New Christmas Recipes
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Every Christmas Brits eat about four million Brussels sprouts, ten million turkeys and 25 million Christmas puddings. It's no surprise, then, that some like to try something a little bit different when the time comes to cook the Christmas feast.
Luckily, there are lots of websites and online groups, such as the Schwartz cooking club, that feature lots of ideas for an exciting, different menu this year. Seafood
Most traditional Christmas dinners in the UK feature fowl, vegetables and game, but they do not include much seafood. This is somewhat unfortunate, since the UK has access to some of the richest reserves of fish in the seas. Moreover, many seafood dishes can be simple to prepare.
Some Christmas dinners in France feature an oyster starter, where the oysters are eaten on rye bread with lemon juice or shallot vinegar. This is not a complicated dish, since the constituent parts of the dish can be bought ready to eat.
Oysters can be somewhat controversial, however, so you might prefer to serve smoked salmon on blinis. Again, the parts of this dish can be bought ready to eat, meaning you can simply assemble when ready to serve.
As an alternative to a meat main course, you might consider serving fresh lobster. Simply steamed and served with melted butter, lobster is a unique and impressive alternative to turkey. International cuisine
You may prefer to look further abroad for inspiration. Many people like to make things like egg rolls to serve with Christmas dinner. Egg rolls might seem a bit intimidating to make by hand, but it isn't as hard as it looks. After cooking the filling of your choice and letting it cool, you spoon a small amount into an egg roll wrap, roll it up and seal it with a corn starch glue. You then deep fry the rolls in a wok and serve.
Green bean casserole is a feature of many American Christmas dinners. The main ingredients are cooked green beans, cream of mushroom soup and a fried onion topping. It may seem a bit unusual, but it is a real crowd pleaser.
For a main dish, you can try tourtière, a French Canadian meat pie. There is no one authentic recipe, as each family make their tourtière slightly differently, but on the plus side it can be made in advance, which takes some of the stress out of the preparation of Christmas dinner.
Traditional with a Twist
If those ideas seem a little too different, you could consider making traditional dishes with a slight twist. For example, you could make a coffee chipotle sauce to go with your roast, whether it's lamb, turkey or beef. The sauce is inspired by a South American mole, and its spiciness and slight sweetness complement almost every variety of meat.
You could also try serving a less traditional meat. Game hens and venison are both popular Christmas dishes in France. Game hens are small fowl that can be cooked like goose or turkey, though one hen serves one person, so you will have to adjust temperatures and cooking times when cooking several at once.
Venison, meanwhile, can be handled and cooked like beef or lamb, but boasts a distinctly gamey taste. It should be cooked simply to allow the distinctive flavour to shine, and clubs like the Schwartz cooking club have many recipes and ideas for beef and lamb that can be modified for venison. For pudding, you might consider rainbow jelly. You can find recipes for different flavours of jelly online, or you could use food colouring to make the rainbow colours. The most difficult thing about this recipe is the time it takes: you have to make the bottom colour first and allow it to set in your refrigerator for four hours before adding the next layer. This can take more than two days, depending on how many coloured layers you want to have. It takes a long time, but the results are amazingly impressive, especially if you are entertaining children on Christmas day.
These new recipe ideas should inspire you to try something different, but there are more Christmas Recipes online. With so many options, there really is no reason not to try something new this year.
Tags: cooking, Chistmas, new recipes
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Is ‘Mediterranean’ for you?
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Recent studies & data have pointed to the Mediterranean diet, as one of the best in the world, for a healthy heart, as well as promoting youth, and long life in general. It’s not a new diet to lose pounds, although you most probably will if you decide to embrace this eating style. Statistics, in modern history, began showing that the poorer people of southern Europe, & other countries that bordered the sea were enjoying good health & long life, while the rich, who were eating more & more meat & other fatty foods, were, at the same time, getting more heart and health problems. Upon careful evaluation, it was discovered that the types of foods most often eaten by those on the coast was the key. In general, the Mediterranean diet consists of grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, olive & olive oil, seeds, herbs & spices, cheese, yogurt, eggs, fish, small amount of lean cuts of meat & poultry, small amount of sweets, a moderate amount of wine, and lots of water. Here are a few of the advantages of the diet, also backed by international research. When used consistently the Mediterranean Diet: *Lowers the rate of defective births *Has positive effects against prostrate cancer *Helps seniors’ cognitive functions to last longer *Lessens heart problems *Gives ladies longer life *Lessens chance of strokes *Reduces rate of irregular heart functions *Helps you lose the ‘bad’ cholesterol *Aids against depression
Tags: Mediterranean Diet, food, health
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Food for Women
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Breast cancer; those two words may not seem too frightening to you unless there has been cases of it in your family. Even if there hasn’t been, it’s still wise to pay attention and to do your best to prevent it from happening to you. Some foods are known to help greatly in keeping cancer at bay and when combined are a powerful force against this disease. Before going into the foods that are anti –cancer, be aware to stay away from saturated fat, mostly found in red meat and be mindful of your intake of processed and refined oils. High levels of certain dietary fat reduce the ability of the immune system to kill cancer cells. Experts encourage the consumption of flax seed oil, claiming it to be the best source of cancer-protective omega-3 essential fatty acids. They believe it to be important to every woman’s diet. It tastes like wheat germ and the great thing about is that it can be eaten in many different types of food, from yogurt to salads. Something else that plays an important part in the fight against or to prevent cancer is dietary fibre. It helps not only in weight loss, but in cleaning your body from unwanted toxic materials. It’s found in different foods such as beans, lentils, raw vegetables and fruits, whole grain cereals, bran, dried prunes, nuts and seeds. Increase your intake of fibre according to your taste, as you have a variety of options to choose from. Soy milk, soy flour, soy protein and tofu are considered to be star cancer fighters as they block estrogens’ receptors in the body, making them import dietary agents. Some fish such as tuna, salmon, rainbow trout and sardines also play an active role in your cancer free diet. If you’re not used to eating these foods, it may be hard to make the change to eat more of them, but your body, your health and your family will thank you for it.
Tags: women, food, cancer
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“Eat Your Greens!”
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Ok, so we’ve heard it all of our lives. The sound of your mother telling you, “you have to eat your vegetables!” You complained, you cried, and you begged, but for some odd reason your mother insisted. And you should be happy she did. It is not a myth that eating your greens and vegetables can be a key in living a longer and healthier life and numerous studies over the year have shown that eating vegetables really does fight against cancer, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Why? One reason is that they contain essential minerals, vitamins, and fibre that are essential to our body. The human body does not produce its own vitamins that are in fact essential to our health, so it goes without saying that we must find these vitamins and minerals elsewhere. If you aren’t used to eating vegetables or you don’t know how to cook them, it may be difficult for you to try something new or know how to prepare them for you or your family. One easy way to help you eat your greens is by eating delicious salads. Most people enjoy a good salad dressing so here are a couple of recipes for delicious and savoury dressings. Enjoy your veggies! Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette • ¼ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 tablespoon dried oregano • ½ tablespoon granulated sugar • ¼ tablespoon pepper • 1 pinch salt • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Preparation Finely chop tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Pour ½ cup water, and add garlic, pepper, vinegar, oregano, salt and sugar. Whisk continuously and sprinkle oil until everything is mixed mixed. Ginger-Asian Dressing • 1 fresh peeled and shredded carrot • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar • 2 tablespoon cider vinegar • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce • ½ tablespoon sesame seed oil • 2 tablespoon minced onion • 1 tablespoon hot mustard • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root Preparation Combine all the ingredients in a blender and there you have it.
Tags: greens, vegetables, sauce
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A Touch of Asia
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Maybe you’re trying to make the move away from meat at your dinner table to more vegetarian food. These days more and more people are choosing vegetarianism as their choice in food intake. It’s been argued to be healthier to consume less meat and more varieties of protein and that choosing to be a vegetarian is helping the environment. Or maybe, you just want to try something new. Tofu is a food that may seem rather boring and flavourless to eat. Especially for children that are not accustomed to eating it, it may seem like something you’d rather avoid cooking. But don’t give up, tofu is a great source of protein and your growing kids could benefit from it. Here’s a recipe that mums and children alike, rave about. Try it! You and your children might just like it. And mum, if you’re dieting, we’ll have you know that tofu is perfect for you, due to the fact that it is low in fat, sodium and calories. This recipe is quick and easy, which is always a plus in mum’s busy life. Crunch Tofu Nuggets • 1 package of firm Tofu (frozen, thawed, and pressed) • 1 cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk • 3 tablespoons of vegetable bouillon • 3 tablespoons of mustard • 1 cup of panko bread crumbs • 1 cup of whole wheat flour • Salt and pepper (optional) Directions: • Preheat oven to 400 degrees • Slice the tofu into 1 inch cubes • Mix milk, vegetable bouillon and mustard together • Dip tofu into the milk, bouillon, mustard mixture • Roll into whole wheat flour • Dip into milk mixture again • Roll into panko bread crumbs • Place onto greased cookie sheet • Bake for 15 -20 minutes • Voila! Enjoy with your favourite sweet and sour sauce, dressing or even ketchup. Enjoy with some fresh lemonade and vegetables on the side. You and your little ones won’t be disappointed.
Tags: asian cooking, tofu, recipe
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Food for Men
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1. Tomato Sauce
Men who eat a lot of tomatoes, tomato sauce, or pizza smothered with the stuff may be giving themselves an edge against prostate cancer. So say researchers at Harvard, who studied the eating habits of more than 47,000 male health professionals. They found that men who ate tomato sauce two to four times per week had a 35 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than men who ate none. A carotenoid called lycopene, which tomatoes contain in abundance, appeared to be responsible. But scientists were puzzled: tomato juice didn't seem to have a protective effect. Other research showed why. For best absorption, lycopene should be cooked with some kind of fat. So pizza may be just what the doctor ordered. Maybe you should order some, too.
2. Oysters
Myth has it that oysters are the food of love. Science may agree. Just two to three oysters deliver a full day's supply of zinc, a mineral critical for normal functioning of the male reproductive system. Scientists are divided over reports that sperm counts have declined over the last 50 years and that environmental factors are to blame. Nutritional deficiencies do seem to be the cause of certain cases of low testosterone. Getting adequate zinc is sometimes the answer (11 mg per day is recommended for men; more than 40 mg can pose risks). In one trial, 22 men with low testosterone levels and sperm counts were given zinc every day for 45 to 50 days. Testosterone levels and sperm counts rose.
3. Broccoli
A recent Harvard study finds that cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, may protect against bladder cancer. It's one of the most common cancers in this country, and affects two to three times as many men as women. Scientists analyzed the diets of nearly 50,000 men and discovered that those who ate five servings or more per week of cruciferous veggies were half as likely to develop bladder cancer over a ten-year period as men who rarely ate them. And broccoli and cabbage were singled out as the most protective foods.
4. Peanut Butter
If you want a healthy heart, spread your morning toast with peanut butter. Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women, but men fall victim at an earlier age. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University compared the cholesterol-lowering effect of the American Heart Association's Step II Diet with a higher-fat diet based on peanuts. The AHA plan included more carbohydrates. The peanut regimen was 36 percent fat. After 24 days both diets lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol. But the peanut plan also caused a drop in blood fats called triglycerides and did not decrease HDL, the "good" cholesterol. The AHA diet raised levels of triglycerides and lowered levels of HDL. "Peanut butter is a little higher in fat," says Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., the lead author of the Penn State study. "But it's the type that's good for you -- monounsaturated fat." Researchers have predicted that the peanut diet could reduce heart-disease risk even more than could the AHA diet. Just don't go nutty plastering on the tasty spread, since it is high in calories.
5. Watermelon
Until the age of 55, more men suffer from high blood pressure than women. Research suggests that foods rich in potassium can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. The evidence is so convincing that the Food and Drug Administration recently allowed food labels to bear a health claim about the connection between potassium-rich foods and blood pressure. "There isn't a dietary requirement for potassium," says Kathleen Cappellano, nutrition-information manager at Tufts University in Boston. "But a good goal is about 2000 milligrams or more a day." Watermelon, a rich source of this mineral, has more potassium -- 664 mg -- in one large slice than the amount found in a banana or a cup of orange juice. So cut yourself another slice and enjoy the taste of summer.
Tags: Men, Health, Foods
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Food for Man's best friend
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This is Everythingfood. Everything about food. So today we are “straying" away from “dogging" human foodly pursuits and will be “pawing" at recipes for another creature.
You've got it, cats. Cats are very fussy eaters and require a lot of attention when it comes to their food. Try making them these biscuits.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
1/3 cup catmilk
1/2 teaspoon bonemeal
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together, add molasses, egg, oil and milk. Roll out flat onto oiled grease-proof sheet and cut into small pieces. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 mins, store in an airtight container.
Tags: Food, Recipe, Cats, Biscuits
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Christmas Cake with Fruits and Nuts
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No, we aren't cooking a robin. Not today. It represents Christmas time and as Christmas looms over the snowy horizon, have a go at making a Christmas cake - this is a throw everything in recipe but we have included instructions for the best results.
Ingredients:
2 cups of self-raising flour
25g of butter
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Juice from a quarter of a Lemon
4 eggs
Assorted Nuts
1/2 bottle of wine, a cup of rum or brandy
2 cups of dried fruit
Cream together the butter and the sugar using a wooden spoon
Add the eggs and sift in flour gradually as you stir.
Add salt
Soften the mixture by gradually pouring in the milk
Add in the brown sugar as you stir.
Slowly add in the alcohol if you would like some in there and squeeze the lemon over.
Stop stirring, throw in the fruits and nuts and fold them in carefully.
Place on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to a medium setting. The cake should take 45 mins to be done but as always, keep checking.
Tags: Fruit, Nuts, Cake, Christmas, Recipe
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So you thought eating snails was a French thing...
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Recently an encounter with Snails at Café Rouge has left Everythingfood wondering about the history of snails in cooking. They are of course molluscs, sea creatures and taste exactly like Mussels.
So why are they considered Gourmet? It all dates back to the Ancient Romans who viewed them as a delicacy, with trade of snails similar to that of truffles in the modern day. The eating of snails can be seen across history in many cultures including China and Nigeria. What relates these cultures is each one used to consider snails as a delicacy.
In modern day France, Escargots are part of gourmet cooking and are served as an appetiser. As they are a mollusc and taste like mussels, holding the same texture and flavour, they go great in any seafood dish – spaghetti marinara, as part of a paella, the possibilities are endless if you try to steer clear of them as a standalone food product to be cooked in a particular way. In fact, a lot of Chinese seafood recipes include snails as an ingredient.
The French style usually includes snails cooked and included in a sauce which can vary quite a bit, but usually includes wine as a base. The point is the French version of cooking snails turns the snail into the focal point of the dish. As an appetiser, it works really well.
Once Everythingfood has procured some snails and experimented a little, we shall put up a recipe for you to try yourselves. If you have never tried snails but like seafood, give them a go because you will love them.
Tags: Snails, Food, History, Mollusc, French, Chinese, ...
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Happy St. Andrews Day!
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In honour of St. Andrew's day, Scottish food is definitely on the menu for tonight! Far from what you may think Everythingfood will feature, the craving for a deep-fried Mars bar is too high. Thankfully, that was invented in Scotland so we may proceed with giving you the following instructions.
Firstly, sorry to any American readers but Mars bars are no longer commercially available. Give this a go with any other of your favourite chocolate bars though… not Hershey's, they will probably implode from lack of flavour. A Musketeer bar would work to great effect however.
Make sure your chocolate bar is cold. For that, leave it in the refrigerator for a little while. If you don't have one of those, throw it out the window and let the snow do something useful for you for a change.
For the batter you will need:
500 g Plain Flour
315 ml full fat milk (it's a deep fried Mars bar, don't need to pretend to be healthy by using low fat milk).
100 g caster sugar
Preheat deep fryer or wide pan with a lot of oil in it (safety first however) to 190 degrees C
Prepare the batter with milk, flour and sugar. For those of you who would like to take it a step further, you may use beer instead of milk. The amounts given are proportionate so you may end up with too much batter. You could just wing it with the ingredients and see how it goes, especially if you don't have caster sugar handy and want to try normal granulated sugar, on your head be it though.
Dunk in your cold chocolate bars into the batter making sure the whole of them are covered. If your batter keeps slipping off it isn't thick enough so add in a bit more flour and sugar. If the batter is thick enough, maybe you are looking for the wrong type of thick; you have probably left the wrapper on the chocolate bar. Do please remember to take that off first.
Fry until the batter is golden brown. The chocolate should melt in the centre, but only after the batter has contained it (which is why you have to make sure the entire chocolate bar is covered.)
Although it is tempting, do not eat them straight away. Let the things cool a little before you attack, or they could and up attacking you instead.
Happy St. Andrew's Day!
Tags: St, Andrews, Day, Scotland, Deep, Fried, Mars, Ch...
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