Category Archives: Videos

Video Review: Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Posted on by
Reply

“These are one of my favorite vegetables.”

Karma of Cooking with Karma shares a wonderful vegetarian soup.

THE RECIPE

4 1/2 cups of pumpkin
1 brown onion
1 tin of creamed corn
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
2-3 teaspoons of curry powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Natural yogurt or sour cream to serve on top

Chop pumpkin into small pieces and drizzle with olive oil, cracked pepper, and salt, and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cook the onion with olive olive in a pan for about one minute then add paprika, chile powder, and curry powder. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes or until onions soften up.

Remove pumpkin from oven, then add to a saucepan. Add onions, vegetable stock, and creamed corn and mix until well combined. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then blend with a hand held blender. Serve with yogurt or sour cream.

PROS

Detailed explanation and camera shots make the recipe easy to understand.

CONS

The sound is slightly muffled, which can make the video hard to hear at some points.

THE TAKEAWAY

A thick and creamy pumpkin soup that is suitable as an appetizer or entree.

Ready to start smarter meal planning with Food On The Table? Start here.

Video Review: Steak Fajitas

Posted on by
Reply

“You can make steak, salmon, shrimp.. any kind of fajita that you like!”

April of Baking, Beauty, & DIY with April and her husband Justin share a colorful and delicious recipe for healthy steak fajitas.

THE RECIPE

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
½ red onion
½ white onion
Tortillas
6 cloves garlic minced
lemon juice (2 or 3 lemons)
Optional: meat of your choice, steak, seafood, etc.

Add soy sauce, vegetable oil and water into a large bowl. Squeeze in one lemon, then add cracked pepper and garlic. Whisk together, then add onions and bell pepper. Cover and marinate for an hour. Cook the vegetables and steak, then add to the tortillas. Fold and enjoy.

PROS

April and Justin helpfully explain the nutrition value of these fajitas, plus give tips on where to find healthy ingredients.

CONS

The recipe explanation is a little rushed and confusing in parts.

THE TAKEAWAY

Easy steak fajitas done in a healthy way.

Ready to start smarter meal planning with Food On The Table? Start here.

Video Review: Grill-Smoked Salmon

Posted on by
Reply

“You’re gonna be proud of this fish.”


John Stage of Dude Food shows viewers how to make the perfect smoked salmon on the grill.

THE RECIPE

Skin-on salmon steak
Brown sugar
Ginger
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Jalapeno
Garlic
Rice Wine Vinegar
Lemon
Lime
BBQ Sauce

Make a paste of brown sugar, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Massage the rub onto your salmon. Place the fish onto two pieces of aluminum foil crimped together.

Place your aluminum foil “plate” onto a grill that has fire on just one side. Place it on the side that isn’t over the coals. Add soaked wood chips to the flames, then place the lid on. Cook on the grill at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes easily.

Gently remove salmon from the grill with a long spatula. Add a booster sauce made of jalapeno, garlic, rice wine vinegar, lemon, lime, and BBQ sauce. Don’t smother the fish, just drizzle on top.

PROS

Great filmmaking and a mouthwatering recipe.

CONS

With a name like “dude food”, some ladies in the audience might feel left out!

THE TAKEAWAY

A no frills approach to salmon on the grill.

Food On The Table can make dinner easier. Learn how here.

Video Review: Apple Salsa For Kids

Posted on by
Reply

“It looks so colorful, it kind of reminds me of the leaves in fall.”

The talented kids of Fit For A Feast share this delicious and simple fruit salsa recipe to serve with chips.

THE RECIPE

6 green apples, like Granny Smith or Macintosh
3 deseeded bell peppers (multi color)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 small chopped red onion or 3 chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon aromatic sea salt or sea salt
Mild green chiles or jalapeno as desired
1 chopped garlic clove
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

Chop apples and bell peppers into small pieces and combine to a bowl. Add lime juice and onion. Remove stems from cilantro and finely chop. Add cilantro, sea salt, green chiles, garlic, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Mix well, then serve with chips.

THE PROS

Kids will love seeing their peers put together this easy apple salsa recipe.

THE CONS

Parents may not be particularly thrilled about unsupervised kids in the kitchen.

THE TAKEAWAY

Quick, fun video that encourages kids to cook.

Food On The Table can make dinner easier. Learn how here.

Video Review: Zucchini Bread

Posted on by
Reply

“This is a really delicious and flavorful bread that is simple to make. Plus, it’s a great way to use up large zucchini from your garden.”

Amy of USA Fire and Rescue’s Video Recipes shares this easy-to-make zucchini bread recipe, a delicious way to get a great serving of healthy zucchini nutrition!

THE RECIPE

2 cups grated zucchini
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the ends off of your zucchini, and remove large seeds if desired. Grate 2 cups of zucchini then set aside. In a large bowl, add sugar and oil and mix until combined. Add eggs and vanilla then set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well. Once combined, stir in zucchini.

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray, then evenly pour in the batter. Bake for 1 hour then remove and allow to cool on wire racks until you can easily remove from the pans. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

THE PROS:

This recipe is quick and easy to follow. Also, there is a great blooper at the end!

THE CONS:

Though she has a great camera presence, Amy she doesn’t seem entirely relaxed.

THE TAKEAWAY

Easy and straight-to-the-point zucchini bread.

Want to learn more about how to cook with zucchini? Try our great meal planning app!

 

Video Review: Pepperoni Pizza Quesadilla

Posted on by
Reply

“A really quick and easy lunch idea!”

Monique of Divas Can Cook shares a delicious pepperoni pizza and quesadilla combo, a simple solution to that classic dilemma: “What’s for lunch?” This recipe is also a great idea for easy weeknight dinners.

THE RECIPE

3-4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese (or to taste)
4 flour tortillas (8 inch)
Mozzarella cheese
Pizza sauce
Pizza toppings (pepperoni, onions, black olives, pineapple, sausage, peppers, etc.)

Melt the butter and stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and grated Parmesan. Heat a grill pan over medium, then brush the tortillas with the seasoned butter mix and place them on the pan with the buttered side down. Spread pizza sauce, onions, cheese and pepperoni on top. When the buttered side gets crisp and golden, fold the tortilla over and press lightly. Cook quesadillas for about another minute, then remove from heat and cut into thirds.

PROS

Monique’s fun and upbeat personality really shines through as she shows her viewers how to make this delicious meal.

CONS

There is a good amount of self-promotion, which can be a little distracting.

THE TAKEAWAY

A cheerful and quick tutorial and a kid-friendly lunch.

Ready to start smarter meal planning with Food On The Table? Start here.

Video Review: Sweet and Sour Grilled Pineapple

Posted on by
Reply

The quick sweet and sour pineapple recipe from Bhavna’s Kitchen can be made on an indoor grill, an outdoor grill, or on any non-stick pan on the stove.

THE RECIPE

Pineapple chopped into large slices
3 tbsp Szechuan sauce or other Chinese or Thai sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
Dash of water
Coriander leaves

Heat Szechuan sauce, soy sauce, and minced garlic in a nonstick cooking pan. Add water slowly until desired consistency is achieved.

Grill pineapple until you can see grill marks, then flip. Remove grilled pineapple from grill and arrange on a plate, then pour sauce on top, and garnish with coriander leaves.

THE PROS

Good explanation of a simple recipe.

THE CONS

There are some unnecessary shots of Bhavna eating and talking that could be removed for better flow.

THE TAKEAWAY

Short and sweet video for a sweet and sour recipe.

Get more tools for planning healthy meals here.

Video Review: Tips For Vegetables

Posted on by
Reply

“Heat it, eat it, boom! On with your day.”

This video from Ginger Vieira of Living In Progress explains several different ways to cook and serve healthy vegetable dishes, including this easy to make recipe.

THE RECIPE

One can black beans
One can garbanzo beans
One bag frozen peas
Olive Oil
Sea salt

Rinse beans in a strainer to remove sodium. Mix peas and beans to a bowl, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Broil for fifteen minutes.

THE PROS

4 recipes in 1!

THE CONS

There is some rough editing and a few sound issues throughout the video.

THE TAKEAWAY

Simple techniques for healthy cooked vegetables.

Food On The Table can make dinner easier. Learn how here.

Video Review: Simple Spinach and Tortellini Salad

Posted on by
Reply

“Very healthy, really yummy, and it really fills you up and gives you plenty of energy.”

If you can stir ingredients, than you can make this basic tortellini spinach salad recipe by The Simple Cooking Channel.

THE RECIPE

2 Cups of Cheese & Spinach Tortellini
12-18 Cherry tomatoes
1 Cup of baby spinach
12 Sliced black olives
1/4 Cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup Italian style dressing
Salt & Pepper to season

Boil water in medium to large saucepan. Add tortellini and boil for about 10 minutes or until soft. Strain tortellini, then pour cold water over it for 15 to 20 seconds.

Pour tortellini into a large pasta bowl, then add tomatoes, baby spinach, olives, Parmesan cheese. Toss, then sprinkle with Italian dressing 100 ml and season with salt and pepper. Give it one more toss, then serve.

THE PROS

True to the channel’s name, this recipe is incredibly simple.

THE CONS

More advanced chefs may not feel challenged enough.

THE TAKEAWAY

Easy and healthy tortellini salad suitable for any cooking ability.

Ready to start smarter meal planning with Food On The Table? Start here.

Video Review: A Mexican Influenced Ratatouille

Posted on by
Reply

 ”Voila! Summer on your plate!”

In this video, Bruno Albouze of Bruno’s Kitchen shares his family’s traditional baked ratatouille recipe. He says that his parents live in a small village in the south of France, where his father grows beautiful vegetables in the garden and his mother is famous for her wonderful vegetable ratatouille and couscous.

THE RECIPE:

1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
1 tbsp butter and olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 yellow bell pepper and 1 red bell pepper, charred and peeled with the seeds and ribs removed
1 can crushed tomato
1 tsp herbes de Provence
salt and pepper to taste
6 fresh basil leaves
2 yellow squash sliced into 1/1 inch rounds
2 zucchinis sliced into 1/16 inch rounds
2 Japenese eggplants sliced into 1/16 inch rounds
6 Roma tomatoes sliced into 1/16 inch rounds
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chopped thyme leaves

Char bell peppers over the flame of the stove until blackened. Put roasted peppers into a bowl then cover with plastic wrap and steam for fifteen minutes.

While the peppers are steaming, chop the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, and slice the zucchini, yellow squash, Japanese eggplant, and tomato into 1/16 inch rounds. Open peppers, remove seeds, then chop them into small pieces.

Saute carrots, onion, and celery in oil over low heat for about ten minutes. Add garlic and cook for about three more minutes, stir in peppers and herbs de Provence, then cook down for about 20 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and gently puree with basil, then add puree back into pan.

Arrange the sliced vegetables in alternating strips on top of the puree, then season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and thyme. Cover with foil then bake for three hours at 280 degrees. Right before serving, bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

PROS:

The sounds of Bruno’s Kitchen are wonderful: the sizzling peppers, crackling foil, and satisfying snap of chopped vegetables really add to the viewing experience.

CONS:

There is some strange editing at the beginning, including some confusing footage of Bruno preparing and eating a chocolate cake.

THE TAKEAWAY:

A lively host and a gorgeous summery recipe.

Get more tools for planning healthy meals here.