French Food Tips: Understanding The Traditional 6 Course Meal

For a dinner party or special meal many people choose to go for French food, since many of the best recipes are inspired by, or come directly from France. French cuisine is known around the world as being one of the finest, and it's no surprise that it is one of the most popular choices when it comes to laying on a meal that's a little bit special.

But apart from serving up the obvious meals such as beef Bourgogne, what can you do to really transform a meal into a classic French one? One of the things that can be done is to serve French food in the same way the French do. If you've ever been to France for a meal you'll know that the one thing the French never do when they're eating is rush. In this country we tend to see each course as something to get through before we can chat a while before the next one, but in France they can make a meal last hours quite easily.

Food Techniques

In part this is because they serve several courses, all of which are a little smaller than some of the courses we serve here in the UK. By having several courses, all planned carefully to keep the tastes separate and enjoyable, the meal can be made to feel full of more variety. It's important not to rush French food, but to savour it, and to enjoy and share the experience with those around you.

Here's a quick break down of the traditional way in which French food should be served, breaking it down into six separate courses. Remember, when serving this many courses the servings will need to be a little smaller than if you were just serving a three course meal.

Course 1: Hors D'oeuvres

Don't call this the starter, for a start! If you're serving up French food then the first dish must be hors d'oeuvres, which roughly translated means 'out of the works'. The word 'works' here relates to the main course, and the purpose of these is to stimulate the appetite - not to fill a person up!

Course 2: The Fish Course

A light fish course with a few vegetables will come next, although it's important to remember not only to keep this small and light, but also to offer something afterwards to cleanse the palate. The ideal thing here is to serve a citrus sorbet, which prepares the taste buds for the main course.

Course 3: The Main Course

Traditionally the meat dish. The focus here is on the meat, with just a few vegetables and potatoes. Poultry or traditional meat such as lamb, beef or pork will be ideal. There are plenty of traditional French recipes to choose from, any of which will be ideal.

Course 4 The Salad Course

The purpose of this course is to cleanse the palate, as well as helping to aid digestion. Simply serve up a few greens, tossed with a vinaigrette. You can make this as simple as you like, or as elaborate as you wish.

Course 5: The Cheese Plate

For family meals this is usually the last course, with the dessert reserved for special occasions. Simply serve up a selection of cheeses, along with some fruit, and let people help themselves. The French are well known for their love of cheese, but make sure you provide a range, from light, mild cheddars to a rich stilton.

Course 6: The Dessert

For special occasions a rich, indulgent and beautifully decorated sweet treat is called for! Avoid the really rich, heavy treacle puddings and go for something a little lighter, but still very sweet. To finish with of course coffee is always ideal.

French Food Tips: Understanding The Traditional 6 Course Meal

Easy Dessert Recipes - 3 Simple Tips

Always finding ourselves short of time in today's world, easy dessert recipes are more important than ever. Have you ever wanted to make a wonderful and delicious dessert to magnificently top off a gathering meal but found yourself short on time? Or maybe you are new to making desserts and need some help? I'm sure it happens to all of us now and then.

As a dessert lover myself, I always try to make sure that the dessert I make will at least result in some words of praise from my guests. One of the best things about having great dessert is not just that it gives you that wonderful feeling, but it also makes you happy when you see how much your guests or family members are enjoying it. But how do you do that if you are new and find dessert-making difficult, or if you're constantly busy and making dessert is too time-consuming?

Food Techniques

This article gives you some simple tips for making life simpler by choosing the right easy dessert recipes, and some advice for making almost any dessert recipe easier.

1. Recipe Size

Often we overlook the fact that the dessert recipes we make can be downsized to fit our needs. This can be as simple as taking a normal dessert recipe and dividing all the ingredient portions in half or in quarter, but not every recipe may be so appropriately scaled down. When searching for easy dessert recipes, be on the look out for the serving sizes listed for each recipe. Some recipes are specially designed for a small number of guests and these will save you a lot of hassle and worry.

Small dessert recipes are easier to make and they bake faster too. This is especially so if your kitchen isn't as big as you want it to be, or you don't have enough large bowls. Also, keep in mind that desserts are normally eaten after a large, full meal, and smaller easy dessert recipes will go well with the guests. If you have any guests who are trying to keep control of their weight, they will thank you for this too.

2. Ingredients Required

The best easy dessert recipes to choose are preferably those with convenient ingredients that you can easily find in your local store. If you are in a rush, then you might want to opt for an easy dessert recipe that can be made with the ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry or refrigerator. Recipes that require fewer ingredients will generally be easier to make. Try searching for recipes with three to five ingredients for maximum easiness in making.

3. Component Substitution

Many long-winding recipes can be made easier to some extent by simple component substitution. If certain components of a particular easy dessert recipe can be store-bought, it will save you a lot of time and effort. For example, when making a tiramisu, instead of having to make the ladyfingers and cheesecake filling from scratch according to the recipe, it would also be possible for you to buy pre-made packages of ladyfingers from the store, and ready-to-eat cheesecake filling too. Then just add coffee syrup or other flavoring according to your tastes, and assemble it for a quick tiramisu dessert.

Some people may frown upon this saying that those ready-made components do not make a dessert that tastes as good as the ones you make yourself. Well for me, I feel that this in itself is an art. It takes a certain amount of knowledge and experience to know which brand of ingredients is of the best quality and go well together. Of course easy dessert recipes that are made from scratch will often taste better, if done right, due to the effort and thought put into them. But the difference is not always that large, and there are times when we don't always get things done right. If you're just a beginner who is just starting out, then this is a good place to start too.

Try these three simple tips for making easy dessert recipes even easier, and they will save you a lot of effort. You will even find that you have more time to enjoy yourself in the kitchen.

Easy Dessert Recipes - 3 Simple Tips

Old-Fashion Batter recipe For Frying Vegetables and Meats

In today's society, fried foods are supposed to be a no-no. But who can resist some good fried vegetables from time to time? Use a good oil, don't fry too often, fry vegetables or fish and enjoy it once in awhile. Try this batter for onion rings, zucchini, mushrooms, corn nuggets, fish, chicken, or your other favorites. Many of todays menus even feature fried pickles, so just use your imagination. I found this formula years ago in a newspaper advertisement for Argo cornstarch which explains the next paragraph.

This old newspaper advertisement says to "Let the natural flavor of your fried vegetables come through with the light touch of Argo and Kingsford's. And try these easy and delicious recipes. You'll agree that for light and crispy fried vegetables or chicken, it as a matter of fact is the batter that matters."

Food Recipe

Light Batter

3/4 cup Argo or Kingford's Corn Starch
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1 egg, slightly beaten

In bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients. Add water and egg; stir until smooth. Pour 1 qt (about) corn oil into large skillet to depth of 1/2", filling no more than 1/3 full. Heat over medium heat to 375 degrees. Dip 4 cups cutup vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, onion, and mushrooms, or 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes, a few at a time, into batter. (Stir batter occasionally.) carefully add vegetables or chicken to hot oil, a few pieces at a time. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serves 4 to 6.

Herb Batter: effect basic recipe. Add 1 tsp dried basil leaves and 1 clove garlic, minced.

Spicy Batter: effect basic recipe. Add 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.

Beer Batter: effect basic recipe. Omit water. Add 1/3 cup cold beer.

Enjoy!

Old-Fashion Batter recipe For Frying Vegetables and Meats

7 Tips on What to Eat to Get Pregnant

How is your diet? Is it a fertility diet? Eating is the single most important thing you can do to get that happy, healthy baby you've been dreaming of. Yes, eating!

Eating is something we take for granted. In our lifetimes we have generally had enough food to eat, readily available whenever we want. We can get it 24 hours a day from any corner McDonalds for goodness sake. We've never gone hungry - unless it was to fit into that perfect outfit for Saturday's date.

Food Techniques

But there's more to optimal eating that just keeping our bellies full. It about eating the right things - in the right amount - to keep our bodies healthy and well nourished. It's about eating "Fertility Food".

History has shown that poorly nourished bodies are less likely to conceive and/or carry a baby to term. So, what should you be eating if you want to get pregnant? I listed 7 broad categories below.

8 Servings of Fruits and Vegetables

Yes, you can get all the vitamins you need from a pill but that's just not the same as getting them naturally - from the foods you eat. The vitamins and minerals in the pill are not absorbed as well by the body as those found in food. And they may be absorbed differently one day to another.

The body was meant to eat whole food - right from the source. Eating eight servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day serves several purposes:

1. It keeps our blood sugar even. Spiking and falling blood sugars have been shown lead to miscarriages. That's why diabetics have more problems carrying a baby to term.

2. It maintains a steady supply of vitamins and minerals - rather than just a huge gulp of them when we take our pill. Now don't get me wrong here. You should take a prenatal vitamin - in addition to the fertility food you're eating - just not in place of it.

6-9 Servings of Whole Grains

In the western world we seldom eat whole grains unless we make a real effort to do so. Our grains are refined for one reason - and one reason only - to increase shelf-life. Our food suppliers have chosen to maximize profits at the expense of our health.

But on the fertility diet we make a conscious effort to eat only whole grains - brown rice, whole grain bread, couscous, barley, cracked wheat - you get the idea. These foods will make your body healthier and stronger - and more receptive to getting pregnant.

4 Servings of Low Fat Dairy

You could reasonably argue that a fully grown woman has no need for dairy products. After all, dairy products have a lot of fat in them. And you take a calcium supplement every day.

But this same argument cannot be made for a pregnant woman. Dairy products are our main source of calcium and Vitamin D. And you want to be getting these as close to the source as possible. Once your baby is born you can cut back on dairy products - but not before!

2-3 Servings of Low Fat Protein

Think fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes - not protein drinks! Protein drinks are anything but natural, and when you're trying to get pregnant the natural source is always best.

The one thing to note is that American women tend to get much more than the 60 grams of protein needed each day. So check your portion sizes carefully!

Switch All White Foods to Brown Whole Foods

Brown sugar, brown pasta, whole wheat flour, whole grain cereals and breads - these are the types of grain foods we need to be eating. These are the fertility foods that provide us with folic acid, iron and zinc. And these are the fertility foods that have a major impact on having a healthy baby.

8 Glasses of Pure Water

Not tap water - unless the Culligan Man has been to your house. The quality of tap water in most regions of the country is very poor - high in iron and mercury - two minerals we do not want to get from our fluid intake.

But water is essential each and every day. It keeps the body hydrated, protects the kidneys and flushes toxins out of our system.

And Last - But Not Least... Eat a Little Bit Often

I've mentioned this before, but keeping your blood sugar on an even keel is part of the fertility diet. Blood sugars that go up rapidly and then crash are not good for you or your baby. The brain and vital organs want - need - a steady supply of sugar at an even level all day long. Eating a little bit every 3 hours or so accomplishes this.

If you haven't been eating like this - and want to get pregnant - it's best that you establish a healthy eating plan and follow it for at least 6 months before getting pregnant. That will ensure your baby has the best start possible.

If the fertility diet is new to you and you want more information, visit my website below. Be sure to sign up for my mini-course 11 Infertility Secrets while you're there.

7 Tips on What to Eat to Get Pregnant

Italian Food Recipes - 3 Tips For Choosing the Best

Italian food recipes have grown over the internet landscape the past 2 years with more added each day. You have a wide choice to choose from in today's marketplace of taste. The dishes can range from hearty and robust to light and flavorful with many in between the two extremes. So with all these choices, along with the new kid on the block,healthy Italian recipes, how do you pick the right ones?

I've noticed many mistakes people make when it comes to choosing a recipe. But I've noticed just a few that keep coming up among people, especially new cooks. But I've also watched older more experienced cooks fall into a trap or two the newbie's fall victim to.

Food Techniques

Perhaps it's the simplicity of the mistakes, they're what people can often describe as little, but when overlooked they can often cause a big flop with your Italian recipe.

I've listed 3 solid guidelines to follow that will help you choose the best recipes. There's a simple system to choosing the best dishes. If you take the time to follow these suggestions you'll get better at choosing the best. The more you stick to these tips the better and more consistent your results.

1. Ingredients Are Easily Obtainable. - At first this appears to be a no-brainer, but many cooks can easily make this mistake if they're not careful. In their excitement to start on the recipe, they can gloss over an ingredient the dish calls for and not realize it until it's too late.

2. Invest In The Right Cooking Tools - This is an area many cooks underestimate. They choose to cook an elaborate recipe that have more steps than normal - with the wrong cooking tools. Doing this not only waste time, it can ruin a recipe, making the final product disappointing.

3. Can You Speak Recipe? - Many cooks overlook the importance of understanding recipe terms. They try to wing it and leave themselves open to make little mistakes that cause bigger problems. You'll have a different result if you cube and the recipe said to mince, or you boiled and the recipe said to sauté. This can cause your result to go into the trash instead of your mouth.

As you pay attention and remember these simple tips you'll find your Italian recipes taking on a better look, feel and taste. There's a popular saying that "the little foxes can spoil the vine," meaning little mistakes can spoil a lot. Now know you see how you can avoid the little mistakes and make your Italian cooking a big hit.

Italian Food Recipes - 3 Tips For Choosing the Best

Healthy Eating Facts - Japanese Food and Healthy Eating Tips

When pondering on rational thoughts about life and longevity, the Japanese are known to be among the top choices. The Japanese people has been recognized to be among those who have longer life spans; there are stipulations that it is not simply because of the theory of traditional ancient practices or secrets of elixirs which allow them to live longer than an average person.

The real secret is their passion for labor and their very healthy eating facts. To be able to truly understand what the Japanese does for them to be able to live a strong and healthy life with their chosen diet, one must first perish the thought of pure raw food when speaking of Japanese cuisine. Even the Japanese know how to cook their food, and boy do they do it great!

Food Techniques

The Japanese are known for a fact to consume large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. They strive on fish as well as on meat. So, what makes them different from the rest of the world? Simple, it is the proportions on which they take in their food. They are able to keep an ideal balance of their food groups without having to compromise taste and quality. Among the greatest healthy eating facts the Japanese have is the fact that they are able to combine the basic food groups and use spices to their advantage; they use a lot of ginger and pickle them as an added appetizer.

The other healthy fact that the Japanese benefit greatly from is the fact that they consume large amounts of fish thus is able to benefit most from the fish oils. The Japanese tend to stay away from bad fat or saturated fat which is also known as bad cholesterol and instead use more of the good fat or good cholesterol which is mostly found in fish.

Healthy Eating Facts - Japanese Food and Healthy Eating Tips

Your vigor Levels Will Soar - Vegetarian Food Recipes

There are abundance of delicious, vegetarian food recipes ready for every meal of the day, together with snacks and desserts that have the indispensable component of being free from meat products. Starting with breakfast, you can begin your day with a wholesome and satisfying meal that will supply nutrition and energy. A vegetarian omelet is not only scrumptious, but it is also wholesome and easy to make. Begin by conferrence a range of colorful veggies to add to your omelet. The more range of colors you have, the more nutrients you will get, as colorful vegetables contain the most nutrients and anti-oxidants.

Try bell peppers (yellow, red, green), mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes, if you like. Chop the vegetables and add to two cracked eggs in a bowl. Cook over an open flame in safflower oil and pair with whole wheat toast.

Food Recipe

Vegetarian snacks are also easy to prepare. You can munch on nuts, lite cheese, fruit, yogurt, chips and salsa, granola bars, cut-up veggies and so much more. For lunch, you can prepare something fresh that requires no cooking at all. In whole wheat pita pockets, add hummus and veggies of your choice. Some appetizing choices contain alfalfa sprouts, shredded carrot, black olives, cucumber slices and any other vegetables you crave. Vegetarians who eat cheese can also think adding feta cheese to their pita.

A vegetarian supper can be just as easy as any other meal. You can use the leftover vegetables of the day by cutting them up in slices and frying in a pan of safflower oil or canola oil. In a pot, prepare brown rice or other whole grain of your choice. After the vegetables are sauteed, drain and cut tofu into cubes and crisp them in the pan. prepare a sauce made with lite soy sauce, chili flakes, rice vinegar, sesame oil and lime juice. Assemble the rice, veggies and tofu and pour the sauce over it. Make sweetmeat straightforward with baked pear sliced drizzled with agave nectar and chopped pecans.

Vegetarian food recipes promote wholesome digestion and supply energy. Meat-free meals virtually eliminate that "two-thirty" feeling where you just want to lay down and take a nap. By eliminating that tired feeling, you can do away with the coffee and caffeine beverages such as soda and Red Bull. With your vigor levels peaking while everybody else is feeling sluggish and in need of artificial stimulation, your productivity will soar.

Your vigor Levels Will Soar - Vegetarian Food Recipes

Candied Yams - The Reigning King of Soul Food Recipes Side Dishes

Candied yams has come full circle, especially when it comes to favorite soul food formula side dishes. An always favorite side dish for the holidays, it now has vast in popularity year around. Many have gave this dish assorted names. For example, candy yams, candied yam, candied sweet potato recipe, yams candied or soul food candied yams to name a few.

Most people enjoy the festive climate candied yam recipes bring to a meal. So, as a follow more people are enjoying this tasty side dish during non-holiday months. But still the holidays is when this dish nothing else but shines and brings a festive climate to any table. Because of the availability of yams year nearby now, the popularity continues to grow at a steady pace. In addition, because of this vegetables health benefits, more health conscious consumers are discovering it.

Food Recipe

Yams are rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin A B and C as well as involved carbohydrates to name a few. In addition, with the growth in diabetes cases, yam recipes supply an excellent alternative. First studies review it helps lower insulin resistance and stabilize sugar levels.

Other added benefits of yams is their high potassium and low sodium levels. As a follow they yield what nutritionist call a good potassium-sodium balance in the body. This health helps to fight osteoporosis and heart disease. Yam recipes ordinarily yield a lower glycemic index that other potato products. This means they will help supply a longer lasting form of energy, and help fight obesity and diabetes.

Yam have also been know to replenish fast twitch fibers, runners use them as a way of recovering after running. It's no coincidence that some of the best long distance runners on earth come from countries that yield high amounts of yams.

Yam recipes continue to be one of the top 5 ease foods, particularly during the holidays. Along with turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes and gravy, it is tops when it comes to side dishes, according to a recent University of California poll.

In fact, this southern dish has moderately past mash potatoes and gravy as a favorite soul food side dish. The buttery flavors, cinnamon back taste, brown sugar foundation and nutmeg makes for a primary holiday taste few side dishes can match. In increasing the orange color serves to add color, interest and eye request for retrial to any plate.

After finishing a meal that includes southern style yams, people are always rewarded with that satisfying feeling of ease and satisfaction. Candied yams stay with you longer than most side dishes. Many call this a stick to your ribs benefit. These are a few of the many top advantages of eating candied yams or candied sweet potatoes. But there's more for you to enjoy.

Candied Yams - The Reigning King of Soul Food Recipes Side Dishes

A Taste of Jamaican Food and Recipes

The flavors of Jamaica are the stock of the island's history combined with a verdant, lush climate. The Spanish, British, African and East Indian have all had an influence over what is today a unique island cuisine made colorful by the many tropical fruits that thrive here.

The waters off Jamaica have always teemed with fish and seafood is the original protein source for islanders. Snapper, grouper, sea bass and other reef a deep sea fish are caught daily by the many fishermen whose boats line the beaches. Spiny lobster, shrimp and freshwater crustaceans are effortlessly ready and cooked ordinarily in a thick sauce. Chicken and goats are well great to the small grand island and are kept by many families but cattle are rare and beef is not the illustrious meat.

Food Recipe

Many of Jamaica's fruits, along with pineapple, mango, banana and avocado were brought to the region by slave traders and plantation owners experimenting with crops. What were once sugar cane fields are now being used to grow fruits and ackee for export and domestic use.

Few other cuisines mix such a range of spices and tastes - sweet, hot and savory - as Jamaican cooking. Jamaican food wouldn't be the same without the spices, seasonings and colors from: Allspice, the pimento berry.

Among many of the spices grown in Jamaica are nutmeg, ginger, thyme, scotch bonnet peppers, which are integral clear flavors of Jamaican cooking. The pungent thyme grows rampantly on the island and is found in the majority of Jamaican foods.

Favourite Jamaican foods are those for coconut cake, rum punch & beef jerky recipies.

Real Jamaican food, when cooked with feeling, is a soul-satisfying experience.

A Taste of Jamaican Food and Recipes

20 Head Smacking Food Cooking Tips

A lot of us are often given blurred visions of certain food preparation techniques that we forget many vital processes; thanks to commercialized quick-to-eat food products that make us want to pop them in the oven and voila! There are certain kitchen/cooking metrics that we Food Central do not encourage, but would like you to know so that you can be kitchen-smart.

Here are a few simple cooking tips that you might find handy when you do cooking. Preparing ingredients are sometimes tedious work - Just like washing vegetables, peeling prawns, washing shellfish, dressing the sirloin and so forth. If you know what's best for yourself in the kitchen, you might be able to run away from certain fuss by using these food techniques:

Food Techniques

Salt your water when you're hard-boiling eggs The trick to easy-peel hard boil eggs is actually adding in salt to lukewarm water, turn on the fire and start cooking the eggs. When your water is boiled, turn down your fire to simmer. Constantly check your eggs for cracks - Too hot of the water will crack your eggs (and if you want to save gas by putting in hot boiling water to boil your eggs, you might just crack a lot of them if you're boiling in a chunk); salt your water by adding in around 1 handful of salt to 5 liters of water. The salt will lengthen your boiling time but it'll make your life 100 times simpler. Keep your knife hot when you're slicing 'vulnerable' food items The trick to making the perfect slice for eggs or cheesecake (and some chocolate products) is to keep your knife hot, not warm. Stainless steel do not keep hot temperatures well, and looking at your thin chef knife, it won't keep it for long either. Clean your knife, dip it into hot boiling water for a while or put them over naked fire then make your incision - You'll notice that it makes a very clean cut. When you slice eggs, keep the yolk on top Hard-boiled eggs are best sliced (usually into half) from their yolk section first. Always look for the yolk, then make your incision there. Slicing too far away from the yolk makes it hard for you to aim well - Also makes your egg portions uneven. In certain cases where you can't see the yolk or it's already out in the open, just follow No. 2 and do it your way. Use egg whites to 'smoothen' your chicken If you're marinading chicken, you can also add egg white into your marinade and keep them inside. For example, one whole chicken (portioned into 8), and one large egg white. After cooking the chicken, you'll notice the skin is actually smoother. Italian sauces are best left for a day before consumption Many homemade Italian sauces are great - Even better if you 'age' them for a day. As liquid evaporates from your sauces (giving you a more focused and intense flavor) and/or incorporates with other ingredients using its naturals, these sauces will not lose its flavor for a day but gives you a bigger punch the next day. Best few examples are basic tomato sauces, pesto and stocks like Velouté (white stock - Can be vegetable, fish, shellfish or chicken) or (X - can be any vegetable) Concasse. For a better Parmesan, let it 'sweat' Many cheeses cannot be done this way, but for the special Midori brand Parmesan Cheese in a block, (found in Jusco & Cold Storage and sometimes Tesco) cheeses can be left to sweat and made better. Here's how you do it - Open the packaging but only remove the top part. Leave it outside on your dinner table (under 20+C room temperature) and make sure it has no contact with sunlight and rodents. Keep it that way for 2 days - Now taste it. It's different. Let your Chinese Celery and/or Coriander live longer Putting them in your fridge alone (with paper or plastic wrap) will kill them fast. Get a small 'deep' tupperware or even a Milo tin, add water in it, and let them sit inside (with roots below). This will lengthen their shelf life. Remove chicken skin with one incision and one pull If you need to remove the main chicken skin from your whole chicken, do this: Use a sharp knife and turn your chicken breast-side-down. Make a straight vertical incision along the 'backbone' of the chicken, then tear the chicken skin apart. This should remove most of its skin (except for the wings). Non-stick a pan with food ingredients or few techniques Heat/Temperature control is your best technique. If you need your pan to be non-stick (but it's not labeled or sold as non-stick), you can do a few things - Heat your pan thoroughly before cooking (dry), fry a full egg before cooking, cook a stick-able ingredient until the surface is cooked before touching it (with high enough heat), oil your pan and heat the oil (then remove it and place it in another container) before cooking and fry beansprouts or coconut husks before cooking. Remove the 'new' smell from your Pan or Wok You can try this few ingredients. Don't bother washing it too many times to rid the smell because some 'cheap' pans don't work. You can try heating the pan to the maximum then pouring hot oil into it and throw away, fry beansprouts or coconut husks, leave it heated under hot charcoal for 30 minutes, make a simple 'stew' and throw them away. All of these works, but if you're still getting the smell, then you know that pan won't last long. Getting 'rust' marks out of your pans and woks Chinese woks are famous for this, especially when they are old. You tend to leave your wok to hang (with some water intact) and you come back and find your wok has rust marks. You can use a few methods to combat this problem: After washing your pan/wok, use a kitchen towel and some oil then rub enough oil on it - This will enable water to not oxidize the metal surface of your pan/wok. Alternatively, you can also heat your pan/wok to the maximum, and then leave it to cook (do not let it come in contact with water. Wash before heating your pan/wok. Don't store shellfish into the fridge Storing shellfish into the fridge is the wrong way to go (applies for freshly live ones). What you can do is wash them under running water for a while to remove the dirt, place them in a container (without covering) then get a wet kitchen cloth and cover them. Make sure they're in room temperature and is not kept for more than 1 1/2 days. Do this for live clams and local mussels (Malaysia). Don't use mayonnaise straight from the tub/container Commercialized mayonnaise taste absolutely ridiculous if you're not challenging it with another strong-tasting ingredient. What you can do to 'tame' its flavor is to add in milk, salt & pepper, whisk them well to a thinner texture. If you're adventurous enough, take a small portion of mayonnaise and add in a few more ingredients. You can add garlic, tomato/chilly sauce, Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins), Maggi Seasoning Sauce, Jalapeño juice, Pickles, cream, sugar, brine, onions, carrots, cabbage or anything you can find in the fridge. Its tastes are subjective, so be careful. Test your knife with a tomato Want to know how sharp is your knife but do not know how to test it? Here are a few simple tricks for you to test them out: Slice a not-so-young-and-fresh (when pressed is quite soft) tomato, and you should be able to slice it without putting pressure on your knife blade. Another way is to slice big, yellow/red onions. If you cry fast, then it's either your techniques or your blade. Another great way of testing is to slice plastic. Extremely sharp knives slice plastic bags almost too easily - Without even having to add any pressure. Simply move it along the plastic bag and see if it goes through. Don't wash freshly harvested mushrooms Washing freshly harvested mushrooms can be disastrous (to its natural flavors). If you're looking for hygiene, PICK IT FROM A MORE HYGIENIC PLACE or get it from Tesco. Either way, they work better. If you're not particular, simply use a pastry brush and brush off its sand. For certain mushrooms like fresh button mushrooms, peel their 'outer' skin before cooking. You can use that skin for your chicken stock. Keep cockroaches away with this leaf Use 'Pandan' (or called Screw Pine) leaves to keep cockroaches away. They work extremely well. Pandan/Screw Pine leaves has hundreds of usage in thousands of recipes and home-uses. Reheat your bread in the microwave oven with some water Put in your bread and a microwave-oven-friendly bowl or glass filled with water in the microwave oven and give it a quick 20 second high heat. This will not make your bread lose too much of its moisture. Make your banana grow naturally juicier What you can do is to hang your bananas - Using a string or a hook, hang the banana on its comb and let it sit on air - This will give your banana a juicy boost and also make it brown evenly. Placing it on cold surfaces will blacken the skin (in one area first then spread to more later) faster. Bananas are naturally 'bomb-smoked' first in the farm before it goes on sale (to enable boost and uniform ripening), and when it's done that way, your bananas don't taste as good as natural ones. Keep your rice from rodents and stick-free When you're keeping uncooked rice, leave a few pieces of dried chilly in the container your store your uncooked rice. This will keep insects and rodents away. Besides, adding fresh dried chilly into your rice cooker will also make your cooking easier - The rice won't stick to the bottom. Make sure you don't cook the dried chilly (or make it come in contact with oil) first or it won't work. Naturally cook your ingredients a few times faster If you're adventurous enough, you can try packaging (in a plastic bag) a few unripe apples and some chilly. Put in 4 apples to 4 pieces of red chilly. Put them in a bag together and place it in the fridge. You'll notice that the chilly 'reactions' actually 'cook' the apples faster. Although this is not entirely 'proven' scientifically to many Chef's knowledge, it does work in certain cases.

20 Head Smacking Food Cooking Tips

Ethnic Food Recipes - The Chinese Way

Ethnic recipes originated from different cultural diversities of each country. It is a way of studying former meals in terms of food preparation, dietary habits, food symbolism and rituals.

Most Chinese dishes merge a mixture of ingredients and a balance of elements in its flavors, colors, aroma, textures and food preparations. It is a noted and regarded great mixture of dishes. The usual meal that comprises Chinese ethnic dishes would comprise a cup of steamed rice, mixed vegetables, fried, steamed dish or soup. It even has four major Chinese cooking styles like Beijing Cuisine, Cantonese, Szechwan and Hunan also merge mixing of dishes.

Food Recipe

A good Chinese cooking custom can be marvelous by their seasoning blends, temperature operate and right cutting of ingredients. For best results, parboiling and partial frying are the techniques used by Chinese for centuries already.

In a house meal, eating rice two to three times a day is basic. Two cups of long grain white rice is cooked with 3 cups water for just 20 minutes, done commonly in four servings.

For rice porridge or congee, combining 8 cups of water and 1 cup of short grain rice will make out a commonly eaten breakfast. You can bring it to a boil, cover it in low fire and allow it to simmer for 1 ½ hours. Stirring is foremost every now and then in order to keep it from sticking in the pan. Veggies, dried fruits, meat, scallions, gingers and nuts can be added on top in order to spice up the recipe.

A mixture of tea in every meal is a must. It is the most-loved beverage of Chinese individuals. Social gatherings would not be unblemished without a cup of hot tea. Oolong, black and green tea are the 3 popular varieties in China. Oolong is brown pale tea as compared to fresh peaches. Black tea has a more strong taste. Green tea has a light and fresh flavor. It comes in loose form and it is often drank without sugar or milk. Drinking tea lowers the risk of cholesterol, prevents cancer and heart diseases.

Some Chinese ethnic recipes are as follows:

Soups and Appetizers

A clear soup serves as a drink while meals; it is a way to warm up people while the winter time. Their soup is commonly served in large bowls, for evening meal or banquet. On the other hand, dimsum as an appetizer is served while the mid-mornings or afternoon and can be as a late night snack. Dimsum samples comprise wonton, egg rolls, dumplings, shrimp balls and pastries. To enjoy yummy soups and dims sum samples, you can try these recipes:

Wonton formula - Ingredients:

o Minced pound pork ½ lb.
o Minced fresh mushrooms ¼ lb.
o ¼ tsp. Salt
o 1 tbsp. Minced scallion
o 1/8 tsp. Ground black pepper
o 1 pc. Egg yolk
o Peanut oil
o Wanton squares

Method:
o Using a bowl, mix pork, mushrooms, salt, scallions, pepper and egg yolk.
o Put a 1/2 tsp mixture at the center of won ton square and fold a projection to make triangles.
o Pull the projection bottom and overlap the tips pinching together.
o Fry in hot oil and drain.
o Serve with ketchup or mustard with a horseradish. It can make 120 pieces.

Main Dish

A main dish commonly consists of meats or fish and vegetables. Fresh vegetables are important. It should be cooked fast in order to support its color and crispness. The dish below is good for 4 persons.

Almond Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

o 1 ½ lbs. Chicken breasts
o 1 tsp. Honey
o 1 tbsp. Cornstarch
o 12 ounces pea pods
o 3 tbsp. Soy sauce
o ¼ cup vegetable oil
o 3 to 4 tbsp. Water
o 1 tsp. Ginger
o 1 cup natural whole almonds
o 1/3 cup sherry

Method:

o Cut chicken breasts in ½ inch cube.
o Mix ginger, cornstarch, and honey. Blend soy sauce and sherry in water.
o Heat oil in a wok on medium heat.
o Add almonds and chicken. Cook for 3 minutes.
o Pour sherry mixture until sauce thickens and add pea pods. Stir fry and glazed.

Ethnic Food Recipes - The Chinese Way

Feeding Toddlers - Nutritional Tips

When kids reach 2 years of age, it is time to start giving them homogenized whole cow's milk. The toddler should eat most table foods that closely resemble the same types of food that the other family members enjoy. The frequency of eating for a toddler can be broken into multiple small meals per day.

Milk and dairy products should be limited to about 16oz. (2 cups) each day and 100% fruit juice should be limited to about 4-6 oz each day.

Food Techniques

Introduce a variety of foods to encourage good eating habits. Exercise good judgment when a child is making the transition from a bottle to whole foods. Give the toddler manageable pieces of food. Miniaturize most of the foods given so they child is able to pick up the food with their fingers if necessary.

Food plan for a toddler should be selected based on the USDA guidelines. The US Department of Agriculture promotes a healthy eating guideline for children 2 years of age or older.

The food pyramid focuses on the five major food groups. To ensure a good nutritious eating plan, a combination of these food groups is required daily to maintain good health. The basic make up of the 5 food groups include:

1) The Grain group - Servings include 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, and 1 ounce of ready to eat cereal.

*Your child should eat 6 servings from this group.

2) Vegetable group - Servings include 1/2 cup of chopped or raw vegetables, or 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables.

*Your child should eat 3 servings from this group.

3) Fruit group - Servings include 1 piece of fruit or melon wedge, 3/4 cup of 100% fruit juice, 1/2 cup of canned fruit, or 1/4 cup of dried fruit.

*Your child should eat 2 servings from this group.

4) Milk group - Servings include 1 cup of milk, yogurt or 2 ounces of cheese.

*Your child should eat 2 servings from this group.

Toddlers are so active that they may need mini-meals in between their main three meals. These mini-meals can be nutritious snackables. Snackables like apples slices with honey, graham crackers with cheese, or slices of bananas and strawberries in a cup can give toddlers the fuel they need for quick energy.

5) Meat group servings include 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish, 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans. You can substitute 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1 egg for 1 ounce of meat.

*Your child should eat 2 servings from this group.

As children grow older, their appetite may decrease. Sometimes they become "picky" eaters as their growth rate slows. As long as they maintain a healthy weight and have a normal activity level, you have little to worry about.

Your children's daily nutrition is important to their overall health. Proper nutrition can prevent many medical problems, including obesity, developing weak bones, and developing diabetes. Following the USDA guidelines will insure that your toddler grows healthy and strong.

Feeding Toddlers - Nutritional Tips

Easy Party Finger Food Recipes

Finger foods have many advantages when it comes to organizing a party and coming up with the best menu. They look great and are relatively easy to make. In addition, you can have a multitude of finger foods available.

Guests will also enjoy finger foods. While development their selection, habitancy will interact with each other and have fun.

Food Recipe

Making finger foods is far from time-consuming and expensive. You can get very creative with the decorations and you can turn your buffet into a work of art. If you are finding for straightforward and effective finger food recipes, keep on reading.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs look very ornamental and pretty. The good news is that anything can make them and the formula could readily be modified to suit personel needs and the preferences of guests who are staggering to attend the party.

For a singular platter, you will need six hard-boiled eggs, half a cup of mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Decorations can be made from paprika, parsley, mint or even cherry tomatoes.

To make deviled eggs, cut each one in half and take out the egg yolk. Use a fork to get it crushed. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Turn these ingredients into a homogenous mixture.

Take a small estimate of the egg yolk and mayonnaise blend and return it into the egg white half. Decorate as proper and dispose the platter.

Chicken Fingers

Everybody loves chicken fingers. They are nutritional and exceptionally tasty. Here is the formula that you can corollary to make tasty and eye-catching chicken fingers.

Ten servings inquire eight chicken breast halves or the respective quantity of chicken fillets, a small sour cream carton, a tablespoon of soy sauce, two tablespoons of lemon juice, salt, pepper, oil and stuffing mix.

You will first need to cut the chicken meat into very thin stripes. In a cut off bowl you will have to mix the sour cream with the lemon juice, soy sauce and spices. Dip each chicken stripe into it and then roll into the stuffing mix.

Get a pan heated and pour some oil in it. Fry until the chicken finger turns gold in color. An alternative is to get the chicken fingers baked into the over - this alternative is much healthier than frying.

Mini Pizza

The easiest way to make mini pizza is to use pre-made dough or to make the dough yourself in a bread machine, in case you have one. You can also purchase pizza bases, which are already made in the perfect mini pizza forms.

The best aspect of development mini pizzas is that you can elect any kind of topping. You can make vegetarian pizzas with tomato sauce and cheese or you can go for more exotic opportunities - maritime foods, pineapple or primary Italian pizza toppings.

The tomato sauce goes on the mini pizza first and then you add all other ingredients - ham, mushrooms, bacon, cheese, tuna, chicken or anything else you fancy. Oregano is the best herb to use for Italian-style mini pizzas.

Get the oven pre-heated to at least 200 degrees Celsius. The cooking time is 20 to 30 minutes.

Easy Party Finger Food Recipes

Basic Food Safety Tips Everyone Should Know

With people around the world doing all they can to stretch their kitchen budgets in these tumultuous economic times that we live in today, it can be very tempting to take a shorter route on food safety but you may end up hospitalized or worse. Following are leading basic food safety tips that must be followed to the letter to ensure you are observing food safety and that the food you are taking is safe and healthy.

1. Cured and dried types of meats can hold and hide countless germs. To be on the safe side, you might want to microwave the meats, then let them cool down before consuming them immediately.

Food Techniques

2. Never buy anything if you find that cooked food is displayed in the same place as raw produce.

3. Fresh fish ought to be shiny in appearance and very firm, not falling off from the fish bones. Similarly, it shouldn't have a strong 'fishy' smell.

4. When buying packaged chicken, ensure you are buying one that is pink in color, and not yellow or gray.

5. Nearly a third of the population thaw frozen meat or poultry on the kitchen counter, under hot water inside the sink, or in the oven. Always thaw frozen meat in a fridge set below 4°C.

6. Food safety is also about food preparation and not only cooking of food. Always ensure that all food is prepared in a clean and dry countertop. By the same token, ensure all pots, dishes, Tupperware, containers, wrappers, coolers, bag, and lunch boxes that will come in contact with the food that you are preparing are equally clean.

7. The safest food to carry with you on a trip are foods which are shelf-stable such as trail mix, single-serve cereals, canned food products, sandwiches, peanut butter, and thoroughly washed and cleanly wrapped veggies and fruits.

8. When observing food safety, you should also ensure you seal undercooked or raw meats tightly in an airtight plastic wrap. This way, you will prevent juices from coming in direct contact with these kinds of foods.

9. The other basic food safety tip, although often overlooked, is to never reuse a plastic grocery bag. Ensure you dispose it off immediately as it might carry the bacteria and harmful contaminants of what it had contained.

10. Food safety tips also entails obeying expiration dates on labels and packaging, particularly for packaged raw meats and poultry.

11. Be careful not to use the microwave to thaw without cleaning the platter and the insides thoroughly.

12. A sure way of cross contamination or transmitting germs is double dipping i.e. dipping a chip or vegetable in a bowl of dip or salad, biting a part of it off and then re-dipping again.

13. When shopping, always put meat at the bottom of your shopping cart or in a completely separate place to avoid contamination.

14. Leftover roasted ribs or chicken should always be reheated to 74°C before eating them.

15. When you are dining out at a bistro that smells bad or the utensils, cutlery, plates, spoons etc are dirty, just put the fork down and Run Away!

Basic Food Safety Tips Everyone Should Know

Kids Party Food Tips

Kids are fussy eaters but if you know how to find fun ways to prepare and set out their favorite foods, then you will find them enjoying your party. There are many fast party foods that you can prepare.

Pizza: Most children like pepperoni on their pizza. If you can get them to eat green and red pepper or other veggie on their pizza, it would contain more nutritional value.

Food Techniques

Cheese and Crackers: Protein and calcium help children in their growth and cheese is one food item that contains them. Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheeses along with round butter crackers are a big hit with kids. Some children even like wheat thins, which are also beneficial to health.

Beef Sticks: The nutritional value of beef sticks is at best debatable but at least they are yummy. Additionally it is a source of protein.

Veggies and Ranch Dip: Most children do not like to eat vegetables. However those who do will like them more because they think Veggie and Ranch Dip makes them tastes superb. Hopefully those children who usually do not like vegetables will find them palatable when the dip is used. It's worth a try.

Potato Chips: This is definitely not the healthiest of foods but it is a party and children are supposed to enjoy themselves, so relax a little with those rules and let them enjoy.

Pretzels: Pretzels are a healthy, low-fat alternative to potato chips.

Ice Cream: This is one of the most commonly served and expected foods at a children's party. Ice cream goes well with almost anything and most children will be disappointed if it is not served.

Cake: Cake of course is the most important item on the food agenda. How else will a child be able to light up the candles and to sing a birthday song? A tasty alternative to this would be an ice cream cake.

Hot Dogs and Hamburgers: Usually all kids love hot dogs and hamburgers, even if they are not of the highest quality of food. They make good party food. Some children prefer them plain, others like a dab of ketchup.

French Fries: French fries serve as a complement to hot dogs, fish sticks or hamburgers and they are not expensive.

In order to avoid stress, do your preparations ahead of time. Those foods that you want to buy can be ordered in advance. Some catered food or pizza and hamburgers offer home deliveries. If need be, ask your friend to help you to pick up the cake.

Children with food allergies will be the first to tell you so, but just in case they forget, so do ask them first. If there are, make sure either that type of food is not served, or if it is served, assign someone to make sure that the child with the allergy will not have access to it.

With all these preparations in place, parents should have a less stressful time preparing for the party but instead enjoy yourself with the kids as well.

Kids Party Food Tips

healthy Fast Food Recipes - How to Cook Them

Love fast food but hate the calories? Here's an choice that gives you the best of both worlds: cook your favorite fast food recipes at home and sacrifice the fat content in the process! Fast food restaurants often cook with the most fattening and salty ingredients inherent to get people hooked. Fortunately, you can cook many of these menu items at home and sacrifice the salt and fat without reducing the flavor. Here are a few tips on how to do it.

First, instead of deep frying, fry your food in a salutary oil, like olive oil. You can also use a reduced fat oil to further decrease the calories. This will allow you to get that deep fried taste without all the harmful fats that most fast food recipes use. Simply pour a small whole into a skillet and fry it up.

Food Recipe

Next, sacrifice the salt. A high salt intake causes high blood pressure and a range of other health problems. sacrifice the salt in the recipe to help sacrifice this problem. You won't even notice the difference. Also watch out for other seasonings high in salt.

Reduce high calories condiments. You can majorly lower the calorie content of your meal by reducing high fat condiments like mayonnaise, ranch, and sour cream. Instead, use a low-fat alternative, or just sacrifice the amount. You'll still get the great flavor, but you'll cut the calories nearly in half!

But how do I cook fast food recipes and dishes at home? It's surprisingly easy to cook most favorite menu items at home. Many of them can be made with tasteless household ingredients. All you need is a cookbook of replica recipes and a exiguous convention and you can be cooking salutary fast food dishes in no time! Give it a try, you can save time, money, and calories!

healthy Fast Food Recipes - How to Cook Them

Soul Food Recipes - Light Cooking Tips For Soul Food Recipes

Light cooking is definitely in. Especially when it comes to soul recipes and other southern dishes. With the growing problem of obesity, high blood pressure and other ailments among African Americans, eating healthier continues to grow in popularity. Condition experts continue to advise lighter cooking techniques and food preparing as explication to this growing problem

The problems with cooking lite has all the time been preserving the down-home taste and satisfying feeling soul food recipes have all the time represented. But today's light cooking has evolved into a taste sensation thanks to creative chefs and food experts.

Food Recipe

Lite Cooking Tips For salutary Soul Food Recipes

1. Try Using egg substitute in recipes that wish more than one egg. Here's a tip 1/4 cup of egg substitute equals one egg. This allows you to cut 5-6 grams of fat and over 200 whopping milligrams of cholesterol from your recipe.

2. Use A Lemon. Adding a dash of lemon juice to vegetables, fish or poultry is a creative way to add flavor to your dish - without using sodium.

3. Cook with lighter oils. One of the best ways to cook lighter is to use lighter cooking oils. For example, peanut, oil of sesame seed oil. As opposed to animal fats or vegetable oils.

4. Using cooking spray instead of oil, margarine or butter can cut your calorie intake up to 55%.

These are a few of the most favorite light cooking tips used by our readers with victorious results. For example, weight operate as well as loss, in expanding to getting a deal with on other related Condition ailments.

Soul Food Recipes - Light Cooking Tips For Soul Food Recipes

Soul Food favorite - Fried Cabbage

Fried cabbage is growing in popularity, not only for it's soothing taste, but because of it's condition benefits. Cabbage recipes, long praised for it's wholesome dose of vitamins A, B,C and E, as well as the intestinal benefits of fiber to boot. It has been a beloved vegetable of mine, it adds a unique interest to any dish, especially chicken, turkey or fish. Cabbage is also one of the most inexpensive vegetables for the number of edible parts (no steams or leaves to throw away), in expanding to the vitamin content.

Cabbage is an easy vegetable to handle, put in order and cook. Meaning the leaves are sturdy, cleans indeed and cooks quick. All you have to do is just cut the cabbage into four pieces (this makes it more bite sized) . Next you slice thin into a shredded thickness. Now it is ready for the frying pan. With a small teaspoon of olive oil, butter, margarine or cooking spray in a large skillet or frying pan, you're ready to go.

Food Recipe

First place half a cup of chopped onion in frying pan and cook 3- 5 minutes. Next add cabbage and cover on medium high heat for 3 minutes. find and stir mixture, then cook another 3 minutes. Check and remove when cabbage is soft. Season with one teaspoon of butter or margarine, garlic powder, onion powder, and seasoned salt and a half teaspoon of black pepper. If you like yours a small spicy you can add a teaspoon of hot sauce if like your cabbage to bite back a little. Serve hot with your beloved meat. This method makes 4-6 servings. Yes, treat yourself and your house to this soul food fried cabbage method This taste of the south southern method will have your house advent back for more.

Soul Food favorite - Fried Cabbage

Free Raw Food recipe - Raw Hummus With No Beans

If you're looking for a good hummus recipe and especially a healthy hummus recipe that also has no beans then this raw recipes fits the bill. Hummus as we know it commonly contains cooked ingredients and includes beans but you can undoubtedly make the best hummus, without the beans or cooking it.

I've fixed and served this hummus many times and brought it to potlucks whether as a dip or to be served on the side. You can also spread it on raw crackers or tortillas and top with salsa, tomatoes, avocadoes, cilantro or other herbs and veggies. I often make it and just keep it in the refrigerator for a few days ready to use.

Food Recipe

For this raw recipe you'll need 2 medium zucchini or cut a huge one down, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2-3 garlic cloves, sea salt, 1 large or 2 small lemons for juice, sesame seeds, tahini (comes in a jar or in bulk at food coops), ground paprika and ground cumin.

When you put in order this hummus recipe make sure to reconsider how spicy you want it to be. I prefer mine on the mild side. I have tried it with 4 cloves of garlic and it was too many. You can also cut down on the paprika and cumin, so start with a petite and check by taste.

Here are the recipe ingredients: 2 medium zucchini, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2-3 garlic cloves, 2 tsp. Sun-dried sea salt, 1/2 cup of freshly extracted lemon juice, 3/4 cup black or white sesame seeds, 3/4 cup tahini, 1/2 tsp. Paprika and 1/2 tsp. Cumin.

Cut up the unpeeled zucchini and place in a food processor along with the olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic and process until gradually mixed. Add the sea salt, lemon juice, sesame seeds, tahini, paprika and cumin and process until mixed.

Refrigerate up to 3-4 days.

That's it. An easy raw food recipe that takes only minutes to make. So much better than the store brands, which also include cooked ingredients. Only raw ingredients go into this hummus recipe. You can market and sell it it's so good. You'll want to adjust it to your taste. Just make sure not to make it too spicy because many habitancy don't like hot or spicy foods or can't tolerate them. Raw foods don't have to be hot and spicy to be good.

Free Raw Food recipe - Raw Hummus With No Beans

Quick and Easy Raw Food Recipes, With 5 Ingredients Or Less!

Are you finding for easy raw food recipes? Well here are a few actually quick and easy raw food recipes with 5 ingredients or less for the raw food beginner.

The raw food diet is a type of diet where people eat the majority of their foods in their natural whole state without cooking them. Many people are adopting this lifestyle to eat a natural whole foods diet and to get the benefits of all the nutrients ready in fresh raw fruits and vegetables.

Food Recipe

Most raw food recipes ready on the web or in recipe books are complicated, time consuming, and want a lot of fancy kitchen equipment. This unfortunately turns a lot of people off to the diet because they think it is too hard and time involving to fit into their busy lifestyle. In this description I'm going to offer a few easy recipes that don't want any fancy tool or exotic ingredients.

*Most people already have a blender so some of these recipes want a blender.

Easy Green Smoothie Recipe

2 bananas 4 kale leaves chopped with stems removed 1/2 of an apple 1 cup water

Blend in a blender until smooth. This nutritious green smoothie can be eaten for morning meal or as a mid afternoon snack. By blending the kale you are production all the nutrients in the kale leaves such as A,K,C, Iron and calcium easy for your body to suck in and digest. The sweetness from the bananas makes the kale leaves palatable, you'll be surprised by how good it tastes! Serves 2.

Easy Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers chopped 2 ripe tomatoes chopped 1 red bell pepper chopped 1 bunch cilantro chopped 1 avocado chopped pinch sea salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy as a simple and delicious side salad. The juices of the tomato and bell pepper will marinate with the cilantro to dress the cucumbers. The flesh of a cucumber is a very good source of vitamins A, C, and folic acid. The hard skin is rich in fiber and a collection of minerals along with magnesium, silica, molybdenum, and potassium. Serves 4.

Easy Avocado Salad Dressing

1/2 an avocado 1 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon chives pinch cayenne pepper pinch salt

Blend all ingredients except for the chives in the blender until level and then mix in the chives. If you don't have a blender mash the avocado and then whisk the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Avocados supply nearly 20 primary nutrients, along with fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. Serves 2-4.

Easy Mango Pudding

2 mangoes peeled and diced 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 cup raspberries 1/4 cup water

Blend all ingredients except for the raspberries in the blender. Put the mango pudding in a bowl and then ornament with the raspberries or layer the mango pudding with the raspberries in itsybitsy dessert dishes to make a healthy parfait. Serves 2.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes and are encouraged to try production them at home. For more free easy raw food recipes please check out the resources below:

Quick and Easy Raw Food Recipes, With 5 Ingredients Or Less!

10 Food Contamination Prevention Tips - How to Fight Contamination Without Chemicals

You cannot keep a tidy kitchen just by being able to store, prepare and serve foods. Know that, in the kitchen, it is absolutely critical to store perishable items properly, ensure that all food services are kept clean, and that the meal preparation methods do not cross-contaminate.

A Word Of Warning About Food Contamination

Food Techniques

Handling raw meat can leave behind bacteria such as coli and salmonella on several objects such as knives and towels that are reused for wiping up spills. These bacteria can be very harmful to the health of any human being. You can get sick from it, and even die.

Especially children and elderly are risk. Meat and eggs are considered the biggest threats, but there are other sources too like packaged spinach. Clean food handling practices cannot fully prevent food-borne illnesses, but they sure cut way down on these risks.

Strictly paying attention to precautions to fight contamination can seem challenging to your environmental principles. Many of these steps involve liberal amounts of hot water and you may even need to use disposable wipes or towels to prevent contamination. Another precaution, or safe way to deal with foods, is to throw a way foods when their freshness is questioned. Additionally, your concerns about possible infection and diseases might even force you to use dangerous chemicals that are both environmentally unfriendly and your own health.

There are however many ways to fight food contamination without chemicals which are as effective, if not more effective.

10 Food Contamination Prevention Tips: DO's and DONT's

DO keep your refrigerator at 36 and 39 degrees F. DO respect expiration dates of all foods, especially meat. DO keep foods well-wrapped, especially refrigerated foods. DO keep fruit and vegetables separated from meat products. DO store meat on the bottom shelve, eliminating the risk of juices dripping down on other foods. DO wash all foods that are to be eaten raw. DO NOT prepare vegetables and fruits on the same surfaces you prepare meat on. DO use separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables. DO use separate towels or use disposable paper towels for cleaning the meat and vegetable surfaces. DO NOT reuse plastic bags that held meat or any animal product or wash them thoroughly and dry before recycling.

10 Food Contamination Prevention Tips - How to Fight Contamination Without Chemicals

simple Chicken recipe - Chicken Breast Stir Fry With Peppers and Onions - An Easy Food recipe

Want to make an easy chicken recipe. Stir fry dishes are ideal when you are looking for a uncomplicated chicken recipe. Most of your time will be spent in the preparing step. Chopping the ingredients takes time, but if you know how to use kitchen tools, such as the chef's knife, it is not that difficult/ If you do your cooking at a higher temperature, and the ingredients are cut into very small pieces, the actual cooking time becomes very short. I sometimes use a Wok, but the vessel I use most is a black iron chicken fryer. Most of the stir fry dishes I make are served over rice. I use a microwave oven for the rice and I always start the rice first so that it is cooking all the time I am preparing the ingredients and cooking them. Stir fries are not only quicker, but are also easy to make. About the only way you can mess them up is to over cook to the point where the ingredients burn. To forestall burning you must keep stirring and when it's done, remove the Wok or skillet from the heat source.

This uncomplicated chicken recipe can be made with whether raw chicken or you could use leftover cooked chicken. If you use leftover chicken it should be added last, as it will not require as much cooking time as the vegetables. whether way thisw dish is easy to make. If you have a Chinese Wok, this could be used here but I still prefer to use a cast iron chicken fryer. The best way to serve this chicken recipe is over cooked long grain brown rice.

Food Recipe

Chicken Breast Stir Fry with Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

2 chicken breast tenders (3 - 4 ounces total), cut into bite size pieces
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons flour
Instructions

1 - Place the flour, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir together, then dredge the chicken and vegetables in it.
2 - Heat up cast iron skillet or Chinese Wok.
3 - Add extra virgin olive oil.
4 - Add the chicken and continuously stir for 2 or 3 minutes. If using cooked chicken, it can be added last.
5 - Add the chopped onions and chopped pepper and continuously stir for 2-3 minutes.
6 - Add 1/2 cup of water to help thin the sauce.

Serve over cooked long grain brown rice.

simple Chicken recipe - Chicken Breast Stir Fry With Peppers and Onions - An Easy Food recipe

Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Food Processor

A newly purchased food processor comes with a small manual. Most of the content included is related to safety and warranty information. Little is dedicated to getting optimal performance from your new kitchen appliance. This can lead to frustration on the part of the user and eventual complete abandonment of the food processor.

It doesn't have to be this way. A properly used food processor can give you invaluable assistance in the kitchen when used properly. It can become quite indispensible once you are familiar with the inherent limitations and intended uses. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

Food Techniques

Never use the food processor for something too hard for your kitchen knives. The blades are meant to perform as well as a good knife and as such they come with the same limitations. Never use them to chop ice or grind hard spices. The pulse button is the most crucial tool to master. It is how you will control the speed of processing and therefore how you will determine the texture of the finished product. Always use short bursts until you get the hang of it. Press the button for one quick second and let go;continue on this way until you are comfortable with the pulse feature. There are certain times when you will need to keep your ingredients cool. Any motor will give off heat, although heat output is minimal in more efficient models. Counteract this by chilling the bowl and blades in the refrigerator for 15 minutes prior to starting the project. Examples of when this will be helpful include when making butter, whipping cream or preparing a pastry crust. Use appropriately sized batches. The best volume to work with will vary from machine to machine. In general, you never want to fill the bowl more than halfway with liquids or three-quarters with solid foods. Recognize the limitations on the other side of the size scale. A few garlic cloves in a 14 cup bowl will not have very much contact with the blade. As a result, the cloves will not be evenly chopped and chunks will stick to the side of the bowl. Your best bet is to use a smaller machine or bowl, or to chop small projects by hand. When using the food processor to emulsify, slowly add the oil through the feed tube while it is running. Adding oil too quickly will cause it to pool within the dressing or mayonnaise rather than creating the desired emulsification. Spend a minute or two at the beginning of meal preparation to think about how the food processor can help. Having a plan will prevent you from realizing you could be using your food processor halfway through a task.

These are a few basic tenets of proper food processor usage. Simply knowing these seven crucial items can avoid annoyance and countless headaches. Remember, the food processor is there to help you, not to cause more problems. If you follow these guidelines and are still struggling, it may be time to shop for a better model.

Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Food Processor

Food Photography Techniques for Capturing Minimalist Cooking

The rise of minimalist cooking is changing the art of food photography. The following is a look at some of the techniques adopted by photographers to capture the simplicity and the spirit of this modern cuisine. Whether it is because of the recession or a genuine desire to downsize and simplify, minimalist cooking has become extremely popular.  Everything from expensive and hard to acquire  ingredients to rarely used, specialized utensils and equipment have been pared back to the bare minimum. Less is definitely more. Many photographers have noticed this change, either consciously or intuitively and are evolving and adapting their techniques to suit. The old sumptuous saturated glistening overfilled image just doesn't seem to be a good match for this new approach to cooking and food in general.

The photographers who get this and have a feel for the subject have started to utilize a few specific techniques which serve to emphasize the subject matter but in a much more understated way and this article will lay out a few of these basic techniques. It is not intended to be a comprehensive photography primer and most of the techniques will not require expensive equipment. It needs to be stated though, that even a basic dSLR camera will be capable of much more flexibility than even the best point and shoot due to the amount of control available to the operator. This does not mean however that perfectly acceptable results cannot be achieved with the point and shoots, just that the range of possibilities is smaller.

Food Techniques

Simplicity is the Key

When composing the shot keep things very simple, plain white plates and brushed steel or plain counter tops work very well. If the image needs a bit of additional color, a sprig of a fresh herb such as sage is more than enough. Shoot on a level with or just a few degrees above the food. We are used to looking down on food and, in photography, offering a fresh perspective is always a good idea as it wakes the viewer's brain up. It also adds interesting possibilities for lighting but more about that later.

A blurred background is generally a good thing as this emphasizes the subject. This can be achieved by either using a long lens e.g. a 300ml with a wide aperture from a few feet away with a dSLR or by utilizing the macro setting on a point and shoot and getting in really close, normally within a foot of the subject. Both of these approaches have the added benefit of giving a very narrow depth of field. This means that only a small proportion of even the main subject is likely to be in focus. This concentrates the viewer's attention even more. 

The Tripod

The only piece of equipment that is essential for taking high quality food photographs, other than a camera of course, is a tripod. It may not be required for every single shot but not having one would rule out a lot of potentially good shots. The choices would be between a small  tabletop model, probably best with the smaller point and shoot camera. This would enable the tripod to be set on the same surface as the item being photographed, very useful when the camera has to be close to the food. There is a small tripod available that has flexible legs enabling it to be wrapped around objects such as  tree branches and signpost poles. This type of support would come into its own for say, picnics or barbecues. The bigger dSLR cameras tend to be too heavy for the smaller tripods  and generally require a normal sized model. The advice usually given to photographers is to buy the most expensive tripod that they can afford. I would say buy the tripod that will do the job without breaking the bank.

Whatever tripod is used always either release the camera's shutter remotely or use the timed delay function built into just about every camera now on the market. Pressing the shutter causes the camera to vibrate so doing this off camera or giving the camera time to settle down before the shutter release makes for a much sharper photograph. This leads us to the main reason for using a tripod: the photograph can be taken in natural light, i.e. flash isn't essential. As a rule of thumb good natural light is always preferable to artificial if the choice is between one or the other but often the best photographs use a combination of the two.

Lighting

While the above applies to food photography in general  there are specific lighting approaches that give a more minimalist feel. The use of a very strong  back light is one such approach. The best source is a window that occupies the entire background. This will give a very bright background with any colors reduced to pastels and objects such as trees, cars or other buildings reduced to abstract shapes. Now if this were the only light source used the food itself would be silhouetted and appear far too dark so a little fill light is needed. This is a blast of light from the camera's flash that is not as powerful as it would be if there was no ambient light but is powerful enough to illuminate the main subject. Point and shoot cameras generally have a setting that automates this process while a little more experimentation may be required with dSLRs and flashes.

A couple of quick points about lighting that applies to all photography. Direct light is harsh and produces heavy sharp shadows. I think that it is safe to say that in all minimalist food photography this is a bad thing so we need to soften the light. This applies to both natural and artificial light. With expensive off camera flashes a small diffuser that fits over the bulb is usually enough. In the case of smaller cameras with built in flashes a little ingenuity goes a long way. If the flash can be covered with a piece of semi transparent clear plastic or even a piece of greaseproof paper results can be improved dramatically. The worse light source for photography is the small built in flash units on cheaper cameras. As for natural light, direct sunlight is to be avoided which is why a North or south facing window is best. If direct sunlight is the only option then a semi transparent plastic shower curtain attached to a frame of plastic piping makes for a great diffuser.

The Computer

Of course the process does not end with pressing the shutter. Once the session is finished, or even during the session, the images are uploaded to a computer and edited. Usually the editing consists of little more than a bit of sharpening, a slight color correction or a minor crop. It is possible to use the computer for just these technical chores but, with a little imagination, the computer, can become a creative tool in it's own right. A minimalist approach to photography requires an awareness of what is essential to the image and what is incidental. It is often possible to lose information by increasing the exposure at this stage, often an increase of two thirds to a full stop can really make an image pop. Part of the reason that this is so effective is because it makes dull and off  whites bright. This effect is often used in fashion photography but works equally well with food. 

Technique and Eye

There is no great mystery regarding what makes for great minimalist food photography. The best advice, as with all types of photography, is to find images that you like which were taken by others, see which techniques were applied, then practice. Hopefully a combination of good technique and a practiced eye will produce something unique. The following techniques work well for me: diffuse natural light from behind the subject and fill flash to fully illuminate the subject; a low point of view, get close to the same level as the food; blur the background and aim for a small depth of field; on the computer, sharpen the image a little, crop and color correct if required. Above all, experiment and have fun. One day I may be practicing and writing about a technique that you have discovered.

Food Photography Techniques for Capturing Minimalist Cooking

straightforward Baby Food Recipes

Homemade baby food is the best option when it comes to feeding your baby. Baby food recipes are so easy to make and are far healthier than buying jarred baby food. Make a large batch and store it in the fridge or freezer. Listed are a few recipes for simple, healthy, homemade baby food.

Almost everything your baby will eat in the first 6 months of their lives will be pureed. Purees are so straightforward and very health for your baby as they are fresh and only need one or two ingredients. Fresh food for your baby can be as straightforward as mashing a ripe, peeled banana or throwing it into a blender with a bit of breast milk to give it a smooth consistency. This is far great for your baby than purchasing jarred banana baby food. Your baby deserves the best, so take 2 minutes and whip up the healthier version for them to enjoy.

Food Recipe

When your baby is ready to enjoy more textured foods there are several easy recipes to try.

Cook fruit such as pears or nectarines in boiling water. Once soft drain the fruit, put it in the blender and add rice or oat cereal to thicken the aggregate and add texture.

Babies loved mashed potatoes and there are so many things you can add to make them a bit more enchanting and nutritious for your baby. They are also a great way to disguise some foods your baby may not like on its own. Boil potatoes until fully cooked. Puree in a blender with a little bit of butter. Serve them plain or add green beans, broccoli, cooked egg yolk or even add meat such as chicken or beef. There are many things you can add to mashed potatoes that will be good for your baby and add nutritional value. Experiment with different foods to see what they like.

Another great recipe for babies is to blend plain yogurt with fruit and add a little bit of cinnamon. Cinnamon is so good for you - it's a bit strong on its own but the flavor will blend nicely with yogurt and fruit. You can mix any fruit with yogurt, anything your baby likes. This is an easy and healthy alternative to serving store bought mixed yogurts to your baby, which are filled with added sugar.

Once your baby starts to eat meat there are a few things you can try. Puree skinless, boneless chicken with avocado, cooked broccoli or sweet potatoes. Or you may want to add rice. Add ½ cup cooked chicken and ¼ cup cooked rice with 2 tablespoons of milk to a blender and puree. This is a great alternative to jarred chicken and rice baby food which likely has added salt and doesn't taste nearly as good. Make a larger batch and freeze in small sections. When ready to use again take it out of the freezer with sufficient time to thaw. Reheat and serve to your baby.

Homemade food is far great for your baby. It's nutritional, fresh and so easy to make. There are endless recipes to try when making baby food. Baby food recipes are so easy when your baby is under a year as most recipes need only a few ingredients. As your baby gets older try dishes with more collection and introduce your baby to as many healthy, nutrient packed foods as possible.

straightforward Baby Food Recipes