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Pide with feta & spinach recipe

Photo: Pide with feta & spinach recipe


Delicious Lebanese Recipes -  The home of tasty, healthy and easy Lebanese recipes & Middle Eastern food recipes invites you to try Pide with feta & spinach Recipe. Enjoy cooking quick & easy meals and learn how to make Pide with feta & spinach.

This Turkish flatbread makes a nice change from pizza - and using a packet dough mix makes it a speedy supper.

Easy
Serves 2
Prep 15 mins
Cook 30 mins
Vegetarian

Ingredients

200g pizza dough mix or ciabatta dough mix
1 onion , sliced
2 roasted peppers from a jar, sliced
1 garlic clove , crushed
200g spinach , washed
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
100g feta cheese , crumbled

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Make up the dough following pack instructions then divide into 4.
Cook the onion in a little oil until caramelised then add the pepper and garlic. Tip the spinach in the pan and stir until wilted, then mix in the spices and season.


Roll the dough out into 4 elongated rugby ball shapes and divide the filling between them, leaving a 2cm border. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Fold over the long edges of each pide to make a ridge then twist at the ends. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the dough is crisp and golden.

Nutrition per serving:

475 kcalories, protein 22.6g, carbohydrate 66.4g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 10g, salt 4.69 g

Recipe from olive magazine, January 2011. 


More from the Lebanese recipes kitchen:
 
Cheese Fatayer 
Spinach fatayer 
Lamb and olives pies (fatayer) 
Small pies (Manaeish) or Fatayer 
Spinach Pie 
Grilled Za'atar Flatbread 
 
Save and share Pide with feta & spinach recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.
Photo: Pide with feta & spinach recipe


Delicious Lebanese Recipes -  The home of tasty, healthy and easy Lebanese recipes & Middle Eastern food recipes invites you to try Pide with feta & spinach Recipe. Enjoy cooking quick & easy meals and learn how to make Pide with feta & spinach.

This Turkish flatbread makes a nice change from pizza - and using a packet dough mix makes it a speedy supper.

Easy
Serves 2
Prep 15 mins
Cook 30 mins
Vegetarian

Ingredients

200g pizza dough mix or ciabatta dough mix
1 onion , sliced
2 roasted peppers from a jar, sliced
1 garlic clove , crushed
200g spinach , washed
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
100g feta cheese , crumbled

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Make up the dough following pack instructions then divide into 4.
Cook the onion in a little oil until caramelised then add the pepper and garlic. Tip the spinach in the pan and stir until wilted, then mix in the spices and season.


Roll the dough out into 4 elongated rugby ball shapes and divide the filling between them, leaving a 2cm border. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Fold over the long edges of each pide to make a ridge then twist at the ends. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the dough is crisp and golden.

Nutrition per serving:

475 kcalories, protein 22.6g, carbohydrate 66.4g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 10g, salt 4.69 g

Recipe from olive magazine, January 2011. 


More from the Lebanese recipes kitchen:
 
Cheese Fatayer 
Spinach fatayer 
Lamb and olives pies (fatayer) 
Small pies (Manaeish) or Fatayer 
Spinach Pie 
Grilled Za'atar Flatbread 
 
Save and share Pide with feta & spinach recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chocolate crunch bars recipe

Photo: Chocolate crunch bars recipe


Delicious Lebanese Recipes -  The home of tasty, healthy and easy Lebanese recipes & Middle Eastern food recipes invites you to try Chocolate crunch bars Recipe. Enjoy cooking quick & easy meals and learn how to make Chocolate crunch bars. A little melting, stirring and chilling and you've got a chocolatey treat to enjoy with a cuppa. The kids can help, too.

Easy
Cuts into 12
Cook 5 mins
Prep: 20 mins plus chilling

Ingredients

100g butter , roughly chopped
300g dark chocolate (such as Bournville), broken into squares
3 tbsp golden syrup
140g rich tea biscuits , roughly crushed
12 pink marshmallows , quartered (use scissors)
2 x 55g bars Turkish delight , halved and sliced (or use Maltesers, Milky Way or Crunchie bars)

Method

Gently melt the butter, chocolate and syrup in a pan over a low heat, stirring frequently until smooth, then cool for about 10 mins.


Stir the biscuits and sweets into the pan until well mixed, then pour into a 17cm square tin lined with foil and spread the mixture to roughly level it. Chill until hard, then cut into fingers.

Nutrition per serving:
294 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 39g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 0g, sugar 31g, salt 0.29 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008.  


More from the Lebanese recipes kitchen: 

Pomegranate and almond tartlets
Almond and Chocolate Pie 
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Balsamic strawberry pavlovas 
Turkish delight and orange Pavlova 
Berry sundaes with white chocolate sauce 


Save and share Chocolate crunch bars recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.
Photo: Chocolate crunch bars recipe


Delicious Lebanese Recipes -  The home of tasty, healthy and easy Lebanese recipes & Middle Eastern food recipes invites you to try Chocolate crunch bars Recipe. Enjoy cooking quick & easy meals and learn how to make Chocolate crunch bars. A little melting, stirring and chilling and you've got a chocolatey treat to enjoy with a cuppa. The kids can help, too.

Easy
Cuts into 12
Cook 5 mins
Prep: 20 mins plus chilling

Ingredients

100g butter , roughly chopped
300g dark chocolate (such as Bournville), broken into squares
3 tbsp golden syrup
140g rich tea biscuits , roughly crushed
12 pink marshmallows , quartered (use scissors)
2 x 55g bars Turkish delight , halved and sliced (or use Maltesers, Milky Way or Crunchie bars)

Method

Gently melt the butter, chocolate and syrup in a pan over a low heat, stirring frequently until smooth, then cool for about 10 mins.


Stir the biscuits and sweets into the pan until well mixed, then pour into a 17cm square tin lined with foil and spread the mixture to roughly level it. Chill until hard, then cut into fingers.

Nutrition per serving:
294 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 39g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 0g, sugar 31g, salt 0.29 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008.  


More from the Lebanese recipes kitchen: 

Pomegranate and almond tartlets
Almond and Chocolate Pie 
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Balsamic strawberry pavlovas 
Turkish delight and orange Pavlova 
Berry sundaes with white chocolate sauce 


Save and share Chocolate crunch bars recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Unique Baby Shower Cakes


Gifting baby shower gifts to would-be-moms and recent-moms is a really caring gesture from the near and dear one's. Baby shower is a looking-forward-to event in a mom's life where she can celebrate the joy and happiness of the arrival of the baby with everyone. Of the many shower gift ideas available, cake is the best since it adds to the "specialty" of the occasion just by its presence! Cakes always symbolize joy and celebration. So, if you have some would-be mom friends, then gift them cakes from the one's enlisted below. Enjoy :)

Plain Cake: You can buy or make a big square cake with no toppings. Now, ask all the friends, relatives and family members to write their own names and well wishes for the baby and the mom, using different flavored icing tubes. You can also decorate the cake with marshmallows of different shapes and colors.

Diaper Cake: These cakes are not edible but you'll surely see a smile on her face if you make this one for her. You can attempt a cake of 3 tiers, all of which are made from rolled up diapers. You can decorate these with the help of baby pacifiers as well as baby bibs.

What you'll need:
Diapers, adhesive tape, baby tall bottle, decorative string

What you need to do:
  • Roll all the diapers with the help of the decorative string.
  • Tape many of them to the tall bottle to make the lowest tier of the cake.
  • Then make the first and the second tiers as well, in the same manner. Tape them as well.
  • Now add the baby pacifiers or other decorative materials onto the cake.
  • Your diaper cake is ready!
Banana Nut Cake Recipe
What you'll need:
  • one box cake mix
  • half cup vegetable oil
  • half cup water
  • 4 eggs
  • one cup chopped pecans
  • 2 bananas mashed up
  • Cream pudding
  • one packet jell-o instant banana
What you need to do:
  • Mix all the ingredients in right amounts in a bowl.
  • Pour it in a cake pan. Bake it at 350 degreesF in an oven.
  • Your unique baby shower cake is ready-to-eat! This is a very tasty as well a delicious recipe for pregnant women.
Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the most popular one's may be, in weddings or in baby showers. They are easy to make and can be decorated according to your wish. Instead of going for a huge cake, you can make number of smaller cupcakes and arrange them in the form of a large cake for serving. There are many unique baby shower cupcakes ideas which you can opt for.
  • You can make small plain cakes and ask the visitors to write their names on each one of them using a cake gel.
  • You can make various smiley faces onto the cupcakes.
  • You can decorate the cakes using baby accessories like bibs or combs.
  • You can make flowers of hearts or polka dots on the cupcakes using girl-y colors of pinks, creams, purples, whites and for boys, you can draw animals or teddy bears or cars with shades of blues or greens or browns.
  • You can also decorate the cakes with baby toys like ducks or baby footsies.
To sum up, I hope you have enough ideas for making or buying unique baby shower cakes. You can always put in your own creativity and make something new and different. Gift the best baby shower cake possible and surprise one and all! All the best.

Gifting baby shower gifts to would-be-moms and recent-moms is a really caring gesture from the near and dear one's. Baby shower is a looking-forward-to event in a mom's life where she can celebrate the joy and happiness of the arrival of the baby with everyone. Of the many shower gift ideas available, cake is the best since it adds to the "specialty" of the occasion just by its presence! Cakes always symbolize joy and celebration. So, if you have some would-be mom friends, then gift them cakes from the one's enlisted below. Enjoy :)

Plain Cake: You can buy or make a big square cake with no toppings. Now, ask all the friends, relatives and family members to write their own names and well wishes for the baby and the mom, using different flavored icing tubes. You can also decorate the cake with marshmallows of different shapes and colors.

Diaper Cake: These cakes are not edible but you'll surely see a smile on her face if you make this one for her. You can attempt a cake of 3 tiers, all of which are made from rolled up diapers. You can decorate these with the help of baby pacifiers as well as baby bibs.

What you'll need:
Diapers, adhesive tape, baby tall bottle, decorative string

What you need to do:
  • Roll all the diapers with the help of the decorative string.
  • Tape many of them to the tall bottle to make the lowest tier of the cake.
  • Then make the first and the second tiers as well, in the same manner. Tape them as well.
  • Now add the baby pacifiers or other decorative materials onto the cake.
  • Your diaper cake is ready!
Banana Nut Cake Recipe
What you'll need:
  • one box cake mix
  • half cup vegetable oil
  • half cup water
  • 4 eggs
  • one cup chopped pecans
  • 2 bananas mashed up
  • Cream pudding
  • one packet jell-o instant banana
What you need to do:
  • Mix all the ingredients in right amounts in a bowl.
  • Pour it in a cake pan. Bake it at 350 degreesF in an oven.
  • Your unique baby shower cake is ready-to-eat! This is a very tasty as well a delicious recipe for pregnant women.
Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the most popular one's may be, in weddings or in baby showers. They are easy to make and can be decorated according to your wish. Instead of going for a huge cake, you can make number of smaller cupcakes and arrange them in the form of a large cake for serving. There are many unique baby shower cupcakes ideas which you can opt for.
  • You can make small plain cakes and ask the visitors to write their names on each one of them using a cake gel.
  • You can make various smiley faces onto the cupcakes.
  • You can decorate the cakes using baby accessories like bibs or combs.
  • You can make flowers of hearts or polka dots on the cupcakes using girl-y colors of pinks, creams, purples, whites and for boys, you can draw animals or teddy bears or cars with shades of blues or greens or browns.
  • You can also decorate the cakes with baby toys like ducks or baby footsies.
To sum up, I hope you have enough ideas for making or buying unique baby shower cakes. You can always put in your own creativity and make something new and different. Gift the best baby shower cake possible and surprise one and all! All the best.
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How to Keep Homemade Bread Fresh


Warm, soft, healthy, fluffy, delicious, aromatic and fresh! These are just a few of the words that pop into the head when I picture bread. Bread! Beautiful, golden bread! How often have you thrown away a loaf of bread because it developed mold or turned too hard and crispy to be eaten? There's no shame in admitting it. And that's why, this Buzzle article is the perfect one for you. It has some easy to follow methods of keeping homemade bread fresh.

Use Preservatives
The best way to get away from an unfavorable situation is to try to avoid it altogether. Most of you will agree with the adage of prevention being better than cure, right? Well then, one of the best ideas to prevent bread from getting spoiled soon and from developing those annoying mold patches is to use preservatives in the bread mentioned here, right when you're baking it. That way, instead of worrying about it getting spoiled soon (though I'm sure you still will), you have at least some assurance that it will remain fresh because of the ingredients that you used to make it.

Freeze It
You may have heard that people refrigerate their bread and it still ends up stale when they remove it. Or worse, you may be one of the unfortunate to have actually experienced the distressing situation yourself. There's little that's more saddening than seeing a perfect loaf going into the bin because you refrigerated it and when you removed it, it had gotten all hard, crumbly and quite inedible. All your kneading and fluffing gone to vain! Simply refrigerating bread can turn out to be disastrous as the chilly atmosphere inside the fridge absorbs all the moisture from it by a process in which the molecules crystallize, thus rendering it the crumbly and inedible attributes mentioned above. If your fridge comes with a humidity controller that can regulate the amount of moisture within the compartment, then nothing like it! It can keep bread fresh for quite a while. An alternative to simple refrigeration is to use the freezer instead. Yes, who thought two parts of the same appliance could have such opposite effects, right? Freezing bread has proven to extend its shelf life to a considerable level. So, wrap your loaf of homemade bread (sliced up to prevent post thawing slicing woes) in a freezer bag and simply place it in the freezer. When you need to use it, simply remove it, thaw it for a while and it's good to be turned into a glorious sandwich!

Store it Right
Using suitable methods and materials is of utmost importance when it comes to storing homemade bread and keeping it fresh. After all, a food item is only as good as the surrounding that it is kept in, right? Given below are some of the most popular options, tips and methods that you can use.

Many people suggest using foil to wrap the bread in after you have cut the slices that you need and have some of them still left in the loaf. The foil keeps the moisture intact and hence prevents it from hardening.
There are a lot of varieties of zip lock bags, which are made of plastic. Using these bags to pack off the leftover bread tightly, without letting any moisture in is also recommended by many.
Apart from zip lock bags, you can also purchase air tight bread boxes that do not let any moisture get into them and thus keep it fresh and soft for a longer time.
You may also want to try this idea out: instead of using plain water while making the bread, use the water that is left after you boil potatoes. It's supposed to make the bread last longer.

Homemade bread is best when eaten fresh and straight out of the oven. However, due to some reason, (for instance, a sudden urge to keep baking non stop) it may result in it getting left over. Don't panic and throw the it away. Just use the tips given above to keep your loaf and enjoy it the next time!

Warm, soft, healthy, fluffy, delicious, aromatic and fresh! These are just a few of the words that pop into the head when I picture bread. Bread! Beautiful, golden bread! How often have you thrown away a loaf of bread because it developed mold or turned too hard and crispy to be eaten? There's no shame in admitting it. And that's why, this Buzzle article is the perfect one for you. It has some easy to follow methods of keeping homemade bread fresh.

Use Preservatives
The best way to get away from an unfavorable situation is to try to avoid it altogether. Most of you will agree with the adage of prevention being better than cure, right? Well then, one of the best ideas to prevent bread from getting spoiled soon and from developing those annoying mold patches is to use preservatives in the bread mentioned here, right when you're baking it. That way, instead of worrying about it getting spoiled soon (though I'm sure you still will), you have at least some assurance that it will remain fresh because of the ingredients that you used to make it.

Freeze It
You may have heard that people refrigerate their bread and it still ends up stale when they remove it. Or worse, you may be one of the unfortunate to have actually experienced the distressing situation yourself. There's little that's more saddening than seeing a perfect loaf going into the bin because you refrigerated it and when you removed it, it had gotten all hard, crumbly and quite inedible. All your kneading and fluffing gone to vain! Simply refrigerating bread can turn out to be disastrous as the chilly atmosphere inside the fridge absorbs all the moisture from it by a process in which the molecules crystallize, thus rendering it the crumbly and inedible attributes mentioned above. If your fridge comes with a humidity controller that can regulate the amount of moisture within the compartment, then nothing like it! It can keep bread fresh for quite a while. An alternative to simple refrigeration is to use the freezer instead. Yes, who thought two parts of the same appliance could have such opposite effects, right? Freezing bread has proven to extend its shelf life to a considerable level. So, wrap your loaf of homemade bread (sliced up to prevent post thawing slicing woes) in a freezer bag and simply place it in the freezer. When you need to use it, simply remove it, thaw it for a while and it's good to be turned into a glorious sandwich!

Store it Right
Using suitable methods and materials is of utmost importance when it comes to storing homemade bread and keeping it fresh. After all, a food item is only as good as the surrounding that it is kept in, right? Given below are some of the most popular options, tips and methods that you can use.

Many people suggest using foil to wrap the bread in after you have cut the slices that you need and have some of them still left in the loaf. The foil keeps the moisture intact and hence prevents it from hardening.
There are a lot of varieties of zip lock bags, which are made of plastic. Using these bags to pack off the leftover bread tightly, without letting any moisture in is also recommended by many.
Apart from zip lock bags, you can also purchase air tight bread boxes that do not let any moisture get into them and thus keep it fresh and soft for a longer time.
You may also want to try this idea out: instead of using plain water while making the bread, use the water that is left after you boil potatoes. It's supposed to make the bread last longer.

Homemade bread is best when eaten fresh and straight out of the oven. However, due to some reason, (for instance, a sudden urge to keep baking non stop) it may result in it getting left over. Don't panic and throw the it away. Just use the tips given above to keep your loaf and enjoy it the next time!
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Crossing Culinary Boundaries with Fusion Cuisine


By Linda Orlando

For most chefs there are specific boundaries between culinary styles in terms of spices, sauces, fillings, and recipe ingredients. Soy sauce is always associated with Chinese cooking; Italian dishes usually contain oregano; and tamales are usually a Mexican dish. But now, thanks to fusion cooking, there are no holds barred when it comes to jumbling up typical culinary stereotypes to create new taste sensations.

Wolfgang Puck, one of the most notorious culinary experimenters for several decades, is considered by some to be the original instigator of fusion cuisine. In the 1970s, Puck had the idea for pairing two styles of cooking that were on opposite sides of the world from a geographical standpoint: European cooking with Asian cooking. Having been trained in Europe, Puck was also well versed in Asian cooking. So he decided to launch his new experiment in California, smack dab in the middle between the two.

Eurasian cuisine, like other fusion methods developed later, blends ingredients and/or cooking techniques from the two different cultures. For example, Chinese pot sticker dumplings might be filled with traditional English ingredients, such as ground lamb. Risotto may be infused with wasabi or ginger. The styles fused together could be vastly different, such as the French cooking technique of poaching being combined with an Asian staple, tofu. Other possible combinations of culinary cuisine can be subtle, such as combining Thai recipes with Vietnamese cooking styles. The possibilities for exciting combinations are infinite.

The culinary synthesis resulting from fusion cooking is difficult to achieve successfully, despite the fact that there are numerous restaurants across the country that boast a menu of fusion delicacies. The greatest numbers of fusion eateries are located in urban areas such as New York City and Los Angeles, where a cultural melting pot already exists. In cities where residents are already dining at various ethnic restaurants, the population is more amenable to culinary integration inside the same restaurant.

Critics of fusion cuisine refer to it as "confusion" cuisine, saying that too often, chefs combine ingredients that shouldnt even be in the same kitchen, much less on the same plate. "Confusion" cuisine usually is the result of a chef trying too hard to create something innovative. Classic recipes are so ordinary now that they are almost pass, so in order for a chef to make a name in the culinary world, it is essential to try something new. Unfortunately, the result is often a culinary nightmare.

One of the things that makes fusion cooking such a daunting task is the fact that peoples likes and dislikes vary so widely. One person might think it perfectly wonderful to pair a garlic Caesar salad with tempura battered scallops, while another person would think someone in the kitchen had made a grave error. Successful fusion chefs are the ones who discover unheard-of combinations that appeal to most palates, despite the fact that there will always be critics.

Sending ingredients and techniques from two dissimilar cuisines to collide with each other in a recipe is what most people think of when they think of fusion cuisine. But the term can also apply in a broader sense to a restaurant that serves dishes from diverse cultures, such as a Greek/Italian restaurant that has moussaka listed on the menu alongside pasta Bolognese.

The opposite of fusion cuisine is to create recipes or entire meals from ingredients that are indigenous to a specific geographical region. Chefs who consider this to be the most superior type of cuisine believe that foods grown together in the same climate and at the same altitude will naturally share an affinity with each other. The idea is even carried through to including wines from the same region. Proponents of this type of "territorial" cooking are usually horrified by even the thought of fusion cooking, because it requires crossing boundaries that are firmly in place in their minds.

Some chefs believe that fusion cuisine is simply an attempt to mask a lack of culinary skills, or just a stab at jumping onto the latest food craze bandwagon, whether or not the result is a good one. Many chefs feel that fusion cooking is like the red-headed stepchild of real cuisine, and bringing together disparate styles and ingredients only serves to diminish the integrity of both cuisines.

Despite the rampant criticism of fusion cuisine, you should give it a try to see what you think. But be sure to do your homework before you do, or you may end up in the middle of a gustatory minefield. Research restaurants, ask people you know for recommendations, perhaps even stake out the restaurant and take a look at the menu before deciding to give it a try. No matter how much you love one particular world of cuisine, you might discover that having another world collide with it might not be so bad after all.

By Linda Orlando

For most chefs there are specific boundaries between culinary styles in terms of spices, sauces, fillings, and recipe ingredients. Soy sauce is always associated with Chinese cooking; Italian dishes usually contain oregano; and tamales are usually a Mexican dish. But now, thanks to fusion cooking, there are no holds barred when it comes to jumbling up typical culinary stereotypes to create new taste sensations.

Wolfgang Puck, one of the most notorious culinary experimenters for several decades, is considered by some to be the original instigator of fusion cuisine. In the 1970s, Puck had the idea for pairing two styles of cooking that were on opposite sides of the world from a geographical standpoint: European cooking with Asian cooking. Having been trained in Europe, Puck was also well versed in Asian cooking. So he decided to launch his new experiment in California, smack dab in the middle between the two.

Eurasian cuisine, like other fusion methods developed later, blends ingredients and/or cooking techniques from the two different cultures. For example, Chinese pot sticker dumplings might be filled with traditional English ingredients, such as ground lamb. Risotto may be infused with wasabi or ginger. The styles fused together could be vastly different, such as the French cooking technique of poaching being combined with an Asian staple, tofu. Other possible combinations of culinary cuisine can be subtle, such as combining Thai recipes with Vietnamese cooking styles. The possibilities for exciting combinations are infinite.

The culinary synthesis resulting from fusion cooking is difficult to achieve successfully, despite the fact that there are numerous restaurants across the country that boast a menu of fusion delicacies. The greatest numbers of fusion eateries are located in urban areas such as New York City and Los Angeles, where a cultural melting pot already exists. In cities where residents are already dining at various ethnic restaurants, the population is more amenable to culinary integration inside the same restaurant.

Critics of fusion cuisine refer to it as "confusion" cuisine, saying that too often, chefs combine ingredients that shouldnt even be in the same kitchen, much less on the same plate. "Confusion" cuisine usually is the result of a chef trying too hard to create something innovative. Classic recipes are so ordinary now that they are almost pass, so in order for a chef to make a name in the culinary world, it is essential to try something new. Unfortunately, the result is often a culinary nightmare.

One of the things that makes fusion cooking such a daunting task is the fact that peoples likes and dislikes vary so widely. One person might think it perfectly wonderful to pair a garlic Caesar salad with tempura battered scallops, while another person would think someone in the kitchen had made a grave error. Successful fusion chefs are the ones who discover unheard-of combinations that appeal to most palates, despite the fact that there will always be critics.

Sending ingredients and techniques from two dissimilar cuisines to collide with each other in a recipe is what most people think of when they think of fusion cuisine. But the term can also apply in a broader sense to a restaurant that serves dishes from diverse cultures, such as a Greek/Italian restaurant that has moussaka listed on the menu alongside pasta Bolognese.

The opposite of fusion cuisine is to create recipes or entire meals from ingredients that are indigenous to a specific geographical region. Chefs who consider this to be the most superior type of cuisine believe that foods grown together in the same climate and at the same altitude will naturally share an affinity with each other. The idea is even carried through to including wines from the same region. Proponents of this type of "territorial" cooking are usually horrified by even the thought of fusion cooking, because it requires crossing boundaries that are firmly in place in their minds.

Some chefs believe that fusion cuisine is simply an attempt to mask a lack of culinary skills, or just a stab at jumping onto the latest food craze bandwagon, whether or not the result is a good one. Many chefs feel that fusion cooking is like the red-headed stepchild of real cuisine, and bringing together disparate styles and ingredients only serves to diminish the integrity of both cuisines.

Despite the rampant criticism of fusion cuisine, you should give it a try to see what you think. But be sure to do your homework before you do, or you may end up in the middle of a gustatory minefield. Research restaurants, ask people you know for recommendations, perhaps even stake out the restaurant and take a look at the menu before deciding to give it a try. No matter how much you love one particular world of cuisine, you might discover that having another world collide with it might not be so bad after all.
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How to Make Frosting from Scratch


Delicious, delicate, decadent frosting is what completes a cake! After all, it not only makes the cake look yummier, but also makes it taste yummier! That smooth, creamy, flavorful frosting is sure to win anybody's heart. Most people avoid putting frosting on homemade cakes, because they feel frosting is a lot of added work. However, if you took the trouble to bake that cake, making the frosting is no big deal! All you need is some butter and sugar, and you are good to go! Moreover, no unwanted additives!

There are a number of recipes with which you can make smooth, creamy, rich, and delicious frosting. You can bring about a lot of variations in homemade frosting as well. Some of the changes you can make include adding colors of your choice, and adding fruit, candy or nuts for different textures and flavors. You may also choose to add flavor oils, which can also lend a completely different flavor to the frosting.

How to Make Frosting from Scratch

Making frosting from scratch is not that difficult, and after perusing through these recipes, you will find out how simple it is! We've included various kinds of frosting recipes, with different ingredients. The standard ingredients are unsalted butter and powdered sugar. Then depending on personal preference, you can include the other ingredients.

Classic Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Soften the butter and place in a large bowl.
Using an electric mixer, whisk the butter till it attains a creamy texture.
Then add the powdered sugar, little at a time. Keep whisking and then add vanilla extract.
Next, add one tbsp. of milk and whisk till desired consistency is obtained. You can also add a pinch of salt during the mixing phase.
Depending on your flavor preference, you can convert this class buttercream frosting recipe into a customized one, by adding a different essence, cocoa powder, etc.

Buttercream Frosting with Buttermilk
Ingredients
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
3-4 tbsp. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Using an electric mixer, whisk one cup of unsalted butter, until it attains a creamy texture.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, and continue mixing. Then add vanilla extract.
Add buttermilk one spoon at a time and continue mixing at medium speed.
Instead of buttermilk, you can also add heavy cream.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
5 egg whites
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
In a double boiler, whisk the egg whites and powdered sugar, till the sugar dissolves completely. The egg white mixture should be warm to touch.
Transfer this hot egg white and sugar mixture to a bowl and whisk using an electric mixer. Keep whisking till you get nice and stiff peaks, which should be done in about 4 to 7 minutes. The prepared meringue should not move in the bowl.
Now it's time to slowly add the butter (room temperature), piece by piece. Keep mixing between additions. Then add vanilla extract and continue mixing at medium speed, using the paddle attachment, until a smooth creamy texture is obtained.
Your Swiss meringue buttercream frosting is ready!

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
th cup unsalted butter
tsp. vanilla extract

In an electric mixer, whisk cream cheese and butter together. Unlike butter, cream cheese does not require to be softened before use.
Once the cream cheese and butter is creamy, add vanilla extract and whisk again.
Then add powdered sugar, little at a time and continue whisking till a smooth, creamy frosting consistency is obtained.

Vegan Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
cup vegan butter
4-7 tbsp. soy milk/almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Whisk the vegan butter until it becomes creamy.
Next add in the powdered sugar, a little at a time. Add the soy or almond milk, one tbsp. at a time.
Keep whisking till the desired consistency is obtained.
Instead of vegan butter, you can also use vegan cream cheese.

Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. piping gel
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Whisk the heavy cream in the electric blender.
Add powdered sugar to it and whip till peaks are formed.
Next, add the vanilla extract and piping gel. Whisk till peaks are obtained.

Quick Tips for a better Frosting
Always sift powdered sugar before adding it into the recipe, as this will minimize sugar lump formation, when the sugar is mixed into the butter. Use a metal strainer to sift the sugar.

Before you begin preparing the frosting, make sure the butter has reached room temperature. This will help it to combine well with the sugar.

To know if the butter is right for the frosting, its consistency should be such that it can be easily scooped like ice-cream, yet not too soft.

Never use melted butter. It will only ruin the texture of your frosting, by making it too thin for spreading.

Avoid using salted butter, instead use only unsalted butter.

Always add the powdered sugar one spoon at a time. Never add the whole quantity all at once. Moreover, never add too much powdered sugar, because it can give a grainy texture.

While mixing the frosting, keep scraping the frosting from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Over-mixing can result in dense frosting, so be careful not to over-mix.

If your frosting isn't creamy, but powdery and grainy, try adding 1-2 tbsp. of milk to the recipe, adding one spoon at a time. Same goes for thick frosting.

If the frosting has curdled or is soupy, just continue whisking it for a few more minutes.

Too much or too little frosting should be avoided.

If you have leftover buttercream, store the remaining in plastic containers and freeze it. It's best before 3 months from storage. However, at the time of use, you will need to defreeze and rewhip it, to get back the consistency.
Even if the first try is not a success, don't get disappointed. Practice is what you need to master the art of preparing frosting. Once you get the hang of it, it will simply have no limits. So keep practicing!

Delicious, delicate, decadent frosting is what completes a cake! After all, it not only makes the cake look yummier, but also makes it taste yummier! That smooth, creamy, flavorful frosting is sure to win anybody's heart. Most people avoid putting frosting on homemade cakes, because they feel frosting is a lot of added work. However, if you took the trouble to bake that cake, making the frosting is no big deal! All you need is some butter and sugar, and you are good to go! Moreover, no unwanted additives!

There are a number of recipes with which you can make smooth, creamy, rich, and delicious frosting. You can bring about a lot of variations in homemade frosting as well. Some of the changes you can make include adding colors of your choice, and adding fruit, candy or nuts for different textures and flavors. You may also choose to add flavor oils, which can also lend a completely different flavor to the frosting.

How to Make Frosting from Scratch

Making frosting from scratch is not that difficult, and after perusing through these recipes, you will find out how simple it is! We've included various kinds of frosting recipes, with different ingredients. The standard ingredients are unsalted butter and powdered sugar. Then depending on personal preference, you can include the other ingredients.

Classic Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Soften the butter and place in a large bowl.
Using an electric mixer, whisk the butter till it attains a creamy texture.
Then add the powdered sugar, little at a time. Keep whisking and then add vanilla extract.
Next, add one tbsp. of milk and whisk till desired consistency is obtained. You can also add a pinch of salt during the mixing phase.
Depending on your flavor preference, you can convert this class buttercream frosting recipe into a customized one, by adding a different essence, cocoa powder, etc.

Buttercream Frosting with Buttermilk
Ingredients
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
3-4 tbsp. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Using an electric mixer, whisk one cup of unsalted butter, until it attains a creamy texture.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, and continue mixing. Then add vanilla extract.
Add buttermilk one spoon at a time and continue mixing at medium speed.
Instead of buttermilk, you can also add heavy cream.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
5 egg whites
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
In a double boiler, whisk the egg whites and powdered sugar, till the sugar dissolves completely. The egg white mixture should be warm to touch.
Transfer this hot egg white and sugar mixture to a bowl and whisk using an electric mixer. Keep whisking till you get nice and stiff peaks, which should be done in about 4 to 7 minutes. The prepared meringue should not move in the bowl.
Now it's time to slowly add the butter (room temperature), piece by piece. Keep mixing between additions. Then add vanilla extract and continue mixing at medium speed, using the paddle attachment, until a smooth creamy texture is obtained.
Your Swiss meringue buttercream frosting is ready!

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
th cup unsalted butter
tsp. vanilla extract

In an electric mixer, whisk cream cheese and butter together. Unlike butter, cream cheese does not require to be softened before use.
Once the cream cheese and butter is creamy, add vanilla extract and whisk again.
Then add powdered sugar, little at a time and continue whisking till a smooth, creamy frosting consistency is obtained.

Vegan Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
cup vegan butter
4-7 tbsp. soy milk/almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Whisk the vegan butter until it becomes creamy.
Next add in the powdered sugar, a little at a time. Add the soy or almond milk, one tbsp. at a time.
Keep whisking till the desired consistency is obtained.
Instead of vegan butter, you can also use vegan cream cheese.

Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. piping gel
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Procedure
Whisk the heavy cream in the electric blender.
Add powdered sugar to it and whip till peaks are formed.
Next, add the vanilla extract and piping gel. Whisk till peaks are obtained.

Quick Tips for a better Frosting
Always sift powdered sugar before adding it into the recipe, as this will minimize sugar lump formation, when the sugar is mixed into the butter. Use a metal strainer to sift the sugar.

Before you begin preparing the frosting, make sure the butter has reached room temperature. This will help it to combine well with the sugar.

To know if the butter is right for the frosting, its consistency should be such that it can be easily scooped like ice-cream, yet not too soft.

Never use melted butter. It will only ruin the texture of your frosting, by making it too thin for spreading.

Avoid using salted butter, instead use only unsalted butter.

Always add the powdered sugar one spoon at a time. Never add the whole quantity all at once. Moreover, never add too much powdered sugar, because it can give a grainy texture.

While mixing the frosting, keep scraping the frosting from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Over-mixing can result in dense frosting, so be careful not to over-mix.

If your frosting isn't creamy, but powdery and grainy, try adding 1-2 tbsp. of milk to the recipe, adding one spoon at a time. Same goes for thick frosting.

If the frosting has curdled or is soupy, just continue whisking it for a few more minutes.

Too much or too little frosting should be avoided.

If you have leftover buttercream, store the remaining in plastic containers and freeze it. It's best before 3 months from storage. However, at the time of use, you will need to defreeze and rewhip it, to get back the consistency.
Even if the first try is not a success, don't get disappointed. Practice is what you need to master the art of preparing frosting. Once you get the hang of it, it will simply have no limits. So keep practicing!
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Calories in Chicken Strips


Chicken meat without bones or skin is known as chicken strips. Chicken strips are also referred to as chicken tenders, chicken fingers, chicken toes, chicken fillets, etc. 'Fried chicken strips' is the most sought after dish, anywhere you go. Mouth-watering yummy chicken strips occupy the topmost position in the list of party menus. These days, 'calorie' and 'weight loss' are the most discussed topics in the society. For those, who cannot avoid the temptation of eating chicken strips, here is some useful information.

Chicken Strips Calorie Content
Calories in chicken strips may vary according to the ingredients and methods of preparation. You may note down that one cup cooked and fried chicken meat (140 g) contains approximately 307 calories. While making fried or baked chicken strips at home, you can make suitable changes in chicken recipes to reduce the amount of calories. Use lean chicken to make crispy and tasty chicken strips. Calories in baked chicken strips are more healthy than calories in fried chicken strips. If you want to maintain your weight or lose weight fast, then you should avoid fried food as far as possible. The following table describes calories offered by chicken strips.

Description Quantity Calories
Fried Chicken Strips (Bob Evans Farms Inc.) 1.5 oz. (43 g) 127
KFC Chicken Strips (Colonel's Crispy Strips) 3 strips (151 g) 400
Grilled Chicken Strips (Grilled Breast Strips by Foster Farms) 3 oz. (84 g) 100
Baked Chicken Strips 1 Entre Serving 380
Breaded Chicken Strips (Jack in the Box) 1 Serving (201 g) 500

Chicken Strips Nutrition Facts
One KFC crispy chicken strip of about 47 g contains:

Element Quantity Element Quantity
Calories 129 Phosphorus 140 mg
Total Carbohydrates 7 g Iron 0.3 mg
Starch 6.3 g Zinc 0.3 mg
Dietary Fiber 0.7 g Manganese 0.1 mg
Protein 9.6 g Selenium 8.5 mcg
Sugars 0 Omega 3 Fatty Acids 39.5 mg
Saturated Fat 1.5 g Omega 6 Fatty Acids 956 mg
Monounsaturated Fat 4.1 g Cholesterol 24 mg
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g Vitamin E 0.4 mg
Trans Fat 1.5 g Vitamin K 4.4 mcg
Calcium 11.7 mg Niacin 4.0 mg
Magnesium 15.5 mg Vitamin B12 0.1 mcg
Sodium 445 mg Pantothenic Acid 0.6 mg
Potassium 157 mg Vitamin B6 0.2 mg

If you are health conscious, then instead of looking at chicken strip calories only, you should take into consideration chicken strip nutrition facts along with calories. The table above shows that chicken strips are high in protein, vitamins like niacin and minerals like calcium and magnesium. They are good source of phosphorus, selenium, and other important elements. But these chicken strips are high in sodium which is why they cannot be included in the list of healthy foods.

While making chicken strips at home, you can bake them instead of deep-frying. Oven-fried chicken strips are more healthy than deep-fried chicken strips. While making chicken strips at home, use low fat versions of cheese and butter.

Oven-fried Chicken Strips Recipe
Here is a simple chicken strips recipe:
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of low fat butter in a baking pan.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Take half cup grated low fat cheese and add to it half cup low fat baking mix.
  • Add one teaspoon black pepper powder.
  • Add one and half teaspoon seasoning salt to the mixture and mix well.
  • Add about 2 pound chicken breast strips to the mixture and coat them well with the mixture.
  • Now, keep the coated chicken strips in the baking dish.
  • Bake the strips in oven for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove the baking dish from the oven when the chicken is brown and crispy.
  • Serve hot baked chicken strips with hot chili sauce.
It can be safely concluded that calories obtained from chicken strips are healthy calories. Golden brown hot and crispy chicken strips are perfect for the chilly winter. And they are easy to make as well. So, you can definitely include them in your Christmas party menu.

Chicken meat without bones or skin is known as chicken strips. Chicken strips are also referred to as chicken tenders, chicken fingers, chicken toes, chicken fillets, etc. 'Fried chicken strips' is the most sought after dish, anywhere you go. Mouth-watering yummy chicken strips occupy the topmost position in the list of party menus. These days, 'calorie' and 'weight loss' are the most discussed topics in the society. For those, who cannot avoid the temptation of eating chicken strips, here is some useful information.

Chicken Strips Calorie Content
Calories in chicken strips may vary according to the ingredients and methods of preparation. You may note down that one cup cooked and fried chicken meat (140 g) contains approximately 307 calories. While making fried or baked chicken strips at home, you can make suitable changes in chicken recipes to reduce the amount of calories. Use lean chicken to make crispy and tasty chicken strips. Calories in baked chicken strips are more healthy than calories in fried chicken strips. If you want to maintain your weight or lose weight fast, then you should avoid fried food as far as possible. The following table describes calories offered by chicken strips.

Description Quantity Calories
Fried Chicken Strips (Bob Evans Farms Inc.) 1.5 oz. (43 g) 127
KFC Chicken Strips (Colonel's Crispy Strips) 3 strips (151 g) 400
Grilled Chicken Strips (Grilled Breast Strips by Foster Farms) 3 oz. (84 g) 100
Baked Chicken Strips 1 Entre Serving 380
Breaded Chicken Strips (Jack in the Box) 1 Serving (201 g) 500

Chicken Strips Nutrition Facts
One KFC crispy chicken strip of about 47 g contains:

Element Quantity Element Quantity
Calories 129 Phosphorus 140 mg
Total Carbohydrates 7 g Iron 0.3 mg
Starch 6.3 g Zinc 0.3 mg
Dietary Fiber 0.7 g Manganese 0.1 mg
Protein 9.6 g Selenium 8.5 mcg
Sugars 0 Omega 3 Fatty Acids 39.5 mg
Saturated Fat 1.5 g Omega 6 Fatty Acids 956 mg
Monounsaturated Fat 4.1 g Cholesterol 24 mg
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g Vitamin E 0.4 mg
Trans Fat 1.5 g Vitamin K 4.4 mcg
Calcium 11.7 mg Niacin 4.0 mg
Magnesium 15.5 mg Vitamin B12 0.1 mcg
Sodium 445 mg Pantothenic Acid 0.6 mg
Potassium 157 mg Vitamin B6 0.2 mg

If you are health conscious, then instead of looking at chicken strip calories only, you should take into consideration chicken strip nutrition facts along with calories. The table above shows that chicken strips are high in protein, vitamins like niacin and minerals like calcium and magnesium. They are good source of phosphorus, selenium, and other important elements. But these chicken strips are high in sodium which is why they cannot be included in the list of healthy foods.

While making chicken strips at home, you can bake them instead of deep-frying. Oven-fried chicken strips are more healthy than deep-fried chicken strips. While making chicken strips at home, use low fat versions of cheese and butter.

Oven-fried Chicken Strips Recipe
Here is a simple chicken strips recipe:
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of low fat butter in a baking pan.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Take half cup grated low fat cheese and add to it half cup low fat baking mix.
  • Add one teaspoon black pepper powder.
  • Add one and half teaspoon seasoning salt to the mixture and mix well.
  • Add about 2 pound chicken breast strips to the mixture and coat them well with the mixture.
  • Now, keep the coated chicken strips in the baking dish.
  • Bake the strips in oven for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove the baking dish from the oven when the chicken is brown and crispy.
  • Serve hot baked chicken strips with hot chili sauce.
It can be safely concluded that calories obtained from chicken strips are healthy calories. Golden brown hot and crispy chicken strips are perfect for the chilly winter. And they are easy to make as well. So, you can definitely include them in your Christmas party menu.
reade more... Résuméabuiyad