Monday, November 17, 2008

Mexican Recipe:Salsa Costena


Credit to allrecipe where this recipe is taken

Salsa Costena

Ingredients:
6 costeno amarillo chile peppers
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1.In a medium iron skillet over medium high heat, cook the costeno amarillo chile peppers, stirring constantly, until dark brown. Do not allow peppers to burn. Remove from heat and set aside.

2.Place tomatillos in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, remove from heat and drain.

3.Place chile peppers, tomatillos and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

4.Transfer chile pepper mixture to a medium bowl. Mix in onion, cilantro and salt. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Homemade Salsa Secrets
Some people consider it a condiment, but the salsa devotees of the world would most definitely call it a food.

Salsa Basics

The beauty of salsa is its versatility and adaptability. At its most basic, salsa contains chopped or pureed tomatoes, chiles, onions, and cilantro, flavored with salt and a squeeze of lime juice. But you can play with techniques and try as many different combinations of fruits and vegetables, chiles and herbs as you can possibly dream up.


Leaving everything raw will result in a salsa with a bright, refreshing taste. Raw salsa is also known as "salsa cruda."
Roasting the tomatoes, garlic and/or chiles first will lend a rich, smoky flavor to your finished dish. If you cook the salsa, you'll trade in the fresh taste for a deeper, sweeter one.


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Salsa Shortcuts

Many people hesitate to make salsa because it involves lots of time-consuming chopping. A little chopping is unavoidable, but if you've got a food processor, you can use it to puree half or all of the tomatoes in your recipe (many people prefer to keep some of the tomatoes chunky).


A food processor can also make short work of herbs and garlic; you should toss these ingredients into the processor before you add the tomatoes.
For most other ingredients, it's better to chop them by hand so you have more control over the size and shape of the pieces--and the finished product will look nicer.
Do dice the onion by hand: food processors tend to pulverize the onion, releasing so much juice that the flavor becomes overpowering.

For a little extra help, check out our Photo Tutorials on Seeding Tomatoes, Dicing Tomatoes, and Dicing Onions.




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If it tastes good, do it!

The herb you'll find in most salsas is cilantro, but don't be afraid to play around.


Parsley, mint, basil and oregano all taste exceptional when mixed with fresh vegetables and fruits.
In the chile department, you are only as limited as the selection available at your local grocery store or farmers' market.
Set the tomatoes aside and use some other fruit or vegetable instead.
To achieve a balance sweet, savory, salty, sour and spicy flavors, add salt, lime juice or vinegar, bottled hot sauce and pinches of sugar, tasting intermittently, until you achieve that perfect mix.


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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Many Ways of Cooking Mexican Food

Mexican foods, like many other foods, can be boiled, grilled, or fried. These are modern Mexican cooking styles but Mexican traditional cooking techniques were rather different.

In ancient times, Mexicans did not have ovens. Instead, they would cook Mexican food over an open fire, which was the most common out of all the Mexican traditional cooking techniques.

The food would be placed in iron pots before cooking. This Mexican cooking method is similar to how we cook food on the grill these days. The Aztecs steamed and boiled their food in two handled clay pots before the Spanish introduced iron cooking pots. These two handled clay pots were called xoctli. The pot would be filled with food and then heated over an open fire. A lot of foods were fried and Mexican cooking features frying to this day.

Today in the present, it is a lot easier to cook Mexican dishes. It takes less time to prepare the foods. If someone wants to make homemade tortillas, there are iron pans that make it easy. Flans are made simply using spring form type pans. Long ago, it was a long process to make masa, which is a dish that includes a certain type of corn that has to be grinded. Nowadays you can purchase a metal grinder that helps grind the masa.

When you are making Mexican cooking recipes, the oven is perfect for many of them. You can bake meat, fish, and vegetables easily. You can also cook foods in a pot of water with added spices. A lot of Mexican recipes can even be made in a crock pot or slow cooker. Large steaming pots simplify the tamale cooking process. They take a long time to cook so a large pot means you can cook more at once, instead of in smaller batches.

Grilling Mexican food is another way to enjoy it. Foods used to be cooked this way many years ago and it was called "barbacoa." With this Mexican cookery method, meat was wrapped in banana leaves and cactus leaves and steamed over boiling water in a large pit. If you want to learn how to cook Mexican food, this is not the easiest technique for a novice! Food cooked in this way would have tasted similar to our grilled food of today. Fajitas are a good example of a perfect Mexican food to grill.

Mexicans many years ago used "metate y mano," which was a large tool with a concave surface, made from stone or lava rock. This utensil was used to mash the ingredients together. A "molcajete" is another ancient Mexican cooking tool, which translates as a mortar and pestle. You would learn about these ancient cooking tools in a Mexican cooking class, although we use different utensils today.

Cooking almost always requires stirring somewhere in the preparation. Wooden spoons have been around for many hundreds of years and are still widely used. There are different types of spoons today, depending on whether you are moving meat around in hot oil or stirring a thick sauce.

There is a rich history behind Mexican food and Mexican traditional cooking techniques. The methods might have changed through the ages but the food is still traditional. Food tastes different when cooked in different ways and there are plenty of Mexican recipes to try out and enjoy.

Mexican recipes are easier than you might think, find out just how simple it is to make your favorite Mexican food recipes at home in your own kitchen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KC_Kudra

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Mexican Buritos Recipes


Chicken Mole Buritos

This recipe is taken from GourmetSleuth.com
This recipe uses a premade mole sauce which adds flavor and saves time. You can also use store-purchased rotisserie chicken with skin removed for further time-saving.

Yield: 4 burritos

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 jar San Angel Mole Negro (you will have extra, store for future use)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 medium Haas avocado, seeded, peeled, sliced
4 green onions (scallions), chopped
4 whole wheat or white flour tortillas

I N S T R U C T I O N S
1.Put the chicken breasts in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and poach the chicken until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain, allow to cook on a cutting board.

2.Shred the chicken by pulling it apart with two forks, set aside.

3.Heat the mole in a small saucepan, place on low to keep warm.

4.Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them on a plate over point water for about 5 minutes. Alternately you can wrap in microwave-safe plastic wrap and heat in microwave about 1 minute.

Assemble Burritos
To fill the burritos, lay the warm tortillas on a counter. Dived the chicken mixture into 4 portions and spread in a strip down the center of each tortilla. Top each with avocado, cheese, and green onions. Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons sauce on top. Don't over saturate with sauce or the burritos will become soggy.

Fold up the bottom quarter of each tortilla and then roll from one side into a cylinder.

Serve seam-side down.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Chili Liver


Credit given to Allrecipe.com where this recipe is taken..

INGREDIENTS
4 slices bacon
1 pound beef liver, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1/4 cup tomato-based chili sauce

DIRECTIONS
1.In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until browned and crisp. Remove from pan, cool and crumble. Keep the grease in the pan.

2.Dredge the liver slices in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry liver in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until browned on the outside. In a small bowl, mix together the French onion soup and chili sauce. Pour the mixture over the liver, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally until tender. Remove lid, and continue cooking liver to desired doneness.

3.Serve liver and sauce topped with crumbled bacon.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Bacon Roasted Chicken Recipe


Credit given to allrecipes.com where this recipe is taken..

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
1 (4 pound) whole chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 carrots, cut in chunks
paprika to taste
8 slices bacon
2 cups beef broth

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2.Rub butter over the entire chicken. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Place the carrots inside the cavity, and tie the legs together. Place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan. Lay bacon strips across the top of the chicken, and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with paprika. Pour the beef broth into the roasting pan - do not pour over the bacon.

3.Roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, the reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Baste with some of the broth. Continue to roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste every 15 minutes with the broth.

4.Remove the bacon and discard toothpicks. Roast the chicken for 15 more minutes to brown the skin. Transfer to a serving platter, and remove the ties. You may eat the bacon, but it is best to discard the carrots.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Where to Find South Beach Recipes

Many dieters are interested in the south beach diet, but do not want to pay the high prices that are associated with the diet books and cookbooks. If you want free south beach recipes, they are surprisingly easy to find, so long as you know where to look. Here are a few places on the net that offer great tasting, free south beach recipes.

Food Network: Here you will find lots of low carb recipes. The few recipes listed here for the south beach diet are great for dinner parties and romantic dinners. These are times when it might be the hardest to stick to your diet, so these south beach recipes can be a life saver.

About.com: This website has information about everything under the sun, including the south beach diet. Find south beach recipes, ways to create your own recipes, and other south beach diet information on this wonderful, all inclusive website. Just go to the website and type south beach recipes in the search box.

Recipe Gal: This is a great website with information about various diets and tons of recipes. The south beach recipes you find here are variations of your favorites. There is no reason to feel like you are on a diet when you use these south beach recipes!

The official south beach diet website is another great resource for free south beach recipes. While the selection of south beach recipes is limited on the free side, registration and a small membership fee will open the doors to more south beach recipes than you can try in a year! The best thing about these recipes is that you know for sure that the recipes follow your diet, because they are from the original south beach diet website.

You can, of course, go to your favorite search engine like Google or Yahoo and do a search for free south beach recipes. Not only will you find tons of ready to make recipes, but you will find lots of information about how to create your own recipes. When searching for south beach recipes on Google, over 85,000 results will come back. That is a lot of recipes!

Of course, the easiest way to find south beach recipes is to purchase a south beach recipe book. There are many south beach recipe books to choose from, and they range in price. Like all dieting information and cook books, south beach recipe books can be quite expensive. Looking for south beach recipes on Amazon or another discount book retailer will be the easiest way to find inexpensive south beach recipe books.

However you decide to search for south beach recipes, you are sure to find many south beach recipes to suit your taste buds, and please all of your family members. The south beach diet has become so popular over the last year that everyone is talking about the diet plan. If you know someone who is also on the south beach diet, ask them which recipes they liked the best. You can also trade south beach recipes on diet blogs and through diet support groups.

Francisco Segura owns and operates http://www.lowcarbrecipescentral.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Francisco_Segura

Thursday, September 11, 2008

All American Barbecue Sauce


Here's one of my favorite BBQ sauces. It's a
classic and worth the effort!

Ingredient:
10 LB firm ripe tomatoes cored, peeled, and chopped
2 lrg onions finely chopped
3 x garlic cloves minced
1 tbl. Crushed red pepper
1 tbl. Celery seed
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbl. Dry mustard
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. mace
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup vinegar, 5% acidity
1/3 cup lemon

Direction:
Combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, red pepper
and celery seed in a large sauce-pot. Simmer,
covered, until vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
Press tomato mixture through a fine sieve or food
mill; discard seeds.

Return tomato mixture to the sauce-pot and add
the remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat
until mixture thickens, about 30 minutes. As
mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Carefully ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving
1/4-inch head-space. Wipe jar rim clean. Place
lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass.
Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a
point of resistance is met - fingertip tight.

This makes about three pints of barbecue sauce.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Simple Tips For Cooking With Kids

Even at a young age, children can become quite taken with the idea of cooking. This interest is often heightened by all the cute kitchen toys they play with, along with their ability to imagine just about anything.

You can find a wide array of pint sized kitchens in the toy store, featuring replicas of common kitchen tools and ingredients. All the kitchen basics can be found, ranging from skillets and saucepans to butter, milk and eggs. Make belief cooking makes it a snap for curious kids to have fun in their own miniature kitchens.

The easiest way for kids to get cooking is to start with an Easy Bake oven. For some time now kids have been preparing delicious goodies all by themselves, without having to ask Mom to turn on the oven.

Helping out with dinner preparations can be more fun than work for a kid. Quite often, cooking becomes more of a pleasure for the parent with the help of a little one. There is no shortage of ways to help out, and if you're baking goodies your child will always be happy to lick the spoon.

Lots of kids like to play around in the kitchen occasionally. Yet there are some who seem to have a natural affinity for cooking at a young age, well beyond the ability to sprinkle colored sugar on top of iced cookies.

You can make cooking simple and fun for these future chefs. Frequently, they want to create an entire meal, not only the dessert. They might find that taking up cooking is even more enjoyable than playing computer games or watching TV.

Why not have your child decide what's for dinner that night, and help him along in the preparation. There are a lot of cookbooks and instructional videos available today that are targeted to kids, and they're loaded with simple, fun recipes. Don't be surprised if you find that many of these yummy recipes are actually quite good for you.

It's so important that you monitor your children carefully in the kitchen as they help out. You'll want something sturdier than a kitchen chair when your child wants to reach the countertop, such as a stepping stool. When something goes in or out of the oven, a grownup needs to be the one handling it, along with anything being tended on the stovetop.

Your kids need to be taught about the dangers that can be encountered in the kitchen. Teach them safety precautions to keep them from being injured, but they also need to know what to do when an accident does happen. You can't be too cautious when it comes to kids' safety in the kitchen.

Ashley King loves to experiment with all kinds of cooking. For more great cooking articles, check out Cookbooks and Cooking.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ashley_King

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Authentic Mexican Soup:Albondigas Soup


Credit to allrecipe where this recipe is taken

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound pork sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup cornmeal
6 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
1 onion, chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup white rice

DIRECTIONS
1.Mix together beef broth, salsa, 1 onion, tomatoes, dried basil, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. (If you use condensed beef broth (e.g., Campbell's), eliminate the salt in the meatballs and use 5 cans (10.5 ounces each) broth plus one quart water.) Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.

2.Combine ground chuck, sausage, 1 onion, egg, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, milk, fresh basil, and cornmeal, and mix well. Form into tiny, bite-size meatballs.

3.Add meatballs and rice to broth. Simmer, covered, very slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Dutch Recipe:Red River Pumpernickel Bread



Credit given to RecipeZaar where this recipe is taken


Ingredients
1/2 cup molasses (or malt extract)
3 cups hot water (just below boiling point)
3 cups four-grain cereal (I used Red River Cereal which has 3 grains)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt


Directions
1 In your 2 cup measure, measure the 1/2 cup molasses and pour it into the beater bowl.
2 Now in the same measuring cup (to rinse out the molasses) measure the almost boiling water and add it.
3 Mix together the red River Cereal, whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt and add them to the molasses mixture.
4 Beat hard for 2 minutes.
5 Cover very well and let stand 2 hours or overnight. No need to refrigerate.
6 Grease, paper line and butter a 9 x 5 x 3" loag pan.
7 Turn in batter and smooth top.
8 Bake at 275 F for 1 hour then reduce temperature to 250 F for 1 more hour (2 hours total).
9 During last hour slide a foil oven protector below to be sure it doesn't overbrown.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

So You Want To Cook Italian Food

When it comes to ethnic cuisines, there are none more popular than Italian food. From your local pizza joint (debatable as to whether that's truly Italian food) to the four-star places found in major cities, Italian food is one of the top choices when families are deciding where to go to eat out.
The food of Italy is commonly thought to be decadent, cheese-laden stuff with a predominance of garlic and oregano, almost always involving pasta of some sort and usually served with a good bottle of wine. While none of this is untrue about Italian cuisine, it does give one a very limited view of what is one of world's most varied culinary areas.
Italian food has two main influences: geography and history.
The geographical influences largely determine the base components of the food that is served in various parts of the country. In the south, with the warmer climate and abundant access to the sea, tomatoes are abundant, and olive oil is the main fat used in cooking. In the north, where livestock are abundant, butter is the fat of choice and the cheeses are much more varied and exotic.
The historical influences result from Italy having been a battleground many times throughout history, and one of the world's great imperial powers at one time. The Roman Empire brought in foods and influences from all of Europe and much of Asia and Africa, and after the fall of the empire many other cultures brought their food, and their soldiers, across the Alps.
If you go looking for Italian cookbooks, try to find one that gives you a "tour of Italy" in its recipe offerings. Different regions of the country are famous for different dishes, and you should give yourself a chance to cook a little of each of them before deciding on a favorite. Most Italian chefs specialize in one region's cuisine, but the best, like Mario Batali, have a broad appreciation for all of the others. Your Italian food should be the same: drawn from all over! The area in which I live you will find a very wide variety of Italian food.
Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com
NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Krause
All Recipe Food & Cooking Resource

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Easy Dutch Oven Baked Beans

These baked beans are very tasty, easy and quick to make, and make great leftovers (but you probably won't have any left over, since they taste so good!). If you are new to using your Dutch oven, this is a great recipe to start with.
Ingredients:
1 lb Bacon4 cans of pork and beans
1 tablespoon mustard
1/4 cup catsup1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
Cut bacon into 1-2 inch pieces. Heat the Dutch oven and then cook the bacon in the Dutch oven. When done, drain the oil. Add the pork and beans, mustard, catsup, chopped onion, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook in the coals until heated through and bubbling, approximately 30 minutes.
The only real preparation these take is cutting the bacon and chopping the onion, so this dish is ideal for camping. You could make things even easier by cooking the bacon and chopping the onion at home and then putting everything together at camp.
These make a great side dish to hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, almost any camp meal. You can do them at home, also, either with your Dutch oven or using another baking dish. Precook the bacon and freeze and keep the cans of pork and beans around and you have a dish you can throw together when you need something easy and quick. You can easily make more by doubling or tripling the recipe, making it a great dish when you have to take something to a family, church, or neighborhood potluck.
See http://www.outdoorcookingmagic.com/ for more Dutch oven recipes and tips.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Carey

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Thai Fried Rice

Fried Rice is everyone's favorite; it is the best way to use up leftover steamed rice. This recipe calls for Thai Jasmine rice but any steamed rice can be used to make the Thai Fried Rice. The Thai basil herb distinguishes this recipe from other ethnic fried rice recipes.
How to cook Thai Jasmine Rice:
Take 1 cup of Thai jasmine rice and place in a medium pot. Rinse the rice with cold water and drain water at least three times to remove any debris. Add water to the sauce pan until the water levels 1 centimeter above the rice or 1 1/2 cups of water. Place a lid on the pot. Set the stove element to medium heat and place the pot on the element. After 20 minutes, turn the element off and let the rice rest for 10 more minutes.
Recipe for Thai Fried Rice:
  • 2 cups Thai jasmine rice cooked
  • 1 egg2 tablespoons oil
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • ½ cup of frozen peas and carrots thawed
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 sprig of Thai basil chopped
  • 1 sprig for green onion chopped


Instructions on making fried egg strips: In a small bowl, crack an egg and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce mix using a fork. Set the stove element to high heat and place a wok on top. Add 1 tablespoon each of oil and garlic into the wok. Add the egg and swirl the egg around the wok. Fold the fried egg in half and lip the egg again to cook the other side. Place the fried egg on to a cutting board. Once the fried egg is cooled, slice the egg finely and thinly to create long strips.
Instructions on making Thai Jasmine Fried Rice: Set the stove element to high heat and place a wok on top. Add 1 tablespoon each of oil and garlic into the wok. Add the thawed vegetables and mix for 1 minute. Add the cooked jasmine rice. Add 2 tablespoons each of oyster sauce and soy sauce. Mix to incorporate all ingredients and break any rice clumps. Once the rice is broken, add chopped Thai basil and green onions. Place the fried jasmine rice into a serving bowl and top with the fried egg strips.
The best way to learn how to make Thai Fried rice is to view the free video at www.thai-laos-food.blogspot.com.
Manivan Larprom, a Thai / Lao girl, teaches you how to cook Thai / Lao food with her home made videos at http://www.thai-laos-food.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manivan_Larprom

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dutch Recipes and Cuisine

Dutch cuisine is very much influenced by the agricultural produce of the Netherlands and the country's history as a seafaring nation. Fish and seafood (including cod, eel, herring, mackerel, mussels, oysters, plaice, salmon, sardines, soleidae, shrimp, trout and tuna) are all eaten in the Netherlands. Popular meats include beef, chicken and pork.
The colonial past of the Netherlands has also had an influence on the country's cuisine. The Dutch were involved in the Dutch East Indies (Dutch: Nederlands-Indië) - present day Indonesia - for approximately 250 years, and Indonesian cuisine has left a lasting mark on the Dutch palate. Indonesian dishes such as Nasi Goreng (spicy rice with chicken or pork) have become Dutch dishes too!
Here are some other popular Dutch dishes:
- Balkenbrij - A liverwurst sausage loaf (Dutch: Leverworst) made from pork, but containing enough pork liver to have a distinctive liver-taste. The loaf is cut into slices about ½ inch (1 centimeter) thick which are then fried.
- Boerenkoolstamppot - A stew made with potato and kale. It is served with gravy and rookwurst (Dutch spicy sausage).
- Hete bliksem - Boiled potatoes and green apples, with stroop (syrup) or diced speck (juniper-flavored dry-cured ham).
- Hutspot - A traditional stew made using boiled and mashed potatoes with carrots and onions.
- Stamppot rauwe andijvie - Raw endive (a variant of chicory) mashed into potatoes, and served with diced and fried speck (juniper-flavored dry-cured ham).
- Zuurkoolstamppot - Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) with mashed potatoes. served with sausage or bacon, and sometimes flavored with curry powder, raisins or pineapple.
Popular Dutch desserts include:
- Appeltaart - Apple pie. In the Netherlands, apple pies usually contain cinnamon, lemon and raisins, and have a lattice-style topping and icing.
- Oliebollen - The Dutch version of donuts made by deep-frying dough, allowing it to cool and rise, and covering with powdered sugar. They are eaten at fairs, and during the Christmas period, especially around New Year.
- Spekkoek - A very rich and spicy Dutch-Indonesian pastry made from many layers of pastry.
- Stroopwafel - Two round waffle-like wafers with a caramel filling between them.
By S. Tanna. Originally published at http://www.recipesmaniac.com/cook_dutch.php - visit this site for more information, photographs and cook books.
Discover more about recipes and cooking at http://www.recipesmaniac.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Tanna

Monday, July 14, 2008

Ten Tips to Enjoy Your Cooking

Do you cook? If yes, do you really enjoy your cooking? Most probably you have relegated cooking as a daily must-do drudgery, a boring chore that has to be gone through.You can enjoy your cooking if you set your mind to do so.No one can deny the fact that they feel a peculiar pleasure and thrill when the dish that they cooked turned out to be a masterpiece. You can really enjoy not only the food you make but the way you make it.
Cooking, I believe, is an art in itself. Like Music and Dance, making a good dish or recipe is a fine art. Every dish is a perfect blend of ingredients and the chemistry between the ingredients. If one loves the job of making a fine dish then the taste and feel of the dish gets doubly enhanced. If you have the taste and affinity for Cooking, here are a few tips to make your dishes look, feel and taste better.:
1.First make sure that you really want to prepare that dish.
2.Keep all the condiments and other ingredients ready at hand, in the correct measures.
3.Wash, peel, cut and keep vegetables ready.
4.Clean, chop and cut meat and fish. Keep ready.
5.Choose method of cooking- Gas, Electricity or Microwave :Keep utensils ready.
6.Read the recipe once again, if you are cooking by the recipe. If not, just recollect the methodology.
7.Keep sufficient water, oil or fat ready at hand.
8.Always note to keep the heat at the medium level to avoid overcooking your dishes
9.Use teflon-coated thick copper bottom vessels or glass cookware for your cooking.
10.Always rely on your taste buds to ensure that your cooking has come out right.
Pleasure stoke your passion for cooking by reading, getting people to appraise your dishes by tasting and getting first hand knowledge of all the spices and other condiments and what they do to enhance the flavour and taste of your dishes.
Happy Cooking!! Enjoy!
PKP Iyer
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pkp_Iyer

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Whole Meal Bread Recipes

Ingredients:

375 gm Diamond flour
88 gm Whole meal flour
4 gm Salt
7 gm Yeast
25 gm Format
300 gm Cold Water
10 gm Sour dough

Preparation:

  1. Take a clean bowl and put the diamond flour,whole meal flour,salt,yeast,format,sour dough, and the cold water all together,and mix the ingredients.
  2. Beat until mixture is even.beat with an electric mixer at low speed for 2 minutes and then at a higher speed for 6 minutes.
  3. The scaling weight of the dough shoul be about 400 gm.
  4. Place the dough on a table and cover it with a towel.Leave it to cool and ferment at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  5. Roll out the dough and shape into bread/loaf shapes.
  6. Proof the loaves at room temperature for 35 minutes.
  7. Bake in preheated oven at 210 to 230 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
  8. Bread should be golden brown.
  9. Remove the bread from the oven and place on a table to cool for 20 minutes.Cut and serve.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Cooking Tips to Enhance Your Style

Article by:Tom Turner


You may want to learn how to cook better so you can impress a boy friend or girl friend. There is always room to learn new skills when it comes to cooking. This article will look at a few simple cooking tips to help you along the way.
For domestic cooking, a tandoor is not really convenient but the meat dishes can be reproduced on a barbeque or in the oven. Furthermore, in times of hot weather, when cooking on the stove and turning on the oven adds to the heat, a slow cooker provides a good alternative.
Cooking Tip #1 - When cooking meats of any kind, there is no sauce like a sauce made from the meat trimmings and bones of the meat itself.
Cooking Tip #2 - By taking the time to properly treating your pans, you will enjoy cooking much more and increase the life of your investment.
Cooking Tip #3 - A secret to cooking well lies in combining complimentary foods, where one ingredient actually enhances the flavor of the other.
Cooking Tip #4 - It is not necessary to brown meat before slow cooking, but it gives more depth of flavor in the food and removes some of the fat, especially in pork, lamb and sausages.
Cooking Tip #5 - To ensure even cooking when roasting a whole tenderloin, the small end should be tucked up and tied or trimmed for other use.
Cooking Tip #6 - India offers some of the more familiar mix Indian dishes, including the popular tandoori-style of cooking. This will enhance the taste and the aroma of your cooking. Any recipe from India is worth cooking for the aroma alone.
Cooking Tip #7 - When considering taking a cooking class it is important to find a class that will be of the most benefit to you.
Cooking Tip #8 - Using a Crock Pot
Crock Pot recipes tend to be ones which are a bit different than the usual recipes that require stovetop or oven cooking. You can tenderize tough meat by cooking it in a crock pot to save a bad piece of meat.
Due to the fact that slow cookers like a crock pot are simple, safe and require no attention while cooking, people who use it enjoy the time-saving convenience it provides. For those who are not concerned about cooking in aluminum the West Bend Versatility 6-quart Oval Slow Cooker will work well to cook meats.
If you want to save additional time in the evenings, try cooking in a Crock pot.
You'll find hundreds of cooking tips and recipes using whole grains, and more specialty whole grains (with cooking charts), and nutritional information on many web sites. Any whole grains can be cooked in a pot just as you would cook white rice, but they take longer and will use more liquid.
If you need more cooking information then quickly head over to http://luvcooking.com where you will find helpful tips, advice and resources to include home cooking, gourmet cooking, and Cooking Tips and more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Turner

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Japanese Food Recipe:Seafood Fried Rice

Japanese Food Recipe

Ingredient:
250gm Rice(cooked)
4nos Prawns
80gm Salmon
100gm Scallops
50gm Squids
2nos Onion
1nos Carrot
1no Green Pepper
2nos Eggs

Preparation:

  • Add oil in a pan
  • Fry all the ingredients
  • Add in eggs
  • Add in cooked rice
  • Fry for 5 minutes
  • Add salt,pepper and soya sauce
  • serve

Tip:

Cooking Japanese Food Recipe requires very sharp knives.If you use a blunt knife,you are simply pressing onto the meat.A lot of people don't realise this little fact affects the taste of the meat.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

BENKAY'S JAPANESE SPECIAL

Steamed Egg Custard

Ingredient A
180gm Dried Bonito Flakes
3 nos Eggs
1 teaspoon Japanese Cooking Sake
1 teaspoon Soya Sauce
Salt to taste

Ingredient B
100gm Chicken
100gm Prawn
180gm Shimeiji Mushrooms
150gm Fish Cake
5gm Japanese Honewort(Mitsu Ba)
5gm Ginko Nut

Preparation:
  1. Combine ingredient A & B
  2. Steamed the combined ingredient for 15 to 20 minutes
  3. Then,add in Japanese lime on top
  4. Serve while it's hot

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Cinnamon Carrot Bread

Credit to: V Monte & Allrecipes where this recipe is taken


INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sunflower seed oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 pinch salt
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Direction
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 Degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugars and sunflower oil. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl while stirring occasionally. Beat the eggs together, and gradually stir into the batter until everything is combined. Mix in carrots, pecans, and vanilla until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake on middle rack for 60 minutes, or until it tests done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Cooking Perfect Steak Tips

Imagine having the whole family together on a supposed steak grill expecting to chow down on mouth-watering, juicy steaks only to gather around the grill weeping over burnt steaks that are hardly distinguishable from charcoal. Welcome to the Imperfect Steak Grillers club! So, you want out from the club? Cook perfect steaks and leave the club behind! It really is possible with a few cooking tips and a whole lot of gusto for steak!
  1. Choose the perfect meat parts. First of all, perfect steaks start off at the supermarket. So, to cook the perfect steak, you first have to choose the perfect steak parts. The following parts are perfect for cooking- oyster blade or barbecue steak, T-bone, rump, sirloin or tenderloin or eye fillet.
  2. The Perfect Pan. Donít use enamel or stainless steel pans when cooking your steaks. Meats tend to stick to them when you do so. When cooking meats and steaks, use those heavy, cast iron grillpans or barbeque grills.
  3. The Perfect Procedure. Heat the pan really hot before even contemplating cooking. Donít start cooking on a half heated pan. Just before the pan hits the critical amount of heat immediately season the meat with both salt and pepper. You should not do this ahead of time instead of just before the pan if fully heated because if you do so, the salt will suck the moisture from the steak, thereby ruining its taste. Now, brush on some oil on to the pan. Use herbs to do so because brushes tend to burn in the heat, and you do not want your steak ruined by burnt nylon. For the process, you could use olive oil, or vegetable oil. After applying the oil, wait for the pan to get really hot. When it has reached this temperature, put a steak on the pan. Keep cooking the bottom part until it is brown and crispy. When this happens, apply some oil to the uncooked side of the steak and turn the steak over so that the uncooked side gets its turn to be cooked. It is very important to make sure you turn the steak over only once. If you keep turning the steak over, you run the risk of overcooking the sides resulting in a dry burnt surface on your steak. Cooking time is hard to estimate and is dependent on the thickness of the steak and the type of pan you are using. If you would like a thumb rule to know if your steak is rare, medium-rare, and well-done, here are a few tips :-

a)Rare ñ pinch the thick pad of your left thumb with your right hand (you could it vice-versa if you want to). This is how a rare steak should feel.

b)Medium-Rare ñ put your thumb and index finger together to make a circle. With your other hand pinch the thick pad of the thumb to get a feel for what a medium-rare steak should feel like.

c)Well-Done ñ do the same as step b, but use more pressure when you make the circle. This will make the thick part of the thumb a little stiffer. This is how a well-done steak should feel like. Use this method with tongs instead of piercing the steak. Piercing the steak make it lose some of its juice.


4. Perfectly Keeping Your Steak. After cooking your steak, place it on a warm spot before you serve it. You may want to use a just-turned-off oven to do this. You have to make sure you keep your steak well or else it will lose much of its juices and its flavor. Now, you donít want to work awfully hard to cook the perfect steak only to lose out because you werenít able to rest your steak well. With these tips and a little practice, you are sure to treat your family and friends to grade-A, certified juicy, delicious steaks. After a few tries, you should be able to sizzle everyone with steaks that taste straight out of a restaurant. All you have to do now is break out the Worcestershire and the knives and forks and get some serious steak session happening. Good luck and happy cooking!
Author Resource:- Daegan Smith

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Warm Apple Pocket

INGREDIENTS:
3 sweet apples -- peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) package prepared, unbaked pie crust, thawed
milk
1 egg, beaten

Preparing
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
  • In a bowl, toss apple slices together with sugar, flour, salt, apple pie spice, and vanilla extract until evenly coated
  • Lay pie dough flat on a lightly greased baking sheet. Pile apples on one side of dough, leaving a 1 inch border. Brush border and opposite half side of dough with milk. Fold dough over apples, being careful not to over-stuff or the dough will tear. Fold over edges and pinch together to seal. Cut several small slits in the top of the pocket with a sharp knife, then brush top with beaten egg
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until flakey and golden brown. Serve warm, or at room temperature

Credit to : allrecipes.com and enjoy your desert..

Technorati Profile

Mee Goreng(Fried Noodles)

This very basic recipe that everyone can try and enjoy it..
Ingredient:

  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbs oyster sauce
  • 1 tbs ground chilli/sambal oelek (omit this if you do not want it hot)
  • 3 tbs curry powder (omit this if you do not want it spicy)
  • 150g fresh prawns, cleaned and shelled
  • Noodles (you can used the instant noodles)
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 100g beansprouts
  • 1/2 red pepper, sliced for garnishing
  • 1/2 cup oil

Preparing

  1. Heat oil in wok and fry onions, garlic, oyster sauce, ground chilli and curry powder until fragrant
  2. Add prawns and chicken stock. Bring to boil and add noodles and bean sprouts
  3. Fry until dry and remove from heat.

Garnish with red pepper and serve at once,enjoy cooking.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Fresh Dilled Lemon Salmon

This recipe is taken from geocities.com

Ingredient:

4 salmon fillets
1 tsp olive oil
dash of rock salt
2 tsp lemon peel (grate fine)
1/2 cup fresh dill (chopped fine)
4 thin green onions (sliced thin)
lemon wedges (garnish)
sour cream

Preparing

  1. Preheat oven to moderate heat
  2. Line baking sheet with foil
  3. Place salmon fillet, skin side down on foil
  4. Coat with oil and sprinkle with salt
  5. Stir lemon peel with dill and onions
  6. Make a slit along side of slamon
  7. Stuff about 3/4 of dill mixture into pocket
  8. Place a loose foil over top
  9. Bake in centre rack for 15 mins
  10. Salmon is done when you insert knife into centre of salmon
  11. Move salmon onto serving plates
  12. Sprinkle with remaining dill mixture
  13. Serve with lemon wedges and sour cream on side

*For those who use feedburner subscriber please click this link to reach my blog:

Allrecipefoodcookingresource.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Chicken & Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
½ cup shredded white cabbage
½ cup shredded purple cabbage
½ cup shredded carrot
2 tbsp thinly sliced bird’s eye chillies
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredde

Dressing
3 limes, squeezed for juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp chopped garlic

Garnishing
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar or to taste

Preparing:

Combine chicken,both cabbages,carrots,chillies,shallots and kaffir lime leaves in a mixing bowl.Add combine dressing ingredients and mix well.

Dish out and serve with garnishing

*Special thanks and credit to:kuali.com where this recipe was taken

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Malaysian Chicken Recipe

Credit for :deliciousglobe.com where this recipe is taken..

Chicken Satay
Ingredient:-
1.5 kgs chicken breast ( cleaned and sliced small )
1/2 tsps cinnamon powder
10 shallots - diced
1 stalk lemon grass
2 tsps cooking oil

For peanut Sauce
3 red chillies ( steamed )
300 grams roasted penuts (pounded)
gound 1 inch galangal, 2 stalks of lemond grass, 1 inch ginger
1 large onion sliced
3 tbsps ground chillies
1/2 cup tamarind juice
salt aand sugar to taste

For seasoning ( ground ingredients together)
1 tsps cumin seeds
1 tsps coriander seeds
1 inch turmeric
2 tsps rasoted peanuts
1 tsps sugar
1/2 tsps salt

Preparing:-

To prepare Satay
1. Marinate chicken pieces with seasoning ingredients, shallots cinnamon powder and cooking oil.
2. Thread 5 pieces of chicken on each bamboo skewers and grill over glowing charcoal fire.
3. Brush chicken occasionally with oil until cooked and tender.
4. Serve hot with peanut sauce, cucumber slices and onion slices.

To prepare peanut sauce
1. Fry onion slices till fragrant.
2. add ground ingredients, ground chillies and tamarind juice.
3. Stir well.
4. Add sugar and salt to taste.
5. Add pounded peanuts and stir constantly until sauce is quite thick.

*p/s:this recipe also can apply for meat and enjoy your delicious chicken satay recipe.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Western Food

Fish & Chip

Ingredient( serve for 4 people)
1 paket dowry fish fillet
2 eggs
1/2 tea spoon white paper
1/4 tea spoon salt
bread crumb
*serve with :- lemon and mayonaise

Direction
  1. Put eggs with white paper and salt in one bowl
  2. Clean the dowry fish fillet with lemon to reduce smelly
  3. Put the dowry fish in same bowl with eggs,black paper and salt
  4. Apply the bread crumb on the dowry fish
  5. After few minute fry them into hot fry pan with a lot of oil until the fish colour turn to brown
  6. Serve depend on your taste

Monday, May 19, 2008

Fried Chicken Recipe

Chicken Fried ChickenSUBMITTED BY: Cassie Wicks"A nice chicken recipe the kids must be love this kind of recipe and can help prepare. They love crushing the crackers. It does not matter if the measurements aren't perfect, just wing it!"
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Original recipe yield :6 servingsPREP TIME :15 MinCOOK TIME :30 MinREADY IN :45 Min
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INGREDIENTS30 saltine crackers2 tablespoons all-purpose flour2 tablespoons dry potato flakes1 teaspoon seasoned salt1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper1 egg1/4 cup vegetable oil6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
-----------------------------------
Directions
Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs. Add flour, potato flakes, seasoned salt, and pepper to bag and mix well.
Beat egg in a shallow dish or bowl; heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
One by one, dredge chicken pieces in egg beat, then place in bag with crumb mixture, seal bag and shake to coat.
Reduce heat to medium and cook coated chicken in skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown and juices run clear.
Thanks a lot to Cassie Wick and Allrecipes.com where this recipe is taken..

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Lamb-Barbecue Recipe

Ingredients of Recipe :
1kg lamb (leg or shoulder), cut into 4cm cubes3 large onions, cut into quarters1+ ½ cups lemon juice3 tablespoons olive oil1+ ½ tablespoons oregano (fresh is best but dried & powdered is fine)1 + ½ teaspoons salt1+ ½ teaspoons pepper3 cups plain, unsweetened natural yoghurt, optional for serving
Directions of Recipe :
Put the lamb, lemon juice, oregano, salt & pepper into 1 bowl.Mix thoroughly to ensure the lamb is well coated in the marinade.Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 6 hours.If you’re going to be using wooden skewers, make sure you’ve soaked them for 30 minutes in cold water which will prevent them from charring on the barbecue/ grill.After lamb has marinated, alternately thread the lamb and onion segments onto skewers.Over a medium-high heat, barbecue the shish-kebabs until the lamb has browned and cooked through.You will need to brush the shish-kebabs a few times with olive oil during the barbecue process.Serve immediately.You might like to add a dollop of natural yoghurt to each shish-kebab.Ready to serves with the hot rice or also can eat just like that.Suitable for lunch and dinner..You also can change lamb with other meat like chicken,duck..depend on your taste,enjoy with this recipe.

Source:www.barbecuerecipe.net

Friday, May 16, 2008

Fried Duck Recipe

Ingredient:
1kg (or approx 2 pounds) duck, cut into pieces
1 cup plain/ all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon powdered duck or also can use chicken stock
1 teaspoon pepper
olive oil
How to prepare:
Rinse duck pieces in cold water and pat them dry with some absorbent paper towel.
In a paper or plastic bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper and powdered duck stock.
One piece at a time, put the duck into the bag and shake it around to make sure that it is completely coated in the flour & flavouring.
Repeat the process for each of the duck pieces.
Heat the olive oil in your deep fryer.
When the oil has reached the desired temperature (according to your fryer's instructions), fry the duck in batches until the it is golden brown.
Drain each piece of duck on some absorbent paper towel.
Serve with a dipping sauce, ketchup or some wedges of lemon.
You can apply this simple recipe for other stock like chicken,lamb,and so on depend on your taste..

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Crispy Chicken And Duck:How to make?

Everyone like crispy chicken or even duck especially children.The question is how to make them?The secret is to make sure the duck is scored across the front and salted heavily. Take the chicken that you are going to use for your main dish, make slits in the breast with a knife and poke with a fork. Salt the breast heavily use your discretion and taste.Then,put the chicken breast on the baking pan and cook about 3/4 of total time that the recipe told to do for,use the broil on the oven to finish cooking up the breast during last 1/4 time of cooking.
Original Article By : Deepak gosain,Article City

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

3.Pizza Sauce
You can make your special pizza sauce by your own.You also can get your pizza sauce from supermarket,but make sure your souce in can and properly close to avoid from poisonous and so on.Normally the thicker souce is better.Too watery pizza sauce means a soggy pizza. If you are using canned pizza sauce, evaluate the thickness. If too thin, let the sauce simmer before using it on your pizza.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Great Homemade Pizza

Pizza is most popular food in some country especially in europe.Pizza consist of three important parts.There is namely pizza crusts,pizza toppings and pizza source.You can imagine the part and try to making them as good as you can.Here some tips for you...
1. Piza Crust
Bake your pizza crust separately. It'means you can bake your pizza crust first before you add on the toppings and sauce. There's one good reason for doing this. If you bake the lot at one and the same time, you may end up with a pizza that has overcooked toppings, burnt cheese and an undercooked, flat crust. Of course, you should not bake your crust fully the first time so that you won't end up with a pizza that has a burnt crust after your final baking stage.

2. Toppings
You can use topping depent on what type of pizza you want to make.Let say you want to make New York pizza style,use the fresh mozarella cheese.If you want to produce Chicago pizza style,you must ensure that a Chicago deep dish pizza is usually loaded with meaty toppings: pepperoni, beef sausage, ground beef, bacon, ham, etc. You will also see bell peppers, mushrooms, and different kinds of cheese on a typical Chicago pizza. Tomatoes, cheese, anchovies, garlic.
Here some pizza recipe tips for you and hopefully we can continue soon..

Saturday, May 10, 2008

History Of Recipe

Approximately 1400bc,when ancient Egyptians painted hieroglaphics despicting the preparation of food.From that we can say it began 1400bc and came fromm egypt.However it wasn't until Roman times that recipes were written down in a language from rather than pictures.
By 1800s,cooking had become a passion throughout the world.Using the latest technology at that time and using a new concept in publishing,Mrs Button(1836-1865) published her famous book.Her book name 'Book of Household Management' in the new format of 24 monthly parts between 1857 and 1861.Apart from that the recipe become famous and spread to the whole world in many kind of way and in new addition and more compicated from the time to time until now.

RECIPES

Recipes means a set of direction with a list of ingredient for making or preparing something especially for the food.Recipes also can be describe as a formula for something such as a recipe for success,a recipe to achive our target and so on.If we talk about medication,it also can be describe as a medical prescription.