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Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts

2/01/2011

Gourmet Cooking Recipe - 3 Tips To Ensure You Never Go Wrong Picking Recipes

Getting Gourmet Cooking Recipes from the Web

Going on the internet to search for gourmet recipes, will give you a large variety of irresistible and mouth-watering recipes that you can print out and try them at home for your family and friends. Many recipes on the web are protected by professionals, but there are innumerable recipes that you can print out which you will find suited to you and your family's taste. These recipes are provided by people who realize the need for outstanding and unique recipes. You can search for any particular type of food on the internet, and print it out in no time.

Making the Right Choices

Anytime you feel like cooking gourmet food at home, you would do well to follow these tips, so that your family gets the best food which tastes equally good.

1) Always get the best quality foods. Any recipe that requires a particular cut of meat, see that you get just that, even if it is more costly. Although there may be other less expensive cuts of meat, by using the one that the recipe recommends, will ensure that your efforts in cooking will be rewarded, as it will be authentic.

2) While cooking, professionals usually use convection ovens, and this is probably not what is used in homes. Therefore, if a temperature converter is used (this can be found on the web) then you can make the necessary adjustments with regard to the cooking temperature and the time taken for cooking, so that your dish can turn out perfect. When you search for a gourmet recipe, make sure that you find out the type of oven that is used, so that you can make the necessary adjustments.

3) Sometimes, many ingredients are difficult to find, and these are a must in gourmet cooking. In that case, you would do well to consult with your fishmonger or butcher, so that they can help you with useful tips. The supermarket is usually stocked with most of the ingredients that you will need while preparing a gourmet dish, but a better idea is the specialty location which will have all the ingredients required in gourmet cooking.

There are so many gourmet choices and that is what makes the dishes so popular and the taste so great. But it requires time to see that you get the right quality of meat, the ingredients, whether they are fancy vegetables, cheeses or exotic spices to make the dish tasty and outstanding. You will find that preparing a gourmet dish will be expensive, as the ingredients will have to be top notch. It will also take longer to prepare but that is what gourmet food is all about - perfection and taste. So be patient and enjoy the final result.

1/29/2011

Crock Pot Recipe For Spicy Shrimp Chowder

Cooking is truly an experiment; what foods work with what spices, how much, the variables go on and on. For many, cooking without a recipe or even altering a recipe is a scary thing. They follow recipes exactly, worried that the cooking police might come find them if they don't.

And so, I offer you my Spicy Shrimp Chowder recipe. You will notice the ingredients are in two categories - what you can alter and what you can't. (Please notice which list is longer and that even the necessary ingredients have options.) What I have offered you is a choice, a sort of "experiment with a guide". I have it listed the way I make it (although I often think my husband sneaks in more red pepper when I'm not looking) but please feel free to add or subtract, increase or decrease amounts, or whatever else you want to please your palate. For some altering hints, I've added a list below the recipe instructions. Enjoy!

Necessary ingredients

2- 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups eight vegetable or tomato juice

1 cup white wine or water

½ cup rice

Other ingredients

2 cups celery, chopped

1 green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp ground red pepper

1 pound pre-cooked, tail off shrimp

Spray 5-6 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except shrimp and rice in slow cooker, cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Stir in fish and rice. Cover and cook on high an additional 45 minutes.

Hints for alteration

- For soupier chowder, add an additional 1 cup juice and/or ½ cup wine.

- Make with any firm fish such as tuna steak, halibut, or haddock cut into 1 inch cubes.

- Increase or decrease celery, bell peppers, and onion according to your tastes.

- For a spicier chowder, increase garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and/or ground red pepper. You could also add some hot sauce if desired.

The point is to get confident and creative. Create recipes for you - ones that you will enjoy. Find this and other recipes at http://www.natalies-recipes.com.

1/25/2011

Benefits of Convection Oven Chicken Recipe

Why should you change over to convection cooking for oven chicken recipe?

Baking chicken in a gas oven or traditional radiant oven is passe. Nowadays, using convection oven for the purpose of baking is the best method for cooking oven chicken recipes. There are many different reasons for this but the most important reason is that the time it takes to make the dish reduces by around 30% as compared to a traditional oven.

The idea behind this is the use of fans in a turbo oven to regulate hot air. Ovens work by heating the air present within it and in turn heating the item placed within them. Turbo ovens by using moving air to cook chicken, do not require you to regularly open the oven and flip the chicken over. Not only that there will be, no cool and hot spots on the baked chicken thus, giving a completely cooked meal. This is advantageous when cooking for vegans because vegetables when partly cooked can taste awful. With fan ovens, you can even make great stews daily.

When preparing light meals, using a fan oven is great as it makes them quick and preserves the nutritional value as well. Any oven chicken recipe that requires a long time to cook will also require a high temperature setting. With fan ovens, you can do the same dish at low temperatures and in a shorter duration because of which the nutritional values of the dish remain intact. You also save electricity because of the above said reasons as well.

When you are cooking for a party, it is often a pain baking chicken items. Switching over to fan ovens will save you the pain in making great tasting oven chicken dishes. Try making baked chicken legs with paprika powder in a turbo oven. You will only have to bake for a meager 20 minutes at a low temperature of 120° and your dish is ready. Even if you run out of chicken legs during the party, you can stack up on marinated chicken and just put them in the oven and have it ready in 20 minutes. Thanks to turbo ovens you will not miss any part of your party and never run out of finger food as well.

Other than these advantages, in a convection oven it does not matter where you place the items to be baked, they bake uniformly well irrespective. So, you can simultaneously make two to three items in a fan oven. In every party, you will have to cook for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. This is often quite a hassle with traditional ovens. You will have to make each item one after the other. But, with a large fan oven all you have to do is put all the dishes together and set the temperature and timer. Voila! You got yourself multiple party dishes hassle free.

Making oven chicken recipe has never been this easy and quick. If you have not yet changed over to a convection oven system, then do so before your next party and call your friends and family and treat them to a memorable soul experience.

1/20/2011

Caja China Cooking History and Delicious Recipe Ideas

Seemingly, there is as much mystery surrounding the origins of the "caja china" as there is about how to use one for those not familiar with the roaster. Stories have been told about the roughly 150,000 Chinese laborers who came to Cuba in the 1850's, and that they brought the cooking style to the island, hence the term "caja china." Research, however, indicates no known record of the roasting box dating this far back. In fact, there appears to have been relatively little co-mingling between the Chinese and Cuban cuisines. So where then did the box originate, and where did the name "la caja china" (the Chinese box) come from?

According to food anthropologist Sidney Mintz, a more likely scenario is that the term "china" or "chino" does not represent the country in this case, but is actually a common Hispanic term that describes something as exotic, mysterious, or clever. Using this interpretation, "la caja china" would translate as "the clever box" rather than "the Chinese box." This hypothesis is strengthened by renowned Cuban chef Maricel Presilla of the restaurant Zafra in New Jersey when she states, "Cubans like to call anything that is unusual or clever Chinese. And this is true all over the Caribbean. Pretty much any culture there, whether Cuban or Puerto Rican or Dominican, they have somewhere some kind of thing like this-a Caja China." (Sifton) Variations on the box can be found in various countries, and go by a variety of names. In Peru there is the "caja china criollo," in the Cuban community the "caja asadora" (roasting box) and "asador cubana" (Cuban roaster).

In Louisiana's Cajun community it is referred to as a "Cajun microwave." The reality is that all these roaster boxes are very similar in their style of cooking, using heat from charcoal and the pressure of an enclosed roasting box to cook large amounts of food in an incredibly short amount of time. Not only is the cooking time shortened from eight or more hours for a large pig to just four, but the meat comes out incredibly tender. It is, in my opinion, the best kept secret in the American barbecue community today. You can purchase one, along with its accessories, at http://www.shoplatintouch.com. Once you own one, you'll wonder what took so long.

1/17/2011

Venison Recipe Using Fresh Herbs - Rosemary, Bay Leaves, Oregano, Thyme

Some cooking tips and recipes on cooking venison, deer meat, using fresh herbs.

Most venison is overcooked which is a shame. If the venison was not "aged" upon harvest a good remedy to remove any "gamey" flavor is to marinate the meat for 24 - 48 hours to remove that flavor in a red wine. If you've had carpaccio with the seared outside, red inside, it is very similar to the below venison recipe which is exceptionally tasty.

• Garlic salt and ground pepper on outside, after marinating in a cheap crappy red wine for 24 hours (can't use my good drinking stuff!)

• Sear venison in very hot skillet for approximately 2 minutes per side,

• Put in baking pan, ran a rosemary stem lengthwise through meat and put rosemary leaves around it in baking pan,

• Also knowing how rare the meat was with no sign of any visible fat, all lean, so smear couple pats of butter along top edge so when goes in over will keep moist and meld flavors,

• Boil some potatoes and small carrots in bay infused water for about 10 minutes to precook them,

• Mixed the veggies in pan with venison and tossed veggies lightly with rosemary, sprinkle with dried oregano,

• Oven had been preheated to 500 so put pan with meat in oven and immediately turned temperature down to 350 and baked for 10 minutes,

• Out of oven, sit for 5-6 minutes for juices to stabilize, and slice into medallions for a perfect meal.

The venison medallions can be served on rice, alone, or on top of bulgur wheat simmered in beef stock. Serve with fresh cabbage that has been simmered in chicken stock and a good rye bread and bottle of nice Cabernet, or Pinot blend. The dried oregano is a healthy herb additive to increase the antioxidant properties of the meal. Other options for less lean venison cuts is venison burgers or ground venison and make chili, lasagna, etc. or do some roasts. Slow cooking in crock pot heals all cooking faults!

Also can do above recipe using these additions:

Take thyme, sage, add a little splash of Worcestershire Sauce and also a splash of a good balsamic vinegar to the tenderloin and place into a 500 degree oven for about 5-7 min.

Deer Tenderloin should be warm only on the inside and is best served rare with any sauce left to pour over and serve it on rice or potatoes with green beans.

Also, no need to marinate, if it is aged first, if you are the hunter and harvest the deer yourself. When possible age at least a week and can age up to 3 weeks, especially an older buck or doe. Minimum aging is one week, even young deer, and may be why venison turns out to be so good without the above marination. However that is only possible if you are the hunter and can age immediately. Deer venison can not be left unbutchered for any significant time period after felling.

1/10/2011

Deciding Upon The Appropriate Gourmet Cooking Recipe

Before you may make the meal of your dreams, you have to have to have a connoisseur cooking recipe that you simply know will work out. Even if you've not been to a gourmet cooking school, you'll be able to still use a quality connoisseur cooking recipe to produce a extremely solid dish.

The first thing you desire to make certain of when you decide on your connoisseur cooking recipe is that you are acquainted with the substances. It would be best to uncover a connoisseur cooking recipe with ingredients you have cooked with earlier than, but additional than likely there will be some that you are unfamiliar with. In case you do come across a recipe that you are interested in making use of but it has unfamiliar components, try tasting the components earlier than you start cooking. Be sure to buy a little extra so you may have some sample and see what the flavor, texture and general feel of the substances is. This will support you to know how they will respond to your cooking techniques. By being familiar together with your elements you will likely be in a position to far better predict how they respond with the other components and your method.

The next factor you wish to make certain of when deciding on a connoisseur cooking recipe is that it does not use any methods that you're unfamiliar with or do not have the proper tools to execute. Some connoisseur tactics is often incredibly exacting in what they require from a skill and tool perspective. If a dish requires a convection oven and also you don't have one you may most definitely run into difficulties.

Some methods and tools is often replaced and faked, but you should be absolutely sure that you're comfortable with doing this ahead of attempting the recipe. For several gourmet dishes it is these tactics that separate the dish from the mundane.

Hopefully you've got an idea of what lays in front of you when preparing a gourmand meal. There are numerous options that you have, so decide on wisely to ensure that you can complete the dish. Once you may have selected a dish to prepare you then require to do as much research on the approaches and components employed. Only then will you be able to really master and prepare the dish as a skilled chef would. Take time when thinking about which gourmet cooking recipe to use, and also you will probably be able to prepare a wonderful dish for your self and your family.

1/06/2011

Delicious Venison Stew Recipe For Healthy and Economical Wild Game Cooking

Health considerations are one reason why there is a growing popularity of wild game. Venison contains about half the calories of beef, and has just one-eighth of the fat. Also, because of the low fat content, venison freezes well.

This flavorful venison stew recipe makes an inexpensive meal out of what can be an expensive piece of meat. It works perfectly for tougher cuts of venison, as the slow cooking tenderizes the meat nicely. This venison recipe also turns out great in the crockpot.

Ingredients:

1 pound venison stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups unsalted beef stock

1/3 cup chili sauce

1/2 cup dried apricots, diced

1 14 1/2-ounce can white or yellow hominy

1 14 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit, unless using a crockpot.

Toss the venison cubes with a light coating the oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin. Warm the oil in a frying pan over medium heat on the stove top. Brown quickly, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a crockpot, dutch oven, or a large and heavy pot.

Saute the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in the remaining oil. When they have softened, spoon the vegetables from the pan and put in the larger pot with the venison. Add the beef stock, chili sauce, and apricots. Stir to combine, and cover the pot.

Cook the venison stew over in the pot over low heat (slow simmer) for at least 6 hours, stirring occasionally, and until the venison is tender.

During the last half hour of cooking, mix the hominy and black beans into the stew. Take the stew off the heat, stir in the lime juice, and add the tablespoon of cilantro.

Serve the venison stew hot, adding more cilantro, if desired. 

1/04/2011

Cooking Tips - The Best Marinade Recipe For Grilled Shrimps

In one of my articles, I have shared to you the recipes on how to make an exquisitely delicious marinated grilled shrimps. This article is a comprehensible cooking guide to preparing marinade for grilled shrimps. This is quite easy to do. But first, set your Rachael Ray cookware products on your table along with the necessary ingredients.

Below are the easy to follow steps on how to make the best and mouthwatering marinade for your grilled shrimps. See to it that all the ingredients mentioned in this recipe must not be substituted by any other ingredients; otherwise, the taste will be totally different.

Procedure for Making Grilled Shrimp Marinade:
Ingredients: (You can buy these ingredients at your favorite super market or any other stores)
One-fourth teaspoon pepper
One-fourth cup olive oil
One-half teaspoon dried basil (1 teaspoon if fresh)
One-half teaspoon dried rosemary
One-fourth cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced dry onion

First and foremost, you need to put the one pound raw shelled shrimp in a plastic bag or any container with firm cover, and then you add up marinade. After this you need to refrigerate it within two to four hours. After the period of marinating, you need to carefully drain the marinade. Afterward, you have to slowly thread the large or extra-large shrimps onto pre-soaked skewers or metal sticks. Then, you grill the skewers over hot coals for about six to ten minutes. Time and again, you need to brush the shrimps using the reserved marinade liquid.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
One-half teaspoon Cajun spice (optional)
1 pound large fresh shrimps, peeled, deveined (leave on tails)
Thin lemon slices
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup olive oil
One-half teaspoon chopped basil

At the outset, you have to completely mix marinade in a large bowl, then add up the large or extra-large shrimps, cover the bowl tightly, and refrigerate it for at about 3 hours. Occasionally turn it. Next to that you need to put the grill on a high heat using coals. Put the large shrimps and the lemon slices on bamboo or wooden skewers. Also you need to alternate the shrimps and the lemon slices when you skew them. Continue grilling until the shrimps become opaque. Occasionally baste the shrimps using the extra marinade. Grill each side of the shrimp approximately within three minutes.

However, if you really want a quick and easy-to-use shrimp marinade, you can buy a bottle of seafood marinade. There are pre-made seafood marinade such as the Lawry's Tequila Lime and the Caribbean Jerk. You can purchase them at your favorite local grocery store. Always remember to marinade the fresh shrimps for approximately an hour before grilling.

1/03/2011

Louisiana's Praline Cooking Recipe

In the state of Southern Region of the United States of America called Louisiana there is a famous dessert where pecan is the main ingredient. This is called Praline. It is a candy made from pecan nuts and sugar syrup. Even before, a lot of people tasted this very delicious nut and the foods cooked with it. It includes burritos, pies and cereal.

We can really say that pecans are very useful in many ways. The most obvious delicious dessert created with pecans is praline candy. In fact, this is a good gift for your loved ones. Though, people get conscious when talking about desserts there is nothing wrong with taking some of it occasionally. Just like eating some praline during weekends, birthdays or holidays is not really bad. That is why it is good to get the ingredients of Louisiana Praline recipe and try it out right away.

However, there are things that you should bear in mind before making this delicious sweet candy. Follow these and you will surely get the perfect praline candy flavor.

• To taste it creamier, better and cook faster, you can cook butter with sugar and milk.

• For recipe without butter just cook it for approximately 210 degrees. It is important to make sure that you are cooking it on the right temperature.

• Don't let it go beyond the soft ball stage. If you do let it reach the hard ball or "thread" stage, it won't crystallize and be soft.

• Prepare all ingredients ahead. Get pecans and vanilla ready.

• Make sure to have plenty of waxed paper laid out. The spoon should be ready too.

• Spoon the pralines out on the waxed paper that has been put on a cookie sheet or large cutting board because the heat from the candy melts the waxed paper and you then have to clean wax off the kitchen counter.

• Lastly, make sure to protect your table or counter for it might ruin it.

Ingredients
1- 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup + 2 T. Half and Half cream
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients except the pecans and vanilla in a heavy saucepan. Make sure mixture becomes thick.

2) Stir until it comes to a boil, and then turn heat down to a low boil. Stir occasionally; spoon mixture up on sides of pan to melt any sugar that hasn't melted.

3) Cook until the mixture reaches 239 degrees with a candy thermometer. If you don't have a candy thermometer, bring it to the soft ball stage.

4) Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and the pecans. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken and becomes creamy and cloudy. Place a spoonful of pralines onto waxed paper to harden.

5) Usually, by the time the mixture turns cloudy, signaling that it is time to drop onto the waxed paper, it starts hardening too fast to drop correctly. You should then stir in about 1 - 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin the mixture. Do not add too much - just enough to make the spoonfuls drop and settle in a "puddle". You don't want them to look like chunks of rocks.

6) If cooked to the correct temperature, it won't take a minute to harden by stirring. If you don't cook them long enough, they remain "sticky" and never become firm. They should be firm, yet creamy. If you don't eat them all the first day then wrap them individually and store them in an airtight container.

This is one and only Praline's recipe from Louisiana that would make kids and adults love you once you shared these with them. It has been started since 17th century and passed down from generations to generations but still remain tasty and in demand. This is such an all time favorite dessert.

1/01/2011

Roast Turkey Cooking: A Caja China Holiday Recipe

Thinking about trying something different this Thanksgiving? Perhaps for Christmas or New Year's Eve? Well you've come to the right place. We're going to go step-by-step, and teach you how to roast the most delicious turkey you have ever had using a Caja China Roasting Box. Having prepared this turkey in our household, I can tell you it is a huge hit every time! Most everyone in our family call the box "La Caja Asadora" which translates from Spanish as "The Roasting Box." Another popular term for similar boxes, "la caja china" translates as "the Chinese box." While these pig roasters have many names, the rules for cooking tend to be the same whether you're in California, South Florida, or Louisiana (where they call it a Cajun Microwave.) Now, on to the reason you clicked on this article in the first place. I present to you, Caja China Style Roast Turkey!

Recipe:

1. Place the turkey on top of the rack, breast down if cooking whole, or skin down if cooking split. Attach top rack using the 4 S-Hooks.

2. Place turkey inside the Caja China roaster, skin or breast down, (attach probe from wired thermometer or insert meat thermometer here should you have one).

3. Cover your La Caja China style Roasting Box with the ash pan and charcoal grid.

4. Add 15 lbs. of charcoal and light up.

5. Once lit (20-25 minutes) spread the charcoal evenly over the charcoal grid of your Caja China box.

6. Cooking time starts now.

7. After one hour, open the box by removing the complete set of ash pan and grid together and place it on top of the long handles.

8. Now flip the turkey(s) over, skin or breast side up.

9. After one hour (2nd hour) add 10 lbs. of charcoal.

10. After one hour (3rd hour) add 10 lbs. of charcoal.

11. Do not add any more charcoal; continue cooking the turkey until you reach the desired temperature reading on the thermometer of 175 f. Should you not have a thermometer, check the turkey after approximately 30 minutes. Cook until desired tenderness.

12. Carve and enjoy with those you love most!

(Added that last one myself.)

For information and pricing on Caja China roasters and accessories visit http://www.shoplatintouch.com.

Have a wonderful holiday season, and happy roasting!

12/31/2010

Best Cooking Recipe - Rice and Chicken Livers

Some reputed chefs believe that the type of cookware used in food preparation greatly affects the taste of the food. That is why, when it comes to cooking exquisitely delicious dishes, both moms and chefs alike have given two thumbs up for Rachael Ray cookware. Now, before you begin doing yourself the following recipes, have your Rachael Ray cookware products prepared on your table.

Rice and Chicken Livers Ingredients:

One fourth cup butter or margarine
One medium onion, chopped
One lb chicken livers, cut in halves
One half cup chopped fresh mushrooms
One half cup chopped sweet red pepper
One and one half table spoon salt
One fourth table spoon pepper
One cup long-grain regular rice
One fourth table spoon dried leaf basil
Four medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Two cups hot chicken stock
One third cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

At the outset, you have to heat the oven to three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit (or 175 degrees Celsius). Next to that, you add up the butter in a two and a half (3-L) casserole. Following that, you have to heat the butter in a heavy skillet. Next to that, you need to add up the onion and cook this gently for about three minutes. Afterward, you have to add the chicken livers and cook this gently for about one minute. Remember to keep on stirring it. Following that, you have to add the mushrooms and the red pepper; and then you need to cook this for another one minute. You need to stir this continually. Afterward, you have to stir in the salt, and then peeper the rice. Next, you cook it gently until the rice begins to turn into a golden color. Stir it constantly. This will take for about three minutes.

Furthermore, you have to remove it from the heat. Next to that, you must add the basil and the tomatoes. Subsequently, you need to spoon this into the prepared casserole. And then you pour the chicken stock over it. Then you cover and bake it for another forty five minutes or even until the rice becomes very tender and most of its liquid is completely absorbed. (Keep in mind: If you are still able to find that there is still quite a lot of liquid on the rice, you need to continue baking this, and then uncover this, until most of its liquid disappears.) And finally, you have to remove this from the oven and turn this on the broiler. And then you sprinkle the rice mixture with the cheese and then slip it low under the broiler to make it lightly brown. Serve this immediately.

12/28/2010

An Easy Meatloaf Recipe For A Busy Cook

There are as many meatloaf recipes are there are cooks. This one is my favorite, an easy meatloaf recipe that can be varied to suit your tastes. Start with the basic recipe and add seasonings from the list below to suit your family. You can vary the meats used and the seasonings.

To keep my meatloaf recipe easy, I use ground beef. Many cooks use a combination of ground beef, ground pork or ground veal. Some use sausage in their mixture. If you desire a mixture of meats, use 1/2 to 3/4 pound of pork, veal or sausage to 1 pound of beef. Using the seasoned Italian style bread crumbs seasons the meatloaf, making this recipe easy and quick to prepare. I don't actually even measure anything. I just dump the ingredients together using a reasonable amount of each. If the mixture is too moist, add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add more ketchup. It really is an easy meatloaf recipe that is foolproof.

Basic Easy Meat Loaf Recipe

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck

3/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder, optional

1/4 cup catsup + more for top if desired

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, optional but good

1. Preheat oven to to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large loaf pan or ovenproof baking dish, mix all ingredients.

3. Shape into loaf shape.

4. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until done.

5. I like to cover the top with more catsup during the last 20 minutes of baking.

You can try additional seasonings such as diced bell pepper, chopped celery leaves, minced parsley and thyme. If using sausage, try adding finely diced apple, and eliminate the garlic, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce. Small diced vegetables such as potato, carrots, or peas can be added if you like. Some cooks add chopped olives or chopped pickles or hard boiled eggs. You can substitute canned soup for the catsup, pouring more over the top as it bakes. The variations are endless.

If you are blessed with leftovers of this easy meatloaf recipe, this makes a delicious sandwich filling the next day, but don't count on it. My family eats this up.

12/27/2010

Savory Oven Baked Triangle Tip - A Family Tri-Tip Recipe

Oh boy, we're going to have Tri-Tip for dinner tonight. Most of you know that a triangle tip comes from the sirloin section of very delicious beef cattle. We're going to use a way of cooking called the "Dry Heat" method. All beef loin and sirloin should be cooked using this method of cooking, or it won't come out right at all. It goes just like this.

* 3 1/2 to 4 lb. Tri-Tip Roast
* 1 Tsp. Black Pepper (Any grind you please)
* 2 Tsp. Salt (2 1/2 of Sea Salt if you like)
* 2 Tbs. Bacon Fat (Good Stuff)

Unwrap the Tri-Tip and rinse off the blood with cool fresh water. Pat it dry and liberally rub the roast down with a little bacon fat. Then, wash your greasy hands please. Now, put the salt and pepper into a small bowl and mix it together with your clean dry finger. Place the roast in an appropriate sized roasting pan. An oblong pan that is not oversized will work just fine for this recipe. We ain't gonna add no veggies. We then sprinkle the salt and pepper mixture onto both sides of our roast, the edges included. Place the roast fat side up in the pan.

Pre-heat your oven to 325º F and place the roast in the oven. Do not cover the pan, this is an open heat cooking process. Place it in the oven after it reaches 325º F, not before please. Now place a basting bulb on the stovetop for easy access.

Notice we ain't put no water or booze in this pan. Keep it that way cause we do want dry heat and no cover. In about half an hour, check the roast to see just how much juice has flowed free so we can baste it. If it's enough, use the basting bulb to suck it up and liberally baste it. This should be done every 15-20 minutes, for a total of 1 1/2 hours (Medium) to 2 hours (Well). That would be from the point we placed this beauty in the oven.

Now, don't that smell real good? Looks good to me too. (Ha Ha Ha) Wish I was there to help ya'll eat it. Serious now, lets pour the juice from the pan into a small measuring cup. Cover the roast lightly and put it in the warm turned off oven. Let some heat out before you do it so it don't cook no more. We just wanna keep it warm.

In short time the oil and juice will separate, leaving the oil on top in the measuring cup. Decision, decision, what comes next? Well, are we gonna make a nice brown gravy, or go with a beef au ju approach? Being as I called this a "Savory Tri-Tip", we'll go with the au ju. Boy, that sure does sound good now don't it?

What we'll do now is take the roast out the oven. Place that on your cutting board. Get a nice platter with a raised juice retaining edge, and a real sharp carving knife. Slice the roast about 1/4" thick and arrange each slice on our platter, slightly overlapping. Remember to slice against the grain so we got nice slices

If your done slicing, we can suck up the fat from the top of our measuring cup using the basting bulb method. Having done this, pour the juices back over the slices on the platter, cover lightly and place it back in the warm oven. Keep it warm at 125º F until you've got the rest of your meal ready.

Now, ain't that good? Ole Emerile Legasse ain't got nothing on us now does he? Eat and enjoy your meal, now hear? Ooowee: Hope you emptied the baster properly!

Enjoy!

12/25/2010

Cooking Lentils - Top Tips and Recipe Ideas

Cooking lentils is really very straightforward. Lentils cook quickly and, in contrast to most dried beans, you don't need to soak them. There are so many benefits of lentils, it is definitely worth making them a more regular part of your diet. Lentils are a highly nutritious food; a great source of protein, fibre, iron and B vitamins. They are tasty and satisfying but low calorie and low fat, making them a great addition to your diet too if you are trying to lose weight.

Cooking Different Types Of Lentils

There are a huge number of varieties of lentil so when it comes to cooking lentils, there are a few variables too. For example, split varieties will cook much quicker than whole varieties. Batches that have been stored for a long time will be tougher and will take longer to cook. For this reason, it is best not to take any cooking times as 100% exact. When cooking lentils, it is essential to taste and check as you go.

Red Lentils

Split red lentils are one of the most popular varieties and they are the quickest to cook. They should be covered with about twice their volume of cold water. Bring them to the boil and simmer very gently for 10 to 20 minutes. They love to stick to the bottom of the pan, so keep an eye on them. They will absorb water and become a thick yellow puree when cooked. Because of their texture, these lentils are very popular in soups but they can also be turned into wonderful savoury dishes like burgers, savory loaf or pie. If you are planning on making a loaf or burgers, cut down on the water a little when cooking. Herbs, spices, or cheeses can be used to transform this simple lentil into to a tasty feast.

Green Or Brown Lentils

One of the other most popular types of lentils is the whole green or brown lentil. These take about 30 - 40 minutes to cook. These lentils will hold their shape when cooked so just cover them in plenty of water and boil them vigorously until they are tender. They are a great addition to a hearty stew or soup and make a fantastic ingredient in a vegetarian shepherds pie or moussaka. They also make an excellent salad.

Once you get the hang of it, try experimenting with other varieties. These tasty little legumes are very versatile and you will be amazed at the number of completely different and delicious dishes you can create with them.

12/24/2010

Pinoy Food Recipe to Prepare at Your Table

Contemplate Filipino recipes in your next cooking adventure. In most on-line Pinoy Sites features free Pinoy recipe that have grown to be an all time Philippine favorites cooking getaway. Traditional Pinoy meal recipes which are simple to prepare and to cook. Filipino food consist mostly of greens, seafood, dairy, meat and rice. In each Philippine fiestas, household gathering, or get together, Filipino recipes that are prepared within the eating table are wealthy in flavour and color.

Filipino cooking is significantly influenced by Chinese, European, American, Arab and Asian cuisines. A fusion of varied recipe adopted from previous merchants, Asian immigrants and former colonizers.

Before the Spaniards occupied the Philippines, the nation's delicacies consisted of root crops, sport, greens and seafood. Filipino food recipe then was virtually at all times both boiled, roasted or broiled. Foreign commerce brought in all types of spices and vegetation to the Philippines. And just like the Pinoy in the present day, its cuisine is a gastronomic feast from different international locations and cultures - from east to west.

Pinoys have embraced as their very own cuisines from other countries just like the noodles from the Chinese, rice and meat dishes from the Spaniards, fast-meals from the Americans and even spaghetti from the Italians. All these now become portion of the Philippine delicacies - with the Filipino touch.

There are nonetheless lots of Filipino recipe from each area of the Philippines with every area having its own unique area of expertise. The Ilocanos from the north are recognized for their Pinakbet - a simple however healthy vegetable dish. Whereas the Bicolanos are well-known for his or her Bicol Express a hot and peppery dish simmered in coconut milk. Overall, nothing beats the celebrity of the delicious pork and chicken adobo, a dish the Philippines is known for all through the world.

12/22/2010

An Easy Quick Dinner Recipe- Southern Style Ham Slice With Honey Mustard Glaze

This is an easy quick recipe for traditional southern style ham. The honey mustard glaze compliments the ham perfectly and the preparation couldn't be easier. Just mix up the glaze and pour over the ham, and bake at 325 degrees until tender. What could be easier?

These ham slices are available in your meat case pre-cooked and pre-sliced. Choose one that is the appropriate size for your family. You can cut them into serving size steaks and pan fry them on the stove top quickly or add a glaze and bake in the oven. You will find that they make a very easy dinner that will please everyone.

Quick and Easy Southern Style Ham Slice

1 fully cooked ham slice (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick)

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

Juice of one lemon (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

1/3 cup honey


  1. Score the ham slice around the edge to prevent curling by cutting through the fat just barely into the meat at several places around the slice. Place ham in a baking dish.


  2. Combine the mustard, lemon juice, and honey. Pour the honey mustard over the ham.


  3. Bake at 325 degrees until the ham is tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the thickness of your ham slice.

These ham slices are fully cooked, but must be heated through. A little additional cooking will help to tenderize the ham steak.

Serve with braised carrots and a green salad or green beans, and a dinner roll.

This honey mustard sauce is good on chicken also. Season chicken breasts with garlic salt and pepper. Glaze with the honey mustard sauce and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until done.

12/19/2010

My Best Ground Beef Recipe

One of the most popular and easy recipes for ground beef mince is one of my own creations which without doubt one of the simplest methods of cooking ground mince beef. Quick to make and extremely tasty with onions and seasoning it could be considered a large beefburger cooked in the oven. Served with home made chips and peas this is a recipe which all your family with love.

Towards the end of the cooking time you may notice that the top of your ground mince has blackened somewhat, do not worry this is an effect of the eggs and seasoning combined with the natural fats rising to the top of the mince. Better still, the top becomes crispy and makes the dish unique, so slightly crisp on the top is a good thing!

Ingredients

450g/1lb ground mince beef

2 x Oxo Cube/Knorrs seasoning cubes

2 x Fresh eggs

1 x Large Onion Sliced & Diced (small)

Tomatoes or mushrooms to Garnish

Method

1. Prepare a large onion - cut into small pieces by slicing the onion thinly and then dicing into as small chunks as possible (you do not want to have large thick chunks given they will have trouble binding with the ground mince beef.

2. Place the diced onions into a large bowl with 450g (1lb) of mince beef - this is sufficient to feed around 3-4 hungry people.

3. Break two fresh eggs into the bowl with the onion and beef mince.

4. Crumble 2 Oxo Cubes or Knorrs seasoning cubes into the bowl.

5. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.

6. Spoon out the mince beef mixture into an appropriately sized glass or ceramic dish - you are looking for the layer of mince to be around 2-3″ deep so place into a bowl which gives you this depth.

7. Finish the mince with either sliced tomatoes or mushrooms completely covering the top of the mince with either (or both if you prefer, although sliced tomatoes tend to caramelise which makes for a lovely topping!)

8. Place the dish into a preheated oven at 200 degrees or 180 degrees if using a fan assisted oven and cook for 45 minutes.

Whilst the mince is cooking why not part boil some potatoes sliced as chips for 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain, and leave to cool for 5 minutes then place on a baking tray with some frylite (oil spray) generously sprayed over the soon to be crispy chips and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn after 15 minutes and give another generous spray of frylite and cook for a further 15 minutes until golden.

This is a really simple yet easy recipe for ground mince which will quickly become a family favorite. The additional of homemade chips makes this a tasty meal which is free from any artificial ingredients and is made by you in it's entirety.

12/16/2010

Easy Lasagna Recipe For the Cooking Challenged

I'll be the first person to tell you that I can't cook worth anything. I was lucky enough to marry a man whose diet already consisted of frozen pizza and fast food ahead of time. My lack of abilities didn't disappoint him. In an attempt to get my food in the culinary door though, I discovered a recipe for lasagna that literally anyone could do. It isn't fancy by any means, but it is tasty and easy to do. If you're looking for a beginner recipe or lasagna, this is a basic as it gets.

What You Need:

-1 Box of lasagna noodles

-1 brick of mozzarella cheese

-1 jar of tomato pasta sauce

-1 pound of ground beef or turkey

-1 glass cake pan (size based on need)

-1 frying pan (size based on need)

-1 large sauce pan

-1 cheese grater

-1 colander

-Aluminum foil

-A few spoons

-A few plates/bowls

-A few spatulas

Step 1 - Boil the Noodles

The noodles take the longest time to cook, so get those going fist. To determine how many noodles you need to cook, see how many it will take to line the bottom of your cake pan. Then multiple that amount by the amount of layers you want to have. I usually cook between nine and twelve noodles.

Fill your large sauce pan a little over half way with water. Set your noodles in one at a time so they don't stick together. Set the burner on high and let them start to boil. Leave them there and move onto the next step.

*Make sure to continue stirring the noodles throughout these next steps, even if I don't mention it.

Step 2 - Defrost the Meat

If your meat isn't already defrosted, take this time to stick it in the microwave and start defrosting. Otherwise, move to step 3.

Step 3 - Grate the Cheese

It takes some time to grate an entire brick of mozzarella, so do that next. It's easiest if you break it in half and then grate the two halves separately. Once everything has been grated, put the cheese on a plate or in a bowl for easy access later on.

Step 4 - Brown the Meat

Your meat should be defrosted now, so take it out and put it in your frying pan. Heat the burner to medium. You might want to drain it before you do this if there is a lot of fat and water at the bottom of the plate. Begin chopping the meat into fine piece and continue flipping and chopping it until there is no pink visible. Once the meat is brown, turn the burner off and set the meat to the side.

Step 5 - Drain the Noodles

If your noodles are fully cooked, put your colander in the sink and drain your noodles. Either leave them there, or put them in a bowl so you can make your lasagna.

Step 6 - Assemble the Lasagna

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put a layer of tomato pasta sauce at the bottom of the pan. Then put a layer of pasta noodles down. Add another layer of pasta sauce and then cover that with the ground meat. Add a layer of cheese. Repeat this noodle, sauce, meat, and cheese layering until you have the desired height to your lasagna.

Step 7 - Bake the Lasagna

Put aluminum foil on top of the lasagna pan and put it in the oven. Bake it in there until the cheese is fully melted. This may take up to 30 minutes, depending o the oven and the size of the lasagna. If you want to brown the cheese on top, switch it to broil and cook it like that at the tail end of the time.

Step 8 - Serve

Take the lasagna out of the oven and let it cool for a bit. Then cut it up and serve it to your family. Pairs great with salad and bread if you're aiming to truly prepare a meal. Enjoy!

12/15/2010

Make Creamy Chicken Pot Pie - Recipe and Cooking Tips

Chicken Pies are feel-good food. This Chicken Pot Pie Recipe is just the thing for rich and flavourful dinner idea. the perfect home-cooked meal for your family. The wine adds an amazing flavor to the pie filling. Using ready-made puff pastry will help you save time.

You can make the whole thing ahead of time and bake it just before serving. A really great idea and time saver, is to make a double portion of the pie filling and then freeze it for when you need a meal in a hurry. You can try tasty variations once you've mastered the basics. Not exactly low-fat diet friendly but perfect served with buttery mash and baby peas.

Some Chicken Pie Baking Tips


  • You can make the chicken pie ahead of time and bake it just before serving.

  • Make a double portion of the pie filling and then freeze it for when you need a meal in a hurry.

  • Always have a ready-made roll of puff pastry in the freezer for when you feel like pie.

  • be sure to make a few small slits in the top of the pastry so that the steam can escape during the baking time.

  • Use left-over chicken or ready-cooked chicken if you want to save time.

  • Use vegetables in season as these will be cheaper and readily available.

  • Adjust the seasoning in the filling to suit your own taste.

  • Wine adds amazing depth to the flavor of the filling so if possible don't leave it out.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Ingredients


  • olive oil and butter, for frying

  • salt and milled pepper

  • 500g deboned chicken thighs, diced

  • 2 leeks, sliced

  • 2 celery sticks, sliced

  • 1 packet (250g) white or brown mushrooms, sliced

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 2 Tbsp (30ml) thyme leaves

  • 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine

  • 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

  • 1 tub (250ml) cream

  • 1 small packet (80g) baby spinach, blanched and chopped or frozen vegetable mix

  • 1 cup (250ml) fresh or frozen peas

  • 1 roll puff pastry, defrosted, divided into 4

  • 1 extra-large egg yolk, beaten

Cooking Instructions For Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pies


  1. Preheat oven to 220 C.


  2. Heat the oil and butter in pan and lightly saute the seasoned chicken until browned. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set aside.


  3. Fry the leeks, celery and mushrooms until soft but be careful not to brown too much. Add the chopped garlic and fry for another minute.


  4. Toss in the thyme leaves, wine, chicken stock, cream and browned chicken. Let this simmer for 25 minutes - the liquid should reduced by about half. Stir through wilted spinach and peas.


  5. Spoon filling into 4 ramekins /small pie dishes and cover each with pastry. Crimp edges with a fork and make a few slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape from the chicken pies while they are baking.


  6. Brush the tops of the pies with egg yolk and bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry has gone that delicious golden colour.

This Chicken Pot Pie serves 4 people.

12/14/2010

Can a Healthy Diet Recipe Actually Taste Good?

If your idea of "health food" is a simple green salad, then you haven't been eating the right kinds of foods. By using a healthy diet recipe book and trying out many recipes, you will find that you can eat healthy and tasty at the same time.

The benefits of any healthy meal plan are many, but for most people it is the weight loss that it promises that urges them to make the switch. It is certainly true that by removing processed foods from your diet, you will see immediate weight loss. It is actually hard to keep weight on when you are eating natural, healthy foods and cooking them the right way.

The truth is that if you go on a calorie-restricted diet, you will not have a fun time. You will constantly crave foods that you can't eat because your body won't be getting either the number of calories or the nutrition that it requires. However, when you switch to a healthy recipe plan, you will find that your cravings are gone and that you feel fuller than ever before. Losing weight on this kind of diet is easy.

That being said, the advantages of a healthy diet recipe plan go well beyond losing weight. In fact, the primary purpose of any healthy diet should be to put your entire body back into balance. With the amount of processed foods we eat these days, not to mention our stressful lifestyles, it is no wonder that so many of us are unhealthy. By eliminating toxins, chemicals, additives, colorings, and artificial flavorings from your foods, you will find that not only does food taste better, but that you lose weight, too. A healthy meal plan really does give you the best of both worlds and is something your family will appreciate.