Finding Good Buffalo Meat

Are you looking for buffalo meat for sale that is tasty but doesn't burn a hole in your pocket? Buffalo and / or Bison meat has made huge gains in popularity as people are looking for healthier meats, but it is still not something that you would come by in your average grocery store. My very first experience with buffalo meat was when I was trying to lower my carbohydrate intake in my diet for health reasons. Beef and chicken and fish are only good for so long, and after a while I started looking for different kinds of meats that I could add into my diet.

After a little bit of searching online, I found a few good sites that sell Buffalo meat, but I'm looking for a healthier alternative... buffalo or bison meat with NO chemicals, nitrates, or MSG. There's a few based in Jackson, ID. Along with providing organic buffalo meat for sale, they also have fresh elk and chicken. Buffalo can be enjoyed in all the great ways that beef can. Most online buffalo meat stores have everything from buffalo burgers to buffalo jerky for you to choose from. Buying clean meat in very important to me. In my opinion eating processed meat that is full of nitrates and preservatives isn't any better than eating cookies and donuts. The buffalo meat for sale from that you'll find there not only comes from animals that were raised in wide-open green pastures, but it is not treated with any type of harmful additives or preservatives.

Buffalo and Bison, both MSG free, not only good for you, but it tastes great to. Even though it has a very low fat content and high protein content, I think that it has a naturally rich taste that is similar to, but more flavorful than beef. Just make sure to cook your meat slower, and at a lower temperature than you normally cook meat, in order to make sure it turns out as tender and tasty as possible.

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Article Submitted On: February 11, 2011

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Flank Steak or Portabello Marinade for Grilling

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Gas Grills Versus Charcoal Grills - Which Wins?

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Grilled Mexican Steak With Homemade Salsa

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Four Top Rated Portable Barbecue Grills

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What Makes A Good Gas Grill Great

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What Makes For A Good Tailgating Grill?

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Useful Tips for Using Gas Grills

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Topped With Cheeseburger Recipes

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Trendy Teriyaki Grilled Hamburger Recipe

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Veal Roast With Tomato Sauce Recipe

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Top 10 BBQ Sauce Marinading Tips

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Tips On Choosing a Great Outdoor Grill

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Weber's Genesis E-310 Gas Grill - One of the Best

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Water Smokers - The Argument For And Against

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Weber Summit S-670 Grill - The King of The Backyard

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What Is Haggis?

Although Haggis will be forever linked with Scotland, it is widely accepted that Haggis is based on a Scandinavian dish that was brought to Scotland with the Vikings in the 9th Century.

However, in 1786, Scotland's most famous poet Robert Burns wrote his historic poem 'Address to a Haggis', in which he expressed his love of the dish. This in turn brought the Haggis recognition, and a public association with Scotland.

Robert Burns was a Scottish Nationalist, and was very patriotic. Such was the love for the poet that after his death, Burns Night was celebrated every January 25th - which would have been his birthday. His friends would sit and recite his poems, and when they came to 'Address to a Haggis', a steaming haggis would be brought into the room for them to eat.

These days Burns Night is still celebrated, and Scots around the world celebrate the great man, and eat the Haggis he so enjoyed.

Because of Burns, Haggis is now widely regarded as the national dish of Scotland. But while it is revered north of the border, in other places there can be a hesitancy to try it.

Haggis is traditionally made with the 'pluck' of a sheep (lungs, liver and heart), chopped and stuffed into its stomach with a mixture of oats, onions, herbs and spices, and then boiled. While this maybe doesn't sound completely appetising, the complex flavours are a delight - a kind of intense lamb flavour with herb undertones. Indeed, the meat content and quality of the ingredients are superior to those found in many sausages.

Haggis can now be found in man-made casings, to comply with the squeamish tastes of many buyers.

In another move towards the consumer, Haggis is now available in a 100% vegetarian version - made with kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, carrots, turnip, and mushrooms, together with the traditional ingredients of oatmeal, onions and spices.

Haggis has also evolved in other ways - you can now buy packs of cocktail-sized Haggis, ideal for buffets or canapes. Or packs of pre-sliced Hagis, which can be microwaved for a speedy snack. All of these things are making sure that Haggis remains relevant in 21st Century life, rather than being left as a Burns Night treat.

There are many companies supplying Haggis now, but as a rule, traditionally made Scottish Haggis is the best by miles. Although the natural casing doesn't impress some, it is truly an authentic, gourmet ingredient and the flavour can't be rivaled by a manufactured alternative.

One of the best Scottish Haggis makers is Macsween Haggis, who have been making authentic haggis in Edinburgh for over 50 years. Still made to a traditional recipe passed down through the Macsween family, this is the genuine thing. Macsween work exclusively with Keevil and Keevil on London's Smithfield Market to offer an online delivery service. Order online on their website for home delivery.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanna_Wendes

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Why Should You Buy a Portable Charcoal Grill?

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Where Can You Purchase The Best Of All Breville Grills?

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Why I Prefer To Smoke Food Using Propane Gas

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Which Portable Gas Grill Is Right For You?

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Meals On A Budget: Recipes That Won't Break The Bank!

If you're like a lot of hobby-cooks and foodies, you love to make great-tasting dishes but can't afford to spend tons of cash on fancy ingredients. Here are a few meals on a budget you can try today, recipes that will scintillate your taste buds without draining your wallet!

1. Grilled Chili Lime Shrimp

Most people think of shrimp as a high-price food that they can only occasionally enjoy, but if you go for the frozen stuff, it's not too pricy at all! Hit up your local discount store or big-name supermarket, and check out their prices on frozen large or jumbo shrimp.

In addition to the shrimp, you'll just need some olive oil, fresh garlic, one jalapeno, one bunch of cilantro, and a couple of limes. Make a marinade out of these ingredients but finely mincing the jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro, and combining them with about a quarter cup of olive oil. Squeeze in the juice from the limes, use a grater to add the zest, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the thawed shrimp and marinade in a gallon-sized plastic bag and allow it to rest for at least an hour - a half day or overnight is preferable. When you're ready to grill, skewer the shrimp on wooden kebab sticks, grill using the rest of the marinade, and serve fresh!

2. Easy Beef Stew

Though simple, a good beef stew is one of the most honest and delicious meals you can eat. To make a great stew on a budget, all you'll need is a 4-5 pound chuck roast, a few potatoes, some carrots, some beef broth, and a few basic seasonings that you probably already have in your cabinet.

Start by salting and searing the outside of the roast in a super-hot cast-iron pan. This will add a golden-brown crust to the roast that will give it some seriously rich, deep flavor. Put the browned meat in a crock-pot or other slow-cooker along with chopped potatoes and carrots.

For the sauce, simply mix 3-4 cups of beef broth with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Pour this mixture over the meat and veggies, and fill the crock-pot almost to the brim with water. Leave about an inch so that it doesn't boil over! Set the cooker on low, and allow it to do its thing for 8-10 hours. At the end, you'll have a fantastic, hearty stew and leftovers to spare!

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What's For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2011 - 4th Edition

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Thinking Outside Of The Pizza Box

Although it is incredibly easy to pick up the phone and order another take-out pizza, do you really want to eat the same old boring thing yet again? Even if you have little to no cooking experience you can easily make your own pizzas at home using simple dough or a prepared crust and a few toppings.

If you are tired of the same old cheese or pepperoni and mushroom pizzas tap into your creativity and use your taste buds as a guide to make new and interesting meals.

What type of meats and cheeses do you like best? What are your favorite types of meals to make for dinner? Are you a meat and potatoes kind of family or do you eat chicken and fish more often? Perhaps you would prefer vegetarian pizzas instead.

So many different vegetables can be used for topping pizzas and there are a mind boggling number of combinations you can create with various cheeses, sauces, and other toppings.

You can make an easy meatloaf pizza with crumbled and browned ground beef, either mozzarella or Swiss cheese, and chopped Roma tomatoes. Use seasonings such as basil and garlic and vary the types of cheeses you use each time you make meatloaf pizzas.

If you like baked potatoes use them for topping pizzas along with sour cream, cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions. Season the baked potato pizza with salt and black pepper then sprinkle chives on top.

Grilling is a great way to prepare pizzas especially during the warmer months or when feeding a crowd of people. To make a quick and easy grilled chicken pizza use a pre-baked crust brushed with olive oil then top with pieces of grilled chicken, a package of frozen broccoli and cauliflower thawed, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

You can even make gourmet pizzas at home instead of relying on the local pizzeria or restaurant. Gourmet pizzas do not always have to be expensive either with exotic ingredients you have never heard of.

Perhaps one of the very best things about gourmet pizzas is that only a few ingredients are needed to create perfect results. In fact, when it comes to gourmet style pizzas, the fewer the ingredients used the better as each of the flavors can be more appreciated when not overwhelmed by many others.

A gourmet style pizza needs only one main ingredient with one extra topping to be delicious. As is the case with all types of pizzas, the sauce should be used sparingly and spread thin enough to just cover the dough. If you use too much sauce it will dominate the flavor from the toppings and the seasonings used.

Stick to one or two types of cheeses and add it near the end of the baking time if you want to keep it from burning. Some cheeses melt better than others and mozzarella is the standard cheese to use although you can experiment with others such as asiago, cheddar, goat, Gorgonzola, Monterrey Jack, and various types of Swiss.

Pizza is one of the most versatile types of foods you can make especially when you use a variety of spices and seasonings along with your usual favorite toppings. For a quick and easy pizza dough recipe use rapid rise yeast which will cut down on preparation time considerably and allow you to enjoy your meal faster.

GreatPizzaRecipes.com You Make the Pizza, We Help You Make It Great!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Szalay_Kudra

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Meatloaf: An American Classic

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Orlando Food - World Class Cuisine

Live, Love and Eat! The arousing aroma of freshly cooked sizzling beef or chicken steak with hot and palatable taste of a bowl of crab and corn soup, combined with exquisite Italian veggies and delicacies, amazed with an array of mouth watering desserts, and refreshed with a sparkle of thirst quenching glass of sweetened cocktail juice. Sit down, relax, feel the aroma and satisfy your hunger pangs with a plethora of world class menus, drinks and other delicacies especially made by prestigious, high class and popularly known bars and restaurants in the home of best culinary experts - Orlando.

Who would not be hooked with the joy that this city could bring to everyone? People from different parts of the world visit this place every year to seek for fun and adventure with a lot of tourist destinations to choose from. Aside from its major attractions, tourists can relinquish their hunger and thirst with a bunch of bars and restaurants in the city.

So be ready, fasten your seat belts now and we will go over with the top ranked and only the finest of Orlando's world class cuisine from different bars and restaurants around the city. May it be American, Latin American, Italian, Turkish and Asian cuisines, Orlando still give the best of its best.

If your interest is a wide variety of unique American delicacies with a touch of European taste then Crave restaurant is the best place to stop which offers an array of delicious and fresh cuisines and a wide selection of wines to drink. Definitely, you can't stop your cravings once you see their mouth watering dishes.

Capital Grille, on the other hand serves best American dishes and popularly known among tourists for its dry aged steaks and outstanding selection of fresh sea foods. It also features an award winning list of wines that will surely suit your moods. Another site that offers the finest sea foods selection and considered to be as the best sea food restaurant is the Oceanaire.

Who would believe that the best sushis, sashimis, and other Japanese and Chinese cuisines could also be found in Orlando? Restaurants that dish up foods like these are TChoup Chop, Banshoo Sushi bar, Amura and Benihana Chef's Special.

Theme parks' visitors may also enjoy the aroma from palatable dishes from reputable restaurants such as Hilton bonnet creek restaurants, Waldorf Astoria restaurants, Bubba gump Shrimp rest and Wolfgang Peak Grand Caf?.

With these plethora of most excellent, exquisite, and innovative cuisines, Orlando proved that this is not only the best place to live, love, and laugh but also to eat and satisfy all the cravings as well. So if you have the chance travel to Orlando and experience its delicious foods.

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Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Cheeseburger

Flint Lockwood is a genius. Or at least he thinks he is. He's an ambitious and clumsy inventor whose gadgets never seem to be useful or make any sense at all. In fact, he continues to use one of his strange inventions to this day; diamond spray-on shoes. Once he sprayed them on, they never came off.

Despite his flaws, he always had his mother to support him. But after her death, he is left working at his skeptical father's Bait and Tackle shop. Not only is his father "technophobic" but he and Flint have absolutely nothing in common.

Flint's hometown of Swallow Falls is suffering from an economic downturn. But Flint has a new invention, and to his surprise will feed the whole town. It's called the Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator. AKA: FLDSMDFR. This simple invention is nothing more than a microwave that converts water molecules into food.

After connecting the FLDSMDFR to the town's power station, the machine absorbs too much power and takes off like a rocket. In no time, Swallow Falls isn't raining cats and dogs, but cheeseburgers!

Cheeseburgers not in your local forecast? Not to worry. Just follow this recipe and you'll be feasting like the people of Swallow Falls in no time.

Cheeseburger Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 pounds ground beef
1 container hamburger bread (4 buns)
2 packages sliced cheese
1 to 2 spoons barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons salt and pepper
3 packages hamburger buns
Mayonnaise

Instructions:

In a skillet spray the bottom of the skillet.Let the skillet get hot. In a mixing bowl add the ingredients together but the cheese and hamburger buns. When there isn't no more pink add the barbecue sauce. When done set the hamburgers onto an paper towel on a plate. When serving these add the cheese onto the hamburgers. Add miracle whip or mayo.

Cooking time: 20 minutes. - Servings: 3.

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Low Carb Diet Menu To Plan Your Daily Meal

Here are some example of a good low carb diet menu. These menus which contain a list of low carbohydrate food can help to keep your weight in a healthy range as well as maintaining the blood sugar levels for people with diabetes.

Low Carb Breakfast

This could be burritos which are made with low carb tortilla, two scrambled eggs in oil or butter. The butter or oil gives excellent taste and the tortilla bread adds to the taste. Burritos are Mexican food made with tortilla bread of wheat flour. The tortilla is folded on the edges with filling inside. The scrambled egg forms the filling in this case. Bean burritos are high in protein and also less amount of saturated fat, thus good for health.

Another option for low-carb breakfast can be frozen blueberries that is thawed along with cereals. Canadian bacon sliced and two pieces, spears of medium asparagus, frozen or even fresh strawberries are various options for a low carb healthy breakfast. The quantities of each of these individual items will vary depending on the food item.

For Lunch

A good quantity of salad is good for health with chicken meat that is well cooked and dressed with Itallian dressing that contains low or no-sugar content. The ingredients that go into making the salad include romaine lettuce that is chopped, mushrooms that is raw, carrot that is shredded, broccoli that is chopped. Lunch with cooked chicken, apple and pecans that are chopped are good for health and tasty. Salads that include lettuce, avocado, chicken meat which is well cooked also form good lunch options.

For Dinner

Brownies or cabbage that is not stuffed are good options for dinner and dessert. Steak that is pan-fried is an ideal and juicy dinner. Peppers and mushrooms simmered in wine and with added herbs for the taste, is another dinner option. Lean beef, olive oil, spinach, coleslaw are ideal dinner items. It is always better to start a low carb diet that one is familiar with. People who are by nature vegetarians have an advantage as the vegetarian food is mostly low carbohydrate content.

For Snacks

A person on low carb diet can have canned peaches and their juices. These have to be sugar-free. Almonds that are whole also form a good snack at tea time. Flax seed can be a good meal as snacks.

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It's Friday Night - Do You Know What's For Supper? Suggestion 3

Why is it that, every Friday night, you get home from work and have no idea what to do for dinner? Instead of popping some frozen fish and chips into the oven, why not spend a few minutes more making a dinner that's not only quick, easy, and inexpensive, but is also delicious AND nutritious!

My recommendation - Kosheri! Kosheri is a popular traditional Egyption dish, sold by street vendors in Egypt much like hot dogs are sold in North America. It's filling, delicious, and loaded with nutrients!

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a nutritional powerhouse - lentils! Lentils have high amounts of fiber, both soluble and insoluble, which makes them great for lowering cholesterol levels, preventing heart disease, and controlling blood sugar. They are also high in protein, Folate and Thiamin, Iron and Manganese, and have very high levels of tryptophan, which will help you sleep well!

Kosheri recipe (serves 4)

you need:

4 cups cooked brown rice

4 cups cooked brown lentils

2 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni

4 cups Tomato Sauce:

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 1 green pepper, chopped

- 1 780 ml can crushed tomatoes

- 1/2 tsp honey

Heat oil in frying pan; fry onions and green pepper til soft, add tomatoes and honey and cook 15min over medium heat

1 cup Spicy Hot Sauce:

- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

- 1/4 cup chopped parsley

- 1 tsp crushed garlic

- 1 tsp (or more, to taste) Tabasco, or other hot pepper sauce

- 1 tsp ground cumin

- 1 tbsp olive oil

Combine, and let sit at room temperature

instructions:

To serve, layer rice, lentils, and macaroni on plates (or pasta dishes), pour 1 cup of tomato sauce on each, and top with 1/3 cup Spicy Hot Sauce.

Nutritional breakdown [from NutritionData.com]

This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Folate, and a very good source of Manganese.

- glycemic load 32 (low - that's good)

- calories 460

- fat 9 grams

- protein 20 grams

- dietary fiber 17 grams

- Vitamin A 23% DV

- Vitamin C 50% DV

- Vitamin K 66% DV

- Thiamin 33% DV

- Niacin 25% DV

- Vitamin B6 33% DV

- Folate 68% DV

- Iron 38% DV

- Magnesium 33% DV

- Phosphorus 43% DV

- Potassium 27% DV

- Zinc 22% DV

- Copper 36% DV

- Manganese 135% DV

- Selenium 42% DV

- Phytosterols ~22mg

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Budget Meal Recipes: 2 Fantastic, Low-Cost Dishes

Love to cook but don't have the cash? Looking for a few easy recipes you can make now without breaking the bank? Here are 2 of the best budget meal recipes!

1. Chinese Roasted Pork

Great Chinese restaurants usually serve a fantastic slow-cooked pork dish, but they also tend to be way too expensive for a tight budget. To make this budget meal recipe yourself, buy a 5-6 pound hunk of pork shoulder or butt - these cuts are extremely economical and totally delicious when cooked slow and low with the right seasonings.

To begin the cooking process, place the pork fat or skin-side down into a cold cast-iron or other sturdy pan. Turn the heat up to medium, and allow some of the fat to render out. After about ten minutes, remove the pork from the skillet and place it into a slow cooker along with the now-liquid fat that came off of it.

Now, you simply need to make a great sauce for this budget meal recipe. Combine 1 cup of soy sauce with 2 cups of chicken broth, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoons Chinese five-spice, 2 tablespoons dried ginger, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, and 1-2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper. Pour this sauce over the meat in the crock pot, fill it nearly the rest of the way with water, and cook the roast on low for 8-10 hours.

2. Bacon-Blue Cheese Burgers

Want a restaurant-quality burger without the restaurant price? Try this budget meal recipe on for size, and send your taste buds on an unforgettable trip!

Start by cutting your bacon into bits and browning them in pan. While the bacon is cooking, assemble 2 pounds of 80% lean ground beef and add 2 tablespoons each of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Once the bacon bits are done, add them to the pile along with about 6 oz. of blue cheese.

Now simply mix all of these ingredients together by hand and form 6 patties. Cook them on your grill until they reach the desired doneness. If you don't have a grill, or if it's too cold outside to use one, you can make burgers with a nice golden-brown crust on your cast-iron skillet or griddle pan.

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Homemade Pot Pie - Recipe For Beef Pot Pie

This recipe for homemade beef pot pie is a good way to use leftover pot roast from Sunday dinner. The dropped biscuits can be made from scratch, or a box mix may be used.

Ingredients for Pot Pie

2 cups of leftover, fully-cooked roast beef, cut into small pieces
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 cup canned peas, drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cooked potatoes, cut in chunks
1 cup cooked carrots, cut in chunks
1 jar of beef or au jus gravy
Dropped biscuit dough, prepared (below)

Instructions for Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Gently combine all ingredients, except the biscuit dough, in a large mixing bowl with a big spoon, such as a wooden spoon.

After adding the jar of gravy, fill it with a little water, put the lid back on, shake it up, and mix this in with the rest of the mixture.

Pour the prepared mixture into a 13 by 9 inch cake pan. Drop the biscuits on top (see below) to cover the pot pie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until hot through and biscuits are done and nicely browned. Since everything is already cooked, this just has to heat through and blend the flavors.

Dropped Biscuit Dough

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening
Milk to make a stiff batter

Put dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Add the shortening and work through with tips of fingers or fork. Add milk, small amounts at a time, until you have a batter that can be dropped from a spoon without spreading.

Drop by spoonfuls on top of the pot pie mixture.

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Rice in All It's Yumminess - Part 2

Adass Polow - Rice with Lentils

Adass in persian means lentils. My kids love this dish and it's very easy to make. It takes just under half an hour to prepare. It is usually accompanied with minced meat which can be prepared earlier and kept in the freezer.

Ingredients:

1. 3 Cups of white long grain rice.
2. 4 table spoons of cooking oil.
3. salt as per taste.
4. Water - as directed
5. One cup of lentils soaked for about half an hour.
6. A quarter kg of minced meat.

Directions:

I usually soak the rice for at least half an hour (if it's new rice) or for 1 hour (if it's old rice) in warm water and some salt before cooking.Put the drained lentils in a pot, add enough water, about an inch above the level of the lentils and boil with high heat with turmeric, salt and a dash of pepper until just cooked.To the boiling lentils, add the rice along with 3 table spoons of oil.If the water is less, you can add just a bit more hot water so that it covers the rice by about 2 cms. Let the rice boil for some time and keep stirring occasionally until the water evaporates.Sprinkle some oil on the rice and cover the pot and keep on a low flame.The rice will be ready in about 15 minutes.

To prepare the minced meat:

Take one finely chopped onion and fry it in oil with 1 finely minced garlic flake. When it turns a golden brown, add the minced meat to it and stir fry. After the frying is done, add some tomatopuree to it (about 3 table spoons) and stir fry again until cooked. You can keep adding a little hot water to it until it is completely cooked. The minced meat is ready. You can lightly fry some raisins and add it to the minced meat to add a dash of sweetness if you like.

Saffron Preparation:

Take some saffron in a heat-resistant glass and add some hot water to it. Let it stand in the rice while it is cooking. The heat brings out the beautiful aroma of saffron. After the rice has cooked, put this saffron in a bowl and add some of the cooked rice to it and mix it to give the rice a beautiful golden yellow color. Put this saffron rice over the adass polow to decorate.

Tip: This dish is also served with lightly fried dates (of the soft variety) instead of minced meat.

Serve the lentil rice with saffron topped with the cooked minced meat.

Bon Appetit!

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Rice in All It's Yumminess - Part 1

White Rice - Iranian Style (Chelo Safeed) (Serves 3-6)

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups of white long grain rice.

2. 4 table spoons of cooking oil.

3. 2 medium potatoes cut into rounds, washed and drained.

4. 120 ml or 4 oz of water.

5. salt as per taste.

Directions:

I usually soak the rice for at least half an hour (if it's new rice) or for 1 hour (if it's old rice) in warm water and some salt before cooking.

Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water, add salt and a bit of oil and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and let it cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally to let the oil coat the grains, until it starts boiling. Check to see if the rice grains have softened. When the rice is a little more than half-cooked, take it out and drain it. Run tap water over it and let it drain.

Pour the oil in the pot, lay the potatoes in the bottom of the pot, add a bit of salt, then add the half-cooked rice loosely over it. Add 120 ml of water to it and with a skewer make a few holes to let the rice cook with the steam of the water passing through it. Close the pot with a lid and add a little water on top and close the lid. Let it cook for about 2 minutes on high heat.

When the rice starts to steam, put the heat on to medium and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Finally put the rice on low heat and with a spoon add oil to the top of the rice and cover with the lid and let it cook for another 10 minutes. The rice is now ready to eat.

Tips:

1. When you are serving the rice, decorate it with the fried potatoes which have become a golden brown color by this time.

2. Take some saffron in a heat-resistant glass and add some hot water to it. Let it stand in the rice while it is cooking. The heat brings out the beautiful aroma of saffron. After the rice has cooked, put this saffron in a bowl and add some of the cooked rice to it and mix it to give the rice a beautiful golden yellow color. Decorate the rest of the rice with this saffron mix. This is traditional persian or iranian rice.

3. Instead of potatoes, you can use pita bread. If you use nothing, the rice will form a thick crisp layer which is called "Tah Deegh" in persian.

Enjoy!

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Rice in All It's Yumminess - Part 3

Lubia Polow - rice with french beans and minced lamb or beef

(serves 3-4)

Lubia means beans in Persian.

My husband has fond memories of this dish which would be sometimes served by his mom when he got back from school. He remembers how he'd wolf down his lunch and imagine that it was the best food he'd ever had.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups of white long grain rice.

2. 8 table spoons of cooking oil.

3. Turmeric and pepper.

4. 3 cups of french beans cut about an inch long.

5. A quarter kg of minced lamb or beef.

6. 2 onions - chopped finely.

7. 2 flakes of garlic - chopped finely.

8. Salt as per taste.

Directions:

I usually soak the rice for at least half an hour (if it's new rice) or for 1 hour (if it's old rice) in warm water and some salt before cooking. Before cooking wash and drain the rice.

In a medium-sized pot, stir fry the french beans in about three table spoons of oil until it has cooked and keep this aside.

Fry the onions along with garlic in oil until it turns a lovely golden brown. Add the minced beef/lamb to it and stir fry until the color changes.

Add about 4 tablespoons of tomato paste to this along with salt, pepper and turmeric and fry for a few more minutes. Add the fried beans to this. Fry for a few more minutes.

Add about 3 cups of hot water and bring to a boil. Cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Add rice to this, mix well and let it boil on high heat for a few minutes until most of the water has evaporated. Keep stirring so that the rice does not stick to the bottom.

Sprinkle some oil on the rice and cover the pot. Put it on low heat for another 15 minutes. You may get a crusty layer at the bottom of your (hopefully) non-stick pot. This is called Tah deegh. It is a delicacy in these parts.

This is really delicious. Believe me.

Your Lubia polow is ready. Serve piping hot.

Tip:

This is usually accompanied with salad, yoghurt and torshi (fresh vegetables which have been soaked in vinegar for a while)

To Make Torshi:

Use vegetables like green chillies, carrots, green chillies, celery, cauliflower, and garlic. Wash the vegetables, drain and let it dry. Chop the vegetables finely into one-inch pieces. Take a clean, dry wide-mouthed bottle and put the vegetables inside this. You could add some fresh, clean cilantro, parsley, and coriander leaves to give it some more flavor. Pour white vinegar into the bottle until it just cover the vegetables. Preserve for about a week.

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Making Homemade Pizza Dough

Making pizza from scratch is an enjoyable experience, and not as difficult as many believe. A great homemade pizza starts with a beautifully made crust, and the quality of the crust depends on the preparation of the dough. Using the proper ingredients and combining them in the correct way is key to creating a product that is sure to be appreciated by all those who take a bite.

Use The Correct Ingredients

One of the most popular and easiest pizza dough's to prepare is commonly referred to as a "Sicilian Style" and utilizes unbleached flour, salt, sugar, and yeast that has been dissolved in warm water. Most cooks find that a superior dough can be created by combining the dissolved yeast in a small amount of water, and then stirring in additional water before adding to the flour. Yeast will be distributed among the flour more fully if the dough is at first very thin, with the addition of more flour to make it stiffer. When shopping for yeast, try to locate a product that is designed to work best with whole grain flours; this yeast will become more active with unbleached flour than an all-purpose type.

Keep Things Warm

A kitchen is often warmer than the rest of the house if other foods are being prepared in the oven or on the stovetop. A good trick to employ when making pizza dough is to combine the ingredients, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, and then place the dough in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled with a light, classic or extra virgin olive oil, and then covering the dough with a cloth and placing in the oven that has been turned on for about 30 seconds. Using this technique, the dough should rise properly in about 90-100 minutes.

The Important Second Rising

Homemade pizza dough need not be punched down, but simply pulled from the bowl after the first rising is complete. It can then be rolled or tossed to the desired size and placed directly into the pizza pan. A great way to help make the dough form a crispy crust bottom is to sprinkle some cornmeal on the pan before placing the dough. Repeating the oven warming and letting the dough rise in the pan itself for about 40 minutes will result in an exceptional product that is now ready for pre-baking.

Try different recipes and remember which ones turn out the best crust; like any type of food preparation, repeating the recipe numerous times gives the home cook a good feel of just how to prepare any pizza dough.

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Rice in All Its Yumminess - Part 5

Baghali Sheveed Polow - rice with Lima beans and dill

(serves 3-4)

Baghali means Lima beans in Persian and sheveed means dill leaves. I usually add chicken or chopped lamb pieces to this delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups of white long grain rice.

2. 200 grams of butter.

3. Fresh Lima beans each cut into half (remove the skin first)

4. 2 onions - chopped finely.

5. 500 grams of de-boned chicken pieces or 500 grams of cubed lamb pieces.

6. Salt and pepper as per taste.

7. Turmeric - half a tsp

8. 3 cups freshly chopped dill (dried dill with work well too).

Directions:

I usually soak the rice for at least half an hour (if it's new rice) or for 1 hour (if it's old rice) in warm water and some salt before cooking.

Take a medium sized pot and fry the chopped onions in about 4 tablespoons of butter until it turns a lovely golden brown. Add the dill leaves and stir fry for a few minutes. The aroma of the dill leaves fill the kitchen and believe me, it makes the mouth water.

Add the chicken/lamb along with turmeric, salt and pepper and stir fry until the meat changes its color. Add the halved Lima beans. Boil till the meat or chicken is tender. Be careful with the chicken because it can easily over cook and break into small pieces. You could add the chicken a little later which I recommend. Check to see if the Lima beans are cooked.

Add the rice to this boiling mixture and make sure that the level of water above the rice is just about a couple of centimeters. Mix the rice well with this and put it on high heat and keep stirring occasionally so that the rice does not clump together or stick to the bottom. Change to medium heat midway and When most of the water has evaporated, put it on low heat. Heap the rice like a small hill in the center of the pot and make holes all over with a skewer to aid in steaming it further.

Add thick slices of butter all over the top of the rice and cover with the lid. This delicious rice will be ready in about 15-20 minutes.

To make the saffron rice mix to decorate the served rice:

Take some saffron in a heat-resistant glass and add some hot water to it. Let it stand in the rice while it is cooking. The heat brings out the beautiful aroma of saffron. After the rice has cooked, put this saffron in a bowl and add some of the cooked rice to it and mix it to give the rice a beautiful golden yellow color. Decorate the rest of the rice with this saffron mix.

Tip:

Serve the rice hot decorated with a mix of rice and saffron.

This exotic Persian dish is usually served with yogurt and salad. You could serve this with steak, roast chicken, or lamb chops if you haven't cooked the rice with chicken or lamb.

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Rice in All It's Yumminess - Part 4

Haveej Polow - rice with grated carrot and minced beef/lamb

(serves 3-4)

Haveej means carrot in persian. Carrot is used extensively in Iran. It is used in salads, in rice dishes, in soups, in jams etc. It is served as an accompaniment with other main dishes (a sour pickle with vinegar - torshi or soaked in a salt solution with other vegetables - shur)

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups of white long grain rice.
2. 8 table spoons of cooking oil.
3. 1/2 tsp of turmeric and pepper each.
4. 6 large carrots peeled and roughly grated.
5. Half a kg of minced lamb or beef.
6. 1 onion - chopped finely.
7. Salt as per taste.
8. 120 ml of water.
9. 2 cups of tomato sauce.

Directions:

I usually soak the rice for at least half an hour (if it's new rice) or for 1 hour (if it's old rice) in warm water and some salt before cooking.

Take a pot and half fill with water. Add a bit of oil and bring to a boil and add the rice to it. Check to see if the rice has cooked half way by taking a few grains in your mouth and biting into it. Take out the rice and drain it.

Fry the chopped onion in about 4 tablespoons of oil until it turns a lovely golden brown. Add the meat along with turmeric, salt and pepper and stir fry until the meat changes its color to a lovely brown.

Add the tomato sauce and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the grated carrots and stir fry yet again for a few more minutes. When the mixture starts to thicken, it is ready.

Take the rest of the cooking oil in another pot and add 120 ml of water to this. Spread alternate layers of rice and the meat mixture to this till it is all used up in this manner. Sprinkle a little more water on top and cover the pot. Put it on high heat and let it cook for a few more minutes. Switch to medium heat when the rice starts steaming and cook for about 15 more minutes.

Finally put it on low heat, sprinkle some oil on top and cover. After about 10 minutes, your Haveej Polow is ready.This dish has a sweetness to it and if you have a bit of the sweet tooth in you, you will love this.

Tip:

Serve with fresh green salad and yoghurt.

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Learn to Cook Rice - White, Brown or Wild Rice

Rice is a common, healthy food and learning how to cook rice is important for many world cuisine recipes. In some Asian countries, where it is the primary food staple essential to survival, a person can eat 300 pounds of it in a year, compared to an average of 25 pounds per person in America.

Types of Rice

When you learn how to cook rice, you'll find there are three main types of it you can eat. They are:

The inner portion of the grain is white rice. It is commercially refined and sometimes contains a harmless coating of talc or glucose to make it look more appealing to the eye. White is popular with the buying public, but the refining process removes a lot of nutrition.

Whole grain or brown has more iron, phosphorus and vitamins B1 and G than white and a pleasant nut-like taste. It has not always been easy to buy but is steadily becoming more popular; it's often sold in sealed containers to prevent it from going rancid. When you learn how to cook rice, you'll find brown takes longer to cook than white.

Wild or Indian rice is technically not rice, but the seed of a marsh grass. It is the most expensive variety and food connoisseurs like the taste as an accompaniment to meat dishes.

Wash First and Last

Most varieties of rice need to be washed in a colander of fresh water prior to cooking. Some varieties are pre-washed and do not require this step. You should also rinse most varieties of rice with boiling water after cooking.

The actual cooking technique will depend on the type of rice dish. For example, a risotto requires a different method than an Indian or Chinese rice dish. Now all you need to know is how to cook rice!

Cooking Properties

Rice expands up to three times its original size when cooked. Typical cooking times range from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the variety of rice. You will discover the ideal cooking time of your favorite varieties the more you experiment with the various methods of how to cook rice.

Varieties and Techniques

The three main categories of rice contain a number of varieties, each with specific directions on how to cook rice.

Arborio

Arborio rice, ideal for Italian risotto dishes, is a short grain, extra starchy rice that has a creamy appearance after cooked.

Start by saut?ing the rice in a little butter and then slowly cook a mix of 1 part rice to three parts liquid. You can add extra ingredients and vegetables at this point to flavor the risotto such as:

MushroomsSun-dried tomatoesChorizo

Arborio Rice can also be used to make rice puddings.

Brown

Available in both short and long grain varieties, brown rice is high in fiber and has a nutty taste. It is delicious in pilafs and many other dishes. Cook brown rice in two parts liquid to one part rice and simmer for about 40 to 45 minutes.

Basmati

Popular in Indian cooking, basmati rice is available as a white or whole grain variety. Use about one cup of rice to two cups of boiling water and simmer for 20 to 45 minutes. The whole grain variety will take longer to cook than white basmati rice.

Sushi

Sushi rice is a favorite in Japanese cuisine and often used in sushi dishes. Add the rice to an equal amount of boiling water and reduce heat to low. Allow it to set for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

Jasmine

Jasmine rice has a mild flavor and takes on the flavors of other ingredients in the dish. Cook the same as sushi rice, but with more boiling water - approximately 1? parts water to one part rice. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Wild

A rice native to North American, simmer wild rice on low heat for 40 to 45 minutes. Use one cup of rice to 1? cups of boiling water.

Texmati

An alternative to basmati rice, texmati is a popular ingredient of many Tex-Mex dishes such as chili con carne. Use one cup of rice to 1? cups of boiling water and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes.

Fried

Chinese fried rice is used in many popular dishes. Simply cook your rice as above and then stir-fry in a frying pan. You can add vegetables and meat or eggs to make a complete dish.

Many varieties of rice can be made into delicious meals. Now that you know how to cook rice, make one of these great meals for your family or friends to enjoy.

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