Asian Recipes

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Different types of marinades

There are three main types: raw, cooked and dry. Raw marinades of oils and vinegar, or yogurt, are used for relatively tender foods such as chicken or fish that only require a short marination time. An uncooked marinade composed of wine, brandy, vegetables and/or herbs can be used for large joints, game and poultry. Cooked marinades, such as those using red or white wine, are used to give food a fairly strong flavor. They should be properly cooled before being poured over the meat, which is then covered and refrigerated until you are ready to cook it.

The term dry marinades is a slight misnomer, as a little oil and vinegar (or lemon juice or wine) is included. But the spices and other flavorings mixed with the liquid are firstly rubbed into the dry meat and not used as a bath in which the meat is immersed. Dry marinades are more economical, as very little oil or vinegar is used, and the marinade, plus any juices that run from the meat, is frequently used in the final dish. The function of the dry marinade is simply to flavor the meat through prolonged contact.

Whatever method you choose, turn the food frequently while it is marinating for even absorption.

** Asian Recipes **

09:26:35 on 04/28/08 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Any way to lower the fat content of dishes usually made with full-fat ingredients?

Reduced-fat products such as low-fat cheeses and creams may be used to replace full-fat varieties in some recipes. Even more surprisingly, you can reduce the fat, kilojoule and cholesterol contents of some cakes and biscuits by replacing part or all of the butter or margarine with a puree of dried fruit, such as apricot or prune. This will add flavor and texture, as well as reducing the fat.

To make 300g of puree, place 250g dried apricots or 250g prunes in a food processor or blender with 90ml water. Blend until smooth, then use in place of the butter or margarine in the recipe. With many recipes you can replace all the fat with the fruit puree, using the same number of grams of puree. But with other recipes you may find it works better to have half fat and half fruit puree. And note that the puree is not suitable for replacing fat in pastry.

06:27:57 on 04/22/08 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Can we use reduced-fat soft cheese for making desserts?

You can, but be wary as they will work only in some dishes. While hard cheeses made with vegetable oil can be used in cooking like their fattier equivalents, reduced fat soft cheeses tend to perform poorly in cooking. In particularly, they should not be used for icings or dips as the process of stirring will break down the texture of the cheese and the finished produce will be disappointingly runny.

Reduced-fat soft cheeses can however, be used in recipes such as cheesecakes and mousses which contain several other ingredients, but remember to check the flavor level carefully as these cheeses have a less assertive flavor than their full-fat equivalents.

** Desserts Recipes **

14:04:06 on 04/18/08 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -