Winner, winner!
Tips for a safe and delicious turkey dinner
As you start to think about your holiday meal plans, keep safety in mind. Cooking around large groups of people can increase the risk of fire and burn injuries. Before cooking for your guests, remember to be cautious in the kitchen and follow these tips for safety.
- Never leave the kitchen while you’re cooking. Leaving food unattended when cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Cooking fires are also more likely to happen during the holiday season.
- Keep items that could catch fire far away from the stove and other heat sources. This includes potholders, oven mitts, food packaging, towels, paper, and the like.
- Teach children about kitchen safety and always supervise them while cooking. Keep children away from the oven, stove, and any hot surfaces.
- Unplug small appliances after you finish using them. This is not only a safety tip, but an energy-saving one as well.
- Avoid using extension cords in the kitchen. Using these cords with appliances is dangerous and could cause electrical shock or start a fire if cords become too hot, damaged, or overloaded.
- If you’re moving hot pots and pans, use oven mitts or potholders to prevent burns. Use your stove’s back burners when possible to keep grease splashes and boiling liquids away from your body. Find more important safety tips at coop/safety.
Need some inspiration for your holiday meal? Try this delicious recipe from PEC member Leah Lambert of Marble Falls.
Shrimp with asparagus and spinach pesto sauce
- 4 cups loosely-packed fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dry basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon TABASCO® garlic pepper sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces linguine
- 1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
Combine spinach, walnuts, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, basil, TABASCO®, and salt. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Boil linguine as directed for about three minutes, then add chopped asparagus. Take one pound of shrimp and cook three minutes in desired amount of olive oil. Add dry white wine and cook down until the shrimp is pink-colored and opaque. Then, toss pasta and shrimp with pesto sauce and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.