Mamma Mia! An Easy, Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce!

Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce:

A good marinara sauce is hard to come by if you do not have an Italian grandmother to whip one up in the kitchen! Instead, you are left to your devices. However, it is not difficult to make an authentic Italian pasta sauce. All you need are fresh ingredients, and a little bit of time to make the perfect sauce. First of all, you will need to get the following:

• 2 small cans of pureed tomato
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 small can of crushed tomatoes
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 small can of skinless tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 2 tablespoons of basil
• 1 tablespoons of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup of milk

Now, of course, you can always add more spices or take away the cheese depending on how you want to tailor your recipe. If you want to add meat, then buy one pound of ground beef to add to the sauce once it is nearly done. This will make the sauce rich and satisfying to any bolognaise lover! However, the following instructions will teach you how to make a basic marinara.

Getting Started

First of all, the key to a great marinara sauce is having the patience to water it down and wait for it to reduce several times. However, more on that later. The first thing you need to do is peel your tomatoes, and crush their them in a separate bowl.

Next, you will need to dice the onion and garlic into little pieces. Sauté them with a little of butter. Once they are nice a brown along the edges you can add in your spices and the rest of the tomatoes. You will need to stir this continually as the sauce comes together. It is best if you use a non stick pan on a low heat setting. Add a cup of water if it looks to dry. Keep adding water as it starts to simmer down low. You will need to do this continually for at least an hour.

Your sauce should be a rich red and thick to touch. Now, the trick that my nonna use is to add a little bit of milk at the end and a sprinkle of sugar. This will make your pasta sauce a little creamier, and ultimately Italian. Finish it off with a little sprinkle of cheese of Parmesan, and it is good to go!

Recipe - Pasta and Cauliflower, a Sensational Italian Dish

This is a dish that before you try it, doesn't sound as if it will work, but I can assure you that if you do it correctly then you will be very satisfied with the result. As always the recipe was given to me by eighty year old Italian my nonna. Here is what you need.

Spaghetti; about one hundred to one hundred and twenty grams

A cauliflower.

One medium onion. (Red if possible)

Extra virgin olive oil. (Don't skimp on this, buy something expensive)

A tin of peeled Italian tomatoes. (If you have the machine to peel them, choose fresh tomatoes)

Some diced beef.

One teaspoonful of salt.

Stage one. Pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a pan, add a chopped onion, the full teaspoon of salt, and the cubes of beef. Fry slowly until the onions are just going brown and add water and a tin of tomatoes. Alternatively you can use the same amount of peeled fresh tomatoes, but to be perfectly honest, I prefer the peeled tin variety. Bring to the boil and then simmer. As the mixture reduces, add more water, and keep on a low heat for about half an hour.

Stage two. Remove the cubes of beef and put them in a container to eat separately at a later date. The beef will now be beautifully tender and can be used as a second dish to serve with the pasta. Cut the cauliflower into four, and add the heads (no leaves or root) to the mixture. Add water if you need, so that the cauliflower heads are covered. Bring back to the boil and simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes.

Stage three. Measure out your spaghetti, and then break the sticks into small pieces about the size of you little finger. Add the spaghetti to the mixture; add water if you need, and bring to the boil. When the mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and leave until the spaghetti is cooked. This normally takes about twenty minutes but keep checking. The dish is now ready to be served.

If you like your food spicy, you can add some ground chilli pepper to give it a bite.

You don't find dishes like this in any Italian restaurant, but you will in most homes in the South of Italy. The recipe is originally from Sicily and there are some variations on how you cook it. Serve with some sparkling white wine, and have the beef cubes for after with a green salad. A perfect lunch; what more can I say other than off you go and cook it.

Italian Food stuff Gets Popular With Simple Peasant Cookery

Italian food has been voted as the favorite cuisine of Ireland according to a survey. There are numerous Italian restaurants in Dublin that are known for their delicacies. Many of these restaurants take pride in preparing home- made pastas and sauces. These restaurants create the ambience so that you can relax, be comfortable and feel at home. You can have pastas and pizzas with extra toppings of spicy lamb, pork or any other toppings of your choice. Wine, beer and coffees are also served in these Italian restaurants.

The ever increasing craze for Italian food in Dublin can be because of the healthy and unique ingredients used for preparing the dishes. Italian foods are very simplistic and prepared from simple ingredients, many dishes using just 4 to 8 ingredients in all. Italians believes that their art of preparing dishes got inherited from the Greeks, with the unique.
Delicacies for their meal consist of food that is prepared with chickpeas, dry figs, lupines, salted and dry fish, pork, pickled olives On special occasions such as weddings or festivals different delicacies were prepared.

A few dishes from the Italian cuisine belongs also to Magna Graecia and this include honey sauces, sweet meats made from almonds and walnuts, soups and meats made in vinegar. When it comes to Italian foodstuff, you require to comprehend that it was not just the Italians that shaped the way the food tastes or looks. There is a great deal of other influences that have molded the Italian food that we know today, and if you really look hard enough you can actually.

The most common ingredients that are used in an Italian kitchen are fruits, vegetables, sausages, meat, fish, rice, corn, maize and potato. Tomatoes and cheese are widely used in every dish. The tomatoes, before being used for cooking, are usually sun-dried and marinated in garlic, herbs and olive oil.

Here are some of the popular foods found in the Italian Restaurants in Dublin - pizza, burger and pasta. 

Pizza 
Pizzas with several delightful toppings are very popular food among the Dubliners. The popular Pizza toppings are - fresh sage, roasted walnuts, pork, beef, spicy lamb, mushrooms, olives, green peppers, jalapeno, onion etc.

Pastas 
Pastas are noodles and they vary in length, width and shapes. In the restaurants in Dublin one can find pastas in various edible colors. Depending on the shapes, pastas have different names- spaghetti, macaroni, penne, lasagna, fusilli, linguini etc

Are Gourmet Foods For Everyone?

When you think quality gourmet food what comes to your mind? Expensive, only available in the top restaurants of the world presented in unique design by men that speak with accents wearing tuxes? The truth is that they are not as expensive as you think, they do not need a culinary master to be prepared and they do not take as much time as you may believe.

Gourmet foods can appeal to all the senses. Taste, touch, sight, and sound. Finer gourmet foods when beautifully presented and carefully tasted can equal the experience of seeing an original piece of a masters work of art. The aroma that lingers in the air and the beauty in the way it was arranged can be worth the price that some of the finest restraunts may charge. Only high quality food and drink will suffice for those that consider food to be a delicacy and treasure.

With that being said, how does a person go about selecting everyday foods from the local market and preparing them at home to equal those prepared by a world renown chef? I completely believe that preparing gourmet meals at home for yourself, several times a week, is possible and not saved for those times when special dinners are required for guests while entertaining. Where to shop for gourmet foods? That depends on where you live. Gourmet quality items can be found at your local grocery or farmers market, it just takes some looking. There are some areas that have specialty stores or gourmet shops. Remember, I said it doesn't have to be expensive to be gourmet it has to be high quality.

So you are going to look for foods that look good, are high quality and are fresh. You want foods that are not processed or packaged and in most cases have not been treated with pesticides and such. Pick the freshest foods if at all possible. If fresh foods are not an option some frozen varieties are acceptable but never use canned. You know the difference in quality foods when you see them. They are usually the foods that are packaged attractively and displayed in a way that makes you want to buy them. You are consuming it, it should be high quality.

If you are not sure how to go through the grocery and pick out the high quality foods, then you can turn to the internet. There are many quality gourmet shops online. If you are going to use the online approach to gourmet food shopping I recommend making a list of what you are looking for. Once you have that list you will want to find the better sites that offer the best foods. Places such as Amazon.com can help you locate the foods you are looking for and offers you a simpl way to price compare.

Price compare, paying more doesn't mean that you are getting better quality of food. The quality of the food is not always revealed in the price tag. I have been to restaurants and had a filet mignon and paid an insane amount of money for a steak and then gone to a chain restaurant and had a filet that was ten times better and cost 1/3 of the "fine restaurants" filet.

Shopping for the good gourmet foods takes time. It can be an enjoyable time. Planning ahead and getting bargins by watching for coupons in your local paper is also wise. Instead of taking a long county drive on a Saturday, try visiting one or two local markets browsing up and down the isle looking for special food items to create a gourmet meal. Eating should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, so take the time to prepare your gourmet meals.

Gourmet Foods Are Everywhere

The number of companies selling items labeled "gourmet" is increasing rapidly, particularly gourmet food items. At one time, getting quality gourmet food meant going to an expensive, upscale restaurant and giving over a week's worth of pay for your dinner! Now, you can get gourmet foods from your local grocery store and from countless online retailers, and even through several direct sales companies who come into your home to give taste testing parties for you and your friends. Home taste testing parties are extremely fun and you get to try the foods before you buy, which makes it easier to decide what you want.

What exactly is "gourmet" food, and how is it that everything from soup to nuts to brownies have been given the label "gourmet"? The actual definition of the word gourmet isn't food at all; it's: a person who is devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment, especially good food and drink. We typically refer to foods themselves as gourmet now, rather than the people who enjoy these good edibles!

"Gourmet" seems to have become the catch-all phrase used to describe foods that taste good, and that are considered to be of higher than average quality. We also might label foods gourmet if they are hard to find.

Does your grocery store offer gourmet-to-go? These are dinners you can take home and serve instantly- that are designed to taste like you made it yourself. Roasted chicken and seafood dinners are commonly offered through the grocery gourmet food section. Gourmet in this case simply means it's going to taste good- and the idea is it's better than your typical fast food stop.

Actually, gourmet foods are all around us, and they give us great and simple gift giving opportunities! People often bring food to house warming parties, or to give the host when invited to dinner. Grab a gift basket of gourmet goodies and your host will be extremely appreciative of the gesture. If you bring dessert items, you may even get to taste them after dinner is served!

Packaged gourmet foods, like nuts, snacks and cheese make great gifts for all types of occasions. They typically come pre-packaged in attractive packaging, and many can be found in gift baskets which saves you time since you don't have to wrap them before giving.

Some foods labeled gourmet are actually boxed mixes that you then add other ingredients to, or cook with, in order to create the finished product. You can find gourmet brownie mixes, sauces and marinades, and even soups. A popular cooking show on the food network often uses these packaged items to make "almost homemade" meals- but the use of these gourmet packaged goods make it much faster to bring the dinner to the table- giving you more time to enjoy with your family and less time standing in the kitchen.

From coffee to dessert- and everything in between, you can now enjoy gourmet versions of all your favorite foods simply by looking up gourmet foods online or making a quick stop to your local grocery store's gourmet section.

How to Prepare Traditional Lasagna Pasta With 3 Cheeses?

When it comes to Italian pastas, they easy, quick and fun to prepare! There are several of these lip-smacking delicacies from the land of Italy that will leave your taste buds mollycoddled. So, whether it's a fun-filled weekend party or a sumptuous Sunday dinner, a platter of creamy and saucy pasta will give you and your family a taste of heaven! There are several recipes that you can try at home such as Spaghetti, baked or Lasagna pasta. In this article, we are going to learn how to make a special Italian dish - Lasagna Pasta with three cheeses. You will love preparing this delicacy because your family and friends will love savouring the rich taste of it.

This is one recipe that's prepared by our grandmothers following conventions and can be passed onto generations to come. So, let's get started with the preparation method.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

1. One and a half Lb. of Lasagna Pasta
2. 2 teaspoons of tomato paste
3. 6 cups of peeled tomatoes
4. Lb. of minced veal
5. Lb. of minced beef
6. Lb. of Italian pork sausage detached from the covering
7. One large shallot
8. One large sized onion
9. 5 pieces of garlic
10. One and a half Lb. of Mozzarella cheese
11. Grated Parmigiano cheese
12. 1 Lb. of Ricotta cheese
13. stick of butter
14. Two chicken or beef broth cubes
15. 2 teaspoons of fresh parsley
16. 1 teaspoon of hot pepper
17. Extra virgin olive oil
18. 3 fresh basil leaves

PREPARING THE SAUCE

• First take a large pan and cover the base with extra virgin olive oil & put it on average flame.

• Cut the onion, garlic and shallot into small pieces and add them to the pan.

• Once the onion pieces become golden brown, add the beef, veal, and the pork sausage (broken in small morsels) so that the meats can be fried more evenly.

• Wait for a while for the meats to brown. Then, add the tomato paste and peeled tomatoes.

• Next, take an immersion blender to chop the meat and tomatoes very finely.

• Next you have to add the basil and parsley.

• Add hot pepper and butter.

• Let these ingredients cook for about 30 minutes at average heat to reduce the sauce.

MAKING THE LASAGNA

• Prepare the Lasagna in a way so that it is still firm when bitten, i.e. half cooked (Al Dente). This is important because the pasta will continue to cook in the oven later.

• Add a little olive oil to the water to ensure that the Lasagna sheets do not cling to each other.

• Once cooked, remember to replace hot water with cold water to discontinue cooking. This will help you touch the Lasagna sheets without getting burned.

• Next take a deep baking pan and cover the base with a substantial coating of sauce.

• Then, put a coating of Lasagna followed by a coating of sauce, again a Lasagna layer, Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella, and Parmigiano cheese. Keep layering till you reach the top or brim of the pan.

• Make sure the final layering is of the sauces, Mozzarella cheese and Parmigiano cheese.

• Finally, you need to bake it in an oven at a temperature of 400o Fahrenheit for approximately 40 minutes.

Now, allow your delicious Lasagna pasta to rest for about 15 minutes or so. Serve after 15 minutes and delight your guests with a yummy creamy taste!

If you have less time and wish to avoid cooking, you can book a table in one of the renowned Italian restaurants and relish a delectable platter of yummy traditional pasta.

Please visit for more recipes related to Oven Baked Pasta

Have Trouble Cooking Pasta?

Do you love pasta but have a terrible time cooking it properly? 

It happens all the time. You prepare your pasta to have with a great sauce, but after it's finished, the noodles are either overcooked or not quite finished, causing it to taste bad. There is hope, and with a little help from some easy tips, you too can learn how to cook great pasta regardless of what kind you're trying to cook or the recipe. You can prepare basic dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, or attempt chicken in the crock pot recipes that direct you to put the pasta in during the last half hour of cooking time.

An area that lots of folks have trouble is in knowing just how much water should be used when boiling the pasta. Simply remember that a good suggestion is to add about 4 to 6 quarts of water to the pot for each pound of pasta. Additionally, another hint you might not know about is to never put your pasta into the pot of water before the water has come to a full boil. Lots of folks think that it doesn't make a difference, but most likely those same folks have yucky, sticky spaghetti as a result. As soon as the water starts to boil, add the pasta while you stir it in and then let the water reach a boil again.

Perhaps you've always heard people say to not stir the noodles while cooking, but this is probably one reason why your spaghetti turns out badly. Stirring the pasta helps the noodles to remain separate and not stick together or to the pan. Read the package cooking directions and follow them so you'll know how long to cook.

Dishes such as chicken in the crock pot recipes like chicken noodle soup, may require pasta that is cooked alone and added to the slow cooker. A great tip to remember is to let the noodles cook to 'just done' and not limp so that it will hold up in the crock pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Same goes for casseroles that will be baked in the oven for additional cooking time.

So the big question, and the biggest challenge, is how to know when you've cooked the pasta long enough. Here comes the easy part. Just taste and see. Using a fork, remove a piece of pasta or spaghetti and eat it. The pasta is done if it's firm but not hard. Pour the water out of the cooking pot and do not let the noodles lounge around in the water. Another falsehood: you only have to rinse the pasta if you need it to be cold for a specific recipe or it you don't want to eat it warm. Makes sense doesn't it?

Well, there you go. A few simple tips on how to prepare awesome pasta. You love pasta, and your family adores it, so don't continue serving them sticky noodles. Practice makes perfect and it results in perfectly wonderful Oven Baked Pasta too!

Nyonya Style Steamed Fish Recipe

Cooking Nyonya dishes is labor-extensive, involves delicate preparation and requires mingling of a variety of spices which is pounded into a very specific texture. Nyonya cuisine evolved from the inter marriages of the Straits Chinese and the local Malay traders. It is a perfect amalgamation of spices used by the Malay or Indonesian community such as pungent roots, aromatic leaves and sometimes together with candle nuts, shallots, shrimps paste, chilies, tamarind juice and coconut milk. But it all well-worth the effort as the finished dish proved. Nyonya style steamed sea bass transformed into delectable melt-in-your-mouth morsels, smothered in the bath of sourish, spicy and tangy spices. The subtle selection of ingredients give it a wow factor that make you want to savor every mouthful.

If you are looking for easy delightful Chinese-Malay fusion to satisfy your spicy and sour cravings, you might want to try the recipe below. Lay your hand on this delicate recipe of the Straits settlement.

Ingredients:

1 sea bass (about 700g), cleaned

2 tablespoon onion, shredded

2 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped

Spices:

2 stalks lemongrass, chopped finely

3 tablespoon ginger flower, chopped

1 tablespoon bird's eye chilies

4 tablespoon squeezed lime juice

Seasoning:

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon fish sauce

dash of pepper

Method:

1. Combine all the spices and seasoning, pour over the cleaned sea bass.

2. Steam at high heat in a wok with boiling water for 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked. Then remove the fish from wok.

3. Sprinkle shredded onion and coriander leaves on top of the steamed fish and serve hot with fluffy rice.

Know more tasty Traditional Peranakan Food recipes here.

King of Nyonya Food - Kapitan Chicken

Not all curry dishes are similar. Here is one of the most yummy curry I ever made and yet is not as spicy as many people believed. It is called Kapitan Chicken.

Most westerners who find the taste of oriental cuisine is just too strong for them, and hence reluctant to try. Here is a superb Malaysian dish that's not so spicy and should be more appropriate for those who are not ready to try the hot and spicy Indian and Thai cuisine.This dish is called kapitan introduced by the localized Chinese immigrants in Malaysia.

The name is resulting from a fun story during the British colony time.Based on the Malaysian history, Legend has it one of the Chinese cook of a ship owned by the British was keen to learn how to cook the local cuisine.He knew that there was another Malay woman who can cook very well in the same ship. He decided to ask from the lady on how to cook the dish that she was preparing for dinner. The Malay woman said she was preparing a traditional curry dish, and show him how to cook.

The best kapitan chicken can be found in Penang and Malaka which were colonized by the British and Portuguese from 15th to 19th centuries.The Chinese and Malay who stayed here have developed many western cuisine with a touch of Asian influence.For example, kapitan chicken is based on a Malay curry dish but has been improved by the Chinese and cooked by using a unique set of herbs and spices. The chicken used must be fresh and marinated overnight to make sure it is soft and succulent. The trick is to marinate and deep fried the chicken before it is simmered in a pot of bubbling hot coconut milk.

The major characteristic of chicken kapitan is the use of the traditional Malay spices and herbs but less spicy as compared to the traditional Malay curry.It has a distinct Nyonya flavor as a result of the combination of lemongrass, galangal (a kind of ginger, also all blue ginger ), turmeric ( the regional terms it as yellow ginger ), coconut milk and belacan (local shrimp paste).It is different from the Malay and Indian curry as not only it is cooked with less chili, but is also the mix of spices used.The common spices utilized in Malay and Indian curry for example cumin, fenugreek and fennel are hardly used.Rather, belacan is added in a small amount with large quantity of coconut milk.

Please click here for Traditional Peranakan Food.

Understanding Italian Food

Over the years, Italian food has really developed. There are recipes that can be traced to so many centuries ago and there are heavy influences on how the cuisine has been shaped and changed over the years. There are influences such as Jewish, byzantine, ancient roman, Greek and Etruscan. There have been changes over the years with the most diversion taking place with the discovery of the Americas. The food has always been characterized by a remarkable simplicity. Its diversity is however also quite intriguing. 

There are a lot of products of excellence in the Italian food products that are available. These foods are usually those that follow recipes that have actually been inherited from chefs who were quite superb in the centuries preceding our own. In the past, there were set standards in the preparation of various Italian dishes that had to be followed to the letter to ensure that they were correct and that the outcome would be simply awesome. You can expect the best foods to have a very seductive aroma that explore traditional flavours, and eliminate the artificial additives that are so common in global eating habits toda

y.

To be able to enjoy Italian food to the greatest limit, Italian food excellence requires that wholesome ingredients be used. Natural flavours are incorporated and this is what makes them so unique and so inviting. Culinary experts understand that the body needs to be protected and that is why so much attention is given to Italian food ensuring that it comes out as perfectly and nutritious as it should be. 

Italian food quality is one of the selling points of the products that the country makes. This is why Italian products are so celebrated in different parts of the globe. It is good for the health especially when you are aware that the artificial additives as well as colourings are usually eliminated from the food. You can be able to find such foods at some of the most amazing stores especially those that specialize in Italian products. Pastry shops and delicatessens are also a great place to start. The quality of the food is highly improved when the flavours of the past are preserved. Establishments that are dedicated to making high quality Italian products available can also be trusted in the making of the best quality food. 

Italian food trade specializes in the presentation of the best products ever. This may cover fast food outlets or chains, catering companies, hotels, pizzerias, restaurants and all people that may be in need of the highest quality and great efficiency. There is a need to have a place where the temperatures are controlled to ensure that the products are always top quality and value. Partnering with reliable people and with the right certification, it is very easy to make sure that the quality is as it should be and that the clients will thoroughly enjoy the outcome.

Traditional Italian Recipes

Most traditional Italian recipes will differ from one region or part of Italy to the next. There are twenty (20) separate regions in all and there are provinces within each region which means many different styles and flavors of cooking. This regional variation is what Italy is known for; it is the local ingredients which give each unique flavor - the spice of life.

Pesto is a great example of how a basic recipe is modified by each region. The basic most famous green pesto comes from the Liguria (northern) area where the fresh basil is crushed into a paste and mixed with olive oil, Parmigiano (cheese) and pine nuts. More currently introduced, the red pesto has sun-dried tomatoes added to the traditional mix in the Cinque Terre area, while the spicy Sicilian variation can contain chilies, cappers, raisins, anchovies, fennel and mint. Is your mouth watering yet!

The Northern regions' recipes also tend to use less olive oil, pasta and tomato sauce in favor of more rice, polenta and cheeses for cream sauces. The local recipes seem to express a pride of the unspoiled countryside with the inclusion of local game or wild fowl like rabbit or quail. The overall rule is if it grows well in the area, it will usually end up or be on the plate.

Italian cooking has two sides with one being tradition and the other innovation. Most regional variations take a traditional Italian food and add local flavor or develop a new use to create a taste unique to that region. Unlike typical Italian restaurant food found in North America traditional Italian dishes offer much more variety. While you can find the well known offerings of pizza and spaghetti you will find that taking time to sample local recipes cooked by local chefs worthwhile as it enhances the enjoyment and memories of your experience.

This tasty recipe uses medium sized zucchini’s and is a great way to get your family to eat vegetables. Dad’s garden generates excellent produce and some of his vegetables are a little big for this recipe. If you have ever been in a garden cultivated by an Italian you will know exactly where I am coming from. You want your zucchini to be tender so no bigger than medium sized ones should be used. These are also known as stuffed zucchini boats.

Ingredients

4 medium-size zucchini
8 ounces Italian sausage
1 yellow onion (chopped)
3 tbsp minced parsley
2 tbsp minced basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (fine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg

Directions

1. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Place in large saucepan covered by boiling water. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until zucchini are almost tender. Might help to weigh them down with small plate to ensure they cook evenly. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Scoop out the pulp from the zucchini leaving about 1/4 inch border all around. Chop the pulp and transfer contents to a sieve and press it with large spatula or spoon to remove excess liquid. Set aside. Invert hollowed zucchini on paper towel to drain.
3. Remove sausage from casings and break up the meat. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, parsley, basil and thyme; cook for 5 minutes more or until onion is soft. Remove from heat, add salt, pepper, bread crumbs and 2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese.
4. Allow stuffing to cool to room temperature
5. Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Mix the egg with the stuffing mixture and fill zucchini halves with stuffing. Place them in a baking dish, sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
6. Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes or until zucchini are heated through and filling has a golden brown crust.

To us, when you refer to traditional Italian recipes the picture or image of making age old family recipes in the kitchen with your grandmother or mother spring to life. This type of cooking not only is delicious but is also the ultimate comfort food. So visit here for more recipes from My Nonna.

Simple Heart Healthy Habits You Can Try

When your physician has advised you to follow a certain diet that is good for your heart, you must be aware of the changes that must be made to your day-to-day eating routine. It is highly emphasized that following this advice is very important in order to allow your body to get back to a healthier state which in turn can greatly boost the quality of your life.

Generally, cleaning up your diet in order to strengthen your heart will involve controlling portion sizes, eating more fruits and vegetables, selecting the right whole grains, and being aware of the healthy kinds of fats whilst limiting unhealthy types. You need to pour out certain amount of effort in order for you to learn more great info about healthy foods as well as determine which ones can be harmful. Apart from that, there is also a need for you to undertake a regular fitness routine. Indeed, if you take small steps, you will achieve your health goals in no time.

Some Heart Healthy Habits To Try

Breakfast - Consider making a healthy, fresh wrap with wholemeal lavash bread, baby spinach leaves, slices avocado, reduced fat cream cheese, slices vine-ripened tomatoes, and eggs done to your liking. All you have to do is to assemble the ingredients on the bread, season it with cracked blacked pepper, roll it up, and place in a sandwich press until you achieve crispy bread.

Lunch - What makes a great lunch either at home or in the office is a hearty, filling soup. You can prepare vegetable minestrone that is packed with flavor as well as nutrients by combining a big load of vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, beans, zucchini and onions, with olive oil, pasta, vegetable stock, and fresh basil.

Dinner - You can eat pizza for your dinner. Be reminded that pizza is not always a greasy kind. You can try various kinds which are made with wholemeal pita bread, field mushroom, sprigs of thyme, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, reduced fat mozzarella cheese, and pesto sauce. For an even healthier meal, you can pair the pizza with a salad.

Dessert - Dessert need not to be very sweet all the time. Know that there are delectable pasty recipes which are proven to be good for the heart. Collect som

e stone fruits, make a syrup using honey, vanilla and water, cinnamon, star anise, and add some honey yoghurt with low fat Greek yoghurt, honey and vanilla, and cinnamon. You have to cook the fruits in the syrup, and serve them with the honey yoghurt to achieve a healthy, sweet treat that you and your family will certainly enjoy.

For more info on Italian Dishes, check out this site.

Healthy Foods to Lose Weight - Some Examples to Follow

Diet and nutrition plays a critical role when it comes to weight loss but many people are not aware of this fact. It is not easy to lose weight and that is why you need to pay some attention on the type of food you eat. Physical exercise alone cannot help you to lose weight but it must be accompanied with a healthy diet.

 This article will highlight some examples of healthy foods to lose weight. There are some foods that can actually help you lose a lot of pounds within a very short period of time. It is always advisable to have a good breakfast if you want to boost your chances of losing weight. The following are good healthy foods that can help you lose weight.

1. Balanced Diet Shake

This is a good nutritional drink for breakfast that contains vitamins, natural minerals and some complex carbohydrates. The diet shake should include 10 grams of soy and if possible 5 grams of dietary fiber for every serving. A balanced diet shake provides 180 calories per serving.

2. Toasted Plain Bagel with Natural Jam

This is a good meal for lunch because it is a good source of energy and can help you save up to 360 calories. Cream cheese has a lot of fat and that is why natural jam should be used in this case. You can use a toasted frozen bagel is if you do not have a fresh one.

3. Scrambled Whites with Greens

This meal provides 255 calories and has very low cholesterol levels. Fat-free pam is used to scramble white eggs that are normally blended with a cup of mushroom and a cup of spinach. This meal is very rich in dietary protein. Normal scrambled eggs have a lot of fat and this is actually the best alternative because one can save up to 100 milligrams of cholesterol.

4. Spaghetti Squash

This is almost similar to the usual spaghetti but has some dietary toppings and sauces. This type of spaghetti is very rich in fluids, vitamin B, Vitamin fiber, potassium and carbohydrates. Spaghetti squash is a low-calorie meal that helps you save up to 200 calories. It is important to be light on the sauces when you are you are preparing spaghetti squash. Those who may want to resupply their body muscles after workouts can combine spaghetti squash with traditional pasta.

5. Frozen Fruits

Fruits should always be part of your diet if you want to lose weight. Fruits are very nutritious, satisfying and refreshing. They are rich in iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and nutritious fiber. Fruits have low calorie levels and are known to have important antioxidants. You can eat fruits as a dessert and the fact that they are sweet means that they can alert you when you are eating excessively. Examples of healthy fruits that you can include in your diet include mango, dried papaya, bananas, blueberries and frozen grapes.

6. Potato Pasta

This meal is free from gluten and wheat and is known for its high fiber and complex carbohydrate. Organic potatoes are used to prepare healthy potato pasta because they contain important nutrients such as iron, calcium and Vitamin C. Potato pasta has low cholesterol level and that is why it is good when it comes to weight loss.

Others

There are many healthy foods to lose weight and those that have been highlighted in this article can really help you in your efforts to lose weight. Other healthy foods include chocolate dreams cookies, mashed potatoes, pure-lentil bean pasta, low-fat soy crisps and tossed salad.

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Low Fat Pasta: Why and How to Make it.

Making your own pasta is not difficult. It's actually very easy to cook.

But you may wonder why would you make your own pasta, when you can buy it pre-packed, and ready to cook?

Well, one reason is that by making your own, you eat fresh pasta. There is a difference of taste and texture between fresh pasta and pre-packed pasta.

But there is another reason: if you make your own pasta, you may want to use nutritius ingredients, ensuring that your pasta not only tastes good, but it is also low in fat, and generally good for you.

For instance, you may want to make your own low fat pasta with unrefined flour, ensuring that your pasta is rich in fibre and B complex Vitamins.

Finally, learning to make your own basic pasta dough is the first skill towards preparing other (more advanced?) types of pasta dishes like lasagna, raviolli, tortellini, and that type of thing.

It's not such a difficult thing to do, and it can be a fun process.

You see, normally you make pasta with refined wheat flour, eggs and salt.

But if you want low fat pasta, you need to use water instead of eggs, and you have to give salt a miss.

This recipe makes about 750 g of low fat pasta (about 1.5 pounds), and it takes about 50 minutes to make.

To make your own low fat basic pasta you need:

* 500 g (1 pound) of strong wholemeal flour

* 275 ml (a bit over a cup) of water.

This is what you do:

First, put the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle (like a volcano, sort of thing).

Then, pour in the water, and mix with a knife till the dough binds.

After that, you start mixing with your hands and knead it till all the flour is evenly incorporated into the dough.

Move the dough to a kitchen bench, and knead it for about 10 minutes, till it becomes smooth and elastic.

Next, put the dough into a plastic (zip lock) bag and leave it there for about 30 minutes.

Then, take a quarter of the dough and roll it out by hand on a slightly floured surface. Roll it very thin. Leave it to rest and dry before using it.

Freeze whatever you don't use. It will remain good for up to 3 months.

You will be able to use this basic low fat pasta to make many of my delicious recipes.

A Quick, Easy and Healthy Dinner: Pasta With Shrimp and Garlic

Weeknights can be a hectic time but take-out dinners and processed meals can wreak havoc on your wallet and your waistline! This delicious and healthy pasta dish can be on the table in under 20 minutes. The secret to this dish is to use frozen cooked and peeled shrimp, easily available in most grocery stores. Just thaw, toss with garlic, olive oil, butter and fresh parsley and you've got a fast shrimp scampi recipe in no time. A healthy combination of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, nutrient-rich fresh herbs and a small amount of good fat makes this an energy-boosting meal for students, athletes and busy professionals. With two growing teenage boys in my house, this is one of our "go to" dinner recipes that really delivers on those crazy busy school nights between sports and homework. Add a green salad and you're done!

Ingredients:

1 pound (1 box or package) of pasta (spaghetti, fettuccini or linguini)

1 pound (1 bag) of frozen shrimp, cooked and peeled. Medium or large shrimp work well.

2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin or minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons salted butter

A handful of fresh Italian Parsley, rough chopped

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. (at least 4 quarts of water per pound of pasta)

2. Put the frozen shrimp in a colander and run lukewarm water over them to thaw. It just takes a few minutes. Remove the tails and place the shrimp on a towel to dry.

3. When the water is at a rolling boil, add a heaping tablespoon of salt and drop in the pasta. Stir gently as the pasta softens until it is below the waterline and moving on its own. Set the timer to the time recommended on the package and stir every couple minutes to keep the pasta from sticking.

4. While the pasta is cooking, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic to a cold saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and sauté gently until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute or two. Don't let the garlic brown or burn or it will be bitter. Add the thawed, cooked shrimp and half of the fresh parsley. Season lightly with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss gently to coat the shrimp and turn the heat to low. You want to warm the shrimp through being careful not to cook them. (they are already cooked and any additional cooking with make them tough.)

5. About a minute before the pasta is ready, reserve a 1/2 cup or so of the starchy pasta water and set aside.

6. If adding frozen peas, add them now. The frozen peas will slow the cooking process down so you'll need to taste test your pasta for doneness. You may need to add an additional minute or two to the cooking time. By the time the pasta is done, the peas will be bright green and perfectly cooked.

7. When the pasta is al dente, cooked but still firm to the bite, drain it, along with the peas, into a colander. Put the hot pasta back in the hot pot - off the heat or on low - and add the shrimp. Scrape the saucepan with a rubber spatula to get all the herb, garlic and buttery deliciousness out of the pan. Toss together with the pasta until well coated. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if it seems a bit dry. Add the last tablespoon of butter to create a silky smooth texture, toss in the remaining parsley, mix thoroughly and serve immediately.

As for the cheese... Italians generally do not add cheese to seafood dishes because the flavor is so delicate. However, if your family likes it that way, by all means add it!

 Pasta Delivery Singapore your one-stop resource for pasta recipes, ideas, how-to and more! You'll find simple step-by-step recipes with beautiful images, helpful how-to videos, drool-worthy culinary tours, timely seasonal inspiration and much more. Quick and easy one-dish dinner ideas, classic pasta and sauce combinations, rich and satisfying lasagnas, even an in depth video series on how to make fresh pasta by hand that will keep you coming back for more. To keep things flowing smoothly in your kitchen, look for her handy tips and timing techniques. From gathering your ingredients to garnishing your plate, you'll look like a seasoned pro. To check out more great pasta recipes, visit today!

Italian Food Culture

The Italian food culture concerns not only what we see at Italian tables or in a rich Italian restaurant menu.

It is something much deeper in Italians' DNA.

Italians have some beliefs that go beyond education or tradition.

Concerning pasta

An easy example could be the pasta shapes and their seasonings. Considering that among dry pasta (the ones you usually buy inside paper or plastic bags that last for long) the difference is only the shape of it, nothing else, the shape itself is something very important for Italians.

There's a traditional pasta sauce recipe from Roma region called Pasta all'amatriciana (it's a tasty sauce made with tomatoes and bacon). Usually it's served using the bucatini pasta (kind of huge spaghetti with a hole in its middle). An Italian woman was disgusted hearing her hairdress telling her colleague that preferred it with short pasta. She said: "Don't ask me why. It just is as it is. Amatriciana must go with long pasta. How can one imagine of cooking it with short pasta?" The same goes for pasta with oil and garlic (aglio e olio), you probably will never see it served using any other pasta that isn't spaghetti.

Cappuccino

A lot of people around the world drink coffee and milk. In Italy, people use to drink cappuccino - a coffee and milk with addition of milk foam.

All around the world people drink coffee and milk whenever feels like doing it. Italians will never ask for a cappuccino in the evening! Why? It is just as it is. It's not time to have a cappuccino. Cappuccino is for breakfast!

Italians do not accept someone who asks a cappuccino after, or even worse, together with dinner. They really twist their nose when they see someone doing it.

Drinking

In Italy there are bars everywhere. There are many small cities, having about 1,500 inhabitants that have about 20 bars.

It happens because drinking in Italy is associated with greetings. When an Italian meet a friend, it's natural to "drink something together".

If it happens to serve a drink to someone seat besides you, never turn the jar or the bottle against the natural way of your hand. For example, if you have the jar in your right hand, the glass must be on the left side, never behind, on the right side of your right hand. Otherwise it may not bring good luck.

Meals

In many countries it's common to eat a salad as entrance.

Not in Italy.

Italians eat salad as a side plate for the second dish. Now you can find some tourist restaurants in main cities that propose rich salads for the tourists...but Italians never ask for them!

Italians respects lunch time. If you come to visit Italy and want to have lunch, pay attention to restaurants' closing times. Usually after 2:30pm the kitchens are all closed and you'll have to eat a sandwich. If an Italian is traveling outside Italy, he will probably look for a restaurant during lunch time. If he doesn't or cannot find one, and finds one at 3:00pm, he'll probably say that is not hungry anymore, that he uses to eat at that time otherwise he loses his hunger.

Italians trust their food. While most of the tourists look for local food, considering it part of the vacation, it's very common to see Italians looking for Italian restaurants while abroad. They seem to be afraid of new and different food.

They begin to open themselves to new food when go outside Italy more often and learn to appreciate and trust foreign cuisines.

Other than trusting and loving their own food, Italians hate when people try to mix other food cultures with Italian ones. An example? Never add ketchup to a pasta dish! You cannot imagine how your Italian friend will stare at you if you try to do so.

The interesting in all these is that they don't do it for being presumptuous, but they really believe you're wasting your taste. Italian culture still has a lot of "musts" that go with generations that just follow it without knowing why it is done in this or that way.