Tuesday, July 3, 2012

This Recipe Will Help You Cook The Most Delicious Spaghetti

Recently, spaghetti is becoming more and more popular all over the world, it is not only nutritive but also quite easy to cook. There is a very simple recipe, and if everything is right you can try to do it at your home by yourself, by the time the spaghetti is done cooking all the ingredients can be mixed together, pop it in the oven for 10 minutes, and you’re ready to eat. This Southwestern Spaghetti Recipe is very easy, if you are looking for something a little different give it a try.


Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti noodles

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1lb ground beef

8 ounces fresh mushrooms

1 medium onion

1 medium green bell pepper

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 can sliced black olives

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl (or in the pot you boiled the spaghetti in) combine the drained cooked noodles with milk and egg. Mix well.

Butter a 9×13 inch casserole dish and pour the noodle mixture into the bottom.

In a large skillet brown ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic.
 
Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.

Spread the meat sauce over the spaghetti noodles. Top with cheese and olives. Place into the oven and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Tempting Spinach And Cheese Is Easy To Make

These tempting appetizers look like they're difficult to make...but they're not. They feature a spinach, onion and cheese filling simply rolled up in flaky puff pastry and sliced into pinwheels. You can assemble the spinach and cheese casserolein less than 10 minutes by using preshredded cheeses. Pair this dish with fresh berry salad and mini muffins for a lovely Mother's Day or graduation brunch.
  
Spinach And Cheese
Ingredients
  
1 tablespoon butter, melted Cooking spray
  
2 (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach
  
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
  
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 3/4 ounces)
  
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
  
1 cup egg substitute
  
1 teaspoon salt
  
1 teaspoon baking powder
  
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  
Directions
  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.
  
Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
  
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Fresh Sardine Dishes That Will Be Loved By All Members Of The Family


Sardine Recipes
Sardines are the most popular and commonly used fish for culinary purposes. Do you also know that these fish have numerous health benefits and hence are considered as one of the healthiest foods? Sardines contains high amounts of proteins, several vitamins, essential amino acids, etc. As they are easily and abundantly available in nearly all places, you can easily include them in your diet. Here are some interesting canned and fresh sardine dishes that will be loved by all members of the family.

Healthy Recipes with Sardines

Although it is said that when buying canned sardines, you should look for those dipped in water or tomato sauce, rather than oil in order to reduce calorie intake. However, sardines dipped in extra virgin olive oil are also healthy, and do not contain large amounts of calories.

Sardine Salad

Ingredients
  • 8 ounce sardines with bones
  • 3 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1/4 cup of sliced onion
  • 15-ounce of chickpeas
  • 2 tablespoons of sliced Kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 1 minced clove of garlic
  • 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Method of Preparation
  1. Cut the tomatoes, cucumber and sardines into large chunks.
  2. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and pepper in a bowl and whisk.
  3. Add all the other ingredients into it and mix well.
  4. Lastly, toss to combine well, top with some cheese and serve!
  5. This is one of the healthiest fish recipes for kids and adults.
Sardine Bruschetta

Ingredients
  • 4-5 ounces of canned sardines
  • 18 ounces of cannellini beans
  • 4-5 slices of country style bread
  • 2 oz of arugula / watercress
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 minced clove of garlic
  • 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Method of Preparation
  1. Drain the sardines and mix them with beans. Mash them together.
  2. Add oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to the mashed fish and beans.
  3. Toast the bread and by spreading some oil over it.
  4. Place the fish mixture, arugula / watercress on top of the bread. Top with cheese if you like (optional).
Spicy Sardines

Ingredients
  • 8 - 12 sardines
  • 3 - 4 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1/4 oz of fresh finely chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup of plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Method of Preparation
  1. Mix the garlic and parsley together to form a fine paste.
  2. Spread the above mixture on the sardines from inner and outer side. Also brush some lemon juice over it.
  3. Now set the fish aside for 1-2 hours so as to let the flavors get absorbed completely.
  4. Mix cumin, salt and black pepper in the flour and form a homogeneous mixture.
  5. When the fish is ready, coat / roll it in the flour so that it is covered uniformly with it.
  6. Heat the oil in a frying pan until very hot.
  7. Slowly slide the fish in the oil one at the time fry only 2-3 fish at a time.
  8. Fry for 5 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.
  9. Serve with bread or as starters.
Sardine Spread

Ingredients
  • 8 canned sardines
  • 8 ounces of ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup of minced parsley
  • 2 tablespoons of capers
  • 1 teaspoon of curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
Method of Preparation
  1. Drain the sardines and rinse them.
  2. Mix sardines and all the ingredients together in a food processor.
  3. Process to form a coarse mixture. The consistency should be like any other spread or dip.
  4. Serve with crackers, bread, chips, etc.
Now that you know the sardines health benefits and recipes, you should get going and try these recipes. So, plan a snack, a starter or a salad with sardines, using these recipes, for your next meal. Good luck!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Best Halibut Recipes Are Rich And Versatile And Include Everything


Halibut Recipe
Being one of the largest saltwater fish, the Halibut can weigh up to 160 pounds! Yes, people have been gorging on these delicious fish ever since the beginning of time. Throughout history, the Halibut has been considered by most religions as a sacred fish and has also been served at religious festivals and on holidays. A nutrient rich food, halibuts are an excellent source of proteins and other essential nutrients like magnesium, minerals selenium, potassium, vitamin B, phosphorus and above all, the extremely important omega-3 fatty acids.

In the kitchen, the halibut is just as versatile. With so many different recipes for frying, grilling, broiling, baking, deep-frying, barbecuing, poaching and pan-frying your halibut, you can take this delicious dish when you are out picnicking or even for family getaways.Some of the best halibut recipes are rich and versatile and include everything from appetizers and soups to salads and main dishes.

Grilled Halibut Recipe
Ingredients:
  • ½ a cup of low-sodium soy sauce.
  • 1 teaspoon of grated ginger.
  • Brown sugar, ¼ cup.
  • 1 garlic clove.
  • 1 teaspoon of dry mustard.
Procedure:

In a marinade dish, mix all the above ingredients and then add the halibut steaks. Cover both sides of the steaks and then set it aside for about 4 hours. Keep turning the steaks over frequently. Heat the grill at a medium temperature. Grill the steaks until they are well done but make sure they don't go dry, and keep basting them with marinade every now and then. Make sure you don't over cook the halibut, so stick to grilling it at a low temperature. Serve your grilled halibut with veggies or rice. Without being too overpowering, the marinade will give the fish a nice flavor.

Spicy Grilled Alaska Chili-Lime Halibut
Ingredients:
  • 4 steaks of Alaska Halibut.
  • Rice vinegar, ½ a cup.
  • Fresh lime juice, ½ a cup.
  • Grape seed oil, ¼ cup.
  • 1 cup of sweet Thai chili sauce.
  • Black sesame seeds, ¼ cup.
Procedure:

Mix all these ingredients together and then marinate the Alaskan steaks for about one hour. Make sure both sides are marinated well. Grill the steaks on the barbecue grill until the halibut flakes when you test it with a fork. This makes for 4 servings. The sweet Thai chili sauce is available at any Asian specialty market.

Halibut with Sambal Vinaigrette and Wasabi cream
Ingredients for Sambal Vinaigrette:
  • One and a half teaspoons of rice vinegar.
  • 2 tsp of Sambal Oelek.
  • One and a half teaspoons of Dijon mustard.
  • Vegetable oil, 1/3 cup.
Ingredients for the Wasabi cream:
  • 2 tsp of Wasabi powder.
  • 3 tbsp of water.
  • Sour cream, ¼ cup.
Ingredients for the Halibut:
  • 1 halibut steak (one and a half inch thick), skinned and bones and then cut into 4 pieces.
  • ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped.
  • ½ tsp vegetable oil.
Procedure:

Preheat the oven to about 400 degrees F. To make the Vinaigrette you need to blend all the ingredients together in a blender until a smooth paste is formed and then season this paste with salt. To make the cream you must first whisk the Wasabi powder with the water until it becomes a smooth paste and then whisk this paste in the sour cream and season with salt. To make the Halibut you must first pat the fish dry and then season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle each side with the chopped parsley.

Heat a skillet over a high flame until it becomes hot. Then, add some oil and put in the fish with the parsley side up. Sear the fish for about 1 minute until its underside turns brown. Turn the fish over and then put the skillet in the center of the oven. Roast for about 5 minutes until the fish is well cooked. The fish is now ready to be served, parsley side up, with a spoonful of each of the sauces on top.

Halibut Hot Pie with Mashed Potato crust
Also great when served with mahi-mahi or salmon. Re-warm the potatoes in your microwave before you use them in this recipe and add more warm milk if the mashed potatoes are too thick.

Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp of butter.
  • 1 large bulb of fennel trimmed and halved and then thinly sliced.
  • Sliced shallots, ½ a cup.
  • Flour, 2 tbsp.
  • One and a half cups of vegetable broth.
  • One and a half pounds of halibut fillets.
  • Baby spinach, 6 ounces.
  • Three and a half cups of mashed potatoes, warm.
Procedure:

Preheat the broiler. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium flame. Add the shallots and the fennel. Cover the pan and cook for about 8 minutes while stirring occasionally until they turn tender. Sprinkle with salt, flour and pepper. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the broth and then bring it to a boil while stirring frequently. Add the spinach and fish. Cover the dish and let it simmer over a medium flame for about 4 minutes until the fish is almost done.

Transfer this mixture to a baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes into the dish and cover it completely. Broil the dish until it starts bubbling at the edges and the potatoes develop brown spots. Your hot pie is now ready to be served.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Make The Best Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe As A Side Dish


Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe
For those people who prefer extra spicy foods, a deliciously prepared dish with a habanero hot sauce recipe will be the best treat. This spicy sauce goes well with any main course food recipes. In case, your family members love to have spicy foods, you can check out homemade habanero hot sauce recipe as a side dish. Or for a change from the regular food menu, you can serve them with these hot sauce recipes. Refer to the following simple habanero hot sauce recipes that you can prepare at home.

Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe for Canning
Ingredients
  • 12 habanero peppers (finely chopped)
  • ½ cup chopped carrots
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions for Preparation
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for about 2-3 minutes, till they turn soft. Add the chopped carrots and toss the mixture. Pour ½ cup of water and bring the mixture to boil. Cover with a lid and simmer until the carrots are cooked well. Transfer the mixture into a blender and add habanero; blend this mixture for about 3 minutes. Then, combine the puree, lime juice, vinegar and a pinch of salt and simmer for approximately 5 minutes. For storing it in the refrigerator, pour habanero hot sauce recipe in containers with tight lids.

Mango Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
  • 12 habanero peppers (chopped)
  • 1 mango (peeled)
  • 1 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon red chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper as per taste
Directions for Preparation
For preparing this fruit flavored mango habanero hot sauce recipe, first add the ingredients - habanero peppers, mango, mustard, vinegar and brown sugar into an electric blender. Grind the mixture for about 5 minutes to make a smooth paste. Transfer this paste into a frying pan and add the remaining ingredients - curry powder, red chill powder, cumin, salt and peper. Close the lid and simmer this mixture for about 5 -7 minutes. Serve this hot sauce recipe as a side dish. You can also preserve this habanero recipe in clean jars for future use.

Roasted Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
  • 24 habanero peppers (roasted)
  • 8 cloves garlic (roasted)
  • 1 medium-sized sweet onion (roasted)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Honey (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions for Preparation
For roasting habanero, garlic and onion, you can use a thick iron skillet. Over a medium heat, roast these ingredients by turning occasionally for about 20 minutes or until they become tender. Remove the roasted habanero, garlic and onion from the skillet and allow them to cool down. Remove the skin of the garlic and the cloves and add them in the blender. Using a glove, add the habanero peppers in the blender after removing the skin and seeds. To this, add ½ cup vinegar, salt and pepper and blend the mixture for 5-7 minutes.

In the meantime, heat a skillet and add 1 cup vinegar and add the mixture from the blender. Stir the ingredients - brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses and honey. Simmer the mixture over medium heat for 45-60 minutes. Serve best with chicken wings and grilled beef. More on spicy chili recipes.

You can prepare the above habanero hot sauce recipes, whenever you are expecting guests who enjoy having spicy food. Reduce the amount of habanero peppers to lessen the spiciness. You can also alter the ingredients for more flavor and taste. Make the best habanero hot sauce recipe and I amp sure your friends will ask for more next time.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Basic Cooking Skills Can Make Delicious Grilled Pork Loin

Pork tenderloin contains less bones and more meat, in contrary to spare ribs. This is perfect cut meat for people who love to have pork recipes, but are concerned with the calorie count. Best prepared by baking and grilling methods, you can try tasty pork loin recipes for a perfect dinner. When cooked on the grill, it dries out very quickly and drains off the flavor. Nevertheless, with simple tips for grilling a pork loin, you can make rich flavored and juicy meat to suit the taste buds of your family members.

Pork Loin Grilling Instructions

Anybody who have basic cooking skills can make delicious grilled pork loin. Both pork loin roast recipes and grilled recipes are common for backyard parties during summer time. The key tips for grilling a pork loin on a gas grill are preparing the cut meat, brining for some time, oiling, using proper seasoning rub and grilling for the correct time. If you are cooking pork tenderloin, the grilling time will be lesser. The step-by-step directions for making grilled pork loin are given below.
  • Besides following proper grilling steps, cooking pork loin perfectly depends on the meat quality too. As you shop in supermarket, purchase fresh and good meat cut. Avoid pale brownish or grayish colored meat that indicates old cuts.
  • The first step for grilling a pork loin is preparation of the meat. Using a sharp butter knife, lift the thin, shiny membrane from one end and remove it completely. This meat preparation is done to allow better penetration of oil and seasoning spices.
  • After removing membrane, soak the partly prepared, lean pork loin in salt water for 8-12 hours. The brine solution can be made by dissolving 1½ tablespoons salt in half quart of water. If required, adjust the salt and water quantities for making 1 quart brine solution.
  • Brining pork tenderloin keeps the grilled meat soft, as it holds more water during exposure to direct heat. Thus, you should not skip the step for soaking meat in salt water to reduce dryness during grilling.
  • On the next day, remove meat from brine and rinse thoroughly under running tap water. Pat it dry with tissue papers and leave sometime for air drying. Now, your pork loin is ready for grilling.
  • For cooking pork loin on the same day of purchasing, rub it with olive oil from all sides after removing the outer membrane. While grilling, the coated oil conserves moisture by reducing evaporation. Thus, by oiling, you can reduce excess dryness of the grilled meat.
  • Make dry rub for ribs with your favorite ingredients. A simple recipe for dry rub seasoning is mix paprika (2 teaspoons), granulated sugar (2 teaspoons), onion salt (1½ teaspoons), garlic salt (1½ teaspoons), chili powder (½ teaspoon), ground cumin (½ teaspoon), coriander powder (½ teaspoon) and black pepper (1 teaspoon).
  • Start the gas grill and adjust it to high heat setting. To grill a pork loin on a charcoal grill, be prepared with two layers of charcoal.
  • Place the pork loin in a large platter and apply rub with your hand, making sure that you coat the meat evenly on all sides. Place pork loin over the gas grill with the fat side down and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then, flip to the other side, and continue grilling each of the remaining 3 sides for the same time.
  • For 1 pound cut meat, the pork loin grilling time is approximately 20 minutes. While grilling time is 10-12 minutes for 1 pound pork tenderloin. After the pork loin cooking time is over, check the internal meat temperature. If it measures 160° F, the pork meat is done.
This is how you can grill flavorful pork loin with easy steps. After you are done with grilling the pork loin, allow the cooked meat to settle down a bit. It continues to cook further for sometime, even after you remove from the grill. After cooling for 5 minutes or so, cut it in slices and serve with mashed potatoes, salads, spicy sauce and your favorite side dishes.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Low Fat Dinner Recipes That Are Easy To Make

In recent times, obesity has become a common issue among people of all ages. One of the most important factor for this is consumption of high fat foods. Fat is a component that lends taste to the food we eat, and it is necessary to consume fats in a moderate proportion. It is said that fats get processed in the body to provide us energy, necessary in our everyday activities. So, avoiding fat intake completely is also not advisable. It is recommended that taking up a low fat diet would provide us with essential fat intake, and also avoid the accumulation of excess fat in the body.

One should follow a low fat diet in every meal of the day, especially dinner. It is said that dinner should be a light meal and at the same time healthy. Consuming high quantity of fats during dinner may lead to storage of unwanted fats in the body as we do not indulge in any kind of physical exercises after dinner.

A healthy dinner should include a lot of vegetables, fibrous foods and fruits. Many people think that low fat dishes would taste very bland. But, now there are various ways to prepare mouth-watering dishes which have low fat content.

While cooking a low fat dinner, ingredients containing fat should either be added in less quantities or it should be substituted with something healthier. Instead of oil, low-fat sour cream can be used for cooking. It can also be substituted with jam or fruit for marinating chicken or fish. One should also avoid fried food stuffs and prefer food prepared by boiling, baking or steaming. Butter can be replaced by omega-3, low fat margarine or spices, to make a dish that is low in fat.

Let us look at some low fat dinner recipes that are easy to make and yummy to taste.

Low-Fat Spicy Chicken

Ingredients
  • 4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 medium-sized onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 green or red chilies
  • 3 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
  • 12 ounces fresh basil leaves
  • Basil sprigs
Preparation

Cut the chicken breasts and onions into ¼ inch thick slices. Peel the ginger and cut them into small pieces and chop the green or red chilies into long and thin slices. Take a bowl and mix brown sugar and soy sauce. Add chicken slices to it and let it marinate for 5-7 minutes. Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan and when it turns hot, put in the marinated chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes in low heat (stir frequently) and when the chicken turns slightly brown, take it out and keep aside. In the same pan, fry onions in the remaining marinade for 3-4 minutes, and add garlic, ginger and chilies. Stir for a minute and put the cooked chicken into it. Cover the pan and let it cook well. Top it with basil leaves and basil sprigs.

Low fat Rice-Kidney Bean Dish

Ingredients
  • 400 grams kidney beans
  • 200 grams uncooked rice
  • 1 green pepper
  • 4 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • salt- as per taste
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1-2 green or red chilies
Preparation

Wash the kidney beans, and drain the liquid in a container and keep it aside. Chop onion, garlic, pepper and chilies into small pieces. In a large cooking pan, heat olive oil and add these ingredients into it. Put in cumin powder and salt, and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes in low heat. Add rice and beans into it and mix all the ingredients. Add the liquid of the kidney beans, along with water, as required for the rice to cook fully. Cover the sauce pan and let it cook for 50-55 minutes on low heat. Before taking it from the heat, check whether all the water is drained. Transfer it into a bowl and serve hot.

Controlling the intake of fat is necessary, because consuming foods that are high in fats can lead to ailments of the heart and arteries. A dinner comprising dishes made of low fat, is a method of maintaining a healthy body in a delicious way.