Diet recipe club News

I’ve enjoyed many a bowl of Italian Wedding Soup over the years and I’ve always been curious about its history. When, I often wondered, did it become a staple at Italian weddings? And who, I wondered, was responsible for the preparation of the soup? It seemed to me that it would be the mother of the groom. I imagined this as some sort of tradition symbolizing the son’s final meal made by his mother’s hand.

So I went online and I discovered many surprising things about this popular and delicious soup. The most surprising thing I learned is that Italian Wedding Soup has nothing to do with Italian wedding ceremonies. The “marriage” makes reference to the marriage between the ingredients in the soup.

 

I also learned that there are as many variations as there are regions in Italy. I’m not sure if anyone has used broccoli rabe instead of spinach so maybe I’m the first. Here’s a quick and easy variation for you to try:

 

1- 12 oz package of small Italian-style meatballs

1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped into 1 inch pieces

2 large cans (49 oz. each) chicken broth

1 1/2 cups tortellini pasta

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp onion powder

½ cup Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

 

In a large saucepan, heat broth to a boil. Add remaining ingredients and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring frequently. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

 

I used meatballs that were made with a combination of turkey and beef.  Serve with crusty Italian bread and Enjoy!

The authentic Chinese delicacies are rich in vegetables and usually cooked with little or no oil, owing to which they can be made a part of a low-calorie diet. However, the food offered at the Chinese restaurants in the West is nothing but a ‘Westernized’ version of the traditional Chinese food. These American-Chinese and Canadian-Chinese cuisines are rich in fat and calories and hence, it is very necessary to make healthy choices from the Western-Chinese food menu if you are following a strict low-calorie diet.

Following are a few guidelines that will help to eat healthy at your favorite Chinese restaurant:

1) When it comes to placing an order for appetizers, you should avoid foods like egg rolls and spareribs. Instead, you can opt for egg drop or wonton soups. Any low calorie broth-based soups will best suit your diet plan.

2) Other main course dishes that you can order include Chinese delicacies, such as the Shrimp Chow Mien, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Steamed Spring Rolls, Teriyaki Chicken Skewer, and Chicken served with broccoli and Chop Suey.

3) Any dish that includes steamed or boiled chicken or shrimp, and steamed vegetables is a good choice.

4) Do not order dishes that are made with sweet and thick sauces. Also, avoid any food that is battered or floured and then deep-fried. A dish prepared with loads of vegetables and little oil is the best choice you can make. Instead of the deep-fried foods, you can opt for the stir-fried, roasted or broiled ones.

5) Although fried rice is one of the most popular Chinese foods, it should be strictly avoided if you are really keen on following your low-calorie diet plan. Fried rice, especially the one made with eggs, is rich in fats and cholesterol and is a big ‘NO’ when it comes to including Chinese foods in your diet plan. If you are fond of rice, you can try brown rice that is healthier than fried rice.

6) Think twice before placing an order for dished that are described as “crispy” or “battered” in the food menu. Also watch out for dishes that include noodles, chow mien, and marinades.

7) Other bad choices would include Kung Pao chicken, crispy duck, dishes laden with rich sauces like Hoi sin, dumplings, and lo mien.

To conclude, Chinese cuisine offers a lot of healthy choices that can be made a part of your health diet, but you need to be prepared before visiting your favorite Chinese restaurant.

When it comes to breakfast, a lot of people just don’t have time for it. If they’re lucky, they can pour a bowl of cereal or grab some sort of breakfast bar. Even though they don’t eat breakfast much, I’m sure they would love to sit down for a nice warm stack of pancakes if they could.

Pancakes aren’t exactly known to be the easiest and fastest breakfast to make. Other choices like cereal or oatmeal, or even eggs, are faster. You don’t have as many steps involved. Pancakes mean you have to make some batter, pour it on the pan, let it cook, flip, cook some more, and then you’re finally ready and left with a big mess, too.

While pancakes aren’t too hard to cook up, if you want them to actually resemble pancakes, you need to know how to correctly and effectively flip them. If you flip them wrong, you might end up with a mess of pancake that just doesn’t look right. Get the flip down and you will get what you know as a pancake.

Now you will need to get your flipping tool. Preferably don’t use something that is metal. This will scratch the pan and if your griddle has a nonstick coating, you will ruin it. Use some sort of cooking spatula like a turner. It should be pretty much the same thing you use to flip burgers.

First, pour out the batter onto the pan to form pancakes. Make them a good size, not too big, not too small. If they are too big, they will be very difficult to flip. It really doesn’t make a difference if they are too small. They will be ready to turn when tiny bubbles for across the top which will take about a minute.

When they are cooked and ready to flip, start by sliding the spatula under the pancake. Do this quickly so that you don’t mess the pancake or any surrounding pancakes. Put the edge of the turner to the side of where the pancake will be after first lifting it up. Flip it over and let it cook for about another minute before removing from the griddle.

There exists as many legends about stone soup as there does recipes for stone soup. So, in the interest of time, I will share with you my favorite story of stone soup, and how it relates to making quick easy cheap meals.

The story begins with some travelers who arrive in town hungry and destitute. They are unable to convince passers-by in the village to share their food. So, the travelers cook up an idea. They obtain a large pot, fill it with water and put it over a fire to boil. They choose out a smooth stone and place it inside. As the villagers pass by, they inquire as to what the travelers are cooking. “Stone soup,” is the answer. While each villager stands amazed looking at the pot and wondering how stone soup will taste, the travelers convince them that the soup needs only a little garnishing. One villager goes home to get parsley, another to get carrots, and so on, to donate to the stone soup. Well, you can guess that the travelers ended up with a mighty fine pot of soup indeed. And so they did.

Be the maker of a great stone soup

While a great stone soup does not require a stone to make it great, the story is fun for the telling. The story sets the stage for you becoming the creator of your own great soup. To begin, you need a tasty broth. To that you will add vegetables, grains, and meat if desired. Season with herbs and spices and let simmer. Raw ingredients will take longer to cook than frozen. Canned vegetables only need to be warmed up.

• Broth: homemade, canned, tetrapack, or boullion cubes and water. Canned tomatoes with their juice, or tomato juice can also be used as the broth.
• Seasonings: fresh garlic, oregano, thyme, marjoram, parsley, basil, etc. Fresh or dried is good; whatever you have.
• Vegetables: fresh, frozen or canned in a pinch. Leftovers are good too.
• Grains: barley, rice, lentils, macaroni, broken spaghetti, etc.
• Meats if desired: little bits are all you need; leftovers are great.

Develop your skills in creating soups and you will be able to enjoy many quick easy cheap meals. Just add toast or a quick bread and you’re set.

One great recipe to get you started

* Hamburger soup:

• Broth: 1 large can tomatoes with juice. Cut up tomatoes. Add 8 cups beef broth.
• Seasoning: 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp marjoram and 1/4 tsp basil.
• Vegetables: 4 cups total of chopped veggies. Try carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, cabbage. Whatever you have. This is your creation.
• Grains: Try 1/2 cup barley and 1/4 cup lentils. Again, use whatever you have.
• Meats: 1 cup leftover cooked beef or cooked hamburger.

Simmer on stove until barley is tender, 35-40 minutes. Alternatively, place in crockpot and cook on high one hour and then low for 3 hours.

Great soups make quick easy cheap meals. They are loaded with nutrition and are tasty and filling.

Have fun being the creator of your own stone soup.

Cooking with your kids is a wonderful experience, not only does it bring back your own childhood memories, you will be able to make clear impression and impact on your child’s life too. Kids Cooking, though it may sound interesting, Moms have to plan and take care to make sure that the kitchen is a safe place for their kids to try out their favorite dish.

It is important that in advance that you plan out the dish with your kids, and have the ingredients brought in and ready. One has to make sure that the dish that your kids have selected will be something that is easy to prepare and also that it will turn out well and will taste good too. This is very important as complicated dishes that do not come out well, will put your child off and she/he will have second thoughts about trying out a dish again. Moms, here are a few tips that will help you to make your time spent with your kids result oriented.

· Teach your kids good sanitary habits. The importance of washing their hands, and being clean, this is the first step in Kids Cooking.

· Sew an apron with your kid’s name on it. This will indeed make your child happy and feel the importance of being a little chef.

· Use utensils and cups that are unbreakable.

· Have the recipe written out in big letters and let your kids follow it step by step, it will be advantageous if you can get a cookbook for kids with illustrations. That will show your kids how to follow a sequence.

· Kids Safety - Keep your children away from stoves, keep the sharp knives and graters and other objects that can harm them out of reach.

· Let all your kids participate. Whether it is mixing or stirring, the kids love to feel that they have been responsible in the preparation.

· Start with recipes that are simple. Sandwiches, smoothies and dips can be a great start.

· Show your child how it must be done, but leave the work for the kids to do.

· Never leave your kids unsupervised.

· It is important that when the dish is done, that you lay the table with more care, with some fine china, and even a small vase of flowers will make your child feel that you are happy with what they have done. It is little thoughts that go a long way.

Appreciate your kids work. Praise and words of encouragement will bring more result and will keep your child happy and content. Expect a mess, and teach your child how to clean up at the end of cooking. This too is important aspect and will make your child feel that they are capable of more than what others think. Encourage, Kids Cooking, as this not only make the child content, but also brings the family together and gives you quality time with your kids.

In the summer time I use my crock pot even more than I do in the winter time as its just too hot to heat up the oven. You can make just about anything in a crock pot these days such as: Soups, Stews, Main Dish Meats, Desserts, Breads, Cobblers, Vegetables and more. Here are some great tips to help make your crock pot cooking even easier.

Crock Pot Cooking Tips

#1. Peel and chop the vegetables the night before, cover and keep them refrigerated.

#2. The night before, trim fat from meat and cut meat into the desired sized pieces, cover and refrigerate.

#3. Thaw frozen vegetables and meat in the refrigerator, never thaw at room temperature.

#4. Brown meat according to the recipe directions. You can brown your meat the night before and then refrigerate.

#5. Serve cooked food from your slow cooker or it’s removable liner to save on washing extra dishes.

#6. Slow simmering produces a mellow blending of flavors, but whole herbs and spices may give more flavor than usual, while ground herbs and spices may give less flavor.

#7. Remember to remove bay leaves and whole peppercorns before serving food.

#8. Some vegetables, especially onions and carrots, often take longer to cook than meat. Always place them at the bottom of the slow cooker.

#9. To assure even cooking of meat, be sure there is some space between the pieces to allow for circulation of heat and seasonings.

#10. Both regular and quick cooking rice need 4-5 hours to cook on your low setting, on your high setting it will take 3-4 hours so plan ahead. You may prefer to cook the rice on your stove top or in your microwave and then add into your crock pot recipe.

#11. Pasta needs stirring while cooking to prevent it from sticking to one another. It is best to cook the pasta on your stove top until its just tender and then add into your crock pot recipe.

#12. When converting your favorite recipes for the slow cooker, reduce the amount of liquid since the slow cooker lid gives a tight seal and retains steam.

#13. Pour your liquids in last.

#14. Fill your slow cooker at least 1/2 full for the best slow cooking results.

#15. Tender vegetables such as fresh mushrooms, tomatoes or zucchini will only need to be added for the last 45 minutes of cooking time, otherwise you could over cook them.

#16. To prevent milk, cream and sour cream from curdling, add near the end of the cooking time and just heat through.

#17. Coating pot roasts and stew meat with flour helps to thicken the broth as it cooks.

#18. If you have too much liquid in your slow cooker, you can remove the lid and cook on high for the last 25 minutes.

#19. Resist the urge to lift the lid. The heat that you lose will add as much as 30 minutes to the cooking time. If you have to stir, resume timing when the mixture starts to bubble up again.

#20. Cooking for 1 hour on high is the same as 2-2 1/2 hours on low.

#21. After the food has finished cooking, it can usually be held in the slow cooker for an hour on the low setting without over cooking it.

#22. If food is not done within the stated time in your recipe it could be because you overfilled your slow cooker or you took off the lid too many times. Adjust your cooking times accordingly.

#23. Slow cooking at the low setting is better for tenderizing cuts of meats (brisket, pot roasts, etc).

#24. Take time to trim and remove excess fat from your meat before slow cooking to reduce the amount of fat that accumulates during cooking.

#25. You can use a slice of bread to skim off excess fats or you can use a slice of lettuce leaf.

With the US-led global economic meltdown causing more stress and anxiety each day, almost every household is striving hard to save every dollar possible. As the food prices are soaring high, a few changes in food habits are also essential to keep the expenditure within the budget. But, the main question that arises here is, “Is it possible to eat good and healthy while spending less?” The answer is a definite “yes”.

Well, many websites and magazines that deal with cooking and food are offering several money-saving ideas to people now-a-days. We are often persuaded to stop buying ready-made foods, eat legumes, give up meat, use our food coupons wisely, or even pack our lunches to office. All these are no doubt very good ideas. But, what should one eat when he/she is really broke? Can’t something simple, tasty, healthy, and cheap be prepared at home? Yes, it is possible to do so. All you need to do is use a little creativity in kitchen. For instance, you can try making the amazing Vegan stew, a wonderful day-before-payday-meal.

Preparation of Vegan Stew: An Amazing Recession Food Recipe

The principle behind preparing Vegan Stew is extremely simple. Just follow a few steps as follows:

1) Put whatever is left in your kitchen, for instance canned vegetables, into a pot. Canned vegetables are not only healthy, but are also cheap. You can try canned corn as well, if you have some.

2) Use the liquid the veggies are packed in as the broth in the stew. Canned tomatoes and beans are particularly good for this.

3) In case you do not have any broth, just use some hot water instead.

4) Next, add potato, garlic, spices, or the left over bacon - just whatever you can get your hand on in your kitchen. Do you have a cup of rice or some left over chicken? If yes, do not mind adding that too!

5) Then, cook everything you have put in the pot till all gets tender enough to eat. Thus, with the required broth, vegetables, starch (rice), protein, and an amazing aroma, your Vegan Stew is ready to serve. If you are a non-vegetarian, you can add some leftover chicken to your stew, if you wish.

A medley of vegetables in the Vegan Stew gives this wholesome day-before-payday meal loads of nutrients and a hearty broth. Did this recipe sound gross? Well, may be, but try it once, it is really tasty, and above all, it is healthy and cheap.

When it comes to eating, or basically just the presence of food, almost everybody who is busy or has little time on their hands stops and takes a break and takes time to enjoy their favorite snacks.

We get accustomed to fast food such as burgers and French fries because they are fast and instant. However, they are not necessarily healthy especially for kids. Because of our busy lifestyle today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to cook at home, let alone a healthy meal.

Do you still have the time to cook something even if you are in the middle of a very busy day? Not just this scenario, but what if you come home from a very busy day at work, would you still have time to really open the fridge, get some meat and vegetables, clean them and whisk them on to the skillet or oven just so you and your family will have a proper and decent meal?

I bet, just by thinking about cooking and what to cook is enough to tire you. Good thing that nowadays, there are a lot of home meal delivery services.

There are a lot of companies who offer such services online. You see them advertised on the television or on the Internet or even hear them on the radio. One example is Bistro MD diet meal delivery.

There is a world of a difference between the foods from restaurants and the foods from these kinds of establishments or services. They’re not like the ones that you order for take out in a fast food restaurant or franchised stores.

Home diet meal deliveries give you food that are absolutely home cooked and are healthy. So, you don’t need to worry whether your family and kids are taking the necessary minerals and nutrients for a balanced diet. All of that is taken care of by the dieticians at home food delivery companies.

Although the cost is slight more expensive than fast food restaurants, it is more healthy and beneficial to you and your family in the long run.

You have probably already heard that you should always go into the store to try several chef knives out before you purchase one. But maybe it’s last minute and you’re planning a holiday feast and you just can’t do it another year with a cheap-o chef knife, or maybe you live too far away from a kitchen knife store to justify the drive, or maybe you just don’t want to deal with an annoying sales person. It’s OK, I understand.

So if you’re going to buy a chef knife online, here are a few tips!

1. Look at the picture of the knife and check out the handle. Do you think it looks ergonomic, like it would feel comfortable in your hands? Watch out for harsh corners, these can be very painful, causing calluses and even breaking the skin. If you can’t really tell whether or not it will hurt and you do happen to get a chef knife with corners that are just plain uncomfortable, you can sand these down later. Simply cover the knife blade in some cardboard or a thick cloth, lock it blade-wise into a vice and sand down those corners. It may not look very pretty anymore but at least it won’t go cut for cut on your hands!

2. Now it’s time to check the stats. Try to find out the weight of the knife. How much do you want it to weigh? That’s a personal preference. Small hands don’t always love a light knife, but arthritis fingers typically do. So if you have a few kitchen knives already, or even some heavier steak knives, hold them in your hands, even cut up some cucumbers or mushrooms and see what weight you think you might like to use . A heavier knife usually weighs just under a pound and a lightweight knife is usually around half a pound. If you can’t find the weight of the knife anywhere, here’s a general rule of thumb - German knives are typically heavier and Japanese knives are typically lighter.

3. Check out steel quality. Now, this one is tricky, because the steel a chef knife is made out of is important, but most companies won’t tell you what it is. Want the easiest answer to steel quality? If it’s a well-known brand and the price seems fair (not some sort of amazing bargain) then it’s most likely made with decent steel. If you want to get into things a little more, know that steel types are many, and it is an involved process, so I’m just going to sum it up for you as best as I can.

a. Stainless steels won’t rust and are the most common. Most home cooks opt for stainless because they’re more user-friendly. Try to look for the words “high carbon stainless steel” to ensure that it is a high quality metal. If you purchase a non-stainless steel knife your blade will, over time, develop a patina. This is harmless and to some it is even beautiful, but your blade will no longer look brand new.

b. Steels can be tough and flexible or brittle and sharp. I know, that sounds confusing. Basically a tough steel will bend before it breaks causing the edge to dull more quickly, a brittle steel will break before it bends causing the edge to stay sharp for longer. In most cases someone who orders a knife made of a tough steel will love how sharp it is straight out of the box, but will notice how quickly it seems to lose it’s efficiency. What has happened is that the edge has rolled over and dulled down. This can be fixed easily by honing and sharpening, which will have to be done quite often. These knives have the advantage of being a slight bit more durable in the dishwasher (if you must). Sharper chef knives, however, must be hand washed and dried. So if you want a knife you can throw around a little bit more go for a tougher steel, for super efficiency in the kitchen go for a sharper steel. How do you know which is which? As a rule of thumb, German knives tend to be tougher while Japanese knives tend to be sharper.

If you want some conclusive evidence of steel quality and you have some time, do some research online for that brand of knife. See if the steel type is listed in any blog reviews or check your purchasing site for reviews that mention a lastingly sharp blade.

4. That being said, be wary of reviewers. Here’s the deal with personal reviews - you don’t know their knife experience, you don’t know if they were properly maintaining the knife or if they were chopping on ceramic cutting boards. So just keep that in mind. For the best info, look for reviews that are made after several months or even years of owning the knife. Chances are that these reviewers will have a better idea of the overall knife quality. Here’s a classic example - the Forschner Victorinox 8″ chef knife. This knife is really a good knife, easily beating all others in its price category. Check the quickly made reviews and you’ll hear only great things about it. Anyone who has put that knife through a lot of use, though, will be able to tell you that it doesn’t hold an edge very well (because the price discount was made by using an inferior steel). So look for reviews that have time on their side.

5. Length. Well the simple answer is that the longer the knife the larger the things you’ll be able to cut in one slice. Good chef knives will be balanced no matter the length, so in general longer knives are also heavier. Try to get one at least 5″ long, though, or you’d have been better off buying a paring knife.

If you’re really unsure about which knife to purchase, either check the return policy of the store or just don’t spend too much money. Consider a knife you buy online to be like a pair of shoes you buy online. When your shoes arrive you try them on. If you hate them, you send them back before you take them on a hike. Hold your knife in hand, maybe even slice a potato or two, but don’t cook a Thanksgiving dinner with it before you send it back.

No matter what, don’t fret too much over it. Chances are that even if you tried it in store you wouldn’t have it completely right the first time and you may want to purchase a new one in a few years anyway. So if you can’t return it, just keep it around to use when your favorite knife is dirty, or send it to a professional sharpener to see if they can fix it up - a good sharpener can alter the edge geometry and even lighten the knife slightly, possibly making it the best knife you’ll ever have!

Proper storage of food is important.

Proper storage of food saves time, money and natural resources. You have already made an investment of both time and money to go buy the food. You don’t want to have to invest both time and money again if the food spoils– before you can use it– due to poor storage techniques. Most foods are labeled with storage instructions. That’s your best source for information about that food. When information is not available on the package, you must search for it; also ask other people what works for them.

Quick Easy Cheap Meals: Let celery be the focus of your meal.

You’ve got to love celery. Celery is good raw, cooked, plain, fancy or as a flavor enhancer in other foods. Celery is healthy and can also be a very affordable fresh vegetable, especially when you look for a good deal. However, until a few months ago, celery was always the first thing to go bad in my fridge. That is, until I learned this little secret. Now I buy celery in the big packages of 4 jumbo bunches and it never goes to waste.

Quick Easy Cheap Meals: Proper storage of celery.

This is so simple, yet so effective. When you get your celery home, slice off the very end where the roots were. Break off the individual stalks and wash each thoroughly. Set on a towel to dry. Depending on the size of your family and how much celery you may use at one time, split all your clean celery into groups. For my family, we use 5-9 stalks at once. Then, get out your aluminum foil and tear off a sheet big enough to wrap each bundle of celery stalks in. Roll them up and fold over the ends. Then, put all your foil bundles in the fridge. These last for weeks. In fact, most of the time my last foil bundle comes out to be used about 1 month after I wrapped it and it is still fresh, crisp and juicy.

Ideas for using celery.

When you have the munchies, take out 1 stalk and try nibbling on that instead of reaching for fat-laden potato chips. Chop celery and add to spaghetti sauce, tuna sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, cottage cheese, or coleslaw. Saute chopped celery and add to scrambled eggs, meatloaf, or homemade soup.