Food Guide and Recipes

It can be very frustrating when you are trying to follow a recipe, but you don’t understand the cooking terms used. Sometimes even instructions on a packet of pasta can confuse you – what does cook until “al dente” mean? So, let’s have a look at some basic cooking terms and the language used in recipes:-

Al dente – This term is often used with pasta and literally means “to the tooth/bite”. Boil the pasta until is is tender but still has some “bite”, not soggy and falling apart. Packet pasta usually takes 5-10 minutes in boiling water. Continue reading ‘Some Basic Cooking Terms and the Language Used in Recipes’ »

Who doesn’t love cocktail drinks? Everybody loves it. But we don’t like are all the extra calories sugared ingredients add to mixed drinks. Some of the delightful choices for the party are Mojito, Margarita, Sour Apple Martini or Whiskey Sours, but can do damage to our regime. Good Spirits CocktailsMixers are sugar free, so we are guilt free. So if you use mixers in your drinks, choose ones that are sugar free.

What do you mean Skinny Cosmopolitan? Many mistakenly believe a Cosmo recipe is always a great choice when looking to enjoy a low calorie “skinny” cocktail. The truth of the matter is variations in the recipe and amounts of each ingredient used can dramatically alter the caloric value of this popular vodka cocktail. And look out…calories are not the only consideration. Hidden in most Cosmopolitan recipes are many unnecessary and unwanted grams of carbs and sugars. So when you are looking to add crisp cranberry and citrus flavors to your vodka cocktails the ingredients choices you make can add up. Here is the Skinny on Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipes. Continue reading ‘Skinny Cosmopolitan Recipe’ »

During the fall and winter months, I enjoy making hearty soups and stews in my crock pot for my family. I love the fact that I can spend a few minutes in the morning preparing it, put it into the slow cooker and walk away…a few hours later, our dinner is hot and ready to enjoy.

The following recipe was given to me by my 83 year old great aunt about 25 years ago. To this day, I still enjoy making it for my family. If you don’t like okra, you can certainly omit it from the recipe. At times, I have actually substituted the okra with some fresh green beans or green peas, and the stew was just as delicious. Continue reading ‘Crock Pot – Old Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe’ »

There is just nothing like the crock pot or slow cooker to prepare meals easily. You can basically cook a whole meal in the crock pot, come home from a busy day, add a salad and dinner is ready. This recipe is a perfect example. In the crock pot you have steak, potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and gravy. Make your favorite green salad or buy a bagged salad in your grocery store. Serve with your favorite salad dressing. This meal-in-one recipe for a delicious Swiss Steak Meal should be added to your recipe file for busy days. This is a great meal for busy families on the go.

EASY AND DELICIOUS CROCK POT SWISS STEAK MEAL

1 1/2 lb boneless round steak, cut into 6 pieces

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

fresh ground black pepper

6 to 8 red skinned potatoes, quartered

1 1/2 cups baby carrots

1 medium onion, cut into 6 slices

1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano; do not drain

1 jar (12-oz) home-style beef gravy Continue reading ‘Easy and Delicious Crock Pot Swiss Steak Meal’ »

If you are looking to attend a cookery course in another country rather than your own there are many well reputed cookery schools scattered around the globe. The benefits of attending an international cookery school are many. Apart from being able to explore a completely different culture you will have the chance firsthand to be taught a new an exciting type of cuisine that is vastly different from your own. You may have a special interest in choosing a particular country, not just for its style of cooking but because you have some personal connection, possibly a relative. One country that boasts many fine schools of cookery is Poland.

To choose the right kind of cookery school for your requirements there may be several criteria that you wish to satisfy before making your final choice. Whether you wish to attend a Polish cookery school or prefer to study in another country it is worth taking the time to list your specific requirements. For more details www.cooking-chinese-style.com To help you on your way to making that all important decision you will find some useful advice below: Continue reading ‘Polish Cooking Schools-how You Can Select the Best School?’ »

There are a lot of things that you could learn in an Italian cooking school. When enrolling in a culinary institution, there are different options. You could choose those who offer basic culinary education, the fundamentals and the like or opt to take up specialized classes that deal with specific types of cooking. If you are planning to become a chef, then cooking school is mandatory. But even if you are just a cooking enthusiast, you could still broaden your skills by taking up classes in specific types of cooking like joining an Italian culinary school. You should list down the things that you expect t to learn from these schools before enrolling in one though.

Enrolling in the Right School

Italian cooking, is of course, the main forte of Italian schools. But there are some Italian schools that offer more styles which include Asian and French cuisine. This is because such styles are popular and widely practiced. So it would do well for you to know them too. For more details www.delicious-candy-recipes.com .But fundamentally, you will be trained in Italian Cuisine. Italian is very distinct when it comes to other types of cooking. The classes will involve demonstrations where in you could practice hands-on, practicing techniques that have been passed down traditionally and the story behind them as well. Because, like all styles, Italian cooking is a philosophy as well. In the end, you are going to be cooking genuine Italian meals. Continue reading ‘The Secret Ingredient To Cooking Authentic Italian Food’ »

It can be lots of fun to find good fruit smoothie’s recipes. These drinks are delicious, smooth, and healthy. They’re a great treat any time.

There’s just one problem: There are more varieties of smoothies than you can shake a stick at. But you’ll be able to find the best ones just by reading and experimenting with an assortment of recipes. Continue reading ‘Using This In Your Fruit Smoothies Recipes’ »

Each of us has a busy lifestyle. Because of this we tend to forget the most important aspect of our lives: food. Who has countless hours to spend in the kitchen, when they could spend that time doing something else, something more resourceful? Why would we even consider cooking a meal, when there are so many restaurants and fast-foods on every corner?

Let me ask you something about these quick and easy ‘solutions’. Would you consider damaging your health by choosing fast-food because you don’t have the time to spend at a table and eat a regular meal? Are you willing to spend a fortune and eat at a restaurant every night, when you could provide food for the entire family for a week with the money you spend in a single night at a restaurant? Continue reading ‘Why use slow cooker recipes over traditional recipes’ »

In the summertime, I like to use my crock pot (slow cooker) several times a week. One benefit to using your crock pot in the summertime is to save money on air conditioning costs.

Another great benefit is time. As a busy mother and wife, I don’t have hours to spend in my kitchen every day making meals for my family. Continue reading ‘Summertime Crock Pot Rib Recipes’ »

Are you looking for some new ways to cook chicken without spending a lot of time in your kitchen? If so, I have 3 delicious chicken recipes to share with you!

These recipes are all made in the crock pot (slow cooker). They only take a few minutes to prepare. If you are a busy mom, I think you will enjoy these recipes. Continue reading ‘3 Delicious Crock Pot Chicken Recipes’ »