Cooking Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Oh My Heartsie Girl

January 4, 2019

Healthy Breakfast Recipes for Those in a Hurry

Before you bolt out the door, you should be fueled for the day with foods that will give you sustained energy and boost your mood. There are a number of breakfast dishes that require little to no time at all to prepare. Here is a list of four healthy morning meals that you can make when you’re on the go:

Smart Smoothie

A smoothie is a quick meal to make that you can easily pack with all the nutrients you’ll need for your day. This is also a meal with versatile ingredients, so you can switch up the flavor profile by only changing a few ingredients around. Purchase smoothie ingredients—both fresh, frozen and dry—that can work with a number of combinations. Some staple dry ingredients are almonds, cacao nibs, cashews, sugar-free protein powder, monk fruit sugar, coconut flakes and hemp seeds. Frozen ingredients to keep on hand for smoothies include blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, mango, and other frozen fruits. For fresh items, you can keep some bananas, dates, kale, and spinach in the house. Pack your smoothie with even more nutrients with supplements offered by health-oriented companies like Amway.

Protein Power Ball

A big time-saver in the morning is when your breakfast meals are pre-made at the beginning of the week. Protein Power Balls are an easy-to-make recipe that you can enjoy all week long. To make your protein balls, you’ll need peanut butter, almond butter, cashews, dried cherries, gluten-free oats, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, dates and cinnamon. Blend the ingredients together in a food processor until the consistency of the mixture is somewhat smooth. It’s easier to work with the mixture when it’s cold, so place it in the fridge after blending. Roll golf-ball-sized balls of the mixture with your hands and place in a plastic container. Keep the protein balls in the fridge, where they’re easy to grab right when you wake up. Protein is powerful. It is a macronutrient that supports you physical and mental stamina throughout the day, reduces hunger and boosts your metabolism.

Vegetarian Scramble

Eggs are also an excellent source of protein and contain all nine essential amino acids. The aminos they provide are ones that we can’t create in our bodies, but can only be derived from the foods we eat. Keep eggs and veggies on hand that you can make into a hearty, veggie scramble. Prep the vegetables—like zucchini, onion, bell pepper, and tomato—ahead of time and keep stored in fridge containers. In the morning you can quickly sautee a handful of veggies and scramble in some eggs and reduced-fat feta or goat cheese. This dish should only take you 10 minutes to make, while you wait for your morning coffee or tea to brew.

Muesli

Muesli is one of the healthiest cereals you can eat. Muesli generally contains oats, nuts, dried fruit and any other dry ingredients that suit your flavor profile. This mixture of ingredients provides you with the macronutrients of complex carbohydrates and proteins that you need and is also a great source of insoluble fiber. It is important that you have insoluble fiber in your diet as it will support a healthy digestive system, absorbs excess sugar, lowers cholesterol levels and helps you stay at a healthy weight. Create your own Muesli mix with whole grain oats, puffed rice, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, chopped cashews and dried fruit. Keep a container of your Muesli in your kitchen that you can enjoy with dairy-free milk before you start your day.

With a little preparation, planning and smart shopping you can have easy, healthy breakfast meals at the ready. These four, nutrient-packed meals will support not only your busy lifestyle but also your overall wellness so you can be your best self and take on the day.
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October 3, 2018

Commercial Rice Cookers Impacts the Sushi Industry

Sushi, the traditional dish of Japan is prepared from rice, seafood, and seaweed. Back in the day, expert chefs from Japan were hired by the restaurants to prepare this dish. But the invention of commercial rice cookers has revolutionised the sushi industry.

As of today, around 3,614 sushi restaurants are operating in the US alone, providing the employment opportunities to more than 22,000 people. The sushi restaurant industry has flourished in Australia over the past few years. It has gained popularity around the globe mainly because despite being a fast food item, it’s quite healthy.

Not many people are aware that the invention of commercial rice cookers has played a role in making sushi restaurants a success in the international market. Let’s take a look at the ways how rice cookers impact the sushi industry:

· Prevents Overcooking

Rice is an essential ingredient of sushi. However, it takes some time to cook quality rice on a stove. Moreover, you need to be careful about the rice and water ratio and avoid overcooking rice to make sure they don’t turn into a mushy mess.

Professional chefs, working in restaurants, have busy schedules. They may put rice on the stove and run other errands to save time. If they forget to check rice, all their efforts may go in vain. Commercial rice cookers, however, can prevent such incidents. They come with clear instructions about the right ratio of rice and water to ensure you get perfectly cooked rice every time.

These rice cookers come with the automatic overheat protection feature. They produce a buzzing sound when rice is ready so that they come out perfect.

· Increases the Production

With the help of Sushi Machine commercial rice cookers, restaurants can effectively increase the production of sushi. It speeds up the process of cooking rice and cooks them within half an hour.

This way, the chefs can quickly prepare sushi and meet the demands of customers. It helps sushi restaurants keep their customers happy and expand their business.

· Controls Costs

You may buy a sushi machine to reduce the costs of hiring professional chefs for preparing sushi. However, investing in commercial rice cookers for your sushi restaurant can also benefit you in many ways.

It quickly cooks rice to reduce electricity usage. This way, it can help you cut down on the cooking costs. Moreover, it also ensures that rice doesn’t turn into a mess so that you need not throw them away.

· Saves Time

Commercial rice cookers also save the time and efforts of sushi chefs. They come equipped with a non-stick pot that can be removed easily. The kitchen staff can easily clean this pot for the cleaning purpose. It helps restaurants comply with food safety laws and keep the cookware sparkling clean.

Do you own a sushi restaurant? Then you should buy commercial rice cookers to speed up the process of preparing this Japanese staple food and increase your sales.

July 4, 2018

3 Quick Tips To Help You Reduce Food Waste

In recent years, growing concern about food waste and its environmental and economic consequences have been raising public awareness about the need for better food conservation, both globally and locally. According to World Wildlife Fund estimates, nearly 1.3 billion tons of food go to waste each year, which amounts to nearly one third of all food produced globally each year. Some food may be discarded during the growing, harvesting, or preservation phases, which is happening in poor countries. Or, as it happens in first world countries, food is simply thrown out by inattentive consumers and shop and restaurant owners who don’t keep their still-edible surpluses.

Wasted food also has an impact on the environment at all phases of its lifecycle, which leaves a deep environmental footprint when it comes to soil, water, and greenhouse gases. The American coalition against food waste — ReFED — estimates that in the US alone, cutting discarded food waste could reduce greenhouse gases by 18 million tonnes over the next 10 years.

If you want to reduce your individual or household food waste, the solution begins with awareness. Acknowledging the issue is the first step, and once you’ve decided to become a more conscientious consumer, it only takes a few simple steps to get you walking the path to food conservation and waste reduction. We’ve put together some simple, easy-to-accomplish lifestyle tweaks that will help you get started.

Shop Smart, Shop Realistically

While it may sound simple, being aware of what you’re purchasing is one of the most important steps you can take toward reducing your food waste. When you go shopping, make sure you don’t over buy. Depending on your lifestyle, this might mean going to the grocery store more often and simply buying less each time, or if you happen to live far away from your grocery store or maybe you hate shopping altogether, it takes a little bit of thoughtful and careful planning in advance about what you purchase. Consider planning your meals, and then making a detailed shopping list with only the ingredients you know you’ll need for those meals, with a little left over for snacks and such. If the grocery store is too far away, consider finding locally sourced alternatives, like produce from your local farmers market.

Use Alternative Wrapping Methods

Some people think that the best way to keep food fresh is to wrap it tightly plastic wrap. In fact, most foods prefer to breathe, and the truth is that porous, non-plastic food wrap options will keep your food longer. Beeswax food wrap — from a manufacturer like Abeego.com — is one alternative that looks good, smells great, and keeps your food fresher for longer, all of which fosters a healthier relationship between consumers and the food they eat, and also saves money in the long run, as less food is tossed in the compost.

Store Food Properly

Another tip that at first sounds like a no-brainer is storing food in the proper place to avoid spoilage. This is a small change but one that can really help control food waste. You’d be surprised to learn what kinds of fruits and vegetables actually prefer to be at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator — check out this Food Network article to see which foods (like Melons!) actually prefer to stay out of the fridge.

These steps really make it easy to subtly adjust your lifestyle to be a more conscientious consumer and waste less food day-to-day. If you’ve made it this far through the article, chances are you’re dedicated to making a difference in how you buy, store, and consume food. Follow the tips above, and soon you’ll be feeling better about your relationship to food and to the environment. It’s incredible how far a few simple lifestyle changes will go.

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June 15, 2018

Best Ways on How to Cook Your Favorite Steak

The taste of a perfectly cooked steak is unbeatable. Whether you prefer filet mignon, top sirloin, or any other cut bought with a discount code, when a steak is properly cooked its flavor is at its peak. However, a steak that’s not well made can be tough, dry, or have an unappealing texture due to being way undercooked.

To make the perfect steak, you need to have the appropriate equipment, and having the right gear can make the steak that you are trying to cook unforgettable. The right grill can change the way you look at cooking and can also improve the taste of all the food that you prepare, for instance, an electric grill guide from bistecchieraelettrica.net will provide you with all the information you need to know if you want help finding the perfect grill that can fit your all-purpose kitchen. Meat is a vital part of our diets, and we should be allowed to enjoy all the tastes that it has to offer by grilling it!–

Get prepared

Steak cooks best when it’s at room temperature. Take the meat out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for one hour before you cook it. During this time, prepare your seasonings and get your space ready to make the steak. A good quality steak needs little else than a sprinkling of salt and cracked black pepper, but some people prefer to add minced garlic, crushed pepper flakes, or other spices. Less is more here, as the simpler the seasoning the more the flavor of the meat will come through.

Another key component of preparing to cook a great steak is using a hot pan or grill. You want to sear the outside of the meat to make a crust, which is what will help seal in the juices and give the steak a wonderful taste. To cook your steak in a pan, preheat it over medium-high heat for at least 10 minutes. It’s best to use a cast iron, stainless steel, or good quality non-stick pan to cook the meat. Best-Ways-on-How-to-Cook-Your-Favorite-Steak

Start Cooking

After the meat has rested and your pan is well heated, season the steak to your liking. Lightly rub it with olive oil and then put the spices on both sides of the meat. Using sturdy tongs, place the steak in the center of your pan and allow it to sear. Turn the steak to the other side after a minute, and repeat the turning process every minute thereafter. You’ll want to do this for a total of six minutes. Continuing to turn the steak during cooking helps it cook evenly over the high heat.

Adding Flavor

If you like the taste of garlic in your steak but don’t want to use garlic powder or minced garlic — which tends to burn once it comes in contact with the super-hot pan — cut open a clove of garlic and carefully rub it over the steak each time you turn it. This will impart garlic flavor without your steak being covered in burnt bits. Another way to give the steak flavor is to rub it with butter every turn or butter that’s infused with herbs. To add herbs that are not incorporated into the butter, wait until the steak’s final two turns and then sprinkle the herbs on top of each side. Adding herbs before this point could result in them getting burnt.

After your steak is done cooking, help the meat retain its juices by allowing it to rest before cutting it. Take the meat off the heat, rub it with a bit of plain or herbed butter or olive oil, and let it sit on a warmed plate for about 10 minutes. A steak cooked this way can be enjoyed with any side dishes and can also easily stand alone with no other accompaniments. Try this method the next time you make a steak and it’ll become your favorite way to cook meat.
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Home Series: How To Set Up Your Kitchen For Easy Cooking
Cooking Series: 6 Tips to Increase the Flavor of Your Dishes

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