Archive for January, 2009

31
Jan

3 Simple Chocolate Candy Recipes

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3 Simple Chocolate Candy RecipesBy Kathryn Beach

Technically, these may not all be candy, although if you’re like me, adding chocolate to anything makes it delicious and sweet. If it’s also bite-size, I call it candy.

Once you’ve made the first two simple recipes, your imagination will take over and you’ll realize the world is full of other things that can be dipped in chocolate. Whether you like sweet and salty combined, as with the chocolate covered popcorn, or something even healthier like chocolate covered raisins, you’ll start looking at what’s in your kitchen cupboards in a whole different light.

While many fudge recipes are much more complicated than the chocolate peanut butter one below, this recipe also introduces you to the realm of possibilities with its basic simplicity plus the additions I’ve mentioned.

Most of all, have fun and invite a child along to help make these simple chocolate candy recipes.

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Simple Chocolate Covered Popcorn

1/2 bag of popped microwave popcorn.

1/2 bag of dark or milk chocolate melted and reheated as necessary

Pop the corn and put it in a large bowl; the stirring can get messy, and it’s easier for a child to mix without spilling if it’s in an oversized bowl. Poor the melted chocolate over the popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is covered.

I like to form the popcorn roughly into balls or clumps about the size of a golf ball and place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Then I put it in the refrigerator until they’re hardened.

While you’re waiting for them to chill, there’s lots of finger and bowl licking to do.

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Simple Chocolate Covered Raisins

1 cup raisins

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips OR equivalent in chocolate chunks

3 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)

Melt chocolate slowly in the top of a double boiler, or in a bowl placed over a pan with simmering water in it. If you place a lid on the pan or bowl, it must be vented to let steam escape. Stir occasionally as it’s melting.

Place 1/3 of the raisins in the melted chocolate and stir until coated. Remove the raisins from the chocolate with a spoon, then pick up individually with the fingers and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Be sure to wipe the bottom of your spoon on the edge of the pan each time or you’ll have a huge drippy mess. Do not allow the raisins to touch each other, unless of course you want to have small clumps of raisins, like raisin balls. Continue coating your raisins 1/3 at a time until all are finished.

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Simple Chocolate Peanut-Butter Fudge

Melt together one small jar of peanut butter and one bag of chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl as described above. Stir in one can sweetened condensed milk. Spread in large flat pan to cool. Cut into 1″ squares when cool and hard.

Optional: mix in or sprinkle on top: chopped peanuts, coconut, cocoa powder, or powdered sugar

About the Author: Kathryn Beach has made homemade candy for over 30 years. Visit her website for more simple chocolate candy recipes, as well as for the more complicated but elegant truffles. http://candychocolicio.us/data/html/simplerecipes/3.cgi

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=188461&ca=Food+and+Drinks

31
Jan

Foods To Include In Crohn’s Recipes

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Foods To Include In Crohn’s RecipesBy Sharon Dobson

Though some with people with Crohn’s disease can eat almost anything, most have a problem with their diet, and they know that the foods they eat can often trigger problems. Though not a curable condition, you might find that some of your symptoms are less frequent, and you feel better all over when you follow specifically designed crohn’s recipes.

It’s not as simple as choosing traditional good foods though, as there are some things that are great for the average person, but are upsetting to those who have problems with inflammation. If you want to put together your own Crohn’s recipes, there are some things you have to know.

Before you think about what you can have, you should know what you cannot have. This list is long, and many think it is just too restrictive. However, your ability to stick with it might depend on how badly you need relief from your symptoms.

It is hard to give up many of your favorites, but you might just be feeling better than ever before if you can put your mind to it. If you want to follow the Specific Carb diet, one that is said to help with Crohn’s, you have to give up a lot of foods. White rice, potatoes, most vegetables, preservatives, processed foods, all sugars except honey, milk and milk products, oats, and grains.

When you build your Crohn’s recipes, you should start with lean cuts of meat. This means that beef, pork, and chicken are going to be common items in your diet. These are great for just about any meal, but you do want to make sure they are lean so the fat does not upset your system. Stay away from any meats that have been processed and preserved. Though deli meats are out for that reason, you can slice your own singles from other cuts of meat. Hotdogs and breakfast sausages are also out.

You can have a lot of fruit in your Crohn’s recipes, and if you already love fruit, this will be easy for you. You may have a few favorites like oranges and bananas, but there are many great ones out there that you may not have tried. You can always make a fruit salad for many of your snacks. You can make it with different fruits each time to keep it different if you want to. You should also drink a lot of water, and avoid eating anything made with milk. Aged cheeses are okay, but make sure you know what you are buying and eating. Honey can be added to anything if you have a craving for something sweet other than your fruits.

Another thing to keep in mind when you are planning your Crohn’s recipes is that you have to avoid deep frying and using a lot of fat. A little fat is okay, but you aren’t going to feel well when you eat a lot of it. After a while, you are going to lose a taste for it anyway. Eat more often, but eat less each time – aim for 6 small meals a day rather than the traditional three large meals.

You should take the foods you can eat, and build your own crohn’s recipes if you find that ones you come across online aren’t what you think you want to eat. Searching online for recipes is a great starting point though until you feel comfortable devising your own meals. It won’t take long and you will get the hang of it with some practice, and when you start to feel better, you will be glad you did.

About the Author: Grab your free copy of Sharon Dobson’s brand new Crohn’s Disease Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement tips to help you find suitable or write your own crohn’s recipes.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=140753&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

How to Make Chocolate Candy - A Fascinating Segment of Cooking by Corbin Newlyn

If you like desserts, baking, and chocolate, then you might want to learn how to make chocolate candy. Don’t be concerned; the process for creating the majority of candies is easier than you think, and with a some practice, and taste testing, you can come up with chocolate dessert recipes that’s all your own.

Beginning With The Basics

Prior to starting to make chocolate candy, you might wish to begin baking more conventional chocolate desserts, such as chocolate cake or brownies. Chocolate candies such as fudge or toffee are the same as brownies, and you can even integrate these candies into your baked goods for a richer flavor. You can learn a lot of basic recipes for brownies and cakes on various internet sites, and once you get the used to these, you might feel more comfortable moving on to candy making.

You can also make the candies that you see in bakeries and speciality shops; all you will need is the right ingredients as well as a candy mold. With the mold, you can make candies that are in any shape you wish, and you can decorate or garnish the candies to taste.

In the majority of cases, you will have to melt down a certain amount of the chocolate of your choice, and you can add specific flavor extracts depending on the flavor you want the candy to be. You pour the chocolate mixture into the molds, and allow the candy to set. In most instances, the candy will set better, and faster, if you put it in the refrigerator.

Variations on a Theme

You can also make chocolate truffles, which can at times be intimidating for those who do not spend much time in the kitchen. Nevertheless, you can learn how to make chocolate candy by just combining melted chocolate and whipping cream, until it is at its desired consistency. Then, you can use an ice cream scoop to break up the portions of truffles, and put these in the refrigerator to set as well.

You can roll the truffles in nutmeg or cinnamon, coconut and crushed nuts, or even cayenne pepper after you remove them from the fridge. These candies make an excellent dessert at parties, or a great gift when you use decorated paper or bags for presentation.

If you still want to know how to make chocolate candy and are not sure you will be able to get it precisely right the first time, you can visit various internet sites like so that you can analyze the recipes as many times as is needed to, and view pictures of the finished product. Keep in mind that you do get to taste each batch you create, so this should be enough motivation to keep trying. Happy baking!

Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of fine foods. If you would like to learn more go to Chocolate Recipes advice and at Dark Chocolate tips.

Article Source: ArticlesArticles.Net

31
Jan

Basic Principles Of Deep Frying Food

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Basic Principles Of Deep Frying Food by Mick Reade

Deep-frying involves the immersion of food in hot oil or fat to cook it to a crisp golden colour. Meat, fish and poultry are usually coated with crumbs or batter. The popularity of deep-fried food makes it a part of every catering operation. Since the development of good frying compounds and improved deep-fryer design, the responsibility rests with the cook to produce first-class deep-fried food.

Frying medium heated on top of the range in fritures should be discouraged because it is a safety hazard. An alternative is to use a bench-model fryer with a thermostatically controlled electric immersion element. The best fryers, however, are those which stand on the floor and have well positioned thermostats and controls. They should also have an insulated drain tap and a built-in receiver for the oil. This type of fryer is impossible to tip over, unlikely to overheat, and easy to maintain.

Thermostats

Thermostats are delicate calibrated instruments that may incorporate an on-off switch, but their main purpose is to set and maintain a maximum operation temperature. This temperature can be adjusted by the cook, according to the type of food to be fried and the frying medium being used. It must be understood that setting the thermostat at a high temperature will not make the oil heat faster. On the contrary, in a busy kitchen, the cook is likely to forget to reset it to the correct temperature, with the result that the oil overheats and becomes too hot for frying. When the thermostat calls for heat, all available energy is released into the fryer.

The amount of energy available is determined at the time of manufacture of the fryer and cannot be altered later. Therefore it is important to set the thermostat at the correct temperature and wait for the oil to reach the operating temperature you have set.

To Operate A Deep-Fryer
1. Make sure the drain tap is closed.
2. Place a quantity of frying medium (fat or oil) into the fryer and melt it on the coolest setting possible. Some fryers have a melt cycle. If the fryer is set at a high temperature, the fat or oil touching the heated surface will burn and break down before the rest of the fat is melted.
3. When the oil is melted, add more oil to fill the fryer to operating level as shown by a mark in the fryer. If the oil is already above this line, remove the excess. The pan should be half to two-thirds full.
4. Set the thermostat to operating temperature 170-190C.
5. When the temperature is reached, place the well-drained and dried food in a frying basket and immerse the basket gently. If the oil foams up, lift the basket for a moment and then immerse it again. Sometimes the food is placed directly in the oil, as in the case of food coated with batter. Lay the food onto the oil, passing your hand away from you so that any spatter will be toward the back of the fryer.
6. Turn the food with a spider, or shake the basket to aid even cooking.
7. When the food is golden brown, lift it, drain it over the fryer, and serve as soon as possible.
8. Don not allow the basket to drip oil on the floor.
9. Using a fat skimmer, at regular intervals skim off food particles left behind.

Next time I will run through some tips on how to take care of your frying medium, some essential safety, and the best way to prepare food for deep-frying.

Mick Reade has been working as a chef in Australia for over 10 years, in a variety of different types of kitchens all across the country, and now helps teach others how easy it can be to cook healthy delicious food. For a free cookbook, check out http://www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

Article Source: ArticlesArticles.Net

31
Jan

Salads - A Complete Meal And Health Food

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Salads - A Complete Meal And Health Food by Mary Anne Durkee

Salads to me have been one that is purely restricted to being a dietician’s best friend. Earlier I used to think that these are meant to be only on the menus of those on a health spree. However, whether the salads have undergone a complete makeover or I have had a rethink “it” all made a great difference. On closer introspection and trying to understand the making and importance of salads has made me look at this beautiful and delicious dish from a totally new perspective. Salads have now come to assume centre stage in my menu whether it is a daily menu or one for a gathering.

Salads for me today is one that propagates healthy eating on one hand, and on the other it offers a lot of scope for creativity and innovation. It is the best way to bring in the greens, fresh fruits and vegetables straight from the garden to my table. With a simple and tasty dressing I have a complete meal that is ready in minutes.

What I personally like about salads is that there are some basic principles for combining a salad and the rest is all yours to decide. I am my own boss and am not tied down to using anything in particular. I add apples if I like or else just have to keep the overall taste and blend of ingredients in mind and choose another ingredient.

A large lettuce leaf that forms a perfect base and an assortment of vegetables from potatoes to beet or maybe beans, that’s the way for me. If fresh fruit is the choice then apples, oranges - the choice is truly unlimited -just have to keep my palate in mind. For hard core non-vegetarians like me too there is a treasure house waiting to be explored. From the traditional never fail chicken salad to a slightly more innovative version of including shrimps, sausages or any other meat of my choice. I truly believe that the world of salads is an empty canvas waiting to be painted with the colors of your choice.

All this without compromising on the nutritional aspect is what makes me go crazy about salads. With a high nutritional value it is a great choice whether for kids or for adults.

Salads are not only a wonderful treat to the tastebuds but also are a visual treat. The colorful combination of varied ingredients makes in absolutely irresistible to dig in and scoop out a whole spoonful. The goodness of greens, fresh fruits and vegetables is what makes the salad so special. With a beautiful and creative presentation, your salad can form a beautiful centerpiece at your next party. Compliments galore - that’s how the surprise for the evening is going to unfold for you.

A few tips that would go a long way in putting together a delicious salad:
-Choose ripe and fresh vegetables it will make a great difference both to the taste and appearance of your dish.
-It would be best to go in for local produce or fruits and vegetables that are in season.
-Harmony in taste is one that you need to keep in mind. However, this doesn’t limit your scope of experimenting. A good blend of ingredients would only add to the taste of your dish.
-Make it colorful and interesting -one that appeals to your taste.

As I mentioned earlier, and you are all set on the road that is best experienced through your own discoveries.

With TV dinners getting popular by the day, a great tasting salad that combines the goodness of a variety of ingredients like tomatoes, broccolis and chicken or shrimp for the non-vegetarians. Enjoy the match of your favorite football team with a bowl of freshly made salad. Make a healthy beginning with a great tasting salad.

Mary-Anne is a featured member and regular contributor at ifood.tv, a global food network, featuring recipes from all over the world. Other popular healthy recipes videos on ifood.tv include cod fish recipe , Seven Layer Salad Recipe and and Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Article Source: ArticlesArticles.Net