Today, thanks to our lifestyle and habits, many of us are suffering from hypertension and/or cardiovascular diseases. In fact, there would be some people who might be taking medications on a daily basis to keep all these health problems at bay. However, just taking medications like diuretics, vasodilators or alpha-adrenergic blocking agents is not the solution to the problem. You also need to think about making changes to food and diet.
One of the main reasons for hypertension is consuming too many fats and oil. We eat a lot of fried foods that are dripping with fats and oils. These foods when consumed, increase the blood cholesterol level and are responsible for blocking our arteries with plaque. Once the arteries get blocked, people start suffering from multitude problems like high blood pressure, heart problems like myocardial infarction, or strokes.
Therefore, people suffering from high blood pressure or heart disease should immediately switch to a diet that contains low fats. Cooking without using too much fat is possible. It is not necessary that you have to live on boiled food for the rest of your life. You can learn to steam food, or even degrease meat so that most of the fat is removed. This way you can still eat meat by cooking it as you normally would. However, your fat intake would decrease substantially.
There are many health benefits from low fat cooking, especially if you are suffering from high blood pressure or heart disease. Even people who are not suffering from these ailments can reduce their risk of getting these health problems through low fat cooking.
About Author:
Kum Martin is an online leading expert in the culinary industry. He also offers top quality tips like:
Beef Burgers Recipe, Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Thursday, 18 March 2010
The Importance of Good Cooking Knives
Cooking can be a labor of love or it can be a huge hassle. There are lots of things that can make or break this delicate balance, including not enough storage space and too little room to move around. But one of the worst things in a kitchen is bad knives.
Have you ever tried to cut something like a tomato with a dull knife? A knife that needs to be sharpened is about as useful as trying to cut something with a spoon. Actually, a dull knife is worse. Every knows that spoons aren't used for slicing. But a dull knife gives the impression of being useful but it really isn't.
There are as many knives as there are uses for them. Some are more for specialty uses and others are very basic and used on an everyday basis. When picking out knives, you have to make a lot of decisions. Knowing what you will be using them for and what features are most important to you is key. A first question to ask is: Do you need a whole set or just one new knife? Knives are sold both ways. Second, what are you looking to do with this new knife? Will you use it to chop celery or slice homemade bread? Is it useful for a big steak or peeling a small apple? Third, are you willing to wash each knife by hand or do you want to be able to put them in a dishwasher. This will determine what type of handle you buy.
For everyday use, there are several knives which are very helpful. To start with, a good chef knife is essential. They come in various sizes, ranging from 6-12 inches. Those who have bigger hands may want to pick the longer blade. Another essential is the paring knife. It's usually between 3-5 inches long and has a straight blade. It's good for peeling veggies or cutting up apples. It's kind of an all purpose knife that can do just about any small job. If you make or eat bread often, a knife with a serrated blade is a must. The tender crumb of bread will smash if you try to cut with a chef knife. And a pairing knife isn't long enough for most types of bread. One negative thing about a serrated knife is that you cannot sharpen it. So if the day comes that it's dull, you have to buy a new one.
Looking to expand your collection of baking tools? Stop by http://minibundtpans.org to see if a set of mini bundt pans is a smart choice for your kitchen.
Have you ever tried to cut something like a tomato with a dull knife? A knife that needs to be sharpened is about as useful as trying to cut something with a spoon. Actually, a dull knife is worse. Every knows that spoons aren't used for slicing. But a dull knife gives the impression of being useful but it really isn't.
There are as many knives as there are uses for them. Some are more for specialty uses and others are very basic and used on an everyday basis. When picking out knives, you have to make a lot of decisions. Knowing what you will be using them for and what features are most important to you is key. A first question to ask is: Do you need a whole set or just one new knife? Knives are sold both ways. Second, what are you looking to do with this new knife? Will you use it to chop celery or slice homemade bread? Is it useful for a big steak or peeling a small apple? Third, are you willing to wash each knife by hand or do you want to be able to put them in a dishwasher. This will determine what type of handle you buy.
For everyday use, there are several knives which are very helpful. To start with, a good chef knife is essential. They come in various sizes, ranging from 6-12 inches. Those who have bigger hands may want to pick the longer blade. Another essential is the paring knife. It's usually between 3-5 inches long and has a straight blade. It's good for peeling veggies or cutting up apples. It's kind of an all purpose knife that can do just about any small job. If you make or eat bread often, a knife with a serrated blade is a must. The tender crumb of bread will smash if you try to cut with a chef knife. And a pairing knife isn't long enough for most types of bread. One negative thing about a serrated knife is that you cannot sharpen it. So if the day comes that it's dull, you have to buy a new one.
Looking to expand your collection of baking tools? Stop by http://minibundtpans.org to see if a set of mini bundt pans is a smart choice for your kitchen.
Cooking Chicken For Two
While the kids were growing up, I often found myself cooking for five or more on any given day. Today, the kids are often not home at dinner time and I find myself cooking for two quite often. I'd like to share a few recipes that are just enough for two people.
Living in California, avocados are a part of our daily life. I remember reading a comment someone wrote about California after they had visited our great state. They said "I don't think I ever saw a menu that didn't have avocado on it." So, I'd like to share an avocado chicken recipe, just right for two people:
1 whole chicken breast or 2 half chicken breasts
1 small avocado - ripe
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup white wine
¼ cup flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon tarragon
¼ teaspoon salt
In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper and flour. Roll the chicken in this mixture to coat. Coat a skillet in vegetable oil. Heat the chicken in the skilled about ten minutes, turning to brown both sides. Mix the remaining herbs together and sprinkle on the chicken. Add in the butter and wine and bring to a boil and then simmer about five minutes. Place avocado slices on top of the chicken. Baste with juices from the skillet. Cover and heat until chicken is cooked through.
I will sometimes omit the herbs and instead add in orange juice and orange zest to give the chicken a citrus flavor instead of an herb flavor. When you do this, add a few orange slices on top of the chicken. I also love paremesan chicken. I finally got the measurements to make enough coating for one large or two small chicken breasts:
1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon oil
I like to use Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs. It's a different taste, almost buttery. I suggest fresh parmesan as the taste is stronger. If I have packaged cheese at home, I will use it, but then I'll sprinkle some on top at the end to add more cheese flavor to the chicken.
To make this dish, beat the egg and then dip the chicken in the egg. Mix together the parmesan cheese and bread/cracker crumbs. Roll the chicken in the crumbs. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the chicken, flipping to brown both sides. Make the sure the chicken is cooked through.
You can also bake this chicken. I bake it about forty-five minutes at 350 degrees. You can adapt most chicken recipes to serve two. Often it just requires cutting a recipe in half. The above two recipes work perfectly for the one large or two small chicken breasts.
Audrey's mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com
Living in California, avocados are a part of our daily life. I remember reading a comment someone wrote about California after they had visited our great state. They said "I don't think I ever saw a menu that didn't have avocado on it." So, I'd like to share an avocado chicken recipe, just right for two people:
1 whole chicken breast or 2 half chicken breasts
1 small avocado - ripe
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup white wine
¼ cup flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon tarragon
¼ teaspoon salt
In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper and flour. Roll the chicken in this mixture to coat. Coat a skillet in vegetable oil. Heat the chicken in the skilled about ten minutes, turning to brown both sides. Mix the remaining herbs together and sprinkle on the chicken. Add in the butter and wine and bring to a boil and then simmer about five minutes. Place avocado slices on top of the chicken. Baste with juices from the skillet. Cover and heat until chicken is cooked through.
I will sometimes omit the herbs and instead add in orange juice and orange zest to give the chicken a citrus flavor instead of an herb flavor. When you do this, add a few orange slices on top of the chicken. I also love paremesan chicken. I finally got the measurements to make enough coating for one large or two small chicken breasts:
1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon oil
I like to use Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs. It's a different taste, almost buttery. I suggest fresh parmesan as the taste is stronger. If I have packaged cheese at home, I will use it, but then I'll sprinkle some on top at the end to add more cheese flavor to the chicken.
To make this dish, beat the egg and then dip the chicken in the egg. Mix together the parmesan cheese and bread/cracker crumbs. Roll the chicken in the crumbs. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the chicken, flipping to brown both sides. Make the sure the chicken is cooked through.
You can also bake this chicken. I bake it about forty-five minutes at 350 degrees. You can adapt most chicken recipes to serve two. Often it just requires cutting a recipe in half. The above two recipes work perfectly for the one large or two small chicken breasts.
Audrey's mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com
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