How to Bake with Protein Powder

How to Bake with Protein Powder.

Protein powder can increase your daily protein intake and make your baked goods more filling. Whey protein powder is a great addition to blueberry muffins, which are mixed with a combination of oat and almond flours. If you'd like quick brownies that are flavorful and filling, combine cocoa with protein powder, melted nut butter, and mashed bananas. For a simple breakfast, combine oats with protein powder and your favorite toppings. Bake the oatmeal cups in a muffin tin for simple, protein-packed breakfasts.

Ingredients.
Whey Protein Powder Blueberry Muffins.
1 cup (90 g) oat flour, 1/4 cup (24 g) almond flour, 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup (142 g) Greek yogurt, 1 cup (255 g) unsweetened applesauce.
2 tablespoons (21 g) honey, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract, 1 medium banana, peeled and mashed, 3 scoops (about 3/4 cup or 75 g) whey protein powder (plain or vanilla).
1 teaspoon (2 g) cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking soda, 1 teaspoon (2 g) orange zest or lemon zest.
1 cup (150 g) blueberries (fresh or frozen).
Makes 12 muffins

Protein-Powder Brownies.
3 medium, overripe bananas, 1/2 cup (125 g) smooth nut or seed butter (such as peanut, almond, soy, or sunflower).
1/4 cup (25 g) cocoa powder, 1 to 2 scoops (1/4 to 1/2 cup or 25 to 50 g) protein powder (paleo, vegan, or casein).
Makes about 9 brownies.

Protein Powder Oatmeal Cups.
3 cups (270 g) rolled oats, 3 scoops (75 g) protein powder, 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder, 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) sea salt, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract, 1/2 cup (128 g) unsweetened applesauce.
1/2 cup (142 g) plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) coconut oil, melted, 1/4 cup (85 g) honey, 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk.
2 tablespoons (20 g) hemp seeds, 6 tablespoons (63 g) chocolate chips, optional, 3/4 cup (192 g) blueberries, optional, 1 tablespoon (16 g) peanut butter, optional.
Makes 12 cups

Method 1 Using Protein Powder in Baked Goods.

1. Decide what protein powder to use. Buy protein powder online, from the grocery store, from a vitamin and supplement store, or from your local natural grocers. Since protein powders are derived from different sources, choose one based on your own health needs. Consider using: Whey or casein protein powders, which are easy to digest and include all of the essential amino acids.

Soy protein powder, which can boost bone density and reduce cholesterol.

Plant-based proteins, which can be made from hemp, rice or peas are good gluten-free and vegan choices.

2. Include moisture and fat in the recipe. Recipes that include protein powder usually have more moisture and fat because these are absorbed by the protein powder. Don't cut back on the moisture or fat because your baked goods won't have as much flavor and they'll be tough or rubbery.

Foods that add moisture include bananas, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cooked sweet potatoes and beets, pumpkin puree, and applesauce.

Fats used in baked goods include coconut butter, nut and seed butters, butter, and lard.

3. Avoid using too much protein powder. Don't be tempted to substitute most or all of the flour in a recipe with protein powder or the recipe won't turn out. Ensure that the batter for your baked goods isn't more than 50% protein powder or the food will be tough and dry.

4. Use the powder in recipes for breads, muffins, and cupcakes. Protein powder is great for baking because it's easy to add without changing the flavor of the food, especially if you use an unflavored protein powder. Protein powder works well in quick breads, muffins, pancakes, granola bars, and cupcakes.

Some recipes may specify which protein powder to use. If the recipe doesn't specify, use the protein powder that you're the most comfortable with using.

5. Make smart substitutions. If you'd like to use a different protein powder than the one that's recommended in your recipe, you can make a few swaps. You can substitute the same type of protein powder, but avoid substituting a completely different type of protein. Specifically, don't use a whey or casein-based protein powder in a recipe that calls for a plant-based protein powder.

If you're substituting a plant-based protein powder such as pea protein powder for another plant-based protein powder such as hemp powder, you can safely make substitutions.

Method 2 Baking Whey Protein Powder Blueberry Muffins.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and prepare a muffin tin. Spray a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray or line it with muffin liners. Set the tin aside.

2. Mix together the egg whites, yogurt, applesauce, honey, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Get out a large mixing bowl and place 3 egg whites into it. Add 1 peeled banana and mash it a little. Mix in 1/2 cup (142 g) of Greek yogurt, 1 cup (255 g) of unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoons (21 g) of honey, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla extract.

You can discard or save the egg yolks for another recipe.

3. Stir the oat flour, almond meal, vanilla whey protein powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and orange zest. Get out another mixing bowl and measure 1 cup (90 g) of oat flour into it. Stir in 1/4 cup (24 g) of almond flour, 3 scoops (about 3/4 cup or 75 g) of plain or vanilla whey protein powder, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon (2 g) of orange or lemon zest.

4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir them until they're incorporated. The muffin batter should be smooth.

5. Fill the muffin tin and spread the blueberries on top. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to fill each hole in the muffin tin 3/4 full with batter. Get out 1 cup (150 g) of blueberries (fresh or frozen) and put about 8 berries on top of each muffin.

Avoid pushing the blueberries into the muffin batter or they may sink to the bottom.

6. Bake the blueberry muffins for 20 minutes. Put the muffin tin into the preheated oven and cook the muffins until they're golden brown and firm to the touch. If you insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center of a muffin, it should come out clean.

7. Serve or store the blueberry muffins. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before you serve them. Store the cooled blueberry muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Things You'll Need.

Whey Protein Powder Blueberry Muffins : Measuring cups and spoons, 12-hole muffin tin, 2 mixing bowls, Spoon or spatula, Toothpick or cake tester.

Method 3 Making Protein-Powder Brownies.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and prepare a baking dish. Get out an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) baking dish or a small loaf pan. Spray it with cooking spray to prevent the brownies from sticking.

2. Melt the nut or seed butter. Put 1/2 cup (125 g) of smooth nut or seed butter into a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan on the stove. Microwave the nut or seed butter for 20 to 30 seconds or heat it over medium-heat on the stove. Heat the nut or seed butter for a few minutes, so it melts.

3. Put the bananas, cocoa powder, protein powder, and melted nut butter into a blender. Peel 3 medium, overripe bananas and put them into a blender. Add 1/4 cup (25 g) of cocoa powder, 1 to 2 scoops (1/4 to 1/2 cup or 25 to 50 g) of protein powder, and the melted nut or seed butter.

Avoid using whey protein powder for this recipe, because it will make the brownies gummy. Instead, use plant-based, soy, or vegan protein powder.

4. Blend the ingredients for 30 seconds. Put the lid on your blender and turn it on for about 30 seconds, so the brownie ingredients are completely combined and smooth.

5. Spread the batter in the pan and bake the brownies for 20 minutes. Scoop the batter into the greased baking dish. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly. Put the dish into the preheated oven and bake the brownies for 20 minutes.

6. Check the brownies and remove them from the oven. Insert a toothpick or cake tester to see if the brownies have finished cooking. The tester or toothpick should come out clean. If it doesn't, return the brownies to the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the cooked brownies and let them cool completely in the pan.

7. Slice and serve the protein powder brownies. Cut the brownies into as many pieces as you like. You should be able to get around 9 standard sized brownies. Refrigerate any leftover brownies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

You can also freeze the brownies for 4 to 6 months.

Things You'll Need.

Protein-Powder Brownies : 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) baking dish or a small loaf pan, Measuring cups, Spoon, Microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan, Blender, Toothpick or cake tester, Knife.

Method 4 Baking Protein Powder Oatmeal Cups

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and grease a muffin tin. Spray a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray or brush it with melted coconut oil. Set the pan aside.

2. Mix the oats, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Get out a large mixing bowl and place 3 cups (270 g) of rolled oats into it. Add 3 scoops (75 g) of protein powder, 1 teaspoon (4 g) of baking powder, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of sea salt. Stir until the dry ingredients are combined.

3. Whisk the eggs, vanilla, applesauce, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, honey, and almond milk. Get out another mixing bowl and crack in 2 eggs. Whisk in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla extract, 1/2 cup (128 g) of unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 cup (142 g) of plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of melted coconut oil, 1/4 cup (85 g) of honey, and 1 cup (240 ml) of unsweetened almond milk until they're combined.

4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until they're just combined.

5. Spoon the batter into the tin. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 holes of the greased muffin tin.

6. Sprinkle the hemp seeds and optional toppings over the batter. Measure 2 tablespoons (20 g) of hemp seeds and scatter them evenly over the batter in the muffin tins. Decide if you'd like to top the oatmeal cups with chocolate chips, blueberries, or peanut butter. If so, sprinkle 6 tablespoons (63 g) of chocolate chips or 3/4 cup (192 g) of blueberries over the batter.

For a peanut butter drizzle, melt 1 tablespoon (16 g) of peanut butter in a microwave-safe container for 10 seconds and drizzle it over the batter.

7. Bake the oatmeal cups for 15 to 20 minutes. Put the tin into the preheated oven and cook the cups until they become golden and completely cooked throughout.

8. Cool the oatmeal cups for 20 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and let the oatmeal cups cool completely in the tin before you take them out. Serve the cold oatmeal cups or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

To freeze the oatmeal cups, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 months. To reheat them, remove 1 to 2 cups and heat them in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

Things You'll Need.

Protein Powder Oatmeal Cups : Measuring cups and spoons, 12-hole muffin tin, 2 mixing bowls, Spoon or spatula.

Januari 16, 2020

how to turn a regular recipe into a low fat recipe

How to Turn a Regular Recipe Into a Low Fat Recipe.

A great way to turn a regular recipe into a low-fat recipe is to reduce the fat by altering some of the ingredients. Some of the alterations to make recipes low-fat may cost a little more than the ingredients you have been using but the health benefits will pay off. Altering a recipe to make it low-fat should be done a little at a time instead of replacing all the fatty ingredients to low-fat alternatives at one time. You may find that replacing them all makes the food not appealing, while leaving just one of the regular ingredients, or a portion of one, makes for a winning recipe.

Method 1 Meat.

1. Purchase extra lean ground beef. You will not find your meat floating in grease as you cook it, and you will still gain the benefits offered from red meat.

2. Use ground turkey in place of hamburger. The taste of ground turkey is slightly different than that of beef, but the health benefits of the exchange are worth any difference in taste. When used in casseroles or dishes where the meat is mixed in with other ingredients, any flavor difference is hardly distinguishable.

3. Opt for white meat instead of dark meat poultry. The white meat contains less fat than the dark. Also, turkey has less fat than chicken, but both are great low-fat meat options.

4. Remove the skins from any chicken or turkey used. You can remove it before or after cooking. Though skin helps retain moisture in the meat while cooking and adds moisture because of its fat content, the skin itself contains no nutritional value, only fat, and can be discarded.

5. Replace pork with turkey products. Use turkey ham instead of pork ham--you will be surprised at how close to "real" ham the turkey ham is. Consider switching to turkey bacon instead of "real" bacon too.

6. Get the tuna that is packaged in water instead of the tuna that is packaged in oil. The difference in flavor between the two is of no consequence, but the difference in the amount of fat is great.


Method 2 Dairy and Other Baking Items.

1. Switch to skim milk instead of 2% or whole.

2. Substitute applesauce for butter or oils in baked goods recipes. The switch-off is in equivalent amounts. Most baked good recipes need a little bit of fat. Consider substituting half the fat at first and experimenting from there with the percentage of fat you switch out.

3. Use egg substitute in place of real eggs. The replacement of 1/4 cup of egg substitute per each egg called for in the recipe lowers the fat in the recipe but does little to effect the texture or flavor of your baked goods.

4. Coat pans with spay oil instead of pouring tablespoons of vegetable oil into the pan to cook with. Use water or stock to cook food with to keep things from sticking to the bottom instead of the butter or oil a recipe calls for.

5. Replace the cream in cream soup recipes with low-fat plain yogurt and regular milk. Replacing with yogurt works well also in cakes and most baked goods.

6. Exchange regular items for low-fat items in recipes. When mixed in with other ingredients, some items respond the same in the recipe without carrying all the fat with them. In recipes, use low-fat cheeses, yogurts, mayonnaise, salad dressings, sour cream, cream cheese and cream soups.

November 25, 2019

how to use applesauce to bake

How to Use Applesauce to Bake.

Baked goods are often high in saturated fats and sugar. If you love to bake, you may have struggled to find healthy recipes that retain moisture and taste. A way to replace the fat in cookies and cakes is to substitute some or all of the fat with applesauce. Apple sauces are made with heart-healthy apples and they can also be low in sugar and high in fiber. Applesauce acts like the fat because it keeps the flour protein from mixing completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery texture. There are some guidelines to follow to ensure that the applesauce is incorporated properly, resulting in healthy and delicious baked goods.

Ingredients.

Unsweetened applesauce.
Sugar or honey.
Nutmeg or cinnamon.

Steps.

1. Make your own applesauce, if possible. Making the applesauce will allow you to control the amount of sugar and preservatives, resulting in even healthier baking.

To make your applesauce, wash, core and quarter 2 lb. (908 g) of apples. Put them in a large pot filled with water that is at least an inch (2.5 cm) deeper than the apples. Boil until the apples are soft. With a bit of cooking water or unsweetened apple juice, put them through a blender or food mill. Add 1 tsp. (2 g) of spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.

For baking purposes, use unsweetened applesauce. Add up to 1/2 cup (96 g) of sugar or 1/3 cup (113 g) of honey to homemade applesauce, if you plan to eat it on its own.

Reduce the amount of sugar you use in a recipe if you are using sweetened applesauce.

2. Review your recipe to see if it calls for oil or melted butter. Applesauce should be substituted for these ingredients, but not softened butter. The substitution works best for cakes, muffins and quick breads.

Substituting applesauce for oil or butter in cookies is not recommended. It can result in mushy cookies that do not hold their shape.

3. Substitute using a 1 to 1 ratio. For example, 1/2 cup (118 ml) of oil is equal to 1/2 cup (56.5 g) of applesauce.

4. Start substituting applesauce for a portion of the fat to get familiar with the effect of the oil. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup (118 ml) of oil, substitute 1/4 cup (28.3 g) of applesauce and also add 1/4 cup (59 ml) of oil. Taste the result and move toward replacing more oil with applesauce next time if it compliments the recipe.

You do not need to substitute all of the oil to get a healthy effect. If your recipe turns out better with a little oil and a little applesauce, you can consider it a healthy substitution.

5. Measure applesauce the same way as oil, in a liquid measuring cup. This will provide a more accurate measurement than using a dry measuring cup.

6. Incorporate the applesauce into the wet ingredients with a mixer before combining the dry ingredients. This will ensure the applesauce is well mixed. The recipe will also turn out to be more moist, if the dry ingredients are mixed with the wet ingredients right before baking.

7. Refrain from changing the cooking time on the recipe. Low-fat recipes should not be over-baked as they can be extra dry.

Tips.

If you are using an apple puree rather than applesauce, only use half of the amount of oil that the recipe calls for. For instance, if it calls for 1 cup (237 ml) of oil, use 1/2 cup (56.5 g) of apple puree.

Warnings.

Replacing oil with applesauce can cause a change in texture and taste. Do not expect the result to be exactly the same as the original recipe.

Things You'll Need.

Liquid measuring cup.

Pot.

Water.

Blender or food mill.

Knife.

Desember 13, 2019

how to make easy pemmican

How to Make Easy Pemmican.

Pemmican is a traditional Native American food known to last for years when it's prepared properly. To make your own, choose high-quality ingredients, such as dried fish or meat, dried berries, and fat. Grind the protein and berries until they're powdery and then mix them with warm rendered fat to make a thick paste. You can spread the pemmican flat and cut it into strips or shape it into a log for easy slicing.



Ingredients.

1⁄4 pound (110 g) of dried fish or red meat (such as salmon, deer, beef, or caribou).

1/2 cup (75 g) of dried berries (such as Saskatoon berries, blueberries, or cranberries).

1/2 cup (100 g) of rendered fat or bacon grease.

1/8 teaspoon (0.7 g) of salt.

1/8 teaspoon (0.3 g) of freshly ground black pepper, optional.

Makes about 1 cup (340 g) of pemmican.





Grinding the Meat and Berries.



Choose dried meat or fish. You can make pemmican with your choice of protein or a combination of proteins. Purchase salmon, deer, beef, or caribou that don't contain preservatives or added flavorings or dry your own. To dry your own, start with 3⁄4 pound (340 g) of fresh meat or fish since it will lose weight as it dries. Briefly cook it in a 350 °F (177 °C) oven and turn it off. Leave it to dry in the oven for about 1 day.

For a hands-off way to dry meat or fish, put the prepared meat in a dehydrator and dry it for 8 to 12 hours.

For pemmican that has the most nutritional value, choose grass-fed meat instead of grain-fed meat. Grass-fed cows ingest more nutrients that are passed on in the meat, such as omega-3s, vitamins B1 and B2, and vitamin E.



Select dried berries. Most pemmican recipes rely on using equal amounts of dried fish or meat and dried berries. Dry your own or buy dried berries, such as Canadian Saskatoon berries, blueberries, or cranberries. To dry your own, start with about 3/4 cup (225 g) of fresh berries. Spread them on a baking sheet and cook them at 150 °F (66 °C) for up to 10 hours or put them in a dehydrator for 10 to 16 hours.

The berries will add a tangy flavor to the pemmican. If you don't want the flavor, you can leave the berries out and double the amount of dried meat or fish.



Grind the dried berries until they're powdery. Put 1/2 cup (75 g) of dried berries into a mortar and use the pestle to crush the berries. Since the berries have lots of very tiny seeds, you'll need to spend about 20 minutes to grind the berries into a fine powder. Transfer the powdered berries to a bowl.

Tip: To save time, you can grind the dried berries and dried meat or fish together in a food processor.



Weigh the dried ingredients to ensure they're equal. Once you've got your dried protein and dried berries, weigh them separately. You should plan on using the same weight of dried ingredients.

Save excess meat, fish, or berries for another use.



Grind the dried meat or fish until it's powdery. Put 1⁄4 pound (110 g) of your dried fish or red meat into the mortar. Pound and grind the fish or meat until it's powdery like the dried berries.

It should only take 5 to 10 minutes to pound the meat since there aren't tiny seeds.



Combine the dried berries and meat or fish. Spoon the powdered berries onto the powdered meat or fish in the mortar. Then use the pestle to grind and mix them together.

If you used a food processor to grind the ingredients, you can skip this step.







Warming the Fat.



Choose a rendered fat to use in the pemmican. You can render your own fat if you have a high-quality source of meat fat, such as grass-fed beef or elk. Start with at least 1 cup (200 g) of fat and shred it until it's crumbly. Heat it over low for 2 to 3 hours so impurities float to the top and strain it to use in the pemmican. To save time, you can purchase rendered fat and then measure out as much as you need. Look for fats from beef, elk, bison, or caribou.

Although you can use pork or lamb fat, they don't contain the same nutritious fatty acids as grass-fed red meats have.

If you want to render bacon grease, it's important to heat it slowly over low heat until all of the water evaporates from the grease.

Tip: Avoid using vegetable oil, shortening, or butter in the pemmican. These can separate and they don't contain the nutrients that fat from red meat has.





Put 1/2 cup (100 g) of rendered fat into a saucepan. To make it easier to measure the rendered fat of your choice, let it come to room temperature. Then spoon it into a 1/2 cup (100 g) measuring cup and pour it into a small saucepan.

Most rendered fats that you purchase will be solid, but if you're using homemade rendered fat that's still warm you can skip this step.





Melt the fat until it reaches 120 °F (49 °C). Stick a thermometer onto the side of the saucepan and turn the burner to low. Heat the fat and stir it occasionally so it melts and warms to a temperature of 120 °F (49 °C).

It's important to prevent the fat from reaching 150 °F (66 °C) because you'll lose valuable nutrients if the fat gets too hot.







Assembling the Pemmican.





Stir the rendered fat into the powdered ingredients. Once the rendered fat is warm, stir it into the bowl with the powdered berries and meat or fish. To help the mixture absorb the fat, stir in a little at a time until it's all combined.

The pemmican mixture should look moist and crumbly, but you shouldn't see any liquid or fat pooling in the bottom of the bowl.





Season the pemmican, if desired. Since pemmican is traditionally made for its nutritional and storage qualities, it's not heavily flavored. If you'd like to make the pemmican more palatable, you can mix in 1/8 teaspoon (0.7 g) of salt and 1/8 teaspoon (0.3 g) of freshly ground black pepper.

If you don't plan on storing the pemmican for more than 2 weeks, you can also experiment by adding ground dried mushrooms or herbs. If you're using finely ground flavorings, add up to 1 tablespoon (6 g).





Wrap the pemmican in plastic wrap. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on your work surface and spoon the pemmican onto the center. Use the back of a spoon to form it into a log shape. Then wrap the pemmican tightly with the plastic wrap.

If you'd like to make thin, flat strips of pemmican instead of a round log, spread the pemmican flat across a piece of parchment paper. Then refrigerate it until it hardens. You'll need to transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.

Tip: You can also put the pemmican into lined small loaf or cupcake molds. Refrigerate the pemmican until the small portions are easy to pop out of the molds.





Store the pemmican at room temperature. For long-term storage, wrap the pemmican log in aluminum foil and place it in a sealable plastic bag. Keep the pemmican at room temperature in a dry, dark location. For example, if you have a cellar or pantry, put the pemmican there until you're ready to use it.

If you prefer to chill the pemmican, keep it in the refrigerator. Check it periodically to ensure that moisture hasn't gotten into the pemmican, which could cause it to spoil.



Use the pemmican within a few years. If you made the pemmican properly and removed all of the moisture from the ingredients, pemmican can be stored and eaten for several years. If you made a log of pemmican, peel back a bit of the plastic wrap and slice rounds off of it. You can eat the pemmican as it is, fry it in a pan until it's hot, or boil and mash it.

If you made thin, flat strips, it's best to treat the pemmican like jerky and eat it without cooking it further. It's also great as a garnish for crackers or flatbreads.

Always check if the pemmican has gone bad before eating it. Look for signs of mold and smell it. If it smells rancid, throw it out.





Tips.

If you prefer to dry your own meat and berries, you'll need 2 to 3 times the amount of dried meat or berries that are called for. Then dry them in a dehydrator or in a 200 °F (93 °C)oven for about 1 day.

If your pemmican doesn't harden, you'll need to stir in more rendered fat.



Things You'll Need.

Measuring cups and spoons.

Mortar and pestle.

Bowl.

Spoon.

Plastic wrap.

Small saucepan.

Thermometer.

Sealable plastic bag.

Molds, optional.

Digital scale, optional.

November 12, 2019

How to Make Quinoa Crusted Fish

How to Make Quinoa Crusted Fish.

Quinoa makes an excellent healthy crust for your favorite fish fillets. The first step is to toast the quinoa and then grind it into fine pieces. Next, you dip your fish in a flour mixture first, an egg mixture next, and finally your ground quinoa. At that point it’s ready to bake in the oven, during which you can easily whip up some homemade tartar sauce to serve with it.

Ingredients.
1 cup uncooked quinoa (170 g).
¼ cup all-purpose flour (31 g).
1 teaspoon paprika.
½ teaspoon dried thyme.
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper.
¼ cup fat-free buttermilk (59 ml).
1 large egg.
1 lb. of fish fillets (454 g).
¼ cup canola mayonnaise (59 ml).
¼ cup plain 2% Green yogurt (59 ml).
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles.
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar.
1 teaspoon grainy mustard.
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill.

Method 1 Preparing the Quinoa.
1. Prepare your oven and baking sheet. First, line a large baking sheet with some parchment paper. Then give the paper a light spray of cooking spray and set it aside. Next, set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius) if you’re making your fish to serve immediately, as opposed to prepping a meal to serve later on in the week.
2. Saute the quinoa. While the oven continues to preheat, coat the bottom of a large skillet with a light layer of vegetable oil. Turn the burner to medium-high heat. Once the skillet heats up, add the quinoa. Stir periodically for three to four minutes, or until the quinoa begins to toast.
3. Grind the quinoa. Give it about ten minutes to cool off, since steam from hot foods can upset the lid to your food processor while you’re using it. Once it’s cooled down, add it to the processor. Pulse for about 20 seconds.

Method 2 Battering Your Fish.
1. Slice your fish, if desired. How to present your fish is up to you, so follow your own instincts. For bite-sized pieces, slice your fillets up into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. But if you’d rather serve your fillets whole, go right ahead and skip this step.
2. Set up your station. First, in one shallow dish, combine the flour, paprika, thyme, and half a teaspoon of your pepper. Then break your egg in a second shallow dish and whisk in the buttermilk until they’re evenly mixed. Finally, pour your ground quinoa into a third dish.
3. Batter your fish. With each piece of fish, dredge in the flour mixture first until all sides are covered. Give it a shake to get rid of the excess. Then dunk it into the egg mix. Next, dredge it through the quinoa, adding pressure as you do so to ensure the quinoa sticks to it. Place it on your baking sheet once finished.

Method 3 Cooking Your Fish While Making Your Sauce.
1. Freeze your fish for later if desired. At this point, you can set the fish aside to cook later on if you like to prepare meals in advance. Simply place the fish on your tray and place it in the freezer. Check periodically until the fish has frozen solid. Once it has, transfer it to sealable freezer bags and put it back in the freezer until it’s time to bake.
Once you’re ready to cook, there’s no need to thaw them.
2. Bake your fish. First, give the fish a light spray with more cooking spray. Then place the baking sheet in the oven once it’s finished preheating. Set a timer for seven minutes.
3. Make your tartar sauce. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, vinegar, and mustard until evenly mixed. Then add the pickles, dill, and remaining pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
4. Flip the fish and continue baking until done. At the seven-minute mark, remove the tray and turn each piece of fish over for an even bake. Return it to the oven and bake for another six to eight minutes, or until they’ve turned golden.
Frozen fish may take a couple extra minutes to cook all the way through.

Things You’ll Need.

Measuring cups and spoons.
Oven.
Baking sheet.
Parchment paper.
Cooking spray.
Skillet.
Spoon for stirring.
Food processor.
Three shallow dishes.

Maret 31, 2020

how to bake cakes and pastries

How to Bake Cakes and Pastries.

If you're looking to bake cakes and pastries, here are some ideas to help you get started in what can become a very enthralling and even therapeutic hobby, with the resulting benefit of some very delicious things to eat!

Steps.

1. Decide what you would like to bake. You won't have enough time in the day to bake a lot of items, so be selective. Pastries tend to be more effort and take more skills than making cakes, so if you're a novice, start with cakes and work your way towards making pastries.

2. Read up on making cakes and pastries. To begin with, it's a really good idea to become knowledgeable about the techniques, as well as the things that can go wrong with them. For example, temperature is very important when baking a cake, so that opening the oven mid-cooking can cause it to deflate. And pastries often require cold handling (adding cold fat, keeping your fingers cool by only using the fingertips and only rubbing for a short time, and having a cool room to work in). While these "fiddly" things may seem overwhelming at first, once you have grasped the finer techniques of baking, they make the experience both much more enjoyable and a lot more successful.

3. Try easy baking recipes to begin with. Start with plain cakes and pastries before graduating to fancier, more complicated versions. Some good ones to start with would be:

Cupcakes, Chocolate cake, Banana cake, Pies, Ice cream cake.

4. Once you feel confident making basic cakes, you can proceed to more complex cakes, such as wedding cakes, fruit cakes, layered cakes, birthday cakes with designs etc. Here are some ideas to try:

A cupcake wedding cake, Fruit cake, A chocolate chip birthday cake, Red velvet cake.

5. Avoid making French pastries until you have a good grasp of working with pastry and a fair understanding of its properties. French pastries become easier with practice but they are not a good beginner's pastry because you will be easily deterred by the amount of effort required. Once you do feel more certain, you might like to try:

Croissants, Eclairs, Choux pastry for a croquembouche.

6. Consider attending classes to learn the techniques used in baking. It can be a lot easier learning from a pastry chef who already knows all the tricks and trickiness and you will benefit from both the visual demonstrations and the practice with help.

7. Learn about baking from other places and for special occasions:

Try to experiment with baking from different cultures, from Japan to New Zealand, from the USA to Romania, you will find wide variations on commonly baked goods. It could take a lifetime to discover them all!

Learn about baked food that signify different seasons or celebrations. There are many different baked items associated with harvests, Christmas, Easter, Day of the Dead, and other celebrations around the world. These tend to be more complicated, on the whole, so you might need to be an intermediate to advanced baker to feel comfortable with them. See wikiHow's Holiday Cooking section for some ideas.

Tips.

It's a good idea to purchase an excellent book on Baking (often known by chefs as baking bibles) as these will give you good tips and are also excellent references for troubleshooting baking problems.

It is important to learn gradually. It takes years to become a top pastry chef or baker, so you're bound to have a few mishaps before feeling that you've mastered some of the trickier cakes and pastries!

In addition to knowing how to bake the cakes and pastries, it is also important to familiarize yourself with making frosting, using fondant, and making shapes and designs on cakes and pastries. Knowing how to make sugar toffee and glazes can also come in handy. You'll learn these techniques as you go.

Warnings.

Good cake and pastry pans are essential for good results. Don't skimp; it is better to buy one or two good quality baking items than to by an array of cheap ones that don't hold or distribute heat evenly, or do a number of things needed to ease your baking experience.

Things You'll Need.

Recipe books

Ingredients

Kitchen space

Classes (optional)

Desember 19, 2019

how to find a substitute for a wire cooling rack baking

How to Find a Substitute for a Wire Cooling Rack (Baking).

A wire cooling rack is an indispensable piece of kitchenware when you want to quickly and efficiently cool down baked goods. However, you might not always have one handy. If this is the case, improvise a rack out of other common things you can find in many kitchens or set pans down where they have airflow so the bottom cools down faster. If you can’t create a makeshift cooling rack or set a pan somewhere where it will cool down faster, transfer baked goods to other cool, flat surfaces to cool them down faster.



Method 1 Improvising an Elevated Surface.

1. Use a removable grate from a gas stovetop as a cooling rack. This will work if you have the type of gas stove with raised grates that sit over top of the burners. Take a grate off and set it on the counter, then set a pan on it so the bottom of the pan cools faster or transfer large baked goods directly to it.

If you want to transfer a large baked item, such as a loaf of bread, directly to the grate to cool, clean the grate thoroughly with soap and water first.

2. Roll up pieces of foil and put them on the counter 2 in (5.1 cm) apart. Roll at least 3 pieces of foil into tight cylinders thick enough to lift the baked items you want to cool off the countertop and allow air to circulate underneath. Place the rolls about 2 in (5.1 cm) apart from each other, then set a baking sheet, pan, or large baked item on top of them.

Make more than 3 foil cylinders if whatever you plan to cool is large and heavy. As long as the cylinders can be spaced 2 in (5.1 cm) apart from each other, there is no limit on how many you can use to distribute the weight.

Tip: You could use chopsticks instead of foil to improvise a cooling rack using the same principles.

3. Create a grid out of metal open-style cookie cutters to use as a rack. Position several open-style metal cookie cutters of any shape next to each other with a little space between them so air can move around. Set your pan or baking sheet of baked goods down on them or transfer a large baked item to sit directly on top of them to cool down.

You won't be able to transfer smaller baked goods, such as cookies or muffins, directly onto the cookie cutters because they won't be able to balance on them.

4. Place baked goods on top of a cool burner on an electric stove. Set a hot pan or baking sheet down on the burner so the airflow will cool it down faster or transfer large baked items directly to the burner. Clean the burner thoroughly before you put any baked goods directly on it.

Make sure none of the burners around it are on, or else the baked goods won’t cool down effectively.

5. Use a spare baking rack if you have one available. Pull an extra rack out of the oven, toaster oven, or roasting pan. Set it on the counter and set a hot baking sheet or pan on it to cool or transfer the baked goods directly to the baking rack to cool them even faster.

If there isn’t enough clearance under the rack to allow a lot of air flow, you can set it on something that will lift it up higher and still allow air underneath all of it. For instance, a frying pan or a pot would work.

Tip: If you want to transfer small baked items like cookies to the rack, cover it with parchment paper or wax paper to keep them from falling through the cracks.



Method 2 Transferring Items to a Cool, Flat Surface.

1. Place baked items on a clean, cool baking sheet to cool down faster. Transfer baked goods from a warm baking sheet or pan to the cold one. This will help the undersides of the baked items cool down faster than leaving them on the sheet they were baked on.

Set the baking sheet aside and away from the oven ahead of time to ensure it is cool when you want to put the baked goods on it.

2. Put baked items on a countertop lined with paper towels to cool down. Line a countertop with paper towels. Transfer the baked goods from the pan or baking sheet to the paper towels and wait for them to cool.

The paper towels will also absorb extra oil, butter, or grease from the bottoms of the cookies.

3. Transfer baked goods to a cool plate to cool them faster. A room temperature plate that is large enough to hold the cake, cookies, bread, or pastries will work to cool them down more quickly. Carefully remove the baked goods from the pan or baking sheet and place them on a clean, cool plate with space between individual items.

Put a paper towel down on the plate first if you want to absorb extra oil or butter from the bottoms of the baked items.

Tip: Avoid stacking the baked items or you will prevent air from circulating and the baked goods will turn soggy.

4. Use a room-temperature pizza baking stone to cool baked items if you have one. Simply slide the baked items onto the pizza stone or transfer them with a spatula. Leave them to cool at room temperature.

Make sure to clean the pizza stone properly after you use it to cool down your baked goods.

5. Move baked goods to a cool cutting board to let them cool down. Any kind of clean cutting board works as a good flat surface to cool down baked items on. Transfer the baked goods to the board so they cool down faster than if you leave them on a baking sheet or in a pan.

Marble or granite chopping boards can be an especially good surface to cool a baked item on because they stay very cool.

Lay a paper towel on top of the cutting board first to absorb extra fat from the baked goods if you want.



Question : I need a rack for cooking pork chops I don't have a rack

Answer : You can create a rack out of rolled up pieces of tin foil, open-style cookie cutters, or even place a small over rack from something like a toaster oven inside of a roasting pan to improvise.

Question : What can I substitute for baking a cake and not having a wire rack

Answer : You can transfer the cake to a cool, flat surface like a plate, cutting board, or cool baking sheet to let it cool down.

Question : I need a cooling rack to put on top of tinfoil lined baking pan to bake bacon orderve to let grease drip through. What can use? I have no cooling rack?

Answer : If you have something like a toaster oven you could take the rack out of that to use. You could also try making a rack out of rolled up pieces of tin foil.

Question : What is the difference between parchment and wax paper?

 Answer : Wax paper is made with wax and can melt or even ignite in the oven. Parchment paper is made from paper and is oven safe.

 Question : How do I keep mini quiche and egg rolls warm and not soggy for serving at a buffet?

 Answer : If you are cooking it fresh, leave them in the oven at a lower temperature once they're done so as to not cook them further, but retain the heat and not get soggy.

 Question : Can I bake a 13x9-inch cake in an aluminum pan?

 Answer : If the aluminium pan is 9x13, then yes. But you might have to bake it a little longer.

 Question : I do not have a rack for my turkey. What can I do?

 Answer : You could keep the turkey in the pan and put the pan on the two nearest burners of the stove.

 Question : Do I really need a rack for my jam in the oven?

 Answer : It is a good idea because it makes it easier to cool. However, you could always use a cool oven rack and leave the door open.



Tips.

Wire cooling racks are inexpensive items that are very handy to have in the kitchen. If you don't have one, consider picking one up next time you visit a kitchen supply store.

Things You'll Need.

Improvising and Cooling Down Pans Faster : Spare baking rack, Removable gas stove grate, Burner on electric stove, Foil, Open-style cookie cutters.

Transferring Items to a Cool, Flat Surface : Baking sheet, Plate, Pizza stone, Cutting board, Paper towels (optional).

Februari 10, 2020

How to Make Healthier Breakfasts Using Quinoa

How to Make Healthier Breakfasts Using Quinoa.

Quinoa quickly become a very popular and nutritious whole grain. It's available in nearly every grocery store and many people now have access to this great, gluten-free whole grain. Although quinoa is considered a "whole grain," it's actually a seed. It's classified as a grain because it cooks and is eaten like a grain (like rice or couscous). Quinoa in particular, is very high in protein, fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals. In fact, it has about 5 g of fiber and 8 g of protein per cup. However, quinoa shouldn't only be eaten as a side dish at dinner. You can also use quinoa in your breakfast making it a very nutritious meal.

Method 1 Making Hot Quinoa Porridge for Breakfast.
1. Get out the right cooking equipment. Like oatmeal, quinoa can be made into a delicious and warm breakfast meal. You'll need to get out the right equipment to make warm quinoa porridge for breakfast.
Start by setting out a heavy-bottomed pot. While it is possible to microwave quinoa, cooking it on the stovetop like traditional oatmeal is done more commonly, particularly when you want to cook it to the consistency of porridge.
You will not need a pot with a lid to make quinoa porridge. You need to continually stir without the lid to get the proper consistency of this dish.
You'll also need to keep an eye on your quinoa and stir consistently as it cooks. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
2. Choose your mixing liquid. You'll need to choose what type of liquid you want to use to make your hot quinoa porridge. Depending on your diet, there are a variety of options to choose from.
Try regular milk. Whether you do skim or whole milk, adding milk to your warm quinoa can help make your porridge creamy and rich. Plus, it'll add a hit of calcium and protein.
If you don't want to use cow's milk, you can also do dairy substitutes. Try almond, soy or even rice milk if you'd like. They all work well in this recipe.
If you don't want to use any milk at all, you can also make your porridge with water. It won't add any creaminess to your porridge, but still gets it to the right consistency.
3. Whisk in spices and flavorings. Like oatmeal and other hot breakfast cereals, you can add a variety of different spices or flavorings to your quinoa porridge. Follow a recipe or consider adding your favorite flavors.
If you like you can add some extracts to your hot quinoa to add flavor. Try adding vanilla, almond or even coconut extract to your quinoa.
If you like a natural source of vanilla, consider cooking your quinoa with a split vanilla bean for flavor.
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or clove are also quite tasty in a warm quinoa porridge.
4. Add your sweetener. Quinoa is not naturally sweet. In fact, it can sometimes have a more savory or even slightly bitter flavor. If you're looking for a sweet porridge, you'll need to add a source of sweetness to your porridge.
If you want to add a natural sweetener that isn't as processed as white sugar, consider drizzling in some honey, agave syrup, molasses or maple syrup.
If you're watching your total calorie or sugar intake, you may opt for a no-calorie sweetener like sucralose or truvia.
You can also consider leaving out sweeteners altogether. If you make your porridge with milk and add spices or fruit, there might be enough natural sweetness for your tastes.
5. Consider balancing your quinoa breakfast with other toppings. Once your quinoa porridge is made, there are a lot of different toppings you can add on. Whether you like Chia seeds, nuts, dried fruit or fresh fruit, you can add an additional hit of nutrition with some toppings.
Try fresh fruit on your quinoa. You can add any type of fruit you'd like. Apples would go well with cinnamon and nutmeg or sliced peaches may go well with vanilla extract.
You can also add dried fruit to your porridge as well. It's little chewier and sometimes tart which can be a nice addition to your breakfast meal.
You can also add some healthy fats and protein by adding nuts to quinoa. Whether it's almonds, cashews or pistachios, these are other great toppings.

Method 2 Using Quinoa in Other Breakfast Recipes.
1. Make a quinoa granola. If you like a little crunch on your morning yogurt, consider making a quinoa granola. Using a high-protein grain like quinoa can boost the nutrition of a traditional granola recipe.
Start this recipe by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of rolled oats, 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, 2 cups of nuts, 1 tablespoon of honey and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
In the microwave, melt 3 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil together with 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Stir frequently until the liquids are completely combined. Pour immediately over the dry ingredients.
Pour the granola onto a rimmed baking sheet and press into an even layer. Bake for about 30 minutes. Half way through the baking process, stir the granola to ensure even browning. Allow to cool thoroughly and serve at room temperature.
2. Add cooked quinoa to a breakfast burrito. For a Mexican spin on your breakfast, make breakfast burritos. Adding quinoa will provide an additional source of protein and fiber to your burrito.
Start by scrambling 1 egg over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Once cooked, place in a small bowl.
Add in 1/3 cup of cooked quinoa and 1/4 cup of thawed chopped frozen or baby spinach to your scrambled egg along with a generous sprinkling of shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
Place your burrito filling into the center of a 8" whole wheat tortilla. Roll up tightly and serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and stick in the freezer for another day.
3. Make a quinoa breakfast hash. If you're in the mood for a savory and filling breakfast, try making quinoa hash. Substitute quinoa for shredded potatoes in this tasty recipe.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add four strips of bacon (or skip this step if you don't eat meat or like bacon). Cook until the bacon is crunchy and the fat has rendered out. Remove bacon from pan and roughly chop.
To the still hot pan, add in 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup of diced peppers, 1/2 cup of diced onions and 1 cup of sliced mushrooms. Sauté for about five to six minutes or until vegetables are soft and quinoa is heated through.
Turn up the heat slightly. Press the quinoa mixture down into the bottom of the pan. Allow to crisp up and brown for about one to two minutes. Serve immediately with eggs if you'd like.
An alternate recipe is to make a mixture of cooked quinoa, peeled and grated raw potato then add to eggs and spices to taste. Cook on a large skillet for about seven minutes on each side until golden brown.
4. Bake quinoa muffins. If you're in a rush in the mornings, you can try making quinoa muffins ahead of time for a quick, protein and fiber filled breakfast. Freeze leftovers so you'll have a stock of these tasty muffins.
Start by preheating an oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup of applesauce, 1 mashed banana, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/4 cup of honey. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Peel and roughly chop 1 apple or pear and stir into the quinoa mixture as well.
Fill each muffin tin to the top with the quinoa mixture. Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes before enjoying.

Method 3 Purchasing and Using Quinoa.
1. Choose the type of quinoa. Quinoa is now available in most local supermarkets. You don't have to go to a specialty store or health foods store to find this nutritious grain.
When you're looking for quinoa, it will be found in the grain aisle along with rice, couscous and pasta.
There may be more than one type of quinoa available. You may see white, black, red or even tri-colored quinoa.
Of all the quinoa colors, white or tan quinoa has the lightest texture and it cooks up slightly fluffier than other types and has the most delicate taste. Black quinoa has a slight earthy flavor while the red quinoa has a richer taste and a bit chewier texture and nutty. These two take slightly longer to cook than the white quinoa.
If you're using quinoa in a breakfast recipe, especially if kids are eating it, you may want to stick with white as it's most similar in color to oats.
2. Purchase dry or pre-cooked quinoa. Most of the time, you'll be able to find uncooked quinoa in the grain aisle of the grocery store; however, some stores may have pre-cooked quinoa for you.
Quinoa only takes about 15 minutes to cook from scratch. If you can only find uncooked quinoa, that will work perfectly in many breakfast recipes. Plus its not hard to cook from scratch.
If you are lacking in time or are unsure of how to cook quinoa, some stores sell precooked quinoa. You might find this in the grain aisle, refrigerated section, on the salad bar or even in the frozen section.
Pre-cooked quinoa may be a little bit more convenient and make for a faster breakfast recipe.
3. Rinse quinoa before using. If you haven't cooked quinoa before, there is a little secret trick to make it correctly. You'll need to rinse it first before cooking it.
Quinoa has a coating on the outside of the seed that acts as a natural pest repellent. It's called saponin. This is a natural compound that tastes bitter and soapy if not removed from the quinoa.
Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer or a sieve. Run it under cold water, stirring or shaking it to help get all the seeds washed thoroughly.
Transfer your washed quinoa directly to your pot or pan and begin to cook it.
Note that some boxed quinoa or quinoa mixes are already washed or rinsed. You do not need to repeat this step. Make sure to read the instructions on boxes or packages first.
4. Store cooked quinoa correctly. Many of the breakfast recipes that do use quinoa, call for cooked quinoa. Making it in advance can help cut down on an extra step and cooking time in the mornings.
Consider taking time on the weekend or a free weeknight to go ahead and cook up a batch of quinoa.
Make sure to review what recipes you'll be making for breakfast and note how much cooked quinoa you'll need for the week.
Dry quinoa usually doubles in volume after cooking. 1/2 cup of uncooked or dry quinoa results in about 1 cup of cooked quinoa.
Store quinoa in a airtight container in the refrigerator for about five to seven days. You can also store it in a freezer container for up to three months.
5. Finished.

Tips.

Quinoa is a great whole grain that can be used in a variety of breakfast recipes. Keep trying new recipes until you find something you like.
Quinoa can be used in most recipes that contain a grain — like oats. Just substitute in quinoa instead.
Quinoa can have a unique flavor that may take some getting used to. Trying different flavorings and seasonings until you find a combination you enjoy.

April 08, 2020

How To Cook Perfect Eggs Every Time

How To Cook Perfect Eggs Every Time.

We all know eggs are the perfect food.
They start our mornings, save our dinners, provide the perfect late night snack, and have the power to get us through the worst hangovers of our lives.

So here's a guide to cooking every kind. Bookmark it. Print it. Remember it. Who knows, one day it might save your life.*

*Maybe not, but it might save you from sad desk lunch, which is basically just as important.

The sunny-side-up egg is the King Of Instagram Foods, and can take many forms.
This one is a FRIED egg, and if it doesn't have golden-brown edges, well, it's not fried.
A hard-boiled egg is basically the easiest thing you can make in a kitchen; all you need is a stove, a pot of water and a timer.
Still, there are some things you need to know. That green ring around the yolk? Yeah, that's an overcooked egg. Hard to peel? There's a trick for that.

Halve peeled hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl (save the whites). Using a fork, smash the yolks into a paste and add some mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Maybe you like chopped up scallions or pickles in there, too. Who knows? Go crazy. Just make sure it tastes amazing.

Fill a ziplock bag with this ~amazing mixture~ and snip a little hole in the corner. Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture, then sprinkle some paprika and chives over the top.

Halve peeled hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl (save the whites). Using a fork, smash the yolks into a paste and add some mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Maybe you like chopped up scallions or pickles in there, too. Who knows? Go crazy. Just make sure it tastes amazing.

Fill a ziplock bag with this ~amazing mixture~ and snip a little hole in the corner. Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture, then sprinkle some paprika and chives over the top.

Pile your scrambled eggs high and proud on a toasted kaiser roll or English muffin, top the eggs with a slice of *American Cheese*, some crispy bacon and too much hot sauce.

There are lots of tricks, tools and gadgets that claim to make PERFECT poached eggs, but the reality is that you only need a pot, some vinegar and an egg.

The perfect soft boiled egg has a just-set yolk, with the center still slightly runny, almost jammy.
To me, it's kind of like if a fried egg and a hard boiled egg had a baby. So, yeah, it's the perfect food.

Cook store bought noodles as per usual. For the broth, use as much of the seasoning packet as you like (I use about half), then go ahead and add some soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and a splash of rice wine vinegar. Top with crushed chile flakes and add bamboo shoots, a handful of herbs or chopped scallions, a few sheets of seaweed snacks (!!) and half of a perfectly soft boiled egg.


MAKE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGGS.

Make perfect hard boiled eggs with a creamy yolk, and beautiful egg white by using these Tips for making hard boil eggs. Only 6-7 minutes to boil eggs.

A bad hard-boiled egg can ruin your breakfast. Have you had a complimentary hotel breakfast where you grab a hard boil egg from the breakfast buffet only to find out later that it’s overcooked – gray-green ring around the yolk. Yuck. Here I am sharing with you my tips for making perfect hard boiled eggs.

How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

The perfect hard-boiled egg has no green ring around the yolk; the yolk is creamy and mellow; and if you want, you can stop short of the hard-boil and make a gooey soft-boiled egg instead.


Do you know how to make perfect boiled eggs every single time? For only 6-7 minutes? I will share with you my simple tips on how to get perfect hard boiled eggs every single time.

Many people recommend different ways of cooking the perfect hard boil egg. Some suggest removing the saucepan with the eggs from the heat once the water starts boiling and to let them sit for about 15 minutes. I even found one recipe where the author recommended to bake the eggs in the oven for 30 minutes. That’s a lot of time for me. You can cook a whole meal for that amount of time.

You can also cook eggs in the Instant Pot and cook them for only 5 minutes.

Check my video where I show you how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs for only 7 minutes.

HOW TO BOIL EGGS.
I believe hard-boiled eggs should be quick & easy to cook. You can cook a beautiful creamy hard-boiled egg for only 6-7 minutes. Why spend half an hour when you can have perfect eggs within minutes? Especially when I cook eggs in the morning for breakfast, the last thing I want to do is wait so long for the eggs to cook.

Get a perfect hard-boiled egg every time with these simple tips on how to hard-boil an egg. It’s so easy and quick. It’s foolproof. You’ll never have a rubbery white or a gray-green ring around the yolk again.

Boiled eggs are a convenient and affordable source of protein. With hard-boiled eggs on hand, you have the components of a satisfying breakfast, lunch, snack, appetizer, or dinner. So get cracking! 🙂


Ingredients : 6 large eggs, cold from the fridge, Cold water, Ice.
Equipment : Saucepan, Timer, Slotted spoon, Bowl.

INSTRUCTIONS.
Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Cover the pan with a lid and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat; when the water has reached a boil, set the timer for the desired time. Boil for 6 – 7 minutes over medium-high heat for perfect hard boiled eggs.

HOW LONG TO BOIL EGGS.
For soft-boiled eggs: 4 minutes.
For slightly soft-boiled eggs: 5 minutes.
For custardy yet firm soft-boiled eggs: 6 minutes.
For creamy hard-boiled eggs: 7 minutes.
For firm yet still creamy hard-boiled eggs: 8 minutes.
For very firm hard boiled eggs: 9 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl with ice cold water and let them cool for a couple of minutes. Or you can place them under cool running water to stop the cooking. This will also help the eggs peel easily.
Peel and serve the eggs immediately. You can sprinkle some paprika or chives on top. You can also make some delicious deviled eggs.

HOW LONG DO BOILED EGGS LAST.
Storage: Refrigerate any unused hard boiled eggs, still in their shells. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

NOTES : EASY TO PEEL HARD BOILED EGGS.
Use older eggs (~ 1 week old). A few days older eggs are easier to peel.
Add 1/2 tsp salt to the water. Adding salt to the water may help make the eggs easier to peel.
Add 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Some people suggest to add baking soda to the water which increases the alkalinity of the water and makes the eggs easy to peel.
Add vinegar (if you are using farm fresh eggs). You can easily peel hard boiled eggs by adding a little bit of vinegar to the water which makes the shell softer.
Roll them on the counter. After you boil the eggs and you cool them in an ice cold water, roll them on the counter to remove the shell. It will fall off easily.

If you notice that some eggs are hard to peel, crack them all around without peeling them and place them under a little bit of running water or soak them in a bowl with water for a while. The water penetrates under the shell and makes them easier to peel.
HOW TO PREVENT YOUR EGGS FROM CRACKING.
Don’t place the cold eggs from the fridge in the hot water on the stove.
Place the eggs in cold water and then turn on the cooktop.
If an egg has a crack, you can add a little bit of vinegar to the pot. It will help to congeal the egg white if it starts to leak out from the shell.

NUTRITION.
Calories: 62kcal | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 60mg | Vitamin A: 240IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Juli 13, 2020

how to easy make hush puppies

How to Make Hush Puppies.

Hush puppies are an easy and delicious fried treat. Originating in the American South, they are a wonderful accompaniment to most meals, specifically seafood. Originally, legend states that southern fisherman used to cook hush puppies to feed their barking dogs, giving the treat its distinctive name.







Ingredients Rich Southern Hush Puppies.

2 cups (300g) corn meal.

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour..

1 teaspoon (3g) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (1.5g) baking soda.

1 1/2 (8.5g) teaspoons salt.

1 tablespoon (12.6) sugar.

1/2 large onion, diced.

1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk.

3/4 cup (180ml) water..

1/2 cup (4oz) butter, melted

1 egg.







Method 1 Making Classic Hush Puppies.





Preheat a deep fryer to 365 °F (185 °C) or heat up 2 cups oil over medium-high heat. The most common oil used is peanut, but vegetable, sunflower, or canola oil will do as well. As the oil warms to its appropriate heat, start mixing up ingredients.

If you don't have a deep fryer, don't worry. You can use a piece of bread to check your oil's temperature as well.



Sift the dry ingredients -- flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking soda and powder -- together. Use a fork or whisk to make sure everything is evenly mixed in.



Finely dice your large onion and add it to the dry ingredients. To dice an onion, cut it in half from end to end and peel off the skin. Cut off the tops -- the long, spindly end -- from each half. Then make long, vertical slices, following the onion's long, visible lines. Finally, cut horizontally across these long cuts to get small squares.

For even smaller pieces, stand the onion up on its end and cut each part in half once more before cutting your squares.



Melt the butter in the microwave in 30-second bursts, then stir it into the buttermilk. Put the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. If it's not totally melted, add 10 seconds at a time until it has just turned liquid -- it doesn't need to be hot. In a separate bowl, mix this butter into the buttermilk.



Whisk the egg and water into the buttermilk. You want all of your wet ingredients to be together, well mixed, in this separate bowl. It can help to whisk the egg ahead of time so that it is already scrambled.



Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour your bowl of buttermilk mixture straight into the flours, salt, and sugar.



Mix until combined, without any chunks. You want a batter that is thicker than pancakes, but not so thick that it can't be stirred easily. Once it is all mixed in, stop -- you don't want to over stir. Use a rubber spatula for the best results.

If the batter is very wet and runny, add 1-2 more tablespoons of corn meal.

If the batter is thick and difficult to stir, add 1-2 more tablespoons of milk.



Test the heat of the frying oil, aiming for 365F/185C. A candy or frying thermometer is easiest, but it is far from your only option. Cut a 1-inch (2.5cm) piece of bread and drop it into the hot oil. If it is completely browned within 60 seconds, your oil is hot enough to fry with.

If the bread browns faster than 60 seconds, turn the heat down.

A kernel of popcorn will not pop until it's reached the right temperature, and can be used as another test subject when dropped in oil.



Drop 6-7 pieces of batter into the hot oil using a metal spoon. A normal spoon should have the right amount of batter. Dip it in cold water to prevent the dough from sticking, then scoop a roughly 1" (2.5cm) piece of dough into the hot oil.

Only cook 6-7 pieces at once to prevent cooling the oil with too much cold batter. If the oil gets too cold the puppies will take longer to cook and will come out greasy.



Turn puppies after one minute to ensure that they cook completely. Hush puppies will sometimes flip themselves, but if not you can use a slotted spoon to turn them over. This ensures all sides cook evenly.



Fry until golden on all sides. If they look nice and golden all over, they are ready to remove. While the exact time will depend on the size of the hush puppy and oil's heat, they shouldn't take longer than 2-3 minutes.



Rest finished hush puppies on a plate of paper towels to drain. This removes some of the excess oil from the surface, which helps the outsides cool into a crisp, delicious exterior. Enjoy!









Method 2 Making Recipe Variations.



Ingredients Simple and Easy Hush Puppies.

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour.

1 cup + 2 tablespoons (175g) self-rising cornmeal.

1/2 cup (100g) white sugar.

2 eggs, beaten.

1 large onion, finely diced.

1/2 cup (120ml) milk or buttermilk.

1 teaspoon (2.8g) salt.



Simplify your liquids to just milk and two eggs for a denser, easier hush puppy. This recipe is much quicker and leads to a heavier treat than the light, airy puppies shown above. To make, simply mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, combine, and then cook as shown above:

Wet ingredients

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk or buttermilk

Dry ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup + 2 tablespoons self-rising cornmeal

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon salt[8]



Consider a denser, all cornmeal variation. Instead of using a mixture of flour and cornmeal, get a more classic flavor by just using 2 cups of cornmeal. Use 2 eggs instead of 1 to help it hold together better.



Add a shredded green bell pepper for a Cajun/Creole twist. Green bell peppers are at the heart of Louisiana cooking, and some Cajun chefs can't do without them. To make them, use a mandolin or sharp knife to cut fine, small strips of pepper and add with the onion.



Throw in 8 ounces of fresh crab meat for crab cake hush puppies. To make them, mix the pulled and shredded crab meat into the buttermilk before adding to the dry ingredients. Cut the amount of all-purpose flour in half and cook like normal.

One cup of chopped raw shrimp can also be used for a seafood kick.

This recipe also goes well with the green bell pepper variation mentioned above.



Substitute a half can of beer for the buttermilk for a tangier, lighter treat. Sometimes called Mississippi hush puppies, this is the same concept as a beer-battered fish or fry. The also go well with a chopped jalapeno pepper. The rest of the cooking is just like normal.

This should be roughly 3/4 cup (180ml) beer.



Bake the hush puppies in a muffin tin at 450F/230C for 10 minutes for a low-fat option. Want delicious hush puppies without frying? You can fill a muffin tin with your batter instead of frying to get delicious, puffy hush puppies anytime. Just add 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil to the batter and stir in to help them cook.

Use cooking spray, oil, or butter to lightly grease the muffin tin.



Finished.





Tips.

In humid weather, expect to add 1-2 tablespoons more corn meal. In drier climates, you should prepare for a touch more milk.



Warnings.

Use care when cooking with a deep fat fryer -- hot oil is very dangerous.



Things You'll Need.

Mixing bowls.

Measuring cups and spoons.

Mixing spoon.

Deep fat fryer.

November 18, 2019

how to make oatcakes

How to Make Oatcakes.

Oatcakes are a traditional Scottish cracker or biscuit that goes well with cheese, jam, dips or even as they are. It's really important to use very fresh oats in these, otherwise they'll taste stale even after baking. You'll need around 25 minutes to make these, with another 20 minutes for cooking time.

This recipe makes around 20 oatcakes.
Ingredients.
225g (8 oz) medium oatmeal
1 teaspoon salt
15g (1/2 oz) butter or margarine
100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) tepid (lukewarm) water
Extra oatmeal when rolling the oatcakes

Steps.

1. Place the oatmeal into the mixing bowl. Add the butter and salt. Using the tips of your fingers, gently rub the butter into the oatmeal.

2. Add the water. Mix through, then leave for 5 to 10 minutes. This will allow the oatmeal to completely absorb the water.

3. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, 350ºF. Line the baking tray (sheet) with baking (parchment) paper in readiness for use.

4. Using your hands, gently pull the mixture about to form a ball. Cover the rolling board with oatmeal flakes to help prevent sticking.

5. Move the oatmeal ball to the rolling board. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture flat. The mixture should be about 3mm (1/8") thick. Keep adding oatmeal to prevent sticking.

6. Cut the oatcakes into rounds. Use a round biscuit (cookie) cutter or the base of a glass but try to get a size for the rounds of about 7.5 centimeter (3 in) (3") in diameter. Arrange the oatcakes on the baking tray (sheet).

7. Place the oatcakes in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oatcakes over with a spatula or similar tool and bake them for another 5 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven. Cool on a wire cooling rack. Once cool, they're ready to serve with condiments or cheese.

9. Finished.

Question : How many calories does the whole dough contain please?

Answer : Using the method described above, the whole dough will contain 960 calories, with a total fat of 26.8 grams and 10.2 grams of saturated fat. However, this does not include the extra oatmeal used to roll out the oatcakes.

Question : Can I use oil instead of I'm out of butter?

Answer : Even though regular vegetable oils might work, it is not advisable. They are pro inflammatory and prone to oxidation. The basis of this explanation is based on the chemical structure of the oil molecules. Try using coconut oil, since it is more resistant to heat than regular vegetable oils.

Question : Can I use peanut butter if I want to?

Answer : Yes, of course you can!

Tips.

Store the oatcakes for up to a week in an airtight container. If the container is not airtight, they will become soft and aren't as enjoyable.

Wrapped in cellophane in a neat row with ribbons at each end, these make an excellent addition to a gourmet food basket.

Warnings : Wear oven mitts and be careful of the hot surfaces when turning over the oatcakes.

Januari 12, 2020

How to Make a Cheap Cut of Steak Taste Like Filet Mignon

How to Make a Cheap Cut of Steak Taste Like Filet Mignon.

BY HEATHER FISHEL.

Living on a budget often means compromising what you want for what you need—or at least, for what's affordable. But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to compromise on flavor, especially if you know the right tips and tricks to make something spectacular out of the ordinary.

That's exactly what salt and the right amount of time will do for your cheaper cuts of steak: turn them into buttery, juicy slabs of meat that taste more like high-priced cuts.

A note before we get down into the nitty-gritty of this (extremely easy) method: this is not salt curing, which preserves meat for long stretches of time by exposing meat to salt and nitrites over a prolonged period. What we're doing instead is tenderizing the meat by marinating the steak in salt before cooking it over heat.

How to Tenderize Your Cheap Steak with Salt.
Jack Scalfani of the YouTube Cooking with Jack Show demonstrates how any piece and cut of steak can become as high-quality as filet mignon. All you need is salt and about an hour or two, depending on the steak's thickness.
Place your (cheap) steak on a baking sheet or in a pan and coat its entire top surface with salt. Yes, you heard that right—bury the entire slab of meat in salt. Make sure you're using a coarse grain, such as coarse sea salt or kosher salt. Table salt cannot be substituted; due to its fine grain size, it dissolves and is absorbed too quickly into the meat and over-salts the steak.

Now it's time to let the meat marinate. Leave the salted steak untouched and at room temperature, basing the length of your marinade on the thickness of your cut. Each inch in thickness equates to one hour of letting it sit: if your steak is two inches thick, you'll want it to marinate for two hours, and so on.

When time is up, rinse your steak very thoroughly, washing off all of the visible salt on the surface. As the salt sloughs off, you should see and feel tenderness in the meat. Additionally, the color of the meat will be slightly darker than before—very similar to an aged cut.

After rinsing, pat your steak dry with paper towels. Don't skip this step: if the surface of the steak isn't dry, you'll be steaming your meat instead of heating the steak surface directly.

Lastly, grill or cook your steak to the doneness you desire—of course, skip the salting step you would normally incorporate in your cooking method. The resulting steak will be tender, flavorful, and oh-so-juicy.

Why Salt Works So Well on Steak.
According to this quoted explanation from On Food and Cooking, when salt is added well ahead of cooking time it dissolves the muscle fibers by forcing protein-based filaments to swell and separate. These denatured muscle fibers then trap the fat molecules and now-brined juice of the steak.
Since low-priced cuts of meat feature more tough tendons and muscle fibers than the prime, more expensive cuts, salting them in advance both tenderizes and improves its consistency and flavor.

If you'd like a more in-depth and step-by-step diagram of this chemical process, Jaden of Steamy Kitchen has an excellent and funny explanation that I recommend.

How Well Did This Trick Work for You?
Steak, especially high-quality cuts like filet mignon, are known for being both expensive and exclusively for higher budgets. But thanks to coarse salt, the cheapest of cuts can still result in a delicious and tender piece of steak. (If you're not a big salt fan, you can use kiwi, papaya, or pineapple instead of salt.)

Agustus 05, 2020

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies.

By : Samantha.

Chocolate Chip Cookies are a lunchbox favorite for good reason! This chocolate chip cookie recipe has been carefully crafted to be perfectly soft, perfectly chewy, and just all around perfectly delectable.

You’ll never need another chocolate chip cookie recipe again.

A Cookie Classic
I present to you… the PERFECT Chocolate Chip Cookie. Perfectly Soft.  Perfectly sweet.  Perfectly Chewy.  Perfectly Perfect.

Before we begin, let’s go over some of the details of the recipe that make these cookies ultimate.

To Get The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
Melted butter:  This makes cookies chewier (and gives them a much better flavor, as the melted butter infuses into every molecule of the cookie!). Make sure you let it cool as directed after melting, otherwise it’ll melt your sugar and your dough will be too runny to use.
Chill Time: This recipe requires a small chill time to keep the cookies from spreading too much — a small price to pay for perfect chocolate chip cookies!
Room temperature eggs: If you use cold eggs it can shock the butter you just melted and cause some of it to re-solidify.  This also keeps your ingredients from mixing as well as they should.
Brown sugar:  Brown sugar is made with molasses and has more moisture than white sugar.  Because of this, brown sugar lends itself to softer, chewier cookies, and so we use a higher ratio of brown to white here for perfectly textured cookies.
Cornstarch: Nearly all of my cookie recipes call for cornstarch (cornflour if you’re in the UK).  It makes these chocolate chip cookies extra chewy and soft and helps give the cookies a little lift that we lose by melting the butter.

Chocolate Chips for Cookies.

We prefer semi-sweet in these cookies but you can sub in your favorites or use a mixture of either dark or milk chocolate or even chocolate chunks!

To Make Ahead.
Like most cookie doughs, this dough can be frozen and baked at a later date. Simply scoop onto a parchment lined pan and freeze until solid. Once frozen, remove from the cookie sheet and place in a freezer bag.

To Bake Frozen Cookies: Defrost for an hour or two in the fridge and bake as directed. If the dough is very cold, you may need to add a minute or two of cook time.

To Avoid Flat Cookies.
If your cookies come out too flat, it’s likely the flour was under-measured.  Too thick, there’s too much flour.

Using cups and teaspoons is great and convenient, but it’s extremely easy to over or under-measure some of your ingredients, particularly the flour.

How to Measure Flour: The best way to measure flour for this recipe is to gently spoon it into a measuring cup and use a straight edge to remove the excess. Using a measuring cup to scoop up the flour — packs it in and can cause to overmeasure.)

So those are our favorite tips for soft, chewy, perfect chocolate chip cookies.

Our Favorite Cookie Recipes.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Tender and chewy oat cookies.
Easy Triple Chocolate Cookies – Chocolate lover’s dream.
Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies – 3 ingredient shortcut recipe
Easy Sugar Cookies – Classic perfection.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – Soft and chewy with a hint of molasses.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

 PREP TIME15 minutes
COOK TIME11 minutes
TOTAL TIME26 minutes
 SERVINGS45 cookies

I’m pleased to introduce you to your new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! These chocolate chip cookies have been carefully crafted to be perfectly soft, perfectly chewy, and just all around perfectly delectable. You’ll never need another cookie recipe again!
Ingredients.

1 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled at least 10 minutes (226g).
1 ¼ cup brown sugar tightly packed (250g).
½ cup sugar (100g).
1 large egg + 1 yolks (room temperature preferred).*
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (350g).
2 teaspoons cornstarch.
1 teaspoon baking soda.
¾ teaspoon salt.
1 ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips (plus additional for tops, optional) (300g + additional).

Instructions.

Combine melted butter and sugars in a large bowl. Stir very well.
Add egg and egg yolk, stir well.
Stir in vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients -- stir well so that all the flour is absorbed.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Place dough in refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.
Scoop dough by rounded 1 ½ tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheets, placing at least 2" apart.
Bake for 11 minutes -- cookies may still seem slightly soft in the centers, that is OK, they will cook completely on the cookie sheets. Don't over-bake or your cookies will be too hard.
If desired, gently press additional chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies.
Allow to cool completely on cookie sheets.
Recipe Notes.
*You can quickly bring eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
NUTRITION INFORMATION.
Calories: 138, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 67mg, Potassium: 58mg, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 135IU, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Juli 26, 2020

how to make recipes with chia seeds

How to Make Recipes With Chia Seeds.

Chia seeds are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and contain high levels of antioxidants and valuable nutrients. They are rich in fiber and do not need to be ground for your body to absorb their nutrients. Chia seeds can be used in many different ways. Follow these steps to make more recipes with chia seeds.







Method 1 Use Chia Seeds as a Topping.



Perhaps one of the easiest ways to add chia seeds to your diet is to sprinkle them on top of breakfast foods, baked goods, salads, and even meat dishes. They can be added before or after the food is cooked. Chia seeds have a nutty flavor and can even be eaten alone but if you choose to use them as a topping, try these suggestions to make sure they pair well with your recipes.



Add chia seeds as a topping for granola or cereal. Using chia seeds with recipes that are grain-based will make the seeds less noticeable. Oatmeal, muesli, and other breakfast grains make ideal bases for a sprinkle of chia seeds.



Top baked goods with chia seeds. Breads, muffins, granola bars, and other grain-based baked goods are simple receptacles for a few chia seeds.

If added before baking, the seeds develop a toasted flavor and may settle into the batter or dough. If added afterwards, do so while the baked good is still warm to enable the seed to attach itself firmly to the product.

Cobblers and streusels can easily incorporate a small handful of chia seeds with little noticeable impact on flavor, even for sweet dishes.



Sprinkle chia seeds on dairy products. Yogurt and ice cream can benefit from the nutty flavor and added texture of chia seeds as a topping.

If you prefer fruit-based jams or syrups with yogurt or ice cream, try stirring chia seeds into the fruit topping to blend them instead of sprinkling the chia seeds as a separate topping.



Use chia seeds as a salad topping. Chia seeds can be used like nuts or sunflower seeds in regular salads. They can also be mixed in with salad dressing just prior to serving.







Method 2 Use Chia Seeds as a Substitute in Recipes.



Regardless of the type of food you want to make, chia seeds can probably be used to replace one of the ingredients. Make a list of common substitutions that you would like to incorporate into your regular dishes until you learn how to appropriately mix the chia seeds into regular recipes.



Replace eggs or oil with chia seed gel. Mixing a tablespoon of chia seeds with ¼ cup of water will provide about the equivalent of a single egg or quarter cup of oil for a recipe. Most recipes can tolerate about a 25% substitution of chia seeds for eggs or oil without a noticeable alteration in flavor.

This technique can also help stretch eggs for omelets and soufflés. Just prepare about a quarter of your egg needs by mixing in chia seeds and milk into the beaten eggs about 10 minutes before cooking them.



Use chia seeds as a thickener. Because chia seeds form a gel in liquid, they can be added to soups, stews, sauces, and marinades to help thicken the liquid in place of corn starch or flour.

Chia seeds can also be blended into juice smoothies to add the thicker texture normally provided by whole fruits or yogurt.

If you have accidentally added too much liquid to a recipe, including baked goods, adding chia seeds can thicken the dough by absorbing the excess liquid.



Bind ingredients with chia seeds. Meatballs and meatloaf can be held together with chia seeds and a bit of water once mixed with the ground meat. Jellies, jams, and compotes can also benefit from the gel properties of chia seeds.



Replace oats or pudding mixes with chia seeds. Because chia seeds firm when mixed with liquid, ground seeds and flavorful liquids help form a gel that can give the consistency of porridge when hot or pudding when cold.

For dessert-like chia mixtures, mix the seeds with sweetened or flavored milks or juices. For breakfast-like chia mixtures, stir the seeds into hot milk or water and then flavor to your preferences with brown sugar, cinnamon, or other breakfast toppings.







Method 3 Add Chia Seeds to Traditional Recipes.

Chia seeds are very versatile, and because of their mild nutty flavor, they can be mixed into virtually any regular recipe. In some cases, additional liquid will be necessary to prevent over-drying or thickening of the food. Some experimentation may be necessary to get the appropriate consistency or quantity of chia seeds for your own recipes.





Mix chia seeds into one-dish meals. Lentil or bean soups, slow-cooker recipes, and casseroles are ideal for adding chia seeds.

Stir the seeds into the broth or sauce and monitor the consistency for about 15 minutes to determine if additional liquid is necessary. If so, consider adding the primary liquid base of the recipe (milk, broth, water, or juice, for instance).



Add chia seeds to peanut butter or other spreads. Because of the nutty flavor and texture, chia seeds can easily be added to sandwich spreads to get extra fiber and nutrients.



Include chia seeds in breading and batter. Chia seeds can be added to traditional breading for chicken, pork, and even tofu to add a nutty, crunchy aspect to traditional breadcrumb or cereal-based breading. Chia seeds can also be used in batters for fish or vegetable tempura to add flavor to pan-fried, battered dishes.



Mix chia seeds into rice dishes. Traditional recipes with a base of rice, such as jambalaya or stuffed peppers, can easily tolerate chia seeds added after the rice has been cooked completely. The meals will benefit from the added nutrients of the chia seeds without altering flavor significantly.



Include chia seeds in nut mixes. Homemade trail mix, nut clusters, and snack bags can easily incorporate chia seeds to improve nutrition and add to the nutty flavor of the original dish.





Tips.

Chia seeds can be mixed with nutritious liquids and consumed quickly for a healthy sports drink or breakfast shake.

Kids can easily make their own pudding or gelatin dessert as a fun project, making it easy to please the various dessert preferences of a large family. Offer mix-ins for homemade puddings such as coconut milk, fresh fruit, cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, or Nutella.

Add chia seeds to thicken blender (Vitamix) applesauce without cooking.



Warnings.

Although chia seeds are healthy additions to a balanced diet, consuming chia seeds with every meal can add a considerable amount of fat to the diet.

November 18, 2019

How to Pull Off Thin Hand-Pulled Lamian Noodles (part 1).

How to Pull Off Thin Hand-Pulled Lamian Noodles  (part 1).

By TIM CHIN.

Hand-pulled noodles are notoriously difficult to make, let alone master. But with the help of science (and some nutritional yeast), they're easy to make at home.
If you’re a fan of Hong Kong cinema, you might be familiar with the 1997 action comedy Mr. Nice Guy, starring Jackie Chan. In the film’s opening scene, Jackie is on live television, standing at a flour-dusted table, stretching, twisting, and pulling a piece of dough into fine strands of noodles, a process the TV host can only describe as alchemy. “When I first saw [that movie],” recalls Luke Rymarz, a software engineer and hand-pulled noodle enthusiast based in San Jose, “I thought, ‘Oh cool, special effects. That’s neat.’ And then I realized that hand-pulled noodles were actually a thing. And I thought, all right, time to figure out how to do this.”
Luke spent the next year experimenting and documenting those experiments, blindly tinkering his way toward a passable recipe for lamian. Lamian translates to “pulled noodles,” and specifically refers to the thin variety famous in China. “At the time—this was 12, 13 years ago—there was hardly anything on the internet in English, or any information about it. All of my experience is [based on] the little bits I could glean off of Google translate. And just making dough, over and over again, for hours.”
Like Luke, I have spent the last few years learning how to make lamian. I first encountered these noodles at a tiny hole-in-the-wall lunch joint in Montreal. A rail-thin cook was throwing, twisting, pulling, and generally manhandling a mound of dough nearly the length of his body. Within seconds—after a few nimble flicks and plenty of flair—he created hundreds of strands of noodles. He tossed the noodles in a boiling cauldron of water, reached for another log of dough, and repeated this dance for the remainder of my meal—no hesitation, no breaks, not even a paltry sip of water. Talk about a real dough-slinger.
Of course, this guy made pulling those noodles look easy, even natural. It’s neither of those things. In fact, I’m willing to bet that anyone who has ever tried to make thin pulled lamian at home, with no prior experience, will tell you: It's hard. Recipes and videos exist online, but there’s a swamp of conflicting information, most of which leads down a treacherous black hole teeming with Reddit neckbeards, disgruntled YouTube commenters, and holier-than-thou Chowhound geeks.

Pulling noodles is something I never imagined pursuing. The technique seemed unattainable, unapproachable, reserved for masters of a time-honored and mystical craft—certainly inappropriate for home cooks. But as luck would have it, while working at my last test kitchen job with Sasha years ago, I was assigned to learn about pulled noodles in all their forms. After slurping virtually every pulled noodle Boston had to offer, I set about developing recipes. Lamian sat squarely among them. But after almost 50 tests, I still didn’t have a working recipe. Even building on the work of people like Luke, my method was fickle, riddled with inconsistencies, and difficult to replicate. The recipe never saw the light of day.
Time passed. I tried, here and there, to tinker with my formula. I watched videos. I spent hours reading archived forum posts from the furthest reaches of the web. I reached out to family members to help translate texts. I tried interning at noodle shops (the owners of which either shunned me or swore me to lifelong secrecy). I reached out to Luke for guidance. I was determined to figure out a recipe that would work for the home cook—no special equipment, no advanced noodle degree, no secret ingredients, no secrecy required.
Then I had a breakthrough. And it all came down to understanding gluten.

How Hand-Pulled Noodles Are Typically Made.
The de facto Mecca of pulled noodles is Lanzhou, the capital city of China’s Gansu Province. The city is the birthplace of Lanzhou beef noodle soup, a dish that’s inspired the creation of over 35,000 noodle shops across China. You can even attend one of a handful of noodle-pulling schools, with programs ranging in duration from a few days to a few years. There, students learn the ins and outs of making lamian, always by hand, starting from mixing and kneading dough all the way to pulling and cooking. In order to be certified, students must pass a final exam: Roughly twenty minutes to produce nine varieties of noodles of different sizes and shapes.

The process is simple: Wheat flour, water, salt, and sometimes an additive are mixed and kneaded until a pliable dough forms. This kneading stage takes anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour, depending on the formula and the practitioner. The dough is stretched, doubled over, twisted, and stretched again, and this process is repeated until the dough can be stretched easily to arm’s length. The dough is then rolled in flour or oil and pulled into thin strands. The key to success is repeatable extensibility—or the ability to stretch the dough over and over without it breaking or tearing—which, as we’ll see, defies many of the commonly understood laws of gluten.

Sometimes additives like fat, alkalis, or other ingredients are incorporated into the dough to improve texture or to facilitate extensibility. The most common and traditional additive is a mysterious powder called penghui, which is derived from a desert plant called penghuicao (halogeton). The plant is roasted and processed with potassium carbonate and packaged as a commercial powder. Minute quantities of penghui are mixed with flour, resulting in a dough with ideal extensibility and chew. One source claims that the addition of penghui transforms the dough to putty, allowing the cook to stretch the dough seemingly at will.

The problem? Unless you or someone you know lives in China, finding penghui isn’t easy. And seeing as I didn’t feel comfortable asking people to import a sketchy white powder across international borders, I was left to find other ways to develop that all-important repeatable extensibility.

Gluten’s Role in Dough: Beyond the Basics.
To fully understand my noodle journey, it’s useful to know a bit about dough, and specifically gluten. If you’ve ever dealt with a dough in your life, you probably know something about gluten. Simply put, gluten is the protein matrix (basically a molecular web) that forms when wheat flour is mixed with water. Gluten is what gives wheat flour dough its structure and properties: The stretch, the texture, the snap, the stickiness, and flow.
If you’ve delved a little deeper, you might also know that gluten comprises two protein molecule units: glutenin and gliadin. The larger glutenin molecules are mainly responsible for the strength and elasticity of a dough. Look at them closely enough and you'll see they are kinked, linear, and chain-like, and have many sites for bonding with other glutenin molecules.
Smaller gliadin molecules, on the other hand, are said to contribute to the extensibility of a dough. They are spherical (or “globular”), have less surface area, and have limited capacity for bonding with other molecules.
Together, these two proteins are what give dough its viscoelastic properties—meaning it can simultaneously flow (viscosity) and be elastic.
Before going any further, let’s also define elasticity and extensibility—both of which are important to understanding noodle-pulling.

Elasticity.
Elasticity refers to a dough’s ability to return to its initial position after deformation. If you stretch a dough and it snaps back to its original shape, that dough is said to be elastic. Elasticity is important because it gives dough both structure and integrity. Without elasticity, a bread dough wouldn’t hold its shape or have any chew. Similarly, without elasticity, a noodle dough would fall apart if stretched too far, and likely disintegrate when cooked. On the other hand, a dough with too much elasticity would tear under too much stress, like a rubber band snapping.
Elasticity is the result of those large, chain-like glutenin molecules bonding together. Mixing, kneading, and resting dough all encourage this bonding. The more bonds between glutenin molecules, the more elastic a dough becomes.
(In some circles, dough nerds like to distinguish tenacity from elasticity. Tenacity is the property of a dough to resist a stretching action or deformation in the first place. You might encounter this phenomenon while trying to shape or stretch a low-hydration bread dough, for instance. For our purposes, this distinction is not too important. But the more you know, you know?)

Extensibility.
Extensibility is defined as the ability of a dough to stretch. For a pulled noodle dough like lamian, extensibility is crucial. In general, the more compact and spherical gliadin protein molecules contribute to extensibility because they move freely within the gluten matrix. They do not bond in the way that the larger glutenins do.
The balance between elasticity and extensibility determines how well a noodle dough fares. In general, the ideal noodle dough has high extensibility and just enough elasticity to retain its structure and chew.

Bonds Between Gluten Molecules.
The last and most critical concept—the one that most people gloss over—has to do with bonding between gluten molecules. Both glutenin and gliadin involve disulfide bonds. For gliadins, these bonds occur within single molecules to stabilize their spherical structure. But for glutenins, disulfide bonds (a.k.a. disulfide bridges) can occur between their larger, chain-like units. These bonds are strong, and they’re believed to determine the elasticity of a dough. In other words, the more disulfide bonds there are between glutenin units, the harder a dough is to stretch.
Think of a single glutenin molecule as a train with several train cars hooked together. Now imagine a second train on a parallel track with chains joining it to the first train. Those chains are disulfide bonds. That’s basically what occurs between glutenin units, but in multiple directions and multiple orientations, forming a complex, strong web that is difficult to break.
Luckily, these bonds can be broken.

Testing.
Trial 1: Hand Mixing, No Additives
By certain accounts, it was possible to pull noodles through sheer force of will and a little elbow grease. Apparently, you could even do it without additives. This was the first strategy I tested years ago: I mixed flour, water, and salt, and kneaded until the dough came together. I kneaded, tore, and stretched the dough further until I could get some semblance of extensibility. On average, this process took anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour of sweaty, rage-inducing labor. At best, I could get the dough to stretch a couple times before tearing. At worst, I was stuck in dough purgatory, cursed with a dough that refused to relax and tore at the slightest suggestion.
I tinkered with hydration, flour type, and salt concentration. I tried no less than 35 times. But no matter which formula I used, I couldn’t readily produce a dough with repeatable extensibility. I did have some success with low-protein cake flour, which seemed to relax after persistent kneading and twirling, but I was still nowhere near pulling passable noodles.
One source recommended an overnight rest after initial mixing. In theory, this extended rest allows the dough to hydrate and gluten to develop fully, and relaxes gluten enough to facilitate stretching (a familiar phenomenon if you’ve ever made fresh egg dough pasta). There is also some enzymatic breaking of disulfide bonds, which contributes to extensibility. At first, this technique seemed promising. I could stretch the dough a few times easily. But after a few more passes, the dough eventually snapped back and tore in my hands. I still wasn’t producing enough extensibility.
If hand-mixing didn’t work—or wasn’t feasible in a sensible amount of time—then how else could I get an extensible dough?

Trial 2: Really, Really Aggressive Kneading.
The second strategy I found involved kneading a dough in a stand mixer for an extended period of time. The logic here was that aggressive, sustained kneading weakened the gluten network sufficiently to produce a plastic dough with low elasticity and high extensibility. (Initial mixing and kneading develops gluten to a point, producing a decidedly un-stretchy, elastic dough. But excessive kneading beyond that point could actually weaken the gluten network.) More precisely, those strong disulfide bonds could be broken mechanically; with sufficient force over time, enough bonds could be broken to produce a dough with repeatable extensibility. And instead of the back-breaking work of stretching and kneading by hand, a stand mixer could accomplish this more efficiently and in less time.

Anecdotally, this logic made sense to me. I remembered spotting a giant Hobart mixer at that noodle shop in Montreal, whirring away, kneading dough for the entirety of my meal. I even found interviews of noodle chefs in which they admitted to using large bread mixers to meet the demands of a large operation. In the most extreme example, I found a recipe that recommended kneading a dough for nearly two hours in a stand mixer.
And you know what? This method definitely worked. After two hours of kneading in a KitchenAid, I found this “over-kneaded” dough to be pliable, extensible, and similar to silly putty in texture. There was very little elasticity. Just a few minutes of stretching and twirling later, I was able to pull some respectable noodles.
But I still wasn’t satisfied. After all, I couldn’t justify the risk of burning out the motor of a pricey stand mixer just to make some noodles. I didn’t want to leave legions of would-be noodle pullers with $300 paper weights. Plus, two hours is a criminally long amount of time. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Fortunately, there exist recipes with more moderate kneading times. The most popular of these comes from Luke Rymarz himself. The key feature is a 12-minute kneading time in a stand mixer, followed by another 15 minutes of stretching and twirling by hand. “I was doing it all by hand initially,” he says. But one day, after posting his recipe online, he was invited to demo his technique at a nearby cooking school. The instructor prepared his dough in a huge industrial mixer. “When he gave me that dough, I went, ‘Holy cow. This is amazing. This is the best dough.’ It was warm, it had a nice texture, it was like clay. Very pliable.”
Up until that point, Luke’s recipe was the closest I had come to successfully and consistently pulling noodles within a reasonable amount of time. The resulting dough was pliable, extensible, and fairly easy to pull into thin noodles. But the technique still had some disadvantages: The cooked noodles lacked the chew and structure I was after; the recipe required very specific brands of flour; and the technique demanded extensive stretching and twirling for success, despite all that time kneading in a stand mixer. The recipe had too many variables, and took too long to make. It was inconsistent. Most of all, I wanted a simpler method that didn’t rely so heavily on machinery. “I’ve repaired my stand mixer probably four or five times,” Luke warns. “So it’s not a great option for the home cook.”

Trial 3: Alkali Madness.
Since I couldn’t rely on machinery, I turned toward uncharted territory: additives. Using penghui was out of the question—I just couldn’t get my hands on any. But could there be any substitutes?
Popular opinions online suggested that it was the alkali in penghui that changed the texture of the dough and made it extensible. In reality, adding an alkali to a dough just made it tougher and harder to stretch. According to Luke, who tried every possible combination of kansui (a popular alkali solution used in ramen noodles), baking soda, and baked baking soda (sodium carbonate), “it helps with texture, and gives you a better chew, but it makes it harder to pull.”
I found his observation to be largely true. I tried adding baking soda and lye water in varying concentrations to a working dough recipe, kneading by hand and stretching until I could stretch the dough. As the concentration of alkali increased, the dough became increasingly difficult to stretch—in many cases tearing under stress.
If adding alkali wasn’t relaxing a noodle dough, then what was it doing, and how? This study suggests that the addition of kansui increases disulfide bond formation between glutenin units. More disulfide bonds mean more elasticity, and more elasticity means more chew at the expense of extensibility. Long story short, it appears that adding alkali makes pulling noodles harder, not easier.

to be continued .

Agustus 02, 2020