Kitchen Heat

"Kitchen Heat" is a shameless plug for for the romance novel I am currently writing. But, it also represents how my kitchen has felt for the past few days with the heat wave we are having. Keeping your kitchen cool on these hot summer days can be a challenge. Just this week, my husband deep-fried pork chops for supper and said just doing that raised the temperature in our kitchen 5° f. Just think if the temperature raised that much from a deep fryer, what does running your oven do?

There are a few things you can do to help keep your kitchen cooler in the summer. You can try preparing cooler non-cooking dishes, such as salads or cold-cut sandwiches. I'll try and get some of those recipes posted later in the month.

You can also use your microwave or slow cooker to for your meals. I cook several things in my microwave. Last night, I made baked beans in the microwave. I used the same recipe, cover with wax paper, and cooked it on high for 15-20 minutes, depending on how much you make. I also bake cornbread muffins in the microwave. Using yellow cornmeal makes the muffins look better when they are done. I have a microwave-safe muffin pan that I use. One of the other things I have to use in the microwave is a browning dish. I don't even know if you can still buy those things, or not. Mine is pretty old, as is my microwave, so it is a big one. I place the browning dish in the microwave and heat it up for a few minutes, then place whatever meat I want to cook on it, usually pork chops. Season it with Worcestershire Sauce and turn as you would if frying in a skillet.

As most of you know, I like to use a slow cooker when I can. This morning, I put on my recipe for Chicken & Dumplings ( see recipe below in an earlier post). Not only does it help keep the kitchen cooler, but makes supper so much easier to prepare. One of my other favorite recipes for the slow cooker is Teriyaki Chicken Wings. The are so good and tender, the meat will fall off the bone.

On the next hot day that you have, give your microwave or slow cooker a try and see how much cooler your kitchen can be.

Carol

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

1 pkg. chicken wings
1 10-ounce bottle of soy sauce
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Place wings in slow cooker that has either been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or lined with a Crock-Pot liner. Pour mixture over the wings, cover and cook on high for 8 hours