I have always loved Emeril. I remember watching him when Food Network was new. He was so lively and always created the most amazing dishes. Man can that guy cook.

If you have kids, you should really look into his kid’s cookbooks. They are really fun, family-friendly foods. And, to be quite honest, I cook out of them all the time. They are not just recipes easy for kids, but rather, recipes the entire family will enjoy eating together.

Emeril has his famous all purpose seasoning, and a kid friendly version is provided in his kids’ cookbooks called Baby Bam.

I think it is really flavorful, without being too spicy for the little ones, or folks like me that like flavor but not a lot of heat in their food

This makes about 3/4 cup, which I think is a nice amount to keep on hand to season fries, burgers, soups and all the other usual places that you would use a seasoning salt.

Baby Bam

• 3 TB paprika
• 2 TB Kosher Salt
• 2 TB dried parsley
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper (you might want to reduce this if you use a spicy pepper)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp celery salt

1. Place all ingredients in a small container or jar with a tight fitting lid. Seal and shake to combine. Store at room temperature for up to 3 months.

Make ahead gluten free seasoning salt

Ever since going gluten free I have had to read labels, lots of label. Well, reading labels has made aware of how much junk is in salad dressing, so I am trying to make it from scratch more often.

As much as a like the idea of making my own salad dressings, in reality it hasn’t worked out so well. It’s hard enough to get dinner and a salad on the table at a reasonable time most weeknights, let alone whipping together a nice salad dressing the entire family will eat.

So, I am sure you can imagine my excitement when I recently came across a recipe for an Italian Salad dressing mix recipe on allrecipes.com, you just mix together the spices and store in an air tight container. When you need some Italian dressing you take out a couple tablespoons and mix it with some vinegar and oil. Sounded easy enough, so I gave it a try.

Of course, like most recipes I try, I made some modifications, particularly omitting 2 tablespoons of salt; seriously, it is plenty salty from the garlic salt and celery salt. I was quite pleased with the results and plan on keeping this dressing mix on hand. Not only is it great for a green salad or pasta salad, but I think it would make a nice rub or marinade for meat. And it would be a nice addition to a gift basket.

And one of the benefits of making food from scratch, you can seriously adjust the recipe to suit your dietary restrictions or tastes. Although it tastes great as is, I think red pepper flakes or canned Parmesan would be great additions.

Italian Drssing on a pasta salad.

Italian Dressing Mix

• 1/2 TB garlic powder
• 1/2 TB garlic salt
• 1 TB onion powder
• 1 TB sugar
• 2 TB dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground black pepper (you might want to reduce this if you use a spicy, freshly ground pepper. I use about 1/2 tsp)
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1TB dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp celery salt

1. In a small jar or bowl, mix together all ingredients and store tightly sealed.
2. To prepare dressing, whisk together 2 TB of the dry mix with 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup oil (you could use up to 2/3 cups oil, but I don’t care for really oily dressing). Shake or stir to combine. * I think almost any vinegar could be used here and canola or vegetable oil in place of the olive oil if desired.

Make ahead, Sauces & Dressings, quick and easy homemade dressing mix

My family loves dill pickles. So I decided I should give homemade pickles a try. WOW! They are so good, almost beyond words good. They are crunchy, spicy, and full of flavor. Truly so much better than anything you can get a the grocery store. They remind me of fancy deli-style pickles, only better.

I have tried several different recipes, and our favorites are the refrigerator dill pickles. I have found that the recipes that just require refrigeration, as opposed to processing, stay crisp and fresh tasting.

This particular version is our family’s absolute favorite, we think it has just the right amount of dill, garlic and spice, but feel free to add or reduce the garlic, red pepper flakes or dill to suit your tastes.

Although I am sure you’ll enjoy these, maybe even too much to share, they make great gifts for friends and family.

Making pickles is rather easy and a fun summertime activity to do with the kids or grandkids, even my three year old likes to help. But of course, there are few tips that will help you create the best pickles possible.

Hints for the perfect pickles:

• Always use the freshest cucumbers possible. If you don’t have a garden, use the farmer’s market, local produce stand, etc to get the freshest pickling cucumbers possible.
• Use pickling salt. It’s cheap, has a long shelf life, and is available at regular grocery stores.
• Most stores with bulk foods have dill seed, pickling spice and red pepper flakes at bargain prices. You’ll only need a very small amount of each, probably less than $1 altogether.
• Cut thin slices off both ends of the cucumbers before pickling. Technically, it is the blossom end that has an enzyme that may cause the pickles to soften, but it can be difficult to tell which end had the blossom, so I just make a small slice off both ends.
• Refrigerator pickles need refrigerated These aren’t the processed variety, so they have to be stored in the refrigerator.
• Wait 10 days before eating. I know, this is the hardest tip to follow.

Refrigerator Pickles in the jar.

Ten days later....Can you see the spices? So yummy.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

I prefer to slice mine into spears and I tightly pack them into jars; if I find that this recipe makes the perfect amount of brine if I do it this way. When I sliced them into rounds I needed to double the brine in order to adequately cover the pickles.

• 12 3-4 inch long pickling cucumbers whole, speared, or sliced into rounds
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 1 /2 cups roughly chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 8 cloves garlic, chopping is optional
• 1 1 /2 TB pickling salt
• 1 TB pickling spice
• 1 1/2 tsp dill seed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• approximately 4 clean jars and lids, I find that wide mouth pint size jars work the best

1. In a large non-reactive bowl, combine water and salt; stir until salt is dissolved. add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Remove the cucumbers from the bowl and place, tightly packed, into clean jars. Make sure each jar has at least a sprig of dill and a clove of garlic. Ladle the liquid over the pickles, making sure to cover them entirely. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for 10 days before eating.

Cooking With Kids, Make ahead, Sides, Snacks, Uncategorized easy pickles, garlic dill pickles, refrigerator pickles, spicy dill pickles

Flavored butters, also known as compound butter, are a cook’s dream. They are super easy to make and freeze extremely well; making them one of the rare items you can actually pull out of the freezer at a moment’s notice to create something worthy of company.

Butters, or butter alternatives, can be flavored sweet or savory. And really you are only limited by your imagination.

For sweet concoctions I like to stir in cinnamon, fruit preserves, or honey; these make wonderful spreads on warm rolls, french toast, or scones.

For dinner, a dollop of a savory butter mixed in with roasted vegetables or a pat placed on a grilled steak or a chicken breast will turn a boring dish into something extraordinary. The flavors you mixed into the butter will be released as it melts on the hot food. Seriously, this is good eating.

You’ll want to start with softened butter and just mix in your additions until thoroughly incorporated into the butter; you might find a food processor handy here, but clean up can be a bit messy so I prefer to use a fork.

To store, place the flavored butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up into a log. Place plastic-wrapped logs in a freezer bags and freeze until needed. The butter can be frozen for several weeks, with small sections being cut off the log as needed.

Explore your pantry and fridge and I am sure you’ll come up some winning combinations. Honey, preserves, citrus, zest, shallots, ginger, herbs and spices all pack lots of flavor and compliment the butter well. Here are a few of my favorite flavored butters, but don’t limit yourself to my suggestions.

Honey Butter on a pancake.

Lemon-Herb Butter Great on grilled meat and fish, any herb can be used here in place of parsley.

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
• 1 Tb finely chopped fresh parsley or other herb such as cilantro, thyme, or basil
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mash with the back of a fork. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Place flavored butter in a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. For longer storage store in the freezer.

Bearnaise Butter Fabulous on a grilled steak and so much easier than making Bearnaise sauce.

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 Tb finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 Tb finely chopped shallots
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mash with the back of a fork. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Place flavored butter in a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. For longer storage store in the freezer.

Honey Butter This is so good on fresh bread, cornbread, a muffin, or french toast. If you want a more intense honey flavor you can add up to a 1:1 ratio of honey to butter.

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 Tb honey
• pinch cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mash with the back of a fork. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Place flavored butter in a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. For longer storage store in the freezer.

Make ahead, Sauces & Dressings compound butters, flavored butters

I read a cooking tip in my local newspaper, If you have leftover cream perilously close to its expiration date, just freeze it. Well, I haven’t been to impressed with freezing dairy, but I always seem to have leftover cream sitting in my fridge that will ultimately be thrown out. If it could actually freeze that would be such a time and money saver.

The tip also went on to say that you could whip the cream and freeze the dollops for several weeks; and the best part they only take about 10 minutes to thaw at room temperature. Now this was one tip I couldn’t overlook. How many times would having pre-whipped cream have been so nice? Too many to count at my house. Not only would this be great for the holiday, but anytime you have company over. It would be such an easy thing to prepare ahead of time.

I was skeptical that this would actually work. First, my cream carton said clearly on the side DO NOT FREEZE. So I had to put these freezer cream tips to the test.

To freeze liquid cream, you have to leave 1/2 inch at the top of the container, giving the cream plenty of room for expansion. I used containers designed for freezer products, but I think any freezer-safe jar or container with a lid would do; you could even reuse a cottage cheese or yogurt container. It will thaw overnight if placed in the refrigerator. It will most likely separate, so shake it before using. This really does work!

For the whipped cream, I placed small dollops on a parchment lined baking sheet and placed in my freezer until frozen. Then I placed them in an airtight container and returned them to the freezer. When I checked a couple weeks later, they still looked good. I pulled a few out, let them defrost on the counter. They still held their shape and tasted just like fresh whipped cream!

Freezing cream is one kitchen tip I am glad I discovered. I hope it saves you time and money in your kitchen as well.

Kitchen Extras, Kitchen Tips, Make ahead freezing cream, freezing kitchen tips, Gluten Free

Apple desserts are pure comfort food. The apples, the spices, the smell that fills the house. I have never met a person who dislikes apple pie, not to say that all apple pies are created equal, because they certainly are not, but if done correctly, apple desserts are sublime. Like “happiness in a bowl” my daughter says. My mom has been making her version of apple pie filling for over 40 years. Although I love the recipe, I decided to make a freezer version because I am just not that into canning, and I have more freezer space than cupboard space. So, I decided to adapt my mom’s classic recipe. I find it really convenient to have pie filling frozen, ready to use for impromptu desserts.

I use this apple pie filling for pancakes, waffles, ice cream topping, cobbler, crisps, etc. There are so many uses and they are all good, a pie is just the obvious choice, but don’t let the title fool you, this can be used for so much more than just a pie. If you have never made pie filling before, it isn’t difficult, preparing the apples is the most labor intensive part. If you have a teen or spouse who likes to help in the kitchen, this would be one task that could use some assistance.

The measurements for cornstarch and water work for me with Granny Smith apples, if you are using an apple that is significantly sweeter or has a higher water content you might find these measurements need adjusted slightly. Make sure and use a firm baking apple though, not all apples will make a good pie filling. So next time you see apples on sale buy a bunch and make some apple pie filling, you’ll never want to buy it again.

Freezer Apple Pie Filling

• 4 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 generous tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 cups water
• 20 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (about 20 apples)
• 2 TB lemon juice

1. In large bowl toss apples with lemon juice; set aside.
2. In large pot (stock pot) or dutch oven, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and water to a boil. Boil until thickened, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add apples and return to a boil; cover and lower heat, simmer for 5-7 minutes or until apples are tender. You don’t want the apples to be too soft, or you’ll end up with applesauce.
4. Cool for 30 minutes. This mixture can be used immediately or scoop into freezer containers or freezer bags and sealed; allow to cool to room temperature or so before freezing.

Desserts, Make ahead freezer apple pie filling, Gluten Free, gluten free apple pie filling