Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Oh! Chocolate!

No Bake Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
200g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
100g plain chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
110g unsalted butter
50g Billingtons Unrefined Dark Muscovado sugar
110g shortbread biscuits, broken into small pieces
110g glace cherries, halved
75g whole roasted hazelnuts
75g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
1 small packet white maltesers, crushed roughly
Chocolate mini eggs to decorate (optional)

How to Prepare
Melt the chocolate, butter and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water or in a microwave oven. Leave to cool but not starting to set. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Turn into an 18 cm round cake tin lined with non stick baking paper, pressing down gently. Decorate with chocolate mini eggs if using. Leave to set at room temperature until firm. Remove the cake from the tin and peel away the lining paper. Cut into thin slices to serve.

Oh! Chocolate!

No Bake Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

200g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
100g plain chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
110g unsalted butter
50g Billingtons Unrefined Dark Muscovado sugar
110g shortbread biscuits, broken into small pieces
110g glace cherries, halved
75g whole roasted hazelnuts
75g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
1 small packet white maltesers, crushed roughly
Chocolate mini eggs to decorate (optional)

How to Prepare
Melt the chocolate, butter and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water or in a microwave oven. Leave to cool but not starting to set. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Turn into an 18 cm round cake tin lined with non stick baking paper, pressing down gently. Decorate with chocolate mini eggs if using. Leave to set at room temperature until firm. Remove the cake from the tin and peel away the lining paper. Cut into thin slices to serve.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The 20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1

The 20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1

By: Brie Cadman (View Profile)

(http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22145/52070-20-healthiest-foods--1/2)

Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods for their cheap bites. But low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality. In fact, some of the most inexpensive things you can buy are the best things for you. At the grocery store, getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out on the peripheries—near the fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and the bulk grains—while avoiding the expensive packaged interior. By doing so, not only will your kitchen be stocked with excellent foods, your wallet won’t be empty.

1. Oats
High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, oats have also been shown to lower cholesterol. And they sure are cheap—a dollar will buy you more than a week’s worth of hearty breakfasts.

Serving suggestions: Sprinkle with nuts and fruit in the morning, make oatmeal cookies for dessert.

2. Eggs
You can get about a half dozen of eggs for a dollar, making them one of the cheapest and most versatile sources of protein. They are also a good source of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which may ward off age-related eye problems.

Serving suggestions: Huevos rancheros for breakfast, egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and frittatas for dinner.

3. Kale
This dark, leafy green is loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, and calcium. Like most greens, it is usually a dollar a bunch.

Serving suggestions: Chop up some kale and add to your favorite stir-fry; try German-Style Kale or traditional Irish Colcannon.

4. Potatoes
Because we often see potatoes at their unhealthiest—as fries or chips—we don’t think of them as nutritious, but they definitely are. Eaten with the skin on, potatoes contain almost half a day’s worth of Vitamin C, and are a good source of potassium. If you opt for sweet potatoes or yams, you’ll also get a good wallop of beta carotene. Plus, they’re dirt cheap and have almost endless culinary possibilities.

Serving suggestions: In the a.m., try Easy Breakfast Potatoes; for lunch, make potato salad; for dinner, have them with sour cream and chives.

5. Apples
I’m fond of apples because they’re inexpensive, easy to find, come in portion-controlled packaging, and taste good. They are a good source of pectin—a fiber that may help reduce cholesterol—and they have the antioxidant Vitamin C, which keeps your blood vessels healthy.

Serving suggestions: Plain; as applesauce; or in baked goods like Pumpkin-Apple Breakfast Bread.

6. Nuts
Though nuts have a high fat content, they’re packed with the good-for-you fats—unsaturated and monounsaturated. They’re also good sources of essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, and protein. And because they’re so nutrient-dense, you only need to eat a little to get the nutritional benefits. Although some nuts, like pecans and macadamias, can be costly, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds, especially when bought in the shell, are low in cost.

Serving suggestions: Raw; roasted and salted; sprinkled in salads.

7. Bananas
At a local Trader Joe’s, I found bananas for about 19¢ apiece; a dollar gets you a banana a day for the workweek. High in potassium and fiber (9 grams for one), bananas are a no-brainer when it comes to eating your five a day quotient of fruits and veggies.

Serving suggestions: In smoothies, by themselves, in cereal and yogurt.

8. Garbanzo Beans
With beans, you’re getting your money’s worth and then some. Not only are they a great source of protein and fiber, but ’bonzos are also high in fiber, iron, folate, and manganese, and may help reduce cholesterol levels. And if you don’t like one type, try another—black, lima, lentils … the varieties are endless. Though they require soaking and cooking, the most inexpensive way to purchase these beans is in dried form; a precooked can will still only run you around a buck.

Serving suggestions: In salads, curries, and Orange Hummus.

9. Broccoli
Broccoli contains tons of nice nutrients—calcium, vitamins A and C, potassium, folate, and fiber. As if that isn’t enough, broccoli is also packed with phytonutrients, compounds that may help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plus, it’s low in calories and cost.

Serving suggestions: Throw it in salads, stir fries, or served as an accompaniment to meat in this Steamed Ginger Chicken with Asian Greens recipe.


10. Watermelon
Though you may not be able to buy an entire watermelon for a dollar, your per serving cost isn’t more than a few dimes. This summertime fruit is over 90 percent water, making it an easy way to hydrate, and gives a healthy does of Vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, an antioxidant that may ward off cancer.

Serving suggestions: Freeze chunks for popsicles; eat straight from the rind; squeeze to make watermelon margaritas (may negate the hydrating effect!).

11. Wild Rice
It won’t cost you much more than white rice, but wild rice is much better for you. Low in fat and high in protein and fiber, this gluten-free rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates. It packs a powerful potassium punch and is loaded with B vitamins. Plus, it has a nutty, robust flavor.

Serving suggestions: Mix with nuts and veggies for a cold rice salad; blend with brown rice for a side dish.

12. Beets
Beets are my kind of vegetable—their natural sugars make them sweet to the palate while their rich flavor and color make them nutritious for the body. They’re powerhouses of folate, iron, and antioxidants.

Serving suggestions: Shred into salads, slice with goat cheese. If you buy your beets with the greens on, you can braise them in olive oil like you would other greens.

13. Butternut Squash
This beautiful gourd swings both ways: sometimes savory, sometimes sweet. However you prepare the butternut, it will not only add color and texture, but also five grams of fiber per half cup and chunks and chunks of Vitamin A and C. When in season, butternut squash and related gourds are usually less than a dollar a pound.

Serving suggestions: Try Pear and Squash Bruschetta; cook and dot with butter and salt.

14. Whole Grain Pasta
In the days of Atkins, pasta was wrongly convicted, for there is nothing harmful about a complex carbohydrate source that is high in protein and B vitamins. Plus, it’s one of the cheapest staples you can buy.

Serving suggestions: Mix clams and white wine with linguine; top orzo with tomatoes and garlic; eat cold Farfalle Salad on a picnic.

15. Sardines
As a kid, I used to hate it when my dad would order sardines on our communal pizzas, but since then I’ve acquired a taste for them. Because not everyone has, you can still get a can of sardines for relatively cheap. And the little fish come with big benefits: calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. And, because they’re low on the food chain, they don’t accumulate mercury.

Serving suggestions: Mash them with parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil for a spread; eat them plain on crackers; enjoy as a pizza topping (adults only).

16. Spinach
Spinach is perhaps one of the best green leafies out there—it has lots of Vitamin C, iron, and trace minerals. Plus, you can usually find it year round for less than a dollar.

Serving suggestions: Sautéed with eggs, as a salad, or a Spinach Frittata.

17. Tofu
Not just for vegetarians anymore, tofu is an inexpensive protein source that can be used in both savory and sweet recipes. It’s high in B vitamins and iron, but low in fat and sodium, making it a healthful addition to many dishes.

Serving suggestions: Use silken varieties in Tofu Cheesecake; add to smoothies for a protein boost; cube and marinate for barbecue kebobs.

18. Lowfat Milk
Yes, the price of a gallon of milk is rising, but per serving, it’s still under a dollar; single serving milk products, like yogurt, are usually less than a dollar, too. Plus, you’ll get a lot of benefit for a small investment. Milk is rich in protein, vitamins A and D, potassium, and niacin, and is one of the easiest ways to get bone-strengthening calcium.

Serving suggestions: In smoothies, hot chocolate, or coffee; milk products like low fat cottage cheese and yogurt.

19. Pumpkin Seeds
When it’s time to carve your pumpkin this October, don’t shovel those seeds into the trash—they’re a goldmine of magnesium, protein, and trace minerals. Plus, they come free with the purchase of a pumpkin.

Serving suggestions: Salt, roast, and eat plain; toss in salads.

20. Coffee
The old cup-o-joe has been thrown on the stands for many a corporeal crime—heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis—but exonerated on all counts. In fact, coffee, which is derived from a bean, contains beneficial antioxidants that protect against free radicals and may actually help thwart heart disease and cancer. While it’s not going to fill you up like the other items on this list, it might make you a lot perkier. When made at home, coffee runs less than 50¢ cents a cup.

Serving suggestions
: Just drink it.

Although that bag of 99¢ Cheetos may look like a bargain, knowing that you’re not getting much in the way of nutrition or sustenance makes it seem less like a deal and more like a dupe. Choosing one of these twenty items, or the countless number of similarly nutritious ones, might just stretch that dollar from a snack into a meal.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Recipes from Yahoo! Food






5 Potato Salads

1. German potato salad is unique because it doesn't use mayonnaise, it's a little sweet, bacon is a key ingredient, and it's often served warm.

2. Russian potato salad is creamy, colorful, and delicious, made with a combination of mayonnaise and either sour cream or Mediterranean style yogurt, peas, carrots, gherkin pickles, and if you'd like, you can add beets and fresh dill.

3. French potato salad is elegant and savory with white wine or champagne vinegar, fresh tarragon, garlic, and dijon mustard.

4. Potato salad from Peru, where potatoes are said to have originated, can be made with a variety of potato types and colors. The sauce is a creamy bright yellow blend of mild cheese, half & half cream or evaporated milk, and turmeric, which gives it its color.

5. Japanese potato salad is light and crunchy, with cucumber pieces and rice wine vinegar mixed with mayonnaise. For a heartier salad, add diced ham.

Enjoy!

1. German Potato Salad
Makes 4 servings

2 pounds potatoes
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup finely chopped green onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper to taste

1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, but not soft. Drain potatoes. Cut them in half and then in slices.

2. Fry the bacon. When crisp, drain on paper towels. Keep the bacon fat in the pan.

3. Add the chopped onion to the pan. Cook until translucent.

4. Sprinkle the flour, sugar, and mustard powder over the onions. Stir and cook a few minutes more.

5. Add the water and vinegar and cook, stirring for several more minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Add back the potatoes and stir to coat and lightly reheat.

6. Add the salt and pepper to taste. To serve, garnish with the minced green onion.

2. Russian Potato Salad
Makes 4 servings

2 pounds potatoes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Mediterranean style yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar
1 10-ounce package frozen peas & carrots
2 eggs, hard boiled & coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons gherkin pickles, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
1 cup diced beets (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, but not soft. Drain potatoes. Peel them if you like. Cut into 1/2-inch chunks.

2. Mix the mayonnaise and yogurt or sour cream together with the lemon juice or vinegar.

3. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except the salt & pepper. Pour the mayonnaise mixture on top, toss well, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

3. French Potato Salad
Makes 4 servings

2 pounds potatoes (fingerling, or a mix of small red & white)
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, but not soft. Drain potatoes. Keep the skins on. Cut into 1/2-inch chunks.

2. Place the potatoes in a bowl. Sprinkle with the chives and tarragon.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, crushed garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and papper.

4. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and toss to coat well. Let rest at room temperature at least 1/2 hour before serving.

4. Peruvian Potato Salad
Makes 6 servings

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (new potatoes or a mixture of purple, white, and sweet potatoes)
8 ounces cheese (Muenster, white Mexican cheese, feta, or cottage cheese)
1 cup half & half cream or evaporated milk
1 small serrano chili, seeds removed and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon or more ground turmeric, to taste
Lettuce for garnish
3 hard-boiled eggs, cut in quarters
12 olives

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil them until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool in a medium-size bowl.

2. Combine the cheese, half & half or evaporated milk, the chilis, onion, salt, pepper, olive oil, and turmeric in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste for salt and pepper.

3. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and toss to coat well.

3. Lay a bed of lettuce on a serving plate. Place the potato salad on top. Garnish with the hard-boiled eggs and olives.

5. Japanese Potato Salad
Makes 4 servings

2 pounds potatoes
1 small carrot, peeled & cut in small pieces
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 medium-size cucumber, peeled & cut into small cubes
2 eggs, hard boiled & coarsely chopped
3 slices of sliced ham (about 4 ounces), cut in small pieces (optional)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes and carrots until tender when pierced with a fork, but not soft. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch chunks.

2. Place the potatoes, carrots, chopped onions, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, and ham in a medium-size bowl.

3. Combine the mayonnaise and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl. Pour over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Season with salt & pepper

For more, visit www.magicalmeltingpot.com

Monday, May 19, 2008

Cream Puff

Cream Puffs 1 cup water1/2 cup butter1 cup flour3 eggsPreheat oven to 400 degrees F. In large saucepan, combine water and butter over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. All at once, add flour an dsalt; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir the mixture until it forms a ball and cleans the sides of the pan. One at a time, beat in eggs, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Line a cookie sheet with Silpat liners or with parchment paper. Drop cream puff dough by tablespoons onto the prepared sheet, about 3" apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffs are , well, puffed, and golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. Split in half. You may need to remove some dough or fibers from the inside. Fill as desired, put top back on, and enjoy. Makes about 18-20 cream puffs

CUSTARD FOR PIE OR FILLING FOR CREAM
PUFFS
2 tbsp. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp. coconut flavoringMelt butter. Add sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add slowly the milk. Heat to boiling over heat. Add egg yolks and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add vanilla, stirring constantly.Cool thoroughly. Fill cream puff crusts. Enough custard for 12 or 1 (9 inch) pie.

Pesto Galore!


How to make pesto sauce

Pesto or Pistou
An outstanding basil based 'sauce' that goes very well with pasta and savory snacks. The name 'pesto' comes from the original method or preparing the basil by pounding it with a pestle in a mortar.
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbs of pine nuts or walnuts
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.
Blend the chopped basil, oil, garlic and nuts at high speed until pureed. Pour mixture into a bowl and thoroughly mix in salt and parmesan cheese.

Serve your pesto with hot drained pasta, with baked pumpkin or with hot jacket potatoes.

Your pesto sauce can be kept in the refrigerator or it can be frozen.

Variations on Pesto:
  • Use equal quantities of parsley and marjoram instead of basil and pinenuts.
  • Use parsley and walnuts instead of basil and pinenuts.
  • Use ground almonds with basil instead of pinenuts
  • Use equal quantities of parsley and basil.