Cooking Quick Tips

Tips and Basic Guide on Quick Breads

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:54:28 PST

It's easy to understand why quick breads are so popular. First of all, there's such a wide variety of taste-tempting breads from which to choose. And, they're relatively speedy to prepare and bake, especially when you take into account the rising time necessary for yeast bread preparation.

Although biscuits, muffins, and nut breads play a particularly tasty role in rounding out the meal, the quick bread family isn't limited to the bread plate. In fact, feathery pancakes and crisp waffles can serve as part of the main dish. And dough nuts, often star as the meal-ending dessert.

The following are quick bread tips and explanations:

• Baking powder, baking soda, steam, or air -- rather than yeast --- leaven quick breads.
• Most quick breads are best served hot from the oven- with plenty of butter!
• Most nut breads should be stored for at least a day. The flavors will mellow and the loaf will slice more easily.
• After baking, turn nut breads out of the pan and cool on a wire rack. Place cooled bread in an airtight container, or wrap it in foil or clear plastic wrap.
• A crack down the center of a nut loaf is no mistake --- it's typical.

Serve nut breads cut in very thin slices with simple spreads: soft butter, cream cheese, jam or jelly.

Dip tops of warm muffins in melted butter or margarine and then in sugar for a sweet and sparkling crusty topping.

Here is a recipe on a quick bread:

Zucchini Nut Loaf

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded peeled zucchini
1 egg
¼ cup cooking oil
¼ tsp finely shredded lemon peel
12 cup chopped walnuts
Oven 350o

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, shredded zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon peel; mix well. Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture. Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into a greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pan. Bake in 350o oven for 55 to 60 minutes or till wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a rack. Wrap and store loaf overnight before slicing. Makes 1.

Sandy is a food lover who has been into food business for more than 20 years. She shares her experience in cooking tips, recipes as well as healthy cooking way.

How to Cook Healthy Meals Fast Using Foods Which Take Less Time to Prepare

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:52:38 PST

With all the things we have to do every day, like working, shopping, cleaning etc., cooking our own healthy meals often becomes a challenge that makes many give up. We then seek our refuge in fast food that we pick up on the way home and ready-made meals out of the freezer which are neither good for our budget nor for our health when we eat them too often.

But did you know that there are some great shortcuts you can take to prepare meals in less time? Half an hour can be all you need to get a tasty and healthy meal on the table. Let me explain to you how to cook faster by using foods which take less time to prepare!

Focus on little and easy-to-prepare ingredients
Base your meals on foods that are ready for use

Trick #1: Focus on little and easy-to-prepare ingredients

It can be quite challenging to handle a wide variety of ingredients when you are in a hurry. To keep the overview, rather stick with a small number of ingredients, about 3 to 5 for the most.
Also make sure you choose foods that are quick and easy to prepare, that is for example everything that does not need to be peeled, does not have pips or seeds to remove and is cut very easily, like marrow, mushrooms or tomatoes.
Thirdly, use foods that don't take long to cook (even if you cut larger pieces to save time), e.g. leek, aubergines and peppers.

Trick #2: Base your meals on foods that are ready for use

Buy fresh foods that are already cleaned and cut so that you just need to cook them.
Canned or frozen fruit or vegetables are another great asset for fast cooking. Canned foods just need to be warmed, which is an issue of minutes. Frozen foods can be cooked straight from the freezer and are done in about half the time as if you would use the same amount of fresh food.
Foods that can be eaten raw are also marvellous if you don't have much time. Think for example of a green salad with cucumber slices and pieces of pepper. Or add canned pineapple pieces and chopped walnuts, or shredded tuna and cherry tomatoes.
Left-overs often make you create great meals. Try to plan left-overs that can help you. If you have grilled chicken filet one day, prepare enough so that you can cut it up for a salad or pasta sauce. Cook more potatoes than you need so that the next day you just need to bake them quickly.

These are two simple but powerful tricks that you can apply easily. Fast cooking is not magic, all it takes is to know some basic rules and techniques, and you can prepare healthy meals yourself in little time, leaving you and your family healthier and with more time and money to spend on other things you enjoy.

Bettina Berlin is a health professional specializing in healthy nutrition and quick cooking. Eating healthy and thus maintaining a healthy weight can significantly improve your health and help prevent many diseases. Is your life so hectic that preparing healthy food often seems impossible? Then visit http://www.elishas-quick-recipes.blogspot.com

6 Quick Tips to Eat More Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:51:01 PST

We all know that vegetables are greatly beneficial for the body, but yet we do not like to eat them much. The excuse is always in the taste. Eating raw vegetables are difficult for a start. They are hard to chew and taste blank. As the health benefits in eating more vegetables has far outweighed the taste part of it, it is good reason to find ways to make them more palatable and appealing to our taste buds.

# 1. Time the serving

Offer vegetables such as broccoli at the beginning of the meal when you and your family are feeling the hungriest. This way the tendency to eat the vegetables are most likeliest. Have them served in a variety of combinations and color such as boiled peas, potatoes, carrots, beans and corn.

# 2. Vegetables in sauces

Lightly steamed vegetables mixed with some sauces and herbs such as garlic do make a difference. My children do not like to eat them you may say. But with the lightly steamed vegetables mixed with oyster sauces and flaxseed oil, eating them is much more pleasant now. Even if your husband hates
vegetables, do not despair. Think of adding vegetables in some meat or seafood dishes cooked with some sauces in a casserole, he will tend to eat more vegetables than he realizes. Add the vegetables last after the meat is cooked so that the green color of the vegetables is preserved to
make them looked yummy.

# 3. Spaghetti sauce with vegetables

When serving your family favorite food such as spaghetti, remember to add in some vegetables into the sauce. Cook your minced meat first before adding chopped tomatoes, zucchini and broccoli into the sauce along with some garlic and herb.
Mix well the ingredients and your spaghetti dish is ready for serving. Your family will love the nutritious spaghetti dinner which is actually good for them.

# 4. Tasty vegetable soups

Bring to boil a small pot of soup cooked with some chicken bones or pork ribs. Throw in the green vegetables such as spinach and add in a pinch of salt and serve hot when the soup starts to boil again. The vegetable soup is nutritious as the vitamins are contained in the soup. It will make you feel full much faster and you tend to eat less of the other food portions.

# 5. Vegetable noodle snacks

If you are into eating ramen or instant noodles, adding in some cut carrots, cabbage and any green vegetables makes it a nice dish. It is fast to prepare and putting an egg or some meat to it makes this high carb food away from considering it a junk. Some may prefer to have it with raw
sliced cucumbers. You should refrain from adding too much of the unnatural soup based flavors as the sodium content is
high.

# 6. Mixed vegetables

Prepare vegetables in new ways such as stir frying very lightly with some salt or herbs. You can have plate of mixed vegetable fried together along with your favorite food, such as peas in macaroni and cheese or blend soft cooked carrots into mashed potatoes. Steam some sweet potatoes or bake this
high-fiber, vitamin-A rich food with a touch of sugar, cinnamon and cloves.

Eating more vegetables is an integral part of a weight loss program as it will help you to burn more calories and stay trim.

Jessie Mcfarland is your #1 recommended weight loss consultant. Get FREE Insider Access to her opt-in-list, private blog and members-only forum and learn how to lose weight the smart and healthy way at http://weightlossdietclub.com

4 Quick Tips To Eating Healthy

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:44:30 PST

The best part is that you can eat as much as you want of some of your favorite foods! There is absolutely no cutting back when it comes to certain items, and the results are real, significant, and fast. This program definitely may not work for every person, but if you are serious about losing weight quickly and cheaply, this is a great solution for you.

These 4 quick tips work great for losing weight, because it will provide you will all the nutrition that your body would get from a normal diet, but at the same time will make you lose weight fast. It uses what you eat to burn fat quickly and efficiently, maximizing your body's weight-loss potential.

Some of the foods that you can eat as much of as you want are as follows:

1) Apples: Apples are delicious and one of the best things you can eat. They don't require packaging, are convenient, are extremely filling, and have a great amount of vitamins. They also work to hydrate your body, and can keep hunger pains away. Eat as many apples as you want every day, and still maintain a great figure. Also, there are so many varieties of apples that you can have a different kind every day and never get bored!

2) Black beans: Black beans are full of protein, are extremely cheap, and go great on everything from salads to burritos. Throw in a little chili powder and some salt, and they make a great meal all by themselves. Mix in a little brown rice and you have a hearty meal! Anyone can make black beans work in their diet, as they are extremely versatile and are one of the cheapest foods you can get. Try to work in Black beans at every meal to help fill you up and provide extra protein for muscle building.

3) Low Calorie Yogurt: Low Calorie Yogurt is delicious, provides Vitamin D, and helps keep the weight off permanently. Yogurt makes a great breakfast, snack, lunch, or can be part of a healthy dinner. It is also very affordable, and it doesn't take much to spice it up with a little cereal or crunchy granola.

4) Eggs: Eggs are nutritious, full of protein, and can work in any meal plan. You can cook them a variety of ways, so eggs are never something that is going to get boring to eat. They should be a staple in everyone's diet.

This weight loss program is not intended for long-term use, but can help you lose weight and burn fat quickly and effectively, and also at a low price. Stay on track to develop healthy habits and that is how you will achieve a long term healthy lifestyle.

5 Quick Tips to Cut Excess Sugar Now

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:42:51 PST

Most of our daily favorite foods are pre-sweetened and loaded with sugar. Consuming too much sugar can only result in weight gain because excess sugar that is not needed is stored as fats. Taking refined sugar will rob your body of the vitamins and minerals required to function healthily. Sugar also causes your hormone insulin in your blood to elevate and you tires out easily besides giving you a host of chronic health problems such as diabetes and hypertension. The following 5 quick tips will help in your weight loss.

#1. Stay away from fizzy drinks
Diet sodas or diet cokes are just as bad for you as regular ones because they are loaded with sugar. They may contain zero calories, but the extra sugars will turn to fats if the body does not need it. Sugar makes you thirsty. Consuming more soda to quench the thirst only increases it. Soon your vital organs may scream at you because they need water.

# 2. Eat fresh fruits daily
Eating fresh fruits is better than the fruit juice to maintain the daily requirement of nutrients your body needs. Anything that you drink is absorbed faster than what you eat. Some fruit juices have extra sugar and calories. Try a negative calorie fruit like an apple or an orange. Fruit contains natural sugars that satisfy a sweet tooth without overdoing it. Eating a piece of fruit will fill you up and keep the hunger away longer than a glass of juice.

# 3. Start the day with wholegrain breakfast cereals.
Cereals make a quick and easy breakfast, but some contain high sugar content. Choose wholegrain cereals instead though it is not exactly appetizing. One also can find many instant varieties of oatmeal that are easy to cook. You just need bowl, a half cup of hot water, and a packet of oatmeal to make a hearty hot breakfast. Oatmeal offers more fiber and protein than cold cereals which provides a steady level of energy and fullness to combat hunger.

# 4. Choose low calorie snacks.
Some low calorie snacks can be enjoyed in moderation with the same satisfaction. The guide is anything that is more than 15g sugars per 100 gm is considered high in sugar. Watch out for food labels that have added sugars, such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch, corn syrup and honey. If you see these in the labels, you know that the product is likely to be high in added sugars.

# 5. Stay off free snacking
If you are working in an office, you know that there is always someone with a jar of biscuits or a dish of chocolate candies on their desk. Your colleagues may offer you donuts or other sweet treats bought while on holidays. Avoid the office fat trap. These extra sweets add to the bottom line literally. Having a good breakfast at home can help you to ward off the need for a donut in the morning. Instead keep your own jar of healthy snacks on your desk so there is no need to indulge elsewhere.

Sugar is found in almost all the stuff you eat everyday. It is alright to consume in moderation, but the problem starts when you overindulge. Simply decide today to search out those hidden sugar sources and make an effort to cut them off.

Learn to cooking now

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:53:04 PST

Take it easy right now because you can cooking at your home just using the internet. It looks like weird right? For who are familiar with videojug, this is the easy place and good website that contain various of video that can give you the rough opinion about something that look complex but the real it is just a simple a b c. Just the simple step, you can view much video about what you are really want to know. For example vegetarian recipes. When you are going to that link, you can found about vegetarian recipes at that database. For the starting, you can read the summary about that tag. After that, you can play the video that upload at that database. Before that, i suggest you to sign up at the first time because you can get much more benefit from that step. Besides that, you also can give the comment about that video. Basically you can get the general information from one information because most of that video are on How to make title. So you just need seat and ready pen and note to copy that gradient. So, for the mom at the house that boring cooking the same dish, try change to something that look something different. Take action now!

Try easy British Cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:26:02 PST

The simple homespun fare and plain preparation of most traditional British foods pales when compared to French haute cuisine, and it’s not uncommon for food critics to sound almost apologetic when writing about traditional British dishes as if there were something shameful in enjoying a good, thick joint of beef with an accompaniment of Yorkshire pudding. If they speak in glowing terms of anything at all, it is a nod to the clever naming of British foods, where dishes like bubble and squeak and spotted dick appear on restaurant menus.

And yet, for all the snickering and apologetic references, British cuisine at its best is hearty, delicious, simple fare on which to fuel the nation that influenced the entire world. There is no other nation in the world that does a roast of beef to such perfection, nor any better accompaniment to the succulent meat than a puffed, piping hot Yorkshire pudding prepared in its drippings, and few cuisines have a dessert that can compare with the pure heaven that is a well made trifle or treacle tart.

British cuisine is a blending of the practical with the nutritious. If it is, as some say, unimaginative, that may be because the food itself needs little imagination to fancy it up and make it palatable. It is certainly not because the British mind lacks imagination when it comes to food – the common names for everyday meals sometimes require a translator just so you’ll know what’s on your plate. A walk through a restaurant take-away menu offers such dishes as ‘mushy peas’, steak and kidney pie, fish and chips and bangers and mash.

There are well-known British dishes for eating at each meal. Some of the most popular include:

Breakfast:
A full English country breakfast includes meat, eggs, pancakes or toast and side dishes like hash and bangers and mash. It’s hearty fare, the sort that is set on the table for dinner in most other cultures. It often includes leftovers from last night’s dinner, diced and fried together with seasonings and butter, sometimes called country hash.

Tea:
The tradition of mid-afternoon tea is one that’s been observed by the British for centuries. Among the most common dishes served at mid-afternoon tea are finger-foods like crumpets with jam and clotted cream, dainty watercress sandwiches and scones with raisins or dried fruits.

Sunday Dinner:
The Sunday dinner has a long tradition as being a family occasion – the one meal of the week at which all family members gathered. A roast joint of meat – beef, lamb, pork or chicken – is nearly a requirement, and it is served with a potato and vegetable, and very often accompanied by Yorkshire pudding.

Puddings and custards feature prominently in British cuisine. Baked, boiled or steamed, puddings are usually made with suet and breading, and studded with dried fruits and nuts. One of the most popular and delightful British desserts is the trifle, and there are nearly as many variations as there are cooks. The base is a sponge cake, often left over from another meal. Soaked in Madeira or port, it is layered in a dish with custard, jam, fruits and Jell-O and topped with whipped cream. The end result is a delicious mélange that is features all that is good about British cookery – plain, practical cooking that is meant to fill the belly and satisfy the taste buds.

Quick and Easy Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:16:31 PST

Another day, another dinner to prepare. Are you having a difficult time finding easy to prepare meals that can satisfy your growing family?

You want to give your family the best, but time is in short supply and preparing a healthy meal has become a chore. Too often take out or frozen dinners have to do. Is there a way to combine healthy eating with convenience?

Healthy Family Meals - Better for Children, Easier for You
Yes! Quick and easy recipe, new methods of cooking and easy to prepare staples can change your eating habits and lead to a better eating style for your family. According to the 'Kid's Health' Program created by the Nemours Foundation, family meals are an important part of developing healthy habits in your kids.
Eating as a family will encourage your kids to eat healthy foods like whole grains and vegetables. It will discourage unhealthy snacking and even make them less likely to try smoking, alcohol or marijuana.

But how do you plan healthy family meals on a tight schedule? Here are some ideas to start:

Does your family love lasagna? Maybe you thought that it was a labor intensive dish that just doesn't fit your lifestyle. Cheesy and full of fat, perhaps it's not even a wise choice. However, lasagna is actually one of the most versatile meals to prepare - and with instant (no boil) noodles, it doesn't even have to be a big job.

There are lasagna recipes for vegetarians, low-carb, low-fat and even diabetic diets. Lasagna noodles now come in instant, no-cook preparations that cut time and energy when making this hearty dish.

For lasagna or other pasta dishes, try using whole wheat pasta and shredding carrots or zucchini into the meat sauce for an easy way to up the nutritional value. Using lean ground beef or even substituting with ground turkey or chicken can make for a surprising, yet nourishing result. Buy bottled pasta sauces for even faster preparation - many grocers carry a wide assortment that will add variety to your dishes.

Looking for an elegant chicken dinner? Don't forget about frozen skinless chicken breasts. Baked in the oven with a dollop of salsa and shredded cheddar on top makes for a healthy alternative to frying or heavy sauces.

Need ideas for a side dish? Why are you wasting time cutting and washing lettuce when you can pick up a prepackaged bag at the grocers? Not to say it's the cheapest method, but it definitely helps busy families put nutrition ahead of convenience when planning a meal.

Have you ever tried steaming vegetables in the microwave? Fresh or frozen veggies make for another easy side dish when they're popped into the microwave for a few minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of water and cover with a paper towel, an easy AND healthy alternative to frying or boiling.

We're all concerned about our children eating healthier foods. Regular family meals will encourage kids to develop healthy eating habits - an important key to good health later in life. By making meal time less stressful you can focus on the joys of spending time together instead of the hassles of preparing healthy family meals.

American Fast Food Restaurants

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:04:46 PDT

As a staple of life our need to eat has developed from a basic form of simply feeding our bodies with the fuel it requires, to a complicated art of presentation and taste combined with our intrinsic need to experiment with everything we see, touch, smell and of course taste.

The ever-increasing divergence of foods that is now available to us at our local stores and eating-places only help to confuse and tantalise us into new culinary experiments and delights.

From the sandwich shop to the award winning restaurants, we can always find a place that prepares and sells the food we want at a reasonable price, although cooking or preparing food for ourselves may be a cheaper or healthier option it never seems to taste the same as our local restaurant. Most people that have cooked their own versions and varieties of local, Chinese, Indian or other international cuisine believes it does not have the same taste or texture and will often opt for a more authentic meal from their local restaurant or take away.

Cooking at home has become less of a choice and more of a chore. With the large amount of ready meals available, the option of spending time in the kitchen becomes less and less appealing. People are spending more of their time and money in the world of fast foods and restaurants. Although some believe this to be a bad thing it has fuelled a new market in available meals that are only a phone call away. As long as the health and hygiene departments vet these establishments and our choices are varied, of good quality and healthy their use can be a good alternative to cooking our own meals.

With the onset of fast foods and the quick cook and ready cooked meals available along with the ever increasing choice of world cuisine, the enjoyment of these different foods have opened new options to the consumer within the food market.

In today's busy world where leisure time has become more and more important, the less time spent working and preparing to eat allows us more available time for our pursuit of our leisure activities.

People who do not have the ability, time or will to cook at home now only have to pick up the phone book or click on the Internet in order to find their local restaurant or fast food retailer that will be more than happy to deliver the freshly prepared hot food ready to eat straight to their door with minimum fuss.

Although the fast food retailers compete with each other fiercely, using their special offers and cheaper and healthier alternatives to entice us to their premises, the main stay of traditional restaurants still hold an important part in our lives.

Even though these places are vastly out numbered by the fast food industry, we still enjoy sitting down in the nice comfortable and pleasant surroundings of a restaurant and dining on good quality food at a leisurely pace, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of daily life and the fast food rush.

Traditional restaurants will always offer us that pleasant alternative to eating at home, ordering take out from our local fast food dispenser or visiting their drive through or small busy café style restaurants. Not forgetting those special occasions or romantic rendezvous, these still command the need for that quiet stylish quality restaurant where we know that the food wine and service will always be excellent and the experience wonderful and charming.

3 Non-Traditional Ways to Prepare Your Holiday Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:01:52 PDT

Deep-Fryed Turkey

3 gallons peanut oil for frying, or as needed
1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1/4 cup Creole seasoning
1 white onion

In a large stockpot or turkey fryer, heat oil to 400 degrees F. Be sure to leave room for the turkey, or the oil will spill
over.

How to determine the amount of oil you need:

The easiest way I've found to determine the amount of oil you need is to place the turkey into the fryer and fill with water until the turkey is just covered. Remove turkey and allow to drain, pat dry with paper towels as well. Make note of the level of water in the fryer. Discard water and dry throughly. Fill frying vessel with oil to the level as noted above. This should help in preventing hot oil spill overs.

Layer a large platter with food-safe paper bags. Rinse turkey, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Rub Creole seasoning over turkey inside and out. Make sure the hole at the neck is open at least 2 inches so the oil can flow freely through the bird. Place the whole onion and turkey in drain basket. The turkey should be placed in basket neck end first. Slowly lower basket into hot oil to completely cover turkey. Maintain the temperature of the oil at 350 degrees F, and cook turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound, about 45 minutes. Carefully remove basket from oil, and drain turkey. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; the internal temperature must be 180 degrees F.

Finish draining turkey on the prepared platter.

Grilled Whole Turkey

12 pounds whole turkey
2 cups water
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon paprika

Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium heat, and lightly oil grate. Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Place turkey breast side down on the prepared grill. Sear turkey on both sides until skin is golden to dark brown. In a large roasting pan, mix together the water, bouillon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, parsley, and paprika. Place turkey breast side down in the roasting pan. Scoop the pan mixture over the turkey. Cover tightly with foil and place on grill. Grill 3 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180F. Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Smoked Turkey

1 turkey 8 to 22 lbs., fresh or completely thawed
Sweet Pickle Brine (recipe to follow)
Maple syrup

Sweet Pickle Brine:

1 gal. water
2 1/2 cups salt, rock, pickling or canning salts are recommened
1/3 cup of light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Lquid garlic
1 oz. pickling spices

Mix well. You may need to adjust the amounts depending on the size of your bird. This recipe should suit you fine for an 8 to 12 lb. turkey.

Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water, drain and pat dry. Prepare sweet pickle brine. Brine turkey according to the following schedule,
8 to 12 lb. bird 3 days, 13 to 16 lb. bird 4 days, 17 to 22 lb. bird 5 days. Remove from brine; rinse thoroughly in cold water and pat dry. Allow to dry in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Lock wings behind back and tie legs and tail together. Baste turkey with maple syrup before putting in smoker and every 2 hours while smoking. Position turkey on cooking grill. Smoke cook until done.

The best way to determine doneness is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey (the breast) the internal temperature should read 180 degrees F.

Smoking food is more an art than a science; this recipe is not intended for the novice. Allot of factors go into determining the cooking time for a particular food when smoking.

Cool turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving to enhance the smoked flavor. You may serve the turkey right away if you wish.

3 Methods For Perfectly Melted Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:58:25 PDT

Melting chocolate for baking is an exacting task, if not done perfectly you can end up with a burned or grainy mess and ruin whatever you are baking. Below are 3 methods for melting chocolate, each can be successful in it’s own way and you need only pick a method that works for you and get cooking!
In The Oven

Chocolate can be melted in the oven quite easily but you will need to be very diligent about watching it. It’s easy to get caught up in your other baking chores and not realize that you have overheated it until it is too late. To melt chocolate in the oven, heat the oven to 110 degrees. Chop the chocolate and place in a dish inside the oven. Keep the door open and check regularly. It will take about an hour to melt thoroughly.
Double Boiler Method

This tried and true method uses two pots or a special double boiler pot. The bottom pot has about an inch of water in it and the top pot is a bit smaller and rests on the bottom pot. The water should be heated to just below a simmer. Chop the chocolate and put it in the top pot. The chocolate should be stirred until melted and you must be very careful not to get any water mixed in with the chocolate as this will make it grainy.
Microwave

Using the microwave to melt chocolate can be the fastest but also the most disastrous method as a couple of seconds of overheating can ruin the chocolate. Chop the chocolate and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% for 1 to 4 minutes - the amount of time needed will depend on the amount of chocolate you are melting so you will have to watch the chocolate the whole time. When you see that it is turning shiny and before it is fully melted, remove it from the oven and stir until it melts fully.

Chicken Stock

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:50:39 PDT

The basis of a good soup is usually a good stock. Once you know how to make a good stock, you can use it for an almost endless variety of soups. This is a recipe I use for chicken stock that's easy to make, and tastes delicious. I usually make extra, and freeze what I don't use.

1 Whole Chicken, about 3 pounds
8 cups water
2 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 stalks of celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 sprigs of parsley
1-2 sprigs of sage
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme (please, no Simon and Garfunkel jokes)
2 tsp. salt

Cut the chicken up into pieces.

Put the chicken, and the rest of the ingredients into a large kettle, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 3 hours.

Remove the chicken, and place in a bowl to cool.

Pour the stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth, and chill.

When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones, and freeze or refrigerate the chicken for another use.

Skim the fat off of the stock, and refrigerate, freeze, or use immediately.

Yield: About 6 cups of stock, about 4 cups of chicken.

Don't feel constrained by the ingredients and amounts listed in this recipe. You can use other herbs for a different flavor. You could add ginger peels and lemongrass for an asian flavor. Just let your imagination run wild.

You don't need to use a whole chicken either. You can buy the bone-in chicken breasts, and remove the bones before cooking. Then just put the bones in a plastic bag, and put them into the freezer. Then when you're ready to make the stock, just take the bones out and use them in the stock.

Once you've learned to make this chicken stock, you can use it as a basis for many different soups... chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, peanut butter soup... again, just let your imagination run wild with it, and enjoy!

A Recipe for Rye Bread

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:41:07 PDT

The more I make bread, the more I am convinced of the importance of the kitchen being in the best position in the house. When we designed and built our house, I was determined that the kitchen should have a view and be on the front of the house. Now that it’s six-fifteen of a summer morning and I’m up early, kneading bread, because we’ve run out again, I’m especially happy to be looking out over a sun-soaked landscape to the distant mountains. Every time you make bread you’re guaranteed a good ten minutes of contemplation as you knead it, the mechanical rhythmic activity frees the mind to wander or switch off…very therapeutic. Having a view thrown in as well is just an added bonus.

I haven’t always made bread. It is a comparatively recent development. Making jam was the first breakthrough into self-sufficiency, then came the day when our local supplier of rye bread, who made a loaf that (miracle of miracles), all the children would eat, decided to switch recipes and use caraway in it…instant rejection by the whole family.

We’d stopped the wheat bread to try and help my son’s allergies and found it helped most of us, so apart from the occasional indulgence of fluffy white bread, I wanted to stay off it. There was no alternative; I would have to take the leap into bread making. The main reason that I’d resisted was that it seemed to take so long. First the mixing and kneading, then the rising, then knocking down and forming loaves, a second rising and finally the baking. Who could keep track of all that in the chaotic life of a three-child family?

So eventually I take the plunge, turn to my friend Nigel (Slater, not namedropping but he and Nigella (Lawson) are ever-present in my kitchen, in book format of course) and find a foolproof recipe for a white loaf, simpler to start off with white I think. Well the first try produced a reasonable, if huge, loaf, though my son still remembers that it was a bit doughy in the middle. Second try, I got two pretty perfect loaves and I was on a roll.

Now to find a recipe for rye bread. It seems that 100% rye is usually made by the sour dough method and I couldn’t see my family going for that, so settle for a half and half rye/whole-wheat recipe… triumph. Ok, my son the food connoisseur complained it was a bit too sweet, so next time round I reduced the amount of honey, but this recipe has been our staple diet ever since, and I am now truly ensconced in my kitchen, looking at the view, every other day, while I endeavour to keep the supply level with the ever increasing demand.

Any way, finally to the recipe:

500g rye flour
450g whole-wheat flour plus more for kneading
50g plain flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 10g sachet of instant yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons oil
670 ml milk
125 ml water

Warm the milk to lukewarm. Mix the flours and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and put in the yeast, then honey, then oil, pour on the warmed milk and water and mix. When it gets doughy turn out on to a well floured surface (it will be extremely sticky) and knead for 10 minutes. You will need to keep adding flour as you knead.

It is better for it to be too sticky than too dry – you can always add more flour, but too dry will make a dry, hard loaf. After 10 minutes, put it back into the bowl with a plastic bag over it and leave in a warmish place for two hours or so. Then knock down, firmly pressing out the air, but not over kneading, then form into two or three loaves on a baking sheet, cover again and leave to rise for another hour. Then bake for 30 minutes at 190C until they sound hollow when you tap on the bottom of the loaf. Cool on a wire rack

So how do I keep track of the bread making, in between school runs, mealtimes and the rest? Well I don’t always. There are times when I optimistically start the bread off, leave it to rise and four hours later remember about it, knock it down, forget to switch on the oven so it has had an extra day or so in rising time by the time it gets cooked. It does seem to be very forgiving though – whatever you do to it, you do generally get bread out at the end, it may not always be the perfect loaf, but then variety is the spice of life after all. There was one time it hadn’t quite finished cooking by the time I had to do the school run, so I asked my husband to take it out in ten minutes….. By the time I got back we had a very useful weapon against intruders. We didn’t eat that one…I think it was ryvita for lunch…!

Good luck with yours.

by: Kit Heathcock

Choosing Foods For Your Special Event

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:57:29 PDT

Choosing the right menu for a special event can be just as important as choosing a location. Food can communicate a theme, convey a feeling or set the mood of an entire night. If you are planning a high-class extravaganza, hot dogs and beer might not be appropriate. However, they might be the perfect choice for a birthday party at the lake. Taking great care in planning a menu shows your guests how much you appreciate them, and a great meal can help make a special day even more memorable.

If you are planning a birthday party for your child, an interactive meal can be a fun activity for your guests. Rather than slaving away in the kitchen all day or spending countless dollars ordering pizzas, you can save time and money by letting the guests make their own special creations. One fun idea is to prepare a multitude of toppings and let the children make their own bagel or English muffin pizzas. They will have a blast piling on strange combinations of toppings, and they will enjoy feeling like grown-ups in the kitchen.

For a more formal occasion like a holiday party, finger foods can be great for mingling guests, and they can be great topics of conversation. The obligatory finger sandwich can be spiced up by adding your own special pesto or cheese spread to an already tried and true recipe. Experiment with different ingredients in the weeks prior to the party, and test them out on your family. You will know when you get the reaction you are looking for, and you might end up spending much of the party writing down your recipe for your guests.

Planning a menu for a wedding can be quite stressful, especially when you are not sure exactly how many guests will be attending. The rule of thumb is that too much is better than not enough, even if it means having a lot of food left over at the end of the night. You can choose to have a buffet-style dinner, or you can have a set menu for your guests. It is important to consider your guests with special dietary needs. You should have vegetarian and low-sodium alternatives to your main courses, and you should have a heart-healthy menu for those who must avoid foods with high fat contents.

Before attempting a large-scale meal, you should make all of the dishes several times to perfect your recipes. Your goal is to have guests asking for more even after it all runs out. Test your creations on a variety of people and make adjustments according to their suggestions. When cooking food from your own recipes, it is important to remember the details of what you did every time you make it. That way you will know what went wrong when something turns out horrible, and more importantly what went right when you receive raving reviews.

Planning portions is the most important part of catering your own party. Though most recipes tell you how many people they will feed, it is best to err on the side of caution. If a recipe feeds eight, you might want to count it as six or seven, depending on how many guests you expect. Plan that half of your guests will want to go back for seconds. If you know that one dish will be a favorite, be sure to make extra. Though the green beans may be the healthier option, you can usually bet that the cheesecake will go a lot quicker. Keep in mind that the greater the variety, the more people you will please, so even if you are a steamed vegetable lover, you should probably prepare some beefy options for your less than health conscious guests.

A Chicken Recipe for Every Occasion

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:45:58 PDT

It taste just like chicken.

That line’s become a part of our culture to describe meat dishes that aren’t made with chicken, but none the less, taste almost exactly like our favorite poultry meat. And why do we think that many of these alternative white meats (including tofu substitutes) taste like chicken?

Because most of us have grown up eating chicken in every conceivable way, shape, and form. Chicken is by far the most versatile meat used in recipes and will continue to be so as long as it remains relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare.

To give you an idea of the vast variety of chicken recipes, I’ve dug up a few favorites that folks are often looking for online:

Garlic lemon chicken, beer can chicken, chicken marsala, chicken and dumplings, baked chicken, chicken parmesan, chicken pot pie, bourbon chicken, chicken noodle soup, chicken salad, chicken and dumplings, chicken breast, white chicken chili, fried chicken, chicken tortilla soup, chicken cordon blue or bleu, chicken parmesan, chicken divan, chicken wings, chicken cacciatore, chicken enchiladas, orange chicken, chicken casserole, chicken stew, curry chicken, fried chicken.

And that’s just a small sample of the wonderful chicken recipes you can find online. It doesn’t matter if you’re not the greatest cook in the world or if you love to cook but short on time. You’re bound to find several chicken recipes that fit your budget, schedule, and level of cooking expertise.

You can bet your sweet chicken noodle that somewhere right now there’s a cook putting a chicken in a pot, oven, pan, or casserole dish getting ready to create another delicious chicken inspired dish.

Barbecue Sauce Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:08:03 PDT

The barbecue began in the American context during the late 1800's cattle drives in the West. The cowhands usually had low quality cuts of beef that had to be preserved over long periods of time of cattle driving.

The main choice for this was brisket that is tough meat. The cowboys soon learned that if they cooked the meat over a long period of time at a low temperature the meat could be made tender and tasty. During this time, the cooks also experimented with various barbecue sauces to make the beef even tastier.

Personally barbecue is my favorite style of cooking meat. I love the taste of barbecue and find that it's suitable for nearly all occasions.

I agree with history that the barbecue sauce is as important as the barbecue itself. A good barbecue sauce can make or break a sumptuous meal.

I can still remember clearly the T-bone barbecue steak I tasted at Larry's Drive. The sauce that was served with the barbecue steak was simply awesome. Every time I recall the experience my mouth just waters.

I have often asked myself how-to recreate that awesome sauce. Until I came across Debbie Beaston's barbecue sauce recipe on the Internet that could be the answer to my wish. It's called the "Top Secret BBQ Sauce Recipe".

I haven't bought the "Top Secret BBQ Sauce Recipe" yet, but thinking of convincing my wife to buy it because she loves cooking.

The BBQ sauce recipe ebook also includes BBQ recipes, rubs, mops and marinades. There is also great advice and ideas about what to cook with your barbecue.

Best Recipes: Ice Cream Cookie Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:54:00 PDT

Gather everybody around for this really cool cold pizza. Each person will have lots of fun topping their ice cream pizza slices with lots of yummy goodies. Great for kids parties.

Cookie

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Ice Cream

1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Toppings

Fudge sauce, strawberry sauce, caramel sauce, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, m&m candies, gummi candy, coarsely chopped chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped candy bars, candy sprinkles, nuts.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Spread dough evenly into ungreased 12-inch pizza pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Spread ice cream evenly over cooled cookie. Freeze until firm (1 to 2 hours).
To serve, cut into wedges; top with desired topping.

Garlic: A Quick Guide

noreply@blogger.com (fenol86) — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:21:54 PDT

Garlic, there's nothing like the smell of garlic. It's great in soups and sauces, roasted with meats or on it's own, and it's wonderful mixed with butter and slathered on bread and then baked.

The scientific name for garlic is Allium Sativum. It is related to the lily and the onion. Although related to the onion, and having a flavor that very slightly resembles that of an onion, garlic does not bring tears to the eyes when chopped.

When buying fresh garlic, be sure that the head feels very firm when you squeeze it. Over time, garlic will soften and begin to sprout, which turns the garlic bitter. To store fresh garlic, keep it in a dark, cool place, such as the basement. Do not refrigerate or freeze the garlic, as it will begin to loose it's taste.

To peel a clove of garlic, place it on a cutting board, and put the flat of the blade of the knife against it. Press down on the other side of the blade with the heel of your hand, flattening the garlic slightly. The skin will come right off.

The strong flavor and odor of garlic come from sulfur compounds within the cells. The more cells that are broken, the stronger the flavor of the garlic will be. For the mildest flavor, just use a whole or slightly crushed clove of garlic. For a bit stronger flavor, slice or chop the garlic, and for the strongest flavor, mash the garlic into a paste.

Cooking garlic tames the strong flavor, and changes it in different ways, depending on how it's cooked. If using in a sauce, it can be sweated or sauteed. In sweating the garlic, it is first chopped finely, and then added to a cold pan with some oil, it is then gently heated, causing the oil to become infused with the garlic flavor. To sautee garlic, heat the oil in the pan first, and then add the chopped garlic, stirring frequently, and being careful not to let the garlic burn and become bitter.

Roasting the garlic softens the flavor, and makes it soft and perfect for mixing with cream cheese to spread onto toast, or just spread on the toast itself.

To roast the garlic, take a whole head of garlic, and remove the papery outer skin. Place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, and drizzle with some olive oil. Loosely wrap the garlic in the foil, and place it into a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove the garlic and let it cool. When cool enough to handle, separate the cloves of garlic, and squeeze each one. The flesh should pop right out. The roasted garlic is great mixed with cheese or potatoes, or on it's own.

Don't be afraid to use garlic in your cooking. Garlic is flavorful, and healthful, and of course, it will keep those pesky vampires away.