Fresh & Natural Food

Posts Tagged ‘recipes’

“Melkkos” is one of my favourite dishes ever. I do honestly not know what it is called in English, but if I had to translate it, it would be something like milk food. It is a dish with its main ingredient being milk, to which you add some flour and butter.

It is a great traditional dish that can be enjoyed all year round. Try it in the winter, it warms you up from the inside! Nothing tastes nicer than a bowl of “melkkos”, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar on the top.

What can be nicer, I ask you all! If you have never tried it, I would say it is time.

Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of hard butter
A pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups of milk

Method:
1. Rub the butter in with the flour, using your fingers. Add the salt and mix some more.
2. Bring the milk to the boil on the stove and add the butter and flour mixture a little bit at a time.
3. Turn the heat right down and let it boil for about 5 minutes. Make sure you stir the mixture often.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top and enjoy it warm!

You will not be disappointed with this recipe. Try and enjoy. Believe me, you will.

Its almost like a tradition but in the spring time of every year people in America blow the dust of there barbecue sets and start to bulk buy all their meats. But how much do we really know about barbecuing?
1) Barbecues originated in pig-pickin’s, before the civil war it was common to throw parties and elaborate meals outside, they would roast an entire pig on an open flame.

2) “Smoking” has been used for over 6 millenia to safely cook and store food. The meat was treated to bellows of smoke and low heat this was done to prevent any bacteria cultivating.

3) Barbecuing is not that common, well not barbecuing as we no it barbecuing is a length cooking experience that cooks at a temperatures similar to boiling water in order to tenderize the meat while preserving the juices. Today the method most commonly used is in fact broiling, cooking at in much less time and a far higher temperature, about 300 degrees higher.

4) According to surveys done by the Barbecue Industry Association, half of all marshmallows consumed in the U.S. have been flame roasted.

5) One of the insanely easy ways to check your gas tank level, use bathroom scales.

6) The origin of the word barbecue is unclear. Some believe it came from the American-Indian word barbacoa for a wood on which foods were cooked.

7) To add a Smokey flavor to food cooked on a gas grill cooked or food that you cook inside the house, use “liquid Smoke.” Liquid Smoke is a condensation of actual smoke, this product is simply added to any barbecue.

Brisket, this incredibly dense cut of meat taken from a cow’s chest, cooks in 1 to 2 hours per pound on a barbecue. This works out at an average of 12 hours cooking time on the grill for a basic 8 pound piece!

9) Kansas City, Missouri and Lexington, North Carolina both claim to be the barbecue capitals of the world. Memphis, meanwhile, stakes a claim to being the pork barbecue capital.

Rice may be cooked by 3 methods, each of which requires a different proportion of water. These methods are boiling, which requires 12 times as much water as rice;  the Japanese method, which requires 5 times as much; and steaming, which requires 2-1/2 times as much. Whichever of these methods is used, however, it should be remembered that the rice grains, when properly cooked, must be whole and distinct. To give them this form and prevent the rice from having a pasty appearance, this cereal should not be stirred too much in cooking nor should it be cooked too long.

BOILED RICE  – Boiling is about the simplest way.  Properly boiled rice not only forms a valuable dish itself, but is an excellent foundation for other dishes that may be served at any meal. The water in which rice is boiled should not be wasted, as it contains much nutritive material. This water may be utilized in the preparation of soups or sauces, or it may even be used to supply the liquid required in the making of yeast bread.

BOILED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. rice ; 3 tsp. Salt;  3 qt. boiling water

Wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Boil rapidly until the water begins to appear milky because of the starch coming out of the rice into the water or until a grain can be easily crushed between the fingers. Drain the cooked rice through a colander, and then pour cold water over the rice in the colander, so as to wash out the loose starch and leave each grain distinct. Reheat the rice by shaking it over the fire, and serve hot with butter, gravy, or cream or milk and sugar.

JAPANESE METHOD – Rice prepared by the Japanese method may be used in the same ways as boiled rice. However, unless some use is to be made of the liquid from boiled rice, the Japanese method has the advantage of being a more economical way of cooking this cereal.

JAPANESE METHOD  (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. rice ; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt; 5 c. boiling water

Wash the rice, add it to the boiling salted water, and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Then cover the utensil in which the rice is cooking and place it in the oven for 15 minutes more, in order to evaporate the water more completely and make the grains soft without being mushy. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

STEAMED RICE – To steam rice requires more time than either of the preceding cooking methods, but it causes no loss of food material. Then, too, unless the rice is stirred too much while it is steaming, it will have a better appearance than rice cooked by the other methods. As in the case of boiled rice, steamed rice may be used as the foundation for a variety of dishes and may be served in any meal.

STEAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. rice; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt 2-1/2 c. water

Wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Cook it for 5 minutes and then place it in a double boiler and allow it to cook until it is soft. Keep the cooking utensil covered and do not stir the rice. About 1 hour will be required to cook rice in this way. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

For those who happen to enjoy an unusual cross of flavors and styles, chicken fried steak is something to be experienced. A cross between the classic taste of steak and the simple joys of fried chicken, this increasingly popular method of cooking steak is a wonderfully memorable mix of different flavors. Casual, yet dignified, it is a meal that distinguishes itself with its flexibility and accessible nature. Which makes chicken fried steak the type of meal that can fit a variety of occasions.

Cooking chicken fried steak is not too difficult to make. All it requires is a steak, breadcrumbs, oil and a skillet or deep fryer. Simply cover the steak in breadcrumbs, heat the oil in the skillet or deep fryer, and cook the steak until it is done. If it is being made in a skillet, it needs to be flipped every couple of minutes but, otherwise, there is little that needs to be done until the steak is done cooking.

It is very rare for chicken fried steak to be made from a top quality cut of beef. After all, the steak is not being expected to stand entirely on its own, so it is not vital that it be perfect. Additionally, the frying of the steak has a tenderizing effect on the meat, which also permits a slightly lower quality cut of meat to be used. Obviously, there is a limit, but chicken fried steak is more forgiving than steak on the grill.

The part that really makes the difference in chicken fried steak is the mix of spices that are added to the breadcrumbs. These spices are the savor that truly makes the difference in the taste of the steak and makes it distinctive on the palate. By blending just the right combination of flavors, chicken fried steak can come into its own and really shine. But to get the best blend of spices, the best thing anybody can do is experiment. After all, there is only one person who will always be there to judge the results, and that is the person who cooks it. So any cook who wants to master chicken fried steak would be well-served to try a few new things, take a few notes, and figure out just how to make it just right.

No matter how you make chicken fried steak, it is almost always a welcome addition to the menu. Whether for dinner after work, a Sunday brunch, a picnic, or a get-together with friends, chicken fried steak can be a fun addition to the menu. Unusual, yet familiar, it is a meal that is easy to enjoy and always welcome.

Though it has only recently joined the mainstream, chicken fried steak is an increasingly popular meal both at home and when going out to eat. A distinctive blend of different flavors, it is a meal that is starting to receive its proper due as a dish that is well worth the effort. So give chicken fried steak a try and see why it is becoming the new recipe of choice for people who love steak.

Blueberry muffins, blueberry cream pies, blueberry cheesecake, blueberry pancake, fresh moist blueberries….just reading the words is enough to evoke that summer-sweet, luscious tang and get your mouth watering.

Everyone knows blueberries are delicious, but did you know they’re good for your health too? In fact, blueberries have been touted as the cure for a host of serious medical problems including urinary infections, diabetes, high cholesterol levels to Alzheimer’s and cancer.

First let’s look at what exactly blueberries are.  Blueberries are the fruit of flowering plants native to North America, now also grown in Australia, New Zealand and some South American countries such as Chile and Argentina. Blueberries are cultivated and picked wild.

The blueberry season in North America tends to run from mid-May to September, depending on the latitude. The fruit is best enjoyed in season when the taste is at its peak and the nutritional value at its highest. The dark blue berries can be enjoyed raw, or more commonly made into cookies, cakes, pies, scones, cereals, jellies and jams, and even pizzas.

So what’s so special about blueberries?

It could be said that the blueberry is a nutritional powerhouse. Blueberries are are a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, folate, iron, manganese and vitamin K. And  140 grams of fresh blueberries contain three grams of the dietary fiber that’s so good for your digestive system. But the main benefits of blueberries come from the anti-oxidants they contain in the form of bioflavonoids.

Antioxidants are important for their ability to neutralize free radicals. When our body processes oxygen, free radicals are produced as by-products. These are highly-volatile substances that can damage our cells and are thought to be responsible for aging and a host of degenerative diseases. Fortunately, substances known as anti-oxidants found in fruits and vegetables work to neutralize free radicals and reduce their potency.  Better known bioflavonoids include hesperidin and rutin and the anthocyanins.

Blueberries are especially rich in anthocyanins. They give blueberries their deep blue hue and offer a range of beneficial properties. For one thing, they’re anti-inflammatory and protect large and small blood vessels from oxidative damage. This can protect blood vessels from damage caused by high blood-sugar levels in diabetics. This is especially important for the blood vessels in the eyes.

Researchers have shown that the anthocyanins in blueberries, along with other agents such as proanthocyanidins, flavonols and tannins, inhibit mechanisms of cancer cell development in vitro. And one of the more exciting findings about blueberries is that they can help arrest the mental decline that occurs with Alzheimer’s Disease.

So what’s the best way to get your dose of blueberries? Eating them raw is best but this is not always convenient. Fortunately, there are many ways to prepare blueberries that helps bring out their delightful flavor to its best advantage. The most popular is you can also make the old fashioned Blueberry pie just like your grandma used to make. The herbs cinnamon and mace compliment the taste of the blueberries and the result is delightful. It’s just one of many ways to incorporate blueberries into your diet.

So make blueberries a part of your diet. Not only will you have a delicious new taste in your life, but you’ll also be doing your health a world of good. Search out some recipes online that show you new and exciting ways to incorporate the blueberry experience into you life.