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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Beans, Beans and More Beans

by Emma Snow
Dry beans are among some of the healthiest foods on the planet. Beans are not only a complex carbohydrate, which provides sustained energy throughout the day, but also have many important nutrients such as, calcium, potassium, protein and folate. Plus, you get these benefits without the fat and cholesterol that meat or dairy products might contain. Many Americans do not get the recommended daily fiber they need (25-30 grams a day) and beans are an excellent way to meet these requirements. A cup of cooked black beans contains 8 grams of fiber and a cup of cooked pinto beans contains 12 grams.
One concern when cooking beans is the amount of time they take to fully process. There are a few things that can be done to help with this problem. The first is soaking beans over night. Soaking overnight will help the beans absorb moisture and shorten the time needed to cook them. Another excellent idea is to cook beans in the crock pot over night on low. In the morning they are fully cooked and ready to use or store. They can be rinsed, drained and stored up to a week in the refrigerator or frozen for several months. When cooking or soaking beans do not add salts to the pot or bowl, as salt will prevent the beans from fully cooking and will result in hard beans.
What do you do with your beans? There is no end to the healthy, useful ways to use dry beans in your everyday cooking and baking. The traditional and most frequent use of beans is simply cooked and placed in soups or chili's, mixed with rice or used as a side dish. Although those are excellent ways to incorporate beans into your diet there are many other ways as well.
One of the best kept secrets about beans is their ability to be ground into a fine flour. White beans are recommended as the best choice for bean flour. Bean flour can be substituted for 25% of flour in any recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup bean flour may be used. For those whose families might not be receptive to beans on the table this is a great way to sneak them in. All the benefits of beans will be received in every day items like cookies and bread and no one will be the wiser. It is not recommended to tell them either as this might influence their interest in the items prepared. Bean flour can also be used to make soups creamy without dairy. To make 4 cups of "cream" soup simply heat 2 cups of water in a pan (do not boil) and 4 tsp chicken bouillon (or bouillon of choice). Combine 2 cups cold water with 1 cup bean flour and whisk until there are no lumps. Combine this flour paste with the heated water and bouillon and simmer of low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. To make a thinner soup use less bean flour. Spices, vegetables or meat may be added to the soup base for a delicious and nutritious creamy soup without the calories, fat and dairy, plus this creamy soup has all the health of beans. This recipe may also be substituted for creamy condensed soups in casseroles or other dishes.
The other best kept secret is the use of pureed white beans in place of shortening, butter or margarine in baked goods. After the beans are cooked simply drain and place in a food processor, blender or mash with a fork to create a puree. It should be about the consistency of the fat you are replacing and may be substituted cup for cup or simply for half the fat in the recipe. If the beans are too thick and/or dry, just add a little water and stir in completely. Many ask, "how does it taste" [in cookies, etc.] and the answer is, you can't even tell! The foods are delicious and nutritious!
Beans will be filling, satisfying and incorporate many necessary nutrients into the diet. Combined with rice they are a complete protein and provide all the 8 amino acids for the body. They are inexpensive and packed full of flavor. It doesn't get much better than beans.

Preparing fruit and vegeatbles for the food preservation art of drying

by Nick Burke
Food preservation is a good housekeeping art which has been with us for hundreds of years. The following tips and advice will show you how best to prepare fruit and vegetables for drying.
1) When picking fruits and vegetables for the drying process it is important that you choose fresh produce, otherwise the decomposition of the food itself may have already gone too far.
2) When you are happy with the choices you've made with regards to the food itself, it is time to wash, peel and deseed them. Whilst you're doing this it's a good idea to scour each piece of fruit or vegetable for any damaged patches. If you do find any - and the likelihood is that you will - just cut them out with the peeler. When you are completely happy move on to step three.
3) Step three of this food preservation process is where you cut the individual fruit/veg in small pieces of roughly a ? of an inch. These small pieces will improve the efficiency of the process; this is due to the small surface areas of the pieces, the smaller the surface area, the less moisture they'll contain, thus they'll dry out quicker.
4) If you are drying vegetables then the fourth step you'll need to follow to achieve the desired affect is to boil them in water. This will help kill off those enzymes which causes the vegetables to rot, along with creating the added affect of adding colour and flavour to them
When you are drying fruit, step four is slightly different. The fruit you choose will have to submerged in a lemon juice and water solution. Doing this will stop the fruit from losing their colour and turning brown
5) When the four - above steps - have been followed, it's time to place the fruit and/or vegetables on a drying rack and dry them out.

Germs In The Kitchen

by David Beart
Every day you see television commercials for the latest germ-killing products on the market. Companies are constantly reminding you of the pesky, persistent bacteria that apparently attacks your home throughout the day. It's remarkable that something so small, that you can only see with it a microscope, can be so harmful! But germs are real. However, you have to know what they are exactly to truly combat them. Here's a guide to germs and how you can keep them out of your kitchen in particular.
Bathrooms have a bad reputation for hosting threatening germs, but this reputation is not really earned. Kitchens are where the majority of germs in your house are located. And that's why it's so important not to ignore them. It's easy to forget that the invisible little buggers are lurking behind every corner, but if you do, they will certainly make your life a lot tougher.
The reason you can kill a germ, is because it is indeed a living organism! There are four kinds of germs: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Many germs may invade plants, animals and humans temporarily and with little consequence, and some germs are even good! For example, there is bacteria in out intestines that help us digest our food. Also, doctors are able to engineer medicines and vaccines with the help of bacteria. But for the most part, if germs decide to hang their hat in your body, they will try to take over. Ever been stuck in bed with the flu? If you answered "yes," then you were infected by a virus. Or maybe you've had an ear infection! The culprit was bacteria in that case. Germs consume your much-needed energy and nutrients and produce nasty toxins; toxins that cause those classic symptoms of sickness, like sore throat and coughing. So germs, for the most part, are not our friends.
They are everywhere though. And in places where you store food, like the kitchen, this can be a unique problem.
The best way to prevent germs from invading your body is to simply wash your hands often. Germs are typically transferred from person to person. If someone coughs on your or even just touches you, those nettlesome germs may hop from them to you. This is why door knobs and other objects that people commonly touch are especially germ-ridden. By simply washing your hands with soap often, however, you can kill germs before they have a chance to make you sick. If you've just pet your dog or coughed, then you are more vulnerable to germs, so wash your hands. It's as plain as that.
So, in the kitchen, the same rule applies. Remember to wash your hands often and always before you prepare food. However, there's a bit more you can do than that. Here are some steps you can take to keeping your kitchen nice and clean, so that those malicious germs don't stand a chance.
Fortunately, you don't have to be a neat freak to create a healthy environment for your family. In addition to washing your hands frequently (with soap and warm water), you can use the following tips to ensure those germs die young.
Your counters and sink are a breeding ground for germs. Because your hands, food, utensils, rags, etc, will all grace the counter tops and the sink, you have to keep them clean. Don't cry over spilled milk. Just clean it up immediately!
What you use to clean the counters and sink is not as important as you might think. A sponge or rag or a one-time wipe will all work perfectly. The key is to keep them clean too! Throw that sponge or rag in the washer often. You can also soak your dishcloths in warm, soapy water when they're not being used. The worst thing you can do is clean up your kitchen with a dirty dishcloth. This is why those throwaway disinfectants can be really advantageous! (Always use disinfectant sprays, as well, to go along with your other cleaning supplies.) Remember that warm water and soap are a germ's enemies.
Moreover, be wary of cutting boards. The nooks and crannies in your home are commonly invaded by germs, until they can find a better, living host. When you use a cutting board, you will likely make small dents into it with your knife, and these small crevices lure germs. So make sure that you scrub your cutting board hard after every single use.
Obviously you want your dishes to be spic and span. Thankfully, we have dishwashers these days that do the trick. It can never hurt to give the dishes a little rub with a clean dishcloth before putting them away in the dishwasher however.
Another surprising piece of advice is that paper towels and cups are better than the alternative. You may want to dry off your hands with that cloth towel or drink from that glass. However, sharing hand towels and drinking glasses is the first thing germs want you to do! Why not buy some cheap dispensable paper cups to keep around the kitchen and invest in paper towels? It's a really simple way to prevent those germs from traveling.
Also keep in mind that a room where food and water are common, you have to be extra careful. Damp areas can produce fungi and food that's left out too long will encourage the growth of bacteria.
So, instead of fretting about how clean your toilet bowl is or wiping that sponge over your counter top 20 times in a row, just take into consideration these tips and your kitchen will be less inviting for those ugly germs. Yes, you probably will come down with a cold every once in a while, but you certainly can be on the offense more often than not if you know where to find and kill those germs!

How To Make Perfect Espresso Coffee

by Rob Carlton
All professional coffee makers (baristas) will have their own technique for making the perfect cup of coffee. Here my home-grown suggestion...
The whole process begins with simple water. This water has to be good or no amount of decent coffee grounds will matter. Water should be fresh and piping hot. Water should not be stale, mildewy, unclean and not properly filtered. The perfect temperature is just about at boiling point.
Now for the coffee - choose any coffee that is grown above 3000 feet above sea level. There are many varieties - Brazilian, Bogotan - my favourite is espresso. It should be pre-roasted, fresh within at least three days and smell good.
Robusta is one type of coffee that some people use for espresso machines, but it is not the best because it has very little flavour and way too much caffeine. It is considered an easy to grow plant and fairly disease resistant than other coffee trees.
Coffee should be ground in what is called a burr. Burr blades are pyramid in shape and have plates with two teeth that force the coffee to be ground in between. However, coffee types like Viennese or French roasts are darker and are best chopped in grinders. Grinder blades chop only.
The fineness of the grind is determined by the space between the plates. Good-sized grains are the size of sand. Avoid grains that resemble dust or gravel. Be speedy when removing ground coffee from a grinder. Too much exposure to the air makes it oxidize and absorb nearby smells. Garlic infused coffee would be horrible!
A great cup of espresso requires a clean and top quality espresso machine, or the experience is not worth it. What does this mean? Without a 9 bar pump pressure or more, the machine will be unable to generate thermoblock or boiler heat to properly stew the grinds. The boiler will heat the water to the right temperature. Avoid steam-pressurized machines and be careful not to burn yourself.
The next step is to make the coffee! Warm up your machine and clean it by running fresh water through it. Simply turn it on, allow time for the water to heat up and flush the system and warm the inner surfaces by pouring a cup of water instead of coffee into it.
Now carefully add your grounds and slightly pack them down like you would with pipe style tobacco. It should feel slightly springy, but it should not move around suddenly when you remove your finger.
Put the hopper back into the machine in a firm manner. Warm your espressos cup and stand it underneath the outlet. Press start and in under five seconds you will have a shot's worth of piping hot espresso.
Cappuccino is easily constructed by heating a half-cup of milk in your microwave for 90 seconds until it froths. Add this to your espresso. Garnish lovingly with nutmeg, chocolate or cinnamon. I like all three. Then sprinkle with brown sugar. Enjoy!

Easy and Healthy Slow Cooker Meals

by Robert Thomson
People seem to think that healthy crack pot meals are boring and flat. Some also believe that preparing them is time-consuming and difficult. This kind of thinking is what we are here to change. We want to share with you healthy crack pot meals that you and your family will surely love.
First, we want to share with you a healthy chicken crock pot meal we call the chicken cacciatore. In Italian, the word cacciatore refers to a hunter. In a kitchen setting, this word simply describes a meal prepared "hunter-style" with onions, mushrooms, herbs, tomatoes, bell pepper and sometime wine. So, in preparing this dish, we need three pounds of skinless bone-in chicken thighs, 14 ounce of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, six ounce of canned tomato paste, half a cup of chicken both. To add more flavor to the dish, bring in some sliced onions, three cloves of minced garlic, and chopped bell peppers. To complete the dish, we need one-fourth cup of dry red wine. Don't forget the salt and pepper to season it.
As soon as you get every ingredient on the kitchen table, simply place all these ingredients in a 3-4 quart slow cooker. Then cover and cook the chicken on low heat for 6-8 hours. It's as simple as that. You can serve this with hot cooked pasta or rice depending on what you are craving for.
One of the healthy crock pot meals that you'll surely find flavorful is the slow cooker pork roast and vegetables. This dish is a collaboration of pork sirloin roast with vegetables seasoned with all spice and apple butter.
For this easy-to-make and healthy crock pot meal, we'll use three pounds of boneless pork sirloin roast, four peeled sweet potatoes, three tablespoons of prepared horseradish, a tablespoon of cornstarch and two acorn squash. To give the dish a unique taste, we'll need half a cup of apple butter, half a teaspoon of ground allspice, and quarter of a teaspoon of pepper.
To get started with this dish, heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Then add the pork roast. Occasionally turn it until all its sides are brown. While you're cooking the pork roast, cut squash into 8 wedges. Make sure that you remove the seeds. Without peeling the sweet potatoes, cut them into chunks and place them in the crock pot. Then, put the browned pork roast on top. The next step is mixing together the apple butter, horseradish, cornstarch, all spice and pepper. Then slowly pour the mixture into the crock pot. Let it simmer for about seven to nine hours until the pork and vegetables are tender.
Now, we have two lovely healthy crock pot meals that would certainly change the way you look at healthy foods. If you are thinking of what to serve on a Sunday night, do away with the regular two-minute meals that you could prepare with your microwave. Give your family a chance of experiencing these heavenly yet healthy crock pot meals. So let's both get to the kitchen and start cooking.

Maintenance Tips barbecue

by dennis white
When you buy your barbecue grill, to see it as an investment rather than simply another element for your outdoor entertainment. We can therefore expect that to become a large part of your outdoor activities for many years to come. But like all other investments, maintenance and care is needed to ensure that your barbecue grill will work for you for many years to come. While some maintenance and cleaning is specific to the type of your own barbecue grill (gas, electricity, charcoal barbecue or smoke), the majority of maintenance to be conducted does not change from the grid grid.
Step 1-Gather the necessary elements
You need some of the goods on hand when it comes time to clean your barbecue grill.
Brass wire brush Grill Mat steel wool, preferably, which already contains soap. Flat mild soap A sponge or dishcloth Spray cooking oil Dry baking soda Aluminum
Step 2-brushing Grill Off
The first thing that should always be made for your grill is a routine of brushing. Using your grill brass wire brush (or other brush that suits your type of grid), you should brush off all surfaces. By regularly brushing your barbecue grill, you prevent any kind of accumulation. If the accumulation of food is left long, it may become more difficult to remove.
Step 3-Spray Cooking Oil
Once you are sure your grill is free to all and the accumulation of debris, and your grid is completely cooled off, you want to spray with a light coat of cooking oil. The bottom spray with cooking oil will prevent your barbecue grill from rusting. It is especially important to make sure your barbecue grill is completely cold, as the spray cooking oil on a hot surface can cause oil to heat and ignite, which could be potentially dangerous to you and your barbecue grill.
Step 4-Use baking soda and aluminum foil on your Grill
Baking soda is a great cleaning agent and polishing. Once you have removed supplements the accumulation of debris and rub your barbecue grill lightly with baking soda will give even more shine, similar to the day that you have made at home from the store. It can also be used on the handles and knobs to remove any additional accumulation which can only be removed with a wire brush.
Aluminum can also be used to maintain your schedule looking nice. Rub gently foil on your grill, and you will notice that it removes the accumulation and dark.
Step 5-Clean your Racks
The shelves in your grid is especially important since this is where the food touches when it is cooking. Use the wire brush to remove as much as possible the accumulation. Once you remove as much as possible, begin to wash racks with soap dish. If the shelves are really dirty, you can also use the carpet of steel wool. Be sure to rinse completely all soap residue before cooking and on the shelves.
Step 6-Preventing Problems
The majority of problems resulting from barbecue grills comes from the lack of cleaning and maintenance. This means that if you see something does not seem very well with your barbecue grill, chances are it can be corrected with a simple cleaning. Even if you clean, and he still finds it difficult, at least you saved yourself the potential embarrassment of giving it to a professional just to find everything that was required was to be cleaned.
Finally, a method to prevent problems with your barbecue grill is protecting it from the outside. Covers are available for the grids of all shapes and sizes, then the chances are you will find one that fits your grill. If you have a lid on your barbecue grill, then all you will ever need to do is to do regular maintenance listed above. www.bbq101.blogspot.com

Coffee Pods To Start A Great Day

by Dave Text
A great day begins with a cup of freshly roasted coffee. And that you get from an excellent coffee pod. Pods or coffee pods or espresso pods are a simple way to get a perfect espresso and with excellent results.
But for the beginners let's answer a simple question first i.e. what are coffee pods? Coffee pods are freshly roasted coffee, ground perfect, tampered to the correct pressure and then encapsulated in a paper. It is the beginning of a rich experience of the way you drink coffee.
The original pod was first designed by Illy caffe around 10 years ago. It was the year 1996 when Illy opened its idea to the coffee industry to bring a standard pod size to the market. Many coffee machine makers now offer adaptors with their machines to accept pods.
By using them in your machine not only can you guarantee perfect results, there is no mess and they help to look after your machine. In fact used ones can even be used as fertilizer for your garden as well. That is why a rich coffee taste is always benefiting.
If you are an espresso connoisseur by heart you can find a great relief with the coffee pods. As an espresso lover you understand that there are many ways of preparation where the espresso can get wrong, the grind, the measurement, freshness, the roast, tampering, temperature, water pressure are some areas which one has to watch out to make that special cup of coffee.
Now if you wonder what the best kind of coffee pod is, the answer is the home made one. Don't be shocked, it is true to the last drop of espresso. You can actually make them from your freshly roasted coffee beans. Although it is not that easy but it is sheer fun and little adventure to make one in your kitchen itself.
What you need is your favorite freshly roasted coffee beans perfectly grounded to fine powder, a sheet of filter paper and some kitchen tools. The first step to get a home made is to get the correct measuring scoop for the size of the pod. Take the coffee style filter paper sheet and put it in the scoop.
The next step is to find a glass bottle or something similar which can be used to pressure the paper in that scoop. If you have found the right size of glass jar (in most cases you will) center the filter around the jar and do it by putting the combination back in the scoop leaving a cup shaped filter paper in the scoop. Add one scoop, or about 2 teaspoons of your favorite ground coffee to this paper-filter-cup more or less to taste.
The typical coffee scoops that come with makers hold about 7 grams of coffee which is just about right. Give the cup a slight shake to evenly spread the grounds across the bottom of the filter, and then use your finger to gently fold over the extra filter material, completely covering the ground coffee. For a really well-formed pod, you can place the jar into the scoop one last time and press down really hard with the palm of your hand.
At last your favorite coffee pod is now ready to be put into the espresso machine to enjoy that rich taste of coffee. And who said coffee is not about fun.

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