Cooking Addict

Those who have been diagnosed with diabetes have special diet concerns. They must avoid too many carbohydrates and need to keep their blood sugar levels in check in order to have optimum health. Preparing tasty meals for the whole family as well as the diabetic can be a challenge for the person in charge of cooking.

Keeping Your Pantry well Stocked for Diabetic Cooking

Keeping your pantry stocked for diabetic recipes is a must if you don’t want to find yourself running to the market on a frequent basis. Of course if you are planning on preparing fish, you will want to purchase it fresh. It takes a little time to fully stock your pantry so that the diabetic can eat as freely as they did before. Buying fresh herbs and spices in small quantities will keep them at peak fragrance and flavor.

Items to Include

Various varieties of vinegars will give your recipes a flavorful kick. You can choose such vinegars as balsamic, red or white wine vinegar, malt or rice wine, cider or herbal infused vinegars to make simple ingredients taste fantastic.

Cooking sprays help you to keep the fat content in your cooking low which is a boon not only to the diabetic but the entire family as well. Cooking sprays come in a wide range of flavors such as butter, garlic or vegetable flavors.

When using oil for frying or other purposes, the best choices are olive, sesame, safflower and canola oils. Flavorful oils that are acceptable additions to a diabetic diet are walnut, peanut, avocado, grapeseed or hazelnut.

Items that are Canned or Packaged

When choosing food items for the diabetic that are packaged or canned, be sure you check the ingredient list. You want to stay away from foods that are high in sodium. You can choose from no salt added broth and stock, fruit juices that haven’t been sweetened, jelly without added sugar and a variety of legumes that are not only delicious, but good for you too.

Being in charge of the family meal menus can become a tedious task fast. Finding new ways to prepare the basics is a challenge you may be too tired to tackle after putting in a full day with the children or on the job. Fish however is a delicious and nutritious choice for dinner, that’s’ also simple and easy to make.

Picking the Fish

Choosing the right piece of fish can be daunting the first time you try. Don’t be afraid to ask the clerk for help in choosing the freshest and tastiest piece of fish. If you smell a pungent, fishy odor, it is an obvious tip-off that it isn’t the freshest piece in the showcase.

Once chosen, it is recommended that the fish be cooked the same day. You can also freeze fish if you don’t plan to eat it right away. Be gentle and try not to handle the fish too much before, during or after cooking, so that it is able to keep its fresh looks and firm texture.

Methods and Techniques for Cooking

When you’re cooking, it is important that you don’t overcook the fish. Most people are under the impression you must cook it until it flakes. Once you can flake the fish, it is a good indication that it will be dry when eaten. You can be sure you fish is cooked through when it goes from a translucent appearance to an opaque or white hue. If you want to be really sure the fish is cooked all the way through, you can utilize a thermometer to check the internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are quite a few different cooking methods for fish. You can boil, poach or bake your fish. You can fry it, broil it or grill it. It is a versatile entrée choice that can be paired with many different sauces and sautéed with a variety of herbs and spices. You can even microwave a filet for a quick and healthy meal that doesn’t require the stove.

If you are longing for the soft sands of a Caribbean beach or have a yen for some flavorful Caribbean cuisine, you can learn to create a fantastic meal right in your own home. The Caribbean islands are renowned for the extensive menu of delicacies they offer.  

You may not be able to have a tropical vacation this year, but you can create the ambience of the islands and serve a great meal that will have your family thinking they are on holiday in a warm and exotic land instead of your family kitchen.

Ingredients to have on Hand

To create an authentic Caribbean meal there are a few ingredients you may want to have on hand. Allspice also called pimiento comes from trees of the Caribbean and it is made from the berries that are bursting with scent. Jamaican and French West Indies cuisine consider this spice a staple and it is said that is reminiscent of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Conch is the meat of a giant sea snail and is another staple of Caribbean cuisine. It is tasty prepared in soups, salads or stews. If you are unable to find conch at your local or specialty supermarket, bay scallops will do as a substitute.

Coconut milk is made by blending hot water with coconut that has been freshly grated. You can easily find this ingredient in your local market. Calabaza is the pumpkin of the Caribbean and the flavor has been likened to butternut squash. If you are creating a dish that calls for calabaza, you can substitute the squash if you cannot find it. Popular in Caribbean rice dishes is the annatto seed. It has been referred to as saffron for the poor man.

Creating a Caribbean night can be something the whole family will enjoy. You can decorate your home to reflect the mood, serve frozen fruity frozen concoctions, play some Caribbean rhythms and enjoy the feast you have prepared.

Get your kids involved in your dinnertime routine – it’s a great skill to learn, and promotes family bonding. .

Take them shopping for groceries with you. Let them help you choose the foods you will eat this week. You can ask them what fruits and vegetables they would like to have this week, and see what they bring back.

You can also give them a list of simple things they can shop for on their own. Before you pay, be sure to look over the items your child has chosen and if they are unsuitable, give your kids a valid explanation on why it was the wrong item. Before you know it, they will be shopping like pros and really giving you a hand.

You can ask your children to each choose a family meal for the week. Allow them to help with the preparation of the meal and to pick out details such as the type of dressing to use on the salad or accompaniments for the table to give it a cheerier appearance. Give each child a day of the week, and have them stick with it.

Tell your children often that taste buds do change as we grow. Just because they didn’t like the taste of a certain food, if they try it again in the near future, they may find that they actually like it. Have your kids try different foods, even those that are not a normal part of their eating habits.  When you get your children involved in shopping and preparing healthy meals for the family, you are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime. Knowing how to shop and cook are life tools that will serve them in good stead as well as keep them healthy and happy for many years to come.

Nothing is worse than anticipating a mouth watering sandwich only to discover the bread is stale. Not only that, the chips you were going to eat along with your sandwich are stale too. There are ways to combat these types of problems when you learn some tips for storing foods to stay their healthiest and freshest.

Let’s Tackle the Bread

You bought a freshly baked loaf of bread yesterday, but today it seems to be getting harder and harder by the minute. What can you do to keep it feeling as fresh as the day you bought it? Most artisan and freshly baked breads come in paper wrapping. By wrapping the bread in a sheet of plastic before storing, you can keep your bread fresher for a longer period of time. It is also recommended that you put a stalk of celery in the bread bag as well.

Your Celery is Drooping

You may not use celery on a frequent basis, but you want it to stay crisp for as long as possible. Many times you may find yourself breaking off a stalk of celery only to watch it wilt pitifully in your grasp. You can avoid this scenario by taking your celery out of the plastic, and wrapping it up in tinfoil. Your celery will last for weeks using this technique.

If you need to serve a stalk of celery, simply put it in a container of water with ice and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours, and it will get its crispness back. It should be pretty snappy when you dry it off.

Storing Chips and Other Bagged Snacks

If you have spent dollars and dollars on buying those clips made to keep your pretzels and chips fresh, and every time you bring one home they seem to last for one bag of chips, you may be at a loss for a solution. You can take care of this annoyance in an economical way. Go to your local dollar or discount store and buy a bag of wooden clothespins. Put them where you store your snacks, and you will have a clip for your chips every time you need one.

Here are dozens of tips to help store food safely and inexpensively. 

Now that football season is coming to a close, it’s time for the biggest blowout of the season. Superbowl Sunday is the day when men and women all over America get ready to down some brewskys, and chow down on some appetizers and snacks, while they watch the final game of the season on ideally, a big screen TV.

What to Serve

Guys will choose to attend a Superbowl party depending upon what will be served. If you want the guys to gather at your house on Super Sunday, then be sure you have plenty of delicious food for them to pick on. Most people go for the big hero, hot wings and chips and dip. You can be different and serve up some fall off the bone ribs, chili and some tasty finger foods such as manly Mexican bites, sausage stuffed mushrooms or marinated olives.

Beverages

Getting a keg of beer is probably the most economical choice of beverages along with an assortment of soft drinks for those who don’t imbibe. You may think that making blender drinks is a good idea, but think of the mess that will be left in the kitchen after the guests have all gone home. Try to keep the beverages simple. If you want, besides the beer and soft drinks, you can buy a bottle or two of wine to keep the ladies happy.

The Set Up

Invest in a few plastic coolers to keep the beverages cold. You can also think about setting up two televisions; one for the real football fans, and one for the social guest who is only there for the food, drink and camaraderie. Have chafing dishes or Bunsen burners to ensure that the food stays hot throughout the game. Be sure you have enough paper goods and seating for all the guests.

Using fresh herbs in your cooking is not only flavorful, but can also be good for your health as well. You can grow your own small, windowsill herb garden, and add fresh flavor to all your meals. Knowing what herbs go with what types of food can be the toughest part, so we have made it a little easier by explaining a little bit about some commonly used herbs in cooking.

Basil

In ancient times, basil was known as the herb of the kings. The Romans and the Greeks believed that to plant a successful crop of basil, one had to yell and curse during the planting. It is considered to be a member of the family of mints. It has long been used for medicinal purposes in order to aid in digestive problems. Basil can blend well with other flavorings and spices such as oregano, garlic and most especially thyme.

Garlic

Along with shallots, chives, onions and leeks, garlic is considered to be a member of the lily family. Garlic has a history of being used for medicinal purposes as well as for adding zest and flavor to cooking. Garlic is so useful for so many things. It is said that there is a chemical allicin that gives garlic its distinctive smell, as well as destroying yeast, fungus and bacteria.

Saffron

In days long past, saffron was valued as a dye as well as for medicinal purposes. These days, saffron is used mainly for coloring and adding flavor to foods. Saffron comes in threads which need to be toasted in order to remove any moisture so they can be crushed or ground in order to use. It is believed to have been cultivated in antiquity, but as so many other plants, its origins have been lost to history.

We take our pots, pans and other cooking utensils for granted; but are they safe for us to use? The type of cookware you use to prepare your food can have a huge impact on yours and your family’s health.

How They can Affect Your Nutrition

What you use to cook your food can have a huge affect on what goes into your body. There can be minute particles of dangerous substances that can leach into food as it is cooking. The three main substances that are used for cooking utensils are lead, aluminum and iron. Lead and aluminum have been linked to illnesses, and can harm the very young or old.

Aluminum cookware has been deemed fairly safe. It is thought that at least 50% of all cookware is made from aluminum. Researchers have said that the amount of aluminum that leaches into your food is minimal. Ceramic cookware is lead based. Children need to be protected from lead ingestion. Foods that are acidic such as tomatoes, vinegar or oranges will be more likely to cause lead to leach from the cookware. Leads are more likely to leach into hot beverages and soups rather than cold drinks.

You will also need to watch out for ceramic cookware that is labeled as a collectible, antique or a craft. The reasoning behind this is that these cooking utensils may not meet the government standards for safety. You can purchase a kit in order to test levels of lead that may be present in your ceramic cookware, but they may not be able to detect lower levels that can be equally dangerous.

Using cast iron cookware has been proven to increase the amount of the iron in your diet, although there is usually a minute source of iron present. You can feel fairly confident that any cookware bought from a reputable manufacturer will have all the safety guidelines covered to protect you and your family from harmful substances leaching into your food.

Pork is a versatile meat. It can be served in a variety of ways and in various forms. One of the most popular ways to serve this delicious meat is in a ham. The definition of a ham is any pork that is from the pig’s hind leg. Ham that comes from the pig’s front leg is called a “shoulder picnic.”

You can buy a ham that is smoked, cured, fresh or ready cooked. Getting your ham ready for cooking depends on whether it is frozen or not. The safest ways to defrost your ham is to thaw it in the refrigerator or in water. It is not recommended that you defrost your ham or any type of meat on the counter.

If you buy your ham fully cooked and canned or vacuum packed, they can be eaten straight from their packaging. Most people choose to heat a cooked ham. Hams that are fully cooked need to be heated to an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.

Some Cooking Dos and Don’ts for Hams

If you plan on trimming the fat, be sure you leave at least ¼ inch. Scoring the ham allows the glaze or basting juices to penetrate the meat, so score your ham in a diamond shaped pattern for best results. You can leave the ham at room temperature for an hour or two before you cook it. Remember, if you baste your ham with pan drippings, they have a tendency to be quite salty. If you are going to glaze your ham with honey or sugar, do it during the final sixty minutes of cooking. Usually one application of the glaze is sufficient. Finally, if your ham has a bone, don’t throw it away, save it for flavoring bean dishes or soups.

Nothing has been more of a blessing to busy moms who are on the go or work outside the home as the slow cooker. This appliance can be a women’s best friend, no matter what the season. Most people think of slow cooked dinners for hearty wintertime fare, but they can be used in the summer as well. They can keep the kitchen as well as the cook cooler, all while offering up tasty meals the entire family will enjoy.

Although there are concerns that using a slow cooker is not safe, these are unfounded.  It is a perfectly safe method of cooking food. It is especially kind to tougher, more inexpensive cuts of meat, making them soft and savory during cooking. Using a slow cooker, you will observe all the same precautions to avoid risk of harmful bacteria. Use a clean appliance to start with along with clean utensils. Always wash your hands before and after handling uncooked foods, especially meats.

Never put frozen meat or poultry to cook when you use a slow cooker. Ensure the meat or poultry is fully defrosted so that it will cook evenly. The slow cooker cooks food at a steady, low temperature and is adept at killing harmful bacteria. If food is still frozen, you cannot guarantee that the food is entirely safe to eat.

It is best to cut up the ingredients into small pieces when using a slow cooker. It is not recommended you cook a whole chicken or a roast as the food may remain in the danger zone for bacteria for too long a time.

Having a slow cooker can put meals on the table in a flash. With just a few minutes of preparation in the morning you and your family can have a nice hot meal all ready and waiting to be served when you arrive home after a long and hard day.