Free – food and drink recipes

One of the best alternatives for traditional pasta, couscous is a special type of wheat that is commonly used in dishes that originated from North Africa. Many people agree that this wheat goes well with delicious fish viands, as well as dishes that have hot and spicy flavors. In addition, everyone can eat couscous for breakfast by adding milk and other fruits to the wheat. However, to those who are health conscious they can always add delicious and nutritious salad dressing to this wheat to improve its taste. For individuals who have interest in exploring other uses of the wheat, it is best that they try these two sumptuous couscous recipes, namely Plain Couscous and Couscous With Olive Oil.

Learning the Basics in Cooking Plain Couscous

The easiest way of cooking couscous is by preparing and serving it to people very plainly. When cooking plain couscous, it is important to prepare a tasty and savory sauce that will be mixed with the wheat, since the sauce will be the only source of flavor in this dish. Combine couscous and sauce in a pan and boil for several minutes. The heat must be turned-off when the mixture reaches boiling point to avoid couscous from becoming over cooked. Before letting the mixture stand for another five minutes, it is important to cover the pan to prevent the wheat from being contaminated. Serve the dish immediately.

Knowing the Steps for Cooking Couscous with Olive Oil

Another simple way of cooking couscous is by preparing it with olive oil. Pour at most two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Heat the pan in a medium low fire for several minutes. As an alternative for olive oil, it is best to use vegetable oil. Put couscous in the pan and sprinkle with salt to improve its taste. Constantly stir the wheat. When the color of couscous appears to be golden brown, pour boiling water. Before turning the fire off, provide a cover for the pan. Let the dish stand in the pan for at most ten minutes. Transfer the dish in another bowl and serve immediately.
Important Tips in Cooking Couscous

For individuals who have interest in cooking couscous, there are some important tips that they should consider. Instead of boiling the wheat in plain water, they can use juices, chicken stock, and beef stock as alternatives. Additionally, to those who like to prepare couscous with olive oil, they can always add pine nuts to enhance the flavor of the dish. Furthermore, the use of some herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme is encouraged to improve the taste of the wheat. Finally, when it comes to preserving excess couscous, they should always place it inside a container and put in a refrigerator to retain its freshness.

Cooking couscous is very easy and simple. In addition, it is not time consuming, which means that everyone can prepare couscous dishes. By following the procedures in cooking these two recipes, people can add new flavor and taste to the traditional way of preparing this special kind of wheat.

One of the most common and special methods of preparing foods, baking is widely used today because it produces healthy, nutritious, as well as savory dishes. Two delicious and easy-to-prepare baked dishes that everyone must try at their homes are Baked Ham and Baked Chicken. By learning the simple steps in making these wonderful and delicious baked dishes, people can surely serve palatable meals to their loved ones and guests.

Learning the Procedures in Baking Ham

The key ingredients in preparing this baked dish are ham and glaze. People can choose from the three kinds of glaze, namely honey and brown sugar glaze, fruit glaze, as well as honey and maple glaze. Additionally, it is important to make sure that the utensils that they need for this recipe, which are roasting pan, meat thermometer, foil, sealable plastic bag, and glazing bag, are all clean.

For those who have frozen hams, they can thaw the meat that they will use by putting it inside a refrigerator or by placing it in a container filled with cold water. After thawing the ham, use the foil to cover the top of the roasting pan. Put the ham in the roasting pan and place the pan inside the oven that was preheated to 325 degrees until the upper portion of the meat is half cooked. Remove the meat from the oven and flip the ham to bake the other portions. Glaze the meat to enhance its taste and aroma. With the use of meat thermometer, regularly check the ham’s internal temperature to avoid the meat from being overcooked. When the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, the ham is now safe to eat.

Following Easy Steps in Baking Chicken

The main ingredients used in preparing this special dish are chicken breasts or whole chicken, olive oil, marinade, salt, and pepper. Put the meat in a clean sink and rinse it. Use olive oil to coat both sides of chicken. Drizzle salt and pepper to add taste to the meat. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and put it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about one and a half hour. Sprinkle the chicken with marinade or dried herbs like thyme, oregano, and rosemary. Use a meat thermometer to know if the chicken is ready to eat. If the chicken is well done, let it cool down for at most 15 minutes and serve immediately.

Make sure that meats used in these baked dishes are well cooked before removing them from the oven because uncooked meat can cause food poisoning. Furthermore, it is important to make sure that all the cooking utensils that will be used in preparing these baked dishes are clean. In this way, everyone can be sure that the meats are safe from food contamination.

Baked dishes are easy and simple to prepare. By following the procedures, people can surely make delicious, healthy, and savory dishes. Before serving the sumptuous baked dishes featured, it is best to garnish it with dried herbs like celery and parsley to make them more luring and enticing.