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Lemon Oil Broccolini

May 20, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
broccoli

What You Need:

1 lb. broccolini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Place a saucepan of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
Place the broccolini into a steamer basket and place the basket over the boiling water.
Steam for 5 minutes or until the broccolini is fork tender.
Drain well and place into a serving bowl.
Place the lemon juice, oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper into a small bowl.
Whisk until well blended.
Pour the lemon oil over the broccolini and toss to coat.

Makes 4 servings

Broccolini is a little more tender and has a little sweeter taste than our well known broccoli. If you can’t find broccolini regular broccoli will work just fine. Adding the lemon oil gives this broccoli dish a little bit of a bite and makes it a perfect side dish with any meal.

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Boiled or Steamed What is the Difference?

May 20, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
steaming

One healthy way to cook is using water. Water is used to boil and steam many types of foods. From pasta, rice, vegetables to meat this type of cooking leaves those foods in their healthiest cooked forms. No oil or fats are incorporated into the water when cooking in this fashion. What’s the difference between boiling and steaming? Let’s check it out to see.

Boiling Is Effective

Boiling is a unique and effective way of cooking. It is similar to steaming but slightly different. Boiling requires the food to actually sit in the water. You can boil vegetables, meats and seafood. With boiling the taste, look and even a little of the health values are also different from steaming.

Boiling or cooking food directly in the water gives the nutrients a chance to move from the food to the water. It also doesn’t spice up the food nor does it give it that appetizing color. Boiled foods don’t have a lot of flavor because the enhanced flavors are lost in the water. This is known as blanching foods. Also with no added oil or fat you get the fresh flavor of the food instead of the taste of additives. Adding seasoning to your boiled food will help to enhance the flavor.

There are many positives to boiling:

•    It doesn’t require any added fats leaving it a healthier choice

•    It’s easy; it doesn’t require hovering over the stove for hours

•    It takes those tough pieces of meat and makes them tender

•    It is perfect for large scale cooking

Steam is Unique

To steam foods is to boil water causing it to evaporate into a fine mist. The steam and not the water is what cook the food. Something important to remember when steaming is that you are not putting the food directly in water. The food is suspended over the top the water letting the steam rise up to cook the food. For those who are watching there calories and fats, steaming is a very effective way to cook food and make it healthy. .

Steaming basically eliminates the opportunity to over cook the food. Steaming foods is a slow method of cooking so if the food is left longer than need be, the steam will not have cooking power to over cook the food. Steaming uses a lot more energy than any other cooking method. If steam is cooking the food it must stay at a constant stable temperature to cook through.

Most cooks only use the steam method of cooking for vegetables but some meats can be steamed. Beef, pork and even chicken can be steamed. It gives it a very different taste that some may not like. Seafood is a very common food to be steamed. Fish does very well and even shrimp taste wonderful.

As you can see there are few differences when it comes to boiling or steaming those foods. Yet both are an effective unique way of cooking. Grab a steamer or fill a pot with water and see for yourself just how great they both can be.

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Choosing a Pressure Cooker That Fits Your Needs

October 27, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
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pressurecookersteamThere are many things to consider when choosing a pressure cooker that’s right for your family’s cooking needs. Things such as size, price and functionality all make a difference when cooking a pressure cooker.

Size is important when filling pressure cooking needs. There are different sizes of pressure cookers and finding the right size can be easy. When preparing a meal in a pressure cooker keep in mind that it can only filled 2/3 full. This will allow room for any foam or debris that may build up during cooking. This also prevents the vent from getting clogged.

Small amounts of food can be cooked in a larger pressure cooker but you can’t cook large amounts of food in a smaller pressure cooker. A 6 quart size is good for just about any recipe that serves 4 to 6 people. When cooking a whole chicken or a large roast, a 9.5 quart size will work best.

Pressure cooker sizes range from 4 quart all the way up to 12 quart. If you have a large family or entertain guests often, one of the larger sizes might work better for these needs. Larger pressure cookers can also be used for canning.

Prices for pressure cookers vary greatly depending on brand, size and type. There are duo pressure cookers that cost just over $100, and there are single 4 quart pressure cookers that are under $25. We usually get what you pay for, so make a wise choice. There are a wide variety of pressure cookers either online or at your favorite
department store. If you’re still not sure stick with a brand you already know and trust.

Functionality is another thing to consider when choosing a pressure cooker. Many recipes call for using a trivet or a basket. If the pressure cooker you choose does not come with these items check to ensure that these products can be bought separately.
Pressure cookers today aren’t the same as ones used 30 years ago. Today, pressure cookers are safer and come in a variety of pressures. Consider replacing an older pressure cooker with the more convenient and modern models available in today’s market.

The pressure level for a model is also important. Most recipes call for 15 psi, so for ease of meal preparation one should be chose with that available pressure. The lower the psi, the longer the cooking time will be. This could be anywhere from 12% to 15%, so keep that in mind when purchasing a pressure cooker and using a recipe.

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Pressure Cooking-A Healthier Way to Eat

October 22, 2009 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
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appleCan you remember the days when Grandma or Mom used a pressure cooker to prepare yummy meals? Many believe those days are gone. With today’s modern pressure cookers, a family can enjoy succulent, delicious and nutritious meals in a fraction of the time it would take to boil, bake, slow cook or microwave those favorite recipes.

Pressure cooking uses the steam from the liquids used in your favorite recipes. This allows the vitamins and nutrients to be preserved in the food instead of being “cooked out” as they are in traditional methods of cooking. Because pressure cooking reduces the amount of cooking time by up to 10 times, pressure cooking is a lot healthier and faster than running out to a fast food joint.

Fresh and natural foods instead of packaged or processed foods are used when preparing meals with a pressure cooker. Not only is using natural foods for meals, opposed to process or packaged, healthier it also saves money on the grocery bills every month. Eating natural foods gives us more energy, less weight gain, lower sodium and lower cholesterol levels as well. Choosing what goes into the pressure cooker means more control over the amount of salt and other ingredients added to meals.

Using recipes that are low in fat, salt and carbohydrates are easy to do in a pressure cooker. They come out tasting delicious. More delicious than if baked, boiled or prepared in the microwave. Most tend to make more vegetables when using a pressure cooker because it is easy, efficient and pressure cooking gives vegetables, frozen or raw, a flavor that most have never experienced. Many prefer vegetables without butter or salt when cooking them in a pressure cooker! Think of all the health benefits in that alone.

An added health benefit to using a pressure cooking is to make some of your favorite desserts in a pressure cooker. That’s right! Use a pressure cooker to make desserts like homemade applesauce, cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and cinnamon and apple flan w/ maple syrup. You can choose the ingredients that go into your dessert to make them more nutritious for you and your family.

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Pressure Cooker Fundamentals

October 15, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
pressure_cooker

pressure_cookerThe fundamentals of a pressure cooker are very simple. Once you learn how easy it is to use and how awesome your food turns out, you will find that having one and using it will make kitchen life a breeze. Cooking foods in a pressure cooker is faster than traditional baking or cooking and those meals come out oh so delicious.

What’s so Special about a Pressure Cooker

Pressure cooking is a technique of cooking that seals steam in an airtight pot. The vapor from the liquid used in the recipe rises and is captured inside the sealed pressure cooker. This method raises the pressure in the cooker along with the temperature of the liquid to its highest level. The higher temperature and pressure drastically speed up the cooking time by infusing hot steam into the food. Pressure cooking can speed up cooking times over 1/3 or more and is often 10 times faster than conventional cooking. Compare pressure cooking to crock pot cooking and you will find the time is much shorter. When compared to microwave cooking the foods taste better.

The High Pressure = A Short Cooking Time

Pressure cookers come in a variety of pressures, so the right cooking times are extremely important. 15 psi is the highest pressure available. If your cooker’s pressure is lower than that, adjust the cooking time by 12 to 15 percent, depending on the recipe. 15 psi is what most recipes will indicate.

When a pressure selector dial on a modern pressure cooker is set to 15 psi or high, it is under a pressure of 15 pounds per square inch which is quite safe. This amount of psi is less than half of the pressure found in a normal car tire. It’s not very much yet it is just the right amount to reduce the cooking time for foods. The actual temperature inside the pressure cooker is increased above what is possible in a normal stove top cooking pot.

The steam pressure inside a pressure cooker cooks food much faster than just boiling or baking. While microwaves do cook fast, the cooked foods can turn out dry, rubbery or soggy. Even though the pressure cooking time is significantly reduced, the quality of the food is conserved. Meats turn out juicy and tender, the flavor of vegetables are sealed in and desserts come out tasting better than ever. Pressure cooked foods also retain their vitamins and nutrients where boiled or baked foods lose these precious nutrients during cooking.

Using a pressure cooker is safe and effective. It’s a basic fundamental that turns foods into a delicious feast.

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