Easy to Make Spinach Cheese Rolls with a Greek Flair

Whether you want them as part of a meal, as an appetizer, or for a potluck, this wonderful little spinach rolls are easy and delicious. They are made with frozen bread rolls which makes them easy enough for any cook.

GREEK SPINACH-CHEESE ROLLS

1 loaf (1 lb) frozen bread dough

1 pkg (10-oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 tsp dried dill weed

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

Thaw bread dough according to the package directions. Spray 15 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Roll out dough on a floured surface to a 15 x 9-inch rectangle. (If the dough is springy and hard to work with, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 5 minutes.) Have the long edge of the rectangle running parallel to the edge of the work surface so it will be easier to work with.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cheeses, green onions, dill weed, garlic powder, and pepper; mix well. Sprinkle the mixture over the dough to within 1-inch of the long edges. Starting with long edge, roll up snuggly. Pinch the seam closed. With the seam side down, roll into 1-inch slices using a serrated knife. Place slices, cut side up, into the muffin cups. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rolls stand for 30 minutes in a warm place. Rolls should become slightly puffy.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Maybe be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

NOTE: Theses rolls make good appetizers, snacks, or go great with soups and stews.
By Linda

Simple Recipes for Making Goat Cheese

The art of making goat cheese ranges from a quick and simple process, to a long and complicated procedure. The soft spreadable form of goat cheese known as chevre is probably the best known of the soft cheeses; however, many other forms of soft cheeses can also be easily made with goat milk.

The large quantities of three fatty acids, known as capric, caproic and caprylic acid, are responsible for the unique aroma and tangy taste of cheese made from goat milk. Cheeses made from the milk of other animals can not duplicate the taste of goat cheese, because the other milks do not have the abundance of these three medium-chain fatty acids.

Water comprises almost 90% of milk. The water portion of milk is known as whey. Cheese is made from the solid portion of milk, called the curd.

There are two methods for separating the whey from the curd for making cheese, but both methods work by acidifying the milk. In the first method, bacteria are introduced into the milk and allowed to multiply. The bacterial action converts the milk sugar, lactose, into lactic acid. The longer the bacteria are allowed to remain active, the more lactose is converted.

This process reduces the lactose content of ripened and aged cheeses to about 5% or less. Because most of the lactose has been removed from these products, they are often recommended as milk alternatives for lactose intolerant individuals.

The second method uses an acidifying agent, usually vinegar or lemon juice, to create the separation. As the acid is introduced into the milk, curds begin forming almost immediately. When drained, these curds make a soft, spreadable cheese.

Although some forms of goat cheese do require carefully controlled conditions and special ingredients, there are several soft cheeses that can be easily made with simple ingredients found at the grocery. Two recipes are given below.

Recipe 1. Ricotta Cheese from Goat Milk. Warm 2 quarts of goat milk to 185° F. When the temperature is reached, turn off the heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice. If the milk does not immediately form small, grain-like curds in the liquid, add a few more drops of the vinegar or lemon juice until it does.

Pour the curds and whey into a cheesecloth-lined colander placed over a bowl, or in the sink, to drain. Leave to drain at room temperature for several hours. A longer draining time will produce a drier curd. When the desired consistency is reached, remove the curds and place in a closed container in the refrigerator for storage. This cheese can be used for making lasagna, or in any recipe that calls for ricotta cheese.

Recipe 2. Quark Cheese from Goat Milk. Heat 2 quarts of goat milk to 88° F, and stir in 2 tablespoons buttermilk with active cultures. If your buttermilk is not very fresh, use up to 2 tablespoons more. Let set at room temperature, covered, for 24 hours. The mixture will thicken into a yogurt-like consistency.

Pour the mixture into a cheesecloth-lined colander placed over a bowl. Cover and let drain in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Store the cheese in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Quark cheese is similar to a thick sour cream, and, much like buttermilk or sour cream, is excellent in baked goods, including cheesecake. It can also be used for dips, or as a substitute for ricotta.

Non-iodized salt can also be added to the cheeses, if desired.

Enjoy! By Maria Garza

How to Make Quick Meals that are also Diabetic Friendly

When the occasion calls for something quick and easy, here are recipe ideas for you. These recipes are also perfect for diabetics. Creamy Linguini is very quick and easy. Serve it with a salad for a quick meal with minimum clean-up. The Butter Bean Soup is another quick and easy meal that's hearty. The Tortilla Chicken Pizza is a great way to use leftover chicken which makes the preparation even quicker. Another hint is to prepare a couple of extra chicken breast earlier in the week when making chicken and refrigerate to use later on these pizzas.


CREAMY LINGUINE

2 ounces uncooked thin egg noodles

2 ounces uncooked spinach linguine

3 tbsps skim milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp sliced pimento

Cook pastas according to the time on the packages. Drain well. Place pastas in a large bowl and keep warm. Combine the milk and egg in a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a wire whisk. Stir in the cheese and pimento. Pour the cheese mixture over the pastas and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately while hot.

Serves 6. Each 1/2 cup serving = 110 calories, 15 g carbs, 5 g protein


QUICK AND EASY BUTTER BEAN SOUP

1 can (15-oz) butter beans, undrained

1 can (14.5-oz) stewed tomatoes

1 tbsp dried minced onion

`1 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tsp Splenda granular

1/4 tsp seasoned salt, optional

dash of fresh ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Note: A half cup of diced or shredded left-over chicken is good in this soup.

TORTILLA CHICKEN PIZZA

4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

1 cup fresh salsa

1 cup thinly sliced green or yellow bell pepper

1 cup chopped red onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place tortillas on baking sheet and spread salsa evenly over the tortillas. Top salsa with the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms; set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the chicken and garlic to the oil and cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place on the tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and vegetables. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cut each tortilla into 4 pieces to serve.

Enjoy! By Linda Wilson

Top 5 Lamb Recipes

Lamb can be one of the most tender meats and is delicious when cooked and eaten off the bone. Here are some different lamb recipes which afford a great way to cook and enjoy lamb.

Lamb Curry
Almost everyone enjoys a good curry and lamb is a perfect meat for it. Lamb can be used to make a mild Rogan Josh or a much hotter Jalfrezi.

Chunky Lamb Stew
This is an ideal lamb recipe for colder nights, or just for when you’re particularly hungry. The advantage of a lamb stew is that once you have prepared the ingredients it can be left on its own to cook whilst you entertain your guests, or relax in front of the TV.

Aromatic Lamb
This is one of those lamb recipes that you have to be prepared to wait for, as for the best flavour you should leave the lamb to marinate for 24 hours with ingredients like pepper, honey and rosemary.

Braised Lamb Casserole
This is another one of those lamb recipes for a cold day. Lamb casserole needs to simmer for around 90 minutes with all of the ingredients in a large casserole pot, but it’s well worth the wait!

Grilled Lamb Chops
Lamb chops are one of the simplest lamb recipes, yet it is also one of the tastiest. Lamb chops should generally be served with mint sauce and new potatoes and make a perfect Sunday lunch.

Braised Lamb Casserole
This is another one of those lamb recipes for a cold day. Lamb casserole needs to simmer for around 90 minutes with all of the ingredients in a large casserole pot, but it’s well worth the wait!

Grilled Lamb Chops
Lamb chops are one of the simplest lamb recipes, yet it is also one of the tastiest. Lamb chops should generally be served with mint sauce and new potatoes and make a perfect Sunday lunch. By JackWalters

Cooking tips for preparing party recipes

Sometimes you are in a hurry and you dont have time to make party recipes. And maybe you anyways don't feel like eating something hot in the heart of summer. Some quick no-cooking food would be great then. But don't forget to make certain that your party recipe is still healthy!

Salads are a great option for party recipes, and many of them are also very quick to prepare. If many of your ingredients are ready for use - for example canned vegetables or leftover meat - it's easy to prepare a delicious and healthy salad within half an hour. If your salad doesn't include pasta, rice or potatoes, make sure to serve it with bread, preferably whole grain, to include all major food groups into your meal.

Here are three quick and easy salad recipes which all can be done in 30 minutes. All make four servings. Entree salads may have either fried or grilled chicken fingers as well as seafood like fried or grilled shrimp placed on top of it. Fish steak, commonly tuna, salmon or mahi-mahi, can also be placed on top of the salad. Steaks like Sirloin can be sliced, grilled and placed over the entrée salad.

Salad dressings differ across cultures. Traditional salad dressings in Southern Europe are vinaigrettes; while in Russia and Eastern Europe, it is mayonnaise. In Denmark, salad dressings are based on the traditional recipes. Most of the light edible oil is typically used as salad dressing. These dinner recipes would include lots of oil. By Madhavi Porori

How Does Crock Pot Cooking Really Help Beat the Heat?

When the weather outside warms up, the kitchen can be a terrible place to be. There are many things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that doesn't require traditional stove top or oven cooking. Learn to utilize some of the lesser heat producing equipment in your kitchen, such as the crock pot, in order to truly beat the summer heat and keep your cool while preparing a nice hot meal for friends and family.

So, Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking methods introduce.

This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, for more details visit to www.apples-recipes.com your stove and oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.

How Can Cooking to Red Meat dish?

In the culinary department, red meat refers to red-colored meat when raw. In nutritional terminology, red meat refers to any meat that comes from mammals, particularly beef, pork, and lamb. While lean red meat is not only a good source of protein and energy, it also has benefits in avoiding heart disease. However, consumption of animal fat should be reduced overall.

Most often, red meat has been the subject of negative studies such as the bacteria that usually cause people to get sick come from, well, red meat. Moreover, “Nature” published a new study suggesting that a regular diet of red meat can make people more susceptible to E.coli.

Certain types of E.coli may infect people when they get in contact with infected feces of humans or animals. Infection may occur in different ways, including eating infected meat which is a common way in the United States.

The study suggests that when people eat red meat and dairy, for more details visit to www.bread-machine-cookbook.com they absorb a sugar molecule called N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). The human body does not produce Neu5Gc.

E.coli produces a toxin that causes serious illness in the body. The study shows that a bacterial toxin called subtilase cytotoxin targets Neu5Gc. In lab tests, the potent bacterial toxin attached itself to cells that had been exposed to Neu5Gc, such as cells of the intestinal lining and in the kidneys. By manindersingh