Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Fast and Easy Frozen Snack
Author: admin
Today has been roasting hot again and we have come up with a fast and easy frozen treat that tastes divine and is healthy. Kids love this frozen popsicle even more when if comes in a rocket mold or in the long popsicle shape just like the bought ones but you know what is in your own home made frozen treats.
Plum Ambrosia Popsicles - ambrosia as it tastes so scrummy and delicious !
We were given some plums that looked mouthwatering but tasted “mouthwateringly” sour and made our eyes water. We left them on the bench in disgust until we hit on the brainwave of iced plums , then even better, iced Popsicles and the tartness just adds to the flavor. How can something so good for you taste so good ?
How to:
- Stew your plums
- Add either sugar - honey for a healthier version
- Take out the stones ( this is the most time consuming but stick with it as its so worth it when you taste it - besides they play havoc with your blender !
- Blend the plum puree ( blend for a long time if you want smoother or we like it more chunky to give it more body. Pour into your chosen molds and leave to set. These have gone down a treat today and we spent part of the afternoon reclining in the shade slurping and drooling.
We were so taken with the idea that we have expanded it to tart, stewed cooking apples but any fruit and apricot or berry fruit would be sublime and is only limited by your imagination. What about adding Lemon Grass or Ginger to the mix ?
Adult version of Plum Ambrosia
Serve plum puree over crushed ice in a tall glass with a long spoon, add a sprig of mint and a dash of Cointreau or your preferred liqueur. Serve with pistachio nuts and if feeling decadent shaved dark chocolate.
Try Peach Schnapps with peach puree and crushed ice.
Enjoy.
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Simple Curried Eggs Recipes
Author: admin
Curried eggs are a moist and delicious spread for sandwiches:
4 hardboiled eggs (shelled and mashed)
1 & 1/2 Teaspoonsful of curry powder ( 2 if you prefer it hotter)
Salt and pepper to taste
Add mayonnaise or butter until smooth and chopped parsley is an optional extra.
This same recipe can be used for a shared lunch.
Hard boil 4 - 6 eggs , cool in cold water ( makes them easier to shell) until cool. Shell and cut in half lengthwise.
Take out the yolks and mash with the above ingredients and place the yolks back in the whites.
Serve on lettuce leaves
Ria Patels Simple Egg Curry Recipe
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I have had a lot of comments and many of you are curious how I got interested in pasta making again so I thought I’d share with you a funny tale of how I came to haul out the long forgotten pasta machine from my pantry!
Our Italian friends came to visit today.
We live in the country and they are from the city and we talked about missing fresh pasta here in the country.
“How many eggs do they lay ?” he asked as he watched our free range hens scratching in the garden. Suddenly he sat up straight.
” You gotta pasta machine ?”
I disappeared into the pantry and emerged dusting off a long forgotten box with an Italian made Imperia pasta maker.
“It’s an excellent machine” he stared at me in amazement.
“Its almost new, you’ve barely used it” he said in disbelief, “pasta making is so easy !” …..and ……
“You have a goldmine here” . Barely able to contain his excitement, he talked non-stop of how to make home made fresh pasta and how simple it was to make and how we could have a never ending supply of freshly made, economical pasta. Then followed an animated discussion of the different ways to serve pasta and what you could do with it.
I was almost sorry I’d hauled out the box but my mouth was watering at the descriptions
But what is the recipe I asked. “Recipe, recipe ? You don’t need a recipe” he scoffed, ” just make one small pile of flour with a “dent” in the middle and put in two eggs and then, slowly, slowly, bring the flour into the egg” and leaning back thinking he added “you might need some water”
When I pressed him for the amount, he said it depended…… then seeing the look on my face added “about two fingers worth !!! Bearing in mind that my friend has been a chef, restauranteur and previously a baker, I think maybe he made pasta on autopilot !
“Anyone can make it - you have eggs, you have flour and you have the machine. You have a goldmine” he said again, looking puzzled as to why we hadn’t thought of it before and shrugged.
We all sat down to eat lunch and discuss food (of course, what else) followed by him making a beeline for the armchair “to take a short rest” and promptly went to sleep ! His job was done it seems.
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Christmas and Holiday Yummies
Author: admin
Merry Christmas from The Cat who constantly awaits the delivery of non Vegetarian Food and might even beg for some goodies from the Healthy Urban Cookbook
Greek Yoghurt Sauce
Chop Spring Onions, Coriander, mint and 2 cloves of garlic
Deseed one chilli and add to mix,
Fold this all together with yoghurt - try one cup to start and add until you like the taste
Add extra chilli sauce - sweet chilli sauce is good.
Use with couscous, over patties, on meat loaf, eggplant dishes or whatever takes your fancy.
Mushroom and Sage Tart
Grill 4 big mushrooms on a bed of sage
Place mushrooms on sheet of pastry and cut round each mushroom.
This is so the pastry will rise up around the mushrooms when cooked.
Brush with egg and lay sage leaves around the mushrooms
Brush top again with egg - if you prefer not to use egg skip this step and sprinkle with parmesan cheese Bake 10 - 12 mins in a hot oven.
Delicious and quick tart. Serve with a salad or grilled veges.
I have also tried Nigella Lawson’s Melon Salad and this is very easy to do and tastes delicious too so give it a try:
Chopped Watermelon cut into chunks, soak chopped red onion in lime juice.
Add chopped feta cheese and small amount of olive oil. Add onion and lime. stir and enjoy
Chopped mint is a good addition
Ice Cream “Enhancements”
Make strong coffee and either pour over or mix into ice cream, sprinkle with grated coffee flavoured chocolate.
Add scrunched up gingernuts and spoonful of powdered instant coffee to ice cream and re-freeze.
Add several large spoonsful of fruit mince to ice cream and a spoonful of your favorite liqueur(don’t add too much or it will act like antifreeze!) - add a handful of nuts as well if you like.
This range of options is only limited by your imagination !!
Enjoy
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Apricot Bites
Make these yummy apricot snacks when you need something fast to take for a shared meal or nibbles.
Healthy and fast to put together they look colorful when arranged in rows on a flat platter and you will find they go down a treat - you may not want to share any !
These also look good as part of a platter with cheese bites, cheese straws or whatever is in the pantry.
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Home made Hummus with toasted pita bread sprinkled with herbs and cheese and pineapple or cheese and gherkin bites on toothpicks
Today I had two invitations and was invited to take a plate - bring something festive they said ! I had done the obvious, club sandwiches, asparagus rolls, sausage rolls to death and I wanted a new twist and it had to be quick, easy, preferably healthy and look fantastic and delicious.
Go here to find 100 healthy raw snacks and treats
Since one of the occasions was an exercise class I didn’t want to take a plate of something we would all spend the next ten sessions working off and the other was a creative fiber group so it need to at least look artistic.
After a rethink here are some quick ideas for a festive occasion finger food that won’t involve slaving over a hot stove, can be prepared fast and will look great too - just remember its how you present it that makes or breaks it and you can get away with almost anything if it looks amazing.
Tooth pick pix:
Freshly sliced Brie cheese and slices of pear
Cocktail onions and cheese
Chunks of Pineapple and cheddar cheese
Polish garlic sausage and cheese
Apricots spread with cream cheese decorated with an almond
Ham and cheese roll ups secured with a tooth pick
Ham (or bacon if you want to cook !) roll up with a prune inside
Asparagus rolled in ham or any sliced meat
Chunky slices of chicken with sliced mango (or other fruit of your choice)
Creative Platters can go down a treat
Try a selection of various sliced meat, fruit, artichokes, curried eggs
Cheese straws with a dip - tomato dip goes extra well with this or an onion and cheese dip
Corn chips and a dip - a very quick dip is yogurt, sweet chilli sauce and a dash of pepper, or yogurt with chopped gherkins, or avocado with a dash of sweet chilli sauce, or avocado, lemon juice, salt and pepper - try some curry in it to give a kick, even non avocado lovers like this one.
Dates, sliced oranges, tropical fruits and some cheese slices
Lettuce “rolls” with a selection of what you have on hand, examples, cottage cheese, brie, sliced meat, artichokes
Go here to find 100 healthy raw snacks and treats
Crostini - you can go mad with a choice of spreads the most basic is olive oil and garlic, to any number of additions, we love smashed up tomato on top of the olive oil and garlic with fresh chopped basil.
Mini pizzas either make these very small individual ones or one large oblong one and cut into bite sized pieces.
Pita bread toasted or grilled with grated parmesan cheese or alternatively slice the pita bread into triangles and spray with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before grilling.
Make your servings bite size and leave a supply of toothpicks to self serve and have some festive paper cocktail serviettes on hand. I like to serve my platters with fresh flowers or herbs and if you arrange them creatively then almost any combination will look mouthwatering.
For more cool ideas go to the Healthy Urban Kitchen
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Eat green and stay healthy and lean, that’s my motto. I’ve always loved healthy salads. Ever since my late father’s medical condition precluded his enjoying the greens he also loved, I’ve never taken them for granted and enjoy them even more. My favorite salad mainstays come from Earthbound Farm that began 25-years ago as an organic backyard garden in Carmel Valley, California. Now I live just a few miles away in Carmel, long committed to organic for me and the planet. You can find their produce in Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and many other locations, and can even buy it farm direct: ebfarm.com/
In 2009 alone, Earthbound’s 33,000 acres avoided the use of over 305,000 pounds of toxic pesticides, 10.3 million pounds of synthetic fertilizers, and conserved 1.6 million gallons of petroleum by avoiding the use of petroleum-based pesticides and fertilizers. With sustainability the goal they use 100% post-consumer recycled PET for plastic salad containers and 99% post-consumer recycled corrugate for shipping cartons.
With the local deer sporting their new autumn and fall antlers, and beautiful red Pyracantha berries reminding me how they centered our Thanksgiving dinner tables growing up, this is a beautiful looking and healthy salad is perfect for fall and winter, alone or try it paired with artisan bread and soup.
Carmel-by-the-Sea Roasted Pear, Goat Cheese and Candied Pecan Salad
1 package of spring mix salad greens
2 unpeeled pears
1/2 c of dried cranberries
1/2 c of candied pecan pieces
4-6 oz goat cheese log
1/4 c apple juice
3 T brown sugar
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the pears into fourths length-wise and core. Place in a baking dish. Combine the apple juice and brown sugar and pour over the paces. Bake 20-30 minutes until they are tender, basting occasionally with the juice. Remove to a plate and reserve ¼ cup of the juice mixture.
Whisk the reserved apple juice and white wine vinegar in a small bowl, whisk in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste. I use sea salt and no pepper. Toss this dressing together with the greens in a salad bowl. Crumble in the goat cheese and mix throughout with a couple of light tosses. Divide onto four plates. Sprinkle each with the dried cranberries and candied pecans. Cut the pears into slices and arrange. Bon appetit.
© 2008-2012-Suzanne de Cornelia. http://suzannedecornelia.com All worldwide rights apply. This article may be reprinted on websites as long as the entire article, including website link and resource box are included and unchanged. Suzanne is a freelance writer and Web 2.0 expert. Her novel “French Heart” will be released in November 2009. Friend Suzanne on FaceBook, follow her on Twitter @SuzanneDeC
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_De_Cornelia
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Delicious Broccoli Salad
Author: admin
Many of us are so busy that we don’t have the time to prepare fresh and delicious meals anymore. The recipe I am sharing in this article is very simple and time saving. I got this from a friend of mine who served this broccoli salad in one of our work-related-potlucks. Everyone loved it that it was gone in minutes! I am not a very good cook but every time I attend a gathering that involves food, I always bring my broccoli salad. Amazingly, it is always one of the first dishes to disappear!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
2 bundles of fresh broccoli, 1 onion, 1/2 cup of raisins, 12 slices of (cooked) bacon.
For the dressing:
1 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of vinegar
MAKING THE SALAD:
1. Wash the broccoli thoroughly and chop them into bite sizes, and place them on a clean dish/salad bowl.
2. Wash the onions thoroughly and slice or chop it into small pieces, then mix it with the broccoli.
3. Add the raisins and mix it with the rest.
4. Break the 12 slices of bacon into small pieces and them mix it with the rest.
5. Mix the dressing ingredients thoroughly in a separate bowl to make a dressing. Pour and mix the dressing evenly with the broccoli and the rest.
6. Cover your new broccoli salad with a plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.
7. Enjoy your new delicious broccoli salad (by yourself or with friends and loved ones!)
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Feel free to check other articles at: Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jun_C |
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Home Made Pasta
Author: admin
Pasta is such and quick and easy meal and if you make it yourself then you can be sure of what you are getting and know there will not be a stack of preservatives and additives and you can add anything that takes your fancy or that you have on hand or in the garden at the time. Sage leaves are a tasty addition to pasta dishes and can transform even the plainest dish into a gourmet delight that takes only a few minutes to saute some sage leaves or oregano will add a different dimension to your pasta meal. Fresh is best always and the freshest herbs can be so simple to grow and have to hand.
Click here to visit The Pasta Shop
Try your hand at this quick and healthy recipe for Pasta by Alan Beggerow:
“If you’ve got some time and are willing to put forth some effort, you can make your own home made pasta. The basic ingredients are:
- 3/4 cup unbleached white flour
- 1 egg
- pinch of salt
That’s it. Some folks use a little (1/2 teaspoon) extra virgin olive oil in their pasta, but it is optional. This recipe makes pasta enough for 2 regular servings, so if you want more increase the amounts in the same proportions.
The classic way to make pasta is by putting the flour on a board, make a well in it, and put the egg and salt into the well. With a fork, gently mix the egg with the flour until a rough dough forms, then knead the dough with your hands until it becomes soft. But it can also be made in a bowl, a food processor or a mixer with a bread hook.
A few tips: If the dough is still too sticky, dust with a little flour and knead it some more. If the dough is too dry, sprinkle a little water on it and knead it in. The humidity in the air determines if a dough will be too sticky or dry with the basic recipe, so you’ll need to act accordingly.
After the dough has been kneaded and is soft and elastic, wrap it in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes. This will help ‘relax’ the gluten in the dough and make it easier to roll out.
Folks who make pasta regularly invest in a pasta machine. While this does make for more uniform noodles, you don’t need one. Take the dough after it has rested and separate it into small portions if you’ve made more than the basic recipe. Dust a board with flour, put the dough on the board and roll it out. Try to get the dough thin enough so that you can almost see through it. If the dough sticks, dust with a little flour.
When you have the dough as thin as you like, dust it with a little flour and roll it up like a jelly roll. With a very sharp knife, cut the roll into very thin slices. Unroll the pasta and let it dry for 20 minutes or so on the board, or drape it over a broom handle covered with plastic wrap that has been suspended between two chairs.
After drying, the pasta can be cooked or refrigerated for use within the next 2 or 3 days. Fresh pasta does not take as long to cook as fully dried pasta, only about 4 to 5 minutes, even less if the noodles are small and thin. You want to cook it al dente (to the tooth, a little firm in the middle, so watch fresh pasta closely as it cooks!
This basic recipe can be varied in many ways. Substitute whole wheat flour for the unbleached white flour for whole wheat pasta. Whole wheat pasta dough will have a little different ‘feel’ to it. Or you can make spinach pasta. Cook 5 ounces of frozen spinach as directed, drain and let it cool. Squeeze as much water as you can out of the spinach. The spinach should be about the size of a large egg when you’re done. Mix it in with the egg before adding to the flour.
Pastas can be flavored with most anything. Add a little garlic, use a little tomato juice, let your imagination run free and experiment! Making home made pasta is easy!”
Alan Beggerow is a free lance writer. Visit his writing services website, Ghostwriter, at http://www.ghostwriterboo.blogspot.com
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Simple and easy to make Anzac Biscuits
Worried about additives and extras in store bought biscuits ?
Careful diet and watching your health doesn’t mean you have to forgo any treats and today I had the urge to make something to nibble with our cuppa and for afters and discovered this really, really easy Biscuit recipe on the back of our Rolled Oats packet and thought it was too good to keep to myself. Read more and get the free recipe Read the rest of this entry »
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