The time has come once again for a google autocomplete “how do you cook…” post. What is that you ask? Well, very simply I went to the Google homepage and typed “how do you cook” into the search bar. Google suggested ten options to finish my search quarry. I picked five of those ten to answer. So, without further ado here are my answers to…

Google Autocomplete “How Do You Cook…”

---

How do you cook pumpkin seeds?

Okay, the first autocomplete answer that I am going to talk about is “how do you cook pumpkin seeds?”

Pumpkin seeds are best when toasted in the oven at 350°F for about 35-40 minutes. It is very important that you clean us much pumpkin gunk off of the pumpkin seeds as you can before you roast them. Any residual pumpkin gunk will likely burn.

I also like to toss the seeds in a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper before I roast them but this isn’t mandatory.

 

 

---

How do you cook bok choy?

Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage that has been gaining in popularity in North America over the last 5 – 10 years.

Bok choy is very versatile and very delicious. It can be sliced thin and added to a stir-fry. It is great steamed or sauteed as well either whole or cut into pieces. I really like bok choy steamed and then tossed with butter, salt and pepper and served with steak.

Bok choy is also really good to be cut up and thrown in soups, stews or braises. Next time you see it in the grocery store (most of them have it now) think of all the things you can do with it.

 

---

 

How do you cook beets?

Beets are delicious. There are no two ways about it. They are also pretty good for you.

There are three main ways to cook beets. You can boil them, steam them, or roast them. Any of these cooking techniques work with either whole beets or cut beets.

To boil whole beets first cut off the beet greens if they are attached leaving a 1-inch piece of stem still attached to the beet. This will prevent excess bleeding. Put the beets in a pot and cover with water by about 2 inches. Add salt to the water and cook for 20-40 minutes depending on the size of the beets. Let the beets cool slightly, cut the top and bottom off and then rub with either a clean dish towel or paper towel. This will easily pull the skin off the beets.

To roast, beets wash and dry them. Toss them in a bit of oil, and put them in a covered roasting pan. Roast the beets in a 400°F oven for about 45 minutes to one hour or until they are tender when poked.

To steam beets, follow the instructions for boiling but put the beets in a steamer and cook until tender.

---

How do you cook asparagus?

Asparagus is another one of those versatile vegetables. It can be steamed, boiled, sauteed, roasted or even grilled.

No matter how you are cooking asparagus you should first break the ends off. Grab the bottom of the asparagus stock and the middle of the stock. Bend the asparagus until the breaks. That breaking point is where the asparagus becomes tender. Below that breaking point is woody and not very good to eat. Discard the bottom and save the rest. Do this with all of the asparaguses.

To boil asparagus bring a pot a salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for three minutes.

To steam asparagus, bring some water to a boil put the asparagus in a steamer above the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Sauteeing asparagus is easily done by first heating a pan over medium heat, adding butter or oil and then sauteeing the asparagus for 4-5 minutes.

For roasting asparagus first toss it in oil and salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus out onto a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes.

To grill asparagus, prepare it the same way as for roasting but then just cook it on a grill for 4-5 minutes turning it once or twice.

No matter how you cook asparagus it is always good to finish it with salt and pepper, butter or olive oil, and lemon juice…and maybe some parmesan cheese.

---

 

How do you cook eggplant?

Our final Google Autocomplete “how do you cook” question today is about eggplant. How do you cook eggplant? Well, just like anything, there are a few different ways.

My favourite way to cook eggplant is also the easiest. Take a whole eggplant and put it on a hot grill or in a hot oven. Cook it for about 40 minutes, turning every once in a while. The insides of the eggplant will essentially melt. Once it’s cooked, open the eggplant scrap the flesh into a bowl, season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil and scoop it up with pita bread. So delicious!

Another way to cook eggplant is to first salt it. Slice the eggplant into rounds, season on both sides with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Now you can bread and fry the eggplant, or even roast it.

The salt removes a lot of moisture giving the cooked eggplant a firm texture. It also takes away some bitterness which is commonly associated with eggplant.

The final way that I like to cook eggplant is to peel it, cube it, toss it with salt, pepper, and olive oil and roast in a 375°f oven for 25-30 minutes.

---