Weight Loss Recipe - Chicken Tikka

Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It's a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. "Chicken Tikka" is one of a range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes to assist you keep your weight under control. This irresistible, no-hassle meal will help you reach your weight-loss goals - while making mealtime a real treat.
Variety and balance are essential elements to include in your weight loss program. If you get bored with foods, you're much more likely to abandon your program altogether. Each main meal should be accompanied by an exciting range of colorful fresh vegetables.

Weight Loss Recipe - Oven Fried Chicken

Enjoy the sensation of fried chicken without the extra calories of deep frying. This recipe is sensational either hot or cold and is great for taking to work to avoid the unwanted 'canteen calories'. Oven fried chicken is an excellent choice for those for those wanting to lose or maintain their weight.
Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It's a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. We've selected a range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes to assist you keep your weight under control. These irresistible, no-hassle meals will help you reach your weight-loss goals - while making mealtime a real treat.
Variety is an essential element of any successful health program. If you get bored with foods, you're much more likely to abandon your program altogether. Each main meal should be accompanied by an exciting range of colorful vegetables.
Oven-Fried Chicken (serves two)

Weight Loss Recipe - Crustless Quiche

Quick and easy, this meal is great either hot or cold. Stores well in the refrigerator and can be frozen. If you cook it in a well greased muffin tray it makes fantastic mini-quiches to pop into school lunch boxes. This is a great way to take a healthy lunch to work and avoid the canteen calories!
Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It's a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. We've selected a range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes to assist you keep your weight under control. These irresistible, no-hassle meals will help you reach your weight-loss goals - while making mealtime a real treat.
Variety is an essential element of any successful health program. If you get bored with foods, you're much more likely to abandon your program altogether. Each main meal should be accompanied by an exciting range of colorful vegetables.

10 Aphrodisiac Foods To Make Yummy Libido Boosting Dishes

The next time you are in the supermarket, think about what types of aphrodisiac foods to add to your cart so you could turn ordinary dinner into finger licking libido boosting sexy dishes.
Say goodbye to plain ol' meatloaf and say hello to exotic dishes to get your blood and your partner pumping.
Maybe you can make a meal of each other...

Recipe for Very Veggie Mac 'n' Cheese

There is something about it, isn't there? Macaroni Cheese I mean. Something about the creaminess, the cheesiness, the warmness, the hominess, the sharing, the crusty, crunchy top. The way you can't wait to eat it and burn your mouth on that first mouthful. The way you always eat a little too much, always more than you planned. And that point brings me to this recipe. For this recipe, I have vamped up the vegetables. There are so many vegetables in this recipe and cooked in different ways to get a maximum punch of flavour, this could be the only Macaroni Cheese you eat that makes you feel healthy (even a bit smug) afterwards. Be careful though, all that feeling goody goody, can lead to second, even third helpings!

Pumpkiny Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

Are you wondering what you should do with all of your Pumpkins after the Thanksgiving Holiday? I am going to share one of my favorite healthy recipes for you to try. Since Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is right around the corner, it is that time to say good bye to the almighty Pumpkins. We have loved looking at our pumpkins since the month of October as they made pretty center pieces, decorated the corner of a room or adorned the front porch. The following day I usually see many uncarved Pumpkins lying in my neighbor's trash cans waiting for their ride to the landfill. Before you toss your plump orange gourds read about their many health benefits first. Pumpkins are a power house of antioxidants, rich in minerals and vitamins, high in fiber and low in calories. The pumpkin seeds found inside are an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Here is how to puree your sugar pumpkin. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then cut your pumpkin in half and scoop the middle part out along with the seeds (Note: You can clean up the pumpkin seeds and roast them). Place your cut pumpkins on a baking sheet and rub them with coconut oil. Bake for about an hour. Lastly, wait for it to cool then scoop out the pumpkin and puree it in a food processor.

Heart Warming Vegetable Beef Soup

Waking up with freezing rain and temperatures below freezing warrants a day for a steaming hot bowl of soup. We have all grown up with our favorite version of Vegetable Beef Soup. Soup is one of those dishes that taste even better the next day. When I make Vegetable Beef Soup I start it early in the morning and let the beef cook most of the day in the rich broth, it produces amazing flavor.
Varieties of Vegetables for Soup
When making Vegetable Beef Soup you can use any vegetables that you like. Some people choose corn, peas, green beans with potatoes and carrots added. In our home we have potatoes, turnips, carrots and cabbage. The secret to Vegetable Beef Soup is your broth, if your broth is bland your soup will be bland. There is nothing as heart warming than coming in from the freezing cold and smelling the wonder aroma of the broth from your soup.

Polish Sausage Potato Soup

I was fortunate to work at a place that helped the needy. I believe that, as humans, it's important that we help others out that can't help themselves. Unfortunately, now most people are only looking out for themselves which is very sad.
I worked at a non-profit church that provided help for recovering addicts and people who were homeless. I cooked meals for these people and enjoyed cooking for them. Most of these people didn't have a place to have a hot meal. I served hundreds of people a day and some of the people were very appreciative of the food and would often come and thank us for providing a good, hot meal. I wanted them to eat well, but sometimes the boss withheld certain food from them, and I felt that was wrong.
We had received steaks for donation once, and the boss decided the staff would eat the steaks and the shelter folks would have potato soup. Potato soup was the Monday meal served with a sandwich and salad. Since we had to serve so many people, we had to fix a really quick version of the soup to have enough for everyone. I would like to share my version of that recipe.

Grocery Shopping - Tips For Buying Healthier Food

What foods do you buy a lot of? Does your basket or trolley look like you're about to open a greengrocers or does it look like you're planning to open a biscuit shop?
It's time to take a long hard look at your grocery shopping and work out how you can make it healthier.
Generally buying less processed foods means you're eating better. The obviously high calorie foods like cake and chocolate are the first things you should look at. Can you buy them in portion sized packs? This makes it easier to have just a slice if you have slices of cake in individual portions. If you have to buy a whole cake then you'll be tempted to have a bigger slice and then maybe a second slice. Much easier to resist temptation when you're buying ready packaged portions. Bear in mind that these are usually more expensive and the extra packaging isn't good for the environment. Some people buy frozen puddings and treats that can be rationed out easier as you have to wait for a defrost time before eating them.
Buying more fruit and vegetables doesn't mean you have to spend a huge amount. Some UK supermarkets discount vegetables and fruit every week. There should always be some basics available at low prices. Onions, potatoes and carrots are good to look at for starters. Add celery to onions and carrot as a base for most stews and sauces and you'll start to be eating healthier straight away. Slicing celery thinly means it'll dissolve into the sauce as its cooking and no one will know it's there! Sneaky cooks also grate carrot very finely and add it to mince dishes to stretch out the meat. It's also healthier as it's very low in calories and fat compared to mince.

Buying Quorn or other meat substitutes is a healthier option than buying meats. They even do some processed type foods in these ranges making healthy food easier than ever. Frozen pieces of chicken Quorn are great for using in any recipes you'd use chicken in.

5 Common Myths About Protein Diet

All these rumors come from a lack of knowledge. Even in information technology where we have information on our finger tips, still we believe in a world that no longer exists.
Do we believe that there is a dark side in the sky which covers the sky every night?
Of course not!
That's it. If someone takes protein and he gets a heart attack, should we blame protein?
No!
Let me give you the reason.

Protein heart attack
If someone eats red meat, there are a number of reasons they will get a heart attack.
Red meat has a high amount of fat. Fat stored in blood vessels is the reason of a heart attack.
If you are taking red meat you are less likely to consume fibers. Fibers are necessary for a healthy life.
If you are eating red meat, chances are that you will not exercise much.
If you do not burn calories that you intake you are going to gain weight. Being overweight is a cause of a heart attack.
Stop blaming red meat. Red meat is safe to eat if you exercise regularly, eat less gram of red meat and eat fibers.

Macaroni Salad

Summer is officially over but I still enjoy a good pasta salad as a side dish for meals or by itself for lunch. Although I don't have it very often, I like macaroni salad just as much as I like potato salad which is my favorite cold salad to eat. Some people can eat warm pasta salad but I don't care for warm salad. The colder the better I say. The wonderful thing about preparing a pasta salad is the ingredients are endless. You can put whatever vegetables or meat in the salad and pack it for your work lunch. Here is a simple cold macaroni pasta salad I would like to share with you.

Easy And Delicious Chicken Meals

RITIZER CHICKEN
Preheat oven 350 degrees
-6 chicken breasts, slightly pounded 1 tbsp corn starch
-3 eggs or 3 egg whites 1 1/2 cups milk
-3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
-2 tbsp olive oil (divided) 3 tbsp parsley (chopped)
-5 ounces mozzarella cheese (shredded) 1/2 tsp black pepper
Dip chicken breasts in beaten eggs or egg whites and then coat with bread crumbs. Heat 1/2 the oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add half of chicken and brown on both sides.
Remove from pan and place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken. Top with mozzarella cheese. Dissolve corn starch in 3 tbsp milk. Heat remaining milk, Parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper in small sauce pan. Stir in corn starch mixture and cook until sauce thickens. Pour over chicken and bake for 30 minutes. May be prepared ahead up to the sauce and refrigerated for a day ahead before baking. Bake a little longer if chicken is chilled. This is one of my oldest son's favorites.

Myths About Indian Food

Whether you are new to Indian food or you are a long time lover of the cuisine, you certainly can't deny the dishes are delicious. Yet, for many people from Western cultures, there are a lot of mysteries about Indian food. Indeed, there are also many myths. From the complexity of preparation to the healthiness of Indian meals, misconceptions about this cuisine abound. Here are some of the top myths about Indian food debunked.

Indian Food is Best Left to Expert Chefs
Because of its rich, complex flavours, Indian food seems like it would be incredibly difficult to cook, or at least difficult to cook well. While a beginner cook might face a few challenges when attempting to conquer Indian cuisine, this is probably true of most major cuisines in the world. For example, some Italian dishes take hours to prepare properly, but we don't normally hear people lamenting how difficult it is to make an Italian meal. So, if you are interested in whipping up some Indian delights, start by familiarizing yourself with the ingredients and the basic cooking techniques, and you'll find this food as easy (or complicated) as any other type of food to prepare.

Best Ways of Marinating Chicken

If you want your chicken to be tasty, you must know how to marinate it perfectly. The ingredients used for marinating the chicken pieces will vary depending on the dish you are planning to prepare. One thing you must never forget to do is washing all the pieces you will be marinating meticulously using lukewarm water. Chicken purchased from a reputable meat store usually does not contain any dirt; but that should not stop you from washing the pieces at least once before marination. Read through the section below carefully for learning different ways of marinating chicken.

Milk Products for Marination
Milk products are used for marinating pieces of white meat primarily when we plan to deep fry them. Yogurt is a milk product used frequently for marinating chicken; it is used mostly by people living in the eastern hemisphere. The milk products that are often used for this purpose by people in the west are regular milk and butter milk. Both yogurt and butter milk possess the ability of giving chicken or any other kind of white meat a strong, but pleasant creamy flavor. To make the marination even more effective, the milk product can be seasoned using chili flakes, garlic powder or chopped garlic, chopped onion, hot sauce or just by applying small pinches of pepper and salt. Marinate the chicken for 20 to 30 minutes before you move to the next step.

Four Cooking Mistakes You Must Avoid

Even the most experienced cooks at times end up making some grave mistakes when cooking. As a result, this write-up is a must read for everyone who wants to remain flawless when cooking. Here, we have discussed about mistakes that you must never commit when preparing food.

Mistake #1: Not reading the recipe properly
When it comes to preparing a new dish, reading the recipe is a must both for people cooking for the first time and experienced cooks. Reading the recipe thoroughly will give you the opportunity of familiarizing yourself with the process of preparing the dish before you start cooking. If you remember the recipe by heart, you will never commit mistakes like adding spices in wrong order or using an ingredient not mentioned in the recipe. The possibility of leaving something out will also be less. The other advantage of thoroughly studying the recipe is that it will not let you forget buying the necessary ingredients from retail shopping stores.

How to Transform Excess Cherry Tomatoes Into an Easy and Delicious Pasta Sauce

Are you overloaded with cherry tomatoes? Perhaps you got a bit carried away at the local farmers' market or your late summer garden has gone wild? Whatever the cause, this delicious 5-step recipe for pasta with roasted cherry tomato sauce is a great solution. The roasting creates a wonderfully rich sauce full of fresh tomato flavor without hours of cooking. Quick to make, simple to use and easy to freeze, it will take care of all those rogue tomatoes in no time. Like many pasta recipes, it requires just a few key ingredients so use the best quality possible.

Chicken Penne Pasta

Everyone loves a great pasta dish. Pasta can go with just about anything and also is a great necessity for your kitchen cabinets. It is one of those foods you can go to and make a meal with little preparation. I had some penne pasta in my cabinet and couldn't think of a recipe to make. Usually I make a recipe and change it to my liking since that is what cooking is all about your personal love for the dish to share with others. I saw a chicken and pasta recipe online with all the ingredients I had in the cabinets and refrigerator and decided to make my version of it. I omitted a few ingredients and added others to make chicken and penne pasta.

The Easy Way to Impress Your Guests - Basil Pesto and Tomato Tart

Make sure you use the best quality tomatoes possible for this recipe. The UK tomato season is from around June to October so even though tomatoes are widely available all year round, I think they are a little bit firmer and a little bit tastier during the summer. You can also get a much wider variety of tomatoes during the summer, I used sugardrop tomatoes for this recipe, which are sweeter than your regular tomatoes and when roasted for the 15 minutes that this recipe needs taste amazing. Some recipes tell you to remove the seeds to stop it getting all soggy, but using small cherry tomatoes means that they don't give off too much liquid.
You can use a jar of pesto but I think a good homemade one is a hundred times better (that's right, 100 times!). If the pesto was for a pasta sauce I would make it a bit chunkier and chop everything by hand or use a pestle and mortar, but for this tart a smooth pesto works better so using a food processor is fine (and much easier!)
Serve the tart with a simple side salad, topped with a few shavings of parmesan and serve as soon as you take it out the oven to keep the pastry nice and crispy. I haven't given exact amounts of each ingredient as it doesn't make too much of a difference whether you have 10 extra basil leaves or an extra pine nut or two, just make sure it has the taste and consistency that you are looking for.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

A couple of times this week I made this fabulous cauliflower pizza crust. What is so great about this vegetable pizza is that it's a gluten free pizza crust and it can also easily be made as a delicious vegan pizza recipe.
I first heard of cauliflower pizza crust last week while at a class learning how to make regular pizza crust. I had my doubts but after making it and there not being a crumb left I knew this was a winner, and so easy to make!

Ingredients for this gluten free pizza crust:

• About 1/2 lb of cauliflower
• 1 egg - to make it a vegan pizza recipe use 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese (For the vegans, I used Daiya cheddar cheese in my crust and then the mozzarella cheese for the topping.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Best Vegetable Juice Recipes

 If you're wondering how on earth you're ever going to eat your "Minimum Daily Requirement" of fruits and vegetables each day, here's a quick and easy solution. Juicing!

The "MDR" varies according to your age, but to simplify it's about 2-3 cups each of fruits and vegetables for adult men and a half cup less of each for women. But remember that the "M" in MDR stands for the minimum amount needed to maintain a healthy body as determined by the US Department of Agriculture nutritional research, not the optimum amount that makes you feel your best!
Whether your goal is minimum or optimum, juicing is the fastest way to ingest and absorb all the nutrients in fruits and vegetables. One pound of produce makes just one cup of fresh juice, so a glass or two a day will do it! And because juicing separates the juice from the fiber, your body absorbs more nutrients faster than if you had eaten the fruit or vegetable whole. And keep in mind that store-bought juice must be pasteurized. This process destroys many good nutrients such as enzymes. And commercially made juice is not fresh or chemical-free.

7 Easy Ways to Use Up That Zucchini!

Do you find your refrigerator overrun with zucchini each summer? I just can't bring myself to throw any away (I have serious feelings of guilt and remorse if any fresh veggies don't get used in a timely fashion)- so over the years my son John and I have come up with quite a range of zucchini recipes.

Zucchini is a great veggie. It's fairly neutral in flavor and can be crisp, tender or soft in preparation. It is low in calories (about 35 calories per cup) and is entirely fat-free. One cup contains 340 mg. of potassium, 530 IUs of vitamin A and 70 mg. of phosphorus. It's also a good source of fiber if consumed with the skin intact (4 grams per cup).

4 Super Fat-Fighting Foods

We all want to lose weight fast while still enjoying the foods we love and not working out all day. Experts say it's impossible, but I'm an eternal believer in having my cake, and eating it - literally. Try these tips to optimise what you are already doing, but consuming less calories, and burning more at the same time.
Food Swaps
Instead of consuming one large cinnamon roll, have two mini cinnamon rolls and a cup of orange juice. Or replace your standard full-fat ice-cream with homemade icecream, easily made from frozen whipped coconut cream, which is low in calories and rich in nutrients with cocoa powder. You can even add some banans.
Exercise
If you live a reasonably sedentary life, the thought of exercise alone can be exhausting. However, take it from a fellow couch potato: any exercise is good. Two months of yoga had a tremendous effect on my blood pressure and energy levels, so much so that I'm ready to take on something new.
Exercise needn't be boring either. If you don't like walking, jogging, skipping of weightlifting, consider a fun exercise that you can do at home, such as Zumba, Yoga, Tae-bo or Pilates.

Budget Healthy Recipes: 5 More Nutritious Meals That Won't Break The Bank!

Still looking for a few great budget healthy recipes? Here are some tasty, health, cost-effective, and totally simple meals you can prepare!
1. Easy Lemon Chicken
Lemon chicken is a great budget healthy recipe that even a beginner cook can make with ease. Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a cut you can get for 3-4 dollars per pound if you go to a discount store. In a hot, nonstick pan, cook the breasts until golden brown on both sides, and then add 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice along with a cup or so of chicken stock. Simmer the breasts in the liquid until they are cooked through, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Apple Spice Oatmeal
Oatmeal is something that tends to be a bit bland and boring, but you can really spice and sweeten it up with a few cheap, basic ingredients! Start by boiling one and half parts water for one part oatmeal, and add the oats when the water is at a rolling boil. At the same time, add small, thin bits of apple. Once the oats are done, add brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the dish tastes just like you like.

How to Feel Full While Still Losing Weight

Many people who are concerned about losing weight often try cutting back on their portion sizes, but are still hungry after eating. This is because you feel full according to how much food you eat, not necessarily how many calories you consume. Therefore, if you replace some higher-calorie foods with foods low-calorie foods high in water and fiber, you can still eat enough food to feel full while at the same time losing weight
Generally, foods with a high percentage of water and fiber have fewer calories but still make you feel full. When trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important to choose the following types of foods more often than higher-calorie and higher-fat foods:

Chicken And Rice Is Not Just for A Bodybuilding Diet

Struggling to get your chicken and rice in? This meal of the week is a bit different. Although I have aimed this at bodybuilders on a pre contest diet, this recipe is one of the best choices for anyone with weight loss plans who are after a tasty meal idea.

As some of you may know, I am into bodybuilding. I competed and placed in late 2012. I did struggle with the constant "force feeding" of chicken, rice and broccoli. If any of you have done a pre contest bodybuilding diet, you will know how tough this can be... It got so bad for me early on in the 20 week diet that I literally wanted to cry every 2 hours when it came to getting this bland mixture down.

As I am really into my food, I looked at better ways to cook chicken and rice for pre contest. As this diet is extremely strict you are very limited with the type of seasoning you can use. Anything with sugar is a massive "NO NO" and if you look at the ingredients on most seasonings you will see sugar and salt. All sauces are out of the question as these have a big calorie content, most again are loaded with sugar and salt.

Healthy Snacks for Kids at Night

Kids need to be fed on healthy snacks at night just as much as adults. Just before they retire to their beds for sleep, kids must be given a snack or two to ensure that they obtain the last nutrients they need for the day. It is common to find parents feeding their kids with fruits at night. Parents have taken into including parfaits as part of the healthy snacks they feed their kids with at night before they go to bed. The base of the parfaits should be made of purely fruits or grapes, or where possible, a combination of the two.

If you are looking for the healthiest choices of snacks for your kids at night, you should never veer too far away from berries. Get hold of a plate and place those berries around it in various groups. Divide up the plate into various sections where one is composed of cheese, the other one has crackers and the last one contains an assortment of melon balls. This option is very good when divided into smaller portions for one or two kids. It can also be served in larger portions depending on the number of kids being catered for.

3 Lunch Ideas That Are Delicious (And Low-Calorie!)

Eating low-calorie lunch does not always mean eating plain, tasteless food. It is possible to eat delicious and nutritious meals during the entire day. Although a healthy lunch may seem impossible due to your work schedule, there are always chances to find nutritive, low-calorie, easy-to-prepare meals that will suit and work for any office situation. Here are 3 lunch ideas that can give low-calorie, quick, delicious meals:

1. Sandwiches and wraps
   It is wise to prepare a healthy sandwich or wrap at home instead of going out for junk foods and consuming extra calories. Just like salads, sandwiches and wraps are also available in a lot of low-calorie varieties. All you have to do is carefully select the ingredients. Whole wheat bread, pita bread, English muffin, whole-wheat bun, or a tortilla could be selected for holding nutritious slices like fat-free deli turkey breast, tuna, or cheese. Don't forget to include lettuce, onion or tomato. Skim mozzarella could be added to give delicious taste.

Basics of Indian Cooking

Indians love their food and this is apparent in the variety of dishes which are on offer. Indian food is fast catching up in the western world as more and more people are learning to try out different cuisines to challenge their palates. The huge variety of spices available in India and its rich history has made it abundant treasure trove of wonderful foods. People in India have borrowed a number of cooking styles and techniques from the foreigners who invaded it in previous centuries and have developed them to suit its cuisine.

Before equipment from Europe and America became popular on Indian shores, the people mostly used 'Chulas' or charcoal ovens to cook. A Chula is actually sort of a brick cube with a hole in the top for the burners and holes in the front for the charcoal and wood to be put into it as fuel. Making a Chula is not easy and is considered quite an art form. It has to be made in a way to make sure that the vegetables or meat that is being cooked is being supplied with an even source of heat.

Tips For Eating Right

Fad diets will only work if you strictly follow the instructions given. Then again, it is important to point out that not all the foods stated in fad diets are good for your health. Consequently, fad diets require that users constantly change their eating habits in order to successfully lose weight.

Instead of being overly concerned about adhering to fad diets, consider your overall wellbeing as well as lifestyle. Select healthy meals which are suitable for your body in addition to consuming them in the right proportion.

Unknown to a number of people is that the nearer a meal is to its organic state, the healthier it is for them. If you have a yearning for sweets, consider eating healthy foods such as berries alongside fresh fruits. Fresh fruits and vegetables such as leafy green vegetables, oranges plus yellow veggies are packed with vitamins and minerals. Instead of cooking green leafy vegetables for long, consider steaming them. Vegetables such as carrots should be eaten raw so as to preserve their nutritional value. Desist from the habit of adding excess cheese, sauces and gravy to your meals since they are high not only in calories, but fat.

Cream of Asparagus - Fennel Soup

Did you know that fennel has a season? Yes, in the heart of winter! It's a great time to pick up a few bulbs and cook them. I find it a great transition vegetable. If you are not familiar with fennel, its anis flavor is pungent when eaten raw but when cooked, it mellows out to create an original and tasty treat. Mediterranean cooking using a lot of anis-favoring, and fennel is the root vegetable for that flavoring.
If you think you've never tasted fennel, then ask yourself about dill. Have you added dill(weed) to any of your dishes? Because if you have then you've just eaten the top bit of the fennel bulb. Yes, dill grows on top of the fennel bulb. It's less pungent that the root vegetable itself. So cooking this vegetable will give you that deep dill flavor.
To round out fennel's unique flavor, you can add some sour cream or heavy cream. This recipe calls for some. You can add more to taste if you find the fennel a bit strong. But the asparagus helps round out the flavoring of this comforting and elegant soup.
It's great to have a soup that can be made year round. Served warm in winter, it adds pizazz to a dreary winter night. Served chilled in summer and you find it makes a wonderful entertaining conversational piece. Any way you cut it, fennel is in season.
Cream of Asparagus and Fennel Soup Recipe

Advantages of Drinking Tea

Why do you adore a hot cup of tea? Is it because you feel relaxed while sipping a warm cup of tea? Maybe it is the fragrance or the warmth of holding a tea mug in your hand or maybe it's the lovely small talk that begins a relationship.
Besides making you feel awesome, teal also has a lot of health benefits. Did you know that tea decreases the danger of stroke and heart attack? Drinking tea regularly also protects you against cancer. It strengthens your immune system and keeps your bone strong.
Check my small list of benefits of drinking tea.

It has the perfect measure of caffeine
The minimal caffeine content in tea ensures that you do not get the anxieties, indigestion, headaches or sleeplessness associated with caffeine rich drinks. In fact, a latest study suggests that the minimal caffeine content in tea actually helps to increase tea's cancer protection effects.

Bolivian Cuisine And Recipes From Bolivia

There is more than one cuisine in Bolivia because every region has its own favorite dishes. Food tends to be spicier in the west of the country, where you will find the arid Andes mountains and valleys, than in the lowlands of the east. Bolivian food is similar to Peruvian cuisine in some ways, since these countries share a border as well as similar topography.
There is a lot of variety of grains, vegetables, and fruits in the tropics, which are in the north and east of Bolivia, since this is the agricultural center of the country. Most of the cattle ranches are in the east. You can imagine how the differences between climate, topography, and altitude mean that the food eaten on one side of the country differs substantially from the food enjoyed on the other.

Bolivian Chicken Soup

Pasta Alla Carbonara - simple spaghetti carbonara recipe

Pasta Alla Carbonara - pasta in the style of the coal workers - is a simple yet deliciously rich dish that can be thrown together very quickly with just a few ingredients you probably already have on hand: pasta (traditionally made with spaghetti but any shape will work), eggs, bacon, freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, and freshly ground black pepper. The trick to making a luscious, creamy Carbonara is to carefully control the heat when you mix the eggs into the hot pasta. Do it wrong and you end up with scrambled eggs and pasta. If this happens, don't worry, it will taste fine but the texture won't be quite as satisfying. Just follow the recipe step-by-step and your dish will be beautifully rich and creamy. Buon appetito!

Ingredients

7 Secrets to Making Perfect Al Dente Pasta Every Time

Pasta is one of the most popular foods in the world and yet, it can be frustratingly difficult to get it right.

The best thing about al dente pasta is what chefs refer to as "the mouth feel"... that delectable combination of textures and tastes that is so satisfying. It's that key moment when you get a luscious bite of pasta with just the right amount of rich, succulent sauce. Mmmm. Nothing better, right? But get it wrong and even the best pasta dish is ruined! It sticks, it clumps, sometimes it's underdone, sometimes it's mushy. The sauce seems too dry or it slides off entirely and pools in the bowl. It's maddening!

But fear not, pasta lovers! After extensive research, I have narrowed down all the various techniques out there to just seven essential steps - 7 insider secrets - to perfect pasta. Follow these 7 insider secrets and your pasta will be al dente and delicious every time.

Easy lasagne recipe

How many times have you gone to a friend's house for dinner and when the entree comes out to the dining room, it is a great-looking lasagna that looks as if someone had spent hours slaving over.

The last time someone checked, it seems like every time and you know that when your friends come over to your home for dinner, they will be expecting something as good. Well, you can have exactly that type of lasagna dinner and all it will take is about 15 minutes to half-an-hour in the late morning and your can relax for the rest of the day.

In fact, this is probably one of the easiest and best lasagna recipes you are likely to use and, best of all, your friends will think you spent all day making it.

The Basics

Making Homemade Vanilla-Flavored Greek Yogurt

Because Greek yogurt is generally such a good treat for the health-conscious consumer, I advocate incorporating it into your diet if only sparingly. It helps if you can learn how to make your own, so as to avoid the sometimes excessive cost of yogurts like Fage and Chobani on supermarket shelves - when they aren't on sale, that is.

Many people refuse to pay more than a dollar for yogurt (understandably), which makes my mother's homemade vanilla Greek yogurt recipe such a timely treasure to share.
It takes a full liter of milk (I use a cup of Présidente's skimmed milk), a generic or popular brand of plain yogurt (I use the brand Carrefour, which is 0% and natural, unsweetened), and added 3 cups skimmed milk powder, 3 cups of a brand of vanilla extract, and only 1 cup of liquid sweetener.

What Makes A Good Pizza?

It is safe to say that just about everyone loves pizza. Some of the great elements of this food dish include that it is easy to make and can be relatively healthy, depending on what you put on it. Pizza also covers a large basis of the food groups: vegetables, sometimes fruit, dairy, meat and grains.

Many choose to order pizza from a restaurant and either pick it up or have it delivered. However, pizza can easily be made at home too, which brings us to the purpose of this article; what makes a good pizza?
Anyone who eats pizza regularly has a favorite combination of toppings. There are also different types of crust, like deep dish or thin crust, and an array of sauce options, think red sauce, olive oil or pesto, for example. What can be put on a pizza is a long list as well that typically includes some fruit, a variety of vegetables and meat options and more.

What Are The Different Uses of Chocolate in Baking?

Some of the uses of chocolate in baking are as follows:

1) Making chocolate curls for decorating on cake:
Melt 3 squares of chocolate and pour the melted chocolate onto wax paper and spread to a 3" wide stripe. Let stand until cool but not firm. Peel across the top of the chocolate curls with a sharp instrument and transfer to a plate. Store chocolate curls in freezer. You can decorate puddings, custards, cream pies, ice cream or parfait with curls or grated chocolate.

2) Looking for a quick way to drizzle fudge topping on a cake? Put the fudge in a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the topping over the cake.

3) Sprinkle finely grated chocolate over eggnog.

4) When making chocolate cake rolls, you may want to mix chocolate and coffee as duo. Just add cooled melted chocolate and instant coffee granules together to filling.

5) Tip for making brownies, is to cool the melted chocolate mixture completely before combining with other ingredients. Aso, test the brownies 2-3 minutes before suggested finished baking time. Test the brownies with a wooden toothpick inserted in center. If it comes out clean, the brownies are done.

What is Coffee? How Healthy Is It?

To understand what Healthy Coffee is, we must know what coffee is. Coffee is a brewed beverage from the roasted seeds from the evergreen shrub of the genus Coffea.
There are two (2) main coffee types sold in the world, there are many more of course, but these are the two main coffees sold in the Western World. Arabica from the plant Coffea arabica and Robusta from the plant Coffea canephora.
Coffee is slightly acidic having a ph. of 5.0 to 5.1. Coffee also contains caffeine which acts as a mild stimulant to the human body. Coffee is the 2nd most consumed beverage in the world, only second to water, and is the 2nd highest traded commodity only beaten by oil.

Is Coffee Healthy?

Tips for making mouth watering pies

If you are like me, I get very frustrated when my pie crust is tough. I am listing some of the ideas that my Mother and Grandmother gave me.

1) Mix a pastry flour and solidified shortening for a tender flaky crust. Be sure the ingredients are thoroughly chilled.

2) The lightness of the pastry depends on the amount of air it contains. For this reason use a pastry blender for mixing the flour and shortening. Blend until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

3) Use only enough water to form the mixture into a mass. Chill the mixture before rolling out.

4) Roll mixture on lightly floured pastry cloth to same thickness (about 1/8") all over and about 1" more in diameter than pie plate. Roll the crust out with light strokes from center to edge until desired size. Fold pastry in half with fold in center and carefully transfer to an 8" or 9" pie plate. Place in pie plate loosely. Do Not Stretch. Fold edge of crust under into an upright rim. Crimp the edge decoratively, using thumb and forefinger. Moisten edge of lower crust (of all dough crust pies) before sealing.

5) Be careful not to over work the pie crust. Reserve a small amount of the flour/ shortening mixture before adding the liquid ingredients and use it in place of extra flour when rolling out a pie crust. Too much flour can make a tougher crust.

The Benefits of Cayenne Pepper Powder

Cayenne pepper is a spice some people would happily put in their meal to spice it up, while on the other hand, some would avoid it, afraid not to burn their tongues. No matter which type of person you are, the capsicum (its other name) has undeniable advantages for your health. That is why including some cayenne pepper powder wouldn't bring any harm, right? The result would actually be the other way around because the cayenne is full of vitamins, as well as magnesium, calcium and many other useful substances.

What is cayenne pepper powder useful for?

7 layer salad - easy recipe

I have a favorite salad recipe I serve for Thanksgiving. I also fix it in the summer months when I want to eat something light but filling. It is a simple salad to make and all it requires is a glass dish.You want to see how pretty it looks with the entire layers stacked on top of each other.

The wonderful thing about this salad is it makes a great side dish for fried chicken. The salad I'm referring to is a 7 layer salad. My mother taught me how to make it. I want to share it with you and you can pass it along to somebody. Here is my recipe for 7 layer salad.

Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most people like to use self-rising flour. I never use self-rising flour as it tends to always make recipes different than what is expected with the finished product. Some people are fine with having less than perfect results but I am not one of them. Instead, go with an all-purpose flour and add your baking powder or baking soda or both if the recipe calls for it. This ensures that you have the correct of amount ingredients for the recipe.

Baking soda can also cause issues with the rising in the dough. Make sure you store your baking soda properly. Store it in a dry and cool place. After I open mine, I pour it into a plastic bag and keep it in the cabinet with the rest of my baking ingredients. This ensures that the humidity in the air does not cause it to go bad.

Butter, butter, butter! Never use margarine. Margarine and vegetable spreads have more oil in them and can cause your cookies to come out with a burnt bottom or will have an oily consistency and texture in the end. It usually leaves you with burnt bottoms and mushy tops. When making cookies from scratch, always use creamed butter aka stick butter. I personally like to use salted cream butter (stick butter in the grocery that is either salted or unsalted). Most recipes call for salt in them with unsalted butter but using the salted butter tends to make them taste superb with that extra added umph to them.

How To Boil And Peel An Egg Flawlessly

For an absolute newbie, learning how to boil an egg should definitely be the first port of call when learning how to cook. This can boost your self-confidence. You can now have a complete breakfast along with some cereals and a glass of cold milk. When I first learnt this, I felt really proud that I could make myself a simple breakfast without any help and without "wasting" even five minutes. This eventually opened my eyes for further experimentation.

This also proved to be a foundation for making many more recipes. You can make your favourite sandwich or your salad by acquiring this simple skill.

I hope mastering this art (which is hardly an art) would give you the same amount of pleasure and assurance that it gave me and would encourage you to try making many other recipes.

How Should You Boil an Egg

How to Make Perfect Sauerkraut

It is almost impossible not to make great sauerkraut. To make any good food we have to start with good quality fresh material. Here, Mother Nature has created a vegetable that is perfectly suited for fermentation. Cabbage contains plenty of minerals, vitamins, water and sugar and all those nutrients are a ready to eat meal for bacteria. Even fermenting bacteria are present in sufficient numbers to start fermentation. There is no need for starter cultures or chemicals, cabbage has all that is needed.

The Importance of Adding Salt

In simple terms, fermentation is spoilage of product by bacteria. Cabbage like many moist foods will spoil if left unattended. Although lactic acid producing bacteria (fermenting type) will start fermentation, nevertheless the amount of acid that is produced is insufficient to inhibit the growth of spoilage bacteria and the cabbage will rot, unless it receives help from us. All that the cabbage needs is around 2.5% salt in relation to the cabbage weight.

All bacteria hate salt, but friendly lactic acid bacteria can tolerate elevated amounts of salt much better than spoiling bacteria. This small amount of salt inhibits the growth of spoiling bacteria, yet allows lactic acid bacteria to ferment the cabbage. The process is controlled now and the cabbage should ferment well. Salt is not added for flavor, but to save the cabbage from rotting. Another benefit of adding salt is that it immediately draws juice from the shredded cabbage.

How To Create A Quick Healthy Meal In Less Than 30 Minutes

One major obstacle to cooking is that most of us do not have enough time. We have to rush to our office or college or gym, prepare for tutorials or hang out with friends. In the process, cooking becomes a chore and a casualty.

Most college students live by themselves (probably for the first time in their lives) in self-catered dorms, hostels, halls of residence, apartments, whatever. They either starve themselves or survive on street food--- sandwiches from supermarkets, instant noodles that you can have straightaway (that you don't even need to boil), etc. In the process, they become deficient in vitamins, minerals, proteins and a lot of other good stuff, which is not really a good state to be in when you need to muster all your resources for excelling in your chosen courses of study.