Herbs Secret - Best Homemade Herbal Mixtures

Herbs Secret – Best Homemade Herbal Mixtures

October 30th, 2008 |

By Selyn Tang

You can blend herbs together to make many different fragrances and flavors. Some of the most popular seem to almost compliment each other as well as the food we put them in.

For some of us, natural is the way to go. With an endless supply of fresh herbs, which you can dry, there is no end to the mixes you can make for dips and salsas, or spreads and appetizers. I have included some of my favorites to give you an idea of what you can do with the herbs you grow.

Taco Seasoning
2 teaspoons beef or chicken bouillon (use powder or granules)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons dried garlic flakes
2 teaspoons dried hot pepper flakes (optional)
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Mix this all together. Store in a jar or storage bag until ready for use. Three tablespoons of this mixture added to one pound of ground beef plus one cup of water. Simmer until desired consistency. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Pie Spice
5 T. ground cinnamon
4 t. ground ginger
2 t. ground cloves
2 t. ground nutmeg
2 t. ground allspice
Use this for making pumpkin pies when ever it calls for pumpkin pie spice. Two teaspoons are sufficient for each pie.

Oriental Five Spice
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp ground fennel
This is the main spice used in many oriental dishes. I use it in all my stir fry meals.

There are many dishes you can make yourself instead of buying the boxed version. Fresher is better every time. When you taste the recipe which you have made with your own natural herbs, you may never want to use the boxed stuff again.

One of the favorites for the whole family is an herb rice side dish. This is extremely easy to make. You just need to know the components. Well, here they are.

Herbal Rice Side Dish
1 lb long grain rice (I like half wild rice or brown rice)
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon
1 Tablespoon ground celery
1 Tablespoon dried chives
1/3 cup dried minced onion
1/3 cup dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all together and store in an airtight jar.
Bring 1 1/3 cup water to a boil. Add 1/2 cup rice mixture to boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

This recipe is for making your own blend for Italian dishes.

Italian Seasoning
4 Tablespoons oregano
4 Tablespoons marjoram
4 Tablespoons thyme
4 Tablespoons basil
2 Tablespoons rosemary
2 Tablespoons savory
Mix well and use as a seasoning in your pasta sauces. This is also great sprinkled on a pasta and tossed with a little virgin olive oil. You can make it a meal by adding 1 pound browned Italian sausage, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and sauteed onions and green peppers. Kids love this combination. Make it a treat by adding pepperoni slices.

About The Author

For more info and resources in storing herbs, kindly visit An Introduction To Herbs . You will also discover other herbs related tips and secrets at Amazon-Herbs4Health.com

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Vegetables for People Who Don’t Like Vegetables

October 30th, 2008 | Uncategorized

By Art Gib

Let”s face it. Some of us don”t like vegetables any more than our toddlers do. Just because we”re grown up doesn”t mean our palates have. Most adults do not get enough servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that our bodies need. Here are some ways to fool yourself into eating the healthy stuff and make some easy substitutions so you get less of the bad stuff, without compromising taste.

1. Dip, dip, dip! Raw veggies are so much more endurable if you have some sort of dressing for them. Ranch and Italian salad dressings work well. To pack an extra nutritional punch, use peanut butter instead (it has fat just like salad dressings, but you get more protein). Its strong flavor also helps mask the veggie taste you may not like.

2. Green smoothies. You can cram several cups of fresh spinach in your blender along with the traditional fruits, yogurt, and ice when making smoothies. You still get the flavor of a fruit smoothie with an added tang. Drink it up in a minute and you can check several servings of fruits and vegetables off of your daily list in no time!

3. Sundried tomatoes. These are sweet and can kick up a salad the same way dried cranberries do, but without the added sugar. They also are a great addition to pasta, and tasty straight out of the bag!

4. Top with cheese. A little Swiss, cheddar, or parmesan goes along way, dressing up the look and taste of your vegetables.

5. Hate ”em raw? Roast ”em! Coarsely chop sweet bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, and zucchini, and toss with garlic and olive oil. Roasting them in the oven brings out some delicious flavor, and the softer texture will help you to consume them faster (and get it over with, instead of crunching on raw veggies endlessly).

6. Add them to foods you eat normally. Fresh or frozen green beans, broccoli, and carrots can be added easily to pasta dishes, disguised by the pasta sauce. Even if it”s just a handful sprinkled here or there, it will make a difference.

7. Avoid the refined sugar. You”ll be amazed at how much you”ll savor fresh fruit the way you used to crave ice cream and candy.

The FDA recently changed their dietary guidelines slogan from “5-A-Day” to “More Matters.” Even if you can”t get five fruits and vegetables in every day, just do a little more than you have been. It will do your body and spirit a world of good. So next time you try to sneak something green into your child”s mouth, stop and try to do the same thing for yourself!

About The Author

Art Gib writes and contributes for many baby, child, family and parent online publications including HugaMonkey. Art is an avid baby sling supporter because of the positive impact it can have on families. For more information regarding baby slings, visit http://www.hugamonkey.com.

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What You Never Knew About Freezer Meals: A Short History

October 29th, 2008 |

By Art Gib

Freezer meals are most commonly thought of as the prepackaged, not so great tasting TV dinners that you microwave in a few minutes for a quick meal. But where did they come from and how have they evolved?

Believe it or not, “TV Dinner” was actually a brand name created in the 1950”s. Like today”s TV dinners, those lovable prepackaged frozen treats were meant to be a quick fix for a person short on time that could use the convenience of a prepackaged meal ready to cook.

The major difference between the prepackaged freezer meals of the 1950”s and today is that the serving trays were typically made from metal. These were quite similar to the meals commonly served in-flight onboard passenger airplanes.

Initially, the trays contained a simple meal: one of turkey, cornbread, peas, and sweet potatoes. It was designed as a Thanksgiving Day quick fix. In addition to have the food already prepared for you, another major convenience was that the entire tray could be placed directly into the oven and, once cooked, the meal eaten directly from that same tray. Cleanup consisted of tossing the tray in the garbage, saving one the task of doing the dishes as well.

It was expected that about 5,000 of these pre-packed dinners would be sold the first year. The busy lifestyle of the American family was severely under estimated however, as over 10 million units ended up being sold during the introductory year of the TV dinner.

Evolution of the TV Dinner

“TV Dinner” quickly became synonymous with any prepackaged meal of similar design. By 1960, a dessert was added. By the end of the 1960”s, the TV breakfast had been born. The mid 70”s saw the addition of larger portioned freezer meals for the heartier appetite.

By the mid 80”s, the popularity of the microwave brought the convenience of freezer meals to a whole new level. Instead of waiting several minutes for a conventional oven to preheat, then 25 minutes more for your meal to cook, microwave TV dinners could go from freezer to served in less than a third of the time.

Today, however, concerns over nutrition have brought about the home-prepared freezer meal. A growing trend is to prepare the meals in the home in bulk, then freeze them for future use.

While the convenience factor is lessened because one must prepare the food themselves, it is something that only needs to be done once a month or so. The extra time required is a trade off for having the freedom of preparing one”s own freezer meals and including whatever they would like and having it prepared however they choose.

About The Author

Red Timer Inc. (http://www.30mealsinoneday.com) offers recipes, cookbooks, and more for home-prepared freezer meals. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

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The Best Gift For That Coffee Lover You Know

October 28th, 2008 |

By Chris Jensen

Even if you know they have gourmet coffee already, that doesn”t mean the only gift for them is another bag of beans that you can”t purchase in stores. There are dozens of different gifts to pick from that go along with gourmet coffee.

Just take a look below and see all the different gifts that can be found.

Coffee Beans

If you think about gourmet coffee, and buying it for a coffee lover you know, the first thing that pops into mind are gourmet coffee beans that you just are extremely hard to find. Meaning beans from exotic places around the world that never make it to grocery stores and can only be purchased through importers. They all range greatly different in prices from manageable to unbelievably costly.

Makers And Roasters

A more unheard of gift for that special coffee lover would be a gourmet coffee maker. Coffee makers that can produce cappuccinos, espressos, and pretty much anything coffee related you can think of. They only bad thing about them would be there outrageous cost. They range in the thousands for simply one. That being the cost of enjoying one of the most delicious beverages in the comfort of your own home. If you don”t have that much to spend on a coffee maker though, Have you thought about buying a coffee roaster for them?

Before the 20thtcentury, anyone who wanted coffee at there own house needed to roast the coffee beans themselves. Coffee companies eventually decided to market pre-roasted coffee beans, so people stopped using roasters. But a large amount of people prefer to buy un-roasted coffee beans, and roast them on their own for a unique custom flavor.

Coffee Samplers

If everything above just seems like its way over the budget for you, or even if you are afraid your friend won”t like the gourmet coffee beans you choose, Try purchasing a gourmet coffee sampler that comes with a large amount of different coffee flavors in one convenient package. Averagely they include about four to six different types of gourmet coffee, and can even come with some gourmet tea and pastry as well. They turn out to be the perfect gift at any time of the year no matter what occasion. Often they even come with some token gift items such as special coffee mugs and assorted trinkets.

There you have it, a perfect gift for anyone who drinks coffee. Even if they they are a lover who you are close to who has been wishing for a gourmet coffee maker, Or simply a recently met acquaintance. Maybe even a co-worker who has been doing a great job. Gourmet coffee can fit almost any budget and any person.

About The Author

During morning cup of Boca Java the aim is to help people understand more about coffee and give them tips on how to make great tasting BocaJava in their home own home.

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Tea Weight Loss Benefits Three-Way Magic

October 28th, 2008 | Uncategorized

By Chris Jensen

These days it seems everyone is in a constant battle to lose weight. Diets and exercise programs are everywhere you turn, from television to newspapers to the internet. Could the simple act of drinking tea help you lose weight?

The most popular beverage in the world today after water is tea The process of developing it is of different developmental stages, like oxidation, heating, drying and the addition of other herbs, spices or fruit.

A study was described in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that indeed it could!

Burn Fat

Green tea contains high levels of compounds known as catechin polyphenols. These interact with other chemicals, including caffeine, to burn fat. The process is called thermogenesis. This is how the body burns fat to produce more energy. These compounds are antioxidants, which have been proven to destroy free radicals to improve health and fight the risk of cancer. Foods rich in antioxidants are recommended as part of a healthy diet.

Burn Calories

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study compared the weight loss of subjects who drank green tea extract daily with those who did not. After three months, the green tea drinkers lost more body fat on average. The researchers concluded that the catechins found in green tea aided in fat oxidation.

Another Japanese study determined that by drinking 5 cups of green tea per day, subjects burned 70-80 more calories than those in the control group.

Glucose Regulator

Green tea has been found to aid in the metabolism of glucose and lipids. In fact there are several research studies that show that green tea aids in maintaining low levels off blood sugar. This is beneficial not only in weight loss, but also potentially in staving off the onset of diabetes. In addition, green tea prevents fat storage and blocks dietary fat absorption.

Green versus Black

Why is green tea more helpful than black tea in weight loss? Black tea is fermented, while green tea is not. This process destroys some of the polyphenols. Green tea has been shown to have much higher levels of epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG, the most beneficial antioxidant found in tea. You would have to drink a lot more black tea than green to get the same tea weight loss benefit.

A healthy diet and exercise plan is the keystone to losing weight. And maybe drinking more green tea will help. Any diet includes ingesting plenty of water. Substitute a glass or two per day with green tea, and see if the results are quicker weight loss!

About The Author

Easy Weight Loss Tea offers even more excellent reasons to start drinking wu-yi tea. Learn more about the easyweightlosstea system and see how it can help you look great and get healthier.

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How Sparkling Wine is Made

October 27th, 2008 | Uncategorized

By Chris Jensen

Before we get into how sparkling wines are made, we should first make a distinction between sparkling wine and champagne. Champagne is sparkling wine, but sparkling wine is not necessarily champagne.

True champagne is produced in the Champagne region of France by using the Methode Champenoise and is produced from a high quality grape. In many circles in the United States, the term “champagne” has become a general term to include any sparkling wine. These are frequently made from inferior grapes through bulk processing and are often sweetened to mask their inferior quality. They are not true Champagnes.

Sparkling wines are made from both white and red grape varieties. The quality of the fruit is critical to the outcome of the finished product. In the Champagne region of France, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier are used. But in other internationally recognized sparkling regions, like Asti, other varieties such as Muscat Blanco may be used. The grapes are harvested earlier than those picked for still (table) wine.

There are several reasons for this early harvesting. One reason is to obtain a lower alcohol level in the cuvee (wine made from the initial fermentation, also called “base” wine). During the fermenting process the sugar is converted to alcohol, therefore the lower the sugar content of the grapes, the lower the alcohol content of the finished product. The reason for the lower alcohol content in the base wine is that the wine will go through another fermentation process that will increase the alcohol level. Another reason for harvesting grapes while at a lower sugar level is to produce a higher total acidity and lower pH rating. This adds longevity and crispness to the wine.

Now lets take a look at the three different methods vintners may use to make sparkling wines. Methode Champenoise is a more labor-intensive and expensive method than the other two methods of producing sparkling wine. After harvesting the fruit, the juice is pressed and put into containers for the first fermentation. These containers are either stainless steel vats or oak barrels. When the first fermentation is complete, various lots of wine are blended together to produce an assemblage (the final blend of varieties for the finished wine).

Then a mixture of yeast and sugar, called a triage, is added to the base wine. The wine is bottled with a small plastic cup that fits in the neck of the bottle and collects any sediment. This small plastic cup is called a “bidule” The second fermentation takes place in the bottle and due to the sugar and yeast being added, alcohol and carbon dioxide are produced. Due to carbon dioxide formation and pressures up to 90 pounds per square inch, bottles for Champagne and sparkling wine must be thicker than regular wine bottles. During the second fermentation, temperature plays an important role. Cooler temperatures produce finer bubbles. Once the second fermentation is complete, dead yeast cells begin to break down and form a sediment in the wine.

This process is called autolysis. The winemaker decides how long to allow for the autolysis process and this in turn has an impact on the final taste of the wine. The sediment must then be removed without losing the carbon dioxide and sparkle. The first step in doing this is riddling or remuage. In years past, this was done by inserting the neck of the wine bottle into a rack, called a pupitres, that would hold it at a 45 degree angle so the dead yeast cells would settle into the neck where the bidule was attached. Then every few days, a trained person, called a remuer, would give each of the bottles a quick shake and increase the angle of the bottles until they were eventually positioned completely downward, thereby collecting all the sediment in the neck. Today, the riddling process is automated.

Next the sediment is removed by disgorgement. This is where the bottle is placed neck down in an icy brine to freeze the sediment into a solid plug. The cap is then removed and the pressure inside the bottle causes the frozen sediment to be expelled. Then a “dosage” is added. This dosage is a small amount of wine mixed with sugar and sometime brandy and it determines the sweetness or dryness of the sparkling wine. The bottle is then corked and secured with a wire hood.

The Transfer Method of making sparkling wine is similar to the Methode Champenoise except that instead of riddling to remove the sediment, the wine is transferred to a pressurized tank where the sediment is filtered. It is then bottled, corked and secured with a wire hood in preparation for sale to the public.

The Charmat Bulk Process is the quickest and least expensive method of making sparkling wine. With this process, instead of the wine going through the second fermentation in the bottle, the base wine is placed in a temperature-controlled, pressurized tank to which sugar and yeast is added. The secondary fermentation takes place in this tank without the release of any carbon dioxide. This tank acts like a very large bottle. Once the fermenting is complete, the wine is filtered under counter pressure and bottled using a counter-pressure filler. Because the wine has not spent the same amount of time in contact with the carbon dioxide, the bubbles tend to be larger and dissipate more quickly.

About The Author

I have had the best experience at 4 Seasons Wine. They love wine and their goal is to share their passion for extraordinary selections by providing remarkably affordable prices. I prefer 4seasonswine over many other online services which I have personally spent my own money with.

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What Wine Really is – Just in Case You Thought You Knew

October 27th, 2008 | Uncategorized

By Chris Jensen

By understanding each of the different components of wine, you can quickly establish the parts you prefer, and therefore choose your next bottle with more confidence.

Sugar.

Sweeter wines have more sugar than dry wines. During the fermentation process a lot of the natural fruit sugar is fermented. However, in some wines, residual (remaining) sugar may be higher and therefore a sweeter wine is produced.

Alcohol.

Most people know that one of the key components of wine is alcohol! Alcohol is fundamental to the taste of wine. The alcohol volume most wines range between nine and fifteen per cent. Fortified wine can be as high as twenty per cent alcohol.

Tannin.

Tannin comes from the skin of grapes. Therefore, tannin is much more fundamental as a taste component in red wine than in white.

Too much tannin in a wine is not a good thing and can result in the wine tasting spoiled.

However, tannin helps to preserve a wine, which means that some wines can be kept for years and even improve with age.

A small amount of tannin is also a positive taste characteristic to regular wine drinkers, if a little over-whelming for novice wine drinkers.

Water.

All wines contain water that has been extracted naturally from the grapes from which they were produced. Very rarely, if ever, would extra water be added to a wine. In fact, some wines will be criticized for being excessively watery if the other flavors are not sufficiently powerful.

Acid.

Acid found in wine balances against the residual sugar that is left after the fermentation process has finished. There are three key types of acid in wine, tartaric, malic and citric. All of these acids are found in varying quantities in the skins of grapes

Alcohol may react with bacteria within the wine to create acetic acid; this is not generally a good thing as too much acetic acid will make a wine taste more like vinegar than anything else!

Fruit.

This is what tends to differentiate one wine from the other. Fruity tastes are what we look for in a wine and different grapes will produce a myriad of fruit flavors. It is the combination of tastes that makes each wine unique and special.

Carbon Dioxide.

During every fermentation process, carbon dioxide is produced. Most of this is normally released, however, in some wines a degree of fizz can be left in a wine to add a little extra to an otherwise very ordinary wine. Of course, in sparkling wines, the carbon dioxide is retained and is fundamental to the taste.

Oak.

No longer an essential component of everyday quaffing wines, oak barrels are still used on occasions to add a vanilla, oaky flavor. Oak barrels can add an extra dimension to plain wines that will make them much more saleable and enjoyable.

All of these components make the wine that we see in our glasses. Next time you pour yourself a glass of wine, take some time to think about which elements are supporting your enjoyment, and which you could do without.

About The Author

I have had the best experience at 4 Seasons Wine. They love wine and their goal is to share their passion for extraordinary selections by providing remarkably affordable prices. I prefer 4seasonswine over many other online services which I have personally spent my own money with.

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Considering The Right Catering Equipment For Your Kitchen

October 25th, 2008 |

By Dominic Donaldson

You have decided to go for it. That dream you have always had of one day owning your own restaurant or cafe bar has finally become a reality. Too many nights sat in front of the TV watching The F Word or Jamie Oliver has overwhelmed you with a wave of inspiration to feel the buzz of your own kitchen. In your mind you have picked the commercial venue, hired the staff, planned the opening party and developed the specials menu. However before any of this becomes a practical reality, you have the small task of refurbishing the entire venue into a fully functioning commercial establishment.

The catering equipment required for your eatery is imperative to the successful running of your business. Having the right equipment to serve the correct dishes to the correct number of diners will be one of the most important decisions you make while preparing for your grand opening so it is worth investing in the professionals to help you make the right choices.

The first thing to consider when choosing your catering equipment is the type of food you will be serving. If you are opening a sandwich bar, you won”t be needing pizza ovens and hog dog machines. Similarly, if you are opening a fast food restaurant, you probably won”t need pasta boilers or latte machines. Think carefully about the equipment you will need and the how this will be accommodated by the layout and size of your premises.
It is easy to get carried away when considering your options. Before you start purchasing your catering equipment for its colour or its style, always be sure to consider its practicality first.

Similarly the number of guests you anticipate on serving must be taken into consideration when buying your catering equipment. If you are planning on seating one hundred guests a night, you may need to think about purchasing more than one compact oven. If you are opening a small coffee shop, you probably won”t need to buy five six grid ovens.

To help you make these decisions, it is advisable to consider hiring a Project Manager. Check out their references and make yourself familiar with their previous work. Once you are satisfied with their credentials, the role of your project manager will be to conduct a survey of the premises, advising on any work needs to be carried out and by whom. They will advise what catering equipment will be required for your market and go through your options with you.

It is also important that the installation of any commercial catering equipment is undertaken by a registered Corgi (the Council of Registered Gas Installers) engineer as certificates of installation are required by law. They will oversee the safety of all gas installation work. You also need to consider the installation of electrical appliances, wiring and electrical power supply. General health and safety issues must be addressed such as considering disabled access, fire exit accessibility and the presence of first aid kits.

Once the essential work has been carried out by the professionals, you can start to have fun yourself adding the interior touches to your kitchens, from toasters, to kettles, to coffee machines or juicers.

The installation of catering equipment is an essential but also fun part to preparing your eatery. With so many options and so many possibilities, all it takes to achieve the perfect fit is a little research. Make sure the kitchen doesn”t just look good, make sure its practical, safe and suits all your commercial needs.

About The Author

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the catering industry
Find out more about catering equipment find out more about how to meet your catering equipment needs at commercial kitchens online

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Raw Food Recipes – How Raw Foods Can Heal You If You’re Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired!

October 24th, 2008 |

By Helen Hecker

If you”d like to know how to stop feeling so tired or completely exhausted and stop being sick, I can let you in on a little secret. Your diet is probably what”s causing a majority of your health problems. I should know! Diet changes, raw food and raw food recipes could be your answer too. Even as a nurse our nutrition education didn”t show us how to heal ourselves with food.

Make a few simple diet changes and you can be rewarded with superior health. You can get rid of all of your ailments and conditions and medical complaints. I know because I got rid of all mine many years ago and enjoy perfect health.

It doesn”t have to be extreme. You can start making a few dietary changes and you”ll notice you start to feel better and better and better. You”ll notice a fast weight loss, especially if you”re eating a lot of raw foods.

Raw foods are the secret. Often called living foods, they come from plants. Grains are not a part of a raw food diet. Cooked food is refined, packaged, processed and cooked and is almost completely deficient in the nutrients you need every day to nourish your body and heal yourself of all your ailments from a suppressed immune system.

Raw foods are alkaline as opposed to cooked foods which are acidic and inflammatory. Eat a lot of cooked foods and you”ll find yourself having more and more problems as the immune system complains that it needs help from you in curing yourself or healing yourself of many of your ailments if not all of them

When I converted to a raw food diet many years ago, I did so with the help of many raw food recipes that I developed. It made it a little more interesting. Besides eating fruits, uncooked veggies, nuts and seeds, I enjoy fixing easy raw food recipes. They include things like: almond milk, lemon torte, fudge, all fruit smoothies, green smoothies, pates, date-pecan balls, macadamia frosting, blueberry pie, dressings, sweet cabbage salad, guacamole, no-meat or vegan burgers, puddings, pesto, non-dairy cheese-type spreads, juices, carrot juice, non-dairy milkshakes, fruit salads and a few dehydrated foods like crackers and cookies, etc. These are all raw, enzyme and nutrient-rich and totally healthy foods.

I cured myself of a long list of ailments including breast cancer, fibromyalgia, acid reflux, heartburn episodes, ten years of chronic sinus infections, irritable bowel syndrome, canker sores, gum disease, insomnia, aching joints, aching muscles, chronic fatigue, bad dreams, colds and more. I never take any medications, sleep five hours a night, have a lot of energy, never hungry, physically fit, active with tennis, hiking, etc.

In all these years since I”ve made the switch I am completely free of all those diseases and conditions. And this is true as of the first month of my change to a raw food diet.

Why not start adding more raw foods to your diet and see how you start to feel better. You may be motivated to start eating a lot more living foods when you start to enjoy how you feel every day. Try some raw food recipes too and see how easy they are to fix.

About The Author

For raw food recipes, raw food diets, losing weight with raw foods, curing breast cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sinus, digestive and sleeping issues, acid reflux, headaches, allergies, etc. see a nurse/raw food expert”s: http://www.RecipesRaw.com

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Halloween Recipes – Zombie Brain Pate

October 23rd, 2008 |

By Steve Hanson

This is a recipe for a creamy seafood pate, or dip, which you can put on crackers, vegetables, or wedges of bread. You will need to get a brain mold, or some other kind of mold, to use to shape your pate. Makes a nice shrimp or crab flavored dip, which can be spooky as long as you use a spooky mold. There are a couple brain molds for sale on Amazon pretty much at all times.

The Recipe

* 1 can (about 10 oz) reduced sodium, low fat cream of mushroom soup

* 8 ounces reduced fat or low fat cream cheese, softened

* 1 envelope unflavored (and sugar free) gelatin
softened in 1/4 cup water

* 3 pounds cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
(or 1 pound crab meat)

* 1 cup lite, reduced fat, or low fat mayonnaise
(or Miracle Whip)

* 1 tablespoon lemon juice

* Tabasco or creole seasoning to taste

* oil or Pam non-stick spray for surface of mold

Directions

If you have a food processor, you may want to grind your shrimp or crab meat up into more of a paste. This will give the pate more of a smooth texture, all the better to resemble actual brain matter. =)

Be careful with your cream of mushroom soup, because most versions made with cream are high in fat.

1. Heat the mushroom soup, undiluted, in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir occasionally to keep from burning or sticking to pan.
3. Mix the cream cheese in with the soup.
4. Stir in softened gelatin and blend well.
5. Fold in remaining ingredients and pour into your lightly-oiled mold.
6. Chill until firm and serve with your favorite crackers.

Once firm, you should be able to dump the pate out into a bowl or even onto a plate. The oil or non-stick spray is what allows us to dump it out. Don”t forget to lightly grease that mold!

How to Fold

When preparing a recipe, folding is a method of mixing better that is often demonstrated on cooking channels, but not often practiced by those of us who are content eating tuna and chicken 4 times a day. Of course I learned how to fold in Home Economics class back in high school, promptly forgot, and then relearned again a couple years ago for some recipes I was trying out. I do enjoy cooking healthy protein-laced meals.

Because you may not know how to fold, I”ll give you a quick low-down. Basically you want to take a flat spatula and turn the mixture over onto itself, rather than stirring with a spoon.

Healthy, Low Fat, High Protein Eating

As long as you use low fat ingredients when possible, you will end up with a very tasty, moderately healthy dip for crackers, veggies, or bread wedgies. The cream of mushroom soup can be found in a lower fat version, I know because I found it.

I recommend shrimp instead of crab meat, unless you really purchase high quality real crab meat. Don”t use that processed crab-meat-in-a-packet garbage. Bring to work in a small bowl with whole grain or whole wheat crackers for a healthy snack. Serve at a Halloween party with low fat chips or crackers, and surprise your guests with a tasty, but spooky, health food dip!

Nutrition

I really can”t give a nutrient profile on this because of all the variables. It depends on what kind of cream cheese, soup, mayo, and seafood you use. You are going to end up with something that has a moderate amount of protein, fat and carbs. No idea about the total calories. This is more of a Zone Diet 30/30/40 type of meal.

About The Author

Steve Hanson has 10 years experience in the fields of exercise science and sports nutrition. He writes articles on all forms of athletic training and nutritional theories. View the blog to learn more about your favorite exercise and nutrition topics.

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