Time 2 Motivate

Archive for the ‘Healthy Cook’ Category

If you are making an effort to be healthy, you may want to consider adding quinoa to your diet. Quinoa is a seed that is treated like a grain in cooking. It is a good source of vegetable protein, and has a complete amino acid profile.

Additionally, quinoa is loaded with vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of calcium and magnesium. This impressive nutritional profile has people everywhere claiming that quinoa is one of the healthiest foods around. But how do you cook quinoa? Here are some serving suggestions.

Serving Suggestions

Quinoa can be served at any meal. In the morning you can make a hot cereal with quinoa by adding you choice of milk, (regular, soy, almond) nuts and fruit. Or, try adding cooked quinoa to oatmeal and milk and spicing it up with cinnamon. Add your choice of seeds, nuts and fruit and you have a delicious healthy breakfast.

If you are looking to cook quinoa for lunch or dinner, there are many great alternatives. You can make a quinoa salad or try adding quinoa to stir fries. Quinoa also works great in casseroles and can be a healthy alternative to rice or pasta.

One of my favorite ways to make a quinoa dish is on the stove top. I start by sautéing some vegetables – like onions, red bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. I then add the quinoa and toast for a minute or two. Next, I will add in 1.25 times broth as the amount of quinoa that I have used, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. (So if I use one cup of quinoa I will use 1 ¼ cups broth) I like to finish up by adding in some fresh herbs. My favorite is cilantro, (I like it spicy) but parsley, thyme and chives also work well.

Dinner in 30 minutes? Impossible you say?. Well you can create delicious dinner recipes in 30 minutes or less with hearty sandwiches. These ideas will come in especially handy for moms (and dads) who are dealing with very hectic schedules. They and you will no longer need to use a crock pot in order to sit down to a tasty meal.

The following suggestions can be used as a starting point, of sorts. It should be relatively easy to expand on these ideas, based on the likes and dislikes of your family. Ask them to help; you might be surprised with what they come up with.

Dinner sandwiches. Don’t discount the goodness of a hearty sandwich. There are literally thousands of tasty combinations to choose from. Consider purchasing a sandwich or Panini maker, which will make grilled sandwiches with ease. (If you opt for the sandwich maker, you can also make mini omelets, cakes and other yummy snacks.)

If you don’t have a Panini maker you can use a skillet. Place the sandwich in a buttered hot frying pan. Cover the top side of the sandwich with a layer of foil. Place a heavy pot on top of the sandwich to press it down. When one side is brown, flip it over, cover with foil again and replace the heavy pot. A foil wrapped brick will work as well. Soak the brick in bleach water overnight. Rinse well. Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. This will sanitize and dry out the brick.

Be creative with your sandwich choices. Don’t get stuck on the same old same old. Try honey ham, cheddar cheese, with sliced tomatoes on sourdough bread. Or thinly sliced chicken, apple slices, and cream cheese sprinkled with dried cranberries. What about rye bread, Swiss cheese and roast beef topped with sliced onions and spicy mustard. Grilled portabella mushrooms on a whole wheat bun with bacon slices and mayonnaise is as good as any hamburger.

Vary the breads, flavors, and textures. If you’re using a bland meat such as turkey or chicken add some zip with an assertive cheese and full flavored breads. Contrast creaminess with crunch. Since it is dinner be generous with portions, but of course don’t go overboard.

Serve the sandwich hot. If that’s not feasible because of the fillings, for example lettuce goes limp when it’s hot, then toast the bun and serve at room temperature. Supplement a hot sandwich with a complimentary side salad of your choice. Add a hot side dish such as mac and cheese, hot potato salad, or baked beans, to a cold sandwich.

30 minutes and you’ve made a quick and filling dinner.

Quail can be prepared and eaten in just every class of restaurant, from the most hidden country cafe, to the most upscale city restaurant. In the southern and southwestern parts of the United States, quail hunting, cooking, and eating is an annual tradition enjoyed by many.

Here is a classic quail recipe that prepares the quail using ingredients and techniques from those regions.

Honey Roasted Quail Recipe

8 quail, plucked, cleaned, and trimmed

Marinade:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Juice of 2 fresh limes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh serrano pepper

1 fresh jalapeno pepper



Dressing:

4 cups worth of day-old cornbread (make cornbread from a box if needed)

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 fresh serrano peppers

1 fresh jalapeno pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a sealable, glass container. At about 8 to 12 hours before cooking, pour the marinade over the quail in a glass dish, cover, and refrigerate. Turn quail over occasionally. Remove the quail from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish and the rack of a roasting pan. Crumble the day-old cornbread into a medium bowl.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add the celery, onion, serranos, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute the mix briefly until they become soft. Mix in the chopped pecans, the thyme, and the salt, heating for another minute or so.

Spoon the vegetable mixture over the cornbread, add the egg, and mix lightly. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock.

Separate out 1 1/2 cups of the dressing to stuff the quail, and reserve it. Add more chicken stock to the rest of the dressing, to the point that it is moist, but not soupy. Spoon this into the baking dish.

Put the dressing in the oven, covered, for 25 minutes, at about 15 to 20 minutes ahead of the quail, so that both are done cooking and can be removed at the same time.

Fill the cavities of each bird with a few tablespoons of the reserved dressing. Do not pack it in. Place the quail on the rack of the roasting pan, and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until birds are well browned.

Remove the dressing from each quail cavity. Serve two quail per person, with a combination of the dressing that was inside the bird, coupled with that in the baking dish, and serve on the side.

Breakfast is certainly the most important meal of the day and this is perhaps the reason why people are encouraged to have a good breakfast which is necessary to give you your daily required of vitamins and minerals which increases your mental concentration throughout the day.

A smoothie always enhances a breakfast meal. For this reason, chefs and cooks have experimented with the recipes of different smoothies and tried to make them all the more tasteful and delicious. There are many advantages of breakfast smoothies. Some of them have been specified below:

1. Breakfast smoothies help people lose weight. This is a natural process and one without any repercussions.
2. Breakfast smoothies are an easy way to consume the required 5 portions of fruits and vegetables each day.
3. Green smoothies have high concentration of antioxidants and phytonutrients which provide defense against aging and many other diseases.
4. Breakfast smoothies increase the release of energy and also enhance the digestibility.
5. Smoothies also make the skin clearer and beautiful so you have a glowing appearance.
6. Breakfast smoothies can sometimes the stomach full for longer durations and hence reduce the cravings.

Below are two delicious recipes for breakfast smoothies. They are easy, quick to make and yet delicious. Try them for yourself.

1. Banana Strawberry smoothie:

Ingredients Required:

1 chopped banana
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup of Strawberries
Ice cubes

Equipment

Blender
Knife
Ice cubes

How to prepare:

Place into your blender a chopped banana, i cup of strawberries and pour in the vanilla yogurt. If you like the taste of strawberry, you may add a one or two strawberry more to get a major strawberry flavor. Now add to ice cube and blend it well for 2-3 minutes. The banana strawberry smoothie is ready to be served. Enjoy!

2. Tropical Fruit Smoothie:

Ingredients required:

1 chopped Mango
1 cup of Kiwis
1 chopped Pineapple
Vanilla yogurt

Equipment

Blender
Knife
Ice cubes

How to prepare:

Everybody loves the taste of tropical fruits and therefore it is only a good idea that they be included in the recipe of a tropical smoothie. Take the mango and peel and slice it with a knife, take a few kiwis, pineapple and chop them and pour them into the blender. Next add a cup of vanilla yogurt and ice cubes. Blend for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Enjoy!

Hope this article will help you with your recipes of breakfast smoothies and in turn will benefit your health. As mentioned before, including a smoothie in your breakfast is not only easy and delicious, it is also healthy. So don’t hesitate to make a smoothie, try out these recipes today.

Chinese food is one of the most delicious types of cuisine available to enjoy today.

Vegetarian is a healthy meal that your family and every one of us should take more. You can label one day every week as vegetarian day for the whole family. It will lead you to a great healthy diet. Below are 2 simple and healthy vegetarian recipes.

Eggplants with Sesame Sauce

Serves 4

2 vegetable, 1 ½ fat, ¼ sugar
Protein 10g
Fat 14g
Carbohydrate 35g
Total Calories 300

5 eggplants
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp light soya sauce
Chopped coriander and spring onions
¼ cup water

Boil eggplants in a pot of hot water until skin wrinkles. Cool the boiled eggplants under some running water, drain and remove skin. Cut them into large sections and set aside. To make sauce, brown sesame seeds in the oven or pan and then pound until very fine. Blend the sesame paste with the rest of the seasoning into a smooth consistency. Mix the sauce into the eggplants and garnish with chopped coriander and spring onions. Serve hot or cold.

Malaysian Vegetable Stew (Sayur Lodeh)

Serves 4-6

3 meat, 3 vegetable, 2 fat
Protein 42g
Fat 33g
Carbohydrate 45g
Total Calories 640

20 small prawns (shelled and deveined)
2 firm bean curd (towkwa) (cut into 8 pieces)
10 shallots
5 red chillies
2 tsp turmeric powder
½ cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 cups long beans (cut into 3cm lengths)
3 cups cabbage (cut into bite sizes)
1 bunch water convolvulus (kangkong) (cut into 3cm lengths)
2 cups beansprouts (tailed)
2 green chilies (sliced lengthwise)

In a food processor, grind shallots and chilies until very fine. Bring coconut milk and water to a boil in a pot and add pounded shallots, red chilies, turmeric and salt. Leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes and then add prawns and bean curd. Increase heat, add long beans and cabbage and let it boil for 1-2 minutes. Lastly, add kangkong, beansprouts and green chilies and bring to a boil again for another minute before turning heat off.

Indonesian Tamarind Vegetables (Sayur Assam)

Serves 4-6

4 vegetable, ¼ sugar
Protein 20g
Carbohydrate 65g
Total Calories 340

1 large onion
4-5 cloves garlic
2-3 red chilies
5-6 cups stock or water
2 cups string beans (cut into 5cm lengths)
1 tomato (sectioned)
2 cups cabbage (cut into bite sizes)
3 green chilies (halved lengthwise)
2 cups beansprouts (tailed)
½ cup tamarind juice
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Put onion, garlic and chilies in a food processor and chop coarsely. Simmer the chopped mixture in the stock for 15-20 minutes and then add the vegetables, saving the beansprouts to be added last. Season with tamarind juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables for about 5-10 minutes or until just tender. Add beansprouts, cook for another minutes. Cool well before serving.