Campsite Cooking: Quick, Easy Fiesta Chicken Packet Dinners - FOX 21 Online

Kasper
Home

Campsite Cooking: Quick, Easy Fiesta Chicken Packet Dinners - FOX 21 Online

Campsite Cooking: Quick, Easy Fiesta Chicken Packet Dinners - FOX 21 Online

Posted: 27 May 2021 09:05 AM PDT

Cooking Connection: Fiesta Chicken Packet Dinners 

Fiesta Chicken Packet Dinners

Serves 4

Ingredients 

1 15 oz can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup Salsa of choice

1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

½ cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (6 oz each) or boneless pork chops

1 cup shredded cheese of choice

Instructions: 

  1. Heat gas or charcoal briquettes on the grill. If cooking in an oven, heat the oven to 375F. Cut 4 sheets of heavy-duty foil 18×12 inches.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine beans, salsa, corn, cilantro, taco seasoning, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Divide the chicken breasts between 4 packets, Top each breast with mixture.
  4. Bring up sides of foil and fold over making a ½ inch fold and fold again. Fold other sides to seal.
  5. Place on grill and cook 20 minutes, turning a half-turn halfway. If cooking in the oven cook for 35 minutes or until the temperature reaches 165 degrees.
  6. Remove packs from oven or grill and open carefully, placing shredded cheese on top, let stand to melt.

Cooking classes help Detroit youth knock out bad eating habits - Concentrate

Posted: 27 May 2021 09:00 PM PDT

This article is part of Stories of Change, a series of inspirational articles of the people who deliver evidence-based programs and strategies that empower communities to eat healthy and move more. It is made possible with funding from Michigan Fitness Foundation.

Youth at Detroit's Downtown Boxing Gym are learning to do more than just put up their dukes. Through a program called The Learning Kitchen, offered by GenesisHOPE Community Development Corporation, the gym's third through eighth graders are top contenders when it comes to eating more fruits and vegetables.

Over the six-week course, GenesisHOPE staff share a nutrition lesson, an interactive cook-as-you-go demonstration, and a food tasting every week with a group of kids gathered at the Downtown Boxing Gym's kitchen. The Learning Kitchen is just one of multiple GenesisHOPE programs made possible through Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) funding. MFF is a State Implementing Agency of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for the education component of SNAP. SNAP-Ed is an education program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that teaches people eligible for SNAP how to live healthier lives. MFF offers grants to conduct SNAP-Ed programming throughout the state of Michigan.

The partnership between GenesisHOPE and the Downtown Boxing Gym was a natural one. The gym serves more than 150 youth ages 8 to 18 from across Metro Detroit with free programs focused on academics, career readiness, social-emotional skills, and health and wellness. GenesisHOPE works to improve quality of life for people living and working in Detroit's Islandview and Greater Villages neighborhoods through programming that addresses community health, community development, and youth development.

"We're working towards health equity," says Courtney Morrow, GenesisHOPE deputy director. "Our overarching goals and vision are healthy people and healthy places. Physical health depends on what you're eating, your activities. SNAP-Ed includes that."

Micah Wilson, GenesisHOPE's program coordinator of youth development, leads The Learning Kitchen sessions. Because of COVID-19, Wilson has been teaching the classes remotely. However, she takes a hands-on approach when shopping for ingredients and then delivering them to the club before the class. After an opening nutrition lesson, two Boxing Gym staff members guide the students as they join in, cook along, and take turns reading recipe instructions.

Participants cook food during a session of The Learning Kitchen.
"After everyone is done cooking, we plate what we made and taste together. I am so proud that they know that we wait for each other before we taste too," Wilson says. "After the tasting, they give input. I ask them, 'What would you do differently if you could cook this at home?' Then we begin cleaning up. I let them know that you clean as you go and that an organized kitchen is a safe kitchen."
Students take The Learning Kitchen instruction remotely.
Using the Learning Kitchen curriculum developed by Hunger Free Vermont, Wilson shares important nutrition lessons each week through easy, delicious recipes that emphasize affordable, healthy ingredients. Her biggest joy comes when her students share that their mom, dad, or grandma has let them cook the recipe for the whole family at home.

"Most of my students were unable to cook at home," Wilson says. "From the time they walk, they are told to stay away from the kitchen. After a few classes they come back and say, 'Oh, I cooked breakfast over the weekend,' or, 'Mom let me cook with her for dinner.' Now their families feel confident that they can do this. The students are teaching the parents."

"The kids are able to influence decisions being made at home," agrees Jeanine Hatcher, CEO of GenesisHOPE. "Behavior change takes time. What we have found through our SNAP-Ed programming is just how people experience multiple barriers to being able to eat healthy, and our goal is to lessen those."

Participants cook food during a session of The Learning Kitchen.
In the Detroit neighborhoods where GenesisHOPE works, people face high poverty rates and all of the associated challenges. This creates a vicious cycle where chronic health conditions can prevent people from finding employment, create more expenses, and seriously impact quality of life.  

In addition to The Learning Kitchen activities with youth at the Downtown Boxing Gym, GenesisHOPE offers The Learning Kitchen program for adults. Along with a cooking demo, they learn about portion control, ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, and how to cook with less fat and salt.

"Our SNAP-Ed programming really helps people make healthier food choices on a limited budget," Hatcher says. "We share with people how to leverage not only their SNAP benefits but other programs like Double Up Food Bucks, Senior Project Fresh, and things of that nature, as well as provide overall healthy recipes that stretch the budget."

Hatcher's own health story inspires her work at GenesisHOPE. In 2015, she was diagnosed with lupus.

"When I eat healthier and consume primarily fruits and vegetables, I feel wonderful," she says. "That's what I like best about my SNAP-Ed work: educating the young and old about the correlation of food and health. I particularly like that we work with young people so we can help them to avoid unhealthy habits that are hard to break."

Through its SNAP-Ed work, GenesisHOPE  also engages residents so they can have an active role in advocating for policy change. Hatcher admits that GenesisHOPE staff have not seen the kinds of change they would like to see in their community — yet. She hopes that SNAP-Ed funded programs will help catalyze that change, in concert with an upcoming policy, systems, and environmental change (PSE) forum GenesisHOPE is coordinating with like-minded organizations.

"All of the organizations have some connection to food and health. We have been working on an individual level. I think the PSE will take it to the community," Hatcher says. "I am excited about what's going to come from that."

Hatcher, Morrow, and Wilson see the SNAP-Ed youth cooking classes as a way to not only help youth grow up to be thriving adults, but to also help shape Detroit's future leaders and inspire the next generation to become community leaders and change-makers.

"Our entire mission is to promote healthy living and work towards health equity for Detroit residents, specifically, Islandview residents. It starts with food — by helping people, many of whom use SNAP benefits, to learn how to shop and eat healthy on a budget, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and eat healthy food more frequently," Morrow says.

"I'm a firm believer in looking to the future," Wilson adds. "Our children are our future leaders. We have to educate our children about eating healthy and being active as they grow, so they know how to care for themselves when they become adults. It isn't something that just happens - being healthy is a learned process."

These grills are really cooking with gas - Newsday

Posted: 28 May 2021 03:17 AM PDT

If you're new to grilling or thinking about upgrading your grill, choosing the best one can feel overwhelming, especially with the abundance of options on the market. It's hard to know whether to go for gas, charcoal, pellet grill or even a portable grill .

Gas models are a great place to start for new grillers, and they make an excellent upgrade, too. Gas grills are simple to use, easy to control and roomy enough to feed the whole family. These are three of the best.

WHAT Weber Genesis II E-335

THE COST $979

AVAILABLE FROM weber.com

This pricey grill comes with plenty of high-performance specs. With 513 square inches of primary cooking space powered by 39,000 BTUs, plus a fold-down warming rack and a 12,000-BTU side burner, you'll never want for cooking space. Two cabinet doors hide a two-shelf storage area below the grill for utensils and supplies. That means the propane tank is stored outside the grill, but the provided hanging fuel gauge and easy access felt like a bonus more than an eyesore.

The Genesis II E-335 is also one of Weber's iGrill 3 compatible models. This $100 accessory plugs into the front of the grill and houses up to four Bluetooth temperature probes. You can monitor the temperature probes via a companion app for iOS and Android, so you keep an eye on what's happening in your cooking area from a distance.

WHAT Char-Broil Commercial three-burner

THE COST $449

AVAILABLE FROM charbroil.com

Char-Broil uses what it calls Tru-Infrared, a set of perforated emitter plates that separate food from flame to evenly distribute heat and reduce flare ups. There were definitely less flare-ups compared to other models tested, but you won't be able to see the flame when you're lighting the grill or adjusting the temperature.

You'll get less power than the Weber at 25,500 BTUs over 420 square inches of primary cooking space, and there aren't any smart grilling features for remote monitoring. This Char-Broil model does have a side burner as well as tank storage behind two cabinet doors. Like Weber, it comes with a 10-year warranty.

WHAT Char-Griller E3072 three-burner

THE COST $249.99

AVAILABLE FROM chargriller.com

The most noticeable thing about this grill was how quickly it got up to temperature compared to other models. It held that heat well, too. Unfortunately, that became a hindrance in our testing. Burgers and chickens were too charred on the outside thanks to the hot cast iron cooking grate. If you do purchase this model, keep that in mind and start out with less heat. Ribs were better, perhaps thanks to the two smokestacks designed for even low and slow cooking.

There's no storage cabinet on this model. The tank sits behind a decorative front panel. That's an aesthetically pleasing compromise, but reaching through the side bars and around the panel to open and close the tank was frustratingly difficult. Despite those annoyances, this grill offers plenty of practicality and power at a reasonable price.

The following CNET staff contributed to this story: senior editor Brian Bennett, associate editor Molly Price and copy editor Jim Hoffman. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit cnet.com.

The Food & Wine Guide to Cooking with Wood | Food & Wine - Food & Wine

Posted: 27 May 2021 12:07 PM PDT

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

Grilling over wood engages all the senses: the sweet aroma of woodsmoke wisping through the backyard, the sight of pixie-dust embers dancing above licking flames, the tinkling sound of large hunks of coals falling apart, the hand-warming glow of a fire on a cool summer night, and the complex flavors of caramelized vegetables, smoked fish, and charred meat. That primal, happy feeling you get when food sizzles over hardwood coals? Pretty sure it's programmed somewhere deep in our DNA.

In recent years, we've started to level up from grilling over just gas and charcoal by getting seriously obsessed with one of the most basic elements of cooking: wood.

Used intentionally, wood can be as essential and impactful an ingredient as fat or salt. As it burns, wood releases chemical compounds that deliver delicious flavors and aromas to food. A mesquite or oak log placed down the center of the grill alongside a hot bed of charcoal will bring additional heat and a kiss of smoke to thick steaks and chops, while just a few small chunks of sweet applewood on top of the coals will do the trick for fish or mushrooms. (See "Pick the Right Wood" below for the best wood for cooking with.)

We're not alone in our passion for wood-fired flavors. In the past decade, restaurants with custom wood-burning hearths and grills, like Maydan in Washington, D.C., have proliferated. (click here for Maydan's Slow-Grilled Cauliflower with Tahina and Zhough.) So, too, have the number of new wood-burning ovens and grills available for home cooks. As with all things culinary, good ingredients matter the most. When it comes to cooking with fire, everything starts with wood, which serves as both fuel and flavor. Ready? Let's go spark a fire.

"If you're comfortable lighting a chimney full of charcoal, you're ready to start cooking with wood," says Aaron Franklin, a James Beard Award–winning chef and pitmaster, who shared this simple but effective grill setup. Start by building a charcoal fire. Once the charcoal is glowing red and just ashed over, bank it to one side of the grill, and then lay a piece of wood alongside or on top of the coals, depending on the recipe. This setup creates a hot zone directly over the coals and a cool zone over the empty portion of the grill for indirect cooking. If you finish cooking before the wood is completely burned up, snuff out the fire by covering the grill and closing the vents. What's left will be preserved as charcoal, ready to add more flavor to your next grilling session.

The best types of wood for cooking are dense hardwoods from fruit- or nut-bearing trees, such as oak, hickory, mesquite, cherry, apple, or pecan, which burn hotter and longer than soft, resinous woods like Eastern white pine, which should be avoided. Some kinds of wood are classically paired with specific meat or fish for flavor: Think applewood and pork, cedar and salmon, oak and beef, and mesquite and chicken.

Once a tree is cut into logs, wood begins to lose moisture; the more seasoned or cured it is, the drier it becomes. If wood is too green, it will smolder, producing acrid smoke. (Ditto if wood is wet.) On the other hand, if wood is too dry and feels light for its size, it will burn too quickly, turning to ash without imparting much heat or flavor. Seek out wood that has been seasoned for at least a year (with a moisture content of no more than 20%) or kiln-dried (6% to 8% moisture).

You'll also have a choice of wood cuts­. We've listed the most common options below to help you pick the right size for your needs. —Mary-Frances Heck

1. Logs

Thick (usually 16- x 6- x 3-inch) oak, mesquite, or hickory logs serve as dense, clean-burning, long-lasting fuel and aromatic smoke for cooking large, rich cuts of beef and for slow-cooked pork.

2. Pizza cut

Thinner, foot-long oak and other hardwood logs are intended to fit inside domed pizza ovens or to fuel short grilling sessions.

3. Chunks

One- to 2-inch-thick, 4-inch-wide log slices can be added to charcoal fires to customize the duration and intensity of smoke added to food.

4. Kindling

To build a wood fire from scratch, start with a base of finger-length pieces of kindling. Add splits (below) and then logs cut lengthwise into eighths. (Click here and read on for a great kindling cracker.)

5. Splits

Like chunks (above) but faster-burning, butter stick–size wood pieces can be added to charcoal fires for controlled application of smoke.

6. Chips

Readily available at hardware stores, wood chips can be of dubious quality but still offer a burst of smoky flavor when soaked and added to the coals during the last few minutes of cooking.

7. Charcoal

Lump charcoal, made through wood carbonization, provides clean-burning fuel with trace hardwood flavors. Charcoal briquettes are pulverized lump charcoal pressed into pieces that provide consistent heat. We like to use a mix of both: hardwood for flavor and briquettes for a longer burn. (Avoid Match Light briquettes, which have been treated with chemicals.)

To Buy: Get kiln-dried, expertly cut varieties of hardwood from Cutting Edge Firewood, which specializes in culinary firewood and ships nationwide.

How to Buy a Whole Lot of Wood

If you're cooking over wood on the regular, those little bundles of mystery wood from the supermarket simply won't cut it. You need a consistent source of good-quality seasoned wood. Problem is, wood vendors (at least here in the Deep South, where I live) fall somewhere on the trust spectrum between mafiosos and moonshiners: Truth is fluid. After years of looking, I finally found my guy: Cliff Wooten, an Alabama pig farmer and firewood salesman, who keeps me in steady supply of oak, hickory, and fruit wood (not to mention heritage-breed pork chops and bacon). Here's what I've learned about sourcing firewood after nearly a decade of trial and error. —Hunter Lewis

Source: The fastest way to find a good source of quality wood is to ask the manager of your favorite barbecue or pizza restaurant where they buy theirs. Wood guys make their business on referrals. If you like their product, tell your friends and family.

Accountability: When you first call a wood vendor, prepare to ask plenty of questions so they know you're serious. If they can't answer the following questions, look elsewhere: What kind is it? How old is it? Where is it from? How do you cut it? What sizes do you carry? How did you store it? Tell the vendor ahead of time that you'll send it back or pay less if it arrives wet or isn't seasoned enough.

Volume: Vendors typically talk in cords, or a tight stack 8 feet long x 4 feet tall x 4 feet wide. But in my experience, the volume of your order will be dictated more by the size of the bed of their pickup truck. In other words, that Ford F-150 load will translate into a larger woodpile than a Toyota Tundra load. The price is usually negotiable.

Storage: Plan where on your property you want your wood delivered. Because of insects and fire hazards, don't store it against the exterior wall of your house. Steel racks keep the wood off the ground and aerated ($80, plowhearth.com). Once it's stacked, keep your pile covered, especially in the winter. Wet wood that has frozen over won't burn correctly.

A classic Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal 22" is great for cooking with wood because of its large, adaptable cooking area and efficient heat radiation. (It's also what we used to test the recipes in this story.)

To Buy: Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal 22", $175 at amazon.com

If you're ready to upgrade to a more durable, insulated grill, try PK Grills. The rectangular shape is ideal for cooking whole briskets and other large cuts, and dual vents allow for precise control of airflow and heat.

A standard 12.5- x 8-inch sheet metal Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter quickly and easily ignites coals without chemical agents. Buy two, or size up for bigger cooking projects.

To Buy: Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter, $21 at amazon.com

GrillPackz stainless steel grill baskets are ideal for grilling anything that needs to be turned often. (It's a game changer for chicken wings.) Use cooking spray to prevent food from sticking.

To Buy: GrillPackz Stainless Steel Grill Baskets, $25 at amazon.com

For breaking down large logs, pitmaster Rodney Scott recommends an 8-pound maul axe; it delivers more accurate and forceful strikes than a lighter axe. We like the comfort of Fiskars Pro IsoCore Wood Splitting Maul.

To Buy: Fiskars Pro IsoCore 36-Inch Wood Splitting Maul, $53 at amazon.com

To break logs into kindling, use the Northern Tool Kindling Cracker King Firewood Kindling Splitter, an Australian-made cast-iron tool that does the job consistently. Safety glasses and gloves recommended.

To Buy: Northern Tool Kindling Cracker King Firewood Kindling Splitter, $135 at northerntool.com

Build a wood fire from scratch with fatwood, the resinous sticks cut from heart pine stumps, or Ooni Premium Natural Firestarters, wax-coated wood shavings that help ignite charcoal or kindling.

To Buy: Fatwood Fire-Starter Pre-Split Kindling, from $25 at plowhearth.com

To Buy: Ooni Premium Natural Firestarters, $20 at ooni.com


from What to Cook https://ift.tt/2SBISp8
google-playkhamsatmostaqltradent