Cooking Recipes

Corned beef is usually a cut of brisket or round that is pickled or ‘corned’ in a brine. The term corned comes from the tiny grains or corns of salt used in the pickling process. Now, if you have never had this delicious cut of meat, don’t turn your nose up yet. It does not taste like pickles. But, when prepared with cabbage and other vegetables you can count on a delicious and unique flavor that will call you back for more.

You will need

• 1 corned beef brisket, about 6 pounds
• 1 medium head of green cabbage and 1 medium head of red cabbage. (You can use 2 heads of green or red, the choice is yours)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cups white turnips cut into bite size pieces
• 4 carrots chopped into bite size pieces
• 6 potatoes, quartered
• Water or chicken broth to cover
• 3 -6 tablespoons vinegar
• OPTIONAL: 1 pound bacon

Place the meat, one onion quartered, and the seasoning packet that is usually included into a pot of water or chicken broth to cover. Heat to boiling and skim off any fat that accumulates on top. Yo won’t be able to get it all but that is fine. Just remove what you can. Reduce the heat and simmer about 2-3 hours.

After about 3 hours add the turnips, carrots, and potatoes. Meanwhile clean the cabbages and slice them into strips by quartering first then slicing down through each quarter. This creates smaller pieces that are easier to eat. About 1 hour before serving add the cabbage, cover and simmer until cabbage is tender.

OPTIONAL: We love fried cabbage with our corned beef. Here is how we make it.

Fry the bacon until crisp and set aside. Cook one medium diced onion in the bacon fat until soft and translucent adding the cabbage and cooking until it is tender. Crumble the bacon over the cabbage in the final few minutes of cooking. Serve along-side the corned beef.

Add some homemade biscuits and you have a meal your family will ask for time and again.

Here is a quick, drop biscuit recipe

You will need

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking-powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons shortening or butter
• 3/4 cup of milk or half milk and half water

Mix the dry ingredients and sift. Cut in the shortening or butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles small peas in size. Add liquid a little at a time until the mixture forms a soft batter. You may have to add more or less liquid if the humidity is high or with certain types of flours. You want to be able to drop the batter from a spoon and have it remain in a mound.

Drop batter onto greased baking pans or into muffin tins lined with paper baking cups.Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned. You can brush with melted butter prior to baking if you like. You could also mix into the batter some of the bacon crumbles from the fried cabbage option if you like.

In the crock pot you would add all the ingredients, meat, cabbage, and vegetables,omit the bacon and fried option. Cover and cook on high for one hour, then turn to medium and allow to cook all day, 6-8 additional hours. When you arrive home you will have a hot and hearty meal.

It seems sad to me that we have moved away from home cooking and into the drive up lines. With a little advanced planning we can easily create hearty and healthy meals for ourselves and our families, if we are just willing to devote a little time to the task. While fast foods and eating out has their place in our busy lifestyles, nothing will ever, in my opinion, replace the home cooked meal. After all, you can’t bottle the love that is stirred into that pot by someone who cares enough to cook you a home-made dinner.

If you want to satisfy your family’s craving for this popular food without the rapidly rising costs and minus the additives you should try making your burgers at home.The process is simple and quick and the result is a juicy, flavorful burger that can stand alone,or stand up to the additions of your favorite toppings like, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, bacon or whatever else you desire.

You will need

• 1 to 2 pounds ground beef – You may choose a variety with a low percentage of fat if you like such as a ground round but some fat content will give you a better tasting burger.
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup bread crumbs, soft and finely crumbled
• 2 teaspoons steak sauce
• 1 to 2 packets of onion soup mix OR if you are limiting salt in your diet use one medium onion chopped finely, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix the eggs, crumb, steak sauce, and onion soup packet or onions and seasonings into the meat mixture until the bread crumbs are fully incorporated. Form into patties. Keep in mind that each patty will shrink by about 1/4 when cooked so make them a little larger than the bread or bun you plan to serve them on.

Cook the burgers on a medium hot grill, turning once until done, depending on how you prefer your burgers. I would suggest you always cook the burger to at least a medium-well( a slightly pink,warm, center).

or

Cook in a pan on the stove over a medium heat.Turning only once. You could also bake them on a rack in the oven.

Serve with your favorite garnishes such as lettuce, tomato, pickles,onions, mayo, and so on. Your options are limited only by your tastes and imagination.

While the trusty hamburger is the all time favorite, you can use this basic recipe to make larger hamburger steaks that you serve with vegetables, potatoes and a fork, or you can serve with a gravy. Unlike those fast food burgers, as good as they may be, the hamburger you make at home has no added artificial ingredients and you can control the amount of salt you add.

We now know that salt is one of the ingredients we eat that lead to heart problems and high blood pressure. We should be looking for ways to eliminate salt wherever we can. An added bonus is the cost savings you will see by making your burgers at home. A typical meal for four at a popular hamburger restaurant can run about $30 on average. If you choose the ‘meal deals’ the bill can be even more. I ran through a local fast food place the other day for a fruit smoothie drink and the first thing I heard over the driver through intercom was, ‘Can I interest you in our $10.95 meal deal of…’What? How is that a deal. We are talking burgers and fries folks. Get real!

Make the burgers yourself at home and even with all the fixings you can easily feed a family of four for under twenty bucks.Add some oven baked and seasoned fries and a side of baked beans and you have a summer party menu any time of the year. Put the savings in the gas tank,or treat yourselves to a carton or two of good ice cream for dessert.And remember,nothing can replace the love that is captured in that meat when it is made with your own two hands.

Cut the fat and concentrate the taste with a few simple changes in an old standby beef stew recipe. Choose leaner cuts of beef whenever possible, cook vegetables in wine instead of butter, and you will find you have a fresh-tasting hearty meal.

You will need

Vegetable Oil or Cooking Spray

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of well-trimmed beef rump or top round, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup of dry red wine (Please, do not use anything labeled ‘cooking wine. If it isn’t good to drink, don’t use it.
• 1/2 cup each chopped onion, celery, and carrot
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup reduced-sodium (I love Herb Oz with 0 sodium- mix one packet in 1 cup hot water) or homemade beef broth
• 1 cup canned, drained, plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme,parsley or basil,or a pinch of dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 small new potatoes
• 2 packed tablespoons fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves plus tender stems
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 cup peeled, cubed parsnips
• 1 cup trimmed,peeled baby carrots
• 1 cup trimmed, cut fresh green beans
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat a large, 4 to 5 quart, non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat until hot enough to evaporate a drop of water upon contact. Spray the bottom of the pan lightly with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Add the pieces of meat, a few chunks at a time. Cook, turning until browned on all sides. About 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add the wine to the pan and boil 2 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, and 1 of the garlic cloves. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, and thyme sprig, or other herbs. Return the browned meat and any juices in the dish to the saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the meat is fork-tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the meat to a side dish and cover with foil. Transfer the vegetables and juices to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to the saucepan, add the meat, cover and keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium, 8 to 10 inch, skillet over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a piece of potato. Add the potatoes, cut sides down, cover and cook over medium-low heat until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and turn heat to medium-high. Cook the potatoes, turning, until golden brown on all sides,about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a side dish. Finely chop the parsley, thyme leaves and remaining garlic clove together, add to the potatoes and toss to coat.
5. While the potatoes are cooking, add 1 inch of water to a large, 4 quart, saucepan. Set a folding steamer basket over the water. Place the parsnips, carrots, and green beans in the basket. Cover and steam about 10 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the basket from the saucepan.
6. Season the meat and blended sauce with salt and pepper. Add the steamed vegetables and toss to coat. Add the potatoes and stir just to blend.

Server immediately. Makes about 4 servings with only 427 calories per serving and about 204 mg of sodium

The extra few steps in this recipe create a depth of flavor that you would traditionally get only by cooking everything together for a long time, such as in a crock pot. While it may seem from the reading that this is a complicated process, you will be surprised at how quickly you can pull this dish together. I hope you will give it a try soon.

This is a traditional recipe for Pfeffernusse cookies which are often made in Germany during the Christmas holiday season. They are spicy, crisp, peppery cookies which are wonderful for dunking in milk or coffee. Their taste even improves with age when kept in a sealed air-tight container at room temperature. Baked cookies can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Grease cookie sheets and set aside.

Melt butter or margarine over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Stir in the molasses and honey and continue to heat and stir until mixture is creamy and well blended. Remove the saucepan from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir eggs into the cooled mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, anise seeds and salt until well blended. Stir in the molasses mixture and mix well until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 to 2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll dough into small balls about 3/4 inch in diameter. Place dough balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Use a spatula to move cookies to a cooling rack.

Place powdered sugar in a plastic bag. Adding a small amount of cookies at a time, shake gently to coat completely with powdered sugar.

Recipe yields about 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

What is it that you’re looking for. Something tasty which your family would like or just something good you would like to eat. Maybe you just love cooking and wants to cook new food daily. There are many recipes in this world because of the culture. Look for some of the best recipe book you can find and utilize it. Maybe there are free recipe books as well.

Where do I look? One of the best place to go is a cooking store. But if you don’t have any stores around you like that, do not worry. Just go to Walmart and look at all the recipe books. There is quite a selection to choose from so take your time. Maybe you’ll buy more than one because to want to try all different recipes, from all different cultures.

How do I choose a recipe book? Take time to research online. If you are picky, you should research what culture you like. What type of taste you like. Do you like salty or sweet? Then go build a list from there. Deserts or appetizers, there are many to choose from. Just be prepared to choose a lot if you like them all.

Don’t have the money to buy recipe books? There are many gift offers you can get on the internet. Walmart gives out some on the internet. Maybe if it’s hard for you do find out where the gift card offers are. It is easy to find and you might have a chance to win big money. More the merrier.

When you have finished a jar of pickles at home, instead of throwing away the remaining liquid, use the pickle juice for making a great snack.

This recipe doesn’t require any time at all. No greasy, sugar stuff, no special kitchen equipment! All what you need is: some pumpkin seeds (fresh or dry), pickle juice in a jar (any kind), pizza baking sheet and oven.

Pickle juice contains salt, calcium chloride and vinegar, in addition to many other elements. It cures muscles cramps, hiccups, hangover and other dysfunctions related to excessive body fluid loss. It is a popular athletics drink, cocktails ingredient, diet supplement and secret Chief cook trick for adding in salads, marinades, and ready meals.

Pumpkin seeds contain fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, protein, carbohydrates, manganese, selenium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, potassium, beta-carotene, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6 and used for healthy cooking of many other foods and recipes. Eating pumpkin seeds helps with hair loss, dental caries, getting rid of intestinal parasites like tapeworm, digestion health, healthy kidney and prostate function, healthy vision, atrophy, abnormal growth, inflammation, cystitis, cardiovascular diseases, mental health. Adding pumpkin seeds to your diet will lower cholesterol levels and strengthen immune system.

Follow The Easiest Five Steps:

* Rinse fresh seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings.(This is easiest just after you’ve removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried. You can use this recipe for dry pumpkin seeds as well.)
* Soak them over 3 or more nights in a pickle juice jar.
* Drain seeds and place them in a single layer on a pizza baking sheet.
* Preheat oven on broil hi temperature ( about 400F ). Broil pumpkin seeds on the same pizza baking sheet until toasted about 10-15 minutes, checking and stirring often.(Light golden color and wonderfully crunchy texture are fine!)
* Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

Pumpkin seeds are the best natural organic remedy for body detox cleansing. Adding them to your diet will lower cholesterol levels and strengthen immune system. They contain omega fat acids and a high amount of magnesium which has a calming effect on the brain. Their nutritive value is:

· Vitamin A: 70 I.U.

· Vitamin B:

· Thiamine:.24 mg

· Riboflavin:.19 mg.

· Niacin: 2.4 mg.

· Calcium: 51 mg.

· Iron: 11.2 mg.

· Phosphorus: 1,144 mg.

· Fat: 46.7 gm.

· Carbohydrates: 15.0 gm.

· Protein: 29.0 gm.

Enjoy this healthy non-toxic recipe! Find out more of how to make it with the video and pictures here [out] . All the best natural nutritional supplements for body detox cleansing include pumpkin seeds. In fact, the most popular and famous Paranil, a liver and colon purifying complex, is based on pumpkin seeds.

I previously wrote about some easy recipes for lazy students who’ve never cooked for themselves, and today I’d like to continue in that series with a really tasty yet authentic recipe for Chinese Egg Fried Rice. My wife, being Chinese, makes this all time. And I love it!

Traditionally, egg fried rice is a dish designed to use up left-overs – you wouldn’t cook up a batch of fresh rice just to make it, for instance. In Asian families, it’s quite normal to have the rice cooker in constant use, so there is always warm rice on hand – which also inevitably means that sometimes the rice won’t be that nice to eat on it’s own, so that why egg fried was invented.

It’s a simple recipe with a lot of room for customizing, with whatever meat and veg was left from last nights dinner – so don’t feel like you have to stick to it rigidly.

Main Ingredients:

- 2 eggs

- 2 teaspoons of Sesame oil

- 300g of any regular or long grain white rice

- 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 of pepper

- 1 spring onion

- 1 tablespoon of Soy sauce

Other things you might want to add:

- 100g Ham, Bacon, or Beef

- 100g Peas (frozen is fine)

- 100g bean sprouts

- Red or green pepper

- Really, whatever is left in the fridge!

Instructions:

I’m going to assume your rice is already cooked, and either sitting in a container in the fridge, or still warm in the rice cooker. Either is fine to work with.

Start by lightly beating the eggs, but not too much. My wife always fries the egg first, so pour a single teaspoon of Sesame oil into a pan and fry the eggs as if to scramble them. Don’t cook them too much though, just so they solidify – you don’t want them brown. Take them out and throw them back in the bowl for the time being.

At this point, how you make it will depend on what your ingredients are. Whatever you are using though, chop it up small. A really big Chinese cleaver helps this to go a little quicker! If you have uncooked meat, or fresh vegetables, then go ahead and fry them now. If everything you’re putting in it is leftovers from last night, then you’re probably good to move straight on.

This final step is probably the most difficult, so listen carefully! Throw everything in the fry pan with a little oil, and fry it. I know, it’s difficult…

Constantly stir it, season with salt and pepper, and use your spatula to break up any clumps of egg or rice – mix it all up good! How long you cook it for is a matter of personal preference. Personally, I like to burn it a little on the bottom to get some nice crunchy bits, but whatever whets your whistle.

That’s it for today, but you can find more egg recipes here, if you like. Next week I’ll be posting some great authentic Chinese recipes from my wife, so be sure to check out my profile too if you have time.

Yes, cakes are definitely an all time favorite for all ages. There are thousands of cake recipes that many of us are not aware of or have not even tasted. If you are making plans for a birthday party, an anniversary celebration or a festival bash then you should try out some new recipes for cakes. In today’s world our taste buds are never let to rest, we are always on the go tasting something new, so why not enjoy the taste of freshly baked irresistible cakes?

Calorie watchers sponge cake is best for you, it is simple and easy to make and has more air with less calories. If the recipe itself requires only sugar, flour, soda, beaten eggs whites and salt. However, on the other hand if you are a lover of rich and creamy cakes there’s no stopping you from those delicious chocolate cake recipes and the very best homemade cheese cake. These cakes are simply fascinating and your friends at tea would lose control over their diet.

With Christmas around the corner don’t you want to try some Christmas cake recipes too? Try some of those apple, apricot, prune, pear or peach flavor fruitcakes this Christmas instead of the regular dry fruits Christmas cake. The taste of fresh fruits adds the best flavor and is more delicious than the dry fruit cakes. Excite the family this Christmas with fresh fruit cakes they would love.

You have no reason to mention that you don’t know how to bake cakes at home. Your internet is the best source of information that teaches you from scratch what ingredients you require, how you should put these ingredients together to make the cake, then how this cake dough should be baked and made to look delicious for the table.

You are not an internet savvy person then get some of the modern cook books on dessert recipes, choose the best Christmas cake or just a tea cake recipe that are interested in and start baking cakes. Take out your old bake ware and put them to use once again, it’s Christmas in the air and we are all expecting to eat a lot of goodies.

Start your recipe experiments right away so you will be ready to bake that most wanted Christmas cake recipe and surprise your family and friends that you too are a perfectionist in cake baking. Its real fun following each and every recipe and then tasting what you have churned out, try it!

You’ve got your mascarpone cheese ready? If not, please see my article on making mascarpone cheese and you’ll learn just how easy it is to make this delicious Italian cheese. It is native to the Lombardy region of Italy and is used in dessert dishes like this tiramisu recipe, or in savory foods, as I did with the crostini recipe in the mascaropone cheese post.

This is a pretty simple recipe, and you know you always order it when you eat at an Italian restaurant, right? My daughter wanted me to buy a whole tiramisu at the store the other day. I decided then and there we were going to make one and know the nature of the ingredients in our dessert!

Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1 2/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 (12 ounce) packages ladyfingers
• 1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur like Kahlua
• 1 – 2 teaspoon2 unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
• 1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Place egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler. As with making your mascarpone, you can create a double boiler by placing a stainless steel bowl over a pan of water, just make sure the bottom of the pan touches the boiling water.
2. Over low heat whisk constantly for 10 to 15 minutes, until they reach 160F. You’ll know the eggs are ready because they’ll begin to thicken. Remove from the heat and whip the yolks until they are thick and bright yellow.
3. Add your freshly made mascarpone cheese, whipping until well mixed.
4. In a separate bowl whip the cream into stiff peaks.
5. Blend yolk mixture into the whipped cream.
6. Split the lady fingers and decide if you’re making individual desserts or a large dish for presentation. Brush the ladyfingers with the Kahlua (or amaretto if you don’t like coffee). Place at the bottom of the dish, spoon part of the cream mixture on top, place another layer of brushed lady fingers, and more cream. Layer as necessary.
7. Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder and chocolate. I have a cheese knife that I use to do this, but other people grate their chocolate, or make more ornate curls with a vegetable peeler.
8. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Note:

Do not soak the ladyfingers in the liquor, they will become a very soggy mess.

You can use any liquor you desire. Some people make their tiramisu with Amaretto or Grand Marnier. Try different ones until you find your favorite. Mine’s probably the traditional coffee liqueur, but I’m open to suggestion. Guess that means I’ll be making several varieties of tiramisu in the upcoming weeks.