BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR HIM/HER...

Isn't She lovely?

SMOOTHIE, MILKSHAKE OR SMOOTHSHAKE?

There's been a mix about these two food drinks, well for me though. So let's get this straight, Smoothie is a thick beverage of fruit/veggies pureed in a blender with ice and milk, yogurt or juice.

While Milkshake is a frothy drink made of cold milk, flavouring and usually ice cream, shaken together or blended in a mixer.

So hey, smoothie does not have to be all grass, all grass and no milk makes a cow useless, okay that's awry.

Oh well, i'm no roughage fan, so i like to have more liquid while pureeing so i get a thinner consistency.

Smoothie lovers, some links where you will see a  collection of mixtures for those of you afraid of creating your own magic in a mix.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/smoothie

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-smoothies.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/138/drinks/smoothies/?page=2

DOING IT YO!SELF

Ever bought already prepared burger beef and noticed that insipid taste. Well that is as a result of over processing and added substance for preservation. 

My question now, do you need to go through all that to have a proper burger? ofcause not.

Here are simple steps to have it done yourself, its easy, taste better and also more economical.

You start off with fresh meat, minced or you grind it yourself if you have the tool for that, this can also allow you to add in some slices of bacon when grinding, this is totally optional.

After that as shown in the picture, add some eggs, this does the combining of the beef so it marries itself when in the pan.

add spices of your choice really, beef is already tasty, so salt, pepper and seasoning cubes should be fine, or be like me and go all the way by adding other seasonings in the pantry.

After that, go ahead n mix with clean hands, might be messy but that's not for long. Mold into desired shape. Fry in a non-stick pan with little oil. Same procedure for meatballs, i like to bake meatballs in a cupcake pan, i do this when i feel lazy, still works for me. 

This was so easy.

A Cleaner Way to Crack an Egg

When you tap an egg on the edge of a bowl, you don’t break just the shell. The thin membrane surrounding the white and the yolk also ruptures, so tiny shell shards can mix with the liquid and end up in your finished dish. (Worst omelet ingredient ever.) Instead, crack the egg on a flat surface, like a counter, to create one clean break. That way, the membrane stays intact, meaning no shell in your scramble.

Step 1: Hold the egg in one hand and tap it firmly on a hard surface.

Step 2: Check the break: You should see an indentation and one side-to-side crack, like an equator.

Step 3: Place your thumbs on either side of the crack and gently pull the shell apart. Any shards will stick to the membrane, not fall into the bowl.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE YET.........

One of the ingredients that really made this chocolate cake recipe come to life, in my opinion, was the addition of espresso powder in both the chocolate cake and in the chocolate frosting.
If you’ve not tried a bit of espresso when baking with chocolate, you really should.
The espresso works to elevate the flavors in much the same way as vanilla extract and I now think of it as an essential part of my spice cabinet.
Espresso powder is easy to find at the grocery store.
Believe me when I say, it is very much worth the effort to have just for those times you are baking with chocolate!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
  2. For the cake:
  3. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
  4. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  5. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.
  7. Frost cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

How to Chop Garlic

No more struggling with sticky, paper-thin peels. With these three steps—trim, crush, chop— you can prep a clove in no time.

Step 1: Trim. Use the tip of a chef’s knife to slice off the hard root of each clove. This will allow the skin to peel away more easily.

Step 2: Crush. Place a clove under the flat side of the knife, with the blade facing away from you. Press the heel of your palm or your fist down on the knife until you feel the clove give way. Slip off and discard the skin.

Step 3: Chop. Gather together the peeled cloves, hold your knife by the handle, and place your other, nondominant hand on top of the blade. Rock the knife up and down through the cloves (the tip stays on the cutting board). Chop until the garlic is the size you desire.

Did you know that Chocolate cake breakfast could help you lose weight?

Enough not said but hey! This article coined from the telegraph says it all.

Here's a link to it http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9069276/Chocolate-cake-breakfast-could-help-you-lose-weight.html

And here is the Read:

Eating chocolate cake as part of a full breakfast can help you lose weight, say scientists.

It sounds too good to be true but new research says having dessert - along with the traditional fry up - burns off the pounds.

Morning is the best time to consume sweets because that's when the body's metabolism is most active - and we have the rest of the day to work off the calories, a new study shows.

Eating cookies or chocolate as part of breakfast that includes proteins and carbs also helps stem the craving for sweets later.

Researchers split 193 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults into two groups who consumed either a low-carb diet that included a 300-calorie breakfast or a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that included a chocolate cake dessert.

Halfway through the 32-week study both groups had lost an average of 33 lbs per person. But in the second half of the study the low-carb group regained an average of 22 lbs per person - while the dessert gorgers lost another 15 lbs each.

A meal in the morning provides energy for the day's tasks, aids in brain functioning and kick-starts the body's metabolism, making it crucial for weight loss and maintenance.

And breakfast is the meal that most successfully regulates ghrelin, the hormone that increases hunger, said Prof Jakubowicz.

• Two bars of chocolate a day 'lowers risk of stroke and heart disease'

While the level of ghrelin rises before every meal, it is suppressed most effectively at breakfast time.

Basing their study on this fact, the researchers hoped to determine whether meal time and composition impacted weight loss in the short and long term, said Prof Jakubowicz, or if it was a simple matter of calorie count.

She said one of the biggest challenges that people face is keeping weight off in the long-term. Ingesting a higher proportion of our daily calories at breakfast makes sense.

Personally, i really don't like chocolate hence the cake but after this read, there is no way I am not making chocolate cake today.

Would make the most nicest moistest chocolate cake that will leave you lusting for it.

Everything Kitchen Cues

BAKING TRICKS

The smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature, the less baking time. For example, bake mini chocolate chip cookies at 500 degrees F for only 5 minutes and cupcakes bake for 10 minutes.

 

For best results when you're baking, leave butter and eggs at room temperature overnight. Gives butter enough room to soften and allow for a quick mix.

serving cake:
1. Serve at room temperature.
2. Don't "pre-slice" cake more than 20 minutes in advance. It dries out too quickly.
3. You don't have to eat the fondant. It's really pretty, but if you don't want a mouthful of pure sugar, peel it off.

Always measure what you're baking. No shortcuts in pastry: It's a science

COOKING TRICKS

Want to know if your oil is hot enough for frying? Here’s a tip: Stick a dry or slightly dampen wooden skewer or spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around the wood, then you are good to go.

Use good oil when cooking. Smell and taste it: If it doesn't taste good alone, it won't taste good in your food.

Keep flavored vinegars near the stove so you won't always reach for the salt. Acid enhances flavor.
Acidity and salt bring out full flavors in food.

Plunge vegetables in ice water after blanching (boiling) them so they maintain a bright color.

Don't overcrowd the pan when you're sautéing — it'll make your food steam instead as heat won't escape with ease.

For crispy fish skin, rest the fish on paper towels skin-side down for a few minutes before cooking (the towels absorb moisture). Then sauté skin-side down over medium heat in oil and butter. Flip over for the last few minutes of cooking.

To help keep an onion together while dicing, do not remove the root.

STORAGE IDEAS

Prolong the lifespan of greens by wrapping them loosely in a damp paper towel and placing in a resealable plastic bag. Ground ukazi will last about days longer with this and will retain its fine aroma.

Store spices in a cool, dark place, not above your stove. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor.

Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer

PASTA COOKING
Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce

Do not use oil in the water when boiling pasta for a stewed pasta meal: It will keep the sauce from sticking to the cooked pasta.

Do not break pasta while boiling, instead allow water to heat up and add full length pasta to boiling water, stir up continuously to avoiding sticking, those of you that break pasta into tiny bits, are you not sure you want to eat rice?? just saying lols.

MEAT SEASONING/COOKING

Brine, baby, brine! Ya gotta brine that poultry to really give it the super flavor, Brine is simply to soak in strong solution of salt and water, used for salting. If you don't have time to brine your chicken, use this simple trick: Slightly salt the chicken (inside and out) about an hour before you cook it. Then pat it dry and roast. This ensures crispy skin and juicy meat.

When you're browning meat, you should blot the surface dry with a paper towel so the meat doesn't release moisture when it hits the hot oil. Too much moisture makes the meat steam instead of sear, and you will lose that rich brown crust.

Marinating meat with citrus can give it a mealy texture. If you like citrus, a little squeeze of lemon or lime is always a good way to finish the dish instead.

Always season meat and fish evenly; sprinkle salt and pepper as though it's "snowing." This will avoid clumping or ending up with too much seasoning in some areas and none in others.

KITCHEN CLUES IN
If you find you need more oil in the pan when sautéing, add it in a stream along the edges of the pan so that by the time the oil reaches the ingredient being cooked, it will be heated.

When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around.

Always use sharp knives. Not only is it safer but it will make your work much more efficient

A cast-iron pan is a valuable kitchen ally. It offers an even cooking surface and is a breeze to clean.

 GROCERY SHOPPING TIPS

Don't go to the store with a shopping list. Go to the store, see what ingredients look good and then make your list.

Don't be afraid to ask the butcher or fishmonger to see the products up close and to smell for freshness. Fish should never smell fishy.

Don't be afraid to try Indian spices and herbs, its amazing how these can give your everyday recipe a twist.

 

Cooking and 5 senses

Cooking the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat.

Cooking makes use of all 5 senses, how so you may ask. Tongue, the eyes, the nose, the ears and the skin, yes the skin.

You need all five senses when cooking. No one sense is more important than the other.
It all really starts at the grocery store or super market.
When you select ingredients at the grocery store you don't pick up anything that LOOKS bad, do you? Your sight is your first sense that comes into play. If it doesn't look right then it's not going into your basket, is it? Look for good color in any ingredient that you're planning on using for any meal.
After you've decided what ingredients have passed your visual inspection you then want to inspect them by touch. No one wants a green pepper or tomato that isn't firm or in it bright colour. After the sight/touch test I want to give all my goodies a sniff. It's not complicated. Your nose will tell you if it's right. Fish shouldn't smell too fishy, nor should any meat have an odor at all.

Depending on what you're sampling you might also want to take a little taste. Some things you can do this with, some things you can't. Common sense will guide you with that. Don't sample raw meat, but by all means DO sample things like scent leave, curry leave or the smaller fresh fruits like grapes.
Your hearing also comes into play if you're looking for things like Okra. Grab a few stalks, and snap the ends, was it a fresh "SNAP" in your ear? Good stuff then. If not, then find something fresher.

Now on to the cooking!

If your frying egusi, while the red oil in the pan gets hot and you pour in the egusi, it should sizzle also If you're searing meat...it should sizzle loudly as you drop it in the pan. Your ear will clue you in there. If it doesn't sizzle, then your pan isn't hot enough. Also, the surface of your meat should get good and brown, but not over-done! That's sight coming into play. Don't be afraid of a deep brown color. That equals flavor! The smell should just reach the point of making you think it's burning, but that's just the outside getting a good flavorful crust.

Your vegetables shouldn't be cooked too long. If you cook them just right they'll keep a nice crunch (touch sense there!), and they'll take on brighter colors than they had when raw! There's your sight cue right there!
Throw in some herbs or spices near the end of the cooking process so they don't burn, and you'll have something that's out of this world! The smell will tell you so!

And when it comes to baking, the nice aroma of vanilla tells you the cake is been baked and should be out in a few minutes, did i mention how the nose will also tell you your cookies are burning in the oven lols.

Don't forget to sample your own cooking WHILE it's cooking, and you'll have a good idea of when it'll all come together, and if you need to doctor it up before serving. Needless to say, that's your sense of taste making it's self useful.

 

If you can smell food you better check on it.

Now begin to make good use of those senses. *wink

 

Do's and Do's in the Kitchen

Hey Guys, sorry I haven't been consistent for a while now, I am really hoping I'd change henceforth. Going forward, I'll be coming up with healthy cooking ideas, tips, secret food ingredients and ways you can become a better cook.

These have be composed with my experiences in the kitchen and few are compiled from articles I've read and still reading, because in life especially in cooking, you can never know it all  and when I get the chance to make some mouth watering dishes, I'll be sure to post it here first.

Enjoy as you read, sure you'll learn a few things in this and coming posts.

Here are the DO'S

Low and slow, meals cook better on a low temperature. This allows for proper simmering and less burning , but ensure to add liquid in smaller amount when cooking with low heat as the foods tends to require less water to cook. This works for me every time.

Taste as you go! Or be like me and tastes while in the serving plate, I don't know how I do it, I think it has to do with lots of crossing of fingers and praying, lols. But of cause taste what you make before you serve it.

Recipes are only a guideline, not the Bible. Feel comfortable replacing ingredients with similar ingredients that you like. If you like oregano but not thyme, use oregano., similarly offor can be replaced with archi, green leave(spinach) can be replace with efo leaves. Don't be afraid to switch ingredients, you can end up with your unique recipe, Thank me later.

Take the time to actually read recipes through before you begin so you don't go searching for procedures whilst cooking.

Remember, it’s all about the prep. Take away the stress by doing the prep the night or day before. You'll look like a superstar. Prepare ingredients and lock in a zip lock bag and toss in the fridge.

Rest, rest, rest! Always let your grilled proteins rest — especially off a hot grill. I like to allow my jollof rice rest as well before serving, allows for ingredient to fully incorporate into the meal.

Cook with other people who want to learn or who know how to cook

Cook more often. Don’t study; just cook, always try to try out something new. Cooking becomes a habit when you do it often, I didn't say eat often.

Always start with a smokin' hot pan, this is top secret.

Don't be too hard on yourself — mistakes make some of the best recipes! Keep it simple.

Clean as you go, Dorky yeah! but I really it really helps you get that almost immediate rest after long hours of standing for those that take hours cooking.

Enjoy your time in the kitchen, it's delectable not despicable

Nothing says "I Love You" more, than a box of Red Velvet Cupcakes.

It's the season of love guys, surprise your loved ones by making them a homemade cupcake, pack in a box, wrap nicely and add that warm loving messages in a card.

Yes, this might be one inexpensive way to express love to your loved ones. It’s so easy, you won’t break a sweat doing this and of cause it's so much fun.

But hey darlings, I can make these myself so please I’d like me some designers clothing’s, bags, shoes, perfumes, i could go on and on.

A standard cupcake uses the same basic ingredients as standard-sized cakes: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.

Because their small size is more efficient for heat conduction, cupcakes bake much faster than a normal layered cake.

Cupcakes may be topped with frosting or other cake decorations. They may be filled with frosting, fruit, or pastry cream

Ganache is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream. Ganache is normally made by heating cream, then pouring it over chopped chocolate of any kind. The mixture is stirred or blended until smooth, with liqueurs or extracts added if desired. Butter is traditionally added to give the ganache a shiny appearance and smooth texture.

Cooled ganache can be whipped to increase volume and spread to cover a cake. However, if left to cool too much it can become too thick and difficult to spread.

Recipes for Red velvet Cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 cups sugar1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:1 pound cream cheese, softened2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick to ensure it is properly baked. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.
Cook's Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

You can get more recipes on cupcakes on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ 

Culinary Art - The Science of Cooking

Here are some terms used in the science of cooking.

baking - cooking by dry heat in an oven toasting, browning - cooking to a brown crispiness over a fire or on a grill broil, broiling, grilling - cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat (as over a fire or under a grill) frying, sautéing - cooking in fat or oil in a pan or griddle fusion cooking - cooking that combines ingredients and techniques and seasonings from different cuisines braising - cooking slowly in fat in a closed pot with little moisture poaching - cooking in simmering liquid roasting - cooking (meat) by dry heat in an oven (usually with fat added) simmering, stewing, boiling - cooking in a liquid that has been brought to a boil tenderisation, tenderization - the act of making meat tender by pounding or marinating it percolation - the act of making coffee in a percolator, To cause (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; filter. seasoning - the act of adding a seasoning to food brown sauce, Chinese brown sauce - a sauce based on soy sauce caramelise, caramelize - be converted into caramel alcoholise, alcoholize - make alcoholic, as by fermenting; "alcoholize prunes" blanching - Blanching is a quick way to cook vegetables while preserving that peak crunch and taste. It involves partially cooking veggies by plunging it into boiling water for a short time, then “shocking” it in ice water to stop the cooking, this retains the greenness and freshness of greens. alcoholise, alcoholize - treat or infuse with alcohol conserve - preserve with sugar pickle - preserve in a pickling liquid which is a solution of brine or vinegar, often spiced, for preserving and flavoring food. salting - preserve with salt marinade, marinate - soak in marinade brine - soak in brine which is a strong solution of salt and water, used for salting and pickling meats, etc fortify, lace, spike - add alcohol to (beverages) fortify - add nutrients to; "fortified milk" boil down, concentrate, reduce - cook until very little liquid is left bake - cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven ovenbake - bake in an oven; "ovenbake this chicken" brown - fry in a pan until it changes color coddle - cook in nearly boiling water fire - bake in a kiln so as to harden farce, stuff - fill with a stuffing while cooking baste - cover with liquid before cooking souse - cook in a marinade  micro-cook, microwave, nuke, zap - cook or heat in a microwave oven crispen, toast, crisp - make brown and crisp by heating shirr - bake (eggs) in their shells until they are set parboil, blanch - cook (vegetables) briefly overboil - boil excessively stew - cook slowly and for a long time in liquid simmer - boil slowly at low temperature roast - cook with dry heat, usually in an oven barbecue, barbeque, cook out - cook outdoors on a barbecue grill