Smart food solutions
Quick tips to help make cooking stress-free
Tia’s ranch dressing with 69% fewer calories
For her slim take on the classic dressing and dip, Whole New You author
Tia Mowry cuts calories and amps up creaminess with tofu. “Sometimes you just need a big dollop of ranch—and this one is super healthy,” she says. To make: Puree 8 oz. of silken tofu, 1⁄2 cup of vegan mayo, 2 Tbs. of safflower oil, 1 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar, 1 clove of garlic, 1 small onion, 1 tsp. of parsley and
1⁄4 tsp. of paprika until smooth.
Easy frosting in a flash
When you don’t have time to cool your cupcakes completely before frosting, try this easy trick: Five minutes before the treats are fully baked, remove them from the oven and top each with a large marshmallow, then finish baking. When done, they’ll be covered in a toasted marshmallow topping that’s oh-so pretty and delicious.
Trick to ripen tomatoes fast
Your gang is craving your caprese salad, but you know the dish won’t taste as good with out-of-season tomatoes. Try this: Toss the slices with pineapple juice, adding it 1 Tbs. at a time until sweetened. The tropical fruit mimics the acidity of ripe summer tomatoes, so your salad will be a hit!
Onion flavor sans crunch
You love flavoring your meatloaf with chopped onion, but the meat tends to cook before the onion softens, leaving crunchy bits in the finished dish. The fix: Juice an onion half with a citrus reamer, then add a tablespoon or two of the liquid to your meat mixture. The juice will add the flavor you crave without the unwanted crunch.