Top Secret Never Tell Neufchatel Alfredo

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This alfredo sauce has it all; it's low fat, tasty, and easily made in 20 minutes, SHUSH don't tell. After all, it took quite a bit of thought and time for me to finally divulge the secrets you now see listed. product marketed as a healthier low-fat alternative to cream cheese. It is not identical to French Neufchâtel. American Neufchâtel is softer than cream cheese due to its higher moisture and 33% lower fat composition. Neufchâtel cheese makes a great substitute for the heavy cream normally used in alfredo sauces, your guests will never know the difference.

You'll be making this dish often knowing that it's guilt free. Be warned, you may be approached to divulge the components of this recipe, only you can decide to keep this secret or not.

Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 6

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of fresh garlic - pressed
1/4 teaspoon of dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups of water
2 cubes of chicken bouillons
1 tablespoon of flour
2/3 cup of Neufchatel cheese
1/4 cup of fresh parsley - chopped
1/4 cup of light parmesan cheese
1 pound of pasta
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preparation
In a medium sized sauce pan on medium-high heat add, oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper, fry until garlic turns golden brown. Add water and bouillon, bring to a boil making sure bouillon is dissolved. Whisk in Neufchatel cheese and once uniform add flour and simmer until sauce thickens, then remove from heat. Add parmesan cheese. Then add salt and black pepper to taste and serve on top of your favorite pasta.

Enjoy your meal!

Pasta Carbonara - A Little Taste Of Italy, Very Simple For You To Prepare At Your Home

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If you are looking for a classic Italian dish then this is the one for you. It is fairly easy for anyone to cook if you just follow the directions. To make it the traditional way you will need to use prosciutto or pancetta which is Italian bacon. I prefer to use good American bacon most of the time just because I like the flavor of our pork products. However if it is going to be the classic Italian dish then the other type of pork fat needs to be used.

Ingredients list: 1 lb of bacon if you are going to prepare the US version, 1/4- 1/2 lb of pancetta or prosciutto, they both have a very strong flavor so use sparingly depending on your tastes. 1 lb of linguine, 2-3 eggs, 1/4-1/3 cup of Italian parsley fresh if available, a really good parmesan cheese grated, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

1. Cut your pork products into lard-on strips, or 1/4" strips and then saute/render your pork product that you desire in you dish. You want to get the pieces crisp but not too done. Remove the cooked pork with a slotted spoon and pat dry and hold for later.

2. You will get your water going for your pasta. Follow the instructions on the box for your pasta. Just remember to salt your water. Stir in the pasta and make sure it is fully covered with the water. Cook until done but not overcooked. You will still want some bite to the pasta or al dente- firm to the bite. You can bite into the pasta, look at the center and you will see whether it is done or not by noticing the center. If it is not the same color all the way through then it is still not done. Practice makes perfect on this step. But you will definitely now if it is overcooked, it will be mushy and will fall apart on you.

3. You will first want to have a separate pot of simmering or close to boiling water. You will want to add the eggs to this water only for about 20-30 seconds to kill any bacteria such as salmonella. Remove from the water and rinse and then immediately break into bowl. Beat the eggs very well or thoroughly in a mixing bowl that you can serve this dish in.

4. When the pasta is fully cooked, drain it and try to remove all excess water. Do not rinse!

5. Put the drained pasta into the serving dish with the eggs and toss the pasta into the egg mixture. The heat from the pasta will cook the egg mixture. Just make sure you stir well, but be careful not to cut your pasta.

6. Add your pork products, parsley and cheese at this point and give it another toss. Plate it up, pour yourself and guest some wine, and break bread together.

This is a very classical Italian dish as I stated before. Just take precautions when preparing the egg mixture. And I hope that you enjoy this dish, if you like you can use bacon or sausage and eat for a breakfast meal served with danish or some type of bread. Ciao!

Spend Less Money and Enjoy Life More - Spend Less Cash on Groceries

Saving money is a challenge. There are things to be considered, first off regarding how to budget your income on hand, have additional money left over, and to be exact on what it will be used for. Budgeting can definitely be a pain in the neck.

Budgets associated with electric charges, water expenses, telephone bills, etc. is without question just a few of a quite a number of expenses associated with how to use your money wisely. Expenses on food are no exception. Being the most important for just about all household obligations, we must prioritize on how to budget our funds and reduce the money we spend without having to sacrifice the allocation for food.

We normally purchase all of the essential items through groceries. It could be helpful if you list down the goods plan to buy along with their prices (if possible) so you can guarantee that your budget allocated for food is exact or else, there'll be a shortage in what you've allocated. If so, you could trim down your checklist or think of a better substitute for items that are not a necessity. To assist you with avoiding shortages in budget relating to groceries, there are guidelines listed below:

• List items that you will always find in any kitchen. Good examples of these items are coffee, milk, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, onion, garlic. A majority of these items are actually needed on a daily basis, so they're often always bought.

• Plan your weekly meals ahead of time. This method is likely to steer you clear of spending too much money on products that you do not need, which cuts you short on ingredients that are needed. This would not only ease your worries on your budget, but help you save time as well.

• Do not purchase name brand items; as a substitute pick a store or generic brand that has the same top quality as the costly goods. You will enjoy the exact benefits without paying extra.

• Obtain merchandise that have a dual purpose. A good example of that is mayonnaise. You can use it as a sandwich spread or use it to make macaroni salad as an alternative. In a way, you could enjoy eating both and only have to pay for one item.

• Purchase less costly cuts of meat. Cook with recipes where the cuts won't matter. You will not be sacrificing the taste of food and you could buy more with the money saved.

• Pay in cash. You may always be lured to buy many pointless products. By paying in cash, you will avoid going over your card limit.

• Try to get inventive and creative at the same time. Leftovers could possibly be prepared again in a new way for it appealing to your appetite.

• Bring snacks with you whenever you travel. This could be a very good way to tackle your food cravings and reduces the chance of you becoming lured to stop in a mini store; snacks you bring along would definitely decrease your chances of do that.

• Keep a list of goods you buy often. With those goods, you're always sure of how much you're spending for them, so you can always purchase a smaller amount each time.

• Shop only once or perhaps twice a month. This way much less time is spent at the grocery store and the probabilities of overspending are minimized.

Leftovers Your Loss Or Gain? Don't Turn Your Nose Up - Read The Article First

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Who wants Leftovers? I do and you should too, when talking about food storage this is one of the main areas we should be concerned about.

When you think about it when first purchasing the majority of foods with the exception of fresh vegetables, most food is canned,packaged, and has traveled to your favorite Supermarket or Grocery store. It arrives fresh and in good condition until you open the package or break the seal.

Leftover food storage is a different story as a lot of people turn their noses up at leftovers and believe that no one would want to eat them or they are simply forgotten somewhere in the refrigerator. But with the economy and different financial reasons this type of mindset has changed for a lot of people.

Well I can't speak for you but I hate to waste food as it is like throwing away money. And as I tell my kids "there is someone that would love to eat that day old food."

A major inconvenience with saving leftovers is;

1) Finding what to store them in. (Do I have a seal or lid for this bowl)

2) Is it a smelly food like Fish/Cabbage?

3) Will I remember the food before the smell takes over the refrigerator?

4) Knowing how long the food will keep.

Although we have a number of bowls and containers sometimes the challenge is finding the seal or lid. This can be frustrating and causes a little discussion between my wife and I. After 23 years of marriage you would think I would know how to pick my battles.

There are a number of container manufacturers who have come up with concepts to either keep your seals connected with the bowls or organized together.

Another problem with this type of food storage is knowing what is in that lump of aluminum foil,plastic wrap, or colored container in the back of the refrigerator. The key is to use clear air tight containers in the fridge and try to keep these items in the front of the fridge not hidden in the back. Save your color containers for the counter top or pantry.

Some foods just don't store well like chicken,potato salad, macaroni especially if they are above the top of the container line. What I'm saying is that every food does not fit perfectly in a container with a flat seal. Certain manufacturers have products with expandable seals or lids which conform to the shape at the top of the bowl.

Some people don't like to put their different types of food in the same container,as the foods touch or mix together. Believe it or not I have a 40 year old cousin who I remember had a fit when her food touched at 5 years old that hasn't changed a bit. I don't even care as its all going to the same place. They have divided serving dishes just like you had as a baby and they're even microwavable.

Leftovers are just as important as your initial grocery purchase. When you buy groceries with your coupons and our food buying tips you are trying to save money, so stretching your meal also saves money.

My wife and I generally take our food from the night before to work for lunch saving us at least $10-$16 a day.

Just a small investment in some decent clear air tight food grade containers could save you time (cooking) and money so don't look at it as yesterdays food but tomorrows savings!!!!

What's For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus For 2009 - 29th Edition

This is the 29th edition of the weekly 30-minute menus. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week's menus on Sunday.

School is starting for many of us so the meals this week are quick and easy - so you can put your dinner on the table lickety-split and your energies into getting your children settled in school. The menus are also easy on the budget which is a great help this time of year!

Grilled Shrimp with Greek Veggie Salsa will be served at my house on Saturday as a delightful finale to summer. I will invite a few friends over to make a grand party of it all. The appetizer course will be 'At the Cheese Ball': cheddar cheese balls; summer sausage with roasted garlic mustard; sliced pears, veg tray, spicy tomato salsa; tortilla chips, savory herb crackers; and honey roasted almonds.

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:
Roulade de Poulet (boneless, skinless chicken breasts; buy extra chicken for Thursday)
Mushroom Rice Pilaf (boxed pilaf)
Broccoli Medley (fresh bagged veg mix)
Nutty Fruit Salad
Fruited Pink Creams (purchased ice cream, liqueurs; buy enough ice cream for Friday and Saturday)

Monday:
Spaghetti Bolognese (boxed pasta, jarred Bolognese sauce)
Italian Vegetables (frozen veggie mix)
Jam Thumbprint Cookies (jarred jam)

Tuesday:
Cream of Broccoli Soup (vegetarian; buy extra broccoli for Friday)
Artichoke Crostini (jarred artichokes)
Caramelized Peaches

Wednesday:
Shepherd's Pie (instant mashed potatoes, canned mixed vegetables and soup)
Waldorf Salad
Cherry Fluff (canned cherry pie filling and pineapple, frozen whipped topping)

Thursday:
Oven Fried Chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders, seasoned coating mix for chicken)
Macaroni and Double Cheese (boxed macaroni and cheese dinner, shredded cheese)
Green Beans
Fresh Baked Cookies (take-and-bake cookies)

Friday:
Ham and Cheddar Strata (pre-cooked ham or ham lunch meat, purchased sourdough bread, bagged cheese)
Broccoli / Bell Pepper / Mushroom Stir Fry (sliced mushrooms)
Toasted Pound Cake with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce (purchased pound cake, ice cream, and chocolate sauce)

Saturday:
Grilled Shrimp with Greek Veggie Salsa (cleaned and deveined shrimp, canned tomatoes and black olives)
New Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Ice Cream with Apple Crunch Topper (purchased ice cream)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Healing Acid Reflux - Early Prevention is Still the Best

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Acid reflux is a common disease in the popularity. Many people seem to have this disease, but most of them do not know how to heal acid reflux. By avoiding some food or changing the lifestyle can actually helps to recover from it.

First of all, what is acid reflux? It is also known as Gastro-esophageal reflux disorder (GERD). It is characterized by different degree of mucosal damage brought about by unusual reflux in the esophagus. There is no other way in healing this kind of disease by preventing it earlier.

In order to avoid suffering from acid reflux and its effects such as heartburn, there is some food that is advised to be avoided. This food tends to to be trigger of the disease. In addition, by not realizing what kind of food is uptake, it may cause further damage in the esophagus and eventually slows down the healing process of acid reflux.

Here are some of the food that should be avoided or takes less in order to decrease the chance of getting it:

- Fruits/Juices: Lemon, lemonade, orange juice, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice and tomato.

- Vegetables: French fries, mashed potato and raw onion.

- Meat products: Marbled sirloin, ground beef, chicken nuggets and Buffalo wings.

- Dairy products: Milk shake, ice cream, sour cream and regular cottage cheese.

- Grains: Spaghetti with sauce and macaroni with cheese.

- Beverages: Liquor, wine, coffee and tea.

- Oils/Fats: Creamy salad dressing and salad dressing with oil and vinegar.

- Sweets: Chocolate, brownies, doughnut, corn/potato chips and high-fat butter cookies.

Furthermore, it is noticed that the lifestyle of a person may cause this disease as well. For example, smoking, over weigh or even bending after each meal contributes to acid reflux disease.

As a summary, it is always better to avoid acid reflux than healing acid reflux.

Green Tea Baked Kobe Beef Ribs With Ginger-Plum Barbecue Sauce

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Ingredients:

Ribs

* 6-8 lbs. Kobe beef ribs (more inexpensive types of ribs can be substituted)

* 1 large white onion, chopped

* 1 cup cider vinegar

* 2 TBSP fresh ground pepper

* 3 TBSP koshur salt

* 1 large garlic clove, peeled

* 3 gallons green tea (brew it beforehand)

Ginger-Plum Barbecue Sauce

* 2 TBSP dark molasses syrup

* 1 cup ketchup

* 1/4 cup brown sugar

* 24 oz. ripe plums (8-10 plums), pitted

* 1/4 cup +2 TBSP soy sauce

* 2 TBSP ginger, grated

* 1 tsp orange zest

* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

* 1/4 cup honey

* 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

* 2 TBSP rice vinegar

* 2 large clove garlic, minced

* 4 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped

* 2 hot chiles, seeded (for hotter sauce, leave seeds in)

Prep Time: 2 hr

Cooking Time: 1 hr

Instructions:
1) Bring 3 gallons of green tea to boil in a 5 gallon stock pot. Add all ingredients and boil for 30-40 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove ribs from boiling green tea.

2) Brush ribs with ginger-plum barbecue sauce generously. Place on sheet pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour or until meat is falling off bones.

3) Brush baked ribs with more ginger-plum barbecue sauce and serve.

Sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy, non-reactive saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the plums are very soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender to process to a puree, then return to the pan. Taste for seasoning, adding more soy sauce, honey, or lemon juice as necessary. The sauce should be sweet, sour, and spicy. If too thick, thin with a little water. Makes about 3 1/2 cups of sauce.

Healthy Menu For Road Trip and Camping Meal Ideas

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Traveling with food allergies can be a challenge. And parents who travel with a child or children suffering from severe food allergies have to plan ahead in order to be sure they are stocked with healthy foods to feed the family while away from home.

Here is a list of some of our favorite foods to eat while traveling on long road trips, as well as camping. We make some of the foods in advance and freeze them to be heated in our 12v car cook stove on the road. Since we cannot take the chance of eating out at restaurants, or hope that we stumble upon a health food store out on th back roads during our long road trips, this system has assisted us in getting out of the house, and miles down the road. Other great food options are now available in cans and packages at local health food stores which is very convenient. I make all our bread from scratch, including waffles, donuts, crackers, scones, pie crusts, etc, but many of these items are available dairy free and preservative free at your local health food stores too. Here are some of our favorites:

Breakfast Breakfast that needs to be heated that is vacuum sealed can be put in aluminum pan and heated in lunchbox stove. If your child can have goat milk, then use goat milk/cheese products otherwise omit.

Eggs and Toast served with fresh fruit, bacon, potatoes, and juice
Breakfast bars (homemade of course)
Pancakes and waffles with syrup or Agava nectar served with fresh fruit, bacon, potatoes, and juice
French toast with syrup and powdered sugar served with scrambled eggs, bacon, and juice
Bagel (homemade) served with mayo, no nitrate ham, tomato slice, and goat cheese
granola on yogurt with fresh fruit slices
gluten free cereal with rice milk
Country Skillet with diced potatoes, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, goat cheese, topped with egg, salt and pepper

Snacks Healthy snacks can be served cold, with minimal effort include:

No Nitrate Buffalo Jerky, homemade popcorn, chemical free chips, pretzels, homemade cookies
Fresh fruit, apple slices, bananas, oranges, strawberries, grapes, fresh veggies, carrot sticks, celery sticks, etc.
Dried fruit and nuts, dates, apricots, figs, plums, raisins, etc.
Canned fruit, baby oranges, fruit cocktail, apple sauce, peaches, etc.

Lunch Each meal includes side salad, side fruit, side veggie, and a homemade roll:

Sandwiches, egg salad, tuna salad, BLT, Turkey bacon and avocado, ham and goat cheese, etc.
Pasta, pasta salad, macaroni salad, rice noodle soup, healthy cup of soup, pasta with sauce, pasta with meatballs, pasta casserole
Chicken pot pie, meat pie
Fun food, no nitrate corn dogs, home made gluten free chicken fingers, fish and chips
Hamburger with homemade dairy free preservative free bun with katsup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, goat cheese, and chips, corn chips, or fresh fruit
Fish and rice, salmon, tilapia or other white fish
Dairy free pizza - can be made in advance and heated in 12v car cook stove on the road

Sides Included with each dish are any combination of the following side dishes below:

Baked beans - can make in advance or buy in a can and heat in the 12V car cook stove
Fresh veggies - corn on the cob, broccolli, mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, etc.
Bread - dinner rolls, toast with honey or jam, bread sticks, homemade crackers, etc.
Rice - white rice, brown rice, wild rice, Spanish rice, pilaf, couscous, etc.
Pita chips, corn chips, potato chips, pretzels or other preservative free, dairy free chips

Dinner Main dish items are served with two sides, made in advanced, vacuum sealed and heated in boiling water or 12V car cook stove:

Fish and rice - salmon, tilapia, trout, tuna, etc.
Chicken and rice
Steaks - ribeye, strip, sirloin, etc. Served with baked potato, green beens, broccolli, and a roll.
Mexican food - enchilada, tacos, bean burritos, tortilla soup, green chili, spanish rice, etc. Served with salad, black beans, refried beans, rice, chips and salsa.
Chili with corn bread
Chicken Pot Pie
Stew, Pot Roast, Chili, Sloppy Joes, etc. Served with salad, veggies, and a bun

On the Road Meals These meals are pre-cooked, vacuum sealed, frozen, and ready to heat in a 12V cook stove on the road. Cook time ranges from 30 minutes, to 1 1/2 hours. Simply heat in a 12V car cook stove, camping stove, or boil in hot water, and eat with a side dish.

Mexican food - burritos, enchiladas, tacos, beans and rice
Italian food - pasta, pizza, and soups
Irish food - stews, pot pies, mash
Fish - shrimp, salmon, crab
Beef - stews, steaks, chili's, burgers
Chicken - rotisserie, fingers
Sandwiches - Tuna, egg, PB & J, ham, Turkey, BLT's
Snacks - Chips, crackers, fruit, fresh veggies, breakfast bars, granola, cookies
Deserts - Pies, cobblers, apple sauce, fruit, cake

Bricktown Italian Restaurants

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Bricktown Italian restaurants are an integral part of the great entertainment district experience that Bricktown, Oklahoma City offers. The Italian restaurants offer a casual dining experience, and also delicious food. Delectable Italian recipes are yours for the taking. The signature dishes created by the master chefs are sure to create a lingering sensation in your taste buds, making you want to come back for more. Pastas, pizzas, soups, salads, sandwiches, specialty drinks, desserts, and great wine are yours for the taking.

Great service includes not only great food but also unmatched hospitality. So concerned are Bricktown's Italian restaurants about customer satisfaction, that they're willing to offer customized dishes according to the personal preferences of customers. The restaurants also provide facilities for banquets, parties, formal meetings as well as informal get-togethers.

Even kids can look forward to an amazing sensory experience with specialized menu including grilled cheese sandwich, meatballs, chicken strips, cheese ravioli, macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, and more. Appetizers offered include pepperoni bread, fried mozzarella, toasted ravioli, stuffed mushrooms, calamari, and other mouthwatering items. A whole range of special brick oven pizzas are offered by one of the Italian restaurants in Bricktown. These include barbecue chicken pizza, Thai chicken pizza, Margherita, veggie pizza, and artichoke chicken. Soups and salads here include Tomato Florentine Soup, House Caesar, House Italian Chicken Salad, Salmon Caesar Salad, and Chicken Caesar Salad among others. The wine list at this restaurant is also extensive, containing a wide range of white, red, desert and sparkling wines.

If visitors to Oklahoma City have been pampered with warm hospitality at the OKC hotels, they can experience a little more of that at the Bricktown Italian restaurants.

How to Make a Great Veggie Pita Pocket

One of my favorite lunches on a hot summer day is a nice cool vegetarian pita pocket. A pita pocket is great in that it is indeed bread shaped like a pocket, and you can put any foods you want into it.

The only thing you really need to make a pita pocket is a piece of pita bread. There are two basic ways to cut the pita bread. The first way to cut your pita is right in half, so you have two pretty much equal half circle pockets of pita. The other way to cut pita bread is to take a bit off of the top, and so you have one big pocket.

Before cutting your pita in half it is a good idea to see if there are any little tears or thin spots in the bread. I like to make my cut near these little imperfections. This will keep the weakest part of the pocket from being deep down where you will have lots of great stuff.

Once you cut your pita you can either use it cold from the fridge, at room temperature, or toasted. If you toast it, which I sometimes like to do, be sure not to get the pita too toasty and brittle. A brittle pocket will fall apart.

Once you have your bread ready it is time to start putting good stuff into it. I will just say one last time that it is important to not rip the bread, as it makes a mess to have the bottom of your pocket split open while you are eating. That is why you want to go slow in the stuffing, and be sure to chop up your ingredients so they do not strain the bread.

I like to start of by putting a nice spread of hummus in the pocket. For the most part the order you add things does not matter, except the spread of hummus. Hummus comes in a lot of great flavors now, but I do tend to like the plain. There is something about hummus that just adds such a smoothness to the taste of the pocket.

The next thing I like to add is some baked tofu. This is more and more readily available in supermarkets, and comes in a wide array of flavors. One of my favorite flavors is classic Teriyaki, but barbeque and other flavors are great. I do not think I have ever tried one I did not like. If you can not find baked tofu, or want to make your own, it is not too hard. You just press, marinate, and bake the tofu - but that is another article. I would not advise using plain, unbaked tofu. It is probably perfectly safe, but at least to me not appealing.

Then I like to add something a little moister to the pocket, such as pickles or tomatoes or both. I usually have pickles in the fridge. Pickles add a fantastic crunch and saltiness to the pocket. I do not always have fresh tomatoes, but if I do have one then I defiantly add diced tomato to the pocket. A tomato just adds such a lovely fresh flavor.

Lettuce is terrific to put in a pita pocket. Lettuce does work best in a pocket if it is chopped up very thin. Chopped lettuce fills in the pocket well and does not take up a huge amount of room.

If you have olives try chopping up a few for your pocket. Olives add a nice salty richness. I like Kalamata best, but black, green or any olives go well.

If you want to add a little spice to your pocket try a few diced up jalapeno rings. If you want something spicy, but not as spicy as jalapenos, try a diced up pepperoncini. Want peppers with no spice? Try some nice roasted peppers.

Sprouts are a fantastic addition to the pocket. In many markets you will find a variety of fresh sprouts. Any will work in a pocket. You can put them in at any time, but I like to save them to the end so the sprouts are sticking out of the top of the pocket. Probably does not make a difference in the eating, but there is something so visual about fresh green sprouts poking out of the pocket.

Those are just a few ideas for a lovely veggie pita pocket. You can add virtually any food you like to your pocket. Great chance to look in your fridge for some ingredients. Raspberries or strawberries, that could be fun! That jar of artichoke hearts, why not add a few? Chocolate sauce or peanut butter or jam, it is all up to you.

So there you have it, an easy and delicious vegan lunch. Enjoy every sandwich!

Greek Dishes

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Many Greek dishes need no introduction -tarama, moussaka, gyros, retsina, vine leaves, Greek salads with feta, Greek yoghurt, and baklava have achieved the universality of lasagne and chicken tikka. Although some of the food maybe familiar, if you've not been to Greece before you may find eating on the islands different from what you're used to, with a big emphasis on informality. Meals begin with bread (usually excellent- it's one thing they do better than their Italian cousins) and starters (mezedes) to be communally shared: olives, tzatziki (a delicious dip made of cucumbers, yoghurt, olive oil and garlic), prawns, tirosalata (feta cheese dip), koponista (pungent smoked or salted fish), roasted sweet peppers, cheese or spinach pies, meatballs, or saganaki (fried cheese sprinkled with lemon). These are followed by a shared salad and potatoes, and your own main course. This could be a gorgeously fresh omelette, or an oven dish or stew (called `Ready dishes', as they're already prepared). Typically choices are moussaka, pastitsio (baked macaroni, layered with ground meat, cheese, cream and topped with bechamel), roast lamb or chicken, makaronia (basically spaghetti bolognese), yemista (stuffed tomatoes or peppers), stifado (spiced beef stew with baby onions), lagostifado (rabbit stew, is similar, but flavoured with orange), kokinisto (beef cooked with tomatoes and a hint of cinnamon), lamb or veal youvetsi (baked with tomatoes and with tear-drop pasta), chirino me selino (pork with wild celery, in egg lemon sauce), or kreas stin stamna (lamb or beef baked in a clay dish). Meats grilled to order come under the heading tis oras ('the On Times') - pork chops (brizoles), lamb cutlets (paidakia), souvlaki, minced steak (bifteki), meatballs (keftedes or souzoukakia), sausage (loukaniko), or chicken. Greeks usually don't eat duck.

Seafood is fresh and delicious, but ironically relatively expensive (blame over-fishing, and the fact that much of the catch goes to mainland markets) but you can usually find cheapies like fresh whitebait (marides), fresh sardines (sardeles), cuttlefish stew (soupia), and squid rings (kalamari). Baked or fried bakaliaros (fresh Mediterranean cod) is always a treat. Some places serve soups such as delicious fish soup, psarosoupa (with potatoes and carrots) or spicy tomato-based kakavia (made of various fish), a meal in themselves with hunks of fresh bread and a bottle of wine. Prawns (garides) are lightly fried or baked with garlic tomatoes and feta as garides saganaki, a popular dish invented in the 1960s; spaghetti with lobster (astakomakaronada) is another delicious dish included in the Greek menus. Note that each type of fish has its own price, and portions are priced by weight; often you'll be asked to pick out the one you want cooked and the owner puts it on the scale in front of you.

Desserts are not rare after lunch or dinner although many places offer complementary watermelon or sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon or nutmeg as well; Greeks make lovely sweets, puddings, cakes, and ice creams.

Steaks

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Eating steak has always been a symbol of prosperity. During the
turn of the century, steak houses were patronized by the elite.
The cattle and the oil barons ate their thick cuts of sirloins
smothered with oysters or stuffed with them making it too expensive of a place for the common folk. Nowadays, steaks are as popular a meat item as a hamburger. From the various cuts of steaks cooked rare or medium and also done, everyone has their own way of enjoying them.

The steak eaters meal begins with a Steak And Potato Soup that is
made with sirloin tips that have been sliced very thin.

Steak And Potato Soup

(Serves 6)

6- sirloin tips , tenderized and cut into thin strips

1-medium yellow or white onion, chopped

2-cups potatoes, cut into chunks

2- cups green beans, fresh or frozen,

1-cup stewed tomatoes, chopped

3-cups chicken broth or stock

3-cups water

3-Tlbs. cooking oil

1/2-cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2-Tablespoons parsley flakes

Directions: Saute onions in one tablespoon of the cooking oil until they are transparent. In another skillet add two tablespoons of cooking oil and brown the sirloin tips that have been combined with the seasoned flour. After the steak and the onions are finished cooking transfer them to a soup or large pot and add the potatoes, green beans and stewed tomatoes. Cover the
ingredients with the chicken broth and water. Simmer on medium-low until the sirloin strips are cooked through and the vegetables are tender. When the soup is almost finished cooking, add the dried parsley flakes. Serve the soup with a side of cheese bread and a Cesear salad.

For the cattle and oil baron or baroness within us, the recipe below is a tribute to the tender and flavorful Porterhouse steak.

Porterhouse Steak
(Serves 2)

1-Porterhouse steak-cut 1.25 inch thick

1-can beef broth

2-jars button mushrooms

Mixture of seasonings:

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cracked black pepper

¼-tsp commercial meat tenderizer

Directions: Rub the seasoning mixture on both sides of the steak and place on a broiler rack with a drip pan. Broil for nine minutes on each side. After the steak is finished cooking remove from broiler rack and cover with foil to keep the steak warm. In a medium sized pot: add the meat drippings with the beef broth and the two jars of button mushrooms. Cook the liquids for five minutes stirring frequently. Pour into a serving bowl to spoon over steak. Serve with side dishes of mashed potatoes and buttery corn on the cob.

Filet Mignons are a tender cut of a steak but not the most flavorful and need to be well seasoned and seared in hot butter for a better tasting steak. If grilling them use a gas grill for a better flavored steak.

Filet Mignon

For each individual cut filet mignon:

In a bowl with a mixture of seasonings:

1-Tlb. cracked black pepper

1-tsp. salt

1-tsp garlic powder

1-Tlb. parsley flakes

1-tsp. meat tenderizer

In a separate measuring cup:

½-cup white wine

1-Tlb.worchestershire sauce

In a skillet:

2-Tlbs. butter, melted and browned

Directions: Roll each individual cut filet mignon into the seasoned mixture and then drizzle some of the liquid mixture on both sides of the steak. Cook two filets at a time in the butter on medium high heat searing on both sides to desired doneness from two to four minutes on each side in the skillet. The steaks are best eaten medium-rare so don't' overcook them. Serve with a side of stuffed baked potatoes and a bowl of tossed salad with blue cheese dressing.

For the cholesterol conscious, the recipe below is a mock sirloin using a lean ground beef that is wrapped with a slice of turkey bacon then seasoned with cracked pepperand herbs for a lower calorie version of a chopped sirloin that has been wrapped with real bacon and also highly seasoned.

Mock Sirloin

(Makes 4)

1-lb. lean ground beef

1- tsp. parsley flakes

1-tsp. tarragon leaves

1-tsp cracked black pepper

1-tsp garlic powder

½-tsp salt substitute

4-slices turkey bacon

1-tsp worchestershire sauce

Directions: Mix the seasonings into the one pound of ground beef. Make four thick patties and wrap them with the slice of turkey bacon. Arrange the mock sirloin on a broiler pan rack with a drip pan. Set the broiler to 350 degrees and broil for about thirty minutes. Serve with sides of boiled broccoli and lemon and salad greens with a classic vinaigrette dressing.

T-bone steaks are better tasting when well seasoned and grilled on a gas grill or a indoor stove top one for a better flavor.

T-Bone Steak

For each T-bone steak, season generously with salt and pepper and garlic powder on both sides of the steak. Drizzle some soy sauce on both sides of the T-bone and grill for five minutes on each side. Serve with homemade cottage fries and cole slaw.

For a dessert classified as pure decadence, the recipe below is from Lindy's Restaurant once a famous landmark of New York City where they served their famous cheesecake.

Lindy's Famous Cheesecake
(Serves 16 to 20)

Crust:

1-cup sifted all-purpose flour

¼-cup sugar

1-tsp grated lemon peel

½-tsp. vanilla extract

1-egg yolk

¼-cup soft butter or margarine

Filling:

5-packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1-3/4-cups sugar

3-Tlbs. all-purpose flour

1-1/2-tsp grated lemon peel

1-1/2-tsps grated orange peel

¼-tsp vanilla extract

5-eggs

2-egg yolks

¼-cup heavy cream

Directions: To make the crust: In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar,lemon peel and vanilla. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolk and the butter. With fingertips, mix until the dough leaves the side of the bowl.Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Refridgerate for one hour.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and the sides of a springform pan and remove the side. Remove one-third of the dough from refridgerator. Roll out on the bottom of the springform pan.and trim the dough evenly with the edge. Bake eight to ten minutes or until golden. Let cool. Divide the remaining dough into three parts. On a lightly floured surface roll each part of the dough into strips of two and one-half inches wide. Press and line the strips joining the ends alongside the sides of the pan. Trim the dough three-fourths to the top of the pan. Refridgerate until ready to fill. Preheat the oven at five hundred degrees. In a large bowl of an electric mixer: combine cheese with sugar, flour, lemon peel, orange peel and vanilla. Add the eggs and the yolks, one at at time beating well after each egg is added. After the mixture is thoroughly combined add the heavy cream and combine it. Turn oven down to two hundred and fifty degrees. Pour in the filling and bake for ten minutes. Then bake for an additional one hour. Cool in pan on wire rack. When ready to serve, remove the sides of the springform pan and slice into individual pieces

Soul Food Recipes - Still the Ultimate Comfort Foods - Getting Healthier?

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Soul food recipes have a strong popularity as the ultimate comfort foods. African Americans have long saw this popular comfort food as more than a way to sustain life, for nourishment or even as a taste treat. This tasty southern cuisine has been a traditional source of inner strength in times filled with struggle, discrimination and social affliction.

Many people still see soul food recipes as a quiet power that has been a steady source of uplifting encouragement and inspiration. The food of the South, born from the depths of slavery, has a history of food going in times of celebration, marking milestones and as a source of wellbeing and comfort.

The changes that occur before Quiet Your Eyes

Comfort Food is so simple that food brings comfortable feeling and a sense of well being for consumers described. This description describes Soul Food Kitchen for millions of people. The popularity of Mediterranean cuisine and taste of safetyfood continues to grow as it continues to adjust to people's changing taste. More people are demanding healthier choices in there diet. Now you will find more recipes growing leaner and healthier.

For example, healthier cooking has emerged to meet the growing demand for nourishing dishes that still taste good. Because while traditional soul food has always had the reputation for robust flavor and satisfaction, many critics have expressed concern at the high calories. They high salt and fat content has always caught the concern of health experts.

How Calorie Concerns Are Being Met

Those concerns are continually addressed by soul food recipe experts as well as many restaurants as they offer healthier and leaner cooking. They've also adapted healthier seasoning. For example, natural herbs and seasonings and less fat back, ham hocks and bacon. Many of the traditional methods of cooking soul food recipes have given way to healthier non-traditional cooking methods. for example, stir frying, steaming and even poaching. You'll find more recipes calling for less deep fat frying, lighter oils and less boiling.

For example, boiling tends to rob vegetables of vitamins and valuable nutrients, especially when boiled in large amounts of water for long periods of time. You'll find many of the newer soul food recipes calling for stir-frying and steaming of vegetables traditional southern style vegetables. For example, collard greens, sweet potatoes, yams, cabbage and others.

Here's a List of the Top 20 Soul Food Recipes voted by our readers this month.

1. Candied Yams

2. Macaroni and Cheese

3. Fried Cabbage

4. Peach Cobbler

5. Banana Pudding

6. Fried Chicken

7. Southern Meat Loaf

8. Sweet Potato Pie

9. Sock-It-To-Me Cake

10. 7-Up Cake

11. Collard Greens

12. Southern Biscuits

13. Dirty Rice

14. Red Velvet Cake

15. Cornbread Stuffing

16. Southern Style Potato Salad

17. Coleslaw

18. Barbecue Chicken

19. Buttermilk Cornbread

20. Chicken and Dumplings

Low Fat Chicken Recipes Are a Good Choice For Keeping Healthy

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The chicken is a food that tastes forever, no matter how you cook too. Whether it's fried, baked, grilled or steamed. The flavor is always great. Because of the variety of recipes using chicken as the main ingredient, is considered one of the most versatile foods. Any person who replace a diet for weight control, faces questions about switching to low fat foods, because they taste great. But with chicken as the central ingredient retains its taste and cutsdown on excess fat. Low fat chicken recipes are a good source of protein and fiber, which is more suitable for people with weight problems.

Another source of this low-fat seafood. Once or twice a week with fish and chicken the rest of the time, will provide a balanced diet and almost no fat. But in obese people, but they also reduce the consumption of cake, or at least spend less egg to change. After cake, ice cream, etc., and after a smallFat scheme does not go anywhere.

chicken soups are always low in fat, but taste excellent. These appetizers are always included in a balanced diet for their high protein content. Not only because it is a soup, it does not take much time to digest and can be considered as a breakfast or a midnight snack. The idea is to have a balanced diet to 4-5 meals a day with normal food intake in each meal. Add to eat a soup to your daily diet will help strengthenThe intake of fat. If you feel you get with a cold or flu, with one or two servings hot clear chicken broth or chicken hot and sour soup is the best natural remedies to solve this problem. It gives you immediate energy and makes you feel better.

For the main course, try Meat Loaf apricot chicken or chicken. Instead of beef in meatloaf, chicken use. Chicken fat content and reduces the preparation time. Apricot Chicken is another courtwhen served along with macaroni serves as a perfectly balanced meal. In both these dishes, olive oil or canola oil is used. The reason behind the use of these oils is that, unlike vegetable oil or cooking oil, the saturated fat content is quite low. But, because they are oils, they can still be used to fry food items. Using low fat bread crumbs, sauce, soy products etc. as the ingredients in cooking also cuts down on fat.

Numerous cook books provide a myriad selection of low fat chicken recipes. Finding the right taste for you depends entirely on trial and error. But, it is worth the time, because of the advantages that chicken holds over other animal products. Always remember to use the breast piece of chicken as it holds the least fat reserve. Another option to try and incorporate into your cooking is baking. Baking uses the least amount of oil as opposed to frying.