Mexican Food Menu: A Favorite Salsa Recipe

When it comes to making the best food for our family, we choose the best in ingredients that will promote healthy living while provide exceptional flavor. Thankfully, today it is easier than ever to find the recipes we want via the internet. For my own family, I love adding this wonderfully delicious salsa to our Mexican food menu plan.

Why choose this salsa?

The answer is simple! It is super easy to make and everyone loves it! There is never any left over, and when it comes to leftovers, you can bet my family has a lot. This is great to add to a meal or even eat as a snack. Filled with deliciously fresh fruits and vegetables, this is one salsa your family will ask for again and again.

Favorite Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:

4 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (up to 1 cup)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh green pepper (bell pepper)
1/4 cup oil
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh green chilies
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cilantro (coriander) seed, crushed (or fresh cilantro leaves)
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill, stirring occasionally. Serve with was corn chips or tortilla chips.

Variations:

Instead of fresh tomatoes, you can use a high quality whole, canned tomato. Be sure to drain first!

Instead of a fresh green pepper, I like to add a variety of colors! Try adding a touch of the red bell peppers as well as the yellow bell peppers. This will make a colorful sensation that is delicious and well received.

If you are wanting to remove the red wine vinegar, you will be making the salsa all that more healthy without negating any of the taste!

Instead of regular table salt, try adding a healthier sea salt.

Try using different types of onions. Each onion has its own taste and flavor. My favorite is the sweet onion. Mm, mm, super!

Some of my family members are not a huge cilantro fan. Generally, I will split the batch or make a double batch adding cilantro to only one batch. This will insure everyone has his or her preferred taste!

When it comes to healthy living, this is a must have for my Mexican food menu plan. Salsa can be used with just about anything, and this also stores extremely well which means you can place in a non-metal container for later use if refrigerated. However, you should only store for a week to insure freshness.


Making a Mexican menu plan is a great way to add culture to the family dinner table. The combination of taste and appearance makes this cuisine one of the most popular in the world. When you can have salsa has a main condiment, you will be in control of the goodness your family eats. Even children love this cuisine, and for good reason.

If you have trouble getting the kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, try making a wonderful salsa that will appeal to him or her!

How to Make Homemade Ice Cream

People have been making and enjoying ice cream for centuries, so much so that it is almost considered an art form. No doubt it has changed a great deal since ancient times but the process used today is mostly unchanged for the last few decades. When you make homemade ice cream, of course, you won’t use the same process that big companies use to pump out thousands of gallons of ice cream to be sold in parlors and grocery stores everyday. Your process will be smaller, fresher and have a personal touch.


There will only be a slight resemblance in the taste of your homemade ice cream and the ice cream you buy at the store. Yours will taste much better. The ingredients you are going to use, fruits, nuts and other flavorings are going to be fresh, not mass produced. You will put in your flair, personal attention and care and I know you will taste the difference in the finished product. Not to mention the enjoyable experience you will have spending time with family and friends making and enjoying your unique ice cream creation.

A good place to start, of course, will be with a good recipe. As you can imagine, there are hundreds of great ice cream recipes that you can use to get you started but you will undoubtedly want to come up with your own as you get more comfortable. Check with family members to see if there are family recipes that have been handed down through the years. The connection to the past is a big reason that many people choose to make their own homemade ice cream. What’s better than having ice cream “just like grandma used to make?”

Don’t fret if you don’t have an ancestral family recipe to start off with. The building blocks of any ice cream recipe are neither exotic nor expensive. You might do well to practice with the basics until you are happy with the ice cream that you are making. Then you can get fancy with delicious flavorings and combinations of ingredients. Here’s a basic vanilla recipe to get you rolling:


Ingredients:

1/2 pint (250 ml) light cream
condensed milk, small tin
1 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth

Once the ingredients are mixed and smooth, load it into the churn or ice cream machine. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the ice and salt and activate the machine to churn the ice cream. Or if you’re using a manual churn, turn the crank for about 10 minutes to give the ice plenty of time to freeze the cream in the interior compartment. You may need to crank a bit longer if the cream has not set up after 10 minutes.

Once you have completed the “hard labor” put the ice cream in the freeze for a couple of hours to finish freezing into your wonderful frozen treat. The last part of the process is the easiest. Take your ice cream out of the freezer and find some family and friends to indulge in your delicious creation. Now that you’re an expert at homemade ice cream, start planning your next big party or family get together to show off your new skills!



Author Resource: Cheri Brennan has been making homemade ice cream with her family for years. To get more tips and resources for making your own ice cream, click here today: http://icecream.newinfohighway.com

Article From: Article Asylum

Pizza is one of the most popular fast foods in the United States. It tastes good, it’s quick, and it’s convenient. These three things alone make it a top choice for families everywhere. While these are some of the advantages of ordering pizza from some joint that delivers, there are definite and obvious advantages to trying your own homemade pizza. Get the family together in the kitchen, save some money, and control the ingredients you include in your pizza.


One of the first advantages of making your own homemade pizza is getting your family into the kitchen together. Dividing up the tasks of making a pizza among family members is a great way to slow down in a busy life and be able talk about your day, how everyone is feeling, and has general family together time. If you want more details visit at www.cat-head-biscuit.com. If you have smaller children, tasks like rolling out the dough, spreading pizza sauce, and placing the cheese on the pizza are safe, less-messy ways to have your young child help with the making of the pizza. They are protected and still feel like they are able to help and contribute. If you have older kids, you may consider letting them help you with more adult projects like cutting up the vegetables, cooking any meats, or putting the pizza in the oven when it is time. Bringing the family together in the kitchen then eating together at the table can strengthen the bond you feel with one another.

Another advantage of making your own pizza as a family is to save some money. While fresh ingredients can be costly, purchasing fresh vegetables at the farmer’s market can be very inexpensive. The ingredients it takes to make a pizza from scratch can cost far less than ordering take-out pizza these days. Some pizza joints charge upwards of 25 dollars for a large supreme pizza. You can make 2 to 3 pizzas at home for that amount of money; more depending on the type of pizza you make. The cost of take-out pizza definitely takes its toll when ordering for a large crowd. A few large supreme pizzas and you’ve spent an exorbitant amount of cash. Making your own pizzas for a party can make a huge difference in bang for your buck.

One final advantage to making pizza instead of ordering it is that you can control the ingredients that go into your pizza. Many times, fast food places use much unhealthier foods and ingredients than you would as an individual. With making your own pizza, you control how much salt goes into that homemade sauce. You can also login on to www.cooking-chinese-style.com.You can also be absolutely certain of the freshness of the vegetables. And you can know what kind of environment it was made in. Doing this can help your pizza be much healthier and better tasting. Those are two qualities that everyone wants in a pizza.

There are many reasons to make a homemade pizza with your family. Just a few are that it will bring your family closer, it can be less expensive, and you can control the ingredients that are included. All of these make creating your own pizza from scratch a great choice for dinner that you can feel good about.



www.camping-outdoors-recipes.com

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Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Easier Cooking With A Little Preparation

Anyone who has ever cooked can attest to how much can go wrong despite a detailed recipe and the best intentions. That's because recipes don't describe how you should interact with your space and most don't include much instruction on preparation. It can take a fair amount of reading between the lines to determine what can or should be done before the actual cooking begins and how to best use your space to make your dish a success. Try these simple steps to ensure delicious results every time!

Prepare your work area

You don’t have to have a state-of-the art gourmet kitchen with a huge island and miles of counter space to make delicious meals for your family. All you need is a working oven, stove, and sink, and about four to six square feet of clear counter space. If the recipe requires prepping meats or vegetables, you may want to set aside a couple of feet next to your sink for your cutting board so that clean up will be easier. Take a moment to remove the homework, bills, little used appliances, Barbie dolls, and car keys from your kitchen countertop...can you tell I’m speaking from personal experience?

Read the recipe COMPLETELY before beginning

Your cooking journey will be full of surprises and our goal is to make them all pleasant! To eliminate the recipe-sinking variety of surprises, take some time to familiarize yourself with your recipe ahead of time. Take it from an experienced cook... many times I’ve started a recipe only to realize that the cream cheese should have been at room temperature, or that I need to use a food processor and mine has been loaned to my sister… Which brings me to my next point…

Gather your tools

If you’re working from a cookbook or some other recipe you’ll need to read through the recipe to be sure that you have all the necessary tools handy. Place all of the tools you’ll be using on the countertop. Delicate sauces can ruin while you root around in the drawer for the right whisk!

Gather all of youringredients

Place your meats, vegetables, spices, canned goods, and everything else in one designated area on your countertop. As you review your recipe ahead of cooking, take note of both the ingredients and the state of preparation your recipe prescribes. Any description of preparation listed with the ingredients indicates preparation needed before cooking begins. "Cubed" meats, "chopped" vegetables, "lightly beaten" eggs are all examples. One day, you'll be a famous cook with your own sous chef, but for now, you must prepare!

mise en place

This is a French term that means having all tools ready and ingredients prepped and premeasured in small dishes, ready to add at the prescribed time. This technique, used by chefs to make preparing meals easier, will also help you to become a better cook. Here are a few examples of mis en place:

• Oiling the muffin pan
• Chopping and measuring a cup of onions
• Measuring out spices

You don’t need to go out and buy special dishes for mis en place. All you need are a few small bowls or containers—coffee cups, custard cups, even cereal bowls will do. I use several small melamine cups that I bought at a restaurant supply store for less than $1.00 each. You can also purchase a set of small glass or stainless bowls at your local kitchen store. I like Mario Batali’s prep bowls because they do double duty—they can be used for mis en place as well as measuring. Five cups that range in size from 1/8 cup to 2 cups are included, and each one has a halfway mark for measuring.

Your recipe

Have it handy and hands-free. If you’re using a cookbook it can be challenging to find a place to put the cookbook so that you can read the recipe and not get splatters all over the pages. Use an inexpensive cookbook holder. The Lucite type works well. If you’re working from a recipe that you’ve printed off of the internet, simply tape the recipe to an upper cabinet at eye-level near your work area. You can also try a typing stand from the office supply store, or a clipboard that you can lean against the wall.

Now you're ready to cook!
Toni Scott
Toni Tanner-Scott, Personal Chef and Cooking Coach, Dinner Made Simple, http://www.dinnermadesimple.com

How To Stock Your Pantry

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone lament having a full pantry and nothing to eat... We've all learned from experience that the difference between a full pantry and a well-stocked pantry is the difference between a delicious home-made meal and... well, takeout. Again. A truly well-stocked pantry has the utility food items that transform a few fresh ingredients into a full meal. The most important pantry items tend to be used in lots of different ways and enable your fresh meats and vegetable to become lots of different dishes.

Key items--like beans, rice and pasta--are the makings of great side dishes while sauces, soups, dressings and marinades are all a snap if your pantry includes broth, good vinegar, and good oils. Good quality olive oil is a must, as is your favorite cooking oil, but peanut oil is also good for frying and high heat cooking as is the versatile and healthful grapeseed oil. Try the broths in resealable cartons and experiment with different pastas. Always get couscous and other grains in plain varieties to jazz up according to your mood. Quantities of all will be dictated by your families tastes and appetites, but start with these:

Oils: Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Sesame Oil, Peanut Oil

Vinegar: Balsamic, Apple Cider, Red Wine, White Wine, Rice Vinegar

Broth: Vegetable, Chicken, Beef

Beans/Canned: Red Beans, Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Chickpeas, Tomatoes

Pasta: Spaghetti, Bowties, Penne, Orzo, Couscous

Rice: Long Grain White, Brown, Arborio, Basmati, Jasmine

Another key group of pantry essentials are the dry ingredients, including baking ingredients, seasoning and dry herbs. All purpose flour is very important, as is kosher or sea salt, fresh black peppercorns. While fresh herbs are always best, often dried herbs will do...just don't use the herbs that came with your spice rack! Fresh, dried herbs and spices can be purchased by weight in small batches in the bulk foods section of reputable markets. Here is a list to get you started:

Dry Goods: All-Purpose Flour, Cornmeal, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Bread Crumbs

Herbs/Spices: Oregano, Basil, Chili Powder, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Paprika

Seasonings: Kosher/Sea Salt, Black Peppercorns, Cayenne Pepper

Rounding out your pantry are condiments, dry beans and dry storage. The most important condiments to have on hand for cooking are Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. I like to have both a smooth Dijon with white wine and and coarse grained country mustard on hand. Dry beans and lentils are hearty, full of fiber and last forever in the pantry, so stock up on all your favorite varieties. Keep a 10-bean mix on hand for soups and stews. Your dry storage drawer or bin should contain your favorite varieties of potatoes (I like red skinned or Yukon Gold), onions, shallots, and garlic. These items should be kept in a cool, dry, dark space and used or disposed of before they sprout or become soft and yielding to the touch.

Here's a good list to start with:

Dry storage: Potatoes, Onions, Shallots, Garlic

Condiments: Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce

Dry Beans: Red Beans, Black Beans, Navy Beans, 10-bean mix, Lentils

Once you have your basic pantry items, you’ll want to fine tune your list a bit to your favorite kinds of cuisine. Here are some great items on have on hand, organized by cuisine type to enable what ever kind of food your family likes best.

Italian: Anchovy Paste, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, black olives (canned or in jars), Rosemary (dried), Basil (Dried), Cannelloni Beans, Thyme (Dried), Oregano (dried), Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Capers, Tomato Paste, White Wine, Red Wine, Cornmeal or polenta, Pine Nuts

Mexican: Tomato Sauce, Chili Powder, Cumin, Coriander, Oregano,Black Beans, Pinto Beans

Thai: Coconut Milk, Red Curry, Green Curry, Garam Masala, Fish Sauce

Asian: Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Hot Chili Oil, Rice Vinegar, Rice Wine, Sesame Seeds, Five Spice Powder, Ground Dried Ginger, Hoisin Sauce

Creole: Cajun Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper, Tabasco sauce, Red Beans
Toni Scott
Toni Tanner-Scott, Personal Chef and Cooking Coach, Dinner Made Simple, http://www.dinnermadesimple.com

Panic in the Pantry: Facts & Fallacies about the Food You Buy Panic in the Pantry: Facts & Fallacies about the Food You Buy

either way you win

The Rudiments of French Cuisine.

By: Bimla Sheokand

The people living in France love their food and so they have perfected the art of making dishes which not only fill the stomach but also fill the heart of the person who eats them. As far back as the 1500s, it is acknowledged that French cuisine has been impacted by three aspects:

1. The incursions of Celtic Gauls resulted in the partition of land holdings, and the initiation of agricultural operations.

2. The conquering Romans who pioneered cheese making.

3. The marauding Moors who brought in goats to France. The Moorish impact held sway over the ingredients and cooking techniques in France. It is quoted the first French cookery books were greatly influenced by the exotic Moorish flavor. The earliest known groundwork for the present day French recipes has been established as far back as the 1500s. In this period, haute cuisine has been brought to French courts by a woman called Catherine de Medici, an Italian. Down the years, chefs have perfected the art of this style of cooking. The Italian inspiration has greatly changed French culinary recipes, the techniques, ingredients, and serving style. The Medici cooks brought about the use of butter, truffles, artichokes, innovative dishes, and cooking styles. The distinction between spicy and sugary dishes was also pioneered by them. In the year 1652, French culinary recipes progressed to using mushrooms, truffles, and spices to set off and enrich the flavor of food. The classical thick sauces gave way to delicate stocks and sauces, whereas meat is usually served in its own juice. At that time, a French cook called La Varenne, authored the first cookery book on French cuisine, with dishes listed alphabetically, together with cooking directions for vegetables. At present, French cuisine is based on the variations of the many regions of France. With each region being known for its celebrated culture, cuisine in France can be broadly classified into three categories: 1. French culinary recipes based on the northern regions of the nation comprises of trouts, pikes, salmon and birds. Meat dishes and tarts generally contain fruit. The famous Calvados and Camembert cheeses are also included in the preparation of their food. 2. French cuisine based on the regions of Central France is renowned throughout the country. The popular ingredients used in their dishes are red wine and garlic butter added to chicken or beef. The motivation to prepare innovative and home cooked food comes from Burgundy wines of this particular region. Homemade dishes are very central to this area of France. 3. French culinary recipes influenced by the southern regions of the nation comprise of olive oil, aubergines, tomatoes, Roquefort cheese, wild mushrooms, and garlic. In addition, the exotic range of seafood of this region greatly augments the reputation of its food. Across the word, delectable French cuisine graces the menu of many of the famous restaurants and hotels.

Author Resource:->

http://www.300-dip-recipes.com/

http://www.404self-improvement-tips.com/



Article From Freebie Articles

Great Book Of French Cuisine When L’Art Culinaire Moderne was first published in 1982, it was hailed as the most comprehensive... book on French cooking and gastronomy ever written...