Summer Grilling
Easy Recipe Tips and Tricks
by: Jane CopelandLet’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
Recipe Of The Day
On The Grill
How To Grill Fish Easily
By Jean-Louis VosgienGrilling is a delicious and easy way to quickly cook fish without adding more than a tiny bit of extra fat! In France, this is often greatly improved by adding herbs to the side of fish that is being grilled while you are cooking the fish. In other words, you actually grill the herbs along with the fish.
This method can be used with a whole gutted fish or a fillet. It is best to leave the skin on your fish for this cooking method as it will protect the fragile flesh from breaking up during the cooking process.
Salt the fish (and pepper it, if you wish). If you want, you can make small diagonal slits in the skin to allow it to get more crispy while cooking and also to let in any other flavors you may want to add while preparing or cooking.
Heat a stove top grill or BBQ on high heat until water splashed onto it sizzles. Then, very lightly grease your cast iron grill with a paper towel that has a little olive oil on it. When hot, lay the fish, skin-side down and allow to cook about 2/3 of the way through if you are cooking a fillet. When it is 2/3 cooked, gently turn the fish over and quickly grill the other side (the remaining 1/3 of the fish). If you are cooking a whole fish, leave it to cook all the way through on one side and then turn it over and grill the other side. (Each “side” of the fish being up to the bone in the middle.)
The bigger the piece of fish, the “lower” the heat but you still need to grill the fish quickly at a high heat so only turn it down a bit.
If you have a skinless filet and you only have a grill on which to cook it, I recommend that you grill it on top of a lightly oiled piece of parchment paper.
You need to keep an eye on your fish and turn the heat down if necessary.
Fish is almost translucent when raw and looses its translucence (becomes opaque) the instant that it is done. This is the exact moment to serve, as fish becomes rubbery very easily when over-cooked. Serve fish on a warm plate.
You can serve fish with olive oil and also with freshly squeezed lemon. You can also serve fish with a sauce.
Want to know more? Download the free ebook excerpt "Cook French and Stay Slim" by Jean-Louis Vosgien www.photos-and-recipes.com
Jean-Louis Vosgien is a culinary consulting chef. He was the first chef in France to introduce in the 1980's fusion food, which at the time was unknown, and is considered an expert in that field by press people. He created two cookery schools, one in Saint-Tropez and the second in Lorgues, near Saint-Tropez He created a cake, famous in France, “Le Canelou de Provence”, sold today in the three major supermarket chains in France.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jean-Louis_Vosgien
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Grill-Fish-
Easily&id=549347
Smoothie Recipe's
Apple Smoothie
2 cups apple sauce
1 cup apple cider
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Vermont maple syrup
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into glasses and serve.
Banana Orange Twist
3 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cups milk
1/2 cups water
1/2 small banana, sliced
5 ice cubes
Combine everything except ice and blend for 15 seconds. Add ice and blend for 2 minutes.
Cappuccino Smoothie
2 cups brewed double strength coffee1 pint coffee ice cream
6 cups ice
1 1/2 cups milk
Whipped cream, if desired
Cinnamon for garnish Place coffee, ice cream, ice and milk in blender.
Mix until smooth.
Top with whipped cream and cinnamon.
For More wonderful recipe's visit smoothierecipies.net
How to Choose a Roasting Pan
Having a good roasting pan will help you to create easy and delicious meals from turkeys to pot roast to rack of lamb. Here are some tips on how to choose a roasting pan so that you can enjoy cooking in the oven.
Choosing a Material for your Roasting Pan
Roasting pans come in a wide range of materials ranging from aluminum to copper to glass and clay. A great choice for roasting pan material is stainless steel with an aluminum core. Stainless steel roasters last a very long time and they won't react with foods, while the aluminum core ensures that heat is transmitted evenly throughout the pan. These roasters will last longer than aluminum, though they will also be more expensive.
Glass and clay roasters are excellent for roasted vegetables, but they won't provide a good browning for meats. They might also crack or split under the higher heats and heavier weights of roast meats.
Why You Should Choose a Heavy Roasting Pan
Heavier roasting pans are preferable because a thicker layer of metal means that heat will transfer better, but also because thin materials may flex and bend while removing them from the oven. This increases the chances of being splashed and badly burned while handling your roasts.
How Large Should a Roasting Pan Be?
It's a good idea to select the largest roasting pan that you can fit into your oven while still having about two inches on each side for airflow. A small roasting pan really limits the size of the meals you can cook, because packing meats against the side of the pan prevents heat from reaching that portion of the food, slowing down the cooking time.
Selecting Roasting Pans with Good Handles
The typical meats, vegetables, and liquids found in a roast are very heavy, so strong handles are especially important when choosing a roasting pan. Be sure that the handles are made from a sturdy, oven-proof material, and that they are large enough to accommodate your hands while wearing oven mitts. Riveted handles are the most sturdy and durable.
Do You Need a Roasting Rack?
Using a roasting rack with your meals means that your meat is not cooked in its fat, making it healthier and lower in calories. Furthermore, the air circulates around the entire circumference of the meat, speeding the cooking times. Make sure that the rack fits snugly into the roasting pan, and that the handles are study to allow you to easily lift your roast for carving.
A roasting pan is a great addition to any kitchen. These tips should help you find the right pan for your individual needs, in order to make roasting as easy and pleasant as possible.
Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware - a guide to kitchen cookware, stainless cookware sets and cast iron cookware.
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Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware - a guide to kitchen cookware, stainless cookware sets and cast iron cookware.