MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN GOOD LUCK HOPPIN’ JOHN MONDAY 01-01-18

1:29

Happy New Year! Join us today as we share how to get rid of a hangover and how to make this year a prosperous one.

Happy New Year! For those of you who had, let’s just say, too much of a good time last night, and woke up with a bit of a hangover, let me share a couple of remedies that might make you feel better. First of all, drink lots of water which’ll help rehydrate you. And if you add honey and lemon to the water, all the better. You see, the lemon rebalances your body and helps fight queasiness, while the honey, which contains fructose, helps metabolize your blood sugar. Also, eat some burnt toast with no butter, because the last thing your body needs is grease. Plus, the toast may help filter out impurities, similar to that of a carbon water filter. Ok, now that we have that out of the way, for those of you who are looking to make this year a prosperous one, I suggest making a pot of Hoppin’ John. Legend has it that eating Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day will bring you a whole year of wealth. Whether it does or not, it can’t hurt, and it’s the perfect fill-you-up meal for this time of year. Between the chunks of smoky ham, all the beans and veggies, and the flavor-packed broth, you can’t miss! To get the shortcut recipe for our “Good Luck Hoppin’ John” all you need to do is check out our website. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “prosperous way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS TUESDAY 01-02-18
1:34

The holidays are over, so it’s time to start tightening our belts, and we’ve got just the thing to help you get started.

After a month of holiday parties, Christmas cookies and many “just one more bites” it’s time to pull in our reins and start eating better. So whether you made a New Year’s resolution to eat better, or not, we’ve got a dish that is on the healthier side, packed with flavor and is very fun to eat. Here’s what we do. We start by cutting a couple of bonelessskinless chicken breasts into half-inch chunks and placing them in a plastic storage bag. To that we add some soy sauce, minced garlic and a bit of ground ginger. After we seal the bag, we give it a good shake so that all the flavors mix before popping it in the fridge. While that’s marinating, we rinse and separate a head of Bibb lettuce, or you can use romaine or iceberg, and place it on a platter along with some shredded carrot, fresh bean sprouts and sliced scallions. Now after draining off the marinade, we sauté the chicken until no pink remains, which means it’s ready to serve. For the fun part, we simply place a spoonful of chicken on each lettuce leaf and top it with the other fixings. Drizzle on some sesame or peanut dressing and dig in. I hope you’ll go online and get the recipe for our“Chicken Lettuce Wraps,” as a way to help you get back on track, without sacrificing any taste. And make sure you have lots of napkins on hand, because these can get kind of messy in a good way. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “lighter way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN QUINOA SHRIMP BOWL WEDNESDAY01-03-18
1:19

Want to eat right in the New Year, but don’t know where to start? Grab your shopping list and let me give you a few pointers.

As we kick off the New Year, many of us are looking for ways to drop a few pounds and to start eating better. It’s tough, but if we surround ourselves with ingredients that are good for us, also known as superfoods, our chance of success is that much greater. So to help you get off on the right foot, let me show you a few that we’ve stocked up on. If you don’t have quinoa in your pantry, please add it to your shopping list. It’s a protein-packed grain that’s also a good source of iron, vitamin E, and fiber. It sort of looks like couscous, yet it has a nuttier taste. And try getting in the habit of adding beans to your recipes, since they’re packed with fiber, and are high in antioxidants, protein, and all sorts of vitamins. If they’re canned, make sure to drain and rinse them as it reduces the sodium by about 40 percent. As a matter of fact, I threw these superfoods, plus a few others like fresh pomegranate seeds, avocado, and shrimp into a dish that’s so good, you’ll forget it’s good for you. We call it our “Quinoa Shrimp Bowl,” and to get the recipe, just check out our website.I’m Howard, with Kelly, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “superfoods kind of way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN LOADED EGG CLOUDS THURSDAY 01-04-18

1:26

If you’re looking for a healthy way to jump start your day with a breakfast that’s out-of-this-world, we’ve got it coming up next.

This time of year it’s hard not to feel bombarded by everyone trying to sell us some type of diet plan or exercise equipment. For some of us, that’s just what we need, but for others, it only takes a few weeks before the diet plan is forgotten about and the treadmill ends up being used as a clothing rack. Instead, I like to get on track by weaving a few healthy and tasty recipes into my weekly routine, like this one. We start by beating some egg whites until they’re stiff. To that, we fold in some cooked, crumbled turkey sausage, scallions, and diced pimentos. Now, we spoon this onto a lined baking sheet. Before popping these into the oven, we make a well in the center of each mound using the back of a spoon. After these bake for a few minutes, we take them out, place an egg yolk in the well, and back into the oven they go.Once the yolk sets up, they’re ready to serve. Yup, big, fluffy, and packed with flavor. Serve each one with some fresh fruit and whole wheat toast, and breakfast is ready. The recipe for what we call our “Loaded Egg Clouds” is waiting for you on our website now. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “lighter-than-air way” for you to say…
“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN SWEET POTATO PAD THAI FRIDAY 01-05-18 1:19

Do you know how to turn this…into this? It’s not magic, and it’s very easy! Stick around and I’ll show you.

You know, lots of folks start the new year by making promises to eat more veggies and cut down on carbs, so today we’re going to show you how you can transform some of your favorite veggies into what some call, fake-out foods.For those of you who love spaghetti, but still want to fit into your skinny jeans, try making noodles out of zucchini or other veggies.There are a bunch of gizmos and gadgets on the market that will help you do just that. These here, are hand operated. You simply insert your veggie, give it a few twists and turns, and voila, you end up with curly vegetable noodles! And yes, there’s even electric models and ones that attach to your stand mixer for when you’re doing a bunch. This one turns sweet potatoes into what looks like a pile of silly string in just seconds. We took these a bit further by creating a lighter version of pad Thai noodles, where we replaced traditional noodles with curly sweet potatoes. To get the recipe for our “Sweet Potato Pad Thai,” which is nutty-delicious, all you have to do is visit our website. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “spiral-icious” way for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN ELVIS’ WHIPPING CREAM MONDAY 01-08-18 POUND CAKE 1:34

It’s “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s” birthday, so crank up your favorite Elvis tunes. We’re having a party in the kitchen.

For those of you who are Elvis fans, you already know what today is. It’s his birthday! Can you believe that The King of Rock and Roll would’ve been 83 years old today?That’s hard to believe. And to celebrate, instead of making a cake with his favorites (you know, peanut butter, bacon and banana), we’re baking a cake that was near and dear to him - a whipping cream pound cake! It’s so good, that after just one bite, it’ll have you all shook up.To make it, all we do is beat together some butter and sugar until it’s creamy. Then, we add our eggs. The key here is to add them one at a time.Some flour goes in next, and, once it’s mixed, we add some heavy cream followed by the rest of the flour and a little vanilla. Once the batter’s smooth, we spoon it into a Bundt pan. Now this goes into, get this, a cold oven that’s not preheated! Then we set the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake it until the center sets up. Sure, you can serve this topped with some powdered sugar, which makes it birthday-special, or you can take it over the top and drizzle each slice with our homemade whipped cream glaze. The recipe for what we call “Elvis’ Whipping Cream Pound Cake” is on our website, along with a few of his other favorite recipes. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “love me tender way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN DELI-STYLE BEEF BARLEY SOUP TUESDAY 01-09-18 1:24

It’s National Soup Month and we’re celebrating with a beefy favorite that won’t disappoint. So grab a spoon and some crackers because we’ve got plenty to share.

[Howard]: Hey Kelly, did you know that January is National Soup Month?[Kelly]: No.[Howard]: Well it is. You know ever since I began making soups for my deli years ago, they’ve always been one of my favorite things to make. Everything from classics like chicken noodle and French onion to rich creamy ones. So let me share with you one of the most popular soups we had on our menu.All we do is toss chunks of beef in some seasoned flour before browning them in a little oil. You see, browning the beef actually adds a rich flavor to the soup. Now we add in a good amount of beef broth, some barley, a few diced carrots, onion and celery and let it simmer until the barley and the beef are tender.And if you aren’t familiar with barley, it’s a grain that almost looks like oatmeal. It’s packed with nutrients and it’s super versatile. And since every bowl is brimming with lots of beef and barley, all we need to do is pair it with bread, or crackers and dinner is served. I do hope you’ll go online and get the recipe for our, “Deli-Style Beef Barley Soup,” so you can make one of my deli’s most popular soups right at home. And not only will this warm your soul, it’ll warm your tummy. I’m Howard with Kelly, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a (ring bell) restaurant kind a way for you to say…
“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN BETTER BUTTERMILK BISCUITS WEDNESDAY 01-10-18 1:31

Today we’re going to show you how to cut, and the funny thing is…we’re not using a knife! Stick around and I’ll show you what I mean.

If you’re like me, it almost seems impossible to eat a bowl of soup, a crock of chili or a saucy stew without having some kind of bread to dunk in them. And to me, nothing is better than freshly baked biscuits. That way, we can get every last drop. To make them, we start by mixing some flour with baking powder and baking soda, a bit of salt and a little sugar. After it’s mixed,we cut in some shortening and cold butter. If you’ve never cut shortening or butter into dry ingredients, you do it with a pastry cutter, like this one, or you can use a couple of forks. The idea is to create a coarse crumb mixture, so that we end up with biscuits that are super flaky.Now, we stir in some buttermilk and mix this until the dough is moist. We roll this out, until it’s about a 1/2-inch thick and, with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass, we cut out circles, put them on a tray, and bake them off. That’s it! In minutes, when they’re golden, they’re ready to serve. Sure, you can slather them with butter and eat them as-is, but I think they’re best when dunked in any of our comforting favorites. To get the recipe for our “Better Buttermilk Biscuits,” all you have to do is visit our website. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found “the ultimate dunking way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN WINTRY CHICKEN STEW THURSDAY01-11-18
1:35

Looking for a way to warm up from the inside out? Well, look no more! Why don’t you grab a fork and I’ll meet you right back here.

This is the time of year when we need a cozy, warm-you-up stew more than ever. That’s why I’m sharing a hearty chicken version with you, rather than a traditional beefy one. So what do you say we stop talking and start cooking? We start by placing a whole chicken that we’ve cut into eighths into a soup pot, along with some potatoes that we’ve quartered, a chopped onion, a good amount of water, a can each of tomatoes and creamed corn, a bit of rice, and a few spices. After we bring everything to a boil, we let it simmer until the chicken is almost fall-apart tender. Then, we slowly stir in a bit of heavy cream and a handful of fresh spinach, and in minutes, it’s done. It’s so easy, you might even feel guilty when you’re getting all of those rave reviews. And whether you serve this from the pot or put out a big bowl of it, get ready for some good eating and dunking. Between the tender chicken, the hearty veggies, and the rich sauce, this dish will warm you up through and through. To get the recipe for what we call our “Wintry Chicken Stew” just check out our website. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “cozy, comfy way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN STREUSEL-TOPPED COFFEE CAKE FRIDAY 01-12-18 1:27

If you aren’t tempted by a coffee cake topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping, you’re a stronger person than I am.

As another week wraps up, it’s time to start thinking about all we need to get done this weekend. Maybe you can finally take down the last of the holiday decorations or even start working on your honey-do list for the New Year. Well, to help you get a jump start tomorrow morning, what do you say we whip up an easy coffee cake that’s blanketed with a buttery crumb topping? We start by mixing pancake and biscuit mix with some sugar, a little baking powder, a good amount of cinnamon, and a bit of salt. Now to that, we add some milk that we’ve beaten with a couple of eggs, melted butter, and a little vanilla. This goes into a 9” x13” baking dish and gets topped with a classic streusel topping before we pop it in the oven. Now would be a good time to grab a cup of coffee and make sure everyone’s to-do list is up-to-date. You won’t have to worry about waking up the troops, because one whiff of this and they’ll be lining up at the kitchen door. Simple? Yes. Quick? Yes, and talk about comforting! To get the recipe for our “Streusel-Topped Coffee Cake” simply visit our website. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “new-old-fashioned way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”