Penne, Peas & Carrots

Special Fork Facebook Contest: Check out our Special Fork Facebook page for a chance to win a signed copy of Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet (suggested retail: $35), courtesy of Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc.

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

There are certain food combinations that will forever be associated with children – peanut butter and jelly; macaroni and cheese; and peas and carrots. Our boys love them all but prefer to eat their peas and carrots in a simple pasta dish that I’ve been making since they were toddlers.

This simple dish is perfect when you're in a hurry, but still want to prepare something wholesome and tasty. I use frozen peas and carrots to save time. Skip the half-and-half if you're counting fat grams and add a little more chicken stock instead.

Click to read more ...

Breakfast for Dinner

Special Fork Facebook Contest: Check out our Special Fork Facebook page for a chance to win a signed copy of Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet (suggested retail: $35), courtesy of Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc.

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

I love breakfast but I don’t always get to enjoy it until the weekend. I mean the hungry man’s breakfast, such as eggs or pancakes or hash browns. So during the week, when I’m just about spent at the end of the day, I cook up what would be a Sunday kind of breakfast for dinner that takes less time than ordering takeout.

Click to read more ...

Caramel Banana Bread

Special Fork Facebook Contest: Check out our Special Fork Facebook page for a chance to win a signed copy of Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet (suggested retail: $35), courtesy of Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc.

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

As the weather outside is getting slightly chillier, my need to start baking cinnamon-y, spicy or pumpkin-filled baked goods kicks into gear. I mean, just look at the fervor surrounding pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks; those flavors are what we all look forward to this time of year.

Click to read more ...

Eating the Best Plants on the Planet

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

After Labor Day, I’m done with casual summer eating and begin to spend more time in the kitchen cooking. This fall, I’m making Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet, written by Cathy Thomas, my guide to eating better. The colorful produce bible from Melissa’s, the largest supplier of specialty produce in the U.S., features 50 of the most nutrient dense fruits and vegetables. As Cathy explains in her introduction, “’Nutrient dense’ means that the vitamin and mineral content of these foods are high when compared with total calories.”

Even if the subject of nutrition is a yawner to you, do check out this book. It’s bright and colorful and filled with beautiful photos and recipes so appealing that, yes, you WILL want to eat Brussels sprouts, chard and dandelion greens.

Click to read more ...

Try a Chocolate Sandwich

By David Hu
A new video for Video Friday

I love pain au chocolat, similar to a croissant, but shaped in a puffy rectangle, wrapped around a core of dark chocolate. Since making French pastry is beyond my ability, I make the next best easy thing: Chocolate Panini.

This is a very simple recipe. You just sandwich baking chocolate between baguette slices, butter the outsides and cook on stovetop until the chocolate melts. The result is a buttery, melted chocolate concoction you will love.

The only tricky part in cooking is that, when you press down on the sandwich with a spatula, the bread tends to stick to the spatula, unsettling your sandwich, so a little patience is required. It is super-easy if can grill using a panini press, as in this demo.

Click to read more ...