You Can Serve Salad As An Appetizer, It Is Fun To Make Individual Servings

Green salads with a variety of lettuce and sprouts can give you more variety than just one kind of lettuce. I love to add pine nuts, sliced avocado, chopped snow peas cucumber & capsicum as well as making my own herb dressing which means you can adjust the oil/vinegar ratio while eliminating preservatives. I use balsamic vinegar for the dressing, even nice on its own, too sprinkled over the salad. Adding chopped prawns tossed with fresh mango pieces or salmon chunks makes a great salad suitable for a meal with lots of flavour. Freshly cooked & sliced beetroot is also a nice salad addition. A friend of mine is a dietician & she tells me that foods sold in certain plastics & plastic lined tins as well as some preservatives can cause you to add as much as 10% extra body weight so since I've eaten more fresh food I've found it much easier to loose weight.

We have a fun salad night at least once a week. I can't have a salad without avocados, they are so rich and filling and tasty that it almost feels like you're cheating. If you take veggie peeler and peel a little bit of carrot, a few peelings is such a miniscule amount in terms of carbs/calories but it packs in a huge punch of flavor and color. I love adding barely steamed broccoli or cauliflower to my salads. Grilled shrimp or a can of tuna as well. Hard boiled eggs. Try roasting some cauliflower with red pepper flakes/cumin/ground coriander and then tossing into the salad - AWESOME! Toss in some bok choy or finely slivered mushrooms. Fresh peas are delectable. We also like to toss in black beans or garbanzos.

Really, a salad can be anything. But a warning, zero starch diets are not bad for you but they are very hard to follow. And the minute you step off the wagon and take a bite of bread it's all over and next thing you know you've gained it all back plus a little extra. I speak from experience. It's best to try to include some of these foods in small portions in your diet, otherwise it can drive you bonkers.

White meats are kind to the heart and excellent when dieting. Roasted or steamed, served the salads mentioned above make a very tasty meal.

There are more interesting additions than mayonnaise though low fat yogurts, low fat soft cheese with chopped chives. A drop of olive oil with a nutty vinegar is very tasty as a salad sauce.

I recently made a vinaigrette with a water base which was delicious, 1 tsp medium mustard, 3 tsp nut vinegar, 1 soup spoon olive oil, 3 soup spoons water.

Red, White, Green cabbage (you can use Napa, whatever you prefer) finely shredded

Mixed Bell Pepper slices (optional)

Dress with a few drops of sesame oil, rice vinegar and salt

Salad with Emmenthal and Sunflower Seeds

Mix of soft lettuces (anything but iceberg which is going to compete with the delicate flavors)

Toss with a little balsamic vinegar or a light homemade vinaigrette that includes a touch of mustard

Top with toasted sunflower seeds and shredded emmenthal cheese

Balsamic vinegar works well on its own to dress a salad

Rosemary balsamic or other herbed vinegars are nice on their own on salads

Not a salad, but something for the sake of variety:

Fish filet (lean white fish satisfies hunger well for the number of calories involved)

Serve over a lightly blanched puree of spinach (use it as a sauce), Or top your fish with a homemade salsa: chopped tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, mango, yellow bell pepper, garlic, red onion.

Suggestions For You To Make Your Own Homemade Pumpkin Pie

We have all tasted that magnificent Halloween pumpkin pie around the Halloween festive season. For many, there is no experience like it. The exquisite tastes of all the ingredients mix together perfectly, and simply melt in our mouths! I have some good news! Now, you can make your own Halloween pumpkin pie!

One of the best things about fall of the year is the food. Pumpkin cider and pies are some of the most notable when it comes to food choices. The smell of pumpkin entices all eaters' noses, and of all the pumpkin foods to choose from,pumpkin pie has to be by far the best. Making the perfect pumpkin pie is not easy but it can be done by following a few simple guidelines. A great pumpkin pie will not only look great, but will have a great texture as well as being fluffy, and have the most important factor, amazing taste. To achieve this, you will have to make the entire pie by hand. No prepackaged foods store items will be acceptable. This all will be made from scratch.

If you are going to use a traditional pie crust, it is best to pre-bake it first. Lightly brush the pie crust with egg white and bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Then fill it as usual and bake. This will keep the bottom of the pie from getting soggy. You will require a pinch of nutmeg that is ground, as well as a pinch of cloves that are ground. Next, you will want to get about a half a teaspoon of ginger that is also ground. While you are at it, pull out the ground cinnamon in the spice and season rack and get about a teaspoon of this.

For a delicious well balanced pumpkin pie, follow this recipe.

Add the following to a food processor 1 cup of pumpkin ( you may use fresh, frozen, or canned), 2 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 cup of milk, and 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch. Whirl this around in your food processor until it is blended well. I have also used a stick blender with success. Pour the mixture into your pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-70 minutes or until the center of the pie is set. Remove the pie from the oven and cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. Eat immediately, or refrigerate.

This pumpkin pie recipe produces a pie that has a different flavor and texture than most supermarket pumpkin pies. It is lighter in texture, and has a fresher taste. Made with either the traditional pie crust or the gingersnap crust you are sure to have a winner this Thanksgiving. Add a scoop of vanilla, coffee, or pumpkin ice cream to the top and this Thanksgiving will go down in history as the best ever.

Go ahead and look for a can of evaporated milk while you are digging through your cabinets. You will need one cup of this. Try to avoid the temptation of taking a taste of this stuff! It is sweet! Now, do you have an extra pie shell? If so, get out one that is at least nine inches in diameter. Oh, and you will also need two eggs!

Depending on how much chipotle chili powder you use, this pumpkin pie version can deliver quite a satisfying sting, which is very pleasant if you enjoy foods that are both sweet and spicy. For those trying to avoid the Great Holiday Waistline Expansion as well as extra dental consulting appointments for excessive sugar intake, I recommend using a sugar substitute such as Splenda in the pie. You can also use Splenda in the Chantilly whipping cream. Either way, you are sure to enjoy this unique pumpkin pie version.

Key Lime Pie Is Tangily Delicious And Very Easy To Make

Key limes are also called West Indies lime or Mexican lime. This variety of lime plant has been grown since ancient times in the Indo-Malayan region, and has been prized both for its decorative foliage as well as its fruit.

The Key lime was brought to the Near East and North Africa by Arabian traders, and then was taken to Mediterranean Europe and Palestine by the Crusaders. Columbus is said to have brought the Key lime to Haiti, which was known as Hispaniola in those days. From there, Spanish settlers took the Key lime to Florida.

Key lime cultivation throve in South Florida, especially in the Florida Keys, which gave it its current name – Key lime. Key lime cultivation in Florida was taken up by the Floridian locals in 1906 mainly due to the soils being depleted by hurricanes, making it unfit for growing the pineapples that they used to. And business flourished until another hurricane destroyed the small groves of lime, which were never restored.

These days, most of the Key limes that come to the US are from Mexico.

Key lime pie, with its tangy limey flavor, is loved by everybody. It is basically quite a simple custard filled pie, which can be made easily at home. Although it is best to use fresh Key limes, if they are not available, bottled Key lime juice does very well instead.

Santa Claus’ Key Lime Pie Recipe

1 9-inch Cracker crust, baked and cooled
4 Eggs, separated
1/2 cup Key Lime juice
1 tbsp Plain gelatin
1 cup Sugar, divided
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Water
1 tsp Grated Key lime rind
1 cup Heavy cream, whipped

In a saucepan, mix half of the sugar, salt, and gelatin. Put the egg yolks in a bowl and beat them well. Add the water and lime juice into the beaten egg yolks, and then stir this mixture into the gelatin mixture. Place this over a low heat and cook, stirring continuously, up to the point where it just comes to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in the grated lime rind. Refrigerate to chill, stirring it occasionally, until it begins to form a lumpy texture. Now whisk the egg whites until it begins to form soft peaks. Then add the rest of the sugar into it, continuing to beat until it becomes stiff. Fold this into the refrigerated gelatin mixture. Then, fold in the whipped cream, keeping some aside for topping, if you want. Spoon into the baked pie crust and chill until it becomes firm.

Key Lime Pie Florida Style

1 9 inch pie shell
5 egg yolks
14 oz condensed milk, sweetened
1/2 cup of lime juice

For the topping:

1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
Grated rind of 1 lime

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the egg yolks in a large sized bowl, then add the condensed milk, stirring slowly, and next add the lime juice, mixing it all well. Spoon this filling into the pie shell and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In another bowl, start whipping the cream adding the powdered sugar gradually. Spread this over the pie, sprinkling the grated rind of lime over it. This can be served at room temperature, but needs to be refrigerated if it is not served within three hours of baking.

Interesting Seafood Paella Recipes For Lovers Of This Exotic Dish

Any person who has had a chance to grab a bite of the seafood paella would know about the irresistible factor of this dish. The paella is a dish that has its origins in Spain. This Spanish rice dish has been given its name from the Latin word – patella which means pan. Today, the paella when cooked with either vegetables or seafood remains to be an instant hit with foodies. People in the United States have shown great acceptance to this delicious dish! If you are on the lookout for yummy seafood paella recipes, check out the compilation below. Happy cooking!

Seafood Paella Recipe #1
Ingredients
Medium shrimp - shelled and deveined with shells reserved (1 pound)
Water (4 cups)
Cleaned squid (1 pound)
Olive oil (2 Tablespoons)
Salt (1-1/2 teaspoons)
Medium-grain rice (2 cups)
Sea scallops (1 pound)
Frozen peas (1 cup)
Medium onion – chopped (1)
Ground saffron (1/8 teaspoon)
Garlic cloves - thinly sliced (3)
Red pepper - cut into thin strips (1)
Tomatoes - with juice, chopped (1 cup)

Preparation
For the shrimp stock:
Take a saucepan and combine the shrimp shells with some water. Bring this to boil and then reduce heat. Cover it partially and let it simmer for half hour. Then, strain this through a sieve and then discard the shells.

In the meantime, rinse the squid with some cold running water and dry them with paper towels. You need to slice the squid bodies in a crosswise fashion. Slice them into ½ inch rings. Then, cut the tentacles into 1-inch piece. Heat some oil in a non-stick skillet over medium low heat and place onion and garlic in this. Cook with constant stirring for about 8 minutes. Once the onion turns tender, add red pepper and cook for 4 minutes. Then, add some squid as well and cook for about 2 minutes. Once done, add some tomatoes with their juice along with shrimp broth (1/2 cup) and sprinkle some salt for taste. Heat the preparation till it boils and then, reduce the heat. Cover and let it simmer for half hour. Now, add the rice, the remainder shrimp stock, saffron and some salt as well. Cook it to a boiling point over high heat. Once done, reduce it and cover so that it simmers for 20 minutes.

Now, pull and discard the tough muscle from each scallop and cut it in a horizontal way. Then, stir the scallops with the shrimp, frozen peas and the rice mixture in a skillet. Cover this skillet and cook this preparation for another 10 minutes. Your delicious seafood paella dish is ready to be served.

Seafood Paella Recipe #2
Ingredients
Olive oil (30 ml)
Saffron (5 ml)
Onion - finely chopped (1)
Cloves garlic - crushed (2)
Long-grain rice (350 g)
Tomatoes - skinned and finely chopped (2)
Mixed seafood - fish, prawns and mussels (1 kg)
Fresh coriander or parsley - chopped (30 g)
Mangetout, trimmed (200 g)
Fresh lemons - cut into wedges
Green pepper - seeded and chopped fine (1)
Red/orange pepper - seeded and cut into strips (1)
Carrots - peeled and cut into thin strips (2)

Preparation
Heat some oil in a large frying pan. Then, add some onions, carrots with red and green peppers. Fry this over low heat for around 2 minutes. Then, add garlic with tomatoes and saffron and fry it for 3 minutes. Once done, add the rice as well and stir it to coat it evenly. Now, you can add some seafood stock or water and bring the preparation to a boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Next, you need to add the seafood with coriander and mangetout as well. Stir well. Then, cover and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. You can even add water to maintain the consistency. Once the rice becomes tender, sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over it. Serve hot!