Tag: Microwave;

Quick and Easy Lunches for the Cooking Challenged

Let’s face it, cooking is not a top priority in the lives of every man, woman, or child on the planet. In fact, far too people have made learning to cook a priority in their lives. This means that we often exist on convenience foods and boxed mixes rather than taking the effort to prepare healthy meals for our families and our own personal enjoyment.

The same holds true for lunches when we often resort to a can of soup or box of macaroni and cheese or some other such product rather than putting our creative efforts into making a quick and easy yet delicious lunch. You will see many ideas in this article and the hope is that these ideas will not only get you off to a great start for ending the lunch rut we all seem to find ourselves in at some time or another but also to try new things on your own.

First of all, not all great lunches require actual cooking in order to prepare. Some of them will require the use of the microwave and some of them will need to be cooked or at least prepared before hand and reheated. The choices are virtually limitless once you understand the creative concept that must be in place. You should also find that many of these ideas are so simple you will wonder why on earth you have never thought of them. I certainly hope that some of these ideas will become main features within your own home.

Lettuce wraps. These mike delightfully delicious lunch treats and the filling can be prepared ahead of time, which leaves only reheating the filling and wrapping when you’re ready to eat. This is a fun lunch to share with your little ones and it teaches them that lettuce is much more versatile than people often give it credit for being. Some people choose to go with a teriyaki inspired filling; my family likes taco inspired fillings for our lettuce rolls. You are perfectly free to come up with a favorite filling of your very own.

Try sandwiches with different breads. Believe it or not, my children love trying new things. It’s a rare trait for which I am extremely grateful. Believe me I understand all too well how fortunate I am. My youngest however, has a little difficulty with thick or crusty bread. Her favorite sandwich choice has become Hawaiian sweet rolls. We put the meat, cheese, mustard, and pickle in her roll as if it were a bun and she’s thrilled. Other great ideas include hollowing out crusty rolls and filling them with roast beef and cheddar. You can broil this in your oven for a few minutes for a rare sandwich treat. The cooking part is very minimal and you do not have to have in depth knowledge of anything to prepare or enjoy these simple treats. Other great bread ideas include croissants with ham and cheese or chicken salad, taco pitas (another great favorite in our household), and paninis (this works really well if you have a George Foreman grill or a panini press).

While this is by no means the end all be all guide to cooking quick and easy lunches it is good food for thought. The hope is that this will get your own creative juices flowing so that you can prepare wonderful lunches for your family without needing to do too terribly much heavy cooking in the process.

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Chocolate Belgian Waffle Recipe

The waffle is a cake-like breakfast bread made out of batter. The batter is usually a mixture of sugar, oil, flour, eggs and milk poured into a iron that has designs in it and no, we are not talking about the average flat iron that we use on clothes. The iron used in baking waffles generally has a honeycomb like design in it and can be bought in numerous shapes. Some are heart-shaped, cone-shaped or even shaped like a cloud. The common waffle iron has the distinctive crisscross pattern. The pattern is the result of the elevated divisions on the iron.

There are a large number of types of waffles. There are the light, crisp waffles; the waffles that are like apple pie that smells and tastes like the real apple pie; cinnamon waffles; the light and softy chocolate chip and butter milk waffles that are so fluffy and light; the cornmeal waffles that has a light and crunchy texture; the gingerbread waffles poured with a chocolate sauce; the crispy maple walnut waffle that has a full maple flavor within but the outer part is super crispy and of course who can forget the famous Belgian waffle. Most if not all of this are best served topped with butter, syrup or even fruits like raspberries or strawberries. And due to the insistent demand for Belgian waffles, below is a recipe of a chocolate Belgian waffle.

Ingredients:

For the Topping:

18 Ounces of dark chocolate, chopped up
1 Cup of heavy cream
12 Tablespoons of butter (unsalted) cut into cubes
1/2 Cup of corn syrup (light)
2 pinches of salt
4 Teaspoons of vanilla

Direction:

Throw in all the ingredients except for vanilla. Then mix everything in. Place over boiling water on a low heat; whip until melted and soft. Remove from high temperature and boiling water; beat with vanilla in a whisking manner. Place in a ceramic bowl them microwave at moderate power for a minute. Then fold the ingredients very well until very smooth. Then microwave for twenty minutes then stir well until the topping is silky soft. Chill for a moment. If you are not going to use it immediately, store it in the refrigerator. It is best served when warm.

For the waffles:

4 squares or 4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped up
4 squares or 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, chopped up
4/6 cups of heavy cream
4 pieces of large eggs (Large, at room temperature)
6/8 cups plus 4 tablespoons of milk
4 cups of cake flour
1 cup plus 4 tablespoons of sugar
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 pinch of salt

Direction:
In a little heatproof bowl, mix chopped chocolates with heavy cream. Put over boiling water on a low heat. Whip until almost thawed out. Remove from high temperature and boiling water. Beat until soft. Then cool by stirring the batter occasionally until room temperature.

In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg yolks and milk until well-mixed. Set aside. Sift the sugar, cake flour, salt and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl. When the chocolate mixture is at room temperature, add now the dry ingredients together with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Fold until blended, should a few lumps appear just ignore.

Preheat the waffle maker. While the waffle maker heats, you may start cleaning a small bowl with a clean beater, beat the egg whites on high speed to stiffen the peaks. Tenderly fold into the batter until there the white streaks disappears.

Then follow the manufacturers instructions for cooking waffles because waffle makers vary from the amount of batter you are going to put on the divisions.

Microwave Cooking is the Wave of the Future

When it comes to cooking there are few tools that are more versatile in the kitchen than the microwave. This device offers so many functions when it comes to cooking that most people never bother to utilize. It’s sad really. In most homes, the microwave has been relegated to doing duty as a meat defroster, popcorn popper, and coffee warmer rather than using is as the fabulous device for actual food preparation that it really is capable of being.

Before you set up to change your ways, you need to understand that when it comes to microwave cooking, not all microwaves were created equal. Wattage is vitally important as is the quality of your microwave. The average el cheapo microwave that you can find in discount stores will simply not stand up to the rigors of regular full meal preparation though they are perfectly acceptable for many wonderful dishes that can be prepared as side dishes. The correct microwave however, can actually brown and bake a full sized Thanksgiving turkey.

Microwave cooking is definitely not something that is meant for those who are afraid of trying something new or those that are afraid of making mistakes along the way. This is a process that is one part science and one part figuring it out. Research helps a great deal but even many of the recipes you will find for microwave cooking are written for microwaves of varying wattage so you will need to ferret out what times and temperatures would be appropriate for your microwave. This is to a large degree going to be a process of trial and error unless you are using the recipe book that came with your microwave.

Do not despair however, most that have tried microwave cooking find it to be a much better process for their meal preparation needs. While microwave cooking is great for big families it is an outstanding way to save money when cooking for and feeding one. It is also rather simple. In other words, even college students can benefit by learning microwave cooking for one or more as it will help them limit their expenses while still eating healthy fresh made meals.

Another great thing about microwave cooking that is often overlooked is that there are far less messes to be made than when cooking part of a meal stove top, part of a meal in the oven, and part of the meal elsewhere. By and large, microwave cooking keeps any spills and splatter isolated to your microwave. Most of these can be cleaned and controlled rather easily by using a removable plate in your microwave (that can be washed in the dishwasher) and covering your food whenever possible to avoid splatters.

Microwave cooking is gaining popularity despite the fact that is hasn’t caught on as well as the inventors would have liked. The proof of this is in the many products that have been created to make microwave cooking a little bit easier. From omelet makers to special trays for cooking bacon in the microwave industrious people are working to make the easy way of cooking that much easier.

If you have a microwave in your home that is used mostly for melting butter and warming pizza, then you have a microwave in your home that is being terribly under utilized. It is time you hit the search engines for recipes that will be appropriate for your microwave and get busy trying something new and different that will have your family awed and amazed. Imagine having them toss accolades for your tireless devotion and standing over a hot stove for hours when in actuality you only checked on the microwave when the proper time approached.

Microwave cooking very well may be the wave of the future. Get a head start and begin building your collection of wonderful microwave recipes right away for the best selection. The day will arrive when you can make microwave cooking the rule rather than the exception.

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Italian Food on the Go

When most people think of having an Italian meal they think of sitting down at a restaurant and making a night of it. There really isn’t much of a fast option. For most people quick Italian food means throwing some pasta in a pot and opening a jar of Prego, or worse, throwing a frozen meal in the microwave. However, there is another way to experience fast Italian food and that is through Fazoli’s.

Fazoli’s is a fast Italian food chain in the United States. They are currently serving up Italian food in 400 locations throughout the United States. Now it should be noted that I am using the term Italian food very loosely here. This is a great choice for people who like traditional Americanized Italian food, but not such a good choice for Italian food connoisseurs looking for a fine meal. The Italian food served here includes such classics as spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine alfredo, lasagna, ravioli, pizza, subs, panini sandwiches, and salads. Many people like to catch one of these classic Italian food dishes through the drive through, but these people are missing part of what makes Fazoli’s so popular and that is the breadsticks. If you dine inside a Fazoli’s then you get unlimited free breadsticks. This is Fazoli’s trademark and has helped them become popular in the United States.

While Fazoli’s is certainly not an option for quality Italian food, it is a good option to fill a craving for Italian food without having to go out to a restaurant and take up a good part of your night. There are not many options today for fast Italian food and to many people the whole concept of Fazoli’s strikes them as odd at first. Fast food is generally seen as the domain of hamburgers and finger foods. For this reason Fazoli’s has not grown as fast or become as popular as other fast food chains. If Fazoli’s continues to grow and gain popularity then it may prompt others to start more quality fast Italian food chains. Fast food chains are expanding to include healthy menu items and more quality food for the money. So there may be more of a place for Fazoli’s as the country expands its views on fast food in general.

Fazoli’s is cheap Italian food and you really do get what you pay for. Right now the only other real option for fast Italian food is to prepare it yourself. For some people making Italian food themselves defeats the purpose of fast Italian food so Fazoli’s is a great option. With all the different innovations happening in contemporary Italian food it’s possible that in the future there may be multiple options for getting fast Italian food of a good quality. In fact, in Italy there are already fast food restaurants that serve good quality Italian food. But, like most things in the world of Italian food, we can expect for it to be awhile before these developments make it to this side of the ocean. Until then we’ll just have to make do with Fazoli’s and resort to conventional restaurants to get fine Italian food.

What Type Of Fillings Can I Use In My Cake

What Type Of Fillings Can I Use In My Cake Decorating

Many people feel that cake filling can be difficult to maintain. If done right, you can make a beautiful filled cake, without too much drama.

Cake filling flavors need to compliment one another, chocolate with orange, hazelnuts, or almonds

Some cakes will not hold up well without refrigeration. Mousse and whipped cream can separate, get soggy and drip. Berries can get soggy and drip everywhere. Buttercream needs to be kept in a cool place so the frosting wont separate. Cakes covered with fondant should be kept at room temperature and never be refrigerated.

If you are using fresh berries or whipped cream as a filling, make sure the cake will be eaten within a few hours. If these things are on the cake too long. If you are going to prepare a cake a couple of days in advance, you may want to use simple syrup or a flavor wash on the cake layers to keep the level of moisture up, before you add your filling.

Keep in mind the dietary restrictions of your guests. Make sure there is no conflict when you are decorating a cake for special occasions, or for a client. If diabetics are present, you might want to make or purchase a small dessert that is sugar free for these guests.

When you are making a cake for an occasion that is serving other food, make your flavors stronger and your colors brighter. This will make the cake stand out and your cake decorating will be something they will remember.

Cake Filling Ideas

– Buttercream icing flavors- Mocha, Orange, Raspberry, Chocolate, Lemon, and extra Almond extract.

– Any variety of jam.

– Mocha buttercream with a sprinkle of finely chopped heath bars, or with caramel sauce dribbled over the cake and sprinkled with chopped peanuts.

– Whipped cream, Chocolate Mousse, and Vanilla Custard.

– Almond, Lemon, Coffee, Raspberry, Hazelnut, or orange liqueur can be brushed on the cake before icing, for a flavor boost.

– Davinci Flavored Syrups are great for a flavor enhancer that is non-alcoholic. These syrups come in over 100 flavors.

– To combat the problem of cake filling oozing out of the sides of the cake, try this. Use a jam that is all fruit (Polaner), Heat the entire jar in the microwave without the lid. After 30 seconds the jam should be warm and liquid. Stir a small package of Jello that is the same flavor of the jam.

This will intensify the flavor of the jam, and best of all, once it is spread on the first layer and left alone for a few minutes, the jam will set. The second layer can be put on the cake without fear of spill-over. You may want to set the first layer into the freezer for about 15 minutes to make the jam set better. This jam can be kept in the fridge and heated the next time you want to fill a cake. Don’t keep it too long though.

You can also make a dam of buttercream around the edge of the cake to keep the filling where it is supposed to be. This way your icing will not become stained by the filling and your decorated cake will remain beautiful.