Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Steamed Green Beans

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Fresh Steamed Green Beans are so delicious and easy to make! Steaming is an easy, healthy way to cook green beans. In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you two easy step-by-step methods to Steam Green Beans.

Steamed Green Beans are a perfect vegetable side dish for lunch or dinner. Most people love green beans so this is almost always a good vegetable choice. Learning how to Steam Green Beans will really come in handy all year round. You can find recipes for both steaming methods below. Watch this cooking video and learn how to Steam Green Beans Two Ways!

Yield: 3 - 4 servings

Steamed Green Beans Using a Steamer Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh green beans (or amount desired)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Water (as needed)

Instructions

  1. Place the beans in a colander. Rinse them under cold, running water.
  2. Fill the bottom of a steamer pan with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
  3. While the water is heating, remove the stem end of the beans. You can also trim off the other end if desired. Keep them whole or cut in 1 inch pieces.
  4. Place the beans in the steamer and place them over the pan of boiling water.
  5. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium.
  6. Steam the beans. Check them after 5 minutes for doneness. Continue cooking until they are crisp-tender or to desired tenderness.
  7. Salt to taste. Serve.

Notes

When trimming the beans, align them and cut off the stem ends. If desired, turn the beans around, align them and cut off the opposite ends. Use a knife or scissors to trim the beans.

When the beans are done a fork should pierce them easily.

You can fill the steamer pan with green beans and cook more than one pound at a time.

© Karen Breyer

Yield: 3 - 4 servings

Steamed Green Beans Using a Vegetable Steamer

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh green beans (or desired amount)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Water (as needed)

Instructions

  1. Place the beans in a colander. Rinse them under cold, running water.
  2. Fill the bottom of a pan with 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water and bring to a boil.
  3. While the water is heating, remove the stem end of the beans. You can also trim off the other end if desired. Keep them whole or cut in 1 inch pieces.
  4. Place the beans in a vegetable steamer. When the water comes to a boil, place the loaded steamer inside the pan.
  5. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium.
  6. Steam the green beans until desired tenderness. Start checking them after 5 minutes for doneness. Continue cooking until they are crisp - tender or your desired tenderness.
  7. Salt to taste. Serve.

Notes

When trimming the beans, align them and cut off the stem ends. If desired, turn the beans around, align them and cut off the opposite ends. Use a knife or scissors to trim the beans.

When the beans are done a fork should pierce them easily.

You can add more than one pound of green beans to the vegetable steamer as they are able to fit. Don’t pack them in.

© Karen Breyer

 

Toaster Oven Brown Rice

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Make this easy Toaster Oven Brown Rice recipe! What a super easy way to cook perfect brown rice! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make Toaster Oven Brown Rice.

Making perfect brown rice in your toaster oven is so easy and you do not need to stand there and watch it while it’s cooking. You can be in the other room and when the timer turns off so does the toaster oven. It also frees ups space on your stovetop if you need the burners for other recipes.

Brown rice is the perfect, healthy side dish for so many meals. If you want rice pilaf just use your favorite broth in place of the water. Brown rice is so healthy and now you can easily make it anytime. Watch this cooking video and make this healthy, delicious Toaster Oven Brown Rice for dinner tonight!

Yield: 3 servings

Toaster Oven Brown Rice

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup long grain brown rice
  • 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt, Kosher
  • 1 1/2 cup boiling water

Instructions

  1. Preheat toaster oven to 375 degrees. Move oven rack to lowest level.
  2. In a 1 – 1 1/2 quart casserole or baking dish combine the rice, salt and boiling water. Stir.
  3. Cover with foil.
  4. Bake 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
  5. Fluff with a fork. Serve.

Notes

You could also make a rice pilaf by replacing he water with a flavored broth.

Choose a baking dish that fits in your toaster oven with the door closed completely.

You can also make this Toaster Oven Brown Rice recipe in a regular oven.

If you don’t have Kosher salt, use a different type.

See a cooking demonstration of this Toaster Oven Brown Rice recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Rice Cooker Curried Quinoa

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Looking for an easy Curried Quinoa recipe you can make in your rice cooker? If so, I think you will love this healthy, tasty Rice Cooker Curried Quinoa! It is so easy to make and very delicious. In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make Rice Cooker Curried Quinoa.

Do you love curry but never seem to have the time to make it? If so, you can make it in a few easy, fast steps. Stir together the ingredients in the rice cooker, turn it on and amazingly you will have Curried Quinoa in no time!

This Rice Cooker Curried Quinoa recipe is a tasty side dish perfect for almost any meal. I think it goes especially well with most Indian recipes. If you haven’t cooked anything but rice in your rice cooker, this is a perfect recipe to try. Making recipes in the rice cooker is an easy way to cook healthy food with minimal effort. I think this yummy recipe is the perfect reason for you to get out your rice cooker. Watch this cooking video and try this Rice Cooker Curried Quinoa today!

Yield: 8 servings

Rice Cooker Curried Quinoa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 4 1/4 cups water
  • 3/4 cup green pepper, chopped small
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons onions, dried (minced or chopped)
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup raisins

Instructions

  1. : Stir all ingredients together in a rice cooker.
  2. : Cook on the white rice setting.
  3. : When finished, fluff the cooked quinoa and evenly distribute the raisins.
  4. : Let the Curried Quinoa set 10 more minutes.
  5. : Salt to taste and serve.

Notes

Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

You can use 3/4 cup of fresh minced onion in place of the dried.

You can substitute 1 - 2 minced garlic cloves for the garlic powder.

Read your quinoa label and rinse the quinoa if it calls for it. Most packaged quinoa is pre-rinsed and does not need it.

This Curried Quinoa is delicious topped with chopped toasted or raw walnuts.

See a cooking demonstration of this Rice Cooker Curried Quinoa recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Crockpot Corn on the Cob

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Cook Corn on the Cob in your Crockpot! In this cooking video Karen Breyer and her dad will show you step-by-step how to make Crockpot Corn on the Cob! Cooking corn on the cob in your crockpot or slow cooker is so easy and the corn turns out perfect every time! I think this is the best way to cook corn on the cob.

No more waiting forever for a pot of water to boil and supervising the corn while it is cooking. When you cook the corn on the cob in your crockpot you can do other things while it is cooking. You can even leave the house! I think once you try cooking corn on the cob in a crockpot or slow cooker you will never go back to the big pot of water method. Watch this cooking video and make Crockpot Corn on the Cob for dinner tonight!

Yield: 2 - 10 ears of corn

Crockpot Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

  • 2 - 10 ears corn, husked
  • 1/3 - 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  1. Place the desired number (2 - 10) of ears of corn in a Crockpot. Break the corn in half if needed to fit them in.
  2. For 2 - 4 ears add 1/3 cup of water. For 5 - 10 ears add 1/2 cup of water.
  3. Cook on high for 1 3/4 hours to 2 1/2 hours or until the corn is tender crisp.

Notes

For 4 ears of corn or less decrease the cooking time by 15 minutes.

If the corn has been refrigerated and is cold, increase the cooking time by 15 minutes.

See a cooking demonstration of this Crockpot Corn on the Cob recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

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