“Spice Up” Your cheesecake
November 26, 2008
Wal-mart sells premade cheesecakes for only $4 something. Take it home and “spice it up” yourself. Drizzle caramel over it, crush some pecans and sprinkle them on top. Or buy the cherry filling or fresh strawberries and top the cake. Or use chocolate chips or M and M’s. The possibilities are endless.
Take an ordinary and inexpensive cake and make it your own.
Use your slowcooker
November 26, 2008
This is a great way to cook food while you’re not at home. Basically, find a meat for your stew. Do you want chicken or beef? Throw it in. Add a bag of frozen vegetables or fresh ones from the fridge. Add some spices and canned tomatoes and that’s all you really need. The food will be nice and cooked when you get home.
If you’re New Mexican, throw green chile in there too.
Bagel Pizzas
November 24, 2008
Take a whole wheat bagel (or an English muffin, if you prefer) and spread on a generous helping of no sugar added, organic marinara sauce. Top with SLICES (not shredded) mozerella cheese. Top with thin tomatoes sliced in quarters, as well as pepperonni, also sliced in quarters. Top with fresh basil or fresh spinich. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with garlic and oregano.
Heat in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for five minutes and its ready to eat. Well, let it cool down first.
Pour some root beer to pair it off.
Olive dip
November 24, 2008
Take a tub of sourcream and dump it in a bowl. Finely chop lots of green olives, and add it to the sour cream. Fold in shredded cheddar cheese. Add sea salt and ground black pepper. You’ve got yourself a dip!
Serve with whole wheat Wheat Thins and your guests will love it.
cream of mushroom
September 20, 2008
i always love instant cream of mushroom soup. you just have to put water and let it boil.
how to make cream of mushroom soup?
Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Things You’ll Need:
1 lb white mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup water
Step1
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel, then slice them.
Step2
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the mushrooms, the onion, the sprig of thyme, and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Step3
Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine or broth and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Step4
Add salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step5
Add the half-and-half, heavy cream, and water and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.
Well its that easy. Ill make one this weekend.
How to make a garlic bread
June 27, 2008
Garlic bread
French bread (medium size n partially cut into pieces )
Butter 25g
garlic mash ½ tsp
salt pinch (to taste)
Method
Melt the butter then add salt and garlic together .
paste the mixture both the side bread with knife.
place in an preheated oven at 200 C for 12 minutes
serve hot with roast, chicken breast
variations
also sprinkle grated cheese between each loaf of bread and on top to make it a garlic bread with cheese
My favorite Brazo de Mercedes
June 26, 2008
Ingredients for the meringue:
10 eggwhites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Ingredients for the filling:
10 eggyolks
1 can condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Grease, line and grease again a 14×14 inch brazo pan. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, beat eggwhites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Fold in the vanilla. Spread meringue on prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until set.
3. In a double boiler, combine all the ingredients for the filling and cook until thick.
4. Prepare a sheet of brown paper and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Invert baked meringue on the brown paper. Spread the filling over it. Roll tightly. Dust with more confectioners’ sugar.
COOKING TECHNIQUES
June 26, 2008
“It’s my belief that the best way to become a good cook is to learn these basic cooking techniques.”
Once you learn how to handle these fundamental techniques, you will be able to handle most recipes. Cooking is not just about recipes….it is about how to take ingredients and make them taste as good as possible.
Recipes are great road maps to show us how someone else got there, but one of the joys of cooking is to find your own paths. Knowing these techniques is like taking the car out for a spin in a new location. You’re not sure where you are going to end up, but getting there will be fun.
Saute
learn to sauté properly and you will be able to create hundreds of dishes without a recipe.
Cooking Pasta
quick tips on cooking your favorite pastas
Roasting
who doesn’t love a roasted chicken or Sunday roast beef.
Braising
may be my favorite way of cooking.
Grilling
it’s what us guys do best….at least that’s what we think
Brining
It’s what we should be doing before grilling but don’t
Mise en Place
in my opinion, one of the most important steps in cooking
and one most often not done.
Sauces
How to Make Incredible Sauces at Home?
Pan Roasting
How professional cooks do it. A little pan searing. A little oven roasting.
Stir Fry
quick, easy, nutritious, and a lot of fun
Deglazing
an essential part of learning how to sauté.
How to Cut an Onion
Learn this simple but effective method for cutting an onion that I learned from a professional chef.
How to Buy and Cook Sweet Corn
A quick lesson in buying and cooking sweet corn this summer.
How to Grill Corn
Learn how to grill fresh sweet corn whenever it is available.
How to make a Mayan Truffles - simple & easy
June 25, 2008
Ingredients· 1 c Whipping cream · 1 t instant coffee · 6 oz Semi-sweet chocolate pieces · 12 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips · 1⁄8 c Coffee liqueur · 1⁄4 c Cocoa
How to Cook
1. Bring cream to the boiling point in a medium saucepan.
2. Remove from heat and add 12 ounces chocolate chips and instant coffee, cover.
3. Allow to sit 10 minutes.
4. Remove lid and stir.
5. Add coffee liqueur.
6. Allow mixture to cool 2 hours in the refrigerator.
7. Shape into small balls on wax paper-lined trays and place in freezer.
8. Melt remaining chocolate and allow to cool slightly.
9. Dip balls in the chocolate and roll in the cocoa.
10. Store in the refrigerator.
How to make a Fruit sauce for buffalo roast
June 25, 2008
Ingredients· 1 c Seedless grapes · 1 c Dried apricots; diced · 1 1⁄2 c water · 1⁄2 STICK butter OR margarine · 1⁄2 c Madeira wine · 1⁄4 t Cinnamon · Pinch of cloves · Pinch of nutmeg · 1⁄2 t Powdered ginger · 1⁄4 t Salt · 1⁄2 c Ground or finely chopped · Nuts (almonds, hickory, or · Pecans)
Cooking Fruit sauce for buffalo roast
1. Cover grapes and apricots in saucepan with water and bring to boil.
2. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Drain fruit and add all remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Makes about 2 ½ cups.
