Use Olive Oil
January 5, 2010
If you don’t use olive oil to cook with, then you should probably reconsider. The benefits associated with olive oil keep coming over and over. As far as we know, olive oil helps prevent heart disease, it lowers cholestrol, it lessens the risk of the development of gallstones, and it has been proven to decrease the risks of colon cancer. Plus, if you use extra vergion olive oil, then you’re using a version that has more anti-oxidants. This version of olive oil has been processed the least, so it still contains a good supply of Vitamin E and phenol, two especially helpful anti-oxidants.
Plus, in addition to the health benefits, olive oil gives food great flavor. I keep a jar beside my stove and add olive oil to vegetables, rice, and even potatoes. Olive oil is oil- which means it does contain fat, but you’ve got to keep in mind that it’s the good fat. In other words, it’s a monosaturated omega 9-oil. In laymen’s terms, that means it’s the good fat, and believe it or not, it’s important to get some fat in your diet.
Easy Appetizers for New Years
December 28, 2009
If your hosting a New Year’s party, then you’ll proabably serve cocktails. If this is the case, you’ll want to provide finger foods for your guest to snack on througout the night. Don’t ruin your day by slaving in the kitchen. Use these simple ideas to provide easy, tasty apps for your guests.
1. Make a veggie plate. Buy pre-cut veggies, and fill a bowl with ranch dressing.
2. Cut up velveeta into cubes and throw them in a crock pot. Add a can or two of rotel tomatoes, and throw some tortilla chips in a bowl.
3. Buy cocktail weenies. Throw them in a crock pot with a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce.
4. Mix a cup of oil with your favorit spices. Garlic salt, lemon pepper, red pepper, and cumin all work well. Use the oil mixture to coat pretzel sticks by shaking them in a bag.
5. Place bowls of mixed nuts in various rooms.
6.Buy cheese, summer sausage, and crackers, and place them on a serving dish. Add a small bowl of your favorite mustard, and you’ll have a yummy station.
7. Buy a plate of fresh fruit. In a bowl, mix whipped cream with vanilla yogurt for a tasty fruit dip.
8. Buy a bag of party mix, and place it in bowls in various rooms.
Make your holiday simple, and you will be relaxed. Your guests will appreciate your mood, and they’ll enjoy munching on these tasty snacks.
how to cook
December 19, 2009
About Mushrooms
At the market look for mushrooms that appear fresh, feel firm and smell good. They should not look dry, shriveled, or darkened – these signs indicate the mushrooms are old.
They can be stored in the refrigerator for several days but they must have good air circulation. Store them in a paper bag with a few holes punched in it. Do not store them in plastic – they will sweat and rot quickly.
To prepare them for cooking, trim away any darkened or discoloured parts with a knife and remove the stems. Use as little water as possible to clean them. A soft-bristled dry brush is good for removing most dirt. A dampened paper towel can also be used to wipe them clean.
Large Portobello mushrooms should be peeled and the dark gills under the cap removed. (The gills will impart an unpleasant brown colour to anything they’re cooked with.) Cut the cap in half. Place the cut-side on the work surface. With a sharp paring knife slice off the dark gills as though you’re slicing a piece of bread from a loaf.
Spears of asparagus are the tender young shoots of a large Eurasian perennial plant, asparagus officinalis. It grows into a four-foot tall, fern-like plant, each plant requiring several square feet of space. For this reason it isn’t very practical to grow in a small kitchen garden.
The spears are harvested in the late spring when they are between 6 and 12 inches above the ground and quite green. The first spears to be harvested can be very thin; the stalks fatten and get juicier as they mature. For this reason always look for the fattest specimens.
Warm Moroccan Crunch Salad
December 4, 2009
This salad adds a bit of the exotic to your meal. Combining contrasting flavors of fresh carrots and apples with dates and herbs to the tahini dressing simply perks up this dish. You can replace dates with raisins and even add some sliced radish to spice it up even more.
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
300 g (or 3 pcs) carrots, peeled and grated
2 pcs apples, washed, cored and sliced thinly
1/4 cup dried dates, sliced thinly
50 grams wansuy leaves. chopped
1/4 kilo scallops, washed and dried
50 grams mint leaves, chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil, extra virgin
2 tbsps tahini
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsps toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp wasabe powder (optional)
Procedure:
1. Pre-heat olive oil in frying pan.
2. Season scallops with paprika and cool scallops until done.
3. Combine ingredients for dressing.
4. Pour over carrots, apples and dates.
5. Chop wansuy and mint just before serving and combine with carrot mixture.
6. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the mixture and toss to combine flavors.
7. Top with scallops.
Nutrition Facts:
Calories 358, Total carbohydrate 14g, Protein 4g, Total fat 34g, Saturated Fat 5g, Monounsaturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 2mg, Sodium 35mg, Dietary Fiber 2g, Carbohydrate Exchanges 1
Crispy Potato with shrimp
September 10, 2009
One of the most favorite filipino dishes that i want to eat over and over again. Crispy potato with shrimp is more delicious when it combined with a diping of vinegar with garlic, onion, pepper, salt, sugar and the famous spicy herbs. It easily to prepared just put oil in the pan to fry it.
Mushroom Pizza
September 9, 2009
Ingredients:
2 pizza bases
100 gm mushroom
1 tomato
1 capsicum
2 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion (chopped)
1 teaspoon oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For garnishing
1/2 cup cheese (grated)
Method
Cut mushroom into thin slices. Heat oil and cook mushrooms and onion with salt and pepper till they are dry. Butter the pizza base, and then spread tomato sauce. Put over
it the mushroom mixture. Put tomato rounds and capsicum over it.
Sprinkle cheese and bake in the hot oven till cheese melts. Serve hot.
Mushroom salad mould
September 9, 2009
Ingredients:
6-8 big mushrooms
½ cup potatoes(boiled and mashed)
1 cup paneer(or cheese grated)
2 tablespoon milk powder
2 tablespoon maidha(flour)
Oil for frying
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste
2 pinch of turmeric
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
2 large onions
1 green chilli
2 large tomatoes
2 tablespoon curd
For garnishing:
2 tablespoon cream
Method
Make a fine dough of potatoes, paneer(cheese), milk powder, maida and salt. Divide into 6-8 parts. Make balls. Put one mushroom ineach ball. Make egg shaped koftas and fry in oil on a low flame.
Chop and boild onions, grind along with chillies, tomatoes, curd, salt and turmeric.
Heat oil and fry the masala till well blended. Add 1 ½ cups of water. Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Put koftas in a serving dish and pour hot gravy over these. Decorate with cream and serve.
Mushroom salad
September 9, 2009
Ingredients:
100 gm mushroom
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup cabbage (chopped)
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 cup moong sprout
Salt to taste
1 cup carrot (grated)
½ teaspoon pepper
Method:
Cut mushrooms into 4 pieces and boil for 3-4 minutes in salted water. Mix all the ingredients. Chill and serve.
Eggless cake
September 1, 2009
Ingredients: ½ cup margarine, ½ cup flour, ½ cup condensed milk, ½ teaspoon baking powder, vanilla essence.
Method: Sift maida (flour) and baking powder. Rub in margarine for 2 minutes. Blend condensed milk and vanilla with the maida mixture till the mixture is soft and fluffy. Pour in a greased dish and bake for 25-30 minutes at moderate temperature.
Tomato pasta
September 1, 2009
Ingredients: 2 cups tomatoes, 2 cups cooked pasta, 1 cups white sauce, ½ cup cheese (grated), salt, ½ cup chilli sauce, breadcrumbs
Method: Blanch tomatoes, peel and chop. Boil a pan of water. Add pasta, salt and a few drops of oil. Boil and cook till it is half done. Drain and keep aside. Mix cooked pasta, tomatoes, white sauce, salt and chilli sauce. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Bake in a preheated oven till top is golden in colour.
