Going gluten-free but still craving the delicious taste of homemade banana bread? This recipe was inspired by one from musingsofahousewife.com. For best results, use a light-colored pan. Or, turn your dark pan into a shiny one by wrapping the outside of it with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Related: Guilt-Free Breakfast Recipes

Gluten-Free Banana Bread

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 11/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Pour 1 cup boiling water over dates in a small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Lightly beat eggs with a whisk in a large bowl. Whisk in bananas and next 3 ingredients until blended.
3. Stir Read More »from Easy Gluten-Free Banana Bread

By Wendy Ruopp, Managing Editor of EatingWell

With just 5 minutes of prep time and 4 ingredients you can produce baked Maple-Mustard Salmon for dinner that's ready to eat in 15 minutes. This super easy, healthy dinner recipe features the earthiness of mustard, the smoky sweetness of pure maple syrup and smoky spiciness of a little smoked paprika, plus heart-healthy salmon all baked fuss-free in the oven.

Must-Try: 20-Minute 5-Ingredient Dinner Recipes

It's so fast that you'll want to make fast side dishes to go with it. Toss green beans with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them on a baking sheet in the oven alongside the salmon. Make a pot of quick-cooking couscous or quinoa while the roasting is going on and everything should be ready at the same time. (Don't miss: How To Cook Quinoa)

Here's the recipe:

Smoky Maple-Mustard Salmon
Makes: 4 servings
Active time: 5 minutes | Total: 15 minutes

Love Salmon? Easy Salmon Cakes & More Healthy

Read More »from 4-Ingredient Maple Mustard Salmon in 15 Minutes

When dining in a Chinese dim sum parlor, there's a right way, and there's a wrong way
by Siobhan Adcock and Genevieve Tsai, Epicurious

Clockwise from left: a table of dim sum dishes, pork buns, and deep-fried shrimp wrapped in bacon.You could say dim sum is basically a snack served with tea…but that's like saying Times Square is basically an intersection, or the Rockies are basically a pile of dirt. Visit a busy dim sum restaurant in your local Chinatown on a Saturday, and you'll discover that this "snack" is foodie theater at its most enjoyable: a parade of metal carts trailing exquisite aromas, fragrant teapots steaming and lids clanging, patrons calling for their favorites, meal tickets being rubber-stamped in exchange for dishes, and the sound of the happiest question on earth (or one of them): "No one wants that last dumpling? Seriously?"

Dim sum is also called yum cha, which means "drink tea" in Cantonese, or dian xin in Mandarin (the direct translation: "touch the heart"). The meal is sort of like tapas on wheels: a savory and sweet variety of Cantonese dumplings, buns,

Read More »from Dim Sum Dos and Don'ts

Danny Abrams and Sandy Ingber present the essentials of buying, preparing, and enjoying the pearls of the sea
by Carolina Santos-Neves and Kemp Minifie, Epicurious

Oyster varieties: (1) Totten Inlet Virginica (2) Royal Miyagi (3) Pemaquid (4) Montauk Pearl (5) Martha's Vineyard (6) Kumamoto (7) Blue Point (8) Belon Welcome to Oysters 101: Everything you need to know about one of the ocean's tastiest bivalves. You can roast, bake, fry, or broil them, but slurping oysters fresh from the sea is the best way to enjoy them at their peak freshness. For expert advice, we consulted two authorities on the subject: executive chef Sandy Ingber (a.k.a. the "Bishop of Bivalves") of the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant and Danny Abrams, owner of the Mermaid Oyster Bar, both of New York City. Abrams is the creator of the Oysterpedia app, and Ingber is coauthoring, with Roy Finamore, The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes and Tales From a Classic American Restaurant, due from Stewart, Tabori & Chang this summer in celebration of the Oyster Bar's centennial. Read on to learn everything you've always wanted to know about

Read More »from All You Need to Know About Oysters

Photo by Christina HolmesBy Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appétit

Nachos may flourish in sports bars alongside jalapeño poppers and chicken tenders, but I give them the consideration of a four-star meal. You can't just dump chips and cheese together and expect crunchy-melty-salty-spicy excellence. After years of experimenting for my annual nacho party (held during one very big football game), I've landed on a few rules for each component.

Read More: 25 Ways to Use Sriracha

The Five Keys To Reaching Nacho Nirvana

THE CHIP
The ideal specimen is medium-thick. Greasy, thin versions--like the ones some restaurants fry in-house--won't hold up here. I'm into Tostitos Simply Natural chips.

THE CHEESE
Liquid cheese, the kind that comes in a side compartment at the concession stand, tastes like candle wax. Gruyere? Save it for grilled cheese. I go for a blend of sharp yellow cheddar and Monterey Jack; they melt well and aren't overpowering.

THE MEAT
You want shredded or pulled meat for easy building and eating. Pork is my

Read More »from How to Build the Perfect Plate of Nachos

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Temperatures plunged so low last week that frozen ATMs reportedly held cash hostage in New York and fire hoses transformed a flaming Chicago warehouse into an ice palace. One antidote for those still enveloped by bitter cold weather: sweet hot cocoa. Not too sweet, mind you -- more chocolaty than sugary, with a nice, creamy texture. Cheapism.com assembled a tasting panel in the hope of finding just such a concoction in a bargain-priced package. Here's how three popular powdered mixes ranked in a blind taste test.

Bundle up with a cup of hot chocolate.

Related: Inexpensive coffee makers

• Swiss Miss Classics Milk Chocolate (starting at 17 cents per serving) emerged the winner in this tasting. The aroma filled several panelists with nostalgia and the resulting cocoa was luscious and chocolaty without being overbearing. Consumers reviewing this hot cocoa online generally draw similar conclusions, although some take issue with the use of artificial sweeteners.
• Ghirardelli

Read More »from Taste Test: Warm Up with the Best Low-Cost Hot Cocoa

This January, I've found myself running around like crazy, tossing something snappy-quick on the table for dinner, and generally feeling like a I need a hunk of chocolate to soothe my crazy schedule. If your month was as busy as mine, these 10 dessert recipes are just what you're looking for! Mouthwatering and delicious, they can be made in the microwave in minutes! Just stir, zap, and you're this close to having a homemade dessert, straight from your microwave! - By Brooke McLay

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For those of us with food allergies, the holidays can be stressful and frustrating and leave you feeling, well, left out. When everyone else is chowing down on cookies and cupcakes and goodies aplenty, those of us with food allergies are left wondering what we can eat and where we can fit in. And for those of us with kids with food allergies, we feel the weight doubled as we don't want them to miss out on any of life's joys. I rounded up 7 great recipes and ideas for Valentine's Day treats for kids with a wheat allergy. These look and taste so delicious that they are sure to be enjoyed by everyone, whether they have a gluten allergy or not. - By Becka Robinson

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Read More »from Treats Without Wheat! 7 Gluten-free Desserts for Valentine's Day