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Lazy Cooking With a Crockpot

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

The general consensus has been that crock pots were meant for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.

A great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are made in one dish. This means that there will not be mountains of dishes to be either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Make that no time slaving over a hot stove. Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the lightening bugs with your little ones, or actually enjoy a tea party movement without slaving over the stove.

Quick hamburger recipes and ground beef recipes

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Easy ground beef recipes are my favorite accomplishment. Lol, for me they are simple as I like ground beef more than most everything else. If I had to choose one food it would be ground beef as it’s tasty and it’s so easy to blend it in with different things.

While I’m not a formally trained chef I have been cooking my own food for over 55 years. My grandmother started teaching me to cook at age 4 and the first thing she taught me was to fry a hamburger on the stove. I stood on a chair to flip the burgers and I learned to stay away from spattering grease. Cheeseburgers are my favorite meal.

If you’re looking for some quick hamburger recipes for the grill here’s a very simple yet tasty recipe you can use as your ace in the hole when you have company but need something easy to make.

As luck would have it this burger recipe for the grill is so simple you can have your guests help and have some fun at the same time. It’s pretty much a no fuss, no muss grill recipe and it’s so simple anyone can make it to perfection.

Basics for Chocolate Dessert Recipes for Halloween

Monday, August 16th, 2010

I love chocolate dessert recipes any time of year, but especially during the autumn and Halloween. I enjoy cooking and sharing the results with others.

Chocolate comes processed in many forms, including powdered, chips, and bars. With these simple forms, thousands of original chocolate recipes can be created. Among other treats, chocolate bars, crunches, cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies all equal chocolate satisfaction.

One chocolate recipe that can be altered in so many ways is the chocolate cake. Interesting enough, the basic packaged chocolate cake mix can serve as a platform for a chocolate dessert ‘made in heaven”. Combine Dutch-processed cocoa, sugar, a dab of butter and a little water to form a rich liquid you can swirl through the prepared batter just before baking. The result is a sinfully rich cake fit for a Queen – or a chocolate-craving King.

Read more of my thoughts on chocolate dessert recipes here.

Making the most of microwave cooking techniques

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

There’s no question that the microwave oven is here to stay. The microwave is probably one of the most-used kitchen appliances in the modern kitchen. However, while we tend to use it almost universally to prepare a dish in a hurry, it does have certain limitations. Here we offer some microwave tips that allow you to make the most of your microwave oven. The novice cook may want to use the ‘nuker’ for just about everything in their cooking repertoire, but there are some cooking tasks that the nuker just doesn’t do well. You need to know which it does really well and those which are better done with another appliance. Let’s take a look.

The ingredients and texture of the food you’re cooking are paramount to a successful outcome. Among meats, chicken and fish are perfect candidates for microwave cooking, while beef, pork and shellfish don’t fare well in our beloved kitchen gadget. The microwave is great for defrosting any type of meat, with the exception of shellfish, which should be defrosted in the frig.

Almost any type of produce adapts well to microwave cooking techniques. You can cook a large baked potato in the microwave in just 8-10 minutes, compared to 45-60 minutes in the oven. While the texture of a ‘nuked’ potato is somewhat different than an oven cooked potato, the resulting taste becomes a matter of preference, not quality.

As for veggies that you might normally cook on the stove top or in a steamer basket, the microwave provides a quick and delicious result which retains the nutrients through a quicker cooking process, using little water, by which those valuable nutrients might be lost in the conventional cooking process. Steaming veggies in the microwave is a healthy way to serve those 5-9 servings, but there are cooking situations which demand a little more care. You can saute onions with the microwave cooking technique, but you can only caramelize the onions in a frying pan.

Melting butter or creating a broth with bouillon cubes is a quick and economical alternative to the stove top method. On the other hand, cheese becomes tough in the microwave cooking method and is best done on the stove top.

Eggs don’t do well in the microwave. The microwave cooking of an egg is a delicate process. Egg proteins become tough, such that you’ll wish you’d just broken the egg in the frying pan! You’re certainly better off taking the few minutes required with a frying pan to fry your egg.

One of the oddities of microwave cooking is that thick foods, such as soups or stews, take a long time to heat, yet don’t retain the heat you enjoy while eating. This is just one of the limitations of microwave cooking.

Although some microwave cooking experts laud the abilities of the microwave in terms of breads and baking, this microwave technique is not for the faint of heart. Hey, what can we expect of one kitchen gadget? You can cook an entire menu of fish or chicken, potatoes and fresh veggies to perfection, all in the ‘nuker’. So long as you choose the right foods, microwave cooking makes meal preparation a breeze!

The author has been writing articles online for 4 years now. Come visit his latest site Quick Cash Concept review that discusses Quick Cash Concept by Eric Rockfeller.

An Effective Way to up the Asking Price of Your House

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Refitting your kitchen is a simple and yet practical way of making your house a more comfortable place. You needn’t entirely redecorate the place to gain this result either. Just selecting a couple of new appliances, for example, dishwashers and a wine fridge, you can give your home a fresh look.

Despite their unchanging look, fridges have been subjected to a large amount of technical advances in the last few decades. Today, you can choose fridges with a freezer on the bottom, customizable shelving, full humidity control, side-by-sides, ice machines, and many extras that make our life easier and less stressful.

The new fashion in refrigerators is to place them where they can’t be easily seen. Cabinet fronts are occasionally added to a refrigerator to effectively disguise them. Some will have cubbyholes and other extras to ensure you can easily put your food. Dishwashers can also come in a drawer design and can display a cupboard front to keep them hidden. And here’s good news for the eco-friendly. Rather than use heat, the new trend is dishwashers which leverage a dehumidifying process which consumes a smaller amount of electricity and needs less time, too. There is nothing that restricts you to only the one dishwasher. In a couple of cases a single isn’t big enough and a second one has been put in the counter top. They’re ideal for those that do a lot of cooking. If you like keeping crockery away from your priciest china then this is certainly the thing to do.

A fast glance over a magazine or two should provide you with some inspiration for the cabinets too. Cabinets that may have been loved by your grandparents have made a powerful come back. Current fashions favor cherry instead of oak with home owners. Maple is also quite trendy when it comes to homeowners now. Simply getting rid of a few old appliances such as a bar fridge will make your kitchen seem like an entirely different room. Furthermore might even want TVs set up. You’re really only limited by your wallet. So you, too, can enjoy that dream kitchen for the asking.

A Built in Grill Can Be the Centerpiece of Your Outdoor Kitchen Island

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

What’s your idea of the perfect backyard kitchen island? While planning outdoor kitchen islands the very first thing you’ll want to give thought to is just what cooking food out-of-doors suggests for you. This could be just using the bbq to cook hamburgers for a family weekend get-together - or you might envision a full scale luxurious dining and cooking area where you can wholly prepare and cook food for a social gathering. For the luxury model you can incorporate almost everything that you could have within the indoor kitchen, but outdoors; not forgetting the outdoor kitchen island refrigerator and bar.

More Articles On Outdoor Island Kitchens

Know About Traditional Grills

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Today we can see electric grills, gas grills and wood burning grills available in the market. Electric grills are already gained more popularity and become a best choice for everyone. People generally keep gas grill as a support with electric grills in the case of electricity interruptions. Here, some people still consider smoke and heat as mandatory for real barbequing. For this wood-burning barbequing is the only choice. Importantly, for large quantities of meat and beef definitely demand a wood-burning barbequing over the electric grills and gas grills.

Today these wood-burning barbequing can be seen available in different sizes and shapes. These are the best choice for commercial barbequing. Gas and electric grills are suitable for parties and homes. These bigger wood grills come with pulley system to raise and lower the barbeque surface. These wood grills are available in small sizes to for the residential and party purpose. These are best choice for traditional barbequing.

Grill the Steaks and Barbeque the Ribs

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

When do you fire up the BBQ? Anytime you can get to the grill! Have two feet of snow on your deck (like we did the previous winter ? Prepare your meat and vegies, shovel a path to the cooker, fire it up, slap on the meat and enjoy! Nothing like grilled steaks when it’s 10 below, right? If you live on the surface of the sun (e.g: Arizona) and never have the snow you’ll never have any excuses not to fire that BBQ up at any time of year.

Now, there’s the slow cooking barbecue and there’s the much faster grilling. Barbecue uses indirect heat, much like your oven on a low setting, while grilling uses more charcoal and whatever you’re cooking is placed right above them. Like a broiler. The BBQ might take 3 or four hours to finish, while you can grill steaks in 10-15 minutes.

By and large you’ll be barbecuing the tougher cuts, ribs, or meats that may have some gristle or connective tissue. The slow, long heat will break that down and the meat will be totally delectable. Do that with a fish or a good steak, and, well, it won’t be pretty. So grill your steaks & fish and barbecue your baby back ribs.

Speaking of steaks, here’s what you’ll need to grill a couple of rib eye steaks (and here’s the video on how to bbq a ribeye steak.)

1. 2 nice steaks, a pound or so each
2. 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
3. some diced celery and scallions
4. garlic clove
5. butter
6. charcoal and your grill/weber
7. cast iron skillet

Make a pile of coals on one side of the lower grill and fire them up. Since you’ll be grilling these cuts you’ll want a lot of heat, so make a largish pile, but you won’t cover the lower grill with them, keep them to one side. Once the coals are hot put the steaks on the grill. The heat should be enough that you can hear those steaks sizzle. After a minute or so flip the steaks. There should be some nice grill lines on the meat. (You’ll be searing in the flavor and juices by doing this.)

Once seared, move the steaks away from the direct heat. Now place your skillet over the charcoal and add the sliced onions and some butter. Saute the onions until they’re just they way you like them and then set them aside. Keep the steaks on the “cool” side of the grill and close up the grill. Open it up and turn the steaks over every couple of minutes until nearly done (and done is the way you like it.)

When the steaks are almost ready put the skillet back on and add the celery, the scallions, and some butter. While that mix sizzles take the clove of garlic, mash it up, and add it to the mix. Move the mix out of the way and put the steaks in the skillet and put the mix on top of the steaks. Add the onions, too. Cook for a minute or so, then serve it all up.

As for real barbecue, which takes a lot longer, take a look at this video which will show you how to make perfect barbecue pork ribs. Now, the real question is this: can you wait three to four hours to eat the ribs while that wonderful barbecue scent drifts through the air? It’s tough, but be strong. The finished BBQ ribs will be worth the wait.

3 Bean Salad Recipe

Monday, July 19th, 2010

While Sylvester the cat is sick of being fed baked beans everyday because it is bland, dull and tasteless, this does not have to be the case for you. With a little bit of creativity and some white kidney beans and red beans, you can spruce things up a little.

Click here to read more about a complete 3 bean salad recipe.

Macaroni Salad

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

While it is true that macaroni and cheese is the all American food, it is definitely not the healthiest item in the world because it is high in fat and calories. A much healthier option would be to go for the macaroni salad because it does not contain any fat and it is low in calories. If you have a pack of macaroni shelved away somewhere in your kitchen, you are all set to make a fabulous macaroni salad recipe.

Fragrant Ways to Cooking Rice

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Cooking rice is somehow perceived to be an Eastern thing. You have it in your kitchen, but it’s always at the back of the farthest shelf; when you actually get down to cooking rice, it gets pushed to the back of the plate. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Aromatic basmati can fill your kitchen and sometimes a whole street with an aroma that’s irresistible. For recipes that will really shine up your culinary reputation, here is a sophisticated way to start. But be warned, this one can be a really great way to get your children hooked on vegetarianism.

Let’s call this the spinach and Swiss chard basmati. This is a great way to start cooking rice for children, because it tastes and smells almost as good even when it’s cold in the lunch box. Here is what you will need :

A pound of Swiss chard, and half as much spinach. You’ll need a bit of extra virgin olive oil, an onion, three eggs, thyme, Rosemary, garlic, Gruyère cheese, and of course, you’ll need a cup of brown basmati rice. We begin by getting the rice ready. If you have a rice cooker, cooking rice becomes really easy. If you don’t, you could just steam it in boiling water.

Start with the Swiss chard. Cut off the stems, and strip out all the leaves. These leaves are what you will need. Put a large pot of water on the stove, put in say, a tablespoon full of salt, and boil the chard leaves in it. It’ll take about two minutes to tenderize the leaves this way. Take them out with a strainer right away, and cool them down in ordinary water. You could then chop them up to use later.

Next comes the part where you begin cooking the chard stalks in the oven. Get the oven ready by pre-heating it to 375 degrees. The chard stalks you got when you stripped out the leaves, you need to dice up. You need to stirfry them. But first, chop up an onion, and stirfry it in a heavy skillet for a couple of minutes. Add in the chard that you just diced, and throw in a teaspoon of chopped-up Rosemary, and a half teaspoon of dried thyme. Stirfry the whole thing for another five minutes, and then add in the garlic. Keep it going until the garlic is all nice and fragrant.

Now this is when you bring in the chard leaves and the spinach. Put that in along with the steamed rice and cheese. Stir in a little salt and pepper, and you’re done for now. This recipe requires cooking rice in an oven. Transfer everything you just stirfried to a baking dish, add in the three eggs all nicely beaten, sprinkle a little olive oil on it all, and put it in to bake. It should bake long enough to get firm and all nicely browned. It should take about 40 minutes.

This really is a recipe of its times. It does really well with advanced preparation methods. For instance, all that chopping and the boiling can be done up to two days before you actually intend to make the recipe. And once you have cooked it, it’ll keep in the fridge for about four days.

Joanne has been writing articles online for nearly 4 years now. Come visit her latest website that discusses Mizuno baseball cleats and cheap baseball cleats.

How to Barbecue Those Pork Ribs

Monday, June 21st, 2010

and plenty of wood smoke.

You need enough heat to cook the meat (which is the difference between smoke curing and barbecuing) but you need to keep the temperature a bit above the level that meat will register inside when done.

So, let’s take pork for example; it needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, so you must barbecue it at 180 degrees to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. This same principle works very well for other foods as well.

This video will show you how to barbecue ribs, St. Louis style. Watch it, then get the grill out and get to work!

Weber Q 100 Portable Gas grill is it the best for outdoor cooking?

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Weber Q-100 gas grill has a sturdy glass-reinforced nylon grill frame, cast aluminum lid and body. Its lid handle is designed as weather-resistant and the total cooking area measures 189 square inches. It operates on a standard 14.1 or 16.4 ounce propane cylinders. It includes Weber Q recipe booklet and under a 5 year warranty.
There have been some problems noticed with this grill. The grill is sensitive to wind and the holes in the burner can get clogged up, especially when there’s a lot of liquid pouring off the grill surface. Despite the issues noticed, it still cooks great and is worth the money.
t takes about 5-8 minutes to reach 400-450. Buy yourself a Grill Surface Thermometer so you know when the grill is ready to use. It sits on top of the grill grate. link:OvenChek Cooking Surface Thermometer Don’t bother buying those fancy BBQ grill tool sets. They are too long. Regular sized tongs and food flippers will work just fine.
This weber portable grill makes a fine choice for outdoor cooking.

How To Choose Between Culinary Schools

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

Do you watch the Food Network, if not you probably know someone who does. I remember the cooking shows of old and they were pretty bland. Presently, thanks to channels like the Food Network cooking shows are in vogue again. If you truly love to cook, you may find culinary schools and the training they provide as something you want to look into as a career option.

Learning how to cook and bake through culinary arts training is more than learning how long to cook a roast or how to make a good gravy. Cooking and coming up with your own recipes is not as hard as you may think, but it does come from some very simple skill sets. You do have to have a talent for it, but almost anyone can go through culinary arts training as a passable cook. Quite often, you do get out of it what you put into it. If you find pleasure in cooking, this type of course will be a breeze. Visit my site for more information on culinary schools. See you soon.

Choosing the Right Electric Ice Cream Maker

Friday, May 7th, 2010

There can be no doubt that ice cream is extremely well liked - a situation that is especially apparent with the quantity of outlets, and in particular ice cream stands, to be found during the summer time at the beach, by the pool and at theme parks and other places of entertainment.

During the warm months you can find ice cream on sale at just about any time and any place - along with a great many diferent flavors.

Ice cream is invariably fun to enjoy away from home, and is also an increasingly popular choice at home - and making homemade ice cream has grown to be popular also, not least because of the opportunity to follow an enormous number of receipes or experiment and make your very own.

Making ice cream might seem to be time consuming but the ice cream makiing process isn’t that difficult and doesn’t require much time as you might think. Additionally it is an effective way of spending time with your kids and having some family fun.

Nowadays there are plenty of different kinds of ice cream makers to pick from - and they are comparatively cheap. Some of the less costly models are noisier and can take quite a while to produce ice cream, The more pricey models contain built in compressors - although generally pre freezing just isn’t required these days. You can also choose between a hand cranked or electric motor mode, the majority of which turn off automatically once the ice cream reaches the proper consistency. Some new products enable you to produce batch after batch of ice cream, which makes it possible for you to make a good amount very quickly

Should you be thinking about buying an electric icecream maker start thinking about which functions you want, ensure it’s got a good guarantee and that you can easily maintain and clean it. It’s a lot of fun making your ice cream, and I am sure you will have fun using it.

Know All About Commercial Rice Cookers

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

The commercial rice cooker is a modern kitchen appliance that has made cooking rice simple and hassle free. Commercial rice cookers are ideally used for cooking rice for a large number of people and that is what makes them different from ordinary rice cookers. They are tailor-made for catering to your special needs and are the right choice the moment you have the requirement for cooking for a large number of guests for parties or any special occasion. There are many varieties of rice cookers that are available in the market and when it comes to investing in one you will find that there are rice cookers that have just the basic features and ones with highly advanced innovations.

When you are about to buy a commercial rice cooker you will be inevitably confused as there are so many varieties to choose from. The trick is to choose one that ideally suits your requirements as individual needs differ from person to person. Your budget also has to be taken into consideration and so you are the best judge when it comes to investing in one. Before you buy a rice cooker it is vital to know about its benefits and how it can be the ideal investment for you when it comes to serving rice at any huge gathering.

A commercial rice cooker unlike a normal rice cooker does not have a heater just at the bottom. It has a heater on the sides as well and this is the reason why it is able to keep the rice that is cooked warm and moist in the pan. It generally has a Teflon finish that prevents the rice from sticking onto the pan. The commercial rice cooker has the ability to keep the rice warm round the clock till served. The exterior of the rice cooker is heat resistant and keeps it cool for touching. It also has a heat resistant handle for individual safety. The lids of the commercial rice cooker are air-tight in order to prevent the moisture and the flavor of the rice from escaping. The cover lid of the commercial rice cooker is see-through so that you can monitor the condition of the rice during the entire cooking process.

The benefits of a commercial rice cooker are immense and its primary utility lies in the fact that it simplifies and makes you cook rice faster. All rice cookers have a measuring instruction that is simple to follow and all you need to do is add the right amount of water. Be it white rice, jasmine rice, lemon rice and others the rice cooker will ensure that it is cooked in the best way for your guests or family gatherings. The main advantages of a rice cooker lay in the fact that rice can be cooked faster and you can concentrated on the cooking of other dishes when you are in the kitchen.

Thus, a commercial rice cooker saves labor and at the same time gives you warm and fluffy rice for your guests. Find out more about rice cookers at http://commercialricecooker.org

How to Choose Scallops for Cooking

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

When selecting fresh scallops, inspect the color carefully. They should be slightly beige and show no traces of pink - a pink color indicates the scallops have passed their prime. They should not be swimming in liquid either. If previously frozen, do not refreeze! Refreezing, then thawing, produces a tough scallop. Ask the clerk to put your package inside a bag lined with ice.

Many scallops are treated with chemicals to make them absorb more water. This means you will pay more per pound, plus your scallops may not brown up nicely in a pan like you want.

Purchasing scallops, using these guidelines, assures a successful dish with any scallops recipes. Plan to prepare the scallops within 24 hours.

You can find some nice Summer Scallop Recipes online. Scallops make a quick, light summer meal.

Muscle Meal High Protein Chicken Breast & Egg White Omelette

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Visit QuickHealthyMeals.org for cooking Tips From Lee Haywards Total Fitness Bodybuilding. How to make a tasty high protein, low carb, and low fat chicken breast and cheese omelette. Youll need 2 cups of liquid egg whites 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked) 2-3 slices of fat free cheese diced mushrooms and onions salsa seasoning and spices to taste. Watch him prepare this great high protein meal.

Make Heart Healthy Veggie Burgers

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Visit HeartHealthyFoods.org to see Chelsea Britton of the American Heart Association share a veggie burger recipe that can help increase the fiber in your diet. See the entire video at HeartHealthyFoods.org

GT Xpress 101 Recipes for Fast Cooking

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

The GT Xpress 101 grill finally gives you a fast and easy way to cook meals and still have flavorful food that tastes great and that the who family can enjoy. There are countless Gt Xpress 101 recipes online to help you create fast and easy meals.

You’ve seen the Redi-Set-Go grill on the TV infomercial/commercial from Gaiam Media hosted by Cathy Mitchell. GT Xpress 101 lets you cook a wide variety of recipes. Make desserts, sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, stuffed chicken breast, omelets, angel food cake, stuffed salmon, rice, and so much more. And there is no need to clean the GTXpress101 in the sink or dish washer; just a quick wipe of the machine when the cooking is done.

The Xpress 101 uses 2 deep, non-stick wells for cooking recipes. When you use the GT eXpress 101 cooker there is no need to pre-heat. No more waiting around for a big oven or grill to heat up means more free time for you. Find more great GT Xpress 101 recipes at our website.