food-kitchen-unleash-your-inner-home-chef
top of page
Glancer Magazine
Glancer Magazine We Love Local

Chicago West

Featuring West Suburban Chicago...At a Glance!

► Subscribe

Item List

STAYING HOME IS THE BEST TIME TO MAINTAIN FUN IN THE KITCHEN With many Americans staying home, the pressure is on to maintain fun and variety in the kitchen, so family meals don’t get boring. However, cranking out three meals a day can be a burden. In fact, the average American can only prepare five meals without a recipe, according to a OnePoll survey. Consider these fun tips to add a little diversity to your family’s daily menu. ● Build a taco bar. This is an easy way to use leftovers from the week. Pull out tortillas or make rice, add any leftover proteins and sides then mix in taco seasonings. ● Make a family classic. Think back to your childhood and the one or two dishes that became family favorites. Bust out those family cookbooks and recreate classics by having the kids help with age-appropriate tasks. ● Try a microwave-friendly meal. For those nights when no one can decide what to eat, or when you’re simply tired of cooking, turn to the microwave. One healthy option is Aqua Star’s MicroSteam Seafood Meals , which combine sustainable seafood, including salmon, shrimp, tilapia and cod, with on-trend ingredients like mafalda pasta, sriracha, red quinoa and yellow carrots. In the microwave, the film expands and locks in steam to cook food evenly in just 6 minutes without a “fishy” smell. ● Pull out the slow cooker. Being at home all day makes it even easier to prepare a good meal. Choose a recipe, throw it in the slow cooker in the morning and enjoy the delicious aromas as you wait for a meal that’s ready just in time for dinner. ● Try a meal kit. Meal kits are a fun way to switch up your regular repertoire. They’re tasty, easy to make with kids and many of them come frozen so you can stock up. Take, for example, Aqua Star’s Cutting Board meal kits, which come with all the ingredients required to prepare and clean up a high-quality and nutritious meal in 30 minutes or less. With flavors such as Cuban-style wild rockfish , crispy fish street tacos and sweet & spicy BBQ chicken flatbread , there’s plenty of options for family dinners. ● Order takeout or delivery. Many restaurants offer takeout options, and with all the delivery services that exist, eating favorite restaurant meals from the comfort of home is easy to do. ● Have breakfast for dinner. Seemingly always a kid-friendly favorite, scramble some eggs, cook some bacon and get creative with pancakes, French toast or waffles by adding fruit, spices or chocolate chips. If you learn new cooking methods, develop a larger menu and add some new dishes, eating at home can be fun and adventurous. Find more solutions at aquastar.com . Busting Common Cooking Myths Myth No. 1: Frozen is not as good as fresh. When it comes to nutritional value, frozen foods are packed and frozen at the food’s peak freshness, meaning they're still full of nutrients. Myth No. 2: Cooking seafood is hard. Seafood is a healthy source of protein that can be steamed, baked, grilled or fried. Start with one technique and master it. An easy way to start is to saute shrimp or fish fillets in a bit of oil. Use the same technique as when you fry an egg and don’t overcook it. Myth No. 3: Fish should never be microwaved. Microwaving seafood can actually help preserve nutrients that are typically broken down when heated using other cooking methods. The key is to use steam: Place the fish in a microwaveable bag or choose one of the many ready-to-microwave selections in your grocer’s freezer section. Steaming fish in the microwave cooks fish evenly and preserves texture and taste. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

FOOD + KITCHEN | Unleash Your Inner Home Chef

STAYING HOME IS THE BEST TIME TO MAINTAIN FUN IN THE KITCHEN With many Americans staying home, the pressure is on to maintain fun and...

Read More
FIND FRESHEST FOOD POSSIBLE AT PRIMROSE FARM STAND Nothing tastes so good as a tomato plucked right off the vine or a freshly-picked ear of corn, yet few home gardeners have the time, space or skill to put such delectable edibles on their table. That’s when a trip to The Farmstand at Primrose Farm in St. Charles can beef up one’s menu with fresh vegetables, fruits and farm-fresh eggs. With the local growing season just getting started, The Farmstand is brimming with lettuces and cabbages, chards and beets at their peak and ready to eat. Supplied by local organic farmers Jeff Hughes and Ellen Kamps of Foxtrot Organic Farms, The Farmstand boasts exceptional and unusual produce not found in traditional grocery stores. “Foxtrot is known for their rare heirloom and open-pollinated varieties,” said Alison Jones, Manager of Farm Programs and Interpretive Services. “They have a reputation within the region for the quality and diversity of their produce.” A USDA-certified organic farm, Foxtrot plants over 130 varieties of fruits and vegetables chosen for their practicality in the kitchen and beauty on the plate. Who wouldn’t want to dig into a salad comprised of Troutback romaine lettuce with its beautiful red-and-green variegation or create a stir-fry of baby savoy cabbage and orange cauliflower. Yes, orange cauliflower. And purple carrots and blue potatoes. Rainbow swiss card and candy-striped beets. A trip to The Farmstand is a visual and healthful delight. “It’s a fun shopping experience, especially for children,” said Jones. “Who wouldn’t want to taste a tomato as yellow as the sun or brilliantly striped squash?” Kids aren’t the only ones who will be intrigued by familiar vegetables in unfamiliar colors and shapes. For the adventurous cook wanting to expand their culinary horizons, the staff at The Farmstand stand ready to answer questions, offer cooking suggestions and maybe even give a little taste of something new and unusual. “Shopping at The Farmstand is a much more friendly, personal and educational experience than your typical trip up and down the aisles at the grocery store,” said Jones. Along with the fruits, vegetables, herbs and even cut flowers supplied by Foxtrot Organics, The Farmstand will offer eggs produced by Primrose Farm’s own resident Columbian Wyandotte chickens. These distinctively-feathered fowl is an American breed dating back to the late 19th-century and are known for producing a light brown egg. Now in its fourth season, The Farmstand is open every Wednesday from 3-7pm and Saturday 9am-1pm. The Farmstand is located at the entrance to Primrose Farm at 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles. For more information, contact Primrose Farm at (630) 513-4370 or visit the web site at www.primrosefarmpark.com . #GlancerMagazine #Summer2017 #FoodKitchen #HomeGarden #DiningCabaret #StCharles

FOOD + KITCHEN | Outdoor Market Fun

FIND FRESHEST FOOD POSSIBLE AT PRIMROSE FARM STAND Nothing tastes so good as a tomato plucked right off the vine or a freshly-picked ear...

Read More

Latest Issue
March 2024

Glancer Magazine March 2024

Glance through the Pages

of Your Community Living Magazine Today! 

​

► March 2024 Issue, Western Suburbs

​

► DuPage Feature

► Kane Features

► Kendall Features

​

bottom of page