Let’s face it. You don’t always have five hours to prepare a gourmet meal. In fact, most of the time it’s hard to even find an hour to throw something together.
Here are some fast, easy tricks, tips and techniques to save you time and energy.
Buy a salad mix: Those pre-made mixtures have come a long way. They’re not just lettuce anymore. Dressing, toppings such as almond slivers and dried cranberries, and more make it look like you really spent some time. Open the bag and you have salad.
Prefreeze your Chicken Breasts: It’s always good to have some chicken in the freezer. They’ll thaw in minutes and you’ll have a nice meal ready for the family.
Frozen bread dough: There’s so much assortment these days. From crescent rolls to biscuits to the traditional dinner roll, they’re all available and you’re house will smell delicious while they’re baking. Who has time for yeast anyway?
Frozen fruits: Will save you money and time by allowing you to have strawberries in the middle of winter. Yum.
Shredded cheese: Most recipes call for cheese to be shredded anyway so why not buy it preshredded?
Canned stock and broth: Who really has 24-48 hours to make stock from scratch? Not worth it at all.
Shelf pasta: It’s a really quick simple meal when you’ve got nothing else to make. Also it lasts forever, so you don’t have to worry about it going bad.
Salad dressings: Paul Newman is doing us all a favor by having his face on so many different varieties of salad dressing, plus his version won’t spoil as fast and probably costs less.
Artichoke hearts: As much as I love a good fresh artichoke the work you have to do to get that little heart is sometimes not worth it.
Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are awesome and lots of recipes call for them nowadays instead of the fresh kind. Plus you can buy them in so many sizes and types.
Look for more tips and tricks on our blog: http://www.fasteasyrecipe.com/blog/2007/10/tips-tricks-and-techniques.html
or visit our website at: http://www.fasteasyrecipe.com
Monday, January 14, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Juice For A Healthy Self
A balanced diet forms one of the top priorities for all those who want to stay fit and healthy. A diet plan rich in fruit juices is not only healthy but also helps one to stay in shape. A detox diet is perhaps one of the most effective diet plans that have a range of benefits associated with it. This dietary regimen involves a change in the consumption pattern of the person who follows the detoxification process. The manifold benefits include weight loss, better health, more energy, stronger immune system and better digestion.
Detox diets plans are rich in fruits. Fruit juice fasting is a popular detox diet regime. However the term juice fast does not imply that one has to stay without food or water. In this case, the diet comprises mainly of fruit juices. Since it is easy to digest fruit juices, the digestive organs get some time to rest and work optimally after a period of time. A person on a juice fast can have fruit juices as and when required.
Some of you might wonder whether little intake of solid foods might make a person weak during juice fasting. Juice fasting perhaps improves the energy level of a person. The process of digestion consumes approximately 25% to 30% of the bodys entire energy. Since fruit juices are easier to digest, it leads to less energy being utilized. In turn, this enhances a persons mental state and facilitates creative and productive thinking.
One should also consider the duration of a juice fasting program. A person can juice fast four to five days a month or can follow the regime just once a week. Since juice fasting is considered a healing solution, many people continue it for a month or two to get relief from pain, depression, arthritis, autoimmune diseases and other infections as well. For instance, orange juice is rich in vitamin C and prune juice improves digestion. A juice fasting plan can never be complete without watermelon juice, which is rich in vitamin C, A, B6, B1, magnesium and potassium. Its low calorie count makes it a must have.
About the Author:
Alfred Anderson has rich experience in the field of online brand marketing. His interests includes Internet marketing and research on emerging online business trends. http://www.sundiacorp.com/">Cut Fruit
Detox diets plans are rich in fruits. Fruit juice fasting is a popular detox diet regime. However the term juice fast does not imply that one has to stay without food or water. In this case, the diet comprises mainly of fruit juices. Since it is easy to digest fruit juices, the digestive organs get some time to rest and work optimally after a period of time. A person on a juice fast can have fruit juices as and when required.
Some of you might wonder whether little intake of solid foods might make a person weak during juice fasting. Juice fasting perhaps improves the energy level of a person. The process of digestion consumes approximately 25% to 30% of the bodys entire energy. Since fruit juices are easier to digest, it leads to less energy being utilized. In turn, this enhances a persons mental state and facilitates creative and productive thinking.
One should also consider the duration of a juice fasting program. A person can juice fast four to five days a month or can follow the regime just once a week. Since juice fasting is considered a healing solution, many people continue it for a month or two to get relief from pain, depression, arthritis, autoimmune diseases and other infections as well. For instance, orange juice is rich in vitamin C and prune juice improves digestion. A juice fasting plan can never be complete without watermelon juice, which is rich in vitamin C, A, B6, B1, magnesium and potassium. Its low calorie count makes it a must have.
About the Author:
Alfred Anderson has rich experience in the field of online brand marketing. His interests includes Internet marketing and research on emerging online business trends. http://www.sundiacorp.com/">Cut Fruit
Thursday, January 10, 2008
About Blueberries
Blueberries are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity. Researchers have shown that a serving of fresh blueberries provide more antioxidant activity than many other fresh fruits and vegetables.
Brain & nervous system
Neuroscientists have discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats actually slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity, a finding that has important implications for humans. In one study, Jim Joseph, director of the neuroscience laboratory in the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center (HNRC), fed blueberry extractions—the equivalent of a human eating one cup of blueberries a day—to mice and then ran them through a series of motor skills tests.
He found that the blueberry-fed mice performed better than their control group counterparts in motor behavioral learning and memory, and he noticed an increase in exploratory behavior. When he examined their brains, he found a marked decrease in oxidative stress in two regions of the brain and better retention of signal-transmitting neurons compared with the group of mice not consuming the blueberries.
Currently, Jim Joseph is testing the effects of blueberries on humans. Preliminary results show that people who eat a cup of blueberries a day have performed 5–6% better on motor skills tests than the group not consuming the blueberries.
Anti-inflammatory
The compound that appears responsible for this neuron protection, anthocyanin, also gives blueberries their color and might be the key component of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Blueberries, along with other colorful fruits and vegetables, test high in their ability to subdue free radicals. These free radicals, which can damage cell membranes and DNA through a process known as oxidative stress, are blamed for many of the dysfunctions and diseases associated with aging. The antioxidants found in blueberries, help to protect the body against the damaging effects of these free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process.
Urinary tract health
Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have identified compounds in blueberries called proanthocyanidins that promote urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract.
Blueberries and Nutrition
Fresh fruits, including blueberries, and vegetables contain many of these naturally occurring antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E. Blueberries contain 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg Vitamin E per 1 cup of blueberries. In addition, blueberries contain anthocyanins and phenolics that can also act as antioxidants. Based on data from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (Boston, MA).
Though blueberries themselves are not a cure-all, they do contain a number of substances offering far reaching health benefits. These substances include, but are not limited to fructose, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Antioxidants thus far, seem to have the most conclusive role in the prevention/ delaying of such diseases as cancer, heart disease and the aging process.
One cup of blueberries contains 14% DV of fiber 2.41 g per 100g and are a major source of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, phenolics, and flavonoids, as well as being very low in fat and sodium.
So in conclusion… Live, love & laugh better with the miraculous health benefits of your little purple friend… the blueberry!
About The Author
Janet Arango is the owner of TheSavvyHomemaker.com, a free online magazine filled with interesting facts and subjects, and all wrapped up with so many beautiful graphics and photos, that you'll think you're turning the pages of a popular woman's magazine- hot off the press.
Visit The Savvy Homemaker at http://www.thesavvyhomemaker.com
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_203889_26.html
Brain & nervous system
Neuroscientists have discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats actually slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity, a finding that has important implications for humans. In one study, Jim Joseph, director of the neuroscience laboratory in the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center (HNRC), fed blueberry extractions—the equivalent of a human eating one cup of blueberries a day—to mice and then ran them through a series of motor skills tests.
He found that the blueberry-fed mice performed better than their control group counterparts in motor behavioral learning and memory, and he noticed an increase in exploratory behavior. When he examined their brains, he found a marked decrease in oxidative stress in two regions of the brain and better retention of signal-transmitting neurons compared with the group of mice not consuming the blueberries.
Currently, Jim Joseph is testing the effects of blueberries on humans. Preliminary results show that people who eat a cup of blueberries a day have performed 5–6% better on motor skills tests than the group not consuming the blueberries.
Anti-inflammatory
The compound that appears responsible for this neuron protection, anthocyanin, also gives blueberries their color and might be the key component of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Blueberries, along with other colorful fruits and vegetables, test high in their ability to subdue free radicals. These free radicals, which can damage cell membranes and DNA through a process known as oxidative stress, are blamed for many of the dysfunctions and diseases associated with aging. The antioxidants found in blueberries, help to protect the body against the damaging effects of these free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process.
Urinary tract health
Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have identified compounds in blueberries called proanthocyanidins that promote urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract.
Blueberries and Nutrition
Fresh fruits, including blueberries, and vegetables contain many of these naturally occurring antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E. Blueberries contain 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg Vitamin E per 1 cup of blueberries. In addition, blueberries contain anthocyanins and phenolics that can also act as antioxidants. Based on data from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (Boston, MA).
Though blueberries themselves are not a cure-all, they do contain a number of substances offering far reaching health benefits. These substances include, but are not limited to fructose, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Antioxidants thus far, seem to have the most conclusive role in the prevention/ delaying of such diseases as cancer, heart disease and the aging process.
One cup of blueberries contains 14% DV of fiber 2.41 g per 100g and are a major source of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, phenolics, and flavonoids, as well as being very low in fat and sodium.
So in conclusion… Live, love & laugh better with the miraculous health benefits of your little purple friend… the blueberry!
About The Author
Janet Arango is the owner of TheSavvyHomemaker.com, a free online magazine filled with interesting facts and subjects, and all wrapped up with so many beautiful graphics and photos, that you'll think you're turning the pages of a popular woman's magazine- hot off the press.
Visit The Savvy Homemaker at http://www.thesavvyhomemaker.com
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_203889_26.html
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Pairing Food and Wine
If you think that you only need to have the best food in the world to enjoy a meal for the special occasion in your life, you are wrong. Try pairing this meal with a perfect type of brand of wine that goes well with the food items and then see the difference. You would simply enjoy the experience. In earlier days, people used to combine food with wine in order to form good pairing. This helped them to come up with a combination that’s enough to light up any occasion.
These days, people are aware of different types of wines, their properties and grapes used in the formation process. They have also tasted a variety of cuisines form different parts of world such as the Chinese, Thai, American and Indian cuisines. However, they are not aware of pairing food and wine in a proper manner so as to form a great combination that everyone can enjoy.
In fact, you may end up creating a bad quality of food and wine if you fail to pair them correctly. These may include bad experiences such as extra sweetness, bitterness, too much of alcohol or metallic. You can follow a lot of methods in order to avoid incorrect pairing of food and wine.
First and foremost, you should make a point that each time you pair a food item and wine together, the combination individually should consist of similar characteristics. For instance, you can easily pair flavored red wine with any type of food that is thickly flavored such as porter. The reason is that both porter and red wine consist of strong flavors. You should never mix and pair food and wines that possess different characteristics.
For instance, if you pair steak with sweet wine, you would end up getting awful results. Pairing foods and wines with distinct characteristics can be a very bad experience for you.
You need to pair wine and food in proper combination because this will add up a unique and beautiful element to your dish. If you want to pour butter and garlic sauce over chicken, you should combine it with wine that gives out citrus taste. This will provide you an opportunity to taste a superb meal. Try to be creative. Always try to find out a way that can mix wine and food of similar flavors and enjoy the result.
Try to test the combination that you have created prior to serving it to your friends. If you are looking forward to have high flavored wine, you should mix it with barbeque meals and some other dishes with high flavor range.
If you pair high flavored dish with light flavored wine, the dish will over power the wine. You would taste more of food and less amount of wine. In fact, you would feel that you were just having a dish and nothing else. Don’t try to experiment something weird and strange.
The key is to small and taste the food prior to actually claiming it to be a recipe.
By: Steve Manik
Article Resource: www.Articlebliss.com
These days, people are aware of different types of wines, their properties and grapes used in the formation process. They have also tasted a variety of cuisines form different parts of world such as the Chinese, Thai, American and Indian cuisines. However, they are not aware of pairing food and wine in a proper manner so as to form a great combination that everyone can enjoy.
In fact, you may end up creating a bad quality of food and wine if you fail to pair them correctly. These may include bad experiences such as extra sweetness, bitterness, too much of alcohol or metallic. You can follow a lot of methods in order to avoid incorrect pairing of food and wine.
First and foremost, you should make a point that each time you pair a food item and wine together, the combination individually should consist of similar characteristics. For instance, you can easily pair flavored red wine with any type of food that is thickly flavored such as porter. The reason is that both porter and red wine consist of strong flavors. You should never mix and pair food and wines that possess different characteristics.
For instance, if you pair steak with sweet wine, you would end up getting awful results. Pairing foods and wines with distinct characteristics can be a very bad experience for you.
You need to pair wine and food in proper combination because this will add up a unique and beautiful element to your dish. If you want to pour butter and garlic sauce over chicken, you should combine it with wine that gives out citrus taste. This will provide you an opportunity to taste a superb meal. Try to be creative. Always try to find out a way that can mix wine and food of similar flavors and enjoy the result.
Try to test the combination that you have created prior to serving it to your friends. If you are looking forward to have high flavored wine, you should mix it with barbeque meals and some other dishes with high flavor range.
If you pair high flavored dish with light flavored wine, the dish will over power the wine. You would taste more of food and less amount of wine. In fact, you would feel that you were just having a dish and nothing else. Don’t try to experiment something weird and strange.
The key is to small and taste the food prior to actually claiming it to be a recipe.
By: Steve Manik
Article Resource: www.Articlebliss.com
Monday, January 7, 2008
Organic Foods
Organic.......Just be careful..
By Cobra01..
In the most places, farmers treat most crops with pesticides to increase yields and the foods' eye appeal.
Inevitably, studies have shown, traces of these pesticides remain on the food after harvest and are in the food we eat. People might be tempted to read that study's findings as suggesting that organically grown fruits and veggies are free of potentially toxic pesticides. In fact, the researchers tested only for a few pesticides—those currently approved for use on foods.
In contrast, an undergraduate chemistry student, in a separate small-scale study, recently screened veggies for a number of banned pesticides and made an interesting discovery: The chemicals showed up on both conventionally grown and organic veggies—in roughly comparable amounts. In fact, organic carrots had higher amounts of some chemicals than the conventional vegetables did. Even organic produce, especially root crops such as carrots, can carry trace residues of long-banned pesticides.
That pesticide-free period is supposed to permit rain to wash the soil of chemical residues. However, many long-used toxic—and now-banned—organochlorine pesticides can take decades to break down, Wolensky says. Moreover, many linger in soils for far longer than 3 years. Because root crops, such as carrots, make direct contact with soil, they have plenty of opportunity to contact lingering residues of formerly used pesticide.
Every carrot they tested harbored traces of p,p'-DDE, a breakdown product of the insecticide DDT. The leftover chemical is not only toxic itself but also functions inside the body as a weak hormone (SN: 7/15/95, p. 10). Many carrots carried residues of chlordane, a chemical widely used in treating homes threatened by termites. Some samples also contained small amounts of heptachlor, another once-popular termiticide.
In all the carrot samples, concentrations of these chemicals tended to be small, in the low–parts-per-trillion (ppt) range. Not surprisingly, the skin of the vegetables had accumulated higher concentrations of these chemicals than fleshy interiors had. For instance, in whole carrots, the mean concentration of p,p'-DDE was 40 ppt in the conventional vegetables, and 340 ppt in the organic ones. However, skin concentrations were 588 ppt for the conventional carrots and 3,050 ppt for the organic ones.
The same range of pesticides showed up in both conventionally and organically grown spuds, with the highest concentrations in the skins. For instance, among organic potatoes, mean p,p'-DDE concentrations were 40 ppb in skin but only 1.6 ppb in the flesh. Those values were roughly double the p,p'-DDE concentrations in conventionally labeled potatoes.
The variety of DDT breakdown products, termiticides, and other banned pesticides detected in both studies is consistent with that detected several years ago by an analytical chemist. Residues of chemicals inappropriate for crops turned up in 38 farm fields and two gardens sampled across four states.
At the concentrations detected, none of the chemicals in the carrots or spuds is dangerous alone. The veggies’ lingering residues wouldn't deter them from buying organic produce, because overall, they noted, organically grown crops should harbor far lower concentrations of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals currently applied to conventional crops. Still, they noted, the findings are a concern in that they add to the amount of pesticides entering our bodies from a host of sources—the air, water, household chemicals, and foods.
The residues that they found were what remained after they had washed each carrot, much as any cook might. They recommends that cook's further cut pesticides in families' diets by peeling all carrots, spuds, and other root vegetables before cooking or eating.
By Cobra01..
In the most places, farmers treat most crops with pesticides to increase yields and the foods' eye appeal.
Inevitably, studies have shown, traces of these pesticides remain on the food after harvest and are in the food we eat. People might be tempted to read that study's findings as suggesting that organically grown fruits and veggies are free of potentially toxic pesticides. In fact, the researchers tested only for a few pesticides—those currently approved for use on foods.
In contrast, an undergraduate chemistry student, in a separate small-scale study, recently screened veggies for a number of banned pesticides and made an interesting discovery: The chemicals showed up on both conventionally grown and organic veggies—in roughly comparable amounts. In fact, organic carrots had higher amounts of some chemicals than the conventional vegetables did. Even organic produce, especially root crops such as carrots, can carry trace residues of long-banned pesticides.
That pesticide-free period is supposed to permit rain to wash the soil of chemical residues. However, many long-used toxic—and now-banned—organochlorine pesticides can take decades to break down, Wolensky says. Moreover, many linger in soils for far longer than 3 years. Because root crops, such as carrots, make direct contact with soil, they have plenty of opportunity to contact lingering residues of formerly used pesticide.
Every carrot they tested harbored traces of p,p'-DDE, a breakdown product of the insecticide DDT. The leftover chemical is not only toxic itself but also functions inside the body as a weak hormone (SN: 7/15/95, p. 10). Many carrots carried residues of chlordane, a chemical widely used in treating homes threatened by termites. Some samples also contained small amounts of heptachlor, another once-popular termiticide.
In all the carrot samples, concentrations of these chemicals tended to be small, in the low–parts-per-trillion (ppt) range. Not surprisingly, the skin of the vegetables had accumulated higher concentrations of these chemicals than fleshy interiors had. For instance, in whole carrots, the mean concentration of p,p'-DDE was 40 ppt in the conventional vegetables, and 340 ppt in the organic ones. However, skin concentrations were 588 ppt for the conventional carrots and 3,050 ppt for the organic ones.
The same range of pesticides showed up in both conventionally and organically grown spuds, with the highest concentrations in the skins. For instance, among organic potatoes, mean p,p'-DDE concentrations were 40 ppb in skin but only 1.6 ppb in the flesh. Those values were roughly double the p,p'-DDE concentrations in conventionally labeled potatoes.
The variety of DDT breakdown products, termiticides, and other banned pesticides detected in both studies is consistent with that detected several years ago by an analytical chemist. Residues of chemicals inappropriate for crops turned up in 38 farm fields and two gardens sampled across four states.
At the concentrations detected, none of the chemicals in the carrots or spuds is dangerous alone. The veggies’ lingering residues wouldn't deter them from buying organic produce, because overall, they noted, organically grown crops should harbor far lower concentrations of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals currently applied to conventional crops. Still, they noted, the findings are a concern in that they add to the amount of pesticides entering our bodies from a host of sources—the air, water, household chemicals, and foods.
The residues that they found were what remained after they had washed each carrot, much as any cook might. They recommends that cook's further cut pesticides in families' diets by peeling all carrots, spuds, and other root vegetables before cooking or eating.
EMU
A hot new food for the outdoor cooking season(The emu is from the ratite family and is a cousin of the ostrich.)While hot dogs and hamburgers are still mainstays for the occasional out-door chef, true aficionados have expanded their grilling expertise to include many other dishes. Chicken, pork and beef still dominate the scene; but emu joins salmon and shrimp as being one of the new ‘hot foods’ for the out-door cooking season. A red meat recognized as Heart Healthy™ by the American Heart Association, emu ranked best in 15 out of 20 essential nutrients in a USDA funded study at the University of Wisconsin. “Emu came out lower in fat, including saturated fats, but higher in protein,” reports American Emu Association president Gerald Edwards. “It was also higher in iron and several other essential vitamins than the other six meats tested.” For health conscious individuals who want THE Natural Alternative, EMU meat provides better nutrition while being easy and fast to prepare. It offers taste appeal with appetite satisfaction and is recognized as a healthier red meat by the American Heart Association.Unlike other choices, American EMU meat: * Provides better health benefits than traditional meat proteins – even chicken or turkey. * Offers superior nutrition – best in 15 of 20 essentials according to USDA * Absorbs seasonings better than most meats * Is raised free-range with no hormones, steroids or antibiotics The best way to grill this lean red meat? According to Louisiana Chef Dale Bourgeois there is very little shrinkage, so you can use 3/4 the amount of emu vs. other meats. Bourgeois points out that emu requires a shorter cooking time and lower temperature than traditional meats. “When grilling emu steaks, cook to a medium rare to light medium” (150 to 160 degrees), says Bourgeois. “Fully cooked emu will retain a deep red color so care should be taken to avoid over cooking. If you want well done, use a moist cooking method.” According to Bourgeois, marinade time is reduced as emu retains flavors better than most conventional meats. “Emu is mild flavored and responds especially well to sweet marinades," says Bourgeois. Emu is available in a variety of cuts suitable for the back yard grill, including fillet, flat and fan steaks, medallions, roast, ground and more.
American Emu Association - www.aea-emu.org
American Emu Association - www.aea-emu.org
Saturday, January 5, 2008
EGGS
Eggs can be the easiest, most versatile ingredient to use. Some cooks, however, find them challenging and difficult, with a few tips and tricks though, the egg can be demystified.
1. Go Fresh! Always use the freshest eggs possible; the longer eggs stay in the refrigerator, the more flavor they lose.
2. Let them Warm. Taking eggs out of the refrigerator and putting them into boiling water can spell disaster; this can cause the eggs to crack and lose quality in taste and texture. Setting your eggs out to warm to room temperature is one of the best things you can do. If time is of the essence, place the eggs in cool water and allow it to slowly come to a boil to avoid cracking.
3. Break 'em When you Need 'em. Many people make the mistake of breaking their eggs too early when they're cooking. This means keep your eggs whole until right before they are called for in the recipe. Leaving them broken in a dish for even a few minutes can cause loss of quality.
4. Break 'em Flat. Many home cooks tend to break the eggs on the edge of the bowl, but this can be a huge mistake. When using the edge of anything, tiny pieces of shell can either get inside the egg, or fall into your mixture. Always break the eggs on a flat surface so the shell will break off into bigger pieces.
5. Avoid Foam. Over mixing your eggs can cause them to foam and this causes them to lose quality. If you see foam, skim it off.
6. Strain Away. Straining eggs can actually be a good thing. This allows the membrane and yolk to break up and mix better, therefore improving texture and flavor.
7. Cover with a Cloth. While this could be dangerous in certain situations, if you're able to, put a cloth under the lid when you're cooking eggs; this prevents moisture from dripping onto the surface.
8. Reduce Heat. Cook the eggs on a higher flame for the first two minutes then drop the heat back down to medium to finish. Steamed eggs are finished when the toothpick test produces clear liquid. Overcooking causes loss of flavor and bad texture.
9. A soft-boiled egg is 5-6 minutes, hard is 10-12. Your egg is overcooked if the yolk is discolored; a perfectly colored yolk is the same shade of yellow inside and out. Also, the yolks will solidify without boiling if placed in hot water, while the whites will remain soft.
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report "Master Chef Secrets" and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
1. Go Fresh! Always use the freshest eggs possible; the longer eggs stay in the refrigerator, the more flavor they lose.
2. Let them Warm. Taking eggs out of the refrigerator and putting them into boiling water can spell disaster; this can cause the eggs to crack and lose quality in taste and texture. Setting your eggs out to warm to room temperature is one of the best things you can do. If time is of the essence, place the eggs in cool water and allow it to slowly come to a boil to avoid cracking.
3. Break 'em When you Need 'em. Many people make the mistake of breaking their eggs too early when they're cooking. This means keep your eggs whole until right before they are called for in the recipe. Leaving them broken in a dish for even a few minutes can cause loss of quality.
4. Break 'em Flat. Many home cooks tend to break the eggs on the edge of the bowl, but this can be a huge mistake. When using the edge of anything, tiny pieces of shell can either get inside the egg, or fall into your mixture. Always break the eggs on a flat surface so the shell will break off into bigger pieces.
5. Avoid Foam. Over mixing your eggs can cause them to foam and this causes them to lose quality. If you see foam, skim it off.
6. Strain Away. Straining eggs can actually be a good thing. This allows the membrane and yolk to break up and mix better, therefore improving texture and flavor.
7. Cover with a Cloth. While this could be dangerous in certain situations, if you're able to, put a cloth under the lid when you're cooking eggs; this prevents moisture from dripping onto the surface.
8. Reduce Heat. Cook the eggs on a higher flame for the first two minutes then drop the heat back down to medium to finish. Steamed eggs are finished when the toothpick test produces clear liquid. Overcooking causes loss of flavor and bad texture.
9. A soft-boiled egg is 5-6 minutes, hard is 10-12. Your egg is overcooked if the yolk is discolored; a perfectly colored yolk is the same shade of yellow inside and out. Also, the yolks will solidify without boiling if placed in hot water, while the whites will remain soft.
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report "Master Chef Secrets" and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)