Food Recipes

Fun Halloween Recipes for a Great Halloween Party

2009-10-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Are you planning to organize a Halloween costume party this year and you do not know what food to prepare? Why not make your party more fun by preparing fun Halloween recipes. Aside from the interesting costumes worn by your guests and the spooky Halloween decorations that you have prepared, your party will be doubly fun if you also prepared Halloween-themed foods. Here are some fun Halloween recipes that you should include in your party’s menu.

* You can prepare the very traditional spaghetti with meatballs for your Halloween party. You might wonder if it is appropriate for Halloween. Yes, of course, if you add a little twist to it. Why not make the spaghetti meatballs look like eyeballs? It is very easy. Cook the spaghetti and meatballs the way you always cook them. Once the meatballs have been cooked and moulded into balls, you can add a small portion of cheese at the center of the meatball to make it look like an eyeball. Simple yet very Halloween-ish.

* You can also bake a pumpkin pie that looks like a spider web. Get a recipe for making pumpkin pies. Bake the pumpkin crust. Once the crust is baked and cooled, spread cream over the surface of the pie. This will be the background of the web. To create the web, you can sue a mixture of chocolate and butter heated inside the microwave. Draw a spiral from the center of the crust to the edges. Using a toothpick, draw lines from the center to the edge of the crust for it to resemble a spider web.

Loretta Oliver

Are you ready to learn fun Halloween recipes that you and your family can enjoy? Visit http://halloween-recipes.justnotmartha.com/ today!

Creamy sauce that can be thickened

2009-10-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Sauce is the ultimate ambassador and has led to many fun things - friends we may not have met otherwise, getting to know some of our favorite bands and musicians, meeting a talented graphic designer (who found a bottle of. In danielle howle's fridge and soon became our label and website designer), and interesting strangers calling and e-mailing about our hot sauce. Palmetto pepper potions began in the south carolina kitchen of mark and julie riffle after a friend had gifted us with a surplus of chile pepper plants. The peppers were eagerly planted all over the yard, along the driveway and among the wildflowers. When the peppers ripened, we experimented with herbs, seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables to create a rainbow of vibrant, fresh-tasting sauces. Friends, family, favorite musicians and a surprising number of strangers clamored for more.

In just four years, palmetto pepper potions has earned 12 international awards in the world's top fiery foods competitions. Each flavor has been handcrafted to the music of a favorite band or musician from the southeast. Palmetto pepper potions hot sauces are inspired by the beauty, hospitality and heat of south carolina. Try daily red, larynx lava, molten golden and trenholm venom.
Sauce is a thick, creamy sauce that can be thickened more for use as a gravy or thinned as desired. At first it seems like a basic white sauce with pepper added, but the creaminess and zest sets it apart. The thicker version is used in homestyle cooking in the american south over classic southern dishes while the thinner version can be poured over steaks and pork.

Sauce is a heavy mixture of twangy flavors, " instead of makinga neat sauce using habañeros, they started with a base ofregular tabasco and added stuff. " for tacos, it narrowly beatsout original tabasco just by being hotter, but it's too salty to useall the time. Category:" cumin. Sauce is all natural and low fat. We use no artificial colors or flavors. All natural ingredients: water, tomato paste, soybean oil, wine vinegar, onion, chili pepper, dehydrated garlic, sugar, red pepper, spices, herbs, and dried parsley. "do yourself a favor -- pour on the flavor. Sauce is asian inspired with stuff like soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and a bit of paprika and cayenne. It can be used as a sauce or a marinade for chicken, meats and seafood. Really good. So good that it has won 7 national awards in the fiery foods industry -- including. Best wing sauce, best low carb flavorful wing sauce.
sheena

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How to Cook a simple Curry

2009-10-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

With recession still looming about, it is an excellent idea to cook something that is not too expensive but still is good to eat. What a better dish than a simple vegetable or lamb curry? All of the ingredients are available in any supermarket. The base for the curry is the paste. Once this paste is made, you can add any thing into it. Other ideas are Prawn for Prawn Curry, Potatoes for Potato Curry and so on.

Ingredients:

2 medium onions

5-6 garlic cloves

Small piece of ginger (crushed)

2-3 medium tomatoes

Few Coriander leaves

Sunflower oil

(Optional)

Mixed Frozen Vegetables or 1 lb boneless lamb cut into small pieces

Spices:

Salt

Chilli powder

Haldi Powder

Cumin powder

Garam Masala

1)Take two medium onions and slice them thinly.

2)Take a frying pan and add two table spoon of Sunflower Oil and heat it.

3)Add the onion to hot oil. Fry the onion until golden brown.

4)Add salt (to taste), red chilli powder (half a teaspoon), cumin powder (half a teaspoon), haldi powder (quarter teaspoon), garam masala (half a teaspoon).

5)Add 5-6 cloves of garlic. Let it simmer until garlic is tender.

6)Then add crushed ginger and tomatoes and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Keep stirring meanwhile.

7)Put everything in a blender and blend in into smooth paste.

8)Add frozen vegetable (or anything else you would like) to this paste and let it cook for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are cooked.

9)Add coriander leaves on top.

This vegetable curry can be eaten with either Nan bread, or with boiled rice.

Takeaway food contains far too much salt which is not good for your health. High salt contents cause hypertension (high blood pressure) which can lead to many heart diseases such as stroke, or heart attack.

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Cooking Pot Roast in Slow Cooker - Recipe and Instructions

2009-10-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most satisfying and delicious home cooked meals you will ever make is a pot roast cooked in a slow cooker, also known as a crock pot. It is especially wonderful during cold winter months. This easy to make, tender and savory pot roast recipe is sure to be a huge hit with your friends and family. There are many variations to this dish and if you ask 5 different people how they prepare a pot roast, you will more than likely receive 5 different answers. While the ingredients for making pot roast may vary from cook to cook, the method is generally the same: Season then brown a piece of meat on all sides and then slowly cook the meat along with a mix of vegetables in some type of broth mixture until the meat is fork tender.

CHOOSE YOUR CUT OF MEAT

The very first step to cooking a pot roast is to choose a cut of meat. There are several cuts of meat that will work for pot roast, but some are better than others. I recommend that you visit your local butcher and ask him or her to recommend a good piece of meat for your pot roast. If however, there is no butcher shop close by, visit your local supermarket. Most supermarkets will put helpful labels on the meat telling you what that cut of meat is generally used for. Common cuts of meat used for pot roast are Chuck, Brisket, Top Round and Bottom Round. Most people prefer chuck as the meat of choice, but I find it a bit too fatty and prefer to use Bottom Round. Experiment with different cuts to find the one you like best. For the purpose of this recipe, choose a cut of meat that is 3 - 5 Pounds.

THE VEGETABLES

I like to use a variety of different vegetables when I make this dish. It makes it more interesting than the usual carrots, celery and onions that many recipes call for. The best vegetables to accompany pot roast in my opinion are carrots, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, turnips and rutabaga. You are free to use all of these or just a few. The choice is yours and nothing is written in stone. I just love the different textures and flavors that these different vegetables provide. Here are the measurement estimates for the veggies I like to use. Use more or less depending on how big your crock pot or slow cooker is. You don't want to overcrowd the crock pot.

1/2 Cup of Chopped Turnip
1/2 Cup of Chopped Rutabaga
1/2 Cup of Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup of Chopped Carrot
1/2 Cup of Chopped Celery (Look for celery with celery leaves still attached. The leaves impart an excellent flavor to the broth)
3 Garlic Cloves Minced

THE COOKING LIQUID

People use a variety of liquids to braise a pot roast and add their own unique flavors to this dish. People use a combination of water, beef stock, red wine (choose a wine that you would drink, not a cooking wine) and even beer. I like to use simple water mixed with beef stock. I usually use one part water to one part beef stock and use enough to where the roast is only submerged half way.

LET'S GET COOKING

Ok, we are ready to start cooking this beautiful dish.
Step 1

Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat on all sides, in a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Step 2

Place your chopped vegetables in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables and then pour your liquid over the top.
Step 3

Cover the slow cooker and cook at the lowest setting possible for roughly 8-10 hours. Meat should easily fall apart when pierced with a fork and vegetables should be soft. Remove meat and vegetables and place on a serving platter.
Step 4

Now to make the gravy. Whisk together, in a sauce pan, 1/4 cup of cold water and 2 tablespoons of flour until smooth. Slowly incorporate 1 cup of the hot broth from the pot roast and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened.

Enjoy!

Ralph Serpe is a passionate home cook and founder of http://www.chefability.com. Visit us today for more free cooking recipes like this.

Easy Hamburger Recipe for a College Football Game Party

2009-10-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

During the fall, just about every sports fan in the United States anticipates the beginning of the new college football season. So, if you’re like me, you tend to spend your Saturday afternoons in front of a television somewhere watching your alma mater (or your other favorite universities) compete against their arch rival schools. And, of course, during this time, you may even be thinking of inviting some of your friends over to you house or apartment to witness these fiercely contested collegiate battles that takes place during each and every week of the season.

Usually, when you have a busy schedule like mine and you want your friends to come over to watch the game with you, you typically won’t have time to prepare all the food, let alone go shopping for the all ingredients you’d need. So what can you do to throw a great party yet make your workload much easier?

Well what you could do is just opt for the easy way out – buy ready-made food from a restaurant either by take out or delivery. But the problem with this is that you can never be sure if the food you ordered is fresh and filled with good ingredients. Also, the food you ordered could already be cold and soggy by the time you run to the restaurant and back for take out. You also could encounter a problem if you have your food delivered such as the driver not being able to locate your house or delivering a wrong order. And if this happens, your hungry friends wouldn’t be too happy with you to be sure.

So, to do away with all of the disadvantages of eating restaurant-bought food while at the same time, leaving time for you to have fun with your friends, you can simply have a build-a-burger barbeque party. All the ingredients that you would need for this party are easy to buy and you don’t have to spend too much time in preparing them. It’s also guaranteed that all the food you would serve in this party is made fresh and with good ingredients. On top of all that, you and your friends will have more time to drink and relax while you all keep an eye glued to the big screen.

For your build-a-burger barbeque party there are a ton of great hamburger recipes that you could try but if you and your friends to heat things up while you enjoy the game and each other's company, then a good choice for you is the Jalapenos Burger following the hamburger recipe included below and which can also be found at Best-Hamburger-Recipes-Ever.com. This is surely a great tasting and healthy burger because aside from using lean ground beef, which cuts the fat content of the burger, it makes use of Jalapeno chilies, which gives you a lot of health benefits such as an increase in metabolism that can actually help with weight loss.

SO give this recipe a try as these spicy burgers are delicious, but make sure you have enough to drink on hand!

Jalapenos Burger Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. Lean Ground Beef

2 Jalapeno Chilies, seeded and finely chopped

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat grill, and add vegetable oil to the grill rack.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Mold into 6 patties, about 1/2” thick.

Grill over medium heat for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping once.

Remember that any burger tastes better with cheese, you’re always welcome to add your favorite American, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Swiss to any burger if desired.

And Enjoy!

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

So, use this hamburger recipe for your next college football party and you can be sure that you and your friends will have fun and eat healthy at the same time.

A good hamburger recipe can cure any boring burger and add a little life to your next picnic. Hamburger lover John Weisenberger has put together a delicious collection of tried and true hamburger recipes that will have your guests coming back for seconds. Check them out at Best-Hamburger-Recipes-Ever.com.

White Chocolate Cake Recipe

2009-10-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is a very dense, moist and delicious white chocolate cake – one of my favourites and perfect for Chocolate Week!

Ingredients

For the cake:
310g plain flour
5g baking soda
2g baking powder
3g salt
170g white chocolate, chopped
120ml hot water
225g butter, softened
300g caster sugar
3 eggs
235ml buttermilk

For the icing:
200g white chocolate, chopped
20g plain flour
235ml milk
225g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
5ml vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C/Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease two 9inch round cake tins.
3. In a bowl sieve together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and the salt.
4. In a small pan mix together the white chocolate and hot water over a low heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, leave to cool to room temperature.
5. In a bowl mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Add eggs one at a time beating well.
7. Stir in the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately.
8. Mix in the melted chocolate.
9. Put the cake batter into the cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
10. Use a fork to see if the cake is cooked, if it comes out clean then it’s ready, if it has some batter on it, cook it for a little longer.
11. When cooked take out of the tins and cool on a wire rack.
12. For the icing, in a pan, add the chocolate, flour and milk and melt over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick and creamy. Allow to cool completely.
13. In a bowl mix together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
14. Mix in the white chocolate mixture and beat until it’s thick and creamy.
15. Spread between the two layers of cake and over the top and sides of the cake.

There you have it, your delicious, white chocolate cake. Enjoy!

http://www.chocolate-cake-recipe.org.uk is a blog with some of the best chocolate cake recipes on the internet, it's not just about cakes, but it is all about chocolate!

Easy to Make Spinach Cheese Rolls with a Greek Flair

2009-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-16T03:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-09-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

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

Low-carb Pastry Pizza

2009-08-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

This delicious treat adds only 1.9 grams of carb for a Superb Roll of any size. Just add a glaze to the rolls once they are baked. While the rolls are baking, make ½ or ¼ of the below mentioned glaze. Apply the glaze thinly with a pastry brush to the tops of the hot rolls. It will set within minutes. The rolls will freeze well, even with the glaze. Thaw at room temperature or follow directions for heating in the oven.

Glaze

SERVING SIZE, icing for 1 cookie. Carbs per serving 0.5 gram of carb.
Number of servings: 28
Ingredients:
1 egg white (or 3 Tablesps sterilized egg white)
1 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
3 Teasps vanilla extract

Put the egg white and powdered sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer and beat on high speed until the sugar is absorbed and the mixture thickens a bit: scrape sides of bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla extract. Apply icing with the tip of a knife or a small brush. The icing dries quickly, particularly over freshly baked cookies, rolls, and so forth. Store unused frosting, covered, in the fridge. Always stir well before using.

Ingredients:
A. ¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important)
B.
C. 6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick)
D.
E. ¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour
F.
G. 1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose wheat (white) flour
H.
I. Trace of salt (two light shakes or to taste)
J.
K. 3 eggs *
L.
M. 1 egg white

Preheat oven to 420F. Have ready one large, nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet. Put the water and the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, preferably with a rounded bottom, over medium heat. Occasionally stir the mixture while you wait for the butter to melt. Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the two flours, and a pinch of salt in a medium-mixing bowl.

As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer, add the dry mix all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Within just a few seconds, the dough will become smooth and leave the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep stirring until no flour shows. Cook for about 10 seconds longer and remove from heat.

Put the hot saucepan on a cold burner or other safe surface. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. At first the dough will appear lumpy. When the whole eggs have been added, the dough will be smooth. It should be creamy and hold peaks with almost no settling. Work in the egg white. Now the dough will be just right; it will still hold its shape, but in softer peaks. It should form mounds that do not spread on the cookie sheet, but sink back and broaden out slightly. Occasionally, you may need to make a judgment call. Depending on the size of the eggs, the dough may be sufficiently soft even before you add the final egg white. The right consistency makes the best rolls. Dough that is too stiff results in smaller rolls; dough that is too soft (i.e., spreads out wide on the cookie sheet) may result in flat rolls.

If you like, use your electric mixer to work in the eggs. Simply transfer the hot dough from the saucepan to the mixer bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not over beat because if you do, the rolls may develop large air pockets. Use a flat beater if you have one. Put spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet, choosing the size you prefer. Use large Teacups or even soupspoons to drop the dough. Place them fairly close together.

Bake the rolls for about 25 to 28 minutes or until they are golden brown and crusty on top. Promptly freeze rolls that you do not plan to use the day they are baked. Take them out of the bag to thaw at room temperature. You can also put the frozen rolls in the oven, set at 350F (no need to pre-heat), and bake for 5 minutes. You can toast rolls (slice in half), but you need a wide-slot toaster or toaster oven. The rolls toast rapidly, so use the lowest setting. Save unused rolls in a dry place until rock hard. They will be used for Magnificent Bread. By Dave Clark

Create Your Personal Colon Cleanse Recipe

2009-08-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

As people become more conscious of the effects of an unclean colon and decide on getting their colon cleansed, the demand for colon cleanses recipes is also on the rise.

The trouble is not getting hold of a recipe, but to choose one from the innumerable recipes that are doing the rounds. Of course the internet has a big role to play in this. With it being so easily accessible these days, anyone and everyone can publish on the net. Hence there is no dearth of recipes. But the problem is also there. Since the internet is available to everyone, a lot of the content can't be taken at face value. There are many who have little idea as to what they are writing. If you fall for the information provided in those articles then you are the one who stands to lose out. So be skeptical about the information that you get on the net.

The best way to judge the authenticity of a recipe is to check the credentials of the writer. If the writer is a trained professional having practiced alternative medicine for some time then it is much more assuring to follow that recipe. However, there are a few ingredients of a colon cleanse recipe which have proven their worth over a period of time. Having passed the test of time, these ingredients can be trusted to be integral parts of any colon cleansing recipe. One such ingredient would be phylum husks or seeds.

They are very effective in cleaning your colon of the stored waste materials. In fact they are so effective that most colon cleansers available at stores and sold as over the counter drugs contain it. Then there are the probiotics which are again used in many home made recipes of colon cleansers and also in several store-bought colons cleanse recipes. The probiotics help in increasing the good bacteria which reside in our digestive system. The probiotics have been used for quite some time now and this shows the effectiveness of the ingredient. Most colon cleansing recipes available on the net come for free.

But many of them have a catch. Among the various ingredients mentioned, one or more are required to be bought from a particular vendor. You must be careful about such recipes. It might be a genuine ingredient which would help to clean your colon better. But it can also be something which the vendor just has concocted to do business without any medical logic. By Shilpa Singh

Five Easy Holiday Fudge Recipes

2009-08-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

I love baking for the holidays. There are always so many new recipes to try. One of my favorite holiday treats is homemade fudge (without nuts, of course). If your family loves fudge as much as mine does, make them the kind you know they like, and then have them try one of these recipes too. You might find a new family favorite! Our family indulges in a little Peanut Butter Fudge every holiday season.

Candy Store Fudge

1/2 lb. butter, softened
18 oz. chocolate chips
8 oz. mini-marshmallows
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c. chopped nuts
4 1/2 c. sugar
1 can evaporated milk

Place the following ingredients in a large bowl: butter, chocolate chips, marshmallows, vanilla, and nuts and set aside. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly the sugar and evaporated milk and stir for exactly 6 minutes. (Start timing at the rolling boil stage). Mixture scorches easily. Pour this mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and mix with electric mixer until well blended, pour into buttered 9x13-inch pan. Refrigerate for 12 hours.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 c. melted butter or margarine
7 oz. marshmallow creme
18 oz. jar of peanut butter

Into large, heavy pan place sugar, butter or margarine and evaporated milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until ingredients melt. Continue cooking to soft ball stage, 235 degrees on candy thermometer. Remove, quickly stirring in marshmallow creme, peanut butter. Pour into 2 (8x8x2) greased pans. Cut into squares when cool.

Butterscotch Fudge

12 oz. bag butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
2/3 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped peanuts
dash of salt

Mix butterscotch chips, milk and marshmallows in saucepan; melt on stove. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter, vanilla and salt. Stir in peanuts. Pour into 9" square pan. When completely cooled, cut into small squares. Store fudge in refrigerator.

Almond Cherry Fudge

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. chopped almonds
1/2 c. chopped red candied cherries
1 tsp. almond extract

In microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and milk. Cover and microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until chips are melted. Stir until smooth. Stir in the almonds, cherries, and almond extract. Spread mixture into an 8x8 pan lined with foil that has been greased. Cover and chill for 2 hours or until set. Using the foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil and cut fudge into 1-inch squares. Store in refrigerator.

Peppermint Fudge

2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 2/3 c. sugar
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. mini-marshmallows
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Mix milk, sugar, butter, and salt in a sauce pan. Bring to a full boil, then boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add marshmallows, chocolate chips, peppermint extract, and walnuts. Stir vigorously until marshmallows are melted and thoroughly blended. Pour into 8-inch square pan. Chill. By Rachel Paxton

Chocolate Recipes

2009-07-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

How to Make Chocolate Cream Pies :

Beat to a cream half a cupful of butter and a cupful and a quarter of powdered sugar. Add two well-beaten eggs, two tablespoonfuls of wine, half a cupful of milk, and a cupful and a half of sifted flour, with which has been mixed a teaspoonful and a half of baking powder. Bake this in four well-buttered, deep, tin plates for about fifteen minutes in a moderate oven. Put half a pint of milk in the double-boiler, and on the fire.

Beat together the yolks of two eggs, three tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, and a level tablespoonful of flour. Stir this mixture into the boiling milk, beating well. Add one-sixth of a teaspoonful of salt, and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring often. When cooked, flavor with half a teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Put two of the cakes on two large plates, spread the cream over them, and lay the other two cakes on top. Beat the whites of the two eggs to a stiff froth, and then beat into them one cupful of powdered sugar and one teaspoonful of vanilla.

Shave one ounce of Walter Baker & Co.'s Premium No. 1 Chocolate, and put it in a small pan with two tablespoonfuls of sugar and one tablespoonful of boiling water. Stir over a hot fire until smooth and glossy. Now add three tablespoonfuls of cream or milk, and stir into the beaten egg and sugar. Spread on the pies and set away for a few hours. By Anmol Raut

These are Some of the Ingredients for Making Pickle Recipe

2009-07-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Pickles are a delicacy that is eaten in almost all parts of the world. Pickle enhances the taste of meals. It is a side dish as well as an appetizer. They are easy to prepare. Various ingredients are used and tasty pickles are prepared which last longer even for 1 to 2 years without hampering the taste. Pickle recipe is easy to make at home without any difficulty.

Pickle recipe varies from place to place in the world. In America pickles are made from cucumber and vinegar. The brine helps fermentation and the pickle lasts for a longer period. Kosher, dill, meat, fish are some of the other pickle recipes that are made in the continent. Cucumber pickles, kosher pickles and dill pickles can be made with following ingredients. Some ingredients may vary.

1. 2 cups medium sized cucumbers
2. 1 cup onions
3. 1 cup vinegar
4. ¼ cup kosher salt
5. 1 cup water
6. ¾ cup sugar
7. ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
9. ½ teaspoon ginger
10. ½ teaspoon celery seeds

Wash the cucumbers well and slice them. Mix the onions, salt and cucumbers well. Let the mixture stand for about 2 hours. Drain off the liquid. Mix the ingredients in a large cooking pot and cook them properly. Add to the pot cucumbers and onions. Boil them for about 5 to 10 minutes until they are crisp and tender. Place them in sterilized jars and store for a month. After a month the pickle is ready to eat.

Same pickle recipe can be followed with cauliflower, onions and many other vegetables in place of cucumber.

Pickle recipe using limes is also very easy to make. However instead of vinegar, oil and salt mixture is used. The ingredients for making the lime pickle are as follows

1. Limes (6 to 7 nos)
2. salt to taste
3. vegetable oil
4. 1 tablespoon chili powder
5. Garlic cloves (5 to 6 nos)
6. Ginger flakes
7. 1 tablespoon turmeric
8. 2 teaspoons powdered fenugreek

Wash the limes well and fry them in a pan containing oil until the peels are brown in color. Slice the limes retaining the juice. Take oil in another cooking pot. Put turmeric, chili powder, salt, garlic, ginger and fenugreek and cook well. Seasoning should be checked properly. Cool the mixture and then add the lime slices. Mix the mixture well so that all the pieces are covered with the seasoning. Store the pickle in sterilized jars for some time until it settles down. After the settling period, the pickle can be eaten off the jars.

The same pickle recipe is applicable to raw mango pickle, carrot, ginger, onion etc.
Thus it can be seen that although the ingredients vary, the pickle recipe remains as it is. There is no change in the procedure what so ever. The pickles not only taste good but are also filling when eaten as appetizers. Their spicy and tangy taste is liked by all and hence it is such a famous dish. By Muna wa Wanjiru

Real Taste in Less Effort With Gas Barbecue!

2009-06-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Barbeques with 300-400 degrees Fahrenheit at a stretch of 8 to 18 hours generate smoke and endow the distinctive flavor one craves. The food gets separated from the source of heat, and wood-chunks or smoldering logs are utilized to generate smoke charcoal. Cooking large pieces of meat could have been nothing better than this, as there are diverse heat sources like charcoal, gas, wood etc coming into play. Regulators keep things in check and let cooking go the way it should have been.

You won’t see either filthy hot ash to be further trapped in the tedious cleaning work. The wood barbecues will carry their distinctiveness in terms of flavor depending on the wood used. The same flavor can be had in gas barbeque (barbecues) by using the smoker box. Gas barbecues come with lots of gains than the rest, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com as simplicity factor always remains there with ignition coming in jiffy by a touch of button. It goes to the cooking heat in almost within 10 minutes.

Gas barbecue (barbecues) is amazing as the meat juices go right back into the dish to further vaporize. That’s where the real flavor of barbeques gets realized with almost no disarray of using charcoal. Reducing air pollution, getting longer life and arranging proper maintenance are some of the gains you have with gas barbecues.
For greater form I later invested in a print of Kinsley’s Barbecue Bible and this took me to superior levels even to the summit where people were starting to look at what I was cooking and asking how I'd done it. If they were fluky they even got to tang it!

Anyway, barbecuing has become a way of life for me and now the internet provides so many unbound sear recipes and calm smoker recipes there's quite of menu dreams for my next cookout. Social networking still is still my favorite way to learn and by that I'm referring to chatting with fellow enthusiasts and not necessarily over the web.

I tried grill cookout competitions and while there was a great substance of induce and lot's of fun, it was a little too competitive and recipes reserved as tightly guarded secrets. So where can you go to link like minded people? Where can you find more barbecues, for more details visit to www.chef-123.com. Smokers and outside grills in one place and people allotment and having fun?

All sorts of barbeques have been like a tradition in all of Australia with national zest. People find it their best bet to have fun in weekends under the sun along with Barbequed food. BBQs (BBQ) in Sydney will be nothing less than a delight, as you won’t have to wait for anything special like days. Barbeques in Australia are all the rage and its intensity could well be measured just by looking at the Australian wives having their men alongside in a BBQ party.

The next level stuff is also there to hit the scene early, as Infrared barbeques are the real future. Get ready to dish-up more for an infrared grill or barbeque, as it might cost you anything like a few thousand dollars or more. Even besides being expensive, people are paying up for these barbecues. This is absolutely not new to the world of cooking and fine cuisines, and more and more chefs around the globe love using them for their superior cooking abilities. By Manish Gaur

Triple Recipes Rather Than Scaling Them to Specific Serving Sizes!

2009-06-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Most people balk at the idea of cooking for large crowds of people. With images of huge stockpots boiling over and becoming chained to a hot stove and oven for countless hours on end, it's no wonder that so many people avoid the idea of cooking food for large crowds with more tenacity than they avoid being last in the dinner line.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be the frightening proposition that so many make it out to be. When it comes to cooking for a large crowd, the planning phase is the most important. You absolutely must plan your meals when feeding a large group of people. This goes far beyond the notion of spaghetti or fried chicken as the meals you are planning. You need to know how many servings you will need. While obviously you never know how hungry people will be or who will eat how much when it comes to cooking for a large crowd it is a good idea to always plan for a few extra mouths in case some need a little more than you may think (you might want to double servings for teen and college aged men that will be dining).

You need to know at least a general number of servings to prepare and adjust your recipe in order to accommodate those needs. Some people find it much simpler if they can double or triple recipes rather than scaling them to specific serving sizes. If this works best for you then by all means incorporate this practice when cooking for crowds. One thing you must be aware of is that you will need to include in order to create the meal you are planning.

Having the proper ingredients and the proper amounts of ingredients is more important in bulk recipes than is often necessary in smaller recipes as there is less leeway when it comes to creating the proper consistency. You should keep this in mind when making purchases for your cooking for a large crowd event.

Some people find the best route to take when it comes to cooking for crowds is to keep everything as close to their normal cooking routine as possible. This would mean that instead of cooking one really huge pan of lasagna for a triple sized crowd, for more details visit to www.chef-123.com they would instead cook three normal sized pans of lasagna. This accomplishes two things really and is something you may wish to keep in mind despite the extra time spent in the kitchen.

First of all, if something goes, wrong only one third of the meal is in shambles rather than the entire dinner. Second, you have a greater possibility of finding consistency issues before the baking begins if you are using measurements and cooking containers that you are familiar with and comfortable using. It is always best to discover errors and omissions sooner rather than later when it comes to cooking as very few ingredients can be properly added after the fact.

While cooking for crowds may send some into dizzying spells with heart palpitations it helps if you take a few deep breaths, sit down, plan your menu, plan your meals, make a list of your ingredients, for more details visit to www.cat-head-biscuit.com and cook in a manner that is comfortable for you. If you would rather get it all over with in one fell swoop, then by all means do just that. If you are more comfortable making multiple dishes of family favorites then that is probably going to be the best course of action in order to meet your large crowd cooking needs.

Most importantly you should remember when cooking for crowds is that you might have just earned yourself a well-deserved night off afterwards. Cooking for crowds is time consuming and should be approached when well rested (if that is even possible) for the best results. There is something that is actually very satisfying about knowing that you have fed a crowd and fed them well. By Shailesh Kumar Singh

Great Quiche Recipes

2009-05-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

Quiche is a great dish for breakfast or brunch. It also works great for a light lunch or dinner when served with a salad or fresh fruit. Following are three quiche recipes. One of these is sure to become a favorite for you.

QUICK AND EASY CHEDDAR BROCCOLI QUICHE

1 9-inch prepared pastry crust

1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

6 large eggs

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of broccoli and cheese soup, undiluted

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle pastry shell with 1/2 cup of the cheese. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, soup, and milk. Pour mixture into crust, over the cheese. Cover edges of pie loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted neare the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Note: Good served with fresh fruit.

BROCCOLI, POTATO AND BACON QUICHE

1 bag (19 oz) frozen roasted potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce

1 deep-dish pastry shell

4 eggs OR 1 cup egg substitute

2/3 cup lite whipping cream

7 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled

1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup finely shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp parsley flakes

1 tsp finely chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave vegetables as directed on package. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and whipping cream together with a wire whisk until well blended. Stir in cooked vegetables along with the other ingredients except chives. Pour into pastry shell and spread evenly. Sprinkle chives over top. Bake 30-40 minutes or until edge of filling is light golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Note: This recipe is adapted from a Pillsbury Bake-Off winning recipe.

BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH QUICHE

1 pastry crust for a 9-inch quiche pan
1 1/2 cups Half & Half cream
4 eggs
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 tbsp flour
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to suit your taste
5 slices bacon, cooked (just until done)and drained
5 links breakfast sausages, (cooked just until done) and drained

Line the quiche pan with the pastry crust. Toss Swiss cheese with the flour. Add the onion, parsley flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture on the bottom of the pastry shell in the pan. Using a whisk, mix eggs with half and half until well whisked. Pour into the pastry shell. Bake 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Place bacon and sausage on top of the quiche in a pinwheel fashion rotating the bacon then a sausage. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes

Enjoy! By Grandma Linda

Artichoke Fritters With Remoulade Sauce

2009-05-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

ARTICHOKE FRITTERS WITH REMOULADE SAUCE
Makes 40

REMOULADE SAUCE
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 tablespoon minced capers
- 1 tablespoon minced cornichons (French gherkin pickles)
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

FRITTERS
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 5 large artichokes
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup ice water
- 1 quart vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Step 1
Make the remoulde sauce: In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste, capers, cornichons, parsley, chives and lemon juice with 1/2 cup of water. Whisk to blend well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Step 2
Make the fritters. Pour the lemon juice into a large nonreactive saucepan with about 2 quarts of water.

Step 3
Trim each artichoke by snapping off the stem; bend back and pull off the tough outer dark green leaves. Using a serrated stainless steel knife, cut off the top two thirds of the artichoke, leaving about 1.5 inches of the heart. Pare away the bases of the dark green outer leaves. As you trim each artichoke, drop immediately into the acidulated water to prevent discoloration.

Step 4
When all the artichokes are in the saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and boil until the artichoke hearts are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the hearts cool in the cooking liquid to retain their color. (The artichokes can be cooked 1 day ahead and refrigerated in their cooking liquid overnight.)

Step 5
when cool, remove the artichokes from the liquid and cut each heart into eights. Remove the hairy choke and drain well.

Step 6
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder with the ice-water. Blend thoroughly.

Step 7
In a deep-fryer or large deep saucepan, heat the oil to 400 degree celsius. One by one, dip each piece of artichoke into the batter and add to the hot oil. Fry in batches without crowding until crisp and brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve the fritters hot with the remoulde sauce for dipping.

* This article has been brought to you by Golfera Foods which is a major Italian Food Retail chain present internationally. Our website has a dedicated section for recipes.

Quick and Easy Healthy Chicken Meal

2009-05-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

If you are among those that have decided to eat more meals at home to cut back on your food budget, you are not alone. Here is a menu that offers you a tasty, healthy and easy meal that won't break the bank or take a lot of your time. Perfect for a family meal. Healthy Oat and Sesame Chicken is a great entree. These are great recipes for the busy cook. You can prepare the chicken and pop it into the refrigerator. While it sits, prepare the vegetables and get them into the oven. As the vegetables start to roast, you have time to set the table, make a quick salad, or whatever you need to do. Then about 10 minutes before time for the vegetables to come out of the oven, fry your chicken. In less than an hour, you have prepared a delicious, healthy meal and are sitting around the table with your family and/or friends. Clean up is minimal. Now what could be easier than that?

HEALTHY OAT 'N' SESAME CHICKEN

1 cup uncooked oat bran

1/4 cup sesame seeds

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup buttermilk

6 skinned and boned chicken breast halves

4 tbsp olive oil

Put oat bran, sesame seeds, paprika, salt and pepper in a clean brown paper bag. Place bag inside another bag--double bagging will keep mixture from leaking out. Set bag aside. Beat egg whites and buttermilk in a pie plate until well blended. Dip chicken into egg/buttermilk mixture, gently shake off excess and drop chicken, 2 or 3 pieces at a time, into the brown bag. Fold down top of bag 2 to 3 times to seal. Shake chicken in bag to coat evenly. Remove chicken pieces and set in refrigerator for 10 minutes to several hours to allow coating to adhere. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chicken, add remaining oil, and continue cooking another 3 to 4 minutes or until done. Chicken is done when juices run clear and it is no longer pink in the center. It should feel springy to the touch.

Each piece = 436 calories, 53 g pro, 11 g carbs

LEMON-CHIVE ROASTED VEGETABLES

1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, halved

1 1/2 lbs small fingerling potatoes, halved

1 lb baby carrots

2 medium sweet onions, each cut into 8 wedges

1 tbsp olive oil

Cooking spray

2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the vegetables and olive oil in a large mixing bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on two jelly-roll pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Combine the vegetables, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.

Yields 12 servings of about 1 cup each. Per serving: Calories 129, Fat 1.3g, Protein 3.1g, Carbs 26.3, Fiber 3.2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Iron 1.3mg, Sodium 139mg, Calcium 23mg.

NOTE: I got this recipe from a 'Cooking Light' magazine.

Enjoy! By Linda Wilson

Some Minor Changes Can Improve Your Cooking Room

2009-05-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Many families have understood the value of spending time together and a bonding between the members. All the members of the family meet each other on the dinning table. The members spend a lot of valued time together in the kitchen. Therefore, people felt the need to maintain this corner of the house in a creative way; then a simple kitchen improvement project can accomplish your needs. For more help visit to: www.delicious-candy-recipes.com.Some minor changes in the outlook of the kitchen can bring an innovative design in the space. One can consider changing the color of the cabinets. Painting the cabinets can bring an instant make over to the kitchen. Change the bright colors to the bark or vice-versa. Changing the color of cabinets prove to be a most simple, easiest and cost effective way to bring the whole new look to the kitchen. This change is the most recommended option available to the user as by spending a minute amount you can give it a look of complete new renovation. However, you can also consider brightening up your kitchen with some decorative designer lighting. A change in the lighting can bring a drastic change in to the small space. These are also cheap in rates. Without breaking your annual budget one can easily access the instant makeover of the kitchen.

Kitchen improvement project could prove to be an expensive and challenging task; if the proper planning and selection of the things is not made. There are many things in the kitchen that could be changed. The color of the walls, furniture and countertops help in improving the look of the kitchen. Use the combination of two or three colors in designing the kitchen walls and furniture. For more detail go to: www.camping-outdoors-recipes.com.An interesting color combination can make your kitchen look much warmer and welcoming. Even if your budget do not allow you to do much investment in the renovation work, then one can make some variations in the placement settings of the kitchen appliances.

A change in the placement and sitting arrangement also brings a feel of modification in the environment. It is also recommended to give an extensive cleaning to the appliances, cabinets and countertop of the kitchen. In a low budget renovation, these minor alterations may prove to be very effective in bringing a modified look to the kitchen. Apart from al these verifications, the placement of some decorative items and designer accessories is another effective alternate for kitchen improvement. In some of the cases the kitchen improvement project becomes a headache and tension for the user. this happens in the case of no planning and improper execution of the project. At times, the wrong selection of accessories and products can spoil the whole idea of renovation. By SMITH BLINT

Cooking and Choose Chef Career

2009-04-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself right at home in the kitchen, perhaps a chef career would be right up your alley. For more detail go to:www.camping-outdoors-recipes.com.When the thought of a chef career comes to mind, it may project thoughts of slaving over a hot, smelly grill, flipping burgers and hearing endless orders shouted through a loud speaker. While that may be the scenario for some chefs, there are actually many different options for this occupation.
Cooks for fast food and restaurant chains are always in demand because quick employee turnover is almost guaranteed. Many high school students take on these less-paying jobs solely as a summer gig. Others use the opportunity to bring in income until a more profitable job is found. However, restaurant, fast food and short order cooks are still categorized within the chef career spectrum and having the skill of producing high quality, tasty food is a talent that not everyone has. For more detail go to:www.bread-machine-cookbook.com.Everyone has to begin somewhere, and working for one of these kitchens provides cooking experience, looks good on resumes, and can act as a jumping off point for beginning a chef career.
If baking will be your forte in your chef career, perhaps a job at a cafeteria or nursing home would be a good job selection. While fast-food workers are constantly frying up and scooping out the same food products daily at a lickety-split pace, an institution kitchen is a more relaxed atmosphere where a variety of traditional, slightly more healthy dishes are prepared.
For instance, many cafeteria kitchens designate two or three items in which an employee is responsible for preparing and baking daily, such as a cook who makes bread products, one who creates casseroles, and others who hand-bread and roast chicken. Having a set food prep schedule gives a cook or chef the opportunity to ease into their specialty and, over time, perfect their craft.
After a few years of experience, it may be possible to advance to a head chef position at a prestigious eatery, such as a steak house or hotel restaurant. This chef career is a bit more stressful, as you are not only in charge of a kitchen full of employees; you are also required to insure the food going out to the paying customers is first-rate and superlative. A chef career at this high status will pay a higher income because cooking skills must be paramount and management skills proficient.
Possibly the most sought-after chef career is as a personal or private household chef. To be selected as a personal chef because of your impeccable cooking skills, creative dishes and flawless meal presentations is the height of honor for a chef after years of hard work and practice.
If you are considering a chef career, knowing how to cook is not enough. You must perfect your craft and stand out from all the rest who are your competition. Enrolling in a vocational school which provides cooking instructions or even a specialty college or institution could help mold you into the cooking expert that will send you on your way to the world of chef careers. By SMITH BLINT

How to Choose a Good Ice Cream Maker?

2009-04-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

"How To Choose A Good Ice Cream Maker?"

Ice cream! Everyone loves it. But sometime when we craved for it at inconvenient times, where do we going to find it? Why not make your favorite ice cream right at home? All you need to know is how to choose a good ice cream maker.
Ice cream makers are available in a wide range of prices from around $50 right up to $500. Some models cost so much because they have a built in freezing compressor. For home users, the lower priced models will be fine. There are two basic types of ice cream maker to choose from. One uses rock salt and ice to cool the ice cream mix, while another ice cream maker has a canister that you put in the freezer to cool the mix. If you are going to making large amount of ice cream, you will want to purchase ice cream maker that uses rock salt and ice, because the canister only makes 1.5 quarts. The electric crank ice cream maker is faster and easier.

You will get better results because the bowl turns at a constant speed.
Once you have choose the ice cream maker that you want, you need to find the right ice cream recipe. There are many varieties available so try a few until you find the perfect one.
Ice cream’s taste will become richer and texture will be smoother if you are able to freeze ice cream faster. Pre mix your ingredients and then pre chill them for at least 5 hours before putting them in the ice cream maker also helps.
You will know your ice cream is done by the look of it. It will look like soft ice cream. Once the canister has been in the freezer for a couple of hours you’ll have a nice looking solid texture ice cream. If you want your ice cream to freeze faster just move it to a metal bowl, cover it foil, and place it in the freezer. It will freeze up in ½ the time used to freeze in a plastic canister.
You can buy pre mixed ice cream packages too. Although they are convenient they do not have the flavor of ice cream made from scratch. You can try both and see which type you prefer. By Tan Wei Loo

Nostalgic Chicken and Dumplings

2009-04-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Remember the good old days of big family meals at grandma's house? Undoubtably, chicken was often on the menu. One of the ways grandma could feed the whole family inexpensively was with a big pot of chicken and dumplings. If you want to revisit those meals with your own, here is a recipe for chicken and dumplings. Now they may not taste like grandma's, after all she was the best cook around, but they will probably be real close. Nostalgia Chicken and Dumplings is a great, inexpensive way to feed your family today. Aren't we all looking for ways to cut back on spending?

NOSTALGIC CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

6 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
2 whole cloves
12 frozen pearl or small whole onions, thawed
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tsp browning sauce, optional
1 cup Bisquick baking mix
6 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp parley flakes

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Insert cloves in an onion and add to slowcooker. Add bay leaf and remaining onions. Sprinkle chicken with garlic, salt, thyme, marjoram, and pepper. Pour broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours until the chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken and keep warm. Discard cloves and bay leaf. Increase temperature to high. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, water, and browning sauce until smooth. Slowly stir into the slow cooker. In another bowl, combine biscuit mix, milk, and parsley. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto simmering liquid. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes without lifting lid. Dumplings are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve dumplings and gravy over/with chicken.

Enjoy! By Grandma Linda

Corn Pie With Tomato Salsa and It's Diabetic Friendly

2009-04-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a new recipe to dazzle your family and friends, give this Corn Pie with Tomato Salsa a try.

CORN PIE WITH TOMATO SALSA

Salsa Ingriedients:

2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tbsp chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pie Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups crushed fat-free, salt-free crackers

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 large egg white, beaten

vegetable oil cooking spray

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk, divided

2 3/4 cups corn kernels

1 tsp Splenda

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

3 tbsp chopped ripe olives

2 large egg whites, beaten

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare the salsa: In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the salsa ingredients. Set aside and allow the flavors to blend.

To prepare the pie: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crushed crackers, cheese, butter and the one egg white. Toss with a fork until moistened. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the milk, corn, Splenda, and onion. Using medium heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 3-5 minutes. Combine the 1/4 cup milk and the flour together in a small bowl using a fork or whisk until smooth. When smooth, gradually add to the corn mixture. Cook until thick, shouldn't take more than a minute or so. Remove from heat. Stir in green onions and olives. Combine egg whites and egg together in a small bowl; gradually add to the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared crust, and sprinkle with the reserved cracker mixture and paprika. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until the center is set.

Yields 6 servings of 1 pie wedge and 1/2 cup of tomato salsa. Per serving: 277 cal, 40 g carbs, 11 g protein.

Enjoy! By Linda Wilson

Vegetables Stir-fried

2009-03-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

* 4 oz. fresh green beans

* 2 carrots

* 1 sweet red or yellow bell pepper, seeded

* 1/2 small cauliflower, in small florets

* 1 large broccoli stalk in small florets

* 2 Tbsp. canola oil

* 1 red onion, thinly sliced

* 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

* 1 small Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced

* 2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

* 4 oz. sugar peas, topped and tailed

* 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce

* 1/2 Tbsp. Mirin (see Note)

* 1/4 tsp. sugar

freshly ground pepper

Slice beans and carrots on the diagonal. Cut pepper into 1-inch squares.

In a large pot of boiling water, separately blanch beans, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, just until tender-crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables from water to a colander and immediately rinse under cold running water to prevent further cooking. Drain thoroughly.

Heat about 2 tsp. oil in heavy skillet or wok over medium heat. Add onion and 1 clove garlic, and stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggplant, some ginger, more garlic and stir-fry briefly. Add peas and stir-fry 3 minutes longer, adding more oil if necessary.

Add as many of the blanched vegetables, along with some of the garlic and ginger, as you can stir-fry at one time. If pan is full, transfer vegetables to baking dish and keep warm in an oven preheated to 250 degrees.Combine all vegetables in large serving bowl. In small bowl, mix together soy sauce, Mirin and sugar. Mix soy mixture into vegetables. Season to taste with pepper and serve.

Mirin, found in the Asian or specialty foods sections of many supermarkets, is a sweetened, mild Japanese rice cooking wine with a negligible amount of alcohol that evaporates in cooking. Chicken or vegetable broth, along with a pinch of sugar, can be substituted. By jaffar

Spicy Chicken With Rice

2009-03-10T01:40:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple recipe and takes just half an hour to prepare a delicious, filling and impressive meal. A nonstick frying pan is essential.

Ingredients (for 2 persons)

2 chicken breasts
1 cup of parboiled rice
1 tablespoon of olive oil (or any oil you commonly use)
Salt, pepper, oregano and boukovo

Method for the Chicken

Chop each chicken breast in 4 slices so that you got 8 slices in total.
Salt and pepper the slices. Add a pinch of oregano and a teaspoon of boukovo.
Put a tablespoon of oil into the nonstick pan and wait for 3-4 min to get heated. Wiggle lightly the pan so that the oil to cover the whole pan surface.
Place the slices in the pan

--Tip1: when placing each slice, try to dip it in a small amount of oil that already is in the pan surface

Fry the chicken from both sides using a wooden ladle and after 15 to 20 minutes it will be ready.

--Tip 2: to make the meat getting a nice red color you can pour 1.5 ounce of water while the frying the chicken. This will cause steam to rise and will give instantly a nice red color to the chicken.

Method for the rice

Use a sauce pan and ad 22 ounces of water. Wait until it reaches the boiling point. Add a teaspoon of chicken (or vegetable) powder base or 1 chicken (or vegetable) cube base (alternatively you can you a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper and a pinch of curry powder (if you got some). Put the rice inside and boil it for 20 min. (You can prepare this cooking at the time you place the chicken in the pan, and so you will have the rice ready at the same time with the chicken)

You can serve it as I suggest you in the photo above…

Good appetite… yum-yum… By Jim Dell

Tips of Cooking Meat in the Microwave

2009-03-06T01:37:00.000-08:00

Summer is here and if you are anything like me, you don't want to turn on your oven or stove unless absolutely necessary. I do most of my cooking in the microwave during the summer months. It helps keep my home cooler and cuts down on my cooling bill.

I have found that many people don't like to cook meat in the microwave. I was once one of those people. Chicken would come out like rubber and I always worried that ground beef didn't cook thoroughly. I have since found that the trick is to use the right cooking utensils.

There has also been some hype about how it’s not safe to use plastic to cook meat or anything else in the microwave. This is only half true. Certain types of plastic have chemicals that are activated with the extreme heat of the microwave and these chemicals can get into your food. For more details visit to www.cheese-cake-recipes.com Hence, the key to cooking in your microwave is, once again, to use the correct cooking utensils. Basically, use containers that are specifically designed for cooking in the microwave.

My preference in microwave cooking is Tupperware. Their cookware is specifically designed for the microwave so you don't have to worry about the chemicals. Their Oval Cooker is designed to retain the moisture of your meat so that your meat doesn't come out dry and rubbery. It also has a colander so you can brown your meat and let the grease drip to the bottom. That makes it easy to dispose of the grease drippings or use them for gravy. Tupperware also backs it cooker with a lifetime warranty so if it breaks I can just replace it with a new one, which seems like a good investment to me.

So the instructions I am providing below apply to the Tupperware Oval Cooker. If you feel confident using a different type of microwave cooker, of course, try that, but please make sure you follow the guidelines I stated above.

Cooking Ground Beef

Place the ground beef with your favorite seasoning in the colander of the cooker. Cover and cook for 6 minutes per pound. Let sit a few minutes then remove from the microwave. By using the colander all the grease will drain to the bottom of the cooker.

Cooking a Whole Chicken

If using the Oval Cooker you will need to use the extender piece for your average size chicken. Then place the chicken in the cooker. Pour about half a cup of water on the bottom of the cooker. For more details www.atkins-diets-recipes.com Sprinkle your chicken with your favorites seasonings. Place the cover on the cooker and cook for 6 minutes per pound. I think you will be surprised at how moist your chicken comes out.

Cooking Cut Up Chicken

After cutting up your chicken use the same instructions for cooking a whole chicken. Determine by how high the chicken stacks if you will need to use the extender or not.

Cooking Chicken Pieces

You can use the colander to cook chicken pieces. Cut the chicken into bit size pieces. I usually use chicken breast cutlets for this. Place the cutup chicken pieces in the colander. Season with your favorite seasonings. Place the cover on the cooker and microwave for 6 minutes per pound.

Cooking Pork

I have not yet tried cooking pork in the microwave. Pork is tricky and my family doesn't eat pork so that is one reason I have never tried cooking it in the microwave. However, there are plenty of beef and chicken recipes out there, so I hope the above suggestions will help you keep your kitchen cooler during the hot summer months. By seemameet

Different Terms for Cooking

2009-03-01T01:35:00.000-08:00

Cooking can be very satisfying, and learning about the different ways to cook and finding new; different recipes to experiment in the kitchen is exciting. This had led to a bunch of television programmers appearing and even more cookbooks arriving to offer chefs tips, advice, and recipes. However, a good starting point for many wanting to get into the kitchen and to begin putting recipes into practice is to know the different terminologies used with cooking.

Learning the different cooking terminologies is important as a dish may be prepared in a number of ways, and each of the preparation methods can result in varying flavors. Here are just a few of the terms cooking recipes may require you to perform:

This is a more common term that many will already know, even if they don't often cook. When a recipe requires you to grill a food item, it will basically mean that you need to cook over an open flame, whether it is by gas or charcoal. Obviously the most ideal place to do food grilling is over a grill.

These are terms that are often confused, but they are actually quite different. Frying can be done using a frying pan and with oil or butter, whereas deep-frying on the other hand means that the food needs to be submerged in boiling oil until it is cooked. This can often be seen in fast food chains where the food is placed in a basket and submerged into the boiling oil, often to produce French fries, tender breaded chicken, and funnel cakes.

An alternative to frying is sautéing, to produce strong flavors from your food. To sauté? Food, cook quickly using a small amount of fat (oil or butter), and use a frying pan to receive best results when using this cooking method. This can often be seen in fast food chains where the food is placed in a basket and submerged into the boiling oil, often to produce French fries, tender breaded chicken, and funnel cakes.

When a recipe calls for the food to be broiled, it means that the food should be cooked by direct exposure to a flame or heat element. You may find the? Broil" setting on many ovens, although it is important to place the food on the top rack when using this setting.

For those that cook and prepare meals regularly or just beginning to become interested in cooking, familiarize you with the many different preparation and cooking terms. At least learn the basic terms so that you can prepare the food in the way that the recipe intended, and also, before you start cooking a new recipe or dish, firstly read through the recipe instructions so that you know the cooking terms and exactly how to execute them. This is especially important if you are cooking to time schedule. By ppsingh

Harvest Clover Rolls

2009-02-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

Fresh dinner rolls for the table are not so difficult as some might think. This recipe makes a light, flavorful, very slightly sweet dinner roll that looks pretty, too.

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 ½ tablespoons dry yeast

1/4 cup honey

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ - 1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour

1 ½ - 1 3/4 cups of white flour

(You will also need a muffin tin for 12 muffins)

Combine warm (but not hot) water, yeast, and honey in a large, warm bowl and allow to proof for five minutes. You should see bubbling on the surface after five minutes. If you do not, you should start over with fresh yeast.

Add the salt and most of the flour, stirring with a spoon. Gradually add in more flour while working with the hands to make a dough that is moist but does not stick to the fingers. Knead the dough for eight full minutes by hand, or if you have a machine kneader, allow it to work the dough for five minutes. Allow the dough to rise in the bowl, covered, in a warm place, for about 40 minutes until double in size.

When dough has doubled, reheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12 part muffin tin. Punch down and divide into two roughly equal parts, and each part half again. Each quarter of the dough will now make three rolls. Divide a quarter into three parts, and working with one part, divide again into three. Roll each smallest part into a ball and place three balls into one section of a greased muffin tin.

When all rolls are prepared, cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double, about 25 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes until lightly brown. To serve, place a clean tea towel in a basket or large bowl. Place the rolls on the towel and then fold in the corners. This will help the rolls to stay warm at the table. By CD Mohatta

Sweet Pepper and Calamari

2009-02-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

THE CONFIT

* 1/2 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin)

* 20 baby sweet red peppers, whole

* 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise

* 1shallot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

* 3 branches fresh thyme

* Pinch cayenne

* Fine sea salt, to taste

THE CALAMARI

* 1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra-virgin)

* 1/2 pound cleaned baby squid, bodies only, skinned and cut across into

* 1/4-inch-wide slices

* Fine sea salt, to taste

* Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

* Cayenne, to taste

* 1 small clove garlic, peeled and finely diced

* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

For the confit, at least 1 day before serving, Sweet Pepper and Calamari place the olive oil, peppers, garlic, shallot, thyme, cayenne, and salt in a large saucepan over low heat. Cover the pan and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat so the oil is at a slow simmer and cook, turning the peppers in the oil from time to time, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate. (The recipe can be made to this point up to 2 days ahead.)Stem the peppers and reheat them in their oil.

For the calamari, heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Season the squid with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Place the squid in the skillet and saute until they turn white, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and the lemon juice. Saute for 1 1/2 minutes more.

To serve, arrange 5 peppers in a circle around each of 4 large plates (reserving the oil), with the stem ends toward the center of the plate and leaving a 1-inch border between the peppers and the plate rim. Place the calamari in the center of the plate. Spoon the oil from the peppers in a circle outside the peppers. Drop a little balsamic vinegar over the oil. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of parsley over the oil and serve immediately. By jaffar

Great Recipes for Deviled Eggs

2009-02-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

Boiled eggs with a dressed-up yolk have been around since ancient Romans poured sauces of wine, honey, pine nuts and herbs on them. By the Renaissance time, eggs stuffed with savory spices were common.
Like other dishes that have gathered attention recently, such as designer macaroni and cheese and riffs on meatloaf, this latest interest in deviled eggs rode in on many streams.

With the economy going to hell, and gas prices so high, you're talking about a lot of depressing things going on.
During my childhood the deviled eggs were a family picnic staple. They're simple and rustic, made with the most basic ingredients, but we never could get enough of them.

I have been known to devour a dozen of these in one sitting. These were quick and easy. If you want them to be a little prettier, put the egg filling into a freezer bag, make a cut off of one corner of the bag, and pipe them into the egg white halves.

Here are some great tips on cooking and peeling eggs that I found in Southern Living: Place eggs in a single layer in saucepan; add water to depth of 3 inches. Bring to boil; cover, remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Pour off water. Add about 1 inch cold water and several ice cubes to the still warm eggs in the saucepan. Cover pot and shake vigorously so the eggs will crack all over. Peel under cold running water, starting at the large end, the air pocket there will give you something to grip.

All over town, and across the country, restaurants are serving deviled eggs, each with their own spin, their own what-is-that? element.

What follows is a basic recipe, though there are so many wonderful variations you can make. Do you have a favorite deviled egg recipe? If so, please add yours in the comments.

Ingredients:

12 large hard-boiled eggs, cooled.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons sweet pickle juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish

1. Peel eggs and slice each in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks to a small bowl and place whites on a serving dish.

2. With a fork, mash yolks, mayonnaise, mustard and sweet pickle juice together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Using a teaspoon, carefully fill the cavity of each egg white half with yolk mixture, mounding the filling slightly above the white. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Per half: 50 calories, 3 g protein, 0 carbohydrates, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 0 fiber. Calories from fat: 80 percent. By Sophy Achachi

Cocktail Recipes

2009-02-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

Cocktails are considered to be the heartbeat of every party. You have to arrange a variety of cocktails whenever you throw a party at your house. You can offer these cocktails from market but it will be more good and effective if you make it yourself. Following are some of the simple and tasty recipes of cocktails that can prove the heartbeat of your party.

Bellini Cocktail recipe

To make this cocktail you need 2 oz peach nectar, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 oz peach schnapps, 3 oz chilled, dry Champagne, 1/2 cup crushed ice. Mix the peach nectar, lemon juice and schnapps in a chilled glass. Add half a cup of crushed ice, stir, and add the champagne. If you want to produce a frozen drink you can use a blender.

Christmas Jones

The Christmas Jones is one of the cocktails on Metro Marche's Bond Cocktails menu for the release of Casino Royale. This drink begins with a blend of the flavor ingredients and is topped off with 7-Up for a little fizz, then garnished with fresh mint. This recipe makes two highball drinks. To make this drink you need the ingredients and that are 4 fresh strawberries, 1 part vodka, 2 tsp superfine sugar, 5 oz pineapple juice, 7-Up, mint sprigs for garnish. In a blender, whiz the vodka, strawberries, sugar and pineapple juice together. Pour the mix equally into two highball glasses, Top with 7-Up, Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Frozen Banana Margaritas

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 3/4 cup banana liqueur, 1/2 cup tequila, 1/4 cup triple sec (orange-flavored liqueur), 6 ice cubes, 2 large bananas. Direction: In the container of a blender, combine the lemon juice, lime juice, banana liqueur, tequila, triple sec, and bananas. Add ice cubes until the mixture reaches the 6 cup line. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into margarita glasses to serve. By Dr John Anne

Wedding Cakes

2009-02-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Wedding is considered to be the dream of every person. Most of the couples would just have a fair and normal wedding with some nice wedding apparels and a classic wedding cake as wedding cakes are considered to be the essential element of every wedding. There are varieties of cute, tasty and beautiful available in the market but every person dreamt to have unique cake at their wedding.

There are dozens of ways all together, to be distinctive in the wedding and one has really only got an option of a different dress or a unique wedding cake, and a lot of couples choose showing their variety through having a very stupendous and delightful wedding cake.

The history of wedding cake

The traditional wedding cake calls for a multi-layered and just vanilla-flavored simple cake. This cake would have some edible flowers that adorn the sides. These flowers again have some bride and groom figurine on their tops. It has its own value in traditionally performed weddings.

However, as the change of time, a lot of things change and revolution came with no field being exception including the wedding cakes. Tradition will have to allow ways to the new traditions and fashions and styles. Incidentally, the wedding cake tradition has also been impressed by the changes in times and hence, nowadays, wedding cake, not being only restricted to vanilla flavor, comes in numerous flavors and colors with whatever the shape you demand and wish.

Effective element

If anyone truly wants the wedding cake to label as something different and really wants to have something at the wedding that the guests got to talk about the same for the years to come, they should consider some of the stupefying wedding cakes for inspiration.

One might have noticed some very alone “box” type wedding cakes. However, it is not meant that such cake was just shaped like a box; one of such wedding cakes would be a three layered cake and also each of those layers would be decorated like some different and completed with bows. Another cake that could be shaped and detailed decorated as an open hatbox that has some flowers spilling out of the cake. By Dr John Anne

Great Sandwiches for Football Season

2009-02-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

Here is Texas, we call it "Friday Night Lights". High School Football Season! Yes, the madness of high school football is upon us. For busy families who need to meet and eat at the football field, here are a couple of hot sandwiches, baked in foil, that are easy to transport. They are also easy to make ahead and reheat after the game if necessary. For football season this year, try my Pizza Burgers and Easy Stromboli Sandwiches. Add some fresh veggies, dip, soft drinks, and you're good to go!

PIZZA BURGERS

1 lb lean ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp basil

1/8 tps pepper

8 oz can tomato sauce OR pizza sauce

1 cup diced mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook ground beef and onion over medium high heat until meat is browned. Drain meat mixture, rinse with hot water and allow to drain well. Add spices and mix in thoroughly. Add sauce and cheese. Put into 12 whole-wheat hamber buns and wrap individually in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes.

Note: These burgers can be frozen and reheated individually as needed.

EASY STROMBOLI SANDWICHES

1 lb ground beef

1 lb bulk sausage

6 oz tomato sauce

1 cup chopped onion

4 tbsp chopped green bell pepper

3/4 tsp salt, optional

2/3 cup water

1/4 tsp oregano

4 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Shredded mozzarella cheese

French bread or French rolls

Brown meats until all red disappears and drain well. Wipe pan with a paper towel to remove excess grease. Return meats to pan and add tomato sauce, vegetables, salt and water. Cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add oregano and Parmesan cheese. Scoop the center out of the bread so it will hold meat filling. (You can put in a zip-lock type bag and save for another use.) Add the fillling to the bread and top with the mozzarella cheese. Wrap sandwiches in aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for a few minutes until bread is warmed and cheese is melted.

Enjoy! By Linda Wilson

Photo Cookies Make Great Party Favors

2009-02-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

Looking for an innovative party favor? One that guests will be talking about for weeks, not hiding in a cabinet or throwing away as soon as your back is turned? You have probably seen the concept of a photo dessert on a sheet cake, but have you ever seen a photo cookie? Photo cookies have become the latest craze in party and event favors for many reasons.

Why are photo cookies the big hit at the party? First, they are a highly personalized item showcasing photos, pictures or logos of any kind – your photo will remain a high-quality image on our cookies. Next, they are an edible delight made from the freshest ingredients and finally, their variety extends well beyond the average circular sugar cookie. CookieHQ.com is your one stop shop for photo cookies of all kinds.

Whether you are planning a wedding, hosting a child’s birthday party, celebrating an anniversary or launching a new company, photo cookies make your event more memorable and unique. Imagine a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary giving their guests photo cookies adorned with their wedding photo. Instead of the traditional birth announcement, try a photo cookie announcement which can include a digital picture of your baby and all his statistics. Want clients to remember your company for future business and references? Have your company logo designed on a cookie and watch your business boom. Logo cookies are also available for trade shows, giveaways or other corporate events.

With nationwide shipping and quick turnaround available, CookieHQ.com can help you meet your photo cookie needs with its industry leading selection. We can complete your photo cookie order within seven business days and the minimum order quantities are extremely low at two dozen cookies.

Photo cookies are available many varieties including 3 inch round, 4 inch rectangle or heart-shaped sugar cookies. Our 3 inch round photo cookie is one of our bestsellers. This butter-based sugar cookie tastes delicious and can be ordered as a standalone cookie or as a cookie pop. The picture quality looks amazing and our customers’ feedback has been phenomenal.

Any photo, document, image or business card can be transferred right to the top of our delicious fresh baked cookies glazed with white chocolate. Everything is FDA approved and 100% edible. The cookies and cookie pops are individually wrapped in cello bags to maintain freshness. The bags are tied with curling ribbon at no extra cost. Cookies can also be heat sealed in bags to extend shelf-life. All cookies are packed in a white bakery box and then packed safely in bubble wrap in a shipping box. Ice packs are frequently used in the spring and summer months. Photos can even be imprinted on chocolate covered Oreos™, giant fortune cookies, brownies, Rice Krispies™ Treats, chocolate covered graham crackers and more.

"Photo cookies are one of most popular and unique products. So many people are taking digital photos these days. What better way to showcase them to friends and family," said Susan Miller of CookieHQ.com.

So the next time you are in charge of a party, family reunion or corporate event, remember what an impression you can make with the photo cookies as party favors. By Susan Miller

Using Smoked Food in Recipes

2009-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

Tired of the same old meal? Try using smoked food in recipes! Imagine sitting down to dinner and having a delicious smell waft through the air. More importantly, imagine the succulent taste of that delicious meal! If you are wondering how you can spice up your next meal by using smoked food in recipes, read on….

Using smoke food in recipes will add exceptional flavor to your ordinary dish. The unique blend of natural wood smoke, seasonings and brines compliment fish, fowl, or meat. You can use smoked food in recipes as appetizers or entrees. Either way, you will enjoy a more savory version of many meats.

Smoked fish, especially trout or salmon is very flavorful and moist. There is a variety of smoked fish to suit everyone’s taste. Try something like hickory smoked or lemon peppered smoke trout and experience the flavor and tenderness this fish has to offer. You may also want to try the buttery and moist taste of Chilean sea bass or naturally sweet and tender diver scallops. To really enjoy smoked food in recipes, serve the ultimate smoked trout you and your guests will ever try, the natural smoked Tasmanian trout! If fowl is more your style, try juicy boneless duck breast or chicken in your next recipe. Serve it along with long grain wild rice and fresh green bean accompaniments for a complete meal. Pheasant, the king of all game birds, will be sure to impress your guests, as this plump, moist and meaty bird is truly a meal fit for a king!

For the true meat eater, you may want to start off with a mouth watering serving of smoked pork tenderloin, boneless port loin or pork ribs smoked to the peak of flavor. Add a twist to your next meal by serving a tantalizing gourmet feast when you use smoked food in recipes. You can serve smoked food in salads, on crackers, or as a main course and be pleasantly surprised at the unique taste and flavor these smoked foods have to offer.

These exceptional smoked foods can be ordered from a variety of websites on the internet. An exceptional line of smoked foods is offered by Sugartown Smoked Specialties. You can view their products and wonderful recipes at www.SmokedFoods.com. Surprise your family or guests and spice up your next meal by using smoked food in your recipe. By Nancy

South Beach Diet Plan

2009-01-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

The south beach diet is a diet plan that was started by cardiologist from Miami, Florida area called Arthur Agaston. It emphasizes the consumption of “good carbohydrates” and “good fats”. He developed it mostly for cardiac patients basing it upon study of scientific dieting research.

Excess consumption of “bad carbohydrates” creates an insulin resistance syndrome an impairment of the hormone insulin’s ability to process sugar/fat properly. It is believed that “bad fats” contribute to an increase in cardiovascular disease. These conditions can be prevented by consumption of good fats and carbohydrates as the south beach diet suggests.

The diet has three stages. In all stages the recommendation is to minimize bad fats and carbohydrates. During stage 1 food such as dairy, sugar, candy, bread, potatoes, and grains are avoided and hence the body starts to lose its insulin resistance, and begins to use excess body fats. In this stage normal size helping of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and nuts are eaten avoiding alcohol. By this the dieter loses weight, changes body chemistry, and ends cravings for sugar and starches.

Two weeks later stage 2 begins. Whole grains foods, fruits and diary products are gradually returned to the diet, although in smaller amounts than were likely eaten before beginning the diet, and with a continued emphasis on foods with low gylcemic index. Sweet potatoes and red wine are now permissible but at moderate amounts.

After the desired weight is obtained, the diet calls to move into Stage 3, a maintenance stage. In Stage III the diet expands to include three servings of whole grains and three servings of fruit a day. The south beach diet doesn’t require counting of calories or limiting servings like the other dieting programs, the only thing is to eat smart and you would definitely lose weight without any complications. By Peter Gitundu

Old Time Banana Cake

2009-01-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

As a child this was and still is my favorite cake, it is a really a moist and a tasty cake as well. I have never had a cake as good as this before. Ok lets get started, I assume that everyone knows that all ingredients should be at room temperature.

½ pound butter
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-cup sour cream
½ cup mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-teaspoon baking soda
1-teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour

Cream your butter and sugar together then add your bananas and mix until smooth add your eggs one at a time now add your sour cream, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and flour, mix on low speed for 1 minute and then on 2nd speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth.

Place your cake mix in a well greased and floured 10 inch x 3 inch tube pan and let bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 to 35 minutes, test cake by inserting a pick in the center and if it comes out clean then it is done.

Icing on the cake:

4 tablespoons flour
1-cup milk
Add the flour to the cold milk and stir with a wire whisk and then cook it on the stove until it is thick, remove from stove without burning it and let it cool.

In a mixing bowl add ½ cup butter, ½ cup shortening, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, mix all for 1 minute then add the mixture that you cooked and mix for 2 or 3 minutes or until it is as fluffy as you desire, using a paddle on your mixer and not the whip. By Andrew Krause

Special Blueberry Muffins

2009-01-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

This is my special blueberry muffin recipe that I created over 30 years ago and I like it so much that I have never stopped using it. It has a magnificent flavor and a wonderful texture, the freshness life of this muffin is about 4days but if frozen it will last for months.

The part that I like about this muffin is that it is very versatile, you can use any kind of fruit in it besides blueberries, for example you can use cranberries, raspberries, apples, and if you add some solid pack pumpkin with seasonings you have pumpkin muffins and so on, let your imagination run away with you.

OK, here is the recipe. You know that all ingredients should be room temperature.

12 medium eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups oil (not peanut oil)
5½ tablespoons baking powder
3½ cups sugar
3 cups milk or water
8 cups flour
2 to 3 cups blueberries (frozen)

In a 5 quart mixing bowl place your eggs, salt, oil, using a paddle mix slowly until blended then add sugar and baking powder, and continue mixing on slow speed then add water or milk and add flour slowly, when all flour is added scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth, remove bowl from mixer and place 2 or 3 cups of blueberries in the mixture and blend in by hand (frozen blueberries preferred) dip out into lined muffin pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in convection oven and 35 to 40 minutes in regular oven at 350 degree preheated oven. This recipe makes 2 ½ dozen large muffins. By Andrew Krause

Jewish Coffee Cake

2009-01-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Now here is a coffee cake that will make you want no other coffee cake, and once you prepare this coffee cake and get a real working idea about this cake you can become very creative and use some different jams, jellies, fruits and so on.

Always remember that there is a lot that you can do with a recipe providing you don't exceed the parameters of the original recipe.

I have prepared this recipe hundred's of times and still I cannot believe how good it comes out.
All ingredients should be at room temperature.

¼ pound butter
1-cup sugar
2 eggs
1-teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together then add eggs one at a time and mix the rest of the ingredients together slowly.

In a separate bowl combine 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup diced walnuts and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or as much as you like and mix them together.

Using a 10 inch x 3inch tube pan, make sure that the pan is well greased and floured, place some cake mix in the bottom and then some of the sugar, walnut and cinnamon mixture and then repeat this procedure until you have all the cake mix in the pan and the top layer is the cinnamon mixture.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until a pick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean, cool and enjoy, I like mine warm with some raspberry jam on it. By Andrew Krause

Caramelized Onion and Tomato Omelet

2009-01-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

Caramelized Onion and Tomato Omelet

This tasty breakfast omelet is a little "technique-y" and requires extra time because of the caramelizing steps, but it's worth it because it makes a really delicious omelet. The combination of the caramelization of not only the onion but also the tomato brings out the sweet taste of both. The fast part in the process is cooking the eggs. It's done at a high temperature and with a whisk. It's a little like a "stir fry". The tricks in the process are knowing how to keep an oil level on the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking, while cooking the egg to a point where it is partly set but still creamy.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion (peeled, halved, sliced, and half-rings separated)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 eggs, whisked together

10 fresh grape tomatoes

1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper (optional)

1 large slice of cheddar or longhorn cheese

1 - Caramelize the onion by heating 1 tbsp of olive oil on high heat, adding the onions, stirring to coat all with oil, then reducing to low heat and cook 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown.

2 - Add the Jalapeno pepper (if used) and cook another minute.

3 - Puree' the tomatoes in a food processor or blender, turn up the heat and add the puree to deglaze the skillet.

4 - Continue to cook stirring continuously until most of the water has evaporated and the tomatoes are starting to caramelize.

5 - Remove the mixture and set aside, then add the other tbsp of olive oil and stir to do an oil deglaze..

6 - Add the eggs and whisk in the skillet until partially set (this will only take a few seconds at high heat).

Remove the skillet from the heat add back the onion tomato mixture and fold the partially set egg over on it.

7 - Place a large slice of cheddar or longhorn cheese over it and put in a preheated oven for just enough time to melt the cheese.

Remove and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Note - Don't worry if you get some sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Depending on your technique this omelet may either look great or awful, but it will taste great! By Frank Ernhart