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Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts

Friday, January 14, 2011

Healthy & Delicious Chili Chicken Recipe Cook at Home


We live in a very busy world. It is often hard to keep up with the laundry and daily house chores after working all day, let alone try to prepare a good meal for your family that is not just quick, but nutritious for them as well. Homemade cooking can allow you to not only prepare nutritious meals, but they will think you have been cooking all day. After working all day, it is very tempting to just stop and buy take out food, but this isn't really very good for your family to eat on a regular basis.

We are in a world that is full of convenience. Homemade cooking can be very simple all you have to do is be a little creative. Cooking could be fun if it's not a complicated recipe.

Home Made Chili Chicken Dinner

Family dinner doesn't get any better than this convenient yummy-in-the-tummy chicken dish. After all, self-cooking food assured with top class of "quality control" and less expensive!

Preparation Time: 25 minutes;

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients-

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 2 pounds)

Ground cloves

1 1/2 cups diced seeded red bell peppers

1 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted imported green olives

4 small bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon hot chili paste or 1 small Serrano Chile, chopped

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice (9 to 10 ounces), rinsed, drained

2 to 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Method-

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high flame. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper, then lightly with ground cloves. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.

Pour off all but 4 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add bell peppers, onion, raisins, olives, bay leaves, garlic, and chili paste to skillet. Saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Press chicken into rice. Add 2 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 20 minutes.








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Cooking ahead is the perfect solution for those people who love the taste of a homemade meal, but rarely have enough time to cook and actually enjoy it. The whole idea is to take a day and create your meals for the entire week.


Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Cholesterol Lowering Recipes - Cooking Tips and Recipe Ideas to Lower Cholesterol


Believe it or not, there are many great cholesterol lowering recipes out there that are not only tasty, but easy to make as well. You can make tasty dishes at home that do not have a lot of salt or fat, helping you to reduce your risk of negative health problems. If you are not sure how to start preparing the right recipes to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level, here is a look at some great tips and recipe ideas that will help.

Reduce Saturated Fat in Meats

When you start cooking, one of the important things you should do is to reduce the saturated fat in meats. Depending on how you prepare meats and the cuts you choose, the saturated fat can vary. There are some things you can do to make sure you reduce the amount of saturated fats that are in the meats that you cook up.

One idea is to make sure you go with lean meat cuts that do not have a lot of fat on them. When it comes to beef, loin, chuck, sirloin, round are the leaner options. Before you cook the meat you can trim off the fat on it as well. Instead of frying, broil the meats and use racks so you can drain away the fats. Removing the skin from meats like turkey or chicken can reduce saturated fats and staying away from organ meats or processed meats is imperative as well.

Add Seafood to Your Diet

Some of the best cholesterol lowering recipes out there use seafood in them and seafood should be added to your diet a couple times each week. While there are fatty and lean fish options, either way fish will be low in the saturated fats. Do not ruin the seafood by frying it. Instead broil, boil, grill, or bake the seafood. A lot of seafood has important Omega 3 fatty acids in it as well, which can help to reduce levels of bad cholesterol.

Use Fresh Vegetables on a Regular Basis

Another important cooking tip to keep in mind when fixing cholesterol lowering recipes is to use fresh vegetables on a regular basis. Fresh veggies are part of a healthy diet. Just make sure you don't ruin them by frying. Steam or saut? them with a small amount of olive oil. Use seasonings instead of fat and salt to make vegetables tasty. A few ideas include using basil along with tomatoes, zucchini and oregano, peas with some rosemary, and carrots seasoned with marjoram.

Go with Egg Whites

You should also consider making your recipes with egg whites instead of with whole eggs if at all possible. Eggs are a great source of protein and if you eliminate the yoke, you help to cut down on the cholesterol that you are taking in. Every egg should be replaced with two egg whites when you are substituting.

These are just some easy tips that you can use when cooking to make sure you are eating a healthy diet on a regular basis. Use these tips along with your cholesterol lowering recipes and you will be able to quickly see results, lowering bad LDL levels and raising your good HDL levels of cholesterol.








And, by implementing a few cholesterol lowering recipes, you can definitely achieve reduced cholesterol levels. To find out more about natural methods of controlling this health issue, visit http://www.naturalcholesteroltreatment.net now.

From Rajagopalan, A strong advocate of natural healthy living.


Monday, December 27, 2010

Enhance Recipe Resources Using Software


Cooking and Nutrition have been incredibly hot topics over the past couple of years. Other hot topics such as anti aging and fitness exercise are discussed in correlation with cooking and nutrition on a regular basis. At the same time the rise in Cooking Television Shows has been exponential. This craze has resulted in a cooking channel! A channel devoted to a plethora of cooking shows! These television shows often have associated websites where their recipes are cataloged and made available.

Technology has allowed us access to these websites and recipes at a moments notice but in order to organize and keep your favorites on hand it may be necessary to create a file or use a software package. I have researched and will offer a review of a few software products that I recommend. These products will allow you to import, catalog and print your recipes in a variety of convenient formats.

1. MasterCook Deluxe 9.0 by ValuSoft

Product Features


Meal-planning software with 8,000+ recipes and 100s of international recipes



Thorough search capabilities; expert nutritional analysis



Professional tips, cooking for a crowd, and essential cooking techniques



Enjoy 400 savory baking recipes with step-by-step instructions



Print shopping lists for single recipes or entire menus, or download to PDA

2. Cook'n for Every Holiday by DVO Enterprises

This instructional computer software [http://www.thesoftwarespot.com/default.asp?SID=xSUDBN7CQH9W2UP3PGZYM6&S=500&A=F&SearchText=&CategoryID=1695949&NID=6372614] includes 582 recipes, recipe manager, menu planner, and more!

Product Features:


Search thousands of recipes in seconds--just tell it what you have on hand



Adjust recipe serving sizes automatically



Demonstrate preparation techniques with video clips



Display hundreds of full-color food photos



Organize your own recipes



Print your recipes on decorative 3x5 cards



Create weekly menus



Make grocery shopping lists



Analyze the nutritional value of your recipes

Recipe Manager:


Organizing your family recipe collection in the computer is easy with Cook'n. You already know how to put in your recipes, that's because Cook'n's recipe window looks just like a recipe card. And, "Quick-Fill" editing does much of the typing for you.



Cook'n has simple cookbook-like chapters and categories that make it easy to find your recipes fast.



Cook'n's Recipe Manager makes entertaining a snap. Simply select the number of guests you will be serving and enter it into your favorite recipe. Cook'n calculates the new ingredient amounts for you.

Menu Planner:


Build your own weekly and monthly menus



Drag and drop meals to make your menus



Combine recipes and food items to make complete meals. Then, drag and drop meals to make your own weekly or monthly menus.

Grocery Shopping Assistant


Compiles your family's shopping list automatically



Organizes shopping list items by aisle



Converts to package sizes (e.g., tablespoon tomato paste to 8 oz. cans)



Calculates your grocery cost

Personal Home Nutritionist


Analyze the nutritional elements of recipes and menus (even the ones you add!)



Choose between brands to satisfy dietary needs



Cook'n will analyze the nutritional value of any recipe or menu (even the ones you add!). Easy to read...Cook'n nutrition facts window looks just like the label on a can.



Cook'n has nutrition facts from the labels of 10,000 food products. You can choose between different brands to see what the nutritional effect is.



Now you can plan menus based on dietary needs and tastes. Prepare one delicious meal for the entire family.



Home Cookin: Recipe Software by Mountain Software

Product Features:

· Easy to Use Interface - Home Cooking uses a simple tabbed interface that is easy to operate while providing all the features you use most. You can create as many chapters as you wish. Home Cookin will keep everything sorted alphabetically so you can quickly browse through your collection, and find your favorites easily.

· Easy Recipe Entry

· Import and Export Capabilities - Thousands of free recipes can be found on web pages, newsgroups, and various mailing lists. You can easily add these to your collection by importing them into Home Cookin. Most standard formats are supported.

· Meal Planning - The meal calendar makes it easy to plan your upcoming meals. Locate your desired recipes, then add them to the calendar. Add personal notes if you plan on eating out, want to indicate a holiday, or to reference recipes in other cookbooks. When you are ready to prepare the meal, you can access the recipe quickly from the meal calendar.

· Grocery Management - The Home Cooking grocery manager will make quick work of preparing your grocery shopping lists. Start a new list, select the items you need, and print. A cost estimate is calculated as you select each item, so you'll know ahead of time how much you'll be spending on your groceries. The printed list is compact and sorted by store and location to make your shopping trip as easy as possible.

Websites provide us with recipes at a moments notice but in order to organize and keep them handy and get the most use of them it may be necessary to create a file or use a software package. I have provided a review of a few software products that I found to be of good quality. These products will allow you to import, analyze, catalog and print your recipes in a variety of convenient formats including a grocery list!








I have an extensive background in Finance and Fiscal Procedure. I also have a web business where I offer Educational Computer Software and Games [http://www.thesoftwarespot.com/default.asp?S=500&A=F&SearchText=&CategoryID=1695863&NID=6372614]. I am very interested in the product itself as well as the subject matter that it involves.

Please use the link above to visit us at The Software Spot! Thank you, Allison Merlino


Monday, December 20, 2010

Grilled Pork Chops Recipe - Cook Them the Healthier Way

The most important thing to remember before you attempt grilled pork chop recipes is this: This type of meat grilled has a tendency to dry quickly. Pork is a delicious grilling meat for its wonderful flavor. But, it can taste dry if overcooked. On the other hand, pork should always be cooked so that no pink color can be seen. Having that in mind, there are many ways to prepare pork on the grill that are as delicious as they are appealing in presentation. With pork, preparation is important to achieve the correct results. Grilling any meat can create a tough, dry texture is not properly prepared beforehand.


One of the simplest grilled pork chop recipes requires a simple blend of crushed garlic, lime juice and olive oil.


Lemon may be substituted if preferred for this recipe.
1-2 crushed garlic cloves (depending on your preference for stronger garlic flavor)
2 tablespoons of olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
the juice of 1 lime (or lemon as preferred)
1/3 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
(Optional: For a bit of heat, add 1 small dried jalapeno pepper)


In a small bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil and water. Whisk until well blended. Add crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Brush pork chops until well coated. Allow to stand in a large bowl for 20 minutes. Pork may turn a slight white color from marination. Grill over low to medium heat until meat is fully cooked through.


Some grill pork chop recipes are as easy as 1-2-3:
Brush chops with olive oil to retain juices.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Grill on both sides
When pork chops are done, brush with prepared tomato sauce on each side and grill for 3-5 minutes more on each side or until slightly brown.


Another of these easy and quick grilled pork chop recipes has a down-home flavor. Yet the ingredients are simple to blend together:
1 tablespoon of spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/3 cup bacon cooked until crumbly
1 tablespoon water


Blend all ingredients in a small bowl. Grill pork chops 3 minutes. Brush with mixture. Grill over slow flame until meat is cooked through.


Grilled Pork Chops and Apples
Prepare a rub using the following ingredients:
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh or dehydrated coriander (fresh preferred)
Blend all ingredients. Set aside.


Marinate Pork Chops for 20 minutes in 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons walnut oil, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 cup water. Drain pork chops but reserve the marinade.


Grilled Apples: Apples may be any baking variety preferred. Core Apples to remove seeds. Apples may be prepared with or without skin. They are prettier if you use red and greed apples with the skins on. But, either way is preferable. Dip whole apples in remaining marinade. Roll in brown sugar until lightly coated. Place on a grilling tray or foil.


Rub pork chops on both sides until a delicate color. Place chops and apples on grill, turning until thoroughly cooked through.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

My Favorite Egg Recipe Cook Books

Eggs are an essential part of our diet and a staple food for some. The doctors too advise that the daily intake of eggs keeps us away from many an ailment. In this day of fast track technology, there have been many changes in the process of chicken rearing which has affected the quality of eggs too.


Earlier only the eggs produced from the farm chickens was in use but over the years the scene has shifted to a more technological poultry practice. This has increased the number of poultry birds and their egg laying capacity but somewhere down the line, the genuineness of the pasture raised chicken eggs gets lost.


There are many people who prefer the organic eggs as compared to the commercial ones which are available in the super markets. Then there are also different varieties of eggs which are graded according to their quality, their freshness and also their size. It has been rightly said in a Russian proverb that "Love and eggs are best when they are fresh."


There are many cook book writers who have written a lot about this wonderful thing called the Egg. There are many such books available in the open market as well as online stores. Some of these books are targeted at the culinary novices while others aim to please the professionals as well as the routine culinary experts.


These recipes can be used to make some very delicious dishes. These delicacies can be prepared in the egg cookers which are available in the market. This saves both the time and fuel too and is a lot less messy.


Various authors have put up different ideas in their books about cooking eggs. Some of them talk only about the organic eggs, some others about farm fresh and rest others use the commercially produced eggs. According to all these experts, the taste, smell and look of the dish changes with the variety of the eggs used.


One of the most sought after cook books for egg recipes is the Totally Eggs Cookbook which has 47 appetite raising recipes. It is written by Helen Siegel and Karen Gillingham wherein they have suggested some very time saving recipes which can be prepared in minutes. The book includes recipes related to starters, appetizers, salads and soups and also some egg bread and beverages. The book also consists of sweet dishes made from eggs.


The Farmstead Egg Cookbook by Terry Golson is another book which can be used for ready reference by both the expert and novice cooks. She speaks about the eggs which have been hatched in her backyard and which she feels are more nutritious than the commercially produced ones. According to the author, these eggs have a richer flavor and better texture than the ones that are available in the supermarkets.


The staple diet for many Americans is the egg. Michael Roux, a world renowned chef has compiled some 100 recipes in his book called the Egg which revolve around this nutritious and healthy food product. The book contains some classic day to day egg recipes as well as some exotic and modernized recipes too. It also has some recipes which have been specially created by the chef himself.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe - Cooking With Basil

When the days start getting shorter and the growing season is coming to an end, it's the perfect time to make this tomato basil soup recipe. Enjoy the bounty of your harvest now and wow your friends and family with this wonderful soup. Add some yummy rolls and maybe a salad and your all set.


Before you start, be sure the herbs are clean and dry. One way to do this is to water them early in the morning and let them air dry until about mid morning. Harvesting herbs before the mid-day heat allows the plant to retain the essential oils which is what makes them taste so good. Another way to harvest your basil as suggested by Phyliss Shaudy in her book, Herbal Treasures, is to pick a warm breezy day and place two or three bowls of tepid water in the area you are going to work. Harvest the herbs and swish them in the bowls of water and shake off as much water as possible. Then, place the herbs between layers of white paper towels and allow them to air dry outside for 2 or 3 hours. Be sure to change the toweling once or twice. To speed up the process, de-stem their foliage and pat dry the leaves frequently.


Tomato Basil Soup Recipe


Ingredients


2 teaspoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, un-drained 2 cups fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I used sweet basil) Basil or parsley leaves (optional for garnish)
Preparation


Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in basil.
Place half of the soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a bowl, and repeat procedure with remaining soup. Garnish with basil or parsley leaves, if desired.


Cooking with basil, especially if you grew it yourself, is wonderfully satisfying. There are so many recipes to try and over 150 varieties of basil worldwide. Pick your favorite to experiment with.