Asian Recipes

Asian Recipes Blog

The Unrivaled Practical Guide for Asian Cooking

Healthy Tips on Grilling

To reduce fat in marinades for grilled foods, replace most of the oil with mild fruit or vegetable juices, canned broth, or plain yogurt. Leave in 1 tablespoon oil to help prevent sticking on the grill. And to keep lean meats moist, avoid overcooking. If you have a covered grill, use the cover during part or all of the grilling to help keep the food moist. If your grill does not have a cover, improvise by using a large, disposable foil roasting pan inverted over the food.

Try to avoid charring meats. When meat drippings fall directly onto hot coals, they create cancer-causing compounds that are carried back to the food via the smoke. There are several precautions you should take to avoid this potential healthy hazard. Trim all visible fat on meats and keep the oil in marinades to a minimum. Also, precook large pieces of meat in a microwave oven to reduce their grilling time over coals. Avoid flare-ups on the grill; be ready with a spray bottle of water to put out any flames. And avoid using a lot of mesquite briquettes, which burn hotter than other woods and could cause charring. If charring occurs, trim off the blackened areas before eating the food.

** Asian Cooking **

22:14:18 on 06/24/09 by Webmaster - Food, Health and Fitness -

Using Grapes

There are thousands of varieties of grapes. Some are grown for snacking, others for making wine, and there are also special varieties for raisins, grape juice, and jelly. The word grape comes from the name of the tool used long ago to "grapple" this fruit from the vines.

Choosing grapes
When shopping for table grapes, look for full, plump clusters with no bruises or soft spots. Check the stem; it should be green and very pliable.

Storing grapes
Refrigerate in a loosely closed plastic bag. Many varieties of grapes have a white powder coating known as bloom, which helps keep grapes moist. Avoid washing off the bloom until just before serving or using.

Freezing grapes
Lay individual grapes in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer to plastic bags or an airtight container in the freezer. The high sugar content in grapes keeps them from freezing solid. They'll last as long as a month in the freezer, and they make a cool treat on a hot summer day. Frozen grapes can also be used as flavorful ice cubes in drinks, punches, or sangrias.

To serve grapes
For the most pronounced flavor, bring the grapes to room temperature before serving.

To cook with grapes
Use red grapes, which maintain their shape better when heated.

Adding a burst of flavor to the grapes
Add a handful of seedless green or red grapes to salads, to couscous, or to stir-fries made with chicken, pork, or seafood.

Nutritional benefits from grape juice
Drink 12 ounces a day and choose dark grape juice, since the flavonoids are in the skin. Drink 100 percent grape juice rather than grape drink, which is a watered-down, sweetened beverage containing very little actual grape juice.

** Delicious Dessert Recipes **

04:58:14 on 06/13/09 by Webmaster - Food, Health and Fitness -

About Grapefruit

A cross between a sweet orange and a pomelo, grapefruit most likely originated in Barbados in the 1700s. Grapefruit is the largest citrus fruit commonly available and comes in two basic varieties: white-fleshed or pigmented. For the best flavor, buy grapefruit with seeds. The seeded varieties are also easier to separate into segments.

To make grapefruit supremes
When segments of citrus fruit are separated from the membranes holding them together, they are often called supremes. Slice off the top (stem end) just below the pith, then do the same at the bottom. Cut off the zest and white pith in strips all around the fruit keeping the knife just below the pith. Hold the skinless grapefruit in one hand and use a paring knife to cut directly next to the membrane on both sides to remove each segment or supreme. With practice, you can run the knife down one side of the segment, then underneath and up the other side in one swift movement. When all the segments have been removed, squeeze out the juice from the accordion-like membranes left in your hand.

To easily remove the white pith from grapefruit
Drop the whole grapefruit in a pot of boiling water, remove the pot from the heat, and let stand for 3 minutes. Remove the fruit and let cool. Then, peel it; the white pith will easily come off the fruit.

To release maximum juice from grapefruit
Pierce the skin in several places with the tines of a fork. Microwave for 20 seconds on high power. Let stand 2 minutes before using.

To avoid tart grapefruit
If the tartness of grapefruit deters you from eating it, reach for the sweeter hybrids, such as pomelos, oroblancos, or melogolds.

To benefit from the lycopene in grapefruit
Select the red or pink varieties, which are a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease.

To receive maximum nutritional benefits of grapefruit
Peel the fruit and eat it in sections like an orange to get more pectin and fiber. Also try to make use of the peel (also a valuable source of pectin) by grating it and adding to baked goods.

** Asian Desserts Recipes **

16:46:48 on 06/12/09 by Webmaster - Food, Health and Fitness -

Cooking with Grains

Of all the fruits of grasses, grains are among the most nutritious of foods. All grains have 3 basic parts: the germ or seed, the endosperm, and the bran. Many grains are processed to remove both the germ and bran, leaving only the endorsperm. Whole grains have all their parts intact and offer more nutrients than processed ones.

When choosing grains, freshness is an important consideration when buying grains. Whole grains, which have a higher fat content and a greater tendency to turn rancid, are more perishable than refined grains. Shop where there is a large turnover of grains and buy them in small quantities.

Store grains in tightly covered jars either at room temperature or in the refrigerator or freezer. Grains with a high oil content, such as wheat germ, should always be refrigerated.

To cook fluffy grains, use a wide pan, such as a Dutch oven or a deep skillet. And to reheat cooked grains, just heat it in a covered saucepan with a thin layer of water.

You can also boost the flavor when cooking grains. Before cooking, toast them in a skillet over medium heat, just until fragrant. You can also cook grains in a flavorful stock or in canned broth instead of in plain water.

Asian Recipes

16:09:52 on 06/10/09 by Webmaster - Food, Health and Fitness -