Italian Preparations

Although most people identify Italian food with some of the nations most famous dishes like pizzas, spaghetti and lasagna, in reality, Italian food encompasses a wide variety of traditional and modern cuisines. One of the main benefits that Italian food has over that from other parts of the world is its healthy constitution. 

Prepared from a variety of healthy ingredients like legumes, vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits, Italian food preparations are some of the best for your health and vigor. Along with reducing risks of heart diseases and cancer, Italian dishes preparations are some of the best you can have for the overall maintenance of good health. Among others, lasagna and spaghetti are some of the tastiest and best known Italian preparations.

Prepared with pasta, cheese and meat-sauce layers, lasagna is one of the most famous Italian dishes today consumed all over the world. Lasagna is usually prepared with pasta or noodles, either freshly prepared or prepared and softened from a day before. The meat sauce is usually prepared with ingredients such as ground beef, tomatoes, pork sausages and a combination of pasta sauces. In addition molten cheese is also added. 

Other ingredients usually required in the preparation of lasagna are onion, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, mozzarella cheese, red pepper and marinara sauce with wine. One of the chief characteristics of lasagna is that it is a layered dish. In a baking pan a layer of sauce is first laid, over which layers of pasta or noodles, mozzarella cheese and then another layer of sauce is placed. Some shredded cheese is also added at top. The whole preparation is then covered and baked until the cheese melts. The preparation is then allowed to stand for 10-15 minutes before it is served. Chilling the noodles overnight before preparing the lasagna allows the flavors to soak in better and thereby, improves the overall taste.

Chili

This is one of the most versatile and easy one-pan dishes you can make. You can prepare it for a whole crowd using a crockpot and it has so many variations there is bound to be one that's to your liking. Just type in "Chili Recipes" in Google or your favorite browser and see all of the hits you get. Yep, you can't go wrong with a good chili. Make sure to have extra hot sauce for the diehards that insist on kicking it up a notch!

Ribs

Short ribs, Long ribs, Dry ribs, Wet ribs....There is a whole big debate about the best type of meat to use and the best way to cook ribs that is almost as hotly debated as who is going to win the big game. Two things I can tell you about ribs: 1. They are difficult to cook just right and, 2. When they are cooked correctly they are delicious! My suggestion to you is to purchase some ribs at your best local BBQ restaurant or grocery market and pop them in your oven before your friends arrive, set out your favorite BBQ sauce and pass them off as your own creation. See if anyone figures it out.

Sausages, Hot Dogs

These may not appeal to those of you that are on a health food kick but, really there have been vast improvements in the hot dog and sausage varieties and quite a few are now more healthy options than other choices. And really, what's better than a sweet Italian Sausage smothered in sauted peppers and onions with gobs of mustard all wrapped up in a bun - mummm mummm. You can take a walk at half time to make up for it.
 
Chicken Wings

Okay, No surprise here. I don't know exactly how Chicken Wings became the unofficial Football food but, I am cool with it. I have no complaints. Wings are pretty easy to make and you can make small batches at a time which is great if you are not sure how many people will be showing up demanding to be feed on the big day. The secret to great wings is the Wing sauce. There are almost as many brands of Wing sauce these days as BBQ sauce and mustard! That tells a little something about how popular these babies are. 

Chicken Breast Recipes - Delicious and Easy To Prepare

Delicious chicken breast is very popular in European countries. In this short article, I will give you the opportunity to prepare 3 awesome and easy to cook chicken breast recipes.

Peanut Stuffed Chicken Breast

~ 1 Table spoon of dried Mint

~ 1/2 Cup of Peanut butter

~ 12 Chicken breasts

~ 1 Packet of G. Washington Golden bouillon mix

~ 1/8 Cup of Honey

Peanut Stuffed Chicken Breast instructions:

Remove the bone from the chicken breasts by not damaging the meat. After that, pull off Gobbets and shreds. Mix the following well (honey, peanut butter, mint and cumin) all together in a bowl. Put it into the microwave for about 30 seconds. On each piece of meat spread about 2-3 teaspoon of the mixture (peanuts butter mixture you have just made).

Roll 1/12 of the gobbets and shreds together with the breast in order to make them into packets. Attached the packet and tie it with a toothpick. In the crock pot, arrange the 12 prepared packets into layers. Mix well water in the bowl with any peanut butter remaining.

Pour the packet of bouillon over the chicken packets. Cover the packets with additional water to about a depth of at least 1 inch put the crock pot on high for about 5 hour 30 minutes. Remove the packets (from the pot) and drain it on a platter.

Invite some friends to share this wonderful dish you've prepared. This may be the first step to discover your new talents.

Serve for 1 family.

Italian Stuffed Chicken breast

~ 1 spoon of Melted butter

~ 1 Spoon of Parmesan cheese

~ 1 table spoon of Bread crumbs

~ 1/2 Cup of Tomato sauce

~ 1/4 cup of Havarti or Swiss cheese

~ 1/4 Tea spoon of dried oregano

~ 4 oz Chicken breast

Italian Stuffed Chicken Breast instruction:

Put the Oregano, crumbs and parmesan cheese all together and mix all. Cut the breast in a thin way. Roll the chicken breasts with Swiss cheese or havarti. Brush and cover with butter. Put the breast into the mixture and mix it well. Bake them at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes. Put the sauce and continue baking for an additional of 10 minutes.

Add some chili and salt up to your taste, because taste and flavor varies depending people.

Tips: I like chili so I have added some chili after the dish was ready and it tasted very good and just wanted to retake another one. Here what you get for about 1 hour of preparation and cooking brings on some beers and watches a good movie. Have a nice movie.

Cheesy Chicken Breast:

1 packet Cream cheese

Chicken breast deboned

Bread crumbs or Kellogg

Melted butter or margarine

Cornflake crumbs

Cheesy Chicken Breast Instruction:

You must Thinned the chicken breasts between two sheets of wax. In each chicken breast put a cube of cheese and roll them. Put the chicken breast in butter then roll it in bread crumbs. Put in a microwave recipient and cook on high for about 6 to 9 minutes.

This is the easiest way to do cook a delicious and easy food. Have a nice movie with these snacks. If ever you want to have a party, this is the right snack to be served at the start.

Healthy Food Tips - Try and become fit

Drinking more water - First and foremost, arguably the most important part of any healthy living plan, is to up your water intake on a daily basis. I would often come across people dieting and trying to lose weight, who would convince themselves that they were being healthy, because they were drinking "diet" sodas instead of full-sugar versions. In reality, these so-called diet beverages, are even unhealthier than full sugar versions.

The reason for this is that instead of sugar, they contain artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame, which have been heavily linked with cancer, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and much more besides. I was once guilty of drinking four or five of these sodas a day, and would constantly find myself feeling tired, suffering with a headache, and generally feeling awful.

I read on various forums and from online articles and studies, that I should instead be drinking plenty of fresh water each day instead, so that is what I did. Water hydrates you, it flushes toxins from your body, it enhances organ health and function, it boosts the metabolism, and much more besides.

I would either purchase mineral water, or would drink filtered tap water to remove chemicals and impurities which are added to make tap water drinkable. I was peeing more, which was slightly annoying, so what I would do is try to get most of my water intake in nice and early, so I wasn't having to get up and go pee every few minutes in the evening.

Drinking a fresh juice each morning - Another fantastic method of really helping to increase your nutrient uptake on a daily basis, is to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice each day.

I purchased a juicer, looked up some recipes, stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies, and each morning, would drink a fresh juice. Juices are ideal because they taste great, you can get so many ingredients in each one, and you can supercharge your vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant consumption with just one juice per day.

I would juice ingredients such as spinach, apple, kale, lemon, celery, courgette, cucumber, ginger, broccoli, lime, carrot, and beetroot, and would start each day with a fresh juice, which is better than any vitamin supplement could ever be.

Eating fresh and healthy produce - Another very big change I made, was to change my diet dramatically, replacing frozen and processed junk foods, with fresh and healthy foods instead.

Before I began my health journey, I would often order takeout three or four times a week, as well as stuff my face with frozen ready meals and various processed baked goods which were pumped full of chemicals, fat, salt, sugar, and other hidden nastiness.

When I decided to take back my health, I made sure all my cupboards were bare, and went to the store, stocking up on fresh and healthy natural produce instead. Each week my staple ingredients included: Salmon, fresh chicken breast, grass-fed beef, mackerel, organic eggs, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil, olive oil, and complex carbohydrate sources such as oats, brown rice, wholemeal bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pasta.

Instead of sugary tomato-based sauces, I would blend my own tomatoes, add herbs and seasonings, and use that with my fresh pasta dishes. All of my food was fresh, low in unhealthy fats, rich in natural goodness, and free from artificial ingredients. I looked online for various healthy recipes, and found plenty, which all tasted great, and all helped me to lose weight.

Increasing cardiovascular activity - Even when I gained all of that excess weight, I would still lift weights in the gym, which did help me to burn some calories and gave me some much-needed exercise. Whilst the weight training was beneficial, I would rarely, if ever, do any real cardiovascular exercise.

When it came to me exercise and activity levels, the first thing I did with my training, was to incorporate 3 cardiovascular sessions into my weekly exercise regime. I was still lifting weights 3 x a week, but was also doing cardio as well. I would often do 40 minutes on the treadmill, although in the summer I would go for long walks, and then, as my fitness improved, long runs, around the neighbourhood. I also took up swimming and cycling with friends and found that this really helped the pounds to literally melt away, almost right before my very eyes.

Cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart, it boosts circulation, it helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, or heart attack, and it helps to regulate blood sugar levels, and blood pressure in the process. There were days when I felt as if I couldn't be bother to do cardio, but rather than quit, I would force myself into the gym, and would get it out of the way nice and early, and would feel so much better because I had.

Getting a regular sleeping pattern - Finally, the last thing I addressed was my erratic sleeping patterns, which were doing me no good at all.

I would find myself staying up until the early hours of the morning, watching TV, watching Netflix, and playing computer games, and then sleeping through to midday the next day.

I'm fortunate enough to work from home, so I could basically get up when I wanted, and go to bed when I wanted, because as long as all of my jobs got done, it didn't matter what time I started or finished.

I would often feel tired and irritable, and struggled to concentrate, so decided to go to bed around 11pm each night, wake up around 7am the next morning, and start work by 8am. I felt happier, I looked better, I had more energy, and I was much more productive at work and got much more done, which meant I earned more money in the process. Aim for 7 - 9 hours sleep each night, and you'll feel one heck of a difference once you do get into a regular routine.

So there you have it, just a few ways in which I was able to take back, not only my health, but my life as well, and there's no doubt in my mind that you can do the same. When it comes to healthy living, and health and fitness in general for that matter, the best advice that I personally can give you, is to take everything one day at a time.

Don't overcomplicate things, don't think that you need to weight every food item out and eat every three hours on the dot, and just generally take everything slow and steady by making small changes that then become bigger ones overtime. It worked for me, and it will certainly work for you too.

Soups Thickened with Oatmeal! Creamy and Healthful, Too

You don't need butter or flour to make soup thick and creamy. Instead, stir in a cupful of rolled oats or quick oats, and cook for 20 minutes or more. Then whirl a hand blender in the pot to make the soup smooth and extra creamy. Try this in the delicious recipes below, or invent your own.

Incredible Creamy Clam Chowder

1 large onion, chopped

6 cups bouillon

1 medium cauliflower, cut in chunks

1 cup quick-cooking or rolled oats

1 teaspoon oregano

pinch cayenne, or to taste

1 6.5-ounce can chopped clams, undrained

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the onion, bouillon, cauliflower, oats and spices in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 60 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth. Stir in the clams and their juice, and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chives or parsley if desired.

Creamy Carrot Soup

1 large onion, chopped

2 pounds carrots, chopped or shredded in a food processor

6 cups bouillon

1 tablespoon ground coriander

pinch cayenne, to taste

1 cup quick-cooking or rolled oats

freshly ground black pepper to taste

chopped cilantro or Italian parsley for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients, except the cilantro or parsley, in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 30-40 minutes. Use a hand blender to puree the soup until very smooth. Sprinkle each serving with cilantro or Italian parsley and more black pepper to taste.

Potato-Garlic Soup

1 large onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups bouillon

6 medium red potatoes, cubed

1 cup quick-cooking or regular oats

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

pinch cayenne, or to taste

1 cup of chopped cilantro leaves

juice of one lemon

Lemon wedges

Freshly ground black pepper

Bring the onion, garlic, bouillon, potatoes, oatmeal, marjoram and cayenne to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 45-60 minutes or until the potatoes are easily mashed. Blend with a hand blender until nearly smooth. Stir in the cilantro, reserving a little for garnish, and the lemon juice. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with cilantro and black pepper, and serve with lemon wedges.

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Salmon Recipes Star in a Healthful Holiday Buffet

Almost everyone likes the flavor, and its pretty color adds eye-appeal to your buffet. Here are three healthful, easy dishes to get you started: an appetizer, a salad and a main course.

Smoked Salmon Salad

• 1/2 pound smoked salmon, cut in bite-size pieces
• 1 16-ounce can small white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup orange, tangerine or clementine sections, in bite-size pieces
• 1 cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw)
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• juice of one lemon
• rice vinegar, to taste (start with about 2 tablespoons), 
• or a light Italian salad dressing
• pinch cayenne or dash hot pepper sauce, to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill.

Chilled Salmon Mousse

• 1 cup bottled clam juice or chicken bouillon
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 15-ounce can salmon (preferably red sockeye)
• 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced (white part only)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• pinch cayenne, or to taste
• 1 cup fat-free sour cream or yogurt
• Fresh herbs, lemon slices or red bell pepper strips for garnish

Heat the clam juice or bouillon in a small pot and stir in the gelatin to dissolve. Combine with the other ingredients except the sour cream or yogurt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the yogurt or sour cream and pour into a non-stick pan or mold. Chill until firm. Unmold and decorate as you wish. Wonderful with red bell pepper strips for dippers.

6-8 servings, more as part of a buffet

Baked Salmon with Portobello Mushrooms

• 2 vidalia or other sweet onions, sliced
• 4-6 salmon steaks
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced
• Juice of one lemon
• Fresh herbs of your choice (optional)
• Lemon wedges for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a layer of onion slices on the bottom of a casserole with a tight-fitting lid (large enough to hold the fish steaks in one or two layers.) Place the fish steaks on the onions, then arrange the mushrooms and remaining onion slices on top. (If you are using two layers of fish, place some of the mushrooms and onions between the layers and the remaining ones on top.) Lay the fresh herbs on top, if you are using them; and squeeze the lemon juice over all. Cover and bake 30 minutes, or until the fish is opaque in the middle (test with a knife or fork.) Serve with lemon wedges and pass the pepper mill.

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Pasta with Black Beans

A fresh pasta dish is a great dish for a romantic dinner or if you are having friends over. Rather than the boring tomato based sauce, try something different, try making it with an enchilada sauce for a change. An enchilada sauce is a common ingredients or condiment used in Mexican cooking, it adds a smokey flavor to any dish.

Beans area great compliment to pasta, rather than meat the beans are added making thus dish not only delicious but also healthy. Preparing this meal for you love ones will not only be good for them but you get them to eat their beans which is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. This dish is also a vegetarian dish that is really delicious and will satisfy the most discerning pallet. Slices of toasted bread at the side and your favorite red wine will surely make this the perfect meal.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound fusilli or rotini
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• a 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/3 cups)
• a 10-ounce can mild enchilada sauce
• a 3-inch pickled jalapeo chili if desired, chopped fine (wear rubber gloves)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• freshly grated Monterey Jack or sharp Cheddar to taste
• 2 scallions, sliced thin

Direction

*Boil water in a pot and seasoned it with salt

* Place pasta and cook until al dente

*When pasta is cooked, drain it and set it aside

*Heat oil in pan and saute garlic and onions until they become transparent

*Add in jalapenos, beans and enchilada sauce, cook until sauce thickens

*Turn off heat and add sour cream, season with salt

* In a bowl mix pasta and sauce 

* Mix them well together

Serve this with a nice crusty bread

* Slice french bread/baguette lengthwise

*Brush with butter

*Bake in the oven for 3 minutes or until is its slightly toasted

Five Simply Delicious Holiday Appetizers

Holiday parties are wonderful but the vast array of rich and tempting foods can become a bit overwhelming. I have some recipes for this time of year that, while delicious, are not quite as rich as the standard fare. When asked to contribute a dish, I usually make one of these recipes. This way, I know there will be an alternative if I start to indulge too heartily in richer selections. Here are five alternatives. Are you ready to eat?

Shrimp Loaf. Place eight ounces of low fat cream cheese on a bed of chopped iceburg lettuce. Mix together - ½ cup of ketchup,1 tablespoon of horseradish and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Pour over the top of the cream cheese. Then, drain one small can of shrimp, in a colander. Squeeze the rest of the juice, of one lemon, over the shrimp and toss. Place on top of the ketchup mixture. Serve with triscuits or wheat crackers.

Salsa Loaf. A variation of the shrimp loaf, this is a snap. Place eight ounces of nonfat cream cheese on a plate. Pour ½ cup of hot salsa over cream cheese brick. Serve with baked tortilla chips or whole wheat crackers. This can be adapted to your taste. Use low fat cream cheese and mild salsa, if you are not a fan of hot and spicy foods.

Deviled Eggs. Hard boil one dozen eggs. Slice lengthwise. Remove the yolks and to them, add 2 tablespoons of low fat mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard and 1 teaspoon of dill pickle relish. If more liquid is needed, add some pickle relish juice to the mixture. Pipe or spoon into egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika. I have been making these for years and they are always the first appetizer to disappear.

Wrapped Melon. Buy precut cantaloupe and honeydew melon chunks, at the grocery store. Wrap with small slices of Italian ham, such as capicola or prosciutto. Attach the ham to the melon with toothpicks. This is super easy and delicious. The salty ham and sweet melon are great compliments to each other.

Marinated Mushrooms. Wash 2 pounds of mushrooms with a wet paper towel and remove the stems. In a large frying pan, with a lid, steam the mushrooms in your favorite lite Italian salad dressing. If you desire, you can add a little white wine or sherry to the mixture about halfway through cooking time. Turn up the heat for a few minutes if adding wine to burn off the alcohol. Cool completely and refrigerate for at least four hours. These can be made up to two days in advance.

Even though these recipes are lower in fat than the standard versions, if you need to watch your salt intake, use common sense. Lite versions of salad dressing can be very high in sodium. Read your labels. Italian ham is very salty. Some versions of salsa can be higher in sodium than others. With a little variation, everyone can sample these recipes. Pick one, this holiday season, and enjoy!