Wednesday, April 21, 2010

RECIPE: Spinach Cucumber Salad

This salad boasts intense flavor and takes just 10 minutes to prepare.
Recipe Courtesy: http://www.goldenbrownfood.com – used with permission
INGREDIENTS: (serves 4 as a side)2 large vine-ripe tomatoes, cubed2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced1 large shallot, diced3 ounces organic spinach3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1-1/4 tablespoons white wine vinegar1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper2 tablespoons dried cranberries (Craisins okay)
DIRECTIONS:
Mix olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until creamy.
In large bowl, mix tomatoes, cucumber and shallots. Top with dressing and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes. NOTE: You may prep vegetables early, but do not add dressing until nearly ready to serve.
Layer spinach leaves in bottom of bowl.
Top spinach with dressing-soaked vegetables.
Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries atop each dish, and serve immediately.
Ideas & More: While you could offer this up as a mixed salad, stirring the spinach in with the dressing, layering the veggies atop the spinach provides a more organic taste. It also gives the guest more control, since salads totally mixed many times use too much dressing.

Cookies ‘n Cream Milkshake

There is nothing better than a chilled shake at any given time- no matter winter, summer, spring or fall. Milkshakes are a frothy blend of ice cream, milk, and syrup flavoring and can be made in numerous flavors. The problem with milkshakes is that when you think milkshake, you think fattening. Well, here’s a solution that we dieters have been looking for and it is definitely one of the easiest recipes to follow. If you are planning on serving it to your guests, don’t let them in on our little low-fat secret and trust me, they will never figure it out. For all you folks who want the real thing, don’t let the low-fat scare you. All you got to do is follow the recipe and eliminate the words low fat and fat free.

Get your blender and let’s get started.
2 packages cookies
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 pt. low fat vanilla frozen yogurt, slightly softened
1 cup low fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fat-free whipped topping, optional
Chocolate sprinkles, optional

In a small bowl, mix the cookies and the syrup; reserve. Using a blender, whirl the frozen yogurt, low fat milk and vanilla extract until smooth and frothy. Add the cookie and syrup mixture into the blender and pulse until the cookies are combined. Do not over-blend. Make sure that the cookies are still chunky. Pour the milkshake into four, 8oz. glasses. If you desire, you can garnish each glass of milkshake with whipped topping and sprinkles.
Insert a straw and voila!

Various Cooking and Restaurant Equipment

Cooking can be quite difficult if you do not have the sufficient cooking equipments in the kitchen. Hence, it is important to have the best of equipments that will create a comfy zone for your beloved partner. Most of the equipments come in sets and also as an individual one. Multi-purpose cookware is the order of the day and your partner might be so happy to receive one.
So what are the common and basic cooking equipments in the kitchen? Cooking pan comes to the mind which is made mostly of durable materials. A stainless steel pan is a good choice. Chopping boards are very helpful in chopping vegetables, fruits, fish and other products. A medium sized whisk is a good option to have it in the kitchen. They are very helpful in mixing things.
Restaurant equipments contribute to the success of the restaurant business. The business owners should consider the advantages and the disadvantages of the equipments before buying them. Most of them will be confused on to buy whether the used ones or the fresh equipments? It is completely dependent on the business owner as both of them have their pros and cons. Used restaurant equipments are cheaper and they demand extra attention and maintenance charges.
It is better to invest on new restaurant equipments as the business owner can be quite relieved from botheration of breaking down. They can be quite expensive. However, they add lots of values to the business and ropes in success. It is a good idea to read some reviews before buying any type of restaurant or cooking equipment.
If you are looking for more information then feel free to visit Restaurant Equipment

How to Buy Kitchen Equipment

We can say that our lives revolves around the kitchen. You may be a home maker, an executive, a business person, a politician, a lawyer or sailor but irrespective of what and where you are, kitchens play a supreme role in our lives. The prosperity of a household can be gauged by the appearance of its kitchen and what comes out of it.
Restaurants and hotels are very much dependant on their kitchens. Several kitchen equipment has been invented for making cooking a pleasure. Gone are the days when cooking took away almost all the time of our lives. Now cooking has become a breeze due to some very useful kitchen tools like refrigerators, cooking equipments and baking equipment.
Before buying kitchen appliances you should consider the size of your kitchen, the number of mouths to be fed and your aesthetic sense . A small family can make do with smaller sized equipment, whereas a restaurant or hotel need large sized equipments.
Contrary to the belief that these tools make you lethargic, I should assure you that they actually increases your lifespan by taking away the hardships of daily housekeeping. Kitchen equipment in a way increases your productivity and saves your valuable time. Due to the advent of these tools, more and more people who had earlier dreaded housework, have actually started helping at home without any compulsion.
It is a good idea to do some research before you buy something new. There are many blogs and websites which give an honest review of every new appliance in the market.
If you are looking for more information then feel free to visit Restaurant Equipment

Are You Looking For High Quality Cooking Equipment?

High quality kitchen equipment and restaurant supplies are required for any catering establishment including bars, restaurants, hotels and bakeries. The best ideas, motives and recipes will not work without sufficient bake ware and restaurant equipment. To run a profitable restaurant, the most important thing is to have a clear plan and idea of the cooking equipment you need. Then you should tally your budgets and costs accordingly. This has to be done even before you start looking for a restaurant supply company.
A wide range of cooking equipment and bake ware is needed for the catering unit. Fridges, freezers, glasses, knives, forks, ovens, cooking utensils, dishwashers, plates, tables etc are some of the restaurant equipment you need. Getting second hand kitchen equipment or restaurant that is multifunctional is another option. But you should remember that this would be an investment which will last for years to come. They have to be used on a daily basis and hence should be reliable and durable.
While selecting restaurant supply companies, there are a few factors to be considered. Price, quality and after sales support are some among them. Special care has to be taken if you are selecting the restaurant supply company online. You have to make sure that the company you select is reputable and customer friendly. Many who are into the business avouch the fact that buying cooking equipment online is one of the most cost effective ways of procuring them. Since online stores have lower overheads, operating costs and their stock comes from wholesale dealers, the cost is comparatively less.
There are many online restaurant supply companies from which you can choose the best according to your requirements and budget. Most of them are experts in cooking equipment industry with many satisfied clients. The knowledgeable and experienced staff of these companies can help right from the planning stage to the purchasing stage.
If you are looking for more information then feel free to visit Kitchen Equipment

Fighting Acid Reflux

Tums, Pepto-Bismol, Rolaids… Sound a little bit too familiar? Are you among millions of others that are in a constant, head-on battle with acid reflux or indigestion? In that case, try and use these doctor-approved tips which may help reduce or even actually put an end to that infuriating burn:
1) Take a chill on the food race. Where you rushing? The only thing that you “accomplish” by eating quickly is that you are producing a greater amount of stomach acid, which increases the risk of the acid making its way back up into your esophagus. When it comes to the food race, you always want to be the last to reach the finish line.
2) Any fizzy drink knocked-down in the second part of the day- including plain old carbonated water- increases your risk of night-time suffering by 31%. No. Your eyes are not tricking you, you did read right. Now, just a short lesson in biology- The gases do a great job at churning (whipping up) the acid in your stomach, which will prompt the esophageal sphincter muscle (the little door at the bottom of your esophagus) to welcome in the unwanted guests. Come-on fellows, can the coke!
3) Before getting too cozy in bed, make sure to lie down on your left side. This will allow the stomach acid to flush out at a higher speed. This tip helps with the digestion of your food as well. It’s your call.
4) One rule with acid is that it is incapable of traveling back into your esophagus as long as your head is raised when lying down. However, do not rely on your pillows! What ends up happening with pillows while sleeping is that most people slither around and end up in a curled position, which will increase the pressure being applied to their belly, which as a result, sets the food into drive mode. Therefore, what you want to do is raise the head of your bed by six inches using books or, if you choose, you can sleep on a foam wedge.
5) Taking medication? Time for change. If you are regularly taking certain tranquillizers at night, such as Vailium and Xanax, it heightens your chance of night-time heartburn. Speak to your doctor about changing your medication, which is not associated with heartburn. Another idea would be to try a natural sleep remedy.
Good luck and sweet dreams!