Bread made in a bowl with eggs and corn meal is called spoon bread. Make this bread without too much effort in about one hour. Spoon bread goes well with any meal. This spoon bread recipe impresses even the most sophisticated taste buds. Read on to learn more.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the corn meal, salt and water in a sauce pan.
3. Boil the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring continuously.
4. Stir the milk into the corn meal mixture.
5. Beat the egg with a whisk until the yoke and whites are well blended.
6. Add the egg and oil to the sauce pan while stirring the mix.
7. Chop the garlic. Blend it with the cheese and add to sauce pan. Use 1 tsp. of garlic powder in place of the garlic clove if no fresh garlic is on hand.
8. Grease the bowl with butter or baking spray. The bowl can be ceramic or metal, but not plastic.
9. Pour batter into the greased bowl.
10. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until firm.
11. Serve from the baking dish with a large, wooden spoon.
Gazpacho, a chilled tomato-based soup originated in the Andalusia region of Spain. Today, it's made all over the world with a number of variations. Below is a traditional recipe. Gazpacho is a great summertime accompaniment to grilled meats. It's also a fun and tasty way to get your kids to eat their vegetables.
Instructions
1. Chop the vegetables. Chop the celery, tomatoes, red onion, green pepper, cucumber, red bell pepper and garlic into a 1/4-inch dice. Or, using a food processor, pulse the vegetables until they are coarsely chopped, but not pureed.
2. Add the other ingredients. Add the tomato juice, olive oil and vinegar to the vegetable mixture. Stir well.
3. Chill well. Chill the soup for at least six hours before serving. The flavor improves the longer the soup chills. Try to leave it in the refrigerator overnight, if possible.
4. Garnish and serve. Shortly before serving, ladle the soup into bowls or glasses and garnish with julienned basil leaves. This recipe will serve four to six.
Be sure not to overcook your meat, even when glazing.
Raspberry chipotle sauce can add a sweet and a savory taste, as well as a little spicy heat to your meal. The sauce also gives a rich color, and when drizzled creatively, it can help give the appearance of a fine restaurant dish. Plain meat and fish often require a little kick of flavor.
Dip
Drizzle raspberry chipotle sauce over a block of cream cheese and set out crackers for guests to dip. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint. Or put it in little serving bowls. Dip meatballs or cocktail sausages. Either skewer each sausage or meatball with a toothpick or allow guests to use forks. The sweet and savory flavors of the sauce work in tandem to offer a more complex experience with every bite.
Glaze
To add a spicy kick to meat, brush raspberry chipotle sauce over poultry, pork, beef or shrimp while grilling or sauteing. The glaze can help keep your meat from over-drying. Some basting brushes come with hooks to keep the handle from sinking into the glaze. For a clearer glaze, strain the raspberry chipotle sauce through a strainer, mashing a spoon on the bits of raspberry and chilies to force more of the sauce through.
Spread
Spread the raspberry chipotle sauce over a french roll and make a sandwich with turkey and provolone cheese. Use it to spice up a wrap by spreading it on the tortilla. Choose from whole wheat, spinach or flour tortillas. Load up turkey or other deli meats. Add cheese and lettuce. To add a finishing touch, drizzle it on top of the wrap and eat it like a burrito.
Sauce
Raspberry chipotle sauce adds color to any meal, simply by pouring it carefully over beef, chicken or shrimp. Brush it on cooked meatballs or cocktail sausages. When serving on white plates, the raspberry color will pop off the plate. Drizzle it over the items and some of the bare spaces of the plate to add a touch of style to your meal.
Originating in a chips shop in Scotland less than two decades ago, the fried Mars bar created a trend that soon spread to other items, including the Snickers bar. The attraction of the fried candy and other foods is their novelty and improbability --- these are foods not typically fried. The taste combination of savory and sweet is another attraction to the fried Snickers bar. This uncomplicated, batter-fried snack item is enjoyed as much for its entertainment value as its taste. Fried Snickers bars are simple to make.
Instructions
1. Place a wrapped Snickers candy bar in the freezer. For best results, the candy bar should be very cold or frozen.
2. Put the oil into a deep saucepan and heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, egg and milk in the mixing bowl. Whisk until it's all blended.
4. Take the Snickers candy bar from the freezer, unwrap it and dip it into the batter with your fingers. Shake off any excess batter.
5. Ease the battered candy bar into the hot oil.
6. Fry the Snickers candy bar until it becomes a rich, golden color.
7. Remove the fried Snickers candy bar from the hot oil with the slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.
Burritos do not only have to be a lunch or dinner food. Here are some tips to help you make your own breakfast burritos:
Instructions
Make Breakfast Burritos
1. In a frying pan, cook the bacon over medium heat. Make sure to cook both sides by flipping the bacon over. Turkey bacon may be used instead as a healthier alternative. You will need 2 slices of bacon per burrito. Multiply however many burritos you are making by two to determine how many slices of bacon you should cook. Place the cooked bacon in a paper towel lined microwavable dish to drain the excess fat. Set the plate of bacon aside.
2. Clean your frying pan with warm water and soap. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk or beat the eggs until they are a buttery yellow color. Melt butter or spray the frying pan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook the scrambled eggs. Be sure to stir periodically to prevent burning or sticking. Add salt and pepper as desired and set the cooked eggs aside in a microwavable plate. You will need one egg per burrito.
3. Clean your skillet once again with warm water and soap. Fill the skillet half way with oil and warm it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is boiling, soften the tortillas one at a time: set it in the oil for 10 seconds, flip it and let sit for another 10 seconds and then place the tortilla in a paper towel lined plate. Be careful not to overheat the tortillas or they will become crispy instead of soft.
4. In the microwave, heat the bacon for 30-45 seconds. Stir the shredded cheese into the eggs and microwave for 30-60 seconds.
5. Lay the tortillas flat and place to slices of bacon on each. Spoon equal amounts of the egg and cheese mixture onto each tortilla. You can either fold or roll your burrito … whatever works best for you.
6. You’re all finished. If you have leftovers, you can warm them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Also feel free to dress up your burrito however you like. You can use ham, pepperoni or salami instead of bacon. You can also substitute egg whites if you are on a diet.
Tags: slices bacon, with warm, 30-45 seconds, bacon over, Clean your
Pesto is a unique ingredient that can be a cook's best friend. Its versatile uses lend it to almost any dish, and variations on the traditional pesto recipe can help it adapt to any meal. Used right, pesto is a great addition to any kitchen.
Features
Traditional pesto originated in Genoa, Italy. It is a paste composed of basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. The term pesto is derived from the word pestle, as it was originally made with a mortar and pestle. Today, much of the work is done with a food processor. Since pesto is not cooked, it is important to always use fresh ingredients and extra virgin olive oil. Pesto is fairly easy to make at home using a variety of recipes. It can also be store bought. Unless otherwise noted on the jar, the ingredients will be the traditional five noted above, though variations are numerous.
Function
The most traditional use of pesto is as a pasta sauce. Simply toss a small amount of pesto with cooked pasta, vegetables and a small amount of cooking water. Another popular use is as a topping on bread. A thin layer of pesto on lightly toasted French bread is an excellent appetizer. Pesto is also commonly added to soups. Some cooks like to spread a small dollop of pesto over cooked meats or fish. Though innovative uses for pesto are numerous, these are the most common and work well with traditional pesto.
Potential
For creative cooks, pesto offers unlimited possibilities. Pesto is often used on pizza. This works best when the pesto is added to the pizza after it has been cooked. Grilled shrimp and steak can also benefit from a touch of pesto. Add it to baked or mashed potatoes. Breakfast lovers can add pesto to omelets or scrambled eggs. Mixed with bread crumbs or cream cheese, pesto can be used as a stuffing in a variety of meats. With a little additional olive oil, it can be drizzled over rice. Pesto mixed with extra garlic and a touch of rosemary makes a wonderful seasoning for chicken. Mixed with vinegar, pepper and some additional olive oil, it makes a delicious vinaigrette. Pesto mixed with mayonnaise can be used as a sandwich spread.
Types
Aside from the traditional pesto recipe, there are many pesto variations to consider. You can make a spinach pesto with spinach, parsley, basil, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Other popular variations feature parsley or red peppers. Pesto made with sun-dried tomatoes is usually referred to as red pesto and is especially popular in pasta or on bruschetta. Walnuts and almonds are frequently used in place of pine nuts. The Parmesan cheese can be replaced with Romano or Asiago. To give the pesto a unique kick, the traditional olive oil can be replaced with walnut, raspberry or other flavored oils.
Considerations
Pesto is a great ingredient for creative cooks, as it can be adapted and used in almost any recipe. However, use pesto with caution. It is often very strong in flavor and should be used sparingly. A small amount will go a long way. Since even a main course will only use a little bit of pesto, it is common to have a lot left over. Pesto can be refrigerated or frozen easily. Add a layer of additional olive oil on top to keep the pesto from discoloring. A great way to freeze pesto in small, usable amounts is to use an ice cube tray. You can then thaw the pesto one cube at a time, as needed.
Tags: traditional pesto, additional olive, Parmesan cheese, pesto with, small amount, basil garlic, creative cooks
Trail mix is essentially a mixture of dry fruit, nuts and grains such as granola or oats. Originally designed to be eaten "on the trail," candy and chocolate have become popular additions to traditional mixes in recent years. The making isn't difficult. Simply select a combination of ingredients you find appealing, trying to choose from both sweet and salty for balance, and toss them together in a large bowl. It's the choosing what to put in that's the true challenge. To make a Halloween trail mix, try to select ingredients which reflect the season, both in color and in taste.
Instructions
1. Choose your fruit or fruits and put them in the bowl. Dried cranberries represent a food commonly associated with autumn while adding a nice ruby color to your bowl. Dried apricots or peaches cast an appealing orange glow to the mix as do pieces of candied orange peel. For a light brown addition, toss in an handful of apple chips and for yellow, you might add dried pineapple chunks. White can be achieved by stirring yogurt raisins in, while chocolate covered ones can add a bit of darkness to the combo.
2. Decide which nuts you'd like to add. Nuts can be raw or roasted, plain or candy coated. They add a nice crunch and a well rounded flavor to the mix in addition to being a good source of protein. Peanuts are the gold standard of trail mixes; however, you can also use cashews, walnuts, almonds or soybeans. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds can be tossed in as well. They increase the nutritional value of the snack mix and give the blend additional texture.
3. Select your desired grain products. Even if your crowd is picking around in the bowl, diligently avoiding anything that remotely resembles a piece of fruit, they will undoubtedly enjoy the grains you include. Granola is a popular choice as are low-sugar breakfast cereals such as Cheerios or Chex. A few pretzels can add a dash of salty crunch and so can a handful of cheese crackers. Inexpensive and flavorful, the grain component is used to "bulk up" the mixture, generally making up about half of the mix.
4. Add Halloween candies. The most expensive and most popular part of Halloween trail mix is probably the sweets thrown in for good measure. Candy corn holds up well to a variety of climatic conditions, blends well with other flavors and is a favorite seasonal treat. Miniature marshmallows also look nice in a bowl filled with autumn colors while chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips or seasonally colored chocolate candies all guarantee your success as a trail mix master.
5. Give all the ingredients a good stir and serve.
Tags: bowl Dried, chocolate chips, while chocolate, with autumn
Creating a treat without going near the stove—or even the microwave—is appealing for many reasons. You’re saving electricity, you’re keeping the house cooler in summer, you can make no-bake candies anywhere, and, of course, there is always a safety issue when kids use the oven. Kids who are old enough to read the directions can tackle these candies without adult supervision, unless of course you’re concerned they’ll eat the whole batch at once.
Instructions
1. Mix together the butter, corn syrup, salt and vanilla.
2. Divide mixture into two bowls. Mix1 pound of powdered sugar into each bowl. Knead the mixture from the first bowl until soft and totally mixed together. Repeat with the other bowl.
3. Divide the kneaded mixture into four parts.
4. Make one part of the mixture into candy oranges. Mix in red and yellow food coloring until mixture turns orange. Shape into small balls and add cloves at the tops.
5. Make a second part of the mixture into stuffed dates. Open the dates and stuff with the mixture and a walnut half.
6. Make the third part of the mixture into peppermint patties. Mix in just a little bit of red food coloring so that the mixture turns pink. Add the chopped peppermint candy. Make into small patty shapes.
7. Make the fourth part of the mixture into Peanut Squares. Mix in peanuts. Pat mixture into a rectangular shape. Cut into squares.
8. Store candies in the refrigerator in a covered container with sheets of waxed paper between layers.
Tags: mixture into, part mixture, part mixture into, food coloring, into small
The United States has been the largest producer of caviar since the 19th century. At one point, the country was processing more than 600 tons of caviar a year. Although American caviar isn't considered the highest quality of caviar in the world, compared to Russian caviar for instance, many tasty and beautiful types are available.
Paddlefish Caviar
The paddlefish caviar comes from places such as the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers. The size of roe can be slightly smaller than that of other caviar roes. Paddlefish caviar can look dark gray or black, or have a silver-grayish appearance. The caviar and has an earthy flavor, with a slightly buttery and mild taste, and the texture is soft.
Salmon Caviar
Salmon caviar, also referred to as red caviar, comes from the fresh waters of the U.S. The color of the roe ranges from red to orange or a glistening orange-red or orange-gold. The color and sizes vary depending on which kind of salmon it comes from. Salmon caviar is prized because its large roe can be the size of a pearl. It's juicy and crunchy.
American Golden Caviar
American golden caviar, sometimes referred to as whitefish caviar, comes from whitefish, which live in the northern Great Lakes. The roe are small and firm and can appear pale-orange or golden in color with an iridescent appearance. It has a crisp texture.
Hackleback Sturgeon Caviar
Hackleback sturgeon caviar comes from the hackleback sturgeon. This fish is faster growing in the Mississippi and Missouri river system, but smaller than most other sturgeons. The hackback sturgeon is often referred to as the shovelnose sturgeon or the sand sturgeon, and produces small roes. The roes are either near-black or all black, and have a sweet buttery taste.
Tags: comes from, caviar comes, caviar comes from, American caviar, black have, smaller than
Fructose is found in honey and fruits and is also synthesized commercially.
Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruits and honey. It is also commercially manufactured. Fructose has the same chemical formula as glucose, the most common sugar in foods, but a different arrangement of the atoms gives it somewhat different properties.
Chain Structure
The fructose chain is flexible enough to double back on itself and form a ring.
Both glucose and fructose have the chemical formula C6H12O6, and both consist of a linear six-carbon chain that is preferentially formed into a ring structure. In the linear form, both have a reactive group called a carboxyl that enables the transition between ring and chain structures. The crucial difference between glucose and fructose is the location of that carboxyl group. In glucose, it is located at the end of the carbon chain, whereas in fructose it is located on the second carbon from the end of the chain.
Furanose
The furanose form of fructose is often depicted as a six-sided ring with five carbons and one oxygen at the corners.
The "natural" structure of fructose, the form that it preferentially takes in honey or fruit or when made into sugar crystals, is called furanose. This structure is depicted as a six-membered ring composed of five carbons and one oxygen. This structure is formed by the reaction of the reactive carboxyl with the carbon furthest away from it. The sixth fructose carbon is connected to the ring but is not part of it. In this form, fructose tastes twice as sweet as glucose or "regular" sugar.
Pyranose
The pyranose form of fructose is often depicted as a five-sided ring.
Fructose is most familiar to chemistry students in its pyranose form: a five-membered ring made up of four carbons and one oxygen. This structure is formed when the reactive carbonyl at the second position reacts not with the carbon furthest away from it, but one carbon closer. In this case, there are two extra carbons that are attached to the ring but not part of it. This structure is favored in solution at higher temperatures and has a sweetness level about equal to that of glucose.
Interchangeability
A fructose solution is a constantly changing mixture of its different forms.
In solution, especially at higher temperatures, the furanose and pyranose forms of fructose are constantly interchanging, with the linear chain form as an intermediate. It is therefore not appropriate to refer to any fructose solution as either furanose or pyranose, regardless of the structure of the sugar crystals that were initially added. An additional wrinkle in the situation arises from the fact that the "extra" carbons that are not part of the ring can be arranged in two different ways, leading to "alpha" and "beta" forms of each ring structure. Between alpha and beta-furanose, alpha and beta-pyranose and the linear chain intermediate structure, there are usually five different fructose structures present in any solution at a given time!
Chirality
Like a person and her mirror image, D- and L-fructose are similar but of opposite handedness.
It is worth noting that all of the fructose structures that occur naturally are of one "chirality," or handedness. For all of the structures discussed above, there is a mirror image structure that has the same chemical properties but is metabolized differently in the body. The naturally occuring structures are called "D-fructose", while the mirror image fructoses, which can be prepared synthetically, are "L-fructose."
Fructans
Jerusalem artichokes contain inulin, a fructan.
Fructose is also capable of forming chain structures of various lengths. Sugar chains made out of fructose are called fructans. In fructans, fructose almost always takes the pyranose form, and once the chain is formed, it is locked into that structure. Fructose can join with one other sugar molecule to make a "disaccharide." Sucrose, for instance, the sugar most commonly found at supermarkets, is a disaccharide made of one fructose attached to a glucose molecule. Fructose can form a long-chain structure called inulin, just as glucose can form long chains to become the familiar carbohydrates starch and cellulose. Although much less common than its glucose analogs, inulin is found in Jerusalem artichokes, onions, leeks and bananas.
Uses
Fructose is sold in some grocery stores as a specialty sugar and because of its extra sweetness in the furanose form, it can save calories when used in cold drinks like iced tea. However, in baking applications and in hot drinks like coffee, the significance of fructose's changing chemistry becomes apparent. The pyranose form, which is only as sweet as glucose, dominates at temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, diminishing the calorie-savings effect. Similarly, the non-natural L-fructose has been proposed as a low-calorie sweetener but as described in "Advances in Sweeteners," it appears to be metabolized to some extent in the body, so the extent of calorie savings is questionable. However, fructose, in general, is metabolized more slowly than glucose, which has made it the sugar of choice for diabetics and other individuals with difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels.
Tags: pyranose form, This structure, carbons oxygen, form fructose, mirror image
Venison, or deer meat, is a high-protein, low-fat alternative to beef. Venison from the wild has other advantages in that no harmful chemicals or hormones have been administered throughout the life of the animal. The downside of wild deer, however, is the meat can be quite tough and stringy if not prepared properly. Marinating can help tenderize the texture as well as remove the gaminess of the flavor. Once known as the food of royalty in ancient times, venison can now be enjoyed economically by anyone.
Instructions
1. Combine the vinegar, garlic and salt in a bowl or pan large enough to hold your cut of meat. Place the venison in the bowl and roll in the marinade. Add enough water to cover the contents.
2. Cover the marinade container with tin foil or a lid to avoid contamination. Place the venison in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.
3. After marinating, remove the deer meat from the container and prepare as instructed per your chosen method. Roasting, stewing and grilling are all good methods for venison. Additional seasoning will be needed, as the marinade is used mainly to tenderize, not flavor your meat.
Raw sugar is not completely raw and uncooked. The definition of raw sugar is sugar that is unrefined and unprocessed. Raw sugar crystals are formed directly from sugar syrup and remain sticky and dark colored. It is possible to make raw sugar at home from sugar cane. This sugar making process takes several weeks to months for the sugar crystals to form.
Instructions
1. Wash the sugar cane in water to remove all dirt and contaminates from the surface of the sugar cane. Strip the sugar cane of all husks and leaves. Chop the sugarcane into 6-inch pieces. Slice each sugarcane piece into four lengthwise slices.
2. Place the sugarcane pieces in a large pot. Pour in enough water to cover the sugar cane pieces. Cook the sugarcane on medium heat. The water can boil, but it should boil at a low simmer, rather than a rolling boil. Heat the sugarcane until it is tender. This should take between one and two hours.
3. Strain the sugar water into a large pot through a colander. Use a potato masher to press the sugar cane against the sides of the colander to release as much of the sugary juice from inside the sugarcane as possible.
4. Cook the sugar juice inside the pot over low heat until it is nearly as thick as molasses. This can take several hours to reach this point. Stir the sugar water frequently to prevent it from burning. Allow the sugar water to cool on the stove for an hour or two until it is warm to the touch but not hot.
5. Pour the sugar syrup into a large plastic container. Place an airtight lid over the syrup to protect it from dust and bugs. Wait for crystals to form inside the syrup. This can take several weeks or even months. As crystals form, remove them from the syrup with a slotted spoon. Place them on a paper towel to allow the syrup to drip off and dry the sugar. Store the sugar in another airtight container.
There is range of special equipment that you can use to brew up a batch of non-alcoholic beer. But when you're sitting at home and the idea suddenly appears in your head, this equipment is unlikely to appear with it. However, if you have some basic kitchen equipment and the energy to pop to the store, then you could be swallowing a mouthful of your own non-alcohol beer before you know it.
Instructions
1. Fill a freezer bag with 8 oz. of crystal malt.
2. Use a rolling pin to mash 3 lbs. of light dried malt extract.
3. Fill a large bowl with ½ gallon of water from a 3-gallon bottle. Empty the rest of the water into a large kitchen pot. Tip out any excess from the pot so there is 3 inches spare at the top.
4. Drop in your malt extract and heat the pan on a medium-high temperature. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor to temperature and turn off the heat when it is 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Place a cover on the kitchen pot and leave it alone for a half hour.
6. Use a kitchen strainer to strain the malt extract and use a heatproof bowl to hold the liquid. Return the liquid to the kitchen pot and bring it to the boil.
7. Switch off the stove and mix in the malt extract. Bring to the boil once again.
8. Insert 3 oz. of the hop pellets and continue to boil for an hour before turning off the stove.
9. Drop in the rest of the hop pellets, cover the pot and leave it alone for 10 minutes.
10. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Pour ½ cup sugar into the brew pot and put the pot in the oven once preheated. Keep stirring the beer until it boils, which takes around half an hour.
12. Leave the pot alone for half an hour, remove from the oven and stir. By this time the heat from the oven will have driven away the alcohol.
13. Put the pot in a sink full of ice and water so that half of the pot is submerged in water. Keep adding fresh ice as the previous ice melts and stir the beer frequently
14. Remove the pot from the sink, pour in half a pack of brewer's yeast, and your non-alcoholic beer is complete.
Since avocados often are one of the pricier items in the produce aisle, learning choose the good from the bad makes economical and culinary sense. Most stores won't approve of customers slicing open the avocados to determine their ripeness, so telling when an avocado is past is prime comes down to a matter of touch and practice. Once at home, checking the condition of an avocado that has been sitting for a few days becomes more straightforward.
Instructions
1. Pick up an avocado and gently squeeze it. When an avocado has gone bad it feels mushy and might even have sections that feel as if nothing is inside. This means the inner fruit has spoiled and is starting to rot.
2. Look for avocados that have broken or dark, soft spots on the skin. If these avocados have not already turned bad, they're on their way out and not worthy of purchase.
3. Slice the avocado open. At home, check the freshness of an avocado by opening it and looking inside. A bad avocado has dark brown and black spots, generally starting from the stem portion of the fruit. If these are isolated in one or two spots, cut the bad portion away, and check the rest of the avocado to see if it's salvageable.
4. Taste an avocado that has one or two dark spots but otherwise looks fine. Avocados just on the edge of turning might still have a creamy green color but will taste slightly "off." A good avocado has a clean, smooth taste with a slightly sweet aroma. A bad avocado will not, often exuding a somewhat musky odor and flavor.
Mold growing on bread is a common problem, causing waste of food in both residential and commercial establishments. There are many factors that affect the growth of the mold, including temperature, moisture and light. Mold, which is a fungus, grow best in dark, warm and humid conditions.
What is Mold?
Mold is a fungus similar to mushrooms or toadstools. Molds thrive in moist, low light conditions, taking hold on organic material, including food products. Mold is essential to our ecosystem, as it breaks down dead organic materials to recycle the nutrients back to the earth. However, most people do not appreciate this vital function when they find it has invaded the bread in their pantry.
Common Types of Bread Mold
There are several different types of mold that commonly grow on bread. The most common is the "black mold" scientifically known as Rhizopus stolonifer. Another common mold is the Penicillium mold, which can be green, gray or white. Penicillium is the genus of mold the antibiotic penicillin was isolated from.
Growth of Bread Mold
Bread mold spores are common and can be found on just about any surface and any condition, including counter tops exposed to daylight or dark corners of a pantry. This can be demonstrated by touching a slice of bread to a counter top or other open area, then placing it in a bag to keep the bread moist. After a few days mold spores will begin to grow. The individual spore germinates to form hyphae, which grow into the mature fungus. This consists of rhizoids, which hold the fungus to the organic material and ingest the nutrients to help the mold continue to grow. The sporangiophore grows from the rhizoids and supports the sporangium, which is where the small spores grow and are released.
Effect of Light on Growth
Mold does not need light to grow, as one might think. Remember, mold is not a plant, it is a fungus. Plants need light to produce chlorophyll which is needed for the plant to make food. Fungi however do not have chlorophyll and do not make their own food. Fungi get their food from the organic material on which they are growing. Therefore, light does not have a direct effect on the growth of the mold. Light can have an indirect effect in increasing the temperature, therefore increasing the growth of the mold, and drying out the bread, therefore decreasing the growth of mold, since the mold prefers a moist environment.
Ways to Protect Your Bread
Bread containing preservatives will have a longer shelf life. Therefore, mass-produced store-bought breads will ward off mold growth longer than fresh baked breads. Storing bread in the refrigerator or freezer will delay the growth of mold, since mold grows best at temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees F. Do not keep bread in a bread box, as this creates a dark and humid environment, a haven for mold spores. To avoid losing your bread to mold, enjoy it while it is fresh.
The truth is, we are miles away from any guaranteed protection against
breast cancer. But, at this point, we can look at improving our odds by including (and avoiding) certain foods and nutrients in our diet. The groundbreaking report from the American Institute of Cancer Research (Food, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Cancer: a global perspective, 1997) noted which foods, based on research results thus far, probably or possibly decreased breast cancer risk and which foods/components probably or possibly increased risk. You'll find many of their conclusions in the 10 Steps below.
Instructions
1. Enjoy more fruits. They contribute powerful antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber.
2. Enjoy more vegetables. They contribute other powerful antioxidants, phytochemicals and they also contribute fiber.
3. Work a Carotenoid-rich food into your day (cantaloupe, mango, beet greens, butternut squash, chili peppers, dandelion greens, dock/sorrel greens, hubbard squash, kale, mustard greens, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, swiis chard, turnip greens, winter squash, and yams).
4. Eat more fiber, especially from whole grains. Phytochemicals found in whole grains have been found to reduce risk of breast and colon cancers in animal studies.
5. Keep fat, saturated fat, and animal fat moderate. Researchers are still trying to figure out if and how the amount of fat (as well as the types of fat) in our food changes our risk for breast cancer. Results from animal studies have suggested the possibility that the amount and type of fat we eat could encourage or discourage certain breast tumors.
6. Switch to monounsaturated fats. Research has been showing that monounsaturated oils, such as olive and canola oil, do not have many cancer-promoting effects (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97:16, 1997).
7. Drink little or no alcohol. At least 50 studies show that alcohol may play a role in breast cancer risk.
8. Emphasize variety in food choices. Eating various foods will give many different nutrients and helpful phytochemicals.
9. Try to keep extra weight off as you age. A Harvard University study showed that women who gained 44 to 55 pounds after age 18 had almost double the risk of developing breast cancer following menopause, compared with women who had gained only a few pounds.
10. Get bitten by the fitness bug! (or)
11. Try to exercise at least 4 hours a week--even if it is just walking. Some studies have found a reduced risk of breast cancer among women who exercise regularly or who were athletic as adolescents.
Tags: breast cancer, risk breast, animal studies, antioxidants phytochemicals, breast cancer risk, cancer risk
Guacamole is one of several dips and toppings often associated with Mexican foods. If you like the flavor of avocado, you will probably like the flavor of guacamole. It is simple to make and, although it has few ingredients, is rich in flavor. It goes well with most meats and as a dip for tortillas (soft or hard flour tortillas and corn tortillas) or even potato chips.
Ingredients
Recipes for guacamole vary a bit, but they all contain avocado. Additional ingredients normally include salt and lime or lemon juice. Sometimes a common Mexican food seasoning, cilantro, is added, as well as tomatoes, onions (both finely chopped) or salsa.
Making Guacamole
Avocadoes are blended (do this using a spoon to mash them) in a bowl and the other ingredients are then added to the avocado. Some people prefer the dip a bit chunky and don't blend it entirely smooth. Most recipes call for around 1 tbsp. of lemon juice or lime juice per one to two avocadoes. Only a pinch of salt is usually necessary, but the amount is up to your individual taste. The other ingredients (salsa, chopped tomatoes, cilantro and onion) should be blended in gradually until the dip is the consistency you prefer.
Uses
Guacamole is used as a dip for tortilla chips and is also used as an extra topping for tacos, fajitas, burritos and other Mexican or Tex-Mex entrées. Guacamole may also be used in foods, for instance wrapped inside a burrito, rather than simply as a topping on foods.
Calories
According to fitday.com, guacamole made with avocadoes, onions, lemon juice and salt has 367.53 calories per cup. Divide that by 16 (there are 16 tbsp. per cup) and that equals about 23 calories per tbsp., which is close to the amount of a typical serving per person when used as a dip.
Considerations
People who eat guacamole may benefit in more ways than culinary pleasure. Avocadoes are not low in calories, but they are low in saturated fats and rich in other nutrients.
Guacamole will turn brown eventually when exposed to the air (including when refrigerated). Avoid this by sealing the guacamole in an enclosed container, or using plastic wrap to cover the dish, before use. The acid in the lemon or lime juice used when making guacamole also helps slow the dip's browning.
Warning
According to innvista.com, you should not eat avocadoes or guacamole if you are taking an MAO inhibitor.
Pets (birds, dogs, cats and horses) should not be allowed to eat avocado (and therefore, guacamole)---the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals lists it as toxic to these animals.
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There is an old Latin proverb that says, "Savory seasonings stimulate the appetite." One family might consider cranberry sauce traditional; another family may prefer sweet and sour sauce, but they will all agree that the flavorful offerings not only stimulate the appetite but also bring memories. Traditional sauces are the cornerstone to family dishes, but occasionally a bit of a culinary shake-up is needed to keep well-loved dishes from getting boring.
BBQ
Whether it is the sweet smoky flavor, the hard hit of spice or the woody aftertaste, barbecue sauce is the backbone of summer cookouts and tailgating parties. Standard commercial barbecue sauce offers a variety of flavors that can be mixed and whipped into some nontraditional meals. Put a little zip in your spaghetti by adding some barbecue to the tomato sauce. Mixing a fruit salsa such as mango or papaya in with standard sauce brings out the flavor in BBQ chicken.
Marinara
This traditional tomato-based red sauce is typically infused with herbs such as basil and sage. Pasta and pizza are two typical dishes associated with marinara sauce. Add a new element to an over-served meal by baking some chicken or beef in the sauce before serving it with pasta or over rice. Meatball subs are another nice alternative to pasta, and the meat can be boiled in the marinara before serving. Try topping a hamburger with a spoonful of Marinara and a thick slice of mozzarella.
Sweet and Sour
The red, dripping sauce that most Americans equate to sweet-and-sour sauce is not what the true sauce is. In Europe it is not uncommon to find chunks of onion, pepper and pineapple in the sauce. Homemade sweet-and-sour sauce can be poured over pork or chicken and baked. Cooking fresh fish in sweet-and-sour sauce is a trendy Chinese entr e; serve with steamed rice and lychee fruit for a complete meal.
Hollandaise
France introduced this buttery, cream-laden sauce that is perfect over poached eggs or blanketing asparagus. The sauce needs a bit of practice to master as the yolks tend to harden quickly in the boiling sauce. The cooking process also needs constant whisking to keep the sauce from separating or becoming lumpy, but is well worth the effort to impress guests.
Cranberry
Cranberry sauce is intrinsic to Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this traditional sauce can be enjoyed anytime of the year. Stir the tart sauce into tuna salad to spruce up a boring sandwich. Whip up cranberry vinaigrette with olive oil and red wine vinegar. The vinaigrette perfectly complements any spinach-based salad. Try adding it to a slow cooker when making barbecue pulled pork. Anyway you mix it, cranberry sauce is as versatile as it is traditional.
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Graviola is the Portuguese term for the soursop (annona muricata), an evergreen tree found mostly in the rainforest of South America. It is also known by the Spanish term, guanabana.
Description
Graviola has large, glossy and dark-green leaves with fruits referred to as paw paw. The fruits are heart-shaped, and they turn from green to yellow when ripe.
Peru
For centuries, inhabitants of the Peruvian Andes have used graviola leaves for making tea and ingested the fruit's crushed seeds as disease killing agents. The Amazon people in Peru have long regarded parts of the plant as possessing sedative powers.
Brazil
The Brazilian Amazons have long used graviola leaf tea for treatment of liver problems. Their women ate graviola fruits or drunk the juice to increase lactation.
The Caribbean
The native people of Jamaica, Haiti and the West Indies used the paw paw and its juice for treating diarrhea and fevers.
Today
Graviola has been clinically studied since the 1940s, with its long-held attributes confirmed. It is now grown as a commercial crop in certain parts of the world. This is done not only in South America, but in Southeast Asia as well.
Cucumbers are light, refreshing vegetables that are rich in vitamins and work well in many dishes. A ranch cucumber salad is a simple way to accent the vegetable's main flavor. The salad utilizes onions to make the dish filling, along with common seasonings and ranch dressing to keep the meal interesting. The salad works well as a light side to any meal or a healthy snack on its own. The salad requires approximately 20 minutes of preparation time and one hour of chill time. A basic recipe yields just enough for two servings.
Instructions
1. Slice two large cucumbers thinly with a sharp knife. Place the sliced cucumbers in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle the sliced cucumbers with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon to coat the slices in a thin layer of the seasonings. Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 cup chopped red onion and 2/3 cup ranch dressing to the cucumbers. Toss with a wooden spoon to coat the onions and cucumbers in an even layer of dressing.
4. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed over the top of the salad and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap.
5. Refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes. Toss the salad once more before serving.
Mashed potato pancakes turn leftovers into a brand new meal .
Waking up the day after Thanksgiving to find a fridge packed with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mashed potatoes, may make the thought of the same meal two days in a row less appealing. Turning leftover mashed potatoes into potato pancakes is a creative way to use up those extra mashed potatoes. The twist on traditional latkes makes for a delicious breakfast as well as a fun and easy way of making another, yet different, meal out of leftovers.
Instructions
1. Add the mashed potatoes, egg, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and onion to the bowl. Stir the contents until well combined.
2. Add a squeeze of lemon to the mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat the skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the vegetable oil. Heat the vegetable oil for another minute or so; when a drop of water sizzles in the pan, it will be hot enough.
4. Add about 1/4 cup of the potato mix per pancake to the pan. Flatten into a pancake shape with the spatula. Cook for one minute and check the bottom of one pancake; if it is not golden brown, continue cooking for one minute longer. Flip the pancakes and cook for one to two more minutes.
5. Transfer the pancakes to a plate lined with paper towels, and dab off the excess oil. Serve warm with sour cream, applesauce or both.
Crab cakes are a traditional shellfish treat seen often in New England. If you want to have a taste of Maryland, try your hand at making crab cakes. These combine crab, egg, bread crumbs and spices into patties that are then pan fried and served as an appetizer. Try these the next time you want a spicy appetizer.
Instructions
1. Combine the egg, Worcester, mustard and spices in the food processor until they are mixed.
2. Drizzle the 5 tbsp. oil into the mixture from Step 1 while the food processor is still running. Continue to mix until an emulsion is formed. It should have the consistency of mayonnaise. Put this into a separate bowl.
3. Add the crab, onion, bell pepper and parsley to the mixture. Stir to combine them.
4. Mix 1 cup bread crumbs into the bowl.
5. Wet your hands and shape the crab cake mix into 1/2-inch tall patties. Cover the crab cakes on all sides with the leftover bread crumbs.
6. Heat the skillet with 2 tbsp. oil in it over medium heat until hot.
7. Place the crab cakes into the hot oil and fry them for 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve warm with mayonnaise if desired.
Wine shelves offer a convenient, effective way to store wine bottles. They work equally well for easy access to wines that you keep on hand for everyday meals or enjoyment and for long-term storage of vintages that you want to save for special occasions. Unfortunately, buying wine shelves often involves a compromise in terms of design, capacity or price. That's why making your own customized wine shelves---using common tools and inexpensive materials---can be an ideal solution.
Instructions
1. Prepare the sides and bottle supports. Create shelf sides by cutting lumber in half lengthwise, then into four equal pieces, six inches high by 12 inches long. Next, create bottle supports by cutting the leftover piece of lumber in half along both dimensions to form four boards, three inches high by 24 inches long.
2. Notch the boards. Saw notches in the long side of every board, one inch from each corner (that is, two notches per side, four notches per board). Each notch needs to be 0.75 inches wide and 0.75 inches deep. Cut the notches precisely, because they will be the intersection points where the bottle supports will rest on the sides, creating a strong, stable and stackable wine shelf.
3. Drill the bottle supports. Using a four-inch hole-cutting bit, drill five arcs into the edge of a three-inch by 24-inch bottle support. Place the center of the bit one inch higher than the edge of the board, so you will create partial arcs, rather than half circles. Space the arcs evenly across the board, but be sure to leave two inches on the ends, so you don't cut through the notches. Repeat this process for a second bottle support, and then switch to a 1.5-inch bit and drill fivearcs into each of the remaining two bottle supports.
4. Check the fit. Check your notches by assembling the wine shelf, with two bottle supports (one with large arcs, one with small arcs) placed atop two sides. If necessary, use sandpaper to shave the notches a bit and to smooth any rough spots or sharp edges. Repeat this step with the other four pieces of wood, and then place one shelf atop the other.
5. Stain the wood. If everything fits well, your wine shelves are complete, but you may want to disassemble them and take the time to add a coat or two of stain or polyurethane. These products are easy to apply and can make your wine shelves both more attractive and more durable.
Tags: bottle supports, wine shelves, your wine shelves, arcs into, bottle support, drill five
Xanthan gum is a corn-based fermented product that can be purchased in liquid or powder form. It acts as a thickener or adds volume for most food products. Xanthan gum is highly prized for use in gluten-free cooking and baking.
Products using Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum can be found in such foods as ice cream, low-fat salad dressing, pastry filling and even cat food to help stabilize the product. Xanthan gum can be found at any health food store in powder form, as well as online stores. It is added to gluten-free wheat flour to help strengthen the dough to give a better feel in the mouth. Xanthan gum blends easily and does not affect the color or flavor of the final product.
Tips
When using Xanthan gum for baking with gluten-free flour, use equal amounts of Xanthan gum and flour. If too much Xanthan gum is used, the dough will be watery and not bake properly. When the final product has finally baked, the dough will be heavy and thick. Xanthan gum can also be used as a gelatin by using half the amount of Xanthan gum to gelatin, i.e. one teaspoon of Xanthan gum to two teaspoons of gelatin. Xanthan gum has the added benefit of being able to dissolve in hot or cold water.
Warnings
Xanthan gum is good for anyone who is allergic to gluten, but there is a downside; if the person is allergic to corn, it would be best to avoid Xanthan gum since it is a derivative of corn. An allergic person may experience irritated lungs or inflammation inside the nose or throat.
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The art of homemade sausage making allows you to give the final product a personal touch in addition to controlling the meat quality, fat content and flavor. Italian sausage or polish sausage form the core of most recipes for homemade sausage, but sausages can be made from a variety of spiced meats. You can opt for short instead of long links or fat sausages as opposed to slim sausages. A kitchen helper may come in handy, as it is helpful to have a second pair of hands for stuffing ground sausage into casings.
Prepping the Casing
Pork casings work best for sausage, according to North Dakota State University Agriculture and University Extension. When you purchase natural pork casings, most often the casing comes salted. You may want to rinse the casing under the facet and run water through the casing to ensure that the lining of the casing does not have any holes. Then the casings need to be soaked for at least 30 minutes, according to the university extension service, to remove some of the salt content and to soften them. If the casing becomes too soft, throw it out. However, leftover casing can be stored in a container tightly packed with salt.
Prepping for Stuffing
Sausage links can come in different sizes.
Once you prepare the casings and grind the meat, you can begin to fill the sausage casings. Many sausage makers suggest that it is a two-person job: one to control the speed of the meat coming through the grinder and a second to hold the casing and control the filling process. Sausagemania.com recommends people making sausage at home should opt for longer sausage tubes, which cuts down on the number of times the sausage links need to be tied off. Many websites recommend using a grinder with a funnel attachment, also known as a stuffing tube or sausage horn. Before slipping the casing onto the tube, coat the funnel with pork fat.
Stuffing
Fresh sausage can be refrigerated for two to three days.
Sausagemania.com recommends using a straight stuffing tube that is at least 8 inches long. In addition, how you pack the grinder can affect the stuffing process. When the grinder is packed full, it reduces the need to stop or reload in the middle of stuffing, which can reduce or prevent air pockets forming inside the casing. You can also reduce or prevent air pockets by feeding the meat through the grinder steadily and slowly and by grasping the top of the casing firmly around the tube, cutting off one way air enters the sausage casing.
Though timing is the key to deciding when to make a new sausage link, using a sausage tube allows you to make a new link each time the meat stops feeding into the tube. This will ensure uniform-size links, which make for easier cooking. When you want to make a new sausage link, hold the sausage between your index finger and thumb. Sausage makers suggest twisting the casing four times between each link. Tying butcher's string between each link may help to prevent the sausage from coming apart during cooking. For fresh sausages, refrigerating immediately afterward is key.
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Chicken Francaise may sound like something you can only get in an expensive French restaurant, but it's actually fairly easy to make at home. You'll need to set aside a little time for this two-step preparation because you'll brown the chicken in a pan and then bake it in the oven. Here's make this yummy dish to warm your family's tummies.
Instructions
1. Combine egg and the juice of a half lemon in a shallow dish.
2. Mix together the flour and paprika in a separate shallow dish. Or you can use a half cup of breadcrumbs and a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese.
3. Take chicken breast halves and dip them first in the egg mixture followed by the flour or bread mixture.
4. Brown the breasts in oil over medium heat.
5. Set the cooked breasts aside and combine broth, a 1/2 cup butter and the juice of 1 1/2 lemons. Add garlic to taste, parsley and pepper. If desired, you can substitute white wine for half the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Place the chicken breasts in a casserole dish, cover with the sauce and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, uncovering the dish during the last 15 minutes.
Lives are busy even before you introduce children. When children get added into the mix, however, busy doesn't even begin to describe it. One of the easiest ways to get some extra time is to eat meals while driving to various activities. For example, if your children eat their lunch while in the car driving to their piano lessons, you have saved yourself some time. Eating in the car is no picnic, however. In order to have a successful meal with children in the car, there are certain steps you must take. This article will show you exactly what to do to have your children eat an easy, clean meal in the car to simplify your life.
Instructions
Eat Meals in the Car With Children
1. Supply finger foods. The car is no place for forks and spoons. Leave the utensils and any food that requires them at home. Instead, serve sandwiches, granola bars, squeezable yogurt snacks, trail mix, bananas, apples and dry cereal. In fact, foods that can be eaten with one hand are desirable.
2. Pack a spill-proof cup. Always carry a spill-proof cup or a cup with a straw in the car with you. If you need to stop at the gas station for milk or juice, they will not provide you with an acceptable car drink container. Instead, poor the milk into your own spill-proof cup.
3. Have plenty of wet wipes. Napkins simply aren't enough when you don't have a sink or running water at your disposal. Wet wipes also allow children to clean themselves fairly well. You simply pull one out and hand it back.
4. Grab some paper bags for each person. Instead of handing each child individual foods like a banana, sandwich and cookie, fill up a bag. Put each meal into its own paper bag and give the child the bag on the car ride.
5. Place a large plastic bag in the middle of the car for a garbage. Eating food creates garbage. Apple cores, banana peels, empty chip bags and empty sandwich bags need a place to go instead of on your car floor. The large plastic garbage bag in the middle of the car will save you time when it is time to clean up the mess.
Tags: large plastic, Meals With, Meals With Children, while driving, With Children, your children
Scrambled eggs are a cinch to make compared to the poached variety. You know exactly when scrambled eggs are done when they reach the texture you prefer. There's no guessing as to whether the yolk is hard or still runny. Fresh eggs are better for poaching because the whites cook up firmer and don't feather off into the simmering water leaving the yolk to fend for itself.
Timing
Hard poached eggs have a firm yolk similar to hard-boiled eggs. How long you poach the eggs determines how cooked the yolk is and its firmness. Since eggs should be refrigerated until they're used and different refrigerators are set to different temperatures, how cold the eggs are before they start cooking varies as well.
Size
The size of the egg affects the cooking time as well. Sacrifice a few eggs to determine how many minutes it takes eggs from your refrigerator to cook firmly. Start with three minutes and increase by one-minute intervals. Large eggs should poach to firm by five minutes. Use your finger to push on the egg yolk underneath the white. If it gives, it's not hard cooked.
Vinegar and Salt
A tablespoon of vinegar added to the water keeps the egg whites in one mass rather than spreading out. The acid in the vinegar coagulates the proteins on the outside of the whites so they don't fan off into the water. Salt has the opposite effect. While you may add salt to season the water to cook potatoes and pasta, don't add it to water for poaching eggs.
Simmer Don't Boil
Bring the water to a boil then lower the heat so bubbles barely break around the surface of the water. Break the eggs into separate cups. This keeps the egg together as you slide it into the water rather than cracking the egg and dropping it in from above the pan. Breaking the eggs into separate cups lets you throw any bad eggs out. As soon as all the eggs are in the pot, cover and simmer.
Shape
Poach eggs so they have a neat rounded shape with the egg whites close to the yolks. Swirl the water in a pot with at least 3 inches of water. The pot should be at least 5 inches high so the water doesn't swirl over the edge while you're stirring. The centrifugal force of the swirling water keeps the white close to the yolk. Alternately, set an egg ring, mason jar rim or a ring made from a cleaned bottomless and topless can of tuna fish. Hold the egg over the ring and gently drop in.
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Sour cream pork chops are easy to prepare. The chops are baked in the oven, resulting in less fat than pan frying. This recipe makes use of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese for a delicious breading, and the sour cream adds a zesty flavor. It yields approximately four servings of sour cream pork chops.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1 cup of sour cream, 1 tsp. each of garlic powder, dried oregano and basil in a shallow bowl.
2. Combine 1 ½ cups bread crumbs with 3 tbsp. of grated Parmesan cheese in a separate shallow dish. This will be the breading for the sour cream pork chops.
3. Dip each pork chop into the sour cream mixture, making sure to thoroughly coat each side. Use a spoon or knife to spread the sour cream over the pork chops, if necessary to get a solid coating.
4. Transfer the pork chops into the bread crumb mixture after they've been coated with sour cream. Turn over, toss, or spoon the crumbs over the top to make sure both sides are fully breaded.
5. Spray a 9-by-13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place each pork chop on it, spaced at least ½-inch apart. Bake the sour cream pork chops for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are toasted and golden brown. Remove it from the oven and serve hot.
Dorito casserole is a great way to add flair to a mexican dish.
Doritos have been a favorite choice for chips in American households for years. Crisp, crunchy and cheesy, they are the perfect snack for parties, game night and after-school munchies. Some people love Doritos so much that they have come up with recipes to make taco and Mexican casseroles using this these tasty tortilla chips.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Crumble approximately 6 cups of Doritos. You can do this by crumbling them in a mixing bowl with your hands, or placing them in a gallon zip-up plastic bag and crumbling to avoid a mess.
3. Chop onion. In a mixing bowl, combine crumbled Doritos, onion, tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, chili with beans and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Mix until well blended.
4. Spray cooking spray onto a 8 1/2-inch by 11-inch glass casserole dish. Pour mixture into the dish.
5. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble 2 more cups of Doritos. After 20 minutes, remove the casserole. Spread sour cream on top of the casserole and pour on crumbled Doritos. Add remaining cheese evenly.
6. Bake the casserole again for five minutes and serve.
Popcorn chicken is the name given to tiny chunks of white breast meat cooked with breading and deep-fried. If you buy frozen or ready-to-eat popcorn chicken, you can eat it as it is or use it in recipes. Popcorn chicken is a useful substitute for recipes that require deep frying if you don't own a deep fryer or don't want to take the time to prepare the chicken. Use popcorn chicken as an ingredient so that you can focus on the flavor elements of the recipe and prepare food in a fraction of the time.
Barbecue Chicken Sandwich
Combine popcorn chicken, a hamburger bun and barbecue sauce to create a crunchy barbecue chicken sandwhich with lots of flavor. Use the smallest pieces of popcorn chicken you can find, or slice large pieces into cross sections in order to get the best sandwhich shape and crunch. If you like, top with deep fried or pan-fried onions and swiss cheese.
Casserole
Add popcorn chicken to any meatless casserole dish or substitute in hotdishes that call for canned tuna or cooked chicken. Use this method to turn macaroni and cheese into a main course or popcorn chicken in recipes like chicken wild rice casserole or chicken florentine.
Chicken Mozzarella
Chicken mozzarella is a dish commonly made with breaded, deep-fried chicken that you can recreate using popcorn chicken. Prepare a simple marinara of canned tomato sauce with Italian seasoning and garlic powder to taste. Toss this in an oven-safe dish with cooked spaghetti. Lay the cooked popcorn chicken on top (if this is frozen chicken, it should at least be thawed) and grate mozzarella cheese over it. Cook in a broiler for a minute or two, or until the cheese is melted and browned.
Buffalo Wrap
Make a crunchy buffalo chicken wrap by combining prepared popcorn chicken with an easy buffalo sauce. Mix one part melted butter, two parts cayenne pepper hot sauce and garlic salt to taste. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Toss the chicken with this sauce and wrap in a large flour tortilla with lettuce (if you like) and a little blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Asian Chicken Recipes
If you enjoy restaurant-bought Asian chicken recipes that feature breaded, deep-fried chicken, but don't want to bother with the process of doing your own deep frying, substitute popcorn chicken in recipes. Creating dishes like orange chicken, kung pao and sesame chicken is as easy as making the sauce, pan frying any vegetables, then mixing sauce and veggies with the prepared popcorn chicken. To make things even easier, try a store bought stir fry sauce mix, heated in the microwave.
Chili can be made with a wide variety of mild to hot spices.
Chili recipes are as varied as the people who make and eat them. The hearty soup can be meatless, contain one or more meat or poultry ingredients either ground or in chunks, have a variety of vegetables, and be served alone or with toppings. Chili spices are just as diverse and range from mild to fiery hot.
Common Chili Spices
Most chili recipes have tomatoes, tomato paste or tomato sauce in them. The flavor of tomatoes is enhanced by spices such as oregano, cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander, garlic powder and salt. Oregano is a mild, fragrant spice that adds depth to the mixture. Cumin provides a nutty, peppery taste, coriander adds an earthy balance, paprika imparts a hot-sweet taste and cayenne adds pure heat. Ground dried chiles such as jalapeno, habanero, pasillo and ancho are available and add a considerable hotness to the dish.
Fragrant Spices
Some chili recipes call for cinnamon, cloves or allspice, all of which are usually associated with sweet baked goods or desserts. Adding a cinnamon stick or a scant amount of ground cinnamon cloves or allspice adds a complexity to the dish and makes the savory spices more distinguishable. These additions also add an interesting fragrance to the chili.
Chili Powder
A simple way to flavor chili is to use a premixed chili powder. These convenient mixtures typically contain one or two kinds of dried, ground red chiles along with all or some of the common chili spices noted above. When chili powder is listed as a recipe ingredient, use a spice combination unless the instructions specify a particular type such as ancho or pasilla.
Homemade Chili Powder
To guarantee you are getting the full flavor and hotness of pure chili powder, make it at home. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and roast your choice of dried, stemmed chiles for 20 minutes. Cool completely and pulverize them in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, being careful not to breathe in the fumes. Ground chiles will retain their strength and flavor for up to six months frozen in a well-sealed freezer bag.
Other Flavor Enhancers
In addition to spices, you can add flavor to chili with herbs and vegetables. Chopped fresh cilantro is a colorful, fragrant citrusy herb whose dried seeds are used to make the chili spice coriander. Add it to chili right before serving. Freshly chopped scallions add visual appeal, flavor and freshness to the bowl. Serve chili with a shaker of hot red pepper flakes or a dish of hot pepper sauce for diners who desire extra hotness.
Tags: chili powder, chili recipes, Chili Spices, chili with, cinnamon cloves, cinnamon cloves allspice
People are becoming healthier eaters. Generally when people eat healthier, they will start cooking better. One of the best appliances for retaining nutrients in food is a vegetable steamer. Flavor is retained along with crispness and color. It's difficult to know what type of steamer is the best to buy. Some key points to look for are listed below.
Instructions
1. Determine what food will be prepared in the steamer. Vegetables are the most widely used foods in a steamer, but steaming is also an excellent cooking method for meat, rice and fish. Some steamers incorporate infusers for flavoring the foods with spices and herbs.
2. Consider the amount of space in the kitchen. A steamer can be as simple as baskets that are placed on top of a pan on an oven burner or the steamer could be a stand alone appliance that contains several tiers for multiple foods. Some steamer parts can be utilized for several uses such a fondue cooker or for melting chocolate.
3. Monitor how long the steamer is used by buying a steamer with a timer or display. Cooking with a steamer is easy but one wants to avoid over steaming the food. One nice feature to look for would be an automatic shut-off/warmer option, ensuring the steamer will not boil dry, but will still keep the food a warm temperature. It is also good to have see-through parts allowing the user to see the water level left in the steamer.
4. Choose a steamer that contains non-stick, dishwasher-safe components. Clean up will be easy and fast.
Blue (or bleu) cheese is a sharp, often salty cheese that has mold cultures injected while the cheese ages. The bacteria that results causes a strong, distinct odor. People who enjoy blue cheese often mix it with other cheeses to either temper the strong taste or enhance it.
Cream Cheese
As a relatively soft cheese, blue cheese works well with other soft cheeses. It is often paired with cream cheese when making a cheese ball for a party, or when it is stuffed inside an entree, such as chicken. Mix softened blue cheese and cream cheese for a yummy spread for crackers, pita chips or fruit.
Cheddar
Mixing cheddar, especially sharp cheddar, with blue cheese can produce surprisingly tasty results. Mix the two with some cream cheese and roll in nuts for an unexpectedly tangy cheese ball. Also, mix cheddar and blue cheese with some milk and white wine, then heat slowly to melt the cheese evenly for an unforgettable fondue.
Feta
Feta is a mild, soft cheese that pairs well with blue cheese. Mix softened blue cheese, feta cheese, mayonnaise and light cream in a blender for a fabulous salad dressing. For a mild and strong mix, crumble both cheeses on your salad with a light vinaigrette dressing. Mix marscapone, feta and blue cheese with some dill for a tasty cracker spread.
Gruyere
Gruyere is a hard yellow cheese usually used in baking. Mix it with someblue cheese, milk and pasta for an amazing baked macaroni and cheese dish. Slice some pears onto a pizza crust and sprinkle with Gruyere and blue cheese for a surprisingly refreshing snack. Top some French baguette slices with both cheeses and melt under the broiler for about two minutes for a tasty soup accompaniment.
Tags: blue cheese, blue cheese, with some, blue cheese feta, blue cheese with
An onion and tomato salad is a light, garden fresh appetizer served with a vinegar-based dressing. Making an onion and tomato salad requires approximately 10 minutes of prep time and a couple hours to let the flavors meld. Make the salad before you begin preparing dinner so it is ready by the time you are sitting down to eat. A basic onion and tomato salad yields six large servings.
Instructions
1. Combine 10 chopped Roma tomatoes, one sliced red onion and one thinly sliced cucumber in a salad bowl.
2. Pour 2 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. salt into a small bowl. Whisk quickly to combine the salad dressing.
3. Drizzle the salad dressing over the tomatoes, onions and cucumber. Stir with a large wooden spoon to coat all of the ingredients with the salad dressing.
4. Cover the salad with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours before serving.
Wine brokers strike sales deals and take a cut of the profit.
The wine business is a lucrative one, commanding high fees for the best wines. Many restaurants take great care in putting together their wine list, and even grocery stores are selective in how they purchase wines, wanting to assemble a variety of flavors and prices. Many times, the liaison between producer and consumer is a wine broker, who represents both sides in the hopes of making sales and drawing a commission from the total cost. The best part is, wine brokers need little start-up capital and no office or supplies beyond business cards.
Instructions
1. Educate yourself on wines. It helps to know the product you are selling. Get involved in wine tastings and learn about the subtle features of wines that make them popular--particularly wines you are trying to sell to customers.
2. Establish relationships with local wineries. Their familiarity with you as a wine broker will make it easier for you to taste their wines and learn about what gives them flavor and makes them different. Having a direct relationship with wineries will also improve your customers' perceptions of you because of your "insider knowledge."
3. Purchase reference books on wine to help you when you are unfamiliar with a certain wine. A popular book is "Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of Wine."
4. Dress well. The wine industry is associated with luxuriousness and lavishness, and you want to present yourself in the best possible way--remember, you are representing the wines you sell.
5. Visit local grocery stores and restaurants and introduce yourself to management. Talk to them about their wine selection and their satisfaction with it, and offer your services to help improve it. It helps to showcase your relationships with wineries. Restaurants are always interested in having a wine selection that is varied and distinctive, and if you make them feel like they are getting a distinctive product, you've got a leg up.
6. Keep your appointments. Showing up late or missing an appointment reflects poorly on you and can lead to a broken business relationship.
7. Make follow-up visits to clients you have made sales to. Inquire about their satisfaction with their wines, and be prepared to offer alternative wines that might better suit them. Consider taking your top clients on wine-tasting trips with you, further cementing your business relationship.
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Chili is a popular dish, and can be greatly improved by serving it with appropriate companion dishes. Because the consistency of chili is a lot like soup, it goes well with foods that have more body and consistency to them such as breads, and starchy foods such as rice or potatoes.
Cornbread
Cornbread is a traditional accompanying food for chili. The flavors of the beans in the chili and the cornmeal in the cornbread create a natural and complementary contrast. The texture of the cornbread also goes well with chili, and the absorbency of the cornbread makes it ideal for cleaning out your chili bowl when you're finished, so you don't waste a drop of your delicious chili.
Chips
Chips provide a nice complement to the flavors of chili. Corn chips and potato chips go equally well with chili, and can be served as a side dish or just eaten out of the bag in a less formal setting. If you made a large pot of chili and have leftovers, you can make nachos the next day by laying out a bed of corn chips, covering them with chili and grated cheese, and heating the concoction up in a toaster oven for a few minutes.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is the ideal topping for chili. It makes the dish look nicer when it is served, and the sour cream provides a cooling effect when the chili is eaten. Sour cream is particularly welcome if the chili was made with serious spices like habanero peppers, which are unbelievably hot. If you inflict this level of heat on your dinner guests, have a bowl of extra sour cream available on the table in addition to the dollop of sour cream on top of the serving of chili.
Green Salad
A green salad makes a delicious side dish for a big bowl of chili. In addition to providing a cooling break for the palate and a healthy nutritional boost, the green of the salad will even make your table more visually appealing as it contrasts with the deep red of the chili. Try a salad with leafy lettuce, spinach, feta cheese, cucumbers and slices of fresh tomato.
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Sweet potatoes should not be confused with yams. The two are different vegetables.
Sometimes all you need is half a sweet potato for baking. Sweet potato halves bake in a shorter amount of time than whole potatoes. The baked sweet potatoes can be cooked in the oven or in the microwave, depending on how much time you have. The microwave will take less time, but you will not get the dark, caramelized browning on the exterior of the sweet potato that you would if you baked it in the oven.
Instructions
Oven
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Rub the sweet potato half with olive oil to lightly coat.
2. Place the sweet potato half in a baking pan with the cut side up.
3. Bake the sweet potato half for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender.
4. Cool the baked sweet potato half slightly before serving.
Microwave
5. Rub the sweet potato half with olive oil.
6. Place the potato half in a microwave-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap, being careful not to let the plastic touch the potato.
7. Microwave the sweet potato on high power for five to seven minutes or until a fork easily slides into the sweet potato, indicating tenderness.
8. Remove the plastic wrap and serve the sweet potato half as desired.
The short answer to the question "Can you fry an apple?" is, absolutely! Fried apples are traditional to the cuisine of the southern United States and are typically served alongside a hearty breakfast. Fried apples are comforting in cool weather, which is, luckily, when apples are in season.
Fry
Cut apples into rings. Dip rings in fry batter and drop them into a deep-fryer or skillet with a half inch of oil. Fry until batter is golden and apples are cooked through, about two to four minutes. To emphasize their doughnut-like appearance, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Apple Type
A tart, crisp apple works best to give the sugary dish a bit of kick. Granny Smiths are traditionally used in fried apples.
Other Fried Apples
To fry apples without breading them, melt butter in a pan with nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar, and saute apples on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Apples prepared in this way are typically served with pork dishes.