Use Lavender in Cooking As It's Really Good For You

Remember grandma always smelling like a flower? Well that was lavender, used by ladies through the centuries. Other than being extremely beneficial lavender smells delicious. The flower when crushed gives off the most aromatic fragrance there is. When it is dried, it still holds its lovely color and scent. Many will plant lavender around their gardens because of the beauty and the scent. Lavender will attract butterflies to any garden, and what is prettier than a few butterflies in the garden?

Lavender has been around over 2500 years, and was known to be used to mummify and perfume the Egyptian dead. Romans used it for cooking, bathing and scenting the air. So stated in the Bible, Mary took spikenard, or lavender to anoint the feet of Jesus. Lavender, some say was found in the Garden of Eden, but the scent was not there yet. It is stated that the scent came from when the clothing of baby Jesus was laid on bushes to dry, these bushes were lavender. It is touted as a safeguard against evil.

Using lavender oil is wonderful for the skin, taken orally will help the digestion of foods; it is also used to cure headaches and those sleepless nights. Some will use the oil added to water and spray where they spend the most time, energy practitioners such as healers will use it to clear the negative energy and clean the auras. You can use it to spray your skin and hair on a hot summer day. During the Great Plague of London in the 17th century it was used to ward off the deadly disease if worn on the wrist. In the 16th century in France, glove makers would put lavender into the glove to resist infection.

Love and lavender seem to go hand in hand. Listen up ladies; many use this wonderful plant to lure the one they want to entice. Cleopatra used lavender to seduce Julius Cesar and Mark Anthony. The Queen of Sheba offered it to King Solomon along with frankincense and myrrh. Lavender has such a relaxing quality, not many other herbs can hold that title. Some say that men like the smell of lavender and pumpkin, and lavender was found out to be the most arousing. Today lavender is used as scenting the dresser draws and hope chests. You can also sip a cup of tea with lavender and feel your body slow down about twenty paces.

Hot and Delicious Singapore Noodles Recipe

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Total cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients for Singapore noodles recipe:

150 g (5 oz.) dried rice vermicelli
oil, for cooking
250 g (8 oz.) Chinese barbecued pork, cut into small pieces
250 g (8 oz.) peeled raw prawns, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100 g (3 1/2 oz.) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
100 g (3 1/2 oz.) green beans, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Directions for Singapore noodles recipe:

1. If you want to try the Singapore noodles recipe, keep in mind these guidelines. Start by placing the vermicelli in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for about
5 minutes or so. Drain it well and spread out on a clean tea towel to dry.

2. Then heat the wok until very hot, after add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl it around to coat the side. Then stir-fry the barbecued pork and the prawn pieces in batches over high heat and remove from the wok and set aside.

3. After that, reheat the wok, then add 2 tablespoons of the oil and stir-fry the curry powder and garlic for about 1-2 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms and onion and stir-fry over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes or so, or until the onion and mushrooms become a bit soft.

4. Then return the pork and the prawns to the wok, add the beans and 2 teaspoons water, and toss to combine. Add the drained noodles, the soy sauce and the spring onion. Toss well and serve immediately.

Nutritional Value for Singapore noodles recipe:

Protein 10 g;
Fat 7.5 g;
Carbohydrate 25 g;
Dietary Fibre 3 g;
Cholesterol 60mg;
Energy 905kJ (215cal)

Some Tips on Maintaining Your BBQ Apron

BBQ stains may be quite challenging on your clothes. If you do not wish to ruin your favorite t-shirt, you better wear a BBQ apron when cooking barbecue in your backyard. No, you do not need one of all those high-priced leather BBQ aprons to shield your clothes from stains. A good BBQ apron that is made of less expensive products like vinyl and other types of non-stick components will do just fine.

When buying BBQ apron select all those mid length types that covers your body up to your upper chest and are long enough to cover most of your thighs. If probable select a BBQ apron that reaches just below your knees to defend your pants or skirt. Forget about people fashionable aprons that hardly protects your clothes. Remember that you're cooking barbeque here so you'll need to be well prepared to shield your clothes from ugly stains.

Another point that you may need to consider when acquiring BBQ apron is color. As much as achievable, opt for dark colored aprons when cooking barbecue. Dark colors are actually very good at hiding ugly barbeque stains so you would like not worry too significantly about splashing some barbeque sauce in your apron while turning the meat on the grill.

Yes, wearing individuals nice white aprons when cooking is great and it makes you appear genuinely clean but the point is, BBQ stains could be truly difficult on light colored components. Your white apron will not actually seem so wonderful if you will find some red stains on it. Besides, removing stains from white supplies could be truly difficult. Once you stain your white apron with BBQ marinade or sauce, your white apron will never appear the same again.

If you use apron that may be made of cloth, soak your apron in warm soapy water soon after employing. Warm soapy water will aid loosen up the stubborn dirt on your BBQ apron. Soak the apron for a few hours after which gently scrub off the dirt and stain from the apron utilizing a soft brush. For tough to remove stains, use some stain removing ingredients.

Dry the apron following washing after which store in a safe place. On the other hand, in the event you use a BBQ apron that is certainly made of non-stick components, just use a wet piece of clothe after which wipe the apron following applying. You may perhaps also use soap to remove the grease from the apron. Right after cleaning the apron, hung it to dry.
When buying BBQ apron select all those mid length types that covers your body up to your upper chest and are long enough to cover most of your thighs. If probable select a BBQ apron that reaches just below your knees to defend your pants or skirt. Forget about people fashionable aprons that hardly protects your clothes. Remember that you're cooking barbeque here so you'll need to be well prepared to shield your clothes from ugly stains.

Another point that you may need to consider when acquiring BBQ apron is color. As much as achievable, opt for dark colored aprons when cooking barbecue. Dark colors are actually very good at hiding ugly barbeque stains so you would like not worry too significantly about splashing some barbeque sauce in your apron while turning the meat on the grill.

Yes, wearing individuals nice white aprons when cooking is great and it makes you appear genuinely clean but the point is, BBQ stains could be truly difficult on light colored components. Your white apron will not actually seem so wonderful if you will find some red stains on it. Besides, removing stains from white supplies could be truly difficult. Once you stain your white apron with BBQ marinade or sauce, your white apron will never appear the same again.

If you use apron that may be made of cloth, soak your apron in warm soapy water soon after employing. Warm soapy water will aid loosen up the stubborn dirt on your BBQ apron. Soak the apron for a few hours after which gently scrub off the dirt and stain from the apron utilizing a soft brush. For tough to remove stains, use some stain removing ingredients.

Dry the apron following washing after which store in a safe place. On the other hand, in the event you use a BBQ apron that is certainly made of non-stick components, just use a wet piece of clothe after which wipe the apron following applying. You may perhaps also use soap to remove the grease from the apron. Right after cleaning the apron, hung it to dry.

Chicken Recipe

These days you can go for more than a couple of days without reading an article, watching a television show or see a commercial related to the huge global problem of overweight. It is a fact that more and more people are becoming obese and the main causes are poor exercise habits and the wrong diet.

One of the problems with people's diets is that it contains a lot of fat (and of the unhealthy kind). If people would try to focus a little more on some low fat foods like chicken the problem would at least be reduced somewhat.

For that reason I'll give you a few of my favorite recipes to try at home and if you like it then you are free to pass them on to friends and family that might need to loose a few pounds. An idea could be to invite them all over for dinner and if they like what you have cooked for them they might ask for the recipe them selves.

I would like to give you the recipe for a Low-Fat Chicken Rice Casserole that I find really tasteful and it is easy to do.

First you heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saucepan you blend flour, salt and pepper. Then you stir in broth and milk. You need to keep stirring constantly while cooking over low heat, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.

Then you bring it to boil and you stir for another 1 minute. Finally you stir in the remaining ingredients.

When finished you pour it into an NON-greased baking dish (10x6x1.5"), or a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Both will work perfectly.

Then you bake it all uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes. Before serving it you can sprinkle with snipped parsley.

The ingredients you need: 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/8 tsp Pepper, 1 Cup Nonfat chicken broth, 1 1/2 Cups Skim milk, 1 1/2 Cups Cooked Rice (White or Wild), 2 Cups Chicken breasts without skin (cooked), 4 Ounces Mushrooms and 1/3 Cup Chopped green bell pepper.

This recipe is with a serving size of 4 so if you are inviting more the 3 guests over for chicken, you will need to multiply the ingredients needed so there will be enough for everyone.

Learn the Different Ways of Cooking Bratwursts

Bratwursts are basically German-style sausages that use either pork, veal, or beef as a major ingredient. To give these special sausages a uniquely palatable taste, people usually add nutmeg, ginger, and pepper to spice up their flavors. More often than not, these sausages are also served with sauerkraut, which is basically a special cabbage dish, sandwiched together in a regular bread roll. Aside from this, there are still many other ways of cooking bratwursts. Three of the most common ways of doing this is either by adding beer, by grilling it, or by cooking it in water.

Cooking Bratwursts in Beer

From the many different ways of cooking bratwursts, one of the simplest and most interesting ways of doing so is by using beer. More importantly, a tablespoon of butter, ¼-sliced sweet onion, and four bratwursts are needed to cook this tasty dish. In a regular-sized pot, pour in at least two bottles of beers, before adding butter and allowing it to melt into a syrupy form. Wait until the liquid turns very hot before adding the sliced onions and German sausages inside the pot. Allow the syrup to dry until it sticks completely to the sausages. Using regular hot dog buns, place the bratwursts inside the buns and then top them each with sauerkraut for a truly tasty and satisfying meal.

How to Grill Bratwursts

Aside from cooking the bratwursts in beer, people can also make something special out of this dish by grilling them. After the beer has turned into a syrupy substance, remove the sausages from the pot and then place them on top of a charcoal grill. Allow them to stay for at least four to five minutes for each side until they are completely cooked. Make special sandwiches once again, this time using baguettes or hotdog buns, before adding cooked onions and mustard for richer taste and flavor.

In the meantime, a skillet can also be used in this simple process if ever there is no grill available at home. Place the bratwursts in a skillet together with the syrupy beer mix, then wait for a few minutes until the liquid part of the dish completely evaporates and turn into a flavor-rich coating for the sausages. Once again, use hot dog buns or other forms of bread wherein the sausages can fit perfectly well. Add mustard, onions, as well as other extra flavorings for a tastier and more delightful outcome.

Cooking Bratwursts in Water

For individuals who do not want their bratwursts in beer, they can use water instead to cook their sausages. Using a frying pan, fill at least half of it with water before putting in the sausages. To make the cooking process as smooth as possible, be sure not to soak the entire sausages under the water. Furthermore, use a fork to make some holes on the bratwursts, which will allow them to cook properly from the inside out. Put the stove switch into medium heat, and then cover the pan until the liquid inside completely dries out. After a few more minutes, remove the cover and wait for the sausages to cook completely before adding in the onions, mustard, as well as other flavorings.

Healthy Cooking With Steam Control Multi-Element Stainless Steel Cookware

Think about cooking healthy in this busy high stress world. Waterless grease less cooking preserves the vitamins and minerals of all of your foods and avoids the carcinogens from charring the meats.

A great example of using the Multi element surgical stainless steel cookware with steam control is the following recipe:

Heat pot on medium heat and then place chicken pieces in pan and brown on both sides. Extra oil in not needed. Very minor sticking may be present but no problem. When browned on both sides add whatever vegetables you desire, (potatoes, broccoli, squash, carrots or whatever). Just place them over the meat, put on the lid and close the steam valve. Turn heat to low and allow it to cook. Everything cooks evenly with the heat recirculating evenly throughout the entire pot. Allowing rapid cooking with all the nutrients preserved. Enjoy wonderful healthy fast cooking with Waterless cookware.

Waterless cooking

The steam control valve features on waterless cooking Cookware makes "waterless cooking" easy. You can cook Healthier in this cookware because it eliminates the need for grease or oil in cooking. To use the steam Control valve, start cooking on medium heat (never use high heat) then, when the valve begins To whistle, close the valve and turn down to low And finish cooking.

Multiple element construction Our premium cookware has 7, 9, or 11 element Construction. All are quality items and work pretty Much the same this refers to the fused heating surface Attached to the bottom of the stainless steel Cookware which has thin layers of different High conduction metals. This allows heat to spread rapidly and evenly across the entire cooking surface allowing the food to cook evenly.

Enjoy Flavorful, Low-Fat Desserts and Snacks - 23 Easy Ways to Healthier Cooking

Goodies and munchies don't have to be bland and boring. When you follow these 23 healthier ways for optimizing fat-free and low-fat recipes, you can enjoy tasty desserts, snacks and appetizers... guilt free. A few off-the-shelf ingredient substitutes is all it takes!

� Since low-fat recipes call for very little, or no, fats or oils, they sometimes tend to stick to the pan. If possible, it's best to have non-stick baking pans. They're wonderful! I buy several pieces at a time when they're on sale so I always have them to use.

� Non-stick cooking spray is something you should always have on your shelf for effective low-fat cooking. You can also use it to spray on baked foods before cooking to help them brown. I prefer the butter-flavored types.

� When a recipe calls for stick butter, you can use either butter or margarine. They have the same amount of fat and they both contain saturated fats. (I like the taste of butter.)

� Don't substitute light margarine, unless a recipe calls for it. It contains water and will change the consistency of your baked products.

� When a recipe calls for light margarine, the grams of fat are generally calculated using a light margarine product containing 6 grams of fat per tablespoon.

� When a recipe calls for canola oil, you can use regular vegetable oils if you prefer. The fat content is the same, but canola is the lowest in saturated fat.

� Butter flavored sprinkles can be found in the baking aisle, near the spices. Put these in recipes to add a buttery taste with no fat. Use the ones that are all natural.

� Many low-fat cooking recipes call for eggs, some call for egg whites, and some call for non-fat egg substitutes. You can generally use what you prefer. In baked goods, except angel food cakes which only work with egg whites, egg substitute works and tastes like eggs. However, if I'm making an omelet, I'd rather use the real thing. A real egg contains 6 grams of fat. The whites and non-fat egg substitutes, of course, contain no fat.

� Two egg whites equals 1 egg, and 1/4 cup of non-fat egg substitute equals 1 egg. In many baked goods, however, I suggest using 1/3 cup of egg substitute for each egg for a richer flavor.

� When a recipe calls for reduced fat mayonnaise, be sure your choice doesn't have more than 3 grams of fat per tablespoon, or it will change the fat content of the recipe stated in the book. You can also use fat-free mayonnaise, but I personally don't care for it, except on sandwiches.

� Non-fat plain yogurt, without gelatin, is a must to keep in your fridge. Many low-fat recipes call for plain yogurt or yogurt cheese, which you can make with plain yogurt.

� Unless otherwise specified, when flour is listed as an ingredient use regular, all purpose flour.

� When my recipes calls for cocoa, I like to use unsweetened cocoa powder. You can find it in your grocery store down the baking aisle. Do not use chocolate milk mix.

� Evaporated skim milk is another essential item in low-fat cooking. Use it instead of cream in most recipes. Add a little vanilla for a richer taste in dessert recipes.

� If you want to use 1% low-fat milk instead of non-fat milk in these recipes, you can. But remember to figure in 2 grams of fat per 1 cup of milk.

� Brown sugar helps add a buttery taste in many recipes.

� Many recipes call for cornstarch. It makes food richer and thicker without adding fat.

� Make your baked goods more nutritious by using whole wheat flour in place of half of the all-purpose flour

� If a recipe calls for 1 oz. of baking chocolate, you can save fat grams by using a mixture of 3 tablespoons of cocoa, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water instead.

� If a recipe calls for nuts, and you wish to use them, toast the nuts to boost the flavor and just use half the amount called for.

� Get rid of extra fat in ground beef crumbles (for spaghetti sauce, taco filling, chili, etc.). Brown the meat until it's no longer pink, then rinse cooked meat in a strainer under hot water. Return the meat to the pan and brown a little more. Season after rinsing.

� When making gravy, stock or soup, place the meat drippings in the refrigerator to allow the fat to harden and rise to the top. Simply throw away the hardened fat and what you have left is fat-free broth.

� Baked items that are low in fat seem to dry out quickly. To keep delicious and moist, make sure they're tightly covered.

Remember, just because the foods are low in fat, it doesn't mean you should eat as much as you want. Use common sense and eat in moderation!

Recipe For Rump Roast

Are you curious how to cook a rump roast? There are three very important things to remember when cooking a rump roast. If you pay attention to the roast as it cooks, and keep these things in mind, you will never fail to make a delicious meal. These very important secrets to remember are:

o To tie or not to tie: know when our piece of meat should be tied.
o Braise first, enjoy later: braising a piece of meat before cooking locks in moisture and flavor
o Give it time: the longer meat cooks the more tender it is, this also gives all the ingredients a chance to combine.

If your cut is symmetrical and has a consistent thickness then tying it probably is not important. If you're not so lucky then you will need to bundle the meat. Don't worry it isn't as difficult as it sounds. Simply tuck in any odd pieces then fold the meat into a tubular shape. Cut three pieces of kitchen twine and use them to secure your package.

Now, you are ready to season your meat. I like to use salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of cinnamon. Braise the meat in a skillet until all sides are lightly brown. Place roast, 4 or 5 carrots (cut up to desired size), 3 potatoes (quartered), 2 stalks of celery (cut up to desired size), and 1 pound of whole mushrooms in a crock pot.

Cook the mixture on high for 1 hour (for 3 pound roast) then reduce to low and cook 2 more hours. The longer it cooks the more tender it will be. This may vary depending on how hot your crock pot gets so watch to be sure it isn't getting dry. If it does a little bit of orange juice adds a lot of flavor to a rump roast. Now, you have learned how to cook roast.

This is a super easy meal. With this recipe there you don't even have to make a vegetable to go along side. Maybe you'll even have time to make dessert!

Quick Cooking Using a Chicken Recipe As an Example!

I usually come home late from work. And I also love cooking my own dinner. Cooking to me is therapeutic, and I unwind by cooking. But, except on a weekend or a Sunday, I don't have the pleasure of cooking slowly. I am too hungry, and I usually have some personal work to attend to like blogging, and catching up news on by feed reader. So, my weekday cooking is usually quick, and when I say quick, It is really quick.

First thing I enter my home; I take off my jacket and shirt. I stash away whatever I come in with, and enter the kitchen right away. I either open a beer or pour me a class of orange juice.

And with that I start right away. I am fond of cooking, so it has kind of become habit, and I know what to do when I am cooking something.

My most common dish is chicken gravy/stew, and here is what I do. Even before taking out the chicken, I put the cooking pan on heat. I take out Onions and lay it on the cutting board. I pour Olive Oil into the pan. And I immediately turn my hand to the chopping board and chop the onion. Oil is hot by the time half the onion is cut.. I add it so as not over heat the oil. I add the second half soon after I have chopped them and give a quick stir.

I leave it at that and crush a few cloves of garlic and some ginger, add them, never giving a rest to my hands.

I take out the Chicken, quickly cut them into smaller pieces.. I use precut chicken.. Add the chicken, and give a quick stir..

Now I add salt and pepper, and stir again. I cover the pan, and start cutting up two tomatoes, and two large Potatoes cut in large chunks.

Open the pan; add the Tomatoes and the Potatoes. Give a quick stir. Add Two cups of water, or chicken stock if you have them. Add about a cup of red wine. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat. All this took about 20 minutes.

I go back and remove my shoes, and pants. I go and take shower..

When I come out, the potatoes are soft when I press with a spoon. Increase the heat to make the gravy thicker.

Garnish with Cilantro. Wasn't it quick?

Spicy Chicken Recipe

Cooking at home is one of the things a family can do to have a bonding without spending much. The whole family can be involved with and make the tasks a little bit easier for mom or dad to do. Having a spicy chicken recipe can do wonders for the family. Spicy chicken is just easy to make and requires only the ability to follow the recipe and even your 12-year old kid can do it.

Before you start cooking your very own spicy chicken recipe be sure to get fresh dressed chicken in the supermarket. You can choose either thighs or drumstick, whatever you like. Buy the ingredients as well all fresh, to have it a delicious flavor to it.

There are a lot of variety for spicy chicken recipe, it all boil down to the ingredients you use as spices and other herbs to make the chicken a little bit tastier. The usual ingredients are the following: onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oil, chillies and the chicken. It all depends upon your preference as to what type of ingredients you want to add.

You can search for different spicy chicken recipe of Indian inspire, Mediterranean, or of Asian origin. The difference of these styles is the ingredients used. You might want your chicken to be crispy adding bread crumbs and fry it in a very hot oil over a deep frying pan. The gravy is another thing to make the chicken tastes better. Make it on your own or shop around of pre-made gravy to dip your delicious spicy chicken.

In cooking the spicy chicken recipe, others use the oven, crock-pot or even frying pan. It is up to you where you want to cook your chicken and which is more convenient for you to choose. There is no hard and fast rule in cooking a spicy chicken regarding on what cookware to use, even the ingredients. As long as you like the finish product and cook the chicken well then you did a great job.

Serving spicy chicken recipe should be served hot to make it taste yummy and tempting for adults and even the kids to eat. Served together with mash potato or garlic bread and you are off to go. Have a glass of wine, soda or even orange juice will be a great partner for your spicy chicken. Eat such spicy chicken during lunch time, dinner or even served during picnics with the kids.

Cooking a Steak on the Gas Grill

Cooking Steak on the Grill

I consider cooking steak an art form. The key to an excellent steak on the grill is to know how it cooks. This takes time and trial and error. Fatty steaks cook slower than lean steaks and thickness is a factor. I have found that with most steaks put it on the grill cook on one side for 5 minutes flip and cook on other side for 5 minutes.

Once you flip the steak baste heavily with soy sauce. It adds a wonderful flavor and will add smoky flavor. If you have guests who do not like soy sauce, just spritz a bit in your smoke chamber or directly on grill.

Well Done or Medium Rare?

Everyone seems to like their steak cooked a different way. I use a fork thermometer to test the meat after the second flip. 131 degrees is the perfect medium rare. I know that is not most digital thermometers say, but the ultimate test is the KNIFE. Cut a small slice in meat and look at the color and texture. Is that how you like your steak, well then pull it. (Hint: Just when the meat has a stiff texture when you flip it, it is medium rare.) Flip and test your steak, do not be afraid to use a lot of soy sauce when you flip. Flip steak about every two minutes using the fork thermometer all the other set points are about correct except the medium rare, probably for legal reasons.

As far as rare goes, Sear it, flip after about 2 minutes flip and cook for two minutes. I have also heard of sear it flip it, serve it.

What a compliment to your perfect steak

RECIPE

Makes enough for 4 steaks

Onion: 1 medium

Mushroom (Fresh Button Slice): About a cup

Soy Sauce: A dash or two

Basil: 1 Tsp or to taste

Sea Salt: ½ Tsp or to taste

Ground Pepper Corn: ½ Tsp or to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a medium sized fry pan, bring olive oil to a rippling heat. Add all ingredients and cook until the onions are clear yet crisp. Serve on the side, on top of a baked potato or directly on the steak, (my favorite).

What Is Recipe Free Cooking - A Guide To Improvisation In The Kitchen

Have you ever asked your grandmother or your mom or another older relative for a recipe to a favorite dish and gotten the answer, "Hmmm. Let me see. I'll have to see if I remember how I do that..."? Or have they told you, "I can't possibly explain; you'll just have to help me make it next time"? If you've heard these words or close variations, chances are you were talking to a "recipe-free" cook.

A recipe-free cook is a genius in the kitchen. He or she can assemble a great meal out of the materials at hand and often manages to do it quickly, easily and without seeming to think too hard about what seasonings to use, how much of this or that goes into a dish, or what the exact temperature of the stove or oven should be. Some of us were lucky enough to grow up in the homes of recipe-free cooks, and were constantly amazed at the way they used to recombine the same ingredients again and again, but somehow placed before us a unique and tasty meal that might resemble but was never exactly the same as what we'd eaten before.

The resourcefulness and creativity required to become a recipe-free cook are not as hard to learn as you may think. The ability to improvise successfully in the kitchen can be gained by mastering a distinct set of principles and practices that can be applied to cooking under virtually any circumstance, from a well-equipped modern kitchen to a wood-fire in the wilderness. An understanding of the roles of different ingredients, the taste spectrum of spice groups, and some basic cooking techniques can expand your horizon far beyond the pages of a cookbook, into the realm of culinary adventure. The time you take to learn these basics of recipe-free cooking will be far better spent than the time taken to memorize a recipe and you'll never be at a loss when the unexpected happens in the kitchen.

Here are the three most important components of recipe-free cooking:

Know your ingredients

Recipe-free cooks understand that there are food "families"; categories of ingredients that can be used interchangeably to achieve similar effects. There are ingredients that provide texture (thinners, thickeners, coarseners and smoothers); ingredients that provide flavor (strong tastes--spices--or unique and specific tastes--for example, duck, oysters, mushrooms); ingredients that provide bulk (anything that adds substance to a dish, from cabbage to rice to chop meat, to flour); ingredients that stimulate the receptors in our taste buds (sweet, sour, salty, bitter); and ingredients that cause specific chemical reactions (baking soda and powder, yeast, gelatine). Many ingredients fall into multiple categories; for example eggs can add bulk (to a quiche or omelette) and be an important part of a chemical reaction (in breads), and be a smoother and thickener (in puddings or sauces).

A recipe-free cook doesn't need to know the specific qualities of every ingredient -- just the ones he or she uses more often. Understanding the properties of the tomato opens a world of possibilities, for it can be turned into sauces, soups, or stews; sliced and served fresh or dressed; or, dried to intensify its flavor. Lightly cooked or raw tomatoes can be pureed to thin a dish, or they can be cooked and reduced to thicken. Diced into chunks they give a dish one texture, and liquified they give a dish another. If you know the potential of an ingredient it can turn one food item into dozens of cooking possibilities.

Know your flavors

Spices are almost as old as humankind, dating back at least 50,000 years. Flavor groups evolved geographically as people explored the properties of locally available plants. New spices were introduced as trade routes developed, populations relocated, and nations colonized and conquered. The spices associated with particular cuisines are the result of history and circumstance. Long before we imagined the modern global economy, spices like cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper circumnavigated the globe with explorers, travelers, and traders, becoming integral parts of cuisines in lands far from the point of origination.

Recipe-free cooks understand that a spice group is like a color palette and learn to combine spices to match the "flavor hues" of their favorite ethnic cuisines. For example, a Mexican spice palette could include achiote, annatto, chiles, cilantro, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, onion, oregano, and tarragon. Greek food also might feature chiles, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, onion, and oregano, but diverges at that point, substituting allspice, anise, cardamom, cloves, curry leaf, ginger, mustard, nutmeg, olive and sumac for the rest of the "Mexican" ingredients. All cultures have their spice palettes, and a simple shift of two or three flavors can take our taste buds halfway around the world.

Know your techniques

To become recipe-free, a chef must understand the difference between a variety of different cooking techniques. As with spicing, to single cook must know all the techniques, but all cooks must know several techniques in order to vary the menu and open a myriad of possibilities for their end results. The exact same ingredients grilled, roasted, fried, sauted, boiled or braised will come out very differently. Think of the difference between fried chicken and chicken soup; between roasted potatoes and potatoes boiled and mashed; between grilled vegetables and those pan-sauteed in butter.

Your choice of cooking technique will determine, in large part, the texture of the dish as well as its taste. If you brown onions, garlic and meat before adding them to broth the end result will be very different than if you add them all raw to a stock and boil them together. In the first case the flavors will remain distinct, with a hint of toasting from the browning. In the second case the flavors will blend smoothly. Each is desirable under the correct circumstances. A recipe-free cook knows how to determine which method is right for the occasion.

As an exercise to expand your recipe-free skills, assemble your ten favorite ingredients and five favorite spices. See how many different dishes and combinations you can create. Be adventurous. Experiment! You'll be amazed and how easy it is to achieve excellent results with improvisation.

Coleslaw, the KFC Recipe Way

Have you been searching for a great recipe to make coleslaw the KFC recipe way? If you have I'm sure you've come across a few versions and I know it's hard to pick a recipe to go with, especially if you're making it for other people. The following is a pretty good recipe I think is real similar to the KFC version. Even though I think this is a good one, you might want to try it out on the family before serving it for others. I also have another idea, but first check out the following coleslaw recipe and see what you think.

This recipe is 4 star all the way and tastes just like the coleslaw at KFC. A recipe you'll try over and over. Make sure to make this a head of time at least 6 hours and if you can make it the night before all the better. It needs time for all the flavors to incorporate and combine together.

Ingredients:

* 1 head shredded cabbage

* 1/4 cup shredded carrots

* 2 T chopped onions

* 1/4 cup 2% milk

* 1/4 cup low fat buttermilk

* 1.5 T apple cider vinegar

* 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

* 1/3 cup sugar

* 1/2 t salt

* 1/8 t pepper

* 1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use light/lo cal mayo if preferred)

Shred or finely dice the cabbage and the carrots, you can use a food processor or a cheese grater if doing by hand, or use a knife. Mix onions with the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients using a blender or food processor or if you really want to be crazy--use a spoon--also you'll save a wit bit of electricity and get some exercise. Now thoroughly mix the mayo mixture in with the cabbage, onion and carrots.

Remember to refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

So try this recipe and see what you think. Does it compare to the KFC recipe?

How to Cook a Great Barbeque Chicken Breast

A barbeque chicken breast requires a delicate touch from start to finish. You need the right meat, the right seasonings, the right grill, the right marinade and of course, the right barbeque sauce. So what goes into a great barbeque chicken breast and how can you make one that everyone at the cookoff will remember for years to come? It's simple once you know the basics and get some good recipes down. Here are the most important things you need to remember when it comes to making an excellent barbeque chicken breast.

The meat is the heart of the recipe. When picking out a good chicken breast, you need to find a top line, tender grade A meat that can spend a long time on a grill without drying or hardening. Take your time with this and test whatever results you have. The chicken should not be pre seasoned or pre cooked as you will most definitely be taking care of that, but just be sure it's high grade and tender.

You want to use balanced seasonings when preparing the chicken. If you place the chicken in heavy garlic or heavy salt without using anything else to balance it out, you will end up with an overpoweringly seasoned barbeque chicken breast. Don't allow this to happen! Make sure that your chicken breast is a very balanced one when it comes to seasonings. Try the following ingredients: garlic salt, ground pepper, basil, cayenne pepper, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce.

Next up is preparing the grill. Keep the grill on low heat. Barbequing is all about slow roasting and letting the juices and tenderness of the meat stay in for a long time. When making a great barbeque chicken breast, you need to keep this in mind at all times. If you cook the meat too quickly, the juices will drain out and the meat will be dry and hard, so take your time!

Next up is the sauce. The sauce should be a balanced mixture of the ingredients you marinade with, but mixed together in a bowl and made with extra care, not used until the very end of grilling. If you apply the sauce at the beginning, it causes the sauce to burn. Not a good idea! Keep your sauce from burning by applying it at the very end and allow it to simmer on the meat for a few minutes before serving.

Why Do Vegans Fart So Much?

Well, the title says it all, folks. First of all, perhaps we should talk about why people fart in general. There are two normal causes of gas, the swallowing of air and normal digestion of food. Lets key in on the second cause, digestion. Digestion is the breakdown of food in our bodies. Now, looking at the vegan diet, there are a few specific elements that can be overlooked. Lets break those down, now.

Eating too much fiber too soon. To start off our discussion of fiber, perhaps we should break down the two different kinds of fiber (pun intended), soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber can be broken down by water. Sources of soluble fiber include: oat bran, legumes, peas, and fruit. Insoluble fiber is just the opposite, it never gets broken down as it passes through the body. Now as most of us realize, fiber plays a special role as it allows the body to be cleaned out. However, if we try to digest too much of it without our bodies being used to it, it will cause constipation. So we have to be patient and introduce fiber in moderation. Drinking enough water is key here as fiber can't pass without it.

A diet based on legume protein. Legumes are a great source of protein in the vegan diet, as they are low in fat and high in protein. We can find legumes almost everywhere when it comes to substitutions, from black bean patties to the base of vegan brownies. However, we've all heard it since we were kids, beans give you gas. The thing is they don't have to, that's only a myth. The reason legumes create gas during digestion is because your body can't break down the complex sugars, oligosaccharides, on the coating of legumes. There is a simple solution for this, folks. Let your legumes soak before cooking with them and that problem is eliminated!

Combining foods improperly. Although, some don't realize it, conscious food combining is key to proper digestion. At the root of food combining it is important to keep one thing in mind, proteins and starches tend not to mix well. Proteins and starches are broken down differently in the body. When eaten together it can reap havoc on the body, as a byproduct, causing gas. Now there is one exception to this rule, rice is the only starch that doesn't cause gas.

In conclusion gas is a normal part of digestion. Be mindful of the combinations of food in your diet. Legumes are an excellent source of vegan protein. Just make sure they are prepared properly. Be gentle with your body when incorporating fiber into your diet. Drink plenty of water in order to help you digest it. Eat consciously and enjoy!

Complete Protein Vegan Recipe - Roast New Potatoes, Yams and Green Peas

This fantastic vegan recipe not only covers all the protein amino acid groups but it makes one tasty vegan meal. The yams and potatoes combine fantastically to provide a gorgeous base with the peas and pecans giving a light addition to this vegan friendly recipe. I would personally recommend this article to any vegan looking to entertain other vegans or vegetarians with delicious and healthy vegan food!

I have written up this healthy vegan recipe to serve four people

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil


• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic


• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh Italian or flat-leaf parsley 10 small new potatoes, quartered.


• 2 large yams, diced into medium sized chunks (Recommend 1 inch but can be changed to suit)
  
  Salt and pepper to taste
  
  3 cups of green peas


• 1/4 cup chopped green/spring onions


• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. and spray a large baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or use a paper towel to coat the inside of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil).

In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add potatoes to the mixing bowl. Using your hands, toss the potatoes until they are coated with the olive oil mixture.

Pour this into the baking pan and place in the oven on the center rack to bake until the potatoes are fork-tender this should take around 30 minutes. The potatoes should yield when pressed but not be mushy.

Add the green peas and onions and toss with a spatula to distribute them evenly. Bake for another 5 minutes and then season with salt and pepper.

Serve garnished with chopped pecans and enjoy this delicious protein rich vegan meal!

Sicilian Cooking - One of the Masterpieces of Italian Cuisine

Introduction
Sicilians have perfected the art of food presentation, where even the simplest dish becomes a work of art. Sicilian vegetable dishes are usually elaborate preparations, often with many ingredients added to the main vegetable to create complex flavours.

A kaleidoscope for the senses

The sun and soil both contribute to the excellence of Sicilian food and wine through the vivid colours and tastes it gives to the fresh local vegetables such as tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, zucchini, olives, oranges and capers. Sicilian food melds an incredible variety of styles and historic ingredients while remaining uniquely Italian and ultimately fantastic.

Aubergines, tomatoes and Mozzarella are the classic ingredients of any classic Sicilian sauce for pasta, and roasting the tomatoes and aubergines to get them slightly charred adds an extra flavour dimension.

Here is a Sicilian recipe using aubergines and Mozzarella.

Siciliano di pasta con melanzane e pomodore torrefatto - Sicilian Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Aubergines

Ingredients
8 oz (225 g) spaghetti
12 large tomatoes (roughly 2 lb/900 g)
1 large aubergine, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
about 4 tablespoons olive oil
12 large basil leaves, torn in half, plus a few extra for garnish
5 oz (150 g) Mozzarella, cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

Directions
o Put the aubergine cubes in a sieve and sprinkle them with salt and leave to stand for at least half an hour, weighed down with something heavy to squeeze out the excess juice.
o While waiting, pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leaving for 1 minute, then as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.
o Cut each tomato in half and place on one of the baking trays (cut side up), season with salt and pepper(prefera\bley freshly milled black).
o Sprinkle over the chopped garlic, distributing evenly, and follow with a few drops of olive oil in each tomato.
o Top each tomato half with half a basil leaf, turning each leaf over to give it a good coating of oil.
o Place the baking tray in the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are slightly blackened.
o While this is happening, drain the aubergines and squeeze out as much juice as possible, then dry them with a clean cloth and place them in the other baking tray.
o Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them and place them on the top shelf of the oven, above the tomatoes, giving them half an hour.
o In the last 15 minutes of the cooking time, cook the pasta.
o When the tomatoes and aubergines are ready, scrape them, along with all their cooking juices, into a pan and place it over a low heat, then add the cubed Mozzarella and stir gently.
o Drain the pasta, pile it into a warm bowl, spoon the tomato and aubergine mixture over the top and sprinkle over a few basil leaves

Backyard Food Safety - Lower the Calories and Protect Yourself From Food Poisoning

Whether it's a small Weber or a gourmet barbecue island, grilling is one of the best parts of summer. It's also one of the more healthy ways of preparing foods...if you know the secrets. However, you need to exercise some caution so that what you eat doesn't adversely affect your health.

Food Safety

Cook Until It's Done: Our family likes to grill a lot of food and freeze it for later enjoyment. If you like to do this as well, bear in mind that you should cook it until it's done. The reason for this is the time it spends between hot enough to kill germs and cold enough to prevent them from affecting your future dinner. As the food will go through this experience more than once, it is more vulnerable.

I like my beef medium rare, and I am aware that this can be problematic when it comes to the problem above. Unless the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees f, you are at an increased risk for food poisoning.

How Long is too Long: The answer to this question depends on weather and what the food is. I've seen ham go bad in less than twenty minutes, but it was hot and humid at the time. I've also seen food stay good for up to an hour, though usually not meat, dairy or eggs. Your best bet is to keep the food chilled as much as possible. If you suspect it has one bad, don't taste test it, toss it.

Mayo: Real mayo is made from raw egg yolks. When left out of the fridge for very long, it can go bad. It doesn't matter whether or not it's being used as a condiment or the dressing in your potato salad, keep the mayo chilled from your own protection.

Waist Line Safety

Grilling, as mentioned above, is one of the best ways of preparing foods. The fat has the ability to drip out of the food, making it easier on the calorie and fat budget. However, the foods chosen are not all equally healthy. Some are better than others.

Meat: Fish and poultry are often considered the best foods to grill because they are naturally lower in fat and cholesterol...or are they? The fish yes, but not necessarily so with the poultry. What you do with it before cooking makes a difference, as does the cut.

Poultry should be boneless/skinless before grilling, though that can make them dry out fairly quickly. The breast is the low fat low cholesterol cut, the rest can have the same amount of these problem constituents as 85% lean beef. You should also hand trim the visible fat off the cuts, to remove even more fat.

You may think that you have to give up beef and pork, but that's not necessarily the case. Lean cuts of beef and pork, usually found in the loin, are very low in fat and cholesterol. In fact, they can be lower than chicken breasts. 94% lean ground beef even carries the AHA seal of approval. If you want the healthiest form of beef, go for grass fed beef. It has the same amount of Omega-3 fatty acids as a piece of salmon.

The Great Bun Debate: Low carb diets encourage diners to use lettuce leaves rather than buns. If you are more interested in traditional burgers and hot dogs, you can have your bun and eat it too. Just get a whole grain bun. They even make white whole grain if having the darker colored buns is a little much for you.

Condiments: Your choice of condiment can add a hundred calories to your burger. Read the ingredients labels to help you decide which to choose. Smart mayo has ten calories, as does most mustards, and they are just as tasty as the real deal mayo. If you really want the mayo, mix it with mustard to dilute the calorie count and add some flavor.

With these helpful tips, you can enjoy your barbecue in safety and lack of worry. Let the summer fun begin!

Canning Salsa - A How to Guide - Recipe

Canning salsa is a great way to use up all those extra tomatoes and peppers that you grow in your garden every year, so where to you start? It is easier than you think! Read and enjoy.

Ok, so you want to make your own salsa it's allot easier than you think but here are some good tips that you will want to keep in mind. Start by experimenting a little bit; make some fresh salsa using your own ideas. You will need allot of tomatoes, a great tomato to use is just about any Roma style. You may wonder why. Its simple Roma style tomatoes are very meaty, and they are not full of seeds like allot of other types of tomatoes, and they are very easily grown right in your back yard garden.

Ok so enough about tomato education you will also need peppers, onions, and some different seasonings. Before you can your homemade salsa make sure you make several different recipes and also take good notes on what you like or dislike about the flavor as there are allot of ways to enhance the flavor just the way you want it to taste. Some other ingredients that you will want is fresh garlic, sweet bell peppers, vinegar, and some type of heat. Most people prefer jalapeño peppers, they are also easily grown in your back yard garden. Just a word of caution on any type of pepper or chilies, the more you leave on the inside, the more heat you will have, so if you want to tone down the heat on lets say a jape leno pepper make sure you take out the seeds and also the rib inside the pepper that is usually a bit white in color, and also make sure you wash your hands, the oil or juice that is in any hot pepper will remain on your skin so you really don't want to touch yourself anywhere unless you have gotten all this hot stuff off your hands and fingers.

If you cant or do not want to come up with your on salsa recipe there are several different companies that make some really good flavor packets, you can find them at any of those super stores now days that usually end with some kind of a Mart on the sign, then all you need to do is add your fresh ingredients.

Now your ready to can, Use any good canning jar and make sure they are clean, I cant stress this enough wash them in hot soapy water and rinse well, now fill your jars with your homemade salsa put a teaspoon of canning salt in and process them. If you are using a pressure cooker (witch I recommend) turn the burner on high and bring it up to fifteen pounds and shut it off. It is that easy, when the cooking process is done wait for the cooker to cool off and take the jars out and make sure they have sealed, this is easily done by pressing on the top of the jar. If you get a jar or two that does not seal just place it in your refrigerator and use it within a week or so. There you go it is just that easy.

French Picnic Tart Recipe

This recipe is for an easy French appetizer that is is sure to please those in search of distinctive flavors; Salty olive tapenade, sweet leeks and creamy goat cheese all combine to one great taste when served on puff pastry. This tart is a good one to take along on a picnic as it tastes great warm or at room temperature.

Tapenade

Tapenade is a condiment from the south of France known as Provence. It is made by crushing olives and adding olive oil to obtain a spreadable paste. You can find tapenade made with both green and black olives. Other possible ingredients in a tapenade are: anchovies, lemons, capers, garlic and herbs. You could try making your own, but there are many very high quality products ready to go in a jar.

Beyond this recipe, here are some other easy ways to enjoy tapenade:

• Simply spread on toasted French bread and served as an appetizer (try it with a Corsican Muscat for even more authentic southern French flavor).



• As a dip for raw vegetables.



• As an accompaniment to grilled fish or meat.

Leeks

The French love to cook with leeks and this recipe is a great place to start if you haven't tried them yet. When cooked; leeks mellow quickly and sweeten making them a great contrasting flavor in any dish featuring a salty taste. Be sure to follow these tips when cooking with leeks:

• Look for leeks that are smooth with crisp green tops



• Leeks will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about five days. You can freeze leeks by cleaning, slicing, and blanching them for several minutes in boiling water. Rinse them with cold water, drain, prefreeze on a tray for about 30 minutes, then put in freezer bags in handy amounts.



• To clean a leek, you cut off the root base and most of the tougher green top. Then you need to rinse it well under running water, spreading apart the leaves at the top. There's usually some dirt trapped in there. Or you can slice the leeks (as in the recipe below) and then rinse with water.

Goat Cheese

Goat cheese is called fromage de chevre, or simple chevre in France, where you will find over a hundred varieties. Sometimes the goat's milk is mixed with cow's milk to create a mi-chevre. Pur chèvre contains only goat's milk. Goat cheese is fun - it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and sometimes special little boxes.

For this recipe I used a log of goat cheese, which was easily sliced and distributed on top of the tart. You could try something different though, perhaps one that you could crumble on top.

Puff Pastry

You will frequently find puff pastry used in French recipes, both savory and sweet. While I am sure that there are some ambitious (and perhaps a bit crazed) home chefs that are quite ready to make their own, you can use a prepared puff pastry for this recipe. Here in France we can buy good quality puff pastry in the refrigerator section of the grocery store, but you may have to go all the way to the freezer section to find it depending on where you live. Please do look for a quality product with a minimum of ingredients. It should be made with flour, butter, salt and not much else.

Leek Tart with Green Olive Tapenade
Tarte aux Poireaux et Tapenade

• puff pastry (to keep with the simple theme of this site, I use packaged puff pastry)


• 4 to 5 leeks (if they are large you many need fewer)


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme


• salt and pepper


• 1/3 cup white wine


• 1 small (3 1/2 ounce) jar of green olive tapenade (if you can't find green tapenade, black olive tapenade will work as well)

1 "log" of goat cheese (about 8 ounces), cut in 1/4 inch thick rounds

Roll out the puff pastry into the shape you wish. Roll up the sides slightly and prick the bottom in a dozen places with a fork. Cook for 10 minutes at 400° C on a non-stick baking sheet. Remove from oven and cool.

Meanwhile, cut the roots and the greens off of the leeks. Slice the white part in 1/4 inch rounds. Steam them for 5 minutes (you can do this in the microwave if you wish).

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the leeks, thyme, and salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer just until the wine evaporates.

To construct the tart: spread the tapenade on the cooked pastry. Cover with the leeks and than evenly with the goat cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F or until the cheese has melted and started to brown on top.

Makes 6 servings

Chipotle Salsa

This chipotle salsa recipe has originated from Mexican cuisine. Chipotle is another form of jalapeno which is formed when jalapeno becomes dry and is exposed to smoke making its smell quite pungent. In this recipe, tamarind paste is used to give slightly sweet and sour taste to this salsa. On the other hand, the original chipotle salsa contains lime juice. So try this different recipe of salsa which is prepared in just 20 minutes and can be served to a maximum of 4 people.

Ingredients Required:

15 pieces of Chipotle
4 soft tomatoes (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 cup tamarind paste
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:

First step is to prepare tamarind paste for your salsa. Soak half pack of tamarind in one cup of water for just five minutes. After that mash the tamarind pieces in water using your hands and take out their seeds. Tamarind paste is ready.Take a sauce pan and put all the ingredients in it then let them boil on medium heat for five minutes.

When the mixture starts bubbling, reduce the flame and cook on low heat for at least ten minutes until the mixture has reduced to one third of its quantity. After that let the salsa mixture cool down at room temperature. Then put the mixture in a blender and make a smooth paste. Now using strainer, take out the remaining undissolved parts such as tomato skins and seeds to make a very smooth paste of salsa which has uniform consistency. Now let the prepared chipotle salsa cool down and then serve with any snack at tea time.

8 Rules For Making the Best Homemade Pickles

There are two types of pickle families, those made by using the quick process method and those made during the brine curing method. Most people now use the quick process method to save on time. Using the quick process method, you cook the fruit or vegetable in vinegar and spices to preserve it.

When using the brine curing type method, you keep and hold the fruit or vegetables in a brine for about a month. The next step is to soak them in cold water to remove any excess salt. After the excess salt is removed, you add vinegar, sugar and spices to make pickles. This can be a lengthy process, but people who use this method swear by it. It usually makes crisper pickles than the quick processing method, although many quick processed pickles are delicious.

No matter which type of pickles you decide to make, there are a few rules you should follow for success. You should keep them in mind when making homemade pickles.

1. Use fresh fruits and vegetables as soon as possible after picking them. Store them in the refrigerator if you can't make pickles with an hour or two after picking them. Don't wash them before placing in the refrigerator.

2. Use fruits and vegetables that are free of any bruises or blemishes. If the have to cut out blemishes, cut deeply to make certain all damaged flesh is removed.

3. Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables to remove any dirt which may cause spoilage. If you are using cucumbers to make your pickles, be sure to remove the blossom end as well. It has an enzyme in it which may also cause your pickles to spoil.

4. Use a vinegar of at least 5% acidity. Check the label for acid content. You can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Homemade vinegar isn't recommended as one can't be sure of acidity level. White vinegar makes for clearer pickles, but apple cider vinegar will lend more flavor to your pickles.

5. Use canning or pickling salt when making pickles. This is mandatory when using the brine curing method. You can use table salt in quick process pickles, but don't use table salt with iodine added. It may darken the pickles.

6. Use the freshest spices available for the best flavored pickles. Whole spices work well. Tie them in a cloth bag so they can be removed from the brine easily. If left in the brine when poured into jars, the spices will darken the pickles as they age.

7. Use white granulated sugar. Only use brown sugar if the recipe you are using calls for it.

8. Use fresh water. If you are using city water, or water that has been chemically treated, boil the water and let it cool completely before using it for pickle making.

There are all sorts of pickle recipes. You can find recipes for sweet pickles, dill pickles and even hot pickles. There may be recipes in your cookbook, but if not, the internet is a great resource for finding pickle recipes.

You can pickle many types of fruits and vegetables. Pickled cucumbers and cauliflower are some of the more common ones. Find a pickle recipe that you would like to try, and keeping these steps in mind, you will soon have your own delicious homemade pickles to enjoy.

Cook Awesome Chinese by Using the iPhone Application - Chinese Food in Minutes

Chinese food is something that almost all of us love but only few of us would go ahead and find a time to learn how to make it. Chinese food in minutes is an iPhone application that can satisfy the urge of both who like to eat and also those who love cooking. Using this iPhone application will help you in making great Chinese food within no time!

Chinese food in minutes is basically a cooking application that contains recipes and instructional videos from a UK television show that is quite popular by the same name. The episodes of the show follow Ching He Huang who coaches to such people in each episode who have never actually cooked Chinese cuisine before.

Features

This iPhone application features some great recipes from selected 13 episodes, instant shopping list so you can buy more recipes, one instant menu to access recipes and video clips that demonstrate cooking techniques for few of the dishes.

Working

As soon as you load the application, it will play a small introductory video which you cannot skip. After the video, you will be presented with two ways in which you can view the recipes -- by episode or by category. It is also possible to search by ingredient or dish name and the application will filter results and present you with those dishes that are already there in the application.

Each recipe in the application includes title and summary, so you can choose your dish accordingly. You can also add your favorite dishes in the list. The application can also help you in suggesting an item that will complement a dish that you have chosen. In each recipe you can also view a summary, ingredient list and step-by-step instructions. For any ingredients that you do not have and would like to purchase them, you can add them in shopping list. The shopping list can sort the item by grocery exile or by recipe.

Pros

Chinese foods in minutes -- iPhone application is a full-featured recipe application and one tap shopping list that is available in each recipe. Be application has an attractive and user-friendly design and you have separate many suggestions from one main dish. There are handfuls of videos which can help you if you have never seen the show on TV. You can make settings according to metric or imperial units, whichever is used in your country. This will make the quantities understandable.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe That's Really Incredible

My sister gave me this recipe for chicken tortilla soup with shredded after she served it at a special party at their house.

Ingredients of chicken tortilla soup recipe:

8 tablespoons Canola oil

5 10" to 12" corn tortillas

1 onion

6 garlic cloves

1 small bunch of cilantro

2 - 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

8 cups chicken stock

14 ounces of canned or frozen corn

3/4 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin

1/2 - 1 Tablespoon chili powder

4 bay leaves

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or try thighs

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Juice from 1 lime

Preparation of chicken tortilla soup recipe:

1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
   


2. Wash and towel try the cilantro, remove stems and chop.
   


3. Open your cans of tomatoes and have them at the ready. You don't have to measure out all the spices unless you like the way they have it all ready on the cooking shows.
   


4. Rinse the chicken under cold water and dry.
   

Methods of chicken tortilla soup recipe:

1. Make this all in one large soup pot or fry the tortilla strips in one and make the soup in another. I like to clean as few pots as possible especially when I'm working one handed. Cut up 2 of the tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and fry them in 3 tablespoons of Canola oil. You want them to be a golden brown but be careful not to burn them, they cook quickly. Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to cook several at time.
   


2. Remove the strips from pot and transfer to some paper towels to drain. Season with a little salt.
   


3. Heat the remaining oil over medium high heat and sauté the onions for a couple of minutes.
   


4. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Tear the remaining 3 corn tortillas into bite size pieces and add to the pot.
   


5. Add the cilantro, stir, and cook for a minute more. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice and the chicken stock, cumin, chili powder, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
   


6. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the corn, whole chicken breasts, and cayenne. Simmer the chicken breasts for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked throughout.
   


7. Remove the chicken breasts and put aside to cool. Turn off the soup at this point. Once the chicken breasts are cool, shred them with your hands and return to the pot.
   


8. Add your lime juice and taste for spiciness. If you like it hotter, add more of the spices. Reheat, and serve with the fried tortilla strips.
   

My sister usually serves this chicken tortilla soup with the fried tortillas, freshly diced avocado, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream. The sour cream really helped mellow out some of the spices and gave the soup a wonderful creamy appearance. This soup is a meal.

Venison - Ideas for Cooking, A Venison Recipe

"Tis the season for venison!"

Hunting season opened the week before thanksgiving in Virginia. Since we are in North Carolina, why does it matter when hunting season opened in Virginia?

I was born and raised in Virginia and my parents still live there and my dad hunts, ALMOST every day of the season. He killed 2 deer already and having visited over the holiday weekend, we brought some home to freeze. I feel very fortunate to have a resource (Dad). It's better than store bought and cheaper too.

I grew up on the stuff and I love it. What do we do with it? Well my favorite recipe of all is to follow Julia Child's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon. I even served it at a private party for 150 people and even though it was labeled, people didn't see the label and many people who swear they do not eat venison, loved it. Better yet, hunters who eat venison all the time told us that it was the best they had ever eaten.

What else do we do with it? Venison Stew, Venison Jerky (my niece J.J.'s husband Chris makes the best), Venison ground up in everything from Spaghetti to Sloppy Joes, Venison Barley Soup, Venison
Mushroom Soup, Marinated Grilled Venison Kabobs, Venison Sausage, Venison ala Mode, Venison Roast, Stuffed Venison Roast, Venison Chili, Venison
Daube, Venison Steaks, Venison Chops, Venison medallions, Venison Braised in Balsamic Vinegar, Venison Enchiladas, Venison Burritos. That's enough to get you cooking!

My everyday Venison Stew Recipe:

2 pounds venison stew meat

1 small onion, peeled

Several sprigs of parley, thyme and 1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup flour

4 cups stock

4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 T butter

1/4 cup flour

Salt and black pepper

Crusty bread

Pressure cook venison with onion and herbs, with enough water to cover under pressure for 30 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can
simmer; it will just take alot longer. Cool, strain, reserving stock. Shred venison.

Saute onions, celery and carrots in olive oil until onions are translusent. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Add to venison and stock. Add potatoes,
carrots, thyme and bay leaves. Cook until potatoes and carrots are done. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Make a roux with butter and flour
stirring until lightly browned. Add to venison off the heat and whisk in to remove lumps. Serve with bread for dipping.

For another great venison recipe: visit our recipe-of-the-week Venison Bourguignon [http://www.swankcatering.com/venison-bourguignon.html]

I realize that everyone doesn't have access to venison and lots of people have an opinion about it, but I know, if you like beef, you'll like these recipes.

The deer populations, at least in our area, are a are huge and a real menace. We have a compound around the vineyard to keep them out.
Too bad my husband doesn't hunt because it would help in reducing the population and keep good food on the table. In the meantime, enjoy these
recipes for venison and if you want recipes from the list above, do not hesitate to ask.

Spaghetti Squash Recipes and Cooking Instructions

When cooked, a fork can easily poke through the skin, and the flesh will easily separate into long strands with a fork. The average 4 pound squash will give you about five cups of flesh. Use the "spaghetti" right away, or place in freezer bags in the freezer for use at another meal.

These best five ways to cook spaghetti squash are in the order of cooking time.If you have all day, set the crock pot on, or if you like that fresh baked smell to fill the house, bake it in the oven. If you just want to get it done and start eating as fast as you can, I would suggest the microwave. Try out all the different ways and see what you like best!

#1 - In the Crock Pot - Pick a squash that can fit in your crock pot whole. Pole holes through the shell with a fork, and place in the crock pot. Add a couple of cups of water, and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until fork pokes through skin easily.

#2 - In the Oven, Whole - Poke holes in the skin several times with a fork. Place the entire squash in the oven. Cook at 375F for about 1 hour, or until soft.

#3 - Boil in a Pot - Find a pot big enough to hold your squash. Fill with enough water to cover the whole squash and set to boil. When the water is boiling, add the squash and cook 20-30 minutes until fork pokes through skin easily.

#4 - In the Oven, Halved - Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Place open sides down onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook at 375F for 20-30 minutes or until skin is easily poked with a fork.

#5 - Microwave in a Dish - Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Place squash in a microwaveable dish with the open side up. Add a few cups of water, and cover with saran wrap. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes covered, then test to see if it is done, and cook longer if needed.

I found that slicing the squash in half and scooping out the seeds first, before it was cooked was easier then scooping out the seeds after, and trying to sort out the flesh from the seeds when cooked together.

Here are some good spaghetti squash recipes to use cooked squash.

Spaghetti Squash Recipe with Cheese

This is also a really quick dinner especially if squash is cooked ahead of time. If you like cheese, and squash this will quickly become a favorite dish!

1 large spaghetti squash cooked and prepared.

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Mix all ingredients in microwave safe dish or oven safe dish. Microwave for 2-5 minutes, or heat in oven for 5-8 minutes until all ingredients are hot and cheese is melted.

Serve.

Spaghetti Squash Bake Recipe

It is so quick and easy to put together. Bake the squash ahead of time, then throw the ingredients together, and serve to the table only 10 minutes later. Makes a great lunch or dinner! Or use the leftovers for a snack!

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups spinach

1/2 fresh tomato chopped

1 clove garlic minced

1 cup spaghetti squash cooked and prepared

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except cheese. Pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Serve. (Per Serving - 3.3 g carbohydrates) (serves 6)

Layered Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Preparing the squash then layering in individual bowls or a large family size glass bowl creates an interesting look and gets the taste buds going, before even lifting the fork to eat.

1 large spaghetti squash cooked and prepared

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 pound ground meat (your choice)

3/4 cups mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cook squash. Cook meat. Heat ricotta cheese in microwave. Heat up spaghetti sauce.

Layer in a large bowl, or in individual bowls, squash, ricotta cheese, meat, mozzarella cheese, spaghetti sauce, then parmesan cheese.

Serve. (Per Serving 14 g carbohydrates, 6.6 g fiber) (serves 6)

Basic Spaghetti Squash Recipe

This is a good starting point. It is a place to get ideas, and think of new things to add to your squash. All you need is:

Flesh from 1 large spaghetti squash, (about 5 cups)

Miscellaneous ingredients of your choice. Ideas are below.

After cooking and preparing the squash start pulling out all the ingredients you like or feel like adding today, and mix it all together, and serve warm.

This can be any amount to your taste any of the following:

Garlic, salt, pepper and other herbs and spices that you like, fennel, dill, curry, red pepper flakes

Meat choices are endless, ground beef, ground turkey, diced chicken, pork strips

For cheeses there is Parmesan, Feta, Cheddar, mozzarella, blue

Vegetable choices are also endless, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, peppers

If you are adding tomato sauce, put it on at the end as a garnish. This will prevent the squash from becoming mushy.

Have fun, enjoy and try new things!

Going to the Cookware Store

Going to the store to shop for cook ware is by far one of my most favourite things to do. I am not a professional chef by any means but cooking and baking are two of my favourite activities. I have just had my kitchen renovated and I have been going to the cookware store for all of my necessities almost every week so I can fill it up to the brim with everything I need so I can make the best of my kitchen and cook wonderful foods.

When I go to the cook ware store I can honestly buy the whole store because there are so many nifty tools to cook with that are so tempting to buy. In the past I used to collect items for my kitchen that I never ever used because when I purchased the tool I had no idea what to use it for. Now before I go, I usually make a list of the tools that I want to get so I do not spend too much money or buy too many items that I do not necessarily need. I have developed a new way of shopping for cook ware and that is by trying out new recipes that use obscure tools. Instead of going to the store with no idea of what I want or need I have adopted a method to only bring tools into my kitchen that I know I will use. I pick out a new recipe every week that requires a new tool to use and then I go to the store, buy it and use it. I have developed a unique collection of cooking tools by using this method and have at the same time expanded my horizons into new culinary directions and have made a lot of interesting recipes including learning how to make my own ice-cream and pastas.

As you may have been able to tell I will make any excuse to go to the cookware store for some shopping because I love being in my kitchen and cooking up recipes. Another great fun activity that I do is I bring my grand children to the cook ware store when they come to visit me. My grand children love to make cookies and one of their favourite types of cookies to make is sugar cookies. We go to the store ahead of time and I have them pick out some new cookie cutter shapes from the wall of cookie cutters at the store. There is always a new and unique shape that they pick and then we go home, roll out the dough and cut out their cookies into some new and different shapes.

Slow Cooker For Healthy Living

A slow cooker (also called a crock pot) is a time saver and a convenient cooking device. You can prepare a meal in the morning and when you arrive from work it is ready to be served. It can enhance the nutritional content of foods also. With slower cooking, more vitamins and minerals are retained in the food.

Meals cooked with the use of crock pots can be very delicious. The food flavors sink in deeply and gradually. The flavors of the herbs and stock are also well absorbed. Moist heat tenderizes the meat.

A properly working slow cooker and a strict adherence to recommended cooking procedures make meals cooked with slow cooker perfectly safe to be consumed. Slow cooking eliminates any bacteria.

Cheaper cuts of red meat or white meat are cooked better in crock pot or slow cooker plus it saves you some money. They have less fat content compared to expensive cuts that make them more suitable for slow cookers. It normally requires eight hours to cook most meat.

Place food from one half up to two thirds of the crock pot's capacity only. Slow cooker filled to its full capacity will not properly cook food. However, food will be cooked quite fast when the liquid and its level is lower than the usual.

Foods on the bottom will be more moist and will cook faster because of the simmering fluid. Cut too much fat from meat and take out the skin of meat from poultry. Long, slow cooking will melt fats and give the finished dish an unpleasant feel.

Remove the cover and shift to high setting during the last half hour of cooking time to thicken the juice and concentrate the flavors.

As tips to slow cooking, add seafood only in the final one hour of cooking time to avoid overcooking it, overcooked seafood has a gristly texture.

Ground meats should be pan-fried first before cooking it in slow cooker to get the best result. You can brown large cuts of meat before cooking it in the crock pot, although this step is not really needed, browning the meat can add color and further develop the flavor.

Vegetables easily cooked such as tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms should be added on the last 45 minutes to avoid overcooking them.

Use just a small amount of Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper and put them in the crock pot at the end of required cooking time to avoid a bitter taste. In general, spices should come in the last hour so as not to lose its tasty flavor if cooked together with other ingredients during the duration of cooking time.

Add dairy products at the final half hour of desired cooking time except when the recipe requires differently.

If you are planning to cook with a recipe not specifically made for the slow cooker, cut the liquid down by one third or one half, because liquid does not easily boil away from the crock pot.

Generally, slow cookers are safer to use for cooking because it works on lower temperatures, and the lids are always closed. This prevents accidents that may result to fires. There are also certain types of meat that are more conducive to slow cooking above other methods.

What Features Do You Look For in Your Recipe Software?

Do you enjoy cooking? Do you dread going through all of those scraps of paper looking for that Vegetable and Beef Soup recipe that you make once a month? Well, I know that I do. I have absolutely TONS of hand written recipes, or I used to. Yeah, I kept the originals. They are now in a box in my garage, but they have been transformed into a marvel of technology. They're now in my Living Cookbook Recipe Software where I can quickly open them up, print a copy if I need to and save myself about 30 minutes looking through scraps of paper.

I set out on my journey to find the perfect recipe management software on the market. I looked high and low. I had an agenda. Not only did I want to organize my own personal recipes, but I wanted to be able to download recipes from the Internet into the software. I wanted to be able to create a cookbook from my own original recipes that I could either print and bind or upload to a website to sell. The software I chose had to do all of those things. I wanted the cookbooks to be in a standard cookbook format. I'm old fashioned, I like things in a familiar form. I wanted to be able to email the recipes to friends and family that always call around the holidays or when they're having a party and need a particular recipe. I keep wondering how I became the sole keeper of my mothers cornbread dressing recipe. I guess I'm the only one in the family that is organized. Also, I'm older now and I wanted to choose the font size customized to my eyes. No more having to wear glasses to read my recipes. Yeah!

One other very important piece of the puzzle was that I needed to know the exact nutritional analysis of each recipe. My brother was recently diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and anyone in that same boat knows that you can't just guess about what you're eating. You have to know for sure what's in the food you eat. This cookbook software has that built in. Their database is linked directly to the USDA Nutritional Tables and if the USDA makes any updates, you just go to the link in your software and upload the updates. Very important. Just be forewarned. That information my surprise you. Boy, do I ever wish that I hadn't put my Homemade Pimento Cheese recipe in there. Ouch, the fat grams. Oh well, don't they say that it's what you do most of the time that counts? I sure hope "they" are right.

This recipe software does a lot more than just the points I have covered, but these were the most important ones for me. If you're looking for cooking software, decide what your most important needs are and go from there.

How To Get Banned From the Kitchen With Popcorn Eggs - A Mom's Secret to Never Cooking Again

First, this cooking recipe is only for people who are busy, too busy to stand in the kitchen while the stove is on and watch the food cook. This recipe is for those who like to get the meal started and walk away and do other chores.

First take the eggs out of the refrigerator, place in a pot of water on the stove, put on the stove, turn on the flame and leave the room. Do something such as make phone calls, answer e-mails, do your nails.

When you start to hear the sound of popping, it's definitely time to go into the kitchen and check on your lovely eggs. The popping sound will only happen when the eggs have been on the stove long enough to have allowed the water to boil out of the pot. Therefore, when there's no water left in the pot, the eggs will start popping and fly like projectiles around your kitchen, most likely landing on walls, the ceiling, the floor, or aimed at you if you're in the kitchen when popping finally occurs.

This is not only messy, it's distinctively smelly... Okay, I'm only kidding about this being a good idea. The first time I made popcorn eggs I was permanently banned by my husband from the kitchen and he insists on making all of the meals....

I hope you enjoyed my recipe and kitchen tips and I'm more than happy to share with you my recipes for squash pancakes, pasta for the pets, and french onion soup.

Warning: Please note, this recipe is for entertainment purposes only, and too dangerous to be duplicated. I cannot take any responsibility for the dangerous aspects of the results of this recipe. I hoped you got a good laugh at my expense.