Lori,
Great question and one we get frequently in different forms. Cooking meats of any kind is really best handled with a instant read meat thermometer, rather than a time guide. Since conditions often vary from kitchen to kitchen or day to day, using a meat thermometer is he only way to ensure the result that you seek. They are inexpensive and can be found in many places, including your local grocery store.
That being said, for chicken of any cut, the internal temperature that indicates doneness is 165 degrees. The breast should be checked at its thickest part to guarantee doneness. Once chicken breasts have reached 160 degrees internally, you can pull them from the oven or fry pan to rest and they will continue to cook up to 165. Chicken breasts cooked to 165 will also have terrific texture and plenty of moisture. It’s only when chicken gets cooked to well over 165 that things dry out.
Also, the same temperatures apply whether the breasts were frozen or not when starting.

thanks for your help ,i also have these pans that are stainless steal with copper bottems they get extremely hot with slight heat , this must change my cooking time with meats or maybe it won’t matter with the meat thermometer or is there an ideal pan to use for cooking meats? wow using a thermometer is very different thinking than timing the cooking i guess the ownly way for me to know is to go and try this all out

Roast beef should be cooked for a medium rare to a internal temp of 120 f.

Roast beef can be seasoned out the outside with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and some dried rosemary.

Heat Oven to 400f Place meat into heated oven for 30 minutes. Then lower the temp to 350 and continuing cooking for 1 1/2- 2 hours. Please keep a eye on your meat and check with a meat thermometer, until the internal temp reaches 120f.

Ovens vary, after about 1 hour, check temp so that you don’t over cook the meat.

Remember to bring your roast out of the oven and resting it for about 1/2 hour before slicing into it.

The best way to ship cookies, is to place the cooled cookies in an airtight container, such as tuperware. I would avoid ziploc bags because they will get smashed.

Wrap the tuperware in bubble wrap for protection, then place in a box to mail.

Good luck, and send our thoughts and prayers
to your husband in Iraq

nettoyer comme vous allez

Denise,
I reheat quiche (and almost everything else) in the microwave. Cover it with plastic and heat it for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on medium power.

Sometimes you can mitigate over-salting by adding a raw peeled potato and let the soup continue to simmer. It really depends on how salty the soup is, so it may or may not work.

You’ve just learned a good lesson about those dried bouillon cubes, powders and bases. Frequently, the first ingredient listed on the side of the package is salt. If you don’t have your own homemade stock, then use the low sodium broths available in the soup aisle at your supermarket.

Try this one -

Almond Shortbread Crust:

Ingredients
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 14-ounce package marzipan or almond paste, coarsely crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 oz (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon almond extract
ice cold water as needed

Method
Mix flour, almond paste and salt in a food processor until the almond paste is completely incorporated. Add the butter and cut the pulse function of the food processor until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add almond extract and blend in using on/off turns. Gradually add enough cold water (in a mist) to allow the dough to come together. Ball the dough up and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Form into disks, then cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. (Dough can be prepared several days ahead, frozen and refrigerated. Allow to rest at room temperature before rolling and forming.

Have fun baking!

Tom,

You can use low-fat half and half, but be careful. Because of the low fat, sauces are more likely to break - so do not heat it above a simmer.

You’ll also want to use a different technique for reducing and thickening the sauce.

I recommend you thicken this and other sauces using arrowroot (you should be able to find it in the spice section at your grocery). Arrowroot has the advantage over flour of not requiring cooking to eliminate a raw flavor and over cornstarch because it doesn’t produce a glutinous texture. Use about 1/2 tsp stirred into a tablespoon of cold water per cup of sauce.

Add this slurry to the simmering sauce that includes the half-and-half and continue simmering until thickened.

Hi Anita,
As a general rule, the crisper is in the colder part of the refrigerator and protected from moisture because it is self-contained. In my fridge, the crisper is the farthest spot away from where the moist cold air enters the fridge at the top; hence it is dry and very cold although not as cold as the shelf above it.

Generally, the most immediate threat to produce of all kinds is freezing and frost. Then, moisture which causes molding, especially rapid at warmer temperatures. Different items should also be separated because they handle the moisture and temperature and storage times differently - so always keep different veggies apart from one another, in separate bags.

Since you are trying to store vegetables without a crisper, mimic one by placing items in plastic bags and then into sealable plastic containers. Store these near the cold part of the fridge - as noted above, usually the bottom. When I saw the infomercial for the new green storage bags I was excited - but have yet to try them out. A number of our chefs and customers have had a lot of success with the food saver. Like all food storage, air is the enemy and do your best to keep it away from your foods.

Not all fruits and vegetables are stored in the same way though. The more delicate the veggie, the better off it is in the “crisper” environment. This goes for green leafy things, soft fruits and berries, and peppers. Hardier items like apples and carrots do okay wrapped on their own.

Some veggies store best in a cool dry place, rather than in the refrigerator. These include whole tomatoes, potatoes and onions.

For your prepped items - your mise enplace here are some tips.

Any veggie or fruit that has been cut, especially if it is raw, needs to be sealed air-tight and kept very cold - usually at the bottom and in the back corner.

We do not recommend prepping raw items more than a day in advance or the veggies get rubbery. Store in a container with as little air in it as possible. We also do not recommend preparing anything you’re planning to serve raw until the last minute.

Chef Adam,
Thanks so very much!
I have used the green bag system and they work pretty well. I appreciate the information on prepping and other storage ideas. After cutting vegetables, should they be in water or covered with a damp paper towel? I really don’t know which approach to take.

Also, we live in FL so there is no cool place for the potatoes and onions, so I place in the frig.
Again, thank you. Anita

That’s a good point about submerging fresh cut produce in water. I remember thinking about it when I wrote the above response and spaced mentioning it. You can use either a damp towel or fill the container just high enough to cover the food inside with water, as is done in many a professional kitchen, whichever method makes more sense at the time, especially if you think the cut veggies may be in there a while before you get to use it. Damp towels will often be easier to manage when you pull the container out of the fridge. ;-]

Hi Cathy,
There are pineapple powders on the market, but you could try putting dried pineapple into a food processor with your other dry rub ingredients.
Here’s a recipe:
1 Tablespoon each: oregano, basil, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper
2 Tablespoons black pepper
3 Tablespoons each paprika and kosher salt
1/2 cup or more dried pineapple

You might try adding a tablespoon or two of lemon zest to the aforementioned rub recipe.