Monday, January 2, 2012

Help! I Don't Have Any... Cooking Options To Help When You Can't Get to the Store

For many cooks, there are times when we do not have the proper ingredients on hand to make our desired dish. If you find yourself in this situation, don't despair, many coarse ingredients can be used to replace recipes standards, rescue the cook a drive to the store. Here are some hints.

Milk

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A lot of recipes wish milk. If you realize yourself out of milk or short on the amount important to discontinue a exact recipe, make sure you keep a contribute of evaporated milk on hand. Evaporated milk or reconstituted milk can be kept for a long time and once mixed with water and many times a bit of butter, can unquestionably taste just as good as regular milk.

Help! I Don't Have Any... Cooking Options To Help When You Can't Get to the Store

Baking Powder

If you do not have baking powder easily available, use baking soda and a dash of buttermilk. For a tablespoon of double acting baking powder, substitute 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.

Self Rising Flour

Self rising flour is easy to make from scratch, just combine one cup of all purpose flour with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Butter Milk

Out of butter milk? You can naturally generate your own. You can substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 1 cup whole milk and a tablespoon of vinegar. You can also substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 2/3 cup of plain yogurt and 1/3 cup whole milk.

Garlic

Ran out of garlic? Substitute garlic powder instead. About 1 clove of garlic equals 1/8 of a teaspoon of garlic powder.

Honey

You can unquestionably replace honey with sugar and water. 1 cup of honey equals about 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/4 cup of water.

Substituting Sugar

If you are short on sugar on hand or would like to replace it due to health issues, here are some hints to substitute sugar:

Sugar can be exchanged with with maple syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, stevia, and molasses. Although, some recipes will call for sugar or a granular sweetener and not syrup due to baking and texture requirements.

If you striving to decrease the amount of sugar you eat due to health issues, think the many sweeteners, sometimes called sugar replacements at the supermarket. They include, Sweet and Low, Splenda, Equal, and plant based Stevia.

Help! I Don't Have Any... Cooking Options To Help When You Can't Get to the Store

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Cooking Precautions

Cooking is a favorite hobby, although it is expensive. It has formed itself a profession. It is the necessity of life. It is a basic requirement of the man. It is a scientific subject. It is taught in universities of the world. There are many cooking tips.

Always use long grain rice for yummy taste. You should use a heavy pot for rice. Never use too old rice. All the time keep the kitchen clean and tidy. All the time use fresh vegetables. Never use stale meat. Do not cook them on high flames. All the time use proper spices. All the time wash vegetables before cooking. Ingredients and its order are very important. Do not serve hot food. Roast the things properly. All the time contend its customary color. Do not use synthetic colors. All the time use oil of high quality. Do not compromise with quality. Vitamins are needful for the body. opt the things, which has sufficient vitamins. Clean your decks.

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Always use clean utensils. Your cutting-board should be cleaned. All the time wash your hands before enter kitchen. Do not use towel to dry hands. Do not use frozen meat. Give them time to be normal. Do not put cold drinks in hot glass. Time is also very leading in it. You need sufficient equipment. All the time wash your hands with soap. Do not touch meat and poultry in the same time. Tie your hair properly before start your work. Keep your clothes tidy. Do not make them dirty. Part all the ingredients before start your work. Do not allow the children to work in the kitchen alone. They can work under your supervision.

It is hoped that you will think these tips. You can cook tasty dishes. You can serve them with pride.

Cooking Precautions

Saturday, December 31, 2011

The Advantages of Using Biodiesel Fuel

You might have heard a lot about biodiesel. Biodiesel is diesel than can power up your car that is made from vegetable oils and other natural sources. It does not come from the quarterly crude oil that ordinarily has to be imported from oil-producing countries.

Biodiesel can be thought about a new technology, taking into catalogue all the years consumers have had to rule for primary diesel. Using biodiesel for your car has many advantages:

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1. Biodiesel is not harmful to the environment. Unlike its counterpart, a car using biodiesel produces fewer emissions. If a car uses primary diesel, the car emits black, stinky smoke. With biodiesel, the smoke becomes very clean indeed.

2. Biodiesel may not want an motor modification. Some cars can take advantage of biodiesel without the need to undergo motor alterations. Some mix 20% biodiesel with quarterly diesel. Doing so enables the car to advantage from the good points of biodiesel without the hassle.

3. Biodiesel is cheap. You can even make biodiesel in your backyard. If your motor can work with biodiesel fuel alone, then you of course need not go to the gas station to buy fuel. You can just originate some for your own personal use.

4. Biodiesel can make the car perform better. It is noted that biodiesel has a cetane amount of over 100. Cetane amount is used to quantum the quality of the fuel's ignition. If your fuel has a high cetane number, you can be sure that what you get is a very easy cold starting coupled with a low idle noise.

5. Biodiesel can make your car last longer. Because of the clarity and the clarity N �����ัดเจน of biodiesel, you can be sure it will not have too many impurities to harm your car. It is of course more lubrication. A car's power yield is unaffected by this type of diesel.

6. Biodiesel reduces the environmental result of a waste product. Because biodiesel is made out of waste products itself, it does not contribute to nature's garbage at all. Biodiesel can be made out of used cooking oils and lards. So instead of throwing these substances away, the quality to turn them into biodiesel becomes more than welcome.

7. Biodiesel is energy efficient. If the yield of biodiesel is compared with the yield of the quarterly type, producing the latter consumes more energy. Biodiesel does not need to be drilled, transported, or refined like petroleum diesel. Producing biodiesel is easier and is less time consuming.

8. Biodiesel is produced locally. A locally produced fuel will be more cost efficient. There is no need to pay tariffs or similar taxes to the countries from which oil and petroleum diesel are sourced. Every country has the quality to yield biodiesel.

Biodiesel is of course a viable fuel alternative. Moreover, it is also a sustainable fuel. Using biodiesel not only helps vocalize our environment, it also helps in holding the people colse to us healthy.

The yield of biodiesel all over the world is now being looked upon favorably. In Europe, many biodiesel stations have been set up already. There is also a move to turn or make cars compatible with biodiesel fuel in the near future.

Biodiesel can of course turn the way vehicles are manufactured and used. It is of course the best substitute right now, and everybody should consider ways to take advantage of the benefits of biodiesel.

The Advantages of Using Biodiesel Fuel

Friday, December 30, 2011

How to Cook Lima Beans (aka Butter Beans)

There wasn't a Thanksgiving in my home, when I a was a girl, that didn't consist of lima beans. For that matter, lima beans were a side dish at practically every Sunday-with-the-kinfolks meal. Only, we normally called them butter beans.

Lima beans are beloved in the southern part of the United States, possibly less so in other regions, but good anywhere and any time, in my biased opinion. The trick is to cook them right.

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Oddly enough, cooking lima beans the right way does not mean cooking them the way I remember most of my southern kin did it, and even the way the restaurants we frequented did. They all seemed to think you had to cook them into mush, as well as oversalt them. If that's how you are used to eating lima beans, and you enjoy them that way, then don't let me stop you. But be aware that the recipes I give below are calibrated to yield limas that are about halfway in the middle of "hard" and "mush" on the cooked beans scale.

One fact I recently learned is that lima beans are more southern than even I had suspected: They were being grown and eaten in South America thousands of years ago.

Fresh lima beans are the best, although they need more work to prepare, including shelling them. You're most likely to find fresh limas at a farmer's market, especially in the South.

Alternately, feel free to use the dried or icy ones that your supermarket carries. You can probably find both large and small ("baby") sizes; my preference is for the small ones as they seem to be more resistant to turning mushy as you cook them, but either will work fine.

If you start with dried lima beans, you should soak them for at least five hours and preferably overnight before cooking. Keep in mind that dried limas will swell from soaking and cooking, at least doubling in volume. So, a cupful of dried limas will cook up to 2 cups or a slight more.

Lima Beans, Southern Style

If you go to a down-home style bistro or bistro in the South and order lima beans, the odds are 10 to 1 that this is how they'll come out to the table. We're talking authenticity here!

Ingredients

1 lb. Lima beans, large or small (dried limas ordinarily come in 1-lb. Packages)

1 chopped onion

1 or 2 ham hocks

1 large clove of garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Directions

1. Soak lima beans overnight (if using dried beans)

2. Rinse beans in a colander under cold running water.

3. Dump beans into a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

4. Remove beans from heat, cover and let stand until fairly well cooled--at least 30 to 45 minutes. Then, drain the beans and set them aside.

5. In the pot, saute ham hocks, onion and garlic in cooking oil until the onion turns clear. Put in the beans and cover it all with water. Add salt and black pepper.

6. Bring pot to a boil. Cover the pot, sell out the heat and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add water as necessary to keep the beans covered.

7. After a half-hour of simmering, begin checking on beans to see how well cooked they are. You might want to stop the cooking early, depending on how tender they are--and either or not you like your lima beans mushy!

Succotash

This is the other main way to enjoy lima beans, at least where I grew up. Succotash basically just means lima beans and corn. The onions and tomatoes give it extra interest.

Ingredients

3 cups lima beans

3/4 cup onions, diced

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 cups kernel corn, already cooked (according to container directions)

2 cups peeled and diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Put lima beans in large pan or pot. Cover with water and boil 4 to 6 minutes, or until beans are tender. Drain.

2. Melt butter or margarine in a small skillet over medium heat, then pour into the pot you will be cooking the beans in.

3. Add beans, onion, corn and tomatoes to the pot. Saute for 4 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Remove from heat, mix in the salt and pepper, and serve.

How to Cook Lima Beans (aka Butter Beans)

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Clementine Recipes: Not Just for Snacking

Clementines are the small citrus in boxes or mesh bags that appear in markets during the winter months. This year's crop is tasty, juicy and plentiful (prices are low!).

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They're great for snacking, sweetmeat or in fruit salads. Clementines also make a breathtaking expanding to roughly any green salad, or in hearty salads with whole grains and beans. I've included five of Diana's recipes below to get you started.

In Canada and possibly elsewhere clementines may be called mandarins. Technically clementines are a cross in the middle of mandarins (Citrus reticulata) and Seville oranges (Citrus auratium). The recipes can be made with any of the tangerine-sized citrus or with oranges sections cut into bite-size pieces.

To get ready clementines for salads, just peel and section. If they are large or you want more flavor from the juice in your salad, cut the peeled fruit in half cross-wise before you cut off the sections.

Look for boxes of small, firm fruit. I find that the smaller clementines often have the best flavor, although they may be more difficult to peel. If you get a box with poor flavor, look for an additional one "brand" (from the box labels) and try again. They come from Spain, Morocco, South America and discrete other countries; I haven't found any dependable way to tell which will taste best. If you can find the ones from California (usually labelled "California Cuties", in mesh bags), they seem to be consistently good.

Orange or lemon peels can be grated ("zest") for flavoring, but Do Not try to use clementine peels this way -- they are very bitter.

Editorial note: Just a few years ago no one had heard of clementines; now they're in any place and they sell like hotcakes. I hope that food marketers will take note that Shoppers Will Buy medicinal foods if they are tasty, attractively packaged and reasonably priced. Vote with your pocketbook; buy lots and enjoy!

Spinach Salad with Clementines

6 cups baby spinach leaves

12 clementines, sectioned

1/2 cup walnut or pecan pieces

1 bunch green onions, sliced crosswise (optional)

1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts (optional)

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of two limes or lemons (about 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)

Place the salad ingredients in a bowl. Stir the dressing ingredients together and toss with the salad.

4-6 servings

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Clementine-Wild Rice Salad

12 clementines, peeled and sectioned

1 6-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 bunches green onions, sliced thin

2 cups cooked wild rice, chilled

1 cup mint leaves (optional)

1 cup cilantro or Italian parsley leaves (optional)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise (optional)

3 cups shredded Chinese cabbage, chopped romaine lettuce or baby spinach leaves (or a combination)

Combine all ingredients except the greens and mix thoroughly. Toss with the greens and serve.

6-8 servings

Note: To make ahead, integrate everything but the greens and chill. Toss in the greens at the last minute.

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Clementine-Black Bean Salad

2 cups cooked barley or other whole grain of your choice, chilled

1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 green pepper, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

12 clementines, peeled and sectioned

1/4 cup honey-mustard salad dressing

Butterhead or other lettuce leaves (optional)

Combine all ingredients except the lettuce and chill. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves if desired.

4-6 servings

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Fennel Salad with Clementines

1 large or 3 small fennel bulbs

10 clementines

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

pinch cayenne, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the fennel bulbs, discarding the base and stems. Cut the bulb in quarters lengthwise and then slice crosswise into 1/4"slices.

Peel the clementines, cut them in half crosswise and cut off them into sections. Mix all but 1/2 cup of the clementine sections with the fennel in a serving bowl.

Crush the remaining 1/2 cup of the clementine sections with the back of a spoon. Add the lemon juice and seasonings. integrate with the fennel and clementines and chill for at least 1 hour to blend the flavors.

4-6 servings

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Clementine-Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

8 black olives, sliced

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

12 clementines, sectioned

12 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

Fat-free honey dijon mustard dressing, to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve. If the salad seems too dry, moisten with a minute white wine or Italian salad dressing.

6-8 servings

Clementine Recipes: Not Just for Snacking

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

What is the Best Way to Cook frosty Shrimp?

Shrimp is without a doubt one of the most favorite forms of seafood in the Us and abroad. When compared to other types of shellfish, like lobster for instance, it is more affordable, and can be just as delicious if ready correctly. It is an highly versatile shellfish and with a bit of experience, is very easy to cook.

As the title of this narrative suggests, many people are searching for the best way to cook frosty shrimp. The presume why this is such a favorite request is because this shellfish freezes very well. Many of us, after we buy some, store it in the freezer for time to come use. In fact, most of the shrimp we purchase is frosty before we buy it from the store. Even the shrimp that is supposedly fresh, has more than likely been recently thawed. There is nothing wrong with this, as I said earlier, this shellfish freezes quite well.

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Hopefully the shrimp you already have on hand is still in the shell. You should avoid, if possible, purchasing any that has been peeled. A lot of the flavor is in the shells, so if it has been pre-peeled, it would have lost a good deal of critical flavor. Besides, if you peel it yourself, you can save the shells and use them to make a delicious stock that can be used in lots of other recipes.

What is the Best Way to Cook frosty Shrimp?

Of all the various ways to cook shrimp, grilling and broiling are by far my favorite methods as I believe they present the best flavor and are rather straightforward to prepare. Below is a method and instructions for marinating and grilling shrimp.

About Thawing frosty Shrimp

I highly recommend that you Do Not use your microwave to defrost shrimp, or any meat for that matter. I know, from past experience, that the microwave can partially cook the meat while the thawing process and it also does something to the flavor and texture of the meat. I will commonly take the shrimp out of the freezer a day or two before I plan on cooking, place it in a covered bowl, and defrost it in the refrigerator. If I am in a literally hurry, I will place them in a colander and thaw under running cold water.

About Grilling Shrimp

Grilling this delicious shellfish, preferably on a charcoal grill, provides intense flavor and they hold up wonderfully on the grill. Some of the best types of ingredients that compliment grilled shrimp are acids like lemon, lime, orange, tomato and vinegar. One of my all time favorite ways to grill them is by first marinating them in a citrus herb marinade. This is especially phenomenal in the summertime. It is light, healthy and goes great with an ice cold beer or glass of wine.

A Note Before We Begin

Keep the shells on when marinating and grilling. Many recipes call for grilling with the shells removed. This is not recommended as the shells not only furnish great flavor, but they also protect the shrimp from overcooking and drying out. This is not necessary, but it is also quite helpful to keep the tails on as well. After cooking, the tails furnish an easy way to cope the shrimp while eating.

Grilled Shrimp With Citrus Herb Marinade

Ingredients

1 Pound of Shrimp (Thawed if Frozen, Shells on & De veined)

1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Parsley

1/3 Cup Freshly Chopped Cilantro

2 Cloves of Garlic Minced

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

4 skewers - whether Bamboo or Metal. (If using bamboo, soak in water for 15 -20 minutes before grilling)

Directions

Step 1 - De vein the Shrimp - Cut a 1/4 inch slit, straight through the shell, in the back of the shrimp and thought about remove the vein, leaving the shell intact.

Step 2 - In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the shrimp

Step 3 - Add shrimp to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 Hour.

Step 4 - When you are ready to cook, thread the shrimp on the skewers and discard the marinade.

Step 5 - Preheat your grill to high and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side.

Well there you have it. You now have a good idea of what to do with those frosty shrimp sitting in your freezer. I hope you enjoy the included summer grilling recipe. Enjoy and happy eating!

What is the Best Way to Cook frosty Shrimp?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

How to Cook Tri Tip in Your Oven Like an expert

If you've got any of my other cooking articles here, you know I'm somewhat of a tri tip expert. I love it. Normally, I do mine on the grill, but there are times (especially when I'm busy) where I'll cook it in the oven. And you know what? It still tastes great. Here's how I do it.

First of all, you need to rub / marinade your meat any way you like it. There's no exquisite way. I've done tri tips all kinds of ways-it's the cut of meat I use when I experiment. However, you're going to want some wet works for the cooking. This could be a aggregate of olive oil and other ingredients or your favorite marinade.

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If your meat is in the refrigerator, take it out for about 5-10 minutes before cooking.

How to Cook Tri Tip in Your Oven Like an expert

Heat up your oven to about 425 degrees F. Make note that cooking times and temperatures can vary from oven to oven.

Next, place your tri tip on a baking pan fat side down. Drench a little of your favorite wet works over it and slide it in the middle of your oven. Set your timer for about 45 minutes. Your cooking time might be about 1 hour, but from about the 45 little mark, you want to pay real close attention to the meat.

Here's the key. Every 8-10 minutes, add some more marinade over the top of your tri tip. You may end up doing this 6-7 times depending on final cooking time. Remember to take it out before it's really done, because it will continue to cook for up to 10 minutes afterward. And I like to wrap mine in foil for 5 minutes before cutting it.

Lastly, if your cut of meat has a fair whole of fat on the fat side, start it in the oven with that side up for about 8 minutes and then flip it for the rest of the duration. If you've done everything right, your tri tip from your oven will be very tasty.

How to Cook Tri Tip in Your Oven Like an expert