Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Ways to Cook Vegetables Using Edible Paper Wrappers

Cooking for the usual dishes you know every day can be tiring and routinely. There are times when you will look for new techniques you can employ to have a new dish without spending much money and without so much effort exerted. With the advent of technology, you can use other ingredients such as edible food paper which is made from rice paper to improve the quality of your foods.

Usually, there are numerous Asian dishes that contain edible papers which is used for spring rolls both for fresh and fried. Vietnamese cuisines, Japanese, and others usually use an edible paper to make their dishes. You don't have to worry because the texture of the rice paper will not cause any different texture on your palate because it is soft and smooth, you won't even notice that it is a paper. Usually, Asian rice paper rolls includes rice flour, meats and vegetables. There are different types of cooking depending on location, you can associate it with other types of foods too if you would like to experiment and find the right meal for your family.

If you enjoy eating vegetables such as cabbage, you can easily make a cabbage roll using rice paper. This type of dish is famous in Vietnam, Philippines and in other parts of Asia it is known as spring rolls. First thing you need to prepare is the edible papers, which is also called the rice paper. You need rice flour, tapioca, water and salt. You need to make a translucent paper and soak it for a few minutes. Usually, the cabbage rolls with rice paper differs from time to time. It's also within your jurisdiction on how you will prepare it and what type of vegetable you will use. Here are some helpful steps in making vegetable wraps using edible papers:

1. You need to shred the cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic.

2. Mix it in a bowl and add lemon juice and fish sauce or soy sauce to marinate the cabbage or meat.

3. Place rice papers in cold water after soaking take it out. Remove the rice papers and dry it using wet towels. When it is soft, use to wrap the vegetables you cut and shred.

4. Put a spoonful of the vegetable mixture on the edible paper but make sure not to overfill the paper wrappers.

5. Roll them one by one, it's up to you if you would like to fry it or serve it fresh with sauce. You can also bake it if you would like to experiment on the most suitable type of cooking you want.

Checking for variety of foods you will serve for your family and friends doesn't need to be costly. All you need to do is to make a thorough research because in some parts of the world, they are using different kind of ingredients that may also be suitable for your exquisite taste. The advent of technology allows you to make lots of new dishes that will make you healthy and strong.

Curry Soup Recipe - Secrets to Make Great Tasting Curry

What if I tell you that you can make an incredibly delicious curry, reproduce that elusive taste that goes beyond your expectations through my curry soup recipe? I can tell that you are very excited. How you make your curry largely determines how your dish is going to taste. The soup can be aromatic and gentle, or it can be piquant and hot. There are many ways on how you can make scrumptious curry dishes by experimenting with fresh herbs and spices - it all boils down to your soup. Maybe you're interested in making curry with fish or a curried pumpkin soup. The possibilities are endless.

You might want to add some curry mixture to an existing soup recipe, or perhaps you would want to use a clever mixture of spices to add more complexity to the curry flavor. The herbs and spices used in curry are all great ingredients to keep in your cupboard because if you want a healthy and delicious meal, all you need to do is jazz up all these ingredients to create a mouth-watering dish.

To start off, here are some curry powder recipes that you can use for delicious curry soup recipes:

1. If you want a curry with more tang and spice, you'll need:

½ cup coriander seeds, 1 tbsp black mustard seeds, ¼ cup cumin seeds, ¾ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 5 red chilles, 20 dried curry leaves, 2 tablespoons turmeric.

Just fry all the ingredients for approximately five minutes then grind all the roasted ingredients to a powder.

2. To make an authentic Indian curry powder, you'll need:

1 ounce coriander seeds, 6 dried chilies, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp ground ginger, 10 fresh curry leaves, 1 tbsp ground turmeric.

Roast all whole spices until they darken a bit, and then leave to cool. Grind the mixture into a powder. Repeat the same procedure to the curry leaves then add it to the existing mixture with turmeric and ginger.

Great tasting curry soup recipes is essential for adding a distinctive kick to all kinds of dishes - may it be vegetables, tuna, chicken or even pasta. Let your creative juices flow, and with some experimentation, you can whiz up a scrumptious curry dish in no time. You can easily cook and enjoy many mouthwatering curry recipes in my ebook. I have complied a great selection of great tasting curry recipes and will let you in some culinary secrets every food lover must know. Enjoy!

Why You Need the Right Cookware

Whether you're a novice who enjoys cooking, a whizz in the kitchen, or only cook because you have to, you'll want to have the right cookware to make cooking easier and quicker.

Here's why you need the right cookware

1. It's important to have enough saucepans, and the saucepans you need. There's no point in having saucepans you know you'll never use again. Perhaps you've been given pans, or have accumulated them, and are not sure if you really need them.

2. Having the right size of pans is worthwhile too. There's no point in using a huge pan for cooking beans on toast for yourself, and there's no point in using several pans to cook pasta or rice for a family meal. The right pans for the right dishes will make a difference.

3. If some of your other cookware such as your baking trays, lasagna dish and other dishes and pans that go in the oven are past their best, then it might be a good idea to replace them. Perhaps you'll cook more exciting or more complex or healthier meals if you have better baking trays, or a larger ovenproof dish.

4. If you're struggling with a temperamental mixer or blender, or have lost some weights for your scales, then why not see whether you can find something more appropriate? Maybe you'll get a food processor so that you don't need your blender or liquidiser any more. Having digital kitchen scales will mean that you don't have to find a home for weights, or need imperial and metric weights.

5. Having a pressure cooker will mean that your food will cook more quickly and also retain its flavour and the all important nutrients. Perhaps you'll be able to save time when cooking so that you can spend more time with your family. If you don't enjoy cooking, then any way of speeding up cooking has got to be worth it.

6. A roaster will enable you to cook meat evenly, and allow the meat to keep its flavour whilst it cooks. As they are non stick, they're easy to clean too. You don't need to save your roast dinner for a Sunday lunch, you can have a roast during the week too.

7. A good quality knife set is important, so that you can cut your bread, fruit and vegetables and meat precisely. No matter whether you're cutting carrots, cake or chicken, you'll find that you'll get a lot of use out of your knives. If you're keen on cooking, it's worth getting a knife set that will last.

8. If your cookware has seen better days, and you have pans with a missing or cracked lid, wobbly handles or are badly burnt or worn out, then you'll want to get replacements. There's no point in using dangerous cookware as you won't want to spill boiling liquids on yourself, or risk a dish cracking and breaking on you.

9. Perhaps you'll establish that you need new pans and that it would make sense to get a cookware set to save money. You'll find common sized pans from the leading kitchenware brands, and you know that they will last and be up to the job. In addition, new pan technology means that you'll get better results from a new cookware set too.

10. Value for money from your pans, and no matter whether you cook for fun, and host dinner parties, or just cook because you want to eat food that's healthier than takeaways or ready meals, you'll want the right cookware. Professional cookware might seem expensive, but it will be worth it if you cook a lot, and want fantastic results. You know that your pans are reliable and won't let you down. If you're still learning how to cook, and just want the essential pots and pans, then perhaps a more basic cookware set will be more appropriate.

Now you know why having the right cookware is important, you'll want to make sure that your pots and pans are up to the job, and that you can make your cooking tastier and quicker.

Craft Using Egg Whites

Most of you know that there are lots of foods that can be cooked using eggs especially the egg yolks. But have you thought of how to make use of the egg whites too so it will not be wasted? These days, you need to think of some other things that will make everything useful. There is no need to waste things especially the egg whites because there are also delicious treats that can be done with it.

If you are thinking of yummy craft that can make egg whites useful, there are lots of it in most recipe books, magazines and online. You will not have a hard time finding what you need these days because of the advent of technology. Most of you must be familiar with the devil's cake and custard. In these foods, you can use numerous left over egg whites so you don't need to put them into trash. Here are some helpful tips for you in using egg whites on cakes and other food craft:

1. Angel cake -usually, the angel food and the devil's cake will be baked at the same time using the egg yolks and whites separately. With the use of egg whites, you can just make the egg less fluffy and less smooth but the outcome will be the same as the usual one you are making.

2. Meringues -egg whites should be beaten with sugar. It is very easy to do and it usually cost less than other types of desserts. This sweet craft is fun to do because you can also colour them according to your desired colour and appearance.

3. Pavlova -in this dish you can make a huge number of egg whites. This is also similar to meringue the only difference is that it is flat and contains fruits. It is similar to tart but it is sweeter than a tart. Usually, this is used as a party treat for kids because it is cheaper than other types of party treats in the market. Pavlova is a nice food craft you can make with kids.

4. Forgotten cookies -this is also similar to meringues but it is done in a smaller size and it looks like cookies. It can be garnished with cookies, chopped almonds, and nuts. This is delicious and attractive for kids and kids at heart.

5. Lemon meringue pie -meringue is a typical dessert you can make using left over. There are lots of varieties when it comes to making your own version of it. This lemon pie is similar to the regular meringue you know but in this version you will only use egg whites.

6. For low carb dishes - many of you are aware that eggs contain a lot of benefits to health but eating much of it can also affect your diet. You can use 2-3 egg whites in replacement of 1 whole egg. You can do this if you need to lower down your cholesterol and calorie level.

How to Preserve, Pickling and Storing Onions?

Preserving And Pickling Onions

The most common way to preserve onions, other than by drying, is by pickling. Small onions are brined and then steeped whole in vinegar to be eaten with salads and sandwiches. It is not known for certain when the tradition of pickling onions began. Pickled onions were certainly often made at home in the mid-eighteenth century but usually as a thrifty way of making use of small bulbs which had not grown to a useful culinary size.

Herbs and spices used in onion pickles arc peppercorns, allspice and bay leaves, although coriander seed and dried chilies are also becoming popular for hotter varieties of preserves. Flavor is principally determined by the type of vinegar used - the most common is malt vinegar, a sharp, dark brown by-product of the beer-brewing industry.

A lighter cider vinegar may also be used, however, and white wine vinegar has also been favored by some cooks, notably Eliza Acton. A much-loved, recently discovered deli treat is pickled onions in balsamic vinegar - sweet, nutty and delicious. Much of the flavor of pickled onions also depends on the actual bulb used - I much prefer a mild variety such as Topper or the Paris Silver Skin, but those who like to breathe fire for an hour or so after eating should prepare their pickles with hotter varieties of onion such as Springfield.

Pickles, relishes and chutneys almost inevitably have a high proportion of onions, whatever the other ingredients and before refrigeration must have provided a welcome burst of flavor during the dull winter months.

Storing onions

Like all produce to be kept for later use, Onions are best stored in a cool, dark place like a shed or a garage, but it must be frost-free. If onions freeze, their cell structure will rupture on thawing and the crop will be wasted if not used immediately. Bulbs can be stored in loose hunches, or hung in nets if you have no time or inclination to plait them in the traditional way. Do check them regularly and remove any which are soft to avoid spoiling the whole crop. Onions generally keep better when hung, rather than being stored in boxes.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

KESAR HALWA - Basant Panchami Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup Rawa
Sugar to taste
2 1/2 cup water
5 Almonds
10 Cashews
10-12 Raisins
1/4 tbsp Cardomom Powder
1/4 tbsp Nutmeg (Jaiphal) Powder
2 pinches Saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
few drops Yellow Colour
3 tbsp Ghee
How to cook Kesar sooji ka halwa:
1. Heat ghee in a large heavy Pan, add rava.
2. Stir and Roast on low for 7-8 minutes or till aroma exudes.
3. Side by side, put water to boil, add sugar and bring to a boil.
4. Add boiling water to rava, little at a time stir continuously.
5. Take care to protect hands from spluttering.
6. When well mixed, check rava grains between fingers and taste for sweetness.
7. Adjust sweetness, and add more boiling water if grain is hard.
8. Add the remainng ingredients, cover & simmer till ghee separates.
9. Save a small amounts of Almonds and Cashews for garnishing.
10. Add colour and mix well.
11. Halwa is ready.
Few tips for Serving:
1. Grase a Katori or steel cup.
2. Press hot halwa inside it and unmould onto a plate.
3. Garnish with few Almonds and Cashews.
4. Serve hot.