Healthy Snacks and Appetizers
Just because you have promised to eat healthy doesn\’t mean you need to torture yourself during the holidays or at snack time. You may see others eating lots of sugary treats, but you know that\’s not good for you. You can still enjoy lots of snacks and appetizers that taste great and are good for you. Serve some to your friends at your next party and see how quickly they are eaten.
One healthy option is homemade salsa. Create a chunky concoction with peaches, mangoes, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. It is very colorful and you can serve it in a bowl for a snack with chips or toasted tortillas. If you need an appetizer, fill your platter with a layer of chips and add a spoonful of salsa on each one. This is an easy appetizer that everyone will love.
If you are talented with your food preparation, make some California rolls. Everyone loves fresh crab. You can pick up nori, the dried seaweed used to roll up the sushi at your local Asian store. This delicious type of sushi is a great snack or even a light lunch. Make some for a party and let your guests ooh and ahh over your culinary skills.
Bruschetta is another wonderful option. Toast some slices of French or Italian bread. Top it off with fresh chopped tomatoes, herbs and perhaps a little cheese. Enjoy it with a beverage for a delicious snack. You can also make them as appetizers that will be enjoyed at any party, large or small. Make up a healthy pizza recipe for your meal or a snack. For appetizers, just cut it up in bite size pieces. This is a great fast dish when you\’re on the go.
If salad is your thing, this one is great. Make your favorite green salad with all the goodies. Chop up all the ingredients so they are small. Toss them with your favorite dressing. Dig right in for a delicious, fast snack or meal. For some fun and healthy appetizers, drop a spoonful or two of salad into a lettuce leaf and wrap it up. Fasten it with a fancy toothpick and your salad rolls are ready to go.
Finger foods make terrific snacks. Think what you can do with a simple can of olives, some cheese and some tomatoes. Arrange some of each on a plate for a simple, healthy snack. Add a few crackers if you wish for the cheese. For a quick appetizer, get some skewers and slide on an olive, some cheese and a cherry tomato. It\’s the perfect appetizer… it\’s food on a stick! It\’s portable! Everyone will love these quick little kebabs.
When you\’re deciding on holiday appetizers you can do these same kinds of recipes. Give everyone a break from all the high calorie, sugary foods. Their stomachs will thank you! These kinds of appetizers look great on the table and taste wonderful. Some healthy choices will help your guests battle that bloated \”after the holiday\” feeling.
As you can see, many of these appetizers are simple and you can whip them up in mere minutes. This will help relieve stress and you\’ll be doing your body a favor by feeding it food that does it some good. Try some… these tasty snacks are a great way to start eating right.
Have several make ahead appetizers ready to make your holiday celebrations easier. Simply arrange them on a tray when you are ready to serve them. Some of these easy appetizers make great light lunches or snacks, too. Keep some key ingredients on hand.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Crock Pot Pasta
Delicious pasta dishes are only a crock pot away. While it is true that pasta can be a bit tricky in the crock pot, with a little knowledge you will soon be turning out perfect pasta. There are several ways you can do pasta when you use the crock pot, and it all depends on what recipe you decide to make.
Putting on the Kettle
For some recipes, it is best for you to cook the pasta separately before adding it to the pot. For others, you can make the noodles and serve up the contents of your crock pot on top. This approach works well with sauces, roast meats, and dishes like stroganoff.
Other recipes may suggest that you cook your pasta until it is just a little tender before adding it to the crock pot. The pasta finishes in the pot with the rest of your meal for the last half hour or so. This approach works well with dishes like casseroles, chicken Alfredo, and similar recipes. Because the noodles finish up in with the sauce, they will soak up the flavors and seasonings that have been cooking all day.
Cooking your pasta separately is more work. Instead of just sitting down to your meal, you need to heat the water and spend the time cooking your pasta just right. This is one way to make sure you have perfect noodles every time. This will not work for every recipe, however.
Tossing it in the Pot
Some recipes are written for uncooked pasta. These recipes are less work for you in the long run, though you will still need to add the pasta towards the end in most recipes. You could use this technique if you were making Chicken noodle soup, minestrone or ramen. For normal pasta, you will want to add it into the crock pot between 30 to 60 minutes before serving. If you are making ramen, 10 to 15 minutes is sufficient to cook the noodles on the high setting.
Finally, there are some recipes that tell you to put the pasta in right at the start. Lasagna is one crock pot dish that must have the noodles put in immediately. Macaroni and cheese is another. If you make this dish, do not expect to leave it cooking all day, however. Most mac and cheese recipes for the crock pot are done in 90 minutes to 2 hours, tops. Stuffed pasta shells and baked ziti are other pasta dishes for the crock pot that must have the pasta added at the beginning. Watch the clock when making this type of dish so your noodles do not get overdone. It will be mushy and shapeless if it cooks too long.
Pasta does just fine in the crock pot. All you need to do for success is to use the right approach for each recipe. Pasta is more delicate than something like beans, so keep an eye on the cooker until you know how the recipe will work. Sometimes it may take a few times to get it right.
You will soon be feeding your family delicious meals featuring pasta from your crock pot. Pasta is true comfort food, and it has never been easier.
Chicken noodle soup is a natural cold remedy. Not only is it comfort food when you’re feeling under the weather, studies have shown that chicken soup actually help you get better. It helps drain clogged sinuses and gives you the nutrients you need to recover.
Chicken in the Crockpot
The chicken and the crockpot are made for each other. Chicken is arguably the most versatile meat on the planet. Using a crockpot makes it easy to make everything from soup to entrees with your chicken. You could probably make a different chicken dish every night of the year using your crockpot without worrying about duplication.
The crockpot keeps the chicken meat moist and tender. It is easy to make any recipe lower in fat in the crockpot by removing the chicken skin and any excess areas of fat you find. Since a crockpot uses moist heat, you do not need to worry about the meat drying out without that protective layer. For those that prefer to leave the skin on, try browning the pieces before placing them in the crockpot. It will make your finished dish look very appetizing.
With crockpot chicken, you can make one-dish dinners, stews, entrees, or soups without a problem. Simply drop in all the ingredients in the morning and by the time you get home, you will be greeted with a delicious hot meal.
Easy Chicken Recipes
You will find a great many easy ways to prepare chicken with the crockpot. You can make anything from chicken stroganoff to a roast chicken that falls off the bone. The sheer variety of recipes will astound you. If you like ethnic foods, you can try Chicken Parmesan or chicken tacos, all made in the crockpot.
A chicken soup recipe is a good, easy meal to try in the crockpot. Just add your vegetables and chicken into the pot when you get up and you will find a delicious bowl of soup waiting for you when you get home. This is a perfect meal on a cold night. To top it off, serve it with bread or rolls.
Crockpot Creativity
Just because you are using a crockpot does not mean you cannot get creative. Try something new like a chicken ratatouille, chicken teriyaki or make your own version of chicken pot pie. For something filling, you cannot beat a good chicken stew. Use thighs for extra flavor and goodness. If you want your meals to be extra healthy, try chicken quinoa or a hearty chicken and lentil soup.
For the kids, you cannot beat brown sugar chicken in the crockpot. Made with brown sugar, vinegar, and seasonings, it offers a bit of tang with a nice sweetness your family will love. Simply adding chicken parts with a sauce or canned soup can make a great dish to serve over rice or noodles. Try different flavors to see what you like best. You can even jazz up your crockpot chicken with a jar of your favorite salsa and some canned vegetables.
So, unpack your crockpot. Fill it with whatever chicken you have in your freezer. Use wings, thighs, breasts or even a whole chicken. Add a few tasty ingredients and go on with your day. When you are done, come home to a delicious meal just waiting to be dished up.
Chicken soup is good for what ails you. If you feel a cold coming on, eat a bowl of soup! It will help kick those germs out. If you’re cold, soup will warm you from the inside out. It is the ultimate comfort food. Serve it with noodles or rice… chicken soup can’t be beat!
Could There Be Mexican Food Without Rice?
One of the most widely grown crops in the world, rice is the most important dietary staple in much of the world. It is actually the most commonly eaten grain on earth and is the basis of the traditional diet in eastern and southeastern Asia, much of Africa, the Caribbean and the region known as Latin America, spanning South, Central, and parts of North America. While rice is grown in the US and is indeed a common food here, it is in Mexico that North America can be said to truly have a culinary tradition including rice in an important role. It is second only to corn in its importance to Mexican cooking and there are far too many Mexican rice recipes to list here.
This grain is an immigrant to the Americas, having first been cultivated in Asia and brought to Mexico by Spanish and Portuguese explorers and colonists, who began growing the crop in the new world. Rice quickly became an important ingredient in Mexican cooking, with many a traditional Mexican rice recipe having its origin shortly after its introduction to the continent.
Authentic Mexican Rice Recipes
One of the best known of all Mexican rice recipes also happens to be a classic Mexican chicken recipe. Arroz con pollo or rice with chicken is Mexico’s own unique version of this popular combination of ingredients. If you have gotten tired of the American version using cream of mushroom soup, give this traditional Mexican rice recipe a try next time.
This dish is a Mexican adaptation of a Spanish recipe, with some ingredients, which are native to the Americas. Tomatoes are a common ingredient in arroz con pollo, as is oregano – and in Mexico, cooks prefer to use the stronger-flavored Mexican oregano instead of Greek oregano as cooks would use in Europe. While the Spanish influence is undeniable, these small changes have made this very much a Mexican rice recipe.
Spanish Cuisine In The New World
Once rice was introduced to the Americas, cooks began adapting Spanish recipes to the ingredients, which were locally available. Before long, many of these dishes became traditional Mexican rice recipes. For instance, paella. We usually think of this dish as being the epitome of Spanish cooking, but it is a certainty that in Mexico, cooks were making rice and seafood meals which predated its arrival in Valencia.
It so happens that the paella eaten in Spain actually has a bit of a Mexican accent to it as well. Tomatoes and bell peppers are both common ingredients in this dish; two ingredients which were brought back to Europe from the Americas! Paella is also an incredibly popular Mexican rice dish in its own right and there are even regional variations on paella throughout the country, particularly in those states, which lie along the coast.
Another well-known traditional Mexican rice recipe is the seasoned rice, which is often served along with bean dishes and almost everything else. This recipe is very similar to what is also called “Spanish rice” but just like paella, Mexico has its own version of this ubiquitous side dish and happens to be the original home of some of its ingredients!
An essential staple of the Mexican pantry and of the country’s cuisine, rice has assumed the same status in Mexico as it holds in much of the outside world. Rice is just one example of an ingredient, which came over to Mexico from the old world and was made into a part of something new and different. Mexican rice recipes may not have as long of a history in the Mexican culinary tradition as say, salsa, but it is clearly an addition to Mexican food for which the country’s cuisine is richer.
roasted peppers are a Mexican favorite because roasting these wonderfully rich and tasty vegetables brings out their flavor. You can use roasted pepper in lots of different Mexican food recipes including fajitas, Mexican soup recipes and lots more. Roasting your own pepper is very easy too and does not take long.
