Posts Tagged ‘recipes’

There can be little doubt that beef is one of the most popular meats in the world, and this is not likely to change any time soon.

In times of late, there has been ample argument on the question of whether beef is a safe food to be enjoyed by all, or a dangerous ‘bad’ food to be shunned at all costs.

So what are we to believe?Just a 80 gram offering of quality beef may supply more than 10% of the consumers essential daily requirement of vitamin b6, protein, vitamin b12, zinc, iron, niacin and phosphorus.

However, before we do so, here is a really tasty beef recipe that you can cook for your children or family.

This is a really tasty recipe for ‘macaroni and beef chili’. It is quick to make and is a good meal for a crowd.

Ingredients:
—————-
Macaroni – uncooked : one c
Lean Minced Beef : half a pound
Garlic powder : 0.5 tsp
Hot cayenne or chili Powder : one tsp
Salt : 1 x pinch
Freshly ground black peppercorns : 1 x sm. pinch
Tomato soup : 1 Tin
Quality cheddar cheese : 1 x oz. (finely grated)

Instructions:
—————-
Bring a good sized saucepan of water to the boil and cook the macaroni about 7 minutes.
Fry the meat until browned in another good sized pan and very carefully drain off any fat that has been produced.
Stir in the garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper and then stir until well mixed.
Reduce the heat and fry gently for approximately 5 mins.
Stir in the cooked macaroni and tomato soup, and bring to a rolling boil.
Cook for a few more minutes until soup and macaroni are heated through.

Before you serve, add the cheese, and heat briskly till it melts.

Ladle into bowls and serve your guests.

This is a great beef recipe to cook in volume as left overs can be kept in the fridge and served the next day.
If you have cooked very large quantities, you can leave the cheese out and freeze portions for later. Once it is ready add the cheese, and heat briskly till it has melted.

Now you have a good beef recipe here are a few definitive nutrition facts:

1/. The zinc that is in quality beef is imperative for normal growth, strengthens the immune system, has been proven to help heal cuts and grazes, controls hunger and appetitie and can improve your ability to experience taste.

2/. Many folk think that you must stay away from beef as thinking it includes increased levels of saturated fat. Although this may once have been the case, lean beef sold nowadays is much healthier than it was in the past, and due to modern farming methods well over half the fats found in today’s quality beef are monounsaturated fats which are thought by experts to be more ‘heart friendly’ than other fats.

3/. Some folk claim that people on a diet must not eat beef. If they did any research, they would soon see that this is plain wrong, in reality the 80 gram portion of beef that real experts prescribe as a sensible daily limit, is really just 10% of the regular two thousand calories per day diet.

4/. If you think about it on paper, beef is nearly as beneficial for you as expensive multivitamins as it is a first-rate provider of iron, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin b6, protein and vitamin b12.

5/. Even a 3 ounce serving of lean beef can deliver more than ten percent of ones required daily requirement of phosphorus, vitamin b6, protein, vitamin b12, zinc, iron, and niacin.

6/. Lean beef is a good source of Vitamin b12 and vitamin b6, which are believed by nutritionalists to help in reducing strokes and heart attacks and also assist the body to make erythrocytes.

7/. Taking the uncooked weight,, 100 grams of beef provides:

* approximately 200 kcal
* 12.15g of fat.
* 319mg of Potassium.
* 3.8mg of Zinc.
* 20.71g of Protein.

If this beef recipe is not for you, why not try something completely different? By searching online, you can easily find a good selection of chicken recipes or fish recipes that should satisfy those who don’t like beef, and if you have any non-meat eaters in you family, there are just as many vegetarian recipes to enjoy.

I trust this has left you with a better understanding of both the pros and cons of consuming beef, and also given you a wonderful new addition to your cookbook.

Technorati Tags: beef, cook, cooking, diet, eating, food, nutrition, recipes

Italian Parma Ham and Other Recipes

Emilia-Romagna stretches from the Ligurian border in northeastern Italy to the Adriatic Sea. As the name indicates, historically it was composed of two regions, Emilia and Romagna. It may be the only region of Italy named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. It is one of the most prosperous regions of Italy with strong agricultural, industrial, and tourist economic activity. Its total population is about 3.9 million.

Emilia-Romagna produces a very wide variety of pasta, fruits and vegetables, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheese, and fresh and cured meats. Two of its biggest stars are a cheese, Parmigiano Regianno, and a ham, Prosciutto di Parma. Parmesan cheese as it’s known in English, was mentioned by the famous Italian author of the Fourteenth Century, Giovanni Boccaccio. We review it below. Parma ham, as it’s known in English, is an uncooked ham that is dry cured for at least ten months. Usually it is served in very thin slices, often as appetizer with melon.

Bologna whose population is about 375,000 is the administrative center of Emilia-Romagna. It is the home of the first university in the Western World, founded in the 11th Century. Bologna is also considered the capital of Italian gastronomy, in spite of its unfortunate association with a low-quality sandwich meat. Another city of interest is Rimini, a resort center on the Adriatic Sea with a population of 135 thousand.

Emilia-Romagna devotes about 178,000 acres to grapevines, it ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 125 million gallons, giving it a 4th place. About 57% of the wine production is red, leaving 43% for white. The region produces 18 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 1 DOCG white wine, Albana di Romagna. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. In fact, while this wine was the first white wine to be accorded the DOCG designation in Italy (1987), many feel that Albana di Romagna does not deserve such an award. (I have never tasted this wine, and from the reviews that I’ve read, I’m in no hurry to taste it.) About 21% of Emilia-Romagna wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Emilia-Romagna is home to more than four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, a few more red than white.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia and Trebbiano. The best known strictly Italian white varieties are Albana (source of the DOCG wine) and Pignoletto.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the only widely grown international red grape variety. The best known strictly Italian red variety is Bonarda. The Italian red varieties Barbera and Sangiovese are found elsewhere, including California.

Before reviewing the Emilia-Romagna wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Gelato di Parmigiano, Parmigiano ‘Ice Cream’, which includes heavy cream and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, suggested as an appetizer.

A more traditional dish is Scaloppine di Vitello alla Bolognese, Veal Scaloppine all Bolognese, which also includes Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, as well as other local specialties Prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar.

For dessert (as if the ice cream wasn’t a dessert) try Torta Bonissima, a Honey and Nut Pie.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Donini Lamberti Trebbiano-Chardonnay IGT 2005 12% alcohol about $8 (liter)

Everybody has prejudices. I approached this bottle with several of them. It seems to me that a liter of wine is usually too big, accentuating quantity at the expense of quality. Given the economics of the wine industry, I am usually reticent to purchase a bottle for $8, which would be $6 for a regular-sized bottle. And finally while Emilia-Romagna is often known for its red wines, it is not particularly known for its white wines, with an unfortunate exception, the DOCG wine Albana di Romagna, discussed above. And now to the actual wine.

The first time that I drank this wine I found that its taste was one of green apples, dominating everything else but still light on flavor if not unpleasant. It didn’t really accompany the food, a breaded chicken cutlet in sweet and sour sauce with potatoes cooked in chicken fat. As the wine aged a bit, (it takes a long time to finish a liter if you don’t care to drink very much at a time) it got better instead of worse. I have read that 3.5 million bottles of this type wine are produced yearly. I understand that it is popular in fish restaurants along the Adriatic Sea. I’d love to find out for sure. Final verdict, not bad for the price.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a cooked, unpressed semi-fat hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It is encased in a thin, yellow rind. This cheese is finely grained and very flaky. Its taste is delicate and fragrant, and frankly wasted with a wine of this quality.

Italian Kitchen: Noodles with Parma ham and Parmesan
Noodles with Parma ham and Parmesan (Tagliatelle al crudo e Grana). A different way to serve parma ham.

Broccoli and Parma Ham Quiche
I hope you understand that this is an Asian kitchen, where it would be easier and simpler to stir-fry.

Tenderloin of pork wrapped in parma ham
Tenderloin of pork wrapped in parma ham. As served in Cheltenham last Monday with pork.

Parma Ham, Goats Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Salad
Arrange the sun dried tomato segments around the outside. Tear up the Parma Ham and add onto the cheese.

Parma Ham Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Goats Cheese
Once stuffed, wrap the parma ham around the chicken and place into another oiled baking tray.

Technorati Tags: Italian, parma ham, recipe, recipes, uncooked ham

Breakfast Casserole Recipes

Need to jazz up your breakfast menus? Here are some yummy breakfast casserole recipes.

Cooking in a casserole is one of the fastest and also easiest ways to make any kind of food item. These can help you whip up some excellent mouthwatering dishes in a comparatively shorter time. The breakfast time is one of the busiest for most professionals. Although, this is also the most important meal of the day, most tend to ignore it due to ‘lack of time’. Well, with some time management, you can whip up these breakfast casserole recipes mentioned below and look forward to some delicious breakfast times with the entire family.

Breakfast Casserole Recipes:
Mushroom and Cheese Casserole Recipe-
Ingredients:

• White Bread Buttered (4 – Slices)
• Margarine (2 Tablespoons)
• Onion chopped (1)
• Cubed ham or sausage (1 cup)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup)
• Shredded Swiss cheese (1 cup)
• Mushrooms chopped (1 cup)
• Flour (1 tablespoon)
• Garlic ( tsp)
• Salt ( tsp)
• Eggs-beaten (4 )
• Yellow prepared mustard (1 tablespoon)
• Milk (1 cup)

Preparation:
First, you need to butter a 9" square pan. Use some butter on the 4 slices of white bread. Now, keep the bread with the buttered side down in the pan. Next, saut around 2 tablespoons of margarine with 1 chopped onion, 1 cup cubed ham or sausage and 1 cup chopped mushrooms for around five minutes. Once done, spread this over the bread. Now, you have to combine the shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup) with shredded Swiss cheese and around 1 tablespoon of flour. This mixture needs to be spread over the meat mixture.
Mix the tsp garlic, 1 tablespoon mustard, teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk along with the four beaten eggs. Pour this over the other ingredients and refrigerate overnight. All you need to do in the morning is bake it uncovered in the casserole for around 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Egg and Bacon Casserole Recipe-
Ingredients:

• Butter or margarine (1/4 cup)
• Seasoned croutons (4 cups)
• Milk (2 cups)
• Eggs-beaten (8)
• Dry mustard (1/2 teaspoon)
• Bacon-cooked and crumbled (1 package-12 ounces)
• Shredded Cheddar cheese (2 cups-8 ounces)

Preparation:
Firstly, you need to butter an 11x7x2" baking dish. Place this dish in a microwave oven to slightly melt this butter. Now, pour the croutons over the butter. Sprinkle some cheese on this and set it aside. Mix the milk, eggs and the mustard together. Now pour this egg mixture over the cheese and sprinkle it with bacon. Bake the entire combo for around 40 to 50 minutes at 325 degrees. Before you serve this dish, keep the casserole for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Breakfast Casserole: Country Style-
Ingredients:

• Fat-free sour cream (1/2 cup)
• Fat-free cheese (4 slices)
• Green onions (2)
• Lean ham (4 ounces)
• Eggs (2)
• Egg whites (6)
• Fat-free milk (2 cups)
• Grated Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons)
• Pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
• Dry mustard -optional (1/2 teaspoon)
• Frozen country-style hash browns (2 pounds)
• Nonstick cooking spray

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; meanwhile lightly coat a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Chop the ham and place it in the baking pan. Next, combine the sour cream with the hash browns and place it on top of the ham. Sprinkle some diced cheese on the hash browns. Use a medium bowl to whisk together 2 eggs and the 6 egg whites. Chop the onion and use the remaining ingredients to pour over the hash browns. Now, bake this for an hour at 350 degrees. Cut this into squares before serving. Ensure you let it cool down for around 10 minutes at room temperature, before you begin the cutting.

Ham And Eggs Hashbrown Bake Recipe
Ham and Eggs Hashbrown Bake recipe from GroupRecipes.com. Great for breakfast and easy dinners.

The Power of Bacon! San Miguel Pure Foods Bacon
Post, Comment 1 (Bacon or Ham Monte Cristo@Leftover Ham Recipes).

Cooking Tip of the Day: Recipe: Pea Soup II
Recipe: Pea Soup II. This version of a Potage St. Germain or Puree of Fresh Pea Soup is from cooking tip of the day.

Bed & Breakfast Brunch Enchiladas Recipe
A recipe for Bed & Breakfast Brunch Enchiladas containing ground fully cooked ham.

Valentine’s Day Stuffed French Toast
1/2 lb Boiled ham (thinly sliced) 1 Package American Cheese. Directions:. In a large skillet cook all ingredients.

Six Easy Breakfast Ham Recipes
Whether purpose-bought or leftover from a Sunday/holiday dinner, the frugal cook will stretch that ham six easy ways.

Technorati Tags: bacon, breakfast, recipes, using ham