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8/31/2010

Cooking Beef Casserole in a Crockpot

There are various ways to cook beef but crockpot cooking brings out the juiciness and flavor of beef really well. You can cook the toughest beef cuts in a slow cooker and it will come out succulent and delicious because of the moist, slow cooking method.

One of the most popular slow cooker recipes of all time is beef casserole. This is such a simple dish but there are so many different ingredients you can choose from. Classic ingredients include potatoes, onion and carrot but you can also use other vegetables such as zucchini, yam, rutabaga, broccoli and more, depending on what you have to use up and what flavor you are aiming for.

Why We Love Casseroles

Casserole recipes are simple to make and satisfying to eat. Not only can you add any meat, vegetables and flavors you like but you can choose from thick and rich casseroles to thin, watery ones.

Serve either of these over a mound of mashed potatoes or rice and you have a rich, filling and truly delicious dinner. The crockpot could have been invented solely for making casseroles because they come out so incredibly well.

You can make beef casserole, chicken casserole, pork casserole or even fish casserole in a slow cooker and the ingredients will merge their flavors in the same way, resulting in a flavorful dish which everyone will be impressed with. A lot of crockpot casserole recipes also freeze well so you can make a huge casserole and freeze half for another occasion.

Recipe for German Beef Casserole

This delicious crockpot recipe is easy to make and combines beef with carrots and an assortment of spices and flavorings including molasses, tomatoes, sherry and ginger. This is a rich and tasty dish and a real winter warmer of a meal. Serve this German style beef casserole with bread for mopping up the wonderful juices.

You will find that the sherry and ginger add a special elegance to this beef casserole. Some beef casserole recipes feature beer or red wine to enhance the beef flavor but the sherry also goes well. The ginger lends the dish a trace of oriental flavor without detracting from the European influence.

This is a really special recipe. If you like, you can omit the potato and serve it with some mashed potatoes on the side instead. Of course you will have to make those on the stove.

What you will need:


  • 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck

  • 2 cups carrots, sliced thinly

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/4 cup dark molasses

  • 16 oz can diced tomatoes in juice

  • 2 tablespoons flour

  • 1/4 cup sherry

  • 1 potato, chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger


How to make it:

Cut the beef into two inch cubes and add it to the crockpot. Sprinkle the ginger, pepper, salt and garlic powder on top, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir briefly. Cover the slow cooker and cook for six to eight hours on low. Stir and serve hot.

8/30/2010

Shrimp Scampi Recipe

When you are too busy to cook fancy dinners but you have the craving for one, you have found the right recipe for that. Shrimp are always easy to make and delicious to enjoy, that is why they have become very popular when cooking. This recipe does not need more than a few pounds of shrimp and good pasta to make it right, fast and delightful.

You will need:

Linguini pasta (1 pound)

Butter (1/4 cup)

Garlic (5 cloves, minced)

Shrimp (1 pound, deveined and peeled)

Bread Crumbs (1 cup)

White wine (1/2 cup)

Lemon (1, juiced)

Olive oil (1/4 cup)

How to do it:

This recipe it's very fast, all you have to do it's preheat the oven and have it ready to a 350ºF or 175ºC; while this is warming up you have to do the pasta, that's very simple just take a large pot with water and put it over medium heat, add the pasta and keep boiling until it reaches the right point, drain it well and keep it ready for the next step. Now melt the butter, do this in a large skillet, add most of the garlic but save some for latter. Make sure everything is well mixed; one very important advice is to do not let the garlic turn brown. Add the shrimp and coat everything, do no let the shrimp cook; remove everything from the fire to avoid cooking. Before you finish take the breadcrumbs and sprinkle them over the shrimp; take all of this to a casserole dish. This is the point were you'll add lemon juice and wine, cover everything and bake it for 10 minutes; now you will see the shrimp turning pink. The final step is to heat the remaining garlic with olive oil and toss the pasta to this mixture. To serve put the shrimp over the pasta and make it fashionable with little lemon slices on the side.

8/29/2010

Preschool Cooking Recipes

Looking for great preschool cooking recipes? There are some great recipes out there that preschoolers are sure to like. Finding great recipes is important and you'll want options that kids will actually eat. There are plenty of recipes that are not only healthy and tasty for preschool meals, but some recipes are easy enough that you may be able to get preschoolers involved in the preparation as well. Here are a few great preschool cooking recipes that you may want to try out with your preschoolers.

Tasty Chicken Quesadillas

One great recipe to try out for your preschoolers is tasty chicken quesadillas. All you'll need is some cooked chicken all diced up, some salsa, corn kernels, flour tortillas, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, and grated cheese. Mix together a half cup of chicken, half a cup of salsa, a quarter cup of corn, and a half teaspoon of cumin. Then put tortillas on ungreased baking sheets. Have kids help you put the chicken mixture on each tortilla. Sprinkle some shredded cheese over the chicken and then top with another tortilla and press together. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle a bit of chili powder on top, and then bake the tortillas on 450 until done.

Special Grilled Cheese

If you are looking for a tasty and yummy meal for preschoolers, this one is a winner. It's a simple twist on regular grilled cheese. Simply make the grilled cheese the way you normally would, but along with the cheese you put in some turkey breast or some ham. They are simple to assemble, so the kids can help out. Also, it adds some protein to the sandwiches, which is great for kids.

Veggie Omelets

Feeding the kids breakfast? Well, here is a full breakfast meal that is easy to make. Kids can even personalize their own omelets if they want to. You'll need eggs and plenty of chopped veggies, such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes. Use about 1-2 eggs per omelet. Allow kids to choose the veggies they want in their omelet. Mix in some cheeses too for some dairy. This is a healthy breakfast or it even makes a good brunch meal.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Another great option for a meal for preschoolers is chicken salad sandwiches. It's easy to make and it feeds quite a lot at once. Simply boil some boneless chicken breasts. Allow them to cool. Once they are cool you can chop up or run through a food processor. Add mayonnaise, a bit of sour cream, relish, and a pinch of basil and garlic powder. Kids can help mix up the chicken salad and with guidance can even help put the salad on bread as well.

Healthy Pizza

Kids love pizza. In fact, there are very few kids that won't eat this tasty treat. So, why not make it for your preschoolers? You can make it healthy by avoiding too much meat and adding plenty of veggies. It's easiest if you purchase a crust already made, and a whole grain crust is especially healthy. Get the crust rolled out and spread tomato sauce on the crust, then sprinkle with the cheeses. Allow kids to help make the rest of the pizza, adding some pepperoni, onions, peppers,

8/27/2010

Chocolate Fountain

When setting up a chocolate fountain for a home party you're going to need to know a few things. You can not just toss some Hershey bars into your chocolate fountain and expect to get that signature chocolate waterfall. You need to pick the right chocolate, add vegetable oil if necessary and maybe some extra ingredients to make sure that your chocolate fountain recipe is a good one.

First of all, almost all chocolate fountains for home use will not melt the chocolate for you. You'll need to use a double boiler or microwave oven and then transfer the melted chocolate to your fountain.

Regular chocolate is too thick for use in a fountain. It needs to be thinned out or have its viscosity lowered. This is accomplished with vegetable oil. Neutral flavored oils such as canola or safflower are added so that the chocolate flavor isn't overpowered by oil.

Couverture is chocolate with high cocoa oil content. Anything that's got from 32% to 40% cocoa oil is considered a couverture. Technically you're not supposed to need to add vegetable oil to Couverture chocolate when using it in a fountain but it really depends on the chocolate. Your results may vary based on the brand that you choose. A good idea is to do a test run when you don't have guests over and check how viscous your brand is. You can always add more oil but remember that you can't take it out.

The best way to melt your chocolate is in a plastic zip lock bag. Make sure it's one of those heavy duty freezer bags or use two of them just to be safe. You don't want your microwave coated by an oozing bag of melted chocolate. For every five pounds of chocolate add a half cup of vegetable oil. You can use less oil if using courveture.

You could also add a splash of Grand Mariner or another liquor. If there will be kids at your party a splash of vanilla extract or cinnamon might be a better idea. As you might imagine a splash of flavor will only enhance your fountain. So the most important thing to remember is to get a high quality chocolate.

Set your microwave oven for one minute and then mix the chocolate by gently squeezing the bag. Be careful the bag will get hot. Oven mitts will make the squeezing much safer. Do not overcook the chocolate. When there are no more chunks you are done.

Melting chocolate in a double boiler is great but the plastic bag in the microwave method is preferred because of this last step. All you have to do is snip off one of the corners of the bag with a scissor and squeeze the chocolate directly into the fountain as if you are using a pastry bag. Don't forget those oven mitts because the chocolate will still be hot.

A chocolate fountain is a great addition to any get together. If you follow the advice in this article, you should be on your way to a delicious time with your friends and your chocolate fountain.

8/26/2010

Getting to Know Grilled Foods

When grilling was first discovered, most people from around the world used it frequently and many of them didn't experience any sicknesses like hypertension, diabetes, or even heart diseases. Today, with the help of technology, life has become easier. We can buy fast food and eat it directly; this has been frequently bought by people who don't want to waste time or is just lazy to cook their own food. You can even buy ready to eat foods like instant meals which only require you to heat it up using a microwave oven. As cooking gets easier, the nutrition that our body takes in will lessen and the intake of cholesterol increases. We all know that too much cholesterol can ruin our body and also our figure. Getting fat is the least of your problems; the worst problem you will encounter is having sicknesses and diseases due to too much extra weight your body holds. You don't want to end up in a hospital bed do you? So be wise and eat healthy.

However, some of us can't resist the delicious, mouth watering, and scrumptious food. You should try to do something about that problem. Yes, one thing you can do to prevent any sicknesses or diseases is to cook the food yourself. Instead of buying ready to eat foods, go to the market and buy fresh ingredients like meat, seafood and vegetables. Whenever you are ready, you can prepare the food you want to eat. If you are a beginner in cooking, you should make use of your recipe books but if you have any. If you don't have any recipe books, then you could make use of the internet.

You can choose the type of cooking you want, but choose something that can be done in a short time. If you have thought about frying, though it can be fast and convenient way to prepare your food, you should avoid this since it is not a good choice for diet watchers. Why? Because the food you will cook will absorb more oil than it already has and it results to high cholesterol intake. We know that too much cholesterol intake has many bad effects on the body. If you have thought of baking the food, then it might be a good idea, but baking requires preparation and may need a bit of cooking experience. You don't want your food taste like charcoal. So, grilling would be the best solution for cooking your food. The way you cook is the same as frying, but you don't use too much or use oil at all.

When you grill your food, you should know that there are already 2 types of grills you can use today. The electric grill and the all natural coal grill. The difference between the two is preparation. On the electric grill, you just have to plug it and turn it on to heat while the natural coal grill is you have to put some coal below the grill rack and lit it up.

If you have a recipe book for grilling, make good use of it; it would really help you a lot. If you want, you can surf the internet and search a recipe that can explain to you some of its health benefits. A diet conscious person should maintain his or her diet by eating healthy foods to stay fit and strong.

8/25/2010

Bread Machines - Gimmick Or Valuable Kitchen Appliance

Bread machines have been around for quite some time, and most of them make a decent loaf of simple bread for dinner, even if much of the bread does not look like a "loaf" of bread. Unfortunately...even though most of us would rather have a slice of homemade bread than the chemical-laden stuff passed off as bread in the supermarket...it is simply too time consuming to bake our own bread.

The good news, however, is that today's machines have many more capabilities for producing a large variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors of bread...as well as cutting out much of the work.

Here is a typical step-by-step run-through of the entire process for baking a loaf of bread in a modern day bread machine:

1) Follow a Recipe. In the beginning, this is very important. As you gain more experience, you can experiment as much as you like.

2) Gather your ingredients. As with most recipes, everything goes smother and faster when you have your materials laid out. Fortunately, this does not take much time here, because bread requires very few ingredients.

3) Warm everything. It always seems to work best if everything, including ingredients, is at room temperature when you begin.

4) Measure precisely. "Baking" is much different than "cooking" in that baking requires more precision measurements. You cannot "season-to-taste" when baking.

5) Add ingredients. The instructions that came with your machine will tell you in what order to add ingredients into the machine bread pan-and the order can be different for different model machines. This is important.

6) Program your machine. Your machine instructions will give you many program settings for a large variety of breads, and for different environments, such as, high altitude, high humidity, and the like. Follow these instructions closely when setting your machine, especially until you gain some experience with it.

7) Start and leave. Push your start button and unless you will be adding fruit or nuts during the mixing, just walk away and don't mess with your machine-let it do its work. You can even leave your house if you like, and return to the aroma of freshly baked bread.

All of these steps take very little time, because the bread machine does all the work. And the little effort it takes in the beginning is well worth it...many times over.

A couple more pointers:


  • Follow your machine instructions closely until you gain some experience and want to experiment with changing the program settings.

  • Measure your ingredients precisely. It is highly recommended that you use a food scale instead of measuring cups. Yes, I said this before, but it is important enough to repeat.

I should also mention that as you gain experience and start feeling frisky, you can experiment with making things other than loaves of bread with your bread machine. This could include rolls, hamburger buns, cakes, and even jam. A bread machine is not only a highly universal device, it is probably the only kitchen appliance you will ever have that can pay for itself in a short period of time.

8/24/2010

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Preparation time: 25 minutes + 30 minutes marinating
Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients for sweet and sour pork recipe:

500 g (1 lb) pork fillet, cut into thick slices
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
oil, for cooking
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green capsicum, cut into cubes
2 small carrots, thinly sliced
1 small Lebanese cucumber, seeded and chopped
5 spring onions, cut into short lengths
440 g (14 oz.) can pineapple pieces in natural juice, drained, juice reserved
1/4 cup (60ml/2 fl oz.) white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions for sweet and sour pork recipe:

1. When you want to start cooking the sour pork recipe, first place the pork in a shallow glass or ceramic bowl. Combine the cornflour with the sherry, soy sauce and half the sugar and pour into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Drain the pork, reserving the marinade. Heat the wok until very hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the side. Stir-fry half the pork over high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the pork is golden brown and just cooked. Remove from the wok, add more oil if necessary and repeat with the remaining pork. Remove all the pork from the wok.

3. Reheat the wok, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the onion over high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the capsicum and carrot, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the marinade, cucumber, spring onion, pineapple, vinegar, salt, remaining sugar and 4 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice.

4. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce his thickened slightly. Return the pork to the wok and toss until the pork is heated through. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Value for sweet and sour pork recipe:

Protein 25 g;
Fat 12 g;
Carbohydrate 25 g;
Dietary Fibre 4 g;
Cholesterol 50mg;
Energy 1325kJ (315cal)

8/23/2010

How to Make a Great Pasta Recipe With Leftover Chicken

If you have leftover breast, thigh, or another part of the bird, you might be wondering what to do with it. After all, you cannot make leftover poultry into a chicken cordon bleu. The perfect solution is to combine your leftover poultry with pasta and a few other ingredients and make a delicious pasta dish. This certainly makes more sense than giving it to the dog!

Leftover cooked chicken only needs to heat through since it is already cooked and further cooking will only dry it out, so you will need to add it to your recipe at the end and just warm it through. You can use any kind of pasta you like for this recipe - macaroni, penne, and spaghetti are just a few options. Cook the pasta as directed on the package and make the sauce while it cooks.

How to Make the Pasta Sauce

Use a readymade sauce or make your own with tomato sauce, fresh herbs and perhaps some vegetables. The fastest way to cook the vegetables for a sauce is to finely dice them and saute them in oil or butter. Zucchini, carrot, onion, garlic, broccoli, bell pepper and mushrooms all work well. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and perhaps some chili powder or Tabasco sauce if you fancy a spicy kick.

Combine the sauce and the cooked vegetables, and then add the chicken and perhaps some cream cheese or sour cream and stir the mixture well. Once every component in the sauce is warm, it is done. When the pasta is cooked, drain it well and toss it with the sauce. You can serve this delicious recipe to the family and rest assured that they will love it. Serve some grated cheese on the side so they can sprinkle it over the top.

Feel free to add other meat to this dish if you want because chicken is versatile enough to combine with various other ingredients such as chopped ham, cooked bacon, or even slices of sausage.

If you have some cooked beef to use up, you can add that to the recipe as well. You might not think that chicken would go with beef but think about pizzas where these meats are often used together. The great thing about pasta recipes is that you can often use up your leftover meat and vegetables and the tasty sauce makes everything taste fresh rather than leftover.

Other Uses for Leftover Chicken

You can use the leftover meat to make omelets or add it to a stir fry. You can even make a baked chicken rice recipe by cooking some rice and transferring it to a glass dish with some cooked chicken and a sauce. Bake it until the rice is crispy around the edges and everything is hot and cooked through. Twenty minutes at 400 degrees F is usually sufficient.

This is especially nice if you grate some cheese over the top before putting the dish in the oven. Melted cheese toppings work nicely with pasta and rice dishes and you can try mozzarella, cheddar, blue cheese or anything else you like.

8/22/2010

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Other Rhubarb Recipes

If you want to learn how to make strawberry rhubarb pie, you'll be pleased to know it is not a difficult undertaking. Springtime is the perfect time to gather fresh rhubarb and fresh strawberries and make the recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie. It's easy, and it's delicious. Be sure to scroll down below this first recipe that tells you how to make strawberry rhubarb pie, and you can learn more about how to prepare rhubarb.

Fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Cooking Time: 50 min

Ingredients


  • 1 pie shell, store-bought or home baked

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar

  • 1/3 cup cornstarch

  • 2 cups whole strawberries

  • 2 cups cut-up rhubarb

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Instructions


  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

  2. Mix sugar and cornstarch; mix lightly through berries and rhubarb.

  3. Pour into pastry lined pan; dot with butter.

  4. Cover with top crust; cut slits in crust. Sprinkle with sugar.

  5. Seal and flute edges; cover edge with 1-1/2 inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.

  6. Bake in 425 degree F oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and juice begins to bubble through slits. Serve slightly warm.

Now, not everybody likes pie, but lots of people like cake. Looking for a good recipe for rhubarb coffee cake? Try this apple rhubarb cake - it's one of a kind. Plus, everyone has tried chocolate cake, but how about rhubarb? Be unique and make this delicious apple rhubarb cake recipe. The marshmallows and strawberry gelatin put a different twist on this cake!

Apple Rhubarb Cake

Cooking Time: 50 min

Ingredients


  • 2 cups rhubarb (diced)

  • 3 cups apple pie filling

  • 1 package strawberry gelatin mix

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 pkg white cake mix

  • 3 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions


  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. Mix the fruit together and put in the bottom of 9 x 11 inch glass cake/baking pan.

  3. Mix the gelatin, sugar, and cinnamon.

  4. Pour over the fruit, cover with the marshmallows, then pour the cake mix on top of everything.

  5. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

  6. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

  7. Garnish as desired.

In your quest to find out how to prepare rhubarb, did you ever consider a more savory preparation? If so, you'll want to try this Persian rhubarb stew. Ethnic foods can be so exciting to eat, especially Persian. If you love different spices then you'll love this recipe for stew. This stew recipe allows you to add any meat of your choice.

Cooking Time: 2 hr

Ingredients


  • 1 1/2 pounds stew meat

  • 1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces

  • 1 cup chopped parsley

  • 2 tablespoons dried mint

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 chopped onion

  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • pinch saffron dissolved in hot water

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions


  1. Brown meat and onions.

  2. Add 2-3 cups water and tomato paste, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook one hour.

  3. Sauté parsley and mint. Add to stew with saffron. Cook another hour.

  4. Add lemon juice and rhubarb. Cook until rhubarb is tender but not falling apart.

8/21/2010

Chicken Recipes in Indian Cuisine

Chicken forms a vital part of the Indian non vegetarian cuisine. Chicken has proteins, carbohydrates and calcium, making it great nourishment for your body. Right from the north of India to the south, there are various ways of cooking chicken. You can try delicious chicken kebabs, curries, biryanis, even cutlets and other chicken recipes.

In north India, especially in Punjab and the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, chicken is a chief component. The Murg Tandoori (Indian Barbequed Chicken) is a mouth watering preparation made in just about 15 minutes of time. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with Tandoori Masala.

Another famous chicken recipe is the chicken Makhani or the butter chicken. This recipe is famous all over the world. The recipe has a thick flavor of spices, butter and chicken making it extremely sumptuous.

The Chicken Biryani Awadhi is a delicacy from Luck now. This recipe dates back to the Mogul era. Rice and meat are cooked separately and then layered, earning it the name "pakka" Biryani.

Down south also, there are some famous chicken recipes that one cannot afford to ignore. The Hyderabadi Biryani is savored in all parts of India and forms an integral part of the Indian cuisine. It is colorful and made of rich spices. The Telengana cuisine and the Mughlai cuisine blended in the Nizam's kitchens to form the Hyderabadi Biryani.

Other chicken recipe from the south includes the Chicken Chettinad which is a popular delicacy in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. And since the south is known for its spicy flavor, Chicken Chettinad is considered as a fiery recipe best served with Paratha.

Besides the curries and the biryanis, you can also try chicken kebabs. It serves as an appetizer. You can make it with vegetables.They're colorful and vibrant, and can be a great way to get kids and fussy eaters eating vegetables and chicken.

From a pool of amazing and exotic Indian chicken recipes, you can choose your pick. To cook any of these recipes, all you need to do is go on the net and get their recipe. There is enough to try for every week!

8/20/2010

Artichokes with Lemon Butter - Low-Carb Recipe

Artichokes with Lemon Butter

The elegant artichoke stands on its own as a self-contained snack or appetizer. Each part has its own character, from the earthy bits of meat on the outer leaves to the dense heart at the bottom. Enjoy this recipe that takes advantage of the hidden versatility of the artichoke.

4 whole artichokes (preferably pointed-leaf, not globe artichokes)

4 lemons, divided

2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

2 tablespoons salt

1 stick salted butter, cut in 8 pieces

Instructions:

Trim the stems of the artichokes to about 2 inches. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepot. Halve 3 lemons and squeeze juice into water. Add lemon halves, coriander seeds, and salt; cook 5 minutes.

Place artichokes in the cooking liquid, and cover with a heavy plate to keep them from floating. Boil 15 minutes, until a paring knife, inserted where the stem meets the bottom, comes out easily.

In a small bowl, melt butter in a microwave. Mix in juice of remaining lemon.

Serve each person one whole artichoke, accompanied by a ramekin of butter sauce and a large bowl for discarded leaves. (See Tip)

Tip: To eat an artichoke, start by pulling off the leaves one by one. Dip the bottoms of the outer leaves in butter and eat the tender parts only.

The tender inner leaves are fully edible. In the center is a hair-like choke: scoop it out with a spoon and discard. At the bottom is the meaty heart which should be eaten with a knife and fork.

Servings: 4

Carbohydrates: 13.5 grams

Net carbs: 6.5 grams

Fiber: 7 grams

Protein: 4 grams

Fat: 28.5 grams

Calories: 315

8/19/2010

Great Sources of Appetizer Recipes

Appetizers are the most delicious food item in our parties or ceremonies. All participants like to get the taste of appetizer food first. Those who want to make their parties gorgeously must prepare appetizers and represent them wonderfully on their tables.

We also like it in our daily food menu. Our family members of all ages like it's taste, flavour and also enjoy the color and representation of appetizer dishes. There are different types of appetizer recipes such as cheese appetizer, appetizer dip, appetizer chocolate, cake appetizer, appetizer salad, appetizer pudding and so on.

We all know the common appetizer recipes. But we like to prepare rare ones. To do that we generally collect appetizer recipe books from book stores or watch recipe programs in TV. The other way to collect appetizer recipes is recipe websites or blogs which I like so much. There are many websites and blogs available in the internet. Maximum websites are known to us. We have to check the latest updates for new recipes there. Also RSS feed subscribing to RSS reader may help you to find latest appetizer recipes such as Google, Yahoo RSS reader and more. You may bookmark the page where you find your favourite recipe, then you may read whenever you want.

Other ways to find recipes is video sites. Now there are a lot of video sharing sites such as YouYube, Metacafe and more.

At last we may show the sources below -

1. Websites
2. Blogs
3. TV
4. Video Sharing Sites
5. RSS feed directory

8/18/2010

Peach Cobbler Recipe With Fresh Peaches

It's not too early to start thinking about fresh peaches. Actually, some of the California peaches are in the supermarkets already; however, their quality is somewhat uneven, what with being picked early and shipped for hundreds or thousands of miles. Still, even now it is possible to find ripe peaches with good flavor. In a manner of weeks, however, local peaches all over the country will begin ripening and crowding the shelves of departments and farmers markets everywhere.

Haven't we all been experimenting with Peach Cobbler for some time? Well, this recipe is the final result. It is loved by all and it is extremely delicious. We owe it to ourselves, then, to experience peaches during their summer prime in as many ways as possible. And one of the best, most time-honored ways to enjoy peaches is in a peach cobbler.

Ingredients for Peach Cobbler include 8 peaches cut into thin wedges after being peeled and pitted. 1/4 cup each white sugar, brown sugar and boiling water; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1 of baking powder; 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1 cup flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter that have been chilled and cut into small pieces. Mix 3 tablespoons of white sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

For fresh peach cobbler, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Then, in a big bowl, combine the peaches, 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, lemon juice, cornstarch, and lemon juice.

Take a large bowl of combine flour, add quarter cup while sugar and another quarter cup of brown sugar, baking power and salt and blend the mixture by a pastry blender, toss to coat evenly. Then pour into a 2 quart baking dish and bake in preheated over for 10 minutes until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Mix in the water until they are slightly combined. Take the peaches out of the oven and cover them with topping by the spoonful. The sugar and cinnamon mix should spread evenly over the whole cobbler. Bake for half an hour, or until the topping turns a delectable golden color.

8/17/2010

Cooking Eggs For Healthy Breakfasts

Breakfast is a very important meal in a day. You need healthy breakfasts to give you energy and vitamins for your daily activities. It is more important to children and teenagers because they still need nutrition for growth. Many people do not have time to prepare healthy breakfast for themselves because of they are in hurry. Preparing healthy breakfast actually takes very little time, as little as ten minutes a day.

Eggs are one of the most popular breakfast ingredients. Eggs contain high calories and protein that are essential to boost your energy for the day. Eggs are also very quick to cook and very easy to prepare. There are so many healthy recipes for eggs that you can find, or you can create your own.

When you buy eggs, you need to select the best eggs you can find. The shell should be clean and the eggs should not smell at all. After you get home, store your eggs in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. Do not keep your eggs too long in the refrigerator. Eat your eggs within a few days of purchase.

There are many ways to prepare eggs, sunny, scrambled, boiled, omelet, and more. Variations of the basic menu will make your breakfast healthier and more delicious. It is very easy to create your own eggs recipes based on basic easy recipes. You just need to add some ingredients to make your breakfast tastes more special.

The heat for cooking eggs should be medium. High heat will burn your eggs before it is thoroughly cooked and low heat will make your eggs cook longer. Eggs need to be cooked thoroughly to avoid contamination. If you like your egg yolks runny, you need to be sure you use the highest quality eggs as possible to avoid health issues.

If you are in a hurry, you can prepare scrambled eggs or sunny eggs. If you use non stick pan, you need very little oil or you do not need any oil at all. This will make your breakfast healthier. You can season the eggs with salt and pepper. You can eat your eggs with toast.

Omelet can be very simple or elaborate, depending on the recipe. Almost every country has their own variations of omelet. The best thing of cooking omelet is you can add your favorite ingredients such as mushrooms, cheese, meat, or even pasta. There are so many easy recipes for omelet that you can try. You can easily improvise on those recipes.

If you have health problems such as high cholesterol, you can still eat eggs for breakfast. However, you need to reduce or omit the egg yolks. Eat your breakfast with non fat milk, fruit juice, soy milk, or smoothie made with soy milk or non fat milk. Healthy breakfasts will make your more energized throughout the day. If you spare only a few minutes of your morning routine to make a healthy breakfast every day, you will feel your mood improved and your can work better.

8/16/2010

Fish Chowder Recipe - An Easy French Soup

This is a great fish chowder recipe with a definite French influence. The broth is rich with cream, white wine, and just the right blend of herbs and spices. As for the fish, you can make it with cod or another fish, and the scallops are entirely optional.

Recipe Notes

One of the great things about fish chowder is that it makes wonderful use of frozen seafood. The soggy fish issue just does not come up if you are cooking it in a liquid. That means that this soup can be put together on the spur of the moment, making it a great quick dinner solution, even for weeknights.

If you are using frozen fish, you will need to defrost it slightly to be able to slice it. But do not worry about fully defrosting it before adding it to the chowder. It can defrost and cook in one easy step.

For quick cooking be sure to cut the vegetables in small pieces and do not be afraid to boil this fish chowder recipe before you add the fish. Once you have added the fish, it will cook quickly. You should remove the chowder from the heat as soon as the fish is done.

Fish Chowder Recipe - Soupe de poisson


  • 1 onion

  • 1 red pepper

  • 2 carrots

  • 3 potatoes

  • 4 tomatoes

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • pinch of cayenne pepper powder

  • 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs (such as thyme, basil, or oregano)

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 pound whitefish filets (cod works well)

  • 1/2 pound scallops (optional)

  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

  • 1/4 cup parsley

Begin by preparing all the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, dry and chop the red pepper. Peel and dice the carrots in 1/4 inch cubes. Scrub and dice the potatoes in 1/2 inch cubes. Wash and chop the tomatoes.

Place a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat for one minute. Stir in the chopped onion, chopped red pepper, and diced carrots. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

Stir in the cayenne pepper, herbs, salt and pepper. Pour in the wine and add the tomatoes. Bring the chowder to a boil and add the potatoes. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the potatoes at a low boil for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and add 1 cup water (a little more if you wish). Boil uncovered just until the potatoes are tender, about five minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the fish into bite sized pieces. Once the potatoes are cooked through, add the fish (and scallops if you are using them) to the pot. Cook for five minutes or just until the fish is cooked through.

Stir in the heavy cream and parsley and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Serving Suggestion

Try serving this hearty fish chowder recipe with garlic bread and you will not need to fix anything else. You can gently rewarm leftovers the next day and the chowder will be just as tasty.

8/15/2010

Cooking Recipe - How to Bake Turkey Pies

Turkey Pies Ingredients:

Eight pound turkey meat, cut up
Water
Two large carrots, cut coarsely
Two large stalks celery (with leaves), cut coarsely
One small onion
Six clovers
Six large sprigs parsley
Twelve peppercorns
One bay leaf
Three table spoon salt
One fourth cup turkey fat, butter or vegetable oil
One pound mushrooms, sliced
Two cups turkey stock
Twelve medium carrots, sliced thin
One medium bunch celery, sliced
Thin on diagonal
Three table spoon salt
One half table spoon pepper
Two table spoon dried leaf thyme
One table spoon dried leaf marjoram
One table spoon dried leaf chervil
One cup chopped parsley
One lb cooked ham, cut in strips
(Canned ham is fine)
One cup butter or margarine
One cup chopped onion
One cup flour
Six cups liquid (vegetable cooking liquid plus turkey stock)
Two tablespoon salt
One fourth table spoon pepper
One fourth table spoon nutmeg
One table spoon lemon juice
Two cups light cream
Sage Pastry (recipe follows)
One egg yolk
One table spoon cold water

Procedure:

At the outset, you have to put the turkey in a large kettle and have it covered with cold water. Second, you need to add the coarsely cut carrots, the celery, the onion stuck with the cloves, the parsley, the peppercorns, the bay leaf and the salt. After that, you have to bring it to a boil, and then you turn down the heat. Next, you need to cover and simmer this until the turkey becomes just tender. Cook this for about two to three hours. Afterward, you need to lift out the pieces of the turkey and then cool it. Next, strain, cool and chill the turkey stock. After that, you lift the fat off the top of stock and set it aside for later usage. Next to that, you have to take the turkey meat off the bones and cut them into bite-size pieces. Following that, you refrigerate the stock, the fat and the meat until you are ready to make the pie (all of this step can be done the day ahead). You should have about ten cups (2.5 L) turkey meat and fourteen cups(3.5L) stock.

Furthermore, you need to have ready a two 3-qt (4-L) casseroles when you start making the pies. Then, you need to heat the one fourth cup (60 ml) turkey fat, the butter or the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet. Following that you add up the mushrooms, and then cook this gently for about five minutes. Stir this constantly. After that, you have to remove this from heat. Next to that, you heat the two cups (500 ml) turkey stock to boiling point in a large saucepan. Next to that, you must add the sliced carrots and the celery. Later, you have to bring this back to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and cook this until the vegetables becomes tender-crisp. Do this for about ten minutes. Later, you need to drain this, saving the cooking liquid.

Moreover, you have to combine the three tablespoons (15 ml) salt, the pepper, the thyme, the marjoram, the chervil and the parsley in a small dish. And then, you put the layers of turkey, the mushrooms, the vegetables and the ham strips in each of the casseroles, sprinkling each vegetable layer with a little of the salt-herb mixture and then continuing to sprinkle the layers until all ingredients are used.

And finally, you must heat the one cup (250ml) butter (or margarine) in a large saucepan. And then you add up the chopped onion. And then cook and stir this for about three minutes or even until the onion becomes limp. After that, you need to sprinkle in the flour. Let this bubble. Next to that, you remove this from the heat. And then, you add up the six cups (1.5 L) liquid. (Save any left-over stock for the soup for another day). Stir this to blend. Finally, you add the two tablespoons (10 ml) salt, the pepper and the nutmeg. Return it to heat and cook this until it is boiling, and thickened. Serve immediately.

8/14/2010

Stay Healthy With My Tips on How to Prepare Easy Healthy Family Recipes

Preparing healthy recipes seems too tough and time consuming to most people. But with some advance planning and gathering most basic knowledge of nutrition, it is easy to create a week's valued of healthy meals. The important key to make quick and healthy meals for the family is planning.

Planning ahead of time a whole week of healthy recipe meals is the best way to produce dishes that you and your family loved, while saving cost and time commitment to a minimum. Below are some great tips you can utilize to prepare healthy delicious meals right away.

Healthy Cooking Recipe Tip #1:

Cooking large quantities of healthy food recipes and freezing the leftovers is a great way to save time. Making double and even triple batches of stews, casseroles, soups, and pasta, and freezing the leftovers for later use, can save up both your time and money.

When freezing leftovers, however, it is essential to mark the containers carefully, utilizing freezer tape and a permanent marker. Try to arrange the oldest foods near the top to avoid having to throw away expired items.

Healthy Cooking Recipe Tip #2:

Maintaining a well stocked pantry is as important as keeping a well stocked freezer. Stocking the pantry with a good supply of staple items like canned vegetables, canned fruits, soup stocks and the like will produce healthy cooking recipe planning much faster and smoother.

Stocking the pantry can save up your money as well as time. Grocery stores are always running sales, and these sales are a great time to stock up. Buying various cases of canned vegetables during sale offer, for instance can save lots of money and provide the basic ingredients for many nutritious, easy to set up meals.

Healthy Cooking Recipe Tip #3:

Make use of convenient electrical appliances such as microwaves and slow cookers will save you huge mount of time when preparing meals. There are a lot of easy and healthy food recipes that can be started in the morning and left to cook all day in a crock pot or slow cooker.

There are many microwavable healthy family meals you can prepare at home. Use single serving microwave safe containers so that each member of the family can eat on their own schedule.

Healthy Cooking Recipe Tip #4:

Encourage family member to get involved when making your weekly meal plan by compiling their comment and taking down everyone's favorite foods. It is still very important to eat healthy meals, by avoiding taking heavy meals during dinner. By getting your family members involved in the healthy family recipe preparation, you can help to increase their interest in healthy eating right away.

8/13/2010

The Adventure of Cooking Food

Think about what life would be like if it were not for the ability to cook food. Cooking food is something some of us take for granted.

There are some individuals, rare as they may be, that could burn water. But thankfully, for the most part, anyone can cook a meal. All you need is a recipe, some cooking utensils, a means of making the food and you are ready to begin.

If you find yourself at a loss as to what to cook then consider first what type of cuisine you are in the mood for. There are free recipes for cooking food anywhere you look. Soup cans, magazines and the internet boast a virtual smorgasbord of dining delights by offering up recipes.

Take a moment, think about what you are craving and then find a recipe. Make sure the ingredients can be purchased locally.

The second step in cooking food is reading through the recipe and making sure you have the correct cooking utensils. Yes, it is possible to improvise on some utensils but a fork does not take the place of a knife.

By reading through the recipe, you can see exactly what tools you will need for the job at hand. This is also the step where ingredients are checked off.

There is nothing worse than being in the middle of it and realize you have forgotten a key ingredient. As with utensils, some ingredients can be substituted but there are some that are fundamentally important and cannot be switched out.

Thanks to such handy equipment as the microwave or pressure cooker, the time to cook can be cut down considerably. Our society has not reached the point technologically where with a push of a button the food magically appears.

Yes, there are packaged foods such as the types soldiers use in the field, but the average citizen does not want to drink powdered milk or re-hydrated beef paste.

For now we have to use the means we have on hand so if a recipe says that it takes twenty minutes to cook, you cannot speed it along by doubling the heat.

The lesson here about cooking food is pretty simple. Know your recipe, make sure your ingredients are on hand and check to ensure that you have the proper cooking utensils. It is important to take your time and enjoy what you are making.

Cooking should be a chance to experience new foods and bring people closer together. There is an art to making food and a sense of accomplishment to be had from creating something yourself.

If you take the time to try it, you might find yourself trying new things in all aspects of your life. Making food is an adventure and one that brings its own sweet rewards.

8/12/2010

BBQ Recipe

We all love BBQs, except when the person that is doing the cooking does not have a clue. Apologies to anyone reading this that is about to make a fool of themselves on their first BBQ for friends and family. With a bit of luck, if that person could be you, it can be prevented from happening just by reading this.

Let me start this by saying that when I first started, I was that Numpty. All fired up, me I mean, and let's get going! Lit the fire, meat on, disaster. OMG! Just what did go wrong? I know now, I didn't even think of it then.

To avoid the embarrassment of blackened meat, as opposed to overcooked meat, you need first to know the basic principles of cooking on a BBQ. Bear in mind, your guests are just that, your guests. They don't want to embarrass you so will tend to grin and think of better times. Be prepared for lots of waste. It would be a very good friend indeed that decided to 'Beard the Lion', and put you right, particularly after a few glasses of wine or beer. You need to know two things particularly. You need to know how to do the cooking and you need a basic BBQ recipe.

First things first. If you are using an open BBQ please make sure that the cooking rack has adjustable height when cooking, otherwise you risk the kiss of death and worse. Salmonella is available on your BBQ recipe free of charge if you serve blackened chicken that is raw inside.

Okay, first things first as we said earlier. Get yourself a barbecue, the BBQ recipe can wait. It can be solid fuel or gas, your choice. Bear in mind that the cooking rack MUST be adjustable.

Light the barbeque, and wait! In the case of a gas BBQ wait until it is completely smoke free. If the BBQ is new put it on max for at least 15 minutes before turning it down and starting to cook, then follow the instructions as if it were a solid fuel cooker. Instructions for solid fuel follow.

Whatever you are using to light the BBQ, be it liquid or solid, it MUST be totally burned off. Many lighting media are paraffin based, and unless it is completely burned off everyone will taste it in their food. Do yourself a favour. Do not overload the fuel tray and wait until it has stopped smoking and the coals have gone grey. This is vital. It is also why the adjustable cooking surface is so important. Remember that the coals are extremely hot, and this is good. You can use the heat to sear the meat or vegetables, and then lift the food on the adjustable cooking surface so that it can cook internally to an acceptable temperature.

I must admit that I don't use one but an internal temperature prod is the safest way to serve BBQ'd food. 70 degrees centigrade (internal) is generally considered safe for Chicken, Pork and processed foods. Many people would prefer Beef and Lamb pink in the middle. Cook these meats slowly, after searing, higher on the BBQ, to raise the temperature internally. Health and safety is an issue in the West, so do be careful.

I want to put an absolute exception into the 'pink meat' argument, and watch this. Please be very careful with fish. My broad point is this. Do make sure that ANY fish that you BBQ falls off the bone when cooked. It does NOT need to be cremated, just make sure that the meat drops off the bone with a fork, so again, cook it slowly, but make sure that it does fall off the bone with a fork. It has become accepted by many that Salmon and Tuna can be served pink. Don't be fooled by other peoples ignorance. To safely serve Salmon and Tuna pink it MUST have been frozen previously. The idea is to give your guests what they want and enjoy, not a nasty little surprise!

8/11/2010

Quick Cooking Sesame Tuna Steaks With Nori Rice, No Fuss

Tuna is a popular fish served as sashimi or as a sushi, it is also very delicious when lightly cooked. In this recipe, the tuna steaks are coated with crunchy sesame seeds and are sautéed until the crust is golden, bringing out the nutty aroma of the sesame while leaving the tuna rare in the center. This is a great way to enjoy a cooked Tuna yet rare inside with its original taste.

Preparation of Ingredients

-4x 200g tuna steaks
-115g sesame seeds
-200g medium-grain rice
-60ml peanut oil

Rice Mix Sauce

-2.1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon mirin
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1/4 teaspoon salt

1 nori sheet, finely shredded

Wasabi Mayonnaise Paste

-125g Japanese Mayonnaise
-2 teaspoons Wasabi paste
-Combine the Japanese Mayonnaise and Wasabi in a small bowl

Pickeled ginger, to serve

Serves 4

Cooking Direction

Cover the individual tuna steaks in sesame seeds, pressing down to coat well. Leave in refrigerate until needed to keep the freshness.

Wash the rice until the water runs transparent, then put in a pot with 500ml water. Boil, then simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave, covered, for 5 minutes. You can also cook with a rice cooker, which will automatically control the heating sequence. While rice is hot, pour on the combined rice wine vinegar, mirin, sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir with a fork to detach the grains, then add in the shredded nori. Keep Warm.

Heat the oil in a big Saucepan, add the tuna steaks and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until the sesame seeds are crisp and golden. The tuna should still be a little pink in the core. Drain on paper towels.

Scoop the rice into four lightly greased 125 ml bowl or cups, pressing down lightly, then invert onto each plate and remove the bowl.

Serve the tuna with the nori rice and with some wasabi mayonnaise paste on the side. Garnish with pickled ginger.

8/10/2010

Recipe Nutrition Calculators For Healthy Cooking

There are advantages when it comes to cooking you own food. Not only do you save money but you also have a greater degree of control over what you put into your body. When you go out to the restaurant of your choice and you are given a choice between rare, medium or well-done for the beef steak you have hypothetically ordered, you're exposing yourself to a lot of delicacies. Anyone on a diet would realize eating packaged foods is not the easiest path to shedding off those extra pounds. However, cooking your own meals adds a huge number of variables into the nutritional content of the food. A recipe nutrition calculator can help you cook healthy and balanced meals without worrying about all of the different ingredients.

Intuitive and Comprehensive

Recipe and nutrition calculators have helped out cooks ever since its introduction on the Internet by offering one of the most comprehensive health intuitive programs. Regular updates are made to ensure that nutritional information is kept up to date on all of the ingredients. It is certainly a lot easier doing the math in your head, but a nutrition calculator is far more accurate.

To use a recipe nutrition calculator, simply select the ingredient that you want to use and the amount. Repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients and the total nutritional content of the meal will be displayed in seconds. It will cover a wide variety of nutritional properties such as vitamins, minerals, salt, sugar, fat, calories and so forth. Whilst many people are overly worried about the number of calories in a meal, most forget to take into account the rest of the nutritional properties. In this way, many low calories foods still are not as healthy if they contain high levels of certain ingredients which can raise cholesterol, blood pressure, and other health risks. A food nutrition counter can help you balance your meals without you having to be careful about the number of calories you eat.

For those who enjoy cooking, a recipe nutrition calculator is an absolute must. When over half of all American adults are overweight, vigilance is needed now more than ever about their weight and keeping healthy. By eating smart and combining a healthy diet with exercise, you can stay fit and feel great about yourself. You can, from time to time, be a little gluttonous with food, as long as you are smart with your food intake most of the time. Recipe nutrition calculators are vital to keeping healthy, and they are important to being responsible about your body.

8/09/2010

The Chili Beef With Chinese Spinach Recipe

Preparation rime: 30 minutes + 20 minutes marinating
Total cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients for the chili beef with Chinese spinach recipe:

500 g (I lb) rump or fillet steak
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon cornflour
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons peanut oil
250g (8 oz.) baby Chinese spinach with pink roots (see Note)
2 tablespoons salted black beans (see Note)
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 long green chili, seeded and cut into fine strips
1 long red chili, seeded and cut into fine strips
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons peanut oil, extra
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

Directions for the chili beef with Chinese spinach recipe:

1. When you want to try the chili beef with Chinese spinach recipe, keep in mind this guidelines. First trim the meat of any excess fat and sinew and slice across the grain into thin strips (see Hint). Combine the rice wine, cornflour and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce in a bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Add the beef and mix well to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

2. Wash and dry the spinach leave the pink roots on, but trim away the straggle ends. Cut the leaves from the stems, as these will need less cooking. Rinse the black beans under cold running water, then strain and mash with the back of the spoon.

3. Drain the meat and discard the marinade. Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a wok and cook the meat quickly over high heat, in two batches, until just browned. Do not overcook. Remove from the wok and set aside.

4. Heat the remaining peanut oil in the wok and stir-fry the ginger, garlic, chilli and black beans for 1-2 minutes. Return the beef to the wok with the sesame oil, sugar and remaining soy sauce. Stir-fry briefly until the beef is heated through. Remove from the wok, cover and set aside. Keep warm.

5. Working quickly, wipe out the wok with paper towels and heat the extra peanut oil. Add the sliced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until it is lightly golden.

6. Add the spinach stems and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, until the spinach is bright green. Add the spinach leaves and toss until just wilted. Serve immediately with the beef.

Nutritional Value for the chili beef with Chinese spinach recipe:

Protein 35 g;
Fat 25 g;
Carbohydrate 5 g;
Dietary Fibre 3 g;
Cholesterol 85mg:
Energy 1615kJ (385cal)

Note for the chili beef with Chinese spinach recipe:

If Chinese spinach is unavailable, use baby English spinach instead, Salted black beans are available from Asian specialty shops. They will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 12 months.

Hints for the chili beef with Chinese spinach recipe:

To make the beef easier to slice, freeze it until it is just firm and thinly slice while it is still frozen.

Variations for the chili beef with Chinese spinach recipe:

Pork fillet is a great substitute for the beef. Trim any excess fat and sinew and cut across the grain into thin round slices.

8/08/2010

Cooking Brochutto - A Great Italian Recipe

The most exciting thing about Italian cooking is that there are so many delicious dishes to choose from and are a lot of fun to create. Most people have at least one favourite dish. You may have one yourself. If you don't already know how to prepare it, or you would like to really perfect it, you may consider looking through cookery books or online for more information. If you are really enthusiastic you could look into cookery classes that specialize in this kind of cooking or even in this particular dish.

Or, perhaps you would like to know if it is available in any shops or restaurants locally.
Whatever you do be assured that Italian cooking brochutto is great to prepare and can be a rewarding pastime.

You may have tried this wonderful dish in a restaurant or it has been served to you by a friend or member of your family and now that you have tasted it the need to recreate the experience is great! Italian cooking brochutto is a memorable dish that once tried needs to be repeated. If this is the case for you there are many ways to get all the information you need for this type of cooking at your fingertips.

The best place to source information for Italian cooking brochutto is one the internet. There are countless recipes for you to try. To create your own unique recipe may take some experimentation on your part. You might like to add various ingredients here and there until you create your own individual recipe for Italian cooking brochutto.

The internet is not the only resource available to you. There are excellent bookshops that have a comprehensive supply of cookery books to suit every taste, ethnicity and culture. You may even try your local library which has a wealth of information for you to browse. All this information may inspire you to take your cooking to a new level and to try out many different styles of cooking. You may discover that you have a talent that has never been revealed before.

If your heart is set on replicating the perfect Italian cooking brochutto why not visit a favourite Italian restaurant and try their version of this great dish. You may love the way it tastes and be able to decipher what particular ingredients were used in its creation. It could be a challenge for you to prepare this dish at home later using your memory of the one you had ordered in the restaurant. It could be great fun to prepare and interesting to see how it actually turns out.

Perhaps you have all the information and the enthusiasm but lack that little bit of confidence to try Italian cooking brochutto without some guidance. In this instance it is worthwhile attending a cookery course that offer classes that are devoted to Italian cooking Brochutto. Your teacher will have perfected the dish many times over in her classes so will be the ideal person to instruct you exactly how to perfect it for yourself. There may be many different variations of the way this dish is prepared and possibly a few techniques that you haven't heard of before. Going to cookery classes is a great way to get you on the road to becoming an expert in Italian cooking brochutto.

8/07/2010

A Delicious BBQ Chicken Fajita Recipe to Enjoy This Summer

With the hot weather now creeping in, or for those of you lucky enough to see all year-round sun, it's a perfect time to get outside in the garden and fire up your barbeque!

For this fajita recipe, you will need:


  • 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce

  • 1/2 cup lime juice

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes

  • 3/4lb boneless skinless chicken breast

  • 4 flour tortillas

This fajita recipe will serve four people.

Directions to make BBQ Chicken Fajita Recipe:



  1. Finely chop and fry the garlic for 2 minutes before mixing in the lime juice and BBQ sauce




  2. Place the mixture in a bowl and add the chicken breasts, mixing around until covered. Allow to marinate overnight for best flavour.




  3. Pre-heat the BBQ making sure the coals are glowing red. Brush the BBQ grill with olive oil and place the chicken on the BBQ




  4. Cook the chicken for approximately 7-10 minutes, making sure the meat is completely white inside.




  5. Whilst the chicken is cooking, chop up the red pepper into rings and place on the BBQ for the last 4 minutes, flipping them halfway.




  6. Using sharp knife, cut the chicken diagonally into thin slices. Remove the peppers and cut all rings in half.




  7. Wrap in warm tortilla along with a sprinkle of pepper flakes. Add salad and garnish as desired and enjoy this BBQ chicken fajita recipe!

I recommend a  refreshing, crisp green salad to enjoy with this meal. A simple salad I tend to make really quickly is baby rocket, watercress, cucumber, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of crushed rock sea salt. The peppery taste of the rocket and watercress compliments the sweetness of the BBQ sauce marinade.

8/06/2010

Best Cooking Recipes - How to Make Cauliflower Soup and Lemon Consomme

Great tasting food is only created when you use Rachael Ray cookware products. Before you begin doing the recipes below, have your ingredients and Rachael Ray cookware sets prepared on your table. For sure, your love ones will go craving for these delectable recipes. Always put in mind that you should never lack the necessary ingredients or substitute an ingredient presented in the recipe below as it will definitely produce a different result.

Cauliflower Soup Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets 1 medium
2 carrots, sliced 2
one-fourth cup butter 80ml
5tbsp flour 75ml
10-oz can consomme 284ml-can
4cups liquid (vegetable cooking liquid plus water) 1l
1 medium green pepper, diced 1medium
1 and a half teaspoon salt 7ml
1 teaspoon sugar 5ml
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten 2

Procedure:

At the outset, you need to cook the cauliflower and the carrots separately in boiling salted water just until they become just tender and crispy. Next to that, you have to drain it and save the cooking water.

Afterward, you need to melt the butter in a Rachael Ray saucepan. Next, you need to evenly sprinkle in flour and stir it to blend it. Then, carefully, you remove it from heat. Next to that, you add up the consomme. You add enough boiling water to the vegetable cooking water in order to make the four cups (1l) liquid. And then add this liquid to the saucepan. Stir it to blend. Return the heat to high point and bring it to a boil. Stir it constantly. Following that, you add up the green pepper, the salt pepper and the sugar. Turn the heat low and boil it gently within three minutes.

Finally, you add up about 1 cup (250ml) of the boiling liquid to the egg yolks gradually. Then stir it constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan; and then stir it constantly. You add up the cooked cauliflower and the carrots, and then cook it gently for two minutes longer. Keep on stirring it. Serve it immediately.

Lemon Consomme Ingredients:

2 10-ounce cans beef consomme 2 284-ml cans
2 and a half cups water 625ml
1 tablespoon lemon juice 15ml
2 teaspoon grated lemon rind paper thin slices lemon 10ml

This is a very simple recipe to prepare. All you need to do is to mix and heat the consomme, the water, the lemon juice and the lemon rind. And then, simmer it for about five minutes. And finally, you ladle it into the soup cups and float a slice of lemon on each. Serve it right away!

8/05/2010

Be a Winner of a Cooking Contest

Joining a cooking contest must be fun. It would be very pleased to win this contest. You can do some tips to be a winner of the contest but make sure you have tried all the things well. Here some smart tips to make you achieve what you want. Get ready!

Never underestimate creativity. It is the most important thing that you should have if you want to be successful in the cooking contest. Just get something new and lately becomes new trend. You can take the latest recipe and modify it with your new style. But make sure you follow the guidelines of cooking contest.

When you write down your recipe, you may not use abbreviations on your writing. It is better for you to write down the product from sponsors of the contest on your recipe. You will have greater chance to be a winner. Make your recipe simpler and easier. Most people are more interested in simple recipe which is easy to cook but has delicious taste.

Just be careful with the rules of the contests. If you ignore the rules, you will have big chance to be disqualified in the contest. Always pay to remember if you want to have best recipe, you should always practice. The process will give you new experience of recipe. Nice-looking garnish is important to make people attracted to your food. So, try to make best garnish for it. The recipe is originally made by you. You may not imitate from others. Some great tips in this article are really beneficial to guide you to be a winner. Good Luck!

8/04/2010

Sweet Butter Chicken Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1kg (2lb) chicken fillets, cubed
- 60 g (2 oz.) butter
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cardamom pods, bruised
- 350 g (12 oz.) pureed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 g/2 oz.) yoghurt
- 1/2 cup (125ml/4 fl oz.) cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat a wok until it becomes very hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl it to coat. Stir-fry all the chicken in two small batches, for about 4 minutes for each batch, or until it they become brown. Remove them from the wok.

2. Reduce the heat and add all the butter to the wok. Add the spices and stir-fry them for about 1 minute or so, or until they become fragrant. Add all the chicken and coat in the spices.

3. Add the tomato and the sugar and the simmer, stirring, for about 15 minutes, or until all the chicken is just tender and all the sauce is thick. Add the yoghurt, the cream and the juice, and warm through for about 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and the cardamom pods just before serving.

Nutrition Value:

- Protein 32 g;
- Fat 27 g;
- Carbohydrate 7.5 g;
- Dietary Fibre 1 g;
- Cholesterol 122mg;
- Energy 1669kJ (397 cal)

8/03/2010

KFC Fried Chicken Recipe - Have You Found It?

Maybe the most famous secret recipe of all time? The KFC Fried Chicken Recipe is in a new super secret, high-tech vault to protect it. The recipe that was hand written in pencil by Harland Sanders is now guarded around the clock. The recipe was kept in an undisclosed location while the new security system was installed.

Only a few super select people know the exact recipe. To ensure the secrecy, no company is allowed to mix all of the 11 herbs and spices. Two companies mix part of the ingredients and a third company mixes the ingredients from the other two companies together. This way no one but the select few at KFC can know the recipe. Other companies like Coke and McDonald's go to these extensive lengths to protect their products.

If the recipe is so secret and the recipe so well protected, how can people say they have the "secret" recipe. Well, they don't actually have the secret recipe, but they have figured out how to get it to taste as close a possible. Chefs are well trained and can figure out most ingredients in food. And after they have guessed the ingredients and how to make the item, they can experiment with their new secret recipe and get it right.

On a recent episode of Hell's Kitchen, chef Ramsey had the contestants try to figure out the ingredients in a dish he prepared. Only one person was able to figure out all of the ingredients. While it's difficult it is possible to figure out someone else's recipe.

8/02/2010

Thai Red Curry Noodles and Chicken Recipe

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Total cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

- 200g (6 1/2 oz.) thick rice stick noodles
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste, ready-made paste
- 3 chicken thigh fillets, cut into thin strips
- 1-2 teaspoons chopped red chillies
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 100g (3 1/2 oz.) bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup (90g/3 oz.) roasted chopped peanuts
- 3 tablespoons crisp-fried onion
- 3 tablespoons crisp-fried garlic
- 1 cup (30g/1 oz.) coriander leaves

Directions:

1. Cook the noodles in some boiling water for about 2 minutes or so. Drain it and then toss with 2 teaspoons of oil to prevent them sticking together.

2. Heat all the remaining oil in a wok, add the curry paste and stir for about 1 minute or so, or until it becomes fragrant. Add all the chicken in small batches and stir-fry it for about 2 minutes or so, or until it becomes golden brown and return the chicken to the wok.

3. Add the chilli, the fish sauce and the lime juice and bring it to the boil and simmer for about 1 minute or so. Then add the bean sprouts and the noodles and toss them well. Arrange the noodles on a medium serving plate and sprinkle with the peanuts, the crisp-fried onion, the garlic and the coriander leaves. Then serve immediately.

Nutrition Value:

- Protein 15 g;
- Fat 11 g;
- Carbohydrate 9 g;
- Dietary Fibre 2 g;
- Cholesterol 25mg;
- Energy 812kJ (194cal)

8/01/2010

Simple Omelet Recipes

Here are simple, nutritious, and yummy omelet recipes for everyday cooking:

1. Cheese Omelet

Scramble 4 eggs. Set aside.
Grate or slice cheese strips ( around ¼ of regular size cheddar cheese) You can add more cheese if you like.
Put cheese into the scrambled eggs. Mix.
In a pan, heat quickly 4 tablespoon of butter in low fire.
Pour in the mixture of eggs and cheese in the pan (with butter).
Mix quickly. You can have the omelet in circles or just the mix it with fork. Don't over cook. Serve and eat while hot. Kids love this recipe.
Serving: Good for 4 people.

2. Fish or Tuna Omelet

Scramble 6 eggs. Set aside.
Slice in small cubes 4 tomatoes and 4 onions.
Saute fish meat or tuna in oil, tomatoes and onions. Cook vegetables till oil is reddish.
Put sautéed fish meat or tuna (remove excess oil) in the beaten eggs.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste.
In a small cup, put ¼ water and dissolve 4 teaspoon flour. Pour this into the mixture. You can add flour if needed.
You are ready to fry in a wok/pan. Heat oil.
Pour in 1 scoop of the mixture in the oil (using a serving spoon/medium size). You will make omelet circles and it will look like small pancakes. Flip when omelet is reddish orange. Make it to be a bit crispy. You can add flour if you need to make omelet more solid.
Serving: 10-12 small circles of omelet. Kids love this.
You can use ground beef or ground pork if you like, in place of tuna or fish meat.

3. Vegetable Omelet

You can use eggplant/ aubergine. Boil eggplant, then peel. Set aside.
Dice carrots and bell peppers in bits. Slice small cubes of tomatoes and onions.
Scramble eggs and put a dash or salt and/or pepper according to taste.
Pour in diced carrots, bell peepers, and sliced onions and tomatoes in the beaten eggs.
You are ready to fry.
In a heated frying pan, put an eggplant (aubergine), 1 whole eggplant with stem or half of it. The scoop mixture of the eggs and vegetables. Wait and cook (low fire) until brown, you can flip if you like. The eggs here will cook quickly.
You can eat this omelet with catsup, or soysauce with lemon. This recipe comes good with rice and/ or fish or meat.
From surveys, eggs are good eaten twice in a week.

Happy eating!