Category Archives: How-to

How To: Cut a Pepper

Posted in Chicken, Gluten Free, How-to, Paleo, Recipe by

This is a pretty typical Sunday night dinner in our house. We love fajitas. I make them by sautéing garlic, onions and peppers in olive oil then adding chicken flavored with and marinated in fajita seasoning from the Spice House. Simple and quick.

From left to right: chicken fajitas, tortillas, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, sauteed mushrooms, pico de gallo, and grilled green onions.

From left to right: chicken fajitas, tortillas (for hubs), cheese, sour cream, guacamole, sautéed mushrooms (for me since I don’t eat the tortillas), pico de gallo, and grilled green onions.

I usually make a double batch of the chicken and peppers along with a boat load of guacamole and pico de gallo so I can have the leftovers the next few mornings with eggs. Fajita omelette? Yes, please!

I can’t convince my husband to try Paleo with me for even two weeks so that’s why the tortillas are pictured here. However, this is Paleo-friendly as long as you eat everything a la carte. You could also serve this as a salad over a bed of lettuce greens with a bit of olive oil and fresh lime juice. When you make fresh pico and guacamole, you don’t even miss things like sour cream, cheese, or tortillas. I have to admit that even though cheese isn’t technically Paleo, it is the one item that I cheat with at times.

I have found that people really struggle with slicing and dicing peppers for meals like this. I can’t even recall where I learned this technique, but it is the best way to cup up fresh peppers. It’s makes it super easy to slice them into strips or dice them into cubes and you never have any of the little seeds flying about.

How to Cut a Pepper

Step 1

How to cut a pepper

Step 1

Step 1.5

Slice down the side of the pepper as close to the stem as possible.

Side view of step 1

Step 2

Now that you can see the inside, slice the other sides off avoiding the seeds.

Step 2

Avoid the seeds as you slice

Side view of step 2

Step 3

Notice the seeds are intact around the stem

Step 3

Repeat around the entire pepper

Step 4

Step 7

Discard the seeds

Step 5

Step 6

Slice into strips or dice into cubes

Easy peasy!

9 New Uses For Herbs

Posted in From the garden to my kitchen, How-to by

A friend of mine mentioned the other day that she wanted to start growing her own herbs because it would be cheaper than buying them every time she needs fresh herbs for a dish. For example, if a recipe calls for a sprig of rosemary, she will buy the tiny box of rosemary from the grocery store (these usually run about $3-$5 depending on the herb), use a sprig, and end up throwing the rest out because it goes bad before she uses it again. This got me thinking of ways to use up or preserve those fresh herbs.

I have been growing and drying my own herbs for years. Drying herbs is very easy and does not require any special equipment. All you do is bunch your herbs together and secure with a rubber band, then hang them upside down in a dark, dry place (closets work really well) and forget about them for a couple of weeks.

This bunch of sage is already dried, but you can see the rubber band at the top securing it together.

Cucina Kristina: Dried Sage

Dried Sage

I usually dry a bunch of different herbs at a time and hang them from one of those cheap hangers you get from the dry cleaner. I just twist the top apart, thread the rubber banded herbs onto the hanger, and hang them in my basement.

Cucina Kristina: Dry bunches of herbs on a dry cleaner hanger.

You can easily untwist these by hand.

Cucina Kristina: Dry bunches of herbs on a dry cleaner hanger.

Dried lime balm, pineapple sage, thyme, anise, and sage.

When I started this post, I only had a few ideas bouncing around in my head, but as I kept writing, the ideas kept coming. I’ve compiled a list of links and pictures of ways to use fresh and dried herbs. It’s a mix of my own ideas and links around the internet.

1. Make tea.

Fancy herbal teas can cost you a pretty penny. Why not dry those herbs and make your own teas? Simply boil water, add herbs, and steep for about 10 minutes. You could use fresh herbs to make tea, too. Nothing is stopping you!

2. Freeze fresh herbs.

When you think of preserving herbs, drying automatically comes to mind. However, you can also freeze them in their natural state for use throughout the year. There are three ways you can do this.

- The first is to freeze them whole. Spread individual leaves or sprigs onto a cookie sheet and freeze.

- The second is to use ice cube trays. Scoop 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs into each ice cube space and cover halfway with water and freeze. The herbs will float to the top, don’t worry. This is why you fill the tray only halfway at first. When frozen, cover the rest of the way with water and freeze again.

- The third is to freeze fresh herbs in olive oil. This idea from The Gardner’s Eden has been floating around Pinterest for a while, but I thought it was worth mentioning in case folks hadn’t seen it. I think it is a great idea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it!

3. Make you own potpourri.

Once your herbs are dried, you can put them in a sash and use them to scent drawers or closets. You can also spread potpourri into a decorative bowl or dish and use around your home. If you’d like, you can mix in other scents. Add cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, or dried citrus fruits. This idea works especially well with anise, rosemary, and lavender.

4. Infuse things.

You can infuse olive oil, vinegar, or butter. These would make great gifts for any occasion. If you get fancy jars, your olive oil and vinegar can double as kitchen decor.

5. Brighten up your home or office with a fresh herb bouquet.

The smell of fresh herbs seeps through the air as you work and has a very calming effect. Also, how cute would this be for a housewarming present or a hostess gift?

Cucina Kristina: Fresh herb bouquet

Rosemary, sage, and oregano. The scent is amazing!

6. Use fresh or dried herbs as gift toppers.

I did this for a kitchen themed bridal shower and used fresh rosemary and cinnamon sticks. I thought I was a genius when I came up with the idea, but it is already all over the internet. Sigh. Maya*Made has some great photos in her post on herbs as gift toppers.

7. Make your own spice blends, rubs, or mixes.

Here are some ideas that come to mind. Use equal parts of dried herbs. Be careful when you get into the powders as they tend to be strong. You can experiment, but in the case of powders less is more.

  • Italian herb blend: Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Sage
  • Scarborough Fair blend: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
  • Steak/chicken rub: Oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika
  • Fajita mix: Oregano, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper

8. Make flavored simple syrups. Use in cocktails, mocktails, and sweet treats.

I found this awesome step-by-step tutorial from Oh My Veggies for basil simple syrup, but you could use this method for any herb. She also lists some uses for basil simple syrup to get your creative juices flowing.

9. Press herbs, frame, and use as artwork. 

We all probably pressed leaves at some point for a school project, right? Why not do the same with herbs? I’ve pressed many leaves and flowers in my day using the basic method I was taught during the 80′s. I’m sure it will work the same for herbs. Lay herbs flat between two pieces of newspaper. Place a few heavy books on them and wait about 2-3 weeks for the herbs to dry in their pressed shape. They can then be framed and hung in a kitchen.

Any other ideas? Please share!

How To Correctly Put a Lid on a Coffee Cup

Posted in Drinks, How-to by

Fall is in the air! As much as I miss living in California, there is no better place to be during the fall season than the Midwest. It is always sad to say goodbye to summer, but these things help make the transition easier:

  • College football season (Go Bears!)
  • Boots (I’m in love with these, these, these, and these!)
  • The smell of burning leaves
  • Sunday drives through the forest preserve
  • Apple picking, apple cider, apple butter, apple donuts
  • Canning the last of summer’s bounty (my new project this year)
  • Pumpkin carving & roasting the seeds
  • Oktoberfest & seasonal beers (Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale? Yes, please!)
  • Scarves and hats

and finally…. warm pumpkin-spiced coffee drinks! I can’t think of anything more amazing on a chilly autumn day than the smell of fall in my coffee cup. I’m dying to try this homemade version of a Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Averie Cooks using pumpkin puree and almond milk. How delectable does that sound?

Speaking of coffee, am I the only one that has major issues with coffee dribbling down the side of my paper coffee cup? I have coffee stains in my car, on my gloves, and on the front of countless shirts because of this. Little did I know there is a simple solution to this problem.

I was in Boston three weeks ago for the last leg of my honeymoon, and I stopped into Wired Puppy for my morning cup o’ Joe. At the sugar/creamer station, they had a photo tutorial explaining the proper way to put a lid on a to-go cup of coffee. Ever since following their directions, I have had zero coffee dribbles on the front of my shirt. This is seriously exciting news. I wish I knew this years ago.

How to Correctly Put a Lid on a Coffee Cup

Step 1: Find the cup seam.

Cucina Kristina: Cup Seam

Find the cup seam

Step 2: Put the lid on with the spout facing opposite the cup seam.

Cucina Kristina: Put the lid on with the spout facing opposite the cup seam and your beverave won't dribble down your shirt.

Put the lid on with the spout facing opposite the cup seam.

That’s it? Seriously? All I had to do was rotate the lid?! Does this mean I can finally have nice things? :)

DIY Dry Erase Board

Posted in Crafts, How-to by

My husband was out of town this weekend so I took the opportunity to do a little fall cleaning. Have you ever noticed what a disastrous mess you have to make in order to clean out spaces and organize them? I definitely underestimated the amount of time it would take to clean up our life, and thought I could organize 3 rooms, 2 closets, and a bathroom in a single weekend. Ha! On the upside, I did manage to completely organize our living room, add some fall decorations around the house, and knock out a few DIY projects.

When I was a Communications Editor, I used to attend a promo show every February. We would get tons of sample items and one of the most useful was this magnetic dry-erase board.

Snowmen year-round?

It was flimsy and ugly, but it was free and functional so it lived on our fridge for nearly 2 years. We used it constantly to make our weekly grocery lists, and I decided that I wanted to have something a little more pleasing to the eye. So, I picked up a frame that was on sale for $8 at Michael’s and a piece of scrapbook paper ($.59 cents) and here is what we have now.

$8 frame + a piece of scrapbook paper = Super cute dry-erase board!

This project was so quick, inexpensive, and easy. I have no idea why it took me two years to get around to it. The design can be changed out to coincide with any holiday or event (birthdays, back-to-school, seasons, etc.) throughout the year. You could pick up 12 different pieces of paper, store them in the frame, and change it out every month!

How To Stabilize Your Cutting Board

Posted in How-to by

Even though I received a beautiful Bunbury cutting board for my bridal shower, I am still using my cheap Ikea cutting boards on a daily basis. The Bunbury board is so gorgeous, I can’t bring myself to use it as a chopping block. I am going to use it as a serving piece so my guests can enjoy it as much as I do. :)

I like the Ikea cutting boards because they are functional, dishwasher-safe, and easily replaceable. They also fit nicely on top of the fridge, and I love things that can easily be stored out of sight. The problem with lightweight, plastic cutting boards is that they slip and slide all over the place. I know I am not the only one with this problem!

If you want to keep your cutting board held securely in place, all you need is a damp paper towel. Simply wet a piece of paper towel, squeeze out the excess water, place under your cutting board, and it will keep it from slipping under your knife as you dice, chop, slice, and mince.

Cucina Kristina: Stabilize your cutting board

A wet paper towel. The secret to securing your cutting board.

When you are done cooking, you can use the paper towel to wipe down your countertop. Bonus!

How to Build Raised Garden Beds

Posted in DIY, From the garden to my kitchen, How-to by

Last year, my husband built 2 raised garden beds for our garden. I was so happy with the results, I talked him into building 2 more for me this year. They are relatively easy to build and provide many added benefits to your backyard garden including:

  • Customized soil - This is probably the best benefit to a raised garden bed. It allows you to use your own mix of soil and compost to yield the best results for your plants. If you are into testing pH levels (I haven’t found this necessary yet) a raised garden bed will also allow you to group your plants for optimal growth.
  • Better drainage – A raised bed will provide your bed with better drainage. Because the soil is contained within the bed, they also help limit soil erosion. 
  • Extend your growing season – Raised beds warm up faster than regular ground soil which can extend your growing season. Not only can you plant seedlings earlier in a raised bed, but you can also continue to harvest longer due to increased soil temperatures.
  • Weed control – A raised garden bed allows you to put down a weed barrier before filling the bed with dirt. There is a lot of back and forth on the internet as to how necessary this is because weed barrier fabric does not stop weeds all together. However, a weed barrier plus a few extra feet of dirt will cut down on the amount of weeding you have to do throughout the summer. Personally, I think it’s worth it.
  • Better on your back – Believe it or not, raising your garden bed even a foot off the ground helps ease amount of back-bending needed to harvest and maintain your plants.

Last year I posted some photos of our garden beds without any step-by-step instructions. That is one of my most popular posts so I thought I’d post directions this time around. We used cedar wood because it is the most resistant to rot.

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed
Note: Our beds are 5′ x 4′. You will have to adjust your measurements for beds of different dimensions. The instructions below are for 1 raised garden bed.

Materials:

  • Two 10-foot cedar planks and two 8-foot cedar planks. We used 2 x 6′s – Have your hardware store cut them in half for you. This will leave you with four 5-foot boards and four 4-foot boards
  • One 4 x 4 cedar board – Have your hardware store cut this into 1 and a half-foot pieces. These will be your posts.
  • 3-inch outdoor decking screws
  • Screwdriver
  • Level (optional, but helpful)

Directions:

1. Lay two of the post pieces 5 feet apart on the ground and lay the 5-foot planks across them.

DIY Raised Garden Bed - Step 1

Step 1

2. Using a straight edge, make sure the plank is flush with the edge of the post. Attach one plank at a time.

DIY Raised Garden Bed - Step 2

Step 2

3. Drill two screws through the plank and the post. It helps if you pre-drill the holes in the planks. Screws should be about an inch or so from the edges of the plank and approximately 4 inches apart.

DIY Raised Garden Bed - Step 3

Step 3

4. Repeat steps 1-3 with remaining planks.

nail location

Nail the planks to the posts. I have circled where we inserted nails above. Click to enlarge.

DIY Raised Garden Bed - Step 4

Finished bed.

A quick note: We left about an inch of space between the bottom plank and the ground. This was so we could dig small holes into the ground to help anchor the boxes. In hindsight, this was unnecessary as the boxes are heavy and pretty stable once they are filled with dirt. It is up to you as to whether or not you want to build yours this way.

DIY Raised Garden Bed - Step 4

Step 5 (optional)

5. Before removing your grass and filling your boxes with dirt, check to make sure the beds are level. I don’t think this step is necessary enough to go out and purchase a level, but if you happen to have one it is a good idea to check this before they can’t be moved.

I hope this was helpful. Happy planting!

Regrowing Green Onions

Posted in How-to, Recipe by

Chicago turned 175 years old today, and since the name Chicago was derived from the Native American word for wild onion (shikaakwa), I feel there is no more appropriate time for this post.

I learned two things about onions over the last month. The first is that they should never be stored next to potatoes because this will cause them to both to spoil faster. Who knew? Certainly not I. I knew that onions and potatoes should be kept in a cool, dry, and dark (if possible) place, but I had no idea that storing them in the same container would speed up their spoiling. Ever since discovering that, I can’t get these crocks from Sur La Table out of my mind! I think I need them immediately.

Onion crock. They have matching ones for potatoes and garlic!

The second thing I learned about onions is that you can regrow scallions, sometimes referred to as green onions. I am far from having a green thumb, my fiancé is solely responsible for keeping our summer garden alive. I am only responsible for harvesting and taking pictures. I am proud to report that I regrew these onions all on my own, which proves how easy it is!

How to Regrow Scallions (Green Onions)

Supplies:

  • Green onions
  • Glass jar or a drinking glass
  • Water

Procedure:

  1. Snip dark green portion of the onion off so only the white and light green parts remain.
  2. Place in glass jar and fill with water until the white portion is covered. Change water daily.

Regrowing scallions

That’s it! The dark green part will start to grow back after a few days. This is what my scallions looked like after 10 days.

10 days later

You can use green onions for all sorts of things. You can dice them and add them to dips or butter. You can chop them and add them to salads or top tacos and fajitas with them. Since they have a mild onion taste, I love to grill them. Grilling them removes any onion bite they have and replaces it with a sweet flavor that is irresistible. If you grill your scallions and plan on regrowing them, you can  trim them a lot closer to the root than I did in the first photo above.

Grilled Green Onions

Trimmed and seasoned green onions. All prepped for grilling! I seem to have misfiled my "after" photo :(

Ingredients:

  • Green onions (aka Scallions)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Trim roots and toss green onions with olive oil in a shallow baking dish.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Grill until tender and browned, about 10 minutes.

You can eat grilled scallions on their own or place them inside a warm corn tortilla and serve as an accompaniment to arrachera. Happy growing!

Makeup Brush Organization

Posted in DIY, How-to by

Q: What does do you get when you fill a couple of Ikea vases with a bag of rice?

A: Makeup Brush Holders!

I needed a cheap way to organize my makeup brushes and this did the trick. I got the vases this afternoon for $2.49 each and the bag of rice for $1.79. The cost of this entire project was under $8, and that includes tax. Can’t beat that!

As I was walking through the grocery store, I noticed quite a few food items you could use in place of rice. Here are a few that I came across that would work just as well as rice:

  • dried beans (black, pinto, garbanzo, etc.)
  • popcorn kernels
  • red or green lentils
  • coffee beans
  • orzo or a small pasta like elbow macaroni (pasta is dirt cheap when it goes on sale!)
  • flax seeds, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds (my grocery store sells these inexpensively in bulk)

Now, if only I could find a comparable way to organize my jewelry!

Cooking with Wine

Posted in How-to by

Wine is one of those ingredients that can intimidate people and steer them away from a recipe. Most recipes out there call for dry white or red wine. The reason for this is because dry wines are fermented until all of the natural sugars that are present in the grape are gone. The goal of using wine in recipes is to add flavor to your dish. Using a sweet wine in a recipe that calls for a dry wine could alter the taste of the final product. However, in my opinion, unless you are using a dessert wine or a specialty wine (like an ice wine or a raspberry wine) it won’t matter that much. Your dish isn’t going to be a total flop if a recipe calls for the extraest extra dry white wine on Earth and you use a medium-dry wine like a Pinot Grigio. Don’t tell the sommeliers of the world that I said that!

There are many websites out there that will boast quality over price when it comes to cooking with wine. Follow this in terms of taste only. There are some really great tasting wines available for under $10 dollars. See: Trader Joe’s. Good wine does not necessarily mean expensive wine. The most important thing to remember when cooking with wine is to use a wine that you like. Don’t worry about wine points and hints of cherry with finishes of caramel. Use whatever you normally drink while taking a bubble bath after a long day at the office. If you genuinely like the taste of the bottle of Yellowtail you can pick up at the gas station on your way home from work, use it! If you are entertaining any snobby wine friends you can probably trick them by leaving an empty bottle of expensive wine next to the stove so they think you used that in your dish. :)

Kidding aside, don’t overthink it. A good rule of thumb is to use Chardonnay when a recipe calls for a white wine and a Pinot Noir when a recipe calls for a red wine, but if you love Merlot or Sauvignon Blanc pour away!

Do you have a favorite brand of wine for cooking? 

How to Cut a Mango

Posted in How-to by

Every time I eat a mango I think of my friend, Leslie. She used to eat mangoes when it was rainy and dreary out because she said they reminded her of a sunset. I think that is a great visual to use when you are shopping for mangoes. Try and find one that has a variety of red, green, and orange colors.

Mango - the fruit. Not to be confused with Mango Fashion.

Mangos have a large, flat, oval-shaped pit that cause a lot of problems for people when they try to cut it. It is easier to see the shape of the pit when you stand the mango up in its end and look at it from the top.

Top view of a mango. In this image, the "flesh" of the mango is on the top and bottom of the stem.

Slice the mango as close to the stem as possible. The goal is to run your knife along the side of the pit in one fail swoop.

You may run into the pit the first few times you do this. It gets easier with practice!

Repeat on the other side.

You can get a little more flesh if you remove the sides of the mango from the pit. This part of the mango can sometimes be stringy so many people don’t go through this step. Since mangos are expensive, I like to get all the flesh I can out of them!

Side of the mango.

Slice the sides off in the same fashion as above. Place your knife as close to the stem as possible and cut straight down until you feel the pit. Using the pit as a guide, run your knife along the side of the pit.

The sides of this particular mango were not stringy at all. Score!

It may appear that there is a lot of flesh left on the pit above, but there really isn’t. That is pretty typical of the way a mango will look after you cut it.

Slice the mango in strips, then dice.

Slice the mango in strips, run your knife along the skin to remove the flesh from the skin, and dice.

Ta da!

Your mango is now ready to be eaten alone or in a fruit salad. Add it to stir fry as a cool compliment to a spicy sauce. Or, try one of these recipes.