Archive for » February, 2008 «

29
Feb
Cooking Sphagetti Squash In microwave Is Easy

Though the microwave is a relatively new invention, and cooking sphagetti squash is more old fashion you would think it’s not a good combination. But because the microwave has quickly become a staple in just about every kitchen you encounter, people just tried it out and it really works excellent. Your microwave is not only ideal for heating up a quick bowl of leftovers, or TV dinners. Beyond this, there are so many dishes that can be created using microwave cooking and so many benefits to using the microwave for cooking sphagetti squash.

Quick Cooking For Convenience
What kind of cooking can a microwave do? There is no end to the role that the microwave can play in meal preparation. Five-minute microwave meals and heated leftovers are obvious, but the microwave is essential in the preparation of many standard dishes. For example, microwave cooking can be used to steam vegetables, like broccoli or squash. Finally, meals that used to take hour to prepare in the oven can now be done in the microwave in no time. Such dishes include microwave mashed potatoes and cooking sphagetti squash.

Nutritional benefits
Not only is cooking sphagetti squash in microwave quick and convenient, but it also has many nutritional benefits. More so than other cooking methods, microwave cooking allows many vitamins and minerals to be retained in the food. This is a result of the quick cooking time, and the limited amount of water necessary to cook the sphagetti squash. Too much water strips food of its natural nutrients. Microwave cooking allows food to retain much of its flavor as well. Consequently, people are less likely to add extra seasonings and salt, which also makes it a healthier cooking method. Microwave cooking is good for the environment too—less energy is used during the brief cooking time.

- Thoroughly wash the outside of the spaghetti squash.
- Place squash in a large covered glass or ceramic microwaveable baking dish.
- With a large sharp knife, poke two or three lengthwise cuts into the squash about half way through, each cut about one inch long.
- Cover the baking dish.
- Bake until the squash begins to get soft. Do not let it get mushy.
- Cooking sphagetti squash the in microwave should take about 10 to 12 minutes
- let stand for 5 minutes or so afterwards to finish steaming.

Look out!! Because microwaves often heat food unevenly, it is common for people to pick up hot foods, unaware of how hot they are, and receive burns. Also, the steam from cooking sphagetti squash in microwave can cause burns as well.

Category: Cooking Basics  Leave a Comment
28
Feb
Product Review: The Camper’s Guide To Outdoor Cooking, the book you can’t do without

Camper’s Guide to Outdoor Cooking: Everything from Fires to Fixin’s (Camper’s Guides)

Price: $5.42 USD

Lowest used price: $4.95 USD

When you are planning a camping trip for your family, and the first kind of food that comes in mind are smores, hotdogs and trail mix, you could probably use some new ideas and tips. You family would probably put up with it for one short weekend, but when you want to camp with them for a longer period or more weekends and vacations you will need to give them something more than that.

The book to get is the “The Camper’s Guide To Outdoor Cooking”. In the The Camper’s Guide To Outdoor Cooking, you will find quick and easy recipes, it include everything you need to eat well with a little variety. The recipes are quick and you don’t need to do much preparation. Doesn’t chili, baked potatoes, stew and more sound better than the same old hotdogs? This way your whole family can enjoy camping without hating the food you normally would prepare.

The Camper’s Guide To Outdoor Cooking Is About Planning
Camping trips only work out well when you plan everything, you make lists what you take with you sleeping bags, tents, cooking utensils, and more. And you should also plan the meals, if your smart you’re going to make using the camper’s guide to outdoor cooking as you’re planning your camping trip. It might also be a good idea to select a few backup plans in case you’re not able to make more elaborate meals. This is a good idea in case it rains and you need to make something very fast inside the tent, for example. You never know what you might encounter when you go camping so make sure you plan your meals accordingly using the camper’s guide to outdoor cooking.

With the camper’s guide to outdoor cooking, you’ll be able to eat foods you actually enjoy. No longer do you have to eat the same boring foods as you lay back and stare up at the stars. Far away from civilization, you should be able to eat with a little variety while enjoying the free life that only camping offers. And also important your family will go with you next time, because camping becomes a quality vacation.

The Camper’s Guide To Outdoor Cooking, can also help you when you go hiking and sleeping in a tent, and you’ll need to take along the supplies in a bag. This bag can’t be too heavy because you don’t want to bog yourself down. You need to take enough so that you can cook a few decent meals, but not so much because you cant carry it.
When you plan your meals before hand, The Camper’s Guide To Outdoor Cooking keeps everyone happy while you’re enjoying the great outdoors.

Camper’s Guide to Outdoor Cooking: Everything from Fires to Fixin’s (Camper’s Guides)

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26
Feb
Chinese recipes makes Chinese take-out redundant

In many country’s but especially in the United States Chinese food is the favorite take-out food, from the wonderful spring rolls, to the delicious dumplings, to the spicy and flavorful meat dishes, of Americans everywhere. Lots of people love Chinese take-out recipes, but few people have tried cooking Chinese recipes in their own homes. Perhaps they are under the impression that it is too difficult, or maybe they are concerned about the quality of the results. However, the truth is that Chinese cooking at home is not only simple, it’s healthy too!

Home made Chinese recipes are healthy
The food in Chinese restaurant contain anywhere from 500 to over 1,000 calories. and are known for their high sodium content. But when you cook Chinese recipes at home you can get the same taste with less calories and sodium.
Preparing your own Chinese food at home means that you can have control over the amount of sauces and food that you prepare, resulting in healthier meals.

Chinese recipes are easy to cook
When preparing Chinese food at home, the result usually turns out to be similar to what you would taste in a Chinese restaurant. The methods for cooking Chinese food are actually quite similar to methods used in American cooking. Though there are some cooking methods unique to Chinese cooking, other methods are fairly universal. The main methods used in Chinese cooking are boiling, roasting, and shallow frying.

You can find Chinese recipes in many cookbooks, or on the Internet. One popular Chinese dish that can easily be prepared at home is Sweet and Sour Chicken.

To prepare the Chinese recipe “Sweet and Sour Chicken” you will need:
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 diced onion
- ¼ teaspoon dry ginger
- 1-2 shredded carrots
- 1 sliced bell pepper
- 1 cup Chinese cabbage
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 4 tablespoons divided Peanut oil
- 1 pound thinly sliced chicken breast.

To prepare the sauce, you will need:
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon dry ginger
- 1 cup chicken stock
- a pinch of garlic powder.
- ½ cup ketchup

Begin by heating two tablespoons of oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add all the vegetables, and cook until the onion is translucent. Place aside in a bowl. Add another two tablespoons of oil to the wok and add the chicken until fully cooked. Mix the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl, and add the sauce and vegetables to the wok along with the chicken. Cook for about seven minutes, until the sauce has become thick. Serve over white rice.

Cooking Chinese recipes is fun, healthy and easy to learn, you will be cooking Chinese recipes like a pro and you will never have any need for that Chinese take out again.

Category: Cooking all over the world  Leave a Comment
23
Feb
Cook Healthy With Cooking Oil

There are many different kinds of healthy cooking oil. Usually cooking oil is derived from either plant or animal fats. Of course, the healthy cooking oils are the ones extracted from plant fats. They are primarily used to cook our food; hence the term cooking oil but they also have other uses.

Some of the many different kinds of edible vegetable oils include: olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, argan oil and rice bran oil. Many other kinds of vegetable oils are also used for cooking. Lard is what oil from animal fats is called. Many medical practitioners advice against consuming this at great quantities at it poses a threat to one’s health. Coconut and palm oils are also high in saturated fats which can be unhealthy if consumed in large amounts or frequently.

The term “vegetable oil” is loosely used to label a cooking oil product refers to a blend of a variety of oils often based on palm, corn, soybean or sunflower oils, vegetable oil is often referred to as healthy cooking oil.

Canola Oil
This healthy cooking oil was initially introduced in Canada from which its name was derived. It is said to have little or no saturated fats content and can contain up to more than 50% mono unsaturated oil and Omega 3 fatty acids. This is quite healthy for a cooking oil, which is why many people have turned to Canola when cooking. This type of cooking oil is great for medium temperature frying and not for high temperature.

Olive Oil
This oil has many uses, not only as healthy cooking oil. It can be used for cosmetics, fuel and pharmaceutical purposes. It is derived from the olive fruit, which is mainly grown in the Mediterranean. It is considered a healthy cooking oil because it has a high content of monounsaturated fats although it burns easily when exposed to high heat.

Corn Oil
This healthy cooking oil can tolerate higher temperatures compared to Canola oil and is also less expensive than other types of edible oils. It is derived from maize and is commonly used in the production of margarine. Other uses for corn oil are for biodiesel, cosmetic products, inks and textiles.

Sesame Oil
This oil is derived from sesame seeds. It can tolerate very high temperatures, which makes it ideal as healthy cooking oil. It is a bit more expensive than other forms cooking oil and has a distinctive flavor that many Asian countries appreciate.

There are many other types of healthy cooking oils and, depending on the country and culture, many other uses are found for cooking oil. One must be aware of the heat tolerance of the many different kinds of oils. Burnt oil can pose a danger to one’s health and the reuse of this can add to the health risk.

Disposal of Healthy Cooking Oil
Proper disposal of used cooking oil is an important waste-management concern. Oil is lighter than water and tends to spread into thin and broad membranes which hinder the oxygenation of water. Because of this, a single liter of oil can contaminate as much as 1 million liters of water. Also, oil can congeal on pipes provoking blockages. Because of this, cooking oil should never be dumped on the kitchen sink or in the toilet bowl. The proper way to dispose of oil is to put it in a sealed non-recyclable container and discard it with regular garbage.

Taking care of the health of this planet is just as important as using healthy cooking oil fore yourself.

Category: Healthy cooking  Leave a Comment
20
Feb
Keep The Smoke Away: Use A Outdoor Cooking Grill Exhaust System

Cooking on a outdoor grill has become the number one family activity, it is a fun way to gather with your entire family and sit around the grill while you wait for the wonderful food from your outdoor cooking grill. In some outdoor designs, the grill may need an outdoor cooking grill exhaust system to facilitate the smoke.

An outdoor cooking grill exhaust system can be necessary to avoid getting smoke into your home when you are using the outdoor grill. Smoke from the grill can contaminate your clothes and can stick to these for a very long time until they are washed.

The need for an outdoor cooking grill exhaust is:

  • to avoid getting the smoke in to your home and the smell of the food sticking to your furniture, clothes and other things. Smoky food smell can be strong at times especially if you have been close to the grill. An outdoor cooking grill exhaust system can ensure that the smoke is sucked up from the grill and does not dissipate into the home.
  • Other use for an outdoor cooking grill exhaust is to avoid any inconvenience for your guests who may be gathered rather close to your grill. If you and your guests or family members are gathered near the spot of the grill, dissipating smoke from the grill can be cumbersome to breathing and may also sting your eyes.
  • You as the cook also need to be able to see the food that your are grilling. An outdoor cooking grill exhaust can help you clear out the smoke for better vision. You can easily determine how cooked your food items are when you can see them properly without any smoke blocking your sight.


Putting An Exhaust On Your Outdoor Cooking Grill
An outdoor cooking grill exhaust system can be very expensive if you choose the more expensive models that are available. Some outdoor cooking grill exhaust systems are specifically designed for specific or complementing outdoor grills. On the other hand, others fit many different kinds of outdoor grills so you have a variety of choices available to you. Ask the appliance store from which you initially purchased your outdoor cooking grill what exhaust would fit your grill.

Category: Cooking tools, suppies and utensils, Outdoor cooking  Leave a Comment
19
Feb
Cookbook review: Cee Dub’s Dutch Oven and Other Camp Cookin

Price: $19.95 USD
Lowest used price: $17.75 USD
A Back County Guide to Outdoor Cooking Spiced with Tall Tales

Book Description
The book is a cookbook focusing on Dutch oven and camp cooking, spiced with humorous and informative stories of Mr. Welch’s experiences cooking in the back country of Idaho. It includes the basics of history, selection, and care of Dutch ovens along with many recipes which a beginning Dutch oven cook, as well as a more experienced cook, will be able to master. The objective is to prepare easy, healthy, and delicious meals outdoors.

About the Author
C. W. “Butch” Welch, an Idahoan, was a game warden in Idaho for 21 years at various duty stations around the state. He has won awards for work in wildlife conservation and law enforcement. Over the years he became an accomplished Dutch oven cook for his own needs, as well as catering and cooking for Idaho’s finest and nationally known folks. He is also well-known for his story telling abilities. All are entertained and well-fed at camp. He now hosts a PBS TV series, DUTCH OVEN AND CAMP COOKING, available nationally and teaches Dutch Oven (DO) cooking.

Review
A wonderful cookbook with recipes that are explained in detail and easy to change with other ingredients, I have never laughed so much reading any cookbook. The stories so much fun and the recipes are even better. I have been able to sit down and read this book for pleasure. It doesn’t matter if you are using a dutch oven for years or if you are just starting out, this book is a must have!

Kenny

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