10 foods that cleanse the liver

In the past, I talked about my favorite food cleaning. This list is a bit more specific and mainly focuses on foods that can help cleanse the liver. Besides taking a supplement liver cleansing and applying at least two year clean liver and gallbladder, eat the following foods is the best way to keep your liver healthy and work the way you need. I encourage you to incorporate these foods into your weekly diet liver cleansing.

1. Garlic

Garlic



Only a small amount of this pungent bulb has the ability to activate liver enzymes that help your body eliminate toxins. Garlic also contains large amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that help cleanse the liver.

2. Grapefruit

Both the top and the antioxidants vitamin C, grapefruit increases the natural processes of cleansing the liver. A freshly squeezed grapefruit juice will help stimulate the production of liver detoxification enzymes that help eliminate carcinogens and other toxins.

3. Beets and carrots

 

Beets

Both are extremely rich in flavonoids and plant-beta-carotene; eat beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve liver function in general.

4. Green Tea

This magnet is filled liver plant antioxidants known as catechins beverage, a compound known to help liver function. Green tea is not only delicious, it's also a great way to improve your overall diet. Learn more about the benefits of green tea.

5. Leafy vegetables



Leafy Greens

One of our strongest allies cleansing the liver, leafy greens can be eaten raw, cooked or juiced. Extremely rich in chlorophyll in plants, green vacuum environmental toxins from the bloodstream. With its distinctive ability to neutralize heavy metals, pesticides and chemicals, cleaning these foods provide a powerful mechanism to protect the liver.

Try to include green leafy vegetables like bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion leaves, spinach, mustard, chicory and your diet. This will help increase the creation and flow of bile, a substance that eliminates waste of organs and blood.

6. Lawyers

This super rich in nutrients helps the body produce glutathione, a compound that is necessary for the liver to purify harmful toxins.

7. Apples



Apple

Rich in pectin, apple keep the chemicals necessary for the body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive system. This in turn facilitates the liver to treat toxic load during the cleaning process.

8. Olive oil

Cold pressed organic oils such as olive oil seeds, hemp and flax are perfect for the liver when used in moderation. They help the body lipid core can suck toxins in the body. Thus, some of liver burden is accurate in terms of toxic overload many of us suffer.

9. Alternative grains

Not only do you have alternative grains like quinoa, corn, wheat and their diet is that if you have wheat, wheat flour or other whole grains in your diet, it's time to make changes. The liver is the filter body of toxins, and cereals containing gluten are full of them. A study last year found that people who suffered gluten sensitivity test also had abnormal liver enzymes, and this is just one of many.

10. Lemons and Limes

Lemons and Limes

These citrus fruits contain high amounts of vitamin C, which helps the body to synthesize toxic substances into substances that can be absorbed by the water. Drink freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice in the morning helps stimulate the liver.

 

How to Sleep like a Baby

It’s 3:00 a.m. where are you? Most people would probably be asleep. However, for a large majority of people, it is near impossible for them to get a good nights rest. Without it, they are unable to focus well, they have low energy, and let’s face it, they are usually in a not so good mood. Is there anything that the sleep deprived can do in order to help give their body the much needed sleep it needs? Aside from counting sheep, which rarely works, try some of the suggestions below.

How to Sleep like a Baby

First, start out by examining your bedroom for sleep distractions. Sleep distractions would be such things as clutter, the color of the paint, the noise level, etc. If your room is painted in bright, electrifying colors, you may want to consider painting it a soothing cool color. A pale green or a soothing blue would be good choices. You can’t expect to be able to sleep if the paint in your bedroom is so bright that it looks like an airport runway.

If your room is cluttered, consider scheduling a spring cleaning day and get rid of all those unwanted sleep thieves. If a room is cluttered, it gives our mind more things to focus on and think about during the night instead of sleep. Your bedroom is supposed to be your sanctuary, and let’s face it, who wants piles of bills or junk mail in their sanctuary? Not too many people.

As far as the noise level goes, this is different for each person. Some people enjoy some form of noise while they sleep and may even purchase a noise machine, while others have to have quiet. If you fall into the latter category, try purchasing some heavy drapes to see if they block out any of the unwanted noise. While the drapes probably won’t get rid of every unwanted noise, you will notice a big difference.

Next, try not to exercise before going to bed. I’m not saying don’t exercise at all, because exercise is good for us, but we all know that exercise releases endorphins which amp us up. You can’t expect to be able to go to sleep if you feel like you could run a marathon. Try to keep exercise to either early in the mornings or to around four hours before bedtime. This will give your body time to calm down and will help you to drift off to sleep much easier.

Another suggestion to help you get a good nights sleep would be to take a nice warm bath just before you are ready to go to bed. The warm bath will not only help you to relax physically, but it will also give your brain some time to unwind as well. It doesn’t have to be a long bath, just 10 or 15 minutes should do the trick. As you are letting the water out of the tub, picture your troubles and cares being washed down the drain. A mind that is not burdened with troubles is a mind that can easily drift off to sleep.

Lighting is another issue that effects sleep. If your bedroom window lets the light of a nearby street light into your bedroom, you might want to try some of those room darkening curtains to eliminate that problem. If you can’t find any or can’t afford them, try putting a quilt up instead. If your curtain rods are sturdy, they will usually hold up the extra weight of the quilt. Either of these two things will help darken your bedroom and help you drift off to what could be the best nights sleep you’ve had in a while.

Of course, don’t forget to flip your mattress every so often to keep it from getting worn. However, if your mattress is not in good shape and you can’t afford to buy a new one (because we know they don’t come cheap), consider buying a mattress topper. This will give you the sense of a new mattress, but will cost you a fraction of the price. Toppers come in a variety of styles, and it is up to you to find the one that suits your needs.

The last tip, try and keep the temperature in your bedroom at a comfortable level. You don’t want the temperature too hot or too cold. You want it just right. Again, it is up to you, as an individual, to decide what your perfect temperature is. Try these few tips out and see if they help you get the peaceful nights slumber your body has been missing. Pleasant dreams sleep deprived.

Love Christmas

Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year – and yet, 4 all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority.

Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ.

At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.

Bells are ringing and everyone is singing, It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Bells ring and the birds sing, May you get all the happiness that Christmas brings! Wishing you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind; Teach us to be patient and always to be kind.

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

Christmas Quotes

A wish for peace and happiness at Christmas and throughout the New Year.

The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas.

 May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow. Wishing you lots of love, joy and happiness. Merry Christmas!

May the Christmas season fill your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter.

May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright New Year. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright New Year.

Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow.

 Wishing you lots of love, joy and happiness. Merry Christmas!

May your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter and goodwill, and may the year ahead be full of contentment and joy. Have a Merry Christmas.

As you relish the goodies, decorate every nook and corner of your home and enjoy the get-togethers... may the joy and festivities continue to radiate in your lives, long after Christmas is gone.  Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

With all Good Wishes for Christmas and the New Yearmerry-christmas-card-01.

Let Me Entertain You

Mince Pies

 

When it's your turn to entertain, use it to your advantage calories. Just prepare meals and how low-fat snacks and stay with the same healthy eating rules that you follow for the rest of the year. And keep in mind that not only your waistline that benefit - your friends and family will also be thanking you come New Year!

Know your nibbles

1 Very often are the snacks between meals festive accumulate in pounds instead of meals are available. Gaining a pound of fat is as easy as eating about 70 chocolates in a check box - which may seem a lot, but a couple of handfuls every day grows fast. If you do not want to pile on the pounds, then follow these simple tips.

2 Do not be tempted to store many festive foods before Christmas - just starting before eating and then buy more. There is also the possibility of staying with a lot of things - and you know you'll only find a way to get rid of them!

3 Make your own dives fat cream using low-fat, low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese fat free. Add a variety of condiments such as lemon juice, black pepper, fresh herbs and spices. Meanwhile, they serve with vegetable crudités or breadsticks instead of chips or fries.

4 It may be tempting to nibble while you're preparing meals for family and friends. But it is very easy to work your way through nearly as many calories as the food itself. Avoid the temptation to keep your mouth busy with a piece of sugarless gum.

5 Buy low-fat versions of favorite snacks like chips and dips. Nobody will ever know the difference - remember to hide the packaging!

Have a go at making their own pies using phyllo dough instead of broken, puff or flaky. Is lower in calories and fat than other varieties - most are used less. Check out the table below.

 

Pastry per 100g (uncooked)

Calories

Fat g

Filo

304

2.7

Puff

401

25.6

Flaky

424

30.7

Shortcrust

453

29.1

 

6 If you do not like to experiment with phyllo, simply chop bake cakes instead. Leaving aside the top of the dough save about 40 calories and fat 3G.

7 Cut the fat content of ready-made minced, mixed with a little apple baked before use to fill pastry boxes. It tastes good, too.

8 Locate low-fat versions of your favorite foods such as Christmas pudding, Christmas pudding and pies. Alternatively, simply reducing the size. Many supermarkets now sell the mini pies that contain only 100-150 calories each, instead of the usual 200-250 calories each. Okay, they're gone in just a few bits, but at least not lost.

9 Do not use leftovers to create, fatty foods high in calories, like bubble and squeak and turkey coronation. Instead, make delicious low-calorie foods like turkey soup, turkey curry with brown rice or simply served with a jacket potato and salad.

10 Where is the famous turkey sandwich, it healthier by using whole wheat bread feast with a little fat cranberry sauce instead of butter, choosing breast instead of dark meat and pile on the salad.

Sweets per 100g

Calories

Fat g

Fruit gums

172

0

Fruit pastilles

253

0

Real Turkish delight

295

0

Marshmallows

327

0

Boiled sweets

327

0

Jelly beans

365

0.2

Peppermints

392

0.7

Toffees

430

17.2

Assorted filled chocolates

460

18.8

 

Baby's First Christmas - Celebrity Edition

The year of 2014 brought big changes in the lives of some of our favorite celebrities. New records, new releases, and new awards are always exciting, but nothing can measure up to the beauty and amazement of the birth of a baby. Meet all the new mini-celebrities that will be celebrating their very first Christmas this year.

Baby Schuyler
Parents: Rodger Berman and Rachel Zoe
Rodger Berman and Rachel Zoe (celebrity stylist) welcomed their very first baby this year, Schuyler Harris. Judging from his custom made shoes and his Missoni stroller, I think it's very safe to make the assumption that Schuyler's first Christmas will be filled with Gucci, Prada and Chanel.

Baby Flynn
Parents: Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr
Actor Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings) and model Miranda Kerr may have given birth to the cutest baby alive. With brown hair and big blue eyes, he has been making headlines since day one. This is an extra exciting time of year for Baby Flynn; he will be celebrating his first birthday on January 6th.

Baby Haven
Parents: Cash Warren and Jessica Alba
Producer Cash Warren and actress Jessica Alba (Fantastic Four, Sin City) welcomed their second daughter, baby Haven Garner in August, much to the delight of big sister Honor Marie. Jessica recently took both three year old Honor and four month old Haven to meet Santa Claus in their local mall. How sweet is that!

Baby Morocco and Baby Monroe
Parents: Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey
Nick Cannon (America's Got Talent) and singer/actress Mariah Carey welcomed their twins on April 30th of this year. This adorable duo made one of their first public appearances last Christmas when Mariah was visibly showing during her Christmas Special. Morocco was named after the Moroccan inspired room in which Nick proposed to Mariah, and Monroe was named after one of Mariah's longtime role models, Marilyn Monroe.

Baby Harper
Parents: David & Victoria Beckham
World renowned power couple David (English soccer star) & Victoria Beckham (designer) welcomed their very first daughter this year. Baby Harper Seven joined older brothers Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

Baby Bingham
Parents: Matt Bellamy and Kate Hudson
Matt Bellamy (front-man of Muse) and actress Kate Hudson (Bride Wars, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) welcomed their first baby, Bingham Hawn in August. Baby Bingham joins Kate's older son Ryder, who affectionately calls him Bing.

Baby Arabella
Parents: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
Jared Kushner and entrepreneur and daughter of Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, married in October 2009, welcomed their very first baby, Arabella Rose on July 17th of this year.

Baby Aleph
Parents: Benjamin Millepied and Natalie Portman
Producer Benjamin Millepied and actress Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta, Black Swan) welcomed their first baby, Aleph this year. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a sweet tribute to the Hebrew background of the couple.

And there, my friends, are the newest celebrities of 2011. Merry Christmas to all the baby celebs and their parents! I can't help but wonder which celebrities will make this list next year...

Mincemeat: It's what's for (Christmas) Dinner

 

      

iStockphotos.com

 

As fruit pies, mince pie is a culinary holiday tradition that inspires more skepticism than enthusiasm among most Americans today. This traditional dish of meat (usually beef or game), tallow (animal fat from the back of meatloaf), cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, fruit, sugar and brandy or rum over all cooked together in a shell mass, has a history almost as tasty as their long list of ingredients.

Although there is no definitive explanation of how mince pie has become a holiday tradition, it seems more likely that its association with Christmas is linked to the trinity spices: cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Minced meat origin in the 13th century when the Crusaders returning to Europe brought these three exotic ingredients including spices, with them in the Holy Land. Due to insufficient cooling at the time, spices were a welcome families for conservation combined with fruit and meat for their protein last longer. Geographical origins of the Holy Land, spices lent a religious connotation, but when the church began to teach the three spices in a dish popular gifts also meant the Magi Magi to the infant Jesus, mince pies seem to be an imperative tradition Christmas.

English settlers brought the American pie recipe thin, but because resentment Puritan decadent dessert, it took a while for clothing trend. In the mid-17th century, Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas in England, because of their extravagant parties and presumed greedy. Puritan settlers in the New World held the opposition to them, but as puritanical ideologies declined, the popularity of ground meat dish as each year has increased in American homes. As the market revolution took hold, home treatment transition pies for a rare commodity in commercial bakeries 19th century A writer for The New York Times described an encounter with a Cartwright cake on Christmas Eve 1871 in which truck filled with hundreds of cakes, requires two horses to drive, because it gave delight to customers.

While this may seem a loved one, harmless dessert, pastry actually caused a surprising amount of controversy. At that time, many people have expressed concern about indigestion and its effect on the mental states of individuals; Tartlets with its rich mix of meat, sugar and spices, were a common cause. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were a series of crimes attributed to, of all things, meat pies. In 1907, a Chicago resident allegedly shot his wife in the head after sleeping in a sink full stomach and wake of a violent dream. Another case in Indiana in 1918, was a prison guard, who was fired in prison after eating a hamburger meal pie.

Indigestion caused was not the only concern people had on pies and their effects on human behavior. The temperance movement supporters also expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of alcohol in meat pies, preached against their consumption. Ground meat would have their day in court, however. With the amendment to ban 18 on alcohol, many people believed that there should be exceptions for the good of the culinary arts. In October 1922, the Old Distillery victory in Chicago brought this appeal to the court, asking if alcohol to cook, taking advantage of the upcoming holidays, highlighting some festive joy in his argument: pies. They won.

And what happened over a century which made short work of a frequent presence in our Christmas dinner tables? Prohibit due to its popularity decline? People fear that their digestive dangerous consequences? A likely argument is that, as the production of cakes moved to the house of the local bakery in the factory, ground beef disappearance is a "mystery" questionable food, which makes people have the same scruples eat. Charles Dickens even joked in The Pickwick Papers in a baker who makes pies with kittens.

President William Howard Taft, however, was a fan of pies. Thanksgiving in 1909, bakers of New York President Taft presented with a mince pie weighs a staggering £ 50 Taft had ordered its military aid, Captain Archibald Butt offices assist in the cake consumption; Captain Butt led reinforcements and ordered his team to help eat healthy food.

Foods help you clear lungs

 

pistachios

Pistachios

Pistachios not provide the same benefits directly lung cleaning how herbs are. But they are still important for anyone interested in improving their lung health. Studies suggest that pistachios may help prevent lung cancer. They contain a particular type ofvitamin E, known as gamma-tocopherol name may possibly provide protection against some forms of lung cancer. More research to demonstrate conclusively is necessary, but anyway, these delicious nuts also provide a number of advantages .. pistachios are also believed to help lower cholesterol. Raw pistachios are the best option and creates a large, regular snack. It is easy to snack on raw nuts and satisfying experience without empty calories or weight gain that comes with them.

 

Banana leaf

Bananas are another food that can help clear your lungs. Banana leaf, which is a wrapper popular food in Cuba and other Latin American countries, is not in the mainstream in North America. However, you can find, and I recommend using a banana leaf is like a tasty wrap around a number of foods. A quick search online for "banana leaf recipes" make dishes. As always, avoid recipes that call for sugar or flour treated with locally grown organic vegetables, or hormone-free foods as ingredients.

 

Cayenne pepper

Eaten as food and used as a spice, these popular peppers can contribute up to 17 health benefits and well-being for the body. They have been known to help suppress the annoying cough and sore throat and help with the management of colds and flu. Cayenne pepper helps break down and move the congested mucus, so it is recommended for those suffering from chest congestion or food respiratory diseases.

3 Healthy Eating Tips

A Varied and Well Balanced Healthy Diet

It’s well known fact that having a varied and well-balanced diet is good for us. Eating the right foods is certainly one of the ways to keep yourself in good health.  

A varied and well-balanced diet should include all the essential nutrients that our bodies need, to protect us from many of todays diet-related illnesses, such as heart disease and cancers of the digestive system.

Instead of buying those pre-packed or instant meals from the supermarket, which I hasten to add are full of additives and preservatives.

So to avoid the harmful contents of the so-called microwave dinners, make an effort to cook your own meals, this will in turn help you to keep a check on the calorie intake of  you and your family.

Healthy Eating on a Budget

It’s good know that many of the foods that are good for us are the least expensive, such as chicken or white fish and high-fibre foods like cereals, grains, pasta and pulses.   

Some of the more expensive foods, we should only consume in small quantities because of their high-fat content and these include such things as creams and many cheeses.

It’s a myth that eating healthy food costs more than the perhaps the more popular pre-packed foods that you find in your local store or supermarket . If you shop sensibly and wisely and purchase foods such as white meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, the cost is far cheaper than buying those quick fix convenience foods.

Can Healthy Eating be Adventurous ?

To get any benefit from food, firstly it must be appealing. Secondly, to eat healthly should be a pleasurable experience, not a punishment and last but not least there’s certainly no reason to give up any personal treats. If want to allow some slack in your diet to have those personal treats, then you must cut out something you can do without more easily.  

One of the best ways to eat healthly is to cut out the high energy, low nutrient value substances such as sugar and replace them with foods such as wholewheat bread or fresh salads and I don’t mean just lettuce and tomatoes! There are vast number of raw vegetables that can be used as alternatives to the normal suspects found in salads and are equally as tasty and can be turned into perhaps more adventrous salads.

Here are a few ideas as alternatives for salads, try cabbage, carrots, beetroot, celery, courgettes and mushrooms, lightly seasoned and sprinkled with fresh herbs and a dash of vinaigrette dressing.

Stir fry is another way to cook vegetables if you prefer them hot rather than cold. Cooking vegetables this way means they maintain more of their natural goodness because the process of cooking is quicker.

A word of warning; using too much salt in your diet can often lead to high blood pressure and for some people it goes a little further with the risk of a stroke. My recommendation is to instead use spices, herbs and garnishes.

 

Greatest Cooking Tips

Of all time!

Food Network Magazine asked top chefs across the country for their best advice.

 

Check Out All of the Handwritten Tips from Food Network Chefs

1. Remember, y'all, it’s all about the prep. Take away the stress by doing the prep the night or day before. You'll look like a star.

Paula Deen



2. The smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature. For example, I bake mini chocolate chip-toffee cookies at 500 degrees F for only 4 minutes. Perfect end result.

Jim Lahey

 

3. Store spices in a cool, dark place, not above your stove. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor.

Rick Tramonto

 

4. Use a coarse microplane to shave vegetables into salads or vinaigrettes. You can create an orange-fennel dressing by adding grated fennel and orange zest to a simple vinaigrette.

Paul Kahan

 

5. Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer.

Charlie Trotter

 

6. If you're cooking for someone important — whether it's your boss or a date — never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.

Marcus Samuelsson

 

7. Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce.

Mario Batali

 

 

 

 

8. After making eggs sunny-side up, deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, then drizzle the sauce on the eggs to add another dimension to the dish.

Didier Elena

 

 

9. After working with garlic, rub your hands vigorously on your stainless steel sink for 30 seconds before washing them. It will remove the odor.

Gerard Craft

 

10. Brine, baby, brine! Ya gotta brine that poultry to really give it the super flavor.

Guy Fieri

 

Albondigas Soup

Albondigas Soup

Albondigas Soup Recipe

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6-8

If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can also vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water as the meatballs will create their own stock)*
  • 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
  • 1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1/3 cup of raw white rice
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
  • 1 raw egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • A dash of cayenne (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free.

Method

1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

albondigas-1.jpg albondigas-2.jpg

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

post from sitemap

Talerine Beef Casserole

Talerine Beef Casserole (photo)

Talerine Beef Casserole Recipe

  • Yield: Serves 8.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce bag egg noodles
  • 1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, chopped fine
  • 3 minced clove of garlic
  • Grapeseed oil or olive oil for sautéing
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground round beef
  • Salt
  • 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (can use canned corn or creamed corn)
  • 1 15-ounce can of black olives, strained and chopped
  • 1 pound cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1 Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the egg noodles.

beef-casserole-1.jpg beef-casserole-2.jpg

2 Heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add the onions and bell pepper and sauté until softened. Add garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers or a knife, if you are using whole canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to warm.

beef-casserole-3.jpg beef-casserole-4.jpg

3 In a separate skillet, heat to medium-high. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan and brown the meat, working in batches. Break up about half of the ground beef into the pan. Do not stir, but let sit and cook for a minute or two until brown. Sprinkle a little salt over the meat while cooking. Once brown on one side, stir the meat a little to get the other sides browned. Once the meat is thoroughly browned, use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and put it in with the tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Brown the second batch of ground beef the same way.

beef-casserole-5.jpg

4 Using the same pan that you had used for browning the beef, sauté the mushrooms in the remaining oil and beef drippings. Once browned, add the mushrooms to the beef and tomato mixture.

5 While the mushrooms are cooking, add the egg noodle pasta to the boiling water. Cook as directed, about 4-5 minutes. Strain when cooked, but still a little firm (al dente).

6 Add egg noodles, corn, chopped olives, and about two thirds of the cheese to the large pot of beef and tomato mixture. Gently mix in.

beef-casserole-6.jpg beef-casserole-7.jpg

7 Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish, or to two casserole dishes if you don't have one that is large enough. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of casserole(s). Place in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes (can go as long as an hour).

post from sitemap

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Lingonberry jelly is traditionally used with Swedish meatballs; you can substitute cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly if you can't find lingonberry jelly.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 large yellow or white onion, peeled, grated (use the large holes of a box cheese grater)
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, bread cut into pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper

Sauce:

  • 6 Tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 quart beef stock
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream
  • Salt
  • 2 to 4 Tbsp of Lingonberry, red currant, raspberry or cranberry jelly, less or more to taste (optional)

Method

1 Melt the butter in a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Stir in the grated onion and cook until translucent and softened, 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2 Place the pieces of bread in a large bowl and mix with the milk. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes for the bread to absorb all of the milk. Once the bread has soaked up the milk put the bread in a food processor and pulse until it has been completely broken up. Return the pulverized milk soaked bread to the bowl.

3 Stir the cooled onions into the milk bread mixture. Add the eggs, ground pork and beef, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Use your (clean) hands to mix everything together until well combined.

4 Use your hands to form the meatballs about an inch-thick and place them on a plate or sheet pan. This recipe should make between 40 and 50 meatballs.

swedish-meatballs-1.jpg swedish-meatballs-2.jpg

5 Heat 6 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, start adding some meatballs to the pan. Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, slowly brown the meatballs on all sides. Handle the meatballs gently so they do not break apart as you turn them.

Once the meatballs have browned on all sides, remove them from the pan and set aside. You do not need to cook the meatballs all the way through at this point, you only need to brown them. You'll finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce later.

Once you have removed the meatballs from the pan, keep the remaining butter in the pan. You'll use this butter to make the sauce.

If the butter in the pan has become burnt through the browning of the meatballs, remove and discard it, and add 6 Tbsp of fresh butter to the pan. Otherwise use the existing pan butter, you should have 6 Tbsp total of butter in the pan. If not add more.

swedish-meatballs-3.jpg swedish-meatballs-4.jpg

6 To make the sauce, first make the roux. Heat the butter in the pan on medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour. Stir until smooth. Continue to stir, allowing the flour mixture to cook, several minutes, until the roux is the color of coffee-with-cream.

swedish-meatballs-5.jpg swedish-meatballs-6.jpg

7 When the roux has cooked to a lovely shade of light brown, slowly add the stock to the roux, stirring as you add the stock. The stock will sputter at first and the roux may seize up, but keep adding the stock slowly and keep stirring. Eventually the sauce will loosen and become silky.

swedish-meatballs-7.jpg

8 Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and lower the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. You may need to work in batches.

9 Transfer the meatballs to a serving dish to serve. Stir in the sour cream. Either stir the jelly into the sauce or serve it on the side.

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Dec 28, 2014

10 foods that cleanse the liver

In the past, I talked about my favorite food cleaning. This list is a bit more specific and mainly focuses on foods that can help cleanse the liver. Besides taking a supplement liver cleansing and applying at least two year clean liver and gallbladder, eat the following foods is the best way to keep your liver healthy and work the way you need. I encourage you to incorporate these foods into your weekly diet liver cleansing.

1. Garlic

Garlic



Only a small amount of this pungent bulb has the ability to activate liver enzymes that help your body eliminate toxins. Garlic also contains large amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that help cleanse the liver.

2. Grapefruit

Both the top and the antioxidants vitamin C, grapefruit increases the natural processes of cleansing the liver. A freshly squeezed grapefruit juice will help stimulate the production of liver detoxification enzymes that help eliminate carcinogens and other toxins.

3. Beets and carrots

 

Beets

Both are extremely rich in flavonoids and plant-beta-carotene; eat beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve liver function in general.

4. Green Tea

This magnet is filled liver plant antioxidants known as catechins beverage, a compound known to help liver function. Green tea is not only delicious, it's also a great way to improve your overall diet. Learn more about the benefits of green tea.

5. Leafy vegetables



Leafy Greens

One of our strongest allies cleansing the liver, leafy greens can be eaten raw, cooked or juiced. Extremely rich in chlorophyll in plants, green vacuum environmental toxins from the bloodstream. With its distinctive ability to neutralize heavy metals, pesticides and chemicals, cleaning these foods provide a powerful mechanism to protect the liver.

Try to include green leafy vegetables like bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion leaves, spinach, mustard, chicory and your diet. This will help increase the creation and flow of bile, a substance that eliminates waste of organs and blood.

6. Lawyers

This super rich in nutrients helps the body produce glutathione, a compound that is necessary for the liver to purify harmful toxins.

7. Apples



Apple

Rich in pectin, apple keep the chemicals necessary for the body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive system. This in turn facilitates the liver to treat toxic load during the cleaning process.

8. Olive oil

Cold pressed organic oils such as olive oil seeds, hemp and flax are perfect for the liver when used in moderation. They help the body lipid core can suck toxins in the body. Thus, some of liver burden is accurate in terms of toxic overload many of us suffer.

9. Alternative grains

Not only do you have alternative grains like quinoa, corn, wheat and their diet is that if you have wheat, wheat flour or other whole grains in your diet, it's time to make changes. The liver is the filter body of toxins, and cereals containing gluten are full of them. A study last year found that people who suffered gluten sensitivity test also had abnormal liver enzymes, and this is just one of many.

10. Lemons and Limes

Lemons and Limes

These citrus fruits contain high amounts of vitamin C, which helps the body to synthesize toxic substances into substances that can be absorbed by the water. Drink freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice in the morning helps stimulate the liver.

 

Dec 26, 2014

How to Sleep like a Baby

It’s 3:00 a.m. where are you? Most people would probably be asleep. However, for a large majority of people, it is near impossible for them to get a good nights rest. Without it, they are unable to focus well, they have low energy, and let’s face it, they are usually in a not so good mood. Is there anything that the sleep deprived can do in order to help give their body the much needed sleep it needs? Aside from counting sheep, which rarely works, try some of the suggestions below.

How to Sleep like a Baby

First, start out by examining your bedroom for sleep distractions. Sleep distractions would be such things as clutter, the color of the paint, the noise level, etc. If your room is painted in bright, electrifying colors, you may want to consider painting it a soothing cool color. A pale green or a soothing blue would be good choices. You can’t expect to be able to sleep if the paint in your bedroom is so bright that it looks like an airport runway.

If your room is cluttered, consider scheduling a spring cleaning day and get rid of all those unwanted sleep thieves. If a room is cluttered, it gives our mind more things to focus on and think about during the night instead of sleep. Your bedroom is supposed to be your sanctuary, and let’s face it, who wants piles of bills or junk mail in their sanctuary? Not too many people.

As far as the noise level goes, this is different for each person. Some people enjoy some form of noise while they sleep and may even purchase a noise machine, while others have to have quiet. If you fall into the latter category, try purchasing some heavy drapes to see if they block out any of the unwanted noise. While the drapes probably won’t get rid of every unwanted noise, you will notice a big difference.

Next, try not to exercise before going to bed. I’m not saying don’t exercise at all, because exercise is good for us, but we all know that exercise releases endorphins which amp us up. You can’t expect to be able to go to sleep if you feel like you could run a marathon. Try to keep exercise to either early in the mornings or to around four hours before bedtime. This will give your body time to calm down and will help you to drift off to sleep much easier.

Another suggestion to help you get a good nights sleep would be to take a nice warm bath just before you are ready to go to bed. The warm bath will not only help you to relax physically, but it will also give your brain some time to unwind as well. It doesn’t have to be a long bath, just 10 or 15 minutes should do the trick. As you are letting the water out of the tub, picture your troubles and cares being washed down the drain. A mind that is not burdened with troubles is a mind that can easily drift off to sleep.

Lighting is another issue that effects sleep. If your bedroom window lets the light of a nearby street light into your bedroom, you might want to try some of those room darkening curtains to eliminate that problem. If you can’t find any or can’t afford them, try putting a quilt up instead. If your curtain rods are sturdy, they will usually hold up the extra weight of the quilt. Either of these two things will help darken your bedroom and help you drift off to what could be the best nights sleep you’ve had in a while.

Of course, don’t forget to flip your mattress every so often to keep it from getting worn. However, if your mattress is not in good shape and you can’t afford to buy a new one (because we know they don’t come cheap), consider buying a mattress topper. This will give you the sense of a new mattress, but will cost you a fraction of the price. Toppers come in a variety of styles, and it is up to you to find the one that suits your needs.

The last tip, try and keep the temperature in your bedroom at a comfortable level. You don’t want the temperature too hot or too cold. You want it just right. Again, it is up to you, as an individual, to decide what your perfect temperature is. Try these few tips out and see if they help you get the peaceful nights slumber your body has been missing. Pleasant dreams sleep deprived.

Dec 24, 2014

Love Christmas

Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year – and yet, 4 all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority.

Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ.

At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.

Bells are ringing and everyone is singing, It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Bells ring and the birds sing, May you get all the happiness that Christmas brings! Wishing you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind; Teach us to be patient and always to be kind.

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

Christmas Quotes

A wish for peace and happiness at Christmas and throughout the New Year.

The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas.

 May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow. Wishing you lots of love, joy and happiness. Merry Christmas!

May the Christmas season fill your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter.

May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright New Year. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright New Year.

Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow.

 Wishing you lots of love, joy and happiness. Merry Christmas!

May your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter and goodwill, and may the year ahead be full of contentment and joy. Have a Merry Christmas.

As you relish the goodies, decorate every nook and corner of your home and enjoy the get-togethers... may the joy and festivities continue to radiate in your lives, long after Christmas is gone.  Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

With all Good Wishes for Christmas and the New Yearmerry-christmas-card-01.

Dec 23, 2014

Let Me Entertain You

Mince Pies

 

When it's your turn to entertain, use it to your advantage calories. Just prepare meals and how low-fat snacks and stay with the same healthy eating rules that you follow for the rest of the year. And keep in mind that not only your waistline that benefit - your friends and family will also be thanking you come New Year!

Know your nibbles

1 Very often are the snacks between meals festive accumulate in pounds instead of meals are available. Gaining a pound of fat is as easy as eating about 70 chocolates in a check box - which may seem a lot, but a couple of handfuls every day grows fast. If you do not want to pile on the pounds, then follow these simple tips.

2 Do not be tempted to store many festive foods before Christmas - just starting before eating and then buy more. There is also the possibility of staying with a lot of things - and you know you'll only find a way to get rid of them!

3 Make your own dives fat cream using low-fat, low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese fat free. Add a variety of condiments such as lemon juice, black pepper, fresh herbs and spices. Meanwhile, they serve with vegetable crudités or breadsticks instead of chips or fries.

4 It may be tempting to nibble while you're preparing meals for family and friends. But it is very easy to work your way through nearly as many calories as the food itself. Avoid the temptation to keep your mouth busy with a piece of sugarless gum.

5 Buy low-fat versions of favorite snacks like chips and dips. Nobody will ever know the difference - remember to hide the packaging!

Have a go at making their own pies using phyllo dough instead of broken, puff or flaky. Is lower in calories and fat than other varieties - most are used less. Check out the table below.

 

Pastry per 100g (uncooked)

Calories

Fat g

Filo

304

2.7

Puff

401

25.6

Flaky

424

30.7

Shortcrust

453

29.1

 

6 If you do not like to experiment with phyllo, simply chop bake cakes instead. Leaving aside the top of the dough save about 40 calories and fat 3G.

7 Cut the fat content of ready-made minced, mixed with a little apple baked before use to fill pastry boxes. It tastes good, too.

8 Locate low-fat versions of your favorite foods such as Christmas pudding, Christmas pudding and pies. Alternatively, simply reducing the size. Many supermarkets now sell the mini pies that contain only 100-150 calories each, instead of the usual 200-250 calories each. Okay, they're gone in just a few bits, but at least not lost.

9 Do not use leftovers to create, fatty foods high in calories, like bubble and squeak and turkey coronation. Instead, make delicious low-calorie foods like turkey soup, turkey curry with brown rice or simply served with a jacket potato and salad.

10 Where is the famous turkey sandwich, it healthier by using whole wheat bread feast with a little fat cranberry sauce instead of butter, choosing breast instead of dark meat and pile on the salad.

Sweets per 100g

Calories

Fat g

Fruit gums

172

0

Fruit pastilles

253

0

Real Turkish delight

295

0

Marshmallows

327

0

Boiled sweets

327

0

Jelly beans

365

0.2

Peppermints

392

0.7

Toffees

430

17.2

Assorted filled chocolates

460

18.8

 

Dec 22, 2014

Baby's First Christmas - Celebrity Edition

The year of 2014 brought big changes in the lives of some of our favorite celebrities. New records, new releases, and new awards are always exciting, but nothing can measure up to the beauty and amazement of the birth of a baby. Meet all the new mini-celebrities that will be celebrating their very first Christmas this year.

Baby Schuyler
Parents: Rodger Berman and Rachel Zoe
Rodger Berman and Rachel Zoe (celebrity stylist) welcomed their very first baby this year, Schuyler Harris. Judging from his custom made shoes and his Missoni stroller, I think it's very safe to make the assumption that Schuyler's first Christmas will be filled with Gucci, Prada and Chanel.

Baby Flynn
Parents: Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr
Actor Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings) and model Miranda Kerr may have given birth to the cutest baby alive. With brown hair and big blue eyes, he has been making headlines since day one. This is an extra exciting time of year for Baby Flynn; he will be celebrating his first birthday on January 6th.

Baby Haven
Parents: Cash Warren and Jessica Alba
Producer Cash Warren and actress Jessica Alba (Fantastic Four, Sin City) welcomed their second daughter, baby Haven Garner in August, much to the delight of big sister Honor Marie. Jessica recently took both three year old Honor and four month old Haven to meet Santa Claus in their local mall. How sweet is that!

Baby Morocco and Baby Monroe
Parents: Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey
Nick Cannon (America's Got Talent) and singer/actress Mariah Carey welcomed their twins on April 30th of this year. This adorable duo made one of their first public appearances last Christmas when Mariah was visibly showing during her Christmas Special. Morocco was named after the Moroccan inspired room in which Nick proposed to Mariah, and Monroe was named after one of Mariah's longtime role models, Marilyn Monroe.

Baby Harper
Parents: David & Victoria Beckham
World renowned power couple David (English soccer star) & Victoria Beckham (designer) welcomed their very first daughter this year. Baby Harper Seven joined older brothers Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

Baby Bingham
Parents: Matt Bellamy and Kate Hudson
Matt Bellamy (front-man of Muse) and actress Kate Hudson (Bride Wars, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) welcomed their first baby, Bingham Hawn in August. Baby Bingham joins Kate's older son Ryder, who affectionately calls him Bing.

Baby Arabella
Parents: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
Jared Kushner and entrepreneur and daughter of Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, married in October 2009, welcomed their very first baby, Arabella Rose on July 17th of this year.

Baby Aleph
Parents: Benjamin Millepied and Natalie Portman
Producer Benjamin Millepied and actress Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta, Black Swan) welcomed their first baby, Aleph this year. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a sweet tribute to the Hebrew background of the couple.

And there, my friends, are the newest celebrities of 2011. Merry Christmas to all the baby celebs and their parents! I can't help but wonder which celebrities will make this list next year...

Dec 17, 2014

Mincemeat: It's what's for (Christmas) Dinner

 

      

iStockphotos.com

 

As fruit pies, mince pie is a culinary holiday tradition that inspires more skepticism than enthusiasm among most Americans today. This traditional dish of meat (usually beef or game), tallow (animal fat from the back of meatloaf), cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, fruit, sugar and brandy or rum over all cooked together in a shell mass, has a history almost as tasty as their long list of ingredients.

Although there is no definitive explanation of how mince pie has become a holiday tradition, it seems more likely that its association with Christmas is linked to the trinity spices: cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Minced meat origin in the 13th century when the Crusaders returning to Europe brought these three exotic ingredients including spices, with them in the Holy Land. Due to insufficient cooling at the time, spices were a welcome families for conservation combined with fruit and meat for their protein last longer. Geographical origins of the Holy Land, spices lent a religious connotation, but when the church began to teach the three spices in a dish popular gifts also meant the Magi Magi to the infant Jesus, mince pies seem to be an imperative tradition Christmas.

English settlers brought the American pie recipe thin, but because resentment Puritan decadent dessert, it took a while for clothing trend. In the mid-17th century, Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas in England, because of their extravagant parties and presumed greedy. Puritan settlers in the New World held the opposition to them, but as puritanical ideologies declined, the popularity of ground meat dish as each year has increased in American homes. As the market revolution took hold, home treatment transition pies for a rare commodity in commercial bakeries 19th century A writer for The New York Times described an encounter with a Cartwright cake on Christmas Eve 1871 in which truck filled with hundreds of cakes, requires two horses to drive, because it gave delight to customers.

While this may seem a loved one, harmless dessert, pastry actually caused a surprising amount of controversy. At that time, many people have expressed concern about indigestion and its effect on the mental states of individuals; Tartlets with its rich mix of meat, sugar and spices, were a common cause. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were a series of crimes attributed to, of all things, meat pies. In 1907, a Chicago resident allegedly shot his wife in the head after sleeping in a sink full stomach and wake of a violent dream. Another case in Indiana in 1918, was a prison guard, who was fired in prison after eating a hamburger meal pie.

Indigestion caused was not the only concern people had on pies and their effects on human behavior. The temperance movement supporters also expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of alcohol in meat pies, preached against their consumption. Ground meat would have their day in court, however. With the amendment to ban 18 on alcohol, many people believed that there should be exceptions for the good of the culinary arts. In October 1922, the Old Distillery victory in Chicago brought this appeal to the court, asking if alcohol to cook, taking advantage of the upcoming holidays, highlighting some festive joy in his argument: pies. They won.

And what happened over a century which made short work of a frequent presence in our Christmas dinner tables? Prohibit due to its popularity decline? People fear that their digestive dangerous consequences? A likely argument is that, as the production of cakes moved to the house of the local bakery in the factory, ground beef disappearance is a "mystery" questionable food, which makes people have the same scruples eat. Charles Dickens even joked in The Pickwick Papers in a baker who makes pies with kittens.

President William Howard Taft, however, was a fan of pies. Thanksgiving in 1909, bakers of New York President Taft presented with a mince pie weighs a staggering £ 50 Taft had ordered its military aid, Captain Archibald Butt offices assist in the cake consumption; Captain Butt led reinforcements and ordered his team to help eat healthy food.

Dec 15, 2014

Foods help you clear lungs

 

pistachios

Pistachios

Pistachios not provide the same benefits directly lung cleaning how herbs are. But they are still important for anyone interested in improving their lung health. Studies suggest that pistachios may help prevent lung cancer. They contain a particular type ofvitamin E, known as gamma-tocopherol name may possibly provide protection against some forms of lung cancer. More research to demonstrate conclusively is necessary, but anyway, these delicious nuts also provide a number of advantages .. pistachios are also believed to help lower cholesterol. Raw pistachios are the best option and creates a large, regular snack. It is easy to snack on raw nuts and satisfying experience without empty calories or weight gain that comes with them.

 

Banana leaf

Bananas are another food that can help clear your lungs. Banana leaf, which is a wrapper popular food in Cuba and other Latin American countries, is not in the mainstream in North America. However, you can find, and I recommend using a banana leaf is like a tasty wrap around a number of foods. A quick search online for "banana leaf recipes" make dishes. As always, avoid recipes that call for sugar or flour treated with locally grown organic vegetables, or hormone-free foods as ingredients.

 

Cayenne pepper

Eaten as food and used as a spice, these popular peppers can contribute up to 17 health benefits and well-being for the body. They have been known to help suppress the annoying cough and sore throat and help with the management of colds and flu. Cayenne pepper helps break down and move the congested mucus, so it is recommended for those suffering from chest congestion or food respiratory diseases.

Dec 14, 2014

3 Healthy Eating Tips

A Varied and Well Balanced Healthy Diet

It’s well known fact that having a varied and well-balanced diet is good for us. Eating the right foods is certainly one of the ways to keep yourself in good health.  

A varied and well-balanced diet should include all the essential nutrients that our bodies need, to protect us from many of todays diet-related illnesses, such as heart disease and cancers of the digestive system.

Instead of buying those pre-packed or instant meals from the supermarket, which I hasten to add are full of additives and preservatives.

So to avoid the harmful contents of the so-called microwave dinners, make an effort to cook your own meals, this will in turn help you to keep a check on the calorie intake of  you and your family.

Healthy Eating on a Budget

It’s good know that many of the foods that are good for us are the least expensive, such as chicken or white fish and high-fibre foods like cereals, grains, pasta and pulses.   

Some of the more expensive foods, we should only consume in small quantities because of their high-fat content and these include such things as creams and many cheeses.

It’s a myth that eating healthy food costs more than the perhaps the more popular pre-packed foods that you find in your local store or supermarket . If you shop sensibly and wisely and purchase foods such as white meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, the cost is far cheaper than buying those quick fix convenience foods.

Can Healthy Eating be Adventurous ?

To get any benefit from food, firstly it must be appealing. Secondly, to eat healthly should be a pleasurable experience, not a punishment and last but not least there’s certainly no reason to give up any personal treats. If want to allow some slack in your diet to have those personal treats, then you must cut out something you can do without more easily.  

One of the best ways to eat healthly is to cut out the high energy, low nutrient value substances such as sugar and replace them with foods such as wholewheat bread or fresh salads and I don’t mean just lettuce and tomatoes! There are vast number of raw vegetables that can be used as alternatives to the normal suspects found in salads and are equally as tasty and can be turned into perhaps more adventrous salads.

Here are a few ideas as alternatives for salads, try cabbage, carrots, beetroot, celery, courgettes and mushrooms, lightly seasoned and sprinkled with fresh herbs and a dash of vinaigrette dressing.

Stir fry is another way to cook vegetables if you prefer them hot rather than cold. Cooking vegetables this way means they maintain more of their natural goodness because the process of cooking is quicker.

A word of warning; using too much salt in your diet can often lead to high blood pressure and for some people it goes a little further with the risk of a stroke. My recommendation is to instead use spices, herbs and garnishes.

 

Dec 11, 2014

Greatest Cooking Tips

Of all time!

Food Network Magazine asked top chefs across the country for their best advice.

 

Check Out All of the Handwritten Tips from Food Network Chefs

1. Remember, y'all, it’s all about the prep. Take away the stress by doing the prep the night or day before. You'll look like a star.

Paula Deen



2. The smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature. For example, I bake mini chocolate chip-toffee cookies at 500 degrees F for only 4 minutes. Perfect end result.

Jim Lahey

 

3. Store spices in a cool, dark place, not above your stove. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor.

Rick Tramonto

 

4. Use a coarse microplane to shave vegetables into salads or vinaigrettes. You can create an orange-fennel dressing by adding grated fennel and orange zest to a simple vinaigrette.

Paul Kahan

 

5. Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer.

Charlie Trotter

 

6. If you're cooking for someone important — whether it's your boss or a date — never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.

Marcus Samuelsson

 

7. Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce.

Mario Batali

 

 

 

 

8. After making eggs sunny-side up, deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, then drizzle the sauce on the eggs to add another dimension to the dish.

Didier Elena

 

 

9. After working with garlic, rub your hands vigorously on your stainless steel sink for 30 seconds before washing them. It will remove the odor.

Gerard Craft

 

10. Brine, baby, brine! Ya gotta brine that poultry to really give it the super flavor.

Guy Fieri

 

Albondigas Soup

Albondigas Soup

Albondigas Soup Recipe

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6-8

If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can also vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water as the meatballs will create their own stock)*
  • 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
  • 1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1/3 cup of raw white rice
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
  • 1 raw egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • A dash of cayenne (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free.

Method

1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

albondigas-1.jpg albondigas-2.jpg

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

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Dec 10, 2014

Talerine Beef Casserole

Talerine Beef Casserole (photo)

Talerine Beef Casserole Recipe

  • Yield: Serves 8.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce bag egg noodles
  • 1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, chopped fine
  • 3 minced clove of garlic
  • Grapeseed oil or olive oil for sautéing
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground round beef
  • Salt
  • 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (can use canned corn or creamed corn)
  • 1 15-ounce can of black olives, strained and chopped
  • 1 pound cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1 Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the egg noodles.

beef-casserole-1.jpg beef-casserole-2.jpg

2 Heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add the onions and bell pepper and sauté until softened. Add garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers or a knife, if you are using whole canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to warm.

beef-casserole-3.jpg beef-casserole-4.jpg

3 In a separate skillet, heat to medium-high. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan and brown the meat, working in batches. Break up about half of the ground beef into the pan. Do not stir, but let sit and cook for a minute or two until brown. Sprinkle a little salt over the meat while cooking. Once brown on one side, stir the meat a little to get the other sides browned. Once the meat is thoroughly browned, use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and put it in with the tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Brown the second batch of ground beef the same way.

beef-casserole-5.jpg

4 Using the same pan that you had used for browning the beef, sauté the mushrooms in the remaining oil and beef drippings. Once browned, add the mushrooms to the beef and tomato mixture.

5 While the mushrooms are cooking, add the egg noodle pasta to the boiling water. Cook as directed, about 4-5 minutes. Strain when cooked, but still a little firm (al dente).

6 Add egg noodles, corn, chopped olives, and about two thirds of the cheese to the large pot of beef and tomato mixture. Gently mix in.

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7 Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish, or to two casserole dishes if you don't have one that is large enough. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of casserole(s). Place in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes (can go as long as an hour).

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Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Lingonberry jelly is traditionally used with Swedish meatballs; you can substitute cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly if you can't find lingonberry jelly.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 large yellow or white onion, peeled, grated (use the large holes of a box cheese grater)
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, bread cut into pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper

Sauce:

  • 6 Tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 quart beef stock
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream
  • Salt
  • 2 to 4 Tbsp of Lingonberry, red currant, raspberry or cranberry jelly, less or more to taste (optional)

Method

1 Melt the butter in a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Stir in the grated onion and cook until translucent and softened, 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2 Place the pieces of bread in a large bowl and mix with the milk. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes for the bread to absorb all of the milk. Once the bread has soaked up the milk put the bread in a food processor and pulse until it has been completely broken up. Return the pulverized milk soaked bread to the bowl.

3 Stir the cooled onions into the milk bread mixture. Add the eggs, ground pork and beef, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Use your (clean) hands to mix everything together until well combined.

4 Use your hands to form the meatballs about an inch-thick and place them on a plate or sheet pan. This recipe should make between 40 and 50 meatballs.

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5 Heat 6 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, start adding some meatballs to the pan. Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, slowly brown the meatballs on all sides. Handle the meatballs gently so they do not break apart as you turn them.

Once the meatballs have browned on all sides, remove them from the pan and set aside. You do not need to cook the meatballs all the way through at this point, you only need to brown them. You'll finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce later.

Once you have removed the meatballs from the pan, keep the remaining butter in the pan. You'll use this butter to make the sauce.

If the butter in the pan has become burnt through the browning of the meatballs, remove and discard it, and add 6 Tbsp of fresh butter to the pan. Otherwise use the existing pan butter, you should have 6 Tbsp total of butter in the pan. If not add more.

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6 To make the sauce, first make the roux. Heat the butter in the pan on medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour. Stir until smooth. Continue to stir, allowing the flour mixture to cook, several minutes, until the roux is the color of coffee-with-cream.

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7 When the roux has cooked to a lovely shade of light brown, slowly add the stock to the roux, stirring as you add the stock. The stock will sputter at first and the roux may seize up, but keep adding the stock slowly and keep stirring. Eventually the sauce will loosen and become silky.

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8 Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and lower the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. You may need to work in batches.

9 Transfer the meatballs to a serving dish to serve. Stir in the sour cream. Either stir the jelly into the sauce or serve it on the side.

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