Posts Tagged ‘healthy cooking’
Cooking Tips For Healthy Casserole Recipes
February 24th, 2010 | 
Author: Everyone is very busy these days, juggling home life and work. At the end of a long day it is very tempting to pop a ready made meal into the microwave. There is a way of eating healthy, nutritious meals without having many cooking skills or spending ages in the kitchen. In many countries traditional casserole recipes can be found and the food is usually cooked slowly in earthenware pots. They are quick and easy to prepare and many cook’s around the world provide casserole cooking tips.
Kitchen equipment has moved on but there is still a demand for casseroles. Slow cooking is tastier but preparation can be made quicker with the right ingredients. Tasty easily cooked casserole recipes, can still be achieved on a budget. After the casserole dish is placed in the oven, it can be left to cook whilst your other chores are attended to.
Anything goes with a casserole, whether it’s cooking a fresh meal or using up leftovers. Experiment and have some fun with different casserole recipes by adapting them to your own personal taste. For first time cooks these cooking recipes are easy. Cheap cuts of meat are ideal for casseroles as they need slow cooking to tenderize and bring out the flavor. Poultry, fish and vegetables all benefit from this cooking method.
Beef Stroganoff is an all time classic dish and is made from ground beef. A quick version uses egg noodles and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Corned Beef Casserole is an inexpensive meal, using canned corned beef, cheese, a can of cream of chicken soup and egg noodles.
Casserole cooking brings out the flavor of healthy root vegetables. Carrots and swede go well with sweet potatoes and squash. Peppers and mushrooms are also suited to this cooking style. Corn and Broccoli Casserole can be made with cheddar cheese, broccoli, milk and a can of condensed corn soup. Broccoli Cheese Casserole uses onion, broccoli, rice, cheese and a can of cream of chicken soup.
There are several ways of including chicken and turkey into casserole recipes. After Thanksgiving, one of the most useful ways of using turkey leftovers, is to make a Turkey Casserole with egg noodles, peas, sweet red peppers, milk and a can of condensed celery soup. The turkey should be cut into cubes and bread crumbs and margarine are required for the topping.
For those who like seafood, it is very tasty in casseroles. Tuna Casserole is a popular dish with numerous versions. For something more unusual, Crab Casserole uses Snow Crab with rice, mushrooms, peppers, onions, cheddar and a can of shrimp soup. A quick and easy, but delicious Italian inspired dish, involves sausage, zucchini and spaghetti sauce. Cooking any style of casserole depends purely on your taste.
As you can see there is no limit to the imagination. Whatever is in your cupboard or freezer, there is bound to be suitable ingredients for your next delicious casserole.
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Simple Cooking Substitutions For Health
By Jon Griffin
Most people know that eating less fat will help you lose weight. Diet food is a phrase most of use don’t want to hear. The diet industry has several studies that can help you avoid that fate. By using some simple food substitutes you can make your food with less fat and that means less calories. You can possibly save your life by learning these easy cooking tips, practices, and ideas.
Applesauce – The Wonder Substitute
Reducing fat calories in your baking can be done with just a few simple cooking substitutions. If you learn a few low-fat basic cooking techniques you can make food that your family loves and they won’t even have to know it is healthy. You can use the simple to remember unsweetened applesauce substitute. All you have to do is match the measurement in the recipe, for example 2 tablespoons of oil is substituted by 2 tablespoons of applesauce.
If your family is like mine, they love banana bread. 1/2 cup of oil is a lot, but that is what most of my recipes call for. I always worried about adding all of that fat to the recipe and how all that oil would affect the health of my family. Because of this I had to quit making the recipe. Of course, my family complained, but I was more worried about my families health than I was about their complaining. Since I discovered the super secret applesauce cooking substitution, I simply substituted 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce for the oil. My family was shocked! The banana bread turned out surprisingly moist and flavorful. No one could even tell the difference. I feel much better knowing that they are not eating an unhealthy snack.
Start Out With One Recipe At A Time
Another one of the great cooking substitutions that I did not know about is substituting 1/2 cup of evaporated fat free milk can be substituted for 1/2 cup of heavy cream. This saves a lot of calories and is actually a healthy substitute for most recipes and it saves everyone from eating all those unhealthy fat calories while still allowing me to make the foods everyone loves.
Low-Fat Substitutions Could Save Your Life
Learning about these healthy cooking substitutions can make a huge difference in the daily, monthly and yearly amount of fat you and your family consume. In the United States, research has found that most Americans gain about 10 pounds, and the obesity rate also rises. You can reduce this risk of weight gain to both yourself and your family by retraining and rethinking the way you cook. If you take the time to learn some of these low-fat substitutions you can improve your health and that could make a big difference in your life.
For more cooking tips and recipes visit Learning About Cooking
Jon Griffin is an adjunct professor at UNLV and teaches in the Food and Beverage Department
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How To Cook Quinoa
The nutritious little seed tastes great and is fast and easy to prepare. If you want to eat healthy foods try cooking quinoa. Quinoa is very nutritious. It tastes great and is fast and easy to prepare.
With a taste somewhere between rice and lentils with a nutty flavor it is a very good replacement for rice, pasta, couscous or potatoes.
Quinoa is very nutritious and a good source of:
- vitamin E
- vitamin B
- vitamin C
- calcium (contains more than milk)
- phosphorus
- iron.
Since quinoa contains all essential amino acids it is an excellent source of protein. But it is still much easier to digest than proteins from meat and dairy.
Want to lose weight? Then quinoa is perfect for you. Quinoa is gluten-free and has a low Glycemic Index (GI) which makes it prefect for anyone with diabetes or anyone who would like to lose weight.
How To Prepare Quinoa:
To bring out the great nutty flavor prepare it like this.
- Most quinoa needs to be rinsed before you boil it.
- Boil the quinoa according to instruction on the package. Usually you need 2 cups of water for 1 cup of quinoa . Boil until the water has been absorbed (10-15 min).
- Alternative to bring out the nutty flavor: Take the boiled quinoa and fry it gently with sliced garlic in wok or frying pan.
Other spices that work really great with quinoa are cumin and coriander and fresh herbs.
Quinoa is prefect to add to soups, stews and chili.
When you make a quinoa salad cook the quinoa according to step 1 and 2 above. Let it cool. Then simply add your favorite salad ingredients. Truffle oil and basil makes your quinoa salad absolutely fabolus.
Or why no start you day with hot quinoa cereal.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1/5 cup raisins
1/5 cup dried apricots
2 teaspoons of chopped almonds
Bring the water to boil. Add quinoa and boil at low temperature for 5 min.
Stri in the other ingredients and heat gently until all the water is gone.
Another way to get a really healthy breakfast is to drink a Loaded Quinoa Smoothie. The protein is prefect to kick start your metabolism in the morning. It is also a great drink before and after exercise.
For more healthy cooking ideas with quinoa, try for example Quinoa Paella.
The Incas worshiped quinoa and referred to is as “mother of all grains”. The seed is seen as one of the reasons that the Incas became so powerful. When the Spanish came they banned quinoa to weaken their opponent.
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Tags: amaranth, healthy cooking, healthy foods, healthy recipes, quinoa |
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