Holidays and special occasions are wonderful times shared with family and friends. These can bring out the best in each member of the family through the bonding moments. In every special occasion, we tend to have the feeling for the need of unerringly perfect food for everyone.
Many of us get so weighed down thinking which among the rich and luscious recipes to serve for the prospect of a happy and fun time abound, and fearing mistakes, we often get disappointed by how these occasions turn out.
When it comes to cooking for special occasions, trying to consider what you really want to happen and what food you think will match a certain event could make things easier. For this reason, you need to work up a list of simple to cook special cooking recipes that you feel comfortable doing.
Choosing a rather simple meat or fish dish that you can revamp with a more decadent side dish is better than preparing a great number of dishes that require complex culinary effort. Trying to think about what you really want for your guests will allow you to explore creativeness and enjoy cooking without needing for it to be perfect.
Most people like working with those they love, so try sharing responsibility with your loved ones. Preparing food together can make you feel comfortable and planning can be better.
Taking things simple will lead you to discover other quick and easy to prepare meal and side dish ideas out there. This also means one thing. You will not run the many widespread cooking disaster scenarios that you hear about.
You should also keep in mind the guests for your special occasion. If it's a family gathering, a family favorite meal with a delightful evening dessert can be enough to make the occasion much more special than an all out effort for an expensive cordon bleu preparation.
One more suggestion when it comes to cooking for special occasions is to arrange and plan ahead of time as much as possible. Planning ahead lessens the pressure all through the event and allows you to enjoy with family and guests rather than spending so much time in the kitchen dealing with the details of your food.
One quick trick is to choose foods that can be prepared ahead of time which you can reheat just before serving. This idea is not just convenient but a perfect time-saver as well.
Choosing your recipes can bring your special occasion a stunning success. Appetizers, entrees, and desserts that work perfectly in a particular meal can make your event extraordinary.
In fact, a fantastic appetizer that's as elegant to look as it is delicious to eat can be the best part of the meal. You can find great recipes by searching online, sorting through many of your favorite cookbooks, or creating your own exclusive recipe.
When cooking for a special purpose, never cook outside your comfort zone. In other words, it is important that you do not get so caught up with cooking that you miss the opportunity of enjoying the occasion.
Everything about it must be light and enjoyable. Remember that the greatest gift you can give yourself when cooking for special events is the time essential in order to enjoy the moments of the occasions. Everyone loves spending time for family and friends, so every occasion must be specially fun and pleasant all throughout.
Enjoy your cooking and Merry Christmas!
Tips For Cooking Salmon on a Grill
With all the talk of getting more omega-3s in your diet, you must be looking for more foods to make that meet these requirements. Meet the salmon. Full of color, flavor, and nutrition, salmon is a great addition to any menu. Salmon can be prepared many ways, but many people agree that grilling it makes it truly exceptional. Salmon is pretty simple to prepare. Do not overcook it; that is the easiest way to ruin a perfectly good fish.
Try not to move your fish too much once it is on the grill. If you want professional grill marks, let it sit until it sears, then move it a quarter turn to get those nice hash marks. Of course, the fish tastes great whether you worry about what the grill marks look like or not.
When you remove your salmon from the grill, let it rest for a few minutes before serving. There are many different grilling recipes for salmon to choose from. Try a few different recipes and see what you like best. Perhaps you like it spicy, or sweet or savory. You will easily find a dozen recipes catering to the flavors you like best.
Recipe for Grilled Salmon Steaks
Make these simple spiced salmon steaks when you want to make a great impression. Pair them up with a nice seasonal salad for the perfect light meal.
What You Need
4 salmon steaks cut 1 inch thick
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon dry green peppercorns
Kosher salt
Olive oil
How to Make It
Turn your gas grill to medium high temperature to heat; if you have a charcoal grill, light four quarts of charcoal (enough to fill a chimney starter).
Remove all bones from the salmon steaks. Run your fingers over the surface of the steaks to feel for the bone tips. Pull with pliers or bone tweezers.
Trim the bones from the interior of the steak using a sharp boning or paring knife. Trim any stomach flaps so that one side is missing an inch of meat while the other is missing two inches of skin. Roll up the skinless side into the hollow of the body cavity and wrap the other side around the outside until it is circular. Tie securely but not too tight with a length of butcher's twine.
Mix fennel, coriander, cumin, and peppercorns on a thick section of aluminum foil and let them toast briefly on the grill until the spices become fragrant. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the spices. A spare pepper grinder will also work.
Coat the salmon steaks on both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and then apply the ground spices to both sides.
Wipe the hot grill with a rag or towel dipped in oil, and then place the steaks on the grill. Cook them 3 minutes on each side. When done, the fish should be a nice color on the outside and just slightly translucent in the center.
Try not to move your fish too much once it is on the grill. If you want professional grill marks, let it sit until it sears, then move it a quarter turn to get those nice hash marks. Of course, the fish tastes great whether you worry about what the grill marks look like or not.
When you remove your salmon from the grill, let it rest for a few minutes before serving. There are many different grilling recipes for salmon to choose from. Try a few different recipes and see what you like best. Perhaps you like it spicy, or sweet or savory. You will easily find a dozen recipes catering to the flavors you like best.
Recipe for Grilled Salmon Steaks
Make these simple spiced salmon steaks when you want to make a great impression. Pair them up with a nice seasonal salad for the perfect light meal.
What You Need
4 salmon steaks cut 1 inch thick
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon dry green peppercorns
Kosher salt
Olive oil
How to Make It
Turn your gas grill to medium high temperature to heat; if you have a charcoal grill, light four quarts of charcoal (enough to fill a chimney starter).
Remove all bones from the salmon steaks. Run your fingers over the surface of the steaks to feel for the bone tips. Pull with pliers or bone tweezers.
Trim the bones from the interior of the steak using a sharp boning or paring knife. Trim any stomach flaps so that one side is missing an inch of meat while the other is missing two inches of skin. Roll up the skinless side into the hollow of the body cavity and wrap the other side around the outside until it is circular. Tie securely but not too tight with a length of butcher's twine.
Mix fennel, coriander, cumin, and peppercorns on a thick section of aluminum foil and let them toast briefly on the grill until the spices become fragrant. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the spices. A spare pepper grinder will also work.
Coat the salmon steaks on both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and then apply the ground spices to both sides.
Wipe the hot grill with a rag or towel dipped in oil, and then place the steaks on the grill. Cook them 3 minutes on each side. When done, the fish should be a nice color on the outside and just slightly translucent in the center.
Versatile and Delicious Pollock From the Icy Alaskan Waters
Alaska Pollock just might be the most widely consumed seafood species that nobody's ever heard of! The quality of the product that comes from the icy waters of Alaska makes this particular variety of whitefish extremely popular, and the sustainability and quantity make is economical for use in a wide variety of products. This versatile fish can be found anywhere from gracing the plates of five star seafood restaurants to fast food fryers.
When Alaska Pollock is harvested from the pure waters of Alaska it is then frozen only once thereby locking in the great flavor, flaky white meat texture and the freshness. This type of fish meat is very consistent, meaning that it is guaranteed to create products that live up to a certain standard each and every time. While it can be harvested from all over the North Pacific Ocean, the product that comes from the Bering Sea of Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska is the most desirable. Strict environmental and sustainability standards guarantee that the product will be of the top quality without having much effect on the price.
One of the largest fisheries on the planet, and the largest in the United States, the harvesting of Alaska Pollock is carefully managed not only by national standards but by those of the state of Alaska as written into the 1959 state constitution. A real pioneer and leader in the area of natural resource management, development and sustainability, Alaska has put its best foot forward when it comes to the seafood industry. When supporting a seafood species that can be found in thousands of consumer products around the world, it is important that such standards be not only put into place, but reinforced. Luckily in this case the politicians have lived up to their word and mission as far as seafood sustainability goes.
Common uses for Alaska Pollock include fish and chips meals, fillets, fish sticks, and many other breaded and battered fish products. It is also commonly found in surimi, more commonly known as 'imitation crab.' This can be found in everything from fast food sandwiches to fine sushi dishes. When fast food chains serve fish baskets, fish sandwiches, or even salads, often this particular seafood species is the featured ingredient. In Japan and Russia the roe is often used, and smoked or salted to give an interesting and complex flavor to traditional dishes. It's the most versatile fish that most people never knew they'd already been enjoying for years!
When Alaska Pollock is harvested from the pure waters of Alaska it is then frozen only once thereby locking in the great flavor, flaky white meat texture and the freshness. This type of fish meat is very consistent, meaning that it is guaranteed to create products that live up to a certain standard each and every time. While it can be harvested from all over the North Pacific Ocean, the product that comes from the Bering Sea of Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska is the most desirable. Strict environmental and sustainability standards guarantee that the product will be of the top quality without having much effect on the price.
One of the largest fisheries on the planet, and the largest in the United States, the harvesting of Alaska Pollock is carefully managed not only by national standards but by those of the state of Alaska as written into the 1959 state constitution. A real pioneer and leader in the area of natural resource management, development and sustainability, Alaska has put its best foot forward when it comes to the seafood industry. When supporting a seafood species that can be found in thousands of consumer products around the world, it is important that such standards be not only put into place, but reinforced. Luckily in this case the politicians have lived up to their word and mission as far as seafood sustainability goes.
Common uses for Alaska Pollock include fish and chips meals, fillets, fish sticks, and many other breaded and battered fish products. It is also commonly found in surimi, more commonly known as 'imitation crab.' This can be found in everything from fast food sandwiches to fine sushi dishes. When fast food chains serve fish baskets, fish sandwiches, or even salads, often this particular seafood species is the featured ingredient. In Japan and Russia the roe is often used, and smoked or salted to give an interesting and complex flavor to traditional dishes. It's the most versatile fish that most people never knew they'd already been enjoying for years!
2 Most Popular Specialty Cake Recipes
Cakes for special occasions like wedding, birthday, and Christmas are a must. Now you too can bake the cake and decorate it yourself. It is fun in addition to saving money.
The main thing here is the specialty cake recipe. With a good recipe and step-by-step instructions, you can also create palate-tickling specialty cakes. However, keep in mind that baking is also an art and therefore you get the perfect one only after a couple of attempts.
Here are two most popular recipes for specialty cakes.
Flour - 2 &1/2 cups
Whipped cream - 2 cups
Fresh milk - 2/3 cup
Egg - 1
Vegetable Shortening - 1/3 cup
Fresh strawberries - 3 cups
Baking powder - 4 teaspoon
Salt - a pinch
Mix the flour, shortening, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and keep it aside.
In another bowl, mix milk and egg using a blender.
Pour it into the batter and stir well. Transfer the batter into a greased pan.
Bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated at 220 degree Centigrade. Cool the cake and remove from the pan.
Cut into two layers and spread strawberries in between and on the top. Dress with cream. Your specialty birthday cake is ready!
Eggs - 6
Butter - 300 gm
Brown sugar - 300 gm
Black currants - 525 gm
Cherries cut into two - 165 gm
Raisins - 450 gm
Mixed candied peels, chopped - 110 gm
Brandy - 3 tbsp
Powdered spices - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Zest of lemon and a pinch of salt
source: https://eatorama.net
The main thing here is the specialty cake recipe. With a good recipe and step-by-step instructions, you can also create palate-tickling specialty cakes. However, keep in mind that baking is also an art and therefore you get the perfect one only after a couple of attempts.
Here are two most popular recipes for specialty cakes.
1.Birthday cake
Ingredients required
White sugar -1/2 cupFlour - 2 &1/2 cups
Whipped cream - 2 cups
Fresh milk - 2/3 cup
Egg - 1
Vegetable Shortening - 1/3 cup
Fresh strawberries - 3 cups
Baking powder - 4 teaspoon
Salt - a pinch
Preparation
Cut the strawberries into thin slices and keep it in half a cup of sugar.Mix the flour, shortening, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and keep it aside.
In another bowl, mix milk and egg using a blender.
Pour it into the batter and stir well. Transfer the batter into a greased pan.
Bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated at 220 degree Centigrade. Cool the cake and remove from the pan.
Cut into two layers and spread strawberries in between and on the top. Dress with cream. Your specialty birthday cake is ready!
2.Christmas cake
Ingredients
Flour - 300 gmEggs - 6
Butter - 300 gm
Brown sugar - 300 gm
Black currants - 525 gm
Cherries cut into two - 165 gm
Raisins - 450 gm
Mixed candied peels, chopped - 110 gm
Brandy - 3 tbsp
Powdered spices - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Zest of lemon and a pinch of salt
Preparation
Take a 9 inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Mix flour, raisins, currants, cherries, peels salt and spices in a bowl. Whip butter and sugar in another bowl until fluffy. Add lemon zest and beaten egg one after the other. Add flour and fruit in small quantities. Add brandy and mix. Transfer the batter into the pan and bake for 4 & 1/2 hours at gas mark 3. Take it out and cool. It can be iced after a few days.source: https://eatorama.net
Cooking for Yourself on a Diet - A Healthy Pollock Recipe
As anyone who has ever live alone knows, cooking for yourself can be somewhat of a challenge. It just does not seem worth it to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen if you are only going to be feeding one person.
This is made even trickier if what you are cooking has to fit into certain dietary restrictions you may have. If you are trying to lose weight or simple attempting to eat healthier, finding a recipe that both tastes great and is nutritious is not always an easy thing to do.
As a general rule of thumb, seafood is a good way to get the nutrients you need and the taste you crave without going overboard on the calories.
Fresh pollock is full of lean proteins and omega 3 fatty acids, as well as a number of other vitamins that help fuel your body.
Here is a simple fresh pollock recipe to make for yourself that will not take a lot of time or effort.
1. 1 cup of white or brown rice
2. 1/2 cup of fresh spinach
3. 1 teaspoon of salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil
5. 2 1/2 ounces of fresh pollock
Once you have gathered all the ingredients, the first thing you will want to do is put the rice on the stove to cook on medium heat in 3 cups of water.
While the rice is cooking, you should go through the following steps:
1. Put the fish and the vegetable oil in a pan and roast, adding seasonings like salt, pepper, and thyme if you want (you can be creative here).
2. Steam the spinach.
3. When the rice is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and mix in the spinach, adding salt to taste.
4. Enjoy!
This recipe serves one person and should only take about 20 minutes to prepare in total. It has about 370 calories, 8.5 grams of fat, 64.5 mg of cholesterol, 48 grams of carbs, and 24.5 grams of protein.
This is made even trickier if what you are cooking has to fit into certain dietary restrictions you may have. If you are trying to lose weight or simple attempting to eat healthier, finding a recipe that both tastes great and is nutritious is not always an easy thing to do.
As a general rule of thumb, seafood is a good way to get the nutrients you need and the taste you crave without going overboard on the calories.
Fresh pollock is full of lean proteins and omega 3 fatty acids, as well as a number of other vitamins that help fuel your body.
Here is a simple fresh pollock recipe to make for yourself that will not take a lot of time or effort.
This recipe is for a pollock dish served with rice and spinach.
In order to prepare this meal, you will need the following ingredients:1. 1 cup of white or brown rice
2. 1/2 cup of fresh spinach
3. 1 teaspoon of salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil
5. 2 1/2 ounces of fresh pollock
Once you have gathered all the ingredients, the first thing you will want to do is put the rice on the stove to cook on medium heat in 3 cups of water.
While the rice is cooking, you should go through the following steps:
1. Put the fish and the vegetable oil in a pan and roast, adding seasonings like salt, pepper, and thyme if you want (you can be creative here).
2. Steam the spinach.
3. When the rice is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and mix in the spinach, adding salt to taste.
4. Enjoy!
This recipe serves one person and should only take about 20 minutes to prepare in total. It has about 370 calories, 8.5 grams of fat, 64.5 mg of cholesterol, 48 grams of carbs, and 24.5 grams of protein.
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