11 Steps to a Healthier Kitchen

1. Stick it. Use a meat thermometer. Most meat needs to be cooked to 165 degrees to kill harmful germs.
2. The big chill. If you need to refrigerate a lot of food, cut it into slices, separate it into small batches or place it in shallow containers so it cools more rapidly. If it’s really hot, set it in an ice bath to cool more quickly.
3. Shelf life. Thaw frozen foods on the bottom shelf of the fridge so any juices that leak don’t drip onto other foods. You can thaw in cold water or the microwave as well, but cook foods thawed in the microwave right away.
4. Second time around. Leftovers need to be reheated to 165 degrees, too.
5. Suds up. Wash your hands for 10 to 15 seconds before and after cooking and after handling raw meats or eggs.
6. Air it out. Let your hand-washed dishes air dry so you don’t contaminate them with a towel.
7. Spritz it. After cleaning your work surfaces, spray them with a solution of two drops of bleach for every cup of water.
8. Load up the laundry. Change your hand towels and dish towels every day.
9. Nuke attack. Microwave your sponge for one minute daily to kill the germs.
10. Free flow. Change the filters in your refrigerator’s water and ice dispensers regularly.
11. First in, first out. Put your new stuff in the back and move old stuff forward. Dry goods like mac and cheese or cereal don’t last as long as canned goods, so make sure you’re rotating them in your pantry.

Glazed Salmon

Easy and elegant, this crispy-crusted salmon takes just minutes to prepare and to disappear from the plate.

Ingredients
¼ cup honey
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets

Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, lime juice and mustard. Marinate salmon in the refrigerator in sauce several hours or until ready to cook. In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook salmon on each side until golden brown and crispy and just cooked through. Transfer salmon to a platter. Add remaining honey glaze to skillet and simmer, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Return salmon to pan, heat, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving
Calories 273, protein 35 g, carbohydrates 19 g, fat 6 g, calories from fat 20%, saturated fat 1 g, dietary fiber 0 g, cholesterol 88 mg, sodium 400 mg

Recipe from The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook.