Oktoberfest Potato Salad

Oktoberfest_Potato_Salad

A sweet and sour dressing coats layers of sliced potatoes, bacon, and celery 
in this flavorful potato salad with german flair

Ingredients

- 6 potatoes 
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder 
- 1 teaspoon water 
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup chopped onion 
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup water 
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar 
- 1 cup diced celery, divided 
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided 
- salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

- Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Mix dry mustard with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and let stand 10 minutes to develop flavor.
- Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, 
until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels. 
Reserve bacon drippings in skillet. Let bacon cool; crumble bacon.
- Cook onion in reserved bacon drippings over medium heat until onion is translucent and soft, 
about 5 minutes. Stir mustard paste, sugar, 1/4 cup water, and cider vinegar into onion; bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat to low and simmer vinegar dressing for 2 minutes.
- Peel potatoes if desired; slice 3 potatoes into a salad bow and arrange into a layer. 
Sprinkle potatoes with half the crumbled bacon, celery, and parsley; season with salt and black pepper. 
Pour a little of the vinegar dressing over the layer. Repeat layer with remaining 3 potatoes, 
bacon, celery, parsley, salt, and black pepper; pour remaining dressing over the salad. Cover and 
let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

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Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate_Lava_Cake

Legend has it that this dessert was the result of a major catering disaster. 
The dessert for this particular event was to be individual chocolate cakes, but someone took them out of the ovens 
too soon and the centers were not cooked enough and still liquefied. Well, there was no time to take them off the plates 
and bake them more,so the chef simply had his wait staff introduce the dessert as Chocolate 'Lava' Cake! Brilliant

Ingredients

- butter as needed 
- 2 egg yolks 
- 2 eggs 
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 1/2 ounces chopped dark chocolate
- 5 tablespoons butter 
- 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
- 3 tablespoons flour 
- 1 pinch salt 
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

- Generously butter the inside of 4 (5 1/2 ounce) ramekins. Place them in a casserole dish.
- Whisk together egg yolks, eggs, and sugar in a bowl until light, foamy, and lemon colored.
- Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, 1 to 3 minutes.
- Stir melted chocolate mixture into egg and sugar mixture until combined.
- Sift cocoa powder into the mixture; stir to combine.
- Sift flour and salt into the mixture; stir to combine into a batter.
- Stir vanilla extract into the batter.
- Transfer batter to a resealable plastic bag. Snip one corner of the bag with scissors to create a tip.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared ramekins; tap gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Arrange the ramekins in a casserole dish. Pour enough hot tap water into the casserole dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake in the preheated over for 15-18 minutes. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Loosen the edges from the ramekin with a knife. Invert each cake onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar.


World's Best Lasagna

Lasagna

Filling and satisfying, John Chandler's lasagna is our most 
popular recipe. With basil, sausage, ground beef and three types of cheese, it lives up to its name.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian sausage 
3/4 pound lean ground beef 
1/2 cup minced onion 
2 cloves garlic, crushed 
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce 
1/2 cup water 
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
1 tablespoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 
12 lasagna noodles 
16 ounces ricotta cheese 
1 egg 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced 
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1-In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. 
Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, 
Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, 
and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. 
Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, 
and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3-Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4-To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles 
lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella 
cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, 
and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil 
with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5-Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before 
serving.


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Cabbage Fat-Burning Soup

Cabbage_Fat-Burning_Soup

A package of onion soup mix flavors the tomato broth in which six different vegetables are combined with 
shredded cabbage in this fat free, low-calorie soup.

Ingredients

5 carrots, chopped
3 onions, chopped 
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 large head cabbage, chopped 
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained 
2 quarts tomato juice 
2 green bell peppers, diced 
10 stalks celery, chopped 
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth

Directions

Place carrots, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, peppers, 
and celery in a large pot. Add onion soup mix, tomato juice, 
beef broth, and enough water to cover vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender. 
May be stored in the refrigerator for several days.




Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Hasselback-Sweet-Potatoes

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, finely grated on a microplane
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1 scallion, white and green parts chopped


Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Make a series of 1/8-inch slices along each potato, slicing 2/3 of the way through.

Stir together the butter, oil, thyme, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the potatoes all over with the mixture, getting in between the slices.

Place on the baking sheet and roast until the center of the potatoes are tender and the outside is crisp, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Halfway through the roasting time, remove the potatoes from the oven and run a fork gently across the tops of the potatoes, using light pressure, to fan the slices and separate them from one another.

Meanwhile, stir the yogurt and scallions with a pinch salt and a pinch pepper. Serve the sauce with the potatoes.

Source

Whole Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

Whole-Chicken-Slow-Cooker-Recipe

 Makes great, spicy, juicy chicken with little work. Get a chicken with a pop-up timer if you can
Ingredients
4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons paprika 
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1 teaspoon onion powder 
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground white pepper 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1 whole whole chicken
Directions
1-Mix salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
2-Rub seasoning mixture over the entire chicken to evenly season. Put rubbed chicken into a large resealable plastic bag; refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
3-Remove chicken from bag and cook in slow cooker on Low until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 4 to 8 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).




burger with pickled beets and fried egg

burger-with-pickled-beets-and-fried-egg

burger with pickled beets and fried egg
Dress up tonight's hamburger with goat cheese, pickled beets and a fried egg. You can store 
leftover beets in the fridge for up to a week 
use them in salads or as a sandwich relish.

ingredients

2 medium beets
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3 strips orange peel
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 pound ground beef chuck
8 ounces ground beef sirloin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 kaiser rolls, split
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 eggs
2 ounces soft goat cheese (chevre)
4 Bibb lettuce leaves

directions

1. 
In a large saucepan combine the beets and enough water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, covered, about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool slightly. Under running water, rub off the peels. Halve the beets lengthwise and julienne; set aside. In a medium saucepan bring sugar, the 1/2 cup water, vinegar, orange peel, 2 teaspoons salt, and the cracked black pepper to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the beets, remove from the heat. Let stand for 30 minutes; drain, discarding vinegar mixture.
2. 
Meanwhile, for burgers, in a medium bowl combine beef chuck and sirloin. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; mix well. Shape into 4 patties, about 3/4-inch thick.
3. 
For a charcoal grill, grill patties on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 10 to 12 minutes or until done (160 degrees F), turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place patties on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as directed). Remove patties from grill. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill rack for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted.
4. 
In a large nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Break eggs into skillet; cook for 2 minutes. Cover skillet; remove from heat. Let eggs stand about 2 minutes or until whites are set and yolks begin to thicken.
5. 
Spread chevre on the cut side of each roll bottom. Top with lettuce, burgers, beets, and eggs. Add roll tops to burgers.

Tip

Tip:
Line grill with a layer of foil for easier cleanup.


Tip:
Store any remaining pickled beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. Use them in salads or as a sandwich relish.


Understanding The Process Of Becoming A Good Chef

UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A GOOD CHEF

By Girish Jaju


Becoming a good chef is a wonderful proposition in the modern day. The career of a chef is highly appreciated in the market due to its material value in terms of profession. Culinary schools offer great help to desiring students in acquiring the right technique to become accredited chefs to serve the hotel industry.

Seek admission in an accredited institution so that you get the proper assistance during the study and are successful in meeting your objectives. It is definitely better if you gather all relevant information about such schools in advance for making the right choice. You would surely enjoy the confidence when you are properly guided by an authentic institution.

There are several divisions in the culinary art and you have to make a choice of one of them to suit your career path. It helps the candidate to gain huge confidence in the study for achieving commendable results. It becomes simpler when you draw a comparative study of different specialities concerning the market approval.

Appropriate information is vital in this respect and hence, you must go through genuine reviews and interviews regarding the subject to understand basic facts about culinary careers. You would do well if you consider a balanced data chart and personal insights to make the right decision. You need to study certain aspects of the culinary career such as type so the career, the job market and expected remunerations.

Look for the market value of different study courses because you re mainly interested in finding valued opportunities so that you are properly compensated through the engagement in the hotel industry.

A detailed study covering all these aspects are essential to make justified decision regarding choice of culinary schools. It is how you achieve success in deterring the worth of the particular institution.




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Cheese Soup

 Hot and Satisfying Cheese Soup

Cheese Soup

Cheese soup is thick, warming and delicious. If you love cheese you will love homemade cheese soup. You can combine cheese with another ingredient to make, for example, a broccoli and cheese soup recipe or a cheesy fish soup, or you can use several types of cheeses in one soup.

Try mozzarella, blue cheese, parmesan, provolone, cheddar or other varieties to make really delicious soup recipes. Finely grated parmesan is also nice for sprinkling over the top, as a garnish.

Perhaps you tend to stick to the same recipes when making soup and sometimes it can be nice to make an easy pumpkin soup recipe or another recipe for pumpkin soup. Other times it is good to try something new.

Soup makes a delicious filling lunch or an easy dinner. You might not be in the mood to cook dinner but often making an easy pumpkin soup recipe or another simple chowder or broth is as simple as adding ingredients to a pot, leaving the mixture to simmer and nothing more. Soup is such an easy dish to make and it is comforting, warming and delicious.

Famous Recipes for Soup

Cream often features in cheese soup recipes, to enhance the creaminess of the dish. You can base such a soup on chicken broth, lamb broth, veal broth or even beef broth but it is best to use a low-salt variety because some cheeses are quite salty.

Beef broth might sound like a very rich base for a cheese soup but think about French onion soup recipes and how a layer of melted gruyere is so perfect on the croutons used to top the meaty onion-flavored liquid. French onion soup is one of the most classic soup recipes. Cheese soup is also famous and many restaurants serve their own versions.

Recipe for Cheese and Potato Soup

This easy recipe makes a hearty lunch or a warming dinner. Make some crispy croutons for a garnish, if you like. You can adjust the quantities of each cheese too depending on your personal tastes. You can omit one type and double another, for example.

What you will need:

4 cups chicken broth
Chopped green part of a leek
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
3/4 cup grated parmesan
3/4 cup grated provolone
3/4 cup grated cheddar
2 cups Half & Half
1 peeled, diced potato
How to make it:

Add the butter to a heavy pot over a moderate heat. Saute the leek for 5 minutes or until it is tender. Add the potato and broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 25 minutes. Use a blender or food processor to puree it in batches, and then return it to the pot.

Add the Half & Half and bring the soup to a simmer. If you want to make it ahead, you can cover and refrigerate it at this point for up to a day. Add the cheese and whisk until it melts. Divide the soup between six serving bowls and garnish it with homemade croutons or serve some crusty bread on the side for mopping up the delicious juices.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3797415

Useful Cooking Tips and Techniques

Useful Cooking Tips and Techniques For Your Home Cooking


Useful-Cooking-Tips-and-Techniques


Cooking is indeed enjoyable. It is also one thing that most people want to learn because we always deal with food every day. We please our family with our good cooking skills; we impress our partners with great dinners; we want to cook for ourselves to make sure we eat healthy; indeed, cooking is one thing we want to learn and we want to do it good. 
  
We all have our own practices in the kitchen that make our cooking easy and smooth sailing. The more we cook the more cooking tips and techniques we discover. If you are looking for some cooking tips and techniques to add to your list, below are some that you might find helpful. 
  
* If you want to cook ahead of time and store food in freezers, make sure to know what food is not good for the freezer. Do not freeze boiled eggs, as it will cause the egg whites to become watery. Freezing will also cause the mayonnaise to separate and milk to curdle.


  
* Freezing is also not friendly to cooked potatoes, as it will darken them and create an unattractive texture. To keep the color of sliced potatoes, place them cold water until they are ready for cooking. This will also improve its crispiness if you intend to fry them. You can also whiten them by putting a few drops of lemon during boiling. 
  
* To enhance the flavor of stewed chicken, let it stand in its broth until it cools down before cutting it into chunks. 
  
* If you are barbequing, brush the grate with cooking oil or spray with vegetable cooking spray to prevent the barbeque from sticking. When fire flares up during barbequing, sprinkle a little water over the flames. Be sure also to remove the barbeque before the fire will burn one side of the meat. To lessen overbrowning of your barbeque, you can apply the sauce only 20 minutes before it is done. 
  
* You can drop lettuce leaves in your soups, gravies and other dishes to get rid of the extra oil. You will notice the oil will easily cling into the leaves so you can easily get rid of them. 
  
* When baking cookies, it is best to make similar shapes and sizes so you can arrange them in even rows and that they will heat evenly. Large spaces in between the cookies can cause them to burn. Do not also leave cookies in the hot baking sheet after they are cooked as this will continue to cook or may burn them. 
  
There are a lot of cooking tips and techniques that we can actually learn when we spend time in the kitchen. These tips and techniques do not only make our cooking easy, it is also very useful to preserve the nutrients, the color and texture as well as the flavor of our food. Knowing some cooking tips and techniques also helps us a lot in mastering the art of cooking. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2503719