Beginners Cook Books & More

If you are expecting guest to come to your home for dinner for the holiday season and you haven't cooked any edible meals since your childhood birthday gift, an Easy Bake Oven, practice will help you make the perfect dinner. Don't wait until the last minute to begin practicing to make your mouth watering cuisine for your dinner guest. Remember, a cook is judged by their dinner. Dinners should be planned at least 2 to 3 weeks before your guest arrive. Purchasing the right cookware along with the right recipe can make a delicious meal.

If you do not have a family heirloom such as a great aunt or grandmother's recipe or cook book to utilize, you can create your own cookbook. The first thing to do is select recipes that are easy to make--something simple yet delicious. If you are not a cooking expert, start off with something simple such as baked chicken with rice pilaf and a baked potato. As a beginner it is not recommended to start off with an extravagant recipe...less is more when it comes to cooking.

In most cases, a cook book or a recipe will recommend cookware for a particular meal. Make sure that you adhere to that advice for best results. You wouldn't want to have a disaster dinner all because you tried to cut corners. It's important to follow directions to the 'T', especially when you are cooking for guests.

Many cooks, professional and beginners take cooking lessons to help them utilize their current cookware and to learn what's up and coming in the industry. There are several options for a person who wants to learn how to cook. There are several courses available for cooks. There are cooking lessons available from top chefs on DVD. Even at a local supermarket or gourmet retail store has DVD's available on the subject of cooking for a person to take home and view at their leisure.

It's great for a beginning cook to watch demonstrations on DVD on the subject of cooking. DVDs make a fantastic learning tool. However, most good cooks are born by practicing cooking techniques via the old fashion cook book or family recipe. After spending dedicated time practicing how to cook a delicious meal for family and friends, it will sooner or later come time to get a second opinion. After you have mastered your craft by preparing delicious meals, you can begin to share your meals with friends and family members. If you receive a negative response from a family member or a friend, learn to take their criticism and make your meal 10 times better the next time you invite them for dinner.

To find out the latest information on cookware, log on to: http://www.cookwarecoupons.com/

About the Author:
James Brown writes about Cook coupons, Kitchen Collection Coupons and Online Promo Codes
Submitted: 2006-09-01
Article Source: GO Articles

Healthy Cooking Tips from My Chinese Kitchen

Cooking for better health has its rewards in better nutrition and healthier food for the body. If you and your family are working on implementing a healthier lifestyle, then it means adopting these cooking tips and making healthier eating choices. Learn some useful healthy cooking tips from my Chinese Kitchen.

Because of my young children, I have leaned towards healthy cooking choices. In addition, my husband who always eats out due to his frequent business meetings, desperately needs to lose weight. Being a Chinese and growing up with a mum who likes to cook, I have been educated in more ways than one on the various ways to whip up a dish. The following are some helpful tips that are practiced from my own kitchen.

The major thing to keep in mind when cooking is what hurts the foods and takes the nutrients out of them. You can eat a complete meal and end up not having adequate nutrients in any of the foods because of how you cooked. The major types of cooking that will burn away the vitamins include frying, boiling, saute methods and microwave. It is important to consider these methods before deciding on how you will cook your food.

One of the better methods used in preserving the nutrients in food is steaming. Steaming will actually preserve the vitamins and minerals that are in it. Because you don't have to add any oils or fats, it can also help you with taking away things that you don't need. A medium sized fish takes only 10 minutes of steaming time. It can be really that fast.

Boiling is also another healthy cooking method. However, do not overboil vegetables as this will kill all the nutrients and enzymes in them. If you need cooked vegetables, boil the water first. In boiling water, put your vegetables in for about 3 minutes. For some taste, you can always make a sauce to pour over the boiled vegetables.

Another thing that you should consider when cooking is what you are putting into the foods while they are on the stove. For example, adding extra salt can lead to a change in your blood pressure over time that isn't necessarily healthy. In relation to this, you should stay away form flavors and ingredients that have high sodium or fat as part of the recipe. Use the healthier sea salt if you really need to.

All of the foods that you eat should be balanced with raw fruits and vegetables. Having these on hand will help in adding to nutritious value in your diet. Adding a salad or different fruits is always important to your meals.

Healthy cooking does not necessarily translate to bland food. Sure the food may not be as tasty due to the less salt and the cooking method used. But there are ways to getting round them like using natural ingredients; such as, garlic, onions or herbal leaves for flavoring. Take the steam fish for example.

Add in stir-fried chopped garlic, ginger and spring onions for extra punch! As a meal planner, your job lies in seeking these healthy recipes out.

Cooking for better health has its rewards in better nutrition and healthier food for the body. If you and your family are working on implementing a healthier lifestyle, then it means adopting these cooking tips and making healthier eating choices. Everyone stands to benefit in being nourished, feeling energized and looking well.

About the Author:
Evelyn
Looking for a current health article to read? Check out this health article directory : http://www.healthandwellnesscentral.com
Submitted on 2006-08-27
Article Source: http://www.articlesalley.com/

Cooking With A Dutch Oven

Cooking with a Dutch Oven is fun and easy. Any meal can be cooked in a Dutch Oven that would normally be prepared indoors. The Dutch Oven is a great addition to camping and can be very handy in a power outage. In many parts of the country you can even join club that is designed for fun, cooking, sharing recipes, teaching Dutch Oven cooking, and Dutch Oven Cook offs.

Cooking is simple and easy to master. All you need is a good oven, charcoal, and practice. Dutch Ovens can be purchased in most any sporting goods store and most ovens come with a complete instruction book, a small book of recipes, and a guide for oven temperatures when using charcoal briquettes. Many accessories are available but not necessary to get started cooking. Choose a Dutch Oven with legs that will stand up over the charcoal and a lid that has a lip to hold the charcoal on the lids surface. Several brands of ovens are available and vary in quality. When purchasing your oven you should check for smooth texture inside the oven, a lid that fits. A cast iron oven is the best choice but will weigh the most.

The most common size used for most recipes is a 12” inch oven. The 12” oven will cook a small chicken or a large family sized side dish.

When you get home with your oven the enclosed instructions will tell you how to cure, clean, and cook with your oven. Most kitchen tools will work when cooking with the oven but you remember not to use tools that will scratch and remove the cured surface. I will add that a lid lifter and a lid stand is a great help when cooking with the ovens. Lifting the lid and picking up the oven when hot much is easier when using a lifter. If cooking with campfires coals the lifter will also protect you from the heat as you the oven from the fire. When removing the lid to check the meal the oven lid stand is a handy tool. The stand will protect your lid from dirt and your table from heat.

Once you get started you will find that cooking outdoors has never tasted so good!

About the Author:
Betty Robertson and her husband are outdoor enthusiasts that teach many classes on outdoor activities. The instructions are given by Betty Robertson who has been cooking with a Dutch Oven for many years and has taught in the past with the local Dutch Oven Society. Please Visit at http://www.thehowtodoit.com/DutchOvenCooking.htm
Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Brazilian Cuisine

It began as most ‘ethnic food movements’ do – with small restaurants in the neighborhoods where immigrants settled, diners and lunchrooms and tea rooms opened by those who wanted to offer a taste of home to their fellow émigrés. Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern, Thai – from family run bistros, the cuisine spread as those outside the cultures of the ‘neighborhood’ learned of the good food and the word spread. The latest ‘new cuisine’ that is spreading like wildfire is Brazilian – a delicious blending of three separate cultures that comes together in dishes and delicacies that aren’t found anywhere else in the world.

To understand the cuisine of Brazil, one must understand a little of its history. The base of Brazilian cuisine is in its native roots – the foods that sustained the native Brazilians – cassava, yams, fish and meat – but it bears the stamp of two other peoples as well: the Portuguese who came to conquer and stayed, and the African slaves that they brought with them to work the sugar plantations. Brazilian cuisine today is a seamless amalgam of the three influences that interweave in a unique and totally Brazilian style.

The staples of the Brazilian diet are root vegetables, seafood and meat. Manioc, derived from cassava root, is the ‘flour’ of the region, and is eaten in one form or another at nearly every meal. The bitter cassava root is poisonous in its raw state, but when prepared properly, the cassava root yields farinha and tapioca, bases for many dishes of the region. The Portuguese influence shows in the rich, sweet egg breads that are served at nearly every meal, and in the seafood dishes that blend ‘fruits de mer’ with coconut and other native fruits and vegetables. The national dish, bobo de camarao is one of these, a delicious mingling of fresh shrimp in a puree of dried shrimp, manioc (cassava) meal, coconut milk and nuts, flavored with a palm oil called dende.

It is the African influence that is most felt, though – as is to be expected of the people who worked in the kitchens. Pineapple and coconut milk, shredded coconut and palm hearts worked their way into everyday dishes, flavoring meat, shrimp, fish, vegetables and bread. Brazilian food, unlike the cuisines of many of the surrounding countries, favors the sweet rather than the hot, and more than any other South American cuisine, it carries the savor of tropical island breezes rather than the hot wind of the desert.

The most common ingredients in Brazilian cuisine are cassava, coconut, dende, black beans and rice. Bacalao – salt cod – features in many dishes derived from the Portuguese, but flavored with typical Brazilian insouciance with coconut cream and pistachio nuts it becomes an entirely different food. It is typical of the Brazilian attitude toward food – an expression of a warm and open people to whom feeding and sharing food is the basis of hospitality. Brazilian cuisine is like its people – all are welcome, all are welcomed and all make their mark – without ever overwhelming the contributions of the other.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a food and nutrition expert specializing the Mexican, Chinese, and Italian food. Visit http://www.food-and-nutrition.com/ for more information on cooking delicious and healthy meals.
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Do You Love Cooking Out?

Do you love the smell of charcoal on the grill, or eagerly await that first bite of a juicy cut of meat? Then you must be a barbeque fan! There are thousands of us around the world, that know that there is nothing better than a perfectly seasoned pork chop straight off the grill. My mouth is watering just thinking about the possibilities. YUM!

Unfortunatly, one of the hardest things for many grill enthusiasts to figure out is just how to get their meat seasoned correctly. You can build a fire and learn the ins and outs of cooking it properly (which will get you pretty far) but you really need to understand about seasonings and marinades to truly be a grill master. Want to know more? Keep reading.

No matter what you are barbequing, marinades for any piece of meat centers around three basic ingredients. First, you need is cooking oil. The next thing you need is an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar. The third ingredient is spices and/or herbs. Then you are ready to grill!

To start off with you need to get down to some basic rules so that you can begin creating some of your own barbeque masterpieces.

#1 Make the oil/vinegar proportional. One cup of each, etc. This will make it super easy to make enough marinade for any amount of meat that you may be cooking.

#2 Don't over power the marinade with too many spices. Salt, sugar and garlic are strong flavors. So are, peppers, basil, oregano, dried mustard, onion and the list goes on. Use them sparingly for the best possible taste and texture.

When mixing add the vinegar to the bowl first and then begin blending in the oil in small quantities until it is all combined together. Take your time with this and don't add the spices until the oil and acid are combined thoroughly. Skip this step and your marinade will never quite mix correct.

Once the marinade is complete, let it soak into the meat as long as possible. I try to go my meat marinated overnight for optimum flavor. Then when you are ready to grill simply remove the meat from the marinate and cook to perfection. What could be easier!

Tip: Don't reuse the marinating mixture to baste your bbq. You run the risk of cross contamination and other problems. Instead, try making up a second batch of your marinade and then brush over your meat during the cooking process. It will help give it an extra oomph of taste and aroma before hitting your plate.

About the Author:
Sarah Jones grew up loving all things BBQ. When she isn't trying out new marinades or grilling in the backyard she is sharing her love of BBQ with others. Learn more about her BBQ secrets at ForBBQ.com
Submitted: 2006-09-09
Article Source: GO Articles

How To Make Incredible Pan Sauces

If you want to elevate your cooking skills to a new level and add a whole lot more to your gastronomy repertoire, learn how to make a simple pan sauce. With this technique in your cooking bag of tricks, you can turn a simple pan-fried steak into a mouth-watering meal, a plain boneless chicken breast into a delicious feast, or a modest pork chop into a scrumptious banquet. Ok, maybe I'm stretching a bit but check this out.

Restaurants chefs use this technique all the time. Basically they cook something in a sauté pan over pretty high heat until it's done and leaves a bunch of brown caramelize bits of "stuff" in the pan. You look at this "stuff" in the pan and say to yourself, "Now how am I going to clean this 'stuff' off the pan? What a mess! I wish I had used a non stick pan."

The "stuff" has a name, it's called "fond" and you want that "fond" stuck to your pan because it is packed with incredible flavors. It's also easy to remove by adding a little liquid to the pan and using a wooden spoon to dissolve it. This is called deglazing and can be done with wine, brandy, fortified wines, stock, cider, fruit juices or most typically a combination of two. Just be careful if you use wine to remove the pan from the heat so the alcohol doesn't ignite and blow up in your face. I've spoken with chefs who have seen this happen.

The next steps are to continue to cook the liquid in the pan until it is reduced by half and finish by adding several pats of butter to thicken and enhance the flavor of the sauce. If you ever knew how much butter professional chefs use in restaurants to "enhance" flavor, you would be amazed. I sometimes think they make their dishes too rich because I get that uncomfortable "too full" feeling later on, but then again, it's so good while you're dining. Now those are just the basics.

To create more complexity to the sauce you'll want to add some aromatics like garlic or shallots for a subtle but additional layer of flavor. Then you might want to add some additional ingredients such as mushrooms, mustards, chutneys, herbs and/or spices to give even more complexity and flavor.

For more information on making classic and quick pan sauces at home including what kind of pan to use, how much deglazing liquid to use and two example recipes for the same sauce, one classic and the other quick go to http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/pan_sauces.htm

About the Author:
G. Stephen Jones, The Reluctant Gourmet, created a web site back in 1997 as a hobby to assist other novice cooks who may find the art of cooking a little daunting. As an ex-Wall Street broker and Stay-at-Home Dad, I try to explore cooking from a different perspective. Visit www.reluctantgourmet.com/ for more tips, techniques and recipes.
Article Source: NewFREEArticles.com

Light Calorie Cooking: How To Cook Low Calorie Foods Which Still Taste Fantastic

Many people these days want to control their diets so they are eating low calorie foods, but low calorie foods that still taste great. The way to get low calorie foods that taste great is through light calorie cooking. There are a few tips to consider when embarking on light calorie cooking adventures where the calories are low but the taste is high.

Margarine As Opposed to Butter

When following recipes when preparing a meal, there are many recipes that now list a choice between using butter as an ingredient or margarine. By using margarine in the recipe instead of butter the cook cuts the caloric content significantly yet still keeps a good taste overall. It is very hard to tell the difference between margarine and butter that is used in cooked foods and since margarine is lower in calories it is a great substitute. So, the next time you are cooking and run across a choice between butter or margarine as an ingredient make the healthy and low calorie choice by using margarine. The taste will remain great and it won't affect your waistline!

Splenda as Opposed to Sugar

Another great way in which to save on the caloric intake is to use Splenda in one's recipes as opposed to sugar. Splenda consists of sucralose, which was approved for sale on the market in the late 1990s. Not only is this ingredient low in calories but it is great tasting as well. Splenda is also a wonderful ingredient to use in baked foods as it is heat stable and there is no real loss of the substance during cooking. For these reasons, Splenda is a great ingredient to use when cooking using those recipes which call for sugar. You won't notice a difference, but you will enjoy great foods and beverages with considerably less calories!

These are two ways in which a calorie-conscious individual can make fantastic light calorie meals that are abundant in the taste department and easy on the waistline as well.

About the Author:
DivineRecipes.com features over 25,000 food and drink recipes including light cooking and vegetarian recipes. Visit http://www.DivineRecipes.com to start cooking tonight.
Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Indian Tandoori Cooking

Traditionally, tandoori dishes are cooked in a tandoor, an oval shaped clay oven with a small fire in the bottom. The heat rises gradually but ultimately reaches a much higher temperature than a barbeque.

A tandoor is normally used to cook naan bread, meats and kebabs (meat or paneer). The bread is stuck to the sides, the kebabs stood vertically and whole chickens rested on a grid over the fire.

For domestic cooking, a tandoor is not really convenient but the meat dishes can be reproduced on a barbeque or in the oven. The bright red appearance of tandoori meats which you may see in Indian restaurants is produced by a food dye which really isn’t necessary to enhance the look of your tandoori dishes.

I have a great fondness for tandoori style food. It has flavour, without being "hot" or high in calories or too filling. In fact it's an ideal dish summer or winter, if you fancy something a little different. As a bonus, it doesn't take hours to prepare. Of course you can take all the effort out of it and use a pre-prepared mix, but I think they have less flavour and you can’t use them for anything else, whereas if you use the individual spices, you can make other dishes as well.

You can easily make tandoori chicken (whole), tandoori lamb chops (pork would be more unusual, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use it, if you prefer) and lamb tikka (kebabs) but my personal favourite is chicken tikka because it’s so quick so here’s my own recipe.

This recipe serves two people - multiply it for as many people as you want.

Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts
1 small tub Greek yogurt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ginger powder
½ tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
1 small clove garlic, crushed
salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes and set aside.
Mix the spice powders and garlic into the yogurt. You can use low fat yogurt if you prefer. You can also use fresh ginger or ginger paste from a jar rather than ginger powder but go easy on the quantity as it can be quite over-powering.

At this point you can also mix in the salt and lemon juice but if you do so, don’t leave the chicken to marinade for more than about 20 minutes or it will become very dry when cooked. If you want to marinade it for a longer time, add the salt and lemon juice just before you cook the dish or sprinkle on to serve.

Thread the chicken onto skewers and either barbeque or cook under a grill using medium heat until the chicken is slightly browned and cooked through.

For a light meal, serve with salad, pitta or naan bread and lemon wedges or for something more substantial with rice and dahl. website.

About the Author:
Liz Canham: As well as a love of Asian cooking and travel as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery and Travellers’ Tales websites, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website.
Article Source: ArticleToGo.com

Chicken Stock

The basis of a good soup is usually a good stock. Once you know how to make a good stock, you can use it for an almost endless variety of soups. This is a recipe I use for chicken stock that's easy to make, and tastes delicious. I usually make extra, and freeze what I don't use.

1 Whole Chicken, about 3 pounds

8 cups water

2 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 stalks of celery, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into large chunks

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2-3 sprigs of parsley

1-2 sprigs of sage

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 sprigs of thyme (please, no Simon and Garfunkel jokes)

2 tsp. salt

Cut the chicken up into pieces.

Put the chicken, and the rest of the ingredients into a large kettle, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 3 hours.

Remove the chicken, and place in a bowl to cool.

Pour the stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth, and chill.

When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones, and freeze or refrigerate the chicken for another use.

Skim the fat off of the stock, and refrigerate, freeze, or use immediately.

Yield: About 6 cups of stock, about 4 cups of chicken.

Don't feel constrained by the ingredients and amounts listed in this recipe. You can use other herbs for a different flavor. You could add ginger peels and lemongrass for an asian flavor. Just let your imagination run wild.

You don't need to use a whole chicken either. You can buy the bone-in chicken breasts, and remove the bones before cooking. Then just put the bones in a plastic bag, and put them into the freezer. Then when you're ready to make the stock, just take the bones out and use them in the stock.

Once you've learned to make this chicken stock, you can use it as a basis for many different soups... chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, peanut butter soup... again, just let your imagination run wild with it, and enjoy!


About the author:
Tim Sousa is the webmaster of http://www.classy-cooking.com, an online recipe library featuring original recipes, as well as several recipes contributed by readers.
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Cooking Recipes, Anytime And Anywhere.

Have you ever known exactly what you want to cook but searched and searched through all of your cook books and had no luck finding that tender morsel that has been making your mouth water all day? Having to settle for something else is so disappointing isn't it? Or have you been to a restaurant and fell in love with a dish or a dessert but don't have the money to go there to enjoy it all the time? Well I have got the answer for you, and that is internet cooking recipes!

You know all of the advantages of computers and the internet by now but let me run through them real quick just to emphasize my point. First its paperless, you don't have the clutter of cookbooks and cards and other random loose cooking recipes that you have collected over the years.

Second the search is so much better than paging through each paper recipe, all you do is simply type a small description of what you are thinking and the computer spits out several cooking recipes that match your request. Other things are the incredible access that you gain when you have the internet at your disposal. You can get recipes from the chef's themselves. You can get recipes from any country in the entire world directly. You can even find the secret recipes from the famous dishes at restaurants that you crave. Sounds like its worth it to make the switch doesn't it? Even if it would cost you a little money!

Well the cool part is that many if not most of the cooking recipes on the internet are free. You simply have to search on one of the main search engines and you will get more options than you can handle some times. You can often download the text so that you can have it on your computer filed away in an organized fashion for the next time you feel like making that dish. Often too there is contact information for the person who posted the recipe on the internet for you to contact if you have a question about a certain ingredient or a change that you are thinking about making.

There are sites that if you pay a reasonable one time membership fee or a small monthly fee will allow you access to award winning restaurant dishes and dishes from famous chef's as well as popular international dishes that are translated into English for you. If you are serious about cooking it is certainly worth checking out all the wonderful cooking recipes that are available to you.

About the Author:
Sparky Hrelek loves organization and he loves food, so it was natural for him to put together a website for cooking recipes. For great recipes visit www.cheapcookingrecipes.info
Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Zip-lock Bag Ideas for Outdoor Cooking

Zip-lock bags are extremely helpful when cooking outdoors. They come in a variety of sizes from 1 pint to 2 gallons. There is no need to buy expensive ones for most uses. You should be able to find off-brands at grocery stores, discount stores, or dollar stores. Here are some ideas and tips for using zip-lock bags to make your outdoor cooking job a little bit easier.

1. Pre-measure ingredients and put in zip-lock bags. For example, if you know you need 2 cups of flour for a recipe, measure those 2 cups into a zip-lock bag at home, label it, and all you have to do at the campsite is dump it in. This works great for rice, pasta, sugar, flour, instant mashed potatoes, powdered drink mix, and almost any other similar ingredient.
2. Pre-measuring and storing in zip-lock bags also works great for seasonings. Measure all the seasonings for a particular dish into a zip-lock bag. You don't have to take all the individual seasoning containers, nor worry about leaving one behind.
3. Put all the zip-lock bags and other ingredients for each meal into a large zip-lock bag (1 or 2 gallon). This keeps everything for the meal in one place. Add copies of the recipes, if needed, to the bag and you are ready to go.
4. Pre-mix ingredients and put in zip-lock bags. Cooking pancakes for breakfast? Mix all the dry ingredients together in a zip-lock bag, label it, then add the liquid ingredients to the bag and mix up when ready to cook. No dishes to wash. No cleanup. Just toss the empty bag in the garbage.
5. Zip-lock bags are perfect for marinating meat before you grill. You can even freeze the meats with the marinade, which allows you to get them ready far in advance.
6. Use zip-lock bags for leftovers and store in cooler. One great idea is to make omelets for the last breakfast with all the saved leftovers (depending on what you have). Just add eggs the zip-lock bags and mix up.
7. Precook rice or pasta at home and store in zip-lock bags. This makes it much easier to cook at the campsite, because all you have to do is heat it up.
8. Precut meat and store in zip-lock bags. You won't have to worry in camp about the messy cleanup needed if you do it at home. If you want to really save time, you can even pre-cook the meats and store in zip-lock bags until you need at camp. Just heat up and you are ready to go.
9. Precut vegetables and store in zip-lock bags. Cooking while camping can be more time consuming, but this tip will save you time by allowing you to do it ahead of time at home.
10. Store snacks in zip-lock bags. Trail-mix, snack mix, pretzels, dried fruit, etc., store great in zip-lock bags. You can even make separate bags for each member of your family or group so there isn't any quibbling over portions.

About the Author:
Scott Carey enjoys all types of outdoor cooking. See http://www.outdoorcookingmagic.com/ for more outdoor cooking tips and for a Free Dutch Oven Recipe eBook.
Submitted: 2006-09-01
Article Source: GO Articles

Freezable Breakfast Tacos - Easy Breakfast Idea

Looking for a quick and easy way to tackle the breakfast rush? The key to eating a nutritious breakfast is planning ahead. On busy days, it is great to have these in the freezer, ready to microwave and go.

1 dozen eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package frozen hashbrowns
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 jar salsa
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
20 flour tortillas medium size
You will need parchment paper and ziplock bags for wrapping and freezing

1. Prepare the hashbrowns according to the package directions.
2. Fry the breakfast sausage.
3. Scramble the eggs with the milk and salt and pepper.
4. Mix the hashbrowns, sausage, and eggs in a large bowl.
5. Mix the cheeses.
6. On a square of wax paper, place one tortilla.
7. Place several tablespoons of hashbrown, sausage, and egg mixture onto the tortilla in a line, slightly off center. Amount used will depend on the size of your tortilla, but do not stuff too full.
8. Add a Tablespoon of salsa thinly along the top of the egg mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of all.
9. Fold the ends gently in, then fold over one side and roll up.
10. Roll up in parchment paper, place into ziplock bag, and repeat with next tortilla.
11. Place the tortillas into the freezer.
12. When ready to eat, place tortilla into microwave on high for one minute. Add 1 minute for the second tortilla, and 30 seconds for each additional tortilla.

Now that you have tried this recipe, be creative. Perhaps stuff the tortillas with leftover mashed potatoes and roast beef. Try ham with macaroni and cheese. Use your imagination and your leftovers to create healthy breakfasts that can be ready in a minute. Enjoy!

About the Author:
Diane Watkins is a traditional southern cook committed to preserving our southern heritage and recipes. She offers recipes, tips and stories of growing up in the south at Easy Southern Cooking.
Article Source: ArticleToGo.com

Cooking Tips When Out Camping

While we were kids, my brother and I, had the opportunity of traveling around the countryside with our father and explore everything our home country had to offer to the three musketeers, which was our code name.

While we were kids, my brother and I, had the opportunity of traveling around the countryside with our father and explore everything our home country had to offer to the three musketeers, which was our code name. Unfortunately, in most of these trips our mother was left behind as she had to work and we were given the chance to spend time with our father who as a nature lover took as almost anywhere our car and feet could lead us. These trips were our time together with our beloved father, who while we were young did everything in his power to spend as much time with us as possible. If time was not the issue back then, we tried to keep the budget under logical limits, so all these trips were made with our car that was carrying on its roof our specially designed and hand-made (by my father) tend.

During those camping times and since our mother was not near by to feed us, our father was apart from the designated driver and the leader of our group, also the cook that served us some of the best meals we have ever tasted; probably because we were really hungry by the time we eat. The truth is that I still remember the taste of his pasta and if I could go back in time, I would love to experience again the thrill of singing with my brother while our dad was smiling cooking his amazing pasta on our carry on kitchen supplies.

Other campers tend to agree with my remark as they support that camping cooking can be some of the best cooking there is. Close to the environment and while being able to smell all that wonderful tasty food coming out of the fire, many agree that there is nothing better. If you are a beginner in camping, you should know that there are several different methods that can be used when cooking while camping, like wood fires, camp charcoal, stoves, foil cooking and more. The type of cooking method is directly related to the food you will decide to make and how you like it cooked sometimes decides what method you should be using. But then again there are several camping cooking tips to consider before cooking and camping out.

Consider freezing the meat for instance. Freezing it ahead of time can keep the meat fresh and other foods cool as well. My father used to be proactive like that and plan ahead of time. He also used plastic bags or containers to keep measured portions of the food that was about to consumed, safely contained. I think it is also best if you want to avoid food from sticking to the pans to apply oil on the grill. Finally, put matches somewhere safe to keep them dry as many camping cookbook recipes require the use of natural fire and there is no better way to start a fire than with matches. You can also keep your drinks in a separate cooler from food as it can helps keep foods colder longer avoiding any kind of spoilage. Finally, a great tip is to keep water bottles when they are empty because they can become great camping cooking containers to put the salad dressing, oils, or any other liquid substance.

About the Author:
Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Outdoors, Recreation, and Games
Submitted on 2006-08-29
Article Source: GO Articles

Chinese Food

Now holds a popular place among the entire population of the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so popular? Is Chinese food healthy? What is the history of Chinese food?

The History of Chinese Food
The history of Chinese food1 is an interesting one. Unlike many cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can include dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult to develop and may require the expertise of a chef with lots of experience. One such technique is noodle pulling (scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about this technique). Noodle pulling requires skill and lots of practice and results in a delicious noodle dish. This article will refer to noodle pulling later on, but for now, let’s go back to the history of Chinese food.

Chinese food and the way it is prepared is very much influenced by the two major philosophies, which influence the entire Chinese culture. These dominant philosophies are Confucianism and Taoism. Both have these philosophies have influenced the way that the Chinese people cook and the way that they enjoy their food..

Confucianism and Chinese Cuisine
Confucius was the man behind the Confucianism beliefs. Among many other standards Confucius established standards for proper table etiquette and for the appearance and taste of Chinese food. One of the standards set by Confucius (you might have noticed this at an authentic Chinese restaurant) is that food must be cut into small bite size pieces before serving the dish. This is a custom that is definitely unique to the Chinese culture.

Knives at the dinner table are also considered to be a sign of very poor taste by those who embrace Confucianism beliefs. The standards of quality and taste that Confucius recommended required the perfect blend of ingredients, herbs and condiments--a blend which would result in the perfect combination of flavor. Confucius also emphasized the importance of the texture and color of a dish, and taught that food must be prepared and eaten with harmony. Interestingly enough, Confucius was also of the opinion that an excellent cook must first make an excellent matchmaker.

Taoism and Chinese Cuisine
Those who follow the Taoism beliefs focus on the health benefits of particular foods vs. the presentation of the same. Taoists search for foods that will increase their health and longevity. They search for foods that have healing powers. Many times these benefits were often referred to as ‘life giving powers’. For instance, the Chinese found that ginger, which can be considered to be a garnish or a condiment was found to be a remedy for upset stomachs or a remedy for colds.

Is Chinese Food Healthy?
Chinese food, when authentic is probably the healthiest food in the world. Some restaurants, which are not authentic, prepare their menu with highly saturated fats or with meats that contain unhealthy amounts of animal fat. These Chinese restaurants are not recommended and they are both neither authentic nor healthy.

Good Chinese food however, is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated oils. Authentic Chinese food does not require the use of milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter or cheese. Meat is used, but not in abundance, which makes it easy for those who love authentic Chinese food to avoid high levels of animal fat. Many believe that authentic Chinese food is really the ideal diet.

Chinese Restaurants in Every Part of the Nation
Whether it is in a Tennessee Chinese Restaurant to a New York Chinese restaurant you are going to find culinary dishes that are both healthy and delicious. Savor the flavor with Chinese food!

1 The majority of the information found in this article can be referenced at the following website: http://asiarecipe.com/chicookinghistory.html

About the author:
Marci Crane
To find out more information in regards to delicious Chinese food, or noodle pulling in Tennessee, visit http://royalpandarestaurant.samsbiz.com/page/18jcr/Home.html
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Fresh Caught Fish Cooking Preparation

To maintain the delicate flavor of a newly caught freshwater or saltwater fish, this must be handled properly to avoid spoilage. Not to mention preserving the fish with pleasing odor. There are ways to properly prepare and maintain the quality just after the catch of the fish into a sumptuous fishmeal. Check out the tips below:

1) As soon as the fish lands avoid any contact with hard surfaces to prevent bruising. It should be washed immediately by hosing or bucket rinsing in order to remove the slime and possible bacteria that cause spoilage. Never use water from close proximity marinas, municipal or industrial discharges. To make sure, always use potable water instead.

2) Simply chill the fish to prevent deterioration in less than an hour. With a little advance planning, proper icing can be accomplished with the use of some relatively cheap equipment. Fish should be stored in coolers and should be well chilled. It should be 3" deep, thus, covering a pound of fish with pound of ice. Use chlorinated water per quart of water for the final rinsing.

3) Clean the fish as soon as possible. Their tissues are sterile but not their scales, which contains many types of bacteria. When cleaning fish, avoid rough treatment because wounds in the flesh can allow the spread of bacteria. Gutting the fish does not have to be necessarily long. It is wise to cut the belly, as it leaves no blood or viscera in the body. Make sure not to soak cleaned fish fillets in a prolonged freshwater as this could reduce the meat texture and flavor.

4) The eating quality and nutritional value of fish can be maintained up to 5 days if properly cleaned. Washing of the hands before touching the fish is also important. No matter what fish and the cooking technique used, one golden rule is to be followed always. Whether it is whole or not, cook exactly 10 minutes for every inch measured. 15 minutes should be allotted to fish enclosed in foil or sauce baked. Double the time for frozen fish.

Allow extra time if fish will be baked while packed in an aluminum foil and allow extra time for the penetration of the heat. That should be an additional 5 minutes for fresh fish and 10 for frozen. In thawing frozen fish, slowly thaw in the fridge for 24 hours or let the wrapped fish be run under cold water not at room temperature. Do not thaw a fish that's frozen before cooking as it may make it mushy and dry.

About the Author:
Travis Clemens is a life time fisherman and he knows the ins and outs of gettinem on the hook! You too can gettem on the hook with Travis as your guide! http://www.best-fishing-tips.com
Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Best Recipes: Ice Cream Cookie Pizza

Gather everybody around for this really cool cold pizza. Each person will have lots of fun topping their ice cream pizza slices with lots of yummy goodies. Great for kids parties.

Cookie

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Ice Cream

1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Toppings

Fudge sauce, strawberry sauce, caramel sauce, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, m&m candies, gummi candy, coarsely chopped chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped candy bars, candy sprinkles, nuts.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Spread dough evenly into ungreased 12-inch pizza pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Spread ice cream evenly over cooled cookie. Freeze until firm (1 to 2 hours).
To serve, cut into wedges; top with desired topping.


About the author:
© Donna Monday
Love Cookies? All your favorites here http://www.best-cookie-jar-recipes.com
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Easy Dutch Oven Recipes - Getting Started Cooking With Your Dutch Oven

Dutch Oven cooking is fun and easy. Dutch oven recipes are abundant and adapting them from your favorite home recipes is easy. With a little experience you'll find that it is fairly simple to cook with your Dutch oven. Here are some easy Dutch oven recipes to try:

Easy Dutch Oven Mountain Man Hash

1 lb. Bacon or sausage
2 lbs frozen potatoes (shredded or southern style)
1 dozen eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cut bacon/sausage into smaller pieces (about 1"). Cook the bacon or sausage in the Dutch oven. Add potatoes, cover with lid with coals on top. Cook until potatoes are done, stirring occasionally. Mix eggs together in a bowl and pour on top of potatoes. Replace lid with coals on top and cook until eggs are done (shouldn't need a long time if the lid is hot). When eggs are done, sprinkle cheese on top, replace lid and bake until cheese is melted. Serve as is, or wrap spoonfuls in warmed flour tortillas to make breakfast burritos (provide salsa).

Easy Dutch Oven Taco Pie

1 ½ lbs. Ground beef
1 medium jar of taco sauce
6 large corn tortillas
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz can of tomato sauce

Brown the ground beef and drain it. Mix the taco sauce and tomato sauce. Line the Dutch oven with tin foil and put 3 tortillas in the bottom. Put ½ of the ground beef on the tortillas and cover with ½ of the sauce. Put 3 more tortilla shells on top, and put the remaining ground beef and sauce on top of those tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover the Dutch oven, place a few coals on top, and bake until the cheese is melted. You could also add onions, olives, mushrooms for some variety.

Easy Dutch Oven Au Gratin Potatoes

8-10 potatoes, sliced thin
2-3 Tbsp. Melted butter or margarine
2-3 medium onions, sliced thin
15 oz can of cheese soup
¼ cup milk
½ cup cracker or bread crumbs
1 cup shredded cheese

Put a little oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Put a layer of potatoes in the bottom and brush with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add a layer of sliced onions. Continue the layering with potatoes and onions as described until all have been used. Mix the soup with the milk and pour over the top. Sprinkle the top with the bread or cracker crumbs. Add any additional desired seasonings. Put Dutch oven over 6-8 briquets and 16-18 briquets on top. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese. Replace lid and let the cheese melt-shouldn't take long.

Easy Dutch Oven Cowboy Stew

4 potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 can of corn
1 can of peas
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 can of green beans
1 can of baked beans
1 can of tomato soup
Bay leaf

Brown ground beef and onions. Add all other ingredients (don't drain the cans). Add bay leaf and any other desired seasonings, such as salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are done.

Easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon Bread

4 cans of refrigerated tube biscuits
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup of sugar
4 tsp cinnamon

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a zip-lock bag. Put the biscuit quarters in the bag and shake until they are all well-coated. Place the biscuit pieces in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Melt the butter and then pour over the biscuit quarters (you can do this with another pan, or you can use the inverted lid of the Dutch oven to melt the butter). Put 6-8 coals underneath Dutch oven and 14-15 on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

Each of these is a quick and easy Dutch oven recipe and will help you get started with Dutch oven cooking. Have fun!

About the Author:
Scott Carey enjoys all types of outdoor cooking, including Dutch oven cooking. See http://www.outdoorcookingmagic.com/ for more Dutch oven cooking tips and for a Free Dutch Oven Recipe eBook.
Submitted: 2006-09-01
Article Source: GO Articles

BBQ Safety Tips

When it comes to barbecuing, what could be more fun than whipping up sumptuous food on the grill in the company of family and friends? The thing of course is finding the right place for grilling and barbecuing. One favorite spot among true barbecue aficionados would be their very own backyard or outdoor kitchen with their own brick barbecue pit. Actually, any outdoor area is a potential spot for a barbecue but truth be known, the best places for a barbecue are the safest ones.

Choose a location for your BBQ grill that is away from trees, leaves, brush and overhanging limbs. Do not setup your gill in a high traffic area where someone may accidentally brush up against the hot grill.

When barbecuing in your backyard, be sure that you're 5 to 10 feet away from your house or any material that can potentially catch fire. Also, be sure the grill is stable and is away from children or pets that may bump into it. It would also be a good idea to have a water supply nearby like a garden hose.

If you live in an apartment building with a balcony or rooftop or any other outdoor space, be sure to consult with your building administrator (or in some instances, your local fire department) regarding specific restrictions. Generally, using charcoal and gas grills indoors or anywhere above the first storey is prohibited so you may want to consider electric grills instead for your barbecuing efforts.

Another great place to barbecue is in a campsite. Camping is such an exciting way to experience the great outdoors and barbecuing food over a campfire is definitely one of those practical yet cozy things you can do. Just be sure that you are at least 15 feet away from your tent and other camping gears.

Protect yourself by using the correct BBQ utensils such as oven mitts, thongs and a good spatula. Avoid wearing loose clothing while near the grill.

Always leave the lid to a gas grill open when lighting the fire so the gas does not build up under the cover. If the fire does not initially start, turn off the gas, leave the lid open and wait for at lest five minutes before trying again.

It is always a good idea to give your grill a checkup before using for the first time of the season and always store your tanks outside in a upright position where the temperature will never go over 125 degrees.

Of course, it's not just the atmosphere of being outdoors that can make a barbecue fun and special. It's also in the delicious barbecue dishes that you share with your loved ones. To make it all the more special, try a variety of BBQ rubs, marinades, salsas and BBQ sauce to capture the true taste of great outdoor barbecuing.

About the Author:
Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce & BBQ Sauce Catalog. Visit www.InsaneChicken.com for a wide variety of BBQ Rubs, BBQ Sauce and Hot Sauce.
Content Provider: http://www.my-articles.com

Outdoor Grills, Ovens And Stoves For Cooking Turkey

There are a lot of ways to cook turkey. One of the cooking processes is known as grilling. Grilling is becoming the most popular methods of cooking turkey and one of the healthiest as well. The grilling process allows fat to drip away from the turkey as it cooks, keeping the meat nutritious and full of flavor.

Aside from that, turkey has numerous ways and methods to be cooked, utilizing different cooking equipment such as the oven and the ever popular microwave. Here we offer you different methods that can be used for cooking turkey.

Here are some varieties of grills available in the market, as well as the basic instructions to properly use them..

Covered Charcoal Grill

First, you must have well prepared and clean equipment for this and good quality charcoal. Put up a pyramid of charcoal on one side. Set fire to the charcoal until it gets red hot. Place a thermometer on the food rack to check the temperature of the grill. This will give the cook an exact reading of the meat’s temperature when cooking.

In the center of the grill where the turkey will be placed, carefully arrange the charcoal around the edge evenly. Place the grill rack and set the prepared turkey on it. The turkey’s breast should be side-up. Simply maintain its temperature. Then cover the grill. If you want, you can add seasonings for the turkey to have flavor as it is cooking. Do not ever use softwood like cedar and pine because it gives the food a different taste and makes the turkey’s skin turn black.

When the inner thigh temperature reads 180 degree Fahrenheit, the turkey is ready. That is why it is very important to use a food thermometer.

Covered gas Grill

The gas grill can be provided by using either propane tanks or natural gas. If your gas grill has only one burner, a water pan should be placed under the grate to create indirect heat. If you have two or three burners, make sure the turkey is placed away from the flame. This is done by turning off one burner and placing the turkey in that area.

Aside from grilling, you can also roast turkey by using the oven.

Turkey can be successfully cooked in whole or in parts using the microwave oven. But sometimes it is not advisable to cook it whole because it makes the turkey cook unevenly. The turkey may not be cooked to the proper internal temperature. Full size microwave ovens with 650 to 700 watts can only accommodate a small turkey ranging 8 to 10 pounds.

Given that metal thermometers cannot be used here, merely check when the cooking is completed. Insert an instant read thermometer on different parts of the turkey.

Electric Roaster Oven

This appliance serves as an extra oven for cooking a large roast.

Heat the oven first to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Then place the turkey on a oven rack or any other meat rack for the turkey to be kept out the juices that collect in the bottom of the oven. Leave the cover throughout cooking, removing it as little as possible to avoid the slowing of the cooking process. Check the internal temperature of the inner thigh until it reaches to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oven cooking bag method

This is one of the safest methods in roasting turkey. It is a delicious alternative to the traditional way of cooking turkey.

Pre-heat the oven using an oven-cooking bag to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. A tablespoon of dry flour should be shaken around to coat the empty bag to avoid bursting. The pan must be large enough for the turkey to sit easily in the center. Allocate space for the bag to enlarge during cooking so that it will not touch any part of the oven or it will melt.

A meat thermometer is inserted right through the thickest part of the plastic to know if the temperature of the turkey’s thigh reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Any of these methods of cooking your turkey will result in a delicious meal.

About the Author:
Niall Barco has been learning about turkey hunting for five years. http://Turkey-Hunting.info offers news, information, tips, views about turkey grills and ovens. Copyright http://Turkey-Hunting.info All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links back to http://Turkey-Hunting.info are included intact.
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Puerto Rican Cuisine

Puerto Rico is an island nation that is officially a territory of the United States. Puerto Rican cuisine has evolved from several strong influences, including those of the original peoples, such as the Tainos, and the Spanish conquerors that drove most of the natives out and enslaved the remaining. African and Caribbean influence is also reflected in the cuisine of the island, which has also been shaped significantly by its climate and geology.

Cocina criolla, one of the main cuisine styles particular to the island has deep roots, extending far back to the native Tainos and Arawaks. Their culinary traditions were based tropical fruits, native vegetables, seafood, and corn. With the Spanish came a host of other ingredients that expanded the criolla style. These included olive oil, rice, wheat and meats, such as pork and beef. As enslaved African peoples were imported for work on the sugar cane plantations, their culinary traditions took root as well, and their contributions, which included taro and okra, became assimilated into the whole of criolla cuisine.

Many of the island’s main dishes are seasoned with adobo and sofrito, spice mixtures that impart those flavors that the island is so well known for. Adobo, which can vary from cook to cook, or if bought prepared, from manufacturer to manufacturer, generally consists of black peppercorns, oregano, salt, garlic, olive oil, and lime juice. When bought prepared in powdered form, most include salt, powdered garlic, citric acid, pepper, oregano, turmeric and MSG, which is a good reason to spend a little time making your own if experimenting with Puerto Rican cuisine at home. While generally used for seasoning meats, it is considered to be a sort of all-purpose seasoning mixture.

Sofrito is made from onions, garlic, cilantro, peppers, and often includes achiote, which is from the seeds of the annatoo plant, and helps to produce a bright yellow color in the finished product. This, too, is used in a variety of dishes, ranging from meat dishes to soups to standard forms of beans and rice.

One pot dishes, or stews, are common to Puerto Rican cuisine. These are often made of meats, and flavored with a variety of spices and ingredients in addition to adobo and sofrito. Among these are Spanish olives stuffed with pimiento, sweet chili peppers, capers, potatoes, onions, garlic, fresh cilantro, and occasionally raisins.

Chicken with rice is a dish that has become a Puerto Rican specialty, with many families having their own special style, handed down from generation to generation. Chicken is a main ingredient of many criolla dishes, and these dishes, while careful attention is given to spicing techniques, rarely are they what could be termed hotly spiced.

Naturally, seafood is an important part of the island cuisine. Fried fish is often served with a special sauce made of olives, olive oil, onions, pimientos, capers, tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaves. Broiled, steamed or grilled fish is lightly seasoned, if at all, during the cooking process and served with a splash of lime juice with perhaps just a hint of garlic.

Puerto Rican cuisine has many facets, arising from the island’s long, complex history. The blend of native culinary traditions with those of the European settlers and the enslaved African populations that they brought with them has resulted in a unique and flavorful cuisine that is beloved by many.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a food and nutrition expert specializing the Mexican, Chinese, and Italian food. Visit http://www.food-and-nutrition.com/ for more information on cooking delicious and healthy meals.
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3 Ways To Cook The Perfect Rice

Rice may be cooked by 3 methods, each of which requires a different proportion of water. These methods are boiling, which requires 12 times as much water as rice; the Japanese method, which requires 5 times as much; and steaming, which requires 2-1/2 times as much. Whichever of these methods is used, however, it should be remembered that the rice grains, when properly cooked, must be whole and distinct. To give them this form and prevent the rice from having a pasty appearance, this cereal should not be stirred too much in cooking nor should it be cooked too long.

BOILED RICE - Boiling is about the simplest way. Properly boiled rice not only forms a valuable dish itself, but is an excellent foundation for other dishes that may be served at any meal. The water in which rice is boiled should not be wasted, as it contains much nutritive material. This water may be utilized in the preparation of soups or sauces, or it may even be used to supply the liquid required in the making of yeast bread.

BOILED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. rice ; 3 tsp. Salt; 3 qt. boiling water

Wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Boil rapidly until the water begins to appear milky because of the starch coming out of the rice into the water or until a grain can be easily crushed between the fingers. Drain the cooked rice through a colander, and then pour cold water over the rice in the colander, so as to wash out the loose starch and leave each grain distinct. Reheat the rice by shaking it over the fire, and serve hot with butter, gravy, or cream or milk and sugar.

JAPANESE METHOD - Rice prepared by the Japanese method may be used in the same ways as boiled rice. However, unless some use is to be made of the liquid from boiled rice, the Japanese method has the advantage of being a more economical way of cooking this cereal.

JAPANESE METHOD (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. rice ; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt; 5 c. boiling water

Wash the rice, add it to the boiling salted water, and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Then cover the utensil in which the rice is cooking and place it in the oven for 15 minutes more, in order to evaporate the water more completely and make the grains soft without being mushy. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

STEAMED RICE - To steam rice requires more time than either of the preceding cooking methods, but it causes no loss of food material. Then, too, unless the rice is stirred too much while it is steaming, it will have a better appearance than rice cooked by the other methods. As in the case of boiled rice, steamed rice may be used as the foundation for a variety of dishes and may be served in any meal.

STEAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. rice; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt 2-1/2 c. water

Wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Cook it for 5 minutes and then place it in a double boiler and allow it to cook until it is soft. Keep the cooking utensil covered and do not stir the rice. About 1 hour will be required to cook rice in this way. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

Good luck.
Nora Maskuri
For more tips and recipes, visit http://mycookery.com/blog

About the Author:
Noraini Maskuri enjoys cooking and has professional training in bakery. She is the owner of MyCookery.com and has a blog at mycookery.com/blog
Content Provider: http://www.my-articles.com

The Perfect Steak Dinner - 3 Dishes (and one drink) to Food Nirvana

Here are four items that I think make the perfect steak dinner. Do all four. You won't disagree with me. What are the four?

Spicy Smoked Steak
Cheese Fries
Seasoned Green Beans
Homemade Milkshake

I'm getting hungry, so let's get started.

Spicy Smoked Steak
2 pounds of steak (round steak works fine)
MSG (sold as Accent in the seasoning section)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 eight ounce can of tomato sauce
1 large can mushrooms
1 banana pepper
2 bell green peppers
2 mid-sized onions
Some salt and pepper
Liquid smoke

Directions:
Tenderize the meat with a mallet and lightly coat the meat with the MSG powder. Take all the other ingredients, except the tomato sauce and put them on the top of the meat. It's important to keep it all on top.

Regarding the liquid smoke vary the amount you use to the amount of smokiness you want (don't overdo it, it's strong stuff). Pour the tomato sauce over the top of everything else.

Cover the steak snugly with foil. Poke holes in the foil. Cook it for half an hour at 400 degrees F. It's a good idea to have a cookie sheet under the steak in the oven to catch drippings. Cover the cookie sheet with foil for easy clean up. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and continue cooking for an hour.

Cheesy Fries
3 potatoes (scrubbed and sliced in to French fry shapes)
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1/3 cup parmesan cheese (not fresh-grated)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 chives

Directions:
Coat the fries in the butter. Mix the other ingredients together. Coat the fries in the mixture. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook them uncovered for forty minutes (less if you've thinly sliced them).

Seasoned Green Beans
10 fresh mushrooms
1 yellow onion
4 cups of frozen green beans
1 stick of butter
Mrs. Dash seasoning

Directions:
Chop the mushrooms and onions. Saute them until the onion is translucent. Heat the beans until they are tender. Drain the veggies and place them in a dish. Mix in the mushrooms, onion, butter, and Mrs. Dash.

Homemade Milkshake
4 cups of cold milk
4 cups of vanilla ice cream

Directions: Blend together in at high speed in a blender. Serves 4 to 5.

So there you have the perfect steak dinner. Personally, I think I'll fix this again tomorrow night. Good food is truly my weakness. Enjoy!

About the Author:
Nathan Pennington runs http://www.meatlodge.com. The Meat Lodge is devoted to all kinds of delicious meats and is full of recipes, short how-to's, and the like.
Click here now! ==> http://www.meatlodge.com
Submitted: 2006-09-10
Article Source: GO Articles

Secret To Cooking Vegetables

Vegetables are essential to the human diet. We get a great deal of our daily vitamin content from vegetables. We need to make sure that how we cook them does not drain vitamin contents and benefits of consumption.

Cooking vegetables can be tricky. Over cooking can make vegetables bland and soggy. My belief is that vegetables should not be boiled. Boling not only rob us of vitamin content, it is the main culprit in turning vegetables to a lifeless, tasteless form.

If we cannot boil, how do we proceed?

First option, steaming vegetables is always a good choice. This will leave vegetables full of life. They will be crisp and colorful. It will also not deplete the vegetables of their vitamin content.

By rule of thumb, vegetables will only need a few minutes in the steam.

For those who do not have official vegetable steamers, an easy steamer can be fashioned out a of pot, a metal colander, and a pot lid. Place a small amount of water in the bottom of a given pot. Fit the metal colander into the pot. Start to boil the water. You will begin the see the steam rise. Place your vegetables into the metal colander and place the pot lid over the metal colander and pot. This collection of kitchen items will allow you to steam vegetables as good as any fancy store bought steamer.

Another good option is to cook your vegetables in a wok. The secret to the wok is that it cooks quickly at a very high temperature. Vegetables retain their flavors, textures, and colors with small amount of nutrient loss.

My favorite wok recipe for vegetables is to cook broccoli, carrots, bok choy, and snow peas in a very light garlic sauce. The vegetables remain crisp and the garlic adds just the right amount of flavoring. This combination can be served with any cut of meat.

I hope you will see that secret to cooking vegetables is not to over cook. Vegetables need to remain crisp, full of color. As you learn different tricks to bringing your vegetables to life, these will become the most requested dishes on your dinner table.

About the Author:
Sharon Stajda loves cooking and entertaining. For more information, visit Cooking Vegetables
Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Frugal Cooking With Herbs

Herbs are fun to grow and easy to use. Herbs can be a frugal cook's best friend because they can enhance even the simplest fare making it seem grand! Herbs are easy to grow--you can even grow them on your kitchen windowsill.

The addition of herbs can change completely the flavor of foods-from homemade breads to soups, stews and vegetables. And they can add variety and excitement to your diet.

A beginner should use herbs with care, adding a little at a time and adjusting to your own taste. Each herb has its own individual flavor and certain herbs also have well-known associations with particular foods. Basil is often paired with tomatoes, rosemary with lamb, chives with cream cheese and cottage cheese.

Fresh herbs are wonderful as garnishes. Herb vinegars can be used in salad dressings, soups and marinades. You can also add fresh herbs to mayonnaise or butter for a different flavor.

Fresh herbs will keep in the refrigerator for several days. A good way to freeze herbs such as basil, oregano, and dill is to chop, place in ice cube trays, cover with water and freeze. Then just add to stews and sauces when needed.

Some easy herbs to grow are lemon balm, rosemary, oregano, dill, basil, parsley, peppermint, lavendar, sage. Of course, you can buy herbs to cook with at the supermarket, also.

Here are some simple recipes to get you started using herbs in your cooking.

Lemon Chive Dressing

1 clove garlic
dash of salt
Rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
and the juice
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Put the garlic and salt in a bowl and crush together. Add lemon rind, juice and mustard, stirring until smooth. Slowly whisk in the oil. Fold in chives and season with black pepper, if desired.

This is a good dressing to pour over warm, cooked new potatoes. Add finely chopped green onions.

Mint Iced Tea

Wash 8 sprigs of fresh mint, 12 inches long (any mint, spearmint, peppermint, applemint will do). Place in blender with 4 cups water and liquefy. Let it set for about 1/2 hour and strain.

Herb Butter

1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons of dried herbs

Soften the butter to room temperature. Finely chop the fresh herbs. Blend herbs and butter well. Store in fridge.

Use to season vegetables, as a spread on bread, biscuits or baked potatoes. Anywhere you normally use butter.

Here's something different: not really cooking, but a recipe that you might find fun!
Basil-Lemon Facial Mask

Pulverize a handful of fresh basil leaves. Peel 1/2 of an avocado and mash. Add avocado to basil in blender, along with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey.
Mix until smooth.

Apply to clean face and leave as long as desired. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

In short, you don't have to be an herb specialist to learn to enjoy using herbs.


About the author:
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the bi-weekly newsletter "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another", bringing you practical, money-saving tips, recipes and ideas. Visit her online at http://www.cynroberts.com to subscribe and receive the Free e-course, "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".
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Steakhouse is More Than Just Meat and Potatoes!

If you really want to enjoy your dinning experience in a steakhouse then you must really know how a good steak tastes like. Yes, there are steakhouses all over, but if you really want to enjoy your food and have a memorable dining experience then you have to search for the perfect place. It is not only about meat and potatoes. A special occasion calls for special celebration in the company of special people. So why don’t you go to a steakhouse to celebrate any memorable experience or occasion.

To enjoy eating steak, you must know about the different types of steak that are made. Ideally a steak dinner consists of a cooked steak with a side dish. In a steakhouse, steaks are cooked in different ways. To be able to enjoy an ideal steak, first of all you must understand that the taste of steak differs greatly depending on the way steak is cooked. Also you must try to find out what type of steak you best like to have.

There are certain common terms that are used to describe the steaks that are cooked in different temperature degrees. Some of the terms are rare, medium rare, raw, blue rare or very rare, well done, medium and medium well done. Once you find out what type of steak you like best to have, go to the steakhouse and ask them to make the steak just as you want to have it. All good steakhouses are capable of making different types of steak.

Select the best steakhouse to enjoy your steak. Yes, there are a quite number of references for a good steak house, and finding out the best from the lot can be quiet a difficult task. Word of mouth is a good way of going about it to find a good steakhouse. Only a genuine steak lover will be able to recognize and tell you where to find the best steak in town. So if you know of anyone who loves eating steak, then you have found out the source for guiding you to the best steakhouse in your city.

The internet is another source for you to find out the best steakhouse for dining with your family for any special occasion. Look on the internet and you will find an immense amount of information on the classic steakhouse. Reading the customer testimonials is also a great way for you to find out about the best steakhouse in your locality.

Beef steak is the most widely loved and eaten steak among the public. Some of the different types of beef steaks are flank steak, skirt steak, hanger steak, flat iron steak, Swiss steak, chuck steak, filet mignon, rump steak, rib steak and round steak.

Many steakhouses also have the provision of arranging Sunday parties and other private parties for customers. So if you want to book a steakhouse for celebrating any special event, just tell them well in advance about what things you want for the event. Almost all major steakhouses have the facility for hosting private parties for clients.

About the Author:
Mark Joseph holds a Masters Degree in Hotel Management. He loves good food and arranging private parties. He is working for Markjosephsteakhouse. To book for Sunday private parties and enjoy tasteful food visit #1 Rated Steak House in New York http://www.markjosephsteakhouse.com/www.markjosephsteakhouse.com
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Cooking Tips For Chicken : Fast And Time Saving

Boneless chicken breasts are your best bet for quick-cooking poultry. They can be a little pricey compared to buying the whole bird (especially if you buy even more expensive cuts, such as breast pieces trimmed into strips or nuggets), but the time savings are well worth it. Without bones and skin it will only take you a few extra seconds to trim the breasts into even faster-cooking strips and cubes.

A whole chicken cut into pieces will cook in less than half an hour in the oven, but if you have a little extra time, a whole roasted chicken is a surprisingly easy alternative, because you don't have to cut it up or handle it excessively. You can sprinkle a few seasonings on the outside, cook it at quite a high heat for speed, and have a moist and delicious roast bird ready in an hour. You may even end up with some leftovers for sandwiches or chicken salad. Roasting vegetables in the pan with chicken sounds like a good idea, but it will actually slow your cooking time and saturate the vegetables with grease. If you don't have any extra time, and may be watching the calories, instead, set baking potatoes on an upper oven rack while the chicken cooks and cook some broccoli or carrots on top of the stove.

Rotisserie chickens, either from one of several national chains or from the deli section of your supermarket, are a blessing to cooks on the run. The intense heat and slow cooking of the rotisserie process makes the chicken deliciously browned on the outside, and they are usually very moist on the inside. Buy a large one and serve it carved, as if it was a regular roast chicken you just pulled out of the oven, or get a smaller one and strip off the meat to incorporate into salads, sandwiches, and casseroles.

About the Author:
Allan Thomas
There are abundance of free cooking recipes and tips available at : http://www.101cookingrecipes.com , http://www.desserts-recipes.com http://www.101vegetarianrecipes.com
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