kitchen tips

You can use this trick to make a box cake mix taste like cupcakes or cake are made from scratch.

Perfect Cupcake Recipe using a mix

Large Eggs

butter, melted

water

Heat oven to 350° and line muffin pan...

Heat oven to 350° and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs,...

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, butter and water using an electric mixer on low for one minute, then mix on high for one minute.

Divide batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each...

Divide batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each two thirds full.

Bake for 20 minutes and cool completely.

Toaster oven roasted red peppers make a flavorful addition to any meal, from pizzas to sandwiches and everything in between!

Toaster Oven Roasted Red Peppers

red bell peppers,

Adjust the toaster oven cooking rack to the...

Adjust the toaster oven cooking rack to the middle position and heat to 425°F. Lightly oil a roasting pan.

Slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the...

Slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the stem, seeds and any large pieces of the white pith.

Place the peppers cut side down on a...

Place the peppers cut side down on a cutting board and use the palm of your hand to gently press down and flatten them. Arrange flattened peppers skin side up on the prepared pan.

Roast peppers until they have begun to collapse...

Roast peppers until they have begun to collapse and the skins are wrinkled and bubbled with black spots (12 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the peppers and your toaster oven).

Quickly remove the peppers from the pan and...

Quickly remove the peppers from the pan and transfer to a shallow covered container. Place lid on container and leave for at least 10 minutes to steam.

Once the peppers are cooled enough to handle...

Once the peppers are cooled enough to handle rub the skins off with your hands or with a paper towel.

Leave the peppers whole or slice into strips...

Leave the peppers whole or slice into strips or chunks before returning them to the covered container.

Store refrigerated for 2-3 days or slice and...

Store refrigerated for 2-3 days or slice and freeze for up to 3 months.

Learn these simple tips and tricks to store fresh green chilies for months.

How to Store Green Chilies for Months

kg Fresh Green Chilies (or any variety)

Remove stalks from Chilies.

If the flesh underneath the stem looks pale white with no damage then its a healthy fresh Chili. Reserve these!

Discard the rotten and mushy chilies.

Separate the ones with mild damage, bug / insect bite etc

Chop off the damaged area and discard. Use the good portion within next few days.

Take the reserved healthy chilies in a colander and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirst or mud.

Spread them over a clean kitchen towel or paper napkin to air dry.

Wipe out any trace of water before storing.

Bag a small portion of the chilies in an air tight tub or plastic bag along with a paper towel.  This will help to keep them moisture free.

Press to remove any air and seal it. Store in your refrigerator for up to a month.

To keep it longer, freeze them freezer safe tubs or ziploc bags.

Prep Work

You may grind it along with Ginger Garlic Paste using oil to extend life.

You can make a thick paste by blending it with oil and then freezing them in ice trays.  Then remove the cubes and store in freezer friendly tubs or bags and use as needed.

Frozen whole chili tends to turn soft and kind of blends when used in curries and gravies and gives almost the same effect as paste. Chopping , mincing, blending method takes time and you can rather freeze them whole to save time and also its less messy.

Other Methods

The technique used here, halving and broiling eggplant rather than roasting it whole, makes the difference that trims cooking time to fit a 30-minute meal.

Rach Pairs Giant Pasta With An Eggplant-Based Spiced Meat Sauce

heavy

eggplant

EVOO

Salt and pepper

Italian sausage

beef

garlic

fennel seed

palmful

allspice

cumin

1/6 palmful

tomato paste

chicken stock

Italian crushed tomatoes

pacchieri

rigatoni

pecorino cheese

about 1 cup plus some to pass at table

parsley

Rachael's Charred Eggplant and Meat Sauce with Paccheri

Arrange rack 1 rung down from top of oven and preheat oven to high

Halve the eggplant lengthwise and brush with EVOO, season with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a baking sheet

Broil eggplant 20 minutes until skin charred and flesh collapsing and tender

Turn the eggplant over with tongs and with the back of your chef knife scrape the flesh away from the skins, slide into a bowl or dish and mash

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta

For sauce, heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan

Add sausage and beef and brown and crumble, add garlic and season with fennel, allspice, cumin, salt and pepper

Stir in sun dried tomato paste, 2 big squirts from a tube, when you can smell the paste and it's incorporated fully, add stock or water and tomatoes, reduce heat a bit and simmer at a bubble

Cook pasta 1 minute less than directed in salted water

Just before draining or transferring to sauce reserve ¾ cup of starchy cooking water

Stir eggplant into meat sauce and combine with pasta and pasta cooking water and cheese, add parsley and toss a full minute then adjust salt and pepper, serve with additional cheese to pass at table

https://cbsi-rachaelray-video-fastly.global.ssl.fastly.net/2019/04/26/1508217411565/13024_wfd_eggplant_pasta_5847061669001_53654_5192.mp4

Rachael’s Charred Eggplant and Meat Sauce with Paccheri

Step-by-step directions and tips on how to poach chicken that's flavorful and never dry!

How to Poach Chicken

chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

salt

peppercorns

thyme

herbs and spices of your choice

Place the chicken breasts in a large soup pot. Pour in 3-4 cups cold water, enough to cover the chicken by 2-inches.

Generously season the water with salt, peppercorns, thyme, and your choice of spices and herbs.

Bring the water to a low boil over medium heat, then use a pair of tongs to flip the chicken breasts.

Place a lid over the pot and remove it from the heat. Let the chicken sit in the hot water for 10 minutes or until cooked through, and it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

Remove the chicken breasts from the water and set them onto a large cutting board. Allow it to rest 5 minutes before slicing, shredding, or dicing.

Sick of having your cakes stick in the pans, even when you use baking spray? Try this homemade pan release recipe, also known as "cake goop!" It’s easy to make and use, requires just a few ingredients, and is MAGIC when it comes to releasing cakes from their pans!

Homemade Pan Release

all-purpose flour

shortening (vegetable)

vegetable oil

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Mix on low speed until the flour is moistening, then turn the speed to medium-low and mix until you have a smooth paste. (Alternately, you can use a firm spatula and stir everything together by hand.)

Sometimes there will be small chunks of shortening in your pan release. This doesn’t hurt anything, but if it bothers you, heat the pan release in very short intervals in the microwave (5-8 seconds), stirring after each one, until it is melted and smooth.

Transfer the pan release to a container and label with the date. Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. If it separates during storage, simply stir it together again.

To use, dip a silicone pastry brush in the pan release and brush a thin, even layer on the bottom and sides of your cake pan before adding any cake batter.

Would love to know the shelf life of this recipe. Does the flour eventually mold? Thank you.

I have used this for years and it works great.

Top 6 kitchen tips recipes from across the web

The most viewed kitchen tips recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Perfect Cupcake Recipe using a mix

Toaster Oven Roasted Red Peppers

How to Store Green Chilies for Mont...

Rach Pairs Giant Pasta With An Eggp...

How to Poach Chicken

Homemade Pan Release

Top 6 kitchen tips recipes from across the web

The most viewed kitchen tips recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Perfect Cupcake Recipe using a mix

Toaster Oven Roasted Red Peppers

How to Store Green Chilies for Mont...

Rach Pairs Giant Pasta With An Eggp...

How to Poach Chicken

Homemade Pan Release

The most viewed kitchen tips recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine