Sauternes is a French dessert wine with a wonderfully sweet and luxurious taste. This famously rich wine is a favorite among connoisseurs and collectors and is often poured for holidays and celebrations. Here are some instructions on serve this decadent wine.
Instructions
1. Start your serving of Sauternes by making sure the wine is just below room temperature, around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Sauternes will lose flavor if it is too cold, but it will taste overly sweet if served too warm. Strive for warmer rather than cooler if you can't achieve 50 degrees.
2. Pour 2-3 ounces per glass. Dessert wines are intended to be sipped slowly and swallowed in small amounts. Make sure the glass is well under half full.
3. Offer Roquefort or blue cheese with Sauternes. These cheeses are complemented by the sweet flavors in this particular dessert wine.
4. Give your guests a sampling of Sauternes at the end of the evening. Because of its richness, Sauternes should be served after red and white wines.
5. Pair Sauternes with low-key or bitter desserts. Serving a giant slice of rich cake or pie with a glass of sweet wine is overwhelming. Sauternes can be served alone for dessert, or with cheeses, light dessert salads, roasted nuts or a semi-sweet chocolate.
Pasadena, California, just north of Los Angeles, is best known for its warm climate, scenic location and for hosting the college football Rose Bowl tournament. The city offers numerous cultural events, quality retailers and entertainment opportunities as well. With all the "Crown of the Valley" has to offer, it's important to start the day off right. Try one of Pasadena's breakfast restaurants to kick off your morning.
Lucky Boy Drive-In
The Lucky Boy Drive-In is known for its burgers, but the restaurant also offers breakfast food for those on the go. Located on South Arroyo Parkway, across from Trader Joe's, the restaurant serves up classic omelets, egg sandwiches and breakfast burritos from 6 to 10:30 a.m. Try the burrito with ranch dressing and homemade salsa. Lucky Boy doesn't accept checks or credit cards, although there is an ATM on the premises.
Elements Cafe
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Elements Cafe, an outdoor cafe in Old Town Pasadena that offers a delectable and healthy breakfast menu from 8 to 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, with a weekend brunch every weekend. Traditional breakfast foods are given an elegant twist, like the breakfast burrito with duck confit and french toast made with brioche. Elements uses organic, locally grown ingredients whenever possible and all juices are freshly squeezed for premium quality fare.
Marston's Restaurant
For a world-class dining experience, try Marston's Restaurant, voted "Best Breakfast in California" by Food Network Magazine in 2010. Across the street from Pasadena Memorial Park, Marston's has a huge breakfast menu ranging from simple, traditional dishes like Grandma's Oatmeal to unique locally-inspired creations such as chicken cilantro sausage and eggs, served from 7 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to 2:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Marston's also offers breakfast catering and cooking classes.
La Grande Orange Cafe
Take a step back into American home cooking at La Grande Orange Cafe--known to locals simply as LGO--located in the historic 1935 Del Mar train station. The restaurant boasts of always using fresh, never frozen ingredients and organic, seasonal produce in its recipes. Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on weekdays with a weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Try the house-made English muffins, available to go by the half dozen or dozen, or the huevos rancheros, made with organic eggs on a cheese quesadilla, topped with homemade ranchero sauce. As of January 2011, children eat free until 6 p.m. each day.
Tags: also offers, also offers breakfast, breakfast menu, burrito with, Elements Cafe, Grande Orange, Lucky Drive-In
Barley is a nutritious grain that can be used in a variety of recipes.
Pearled or pearl barley grains have been polished to have their husks removed; they are then steamed and dehydrated. This makes the grain cook faster than unprocessed barley. It is a versatile grain that can be substituted for rice or pasta as a side dish or as an ingredient in a variety of soups and stews and even desserts. Start by learning the basic technique of cooking barley, then try using this nutritious ingredient in a variety of dishes.
Instructions
1. Cook a simple side dish of barley by bringing 3 cups of water to a boil or use chicken or vegetable stock to add flavor. Add 1/2 tsp. of salt if desired. When the liquid is boiling, stir in 1 cup of pearled barley. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and allow the grains to cook for 45 minutes. Fluff the grains and serve. This will make about 3 1/2 to 4 cups, enough for 6 servings. Leftover cooked barley should be covered and kept in the refrigerator or frozen.
2. Make a hearty beef barley stew by heating 1 tbsp. of oil and browning 1 1/2 pounds of stew meat and 1 chopped onion in a large pot. Add 3 cans of beef broth, 1 cup of pearled barley, 1 tsp. of dried thyme, 1/4 tsp. of dried rosemary and 1/4 tsp. of pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, then add 4 sliced carrots and 2 cubed potatoes. Cook 30 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Finally, stir in 1/4 cup each of frozen corn and frozen green beans. Season with salt to taste.
3. Try a delicious barley baked pudding by stirring 2 cups of cooked pearled barley (as described in Step 1) with 1/4 cup sliced almonds, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp. grated lemon peel. Place the mixture in a 2 quart baking dish. Mix 2 1/2 cups whole milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp. salt and then pour over the barley mixture. Stir this well, then bake in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until set.
Tags: grain that, ingredient variety, pearled barley, side dish
Shrimp are related to the lobster and are low in calories.
Shrimp is a versatile, succulent seafood that cooks up quickly on the stove, grill or in the oven. A healthy way to prepare shrimp is by baking them in the oven with olive oil. Seasonings like fresh garlic pair well with this slightly sweet meat. You'll need a little time to prep your fresh or frozen shrimp but the required cooking time is minimal. This dish is ideal for a romantic dinner for two or to serve for a family gathering.
Instructions
1. Thaw 2 lbs. of frozen shrimp for 30 minutes before baking. If using fresh shrimp you may skip the thawing time. Remove the heads, legs and shells, leaving the tails behind.
2. Use a deveiner or small paring knife to clean the waste from the back of the shrimp. The waste will be black line that extends from the front to the back of the shrimp. Rinse the cleaned shrimp in cool water in a colander. Then pat them dry with a paper towel.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Peel and chop 3 cloves of garlic. Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil,1 cup of butter, the chopped garlic, 2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice and 1 tbsp. of fresh parsley to a saucepan.
4. Heat the ingredients together on low. Arrange the shrimp in a baking dish. Pour the liquid over the shrimp. Bake the shrimp for 12 to 15 minutes.
Onigiri is a Japanese comfort food, readily available in all convenience stores in Japan. It consists primarily of rice, often with some seasonings or a filling on the inside, then wrapped in nori seaweed. If you want to create a proper onigiri, you need to use the right type of rice.
Proper Rice
To make onigiri, you need the type of rice that's most prevalent in Japan. You'll find this in the store listed as "Japanese-style rice," "sushi rice" or "medium grain rice." If your grocery store has an Asian section, this rice is more likely to be in the Asian section than with other types of American rice. Long grain, jasmine, basmati, wild and other types of rice will not work for making onigiri.
White vs. Brown Rice
A traditional onigiri will use white rice. Brown rice, however, is more nutritious, so you may want to use it. Look for Japanese-style brown rice or "gen-mai" to make brown rice onigiri. Alternatively, haigamai rice has the germ but is still white. You can find this type of rice at Asian specialty stores.
Why Japanese Rice
An onigiri has to have just the right amount of stickiness to keep its shape. Long grain rices cook to be fluffy, not sticky. Don't confuse the proper Japanese rice with "sticky rice" or "glutinous rice," which is too sticky for creating an onigiri.
Mixed Rice
Once you've cooked the Japanese-style rice, you may want to create a "mixed rice" before making your onigiri. To do this, you simply mix the cooked rice with vegetables or a flavoring like small pieces of seaweed, sesame seeds or Japanese "furikake." From this, you can create your onigiri.
Tags: type rice, Asian section, brown rice, find this, Japanese-style rice, Long grain, onigiri need
Mead is one of the oldest fermented drinks known to mankind. Made of honey, water and yeast, it has been enjoyed at celebrations for centuries. Although mead was traditionally made only by members of the mead-makers guild, it can now be made and enjoyed by anyone with a knack for "do-it-yourself" brewing.
Instructions
Make the Mead
1. Sterilize everything. Use a mild bleach solution to clean all of the tools and utensils that you will be using.
2. Boil 2 1/2 qt. of water in a large pot. Remove the pot from the heat and add the honey.
3. Stir until the honey is dissolved and pour the mixture into the gallon jug. Add 2 1/2 more qt. of water.
4. Cool the honey and water to about 80 degrees. Add the yeast and shake the mixture thoroughly, mixing it well.
5. Put the airlock in the neck of the jug and store the mead in a warm room, between 70 and 80 degrees.
Ferment the Mead
6. Allow the mead to ferment for approximately 1 month.
7. Siphon the must into a sterile glass jug. Airlock again.
8. Taste test some of the mead as you are siphoning. Add sterile honey-water if you want a sweeter mead.
9. Make the sterile honey-water mixture by stirring the honey into the boiling water. Let it cool before adding it to the mead.
10. Bottle the mead when the bubbling from the airlock has slowed to less than 1 to 2 bubbles every minute. Use a funnel to pour the mead into the bottles.
11. Store your bottles of mead in a cool, dry place.
How do you feed your family with layoffs, high prices and no time. You can do it! Just try these 7 meal ideas to feed your family for $30 this week!
Instructions
1. Use the chili stater (made by Bush's beans), tomatoes and the hamburger to create quick and tasty chili. You can add some of the onions if you want for taste. Follow the instructions on the can.
2. Roast. Through the roast in a crock pot with the some potatoes, carrots, more onion, and cook all day with a little water. Your whole meals is done when you get home from work. If you want you can add flour to the water that the roast cooked in to get a quick gravy. Save the leftover beef for another meal - see below
3. Make loose roast beef sandwich with leftover roast. You can top with BBQ sauce if you have it. Serve with chips.
4. Chicken noodle soup. Boil the chicken thighs for 1.5 hours. Remove them add veggies left from the roast and egg or spaghetti noodle. Debone the chicken and add it to the soup. This will make a big batch of soup.
5. Spaghetti night - make spaghetti with hamburger and sauce or save even more money and use ground pork. Serve with bread or mix garlic powder with butter to make your own garlic bread plain or toasted.
6. Reheat leftover soup for another night of hearty soup and a quick meal.
7. Last meal cook ham or ham steak. Cut up and cook with the augratin potatoes. Great quick meal and all this for $30 a week.
Tags: cook with, feed your, feed your family, quick meal, Serve with, this week, your family
Potato salad is a popular staple at most cookouts and potlucks. Whether it is American potato salad or German potato salad, it is sure to be a big hit. Switch it up at your next family cookout. Instead of going to the store and buying the same old potato salad you always bring, try making blue cheese potato salad. Don't forget to bring the recipe, because everyone who tries it is going to want it.
Instructions
1. Put all of your potatoes into a large pot.
2. Pour cold water over the potatoes until they are all covered.
3. Boil the potatoes until they're tender.
4. Drain the water from the pot and set the potatoes aside so they can cool a bit. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel them.
5. Slice the potatoes into pieces about an inch big.
6. Put the sliced potatoes into another bowl.
7. Pour the white wine over the potatoes. Season it with salt and pepper and toss the mixture so it coats all of the potatoes.
8. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, vinegar, blue cheese, onions and celery together and then add it to the potatoes.
Tags: potato salad, potatoes into, over potatoes, potatoes until, potatoes until they, they cool
Pour pesto over pasta, add to soup for zesty flavor or serve with bread.
A flavorful sauce used in pasta dishes, soups or as a dipping sauce, pesto is a staple in many kitchens. In French cuisine, pesto without nuts is called pistou. Made in a similar way as pesto, pistou contains many of the same ingredients, including garlic, basil, tomatoes, salt and olive oil. Freezing pesto without nuts allows you to make this tasty sauce in larger quantities and store it to use throughout the year.
Instructions
1. Prepare pesto (pistou) as usual. Place ice cube trays on your workspace to fill with pesto. The number of trays needed depends on the amount of pesto you prepare. You will need about two tablespoons of pesto to fill each section of an ice cube tray.
2. Pour half the pesto into a plastic storage bag and seal, then cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners of the bag. Push pesto through the hole and fill each section of the ice cube trays. Refill the storage bag with the rest of the pesto or use a new storage bag.
3. Cover ice cube trays with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Allow pesto to freeze for up 24 hours. Take frozen pesto cubes out of the ice trays and place them in a plastic storage bag, which you will then place in the freezer.
4. Thaw pesto cubes as needed for use. Frozen pesto stay fresh for up to six months in the freezer.
Tags: cube trays, each section, each section cube, fill each, fill each section
If you have a large enough wine collection to warrant a sizable wine rack, odds are you occasionally purchase wine by the crate (or at least know where to procure wine crates). Wine crates may seem useless once you've unpacked your purchases, but with a little creative woodworking, you can give them a second life by turning them into unique, eye-catching and very effective lattice wine racks.
Instructions
1. Prepare long dividers. Measure the inside of your crate to determine how deep it is (front to back) and the diagonal distance from corner to corner. Cut two pieces of plywood to the length of your diagonal distance and a width 1-2 inches shorter than the depth of your crate. Use a table or miter saw to bevel opposite ends of the dividers to create 45-degree angles in each side, so the dividers can slide into the crate and fit securely into the corners.
2. Cut slots. Place one divider into the crate and then slide the other partway in using the opposite corners. Mark where the two intersect, and then cut slots at that point in each board. The slots should be a half-inch wide and half the length of each board, which will allow them to interlock in the crate and form a stable "X" shape.
3. Prepare short dividers. Measure the diagonal distance from the center of one wall of the crate to the adjacent one, and cut plywood dividers to that length (and the width of the long dividers). If your crate is square, cut three additional dividers to these same specifications. If it is a rectangle, measure each center-to-center span and cut one divider to match each distance. Use a table or miter saw to bevel opposite ends of the dividers to create a 45-degree angle in one side, so the panel can slide into the crate and fit securely against adjacent walls.
4. Cut slots. The short dividers will form a diamond that surrounds the long dividers, has sides parallel to them and has points at the center of each wall of the crate. One at a time, place each short divider into position and mark the short and long divider where they intersect. Cut slots into each that are a half-inch wide and half the length of the divider.
5. Place dividers. Use the slots to put all your dividers into place within the crate. If desired, you can drive nails or screws through the back of the crate and into the dividers.
6. Use wine rack. Place your wine rack in a stable place, and fill each diamond or triangle with as many bottles as will fit.
Tags: diagonal distance, into crate, long dividers, your crate, bevel opposite, bevel opposite ends
Breakfast in France is a light, not hearty, affair.
The French greet the first light of day with a light meal. French breakfast foods consist primarily of small portions, airy pastries and sweet treats. Unlike American breakfasts, the typical French breakfast, called le petit dejeuner or "the small breakfast," is not heavy and seldom consists of eggs, sausages and bacon. Some of the most popular French breakfast foods include croissants, breads, and hot or cold beverages.
Croissants
Croissants make an ideal breakfast treat.
Croissants, crescent-shaped rolls made of sweet flaky pastry, were first created in Austria in the late 1600s and soon introduced in France. Today, they're a staple of the French breakfast, especially on the weekends. Croissants come in two basic varieties: croissant nature and croissant au beurre (butter croissant), which is the larger of the two. Croissants often are eaten with jam or dipped into coffee. With a relatively high number of calories (125 to 150 per pastry) croissants, while delicious, are not considered a particularly nutritious food.
Breads
The French favor light, crusty breads.
The baguette (meaning stick or wand) has long been a favorite food of French breakfasts. A light, crusty bread in a loaf shape with a white interior that features many irregularly shaped holes, the baguette's fresh flavor is fleeting. They generally go stale within a matter of hours. Typically made with water, flour and yeast, baguettes also come in fancier varieties such as sourdough, whole wheat, rye, and milk and sugar. Baguettes are enjoyed at breakfast with fruit jams such as strawberry, orange, apricot and fig. Other French breakfast breads include pain au raisin, round danish-like breads with raisins, and brioche, small buns that are part bread, part cake.
Beverages
French hot chocolate is made from melted chocolate and milk.
A French breakfast wouldn't be complete without a hot or cold beverage to start the day. Coffee, hot chocolate and freshly squeezed orange juice are breakfast favorites. Cafe au lait, a typical morning coffee, consists of a good-sized bowl (not a cup or a mug) of hot milk with a small amount of coffee. French coffee generally is made from strong espresso beans, so a little goes a long way. Unlike American hot chocolate, which usually is pre-sweetened, French hot chocolate is made from chocolate melted in hot milk; although very rich with a strong chocolate flavor, it's not sweet. Tea and milk are not part of breakfast in France.
Tags: French breakfast, French breakfast, made from, breakfast foods, chocolate made, chocolate made from
Black beans are a versatile ingredient that, when pureed, can make an excellent dip. Set as an appetizer or even a side dish, black bean dips can really top off any pan-Latin meal with an earthy punch. Keep a few key ingredients in your pantry and be ready to feed the masses at any time. Best of all, they are very easy to prepare.
Black Bean Dip Checklist
Almost all black bean dips require the same tools to prepare. The simplest dips use canned beans, so you'll need a can opener and a colander for draining. You'll be doing your share of chopping, so a chef's knife and cutting board are required. You may also want to invest in a food processor, to blend and puree your dips to a delicious smoothness. For certain recipes, you may need to use a skillet and a spatula. And finally, get out a large bowl, one that holds at least 16 ounces, and a big spoon, and prepare to mix and eat!
Keep some basic ingredients in your pantry, and you'll be able to whip up quick dips whenever your stomach demands. Be sure to stock a couple of cans of black beans, a head of garlic, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper. Cayenne pepper or chili powder is also recommended if you enjoy spicier dips.
Basic Black Bean Dip
The most basic black bean dip will serve as a template for all other black bean dips. If you can make this recipe, then you can begin to experiment and add different vegetables and spices to make your dips even more flavorful.
First, open two cans of black beans. Drain the liquid out using your colander so that your dip won't be too soupy. Next, place the drained beans in your food processor with a peeled clove of garlic for flavor. Add a tablespoon of lime juice - freshly squeezed lime juice is always preferable since fresher ingredients taste best, but bottled lime juice works as well. Puree the mixture in your food processor until the beans are broken down into a paste. Use a spatula or a spoon to scoop out the dip into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want your basic dip to have some kick, add a pinch or two of chili powder. You can serve this dip immediately or let it refrigerate for a couple hours. Letting the dip sit will allow the flavors to blend and the dip will taste richer.
Spicing Up Your Dip
There are many ways to alter and tweak your basic black bean dip to create flavorful and unique combinations. For a smokey dip, grill four strips of bacon on a skillet, add a tablespoon of the bacon's grease to beans before processing, then chop up the bacon and stir into the pureed dip. You can also add more of a Tex-Mex flair to your dip by dicing onions, tomato and jalapeno and adding these to the unprocessed mixture. For a smokey and spicy dip, chop up a couple canned chipotle peppers and blend them right in. If you want to cool down spicy dip, add some dairy - a quarter to a half a cup of shredded cheese or a dollop of sour cream will do the trick.
Serving Suggestions
A basic black bean dip can be served with tortilla chips or as a garnish for tacos and burritos. Smokey dips, such as those with bacon in them, can make great spreads for crackers. If you are trying to be healthy, consider chopping up some carrots, broccoli and celery and spreading on the black bean dip.
Tags: black bean, lime juice, basic black, bean dips, Black Bean
Halal is an Arabic word meaning permitted or lawful, the opposite of which is haram, or forbidden. When applied to food, halal means those foods that are considered permissible to eat under Islamic law. To compile a list of halal foods, you must list what is haram. Halal foods, therefore, are everything else. All foods listed as follows are not permitted under Islamic law.
Pork
Pork is forbidden to consume, according to the Qur'an, the sacred book of Islam. Any pork byproducts are also forbidden.
Blood
Blood is not permitted, including all animal blood and foods made from blood byproducts.
Other Types of Animals
Other animals that are forbidden to be eaten include carnivorous animals (lion, fox, dog, cat, etc.), land animals without external ears (snake, lizard, etc.), birds of prey (falcon, eagle, hawk, etc.) and carrion, the carcasses of dead animals.
Animals Killed Improperly
It is unlawful to eat animals that were slaughtered not in the name of Allah. The name of Allah must be pronounced over the animal prior to the slaughter. The method of slaughter is important as well; animals must be killed under a set method of ritual slaughter.
Alcohol
Alcohol and all other intoxicants are prohibited.
Contaminated Foods
Foods that have been contaminated by any of the foods or drinks listed previously are forbidden to be eaten.
Tags: animals that, forbidden eaten, name Allah, under Islamic
Draft beer lines can easily get musty over time, leading to poor-tasting beer and even posing some potential health problems. There are several contributing factors that include yeast buildup, mold, beer stones (raw materials that contain calcium such as grains and water) and bacteria. That's why it's important to routinely maintain beer lines.
Instructions
1. First, flush the beer lines with water using a hand pump or motorized electric pump.
2. Second, choose a line-cleaning chemical. There are two to choose from: caustic or alkaline and pressurized cleaning. Caustic or alkaline cleaners dissolve proteins and hop resins and are effective in killing mold, bacteria and yeast. Acid line cleaners dissolve beer stones. Keep in mind that both are hazardous if not properly handled. Make sure you carefully follow any manufacturer directions regarding concentration levels and personal safety equipment such as gloves and protective eye wear.
3. Third, determine the method of cleaning. There are two choices here as well: pressurized cleaning and recirculating cleaning. Pressurized cleaning is done by placing the cleaner into a container such as a metal or plastic bucket and forcing it through the lines using a hand pump or gas pressure such as CO2. Recirculating cleaning requires a motorized electric pump such as a Micro-Matic. This method is recommended for lines of more than 20 feet.
4. Finally, flush the lines with water to ensure that all chemicals are rinsed away.
5. Perform routine maintenance. It is important to clean beer lines about every two weeks. This will ensure good-tasting beer and proper hygiene. And the whole process only takes a few minutes.
Tags: beer lines, beer stones, cleaners dissolve, electric pump, hand pump, lines with, lines with water
If you've ever traveled in the southern United States you have probably seen vendors selling boiled peanuts. If you don't get to the south often, or if you've never tried these southern delicacies it is easy to make them yourself.
There are different methods of boiling peanuts, but a popular and quick way is to use a pressure cooker. These directions call for raw green peanuts, but you can also use dried peanuts in the shell by soaking them overnight in a salty brine before boiling them.
Instructions
Boiling Peanuts in the Pressure Cooker
1. Wash between 2 and 3 pounds of peanuts in the shell in cold water until the water runs clear. This step is important when dealing with fresh peanuts, because they are very dirty from growing in the ground.
2. Soak peanuts in cool clean water for 45 minutes before cooking. Many people skip this step, but I have found that it helps the peanuts absorb the salt by making them moist and soft before boiling.
3. Place peanuts, 2/3 cup of salt and enough water to cover the peanuts in the pressure cooker. The amount of salt can be adjusted to taste. Try another popular seasoning for boiled peanuts by adding in a few tablespoons of cayenne pepper.
4. Cook for 45 minutes at about 10 pounds of pressure.
5. Allow the peanuts to cool in the water. If you remove them from the water to cool they shrivel up and don't absorb the salt.
Make homemade barbecue sauce using a brown sugar substitute. You won't be able to tell it has sugar substitute in it and neither will anyone else. This can be made in advance and kept cold in the refrigerator to use at your leisure.
Instructions
1. Chop the onion. (I use real onion because it tastes better and because I love sautéed onions.) You want at least ¼ cup of onion, finely chopped. Place the chopped onion in a small pot and turn heat to medium. Add butter or margarine. Mix onions and butter or margarine until butter is melted. Sautee onions for at least 6 to 7 minutes or longer if you like yours to brown some.
2. Add the liquid smoke flavoring, lemon juice and brown sugar substitute. Make sure the sugar substitute is mixed well with the liquid ingredients.
3. Add the mustard and ketchup to the onion and brown sugar mixture and stir. Let mixture come to a bubble and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take mixture off burner and let cool at room temperature.
4. Use the barbecue sauce on your favorite meat, or as a dipping sauce, once sauce is cooled.
Tags: brown sugar, barbecue sauce, brown sugar substitute, butter margarine, sugar substitute, sugar substitute
Halloween can be a tricky time for those suffering from Celiac's disease or another gluten intolerance. Although Halloween candy isn't the healthiest thing you can consume, by making your own treats you're insuring exactly what goes into your body and may even have some DIY fun along the way.
Yummy Baked Fall Apples
Ingredients:
4 medium-sized apples, cored
4 strips lemon rind
1/2 cup currants, dried
4 whole cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
1. Put all four apples into a large, oven-ready container with lid.
2. Inside each apple insert currants, lemon rind, cinnamon and vanilla bean.
3. Pour lemon juice inside and over the apples.
4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until apples are fork tender.
Chocolate Cookie Disks
Ingredients:
1/4 cup carob powder
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/2 cup raw white sugar
3/8 cup butter or margarine
One large whole egg
Directions:
1. Mix dry ingredients together and reserve.
2. Mix beaten egg and whisk in butter. Add mixture a little at a time to your dry ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Using hands, roll dough into balls approximately one inch in side and place on greased cookie sheet.
4. Flatten the spheres using a greased fork. Slightly criss-cross tinge-marks if desired.
5. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool and serve.
Ghoulish Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cacao or carob powder
1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup macadamia nut butter
3/4 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp gray sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1. Combine cacao powder, coconut butter, oil and macadamia nut butter in a large mixing bowl.
2. Slowly stir in agave.
3. Add salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract.
4. Mix well and pour mixture into glass deep-sided dish.
5. Freeze until hard (about 2 hours).
6. Using Halloween cookie-cutters, cut fudge into ghosts, pumpkins or black cats and serve.
List of Gluten-free Candies
If you want to serve your homemade treats with packaged candy, here are some gluten-free products.
* Almond Joy
* Altoids
* Andes Mints
* Bazooka gum
* Big League Chew (original, grape, strawberry)
* Breath Saver mints
* Bubblicious gum
* Bubble Yum
* Charleston Chew
* Dubble Bubble gum
* Dove
* Hershey's Kisses
* Hershey's (plain chocolate bars)
* Hot Tamales
* Ice Breakers gum
* Jelly Belly
* Jolly Rancher products
* Junior Mints
* Mike and Ike
* Kraft caramels
* Kraft Mini Marshmallow Snack Packs
* Laffy Taffy by Willy Wonka
* Lifesavers
* Lifesaver Gummies
* M&M's Plain
* M&M's Peanut
* Mounds
* Necco Wafers
* Nestle Milk Chocolate
* Orbit gum
* Payday
* Pez
* Pixie Sticks by Willy Wonka
* Pop Rocks
* Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
* Reese's Pieces
* Snickers
* Sour Patch Kids
* Sugar Babies/Sugar Daddy
* Sunkist chewy candies
* 3 Musketeers - original
* TicTacs
* Tootsie Rolls
* Trident gum
* York Peppermint Patty
Note: Candy companies frequently change manufacturing processes so please double-check the ingredients before consuming.
For a more complete list go to www.glutenfreeda.com
A Watergate salad is an easy to make fruit and nut salad. In fact, it's so easy that it makes a great project for children to help with. This recipe is great for snacks or dinners. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and is ready to eat after chilling for an hour in the refrigerator. Top with some shredded coconut for an added flare.
Instructions
1. Spoon the whipped topping into a large bowl.
2. Add the pistachio pudding mix and stir until blended.
3. Slice the bananas. Add the bananas to the mix while stirring to combine.
4. Pour the chopped nuts into the salad. Mix it all together.
5. Drain the oranges, pineapple and cherries. You can mash the oranges or leave them sliced.
6. Add the oranges, pineapple and cherries to the salad and mix well.
7. Place the marshmallows into the mixture.
8. Stir the Watergate salad until completely blended. Try to get all of the ingredients evenly distributed throughout the salad.
9. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
10. Serve the salad in a decorative glass bowl for special occasions.
If you've eaten all the fresh young zucchini you desire for the year and are now left with those giant zucchini that no one wants to touch, its time to get creative. What you do with it depends primarily on whether or not you are determined to eat it. Yes, overgrown zucchini is still edible and can be used to make delicious breads, cakes and muffins, but it does take a bit of time to prepare.
Harvesting
Allow zucchini to mature on the vine. Harvest small six- to eight-inch zucchini for cooking in stir fries and casseroles. These small zucchini are crisp and tender when young, but once they mature, zucchini are no longer suitable for eating fresh in salads or for traditional zucchini recipes like zucchini parmesan. Mature zucchini develop a tough skin and large seeds, but they are ideal for baking moist breads, cakes and muffins.
Preparation
Wash the zucchini to remove any dirt or garden residue. Check for any soft or discolored areas. Small areas can be cut away and will not harm the fruit. Thoroughly dry the zucchini with a soft cloth or paper towels. Cut zucchini lengthwise to expose the interior. Scoop away any overgrown seeds and pith. The fruit of the zucchini is firm and white or whitish green. Trim the ends and cut the zucchini into four-inch sections.
Grating or Shredding
Grate with a vegetable grater or shred loosely in the blender. The zucchini should be shredded, not pureed. Watch closely that you do not over-process the zucchini. Part of the appeal of zucchini in breads and cakes is that it provides texture to the batter. Over processed zucchini is too mushy to achieve this affect.
Place shredded zucchini in a colander to drain away juices. Press firmly with a layer of paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Using zucchini that has not been properly drained results in dense bread that appears a bit doughy.
Cooking and Freezing
Use shredded zucchini in your favorite recipes for breads, muffins, cookies and cakes following the instructions for the recipe. Freeze fresh shredded zucchini in food storage bags, as it does not require blanching and will keep for several months without loosing flavor. Measure the amount you will need for your recipes and freeze it separately to make baking easier.
The vivid colors of the fruit, cheese and wine make a dramatic presentation.
The rich, over-the-top sweetness and dark earthiness of ripe figs and the sharp, clean creaminess of goat cheese are a natural pairing. But which wines are best to complement such distinctive flavors? The answer depends on how and when the fruit and cheese is being served.
As an Appetizer
Halved fresh figs brushed with balsamic vinegar and then topped with a crumble of goat cheese before roasting in the oven until warm through make a beautiful, simple and elegant start to a meal. Pair this preparation with a Gewürztraminer to highlight the fruit or a Pinot Gris to bring the sharpness of the goat cheese into prominence.
As a Canapé
A smear of goat cheese and a layer of crushed fresh figs topped with crisped prosciutto and a few leaves of lightly dressed arugula on a base of toasted nut bread is a simple offering that's got enough complexity of flavor for even the most elegant cocktail party. A dark, bold Pinot Noir will stand up to this savory bite.
As a Salad
Baby greens topped with sliced figs, crumbles of goat cheese, crispy crumbled prosciutto and sliced pears needs only a very simple vinaigrette to shine. If serving larger portions as a light lunch, try a sparkling wine such as a California champagne or a dry prosecco to make the meal even more special. For a salad course, break tradition and try a tawny port to offset the sharpness of the vinaigrette.
As Dessert
Quartered ripe figs topped with crumbled goat cheese and drizzled with peppered honey is a sophisticated climax to any meal. As simple in presentation as it is layered in flavors, this is definitely a dessert for grownups. A Sauvignon Blanc will cut through the sweetness and keep the honey and figs from overpowering the cheese and spice.
Restoring old cider presses using original components increases their value significantly.
Old properties were sometimes built with detached stone cider houses on their grounds. According to Find A Property, one example, located on the grounds of Oldcroft cottage in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, measures 4.75 meters by 3.85 meters (about 15.5 feet by 12.5 feet) and contains an original cider press. Once saved and restored, antique cider presses make beautiful additions to old homes, and can be used for the original function: to create fabulous fruit ciders. There are different types of presses available in varying sizes. Designs such as the Weston press, the Buckeye or the ratchet-style press are well-known by restorers and enthusiasts.
Instructions
1. Make a detailed list of all the components your old cider press. Some old presses may have pieces missing that have been lost along the way, or broken. Look out for the cider hoppers that mount on top of the grinder. If you are missing a component and need one to make the press function, you will need to purchase a new or used replacement.
2. Suspend the pressing plate (usually square and often made of oak) using a metal collar and thread the cast-iron fittings to the press screw so that the bottom part of the lower cast-iron component supports the pressing plate.
3. Link the higher of the two cast-iron fittings to the lower using a ratchet with two slots. The slots are positioned to allow movement of teeth on the lower fitting. Once the press comes into contact with the apples, the screw becomes free to turn and pushes down on the pulp rather than spinning the entire pressing plate. When the pressing plate is low enough to come in contact with the apples, pressure will be applied automatically resulting in a steady flow of juice from the bottom of the tub.
4. Create or restore the buckets, retaining where possible the original rims. If new ones are needed, roll them with a three-roll upset roller. Using a cloth tape, try to replicate the original style. It is better to drill holes in the buckets after forming the rims as the holes weaken the steel and cause bending.
5. Fit a hand crank so that you can operate the press. Ensure it is the right size for your set-up.
6. Install a hopper to hold your whole apples. The Jaffrey Wooden Hopper can hold up to 35 pounds of apples and improves the speed and ease of grinding, according to The Fruit Press.
7. Paint and preserve the surfaces using a good quality RustOleum and specialist wood paint or varnish. RustOleum Hammered sprays create the effect of battered metal, which looks appealing.
Tags: pressing plate, cast-iron fittings, cider presses, contact with, contact with apples, with apples
Scalloped potatoes are an American version of the French dish, potatoes au gratin. The original scalloped potatoes recipe involved stuffing mashed potatoes inside scallop shells and baking. Modern recipes involve layering potatoes, butter and cream in a casserole dish and baking. This recipe yields approximately six servings of modern scalloped potatoes.
Instructions
1. Rinse the russet potatoes under cold water to wash away any superficial debris, and then remove the eyes with your hands. The eyes of the potatoes are small white growths that appear on the outside of the potato. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Remove the brown outer skin from the potatoes using a potato peeler, and then cut them into 1/8-inch thick slices. Cut the onion into similarly sized slices, and distribute half of the potato slices across the bottom of the casserole dish.
3. Separate the onion slices into individual rings, and spread them over the potatoes. Season the potatoes and onions with salt and pepper to taste, and then spread the flour over the top. Distribute 1 tbsp. of butter over the flour in small slivers.
4. Add another layer of potatoes. Spread 1 tbsp. of butter over the potatoes in slivers as before, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and remove before it begins to bubble.
5. Pour the hot cream over the potatoes, and cover the casserole dish. Transfer it into the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the lid from the dish, and bake for about 15 more minutes before serving immediately.
Tags: casserole dish, over potatoes, butter over, Easy Scalloped, Easy Scalloped Potatoes, Make Easy, Make Easy Scalloped
Kugel is often made with noodles, but Passover kugel is usually made with potatoes or fruit.
Every year in the spring, Jewish families around the world gather together to celebrate Passover---a festival commemorating the freeing of the Jews from their Egyptian captors. The central ritual of Passover is the Seder, a symbolic meal shared by families and their guests. Popular Seder foods include matzo ball soup, slow-roasted brisket, haroset, and both sweet and savory kugel. Since leavened products (like bread, cake, noodles, etc.) are prohibited during this holiday, Passover kugel is often made from potatoes, matzo or fruit.
Instructions
Make a Classic Potato Kugel
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Pour the vegetable oil into the baking dish. Set the dish aside while you prepare the potatoes and onions.
3. Grate the potatoes with a grater or food processor (a food processor is recommended since it will cut down on your preparation time). Place them into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Then, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the potatoes with your hands. The drier the potatoes, the better. Place the potato shreds into a large mixing bowl.
4. Chop or grate the onion until it reaches a fine texture. Add the onion to the potatoes.
5. Add the lightly beaten eggs, salt, pepper and matzo meal into the bowl with the onion and potatoes. Mix all of the ingredients together.
6. Put the baking dish with vegetable oil into the oven. Let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes or until the oil becomes very hot.
7. Take the baking dish out of the oven. Carefully, swirl the oil inside of the dish to make sure it coats all of the sides. Then add the potato mixture into the dish with a large spoon. Watch out for the splattering oil.
8. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the top of the kugel is brown and crispy.
Make an Apple Cinnamon Kugel
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking dish well with butter, margarine or cooking spray.
10. Prepare the apples. Peel the apples and then remove their cores. Chop the apples into small, thin pieces. Alternately, you may grate the apples with a grater or food processor. Set the apples aside.
11. Put the crumbled matzo crackers into a large mixing bowl. Add water to cover the crackers and let the mixture sit for two minutes. After two minutes have passed, drain off any excess water but do not squeeze the crackers.
12. Add the beaten eggs, 1/4 cup of sugar, salt, applesauce, and lemon juice with the crackers. Mix the ingredients together. Then, add the chopped apples and the dried cranberries or raisins. Mix the ingredients again. Pour the mixture into your greased casserole dish.
13. Mix the remaining sugar (1/4 cup) with the cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture over the top of your casserole for an added bite of sweetness.
14. Place the casserole dish into the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the apples are soft.
Chinese cuisine is actually quite healthy, as it emphasizes vegetables, includes no cheese and utilizes a lot of seafood and lean poultry. Another plus is that Chinese cooking uses vegetable oil, which, in moderate amounts, has enough unsaturated fat to counteract the cholesterol-raising properties of the saturated fat it contains. Unfortunately, your local Chinese takeout probably doesn't produce completely authentic Chinese dishes. Instead, it probably cooks Americanized versions of these dishes, which are usually much higher in calories, saturated fat and, especially, sodium. Chinese takeout can actually be worse for you than pizza or fast food if you don't order carefully.
The Basics
When eating at any Asian restaurant, eat as an Asian person would: with chopsticks. Not only does it slow down your eating, causing you to realize you're full before you've overstuffed, but it also will keep you from picking up too much excess sauce. And it's in the sauce that the average Chinese meal hides unhealthy ingredients like blood-pressure-raising sodium and cholesterol-raising saturated fat. Sometimes, as in buffets, the sauce is simply unavoidable. For this reason, it's always best to choose restaurants where the food is made to order instead of sitting under a heat lamp. If healthy vegetables and lean meat sit in a warm pool of sticky sauce all day, much of their nutritional value gets cooked away. Plus, they get soggy. Made-to-order options are more willing to answer requests like, "Please don't add salt." Also important to realize is that the crispy chow mein noodles that often come free with your meal are very high in fat. Just because it's free doesn't mean you have to eat it. As a matter of fact, you'd probably be better off if you didn't eat anything with the word "crispy" in its name. Finally, remember to compare the portion you're served with what you would normally eat. Chinese restaurants frequently give you much more food than you would ever serve yourself at home. Those famous take-away boxes exist for a reason; just eat half, then take the rest home for the next day.
Sauces
It is because of sauces that seemingly healthy food, like steamed vegetables, becomes quite the opposite. To avoid this, when you place an order at your favorite Chinese restaurant, ask that the sauce be placed on the side. This way, you have more control. Instead of dumping the sauce over your food, try dipping your chopsticks in sauce before picking up the meat, vegetable or carbohydrate. This way, you'll get the sauce's flavor without ingesting huge amounts of fat and sodium. Always ask for reduced-sodium soy sauce. The flavor is the same but the difference in sodium content is notable. Sweet and sour sauce, duck sauce and plum sauce all contain a lot of sugar. Hoisin sauce has sky-high levels of sodium. Flavorings like rice-wine vinegar, wasabi and ginger are your best bets. Hot mustard is OK in small quantities but remember that each packet has a substantial helping of sodium inside.
Appetizers
A standard starter at Chinese restaurants is the egg roll. Wrapped in dough, diluted with fillers and deep-fried, one egg roll is high in fat and, often, sodium. Try a spring roll instead. While it still isn't a health-superstar, it does have fewer calories, less sodium and about half the saturated fat of the bigger and more thickly wrapped egg roll. If dumplings are more your taste, order them steamed instead of deep- or pan-fried. Choosing the vegetable filling over pork will halve your saturated fat intake, not to mention lower calories and sodium. Barbecued spare ribs are some of the worst starter options, so avoid these in general. Crab Rangoons, too, are best passed up. When it comes to salads, watch for creamy dressings or crispy noodle toppings. Soup can be a good choice if you're watching your waistline but not your blood pressure. Hot and sour, egg drop and wonton soups are all low in fat but remain relatively high in sodium.
Meat and Tofu Dishes
Many Chinese mains, as served in the U.S., start with "crispy" meat or tofu. This means that the meat is breaded and deep-fried before ever getting near the sticky sauce. These include menu favorites like General Tso's Chicken, which carries almost an entire day's worth of fat, and Orange Chicken or Beef, which can give you more than half your daily allowance of saturated fat and about two-thirds of your calories. Perhaps worst of all, it blows maximum recommended amounts of sodium out of the water. Even tofu versions start in the deep fryer, negating their perceived healthfulness. But crispy dishes aren't the only dangers. Kung Pao Chicken, for instance, won't be easy on your waistline. Because much of that fat comes from peanuts, though, it is still a better option than its crispier counterparts. Ultimately, you should look for anything that's steamed, stir-fried, roasted or broiled--but be sure to order the sauce on the side. A better option is Moo Goo Gai Pan, which is fairly low in calories and saturated fat; iit has quite a bit of sodium, but less than most other choices. Beef with Broccoli can be fairly healthy as long as, when you order, you request less salt in it than usual. Without all the sodium this dish isn't so bad. This is also true for some shrimp dishes like Shrimp with Garlic Sauce and Szechuan Shrimp.
Vegetable Dishes
Some vegetable dishes can fool you by calling the sauce something unthreatening like "garlic sauce." Sauces like this are frequently oil-based. Certain vegetables, like eggplant and spinach, really absorb that oil so, despite your best efforts to leave the sauce on the plate, the calories and saturated fat levels can get quite high. Steamed vegetables are easily available at most Chinese restaurants. As long as you get them cooked without sauce and don't proceed to load on the hoisin or soy sauce, this is one of the healthiest choices you can make.
Rice and Noodles
In fried rice, the calories, saturated fat and sodium are all over the top, even if you choose steamed chicken or shrimp instead of pork or beef. Lo Mein is even worse. Chow Mein noodles are, frankly, appalling in terms of health. One of the easiest ways to make your Chinese dinner healthier is to order plain steamed rice with your meal. Even better, go with steamed brown rice, which is higher in fiber. Try to eat more of the rice and less of the entrée. The rice will satisfy you without filling you up with fat.
Tags: calories saturated, Chinese restaurants, amounts sodium, better option, Chinese takeout
Food is an important part of any Jewish holiday celebration. It is used to bring people together, celebrate the holiday and can even be symbolic, in some instances. For each Jewish holiday, there are traditional foods as well as forbidden foods.
Significance
Judaism is full of traditions, many deriving from the Bible. The food made during holidays reflects this, and is usually tied in to a holiday story during the meal.
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is one of the holiest holidays in the Jewish calendar. Traditional foods for Rosh Hashanah include apples and honey, and a round challah (as opposed to braided). Honey symbolizes a "sweet" year, since this holiday is the Jewish New Year. A round challah is symbolic of the circle of life and the hope for a perfect year.
Chanukkah
Chanukkah is a holiday that celebrates the Festival of Lights, when the small bit of oil enabled the menorah in the Temple to burn for eight days, even though there was only enough oil for one day. Therefore, many Chanukkah foods are fried in oil. Latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried jelly doughnuts) are two traditional holiday treats.
Passover
This holiday is a celebration of the Jews' exodus from Egypt and from slavery. The matzah eaten during Passover symbolizes the bread the Jews carried on their backs during the Exodus. There is a seder plate on the dinner table with food symbolizing parts of the Passover story, like the salt water symbolizing tears, and the horseradish symbolizing the bitter times.
Shabbat
Shabbat, or Sabbath, is observed from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night. Traditional Sabbath meals include challah, the braided bread, and cholent. Cholent is a slow-cooked stew consisting of brisket, beans, potatoes, barley and spices.
Cooking a turkey requires a bit of forethought, especially if you have bought a frozen turkey. According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA, it can take up to six days to thaw a 20-pound turkey in the refrigerator. The amount of time it takes a turkey to cook depends on your oven temperature and whether the turkey is stuffed or unstuffed while cooking.
Cooking an Unstuffed Turkey
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap the turkey and remove the giblet package and neck bone from the inner cavity. Rinse the bird with running cold water and place it in your roasting pan. Add approximately 1/2 cup of water to the pan to help keep the turkey skin from sticking to the pan. Cover the bird with the roaster lid or foil and cook for at least 4 hours for a 20-lb. turkey. Remove the lid and allow the turkey to cook and brown for another hour. Use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and thigh to determine doneness. A turkey is fully cooked when the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes after removing it from the oven before you carve it.
Cooking a Stuffed Turkey
A stuffed turkey is cooked the same way as an unstuffed bird, but it needs to be roasted longer. You should stuff the dressing into the turkey cavities immediately before putting the bird into the preheated oven. Test for doneness after 5 hours for a 20-lb. turkey by using a meat thermometer in the breast, thigh and the stuffing and getting a reading of at least 165 degrees in all three areas.
Roasting a Turkey Breast
Place the turkey breast skin side up in a roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan and cover the breast with foil. Cook a 4-pound breast for 1 1/2 hours and an 8-pound breast for 3 hours, 15 minutes. For turkey breasts in between those sizes, allow approximately 25 minutes per pound. The breast is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Roasting a Pre-Stuffed Frozen Turkey or Breast
Frozen stuffed turkeys and stuffed turkey breasts should be cooked according to the instructions on the package. Most frozen pre-stuffed turkeys are cooked from the frozen state and should not be thawed before roasting.
Tags: 20-lb turkey, bird with, breast hours, breast thigh, cooked when
Tomato fried eggs is a traditional Chinese family style side dish. It's typically served with rice and noodles, although not for breakfast. This recipe is made easy by using common household ingredients in place of an heirloom recipe that calls for more exotic ingredients.
Instructions
1. Chop a tomato and green onion using a cutting board and chef's knife. Keep them separated and set aside.
2. Scramble the eggs in a mixing bowl with green onions and a dash of salt and pepper.
3. Mix ketchup, cornstarch and water in another mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to flavor.
4. Heat the cooking oil in a wok over medium, high heat. Stir fry tomatoes and ketchup mixture until it thickens using a wooden spatula. Remove them from the wok.
5. Scrape the wok clean and reheat more cooking oil over medium heat. Stir fry the eggs until slightly firm.
6. Add the tomato mixture quickly until thoroughly it's combined with the eggs. Remove from the heat and serve on a platter.
Tags: cooking over, cooking over medium, heat Stir, mixing bowl, over medium
Add breading to fish prior to cooking it for a crispy and delicious coating. Use fish such as sole, flounder, trout or haddock. Add herbs and spices to the bread mixture to make a more flavorful fish fillet. Breading fish is easy and fast. Save plenty of time for clean up, as it is the most time consuming part of preparing breaded fish.
Instructions
1. Prepare the fish fillets by skinning and deboning them. Rinse the fillets with water and pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Mix the ingredients for the bread coating in a shallow bowl or large plate. Add any desired herbs and spices, mixing them in the coating with your hands. Fill a second bowl with a small amount of water.
3. Set up the work station by lining the ingredients in the order they will be used. Put the plate of fish first, followed by the water, breading and baking tray.
4. Pick up one fish fillet. Briefly dip the fillet in the bowl of water, just to moisten it. Lay the fillet in the breading mixture, gently pressing on the fish to make the mixture adhere. Flip the fillet over, and repeat the process on the second side.
5. Place the breaded fillet on the baking sheet. Follow the same steps to coat the remaining pieces of fish.
6. Bake or fry the fish according to the directions of your particular recipe.
Appetizers, as a general rule, should be only two or three bites in size.
Imaginative appetizers make an impressive statement at a party. These small bites set the tone for the coming meal, often for the whole event. Whether a hostess is looking for a simple tray to serve to a few of her friends before dinner, or hosting a large event with strolling appetizers as the food focus, these whimsical twists on classic dishes will be a hit with every guest.
Portable Caprese Salad
Instead of serving the same old cheese or veggie tray to guests, this appetizer offers the same elements with a playful twist. Based on a Caprese salad, which is slices of mozzarella cheese and tomatoes, this starter is served in kebab form, small pieces on a stick. The host chops mozzarella into cubes and slides a piece of the cheese onto a skewer, followed by a cherry tomato, substituting for tomato slices. He adds basil leaves to the skewers for color, and a light drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper for seasoning. A tray of these Mediterranean-inspired skewers provides both cheese and veggies to guests in a way that's easy to assemble and requires no cooking.
Asian Flavors
An appetizer tray that follows the dinner cuisine theme is a delicious way to kick off a meal. For an evening of Asian delights, a hostess serving a dinner of stir fry or fried rice can begin with a tray of two Asian favorites, pot stickers and egg rolls. Pot stickers are dumplings made from won ton wrappers, filled traditionally with minced pork. Egg roll wrappers come in many sizes and are filled with meats and veggies before being fried. Both pot stickers and egg rolls have many recipes, including vegetarian versions and others that contain different meats. For the hostess wishing to throw a no-fuss soiree, both of these items can be found in the frozen food section of the supermarket.
Surf and Turf
This appetizer tray would be ideal for a cocktail event where a full dinner is not being served. Traditionally, these types of gatherings may offer "heavy appetizers," so guests enjoying cocktails have something a bit more substantial to eat than a stalk of celery. This simple twist makes an appetizer out of a much loved classic entree. A surf and turf appetizer tray consists of steak bites, made from sliced beef sirloin, and grilled shrimp. This delicious combination can be presented as is, with simple salt and pepper seasoning to bring out flavors, or marinated with a sauce like Teriyaki or garlic sweet and sour. The host serves this tray as either separate steak and shrimp bites on toothpicks, or he can line them up on skewers. This starter requires simple grilling, but has a big wow factor with guests.
Tags: appetizer tray, made from, pepper seasoning, salt pepper, salt pepper seasoning, stickers rolls
Many years ago, I found myself on a quest to find the perfect meatball. Not just any meatball would do. The meatball I sought had to be just right - tangy, but not too sweet; spicy, but not too bold. My adventure took me to several different recipe websites, but each attempt to find my meatball resulted in bitter disappointment. "Enough!" I said. I will make my OWN meatball.... and that I did. The end result was one of the best collections of meatballs this side of the Mississippi! Prepare to amaze your friends with this delightful treat. Prepare to engorge yourself with this meatball masterpiece!
Instructions
1. Cook the meatballs according to the package directions. You should subtract 5 or minutes from the cooking time as meatballs will continue to cook in the crockpot all day.
2. Combine cherry pie filling, jelly, ketchup, BBQ sauce and sweet n' sour sauce in a large sauce pan and bring to mild boil.
3. Pour sauce in crockpot and add cooked meatballs. Mix well. Leave crockpot on warm.
You can purchase premade pizza dough or make it from scratch for the bread bowl.
If you're a fan of warm, thick breads and also love pasta, bread bowl pasta is a must-have indulgent dinner. These warm pasta creations are made from pizza dough and filled with hot pastas topped with cheese. You can buy these from some pizza chains, but the dish is easy to make yourself with ready-made pizza dough. Plus, you can choose which seasonings and flavors to include in the pasta sauce. You can put any kind of pasta noodles in the bread bowl, but thicker noodles, such as penne, work best.
Instructions
1. Roll a quarter of the pizza dough into a ball. Cover it with a kitchen towel, and allow it to rise and double in size. This should take about an hour. Place the unused pizza dough back in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Cook the pasta as usual by boiling it in water until it is al dente. Mix with a can of marinara sauce. Season and add any meat as desired.
4. Lightly flour the pizza dough ball. Push your fist down into the center of the dough to form a hole. Stretch the dough around the hole so you form a bowl with a wide hole. The edge of the bowl should be about 3/4 to 1 inch thick.
5. Brush the edges of the pizza dough bowl with melted butter.
6. Ladle the pasta mix generously into the bread bowl. Pile the pasta high so it is almost overflowing the edge. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
7. Place the pasta bowl on a cookie sheet, and pop it in the oven. Allow it to bake for roughly 10 to 12 minutes. The pasta bowl is ready when the cheese is brown and melted and the bowl is lightly browned. Serve hot.
Making your own jewelry at home gives you the opportunity to add to your fashion routine with stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable art. Bracelets are versatile jewelry accessories to make at home, and you have unlimited options for design them. For instance, a five-string bracelet with squared embellishments is a piece of geometrically inspired jewelry. Knowing make a square five-string bracelet prepares you for making geometric pieces with shaped and textured beads.
Instructions
1. Snip five lengths of jewelry wire measuring about 9 inches each in length. Bundle the wires together with your fingers, keeping the ends of the wire evenly matched.
2. Tie one end of the bundle of five lengths of wire to the jump ring in a double knot. Squeeze a small dot of jewelry glue onto the knot and let it dry for 2 minutes. This further assures that your knot doesn't come undone. This is an easy task that is just like tying a knot with one strand of wire, but instead using five strands at once to tie the knots. Jewelry wire is very fine so you should experience no problem tying it.
3. Select the first string of the tied formation to the left. Slide a single square bead down the length of the wire. Square beads come in a seemingly unending variety of sizes, colors and materials. These squared beads give your bracelet the geometric looks of being squared on your wrist after you finish it.
4. Slide a spacer bead of any shape, size or color choice down the length of wire, allowing it to rest atop the square bead you initially selected. Slide another two spacer beads down the length of wire.
5. Slide a second square bead down the length of wire, allowing it to sit atop the row of three spacer beads. Repeat Step 4 a second time, creating a pattern of three spacer beads between each pair of square beads. Bead the wire in this manner until only 1 inch of wire remains at the end.
6. Loop the wire around the second jump ring and secure it into a double knot. Doing this should use most of the excess length of wire used to tie it.
7. Repeat Steps 4, 5 and 6 with each remaining wire. After you have beaded all of the wires and tied them to the jump ring, squeeze a dot of jewelry glue onto each small knot.
8. Pry open one of the jump rings with your pliers and slide one of the opened ends of it into the looped backside of a standard jewelry clasp. Squeeze the jump ring back into place with the pliers.
9. Snip any excess wire fray from the completed bracelet, evening the finished item.
Tags: length wire, down length, down length wire, jump ring, spacer beads, square bead
For all the vegetarians out there, you'll love this one, and for everyone else, this is a great alternative to meat and pre-packaged foods.
So try this great healthy dinner now and let me know what you think!
Preparation Time: Less than 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Instructions
1. Place 2 litres of water in a large pan and begin to boil.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the chopped onions and pre-soaked soya mince and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the spices, vegetables, 200g of chopped tomatoes and garlic to the pan and cook on low heat for 20 minutes or until the excess water has evaporated.
4. Add the uncooked pasta spirals to the pan of boiling water along with 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook according to packet instructions.
5. Add the remaining chopped tomatoes to the soya mixture; stir well and heat gently for 2-3 minutes.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it serve on a plate and add the desired amount of soya mixture onto the top of the pasta.
Tags: chopped tomatoes, heat minutes, soya mixture, tbsp olive, this great
Keep your food warm by preparing warming dishes ahead of time.
Keeping food warm when the grill is turned off can create a problem if you have guests to serve. Depending on the amount of food to be kept warm, there are several options to maintain heat. Think ahead before your next gathering to prepare your warming dishes so you can transfer food directly to them without losing any heat. Your options include items you can find around your home, or ones that you can purchase from a kitchen appliance store. Surprise your guests with creative and stylish ways to serve hot food.
Instructions
1. Put your food in the oven. Set the oven at a low temperature, 250 degrees to 300 degrees, to keep food warm and retain moisture. The low temperature will prevent the food from becoming over-cooked. To prevent certain food from drying out, such as mashed potatoes, place a moist dish-towel under the lid of the dish to retain moisture.
2. Put your food in a Crockpot. Crockpots work well for dips, potatoes, certain appetizers and soups. They can be set on the counter and plugged in, and if the temperature is set low, they require minimal supervision. Crockpots can be purchased at kitchen appliance retailers.
3. Purchase a buffet server to keep multiple items warmed at different temperatures.
4. Line a cooler with aluminum foil and place hot dishes inside. The cooler will retain the heat only if it is lined. Place only one or two dishes in the cooler and don't allow them to touch the inside edges of the cooler. This will prevent the sides from melting. This method will keep food warm as long as the lid remains shut. Too much opening and closing will allow air into the cooler and cool the food off.
5. Use a chafing dish. Fill the bottom of the dish with warm water and set the food you want to keep warm in the chafing dish. While these are more expensive, they are worth the cost if you entertain a lot. Chafing dishes can be purchased at kitchen appliance stores and offer a wide selection of decorative exteriors so they can be placed in the center of the table.
Carefully selected wines and cheeses accompany each other successfully.
Party cheese platters provide a forum to offer a diverse variety of cheeses and pair them according to drink selection, region of origin and taste. Alcoholic beverages, such as wine, beer and mixed drinks provide a direction to choose the cheeses for your party platter, and allow you to tailor it to the drink instead of the taste of your guests, making selection easier.
Wine
Wine and cheese are synonymous with informal gatherings. However, many cheeses, particularly of the pungent and bold variety, mask many of wine's subtle nuances. Wine merchants carry numerous high-quality wines in the $15 to $25 price range ideal for a cheese tasting. Pair each cheese with a complementary wine, and vice versa, in terms of taste, aroma and body. A basic wine and cheese tasting menu would include a sweet, fruity wine, such as a young chardonnay, paired with brie, camembert and gruyere. Bold cheeses, such as shaved pecorino, pair well with a mildly tannic red, such as Bordeaux, and Riesling, one of the most versatile wines, complements a wide array of cheeses, mild and pungent.
Beer
Beer and cheese are almost as ubiquitous as wine and cheese when it comes to pairings. Make your beer selection as diverse as your cheese selection. For instance, offer two to three pale beers with light cheeses, such as real white cheddar, two or three medium-bodied beers with mild cheeses, such as gruyere, and offer one or two stouts to accompany sharp and pungent cheeses, such as stilton. Latin American cheeses, such as white Oaxacan, pair well with dark beers, especially those that hail from the region.
Mixed Drinks
Mixed drinks and cocktails contain a variety of ingredients that make them suited to and equally varied selection of cheeses. For instance, cosmopolitans and martinis share an affinity for mild to medium-bodied cheeses, such as brie, camembert and gruyere. Mild, floral cheeses, such as queso fresco, go well with fruit-based mixed drinks. Sharp, complex cheeses, such as Roquefort, go well with drinks that have notes of anise or juniper berry, such as those containing absinthe.
Cheese Selection
Not having to pair cheese with drinks allows the cheese to stand on its own, making a varied and diverse selection important. Choose a flight, or a series of cheeses ranked in ascending order from mild to pungent. Start off with your choice of mild cheeses, such as brie, move on to slightly heartier cheeses, such as gruyere, and finish with a small selection of strong cheeses, such as stilton and the Italian hard cheeses. Offering cheeses grouped according to region highlights a wide range of cheeses. Comprise each group with one mild, one moderate and one bold cheese from a region. For instance, a well-rounded Italian selection would have sheep's milk mozzarella, ricotta and Parmigiano-Regianno.
Phyllo dough is commonly used in several regional variants of baklava.
Phyllo dough consists of numerous layers of unleavened flour-based dough, similar to puff pastry. As phyllo dough bakes, moisture contained in the dough produces steam, separating the layers slightly and creating a flaky texture. Phyllo dough is commonly found in two market forms - prebaked or fresh. Due to modern flash freezing techniques, prebaked phyllo dough performs as capably and produces results nearly identical to fresh. Phyllo dough, whether made fresh or purchased fresh, is commonly stored in stacks of 20 to 30 sheets and rolled into a cylinder for easy storage.
Instructions
Fresh
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and place the fillings in bowls to prepare for use.
2. Melt 1 cup of unsalted butter and set it aside.
3. Position a piece of parchment paper larger than the sheets of phyllo dough on the work surface.
4. Unroll the stack of phyllo dough sheets onto the piece of parchment paper to prevent it from touching the work surface.
5. Position another piece of parchment paper on top of the stack of phyllo dough sheets to prevent the air contact that leads to drying. Coat a sheet pan with a thin layer of melted butter.
6. Dust the work surface with all-purpose flour. Remove a sheet from the stack of phyllo dough and place it on the lightly floured work surface. Replace the parchment paper covering the stack.
7. Cut the phyllo dough into 3-inch-wide strips with a pastry wheel.
8. Apply a thin layer of melted butter to the phyllo-dough strips with a pastry brush. Use broad strokes, brushing from the outside in.
9. Position 1 and one-half teaspoon of filling at the bottom of the strip of phyllo, about one-third inch from the edge on all sides.
10. Fold the strip so the bottom-right corner meets the left side of the strip, forming a triangle. Continue folding the strip using a series triangular folds until you reach the end of the dough strip, similar to folding a flag.
11. Position 1 and one-half teaspoon of filling at the bottom of the remaining strips and repeat the folding process with each.
12. Arrange the filled phyllo dough triangles on the sheet pan, spacing them one-half inch apart. Brush the top of each with melted butter and place them in the oven.
13. Bake the phyllo dough until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.
Prebaked
14. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and melt one-half cup of unsalted butter and set it aside.
15. Coat a sheet pan with a thin layer of melted butter.
16. Fill the prebaked phyllo dough triangles with 1 and one-half teaspoon of your filling and arrange them on the sheet pan.
17.Brush the top of each filled phyllo with melted butter and arrange them one-half inch apart on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven.
18. Bake the phyllo dough until golden brown, approximately seven minutes.