Latest Cooking Articles

Cooking The Perfect Chicken

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:19:50 -0700

One of the main dangers when cooking chicken is the risk of salmonella. The neatest thing about cooking chicken is watching it turn from this pale, fleshy mass into edible-looking pieces of charred poultry meat. Cooking chicken is generally very easy to do and it’s easy to get a lean piece of meat without paying an excessive amount.

Chicken is easy to prepare, boneless frozen chicken breasts may be cooked in many ways. While boneless, skinless chicken breasts offer us dinner in the blink of an eye, cooking chicken breast on the bone allows us a little more flexibility. Put the cooked chicken breasts on a platter and keep warm. Dress up baked chicken breasts with a pistachio coating for a special taste treat. Cook over direct heat with lid down, reducing heat to medium this is usually a good method of cooking chicken. When shopping for chicken try to purchase boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs that come pre-trimmed. When rubbing the chicken breasts with lemon juice and sprinkling it with salt and pepper this is a fast way to prepare a meal and it will give the chicken a great taste. Boneless chicken breasts will usually defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Chicken breasts are one of the easiest meats to barbecue. You'll find a delicious selection of chicken breasts and stuffed chicken breasts in the market. Beat chicken breasts flat with a mallet, this make the chicken softer and easier to cook.

Many of the recipes you will find on chicken tell you to use sliced or chopped chicken in salads. Some recipes call for a long cooking time and others use quick-cooking chicken breasts. Stuffing chicken can be done with anything from stuffing the chicken with spinach or medley of vegetables which will add extra flavor to your chicken recipes. Try to find recipes for cooking chicken in a healthy way; what is meant by this is find recipes that don’t call for frying or using a lot of oils. Knowledge on cooking for large groups is always helpful, some cooking methods and techniques are advanced but try to master them and the next time you throw a party it will be that much easier. Using pre cut or shredded chicken will help you save time when preparing a meal.

Prepare the grill by heating it appropriately, if using a gas grill just turn it on, if using a non gas grill use single layer of coals. Barbecuing chicken is very healthy way to cook because the fat juices do not get absorbed by the chicken.. So, which chicken should you choose for great barbecue, and how should you prep it. Fresh chicken legs and chicken pieces can be cooked on the barbecue, but should never be cooked from frozen. This is the kind of barbecue food that people love to eat. To have a successful barbecue, you should have the following, prepared chicken, tongs, and seasoning. It's definitely a great way to prepare chicken. Great barbecue chicken is fast and easy to prepare and it is also healthy for you. So just have fun barbecuing.

There are so many people barbecuing today because everything taste better when cooked on an open flame.

Simmer Sauce Recipes and different flavors

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:12:49 -0700

Simmer sauces are blend of exotic Indian spices that add up to the flavor of the food making it taste more Indian. The simmer sauces come in different flavors and can be used in variety of dishes. Sometimes known as curry sauce, simmer sauces range from mild to hot and one can choose any flavor depending upon the preference. There are numerous recipes of Simmer Sauces. Here are two recipes of delicious Indian food using simmer sauces:

1) Butter chicken or chicken makhni
The makhni sauce is used to make this delicious north Indian dish. The spice is mild and the taste is like creamy butter. Although this spice is meant for chicken, one can also use it for cooking lamb, beef or cottage cheese. Here is the recipe -

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 chopped onion, cubed chicken (500g), 460gms makhni sauce, coriander for garnishing and salt depending upon taste.

Preparation: first the oil is heated in the pan and then the onion is fried till it is golden brown in color. The chicken is then added and it is also fried for around 5 mins. After the chicken is fried makhni sauce is added and the pan is covered for the dish to simmer. The estimated time for this is around 10mins. After the chicken is cooked it is served garnished with coriander.

2) Barbequed Chicken tikka kebab
Tikka masala is the Indian simmer sauce used in this preparation. Like most of the simmer sauces, this sauce is also mildly hot. This sauce is combination of tomatoes, onions, cloves and coriander.

Ingredients: 460 grams of the tikka masala, 2 tablespoons of yoghurt, salt depending upon the taste, 650gms of diced chicken with breast pieces being more preferred, green pepper, 1 red onion cut in to chunks, oil spray, lemon wedges and bamboo skewers.

Preparation: the tikka masala, yoghurt and the salt is mixed at first. Then the pieces of the chicken are dipped in to this mixture and are coated well in it. After this the chicken pieces are kept around 3-4 hours in the fridge so that they can marinate. The chicken is then skewered with alternative use of red onion and green pepper. The chicken is then cooked on the barbeque or a griddle pan and oil is sprayed. In case of the griddle pan the heat should be low to medium. The ideal time for searing the chicken is around 20 mins but sometimes it may take more time and one should wait till the chicken is cooked.

Top 6 Caribbean Delicacies

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:42:06 -0700

The Caribbean Islands are famous for their food and drink. Anyone who has tasted Caribbean food would swear that there is something spectacular about it. Let’s look at some of the most popular Caribbean food and drink.

Sweet Fungi

This is a delicious vegetarian soup dish made from raisin, sugar, butter and cornmeal. It is quite popular in several parts of the Jamaican Islands and there are some restaurants which specialize in its preparation.

Pina Colada

Any cocktail drinker will be familiar with this drink. Coconut milk, pineapple juice and rum are the main ingredients and the flavor is mind blowing when mixed right.

Codfish Cakes

This Caribbean fish delicacy is made by dipping cod fish in a spicy mix of onions, peppers, annotta oil and flour. Fish cakes are well relished in these islands and there are various sauces available at Caribbean Food stores which you can use directly to cook the fish.

Jerk Chicken

This ever popular Jamaican dish gets its name from the use of jerk sauce in the preparation of chicken. Whole chicken or chicken breast are grilled or barbequed after they are marinated in jerk sauce for over 12 hours. The spicy flavor is worth tasting.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Salad

Herbs like cilantro, garlic, ginger, peppers are mixed with mustard, canola oil, black pepper. This paste is then used as a base to cook sweet potatoes and russet potatoes with corn. The result is a mouth watering salad Caribbean style.

Seafood Enchiladas

These Enchiladas made from a Caribbean recipe using a mix of cheese, cream, butter, parsley, garlic and onion as the base. Crab meat and shrimp is cooked with the base and severed as tortillas.

Kitchen Tools - Make Your Cooking Easy

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:25:46 -0700

In today’s fast and complex world, life has become a challenge in every sense. Technology is changing the face of the world. Such is today’s world scenario, that people have no time for any extra work. Everyone prefers to spend their precious time at home. Home is a very special place for everyone and kitchen makes a home perfect. No home is complete without a kitchen, and a kitchen is incomplete without the present day kitchen tools and gadgets.

In present life it is very tough to survive without the useful modern kitchen appliances. These household appliances provide a helping hand and the appliances have minimized the time span spent in kitchens drastically. These appliances are making life wonderful.

Kitchen tools or appliances are available in many forms as a helping tool. These tools help a person in such a way that more work can be done within a short span of time. A few examples of kitchen devices are refrigerator, Toast maker, Dishwasher, microwave oven, sandwich maker, juice extractor and mixer etc. These advanced devices are used in cooking, baking, grilling and cleaning dishes. The modern day tools meant for kitchen, increases the efficiency in the kitchen.

These modern day tools can change the way, kitchens functioned before. Technology is constantly improving and innovations are taking place on a daily basis. Every day, new technology with advanced features is changing the concept of kitchen. These electronic devices reduce the unnecessary time spent in kitchens. Dishwasher is a modern day device that is helpful in cleaning the dishes. This saves the time and protects people from skin and other diseases. Microwave oven is used to cook and heat food so that it may look and taste fresh. A few examples of kitchen appliances are Blender, coffee maker etc. Coffee makers help in brewing coffee without boiling the water in a separate pot. Many portable blenders are available in the market from different brands.

Modern day kitchen tools are designed with a view to match the class and style of every segment of people. These tools are very efficient and can be easily fitted anywhere. The operation of these tools is very simple and does not require complex technical knowledge. Eco friendly products such as dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators etc are specially designed with various user friendly features. These products are aimed at saving huge amount of monthly electricity bills.

Antique Kitchen tools play a significant role in the preparation of a meal, especially after a hard days work. With today’s advancing technology, more and more kitchen gadgets are being introduced in the market. Here are a few examples of kitchen gadgets that we regularly use. Garlic press, food thermometers, knife sharpeners, slotted spoon, salad spinner etc.

It is a well-known fact that the right use of the proper tools will in fact develop your cooking know-how. Not only that, but it will also put in an additional degree of simplicity to food preparation, as well as enhance our general contentment with the progression of this process. With the right kitchen tools, you can be well assured of a hassle free cooking.

Today, modern tools have made cooking a lot easier than it was before. You have a wide array of tools to choose from. These tools have made cooking an enjoyable experience at the same time, interesting.

Some of the main ingredients for diabetic cooking

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:37:31 -0800

Probably one of the best places to start is to look at the types of ingredients that are generally considered diabetic-friendly. Then there are tricks you can use to make sure your diabetic cooking has lots of flavor without the risk of endangering the well being of the diabetic patient. Using ingredients that do not affect the levels of sugar in the body is really important. The extra benefit is that these ingredients are often very good at enhancing the patient's ability to minimize the bad effects of diabetes.

Here are some of the main ingredients that are suitable for diabetic cooking:

Grains

If there's one thing that you need to make sure is a major ingredient in most of your diabetic cooking, it's grains. The fibers in grains are essential, because they help the body break down any buildup of glucose. In the diabetic food pyramid, grains are the base, which means they need to be the central part of every diabetic patient's diet.

Beans and Legumes

These are great vegetables, because they're so versatile. With a little bit of research, you'll find plenty of possible meals you can make using beans and legumes. Even better, they're also low in calories, which is important in the diabetic patient's diet.

Dried Herbs and Spices

Although the effect is limited, dried herbs and spices can counteract sugar in the body. But the important part is that herbs and spices including ground ginger, basil, curry powder, saffron, paprika, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, ground cinnamon, cloves and caraway seeds are also very tasty. For more details www.chow-chows-secrets.com .So that means you can use them in your cooking to make the dishes you prepare much more enjoyable for the diabetic patient.

Bitter Melon

Bitter melon isn't quite as well known, but recent research has shown that it has intense anti-diabetes power. It's not certain exactly how bitter melon works, but the research has shown that it's extremely effective in counteracting the ill effects of diabetes. It also helps to prevent the buildup of glucose. The only problem, though, is that bitter melon is very aptly names - it tastes very bitter! Some people may find its bitter taste too overpowering. However if it's used carefully in cooking, the bitterness can be used in combination with other flavors to produce an amazing taste.

How To Avoid Dullness of Home Cooking?

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:44:12 -0800

Modern times are busy times and therefore people have been looking with good reason, towards finding ways to simplify tasks, including making mealtimes easier to deal with and enjoyable for all in the family. For this reason, more time and energy-efficiency is called for so that the quality of life is enhanced by spending these valuable resources into pleasurable activities instead of focusing only on chores. For more details login on to www.300-dip-recipes.com.

This is also the reason why many people have been looking for a way-out of the tediousness of home cooking and are comforted by the thought of frozen foodstuffs, readily available to save the busy home-maker time, energy and money as well besides loads of variety in menu-planning - in a jiffy! Just the thought of keeping a stock of frozen items, checking to see which ones are still fit to be used, planning 3 square meals and more such efforts can be boring for some people, so crock-pot cooking recipes are being given preference over more traditional and time-consuming methods of preparing meals.

We bring you some inside scoop on this popular method of fast-cooking that is wholesome too: Apart from being easy to put-together, crock-pot cooking recipes only call for getting all the main ingredients ready, following easy directions and setting a timer to cook for a certain period - leaving you free to attend to other things. At times, people even use this method to set a timer to cook the meal, which is often ready by the time they arrive home - to a fresh, flavorful aroma of a home-cooked meal, no less! These simple crock-pot cooking recipes can be applied to many different dishes, such as a meat dish, a soup, stew or even a sweet dish. Not only is cooking simplified with the crock-pot, but even cleaning up is convenient. In fact, many a time, there is no specific time of the day that calls for a crock-pot cooking recipe - it's determined by your mood. The internet is a great resource for searching an array of crock-pot cooking recipes with a wonderful plethora of fast to cook, good to eat crock-pot ideas that are ideal for regular meal preparations. Not only are the meals made by this method healthful and light, but the immense variety in crock-pot recipes makes them an easy bet for everyday meal planning and entertaining sudden guests, who are sure to want to learn your secrets for whipping up a quick-time wholesome meal, without getting frazzled! You can also go to www.chichen-wing-cookbook.com. Some people prefer to keep their crock-pot recipes a secret while others don't mind sharing them with friends; whatever your choice, you can be sure this is a healthy alternative to spending time slaving over a stove, preparing meals the traditional way Those willing to share their recipe ideas are more likely to find their fund of recipes getting filled up with ideas from friends and family, adding to the joys of healthy cooking and entertaining.

Big difference between induction cooking and the other two types of electric cooking.

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:18:18 -0800

It could just be that when you speak to a person and tell that you do all your cooking on an induction stove you will be asked the question what an induction stove is. A lot of people may have heard of it but probably have never cooked on one and may even not understand the principle behind it. For more details go to.com We can put cooking stoves in to 2 major categories namely gas and electric. There used to be 3 but coal/wood these days are only use for barbecues or some other type of outdoor cooking but for day to day cooking we use either gas or electricity.

With a halogen or coil element stove they produce the heat that gets transferred to the pot, pan, cooker etc. etc. and then to the contents of those, with induction it the other way around. When you're cooking on an induction stove the pot or pan is the one generating the heat. When you hear this for the first time it might be a bit confusing to you but it is not that hard to understand. Ones you understand the principle behind induction cooking and you get your first experience with this type of stove you will probably never want to cook on anything else again.
An electric stove with a coil or halogen works in such a way that once you turn the stove on the element (the coil or halogen) will start to heat up. It does not matter if there is a pot or pan on that element or not it will heat up either way. That heat is then, like we said before, transferred to the pot or pan and then to the food. When you take the pot or pan of the element it will remain hot until you turn it off, for more details visit to www.apples-recipes.com then it will slowly start to cool but this will take some time. With induction cooking the element will start to produce a high frequency electromagnetic field which passes right through the pot or pan. The pot or pan must be made out of magnetic material. This electric (magnetic) current that circulates is what generates the heat. This is the big difference between induction cooking and the other two types of electric cooking.
Now that the pot or pan is heating up that same heat is transferred to the food or liquid that is inside it. The moment you take the pot or pan from the stove (element) the magnetic field that was circulating is broken and stopped and immediately the generation of heat stops as well. With a coil or halogen element you have to turn the element of to stop the heat generation, with induction cooking there is no heat as long as there is no electromagnetic field circulation. For more details go The only heat you will feel when you take the pot or pan from the stove is the heat that was transferred from the pot or pan into the surface of the stove, for more details visit to www.chef-123.com not the element it self because that never produced the heat.
There is one thing that you have to keep in mind when you would like to start cooking on an induction stove. You can only use steel or iron pots because the material needs to be magnetic in nature.
But if you are used to cooking electric then you will find that once you cook with induction you will probably not be going back to that halogen or coil element.

Cooking With Kids â€“ Cooking can translate into a wonderful hobby for children

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:07:15 -0800

Cooking can translate into a wonderful hobby for children. Children learn a lot about the food they eat by cooking themselves. Cooking is also very creative, besides being a lot of fun. The kitchen can be a very adventurous and exciting place for a holidaying child. Cooking classes for children are becoming very popular in most cities, for this reason.

Most children love it when they are allowed to knead dough, roll pancakes, crack eggs and mix batter. Cooking has emerged as an education tool for growing children. It is also a great way towards better bonding. For more details www.breakfasts-recipes.com Children can be taught skills like counting, weighing, measuring, tracking time and fractioning in a delicious way through cooking. However, very few schools include cooking in their curriculum. Parent should use holidays to cook with their children, or send them to cooking workshops in their free time.

Cooking is also very therapeutic from the psychological point of view. It can work as a de-stressor after a long period of study. Hands on training in cooking teach kids to be independent, self responsible and better prepared for an adult life. It is also a great way to whet appetites, as one loves to tuck into things which one prepares. It also gives immense pleasure to see someone eat and appreciate your cooking. Small children can also cook with adult supervision.

It is ideal to read and revise the recipe with the child before embarking on any cooking adventure. It's more fun for them if they know what they are doing. An adult should also clear a workplace and stack all the equipments and ingredients together to prevent confusion in the child. The recipes chosen should be in sync with the child's age and ability. Children should be made to follow hygienic rules like washing hands before cooking. For more details www.chef-123.com .They can be taught to measure ingredients and organize them. Older kids can be allowed to remove bake dishes from the oven after wearing gloves and handle pans on the heater. However an adult should do hazardous tasks like taking out rice or pasta from boiling water, deep frying etc. A personal set of tools can also be provided for children to cook more efficiently. Children can also be taught to shop for their own cooking. Many families have improved their eating habits and optimized their life styles by bringing kids in the kitchen.

How you can cook with the help of an outdoor grill?

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:03:17 -0800

The thing that is getting in the first position, as far as family activities are concerned, has to be cooking with the help of an outdoor grill. It's perfect for a family get together, everyone talking with each other while waiting for their food and watching how it is prepared. You can buy an grill in all sizes and price ranges, but you need to see if an exhaust system is needed.

It all depends on where it is placed and the what the wind direction is coming from most of the time, if you need to place an outdoor grill exhaust system or not. For more details www.cooking-groundbeef.com .You don't want your clothes getting contaminated by the smoke, it can stick to them for a long time and you will need to wash or dry clean them.

You need an grill exhaust because:

1. You do not want the smoke from you outdoor grill getting in your home, sticking to your furniture, carpets and other things laying around. The smell of smoke from a grill can be very penetrating and is something that will linger around a lot longer than you will like. When an exhaust system is attached to your outdoor grill you ensure that the smoke is sucked up and can not get in your home.

2. People gathering around the grill to speak with the cook or just to see what is on the coal do not want the inconvenience of the smoke. When you are out in the garden to have a nice meal and you all gather around the cooking island you do not want to have to end your conversations because the smoke stops you from breathing normally and stinging you eyes.

3. The food you are cooking needs to be watched and that is not going to happen if you can't see it through the thick black smoke coming from the grill. For more details www.cat-head-biscuit.com Your guests will not think much of your cooking abilities when they are served under of overcooked food. And then there is also the health issue for the cook if he or she has to breath that smoke all the time while they cook the food.

Getting it on

Like with a lot of things in life you have a lot of choices when it comes to outdoor cooking grill exhaust systems. You can make it as expensive as you like. Maybe there is an exhaust that is specifically made for your model of grill. You will also find that there are models made to fit on more then one type of grill. Maybe the best thing to do is to ask a few people for advice, like the store where you bought the cooking device or the manufacturer.

Just remember that all this is for your safety and the people you invited to eat as it is for the protection of your personal belongings. To keep them free of (too much) smoke and to make the time together as enjoyable as possible. Eating outside with all your family and friends is nice way to pass the time.

Best Turkey Cooking Time.

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:26:11 -0800

Whether you just fancy a turkey for dinner, or it's thanksgiving and you are preparing the traditional turkey meal, you will need to get the cooking time right. Different sizes of turkey take different lengths of time to cook, and while an overcooked, dry turkey is not a very tasty meal, the alternative - an undercooked turkey and the risk of food poisoning, is even less attractive. While steaks are OK to consume rare, poultry has a much higher risk of disease from being consumed undercooked.

What to Consider

The cooking time of a turkey depends on several factors, including the method of cooking, the dish used to cook it, the size, and whether or not the turkey is being cooked from frozen or fresh.

You can get guideline cooking times from most cookbooks, and many cookery websites offer calculators that will help you work out how long the turkey will take to cook.The standard times are usually based on weight, and whether or not the turkey is fresh or frozen. Don't forget to adjust the time - fan assisted ovens, for example, usually cook more quickly than non fan ovens.

There is one other option worth considering. You can the turkey hot line which several manufacturers have started and ask an expert what they think the best turkey cooking time .Bear in mind however, that there are many variables which have an effect on the required cooking time, so it is always best to check the internal temperature of the turkey with a cooking thermometer. Don't just set the timer and forget about it.

A Simple Guideline

As a rule of thumb, a 10 to 20 pound turkey should be cooked after being roasted for five hours. A bigger bird - in the 20 to 30 pound range, will need six hours of roasting time. If possible, don't just rely on those numbers - try to use a meat thermometer to test the turkey - a fully cooked turkey should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remember to baste the turkey often - or cook it in a roasting bag, so that it stays moist and does not dry out. The main course is the most important part of the meal, unless, of course, you are happy to just order pizza to replace it if it doesn't work out!