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Easy Chicken Crock Pot Recipes

2013-03-01T10:19:00.002-08:00

Running out of ideas on what to make for dinner? Here are some quick and easy recipes you can make using your crock pot, some chicken and some simple ingredients.

Italian Chicken Dinner

What you need:
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 11/2 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1 t sugar
• 2 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dried basil
• 2 T olive oil
• cooked spaghetti, fettuccine or noodles of choice
• salt and pepper to taste

What you do:
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Salt and pepper chicken, add to skillet and brown on both sides. Place chicken on the bottom of a 3.5 quart or larger crock-pot. Add all remaining ingredients except for cheese and noodles to a medium bowl and mix. Pour mixture over chicken and cook, covered, for 6 hours on low. Sprinkle cheese over chicken and continue cooking, covered, until cheese is melted. Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Easy Chicken Stew

What you need:
• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 c frozen corn
• 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 c water
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/8 t black pepper

What you do:
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces. Add chicken to skillet and cook until lightly browned. Place chicken and remaining ingredients into a 3.5 quart or larger crock pot and mix. Cook, covered, for 8 hours on low.

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken and Mushrooms

What you need:
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 ribs of celery, sliced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 8 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 103/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 103/4 oz can cream of celery soup
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 oz jar pimentos, drained
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• fettuccine (optional)

What you do:
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken, salt and pepper and saute in oil for 3 minutes.
• In a 3.5 quart or larger crock pot, add chicken. Add celery, mushrooms, pimentos, green pepper and garlic. Pour soups over chicken and veggies and mix. Cook, covered, for 6-7 hours on low. Add cheese and mix. Continue cooking, covered, for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
• Cook fettuccine according to box directions; drain. Serve chicken with sauce over hot fettuccine. Also works well served with mashed potatoes.

For more recipes, cooking articles and food related links, visit Easy Breezy Recipes at http://www.easybreezyrecipes.com

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Find Recipes for Chicken Tagine

2013-02-20T07:36:00.001-08:00

Different recipes for chicken tagine require a separate set of ingredients and skills. Amongst the different recipes for chicken tagine, what you choose totally depends on your taste. However, you will surely find a big difference when you compare this to chicken cooked in everyday utensils. Recipes for chicken tagine are all about capturing the true flavors of the spices into the chicken.

With Moroccan cuisine rising in popularity, recipes for chicken tagine have become some of the most sought after ones amongst food enthusiasts. There are numerous recipes for chicken tagine available to suite your style of cooking and taste. Most of the recipes for chicken tagine require elaborate cooking processes. However, these recipes for chicken tagine make the complete ordeal a worthwhile experience.

Spicy Moroccan Chicken Tagine

This is one of the most popular recipes for chicken tagine. However, unlike many recipes for chicken tagine, this one involves an oven. You first need to preheat the oven to around 450 F. Place black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, ginger, cinnamon and turmeric in a bowl and mix it. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl with these spices and mix it for a while. Insulate the mixture with a cling film and leave it to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Once the preparation is ready, heat some olive oil and argan oil in a tagine bowl. Add some more spices along with onions and cook this for 10 minutes on low heat. During the final 3 minutes, add some garlic to get the correct seasoning. Now fry the chicken in another pan with the same oil composition. Cook this for around 10 minutes evenly and add it to the casserole or tagine.

What makes this one of the most interesting recipes for chicken tagine is the next step. Add some raisins, lemon, apricots, flaked almonds, chopped tomatoes, honey and stock into the casserole. Once this mixture completes one boil cycle, cook it for another 30-45 minutes in the oven.

Moroccan chicken with olives and chicken

This is yet another one of the recipes for chicken tagine that has truly grown to popularity. For this dish, marinate the chicken for an hour with all the desired spices. Add this mixture to a tagine and cook it evenly for around 5 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add some onions and garlic. Let the mixture cook for 15 minutes and voila! You have yet another one of the great recipes for chicken tagine.

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Caribbean Vegetarian Recipes

2013-02-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

So, the idea of like a vegetarian appears attractive to you but you are somewhat overcome. Are you currently presently racking your brains on just how to be a vegetarian? If you wish to change but aren't prepared to quit meat cold chicken, try progressively shifting.

Begin by getting rid of only one type of meat out of your diet (like beef). Then, before extended, drop another. And, throughout this method, begin integrating vegetarian foods for the schedule. Begin progressively, possess a couple vegetarian foods every week. Before extended, increase the amount of vegetarian foods until all meat is progressively removed the foods you eat.

Almost everyone has favorite dishes that could be easily transformed into meatless versions. These may be homemade foods or menu products inside the restaurant for example spaghetti with marinara sauce, vegetable lo mein, and bean burrito. Also, if you would like vegetable lasagne, stir-fried veggies, or pasta primavera, you can start your transition by thinking about making these foods more frequently. In addition, find high quality vegetarian prepare books to discover with to actually will keep a delicacy interesting acquiring a few exciting meatless dishes.

You've considered your options carefully, examined professionals together with the disadvantages, and made a decision the vegetarian lifestyle meets your needs. But where is it possible to start to make the modifications? Is it possible to go 'cold chicken?' Is it possible to adopt a much more gradual approach to shifting to vegetarianism? However you choose to make change, you can begin to possess health improvements of vegetarianism by substantially reducing on the amount of meat consumed, and making vegetables, fruits, beans, and bread toasted items the primary concentrate the meals.

Choose whole-grain products like whole wheat grains grains grains grains bread and flour, instead of refined or white-colored grains. Eat numerous foods, and book vegetables, fruits, grains, breads, nuts, or seed items you have not attempted before. Experiment and explore! You may uncover a completely new favorite or two, and learn brand-new techniques to boost classical vegetarian dishes. Many vegetarian foods can be found in any supermarket. Niche food stores may have many within the more uncommon items, additionally to several vegetarian convenience foods. When searching for food, plan ahead of time, shop acquiring an inventory and focused food labels. And if you select to consume milk items, choose non-body fat types, and limit your egg intake to 3-4 yolks every week.

As being a vegetarian is frequently as easy as you choose to ensure it's. Whether you'll need planning delectable, tasty meals or choose quick and easy ones, vegetarian meals can be very satisfying. When you are getting within the thought of keeping the following available, meal preparation time will complete easy: -Ready-to-eat, whole-grain whole wheat grains grains grains toast items, and quick-cooking whole-grain cereal items for instance oatmeal, whole-grain breads and crackers, for instance rye, whole wheat grains grains grains grains, and mixed grain together with other grains for instance barley and bulgur wheat

- Canned beans, for instance pinto, black beans, and garbanzo beans
- Grain (including brown, wild, etc.) and pasta (presently available entirely wheat, eco-friendly green spinach, together with other tastes) with tomato sauce and canned beans and/or chopped veggies
- Vegetarian sauces like lentil, navy bean, or minestrone
- Numerous plain frozen vegetables, and canned and frozen fruit
- Prepared soymilks and soy cheeses, if you choose to not eat dairy
- Numerous fruits and vegetables, which medicine core connected acquiring an eating plan system

In case you comprehend the simplest approach to test foods and uncover a meatless diet do not have to lack variety, you'll find your decision for vegetarianism wasn't only wise, but fun and simple come a delicacy

Check out some great vegetarian recipes and a free video at my blog: http://www.vegetarianmagic.com/vegetarian-recipe-blog/

http://www.vegetarianmagic.com/vegetarian-recipe-blog/

My recipe blog that has a free video showing several Caribbean Vegetarian Recipes

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Paleo Mushroom Recipes

2013-02-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Easy Paleo recipe prepared in approximately 10 minutes. Prepared with unsaturated olive oil and dried or fresh spices.

Ingredients:
- 1 pound small mushrooms (cleaned)
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 red onion (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon grounded black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried or fresh rosemary
- 3 garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon raw honey

Preparation:
- In medium saucepan combine all ingredients EXCEPT MUSHROOM.
- Bring marinade to boil and reduce heat.
- Stir in mushroom and let simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and place in container.
- Cover container with marinated mushroom and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Serve

Paleo Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms Recipe

What could be easier the only two ingredients you need are bacon and mushrooms

Ingredients:
20 bacon strips
20 mushrooms (cleaned and drained)

Preparation:
- Preheat oven 400 degrees F
- Preheat bacon to soft stage before wrapping.
- Wrap each mushroom with bacon strip.
- Secure wrap with toothpick.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place on baking sheet.
- Bake for approximate 10-12 minutes until bacon evenly brown and crispy.
- Remove and Serve

Article Tags: Marinated Mushroom, Bacon Wrapped

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All occasion Paleo Recipes http://www.favoriterecipes.biz/lactose-free.html Paleo Secret

For the Complete Paleo Recipe Guide to Healthy Eating Click Here!

Cupcake Toppings for Great Cupcakes

2013-01-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

There is a new trend in desserts that is all the rage in today’s world. That trend is cupcakes. But that doesn’t mean just the plain vanilla or chocolate cupcake with regular icing. Today’s cupcakes come in many new varieties and flavor combinations, many exotic and exciting. Think of a peanut butter and jam cupcake topped with maple cream icing. Or how about a cappuccino cupcake with Grand Marnier frosting. Those are just a couple examples of cupcake creations that you can bake in your own home.

Along with the great new tastes offered in cupcake recipes, the way the cupcakes are topped and decorated are new and trendy as well. The simple swirl of icing on the top of a cupcake just doesn’t cut it anymore. Although many good cupcakes are simple ones, today’s cupcake maker wants to go above and beyond the norm and offer truly beautiful cupcakes with unusual and highly decorative toppings.

If you are good with a pastry bag, you can create many different designs with just the icing alone. The swirl of icing on top of each delicious can be modified to create flowers or leaves, or any other item from your imagination. The icing can be tinted in so many colorful ways, including varied colors of the rainbow all on one cupcake.

Although cupcakes normally have a frosting of some kind, other cupcakes can have just a glaze and still be tasteful and appealing. Consider a zesty lemon glaze on a vanilla cupcake with a lemon cream centre. Add a bit of slivered candied lemon to decorate and you have a truly scrumptious beautiful cupcake. You can also try a caramel glaze that would be very tasty.

You can use just about anything you can dream up to top your cupcakes and make them unique and attractive. The baking or bulk food stores carry many ideas. They have little shaped candies that can add color, whimsy and a bit of crunch to your cupcake toppings. You can add chopped nuts, cut up chocolate candy bars or slivered candied peel to add a little more flavor to your cupcakes. You can mold your own figures or designs from modeling chocolate to create fanciful cupcakes, or you can use marzipan in various shaped designs. Try using cookie cutters for shaping your cupcake cut-outs.

If you are making cupcakes for a wedding, shower or other elegant event, you may consider purchasing edible flowers to top your cupcakes and make them extra special. Flowers like the English Daisy, Chrysanthemums, Gardenias, Marigolds, Pansies or Roses are all good choices. If you are adding real flowers to adorn your cupcakes, do make sure that the flowers are edible and not poisonous.

Another way to add a bit of crunch to your cupcake toppings is with crushed up cereal. Sweetened cereals can be swirled in a food processor or chopped up with your knife (depending how fine you want it) and sprinkled over the top of your cupcake icing to add texture and a little more sweetness. Cereals that you may want to consider are honey-granola types of cereals (that include crunchy bits as well as some types of nuts), and cereals like “Alpha Bits”, “Honey Bunches of Oats” or “Frosted Flakes”.

Fresh fruit is always a good topping for cupcakes. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, sliced pineapple, orange slices are all good choices, but you can virtually use any fruit. Just make sure that if you are using a fruit like an apple or banana that you coat it in lemon juice so that discoloration does not occur to ruin the effect.

Sprinkles always create sparkling effects and beautiful results. You can buy multi-colored candy sprinkles or sprinkles in one-tone colors. You can use chocolate sprinkles or silver and gold dragees. There are also new products on the market that you can use to beautify your cupcakes, like edible glitter, sugar pearls in all colors or candy rocks (they look like rocks or pebbles and turn into chocolate in your mouth).

If you are creative and wish to make unique stunning cupcakes, there are thousands of ways you can top your cupcakes. Cupcake toppings can really add a lot of personality to your cupcakes and can really play up the theme of the event you are using them for. Even if you are just making cupcakes for your own family, try surprising them with fun creative cupcake toppings.

Oh, those delightful, yummy cupcakes! Want to find unique, original, delicious cupcakes recipes? Try “The BIG Book of Yummy Cupcake Recipes” with 70 scrumptious new cupcakes recipes. Now on Kindle: The BIG Book of Yummy Cupcake Recipes

Here is a sample cupcake recipe from the cookbook:

Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

1 ¼ cup. flour

1 ¼ cup sugar

¾ cup butter, softened

3 eggs, lightly beaten

½ tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

Strawberry Filling

1 pint strawberries

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. gelatin

2 tsp. hot water

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. gelatin

2 ounces melting chocolate

1 TBSP. superfine sugar

1 tsp. vanilla essence

Prepare a baking pan with 12 paper cupcake liners. Place softened butter and sugar into a bowl and cream together well (about 2 minutes). Add in beaten eggs a little at a time, beating slowly between each addition. Add vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix together for another minute. Spoon batter into prepared pan approximately 2/3 full. Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before removing the cupcakes from the tins and placing them on a wire rack to cool.

Recipes for Picky Eaters

2012-10-10T08:16:00.001-07:00

It seems every household has one - one of those picky eaters who won't eat the good, healthy foods you put before them. Sometimes it is an adult, but most picky eaters are children. Many children turn up their noses at the good foods that will help them grow up healthy and strong. They don't realize or care what their body's needs are. They only care about what tastes good and what is appealing to them.

There are many causes for children to become picky eaters. It isn't always just the taste of the foods that turn some kids off. There are other factors involved. It could be they don't like the color of the food they are eating - whether it is a green vegetable or a red fruit. Some children turn away from a food just because of its color.

Other picky eaters rebel against the texture of foods. They don't like crunchy foods, or they won't eat mushy foods. Texture can be an important issue for some picky eaters.

Some kids don't want their foods touching each other on a plate. They won't eat anything that touches another food. In this instance, it is a good idea to buy partitioned dishes to serve these picky eaters.

If you want to get your picky eaters to eat healthy, there are many recipes that can help you with this. You need to find recipes that will tempt your picky eaters into eating the right foods to help them grow up healthy and strong...and ones that they won't make a big fuss about eating. As a parent, you will probably have to try many different recipes in order to provide your children with a healthy diet.

Here are a couple of recipes you may want to try:

Roasted Honey Garlic Chickpeas and Popcorn
1 15 oz. can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP. melted butter
1 TBSP. honey
1 cup regular popping corn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the chick peas between two paper towels and pat dry, loosening the outer skin. Remove the outer skins and pat dry to remove any other excess water. In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and garlic powder. Add the chick peas and coat well. Place on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes. 6. Remove the chick peas from the oven, place in a glass bowl and toss with 1 TBSP. of honey. Place back in the oven and roast for an additional 7 minutes. Cool completely and add in popped popcorn. Stir to combine and serve.

This recipe combines healthy vegetables (tomatoes and carrots) that kids will love…and they’ll never notice the vegetables in the sauce.

Zucchini Apple Dessert Loaf
1 cup grated zucchini
1 tart apples (like Granny Smith)
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1.2 tsp. salt
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts
Topping:
¼ cup rolled cooking oats
¼ cup coconut
2 TBSP. brown sugar
2 TBSP. melted butter

Preheat oven to 395 degrees F. Prepare a loaf pan by coating it with non-stick cooking spray and dusting it with a bit of flour. Combine zucchini and apple in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients for the cake (except for the walnuts). Process until smooth. Add in the chopped walnut and stir in. Spoon batter into loaf pan. Combine topping ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Press topping mixture on top of batter in loaf pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The above recipes are taken from The Picky Eaters website. Visit there for more tips and ideas on how to feed your picky eaters.

Recipes at Your Fingertips

2012-08-08T08:29:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am always searching for new recipes. Typically I have ingredients on hand that I want to work with. For instance, I have a couple of zucchini in the fridge and am looking for new ways to use it, be it for a vegetable dish or even for dessert. I know I have a few zucchini recipes in my recipe box, but sometimes I just like to try something new and different. I am always looking for new ways to amaze my family with new taste sensations. That is why it is so great that the internet provides lots of options to find new recipes to indulge my creative cooking side.

Here is a great recipe site that I like to work with. You may too! Try it out...

Hurray! It's BBQ Season!

2012-07-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

With the hot, hot weather it is wiser to cook outdoors than heat up the house by having to turn on the oven. Also, after the cold winter months, it is a relief to have some nice weather -- all the more reason to be outdoors enjoying it. So, hurray! It's on with the barbeque!

There are so many foods that are enhanced by being cooked on the grill. Steak is just one of them, and just the tip of the iceburg. Consider ribs, chicken wings, sausages, hamburgs, lamb chops, salmon... and the list goes on. And it doesn't stop with meat either. Grilled vegetables are great too, and baked potatoes.

Here is a simple recipe for grilled vegetables that you can use as a side dish for any of your barbequed meats:

Grilled Broccoli and Cauliflower

Cut broccoli and cauliflower in large pieces
Place them in a bowl
Season with salt, pepper and a bit of garlic powder
Cover with 1/2 cup Kraft Balsalmic Vinegar dressing and stir to coat
Let marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or up to an hour) stirring occasionally

Wrap vegetables in a tin foil and seal edges to make a package. Place on a hot grill and let cook for about 15-20 minutes.

Be careful of the steam when opening the vegetable package.

The above recipe is simple, but the tangy taste of the balsalmic vinegar dressings adds a lot to the flavor.

If you want more barbeque recipes, try:

Chocolate! Everyone Loves Chocolate!

2012-06-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

I can't think of a single person who doesn't like chocolate. From the creamy white chocolate (which isn't really chocolate at all) to the dark, decadent chocolate, chocolate is a sweet eaters dream.

The beginnings of chocolate were found in Mesoamerica, where the beans of the Theobroma cacao were ground and roasted and made into beverages, dating back to 1900 B.C. The Mayan and Aztec cultures also are known in chocolate history. Priests in those cultures presented cacao seeds as offering to the gods and served chocolate drinks during their religious ceremonies. Later, Europeans sweetened and fattened it up by adding refined sugar and milk. The Europeans used it as a dessert or sweet rather than as a diet item (as in the case of the Mayan's and Aztec's). It was John Cadbury, in the 19th century, that developed the emulsification process that made solid chocolate thus creating the modern chocolate bar of today.

Many of today's most popular desserts are made from chocolate. From cakes to cookies, puddings to ice cream, chocolate seems to have risen to the top of the sweets and dessert industry. Not all the desserts are chocolate alone, however. Chocolate can be combined with many other ingredients, like fruit and nuts, grains like oatmeal, or even simply used as a garnish to make many varied and delicious desserts.

Here is a recipe for a banana loaf (made with chocolate chips) that includes a host of various ingredients. It is a favorite at my house and I'm sure it will please you too!

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chips Bread

3 ripe bananas

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

¼ cup melted butter

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup chocolate chips

¾ cup shredded coconut

In food processor, process bananas until smooth. Add all other ingredients (except coconut and chocolate chips). Add melted butter last, drizzling in from top. Process until smooth. Open lid of food processor and stir in chocolate chips and coconut until well combined. Turn mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350° F. for about one hour, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Try This New Cookbook - The Wonderful World of Chocolate

Caribbean Cooking - Conch Fritters

2012-06-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

If you have ever travelled to the Caribbean, you are sure to be a fan of Caribbean cooking. Caribbean cooking embodies its own unique flavors with each Island, from Jamaica to Cuba to the Dominican Republica, as well as all the others. Traditional to Caribbean cooking is some sort of rice and beans dish as the main staple, the beans typically a gungo bean or kidney bean, and added to the rice flavor is coconut.

Of course, being in the Caribbean, fish and seafood is typical Island fare. Here is a recipe straight from the Caribbean Islands that you may enjoy:

Conch

Conch Fritters

1 lb. conch meat (you can buy it canned)

1 onion

2 stalks celery

½ each red & green pepper

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ tsp. hot sauce

Salt & pepper

1 egg

1/3 cup self-rising cornmeal

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Oil for frying

Process conch in food processor. Add onion, celery and green pepper and process again. Add salt, pepper and egg and mix together well. Mix flour and cornmeal together and add to conch (mixture will be thick). Add buttermilk and hot sauce.

Heat oil in a large skillet (oil should be about ½” deep). Drop a large tablespoon of conch mixture into hot oil and fry until golden on both sides. Remove from heat and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serve with sauce of your choice.

Caribbean Cookbook

Get this great new Caribbean cookbook, now available on Amazon, for more tasty Island recipes!

Click here to get your copy now!

Cooking Vegetarian Meals

2012-05-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Have you been wanting to include more vegetarian options into your family meals? Cooking vegetarian meals is a healthy way to eat, but you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy tasty vegetarian meals. Even including one vegetarian meal once a week can improve the health of your family's meals. And the great part is that they don't even have to know that what they are eating does not have any meat.

Here is a recipe that contains no meat at all, but no-one need ever know. It looks and tastes like the 'meat' version. Even my son, who seems to be 'allergic' to vegetables eats this dish heartily and even recommends it to his friends.

You will agree that most people love Italian food. This vegetarian dish is a take-off of Italian cannelloni, but without the meat. It does not even contain spinach, which most vegetarian pasta dishes contain, to 'put-off' the most vegetable-hating crowd.

Vegetable Cannelloni

“Meat” Sauce:

1 large can mixed beans

3 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery

2 medium onions

3 large carrots

Process all above ingredients in food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large pot. Add:

¾ jar spaghetti sauce

½ cup water

¼ cup soy sauce

Pepper to taste

Simmer above in covered pot for approximately 45 minutes.

For Cannelloni Filling:

¼ large container of cottage cheese

¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

1 large carrot, grated

1 medium onion, grated

¼ cup bread crumbs

1 TBSP. vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. pepper

Parmesan Cheese in shaker

1 pkg. oven-ready cannelloni noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add carrot and onion and sauté until tender. In medium bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add hot carrot mixture to bowl gradually (so egg doesn’t cook.) Stir together thoroughly.

Spread a layer of “meat” mixture on bottom of 13” X 9” lasagne pan. Using your hands, stuff uncooked cannelloni noodles with cheese mixture. Place stuffed cannelloni on top of “meat” mixture in pan. Ladle more “meat” mixture over top of stuffed cannelloni, covering completely. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Tip: You can use the same 'meat sauce' to make lasagna!

If you would like more options for vegetarian dishes, try "Eating Vegetarian", available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007DY26Q2

The New Cupcake Trend & Orange Cupcake Recipe

2012-05-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t heard, there is a new trend in the dessert market—cupcakes. And who doesn’t love those sweet yummy cupcake concoctions? They are sweet treats of the day for the most discerning sweet eater, and they come in so many flavors and variations. Of course, you can stick to the traditional vanilla or chocolate cupcake if you like, but today’s market hosts a plethora of new unique cupcake recipes.

Although cupcakes have been around for a long time, their originals are controversial. Some say that cupcakes came about when people started baking cakes in little teacups. These little teacup cakes didn’t take as long to bake and cooled faster. Some believe that cupcakes were named because the ingredients were measured in cups—one cup of sugar, 2 cups of flour, etc. But however the cupcake came about, these sweet treats have made their way into our hearts.

Cupcakes have become increasingly popular in recent times. You see them popping up at all types of events and occasions, such as weddings (in lieu of the traditional tiered wedding cake), at baby showers, at event openings, and even at sports gatherings (like at Super Bowl parties or hockey events). No-one can resist these great tasting little cakes, and they can be made to suit any occasion.

Cupcakes can be themed around any event, with the ingredients or with their decorations. For instance, a vegetarian gathering can feature cupcakes made with totally vegetarian or vegan friendly ingredients. Some cupcake recipes include unlikely ingredients such as zucchini, carrots, beets, wheat grain or other healthy components. Cupcakes can also be made to be vegan friendly without using eggs or milk products. And the great thing is, these vegetarian or vegan cupcakes can be just as satisfying and tasty as any other cupcake.

Although their name may suggest that cupcakes are served at mainly feminine functions, today’s cupcakes are also served at many ‘manly’ events. These cupcakes are typically centered around a sports theme, but can be made to suit a bachelor party as well. Men like sweet desserts just as much as ladies, and these little cakes are easy to eat.

Part of the fun of cupcakes is the way they are decorated. Of course, you can traditionally have the simple swirl of cake icing on top, but today’s cupcakes can also be elaborately decorated to suit many themes. Some decorations set off the ingredients, like a strawberry cupcake may have sliced strawberries on top, while a mocha cupcake may be decorated with candied coffee beans. Other decorative features are often included on the cupcake toppings to enhance their decorative appeal. Chocolate shavings, shredded coconut, fresh fruit, candied fruit, raisins, marzipan shapes, or glace cherries are all common cupcake toppings. Cupcakes can be filled with creams or jams, they can have several layers of toppings each with a different flavor aspect, or they can be topped with just a simple glaze or dusted with icing sugar.

You can find cupcakes at pretty much every bakery today, but there are bakeries devoted solely to cupcakes too. At these specialty shops, you will find unique and exotic flavored cupcakes, as well as the traditional ones.

Many people like to experiment and bake their own cupcakes at home. Here is a cupcake recipe you may enjoy:

Orange Cupcakes

3 cups flour

1 TBSP. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

Zest of 1 orange, finely grated

¾ cup milk

¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Frosting:

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

4 TBSP. butter

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 TBSP. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 TBSP. candied orange, cut in slivers

Preheat over to 350° F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat until fluffy the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time into butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. Add in orange zest. Mix milk and orange juice together in a measuring cup. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture into the butter mixture, adding a third at a time. Beat until just combined (do not over mix), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fill muffin liners with ¼ cup of the batter. Bake until cupcakes are golden and spring back when pressed slightly. Let cupcakes cool before icing. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

To make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Add in milk and vanilla and beat again. Fold in candied orange slivers. Spoon frosting on top of cupcakes and swirl into a pleasing decoration.

For more yummy cupcake recipes, try this cupcake recipe book: The Big Book of Yummy Cupcake Recipes. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007AUJATA

Jerk Sauce Recipe

2012-05-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

If you like spicy food, and especially like the Island tastes from Jamaica, you will enjoy this jerk sauce recipe. You can use jerk sauce when cooking chicken or pork and it is especially good when barbequing. This is a basic recipe that provides the basic flavor of jerk, but you will need to add hot peppers for the spicyness you want. Add scotch bonnet peppers, habanero peppers, or country peppers at your own discretion and according to how hot you want it. But remember, a little scotch bonnet pepper goes a long way, so becareful when you add it. You can chop the peppers up really fine, add a whole pepper to the sauce, or grind a couple up in a blender or food processor. Set your mouth on fire and enjoy the tingle!

Jerk Sauce

2 onions, diced
2 TBSP/ olive oil

In a saucepan, cook the onions in the oil until softened.

Combine:
3 TBSP ground allspice
3 TBSP dried thyme
4 TBSP cayenne pepper
2 TBSP ground black pepper
4 TBSP sage
2 TBSP nutmeg
2 TBSP cinnamon
4 TBSP seasoned salt
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped garlic
4 TBSP sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup water

2 TBSP flour

Add all the rest of the ingredients to the onions in the saucepan. Bring to a soft boil and simmer together until thickened, aproximately 5-10 minutes.

This is a great condiment for pork, chicken, fish, or goat.

Makes about 6-7 cups

For more hot sauce recipes, try "Zing's Hot Sauce Recipes" available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0061P4GOO

Or if you are interested in some great recipes for your summer cooking, try "Smokin' Hot Barbeque Recipes" available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L5HN2U

Picky Eater Recipe - Yummy Chicken Roll-Ups

2012-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

It is always a challenge to feed a picky eater in your household. And if you have more than one picky eater, you have a greater challenge to keep everyone happy.

The problem with picky eaters is not just what they will eat, but you have to think about keeping them healthy as well. Most picky eaters have issues with vegetables (at least some of them). As the cook in your home, it is up to you to prepare meals that are both satisfying and healthy. Often you need help in finding new tasty recipes that the picky eaters in your household will eat, and that are nutritious as well.

Here is a recipe for Yummy Chicken Roll-Ups that you can serve to your picky eaters:

Yummy Chicken Roll-Ups

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

12 slices ham

6 processed cheese slices

Salt and pepper

2 eggs, beaten

14 saltine crackers, finely crushed (about 2/3 cup)

3 TBSP.butter, melted

Heatoven to 350 degrees

F. Place

chicken, top-sides down, on cutting board. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover with ham and cheese. Starting at one short end of each, roll up tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks. Dip chicken in beaten eggs, then roll in cracker crumbs until evenly coated on all sides. Place in baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; drizzle with butter. Bake 40 min. or until chicken is done. Remove and discard toothpicks before serving.

Crush the Crackers easily in a food processor, or place crackers in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin.

Tip: When serving to picky eaters, serve with a dipping sauce, honey or ketchup.

If you want more recipes and help to serve your picky eaters, you may want to try this new ebook:

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FFJPMW

Barbeque Recipes for Summer Cooking

2012-05-02T08:47:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming and with it those warm, sunny days we all love. And don't we all love to be outside while the sun shines! That is the best time for a barbeque, don't you think? The heat in the house is just too much for cooking. That is when we all love the barbeque best. And the barbeque can really add to the flavor palate, with its smokey and charred flavorings.

Read the article below on Barbeque... then here is a great EASY barbeque recipe to try...

Honey-Mustard B-B-Q Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup honey

2 TBSP. Caesar salad dressing

1 tsp. b-b-q steak sauce

In a medium bowl, mix together the mustard, honey, salad dressing and barbeque sauce. Dip each chicken breast in the sauce to coat. (Reserve a small amount of sauce for basting.) Preheat your barbeque grill to medium heat.

Lightly oil your barbeque grill to prevent the chicken from sticking. Place coated chicken breasts on grill over indirect heat and cook for 18-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until desired doneness is achieved and juices run clear, basting occasionally with the sauce. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

(Recipe taken from the Smokin’ Hot Barbeque Recipes cookbook by Dee Phillps. You can get this cookbook from Kindle at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L5HN2U

When not increase your barbeque menus with the recipes from that cookbook!)

Look for more great recipes and cookbooks in upcoming posts! ... including more cupcake recipes!

Becoming Vegetarian

2012-02-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

A lot of people are becoming interested in eating healthier and becoming vegetarian. It is definitely a healthy way to eat, with lots of good nutrition, as well as tasty vegetarian cuisine. Being vegetarian doesn't mean that your meals have to be boring. There are lots of delicious food options, more than just raw celery, carrots and salads.

If you want more information on becoming vegetarian, I would recommend this book:

Click Here for The Vegetarian Lifestyle Ebook

This book contains all kinds of information to help you start a vegetarian lifestyle...and lots of recipes too!

New Cookie Cookbook - It's All About Cookies

2012-01-31T07:18:00.000-08:00

If you love baking and making cookies, here is a new cookbook for you. This cookie cookbook, It's All About Cookies, has 340 cookie recipes, with everything from the traditional chocolate chip cookie to more exotic types, like Cappuccino-Pistachio Shortbread cookies. It even includes cookie bars, brownies and squares.

Cookies are great for kids, for their lunch boxes and afternoon snacks. They are wonderful treats to snack on anytime, and they are one of the best things to serve at Christmastime or a buffet lunch.

If you want a variety of new cookie recipes, try this fantastic new cookie cookbook. It's All About Cookies!

You can get it here:

It's All About Cookies - Click Here!

Banana Strudel - A Great Banana Recipes

2011-06-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a Banana Strudel recipes taken from the 'Going Bananas Cookbook' now available on Kindle for only $0.99!! The 'Going Bananas Cookbook' has over 100 great banana recipes, with everything from great banana desserts to savory banana dishes and banana cocktails. Why not try Banana Honey Nut Cake, Banana Beef Soup, or a Banana Melon Cooler? If you love that sweeet banana flavor, or just unusual unique cookbooks, then the 'Going Bananas Cookbook' is a cookbook you won't want to miss.

(And don't forget that bananas are good for you, providing your body with the potassium it needs!)

Banana Strudel

2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg,slightly beaten
2 TBSP. cooking oil
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup butter,melted
1 1/2 cup white bread crumbs,browned in 1/2 cup butter
6-7 bananas mashed
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
powdered sugar

Sift flour with salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add egg and cooking oil. Stir while adding the water gradually to make a soft, sticky dough. Work the dough in the bowl until it comes away from the sides. Turn out of bowl and knead for about 15 minutes. Frequently slap the dough down and work it until it is elastic and silky smooth. It must not stick to the hands or board. Add a little flour if necessary. Form into a ball, set on a clean towel. Let rest for 1 hour in a warm spot, covered with a bowl which has been warmed in hot water.

Warm your rolling pin. While the dough is resting, cover the work surface with a cloth and rub in about 1-2 TBSP flour, brushing off any excess. Then place the ball of dough in the center of the cloth and roll with the warm rolling pin into a sheet 1/8" thick. Lift and turn to prevent sticking to the cloth. Stretch the dough, using floured hands, palm side down under the dough. Work carefully, stretching from the center toward the outside. Don't raise your knuckles too high, make a fist and lift from the wrists only. Work gently and do not puncture the dough. Stretch as thin as possible, moving around the table. It should cover the table & hang slightly over the sides of an oval or rectangle about 36" to 40" long and 30" wide. Trim off the edges, which may be a little thick. Patch any holes by moistening the area around it with a little water and patching it with a thin piece of dough from the trimmings. Let the dough rest and dry to 15 minutes.

Pureé bananas, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla together in blender.

Brush entire surface with melted butter, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. About 3" from on edge of the pastry and running the long way, spread banana mixture and sprinkle walnuts over top, leaving 2" margins each side. Fold 3" end piece of dough over bananas then fold the 2" margins in too. Now lift the corners of the cloth & let the pastry roll up. Stop after each turn, patting filled pastry to keep rolled shape even. Roll until stretched dough is used up. Brush with melted butter & side strudel onto lightly buttered baking sheet, curving it into a U shape.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar & serv warm. Pan size 10x15 Serves 10-12

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Bananas

2011-06-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit, but did you know that bananas do not actually grow on trees? They are actually the world’s largest herb? Bananas are a fruit that everyone enjoys but they don’t seem to be one that people know a whole lot about.

Bananas grow on a banana plant in clusters that are commonly called a bunch. The true name of a bunch of bananas is called a “hand”, and each of the individual bananas on the hand are called “fingers”. The weight of an average banana is 1approximately 25 grams, which consists of approximately 75% water and 25% of dry matter content. The fleshy inner portion is sweet and delicious and widely enjoyed, but generally the peel or banana skin in not eaten.. The stringy parts of the banana flesh are called ‘phloem bundles’. Bananas contain valuable sources of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and potassium that are healthy and that our bodies require. Many athletes commonly use bananas for energy in their physical health routines.

Bananas are grown in at least 107 countries worldwide, although they were originally native to Southeast Asia and Australia. Bananas, eaten raw in their yellow form and cooked green or red bananas, are the main staple of many African populations. Boiled or baked green bananas or plantains (a starchier version of the banana) can also be found in many Caribbean Island recipes. Bananas can be very versatile. When they are dried, bananas can be eaten as a snack food or they can be ground up and made into flour.

Bananas come in various sizes and colors, including the yellow, purple and red banana. Green bananas that are cooked and enjoyed in Caribbean and African cultures are really the unripe version of the yellow banana. The red banana is generally sweeter than the yellow banana and has a slight raspberry-type flavor. The skin of the red banana is red to purple in color, and has a slightly pinkish flesh. These sweet bananas can be eaten raw, or they can be used to add a wonderful color to various cooked banana dishes.

Bananas are picked green and shipped in an unripe condition due to the fact that ripe bananas are easily damaged when being transported to market. Bananas need careful handling and are easily bruised.

The flower of the banana plant (or the banana blossom or heart) is also often used in the Southeast Asian, Bengali and Indian cuisines, where they serve it raw with dips or cooked in soups and curries. Some cultures also use the tender core of the banana plant’s trunk in several dishes. Bananas can be fried, boiled or steamed and the juice extracted from the core of the plant is often used to treat kidney stones. In various cultures, banana leaves are useful for cooking as a wrapping, for carrying things in, and even as umbrellas (because of their waterproof properties).

With all of the uses of the banana plant and the general good taste, it is no wonder that bananas have become one of the world’s most popular fruits. Where else can one get so much delicious taste and healthy benefits from one source?

One Bowl Fudge Cupcakes

2011-06-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a cupcake recipe you can delight in making. This recipe is included in my cupcake recipe book, 25 Yummy Cupcake Recipes. Read the interesting article on cupcakes below, then try these delicious cupcakes tonight. You family will love you for it!

1 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir flour, salt, baking power, baking soda and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Add room temperature shortening, eggs and ½ cup of the milk. Mix of low speed of an electric mixer for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add (cooled) melted chocolate, vanilla and remaining milk. Beat for 2 more minutes. Scoop batter into cupcake cups filling 2/3 full. Bake at 350° F for 15-20 minutes (until done when tested with a toothpick). Makes 1 ½ dozen medium sized cupcakes. Frost with chocolate frosting or as desired.

The Newest Sweet Trend - Cupcakes!

2011-06-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Have you been to an event recently and been surprised that instead of a regular cake, you were treated to an elaborate cupcake display? Cupcakes seem to be all the rage nowadays. Cupcakes seem to be the trendy thing to serve at any gathering, from baby showers to weddings, or birthday galas to Super Bowl parties. Cupcakes are easy to eat, full of delicious flavor and exciting eye-catching delights. It seems everyone loves those sweet little concoctions. But, are they really just cute little miniature cakes, or are they a wonderfully flavorful dessert deserving their own title?

The origins of cupcakes are controversial. Some believe that cupcakes were invented by people baking cakes in little teacups, so that the little cakes would not take so long to bake and would cool faster. Others believe that cupcakes were named by the way the ingredients were measured (1 cup of flour, 2 cups of sugar, etc.) Whatever the origin, the cupcake has come down through history as a delightful treat that everyone can enjoy.

Cupcakes are making a surprising reappearance in today’s society and are becoming extremely popular and trendy. They are sweet little treats that are easy to make, satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth and can be made in various eye-catching ways.

Cupcakes can be served as a dessert for an everyday supper, at birthday or special occasion parties, or today can even replace the traditional wedding cake. They are great at baby showers, as Halloween treat give-aways, for Christmas buffet tables, or as a sure money-maker at bake sales and church bazaars. Cupcakes can even be served at masculine events, or at a sports party—like the Superbowl! And, what can be sweeter than a cupcake as an individual Valentine’s Day love offering?

The variety of flavors you can use to create a cupcake are varied and many. You can have delicate white cake cupcakes, velvety chocolate cupcakes, light lemony cupcakes, marble-cake cupcakes or many other combinations of flavors. Cupcakes can even have good-for-you ingredients like applesauce, shredded carrots or zucchini in them to help them stay moist.

Cupcakes are generally frosted as are most cakes, with vanilla, chocolate, orange-flavored, or any other flavor that compliments the small cake underneath. Cupcakes can also sport various toppings, like rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, coconut, miniature chocolate chips, candies, pieces of gumdrops or even can be glazed. You can decorate the tops with faces, create tiny animals or flowers, make them into butterflies or simply place a nut in the centre.

Cupcakes can be used on stands to create a unique display. In today’s world it is not uncommon to see a cupcake display in lieu of a wedding cake. Cupcakes can take a significant role on a dessert table placed on a tiered cake plate at Christmastime. If you line cupcakes up, circling round on a covered board, you can create a ‘caterpillar’ effect for a child’s birthday party. There are many ways cupcakes can be used for special occasions.

You can even have filled cupcakes. Doesn’t a chocolate cupcake filled with sweet vanilla crème sound fantastic? How about a cupcake with a chocolate ‘kiss’ treat or a caramel in the centre?

Cupcakes are easy to eat. They are small enough to eat with your hands, without needing the use of a fork or a spoon. Often they come in their own little ridged paper cup, which helps make them beautiful as well as tasty. The paper cups are often white, but can come in any color—and even sometimes in gold or silver papers for those extra special occasions.

Why not try your hand at making these sweet little cakes tonight? Join the trend and become a cupcake fanatic!

Want to try one of my own cookbooks? 25 Yummy Cupcake Recipes available on Kindle at: 25 Yummy Cupcake Recipes

'Tis the Season for BBQ!

2011-06-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that everyone enjoys the warm balmy days of the summer season, and along with that comes the enjoyment of cooking and eating barbeque food. Whether you love vegetarian, chicken, beef, lamb, seafood or pork, all taste great with the added flavour of grilling the food over a slow flame. Whichever your preference, it all tastes even better when you can eat it outdoors!

How did barbeque get its start anyways? Of course, everyone can agree that basic prehistoric self-preservation, derived from hunter-gatherer times, were the first primitive barbeques because they satisfied a basic need for food. But the origin of the word barbeque (no matter how you spell it) is often disputed. The most plausible story suggests that the word "barbecue" is a derivative of the West Indian term "barbacoa," which refers to a method of slow-cooking meat over hot coals. The Oxford English Dictionary tracks the word back to Haiti, while others claim that the word "barbeque" actually comes from the French phrase "barbe a queue", meaning "from head to tail." Another theory suggests that the word "barbecue" comes from a nineteenth century advertisement for a combination whiskey bar, beer hall, pool establishment and purveyor of roast pig, known as the BAR-BEER-CUE-PIG. The foremost theory, though, is that the method of roasting meat over hot coals was picked up from indigenous peoples in the colonial period, and that "barbacoa" became "barbecue" in the period of the early settlers.

It is known that at first the pig was an important food staple in the South. They were low-maintenance and a convenient food source for Southerners. Pigs could be put out to root in the forest and caught and eaten when needed. Although the semi-wild pigs were tough and stringy, barbequing the meat would tenderize it. The traditional Southern barbeque grew out of the celebration of slaughtering time where the neighborhood would be invited to share in the event.

In the nineteenth century, barbecue was firmly established as a highlight at private parties, church picnics and political rallies, where a barbeque was a popular and relatively inexpensive way to lobby for votes. These gatherings also offered an easy way for the classes to mix as barbeque was not a class- specific food. Church barbecues, where a roasted pig supplemented the traditional dishes prepared by the ladies of the congregation, were the evolution of the traditional church picnic in many Southern communities. As the twentieth century progressed, barbecue pits (roadside stands where travelers could buy a cheap barbeque meal) grew and prospered.

The history of barbeque reflects the varied history of the South and can be seen as an emblem of Southern history. For the past seventy-five years, barbecue joints have flourished. Barbeque offers a succulent taste, delicious sauces and that great smoky flavour that become a Southern icon, a symbol that is cherished by Southerners.

Today many believe that barbeque is not just roasting meat quickly over hot coals. That would be considered merely grilling the food. Barbeque should be done in a specific way, slowly cooking the meat over low heat, with the key word being “slowly”. Although barbeque sauce is considered important for flavour in some instances, it is not a necessary requirement to enhance the flavour of the meat.

There are different methods of cooking on the barbeque, namely wood, charcoal or propane. The choice and combination of the type of wood that is burned results in different flavours passed onto the meat being cooked. Favourite common woods include mesquite, hickory, maple, pecan, apple and oak. Coniferous woods should be avoided when barbequing as they contain tar which convey undesirable resins and chemical flavours. It is also important to note that different woods burn at different rates so one should regulate the heat through careful venting.

The method of charcoal barbequing usually consists of setting afire a commercial bag of charcoal briquettes, or alternatively lump charcoal. Many people prefer charcoal over the gas method (or propane method) of barbequing for a more authentic smokey flavour, although this point is disputed in some barbeque communities.

It is believed that gas grills are easier to light, the heat is easier to control and the outcome is more predictable than using the wood or charcoal method of barbequing. The wood smoke flavor can be added to the food cooked on gas grills by soaking wood chips placed in a "smoker box" (a perforated metal box), or a simple perforated foil pouch, under the grilling grate and over the heat. As mentioned, using gas over wood/charcoal as the better way to barbeque is a point of much dispute in the barbeque connoisseur’s world.

Whatever method you use, whichever way you spell the word, barbeque has always been one of the joys in life. Meat seems more succulent, vegetables have more flavour and potatoes are fluffier. It often seems that everything tastes better just by barbequing it. So light up your barbeque today, sit back in your backyard haven, sip on a cool refreshing drink while the barbeque does the cooking, and enjoy!

Mexican Food Recipe - Tamales

2011-05-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

If you love Mexican food, here is a Mexican food recipe that you have to try! Mexican food offers a great food taste, with loads of hot chili flavor - and if you like it hotter, just add more chili! Try this Mexican Tamales recipe on your family today!

If you want to learn more about Mexican food, read the article below.

1 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup milk

Mix the above ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Corn Husks - Carefully remove the whole fresh green husks from approximately 6 ears of corn. Place in a bowl covered in cold water until ready to use.

2 pork sausages, skins removed and separated
1/2 lb. ground chicken
1 small onion, diced
2 ears of corn, boiled and corn cut from cob
1/2 cup drained kidney beans
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne powder (more if you like it really spicy)
1 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine sausage meat, ground chicken, onion, corn, beans and spices in a skillet and let cook together until meat is cooked through.

Assemble the tamales:
Spread 2-3 corn husks on a board. Take a small bit of biscuit mixture and shape into a ball (an amount a bit bigger than a golf ball). Flatten mixture with your fingers and place on top of corn husks. Spoon about 2 TBSP. of meat mixture on top of dough. Wrap corn husks around meat and dough and tie with a piece of string. (Alternately instead of tying with a string you may wrap each entire corn husk packet in a piece of tin foil.) You should have enough ingredients to make 8-9 tamale packets.

Bake tamales in the oven at 350 F for approximately 40 minutes.

If you love spicy food, here is a cookbook you might want to try. This one is all about spicy food from Jamaica. 20 Best Jamaican Recipes Try these spicy Island tastes today!

Hot Tamale – Mexican Food!

2011-05-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Mexico is a country of vast history and traditions and this is reflected in the intense and varied flavours of their cuisine. The influence of the Spaniards who arrived in Mexico in 1521 is reflected in Mexican cuisine in varying degrees. When the Spanish landed in Mexico they found the people’s diet consisted mainly of corn-based dishes, a staple for over 4,000 years, mixed with chilies and herbs, and served with beans and squash. The Spaniards added domestic animals, such as beef, chicken and pork, as well as rice, sugar, cheese, wine, garlic and onions to expand on what they found already in Mexican cuisine.

The Aztec, Mayan, Zapotec and other natives inhabiting the Mexican land mass before the Spaniards arrived has also influenced the Mexican style of cooking. Pre-Columbian Mexican food included chocolate, maize, tomatoes, vanilla, avocado, papaya, pineapple, coconut, prickly pear cactus, chili peppers, beans, squash, sweet potatoes, peanuts and turkey. Spices in Mexican cooking can include cinnamon, cloves, anise, and cumin, as well as in the herb category, cilantro, thyme, marjoram, and the pungent epazote.

As with many countries, each region in Mexico offers its own unique regional cuisine, due to local climate and geography, and ethnic differences. The north of Mexico is best known for its meat dishes, while in southeastern Mexico spicy vegetables and chicken-based dishes are common. Virtually all southwestern dishes use four main ingredients, namely the tortilla (a round wafer-thin bread made from coarsely ground dough), pinto beans, cheese and chilies.

In the state of Puebla (two hours south of Mexico City) the first mole sauce was prepared. It is said that a group of nuns were asked to prepare a special dish for a visiting dignitary. The nuns, not knowing exactly what to prepare, combined the contents of their pantry into a pot with herbs, spices and chocolate—over 30 ingredients altogether, and left it to simmer over several days. The resulting mole sauce, which was served over turkey, was a definite success. Today the thick, sweet mole sauce is most commonly served over chicken. The area of Puebla is also known for its coffee and many unique desserts, especially camotes, a sweet potato confection.

On the Yucatan peninsula, known now as the Mayan Riviera, sauces are fruit-based, a popular one being achiote, a sauce made from annatto seeds, Seville oranges, pepper, garlic and cumin which is spread over chicken or pork. The meat is then baked in a banana leaf for a truly delicious meal.

In the seaside area of Veracruz, fish is the dish of choice. Fish served a la Veracruzana is topped with a sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers and chilies. Here tacos, tamales, and enchiladas are sure to be filled with fish. Coffee and exotic fruits like guanabana, mamey and cherimoya are also popular in this region.

Oaxaco is popular as being a more “fluid” region, offering coffee a la olla, which is coffee with sugar (or hunks of sugar cane candy) and cinnamon simmered in a pot for hours. Mescal, a very sober cousin of tequila, is also popular. Oaxaco’s mole sauce tends to be sweeter that Puebla’s version due to the addition of bananas.

Did you know that watermelons are indigenous to Mexico? The story goes that watermelons are responsible for the colours in the Mexican flag. It is said that in the 1820’s during a particular hot and bloody battle in Chilpancingo (the capital of Guerrero state), the troops took a break to cool off with some watermelon. When they saw the green, white and bright red colours of the watermelon the decision was made that those would be the colours for the new flag.

Mexican food consists of a variety of foodstuffs, including sauces, soups, and stews and are cooked in styles ranging from quick-fry to slow roasting. The most common items in a Mexican diet include:

• Corn – which is most commonly used for tortillas, tacos or tamales
• Chilies – the most popular varieties being jalapeno, poblano, Serrano, guajillo, chipotle, pasilla, habanero, ancho, mulato and cascabel, all of which are used in both fresh and dried forms.
• Beans – with varieties ranging from lentils, kidney beans and fava beans. Refried beans are popular and referred to as refrito (refried in lard)
• Tomatoes – used as a popular ingredient in salsas and sauces. Tomatillos, small green tomatoes with a stiff husk and a tart flavour) are also popular.
• Fruit – with a wide variety including mango, papaya, coconut and pineapple, which are eaten fresh or in sauces and desserts. The prickly pear cactus, or Nopales, can be sautéed and eaten as a vegetable, or can be used to sweeten desserts.

More exotic dishes from the Aztec or Mayan style can include iguana, rattlesnake, deer, spider, monkey and even some kinds of insects. These are relatively well-known dishes known as comida prehispanica, or prehispanic food.

There is a difference between traditional Mexican food and what is known as Tex-Mex cooking. Tex-Mex cuisine, according to historians, originated hundreds of years ago when Spanish/Mexican recipes combined with typical Texan cooking, and the term Tex-Mex first occurred in print in the 1940’s. It is difficult to be precise in determining exactly what constitutes Tex-Mex cuisine as it is more of a combination of a variety of Mexican cooking from different regions with typical Texan cuisine consisting of the ample use of beef. Enchiladas, tacos, chimichangas, tortillas, fajitas and nachos are all part of what is known as Tex-Mex cuisine today, which is now geared to appeal to the American palate.

All in all, Mexican cuisine is both varied, and tasty. All of Mexican cooking is laced with spicy flavours which echo the hot Mexican climate. Mexican cuisine is well-known throughout the world and can be enjoyed be all.

Italian Food Recipes - Italian Wedding Soup

2011-05-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Italian food is known the world over for its great tastes. From pizza to lasagne, Italian food is always a treat to eat. But Italian food is more than that. They also have other great tasting traditional Italian recipes. One of them is their Italian Wedding Soup, served traditionally at weddings. The soup is a light flavorfull broth with meatballs in it. Here is a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup that you might like to try at home:

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:
1 onion, diced
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. ground turkey

Combine all above ingredients and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Soup:
10 cups chicken broth
1 lb. fresh spinach, chopped
2 eggs
2 TBSP. grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a large pot over med-high heat, bring broth to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium. Add meatballs and spinach. Simmer approximately 8-10 minutes. In a small bowl beat eggs and Parmesan cheese together. While stirring soup gently, slowly drizzle egg mixture into soup. Stir gently with a fork. Thin strands of egg will form in soup after about a minute. Spoon soup into bowls and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese.

If you would like to learn more about Italian cooking or Italian cuisine, please read the article below. It gives you great insights into the way Italian cuisine is traditionally served.

Want to try one of my own cookbooks? The Family Traditions Cookbook available on Kindle at: The Family Traditions Cookbook