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Showing posts from August 2, 2009

Whats the Best Oil to Cook With?

First and foremost I understand that certain oils are needed to cook with for certain meals but let it be clear this article is written for the health conscious in mind. When you cook with most oils they are either unhealthy or become unhealthy in the heating process. Hydrogenated oils are what most oils become under high temperatures. Hydrogenated oils are trans fat and known now to be a factor in heart disease. Olive oil is very healthy but it is the opinion of this author that coconut oil is the best to cook with. This oil is the least susceptible to change and is very healthy for you. At first glance you may look at all the saturated fat in and immediately deem it unhealthy but this somewhat miraculous oil as has short and medium chained fatty acids which studies suggest are very healthy and beneficial to your body. Conventional vs. organic Organic is almost always healthier but is a bit more expensive and price is one of the many reasons why individuals don't buy organic. I wo

How to Cook Baked Potatoes - 3 Techniques, 5 Steps

Today, the potato is one of the most important of all foods. So it's surprising to think that this vegetable wasn't widely used until the last half of the eighteenth century. The potato is a tuber, which is an enlarged underground stem with buds (or eyes) that become new shoots. Potatoes are classified as either starchy, low-moisture varieties or as waxy, high moisture varieties. How To Cook Baked Potatoes In A Conventional Oven (Regular Oven) 1. When you are baking potatoes, try to use russets (these are the best kind for baking) or other regularly shaped starchy potatoes. 2. Scrub well and pierce the ends with a fork or skewer so steam can escape. 3. For crisp skins, rub lightly with oil. For more tender skins, leave dry. 4. Place on sheet pans or on sheet pan racks in a preheated 400 degrees F oven and bake until done. This should be about a hour. To test doneness, squeeze gently. Done potatoes will give in to gentle pressure. (using sheet pan racks eliminates the hard spot

Green Cooking Tips - How to Cook Greener, Save Energy and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Living a greener life is not only good for the planet's health, it's good for your health and the health of your family. Maintaining a bright green kitchen - in terms of energy efficiency and energy use, not color - can reduce your carbon footprint, but it can also help you feed your family a healthier, more delicious diet. The way that you shop, cook, serve and clean up after serving meals all contribute to creating not just a healthy kitchen but a bright green kitchen. Shopping Tips for a Greener Kitchen 1. Buy local when you can. It means less fuel was used to transport your food, and less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 2. Shop at farmers' markets. You know you're buying locally, and contributing to the local economy as well. Keeping local farmers in business is good for everyone. 3. Skip "serving size packs" of food and buy in bulk. It reduces the amount of trash going into the landfills. 4. Bring your own bags. Every plastic bag you don't use is on

How to Bake Salmon

Known as one of the oily fishes, salmon is very nutritious since it is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and protein. There are several ways of cooking the seafood. You can broil, grill, fry or steam it. However, to reduce the level of cholesterol present in the fish, some dieticians recommend baking the seafood. To improve your understanding on how to bake salmon, below are some of the simple recipes that you can easily learn and follow. Yin-Yang Salmon Before proceeding with the steps, prepare all the needed ingredients, which include two pounds boneless salmon fillet, ½ cup hot red pepper sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, two tablespoons butter and a tablespoon of honey. To enhance the flavor of the delicacy, include two tablespoons lemon juice, a tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ cup chopped green onions as well as ¼ tablespoon mixed pepper and salt. Mix the brown sugar, hot sauce, honey, butter and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the mixture in a saucepan and heat. Stir constantly for abo

How to carve fruit

You are probably one of those people who stare in amazement at fruit carvings because you feel like they are very difficult to do. But actually, carving fruit is very easy and simple-of course it depends on the pattern or design that you want to carve. For beginners, you might want to start with something really easy and simple. If you want to know how to carve fruits, here are some tips and advice. First, you have to choose a design or pattern for your fruit carving project. Again, since you are a beginner, do not choose something really complicated. You should know your limitations and capabilities as a novice in fruit carving. Once you have chosen your design or pattern, you should prepare all the necessary materials such as a sharp knife, melon scoop, spoon, tray, marker, toothpicks or sticks, and of course, the fruits. Place all the materials that you will need somewhere nearby so that you can easily get them. After this, get the fruit and start tracing the outline of your design

How to cook a roast beef

Roast beef is one of the most popular meal or even as a snack for most people. It is simple and it clearly presents the distinct taste of beef. It may be served with any preferred sidings such as potatoes and vegetables for dinner, or simply between two pieces of bread for an uncomplicated sandwich. Roasting is ideal when using large cuts of meat. For beef, there are a number of ideal cuts for this cooking process. The loin is a very tender part of the beef located behind the ribs, generally a more expensive cut, but is ideal for roasting. Examples of loin cuts are the tenderloin and tri-tip. Behind the loin is the round. The round section is generally tender, thus a common choice for most. Rump roast, especially the boneless rump roast, is most frequently used for everyday casual cooking. Before cooking, the meat should be at room temperature to make sure that during the roasting process the beef is evenly heated and cooked. For seasoning the meat, this may simply be salt, pepper and/

Tips on barbecue

Let's become familiar with basic barbecuing techniques makes cooking outdoors over the charcoal grill even more pleasant. Follow the manufacturer's directions for your grill. If the firebox needs a foundation for the charcoal, you can line the firebox of a brazier-type grill with heavy-duty foil and top it with a one-inch base of pea gravel, coarse grit, or expanded mica insulation pellets. Change the liner when it gets full of greasy dripping. You can wash gravel or grit bedding to dry and use again. Discard insulation pellets. Determine the approximate amount of briquettes you'll need. Small, short-cooking foods need fewer briquettes than thicker meat cuts. Mound briquettes and start them with liquid lighter or jelly fire starter, following label directions. Or, omit the fuel fire starters and use an electric starter. Don't use gasoline or kerosene! Once started, let the coals burn until they die down to a glow. Arrange the coals with long-handles tongs. To check, the

How to boil chicken

How to boil chicken is much less complicated than boiling eggs. For those who know how tricky cooking perfectly hard-boiled eggs can get, the opening statement should be an assurance that even new cooks can learn how to boil chicken the right way. Learning how to boil chicken is a nice first step either towards simply enjoying a fat-free meat meal or a more elaborate recipe. Boiled chicken is used in many different recipes including salads and noodle dishes and even pastas. Basically, chicken is boiled beforehand to make it easier to shred. For salads, which are uncooked most of the time, boiling chicken prior to mixing is essential because you cannot eat it raw. Although how to boil chicken is much simpler task, you must remember a few things to ensure you are on the right track. Tip#1: Never boil the chicken or any meat for that matter that is frozen without thawing it first. The process of thawing can be done in two ways: by placing your chicken in a platter and inside a refrigerato