Making Jerky at Home in Your Kitchen By Stephen Kish
When you go to stores like Wal-Mart or any supermarket there is always a display of beef jerky. You will pay anywhere from $5 to $7 or more for a very small amount. Some will have you wanting more after you taste just a little.
Instead of paying high prices for someone else's jerky, wouldn't it make sense to make your own? You might think this is something that that you can only do if you live in a log cabin somewhere in the woods, but this is not true. You can make your own jerky right from your suburban kitchen.
You might think that jerky is something difficult to produce but it is very easy. Jerky is just raw meat that has been dried slowly at a low temperature. It has been cooked down until the water is out of it but the flavor remains. Many people find that jerky is their meat of choice in certain situations.
To make jerky in your kitchen you can either use a smoker or your kitchen oven. If you use the kitchen oven it is advisable to purchase a jerky tray kit to keep everything together. You can find one for about $30. You will gather a sharp butcher knife to cut the meat, a bowl or small roasting pot that you can marinate the meat in and a heat source that is either your oven or a smoker.
The best idea is to make a lot of jerky at one time because you can do more with it. You can make snack packs and then distribute them as needed. A good rule of thumb is to make 3 pounds at a time, which will take 3-4 hours to do.
When you choose your meat it should be lean and the best cut you can afford. Remember the better the meat you start with the better the jerky you will get. Look for a top or bottom roast and try to catch it on sale. You can keep more meat in your freezer that way and have it on hand when you want to make jerky.
If you get lots of meat you can cut it to the thickness you like and then put it into freezer bags and place it in your freezer. This way you will have them ready to go when you want to make jerky and not have to worry about cutting more meat each time.
Author, Stephen Kish, For more information on how to make jerky at home and access to 50 jerky recipes, see http://howtomaketastymeats.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Kish
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tips For Making Homemade Soup
Tips For Making Homemade Soup By Daniel Kraus
This time of year a nice hearty soup or stew hits the spot after a long day; soups by nature are soothing and comforting. At the heart of a good soup is the stock and believe it or not stocks are fairly simple to make. They will, however, take a little more time than opening pre-made stocks or store bought. A good stock or broth requires quality ingredients, seasonings and a little bit of time.
You will need a few hours of cooking time and some undivided attention from time to time during the process for the stock to be at its best, but it is not hard.
A stock should be made from the parts left over or to be thrown out such as bones, shells, lettuce, vegetable scraps and even the fat cut off of meat if you are not concerned with the fat intake.
Essentially you will be cooking out the flavor in all of these ingredients slowly for a few hours. The amount of ingredients will determine how much water to use and if you are following a recipe just use the instructions provided the first time you use the recipe and then change it to your liking.
Let’s say we are making a chicken/turkey stock which is fairly common as far as stocks go.
A good idea would be to save the scraps of chicken and turkey, or any fowl for that matter, for a matter of weeks; use the freezer if necessary. When you are ready thaw out the bones and scraps and as well as gathering the vegetable scraps and any seasonings you will want to include. Place the above mentioned ingredients into a stock pot and fill with water until the water is about ½ inch above the top of the food. Put every piece of bone and animal scrap into the pot to cook; the more the merrier in this case.
For added flavor consider slicing onions, celery and mincing a small amount of garlic to the mix. For best results wait until about half way through to add the garlic, this will make the garlic flavor stand out more. Start by bringing the mixture to a boil and then back off on the heat and allow it to simmer.
You will need to remove the foam from the top of the pot as it starts to boil and just do you know this is completely normal. If you so desire partially roast some chicken breasts or wings and add them into the mixture. This will add loads of flavor and a little more substance to your stock.
As the mixture cooks down you will want to add the seasonings to your tastes; perhaps just a bit of salt and pepper or some oregano and basil.
Remember, adding the spices and seasonings early will diminish their flavor in the stock as the heat and cooking process will remove the natural flavors over time. Should you over season or add too much salt add a whole peeled potato and simmer for approximately 15 minutes; the potato will absorb the excess salt. To reduce the fat content prepare the stock a day or two ahead of time and chill over night. This will allow the fats to rise to the top where it can be spooned off.
Following these simple tips and steps anyone can create a homemade stock for soup. After the stock is completed you can use it for any number of recipes, even those that are not soups or stews. Stocks can be use for adding moisture to left-overs, recipes calling for the addition of water or to another chicken meal all together.
Daniel Kraus has worked in the food service industry for over 15 years as a manager, bartender and server captain in four and five star restaurants from St. Louis to Nashville.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Kraus
This time of year a nice hearty soup or stew hits the spot after a long day; soups by nature are soothing and comforting. At the heart of a good soup is the stock and believe it or not stocks are fairly simple to make. They will, however, take a little more time than opening pre-made stocks or store bought. A good stock or broth requires quality ingredients, seasonings and a little bit of time.
You will need a few hours of cooking time and some undivided attention from time to time during the process for the stock to be at its best, but it is not hard.
A stock should be made from the parts left over or to be thrown out such as bones, shells, lettuce, vegetable scraps and even the fat cut off of meat if you are not concerned with the fat intake.
Essentially you will be cooking out the flavor in all of these ingredients slowly for a few hours. The amount of ingredients will determine how much water to use and if you are following a recipe just use the instructions provided the first time you use the recipe and then change it to your liking.
Let’s say we are making a chicken/turkey stock which is fairly common as far as stocks go.
A good idea would be to save the scraps of chicken and turkey, or any fowl for that matter, for a matter of weeks; use the freezer if necessary. When you are ready thaw out the bones and scraps and as well as gathering the vegetable scraps and any seasonings you will want to include. Place the above mentioned ingredients into a stock pot and fill with water until the water is about ½ inch above the top of the food. Put every piece of bone and animal scrap into the pot to cook; the more the merrier in this case.
For added flavor consider slicing onions, celery and mincing a small amount of garlic to the mix. For best results wait until about half way through to add the garlic, this will make the garlic flavor stand out more. Start by bringing the mixture to a boil and then back off on the heat and allow it to simmer.
You will need to remove the foam from the top of the pot as it starts to boil and just do you know this is completely normal. If you so desire partially roast some chicken breasts or wings and add them into the mixture. This will add loads of flavor and a little more substance to your stock.
As the mixture cooks down you will want to add the seasonings to your tastes; perhaps just a bit of salt and pepper or some oregano and basil.
Remember, adding the spices and seasonings early will diminish their flavor in the stock as the heat and cooking process will remove the natural flavors over time. Should you over season or add too much salt add a whole peeled potato and simmer for approximately 15 minutes; the potato will absorb the excess salt. To reduce the fat content prepare the stock a day or two ahead of time and chill over night. This will allow the fats to rise to the top where it can be spooned off.
Following these simple tips and steps anyone can create a homemade stock for soup. After the stock is completed you can use it for any number of recipes, even those that are not soups or stews. Stocks can be use for adding moisture to left-overs, recipes calling for the addition of water or to another chicken meal all together.
Daniel Kraus has worked in the food service industry for over 15 years as a manager, bartender and server captain in four and five star restaurants from St. Louis to Nashville.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Kraus
Monday, January 12, 2009
Why Cook Organic
Why Cook Organic By Diane L Bixler
There is no better reason to cook organic then for the main fact that it is so much healthier for you. Organic foods are free of man-made chemicals, poisons, and pesticides. The best food choices for your health are simple and fresh organic foods that are cooked to maintain their vital nutrients. When you eat organic, you are supporting not just your own health but also that of the eco-systems where the organic produce was raised.
Unlike commercial farms that typically focus on one or two commodities that strip the soil of vital nutrients, organic farms tend to grow a variety of crops. This helps to maintain the health and diversity of the soil. Organic farming methods make for sustainable agriculture that protects people (consumers and workers), environments, and wildlife from the harmful impact of dangerous chemicals. By supporting organic farming we create awareness in our community about the health and social benefits of green cuisine.
'Certified organic' means that the food item was grown in compliance with organic standards as set by one of the organic regulatory agencies.
Consider cooking more meals with ingredients that are cultivated with cleaner resources that require less maintenance. Fish caught in the wild use fewer resources and as long as they are caught in an ecologically sound way (i.e. one that prevents the incidences of by-catch), the process will not disturb natural ecosystems. Fish that are farmed in pens, like salmon, pollute the ocean environment with their own waste. Cultivating vegetable matter requires fewer resources on average than, say, producing meat, which requires immense amounts of water, grass, land, and labor.
Food is a gift from the earth to our bodies - we need it to stay alive, to play, to work, even sleep. When we choose quality, fresh, live food, we can accomplish extraordinary things every day. When we eat natural food grown with sunshine, we are putting long lasting 'clean' energy and life into our bodies.
Most people readily associate green cuisine with cooking vegan or vegetable foods, but green cooking is more about cooking in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. Are you a pasta lover? If you use water, vegetable broth, or chicken stock to cook rice or pasta, try not to waste the excess by throwing it out-leftover broth makes an ideal base for a soup. You can even pour it into your houseplants which are as eager for organic nutrients as we are. The same goes for leftovers that can be fed to plants or composted just as easily.
Today you can use your outdoor space to create a level of self-sufficiency by growing your own herbs and vegetables. You don't need to be an expert gardener or have a massive garden or greenhouse to start making use of your own green fingers. Even apartment-dwellers will be amazed by how much green food can be grown in a relatively small space. All you need is a window-box, sunshine, and plenty of positive dedication-bon appetit!
When you purchase organic beef and other varieties of sustainable meat, you can rest assured that these are free from antibiotics or synthetic hormones, and that the animal grown to produce the meat was not fed genetically modified feed. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Many people claim that organic food tastes better, and that they feel a noticeable boost in their overall health and energy level when the majority of the food they consume is organic. Great nutrition means maximizing on the freshest and most pure ingredients, drinking clean water, and listening to the feedback that your body gives you. It means eliminating or minimizing preservatives, synthetic chemicals, refined sugars, refined (empty) carbohydrates, saturated fats and acidic foods. It means being kind to ourselves and giving our bodies food that it can easily digest, only in quantities that it requires and which gives us the greatest possible energy for our busy and demanding lives.
Buy, cook and eat healthy, local, organic foods.
Consuming organic and/or fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains and water every day is the best advantage that you can give your body and your family.
Diane Bixlerhttp://www.organicspicesandmore.cominfo@organicspicesandmore.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_L_Bixler
There is no better reason to cook organic then for the main fact that it is so much healthier for you. Organic foods are free of man-made chemicals, poisons, and pesticides. The best food choices for your health are simple and fresh organic foods that are cooked to maintain their vital nutrients. When you eat organic, you are supporting not just your own health but also that of the eco-systems where the organic produce was raised.
Unlike commercial farms that typically focus on one or two commodities that strip the soil of vital nutrients, organic farms tend to grow a variety of crops. This helps to maintain the health and diversity of the soil. Organic farming methods make for sustainable agriculture that protects people (consumers and workers), environments, and wildlife from the harmful impact of dangerous chemicals. By supporting organic farming we create awareness in our community about the health and social benefits of green cuisine.
'Certified organic' means that the food item was grown in compliance with organic standards as set by one of the organic regulatory agencies.
Consider cooking more meals with ingredients that are cultivated with cleaner resources that require less maintenance. Fish caught in the wild use fewer resources and as long as they are caught in an ecologically sound way (i.e. one that prevents the incidences of by-catch), the process will not disturb natural ecosystems. Fish that are farmed in pens, like salmon, pollute the ocean environment with their own waste. Cultivating vegetable matter requires fewer resources on average than, say, producing meat, which requires immense amounts of water, grass, land, and labor.
Food is a gift from the earth to our bodies - we need it to stay alive, to play, to work, even sleep. When we choose quality, fresh, live food, we can accomplish extraordinary things every day. When we eat natural food grown with sunshine, we are putting long lasting 'clean' energy and life into our bodies.
Most people readily associate green cuisine with cooking vegan or vegetable foods, but green cooking is more about cooking in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. Are you a pasta lover? If you use water, vegetable broth, or chicken stock to cook rice or pasta, try not to waste the excess by throwing it out-leftover broth makes an ideal base for a soup. You can even pour it into your houseplants which are as eager for organic nutrients as we are. The same goes for leftovers that can be fed to plants or composted just as easily.
Today you can use your outdoor space to create a level of self-sufficiency by growing your own herbs and vegetables. You don't need to be an expert gardener or have a massive garden or greenhouse to start making use of your own green fingers. Even apartment-dwellers will be amazed by how much green food can be grown in a relatively small space. All you need is a window-box, sunshine, and plenty of positive dedication-bon appetit!
When you purchase organic beef and other varieties of sustainable meat, you can rest assured that these are free from antibiotics or synthetic hormones, and that the animal grown to produce the meat was not fed genetically modified feed. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Many people claim that organic food tastes better, and that they feel a noticeable boost in their overall health and energy level when the majority of the food they consume is organic. Great nutrition means maximizing on the freshest and most pure ingredients, drinking clean water, and listening to the feedback that your body gives you. It means eliminating or minimizing preservatives, synthetic chemicals, refined sugars, refined (empty) carbohydrates, saturated fats and acidic foods. It means being kind to ourselves and giving our bodies food that it can easily digest, only in quantities that it requires and which gives us the greatest possible energy for our busy and demanding lives.
Buy, cook and eat healthy, local, organic foods.
Consuming organic and/or fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains and water every day is the best advantage that you can give your body and your family.
Diane Bixlerhttp://www.organicspicesandmore.cominfo@organicspicesandmore.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_L_Bixler
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Varities of Healthy And Easy To Cook Trout Recipe
Varities of Healthy And Easy To Cook Trout Recipe by Danny_Angel
Trouts are fresh water fishes and commercially farmed for sports fishing and human consumption.
We've eaten trout for hundreds of years now and trout can be cooked in plenty of ways. Let me share with you some good trout recipes and different simple ways how to cook trout. Hope you enjoy cooking them!
ESCALLOPED TROUT
Boil two trout in salted water, drain and flake, removing all the bones. Fry a small chopped onion in butter, add a tablespoonful of flour and two cupfuls of milk. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Put a layer of the boned fish in a buttered baking-pan, add a layer of the sauce, sprinkle with minced parsley, and repeat until the dish is full. Cover with crumbs, dot with butter, and brown in the oven.
TENDERLOIN OF TROUT WITH WINE SAUCE
Cut a large sea-trout in pieces and simmer until done in salted and acidulated boiling water to which a large sliced onion has been added. Drain and keep warm. Cook together two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour and add enough of the liquid drained from the fish to make a thick sauce. Cook until thick, stirring constantly,take from the fire, add one cupful of Madeira wine and three eggs well-beaten. Put the fish in a buttered baking-pan, sprinkle with seasoned crumbs, cover with mushrooms, then with oysters and shrimps. Pour the sauce over and bake until the oysters are done. Serve in the dish in which it was baked.
TROUT WITH FINE HERBS
Put half a dozen cleaned trout in a buttered baking-dish with half a glassful of white wine, and a finely chopped shallot. Bake for ten minutes, strain the liquid, and add to it one cupful of Allemande Sauce. Add also a small chopped onion, two shallots, twice the quantity of mushrooms, and a bean of garlic, all minced and fried in butter. Season with salt, pepper, minced parsley, and lemon-juice; pour over the fish and serve.
BROOK-TROUT IN PAPER CASES
Stuff the fish with seasoned crumbs or chopped oysters or raw fish pounded to a pulp and mixed to a paste with the beaten white of egg and a little cream. Lay a very thin slice of salt pork on each fish and wrap in buttered paper. Bake in a hot oven. Remove the string and serve in the paper. Serve any preferred sauce separately.
For more great tasting and easy to prepare trout recipes and simple ways how to cook trout, please check out our How To Cook Fish - Great Recipes for Fish You Need blog plus lots of recipes for fish that you will love and enjoy. In case you're a salmon lover too, you'll definitely love our great collections of recipes for salmon at How to Cook Salmon blog.
About the Author
Anselmo Mendez is a fish and seafoods lover. He's inviting you to visit his blogs located above this article for more great collections of fish recipes.
Trouts are fresh water fishes and commercially farmed for sports fishing and human consumption.
We've eaten trout for hundreds of years now and trout can be cooked in plenty of ways. Let me share with you some good trout recipes and different simple ways how to cook trout. Hope you enjoy cooking them!
ESCALLOPED TROUT
Boil two trout in salted water, drain and flake, removing all the bones. Fry a small chopped onion in butter, add a tablespoonful of flour and two cupfuls of milk. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Put a layer of the boned fish in a buttered baking-pan, add a layer of the sauce, sprinkle with minced parsley, and repeat until the dish is full. Cover with crumbs, dot with butter, and brown in the oven.
TENDERLOIN OF TROUT WITH WINE SAUCE
Cut a large sea-trout in pieces and simmer until done in salted and acidulated boiling water to which a large sliced onion has been added. Drain and keep warm. Cook together two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour and add enough of the liquid drained from the fish to make a thick sauce. Cook until thick, stirring constantly,take from the fire, add one cupful of Madeira wine and three eggs well-beaten. Put the fish in a buttered baking-pan, sprinkle with seasoned crumbs, cover with mushrooms, then with oysters and shrimps. Pour the sauce over and bake until the oysters are done. Serve in the dish in which it was baked.
TROUT WITH FINE HERBS
Put half a dozen cleaned trout in a buttered baking-dish with half a glassful of white wine, and a finely chopped shallot. Bake for ten minutes, strain the liquid, and add to it one cupful of Allemande Sauce. Add also a small chopped onion, two shallots, twice the quantity of mushrooms, and a bean of garlic, all minced and fried in butter. Season with salt, pepper, minced parsley, and lemon-juice; pour over the fish and serve.
BROOK-TROUT IN PAPER CASES
Stuff the fish with seasoned crumbs or chopped oysters or raw fish pounded to a pulp and mixed to a paste with the beaten white of egg and a little cream. Lay a very thin slice of salt pork on each fish and wrap in buttered paper. Bake in a hot oven. Remove the string and serve in the paper. Serve any preferred sauce separately.
For more great tasting and easy to prepare trout recipes and simple ways how to cook trout, please check out our How To Cook Fish - Great Recipes for Fish You Need blog plus lots of recipes for fish that you will love and enjoy. In case you're a salmon lover too, you'll definitely love our great collections of recipes for salmon at How to Cook Salmon blog.
About the Author
Anselmo Mendez is a fish and seafoods lover. He's inviting you to visit his blogs located above this article for more great collections of fish recipes.
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