Sunday 22 December 2013

Quinoa Spinach Cakes

Verdant spinach is one of the gastronomic highlights of spring – and it’s one of the most nutritious healthy recipes you can send down the gullet. It’s crammed with beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and lutein plus zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that work together to protect eye health.

In this crazy easy quinoa recipes, the mild taste of spinach ensures that each bite is filled with irresistible goat cheese flavor.




Ingredients:


½ cup quinoa
4 eggs
3 ounces spinach, stemmed and chopped
1 leek, white and some of the green part, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
5 ounce package soft goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with 1 cup of water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until all the water has absorbed. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs and then mix in spinach, leek, oregano, goat cheese, salt and pepper. Mix in cooked quinoa. Divide mixture among 10 medium sized greased muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until set. Watch carefully so that the spinach and leeks on top don’t burn.

Sunday 15 December 2013

Warming Prawn Noodle Soup

Perk yourself up with this healthy and delicious noodle recipe. Packed with flavor and great when you're short on time. The most flavorsome healthy recipes dish. A wonderfully warming noodle soup, with fragrant spices and a little heat all balanced. Adding vegetables is also fine for a delectable vegetable soup recipe. Enjoy and have fun while having dinner or lunch healthy food recipes with your family.



INGREDIENTS
85g/3oz thick rice noodles
500ml/18fl oz hot chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp fish sauce
Juice ½ lime
1 star anise
Pinch sugar
1 handful small raw prawns
Handful mint and coriander leaves
Chopped red chilli, to serve

METHOD
Boil the noodles until al dente, then drain.
Put the stock in a pan with the fish sauce, lime juice, star anise and pinch of sugar.
Bring to the boil and add the noodles and prawns.
Warm through, then pour into a bowl and serve topped with the mint, coriander and chilli (remove star anise before eating).

Saturday 14 December 2013

Hearty Mexican Beef and Vegetable Soup Recipe

Tender chunks of beef, potatoes and vegetables are simmered in a spicy beef broth for this stew.


Part of the key to a great vegetable soup recipe is cutting everything into the same size pieces. This helps everything gourmet recipes finish cooking close to the same time. Lightly sauteing the vegetables prior to simmering them deepens their flavors in this appetizer recipes; this step can be skipped, but I think the extra step is worth the effort.

Ingredients:
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
2 lbs beef stew meat, trimmed of fat and diced 1/2" - 3/4" in size
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, diced 1/2" - 3/4" in size
1 medium onion, diced into 1/2" pieces
2 cups carrots, diced into 1/2"pieces
1 cup celery, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 tablespoon beef base, I use Better Than Bouillon
6 cups water
1 tablespoon Mexican spice mix (taco seasoning can be substituted)
kosher salt, additional to taste only as needed


Preparation Instruction:
In the bottom of a large soup pot, warm the oil over medium high heat. Add the beef and stir to coat. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, turning occasionally. Once the beef is browned on all sides, remove to a waiting plate. Add the vegetables to the pot and stirring occasionally, saute for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.

Add the remaining ingredients and the cooked beef back to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove from the heat when the potatoes have softened without falling apart. Serve with a hearty bread or cornbread and Enjoy!

Sunday 1 December 2013

Pheasant with Cranberry Sauce

If you are looking for an alternative to turkey at Christmas then these healthy recipes for roast pheasant with cranberry sauce is well worth trying. The tangy orange-cranberry sauce that complements the tender meat makes it ideal for the holiday’s pheasant recipes.



Healthy Food Recipes Ingredients:

1 pheasant (2 to 3 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons grated orange peel

Directions:

Sprinkle cavity of pheasant with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place pheasant on a rack in shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with butter; sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 325° for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 40-60 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180°, basting with pan juices frequently.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until the berries begin to pop, stirring frequently. Stir in the orange peel. Simmer 5 minutes longer. Cover pheasant with foil and let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Serve sauce with pheasant. Yield: 3 servings.

Thursday 28 November 2013

Delicious Native Filipino Food Recipe


Fresh Lumpia With White Sauce


Fresh spring rolls stuffed with ubod (heart of palm). Served with white garlic sauce.
Anyone who knows how to chop vegetables and sautee can make the healthy recipes roll. Fresh Lumpia- Lumpiang sariwa or Filipino springrolls are sautee’d vegetables and pork and/or shrimp and tofu wrapped in crepe like wrappers made with eggs and flour.But not all fresh lumpia are made equal. Because the secret to the best lumpia recipe is in the sauce. This is a healthy food recipes for friends and family.




For wrapper:

2 tbsps cooking oil
3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
5 cups water

For filling:
3 tbsps cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
100 grams pork casim, cut 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 kilo shrimps, shelled and minced
2 cups shrimp juice
1 small carrot, cut julienne strips
1/2 kilo soft ubod, cut julienne strips
1 small head cabbage, cut julienne strilps
Spring onion for garnish

Garlic Sauce:
1/4 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup condensed milk
2 chicken cubes, dissolved in
3 cups water
1 cups vegetable drippings
1 small head garlic, crushed









Procedure:

To make lumpia wrapper:
1. Prepare wrapper by combining cooking oil, all-purpose flour, eggs and salt in a bowl.
2. Put water one cup at a time and mix until smooth and free of lumps.
3. Pass through a strainer.
4. Heat and grease a nonstick skillet.
5. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter, tilting pan from side to side to coat bottom evenly.
6. Repeat process with remaining batter.
7. Stack each crepe on top of another with piece of wax paper in between to prevent sticking together.
8. Set aside and prepare filling.

To make filling:
1. Heat oil and saute garlic, onion, pork and shrimps.
2. Pour in shrimp juice and simmer until pork is tender.
3. Add carrots and ubod and simmer for about 10 minutes more.
4. Stir in cabbage and cook until crisp tender.
5. Drain in colander, collecting drippings to be used for sauce.
6. Let it cool.

To make garlic sauce:
1. Combine all ingredients except garlic.
2. Stir until smooth.
3. Simmer until thickened.
4. Remove from fire then stir in garlic.

To prepare lumpia:
1. Trim spring onions of topmost leaves.
2. Place a stalk on one side of each wrapper.
3. Scoo 2 tbsps of the filling.
4. Tuck in bottom edge and roll up with onion leaves showing on the other end.
5. Arrange on a platter and top with garlic sauce.

Makes 24 servings.

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Spicy and Stimulating Starter

This recipe for zucchini soup is flavored with curry powder, ginger, cayenne, and freshly ground pepper.

Serve it chilled for an interesting and invigorating contrast of cold and hot vegetable soup recipe. Vegetable stock, butter, and tomatoes enhance the natural flavor of the zucchini and create a masterful culinary dish that is elegant and ambrosial. This is especially delicious accompanied with some toasted bread.

This healthy food recipe, adapted from The Saturday Evening Post Fiber & Bran Better Health Cookbook, also makes a scrumptious vegetarian dish. For a healthier or vegan version, you can omit the butter and add cooked rice or mashed potatoes instead to make it creamy. The vegetable stock has to be prepared before you begin making this appetizer recipes dish.

Ingredients

3 small (2 lb.s) zucchini (diced)
2 yellow onions (peeled and sliced)
3 tomatoes (about ½ lb.)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 + 1 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ginger
½ + teaspoon salt
Cayenne pepper
Pepper (freshly ground)

Preparation Instructions


1.Place a large skillet over medium high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in it. Add the zucchini and onions and sauté until tender. Add the vegetable stock and cook 20 minutes.

2. Slice the tomatoes. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in another skillet. Add the tomato slices and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Pour the tomatoes into the zucchini mixture. Bring to a boil.

4. In a bowl, blend together the flour, curry powder, ginger, salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Pour into the zucchini mixture, stirring well. Simmer for 7 minutes. Strain. Season with salt and pepper.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Surprise Ingredients in Fast Food

The movie Supersize Me has probably had more of an effect than the producers anticipated. Since then, in the fast food industry, there has been a market trend promoting menu items that appear to be healthy recipes.

But most of these appetizer recipes menu items have ingredients that health conscious consumers would prefer to avoid.

Most health conscious consumers consider healthy foods, easy appetizers, desserts to be things like raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, and clean meats like wild Alaskan salmon, or free-range chicken or turkey.

Some ingredients that health conscious consumers consider unacceptable are MSG (or free glutamate, or free glutamic acid, including anything hydrolyzed or autolyzed), trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils [3]), artificial colors, artificial flavors, and most preservatives.

Many so-called healthy fast food menu items, upon closer inspection, do not live up to the health hype. Most of the meat from any of the major chains has anything but a simple ingredients list. They add emulsifiers, preservatives, MSG, artificial colors, trans fats, and hidden ingredients under generic labels such as spices, or natural and artificial flavors.

Some of these food additives are not foods at all, but are chemicals that are generally recognized as safe. Most of these additives cannot be found at your local grocery store, probably because they aren't food. But some can be found at your local hardware store, though in inedible products like low tox antifreeze, silicone caulk, soap, sunscreen, and play sand.

Saturday 16 November 2013

Buffalo Style Appetizer Recipe

This easy appetizers ecipe may be made a day ahead. Simply reheat potatoes in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 20 minutes until warmed through. Then garnish with the sour cream and chives.

It seems like everything nowadays is made buffalo style. And there's nothing wrong with that. Buffalo Style Potato Skins are a great alternative to your usual appetizer recipes. Dip them in your favorite dressing and enjoy!

Serves: 12 healthy meals

Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients
12 ounces Al Fresca buffalo chicken sausage, fully cooked
6 medium Russet potatoes, with skin, scrubbed
1/2 pound low-sodium bacon, cured, cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces cooking spray
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake potatoes on middle rack until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile cook bacon over medium heat until nicely browned, drain fat.

Dice Al Fresco sausages, add to the pan to heat. Whisk the barbecue sauce and mayonnaise together, set aside.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise, and spoon out the flesh, leaving a half inch shell. Spray potatoes with olive oil cooking spray. Flip over and spray the bottoms.

Place potatoes on grill and cook until crisp, about 4 to 4-1/2 minutes on each side and remove from grill. Divide the sausage, barbecue sauce and cheese among the and top each with sour cream, crumbled bacon and chives.

By: Chef Tolini for Al Fresco Chicken Sausage

Thursday 14 November 2013

Superfood Why is it Fabulous For You

Superfood is a type of food that holds many several micro and macro-nutrients, vitamins and minerals. They bear everything the body needs to continue hearty and repel sickness and aging. They commonly are high in antioxidants and minerals as well as enzyme rich.

Foods much marketed as superfoods include spinach, kale, broccoli, garlic, tomatoes, oats, turkey, parsley, pumpkin, walnuts, almonds, figs, chili peppers, eggs, papaya, raspberries, pomegranate, wild salmon, blueberries, and cayenne pepper usually found from appetizer recipes. Several of these are in fact exceedingly hearty food healthy meals.
Nearly all of the superfoods you’ll acquire are set in the produce department of your food market or supermarket. Phytonutrients come from plants, you unquestionably won’t get them in the meat recipes or dairy parts. Likewise, you should always strive for the freshest product achievable because these will carry the fullest grades of the nutrients.

You can find numerous superfoods away of the produce division, too. Some types of fish, for example, hold Omega-3 fatty acids and other essential health chemical compounds. Soybean productions are also another example.You can reap the gains of a extensive array of phytonutrients you won’t get from traditional milk and cheese if you change to soy-based milks and cheeses. , the products are fortified with the vitamins and nutrients that you would acquire from the traditional particulars so you’re still acquiring a food supported with what your body requires.

Superfood is increasingly growing a fashionable in the dieting world. Whatever meal you are intending of cooking, you can in all likelihood find a means to incorporate some superfood and you really should. The health welfares are well-off and the option is rather wholesome!

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Appetizer Recipes

Appetizers were originally called hors d’ oeuvres and is still actually being called the same way today. However, some people might find the pronunciation a bit of a challenge.

    Hors d’ oeuvre is a French term that means “apart from the main work.” Aptly named because your hors d’ oeuvre is served apart from your main dish. It is usually served during cocktail hour, while your guests are waiting for dinner to start. They would surely be hungry during the wait, as they are expecting ahealthy meals, thus a great appetizer will sustain them until then.

    If you go back and look into it, it was not the French who started the practice of serving easy appetizers. In fact, they took this practice from the Greeks and the Romans. The Romans would usually have huge banquettes and there you would find various appetizers on display, like olives, eggs, sausages, herbs, and pickled vegetables. Nowadays, appetizers are more complicated than that. Appetizer recipes are a dime a dozen, and you could choose from the very basic to the more complicated.

    The practise of using appetizer recipes in the Western Hemisphere greatly increased in popularity during the 1930s where cocktail parties abound. Back then, alcohol was crudely made and whiskeys were illegally distilled. Though the liquor may be crude, finesse was maintained with the serving of dainty, bite-sized morsels. It started with stuffed vegetables, the most popular being celery stuffed with sardines. You could easily circulate the room with a drink in one hand and a celery in another. What’s more, you could easily pop it into your mouth.
  1. Appetizer recipes: Sweet and sour shrimp puff appetizers


  2. These days, appetizer recipes are tastier and more creative. Some people are quite adventurous when it comes to their appetizers that they serve snails, or more popularly known as escargot. That is why you really should ask before trying. However, there are also numerous appetizer recipes that are not as exotic. You could easily search for them online, or you could even make on of your own! A very simple one would involve a cracker, topped with cheese, and topped with sausage!

    Here are some Easy Appetizer Recipes:

    Apples with dip

    Artichoke dip

    Avocado dip

    Baba ghanoush

Monday 11 November 2013

Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs with Tabasco

Treat yourself and your guests to one of the best appetizer recipes. Put away the chips and salsa and enjoy these shrimp corn dogs with a robust Tabasco Mash Rémoulade to dip in. Zesty and tangy, you won't be able to stop at just one of these Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs (from Haven restaurant in Texas). Your mini corn dog recipe just got a makeover for the better easy appetizers.
Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs with Tabasco
Serves: 4 healthy meals

Ingredients
For the Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs:
  • 12 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 12 6 -inch wood skewers
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup flour, for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoons of salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon Texas honey
  • 3/4 can buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup plus 1/8 cups of water
  • 1/2 egg
For the Tabasco Mash Rémoulade Sauce:
  • 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • pinch Tabasco Mash, or 2 tablespoons horseradish and a dash of Tabasco
  • 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
  • 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 egg
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

To prepare the corn dog:
  1. In a wide shallow dish, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, honey, buttermilk, water, and egg. Stir the batter until smooth.
  2. Skewer the shrimp lengthwise starting at the tail end. Season the shrimp and dredge in seasoned flour.
  3. Roll the shrimp in the batter and fry in a 350 degree fryer until golden brown. 

To prepare the sauce:
  1. Place all the ingredients except for the oil in a blender or food processor and mix at high speed until well blended.
  2. While processing, gradually add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Sauce will thicken to a creamy consistency. 
  3. Adjust spice with the Tabasco mash. Store the sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To serve:
Serve with Tabasco Mash dipping sauce and ice cold Meyer lemonade, just like at the mall.

By: Haven, Courtesy of: Green Beans and Guacamole cookbook

Kimchi pancake

Korean-style spicy pancake appetizer recipes made of kimchi in an egg and flour batter, served with a snappy dipping sauce, are great for using overly-fermented kimchi.

The kimchijeon made with chopped kimchi easy appetizers is very easy and simple to make. You don’t need any special ingredients as long as you have some kimchi in your fridge. I usually make this style ofkimchijeon at home.

The kimchijeon made with whole kimchi leaves is what I would call upgraded kimchijeon. ; )
Have you ever seen this kind of kimchijeon? My late grandmother used to make it for us. I thought this style of kimchijeon looked very special when I saw her cooking this pancake for the first time. I remember what I thought when I saw her making this pancake: “Hmm, grandma treats the kimchi leaf like a slice of fish? Interesting!” but I never told her what I thought. I just watched what she was doing.
Kimchijeon made with chopped kimchi

Yield:
2 -4 healthy meals servings

Ingredients:
Kimchi, onion, salt, sugar, flour, vegetable oil.

Directions:
In a bowl, place 1 cup of chopped kimchi, 3 tbs of kimchi juice, 2 tbs chopped onion, ½ ts salt, ½ ts sugar, ½ cup flour (all purpose flour), and ¼ cup of water and mix it well with a spoon.
Heat up a 12 inch non-stick pan over medium high heat and drizzle about 2 tbs grape seed oil.
Place the mixture of kimchi pancake batter on the pan and spread it thinly and evenly with a spoon.
Cook it for 1-1 ½ minutes until the bottom gets golden brown and crispy.
Turn it over with a spatula or flip it.
Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 1½ minutes.
Turn it over one more time and cook for 30 seconds before transfering it to a serving plate.
*tip: Serve it right out of the pan or cool it down and cut it into bite size to serve.

Kimchi pancake made with whole kimchi leaves

Ingredients:
Kimchi, ground pork, tofu, onion chives (or green onions), onion, salt, black ground pepper,sesame oil, egg, flour, grape seed oil.

Directions:

Prepare kimchi
Prepare 6-7 kimchi leaves (6-7 inches long – 16 cm) and ½ cup flour in a plate.
Coat both sides of each kimchi leaf in the flour by hand.

Make meat mixture
In a small bowl, add 2 tbs ground pork (or beef), 2 tbs tofu (after gently squeezing out excess water with a paper towel), 1 ts chopped onion chives (or green onion), 1 tbs chopped onion, a pinch of salt and black ground pepper, 1 ts of sesame oil, and mix the mixture well with a spoon.
Set aside.

Make the pancakes
Place 1 egg in a small bowl and add a pinch of salt. Beat it with a fork.
Add some of the meat-tofu mix on one side of a kimchi stem. Add some flour on top of the mixture.
Put some of the meat-tofu mix on the rest of kimchi leaves.
Heat up a non-stick pan and add some grape seed oil (or vegetable oil).
Coat each kimchi leaf with beaten egg mix and place on the heated pan.
*tip: the meat mixture should be bottom of the pan
When the bottom of the kimchi pancake turns golden brown (1 or 1½ minutes), turn it over and cook another minute.
Turn it over one more time and cook another 30 seconds before transfering it to a serving plate.
*tip: you can serve it as it is or cut it into bite size before serving

Sunday 10 November 2013

Strongest Appetizer Trends


Appetizers as Entrées

It seems Americans feel that anytime is right for a burger, even before or in place of a healthy food main dish. Restaurant operators have responded by offering their own variations of White Castle’s original Slyders--miniature, square-shaped burgers topped with shredded onions and pickles. Examples of the mini-burger-as-easy appetizers abound, from Houlihan’s to Chicago’s Bar Louie. Some other instances include:

* Big Mouth Bites--four mini-beef burgers that are topped with applewood-smoked bacon, American cheese, sautéed onions and ranch dressing on sesame seed buns, Chili’s Grill & Bar.

* Hawaiian Sliders--mini-burgers seasoned with chorizo sausage and topped with Cheddar-Jack cheese, onions and bacon sauce on Kahuna buns, Kahunaville Island Restaurant & Party Bar.

Some chains are adding the mini-burger to an appetizer recipes sampler platter:
* Smuggler’s Platter--mini-cheeseburgers, along with chicken wings, fried pickles and mini-chili dogs, Cheeseburger in Paradise.

* Bar Burgers & Wings Platter--served with seasoned French fries, Dave & Buster’s.

The quesadilla is another entrée living a double life on many appetizer menus. The simple cheese-melted-in-a-tortilla has been transformed into a filling appetizer option that, when pie-cut, is also ideal for sharing and sampling. 


For example:
* Quesadillas Cozumel--traditional quesadilla stuffed with a crabmeat blend and served with guacamole and a sour-cream topping, Pepe’s Mexican Restaurants.
* Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Quesadillas--filled with roasted peppers, onions, Monterey Jack cheese and grilled shrimp, Z’Tejas Grill.
* Parmesan-crusted Sicilian Quesadillas--a fusion cuisine appetizer featuring sautéed chicken, sausage, bacon, marinara and Monterey Jack cheese stuffed into a pan-fried, Parmesan-laced flour tortilla, T.G.I. Friday’s.

Thursday 7 November 2013

Learn About Stew

Close to soup, stew is a comfort easy appetizers dish in the cold of winter and rainy days. Best served steaming hot in a bowl, the stew is a long, slow simmered dish that nutrify both soul and stomach. Mothers and grandmothers make it as a main healthy meals dish for lunch or dinner, their stews sometimes never needing a written formula for it’s filed away in their culinary memories and produced out of ingredients on hand. A pot of stew simmering away and enwrapping the kitchen with its savory, meaty vapours makes the home a gratifying place to come home to.




Apart from beef, chicken and fish may also be used in making stews. Stew cooking videos online include beef stew with peas, catfish stew, chicken peanut butter stew, classic lamb stew, pork stew with squash and Mexican chicken stew appetizer recipes videos.

A stew is “a dish of meat and vegetables cooked easy in liquid in a closed dish or pan,” as specified by the Oxford English Dictionary. Cooks since the ancient times have been making several sorts of stew. In “A History of Stew” in the Food Reference website, various recipes had been published in old cookbooks—from the Roman Apicius’ cooking book to the French chef Taillevent and Herodotus. The making of cooking pots relieved the preparing of stews.

To the French, the stew is addressed ragout descended from the word

ragoûter, which means “to revive the taste,” as identified by its Wikipedia entry. Stews vary according to the meat used and its accompanying ingredients. Instances listed by the Food Reference website include the paprika-inflected Hungarian goulash, the coq au vin, beef stroganoff, and Boeuf Bourguignonne, the stew that chef and author Julia Child popularized in her book and show.

The elements of stew call for the meat, veggies and cooking liquid. Some of the meat cuts utilized in stewing takes round steak, chuck, chuck roast, bottom round roast, top round, pot roast and those labelled “stew meat.” You can buy the meats already pre-cut into dices or you can do the slicing yourself.

Stewing is also suitable for the least tender cuts of meat that become tender and juicy with the slow moist heat method. Normally, stew formulas call for dredging the meat in flour and browning it in a frying pan before it’s cooked in the pot with the vegetables, spices, and the cooking liquid of choice—water, wine, stock or broth.

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Celery Mousse Soup With Chicken Meatballs

A healthy meals that will warm your heart and feed your soul, Celery mousse soup with chicken balls and black truffles is the best way to start a sumptuous dinner or luxurious lunch. Celery and chicken go so well together and this gourmet vegetable soup recipe by esteemed Chef Johann Lafer makes a perfect marriage of the two ingredients. Paired with a good wine like Julienas, this dish will invigorate your worn out senses and give life to your jaded palate.


You can use either celery or knob celery, also known as celeriac or turnip-rooted celery, when making this appetizer  recipes. Chef Lafer uses celeriac for a white and creamy outcome. He peels and slices the celeriac into small bits and cooks it with garlic, shallots, chicken broth, cream and white wine. He uses a hand blender to mix the soup until it develops into a frothy mousse. If you do not have a hand blender, you can also puree the soup in a standard blender and it will produce the same effect. Some people don’t like their cream of celery soup too pureed and prefer it to have some texture. You can also simply stir the soup to get a lumpy outcome. This is all up to you. A mousse soup, however, will look more attractive when served to guests and connoisseurs of fine dining. The chicken balls flavored with parsley, coriander, and red and yellow peppers will also stand out in a bowl of consistently creamy and evenly smooth soup. Topped with generous shavings of black truffles, the dish is a work of art.

Ingredients
3/4 lbs. celeriac
2 shallots
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 black truffle
1 garlic clove
juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons whipped cream
1 2/3 cups bouillon
1/2 cup white wine
1 spoon truffle oil

Stuffing:
2/3 lb. fatted chicken breast
3 ½ tablespoons yellow and red pepper
2 tablespoons shallots
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
salt, pepper
allspice
1 egg

Preparation Instructions

1. Peel and chop the celeriac. Mince the garlic and shallots.Put all of it in a heated sauce
pan. Add a teaspoonful of sugar, some salt and pepper, a splash of lemon juice,
the chicken broth, some white wine, and the cream. Let it simmer.

2. To make the garnish for the soup: Grind the chicken breast or cut it up very finely.Season
it with garlic, shallots, coriander, chili pepper, salt and pepper, ground
parsley and red and yellow peppers. Roll them to meatballs then fry.You can
also cook them with coriander leaves to infuse more flavors.

3. Mix the soup.Usea hand blender if you want one for a nice froth. Add whipped cream.

4. When they are all done, arrange them on the soup bowl. Pour some of the cream soup
over them. Top witha few chunks of truffles. Then finish by garnishing with a
few leaves of fresh parsley. So you’re done with your cream celery soup with
chicken balls and black truffles. Bon appétit!

Monday 4 November 2013

Corn Cake With Suet Recipe

Fluffy, rich and delicately sweet, corn cake with suet makes a delightful side dish to holiday healthy meals and can be enjoyed as a filling snack or simple easy dessert recipes.



With a few simple ingredients, namely corn meal, flour, salt, baking soda, sour milk, and chopped suet you can make a one-of-a-kind corn cake that is versatile and highly pleasurable. Very tasty, corn cake makes an excellent dish for a Mexican-inspired Christmas Eve feast. This is also a very popular easy appetizers dish in the rural South of the United States and goes perfectly well with roast chicken or grilled meats.

Suet is the secret ingredient in this delicious corn cake recipe. It gives the cake a distinctive lightness and a rich and savory flavor without being obtrusive and allowing the flavor of the corn to shine through. Made from raw beef or mutton fat, suet is the hard fat found around kidneys and the loins. It as a melting point of 113 degrees to 122 degrees F and congeals at 98.6 to 104 degrees F. Its high smoke point makes suet ideal for pastry production.

Suet is often sold in supermarkets mixed with flour and in blocks that are cream-colored like lard. Vegetarian suet is also available, made from rice flour and palm oil but has slightly different taste and gives a different texture and end-result. Suet should be used within a few days of purchase and should be kept in the refrigerator during those few days of storage. Suet is often used in England to make kidney and steak pudding and Christmas pudding, as well as soft-textured pastries, mincemeat, dumplings, and haggis. Before using suet to make corn cake and other pastries, grate it coarsely with a cheese grater.

Because of its high energy content, suet is popular among cold weather explorers who add the fat to food rations to supplement the high energy requirement needed in their daily travels in a harsh climate. This recipe for corn cake thus has a high calorie and high energy content.

Ingredients:
100ml corn meal
100gms flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon soda
½ cup chopped suet
200ml sour milk

Preparation:
1. In a large dry bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well.
2. Add suet and the sour milk to the mix. Stir well till it blends.
3. Pour this into a greased baking tray and bake it in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes at about 375 degree F.

Sunday 3 November 2013

Cool Veggie Pizzas

Make a quick and simple vegetable pizza easy appetizers with prepared pizza dough. In this recipe, you can use either premade frozen pizza dough, which can be bought in the grocery store or you can use homemade pizza dough. The pizza is topped with nutritious and delicious greens including broccoli and Swiss chard, two of the healthy food on the planet.




Before topping the pizza appetizer recipes with the veggie, you need to cook the vegetables first until they are tender and al dente. Make sure that you do not overcook the vegetables; their color should remain vibrant and green. After cooking the vegetables, use a paper towel to remove all excess moisture. If the vegetables are wet and soggy, they will also make the crust soggy. Instead of boiling the vegetables, you can opt to steam, grill, or sauté them lightly in oil. If you prefer to sauté the vegetables, remove the excess grease with paper towels before using them as topping.


The key to a crispy and chewy perfect crust is a very hot oven. Preheat the oven at least 30 minutes before cooking the pizza. If you are using frozen pizza dough, you should allow it to come to room temperature before using it to make the pizza. Leave the frozen pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight to thaw completely. When you are ready to make the pizza, leave the chilled dough in room temperature for thirty minutes. The dough will be a bit stiff so knead it gently but not overly or the gluten will develop and the crust will become tough. Punch it down with your knuckle and stretch the dough incorporating air pockets so that it comes out fluffy and airy when baked. Spread the pesto evenly and thinly, as it can be greasy if you put on too much.


Ingredients
7 oz. pizza dough
3.52 oz. broccoli, well chopped
1/3 cup water
10 cups Swiss chard
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
3/4 cup pesto
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese

Thursday 31 October 2013

Scrumptious Wolf Fish Salad With Purslane

Wolf fish and purslane salad is a refreshing and unique easy appetizers that is more than the usual. The delicate taste of wolf fish is complemented by the succulent, crunchy and peppery purslane, which is often seen as a garden weed but is actually edible and delicious healthy meals. Zucchini, tomatoes, and black olives give color and Mediterranean flavors to the salad and a lemon and oil dressing flavored with dill complete and give harmony to the salad dish.

Ingredients for the Appetizer Recipes:
2 lbs. wolf
10 1/2 oz. tomatoes
3 packets of purslane (a common weed that is grown as a vegetable, sometimes called, Pigweed, Little Hogweed, or Pusley)
6 to 7 oz. zucchini
10 black olives
¾ cup olive oillemon juice
1 bunch of dill


Preparation:
1. Clean, gut, and debone wolf fish. Remove the skin and cut into 6 equal portions.
2. Place in an ovenproof dish and pour ¼ cup olive oil over the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in a 200 degree oven for about 5 to 8 minutes.
3.Wash purslane, zucchini, and tomatoes. Chop into salad pieces.
4.Mix olive oil, lemon juice and finely chopped dill to make the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
5. In a serving dish, arrange purslane, chopped zucchini, and diced tomatoes. Garnish with black olives. Place wolfish fillets on top. Pour sauce over dish and serve.

Turkey Meatballs With Dipping Sauce

A healthier alternative to beef or pork meatballs, turkey meatballs make a light and delicious easy appetizers or meal. These also make gorgeous and scrumptious party healthy food or elegant hors d’oeuvres in cocktail parties.



Ground turkey appetizer recipes is combined with beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to make yummy meatballs. They are first sautéed in butter and oil to give them a nice brown color and then baked in the oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking. A sauce made of turkey or chicken broth, pineapple juice, sugar, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch is served with the turkey meatballs for dipping. This Chinese-inspired dish also makes a delicious meal topped over rice. Or serve with salad greens for a light meal that’s easy on the waistline.

Ingredients:

TURKEY MEATBALLS
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. olive oil


DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth
1/2 cup pineapple juice, unsweetened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. light soy sauce1 tbsp. cornstarch



Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix turkey, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Form into walnut-sized balls.
2. Heat butter and oil in a skillet and sauté meatballs for 3-4 minutes, a few at a time. Remove from pan and place in a large casserole dish. Continue with the rest of the meatballs.
3. Place casserole dish in oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar and cornstarch are both dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until sauce becomes clear. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Meatballs can be served with warm sauce, or you can make the sauce ahead of time and allow it to cool before serving with meatballs.