How to cook pasta, straightforward steps

I adore pasta, although it receives a poor name due to having high carbohydrates and the white type containing processed white wheat. A great top quality whole grain pasta served in modest servings may be a flexible and important part of a healthy well-balanced eating routine and I may go as far to say that for me even white pasta can be enjoyed included in a healthy diet. It may be served many ways with a tremendous rank of sauces readily available such as tomato base, cream based, pesto and more. Pasta is great in bakes, soups and mixed into salads to have cold. Oh and most importantly it tastes great!

I enjoy my pasta best served with a good top quality selfmade basil and walnut pesto or a dense vegetable crammed tomato based sauce. Arriabiata and Putenesca type sauces get my top vote but even a simple spaghetti sauce tastes fantastic.

Prior to starting you should realize that although the low cost pasta may be right for your budget like the majority of things in daily life it may not always give the greatest flavor. Spending extra to get a high quality pasta can be beneficial and it's also usually truly worth trying several brand names and keeping track of the ingredients.

How to cook pasta, straightforward steps

If cooked poorly pasta gets sloppy and starchy. Flawlessly cooked it simply tastes so much better. Al Dente, Italian for Just Right (not undercooked as more often than not thought) asks for the pasta to be a lttle bit firm.

You should measure Oven pasta in a ratio of 4 cups, which is 1 quart, of water to 3 ounces of pasta and a big flat wide pot functions best.

1. Top up the pot with the correct volume of water for the amount of pasta you would like to prepare and put about 1/8 of a t-spoon of sea salt per cup of water. In addition put a little drizzle of olive oil to the water, this prevents the pasta sticking to the pan.


2. Bring the water to a quick boil.


3. Add your pasta and let the liquid go back to the boil but turn down the heat slightly if needed to keep the nice rolling boil.


4. After 8 minutes has passed it's the perfect time to test the pasta. use a fork and very carefully taste a piece. The pasta should be firm but easy to bite through and it should taste cooked as you expect. If it's not ready keep testing each minute until it is ready.


5. Go ahead and take pasta off the oven and strain immediately. If it is going to be used in a hot meal serve without delay, for cold meals drain and run cold water through the pasta and refrigerate for a few hours.

As you have seen it is not a big problem to make superb pasta however the key minutes of tasting are where everything can go wrong. Once over done there is no way to recover it.

Gourmet Food Is One of Life's Simple Pleasures

Nowhere in the world of fine dining is there a place for fast food, cafe, or a drive-in style eating establishment. A gourmet meal should consist of at least three distinct and separate courses, served elegantly and with due consideration toward pleasing the palate of dinner guests. Simply ordering from a menu on the wall, then having to retrieve your own food, then to eat at a picnic style table or take it home to eat are not even considered here. The art of gourmet dining includes dressing for the occasion and bringing your best table manners along. It's easy to compare the many differing styles of cooking as well as the type of service provided yet each constitutes good food and the opportunity to let someone else cook for you, then wash up after, so it's usually well worth the price.

Serving style varies around the world

When you dine Mongolian style, such as in a Mongolian barbecue style restaurant, generally the customer selects their own foods from a buffet style table then hands that bowl over to the cook. The cook then stir fries that food, using a large flat top grill, then returns the food, now plated, back to the customer at their chosen table. In France you may dine in what is called a brasserie. The French inspired menu generally consists of comfort foods like fish dishes that have that distinctly French flavor and cooked to perfection by well-trained chefs. Food is moderately priced and service may well be your own. A bistro by comparison, will have a more refined d©cor with higher prices and more professional service. American style dining varies from true gourmet restaurants with seven course meals to a McDonald's Big Mac with fries. With so much to choose from, it is no wonder obesity is a worldwide problem (as is hunger).

What does gourmet actually mean?

One who truly appreciates fine food of gourmet quality dining is called a gourmand or simply a gourmet. Having a discerning palate, someone who has had much experience trying food from a wide variety of sources enables them to have an opinion on foods that may be respected by others. Quality Gourmet food is considered to be on the finer and more refined menus around the globe. It may include such highly regarded (and expensive) items as rare mushrooms known as truffles, prime cuts of beef, sauces and gravies that have been refined and slow cooked to reduce them down to the finest and deepest of flavorings, and exotic vegetables which have been grown organically. 

Extensive use of both white and red wines is a vital part of many gourmet dishes and may be involved in the creation of such fine dishes as Amaretto Tiramisu, Saut©ed Beef with Rosemary & White Wine, Prime Rib Roast of Beef with Au Jus, and Hibiscus Marinated Leg of Lamb. Of course these recipes and many more can be found on the Internet or in gourmet cook books. But just having the recipe means little unless the cook is a trained chef; someone who knows the intricacies involved as well as the chemistry that makes a truly fine meal fit to be labeled a gourmet meal.

Traditional and Delicious Italian Chicken

It is an easy and quick chicken recipe that can be prepared by using marsala wine. Whenever you are in hurry and do not feel like having enough time to cook something, then this dish is perfect option to prevent your family members to eat outside junk food. This dish is quite a simple and quick chicken recipe that can be prepared under an hour. The marsala wine which is basically a sweet one is very often used in making this world famous chicken marsala dish which is served at Italian Dishes around the world.

Here we won't be discussing any chicken marsala recipe but will try to make beginners understand one by one what all points should be kept in mind while cooking perfect chicken marsala dish:

1. Pick the ratio of ingredients properly.

Here for chicken marsala the proper ratio of marsala wine and mushrooms need to be selected. It can also be combined with black or white wine, pepper corns, fresh thyme or chopped garlic or marsala sauce which gives a different tinge of flavor to it. The quality of mushrooms needs to be checked in properly and they should be brought in from the grocery store in air tight containers. Mushrooms which are quite nutritious add a superb taste to the dish. The ingredients which are added with distinct flavors are basically an entire foundation of this dish.

2. Cut the chicken meat properly and put it into the salt water and donot put them into the flour batter.

For starters it's not easy to do the coating with flour as if you might have noticed when preparing chicken marsala, that when you coat the chicken cutlets with flour while cooking it the flour drips down and hence it effects the entire taste of the dish. While if flour is used in little amount it might not actually serve your purpose. Only experts can do the flouring properly over the chicken meat that too in the right proportion. Simply dip the chicken meat cuts into the salty water for 4-5 hours only not more than that as it may unnecessarily turn the chicken more salty.

3. Cooking chicken is the final and most crucial step.

You are supposed to keep watch over the chicken and make sure it is not overcooked which will unnecessarily burn its pieces. Check the color of the liquid in which meat is soaked it should be clear with no lumps in it. Also the chicken cuts when checked should be tender. Boneless and skinless chicken is mostly used for making this amazing dish.

The above listed basic steps for preparing chicken marsala is very easy to cook savory and flavorful chicken recipe. Remember these useful tips before starting to cook this dish in order to save time, it will definitely be perfect when you will serve it to your family members.

Ready To Eat Meals You Don't Have To Cook

What is one of the things that you really hate to come home to at the end of a long, tough day at work? More work. For many people, it is the chore of having to prepare dinner once they get home. If you work hard, the last thing you want to do is do more work when you are home. But you don't have to cook if you don't want to, and you won't go hungry either, if you have some ready to eat meals on hand that you don't need to bother cooking. Meals that you just have to pop into the microwave to heat up that only take a few seconds are very convenient. But it is also important that you are getting the proper nutrition, so the ready to eat meals that you are using need to be healthy ones, and there are many options will also taste good.

No Processed Foods

When we are talking about ready to eat meals, we do not mean meals that are processed and have absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. What we mean is healthy meals that are ready to eat. And there are many ways that you can have these meals so that they are ready whenever you want one.

- Use your slow cooker 
If you love to have a hot meal when you get home from work, but don't actually feel like making it, you can still have one, and one that is healthy, as long as you are willing to take five minutes in the morning to start the ball rolling. Actually, to make the process even quicker, get your ingredients ready the night before. Then all you need to do in the morning is throw all of the ingredients together in the slow cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, you will have a nice, hot meal ready and waiting for you. You will find all kinds of delicious and healthy slow cooker recipes in books, magazines, and on the internet. Many of these meals are diet friendly too, so you can have them even when you are trying to lose weight.

- Get healthy take-out 
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as healthy take-out food, and these days, more and more fast food restaurants are offering healthy choices on their menus. Grab a healthy meal of baked or broiled chicken and a salad, and the only thing you need to do when you get home is to start eating (you may want to take off your coat and boots first.) Or you can get a healthy baked potato, which is loaded with nutrients, including protein. Have it with broccoli and low fat cheese, and you have healthy ready to eat meals, just with one baked potato and some lean meat, fish, or poultry.

- Use meal replacements 
Although it is not something that you should get into the habit of doing all the time, if you really don't feel like cooking dinner or don't have time to eat other meals, such as breakfast or lunch, you can get plenty of nutritional benefits from using meal replacements. These are created to ensure that you are getting the nutrients you may not be getting from your diet, and, they will make you feel as full as if you had actually eaten a meal because they are loaded with protein. These are ideal ready to eat meals, and, in many cases, you don't even have to eat, you just enjoy a delicious shake, smoothie, or other type of drink.

Make Sure Your Ready To Eat Meals Are Healthy Ones

No matter what kind of ready to eat meals you choose to have, you need to make sure that they are full of good nutrition, or you will not be healthy and will be at risk of developing many serious health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease and many more. But if you are eating meals, including ready to eat meals, that are prepared with healthy, fresh ingredients, you can be sure that you are going to look and feel great, and not just some of the time either.

There many foods that are healthy, diet friendly, and really tasty. It is not as difficult as you may think to eat healthily, especially with so many options in front of you. The best idea is to check out the healthy foods in the grocery store, and find things that are healthy that you can turn into ready to eat meals. Avoid the middle aisles of the store, as this is where you are going to find the unhealthy processed foods. The outer aisles is where you are going to find the produce, meat, poultry, fish and dairy; which are the foods you need to be putting into your diet if you want to be healthy and fit.

Ready to eat meals come in all forms, and meal replacements are often a good idea to have around just in case you can't eat a meal when you should. Many meal replacements are protein supplements, and this is the best way for you to get the protein you need without actually getting it from dietary sources. You will find that there are many protein supplements that make excellent ready to eat meals. And there are also some terrific protein packed snacks available too, so you can have them at any time of the day and make sure that you are always getting good nutrition to your body.

Protica has a number of protein supplements that you can use as meal replacements or snacks. Liquid protein shots are small but mighty, because they pack a huge punch of protein, which is going to help you to feel fuller and more satisfied so you will not be craving foods in between meals. Isometric is the world's smallest and most balanced meal replacement shot that contains 20 grams of protein, 2 servings of fruits and vegetables, and a healthy balance of low-glycemic carbs and fats with a whole slew of other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Paccheri With Fresh & Canned Tomato Sauce

Every Italian family has their favorite tomato sauce recipe, often one that has been passed down through generations. It may be a simple sauce made with fresh garden tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, or a long cooking sauce flavored with a variety of different types of meat. I have to say that my preference is seasonal, and when fresh tomatoes are in season, there is nothing better than a barely cooked sauce that is all about the tomatoes. 

During cooler months however, I love to prepare a sauce that simmers on the stove for hours flavored with meat and vegetables. I do not think I could even pick a favorite tomato sauce, at least until now. I recently read about a sauce using both canned tomatoes and fresh chopped cherry tomatoes, and since we have an abundance of cherry tomatoes in our garden, I decided to give it a try. When fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes are available, especially from our garden, I rarely touch canned tomatoes, but I was intrigued by the idea of using both together.

I knew this sauce would taste good, but I was surprised just how good it tasted. Such a small change creates great results as the sweetness and vibrancy of the fresh tomatoes brings the sauce to life, while the canned tomatoes add a complexity to the sauce. Since most of us can buy decent cherry tomatoes year round, this is certainly a sauce I’ll be often making. I chose to use paccheri, a thick tube type of pasta shape that works well with chunky sauce although you could use just about any pasta shape with this sauce. For best results, do use good quality canned San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh basil.One can learn to cook Italian dishes who loves to eat.

Paccheri With Fresh & Canned Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 2 (14 Ounce) Cans Chopped San Marzano Tomatoes
• 5 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil, Divided
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
• 15 Ripe Cherry Tomatoes, Chopped
• 1 Pound Package Paccheri Pasta (Or Pasta of Choice)

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add the onions.
• Cook until tender, about 7 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook another minute or two until fragrant.
• Add the canned tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of basil, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the cherry tomatoes and cook another 15 minutes, stirring often.
• While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
• Cook the pasta according to package instructions until it is “al dente”.
• Stir the remaining basil into the sauce, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
• Add a ladle or two of sauce to the pot and toss until the pasta is coated.
• Served in individual bowls topped with a spoonful of additional sauce.
• Offer grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese at the table if desired.

Zucchini Yogurt Quick Bread

 Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, but you really can only do so much with zucchini day after day before you become a tad tired of it. Thank God I have chickens who appreciate leftover zucchini! Knowing I had family coming to visit, I spent the early part of July baking treats to freeze, so I’d have snacks I could thaw out quickly.

I used some of my zucchini harvest to make some muffins and a few loaves of this tasty quick bread. This loaf turned out to be a big hit with the grandkids, even those who do not like vegetables. I would pull a loaf out of the freezer first thing in the morning, and it would be devoured before lunch! The addition of yogurt plus the grated zucchini helped to create a very moist loaf; the nuts added texture, and the loaf was not overly sweet.

Zucchini Yogurt Quick Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Light Farro (Spelt) Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs At Room Temperature
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1 Cup Grated Zucchini

Topping:

• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease and flour a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan.
• In one bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and yogurt.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until mixed.
• Fold in the walnuts and zucchini.
• In a small bowl, stir together the chopped nuts, sugar, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the loaf.
• Bake for about 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

See more recipes here and taste Traditional Italian Food.

Zucchini, Ricotta, & Egg Pie

We enjoyed this dish for lunch along with a mixed salad, but it would  be a great breakfast or brunch dish as well. It could also be an option for a vegetarian entree at dinner served with whole grain crusty bread and a big vegetable salad. I prefer a dish like this served at room temperature, so the flavors stand out, but it was also tasty the next day cold from the refrigerator for breakfast.

Feel free to use whatever fresh herbs you prefer, change the grated cheese if you like, and maybe combine some summer squash with the zucchini. This dish works best if the zucchini are sliced very thin, and a mandolin works well for this.

Zucchini, Ricotta, & Egg Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 (8 Ounce) Container Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 1/2 Cups Milk
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley Leaves
• 2 Pounds Small zucchini, Thinly Sliced

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees> F.
• Rub the oil over a 9-inch quiche pan, then pour in the breadcrumbs.
• Twist the pan around to cover the sides and bottom with the crumbs.
• In a large bowl, beat together the ricotta cheese, half the pecorino, eggs, and milk until smooth with a whisk.
• Season the mixture well with salt and pepper, and stir in the red pepper flakes, thyme, and parsley.
• Add the zucchini and gently stir to coat the zucchini with the egg mixture.
• Spoon the zucchini and egg mixture into the prepared pan, then sprinkle with the rest of the grated pecorino cheese.
• Bake the zucchini until puffed, browned, and set, about 50 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature and serve.

Please visit here to see recipes on Traditional Peranakan Food.

Anchovy Crumb Stuffed Peppers

A person can enjoy Italian fine dining in their own home, in a classy restaurant or even in a less than classy restaurant. The great thing about Italian food is that it's just not that fussy. The ingredients are fresh, robust and most are easy to find even in American markets. Even Italian gourmet recipes are relatively easy to concoct.

To experience Italian fine dining at home, of course, the diner has to set a beautiful table with their best dinner service, linens, candles and a floral centerpiece. They may or may not want to have place settings and menus printed out for their guests.

Anchovy Crumb Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 4 Large Red Peppers

Topping:

• 2 Anchovies
• 3 Tablespoons Flavorful Pitted Olives, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Salted Capers, Rinsed
• 1 Garlic Clove, Peeled
• 1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley Leaves
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Blanched Almonds
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• 1 Small Red Chili Pepper (Optional)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Breadcrumbs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the peppers into quarters, and remove the seeds and membranes.
• Lay the peppers cut side up on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.
• While the peppers are baking, add the anchovies, olives, capers, garlic, parsley, and almonds into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
• Season with salt, pepper, and the red chili if using.
• Drizzle in about 3/4 cup of olive oil, and pulse until blended.
• Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl, and add about 1/3 to 1/2 of a cup of the anchovy mixture and stir to mix well. (Keep the rest of the anchovy sauce for another use)
• Remove the peppers from the oven and sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of each pepper.
• Return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature before serving.

Checkout here for more Italian dishes recipes.

Macaroni & Cheese Crockpot Method

 Mac and Cheese is my little guys all time favorite food! He could eat bowls and bowls of it. I make box mac and cheese a lot but every once in a while I like to make the good stuff, made from scratch! I made this slow cooker mac and cheese for a play date that we had a few weeks ago. I threw everything in the slow cooker, mixed it every so often, and then lunch was ready! All the kids and moms really enjoyed it! 

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni pasta, large
• 1 cup Cheez-It Grooves, crushed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 cup jack cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesean cheese, grated
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 2 teaspoon creole seasoning
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt for pasta water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to broil.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil, add about 2 teaspoonfuls of salt to water.
• Add pasta to water and cook according to package directions minus 1 minute.
• Drain and rinse pasta, toss in a little olive oil and set aside.
• In a medium skillet add 1 tablespoonful of olive oil over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter, add diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add flour and cook a few minutes more.
• Add seasonings and mix well.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add heavy cream and add cheese by the cupful, mixing well after each addition.
• Taste mixture and adjust seasonings if needed.
• Fold in pasta and mix well.
• Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and top with extra cheese and crushed Cheez-It's.
• Broil for about 5 minutes.

Check out here for more recipes and also for pasta delivery Singapore.

Angku Kuih (Red Tortoise Cake)

Angku is a small dark orange oval nyonya delicacy which is made with glutinous rice flour wrapped with green bean filling. Angku has a high ritual value and it is commonly used for Chinese prayers and served during baby full moon parties. Angku has a sticky sweet texture but it is really nice if you eat it with a cup of Chinese tea. It’s even better overnight as you can pan-fry the leftover until the skin of the angku becomes golden brown.

Angku Recipe

Green Bean Filling

Ingredients:

300g Split Green Bean (Washed and soaked for 6 hours)
200g Fine Sugar
4Tbsp Oil

Method:

• Steam green bean over boiling water for 30-40 minutes till soft.
• Blend or mashed green bean till become a paste.
• In a wok, combine green bean paste, sugar and oil. Stir on low medium heat till thick and do not stick to your hands.
• Cool it and shaped into 30 balls of about 20g. ( The size of filling will depend on the size of your mould).

Angku skin

Ingredients:

1/8 tsp Wilton orange coloring
200g Wheat starch ( Tung Mein Fun)
150g Water

500g Boiling Water
4Tbsp Sugar
500g Glutinous Rice Flour
100g Mashed Orange Color Sweet Potato
250g Water
120g oil

Method:

• Mix coloring, wheat starch and water. Stir till blended.
• Add in boiling water and mix till smooth and become translucent.
• Add in sugar, glutinous rice flour, sweet potatoes and water gradually. Knead till combined.
• Slowly add in oil and keep on kneading till smooth and do not stick onto your hands.

To Make Angku

1 banana leaf, cut into rectangle to fit the angku mould
3 Tbsp oil

Method:

• Lightly grease the cut banana leaves with oil.
• Divide skin dough into 30 pieces. Flatten each dough into 1/4 inch thick and wrap the filling inside. Roll into a ball.
• Lightly dust the Angku mould with glutinous rice flour. Press the dough ball into the mould and lightly knock it out.
• Place Angku on the banana leaf.
• Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes.
• Brush the surface of the cooked Angku with oil to give it a glossy look.

Checkout here for Peranakan Dishes.