Smoking Baby Back Ribs

Smoking meats is a very old concept. Food was smoked to enhance taste, as it is believed that smoke from the wood releases all natural juices of the marinated meat. This results in natural flavors of the meat to be enhanced. Baby back ribs are taken from the top of the pork rib cage between the spine and the spare ribs, just below the loin muscle. These ribs are preferred over other ribs for smoking because they have meat between the bones and on top of the bones, which allow the marinate to sink right in plus it also helps in cooking meat well and evenly. Whether one is using a smoker or a gas grill for smoking, earlier rib preparation is important.

How to Smoke Baby Back Ribs

To begin with, one needs a container to hold a source of the smoke, within which food is to be kept and smoke trapped. Specific to home use sized smokers and gas grills are available. The smoke source includes wood chips, wood pellets and/or wood splinters, which helps to produce a steady stream of smoke. The type of wood used too makes a whole lot of difference to the ribs. To keep the smoke coming during the entire duration, add charcoal or briquettes. One can purchase wood from stores. A bowl of water is usually placed above the fire to raise humidity which makes the meat more succulent. Now that the reason for smoking is clear, let's prepare the marinate.

Ingredients:

• Baby back ribs, 2 pounds
• Balk pepper powder, 1 tbsp
• Onion powder, 1 tbsp
• Garlic powder, 2 tbsp
• Red hot chili powder, 1 tbsp
• Dried oregano, 1 tbsp
• Sweet paprika, 2 tbsp
• Cumin, 1 tbsp
• Brown sugar, cup

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the ribs. Now it's time to prepare the rib rack. Hold the rib in one has, and put a cut into the rib's membrane. Peel the membrane off the back of the ribs. Pull it off completely, left membrane will not allow the marinade to sink in well. Rinse the rib rack under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Set it on a large plate. Rub the dry marinade on the ribs on all sides, making sure all sides are coated well. Stand the ribs for twenty minutes, shale off excess dry marinade and refrigerate overnight.

Where possible use a smoker rather than a gas grill to bring out the smoked effect. In the smoke source container, place wood chips, charcoal or pellets, in the center of the base of the smoker, directly over the burner. If one is keen to smoke using water, place the water container on the burner, and place the rack on which ribs are to be placed. Most smokers come with their own water container fixtures. Arrange the ribs in the center of the rack and cover with the lid, to trap the smoke inside. Leave a little opening. Once you notice the smoke escaping from the smoker opening, close the lid completely. Smoke on medium heat for one hour.

In a separate bowl, mix cup distilled vinegar and cup water with cup Dijon mustard. Remove the ribs and place them on an aluminum foil. Drizzle this entire content on it. Seal the foil and bake in a preheated oven at 250 degrees. If the whole rib rack cannot be baked together, bake in separate batches.

Now that you have the recipe at hand, bake the ribs, serve warm and enjoy!

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Chicken Shawarma Nutrition Facts

Shawarma - ahhh! The word itself conjures up images of dexterous chefs shaving off meat, which slowly gets grilled over an open pit, with unbelievable frequency and flair! For those of you who have experienced the gastronomic pleasures of this heavenly fast food dish, it is needless to go into great depths of discussing the euphoric emotions that are stirred up when the aromatic fumes creep inside the nostrils and when the wrap itself enters the oral cavity and makes sensual love to the by-now-fervently-eager taste buds! For those of you mortals who are yet to get a tour of this gustatory heaven, shawarma is a kind of wrap or sandwich with a filling of shaved meat (lamb, beef, chicken, turkey or a mixed combination of these) wrapped inside either pita, taboon or Lavash bread.

It can also be had alongside salads like fattoush and tabbouleh. Dips like Tahini, hummus and amba and shawarma sauces like falafel and tarator are most popularly paired with shawarma. I'm sure that after reading this description, assuming you have an imagination that is anywhere near average, you must be drooling by now! Ok, before we totally give in to gustatory temptations and get reduced to bundles of taste buds and salivary glands, let's move on to take a look at chicken shawarma nutrition facts.

Chicken Shawarma Nutrition

One standard serving of shawarma (which is, by no means, frugal in terms of quantity and gastronomic gratification!) is rich in a whole lot of wholesome nutrients. Besides fats and cholesterol (which, of course, it's bound to be high in, considering it is a fast food that is exposed to a lot of grilling and intense heat, not to mention the inherent fat content of the meat filling), a regular chicken shawarma wrap has a high protein, carbohydrate, sodium and calcium content. Due to the chicken filling, it also becomes a good source of dietary fiber and some amount of iron. So, approximately how much of each nutrient do you get into yourself when you hog on a standard chicken shawarma? Scan the estimated figures in the following table to get an idea.

Nutrient	Content Per Serving
Calcium	106 mg
Carbohydrates	40 g
Cholesterol	64 mg
Dietary Fiber	3 g
Fats	10 g
Iron	4 mg
Proteins	35 g
Sodium	800 mg

The fat content mentioned in the table above is inclusive of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The total calories in chicken shawarma, per serving, comes to somewhere between 380 and 400 kilojoules. The values mentioned here are approximate and an exact figure is not possible because variations may occur depending upon the different types of mediums and other ingredients used. If the chicken filling is make from skinned chicken, the fat content may be lower and using low-fat cooking mediums can also bring down the calorie count considerably. Also, preparing the accompanying bread using whole grains can raise the amount of dietary fibers and proteins in the shawarma.

The values given here are closest to what should be expected if the shawarma is prepared as per standard, traditional cooking procedures using conventional cooking mediums and ingredients. So, as you can see from the above mentioned nutrition facts about chicken shawarma, this one's a winner as far as taste and nutrition goes. However, its high fat and cholesterol content requires the patron to display some restrain in terms of the frequency of indulgence and the quantity consumed at one go in order to avoid inviting health issues. After all, a heavenly delight as this deserves to be enjoyed throughout one's lifetime and it would be a pity to get a medical ban on indulging in this Middle Eastern delight just because you got sick hogging on it without restraint.

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Marinated Pork Chops

Pork chops are portions of meat, prepared by cutting perpendicularly to the spine. Hence, the result is meat slices that contain part of the vertebra and associated ribs. If cooked properly, these cut pieces make delectable dishes. You will come across many ways of cooking pork chops. But, the thumb rule to decide preparatory treatment is the thickness of the cut meat. Like for instance, thicker cuts are best cooked after brining for at least 2 hours; whereas thinner pork chops are marinated first to make the meat tender and flavorful. This article highlights on the various ways of cooking marinated pork chops.

How to Marinate Pork Chops?

Marinating pork chops is very simple; what you need to do is to marinade meat cuts for an appropriate time and do not overcook the meat. While deciding the cooking time for pork recipes, consider their thickness. Hence, the thicker your meat pieces are, the longer time they will take to cook properly and vice versa. Discussed below are common cooking methods of marinated pork chops:

Cooking Pork Chops in the Oven

Ingredients

• 6 pork chops (cut to 1 - 1-inch thick pieces)
• cup soy sauce
• cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• teaspoon ground fresh ginger
• cup water

Directions for Preparation

In a mixing bowl, combine together the marinade ingredients - soy sauce, orange juice, honey, ground ginger and water. Blend well the mixture, then pour it in a zip lock plastic bag. To this bag, add cleaned pork chops. Close zipper and shake many times, so that the meat slices are coated evenly with the flavoring mixture. Before baking, marinade meat at room temperature for 2 hours. If time permits, marinade overnight in the refrigerator.

Once you are done with the marinating time, remove meat about 1 hour prior to baking in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place pork chops in the oven and depending upon the thickness, bake for approximately 40 - 60 minutes. Turn the chops after 20 minutes or after the sides are cooked well. Bake the other sides of the pork chops for the same time. This is all about how to cook marinated pork chops in oven. Serve these oven-baked pork chops with mashed potatoes, noodles and fried vegetables.

Cooking Pork Chops in Crock Pot

Ingredients

• 6 pork chops
• 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks (with juice)
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• cup packed brown sugar

Directions for Preparation

In a bowl, mix well the ingredients - pineapple chunks, soy sauce and brown sugar. Put clean pork chops in a zipper bag. Pour the flavoring mixture in the zipper type bag. If you have time, allow the meat to marinade overnight in the refrigerator to impart more flavor. Or else, you can cook directly after marinating for 45 minutes. Transfer meat and marinade in the crock pot and cook in a low temperature setting for about 6 - 8 hours.

Cooking Pork Chops on the Grill

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops (1-inch thick)
• 2 teaspoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions for Preparation

Take a shallow dish and combine the marinade ingredients - molasses, garlic paste, ground pepper and salt. Rub the pork chops with this marinade mixture, making sure you cover the sides, top and bottom. Keep the meat in the shallow dish, cover it with a lid and marinade overnight. If possible, turn the pork chops after every couple of hours. Before grilling pork chops on the grill, remove them from the refrigerator and allow to settle at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Start the grill, close lid (for charcoal and propane grill) and leave it for 30 minutes. Arrange the pork chops in the grill surface and cook for 3 - 4 minutes per side at a high temperature setting. Check whether the meat is done or not. If not, reduce temperature and grill for another 2 minutes per side. Remove the grilled pork chops and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving. To make the grilled chops more tasty, brush with marinade sauce in between while grilling.

Use your culinary skill to make the best flavorful marinade for pork chops. You can add oregano, basil and other strong herbs of your preferred choice in the marinade recipe. Or else, if you have less time in hand, take the ready-made option. Cook for the appropriate time and your marinated pork chop recipes will taste delicious.

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Macaroni Grill Recipes

Macaroni had the origin in China and it was brought to Italy by Marco Polo. It was brought to the United States of America by the late president Thomas Jefferson. Macaroni with cheese became popular during the World War II. Today, Macaroni is one of the most favored dish around the globe.

Macaroni Grill Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

Try making this delicious macaroni grill chicken and mushroom pasta at home.

Ingredients for Lemon Sauce

2 ounces white wine
4 ounces lemon juice
4 ounces cream
1 slab of butter

Ingredients for Chicken Pasta

3 ounces of sliced boneless chicken
cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces mushroom, sliced
1-pound pasta, cooked
5 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper for taste, and chopped parsley for garnishing

First you need to make the lemon sauce by heating lemon juice and white wine over a medium flame. The solution should be reduced to 1/3rd. Simmer the flame and add cream and mix slowly until the solution thickens. This would take around 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and mix well. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Remove from the flame and keep it aside.

In a thick-bottomed pan, add cooking oil and butter and heat on a low flame. Sieve pepper, salt and the flour. Dredge the chicken in the flour and saut in the pan, flipping both sides until it become medium brown and is also thoroughly cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan. Now add the chopped mushrooms and saut till they are cooked. Add chicken to the mushroom and pour the lemon sauce over it. Mix well.

In a wide-mouth vessel place the cooked pasta and add the mixture of lemon sauce and chicken mushroom. Using a flat spoon slowly blend well. You can garnish the pasta with parsley.

Macaroni Grill Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

This is actually a dressing favored by those who love taste of garlic. This could be used for dressing salads, pasta and other baked dishes.

Ingredients

tsp salt
cup red wine vinegar
3 tbsp honey
- 1 ounce roasted garlic
cup olive oil
tsp lemon juice

Other than olive oil and lemon juice, put remaining ingredients in a blender and make a paste. The garlic should be properly crushed. Now add olive oil and lemon juice and blend till it is mixed well. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Macaroni Grill Herbal Bread

The herbal bread could be made using herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme and so on.

Ingredients

2 cups multipurpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp rosemary
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water

Dissolve yeast, sugar in warm water and keep it aside to ferment. Once it is fermented, add flour, butter, salt, and rosemary and knead well to make the dough. Oil a flat-bottomed bowl and place the dough and cover it with a towel for five minutes.

Once more knead the dough for a couple of minutes. Divide the dough into two equal halves. Butter a round baking tray, place the dough in it. Keep it for 45 minutes. The size of dough would have doubled by now.

Heat the oven to 375 degree F and bake it for 20 minutes and your dish is ready to serve.

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Homemade Marinara Sauce

Marinara is a popular sauce, which is made of tomatoes, onions and some herbs. It can be considered as a type of tomato sauce, but is more spicy due to the addition of a whole lot of herbs. Marinara sauce is Italian in origin and is an indispensable part of many Italian dishes. It is believed that this sauce originated somewhere around the sixteenth century and its origin is linked to the sailors of Naples. The name marinara is derived from the Italian word marinara, which means the sea. Marinara sauce was initially used by the sailors and so it was considered as the sauce of the sailors. It is believed that marinara sauce originated soon after the introduction of tomatoes by Spaniards to their neighboring countries. However, the sailors of Italy, made use of tomatoes, in preparing a sauce, that lasted longer, as compared to other seafood. There was no refrigeration facilities on sailing ships of that time and this sauce was widely used by sailors. Now, you have a basic idea about the origin of marinara sauce.

Marinara Sauce Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes

As mentioned above, the main ingredient in marinara sauce is tomatoes. There is a common misconception that marinara sauce contains seafood. This is not true, as it contains fresh tomatoes, onions and some herbs only. It is traditionally used with dishes, like Italian pasta, especially, linguini and ziti. But, it is also very popular as a dipping sauce for finger foods too. It can also be used with seafood and meat dishes. Nowadays, there are various forms of marinara sauce available in the market. But, this sauce can be prepared easily at home too.

Ingredients
Even though, the basic ingredients for all marinara recipes are the same, some may change with the different types. The following ingredients are needed to prepare a basic type of marinara sauce, which can be prepared within 30 minutes.

• Fresh, ripe, tomatoes (peeled and grated) - One kilogram
• One large onion, grated
• Garlic, minced - 2 to 3 cloves
• Fresh basil leaves - 10
• Fresh oregano - one sprig
• Dried oregano - one teaspoon
• Marjoram - one teaspoon
• Boukovo (sweet pepper flakes) - one teaspoon
• Salt and sugar - tsp each
• Olive oil - cup
• Freshly ground black pepper - as required

Preparation Procedure
The popularity of marinara sauce is also due to the fact that this sauce can be prepared very easily. If you fall short of any herbs, you can prepare the sauce without it. The basic ingredients are tomatoes, onions, garlic, oil, one or two herbs, salt and pepper, which can be used to prepare homemade marinara sauce from scratch (for canning, you can use the ingredients in large amounts).

• Mix the grated onion, minced garlic and one tablespoon of olive oil and puree these ingredients in a food processor.
• Now, pour the remaining olive oil to a saucepan, which is placed over medium heat. Once the oil gets warm, add the puree and saute for about five minutes.
• The next step is to puree the peeled and grated tomatoes, along with fresh basil and oregano leaves.
• Add this puree to the saucepan with the sauteed onion garlic paste. Mix well and let it simmer for around 15 to 20 minutes. Stir the mixture at regular intervals and remove from heat, once, the sauce becomes thick.

Before turning off the heat, add salt and pepper. If the tomatoes are too tart, then add sugar to neutralize the tartness. The dried spices, boukavo, etc. can be added, as per your choice.

The above said homemade marinara sauce recipe is one of the basic ones, which can be prepared easily and can be used along with a variety of dishes.

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Liquid Measurement and Equivalents

Liquids are difficult to measure than solid substances due to the surface tension of liquids. If you closely observe, the surface of the liquid poured in a container is not flat, instead it has a convex shape. This is because of two factors; gravity, that pulls the liquid downwards and the surface tension of the liquid near the sides of the container pulling it gently towards the edges. This makes it very difficult to correctly measure the liquids, especially when the volume is very small.

The dry and liquid measurements that are under a pint are same for all liquid or dry recipes, in America. Many people are confused with the dry measurement equivalents as a measure of weight and the liquid measurements equivalents as the measure of volume. When you are measuring a liquid, it is very important to find the meniscus. This is the lowest part of the convex shape that is made by the liquid in the measuring container. You should observe the container from eye level and if you see the liquid slightly above or below, you may find a little shift in the meniscus and get inaccurate readings.

Once you have located the correct meniscus line, holding the measuring container at eye level, add or remove the liquid, till you have the desired volume in the container. If you can't locate a meniscus, it means that your container is dirty and hence the container cannot hold the correct surface tension of the liquid.

You can use many types of measuring containers to measure liquid. To measure smallest amount of liquid in cubic centimeters, you can use the burette. To measure more volume, use the graduated cylinder. To measure a drop, you can use syringes and dropper. You may find measuring spoons and measuring cups that have marking of the English system or the metric system or both. Now, let us see the liquid measurements equivalents using the chart for liquid measurement.

Liquid Measurement Chart

Liquid Measurement
1 dash	6 drops
3 teaspoons	ounce
1 pony	1 ounce
1 jigger	1 ounce
1 large jigger	2 ounces
1 standard whiskey glass	2 ounces
1 pint	16 fluid ounces
1 fifth	25.6 fluid ounces
1 quart	32 fluid ounces
1 gallon	128 ounces

Liquid Measurements Conversion Chart

Liquid Measurement	Volume Equivalent
1 teaspoon	1/3 teaspoon
1 tablespoon	3 teaspoon
1 tablespoon	1/16 cup
2 tablespoons	1 fluid ounce
2 tablespoons	1/8 cup
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoon	1/6 cup
4 tablespoons	1/4 cup
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon	1/3 cup
6 tablespoons	3/8 cup
8 tablespoons	1 tea cup 04 4 fluid ounces
10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons	2/3 cup
12 tablespoons	3/4 cup
16 tablespoons	1 cup or 8 fluid ounces
3/8 cup	1/4 cup or 2 tablespoons
5/8 cups	1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
7/8 cup	1/4 pint or 4 fluid ounces
1/2 cup	1/4 pint or 4 fluid ounces
1 cup	1/2 pint or 8 fluid ounces
2 cups	1 pint or 16 fluid ounces
1 pint	16 fluid ounces
2 pints	1 quart
4 cups	1 quart
4 quarts	1 gallon

Liquid Measurement	Volume Equivalent
1 U.S. teaspoon	5 milliliters
11 U.S. tablespoons	15 milliliters
1/2 U.S. cup	.118 liters
1 U.S. cup	.236 liters, approx. 1/4 liter
1 U.S. pint	.4732 liters
1 U.S. quart	.9463 liters
1 U.S. gallon	3.785 liters

U.S. Measurements Vs English Measurements

US Measurement	English Measurement
1 U.S. teaspoons	1 English teaspoon
1 1/4 U.S. tablespoons	1 English tablespoon
1/2 U.S. cup	5/6 English teacup
1 U.S. cup	5/6 English breakfast - cup
1 U.S. pint	5/6 English - Imperial - pint
1 U.S. gallon	5/6 English - Imperial - gallon
1 U.S. quart p	5/6 English - Imperial - quart

Dry Measurements Conversion Table

Dry Measure	Volume Equivalent
1 quart	2 pints
8 quarts	1 peck
4 pecks	1 bushel
1 U.S. pint	1 English pint
1 U.S. quart	1 English quart
1 U.S. peck	1 English peck
1 U.S. gallon	1 English gallon
1 U.S. pint	.551 liters
1 U.S. quart	1.101 liters
1 U.S. peck	8.81 liters
1 U.S. bushel	35.24 liters

These are a few liquid measurement tables and dry measurement tables that you may find useful when measuring liquids and dry ingredients. The ounce and the pound are the most common units of weight or mass measurement for cooking in the US. The ounce of weight is not same as the ounce of fluid. There are many kinds of weight measurements like the Troy weight, Apothecaries weight and the Avoirdupois weight. If you are in US and someone refers to measurements like pounds and ounces of weight while cooling, they are generally referring to the Avoirdupois weight. I hope you have found this article in liquid measurements and equivalents useful.

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Chicken Piccata Recipe with Capers and Mushrooms

While Italian is one of the most popular cuisines in the world today, we hardly ever think of Italian dishes beyond the simple pasta and pizza. It is very well-known that the Italians love their food. Hence, the Italian cuisine is commensurately highly populated! If you've ever been to a real Italian's restaurant, if you look closely, that place will, along with the common dishes, also have a pretty large variety of 'chef's specials'. That's how much the Italians love to cook!

The word 'piccata' is generally associated with veal. But the chicken piccata is a very popular dish in many Italian households. Delicious, and so easy to make! The term 'chicken piccata' is quite a generic one and it gives the gourmets among us a great chance of creative experimenting. It is basically a dish of chicken beaten with flour and pasta. The rest is up to you really... Your tastes, your ingredients and your creativity. So you can make your own range of chicken piccata recipes! Here, we're going to add a little twist to the traditional recipe by adding some mushrooms and capers...

Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms and Capers (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• salt, to taste
• teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 chicken cutlets (1 pound total), trimmed
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1, 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons butter

Preparation:
First we have to boil a large pot of water. Once the water boils, we put in the angel hair pasta. We have to let the pasta cook for about 4-6 minutes till it becomes soft. Once done, drain the water and remove the pasta.

Then we beat (piccata) the chicken broth and 5 teaspoons of the flour together. Then, we have to season the chicken with salt and pepper (as per taste, but generally teaspoon of each is used), and dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour. Once dredged, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a non stick skillet. Pan-fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side on a medium heat till the chicken turns brown and then remove it off the skillet and keep it warm.

The last 1 teaspoon of oil is used to pan fry the mushrooms over a medium heat. Once the oil is heated, we add the mushrooms and cook them for 5 minutes, till they brown and start releasing the juice. Next, add garlic and wine to the pan and cook for 1-2 more minutes. We take this mixture and stir it in the flour-broth mix with the lemon juice and another teaspoon of salt. Put the gas on a low flame and cook, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes, till the sauce thickens.

Next, add the parsley, capers and remaining mushrooms. Add the pasta into the pan and cook, continuously stirring. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and voil!! Your easy mushroom chicken piccata is ready!

Nutritional Facts

Each serving contains:

• 397 calories
• 9 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono)
• 54 mg cholesterol
• 45 g carbohydrate
• 28 g protein
• 5 g fiber
• 544 mg sodium
• 609 mg potassium

Buon Appetito!

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Ground Turkey Meatloaf Recipes

Meatloaf, a popular dish all over the world, is prepared from ground meat and cereal grains or other binders. It is no doubt one of the most delicious dishes which is cooked with easily available food ingredients. Though the preparation tips are mostly the same, the ingredients and ways of serving meatloaf vary from one region to another. While preparing this savory dish, traditionally used ground beef and lamb can be replaced with ground turkey. If you are looking for some new food recipes, you can try the following ground turkey meatloaf recipes.

Ground Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 lbs. ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg (beaten lightly)
1 cups chopped onion
cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon ground garlic
cup ketchup
cup low fat yogurt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Preheat oven at 400 F. In a non-stick frying pan, heat oil and fry onion and garlic for about 2 minutes or until onion turns soft. Take a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the fried onion garlic mixture, chopped parsley, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients. To this bowl, add the bread crumbs, egg and yogurt. Stir the mixture and let it stand for about 5 - 8 minutes. Then, add ground turkey and mix well, you can mix with your hand.

Transfer the turkey mixture in a lightly oiled meatloaf baking pan. Add the meatloaf mixture and spread evenly in the pan, bake for about 55 - 60 minutes. Remove the baked meatloaf, make slices and serve warm with sauce and cheese toppings.

Ground Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

1 lbs. lean ground turkey
2 lbs. red potatoes (quartered)
cup bread crumbs
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 medium-sized onion (chopped)
3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons mustard
1 cup buttermilk
cup ketchup
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Take a mixing bowl and mix the ingredients, turkey, bread crumbs, egg, chopped onion, spinach, parsley, mustard, salt and pepper. After thoroughly mixing the ingredients, transfer the mixture into a baking sheet and spread evenly in the shape of a loaf. Pour ketchup and bake for about 50 - 55 minutes, till it is cooked.

In the meantime, add potatoes and water in a pot and boil. Simmer for sometime till the potatoes turn tender. You can check whether the potatoes are cooked or not by inserting a fork. Drain the cooking water and transfer the cooked potatoes in a bowl. Allow potatoes to cool down and then mash with buttermilk, about teaspoon salt (or as per your taste) and olive oil. Remove the baked meatloaf from the oven and serve with mashed potatoes and barbecue sauce.

As per your taste, you can enhance the flavor or cut down the calories by altering the food ingredients. If you crave for a savory dish, serve the meatloaf dish with spicy toppings and/or a hot sauce.

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Tandoori Oven

If you have been to Indian restaurants for either Indian or Middle Eastern food, you can't miss the legendary tandoori chicken on the menu card. For a beginner, you may not have an idea about the taste but when you eat it, there are no words to describe the extraordinary taste of that hot crispy burnt chicken along with butter in your mouth. This is exactly how food cooked in the tandoor oven tastes, and it is one of the most unique and unbelievable treats to your taste buds when you are in for a surprise! Apart from the food, let's talk about what is a tandoori oven? Well, it is known to be a cylindrical oven made from clay and is used to bake and cook food. It is very commonly found in countries like India, Pakistan, Turkey, Central Asia and other Middle Eastern countries.

What is a Tandoori Oven Used for?

Tandoori ovens are large clay ovens which are cylindrical in shape and are heated with the help of charcoal or wood fire supplied at the base of these ovens. This cylinder is hollow from the inside, where the charcoal is placed and the food which is to be cooked is either hung right above the fire or stuck to the sides of the clay surface. Because the food comes directly in contact with the food, this type of cooking is also known as hot air or radiant heat cooking. The speed of cooking in this oven is very fast, because the heat in the clay oven is found to be about 580 degrees C (900 degrees F), which is maintained for hours, making the process of cooking food quick and easy.

Benefits and Uses

• The ancient tandoori ovens were typically made from clay and thus, the tinge of this charred clay always seeped into the food cooked in these ovens, giving them a unique taste. So, if you are bored of eating the same type of food everyday, get yourself one of these.
• Food recipes which are cooked in the tandoori oven are usually marinated and spiced up so that the cooked flavors taste extraordinary to your taste buds. You can thus cook, all types of meat, bread, vegetables and fruits in this oven, but with the help of thin metal blades used to expose the food directly to the heat.
• Another major benefit of this oven is that you don't need oil for cooking as it is specially designed for dry cooking methods. You can add the butter and oil after the food is cooked, which you usually do in barbecues.
• As mentioned earlier, the time taken to prepare food in a tandoori oven is less than cooking food in any other oven, because the temperatures are very high and the oven is heated continuously for a very long period of time.

How to Use a Tandoori Oven

• The oven has a clay base right at the bottom of the cylindrical body, where you have to add either the charcoal or the wood. So, place the charcoal and add the firelighters to start the fire.
• There is a side door to the oven which allows air to flow in and maintain the temperatures inside. After the fire has been lit, close this door and let the oven heat up. After about an hour, the oven is ready to use.
• Insert the meat in the skewers and place them in the middle of the oven a little above the heat. If you are making bread recipes, stick the dough to the inner walls of the heated oven.
• You don't have to add a lid to this oven as the mouth is comparatively narrow and since the side door is closed you need some airflow in the oven. After a few minutes, remove the cooked food and make sure all of it is cooked well. You are ready to enjoy the delicious tandoori food you prepared.

With these great tips to use a tandoori oven and the benefits of it, I am sure you are waiting to order a nice plate of juicy tandoori chicken! Well, you can enjoy this yummy food with unique taste as it is definitely one of a kind.

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How to Remove Onion Smell from Hands

Chopping onions for any recipe can put off the most interested and eager cooks. It is irritating for all of us who have to cook only for ourselves and our families, so if you are a chef or a professional cook, then you may have to handle huge quantities of onions everyday. My sympathies! Want to know how to remove onion smell from hands? Scroll through the article to find out.

A Whiff of Onions
Onions contain amino acids in the form of a compound called alliins. The odor of onions is due to this alliin and another compound called thioallyl. When we chop the onions, these compounds are set free, and they are free to react with other substances in the air. Enzymatic reactions convert the alliin into allicin, which is in turn converted into sulfide compounds. Sulfide compounds, as we know, smell awful, and awfully strong, hence the pungent smell after chopping onions!

Getting Rid of the Smell
While onions may be really good for health because of the antioxidants they contain, their smell is not something that you want to roam around with, on your hands long after the cooking is done. Here are a few tips to help you get rid of the smell of onions on your hands.

• One of the unusual ways to get onion smell off hands is by rubbing your hands against a stainless steel utensil for a couple of minutes, under running water. The molecules of sulfur, which give onion its strong odor, react with the metal and are neutralized, thus ridding your hands of the typical odor. Works like a charm.
• Another good option is vinegar. Just pour a few drops in your palms and rub vigorously. Most people swear by Apple Cider Vinegar. Don't know what's so special about that, but apparently it works, so who cares!
• If you don't have vinegar, worry not. I'm sure you must be having mouthwash in your bathroom cabinet. Try that. Pour a few drops and rub till the smell is gone.
• You can wet your hands and then take a pinch of salt and rub vigorously to get onion smell off your hands. Salt can be real harsh on your hands, so make sure that you moisturize your hands after, if you are using salt, else your hands will become very dry. If you do not want to try salt, then baking soda is a good replacement.
• Used coffee grinds work really effectively to get rid of onion smell, I've heard. Never tried them myself, but if you have them, try them out and let me know too.
• Sugar! What better way to get your hands all sweet smelling again? Wet your hands and rub some sugar into them. Scrub till the smell is gone.
• Using toothpaste gives guaranteed results. I've tried this one. Do not use a gel based toothpaste. They're useless for this job. Try to use toothpaste with a fluoride base. They work the best.
• This is a really greasy solution, but you can rub your hands with butter or even peanut butter, whichever is handy. And if you do not mind a slight onion flavor, then you can even lick off the peanut butter, before you wash off the greasiness with soap!
• Tomato juice can work if you dip your hands in it for a few minutes.
• Ditto with lemon juice. Although, I'll say lemon juice is stronger, and it will give better and faster results.
• Try rubbing some oatmeal into your hands after chopping onions. Or if there is no oatmeal, but luckily you have some celery, then chop some of it, and rub it into your hands. Celery juice works well too.
• Shampoo is a good option. Rub some into your hands, and work up a lather. Should help in getting rid of that pungent onion smell.
• Try an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Usually sanitizers are not very effective, but if it has an alcohol base, it may work.
• Dish washing liquid works too, in case that is what is within your reach. Take a few drops and rub vigorously to get rid of onion odor.
• Try mustard if you have some. Should do the work, and remove onion smell from fingers.
• Cut up a raw potato, and rub your hands together till all the juice has been squeezed out from it. Let the juice sit for a minute, while you continue rubbing the potato, and the smell should be gone.
• Mint leaves are famous for their aroma. Pick a few mint leaves and rub them in your hands till they are crushed, and the juice flows out. Rub the leaves in your hands for a few minutes to get rid of the nasty onion smell.
• Same with aloe vera. Break off a part of the aloe vera plant if you have one in your backyard, and rub your hands with the thick, gooey pulp. It is renowned for its healing and moisturizing properties as well!

That's a lot of solutions! Onion is a very necessary ingredient and gives a lovely flavor to any dish. It cannot be dispensed with, but the smell on your hands after chopping onions can remain with you long after the delicious meal has been safely tucked into your tummy. One thing to remember is that the longer you keep it that way, the harder it is to get rid of the smell of onions. So, follow the above tips as soon as you have finished chopping the onions, and you can have lovely smelling hands again.

Health Benefits of Onions
According to studies, the onions that smell the most pungent are the ones that are best for you. They contain an antioxidant called quercetin, and although apples and tea also contain the same antioxidant, the quercetin in onions is more easily absorbed by our bodies, almost twice better than that from tea, and thrice better than that from apples! Onions have many other benefits as well, which make them indispensable while cooking. Here are a few:

• Negligible cholesterol and fat content
• Low sodium and calorie content
• Rich source of fiber
• Help in fighting colon cancer
• Help in fighting off cardiovascular diseases
• Effective in fighting off flu, cold, cough, nosebleeds, etc.
• Help in fighting off many bacteria, and also help in reducing high blood pressure

There are a host of health benefits of onions, which is why they are good for us, and we should eat them in spite of the way they smell.

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Benefits of Charcoal Grills

A barbecue grill, or simply a grill, is used for slow cooking of food by heating it from below. There are many types of grills available in the market. You have charcoal grills, gas grills and electric grills. Gas grills are easy to clean, and food cooks faster in a gas grill. Most people who love barbeques, prefer a charcoal grill because they feel that the distinct taste and flavor that you get from grilling your barbecue on a charcoal grill, can never be obtained on a gas or electric grill. When you consider buying a charcoal grill, you should take into account the quantity of food that you wish to prepare and then choose a size accordingly. So, are charcoal grills indeed the best? Just have a look at the benefits of charcoal grill and find out for yourself.

Merits and Demerits of a Charcoal Grill

In this section, we shall discuss the potential benefits of using a charcoal grill and also the major disadvantages of the same.

Advantages of a Charcoal Grill

Meat grilled in a charcoal grill has a distinct smoky feel to it that connoisseurs feel can never be found in meat cooked on gas grills. Here are a few more advantages of using a charcoal grill, which make it the favorite of most professional chefs.

• It cooks the meat slowly and over a long period of time, due to which the meat retains its tenderness and remains moist.
• The slow and continuous exposure to heat due to slow cooking, causes the fat in the food to liquefy and get separated from the meat. This way the meat gets rid of excess fat and hence, calories!
• Nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals present in the meat remain intact and hence, the end product is much more nutritious.
• With a charcoal grill, the temperature of the fire is much higher as compared to a gas grill (as high as 500F), due to which the food is exposed to more heat. This ensures that the food is properly cooked even on the inside.
• A big advantage of using charcoal grills is that not only can you control the temperature of the grill, but also shift the coals to change the temperature of different spots on the grill.
• Charcoal grills are the cheapest among all types of grills.
• Charcoal grills are portable and easier to carry as compared to the other types.

Disadvantages of Charcoal Grills

In spite of so many advantages, charcoal grills come with a few drawbacks as well. A few of them are given below.

• Charcoal grills are messy and require you to clean up after you've roasted your barbecue.
• They are not easy to light and require a lot of effort from your side.
• They are slow and take a long time to acquire the desired temperature.
• Occasional flare-ups can be annoying and sometimes dangerous.
• It is difficult to determine the temperature of the grill.
• You cannot reduce the temperature significantly at one go, as there is no knob for regulating the temperature.
• The continuous emission of smoke from the grill can be hazardous and on prolonged exposure, may lead to breathing problems.

However, modern charcoal grills come with starters to help you ignite them faster. Also, the problem of detecting the temperature of the grill can be easily overcome by using an oven thermometer. To make your food taste better, place it on the grill such that there is a small gap between the piece of meat you're grilling and the layer of charcoal. So, if you know the tips to use a charcoal grill and are ready to put the required effort to "prepare" your charcoal grill in advance, you'd be more than happy with the results!

Finally, the type of grill that you choose depends a lot on your lifestyle. Nowadays, when there are so many models of charcoal grill available in the market, it should not be difficult for you to find one that suits your needs. But since more and more people are going for propane or gas grills, choosing a charcoal grill might be a tough decision for you to make. However, if you choose carefully, it can prove to be a great choice indeed!

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Baked Chicken Wings Recipes

Chicken wings have become an appetizer of choice for people who love non-vegetarian dishes. Indeed, there is no specific time for serving fried, baked and grilled chicken wings. However, thinking from the health point of view, grilled or baked chicken wings are a healthier choice over fried stuff. And chicken wings baked with proper seasoning taste amazing. So, instead of preparing oil laden, fried chicken wings, why not bake them for a healthy meal serving. Let's see how to bake chicken wings in different methods.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 10 whole chicken wings
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• cup breadcrumbs
• teaspoon paprika
• teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F, and lightly grease a baking pan. Then trim off the wing tips, and prepare them by cutting into two pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water, and keep aside. Take a resealable storage bag, and mix together breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder and dried basil. Once you are done with these steps, dip chicken wings in beaten egg, and add in the bag. Shake bag properly for coating the wings with breadcrumb mixture. Arrange coated chicken wings in the greased pan in one layer, and bake for 35 minutes, turning once in between.

Classic Baked Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 12 fresh chicken wings
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 - 2 teaspoons chili powder
• teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F. If required, clean and prepare chicken wings. You can cut a whole chicken wing at the joints, making three pieces. Discard the tip section as it gets burnt at the time of baking. Mix olive oil, fresh garlic, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper and salt. To this seasoning concoction, add cleaned chicken wings and combine with hands. Ensure that the chicken pieces are coated properly with the flavorful spice mixture. Arrange them in a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour, flipping once in between. Serve baked chicken wings with a spicy sauce and salad.

Easy Baked Chicken Wings and Dip

Ingredients

• 16 chicken wings
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• teaspoon lemon zest
• teaspoon pepper
• A dash of cayenne pepper
• teaspoon salt
• 1 cups dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated fresh Parmesan
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients for Dipping

• 1 cup fat-free yogurt
• teaspoon lemon juice
• teaspoon Worcestershire
• teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• teaspoon lemon zest
• teaspoon salt
• teaspoon black pepper

Directions

For this scrumptious, easy baked chicken wings recipe, prepare the wings first. Remove the tips, and halve each wing at the joint. In a large bowl, combine together the ingredients - olive oil, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well, until blended and add chicken wings. Pour this into a resealable plastic bag, and marinade for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley in a shallow platter, and keep aside till wings are ready.

Place rack in the center of the oven, and preheat oven to 425 F. For preparation of baking pan, lay heavy duty aluminum foil and spray it with cooking oil. After one hour, remove marinated chicken wings, and roll a piece in the shallow dish containing breadcrumb mixture. Place it in the baking pan, and repeat the same for the remaining chicken wing pieces. Bake them in preheated oven for 20 minutes, turn and bake for another 10 minutes. For the dip recipe, take a medium mixing bowl, and add all the ingredients. Mix until blended, and serve with the baked chicken wings. You can learn more on spicy baked chicken wings.

The simple culinary tips for the best baked chicken wings recipes are using a good amount of seasoning spices (enough to penetrate meat), and baking for the appropriate time. For the herbs part, you can use oregano, rosemary and basil to increase the flavor of oven-baked chicken. Also, alter the spiciness by adding cayenne pepper and hot sauce as recipe ingredients to suit your taste buds.

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Brown Sugar Chicken Recipes

Chicken can be made in a number of ways and brown sugar chicken is one of them. The delicious taste and the aroma of this particular style of chicken is so tempting that many can't even wait to get their hands on it till it is served. Chicken can be made with brown sugar in many styles as people all over the world cook this recipe in their own methods.

The various spices mixed together with brown sugar to give an exotic blend of spice and sweet is the best taste you can ever imagine. This is what brown sugar chicken is and you can make it for yourselves as it is one of the easiest chicken recipes created. Given below are a few easy recipes, so go ahead and find out which one is your favorite.

Chicken Recipes with Brown Sugar

As mentioned earlier, you can make this chicken in any way you wish and also add some of your own spices to create a variety of taste.

Easy Brown Sugar Chicken
Ingredients

• 1 package boneless, skinless chicken
• cup brown sugar
• teaspoon salt
• cup dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• Chives for garnish (optional)

Directions
Mix the brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper in a zip lock bag and shake them well. Place the chicken pieces in the bag and shake that well too so that the chicken gets coated well with the ingredients. Now let it stand for some time and keep it aside to marinade for about 15 minutes. Then grill the chicken pieces directly over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes and keep turning them occasionally. Once the chicken is removed from the heat, the juices start to leave out and serve it hot this way. Garnish it with a few chives and lemon if you want to or simply eat it the way it's cooked.

Brown Sugar Barbecue Chicken
Ingredients

• 2 packages (about 3 lbs each) chicken split breasts, drums and thighs
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons barbecue seasoning
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 6 tablespoons basting oil

Directions
In a mixing bowl, mix the barbecue seasoning, brown sugar, salt and the basting oil together till it blends in well. Add the chicken and then toss it together so that the chicken gets coated uniformly with the brown sugar mixture. Marinate this chicken by covering the bowl and refrigerating it for 6 to 8 hours. In the mean time, preheat the oven to about 275 degrees and after the 6 hours of the marinate, transfer the chicken to the baking sheet. Bake it for 2 hours and then remove it from the oven and set aside. Carefully drain the fat from the baking dish and wipe it clean and then again transfer the chicken back into the baking sheet. Now broil the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes about 6 inches from the heat until the skin is brown in color and crisp. Make sure it doesn't burn or get extra barbecued. Serve the chicken pieces in a serving dish along with either a dip or simply with lemon slices.

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Ingredients

• 1 broiler chicken cut up
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• cup white vinegar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• cup lemon-lime soda
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and then add the chicken. Let the chicken get well coated with the mixture and then add half of this to a plastic bag and leave the rest in the bowl. Seal the bag and refrigerate it for 2 to 4 hours and let the remaining chicken marinade in the meanwhile. Now, drain the marinade from the bowl chicken and discard it off and then transfer the chicken in a skillet. Add the refrigerated marinade to this chicken and heat the entire skillet till it starts to boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer it for about 45 minutes by covering the skillet. After the chicken juices are clear and the chicken looks cooked and juicy, remove from the heat and serve it hot and crispy.

With these yummy recipes for brown sugar chicken, I am sure you can't wait to have this mouth-watering dish. So, go ahead and try these recipes out and enjoy them with friends and family.

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Chicken and Dumplings Recipes

If it is comfort food you are in the mood for, there is nothing like a hearty dish made from a delicious chicken and dumplings recipe. Your home will be filled with the delectable aroma of wholesome home cooking as the chicken broth slowly simmers and bubbles, creating a base full of flavor for the toothsome dumplings. So, here are some simply scrumptious chicken and dumplings recipes that you can try out.

Simple Chicken Dumplings

1, 2 to 3 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
1, 10 3/4-oz can of cream of chicken soup
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Some parsley
tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
Poultry seasoning
4 quarts water

Ingredients for the Dumplings:

2 cups of flour
2/3 cup of whole milk
2 tsp butter
tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder

Put the chicken, poultry seasoning, parsley, celery, pepper and salt into a pot, and pour the water into it. Heat this, allowing it to come to a boil, then lowering the heat, cover and let it simmer for about two hours, until the chicken becomes tender. Remove the chicken onto a plate and let it cool down enough to be handled. Then remove the chicken meat from the bone, and return the meat into the broth. Then add the cream of chicken soup, and simmer on low heat.

Then, in a dish, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder. Next, add the butter into it, working it in with your fingertips, gradually adding the milk. Roll the dough into balls and flatten into half-inch thickness. Drop these into the broth and simmer for 10 more minutes, making sure to submerge the dumplings into the broth while they are cooking.

Aromatic Chicken Dumplings

1 large sized chicken, cut into pieces
1, 14-oz can of chicken broth
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, cut into pieces
1 medium-sized onion, diced
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tbsp parsley, dried
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
water

Ingredients for the Dumplings:

2 cups of flour
3/4 cup milk
4 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt

Put the chicken, carrots, celery, parsley, onion, chicken bouillon granules, chicken broth, pepper and salt in a pot and add enough water to cover the chicken. Allow this to come to a boil, then reducing the heat, cover and let it simmer for about two hours, until the chicken becomes tender. Then, remove the chicken from the broth onto a plate, allowing it to cool down enough to be handled. Then debone the chicken and return the meat into the broth. Heat the broth and let it simmer for a while.

In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the dumplings, mixing well in order to form a firm dough. Scoop out tablespoons of this dough and drop them into the simmering broth. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Serve at once.

Baked Chicken Dumplings

3 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 can chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
15 oz mixed vegetables, drained
tsp poultry seasoning
2 cups biscuit mix
Pepper, according to taste
1 cup milk
8 oz sour cream

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Put the first six ingredients in a bowl and mix well, and then pour it into a sprayed baking dish. Then, in a bowl, mix the biscuit mix, milk, and sour cream, and spoon this on the chicken. Then, bake this for about an hour, or until the top turns golden brown in color.

Lemony Chicken Dumplings Recip

4 lbs chicken
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup flour
cup butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 oz sherry
Salt
Water

Ingredients for the Dumplings:

1 cups flour
cup milk
3 tsp shortening
2 tsp baking powder
tsp salt

Put the chicken along with some salt in a pot, pour water into it to cover the chicken, and heat this, bringing it to a boil. The reducing the heat, let it simmer until the chicken becomes tender. Next, remove the chicken, cool, and debone. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the broth and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the chicken to the broth, cook for a while, and then remove from the heat. Strain this out, reserving the stock. Then heat a frying pan and melt the butter and stir in one cup of flour until the mixture is smooth. Add the strained stock and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Then, add the lemon juice, sherry, pepper and salt.

Then, mix the 1 cups of flour, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Then mix in the shortening until the mixture becomes crumbly. Next, add the milk in gradually until blended. Then, pour about half an inch of water in a saucepan that is equipped with a wire rack, and cover it with waxed paper that has been lightly oiled on the side facing up. Then allow the water to come to a boil, and reduce the heat until it simmers gently.

Spoon dumplings onto this paper, leaving enough room between each for expansion, and let them steam uncovered for about 8-10 minutes, then cover and steam for about 5 minutes more. In the meantime, debone the chicken, and cut into pieces, and put them in a casserole. Place the dumplings on the chicken, and pour the sauce over them.

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Outdoor Cooking

Camping outdoors is a great way to bond with your family and connect with the natural surroundings. You would also need to bear in mind that you have to be prepared in all respects for cooking out in the open. Camping out has it own requirements and with some planning, you can whip up some amazing dishes in the outdoors as well.

Factors to Consider for Outdoor Cooking

You would need to know the method that would be employed in preparing the food, is it a camping stove you would be using, would it be on open fire, would it be gas powered or on charcoal? This is very necessary, as you need to plan other things based on this factor. Once you know the mode of cooking, preparing the camping food would be an easier task for you.

Note down the kind of cookware you would need to cook outdoors. Do take a good cooler chest to store all those meats and sandwiches. A camp grill can come handy for cooking over a campfire. Although these are available at certain camping sites, an extra one can be very useful as well.

Keep all the supplies in an easily accessible area. Keep the pots, utensils, food items and even the water close to the cooking area. This would save you all the trips and would help you to cook with ease. Always cook at a reasonable distance, away from the tents.

You can prepare for outdoor cooking at your home itself, before you set out for the camping site. This would help you to manage the schedule on a better scale and help you cook delicious camping food in a better manner. Measure and pack all the dry foods in foils and zip lock bags. If you label these packages, it would make things more systematic when you start cooking outdoors.

When you cook your food in foils, you also need to be sure that you cook it right so that it tastes great and is also safe to eat. Always cook such foil wrapped food over charcoal and a wood fire; avoid cooking on direct flames. Keep turning the packet occasionally for an average of 15 minutes to 20 minutes. This would also depend upon what is being cooked.

Recipes for Cooking Outdoors

Potatoes
Ingredients:
Potatoes (2 pounds)
Medium-sized onion (1)
Aluminum foil
Margarine (4 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
First, you need to cut the potatoes and onions. Cut these into slices. Remove the onion slices into rings. Place the potatoes and the onions on the aluminum foil. Spread some quantity of the margarine on top.

Now you need to fold the foil to close it over the food ingredients. You will need to punch some holes in the foil. This is done so that the steam can escape from these holes. Cook this on a campfire or even a grill. The cooking time required may be around 30 minutes. Do check in between to see if the potatoes are tender. Keep rotating the food package so that all the area gets an equal amount of heat. This will ensure it is cooked evenly. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Beans
Ingredients:
Ground beef (1-2 pounds)
Onion - chopped (1)
Minced garlic (1/2 teaspoon)
Chili powder (2 tablespoons)
Tomato sauce (1-15 ounce can)
Diced tomatoes (1- 15 ounce can)
Butter beans (1-8 ounce can)
Chickpeas (1-15 ounce can)
Kidney beans (1- 15 ounce can)
Great northern beans (1 - 24 ounce can)
Water (3 cups)
Salt and pepper
Medium carrot - chopped (1)
Stalk celery - chopped (1)
Corn bread

Preparation:
First, cook the hamburger till it browns. Drain the grease. You need to place all the ingredients in a large pot. Cook this and let it simmer for an hour. Ensure you keep stirring it at regular intervals. This can be prepared in a Dutch oven as well or even on a grill. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Place the freshly chopped onions on this. You can serve the preparation with some corn bread. Wrap this in a foil to have it later, this can also be heated over a grill if you like to have it warm.

Outdoor cooking can be great fun if you keep in mind a few basics. Always remember to clean the area before you leave the camping site. Make sure you douse out all the fires when you finish. Collect all your items when you are ready to go back home. Always remember to keep the camping site clean and tidy as you have found it.

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How Long to Grill Chicken Breast

Grilling any part of the chicken is difficult, as one needs to know the exact time and method of grilling it. Even a few minutes of extra grilling can spoil the entire recipe. Grilling skinless chicken can be a daunting task, because when the chicken does not have its protective skin, it tends to dry out easily, if over cooked. The grilling time depends not only on the chicken, but also on the other ingredients we add to it. Talking about the nutritional value of chicken breasts, chicken breasts are high in protein and also low in fat. So you can enjoy the yum chicken without worrying much about calories! But before that you need to learn how long to grill chicken breasts.

How to Grill Chicken Breast?

First and foremost pound the chicken. Skinless boneless chicken breasts have a very thin tenderloin attached, this tenderloin tends to get cooked very fast, even before the rest of the chicken is half done. So it is best to remove the tenderloin. Also pound the chicken to about thickness, as it is quite uneven. After you are done with the pounding, rinse the chicken thoroughly, unless you are marinating it.

Pre-heat the grill to medium-high and lay the chicken on it. A simple thing to remember while grilling chicken breasts is that higher the heat, faster and juicier the chicken will be. Grill the chicken for about 4 - 5 minutes, keeping a check, so that the chicken does not get burnt. When the bottom side of the chicken has sear marks, turn it. Further grill the chicken for another 4 - 5 minutes, until completely cooked. To check if the chicken is rightly cooked, touch the thickest part. If it has been perfectly done, it will spring back a little. If it is underdone, it will be little spongy and if over-cooked, the chicken breast will be hard and rough. There is another method to check if the chicken is done or not, make a small cut in the center of the chicken, if it translucent, it is undercooked. When the chicken is completely done, remove it from the grill immediately, as it tends to keep on cooking even after removing from the grill.

How to Grill Chicken Wings?

Firstly, chop off end tip of the wing, the first segment and then cut the next joint and separate the two pieces. Season it with pepper and salt and then refrigerate. Set a propane grill at medium heat. Let it get very hot. If you are using a charcoal grill, heat the grill until the coals get gray cover of ash. Clean the grill screen with the help of grill scraper and also wipe with cloth soaked in olive oil. Now remove the wings from the refrigerator and place on the grill. Grill for about 7 - 9 minutes, on each side. Be careful while turning, as the skin can tear off. Remove from the grill and cut the end of drumstick of a wing. If the juices that run out are clear, the wings are neatly cooked. If the juices are reddish, place the wings in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes. Season with hot sauce and serve.

How to Grill Chicken Legs?

When the charcoal or gas grill is very hot, place the chicken legs in a container. Season them with 1 - 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them on the grill. Grill until clear sear marks are seen. Make sure that the wings are grilled from all sides. Cook for about 25 minutes. Add hot sauce if desired and cook for another 25 minutes. Now check the temperature, if its 165 degrees, the chicken is done, if is less than 165 degrees, cook for some more time.

Now that you know how long you should grill a chicken breast, you can do so to perfection. Grilled chicken is also required in many recipes, and hence, you should know how to grill it for the right period of time.

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Barbecue Basics

There's nothing like a great barbecue to kick the summer into high gear. From burgers, to steaks, bread, and of course, grilled vegetables, there are no limits when it comes to cooking on the grill. The first rule of barbecuing is to make it fun and keep it simple. If you're a barbecue novice, fear not, there are plenty of quick tips and stress-free ways to make barbecuing a fun summer tradition for years to come.

One of the great things about having a barbecue is that it is a very social event. It gives you an opportunity to get outdoors and mingle with guests without worrying about making a mess of your kitchen. You can cook just about anything on the grill, so you don't have to spend the evening washing loads of pots and pans when it's over. Instead, you can relax, throw the ball around and reconnect with family and friends.

Nothing takes the fun out of a summer barbecue like stress. Running around collecting ingredients, assembling dishes, grilling food (and making sure it doesn't burn), setting the table, and keeping your hot items hot may seem like a lot of work, but it doesn't have to be. If you've never barbecued before, below are a few easy tips to keep your stress level down and serve great food.

Plan Ahead
Many of the common side dishes you find at a barbecue are served cold (potato salad, pasta salad, chips and dip, etc). So if you are expecting a large crowd, or just want to get some of the work done before your guests arrive, it is really easy to prepare these dishes ahead of time. This way, when your grilled food has finished cooking your cold dishes are ready to be placed on the table. You will probably enjoy your day a little more if you plan ahead and prepare what you can before the event.

This is also true for your table setting. Whether you're planning a rustic theme, or a fancy candle-lit table setting, you can at least get the basics on the table and ready to spread before your guests arrive. This will save you a lot of time later in the evening when your food is ready to be served.

Timing is Everything
Because I grew up cooking on a gas grill, I never realized the preparation time needed to cook on charcoal, at least until I used a charcoal grill for the first time with four hungry guests waiting for their burgers. When it comes to quick and easy cooking, a gas grill is usually the way to go, but nothing beats the flavor you can get from cooking over charcoal. The trick to cooking with charcoal is knowing how much time it takes to prepare the charcoal before you start cooking. This can vary depending on the type of charcoal you buy, so my suggestion would be to find a brand you like and stick with it. This will take some of the guesswork out of planning a barbecue for a crowd.

Experiment with Seasoning
The barbecue is versatile, and a great way to experiment seasoning your food with herbs, sauces and dressings. If you need help coming up with seasoning ideas there are a variety of food magazines, books and websites available to offer tips, but my rule of thumb is 'go with your nose'. Many seasonings taste similar to how they smell. More often than not you can get a good sense of what seasonings will complement your dish simply by the aroma of the herbs and spices. If you find a seasoning that seems like it will work well, try it. Over time you'll learn what works and what doesn't. If seasoning is a little intimidating to you, salt and pepper just might do the trick.

Summer is a time for getting out of the house, spending time with family and friends, and having great barbecues. If you've never barbecued before, this might be the year to start. A barbecue brings a casual and relaxing atmosphere to dining. We can help keep it that way by keeping our stress level under wraps and having fun. Plan ahead, experiment with new flavors, and keep it simple so that you and your guests can enjoy the fun a barbecue brings to your summertime activities.

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Cooked Chicken Temperature

Chicken is one of the most relished dishes all over the world. The tender, juicy, succulent chicken is something no one can ever resist. Although, chicken recipes seem particularly easy and take only minutes, cooking chicken to a correct degree is something even chefs find daunting. There is a lot of confusion regarding the appropriate temperature for cooking chicken. If you undercook it, there is always a risk of harmful bacterial infections. If you overcook it, you lose all the flavor and the chicken turns hard, dry and rubbery. The solution to this problem is to find an agreeable compromise between health and flavor. That is why it is important to know the correct cooked chicken temperature for your chicken recipes.

Whole Cooked Chicken Temperature

As per the USDA guidelines, you should preferably cook your whole chicken until temperature at thigh reaches 180F or 82C. When the temperature at thigh reaches 180F, the temperature at breast is about 170F. At this stage, your chicken might have turned to a dry, rubbery mass, which may not agree with your taste and most people may not find it particularly appetizing. If you take the temperature while the heat is still on and then switch it off, be sure that the temperature is likely to increase by 10F, by the time the chicken comes to rest. This can further worsen the flavor. Many chefs and cookbooks recommend 170F as an ideal fully cooked chicken temperature. However, take the temperature a few minutes before you are about to switch the heat off and leave the margin for a 10F rise in temperature.

Cooked Chicken Temperature for Pieces

As per USDA guidelines, if you decide to cook the chicken in pieces, then the recommended temperature for cooked thighs, drumsticks and wings is about 180 F. Breasts should be cooked until the temperature reaches 170 F. The reason why breast is often cooked at lower temperature than the rest of the chicken is that breast contains less fat and connective tissue. Connective tissue takes a bit longer to cook, hence the parts rich in connective tissue take longer time to cook.

The main reason why USDA urges people to cook their chicken at high temperature is for the fear of spreading nasty infections. The government imposed stricter rules for cooking chicken during the bird flu pandemic. The reason why chicken is susceptible to various types of bacterial and viral infections is that the tissue density of chicken is lesser than that of red meat. Hence, the micro organism can easily travel up to the muscles and spread infection. Most of these microbes die at the temperature of about 150F or 66C. Hence, chicken breast cooked at this temperature should be safer to consume. The other parts should be cooked at slightly higher temperatures. Although, you may be able to retain the flavor and texture of chicken by leaving it slightly undercooked, you may expose yourself to a risk of food poisoning. If you have younger children of age less than 5 or older people, then it is recommended that you stick to the USDA guidelines and compromise on the taste of chicken.

Some cookbooks may state that it is alright to undercook your chicken if you know it has been hygienically packed and hasn't traveled far. However, the practice of mass production does not assure that there has been no bacterial intervention. Therefore, it is best to adhere to proper and safer practices while cooking chicken.

You need not always fuss about the temperature, if you aim for soft, delicious chicken. Knowing correct dry and moist cooking practices may help you to retain the flavor of chicken and also make it safe to consume.

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Filet Mignon Sauce

Filet mignon is one of the expensive steak cuts of beef. It is a thick cut from the tenderloin, particularly, the small forward end. Apart from being the most delicious steak, it is the tender most cut, that is said to be lean as well as healthy. Usually, a filet mignon measures about five centimeters in thickness and 7-8 centimeters width. It is served in most restaurants and can also be prepared at home, in many different ways. It can be served as such or with sauce, which is one of the perfect accompaniments for this steak.

Filet Mignon Sauce Recipe

You may prepare the sauce with different ingredients like red wine, mushroom sauce, merlot wine and orange sauce. Here are some recipes for the same.

Recipe 1

Ingredients

• Dry red wine - 2 cups
• Tomato paste - cup
• Unsalted butter (cold) - 6 tablespoons
• Onion - 1 (cut into thin slices)
• Minced garlic - 1 tablespoon
• Dried oregano - 1 teaspoon
• Ground black pepper and kosher salt - as per taste

How to Prepare

Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt two tablespoons of butter, over medium heat. As the butter melts, add the thinly sliced onion and saute till tender. Add a pinch of salt, along with the minced garlic and oregano and stir for a few seconds. Now, add the tomato paste and cook it for two to three minutes. Make sure to stir the mixture continuously, so as to avoid burning. After that, add the wine and cook over low heat, till the mixture reduces to half in volume (don't forget to stir it occasionally). It will take around ten minutes of time. Once done, strain the sauce and discard the remaining solids. Place the saucepan over low heat and add the remaining butter (4 tablespoons). Now, add the sauce in small amounts and season with salt and pepper. You can serve grilled filet mignon with red wine sauce.

Recipe 2

Ingredients

• Shiitake mushroom - 3 ounces (chopped)
• Worcestershire sauce - 2 teaspoons
• Dijon mustard - teaspoon
• Tomato paste - 1 teaspoon
• Balsamic vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• Rosemary - 1/8 teaspoon
• Flour - 1 tablespoon
• Beef broth - 1 cup
• Minced shallot - cup
• Merlot wine - cup

How to Prepare

Take a bowl and add chopped mushrooms along with the flour. Toss the mushroom pieces till they get coated with flour. Keep them aside. Take a skillet and place it over medium heat. Add red wine, balsamic vinegar and minced shallots to the skillet. As the mixture boils, lower the heat and cook till it thickens. Once done, add tomato paste, rosemary and Worcestershire sauce to the mixture in the skillet. Combine them well and cook for a minute, over low heat. The next step is to add the chopped mushrooms and cook for another three to five minutes. Before removing the sauce from heat, add the mustard. Your filet mignon sauce is ready to serve.

Recipe 3

Ingredients

• Merlot wine - 750 ml
• Unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons
• All-purpose flour - 1 tablespoon
• Low salt chicken broth - 30 ounces
• Beef broth - 15 ounces
• Chopped shallots - cup
• Minced garlic - 1 tablespoon
• Chopped fresh thyme - 1 teaspoon

How to Prepare

Mix the wine, chicken broth and beef broth in a heavy bottomed saucepan and boil over high heat, till it is reduced to around two cups. Keep it aside and prepare the filet mignon (with olive oil), in a skillet. Once done, remove the filet mignon from the skillet and add shallots, minced garlic and thyme. Saute them for a minute, before adding the wine-broth mixture. Only 1 cups of this reduced wine mixture is required to be added. Let the mixture boil. Meanwhile, you combine the flour with butter and keep aside. As the mixture in the skillet boils, add the butter mixture and combine well, till it gets thick. Now your sauce is ready to be served.

Try these recipes and come up with some lip smacking sauces that can be perfect with filet mignon. You may also collect other such recipes to make your dish perfect. Bon apptit!

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Herb Roasted Chicken Recipes

Including herbs in all your meals is a great idea, not only for the flavors they add to your food but also for the health benefits they provide. The herb chamomile helps settle an upset stomach and aids sleep. Many people also use it for local application to the skin. For centuries garlic has held a special place for the benefits it provides. It was fed to soldiers before they went into war, and used in popular fiction to repel vampires! In reality, garlic does have many great properties, from boosting the immune system to thinning the blood and lowering cholesterol.

The herbs parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are even part of the ballad Scarborough Fair made famous by Simon and Garfunkel. Thyme helps the body fight disease and soothes a sore throat, in addition to its mild antiseptic properties. The herb rosemary has multiple health benefits, from improving blood circulation, assisting the liver in eliminating toxins from the body, reducing joint pain and headaches, and to easing cold symptoms. Sage is used to calms the nerves, also assists in digestion, and relieves congestion in the lungs. Though we all know this herb as a breath freshener, mint aids stomach and digestive problems.

These are two ways to prepare the classic herb roasted chicken.

Herb Roasted Chicken With Butter

Ingredients

• 4 tsp fresh rosemary leaves or 2 tsp fresh tarragon leaves or 2 tbsp snipped fresh dill or chervil, or to taste
• 4 chicken breast halves or 8 thighs or drumsticks, or any combination
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters
• 8 pats of butter, for a total of 2 or 3 tbsp
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 500 F. Slide in a pat or two of butter and a portion of herbs under the chicken skin according to the size of the chicken pieces. Rub the skin with salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, position the pieces of chicken, breast side up.

Keep checking the chicken while roasting, and after 15 minutes turn the pan from front to back to ensure that all the pieces get evenly cooked. The complete roasting time is about 30 minutes in all, and an indication that the chicken is done is when most of the pieces are nicely browned. You can ensure that the chicken does not get too dry by cutting a piece to check if the juices are running clear. If you find it drying up, take the pan out of the oven. Serve the herb roasted chicken hot, with lemon wedges.

Roast Chicken with Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

• 1 (4-lb) chicken
• 1 cup chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and use kitchen towels to dry. Crush the cloves of garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste. In a small bowl, add the oil, tarragon, basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and pepper to the garlic paste. Loosen the chicken skin and rub the herb paste into the chicken, under the skin. Massage the remaining herb paste in the body cavity and place the lemon-half in the cavity.

Using a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the chicken, place the chicken on a rack in it, skin side up. Position the rack with the chicken in the center of the oven. Distribute the onion, carrot, and celery in the pan. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, by which time it should have browned.

Take the tray out of the oven and remove the chicken from it. Pour the pan juices into a container and discard the vegetables. After about five minutes, if there is any fat floating on the surface of the juices, scoop it off. Heat the pan on high heat on the stove. When the pan is hot, pour the juices into it, followed by the broth. Constantly stir this gravy while bringing it to boil. Pour the gravy into a sauce boat and serve the carved herb roasted chicken along with it.

When you make herb roasted chicken, you can adapt it to your taste by including the herbs you enjoy more. Additionally, you could make a glaze sauce or a side serving of mashed potatoes and vegetables.

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Infrared Grilling Technology

Ever wondered why you can't seem to prepare the same juicy, flavorful steak at home like the one you had last night at your favorite restaurant? Yes, preparing meals identical to that in a restaurant may not be as easy, but to prepare a steak like one now is. What is it that they use, and that you can have to prepare it? Restaurants have been using the infrared grilling technology for a long time now. An infrared grill provides many benefits when it comes to making different delicacies on it, and is far better than your traditional outdoor grill. You too can enjoy its benefits by investing in one, and relishing the rich flavors that you have so far only eaten outside. Here, we will discuss how an infrared grill works, and the various benefits associated with investing in it.

How Does the Infrared Grilling Technology Work?

This grill has a special infrared gas burner, that works to transform natural gas into infrared radiation. Within the burner is a gas, that is pressurized by the cooker to be used for cooking. This gas produces a red flame because of the infrared technology. As such, the temperatures produced are much higher than a conventional gas grill. Infrared heat provides direct heat to the food to cook. It therefore, requires much less time to cook on an infrared grill, rather than the traditional barbeque. The heat that is generated by an infrared grill is direct, as such it does not depend on the medium used to cook the food.. While a regular barbecue provides a maximum of 800C of heat to cook, an infrared grill will produce above 1000C of heat within less than a minute, without having to close the hood.

An infrared grill has a cooking grate, that is in a concave shape. This is so that any moisture that is released from the food is collected in the process of searing the meat. In the process of cooking, this moisture turns into vapor, and returns into the food. This means, as compared to your traditional barbecue grill, the meat here will not turn out dry and tasteless. In fact, the infrared grill locks in the juices and gives you a delicious preparation at the end of it.

Benefits of Using an Infrared Grill

Even if you are rooted in the use of the traditional barbecue, you simply must experience the benefits the infrared grilling technology has to provide. Though there may be several pros and cons of using an infrared grill, a point to note is that as the technology improves, the final result keeps getting only better. Thus, the pros definitely outdo the cons here.

• Since an infrared grill takes less time to cook, you can spend less time cooking and enjoy your meal thoroughly. As mentioned earlier, within a minute the grill is ready to start cooking, so you get a ready meal in lesser time.
• The flavors of the food cooked in an infrared grill are richer than in a regular grill. They provide a uniform distribution of heat, which allows your meat to cook well from all sides. The moisture that returns to the food gives it a rich, smoked flavor.
• Cleaning up an infrared grill is very simple. In fact, all the grease goes into the cooking grate, and burns there. This is almost a self-cleaning technology.
• Cooking on an infrared grill is possible even in the cold, because it only cooks the food on it, and is unaffected by the air around.
• This type of grill is also more cost-effective than a regular grill, in that it lasts much longer. Moreover, because the food cooks quickly, it utilizes lesser resources, and helps with the cost factor there too. Though while purchasing it you may have to shell out a little more, it will definitely last you much longer than the regular.

You can use the infrared grill technology to prepare anything you like, from steak to vegetables, seafood and chops. The next time you try it, you will definitely cook like a pro, and prepare delicious meals in a matter of minutes.

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Oyster Sauce Recipe

Even if you are not very familiar with Oriental cuisine preparation methods, if you have ever tasted Chinese or Thai dishes, then you would have definitely tasted oyster sauce which is a key and extremely popular ingredient in Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Khmer cuisines. If you want to compare oyster sauce to vegetarian equivalents, then you would compare it with onions and vegetables that can endure long hours of cooking retaining their aroma in the process. The oyster sauce is a key element for when you need to avoid diminishing during cooking. Therefore, it is important to follow a good oyster sauce recipe to make a sauce that is not depleted during cooking.

Oyster Sauce: An Overview

Trace the history of oyster sauce and you will be able to trace it back to Nam Shui village in Guangdong, China where Lee Kam Sheung used to run a small eatery. The specialty of this eatery was cooked oyster. Once, while cooking oysters for regular business, Kam Sheung allowed the oysters to cook for longer than usual. On realizing that something was wrong, he realized that the normally clear oyster soup has transformed into a thick brown sauce. When he started selling this sauce, he was astonished by the popularity of the same. In 1888, he developed the Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce House which began the production of oyster sauce on large scale. While this development of the oyster sauce is widely accepted, there are many people around the world who claim that they should be credited with the invention of the oyster sauce. There are still others who believe that oyster sauce is not a modern invention and has been in existence for thousands of years.

The popularity of oyster sauce results from the flavor that it adds to any dish that it is added to. In fact there are many oyster sauce beef recipes like beef with stir fired vegetable that combine Chinese and American flavors. Oyster sauce recipe is a common recipe found in most Chinese households as it is a staple in most dishes. If you buy packaged oyster sauce, then more often than not the condiment that you will use will be a mix of sugar, salt, water, oyster essence or extract, thickened with cornstarch. In some cases you may also find the addition of caramel to darken the sauce. If you use a recipe, then you will see that the resultant sauce is naturally dark and does not need such additives for color.

Oyster Sauce Recipe

If you follow a true recipe, then you will learn that it is made by condensation of oyster extracts (the broth produced during the boiling of oysters in water). The broth is then reduced to achieve a desired thickness and viscosity. The sauce is deemed to be ready when the liquid has achieved a brown color. Normally no additive is supposed to be added but making this sauce can be prohibitive due to the high costs involved. Therefore, there are substitute recipes that you can use to make the recipe. One of these recipes is given in this article. The ingredients that you need to make oyster sauce are given in the list below.

• Oysters, 8 ounce
• Green onion, chopped, 1 cup
• Butter, 8 tablespoons
• Garlic pods, minced, 4
• Basil, 2 teaspoon
• Thyme, 1 teaspoon
• Oregano, 1 teaspoon
• Oyster water, 2 cups
• Flour, 2 tablespoons
• Cream, 1 cup
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

The instructions that you need to make oyster sauce are listed below.

• First you need to heat four tablespoons butter and add the onions to this till the texture of the onions is soft.
• Now mix in the oysters, the oyster water, thyme, basil, minced garlic, and oregano, and stir the mixture.
• Next take the remaining butter and flour and mix it together to make a thick mixture.
• Add this mixture to the mix of the oysters. Allow this mixture to cook for about five minutes at medium flame.
• Add cream to the sauce and mix it thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This is how easy it is to make oyster sauce. If you are looking for a vegetarian recipe, then you should think about using a oyster sauce substitute instead. Most vegetarian recipes for oysters use mushrooms and taste enhancers which may not have the same effect as an oyster sauce.

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Ketchup Stories

It is interesting to note that ketchup is used by different people in different ways, President Nixon liked it poured on cottage cheese, Japanese eat it with rice and in some parts of Asia it is a regular accompaniment to fried delicacies. But very few people know about its beginning, humble though they are.

Like a lot of other tasty, sweet and sour condiments, ketchup originated in China. Its unique taste tempted the Dutch and British seamen in the sixteenth century, and they brought the sauce made with salty pickled fish, back with them to Europe. It was called Ketsiap' in China, so a suitable English name was to be found. In fact it was closer to the fish sauce that is used today, than to the condiment we call ketchup, actually. Resourceful British cooks came up with newer ways of adapting it to the tastes prevalent in the Isles and very soon, British counterparts of the Ketsiap were seen, made of mushrooms, anchovies, oysters and even walnuts. There is, after all, no limit to resourcefulness. The name eventually became catchup" by 1690, and in early 1700s, changed to ketchup, as we know it today.

From the middle of seventeenth century, British gourmands stated actually penning down and even publishing recipes for ketchup, mostly with a mushroom base. In early eighteenth century, the first recipe for ketchup in America was published in Nova Scotia, by one James Mease, and he referred to it as love-apple' ketchup. He insisted that it was inspired by French cuisine but there is nothing to prove this either ways. But yes, the ketchup recipes appearing in Britain used mushrooms while those in the Americas used tomatoes, and we all know who won for posterity.

In fact early on, in the Americas, people who manufactured ketchup tried every trick in the book to differentiate their tomato based product from the British mushroom based one, because they had similar names. The most ingenious methods seemed to be to give it an exotic name, so some resorted to calling it Tomato Chutney. There were, of course, more differences between the two versions; the principal among them being the difference in their consistencies, the British ketchup was nearly transparent and very thin, while the American counterpart was thick, red and gooey!! In this avatar, bottled tomato based ketchup was sold by a farmer n New England as early as 1830, for a price between 33 and 50 cents.

Marketing tomato ketchup became more popular in the United States by 1837, thanks to the efforts of Jonas Yerkes, who bottled the sauce made of refuse of tomato canning-skins, cores, green tomatoes, and lots of sugar and vinegar, in quart and pint bottles. The idea was catching on and by the turn of the century, there were at least 100 tomato ketchup brands in the US. However, the landmark in marketing this product came when it was added to the Heinz range of food products in 1870, adding value to it consumption. Now it was fashionable to be seen with a squirt of ketchup. Over the last century and a half, Heinz is making ketchup with the same formula, and even today, all other brands of ketchup are rated in comparison to Heinz. There have been irregularities by other ketchup manufacturers in terms of their storage hygiene and even their technical know-how but the FDA has been extremely strict in the enforcement of the law, and today, as thick as Heinz is the bottom line.

Today, ketchup is more often than not, made with tomatoes, but for those with whom tomatoes do not agree or who prefer a different flavor, there is an alternative- a tomato less ketchup...worth a try. All one has to do is to blend a cupful each of cooked carrots, beetroots, water and lemon juice. Half a teaspoon of salt, about as much garlic powder and a pinch of Oregano completes the ketchup and this one is healthier than everyday tomato ketchup.

To eat as an accompaniment to Eastern, largely Indian food, one could try mixing curry powder with garlic, scallions and crushed tomatoes, blending in with crushed ginger and a teaspoonful of turmeric. This will be an interesting condiment for foods like parathas or nachos/tacos, tasting more like a salsa, but for the curry powder.

The concept of ketchup is largely as an accompaniment, so the recipes change with what one wants to eat it with. There are also recipes for fruit- tomato ketchup with a large number of fruit variations, and these will make an excellent accompaniment with scones or even pancakes, for those who like their food flavored on the stronger side. There is, after all, no limit to creativity. To a gourmet mind, and a creative cook, nothing is impossible.

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