Crèma recipe.
5. Guacamole
Chowhound
How could we list avocado recipes without including the most obvious one? We couldn’t. This recipe goes a little beyond the most basic, with scallions, cilantro, and Roma tomato in it. Make this dip right before your event. It shouldn’t take much longer than 15 minutes, and it yields six cups — enough for a small crowd. Get our Guacamole recipe.
6. Herbed Avocado Spread
Chowhound
If you’ve overdosed on gauc try this herbed spread for a little mix em’ up. Chives and Italian spices give it “hmmm what is in this?” vibes and it’s perfect on sandwiches, eggs or a piece of grilled fish. Get our Herbed Avocado Spread recipe.
Related Video: 30 Days of Avocado Recipes
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Simply Recipes 2019 Meal Plan: January Week 4
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Pressure Cooker BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
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Friday, January 18, 2019
Marie Kondo Your Kitchen With These 10 Amazon Products
Marie Kondo has made an art form out of home organization. Through her KonMari Method, she encourages you to only keep items in your home that spark joy (and to purge the rest). She brings her concept to life in her new #trending Netflix series called “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” If you’re a fan of dramatic before-and-afters, then definitely add this show to your list (we are proud to say that we binge-watched the entire series in one weekend). In the spirit of keeping with our New Year’s resolution to be more organized, we are going to use this long holiday weekend to de-clutter our kitchen in a way that would make Marie proud. Keep reading for our picks on the Amazon products you need to help you master Marie’s method.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, $9.69 on Amazon (43% off!)
Marie Kondo’s best-selling book details how to implement her KonMari method in your own home.
For Your Pantry
Royal Air-Tight Food Storage Container Set, 10 for $54.99 on Amazon
Royal/Amazon
We’ve been seeing a ton of #pantrygoals images on our Instagram feed lately from both celebs and normal people like us (look at Khloe Kardashian’s pantry for major inspo). One product every image seems to have in common is clear stackable food storage containers. These containers are great because they allow you to see what’s inside, they stack for maximum storage space, and they help to create uniformity and harmony in your pantry.See It
SimpleHouseware Stackable Can Rack Organizer, $20.97 on Amazon (originally $29.99)
SimpleHouseware/Amazon
Wrangle those canned goods with this stackable can rack organizer. It can hold up to 36 cans and comes with adjustable dividers so you can make just about any size can fit.See It
ClosetMaid Adjustable 8-Tier Wall and Door Rack, $33.99 on Amazon
ClosetMaid/Amazon
Get extra space out of your pantry with this hanging door rack. You can use this for any overflow items you might have laying around, from canned goods and paper towels to spices and baking items.See It
For Your Kitchen Drawers
Joseph Joseph Kitchen Drawer Organizer Tray for Cutlery, $9.99 on Amazon
Joseph Joseph/Amazon
At press time, this was the number one ranked item in Amazon’s “Movers and Shakers—Home and Kitchen” category, which means this item is #trending in a big way and we can see why. The last thing you want to do when you’re starving is struggle to find a fork because it’s buried underneath a million utensils. This kitchen drawer organizer gives each piece of cutlery its own home, which helps keep things chaos-free.See It
STORi Clear Plastic Vanity and Desk Drawer Organizers, 6 for $14.99 (originally $19.99)
STORi/Amazon
The infamous junk drawer. We all have one, but Marie encourages us to tackle even that area. Whatever you decide to store in this prized real estate space, the key to keeping it tidy is to give each item a place to call home. To fully organize it, Marie suggests taking everything out of the drawer, organizing items into categories, deciding what to keep/purge, and then placing similar items into their own container, like these see-through trays in various sizes.See It
For Your Cupboards
YouCopia/Amazon
As one reviewer puts it, “The racks themselves are fantastic—I love them to death.” This might sound a little dramatic for a spice organizer, but we feel you. This spice organizer can fit 30 full-size or 60 half-size round or square spice bottles. The drawers pull out and lower to display spices at eye level so you can quickly see your inventory when making your grocery list. Genius!See It
Extreme Matters Heavy Duty Pan Organizer, $29.97 on Amazon
Extreme Matters/Amazon
Do you shove all of your pans into the cabinet and then run away as quickly as possible before you can hear everything come crashing down? Stop living your life in fear and buy this organizer to make things just a little bit easier. This rack can be used vertically or horizontally, depending on the size of your cabinets, and fits 5 pans. After reading the reviews, it looks like people have also used this rack to organize extra dishes, so this product is definitely versatile.See It
To Create Extra Storage Space
AmazonBasics 3-Shelf Shelving Unit, $27.55 on Amazon
Amazon
If you don’t have the space, then no matter how well you organize your items, you will always feel like things look cramped and cluttered. This 3-tier shelving unit will solve that space dilemma and give you more room to organize your excess items. You can either fit this inside your pantry if it’s large enough, or keep it out in your kitchen or mudroom.See It
For Under the Sink
BINO Woven Plastic Storage Basket, $8.99 on Amazon
BINO/Amazon
Just because no one usually sees underneath your sink, doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for organizing this space. Use these chic baskets to place cleaning supplies, rubber gloves, a dish brush, extra garbage bags, etc…Once organized, you won’t have to cringe every time you open this cupboard.See It
For Your Fridge
Enther Meal Prep Containers, 12 for $11.90 on Amazon
Enther/Amazon
You’ve Marie Kondo’d your pantry, drawers, cupboards, and even underneath the sink, but you need to show your fridge some love as well. Using the same method you did for the other areas of your kitchen, organize your food into categories and decide what to keep and throw away. Next, place similar items into containers and stack away to save space and a little bit of sanity since you’ll now know where everything is.See It
If you’re eager to keep organizing, check out some more of our favorite meal prep containers.
Related Video: How to Organize Your Spices, According to Professional Organizers
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Easy Super Bowl Sheet Pan Dinners
Sports fan or not, you know the Super Bowl is more than just a game; it’s a cultural institution. Even if you don’t tune in “just for the commercials,” you can’t escape hearing about them, or the game itself—or the food traditionally associated with it. Leading up to February, you’re inundated with recipes for chili and chicken wings, which are tempting even if you’re not into football.
But if you’ve already satisfied your cravings for blue cheese dip and nachos (or, conversely, are making an effort not to eat too much in the way of dip and nachos), you’ll still need a meal to sustain you on the day of the Big Game.
If you’re looking for something a little different yet still festive-ish, you could try your hand at a pigskin-centric recipe, or go for a dish inspired by a particular team. But if you just want something simple and delicious and don’t care about acknowledging the occasion by making even a token bowl of guacamole, it’s a great time to toss a bunch of stuff on sheet pans and crank up the oven. The same is true of pretty much any lazy Sunday (or hectic weeknight, for that matter) of the year.
USA Pan Extra Large Rimmed Baking Sheet with Nonstick Cooling Rack, $35.99 on Amazon
A rimmed pan guards against spills, and a bonus rack doubles for cooling and roasting when you need it.
Sheet pan dinners are easy to put together, fairly quick to cook, mostly healthy, adaptable to various tastes and ingredients, and a breeze to clean up, but admittedly, they do have their limitations and aren’t quite the miraculous answer to all your dinner issues that many would have you believe. For instance, while the idea is to simply dump everything together and have it all cook perfectly with no other interference from you, that’s not always realistic. And even if you start with what appears to be an abundance of raw vegetables, they can sometimes shrink considerably.
Kirbie’s Cravings’ Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
They’re really ideal for a small group of people, so if you’re hosting a big Super Bowl shindig, you’re probably better off ordering pizza or setting up a build-your-own bowl buffet. For everyone else, here are some basic tips to get the best results.
How to cook a sheet pan dinner:
1. Choose the right pan. Use a low-rimmed half sheet pan so air circulates well and you don’t lose any ingredients during stirring or when transferring the pans from counter to oven and back again.
2. Line it for easier cleanup. Parchment paper or aluminum foil really cuts down on mess; sometimes a little juice finds its way underneath (or seemingly magically through the foil, even when there’s no visible tear or breach), but it’s obviously worse if you forgo lining. That said, if you don’t mind a little more scrubbing, don’t sweat it. You can still lightly film the bare pan with oil or mist it with cooking spray (in addition to oiling your ingredients) so there’s less sticky mess to deal with once dinner’s done.
3. Consider your ingredients’ density, and cut them uniformly. Root vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes, and other harder veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower work especially well in this format, but they should all be roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You can still add more tender produce like zucchini and tomatoes, as well as things like pre-cooked beans, but might want to wait until about halfway through so they don’t totally collapse.
4. Add ingredients in stages if need be. Even if all your vegetables will cook in perfectly timed harmony, you might need to start your protein sooner—or later. Pretty much any protein works, but whereas chicken pieces and cubes of beef or pork (not to mention tofu, seitan, and tempeh) can usually cook right along with the hardier veggies, more delicate things like shrimp, salmon, or other seafood generally only need a brief time in a hot oven. Of course, their size and thickness still matters, so you should always use your best judgement. If you have whole chicken parts, especially with bones intact, they may need to go in a few minutes early to ensure they’re cooked all the way through by the time everything else is done. When in doubt, refer to a recipe—you don’t have to follow it exactly, but it can be a great guideline for times and temperatures.
5. Coat everything in a little fat and season well. Since sheet pan dinners tend to cook at relatively high heat, fats with higher smoke points, like grapeseed and olive oils and ghee or clarified butter, are better. Toss your ingredients well in your chosen fat, as well as plenty of salt and pepper (and any other herbs or spices you want) before putting them in the oven—you can do this right on the pans too, no need to dirty a mixing bowl (and use latex gloves if you don’t want to dirty your hands either!)—but don’t add a lot of sauce; a little lemon juice or vinegar is one thing, and if you marinated your meat, a bit still clinging to it is fine, but if there’s too much liquid in the pan, your ingredients will steam and soak and turn out wan and mushy. And if your sauce has a higher amount of sugar in it, it’s likely to burn if you add it at the very beginning.
6. Never crowd your pans. Speaking of steaming and soaking, you also want to make sure your ingredients aren’t piled up on top of each other without enough elbow room, or they won’t caramelize or develop proper texture. Use multiple pans if your chunks of meat and/or veg look like they need more space, and if you’re using larger pieces of meat like whole chicken breasts or thighs, consider elevating them on a small rack (even a raft of scrunched-up aluminum foil) in the middle of the pan to let them brown more uniformly and their juices drip down and disperse without completely swamping the vegetables.
7. Pay attention to finishing touches. If your ingredients are almost done (i.e. cooked through and approaching just the right degree of tenderness) but not looking their very best, turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking time to impart color and even a few spots of crisp char. And when your sheet pans come out of the oven, consider sprinkling on some minced fresh herbs or other garnishes to brighten things up. Even a simple squeeze of citrus is nice, or you can drizzle on a slightly more complex creation, from Argentine Chimichurri Sauce to Lemon Dill Vinaigrette. Optional but highly recommended: serving with rice, grains, mashed root vegetables, or even toasted bread to bulk it up and catch all the juices.
And there you have it: a casual, satisfying, and not-too-demanding meal perfect for any occasion, whether you’re watching the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl, just commercials, something else, or nothing at all! Here are some specific sheet pan recipes to consider whenever you need an easy win at dinner time.
One Pan Garlic Ranch Chicken and Veggies
Damn Delicious
Ranch seasoning punched up with plenty of garlic seasons juicy chicken, carrots, and potatoes to perfection. Get the One Pan Garlic Ranch Chicken and Veggies recipe.
Baked Sausages with Apples Sheet Pan Dinner
Jo Cooks
Use pork or chicken sausages and pair them with crisp-skinned fingerling potatoes, soft red onions, and sweet apples, plus fresh sage and rosemary. This is begging for some spicy whole grain mustard on the side, and maybe sauerkraut too. Get the Baked Sausages with Apples Sheet Pan Dinner recipe.
Sheet Pan Chili Lime Shrimp Fajitas
Le Creme de la Crumb
Zingy, tender shrimp and softly charred peppers and onions, all done in the same pan, are made for folding into soft tortillas with a squirt of lime and some avocado and cilantro, but would be equally good over rice. Get the Sheet Pan Chili Lime Shrimp Fajitas recipe.
Sheet Pan Crispy Cheddar Pork Chops
The Recipe Critic
Panko and shredded cheddar combine for a beautifully crisp and flavorful crust on these pork chops, which would be delicious with pretty much any vegetables you’d like to throw in the pan. Get the Sheet Pan Crispy Cheddar Pork Chops recipe.
Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon & Veggies
Eazy Peazy Mealz
For something a little bit lighter, go with simple, healthy salmon and veggies in a classic teriyaki sauce. Get the Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon & Veggies recipe.
Sheet Pan Chinese Cashew Tofu
Catching Seeds
Or go totally vegetarian and bake tofu and vegetables together, as in this vegan sheet pan wonder (which does call for thickening the sauce in a separate pot first, but you could always cheat with something store-bought). Roasted cashews and sesame seeds add crunch. Get the Sheet Pan Chinese Cashew Tofu recipe.
Fall Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Honey Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Good Life Eats
Most fall flavors work well all through winter, and honestly, this sheet pan pork tenderloin with rosemary, honey, and balsamic vinegar is so good you could eat it all year long. Golden beets and parsnips make interesting earthy-sweet additions to the more standard carrots and Brussels sprouts here, a good reminder to experiment with all kinds of veggies in sheet pan dinners. Get the Fall Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Honey Balsamic Roasted Vegetables recipe.
Sheet Pan Mongolian Beef
A Spicy Perspective
Ordering takeout is easy, but making this one-pan Mongolian beef barely takes any longer. As with any sheet pan recipe, you can also play around with the vegetables by adding and subtracting different kinds (think green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, even celery, which turns silky when roasted). Get the Sheet Pan Mongolian Beef recipe.
See our Super Bowl headquarters for more delicious ideas.
To commemorate Super Bowl LIII, Chowhound is joining forces with CBS Sports, CNET, and TV Guide to give away a sweet prize package that includes an LG OLED 65-inch TV (courtesy of Daily Steals), a 6.5 Liter Chefman Air Fryer, and $125 in gift cards for CBS All Access. Enter for your chance to win before 3:30 p.m PT on February 3, 2019!
Related Video: How to Make Sheet Pan Fried Eggs
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