Category Archives: BBQ

Tender Barbecue Steak with Yams, Make it Fast in Your Pressure Cooker

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Who doesn’t love barbecue during the week? If you’ve relegated barbecue to the weekend, when you’ve got time to fire up the grill and nurse your steak and chicken, then think again. Okay, this might not thrill the grilling you, but you can barbecue your steak in your stove top pressure cooker. Really.

pressure cooker
Yes you can make a delicious and tender barbecue steak in your pressure cooker!

In addition to the pressure cooker, you’ll need a trivet. A trivet is a piece of metal that sits in the bottom of the pressure cooker, to keep food out of the water.

You’ll need a 6-ounce lean round steak to start. Of course the yam, which should be scrubbed and sliced. The last item is a a couple of tablespoons of barbecue sauce. Of course you can use more if you want lots of sauce. It’s your choice if you want to use sweet barbecue sauce to match the yams or firey sauce to act as a balance.

To make mouthwatering and tender barbecue steak in the pressure cooker, first you put the trivet in the pressure cooker bottom and add water. Put the steak flat on the trivet as well as the yams. Turn on the pressure cooker and bring up to high pressure. Cook the steak for 20 minutes. If you are using a stovetop pressure cooker then use the quick cool method by putting the pressure cooker under cold water. Don’t do this with an electric pressure cooker. Read your instructions for a quick pressure release. Open the lid, put the barbecue sauce on the steak. Recover the pressure cooker and bring the appliance to high pressure. Cook the steak and yams for another 10 minutes. Perform another cold water release. Place the steak on a dinner plate. Add more barbecue sauce if you want. I’d put putter and cinnamon on the yams. Throw on a few mini marshmallows as well.

 

Sweet Vidalia Onion Pesto Gives Your Dishes the Perfect Southern Touch

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First things first – when you’re talking about Vidalia onions, you are talking about onions that must be grown in Georgia in 20 specific counties. That’s not just talk or opinion, that’s the way it is according to both federal law and Georgia State law. That way when you as a consumer buy an onion labelled as a Vidalia onion, you know that it will have that sweet flavor that Vidalia onions are known for. Of course you can enjoy these wonderful vegetables in your summer dishes and salads.

But what about during the winter. Well if you’re like me and just don’t think that there is ever enough garlic and onions in the world, then you’ll want to try Sweet Vidalia Onion Pesto.
Sweet Vidalia Onion Pesto

For a unique onion dip, combine this pesto with mayonaise. Then add Parmesan cheese to taste. Serve it with rustic bread and a hearty wine that can stand up to the flavors. I always keep several jars of gourmet pesto in stock in my kitchen. As you can see you can easily whip up unique appetizers to serve unexpected guests. You can also bring pasta to life when you toss it with Sweet Vidalia Onion Pesto. Don’t forget to toss in some pine nuts and currants for an Italian accent. With just one little jar of pesto, you can add an entire new range of flavor to your everyday dishes.

The Barbecue Camping Checklist

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There are many elements that make up camping a blast, but perhaps none is more enjoyable than food. There something magical about being able to go back to the basics while preparing food surrounded by the wonders of nature. The fresh somewhere blends seamlessly with outdoor cooking and family time. These are the things that great family memories are made of, and you should spare no expense when it comes to what you eat on a camping trip. After all, how many other opportunities do you get to enjoy food like this? You should take every advantage of your surroundings and downtime to fully enjoy the experience. As any good camper nose, preparation and organization are keys to having a successful trip. Here is a quick barbecue camping checklist to ensure you are fully prepared for the experience of a lifetime.

A Good Cooler – it’s not about fancy gadgets or elaborate appliances when it comes to wholesome barbecue cooking. Stick with the basics and you’ll be fine every time. For camping, it starts with a good cooler so that you can ensure your ingredients they fresh until ready to cook. This is one area where you should definitely not skimp so make sure to spend enough on getting yourself a cooler (or two) that will serve you well. In general, filling your cooler with block ice works better than chips because it lasts longer. You can also pre-freeze certain items like soup or stew to act as cooling agents as well.

A Great Grill – one problem associated with portable gas grills is their flimsy nature and tendency to crumble under weight. This is why you might want to go with a larger model with a durable design. These days there are wonderful choices in terms of more portable grill to give you the same type of performance as a backyard model. Make sure that you understand how to operate your grill while maintaining it properly in the outdoors.

Ample Food – here is where the fun begins because it’s your chance to go all out with your menu planning. Just remember to stay organized so that you don’t run out of food before your trip ends. It’s a good idea to plan out each meal in advance while leaving room for extras at the same time. Don’t forget about peripheral elements such as beverages and snacks either.

A Backup Plan – one important aspects of camping is being prepared for any contingency. Hopefully everything turns out fine, and chances are they will. But in case of an emergency you should always have extra food rations on hand. These days you can find prepackaged emergency food that come in handy portable kits. You’ll likely never have to dig into one, but it’s nice to know you have reserves just in case.

Educate Yourself – information is your best friend when it comes to camping so don’t be afraid to explore different techniques and grilling basics. It’s not just about throwing food onto your charcoal grill and leading a cook until it’s done. There are exciting ways to make food tastier in addition to incorporating more health into your menu planning as well. In general, the more you know about basic cooking, the more you can expand your overall routine for exciting results.

Overall Safety – food safety is always a concern in outdoor environment because you don’t have the amenities of a modern kitchen. Remember to handle your food safely at all times especially when it comes to uncooked meat. If something has thawed, then make sure to cook it as soon as possible without trying to refreeze it. Also make sure that you preserve your campsite while keeping the integrity of the area intact. Keep a careful watch on your barbecue to avoid complications with forest fires or too much smoke wandering over to your neighbor’s campsite. When you take care of these basics, it allows you to have a lot more fun without having to worry about an accident or unforeseen event routing your entire trip.

Cooking: Indian curry influence and Japan

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Food is one of my passions and, when I have the time, I enjoy writing about it. Recently, while working on a project that involved finding the best autoresponder, I promised myself when I had a little time; I would share some fascinating information about the influence of Indian curry in Japan. We are all familiar with the idea that Indian country seems to have taken over as the national cuisine of Britain and the most popular dish in the country is the Indian “chicken tikka masala”.

Only recently did I find out that curry occupies a place in Japan in much the same level as it does in Britain. This is extremely unusual because Japan has no colonial ties with India and has its own unique and distinctive cuisine. The Japanese simply love curry and every food store in every shopping mall or railway station sells curry and rice which is locally known as karee raisu. And bakeries often offer a bread roll with curry sauce inside that goes by the name of karee pan.

Apparently, in 1982, schoolchildren chose curry as their favorite meal in the national program for lunch at school. In Japanese homes, the three most frequently cooked dishes for dinner are pork cutlets, stir fry vegetables and, believe it or not, curry. The Curry House Ichibanya, a nationwide chain with more than 300 outlets, serves curries with differing levels of spice. You can even find comic books where the leading characters seriously debate the best way of cooking curry.

The Japanese army found that curry and rice was an easy dish to cook in large quantities. Moreover they considered it as one method of feeding the troops beef which they believed would be strengthening. After the Second World War, curry and rice began to feature on school lunch menus. The introduction of pre-prepared curry roux made it easy for housewives who were tired after a day at work to cook curry at home.

Smoking Meats Adds Nice Variation To Your Diet

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Let me just start off by saying I love smoked Barbeque.  I grew up on a little farm and we always raised our own meat.  Then when I was in my teens I worked in a grocery store in the meat market and helped my uncle cut up beef on the weekends.  As you can imagine we always had a lot of meat to eat and I guess you could say, “I have meat in my blood.”

That is why I was so excited about getting started on a no carb foods diet in order to get rid of the spare tire that had developed around my middle.  Eating meat is the key to any good low carb diet but my problem was I always ate it with lots of potatoes, bread, and sweets.  That is a no-no and really packs on the pounds.

Since being on the diet for the last month I have lost almost 20 pounds and feel great.  One of the keys to my success has been varying the types of meals I have.  That is where my smoker comes in.  Every weekend I smoke a turkey and a ham then I can have these for lunches and dinners throughout the week.  The smoky flavor not only tastes good but I also think it helps to curb my appetite later on.  Of course we also use the smoker to cook hamburgers and steaks during the week.  I’ll tell you, a good steak with a salad and some grilled veggies really makes a great meal and I don’t even think about those fries or mashed potatoes I would have had to have just a few months ago.

I use a propane barbeque which a lot of people frown on but the reality is the ease of use is so nice that I don’t even think about briquettes.  My smoker has a tray to add flavor chips so I can smoke with hickory, alder, or mesquite without waiting an hour for the coals to get hot.  I just pour some chips in the pan and light the propane.  The chips will smoke the whole time I am cooking and I get that great wood smoke flavor without having to deal with the ashes later.

Using a Ninja BL205 To make Shakes

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One of my favoutite accompanients to go with a salad and a chunk of Spicy BBQ chicken is a nice cool mango shake.  I have always enjoyed having a spectrum of tastes and textures when eating my meals and a hot and spicy meal with a cool, refreshing fruit drink has always been my drink of choice.  Most of my friends think i am mad to have such a thick drink with my meals, but i can’t stand drinking lager while eating and i always drink water before a meal.  It’s kind of like having a main meal and dessert at the same time.  I bet there are a few people reading this who like to overwhelm their senses with a plethera of taste sensations.

There’s a few recommendations for different products to help you with your kitchen appliances over at MamaZangs.  As I mentioned above i like a mango shake.   In a few days i think i’ll add the recipe to how i like it on this blog, so keep your eyes out.  I know a few tricks to make it taste absolutely spectacular.  For now i will reveal only the pulse blender that i use.  There are loads of really expensive blenders out there but for a reasonably priced option i went for the Ninja Bl205, it does the job more than adequatley and I am really happy with my purchase. 

Stop Frying Your Foods!

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The world has become ever so health conscious and people are now trying everything to eat healthier, lose weight and look good. We tend to try too many quick fixes instead of just trying to fix the root of the problem and the manufacturers aren’t helping. Instead of preaching the importance of proper dieting they are instead coming up with newer gadgets that make it easier for you to stay fit.

One such gadget is the flex belt. People are being told that they can easily watch TV and have their workout done by this belt that they strap around their stomachs. They can eat dinner, they can play with their kids, they can do everything else but stay active and eat healthy. 

Those aren’t the only simple things you can do to stay fit. There are other things you can do in terms of your diet to remain fit. One main thing you can do to loose the flab around your waist is to stop eating fried foods.

Fried foods are known for their high fat content and cholesterol content but they can also be carcinogenic especially when the same oil is reused multiple times to fry multiple items. So if you are not too worried about clogging your arteries you may need to be worrying about cancer.