Buffalo Chicken Bites

 

ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup warm water (110-115°F)

1 cup warm milk (110-115°F)

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped country ham (3 oz; preferably Newsom’s or Benton’s), divided

1/3 cup finely chopped sharp Cheddar, divided

6 cups water

4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded fresh jalapeños

1 tablespoon mild honey

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 to 2 tablespoons pretzel salt or coarse salt

preparation:

Stir together yeast, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 8 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.) In a separate bowl, stir remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar into warm milk until dissolved.

Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time, if necessary. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in upper and lower thirds. Line two 4-sided sheet pans with parchment paper.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of ham and cheese into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. Make 3 more ropes with remaining dough, ham, and cheese and cut into pieces, transferring to sheet pans. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, 30 minutes (dough will rise slightly).

Bring water (6 cups) to a boil in a 4-to 5-quart saucepan. Reduce heat and stir in baking soda. Cook pretzel bites in batches in gently simmering water, turning once, until slightly puffed, about 20 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to sheet pans.

Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes (cheese may ooze slightly).

Meanwhile, stir together mustard, jalapeños, and honey.

Brush warm pretzel bites with butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Serve warm or at room temperature with jalapeño mustard for dipping.

 source : http://www.epicurious.com/

recipe of Singapore noodles

 

Ingredients :

300g peeled green prawns

300g chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

60ml (1/4 cup) light soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

250g dried rice vermicelli noodles

60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced

6 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally

60ml (1/4 cup) chicken stock

Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve

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Method :

Step 1

Place the prawns, chicken, Chinese rice wine, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of ginger in a shallow glass or ceramic bowl. Stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.

Step 2

Meanwhile, place the noodles in a large heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Drain.

Step 3

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add half the prawn mixture and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining prawn mixture. Use paper towel to wipe the wok clean.

Step 4

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over high heat. Add the curry powder and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the capsicum, half the shallot and the remaining ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until the shallot softens. Add the prawn mixture, stock and remaining soy sauce. Taste and season with sugar, salt and pepper. Add the noodles and toss until coated and heated through. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and remaining shallot to serve.

source:  http://www.taste.com.au/

Cabbage Soup Recipe

    6 large green onions (also called “spring” onions)

    2 green peppers

    1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)

    3 carrots

    1 container (10 oz. or so) mushrooms

    1 bunch of celery

    half a head of cabbage

    1 package spice only soup mix (optional, but try to keep it as low in sodium as possible)

    1 cube of low sodium bouillon

    1 48oz can Low Sodium V8 juice (optional)

    Season to taste with pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc. (Little to NO SALT!)

Recipe Directions:

 

Slice green onions, put in a pot on medium heat and start to sauté with cooking spray. Do this until the onions are whiter/clearer in color (about 4-6 minutes).

Cut green pepper stem end off, then cut pepper in half to take out the seeds and membrane. Cut the green pepper into bite size pieces and add to pot.

Take the outer leafs layers off the cabbage, cut into bite size pieces, add to pot.

Clean carrots, mushrooms, and celery, cut into bite size pieces and toss them in. Add tomatoes now, too.

 

If you would like a spicy soup, add a small amount of curry or cayenne pepper now.

For seasonings, you can use a spice soup packet of your choice (no noodles!) or use beef or chicken bouillon cubes. These cubes are optional, and you can add spices you like instead (make sure not to add much salt, if any at all).

Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups and the 48 oz of Low Sodium V8 juice), cover and put heat on low. Let soup simmer for a long time – about 2 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Coming Soon!!

I am working on a spice package that gives my Cabbage Soup added gusto! Check back soon to see when it’s ready!!

source: http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com

Eight Kinds of Toxins Should Be Removed from the Body

The toxins in the human body should be eliminated in time. If the toxins are always accumulated in the body, various diseases can be caused to affect the physical health. Generally speaking, eight kinds of toxins exist in the body.

 

1. Waste gas

Typical symptoms: abdominal distension

Possible results: bellyache, ulcer, the aging of skin, cancer

Dietary solutions: sweet potatoes, the foods containing lactobacillus

 

2. Stool

Typical symptoms: unsmooth defecation

Possible results: coarse skin, bellyache, abdominal distension, colorectal cancer

Dietary solutions: coarse foods containing dietary fibers, water, grains, seaweed, apples, yogurt, the foods containing oligose

3. Uric acid

Typical symptoms: tumefaction of the feet, thirst, frequent micturition

Possible results: gout, uricemia, the kidney disease, uremia

Dietary solutions: celery, tomato, mineral spring water, black food

 

4. Bad cholesterol

Typical symptoms: tumors of body fat

Possible results: arteriosclerosis, angina, miocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, Buerger’s disease, gall-stone

Dietary solutions: sesame, green tea, mushroom, orange, soy bean, nuts, kelp, dried purple seaweed, olive oil

5. Gore

Typical symptoms: ice-cold hands and feet, dysmenorrhea, abnormal menstruation

Possible results: decreasing functions of the internal organs, hysteromyoma, endometriosis, sterility

Dietary solutions: ginger, carrot, safflower, apricot, cinnamon, prune

6. Fat in internal organs

Typical symptoms: dyspnoea, amnesia

Possible results: miocardial infarction, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, cerebral infarction

Dietary solutions: oolong tea, coffee, foods containing lecithin, leek

7. Lactic acid

Typical symptoms: fatigue, ache of shoulders and necks

Possible results: rheumatism, neuralgia, cancer

Dietary solutions: the foods containing vitamin B complex, vinegar, the foods containing aspartic acid

8. Free radicals

Typical symptoms: no obvious symptoms

Possible results: the aging of the body, decreasing immunity, vascular diseases, diabetes, cancer

Dietary solutions: mushroom, green vegetables, cauliflower, the foods containing vitamin E and vitamin C, the foods containing selenium

Generally speaking, the high blood pressure, apoplexy, hepatitis, diabetes and cancer can be induced by the accumulation of toxins in the body. Therefore, people should remove the toxins from the body as soon as possible. Apart from the foods mentioned above, other foods like kelp and fresh vegetable juice can also effectively eliminate the toxins in the body. The algin contained in kelp can treat arteriosclerosis and disturb the absorption of heavy metals like lead. It is effective in expelling the toxins out of the body and preventing constipation and colon cancer. Therefore, people should increase the intake of such beneficial foods in their daily life so as to eliminate the toxins and prevent bad results.

source: http://www.lookchem.com

7 tips for a healthy lifestyle

 

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean hours of training at the gym and eating only salad leaves. It’s about making easy-to-manage healthy choices in your day-to-day living.

Says Dr Craig Nossel, head of Wellness at Discovery Vitality: "The trick to making your lifestyle healthier is to make small healthy changes every day, such as taking the stairs instead of the lifts, increasing your fruit by one, drinking one extra glass of water or quitting smoking."

So let’s start with the fundamental basics of healthy living: regular exercise, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices:

I like to move it, move it!

 

Do as King Julian does and move your body. Not just once now-and-then – but every day whenever you can. Although a set exercise session is great to work into your daily routine, you can burn kilojoules in other small ways, such as:

    Walking to someone else’s desk rather than sending an e-mail,

    Parking furthest from the building and walking in, or

    Taking the stairs more often.

    Doing house cleaning or gardening

    Taking the dog for a walk or cycling with the kids instead of watching TV

We all stand together

 

We spend our lives sitting – at our desks, in front of the TV, in a meeting or on the phone. New research is emerging highlighting the potential risk to health from all our sitting behaviour. So break your sitting time by standing for five minutes and reap the health benefits.

Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

If you’re overweight, making small changes in your daily exercise routine can benefit your health. In fact one study has found that just a 10% drop in weight helped overweight people to reduce their blood pressure, cholesterol and improve their wellbeing.

Eating healthily

When it comes to healthy eating, there is an overwhelming array of theories, diet books and online information about what to eat – which is often conflicting. Although the research is still ongoing and developing, what the experts all agree on is that our diets are too high in sugar, our portions are too big and we should eat a variety of whole natural foods.

Sweet enough

From sugary drinks to breakfast cereal, it’s hard to get away from sugary foods. Often the sugar is hidden in canned goods or pre-packaged foods, or even in foods we think are healthy for us, such as fruit juice. The average person takes in about 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day. According to the American Heart Association the daily target should be no more than six level teaspoons for women, and nine for men—that’s for both food and beverages combined.

The easiest way to limit your sugar intake with one small change is to cut out sugary fizzy drinks. This alone can help you to lose or maintain a healthy weight, which in turn will reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Portion distortion

Our food and drinks portion sizes have dramatically increased over the past 30 years. In the 1950’s a chip packet was 28g from a take-away restaurant - today it’s 154g – and that’s not even the supersize, which is a whopping 196g!

Portion size increases doesn’t only include the take-away portions, but packaging of goods in the supermarket, dinner plates and glasses in restaurants and even fridge sizes! Simple ways to cut your portions include:

    Eat your main meals off a smaller plate – visually the plate looks full so you will be satisfied, but technically you’ll be eating less.

    Dish up in the kitchen, rather than have the serving dishes at the dining table – it’s much easier to have seconds when it’s right in front of you.

    Eat small regular meals (at least every four hours) so that you’re never starving – if you get to this point of hunger, it’s very difficult to stop before you overeat.

Colour me beautiful

Choosing whole foods and cooking from scratch is a much healthier way to eat than buying pre-packaged or ready-meals which are high in fat and salt but very low in nutrients. To make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals into your body every day – a quick rule of thumb is to pick a variety of colours for your meals. Be the artist of your meals and paint a colour picture with a variety of yellow, red and green fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

Your body will wear a frown if your meal is all brown.

Choose life

There is nothing more damaging to a long, healthy life than smoking, which is estimated as the reason for death or disability in half the people who smoke. The dangers of smoking tobacco are so significant that it is the most important public health problem in the world, which ironically, is largely avoidable.

Smoking not only cuts your lifespan by affecting your internal organs, but it also ages you on the outside by causing skin damage. Tobacco smoking can give you wrinkles, create pucker lines around your mouth, stain your teeth and fingers, rob your skin of nutrients, break down youth-enhancing collagen and make your skin look grey. It makes you wonder how smoking is often marketed as glamorous and attractive.

It takes courage to quit smoking, as it’s not an easy journey – but it’s a brave and sensible choice. Some of the positive changes will happen quickly, while others will be more gradual, but all the changes will benefit your health and well-being.

 

source: http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Woman/Your-life/7-tips-for-a-healthy-lifestyle-20130218