Hopefully, this will help us increase the quality of the articles.

Ingredients (4 people)

* 2  melon slices
* 1 peach
* 3 apricots
* 6 tablespoons of sugar
* 1/2 pack strawberries
* 12 ice cubes
* a few drops of lemon juice
* 3 cups waterPreparation (20 minutes)

Cut all the fruit pieces and add to the blender. Pour the sugar, a few drops of lemon juice, ice cubes and cold water. Blend and serve in glasses with straws.

Enjoy the summer!

Ingredients:

• 500 g medallions or veal stakes
• 1 onion
• 250 g of rice
• 0,5 l + 0,25 l of water
• 250g champignons
• 30 g flour
• 0,25 l sour cream
• 1 pinch of sugar, salt, oil
• 3 pieces of pineapple for decoration

Preparation:

Fry the chopped onion on a bit of oil. Once it gets glassy pour the rice ion, fry it fast, pour the 0.5 l of water over, add salt, and cook until it softens in a covered dish, on a low fire.

Slice the previously washed champignons, and fry them. Pour the remaining 0,25 l of water over them and cook for 15 minutes.

Use the water in which the champignons were cooking, oil and flour to prepare a light brown flour (if there’s not enough water, add some more water or soup). Stir in the sour cream, add the fungi and let the sauce boil quickly. Add salt, and if you wish, a pinch of sugar to taste.

Cut the veal into 10 to 12 small medallions, fry until both sides get a brownish color. Add salt. In a frying pan heat the pineapple pieces. Pour the rice on a previously heated platter, and add the medallions on top. Pour some fungi sauce over and decorate with the pineapple pieces, parsley and can cherries. Serve the rest of the sauce separately.

Ingredients (6 people):

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 tablespoon of chopped onion
• a few drops of Tabasco (to taste)
• chili
• 1 tomato
• lemon juice, salt

Preparation

Mash the avocados with the lemon juice, chopped onion, salt and chili or Tabasco. Adapt the flavor to your taste. Peal the tomato and chop into tiny pieces, and add to the cream.

Serve with chips, nachos, celery sticks or carrots.

Barbecue chicken is a popular dish, and there are probably millions of crockpot recipes out there. The purpose of this article is to only give you three crockpot recipes tat are only for barbecue chicken.

Scan through each one and decide which one sounds the best to you. Or, you can try all three out at different times to see which your family likes the best!

Recipe #1

1 Chicken, cut up and skin removed
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. Delicious!

Recipe #2

4-6 pieces chicken (I use boneless breasts)
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. mesquite seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. Place chicken in crockpot. Pour sauce over all.

Cook slowly on low in crockpot about 4-6 hours. Serve with baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw.

Recipe #3

1 frying chicken cut up or quartered
1 can condensed tomato soup
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup vinegar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover tightly and cook at “low” for 6-8 hours. Makes 4 servings.

Good luck with finding your favorite!

By: Kara Kelso

About the Author: Kara Kelso is the mother of two, and owner of http://www.Idea-Queen.com . For more quick and easy recipes, visit: http://www.idea-queen.com/recipes-for-mom.html

Article source: Expert Articles ]]> http://geanostra.com/kitchen/2009/05/25/3-barbecue-chicken-recipes-for-crockpots/feed/ 9 http://geanostra.com/kitchen/2009/05/19/carp-stew/ http://geanostra.com/kitchen/2009/05/19/carp-stew/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 16:38:43 +0000 E.J. http://geanostra.com/kitchen/?p=155

Common carp, Cyprinus carpio

Ingredients:

• a carp up to 1 kg
• 100 g roe
• 2 onions
• 2 dl tomato juice
• 2 carrots
• 1 dl white wine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon of ground cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 laurel leaf
• oil, salt

Preparation (about 50 minutes):

Clean and wash the carp and cook it with the roe, laurel and black pepper for about half an hour. Cut the onions into ribs, the carrots into slices and the garlic thoroughly chopped, and fry separately (from the fish) on a bit of oil. Once the carrot is half softened, add the cayenne pepper, wine and tomato juice. Let it boil for about 10 minutes, and meanwhile get rid of the fish bones, and put into the stew along with the roe. Add the vinegar and pour some water to sink and cook for another 10 minutes.

Before taking it to the table, you can decorate the carp stew with some chopped parsley.

Ingredients:

• 300 g sugar
• 3 teacups of oil
• 1 baking powder
• 400 g flour
• lemon juice (1 lemon)
• a tablespoon of candied orange crust

For the fill:

• a bag of lemon pudding
• 5 dl milk
• 8 tablespoons of sugar
• 300 g ground walnuts
• a bag of cream foam

Preparation (about 2 hours):

Mix 300 g of sugar with 4 teacups of water, add 3 teacups of oil, the baking powder and flour. Add also the candied orange crust and lemon juice, mix and bake in a mold previously greased and sprinkled with bread crumbs. Add 8 spoons of sugar to the milk, cook the lemon pudding in it, constantly stirring so the blobs don’t form. Let it cool down and add the ground walnuts. Cut the cake through the middle and fill it with the lemon and walnut cream. Decorate it with the cream foam and sprinkle with a thoroughly washed pealed lemon crust.

Ingredients:

clams: 750 g
1 lemon
parsley
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation:

Put the clams in a strainer under cold water and wash thoroughly. Drain them and put in a pan. Squeeze the lemon into a dish and add the chopped parsley and oil. Mix and pour over the clams. Stir to mix it all together, cover and bring to fire until the clams are open. Serve immediately.

First and most import are quality and cleanliness. Use only fresh or fresh frozen salmon that is of a high quality. Don’t use that 20 lb water marked gator salmon that was just about ready to spawn-out and die before you caught it up the river. Smoking does not “cover” or “hide” poor quality fish. In fact it will call attention to problem areas, think tight hip hugger jeans. A good rule of thumb is to only smoke fish you would eat fresh.

Preparation:

Make sure your preparation area is clean and sanitary, beg/bribe your mother to come over if need be. Carefully clean and remove all the slime and blood from your fish. Fillet or “split” the fish leaving the skin on. Remove the pin bones down the middle of each fillet with small pair of pliers. Next cut the fillets into equally sized strips, this insures they all finish smoking at the same time. Try to keep both the fish and your preparation room as cool and clean as possible during this time to keep bacteria growth to a minimum.

Brine:

The second step is salting the fish known as brine or brining. Most people prefer to start with a simple brine consisting of salt and water. Start with a basic mixture of 2 ½ cups of salt to each gallon of water. This allows the flavor of the smoke to shine through on your finished strips. Feel free to experiment adding flavors to the brine at this time. For example add a cup of brown sugar or a ¼ cup of soy sauce to your salt water mixture.

It is important that you use only pickling and canning salt, dairy salt, or kosher salt in your brine. Using iodized salt will add impurities and additives that will cause unpleasant flavors in your smoked fish. It is also best to used distilled or bottled water without large amounts of chlorine. You don’t want your salmon tasting like the community pool, or maybe you do, I won’t judge.

Make enough brine to completely cover all of your fish. A three to one ratio is recommended. For example use 30lbs of brine for 10lbs of fish. A gallon of brine will weigh approximately 8lbs so you would need 4 gallons to adequately soak 10lbs of salmon.

If you cut your strips 1 inch thick then the brine time should be right around 2 hours. Here is another step you can alter to personal taste but we have found 2 hours to work best. Make sure your mixture is refrigerated the whole time you are brining. Rinse afterwards to remove excess salt before drying.

Drying:

An important step in smoking your fish is drying it to form a “pellicle” coating. This pellicle coating seals in moisture and helps the smoke stick to the fish. I’m not sure how or why, could be magic, but without it your fish will not smoke properly. To get your pellicle, place your fish in the smoker and let it air dry for 2-3 hours until you notice a tough shiny coat develop. Once the pellicle fairies are done and the coating is visible you are ready to smoke your fish.

Smoking:

Now that you are ready to smoke its time to pick which wood chips to use. You can choose from a variety of hard woods. Fruit woods like apple, plum, etc. will leave a sweeter smoke flavor. Alder, hickory and mesquite leave a sharp smoky taste. We use Alder wood chips on all of our smoked fish at Tonka.

Avoid soft woods like pines, firs, and hemp. These can produce a harsh tasting soot and/or cause you to play nintendo and eat cheetos the rest of the day.

After picking your wood flavor place your salmon in the smoker before you fire it up. The most important secret to delicious smoked salmon every time is to slowly bring the temperature up in stages over the course of several hours. This allows the smoke to permeate the fish and prevents curd from forming.

Once you have slowly brought the internal temperature up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit you should let it continue smoking for an additional 30 minutes. All in all your entire smoking time should last 3-4 hours. The longer you let it smoke the more it will dry out and resemble jerky. Experiment with cooking times to find your personal favorite. Really as long as you have cooked it at 160 degrees for at least 30 minutes your salmon is safe to eat.

It may seem complicated at first but it will become routine after a few tries. Be sure to keep notes and records (preferably not in crayon on a used napkin) as you learn what brine mixes, smoke times, and drying times work best for your individual tastes.

Smoking fish is a great way to spend a lazy summer afternoon while fooling people into thinking you are working hard. Grab a bottle of wine or a case of beer and spend the day hiding from responsibility. Be warned though, the smell and the smoke will bring people running faster then paparazzi chasing B list pantie-less celebrities. Of course you could just have Tonka Seafoods do all the work and ship you some of the best damn smoked salmon ever

By: Seth Scrimsher

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Seth Scrimsher has been eating smoked fish right out of the smoker for quite a few years now. Find out more by visiting his website at www.tonkaseafoods.com/

Some pizza facts and trivia

Accounts of pizza history always begin with the origin of pizza. This one might as well follow the same tack. We have to thank any civilization or race that baked flat bread on hot stones or stone ovens for pizza, for almost certainly, bread like the focaccia was the “mother of the pizza crust.” However, the invention of the pizza is more properly attributed to the Neapolitans – the people of Naples, Italy who were baking and making pizza crust topped with tomatoes, oil, and Italian herbs, and spices. This rudimentary and traditional Italian pizza was common peasant fare in Naples. If you want an individual originator and inventor of pizzas, however, then you won’t be wrong if you cite Rafaelle Esposito – a native of Naples; he modified the basic Neapolitan pizza recipe and came up with three variants that added mozzarella cheese to the rudimentary Italian pizza toppings.

Now, if you are looking for some topics for small conversation, then you must remember the following trivia. One note of caution, though; you shouldn’t blurt these out just to anybody or you’ll sound decidedly corny and geeky. Make sure you’re talking to someone interested in pizzas before you use the following trivia as conversational gambits.

” Most people in the United States love pepperoni; the least liked toppings are anchovies.

” Pizza was called (and is still called) tomato pie and pizza pie in certain parts of the States.

” The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in New York.

” The pizza industry is worth more than 30 billion dollars in the United States alone and Americans consume around three billion units of pizza every year.

” New York pizza is traditionally plain. Supposedly, New York pizza is unique because of the acidity and hardness of the water in New York. New Yorkers therefore claim that only in New York can you make real New York Pizza.

(New Yorkers must admit, however, that if water is the unique characteristic of New York pizzas, one who uses water adjusted for hardness and acidity to reflect New York water conditions, adds all the usual New York pizza ingredients and toppings, follows all the procedures strictly but makes the pizza in New Jersey can conceivably make an authentic, New York style pizza. But such an assertion, some would say, is just plain cheek.)

Pizza types and pizza styles

The first step to a great homemade pizza is determining what type of pizza you wish to make. After all, different types of pizza have different attributes and thus call for different types of pizza base, pizza toppings and cooking techniques. Would you like to make an authentic Italian pizza, a New York style pizza, a California style pizza, or a Chicago style pizza?

Italian pizza is generally lean, although when you add cheese, its fat level generally rises in proportion. There are various kinds of Italian pizza, too. There are Neapolitan pizzas, of which there are two general types: the marinara and the Margherita. There are various combinations of these as well. Authentic Italian pizza, moreover, is supposedly baked on wood-fired or even coal-fired, stone ovens.

New York pizza, as abovementioned, is generally plain. The mainstay of New York pizza is mozzarella cheese – fresh mozzarella cheese to be precise. One can add garlic, different types of cheeses, anchovies, shrimp, etc but these are usually optional. The pizza dough recipe for traditional New York pizza, on the other hand, calls for high-gluten flour. The result is firm, usually thin, chewy pizza.

The California style pizza is generally known for gourmet flavors. You can say the California pizza has countless variations. The pizza crust, in this case, is light, crisp and generally well risen. The toppings can be out of this world – generally California pizza makers experiment a lot with all kinds of meat, sea food, breakfast dishes, and vegetable for the toppings.

The Chicago style pizza, on the other hand, is generally crusty and very filling. They are characterized by their raised edges; imagine a pre-baked apple pie crust where you can place the fillings on top. Chicago pizza is usually meaty (some variants come stuffed with cheeses and meat layers) and it is eaten with a knife and fork.

You can also start by deciding on the flavor you want. Do you want to make a cheese pizza, a vegetarian pizza or a fruit pizza? Perhaps you want to make a low fat pizza, a low carb pizza, a healthy pizza? Sourdough pizza is also another variant.

Take your pick among your many options. Once you have decided, choosing the recipe would be much easier. If you have decided on an Italian pizza, for instance, then find your Italian pizza crust recipe, your Italian pizza sauce recipe and the overall Italian pizza recipe that will give you a list of toppings and pizza preparation procedures for making an authentic Italian pizza. For an easier time of it, you can opt to use Italian-style frozen pizza dough then just follow the Italian pizza recipe that you’ve found.

Some pizza making tips and techniques

Hand tossing will help you minimize the lumps in your pizza dough. However, this should be done only after sufficient pizza dough kneading. This process lets your pizza dough develop into the right kind of consistency – that which is suitable for stretching and hand tossing. Hand tossing, however, is not advisable for thick pizza crust varieties.

If you want a crisp and firm pizza that retains its structure even when the moist toppings are added, you can bake the pizza crust before you add the toppings and the pizza sauce. However, for thin pizza crusts, baking the crust after the toppings and sauce have been added is sufficient. For uniform baking and crisping of the crust, use a pizza stone or a pizza screen.

Finally, remember that the protein content of your flour will influence the end product. High-gluten flour will lead to a crisp but chewy crust. Gluten-free flour, however, may lead to very soft dough; additives may have to be used to give the pizza dough strength.

Quick pizza crust recipes and easy homemade pizza recipes of all kinds and style are easily available online. There are tips for baking and preparing frozen pizza dough, making your own pizza dough, preparing the ingredients for the best pizza crust recipe, etc. All you need to start making your very own pizza recipe is an internet connection, a good source of basic pizza recipe, great pizza equipment, your imagination, and lots of time and resources for experimentation.

Published by: Syeda Mahwish Fatima Naqvi, Article Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/food-drinks-articles/all-about-pizza-495.html

Spanish food and wine is very much diverse in character, with variations in the cuisine culture stemming from geographic, cultural and climatic differences. One could say, however, that typical Spanish food is influenced heavily by the fact that the country has extensive access to the sea, giving the food culture a Mediterranean soul. Spain’s long history and diverse cultural influences combine to give culinary enthusiasts thousands of Spanish food recipes and tastes to choose from.

When looking at the history of Spanish food, the considerable evidence of Jewish and Moorish influence comes to the fore. For centuries the Moors held a strong influence over Spain and up until today Spanish food reflects this. Pork, however, has proved to be very popular for hundreds of years in Spain, possibly linked to the Christian identity which characterised Spanish culture; since neither Jews nor Muslims eat pork.

Modern Spanish food would not be the same without tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or beans; ingredients sourced from South America during the Spanish colonial era. Indeed it is the Latin American touch which differentiates Spanish dishes from the Mediterranean norm. Spain is responsible for some 44 percent of the world’s olive oil production, so it is not surprising that olive oil is a vital ingredient in Spanish food.

Across the country traditional Spanish food is still made by hand using fresh ingredients bought from the market. These ingredients can be purchased in Spanish food shops around the world, or you can pick them out from a selection of grocery stores. Handmade home cooked food, fresh from the market is less commonplace in the urban centres, such as Madrid; however the rural areas are lucky enough to enjoy the open air markets which give a cultural flavour to the region. The food is often cooked outside over a fire, many times in a brick or clay oven.

Another cultural convention in Spain is to provide snacks whenever a drink is served, the snacks are known as tapas, and can come in the form of olives, cheese or pork. In many bars tapasare included in the price of wine, sherry or beer.

For the sweeter tooth there is a traditional favourite, the churro, a fried pastry dough snack which is served with hot chocolate to dip it in.

Although there is very much varieties within Spanish food, the following character traits generally run across the board:

1) Olive oil is used to cook in, but can also be used in its raw state.
2) Sofrito- a mix of garlic, onion and tomato cooked in olive oil – is often used as a point of departure in preparing a meal.
3) Garlic and onions are the two most popular seasonings.
4) Drinking wine during a meal is a cultural norm in Spain.
5) Bread is served with almost all meals.
6) Salads are extremely popular, especially in the summer months.
7) For dessert the Spanish will often serve a dairy product or a piece of fruit, keeping cakes or tarts for special events or occasions.

More info on delicious Spanish Foods

Article source: Expert Articles

Photo: Cebu Restaurants

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 1,5 kg of carp
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 4 onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• kohlrabi
• 1/4 smaller cabbage
• lemon, salt

Preparation (about an hour):

Clean and wash the carp, cut to pieces, sprinkle with lemon juice and leave. Meanwhile, cut the onion to ribs, the kohlrabi to pieces and the cabbage to noodles and fry it all until it softens. Once the vegetables become softer, add the pealed and sliced tomato and fry for another 10 minutes. Lay the fish slices in a deeper casserole, and put the vegetables in between. Put it in a preheated oven and roast it at 220^oC for about half an hour, or until it gets a reddish color.

Ingredients (4 people):

• 1,5 kg carp
• 6-7 cloves garlic
• 6 tablespoons of diluted vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground red pepper
• oil, a teaspoon of salt

Preparation (1 hour, 10 minutes):

Clean and wash the carp, then make cuts approximately every inch (2-3 cm). Pour salt in those cuts (the fish is already dead so adding salt to it’s wounds won’t hurt it )an rub the inside with a garlic slice. Chop the rest of the garlic to tiny peaces, sprinkle with flour, pour the vinegar over, add salt, black and red pepper and mix it all. Put the fish into a casserole, pour 3-4 tablespoons of hot oil over, do the same with the garlic marinade and let it roast for about an hour. Pour the marinade occasionally over the carp while roasting.

Preparation time: a few minutes per cup/glass.

Preparation:

Mix a few raspberries or raspberry syrup, 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese and a tablespoon of sugar, slowly adding about 1/4 l of milk. It might be best to use a mixer/blender for a smoother texture. If it’s intended for adults, add a bit of cherry liquor.

Serve as cold as possible (not freezing).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 l orange juice, whether freshly squeezed or bought
• 4-6 vanilla ice cream balls (vanilla’s the most neutral flavor)

Preparation:

Pour the orange juice into previously cooled glasses or cups, add 2-3 vanilla ice cream balls to each glass/cup.

Serve immediately, along with spoons and straws.

If you wish, you can decorate it with an umbrella, a biscuit or grated chocolate/coconut powder…