Diabetic Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

Diabetic Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
A gluten-free diet is recommended for the treatment of diabetes, celiac disease, and wheat allergy. But when it comes to desserts, the diet usually fades. So here are some simple diabetic gluten free dessert recipes that will not only satisfy your taste buds, but will also help maintain your diet plan. Gluten is a protein without starch, comprising of glutenin and gliadin proteins. A gluten-free diet excludes ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals like wheat, rye, barley, triticale and oats. In fact, use of gluten for flavoring, stabilizing or as a thickening agent should also be avoided. The consumption and inhalation of gluten causes certain allergies and neuropathies.
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by an increased sugar level in the blood. It develops mainly due to abnormal metabolism and inadequate production of the insulin hormone in the body. The diabetic diet should comprise of foods rich in fat, carbohydrate, and protein, such as fish, fruits, lean meats, non-starchy vegetables and grains.
Here are a few diabetic gluten free dessert recipes that will surely compliment your healthy diet regime.

Simple Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups whole almonds
½ cup boiling water
1/3 cup unsalted butter or buttery spread
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle of it. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Grease it and set aside. Dissolve the cocoa powder in boiling water and finely grind the almonds in a food processor. Now add the eggs, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt; process for 30 to 40 seconds. Transfer this batter to the greased pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes and then let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Discard paper liner and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Crisp Buttery Pie Crust
Ingredients

1 tsp amaranth flour
¼ tsp ground ginger
1¼ cups canned pumpkin
2 lightly beaten large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 cup evaporated canned milk
½ tsp vanilla
1 (9 inch) unbaked gluten-free pie crust
2 tbsp water
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Heavy whipping cream for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients for the pie filling. Beat for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture smoothens. On a baking sheet, place the unbaked gluten-free pie crust and pour the filling mixture into it. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the pie comes out clean. Allow it to cool and garnish with fresh whipped cream or dust with cinnamon sugar.

Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients

6 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate
12 oz semisweet chocolate mini morsels, divided into 2 (6 oz) portions
1 cup gluten-free flour
½ tsp xanthan gum
1 pound (4 sticks) butter
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp salt
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12 x 18 inch cake pan with oil or butter. Mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Take a double boiler and melt half the chocolate morsels, chocolate squares and butter. Add the eggs and sugar mixture to it. Sift the gluten-free flour, salt and xanthan gum and stir into the mixture. Now add the remaining chocolate morsels and walnuts to it; mix well. Spoon the batter onto the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool and cut into squares before serving.

These are some delicious and healthy diabetic gluten-free dessert recipes that are simple and enticing. Since most of the ingredients are easily available, you can try preparing these recipes at home and enjoy yourself without the worry of ruining your diet plan.

Asparagus Casserole Recipe

Asparagus Casserole Recipe
One of the most quintessential vegetables, asparagus can be prepared in various delectable preparations. Find out some of the best asparagus casserole recipes to make a mouthwatering dinner for guests ... Asparagus is a nutritious underground plant, that needs to be washed well before cooking. It is fat free, cholesterol free and low in sodium. This makes asparagus one of nature's most perfect foods. Asparagus recipes display different flavors according to the preparation. Some asparagus casserole recipes which are a delight are:

Baked Asparagus Casserole Recipe

This is an easy preparation, which takes just 15 minutes. It is a light dish that can be complemented with beef, pork or chicken. It is made from fresh asparagus, butter, salt, pepper and garnished with lemon.

Ingredients
15 - 20 asparagus spears
2 tablespoons water
Butter
Coarse ground sea salt
Cracked pepper
Sliced lemon
Preparation
Wash asparagus spears properly and cut the ends diagonally at the point where they break easily.
With the help of a potato peeler, peel just the bottom of the stalks.
In a baking pan, place then in a layer. Add a little water, butter, salt and pepper.
Cover the pan tightly with an aluminum foil and bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit.
Remove the foil and serve immediately.
Dress the servings with sliced lemon.
Scalloped Asparagus Casserole Recipe

This recipe is made from asparagus, eggs, milk, cheese and buttered bread crumbs. It has a creamy sauce when it's finished with the baking. The preparation is basically light and hence, best served for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients
1 ½ pounds asparagus
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup diced cheese
5 hard boiled, diced eggs
2 tablespoons minced onion
½ cup buttered bread crumbs
Preparation
Cook asparagus until soft and crisp, and drain them.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add flour and seasonings and stir until smooth.
While cooking, add milk and keep stirring until the mixture is smooth.
When the mixture is smooth, stop heating and stir in cheese, onion and bread crumbs.
Combine asparagus, sauce and eggs in a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour.
Fresh Asparagus and Chicken Casserole Recipe

This is a heavy recipe compared to the ones above. It's best cooked when the asparagus comes fresh in spring.

Ingredients
1 packet egg noodles
1 chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 ⅓ tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken meat
2 stalks celery
1 cup chicken stock
1 ½ cups sour cream
½ teaspoon dried oregano
8 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Half pound Asparagus
Preparation
Grease the 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Also, preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
Cook noodles in large pot of boiling water until they turn soft and drain them with cold water.
In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions for over 4 to 5 minutes and stir continuously.
Add chicken stock, red bell pepper and celery. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in oregano and sour cream.
On this preparation, spread half of the chicken meat and arrange the asparagus over it. Spread cooked noodles over the asparagus. Top it with the remaining chicken and finally add Parmesan cheese.
Bake this in a preheated oven until lightly brown.
This dish is heavier than the Scalloped Asparagus Recipe and Baked Asparagus Recipe and can be had as part of brunch or dinner.

Due to its many nutritional advantages, asparagus is popular and prepared in various ways. The recipes described above are a few of the most popular healthy recipes that are easy to prepare. Try the above asparagus recipes, they will surely delight your taste buds.

Unique Facts about Pineapple

Unique Facts about Pineapple
Ananas comosus or pineapple is an edible tropical plant and fruit. The fruit made its way to the Western world from Brazil in 1664. The medicinal value of the fruit lies in its ability to initiate protein synthesis. It is also a popular flavoring marinade and meat tenderizer... The pineapple is native to southern Brazil and Paraguay. When early European explorers discovered the tropical fruit, they coined the word 'pineapple' due to the fruit's resemblance to the pine cone. The fruit eventually reached the Caribbean and all parts of Europe, with Columbus' discovery of the Indies. The fruit was subsequently introduced to the Philippines and the Hawaii Islands by the Spanish. The early 19th century witnessed commercial plantation of pineapple in the heartlands of Zimbabwe and Guam.

The original binomial name for the fruit is Ananas comosus, a term coined from the native Tupi word for pine, 'nanas'. The common cultivars of pineapple include ''Hilo', Red Spanish', 'Smooth Cayenne', 'Pernambuco', 'St. Michael', 'Natal Queen' and 'Kona Sugarloaf'. The pineapple was first introduced to the western world in 1813. The earliest records of canned pineapples date back to 1892. By the 1900s, the fruit was sought for large scale, commercial cultivation. The earliest pineapple industrialist on record was James Dole, who capitalized on the 'gold' brand of pineapple. The twentieth century witnessed the establishment of the Pineapple Research Institute in 1986, now defunct.

Unique Facts about Pineapple:

Pineapple cultivation demands tropical, low elevation, with a temperature variation between 65°-90°F. Prolonged winter retards growth and affects the flavor of the fruit. The ideal rainfall for pineapple cultivation is around 45 inches, distributed through spring and fall. Atmospheric humidity depends on cultivar and location. The best soil for pineapple cultivation is sandy, friable loam that drains well and has a high content of organic matter. Soil depth should ideally be around 2 feet, with a pH range between 4.5 and 6. Soil fumigation is known to generate high quality yield.

Pineapple is a herbaceous plant that grows perennially. A healthy plant grows to around 5 feet tall. The plant features trough-shaped, spiky leaves that are each approximately 3 feet long, along a thick, fleshy stem. This multiple fruit genre bears flowers that are helically-arranged along an axis. The fleshy fruit is either eaten fresh, juiced or canned. It is a popular ingredient in desserts, salads, and a variety of meat dishes due to its tangy taste. With a fat composition of 0.12 g, the pineapple is easily a weight-watchers favorite fruit.

Pineapple is credited with health benefits that ease intestinal disorders. The fruit is a rich source of manganese, Vitamin B1, B6 and C. The root of the plant and the fruit are applied topically as anti-inflammatory, proteolytic and antihelminthic or anti-parasite agents. The bromelain enzyme in pineapple is effective in reducing swelling and in the treatment of sinusitis, arthritis and gout. The bromelain content also aids digestion. Pineapple protects the body against free-radicals that cause the onslaught of atherosclerosis, heart disease, asthma and colon cancer. The Vitamin C content helps the body's immune system to ward off common cold and flu.

Statistics reveal that Southeast Asia dominates pineapple production, with the major cultivating regions being Thailand (1.979 million tons) and the Philippines (1.618 million tons). Pineapple cultivars are subject to a variety of diseases, like the wilt disease caused by mealybugs, pink disease, anthracnose and bacterial heart rot. Fresh pineapple is an expensive tropical fruit that can ripen after harvest, under certain temperatures. The fruit is chill-sensitive and gets over-ripe in a day or two, making canning the only preservation alternative.

Cauliflower Soup Recipes

Cauliflower Soup Recipes
Are you thinking of going on a weight loss program and looking for a diet plan that is healthy as well as nutritious? If you are, cauliflower soups are the best for you. Let us look at some mouthwatering cauliflower soup recipes. Cauliflowers are perfect for people who want to lose weight as it contains all the essential vitamins and nutrients, and is very low in saturated fat. It is rich in fiber and helps in preventing cancer growth in the body. One can make a variety of cauliflower dishes, however soups made with it would be the best. Soups are ideal for a wholesome meal, and making soups with cauliflowers will definitely benefit the overall health of a person.

Onion-Garlic Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

2 medium sized onions
1 medium cauliflower
1 level tablespoon flour
Little mace
3 teaspoons butter
Salt and pepper- as per taste
¼ pint milk
1 clove garlic
1½ pints vegetable stock
fresh parsley
Preparation

Cut the onions and the garlic into small pieces. Take water in a vessel and boil the cauliflower for a few minutes. Take it off from the heat and let it cool. Drain the water and chop the cauliflower into small chunks. In a mixer, blend milk and keep aside.

Heat butter in a deep-bottomed pan and fry the onion and garlic in it. Add the flour and mix well. Add salt and pepper, and keep on stirring on a low flame for at least a minute. Pour in the stock and mix all the ingredients well. Put in the cauliflower and cook for 20 minutes. Bring to a boil and add the milk that was kept aside. Let it remain on a low heat for some time but do not let it simmer again. Transfer into soup bowls and serve immediately.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

8 ounces sour cream or plain yogurt
2 medium sized cauliflowers
3 cups milk
2 small onions
3 tablespoons butter
3 vegetable bouillon cubes, crushed
Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons flour
Parsley
Preparation

Wash the cauliflower thoroughly and boil it for a few minutes. Drain the water and chop the cauliflower into tiny pieces. Cut the onions and the parsley and set aside. In a pan, fry the onions in butter, until it becomes tender. Sprinkle flour on it and continue to fry for some time. Pour sour cream or yogurt and milk and whip until the broth becomes thick. Add the cauliflower and milk into the pan and mix well. Top it with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and serve.

Chicken Broth Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

10 ounces cauliflower
16 ounces chicken broth
2 medium eggs
3 tablespoons butter
8 ounces whipping cream
2 medium sized onions
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
Preparation

Break eggs into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add whipping cream, pepper and potato soup. Mix well and keep it aside. Chop onions and cauliflower (after boiling). In a deep-bottomed pan heat butter and lightly fry the onions till they becomes transparent. Pour in the chicken broth and the chopped cauliflower. Let it cook for some time. Transfer it into a blender and make a puree of it. Shift it back to the pan and pour in the egg mixture while stirring continuously. Let it cook for a few minutes and serve hot.

Cauliflower soups are filling and would be the best for people who have been asked to lose weight due to certain health complications. Apart from that, one can also serve these soups for dinner parties, as they are not only nourishing but also delicious

Crusty French Bread Recipes

Crusty French Bread Recipes
A crusty French bread brings out the best in a slice of toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a healthy bowl of stew for dinner. And when it comes to baking, crusty French bread is the easiest of all breads... French bread is prepared from white wheat flour and has a strong and chewy crust. The inner part of the bread is full of bubbles, due to the use of sourdough starters at the time of preparation. It is distinguishable by its length and slit cuts that enable proper expansion of gases, thus forming a crumb, the white part of the bread. Traditionally, the bread is made up of only four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and common salt. It is commonly shaped into a batard, torpedo or baguette styles, though in France, the baguette style is the most common. French bread doesn’t store well and hence, to maintain that special crispy crust on the bread, it should be packed in plastic and heated before consuming. Some of the simple and enticing crusty French bread recipes are as follows:

Crusty French Bread
Ingredients

2 cups bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
1½ cup water
2 tbsp dry milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 egg white, whisked with 1 tbsp cold water (to be brushed near end of baking)
Preparation
Add water, oil, dry milk, flour, bread flour, sugar, salt and dry yeast to the bread machine. Select the dough settings of the machine and punch down the bread; let it rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lightly knead it and form loaves.

To Form Loaves
Shift the dough to a lightly floured board and cut the dough into 2 sections. Roll each section into a rectangle about 12 to 15 inches wide, if needed add more flour. From the long end, roll up and pinch the seams well; repeat with the next roll. Spray or lightly oil a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer the loaves on the sheet, cover with clean dish towel and allow it to rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a pie plate on the lower rack of the oven and add about 1 inch of boiling water to it. Bake the bread for 15 minutes and lower the heat to 350°F. Now bake for 20-25 minutes and 5 minutes before the loaves are done, brush with egg white and water mixture.

Cracked Wheat French Bread
Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups water (110-120°F)
1 cup cracked wheat cereal (uncooked)
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt
Sesame seeds
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Preparation
In a bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer, put water, yeast and sugar; allow it to stand for few minutes. Add whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, salt and olive oil to it. With the help of a dough hook, mix well. Add all purpose flour and knead on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and coat the top of the dough with oil. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 45-60 minutes. After it rises, punch down and return it to the mixer bowl; knead again for nearly 5 minutes. Now place the dough back in the bowl and let it rise till it doubles. Then punch down and again let it rest for few minutes. Divide the dough into half and shape each portion into long loaves, about 13-15 inches long. Put them on a greased baking sheet and slash the tops diagonally in 3-4 places. Brush the tops with beaten egg white and sprinkle sesame seeds on it. Place in cold oven and bake for 45-50 minutes at 375°F.

The simplicity of ingredients, delicious taste and less preparation time makes this bread a terrific accompaniment to any dish. Dipped in sauces, spread with butter, cheese or mayonnaise, this bread can either be used for sandwiches or just eaten plain and hot.

Whole Wheat Bun Recipes

Whole Wheat Bun Recipes
Are you looking for some interesting whole wheat recipes? Well! Here are some tasty recipes that make the simple whole wheat bun, more tasty and delicious. Whole wheat breads and buns add nutritional value to your food. The fiber content of whole wheat grains is greater than the refined ones. The best way to eat this whole wheat grains is to make foodstuffs that can be included in your daily snack. How about making whole wheat buns, that can make burgers, both relishing and nutritious!

Whole Wheat Black Pepper and Garlic Buns

Ingredients
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tsp instant yeast
3/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1 egg
2 cups of all-purpose flour
Procedure

Mix sugar, yeast, whole wheat flour, salt, garlic powder, pepper and all-purpose flour in a mixer. Mix water, milk and butter together and knead the mixture for 8 min. After enough kneading, this ball of dough is kept in a greased bowl in a plastic wrap for about 1 hour. The dough becomes double the size after one hour.

Deflate the dough, and scoop it on a surface floured with some all-purpose floor. Cut the dough into equal pieces and flatten each piece into a disc. Spritz oil on these pieces and again, cover them with plastic sheets. In the meantime, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and whisk an egg in 1 tablespoon of water.

When the disc doubles in size in an hour, brush the tops with the whisked egg mixture. Place these discs in the oven for 15 min, and allow the buns to cool before you cut them. Your fluffy, pepper-ginger buns are ready.

Whole Wheat Sun-dried Tomato Buns

Ingredients
2 cups of whole wheat flour
7-8 chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp of honey or sugar
2 cups of warm water
2 tbsp of dry yeast
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of garlic powder
2 tbsp of cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 egg
Procedure

Take a mixing bowl and combine yeast, honey and 2 cups of water, until it turns frothy. Add whole wheat flour, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, all-purpose flour, oil, salt to the frothy mixture in the mixer bowl. Knead the flour for 6-7 min, till it becomes elastic.

Make small balls of the dough and press them into discs. Cover them with plastic sheets and let them rise for 1 hour. Mix egg white with 2 tablespoons of water and brush the surface of the buns with this egg mixture. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the buns. Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place these buns for baking. Bake the buns for 20-25 min, until they turn golden-brown.

Honey and Oatmeal Whole Wheat Buns

Ingredients
1/2 cup of oatmeal
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
3 tbsp of honey
2 tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of salt
1 cup of warm water
2 tbsp of yeast
1 egg
2 cups of all-purpose flour (for kneading and sprinkling on the surface of baking dish)
Procedure

Combine yeast and water and mix them. Mix the oatmeal, whole wheat flour, honey, sugar and salt in the mixer. Knead this dough with the warm water and yeast mixture, till it becomes soft. Make small bun-shaped pieces and let them rise for 1 hour. Mix egg white in water and apply this whisked mixture to the buns, before keeping it in oven. Set the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 min.

Whole wheat grains have both soluble and insoluble fibers. The soluble fibers help to lower your cholesterol levels and the insoluble fibers are necessary for a good digestive system. Bran and germ are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Ordinary white wheat flours do not contain bran and germ; but whole wheat flour has them

Grapes: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Grapes: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
Think of fruits and you will surely not forget the small juicy berries!!! Yes, Grapes! Besides a mouth watering taste, grapes have phenomenal health benefits. Grapes have many important minerals and vitamins that are very good for an overall health development. Read on to know more.
Enlarge ImageGrapes are botanically called 'true berries'. A berry is a fruit that is produced chiefly from a single ovary. It contains no stones or pits, though one may find many seeds, like in tomatoes. Grapes are grown almost all year round. They grow on the woody vines of the genus 'Vitis'. 'Vines' is a term generally used for a climbing or trailing plant. Basically, Vitis is a botanical category of about 60 species of vining plants. Grapes often grow in a cluster of 6-300. They are generally, yellow, green, crimson, black, dark blue and pink in color. Grapes are grown in temperate zones. Temperate zones are the regions which are quite conducive for the growth of vegetation of any sort. They include Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North and South America.

Today, the world's major consumption of grapes goes to the wine production industry. It is believed that the culture of wine making from grapes started way back, in the Egyptian and Roman civilizations. Grapes are consumed as a raw fruit and also used for making edibles such as jelly, jam, juices, vinegar, raisins and edible oil. Dried grapes are also called raisins, sultanas or currants.

Nutritional Value of Grapes
Like most berries, grapes have a lot of nutritive value as highlighted below:

Important vitamins such as vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and C6 are found in grapes.
Grapes also contain acids such as tartaric acids, malic acids, succinic, fumaric, glyceric, p-coumaric and caffeic acids.
Beta-carotene, lycopene, ellagic acid, resveratrol and other sulphur compounds are found in grape skins.
Grapes have important anti-oxidants such as anthocyanins, flavones, geraniol, linalol, nerol and tannins.
Grapes contain all the necessary minerals such as calcium, chlorine, copper, fluorine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and sulfur.
Health Benefits of Grapes:
Potassium and sodium are important stimulators for the nervous system. Grape juice provides us with these necessary minerals.
Phosphorus helps in the formation of genes, as it is a part of nucleic acids; grapes are a good source of phosphorus.
Magnesium is also found in the grapes that helps in muscle contraction.
Grapes are one of those rare fruits which are completely cholesterol free. The most amazing fact about grapes is that it's quite a low calorie fruit - a cup of grape juice( about 92g) contains only 62g of calories and no cholesterol.
Grapes have small amounts of protein and dietary fibers that facilitates quick digestion.
Grapes contain vitamin K and vitamin E which helps in blood clotting and so grapes can be called as anti-coagulants.
The antioxidants such as anthocyanins, flavones, geraniol, linalol, nerol and tannins are the ones responsible for protecting the body against cancer.
Vitamin B helps in controlling metabolism rates and grapes are the best source for it.
Folate found in grapes is important during the pregnancy period.
Red grapes contain a compound called resveratrol, which helps control cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart attacks. In wines, we have resveratrol which has been found to control heart attacks. It is hence said that controlled consumption of red wine is good for your heart.
The dry forms of grapes contain large amounts of boron which is necessary for bones. It also helps fight tooth and gum decay.
Vitamin A together with flavonol compounds helps fight night blindness and other eye related problems.
Grape juice reduces fever. It also helps in fighting fatigue and provides energy to the body.
Acne and skin related problems are cured or decreased with grape juice consumption as it contains vitamin C.
Rheumatism, gout, asthma, etc. can be controlled and relieved using grapes, as they contain anti-inflammatory agents.
Grapes act as a good cleanser, thereby eliminating kidney stones and improving the flows of bile and urine
It's also effective on migraine and headache.
Its abundance in minerals helps to detoxify the liver and strengthens the digestive system.
The risk of atherosclerosis is lessened by including grapes in our diet.
Grapes increase the moisture in the lungs and help in subduing asthma.
A form of true berries, Concorde grape juice helps shrink mammary tumors
Resveratrol, an important constituent of red wines, helps in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Grapes help fight neurodegenerative diseases.
With so many benefits, it's hard to exclude grapes from our diet list. So the next time you visit a vendor, don't forget to pick up those small berries, ready to provide you some everlasting health and an admirably fit body. Not surprising, grapes are admirably honored as the 'Fruit of Gods' - truly indeed!!.

History of Strawberries

History of Strawberries
One of the most popular fruits of today, the strawberry, is basically a North American plant. Its popularity grew after the European settlers started the strawberry trade with the native Americans. The strawberry plant is a member of the Rosaceae family and the genus, Fragaria. Against the common belief that strawberry is a fruit, the fleshy red outgrowth is actually the receptacle of the strawberry flower. Thus, it is also called as a 'false fruit'. Strawberry is cultivated on a large scale in the state of California in the US. Around 25,000 acres of land is under strawberry cultivation in the States. California produces around 80% of strawberry, that is consumed in the United States.

Strawberry Origin
The strawberry is a native plant of North America. The name 'strawberry', that it holds is derived from a farmers' practice of mulching the plant with straw. There is one more theory about the origin of the word strawberry. Strawberries being abundant in nature, was not cultivated as a cash-crop. Strawberries strewn among fallen leaves was a common sight in olden days. This might have lead to the development of the word strawberry from the two words, 'strewn' and 'berries'. In England, children used to pick strawberries scattered in the wild and sell them in local markets. In order to handle them properly, the strawberries were tied to pieces of straws. Varieties of strawberries are also found in Europe. The history of strawberry in Italy can be traced back to 234 BC.

History of Strawberry
The Europeans first discovered strawberry in the year 1588, in America. Since the fruit was easily available and abundant in the wild, the local Americans didn't cultivate it commercially. It was only after the demand from the European settlers, that the native Americans started its cultivation.

In ancient Europe, in Rome, the fruit was grown for the formulation of different types of medicines. In France too, the berries were used for medicinal purpose. The strawberries that grew in the Alpines were used to treat digestive problems and skin diseases. Roots and leaves of the strawberry plant along with fruits were used in these treatments.

Many new varieties of the strawberry were developed in the 1700s, in North America. The varieties that developed from the cross breeding of American and European strawberries were known for their sweet taste and the perfect size.

Carolus Linneaus the famous, taxonomist had recommended the use of strawberries for rheumatic gout and bowel cleansing. However, the studies that were conducted later didn't prove the efficacy of Linnaeus' prescription.

Madam Thérésa Tallien popularized the use of strawberries in cosmetics and facial treatments. A wealthy socialite from France, Theresa Tallien used to scatter sliced strawberry in bath water. She claimed that 'strawberry bath' protected her from any kind of skin problems. The 20th century saw the advent of strawberry cosmetics on a large scale. Strawberry is widely used in shampoos, moisturizers, cleansers, soaps, etc.

The strawberry fruit is grown in many parts of the world. Basically, a crop grown in temperate countries, it is now adapted to various tropical climates. In India, strawberry is mostly grown in Nainital and Mahabaleshwar. It has also been successfully grown in the plain regions along the hilly areas.

Strawberry is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. The fact that strawberry contains less calories makes it an excellent food for diabetics and patients in general.

The sweet and tasty fruit, strawberry, has many qualities that make it a popular and also a nutritious fruit. The 'false fruit', strawberry thus, is truly a wonderful fruit on earth.

Health Benefits of Asparagus

Health Benefits of Asparagus
Asparagus is considered a delicacy since ancient times. They are juicy, tender and one of the most complete foods that have myriad health benefits. To know about the health benefits of asparagus, read on... Asparagus, a member of the Lily family (Liliaceae) that includes leeks, garlic and onions, comes from the Greek word meaning 'shoot' or 'sprout'. About 2000 years ago, in the eastern Mediterranean, it was known for its unique texture and medicinal and aphrodisiacal properties. This vegetable is abundant in vitamin K and folate. Although more than 300 varieties of asparagus are known, only 20 are edible.

Asparagus is a leafless, fleshy speared, tender perennial food that is topped with bud-like compact heads. They arrive with the spring and their growing season extends through July. The asparagus that we buy from the market is actually the shoot from an underground crown. These crowns which are planted in sandy soil, take up to 3 years to grow, but once they do, they keep on producing the shoots for over 20 years. The most amazing fact is that they can grow up to 10 inches in a single day. Besides the green asparagus that is generally available in the market, there are two other types of asparagus – white asparagus, which is delicate and difficult to harvest, and purple asparagus, which is fruitier and smaller in size.

Health Benefits of Asparagus

Heart Health

Asparagus contains folate, which is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system. Drinking a little amount of asparagus juice mixed with raw honey three times a day helps to strengthen a weak heart.

Natural Diuretic

While asparagus is a good source of potassium, its low in sodium. Its minerals combined with asparagine, an active amino acid, makes it an effective diuretic medicine. It is therefore very useful in relieving premenstrual swelling and bloating. It also helps in relieving irritability, fatigue and depression.

Food for Healthy Gut Flora

The vegetable is rich in minerals. It also contains a carbohydrate called inulin that we cannot digest. But, some health promoting bacterias in large intestine, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, feed on it. Hence, intake of inulin (asparagus) increases the number of these good bacteria in the large intestine, which prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.

Birth Defect Fighter

Folate, again, is the key nutrient here. Without a healthy intake of folate, the nervous system cells of a fetus do not divide properly. Hence, it's intake helps to reduce birth defects like spina fibida and decreases the chances of low birth weight in a new born.

Other Health Benefits
Asparagus juice is high in alkaline property and hence helps reduce acidity of the blood, by cleaning muscle tissues and also helps in dissolving kidney stones
Contains a phytochemical that produces anti-inflammatory effect, helping in arthritis and rheumatism
Its regular consumption improves the bowel movement, as its rich in fiber
It is a good anti-oxidant and can help in preventing cancer, cataract and other eye problems
Helps in controlling blood sugar levels, making it beneficial for diabetic people
Increases the success rate of chemotherapy
Good body detoxifying agent. Helps to prevent Urinary Tract Infections
Good for nursing mothers, helping in stimulating milk production
It also helps in treating HIV and multiple sclerosis and prevents scurvy and lung cancer. The health benefits of asparagus are numerous. The good thing is that it can be prepared in infinite number of ways. There are a great number of asparagus recipes that are tasty and easy to prepare.

If you're doing everything - medicines, exercises, etc, to prevent any kind of disease, but not having asparagus in your diet, then you are missing out an important mix of nutrients. Include asparagus in your diet today and stay healthy forever!

German Sauerkraut Recipes: How to Make Sauerkraut

German Sauerkraut Recipes: How to Make Sauerkraut
The famous traditional German recipe, sauerkraut is made from cabbage. To be more precise, it is a lacto fermented cabbage dish and a popular delicacy that has many health benefits too. To know some sauerkraut recipes and its health benefits, read on... A traditional German food, sauerkraut is prepared from shredded cabbage which is fermented by lactic acid bacteria. Its sour flavor and long shelf life are a result of the lactic acid that is formed when bacteria ferment sugars inside the cabbage. Sauerkraut in German means 'sour cabbage'. Sauerkraut is a popular dish in Germany, Austria, Croatia, Poland and all the countries around Germany. It has slowly gained popularity in China, Chile, Canada and US as well.

Basic Sauerkraut Recipe

Ingredients
A glass jar with a plastic lid
1 medium sized cabbage (1 kg)
4 tbsp kefir whey
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp caraway seeds or fresh chopped dill
Instructions
Grate the cabbage with the help of a hand grater or process it in a food processor.
Mix the grated cabbage with salt and kefir whey in a large food grade plastic bucket.
Pound the mixture with the help of a meat mallet or a wooden pounder until the juices cause suction when you pull the pounder out of the mixture.
Put the mixture in a clean glass jar and press until the juice rises to the top and the mixture is below it.
Leave behind at least one inch of space for expansion.
It is time to store the kraut now. Cover the jar fully and store it in a cupboard for 3 - 4 days and then put it in the refrigerator.
Let it ferment for a couple of weeks and then the sauerkraut is ready for consumption.
Variations

Everybody has their own way of making sauerkraut. People generally don't make such plain sauerkraut. They add many other vegetables which may be prepared separately. The style differs in different countries. Many people mix juniper berries whereas some mix pickling spice, peppercorns, ginger root, lemons, etc. Here are a few vegetables that you can add, depending upon your choice and flavor preference.
Pumpkin
Root vegetables
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Radish
Horseradish
All other vegetables should be used raw, except green or yellow wax beans, cooking them for at least 5 minutes before being pickled.

Sauerkraut Reuben Casserole

Ingredients
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cans (16 oz) rinsed and drained sauerkraut
1⅓ cups milk
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 package (8 oz) uncooked medium noodles
1½ lb. polish sausage
2 cups (8 oz) swiss cheese
¾ cup whole bread crumbs
2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F and grease the baking dish.
Mix soup, milk, onion and mustard in a bowl and blend well.
Top the prepared dish with sauerkraut and top this with uncooked noodles.
Over it spoon soup mixture and cover with sausage. Top it with shredded Swiss cheese.
Add bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl and spread it over the casserole. Cover the dish properly with foil and bake for about an hour until noodles turn soft.
Health Benefits of Sauerkraut
Full of vitamin C, minerals and phytochemicals that are the result of fermentation, sauerkraut boosts the immune system of the body
Helps fight cancer
Maintains a balance of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, hence, aiding in digestion
Helps fight avian or bird flu
Fermented cabbage provides many health benefits which should not be underestimated. Sauerkraut is rich in vitamin C and hence very useful in preventing diseases like scurvy - Captain James Cook prevented the death of many of his sailors from scurvy by serving them sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut is also a popular serving along with beer in the famous German festival Oktoberfest. Try the above mentioned sauerkraut recipes and enjoy this German delicacy at home.

South Indian Breakfast Recipes

South Indian Breakfast Recipes
It is said that breakfast should be the heaviest meal of the day. Thus, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. It is the first meal of the day after a good night's sleep. One should never skip breakfast as it gives the much needed energy to face the day's rigor. Here are some south Indian breakfast recipes just for you. In India, breakfast is commonly known as 'Nashta'. Nashta consists of a wide range of lip-smacking recipes which vary from region to region. The different spices used in the Indian food add essence in the first meal of the day.

South Indian food is basically made from fermented cereals and pulses. Fermented food is easily digested and gives instant energy. South Indian breakfast is easy to make and delicious to eat.

Idli
A steamed, fluffy and round cake is an idli. A couple of steaming hot idlis are served along with coconut 'chutney' (type of sauce) and 'sambar' (type of gravy).

Ingredients
Raw rice: 1/2 cup
Water: 2 cups
White Lentil: 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil: 1 tbsp for greasing

Preparation
Preparations need to be made overnight as the rice and white lentil need to be fermented. For about 5 hours soak the rice and white lentil separately in water.
Grind the soaked ingredients, making a smooth paste.
Let the paste stand for about 8 hours.
Add salt to taste. Mix well.
Grease the cavities of the idli stand with oil.
Pour the paste in the cavities.
Steam the idli stand in a cooker or a closed vessel for 15-20 minutes.
Take out the stand carefully and remove the idlis using a spoon.
Prepare idlis from the remaining batter similarly.
And the idlis are ready to be eaten with coconut chutney and sambar.
Tip: Tomato sauce can be used in place of coconut chutney and sambar.

Plain Dosa
Dosa is a very popular South Indian recipe. Dosa is a type of pancake, and very easy to make.

Ingredients
White Lentil: 2 cups
Rice: 4 cups
Fenugreek seeds: 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Preparation:
Grind the rice and white lentil to make a fine paste.
Mix the batters, add salt to taste and leave it overnight for fermentation.
Pour and spread the batter in a flat frying pan in the shape of a very thin round pancake. Pour a little oil on both sides of the dosa.
Turn the dosa to the other side when it turns golden brown.
Dosa is ready to be served in a few minutes.
Plain dosa can be converted into a masala dosa by added some mashed potatoes inside it and folding it into a wrap.
Tip: The dosa batter should be a little more diluted than that for idlis.

Upma
Upma is made from Semolina. Semolina is called 'Rawa' or 'Sooji' in Hindi.

Ingredients
Semolina (Sooji/Rawa): 1 cup
Onion: 1 (chopped)
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Water: 2 cups
White Lentils: 1 tbsp
Green chilies: 2 (chopped)
Ginger: 1/4 tsp (chopped)
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves
Cashew nuts: 8
Salt to taste

Preparation
Roast semolina in a dry skillet on low flame until it starts giving off a distinct aroma.
Heat ghee in the same and add cumin seeds, curry leaves, mustard, white lentils and cashew nuts.
Add chopped green chilli, ginger and onions. Continue cooking for 3 minutes.
Add salt to taste, roasted semolina and water.
Stir properly and cover it.
Your upma is ready to be eaten.
Tip: Upma can be served with pickle. One can experiment with spices and sticks of butter can be used in place of ghee.

South Indian food is spicy and shows a distinct variety in terms of its flavor, seasoning, texture, nutritional balance and visual appeal. Try these south Indian recipes and treat yourself with the taste of India. Bon Appetite!

Chicken Lasagna Recipes

Chicken Lasagna Recipes
Lasagna is one of the most popular ready meals, which is originally from Italy. There are lots of lasagna dishes prepared with chicken. Here are some wonderful chicken lasagna recipes.
Enlarge ImageLasagna is a famous Italian food. Most of the lasagna recipes are like sandwiches; you can put anything between the lasagna layers. Given below are some delicious chicken lasagna recipes.

Saporito Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
1 pound turkey Italian sausage
3/4 pound diced chicken
1 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 cans (6.5 ounce) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 fresh whole wheat lasagna noodles
16 ounces cheddar cheese
1 egg
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
2/3 cup fresh chopped basil
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, diced chicken, onion, and garlic over medium heat until it is brown. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water and crushed tomatoes. Season it with freshly chopped basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Boil, covered, for about 90 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt to it. Cook whole wheat lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles before rinsing in cold water. In a mixing bowl, mix preheated cheddar cheese with egg, the remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
First, spread 1 and 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Then, arrange 6 noodle sheets lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread one half of the cheddar cheese mixture. Spread a third of mozzarella cheese slices on the top. Add 1 and 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and spread 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. You can cover it with foil, but spray the foil with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking. Just make sure that the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Bake it for an additional 25 minutes, after removing the foil. Cool it for 15 minutes before serving.
Chicken Lasagna Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (4-ounce) jar pimientos, chopped
1 can (8 ounce) mushroom soup
1 can (8 ounce) cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
6 ounces shredded mozzarella
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Take a large saucepan and heat the butter over medium heat. Add the green bell pepper and onions and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook until they are soft and translucent; it will take about 15 minutes. Add the chicken, mushroom soup, pimientos, and chicken broth. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend.
Pour about 1/3 of the chicken mixture into a medium sized baking dish. Arrange the noodles over the chicken, repeat the chicken and noodle layers twice. Spread lasagna with cheese, and cover it with aluminum foil. Remove the foil after baking for 20 minutes and bake again until the cheese is nicely browned, for about 10 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to set for 5 minutes before serving.
It can also be served as a gravy with rice.

Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna
Ingredients
2 cups milk
4 tablespoon flour
4 lasagna noodles
2 cups broccoli
4 tablespoon butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves minced onions
1 ½ cup diced chicken
3 eggs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 pinch red pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch nutmeg
Directions
To make sauce: Melt butter, mix it with flour, and stir. Add milk, whisk it until it is smooth. Stir it in the broth and cook. Keep stirring constantly until it becomes thick.
Beat eggs in a separate bowl, add small amount of sauce; then mix the egg with the sauce. Add the seasonings and cheese while stirring.
Cook noodles in boiling water, drain and rinse in cold water.
Fry chicken in butter with onion and garlic. Stir in broccoli, cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the seasonings.
In a 9x13 pan, layer sauce, mozzarella, noodles and chicken.
Repeat the layers and finish with cheese.
First freeze it, then bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes, until it bubbles. Allow it to set for 5 minutes and serve.
Chicken Enchilada Lasagna
Ingredients
1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce
1/2 cup of salsa
1 pkt of chicken strips (precooked)
1 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoon sliced black olives
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup (separate into two 1/4 cups) green onion
2 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
2 cups (30) baked tortilla chips
8 corn tortilla (6 inch) (cut in half with kitchen shears)
2 cups low- fat Mexican cheese, shredded
Directions
Take a 13x9 pan, spray with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix salsa with enchilada sauce, reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture.
In the same bowl, mix enchilada sauce mixture with sour cream, chicken, 1/4 cup of the green onions, and taco seasoning.
Pour reserved 1/4 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish. Arrange 8 tortilla pieces over the sauce, according to the available space. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas; spread 2/3 cup of cheese. Repeat the layers.
Cover it with a foil. Bake for about 35 minutes at 375 degrees F. Layer Tortilla chips, tomato, olives, 1/4 cup green onion and remaining 2/3 cup cheese and bake again for 5 minutes. Let it set for 10 minutes before serving.
Try these food recipes; I am sure, you will find them amazing!

Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe

"Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone." - Jim Fiebiq

Who said ice cream is only for the young? People of all age groups love and enjoy a cone of ice cream at any time of the year. To add more variety to our favorite dessert, many flavors have been introduced to it. One of the many which has gained popularity in recent times is the green tea ice cream. It is a Japanese specialty made with ' matcha', which is a special type of green tea used to make tea at the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It is well known in Japan and also in some countries in East Asia. It was introduced in the United States of America in the late 1950s, and has become a popular ice cream flavor among Americans too.

Green tea ice cream is been manufactured by almost all branded ice cream companies. However, with the introduction of ice cream makers, it has become a simple task to make ice cream at home. Let us look at a simple homemade green tea ice cream recipe.

Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

3 eggs
1¼ cups milk
2 tablespoons green tea powder (matcha)
2 tablespoons boiling water
1¼ cups double (heavy) cream
½ vanilla pod
3 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup caster sugar
Directions

Boil water in a pan and add sugar and green tea or matcha into it. Let it remain in the water for at least 12 minutes. Break eggs in a medium-sized mixing bowl, whip it with caster sugar and set aside. Take milk in a cooking pan and add the vanilla pod to it. When it simmers, take it off the flame and transfer into the green tea. After 5 - 6 minutes, pour this through a strainer into the bowl containing eggs. Take another pan and pour the whole mixture into it. Keep it on low heat and stir continuously. Take it off the flame when it turns into a thick mixture. Take cold water in a large vessel and dip the bottom of the pan into it to cool the mixture. After it has become cold, put in whisked double (heavy) cream into it and stir once.

If you have an ice cream maker at home, just place the whole mixture into it. Follow the guidelines given and keep it in the freezer, after storing it in an air tight container. Serve when the ice cream becomes hard, with a cherry on top of it.

If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can still make a delicious ice cream at home. After you add the whipped cream, put it in a large container and place it in the refrigerator. After two hours, transfer the container into the freezer. While following this method, you will have to take out the ice cream and stir, so that ice crystals do not form in the ice cream. Repeat this once or twice till the ice cream hardens.

One can try this ice cream recipe on a hot summer day or for a luncheon party. Green tea ice cream is easy to make and very relishing at the same time.

Belarusian Cuisine

Belarusian Cuisine
One of the people’s proverbs is: "There is no fish more tasty then tench (a freshwater fish from the carp family), as well as there is no meat better then pork". The Belarusian diet consists mainly of meat and meat products. Salted pork fat is used slightly smoked and seasoned with onion and garlic. Dishes prepared with meat are usually served with potatoes or vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, black radish, peas etc. Many meat and vegetable dishes are prepared in special stoneware pots.

Cold appetizers are popular. Among hot appetizers you will find pan fried mushrooms, tripe and snails among other delicacies. From Western European influence different crackers and dips are becoming popular.

Appetizers:
Appetizer from Champignons is prepared by boiling the champignons until they are half done. They are cooled then rolled in flour, brushed with beaten egg, rolled in bread crumbs then fried in oil and served cooled.

Cucumbers with Honey - Fresh-salted or fresh cucumbers are cut in rings and honey is poured over them. These are served with pancakes or rye bread.

Mushroom Caviar - pickled mushrooms are minced together with fried onion. Salt and pepper is added. Mixed thoroughly and heaped in a salad bowl and sprinkled with minced greens.

Niomanskaja Appetizer - beef and pork are minced together with salt, pepper and caraway seeds. The mixture is then transferred to parchment and shaped in a long loaf. It’s then tied up and boiled. When it’s done, it’s cooled and placed under a light press. Slice and serve.

There is a large variety of Belarusian soups. A few of them have become well known and are served in many restaurants all over the world.

Soups:

Chaladnik Khaladnik (Cold Soup) with Sorrel - the sorrel is shredded, boiled in salt water and then cooled. Fresh cucumbers are cut up fine, hard boiled eggs and green onion are added. Before serving the soup is seasoned with sour cream and sprinkle with minced dill.

Chaladnik Khaladnik (Cold Soup) Miensk Style - in this version sorrel is also boiled but beet root is boiled separately with vinegar added. To cold sorrel juice green onion minced and rubbed together with salt and egg yolks, shredded fresh cucumbers and beetroot are added. Then the beetroot liquid along with egg white, sugar and yoghurt is whisked in. The soup is served with sour cream and dill.

Mushroom Krupienia with Millet (Mushroom Soup) - mushrooms are boiled and the mushroom stock is strained and set aside. Then the mushrooms are minced. Onions and carrots are cubed and sautéed then added to the mushrooms. Millet is boiled separately and drained in a colander. Flour is browned and blended with some stock making a smooth paste. Then millet is added and the vegetables and mushrooms and cooked for 5 to 10 minutes.

Yushka (Fish Soup) - a cleaned and boned river fish such as perch, is covered with water and boiled along with carrot, onions, diced potatoes, pepper and celery on a slow fire until done.

Salads:

Barysauski Salad - the salad is made with boiled fish which is mixed with a hard boiled egg, sliced boiled beetroots, cheese and shredded onions. Then the salad is seasoned and mixed with mayonnaise.

Beetroot Salad with Herring - peeled, boiled and shredded beetroots and onions are mixed with diced herring fillet then mayonnaise is poured over all.

Mahileu Salad - sliced boiled beef is combined with onion in half rings, cut up carrot and black radish in shoestrings and minced eggs. Then mixed with salt, pepper and mayonnaise.

Tomato Salad with Cheese - tomatoes are cut in rings, then sprinkled with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Shredded cheese is sprinkled over the tomatoes and mayonnaise is added.

Vegetarian Dishes:

Kasa-Hlazatka - Peas are soaked in cold water for 3-4 hours. Pearl barley is boiled separately, then the peas are added. These are placed in the oven for an hour and a half. Served with pork cracklings.

Kaša, Viciebsk Manner - Boiled potatoes and mashed then combined with boiled pearl barley and hot milk. This is placed in the oven for 30-40 minutes. The kasa is served with butter.

Mushrooms Fried with Onion Gravy - Mushrooms (such as forest mushrooms like boletuses) are fried in very hot butter. Minced onions are stewed separately in hot butter until tender then sour cream is added and brought to a boil. This is then poured over the mushrooms.

Potato Halubcy with Mushrooms - Fresh cabbage is partially boiled so as to be able to separate the cabbage leaves. A stuffing is made of mashed potatoes combined with browned onions and mushrooms. Each separate cabbage leaf is filled with this mixture and folded up. The cabbage rolls are browned then sour cream is poured over and they are stewed till done.

The most popular meat product is the Belarusian sausage, mainly because of its Polish influence. Most of the traditional and modern dishes use meat in abundance. The most popular meat in Belarus is pork. However beefsteak is also common. A traditional dish is kotleta pokrestyansky which consists of pork cutlets in mushroom sauce. Freshwater fish such as perch and crayfish are plentiful.

Meat dishes:

Belarusian Borsc Borshch - chopped ham bones and beef are set to boil. Half an hour before stock is done carrot, onion and parsley root are added then the stock is strained. Shredded carrot, parsley and onion are fried in pork fat and tomato paste is added. To boiling stock add cubed potatoes, boiled and shredded beetroot and onion. The borsc is seasoned with vinegar and sugar. Then the meat and sausages are cut into chunks and added to the borsc.

Dainty Pork - Pork is cut into pieces and pounded. Salt, pepper and minced garlic are sprinkled on. The meat is then dipped in whipped egg, dredged in flour and fried until done. Then slices of cheese are placed on pork pieces and put in the oven until melted.

Holiday Sausages - Pork is cut into small pieces. The stuffing consists of sautéed minced onions, boiled and cut mushrooms, prunes and chicken fillet boiled and cut in shoestrings. Mixed and shaped into sausages then rolled in shredded cheese. The sausages are then laid on the pork pieces and rolled up. Each piece is dredged in flour, dipped in whipped egg, dredged in bread crumbs then browned and placed into the oven until done.

The traditional hard drink is vodka or harelka including varieties made from birch sap or flavored with forest herbs. Up until the 19th century mead and similar alcoholic drinks made of honey and spices were very common. An example is krambambula which is vodka diluted with water, mixed with honey and flavored with spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, red and black pepper). This is now experiencing a popular revival. Kvass remains the main non-alcoholic drink and every small town boasts of a local variety of mineral water.

Mushroom Krupienia with Millet (Mushroom Soup)

Ingredients
1 l Mushroom stock
40 g dried boletuses (forest mushrooms)
0.5 carrot
1 Onion
1 tblsps butter
0.25 cupful wheat flour
3 tblsps millet
2 tblsps sour cream

Directions
Prepare Mushroom stock. Wash the boiled Mushrooms and mice them. Cut the Onion and carrot into small cubes, saute and mix with Mushrooms. Boil the millet and drain in a colander. Brown the flour and blend it with some stock to make a smooth paste. To the strained Mushroom stock add the boiled millet, sauteed vegetables, Mushrooms and cook until it is done. 5 to 10 minutes before the soup

Stewed pork

Ingredients
400 g pork
300 g lecho,
1 onion,
1.5 tbls. melted pork fat,
3 cloves garlic,
8 potatoes, greens, salt.

Directions:
Place small pieces of pork in a stoneware pot, add shredded onion, cubed potatoes, lecho, garlic, greens, salt and stew in the oven.

Country Meat balls

Ingredients
180 g pork,
200 g beef,
2 tblsps buckwheat, groats or rice,
2 onions,
1 egg,
1 tblsp fat,
1 tblsp flour,
1 cupful tomato sauce, salt.

Directions
Put the beef and pork through the food chopper. Prepare fluffy buckwheat or rice kasha, brown the onions. Mix the ingredients together, add the egg, condiments and salt. Mould the mixture into balls, dredge with flour and fry. Place one layer of tefteli on a baking dish, pour over tomato sauce and stew until done.

Cutlets with Garlic

Ingredients
300 g beef,
70 g pork,
70 g white bread,
4 tblsps milk or water,
3 tblsps bread crumbs,
2 cloves garlic.
2 tblsp fat,
1 cupful red sauce, salt.

Directions
Put the boned beef and pork through the food chopper, add the salt and white bread (stale and with crust removed) soaked in cold water or milk and put through the mincer again. Season the forcemeat with minced garlic, mix thoroughly, shape into oblong cutlets, dredge with flour and saute in fat in a hot skillet. Pass red sauce Garnish cutlets with boiled potatoes, fluffy buckwheat or pearl-barley kasha, puree of potatoes, etc.

Health Benefits of Oolong Tea
Oolong tea, or brown tea, is gaining popularity in American and European markets these days. Oolong tea has, however, been consumed in China, Taiwan and Japan since several decades. This article talks about the health benefits of oolong tea... Oolong tea is a cross between green tea and black tea. Its characteristics, however, resemble more of green tea rather than black. Oolong tea is also known as 'brown tea' or 'wu long tea', and comes from the Camellia sinensis tea plant, just like other tea types. The leaves of oolong tea are more processed as compared to green tea and less oxidized as compared to black tea. This means that oolong tea undergoes only a semi-fermentation process. The brew of the oolong tea is mostly brown, sometimes having a golden-like glow. The finest oolong tea is believed to come from Taiwan, however, China, the country where it originated, also produces some of the finest oolong tea.

Health Benefits of Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is not associated with a large number of health benefits as compared to green tea. Only about 2% of tea consumption in the world is attributed to Oolong tea. Thus, scientists haven't spent much time on identifying this tea's health benefits. Most of the known benefits are received from various studies conducted across the globe. Some of the identified health benefits of this tea are:

Contains Antioxidants: Free radicals (obtained from the air, food and sunlight) in the body can cause aging of the skin, wrinkles, dark spots, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis and certain other diseases. Oolong tea possess antioxidants that help destroy free radicals even before they can harm us. A comparative study done in 2003, by Kenichi Yanagimoto, revealed that oolong tea possessed more potent antioxidants as compared to black tea, but less potent antioxidants as compared to green tea.

Improves Heart Health: A Japanese study conducted in 2001, stated that one month of regular oolong tea consumption could result in reduction of cholesterol levels. In another Japanese study in 2004, it was reported that oolong tea increases plasma adiponectin levels. Low levels of plasma adiponectin result in type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and coronary artery disease (CAD). Triglycerides are the most common form of fat present in the body, and is the cause of many heart health issues. An American study, conducted on rats, in 2007, revealed that oolong tea reduces blood concentrations of triglycerides by 80%. Thus consumption of oolong tea promotes heart health.

Reduces High Blood Pressure: Studies conducted in 2004, stated that drinking oolong tea for a year reduced high blood pressure. Regular tea drinkers having one cup a day were 45% less prone to have high blood pressure and 65% less likely to develop high blood pressure if more than 2 cups were consumed per day.

Heals Skin Ailments: Green tea does have anti-allergic properties. A study was conducted in 2001, by Uehara of the Shiga University, to find out if oolong tea also has similar properties. The study revealed that oolong tea helped treat recalcitrant type (does not respond to conventional treatment) atopic dermatitis (skin disease). The study was carried out on 118 people suffering from atopic dermatitis. These people were asked to drink a liter of oolong tea, made from 10 grams of leaves, every day in addition to their dermatological treatment. After one month, 63% patients showed moderate improvements. It is also believed to improve skin color.

Prevents Tooth Decay: According to a study conducted by Nakahara in 1993, oolong tea is said to inhibit the enzyme activities of the bacteria streptococci. Streptococci bacteria causes dental plaque formed on teeth, thereby resulting in dental caries. Thus by inhibiting this bacteria, oolong tea plays prevents tooth decay. Experts from the Department of Dentistry at Osaka University said that this tea also helps strengthen tooth enamel.

Assists in Weight Loss: Various studies conducted have revealed that oolong tea increases metabolism, burns fat and blocks dietary fat absorption. Oolong tea is known to possess calorie-burning catechin polyphenols, which, in combination with exercise and proper diet, help lose weight.

Oolong tea can be served flavored with various florals and herbs, or unflavored. Flavored oolongs such as ginger peach oolong tea and plum oolong tea are quite popular. Regular oolong tea is dark in color with a robust taste comprising a hint of honeysuckle, raisin or almond flavor. Drinking oolong tea will surely improve your health in more ways than one!

Flaxseed Recipes

Flaxseeds are slightly bigger than sesame seeds and have a smooth and shiny, hard shell. Its color varies from deep amber to reddish brown. Many health benefits of flaxseed have been discovered by nutritionists and diet experts. Its high omega 3 and fiber content makes it a necessary diet supplement. It is rich in alpha linolenic acid, a type of plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid which is also found in fish such as salmon. Since flaxseed is low in carbohydrates, it helps in reducing blood pressure, blood triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels in the body. It stops the blood platelets from sticking, hence reducing the risk of a heart attack.
Some of the simple and enticing flaxseed recipes are as follows:

Focaccia-Style Flax Bread
Ingredients
2 cups flaxseed meal
5 beaten eggs
1-2 tbsp sweetening power or artificial sweetener
1 tbsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp salt
½ cup water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a pan with oiled parchment paper or a silicone mat. Mix all dry ingredients together and add eggs, oil and water to it. Allow this batter to set for 2 to 3 minutes, till it thickens slightly. Pour the batter onto the pan and spread it away from the center to get an even thickness, as it tends to mound in the middle. Bake for 18-20 minutes till it turns brown. Allow it to cool and cut into desirable slices before serving.

Flaxseed Crackers
Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp margarine or butter, softened
¼ cup Pizzey's Premium Organic Milled Golden Flaxseed
¼ cup Pizzey's Premium Organic Whole Golden Flaxseed
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup skim milk
Directions
In a large bowl, add flour, whole flaxseed, milled flaxseed, margarine or butter, baking powder and salt. With the help of a stand-up mixer, combine the mixture well, till it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in milk and mix well till it forms a soft dough. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes. Roll the dough and divide into equal sized quarters. On a floured board, roll these quarters into thin rectangles 1/16 of an inch thick. Now cut them into 2½ inch squares. Transfer these squares to an ungreased baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake for 20 minutes, until they are crisp and golden in color.

Apple Flax Muffins
Ingredients
1¼ cups flaxseed meal
Artificial sweetener equal to ¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp cinnamon
¼ cup oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 medium apple, chopped fine
½ cup flavored syrup or water
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease the muffin tin. Mix all dry ingredients together and add eggs, oil, chopped apple, pecans, vanilla and flavored syrup or water to it. Mix them well and let the batter stand for 10-12 minutes. Put this batter into the muffin pan and bake for 18 minutes or until the muffins start pulling away from the sides of the tin.

These were some easy to prepare flaxseed recipes that are nourishing and yummy. Since most of the ingredients are easily available, you can try preparing these recipes at home and enjoy with your family.

让老板给你加薪的技巧

It's difficult to ask bosses for more pay or perks any time, let alone during a recession. I asked Iris Bohnet, a public policy professor and vice chair of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard University, for some advice. She suggests these steps:
在任何时候，向老板要求加薪或额外的补贴都不是一件容易的事，更不用说是在衰退时期了。我向哈佛大学谈判项目副主任、公共政策教授伯纳特(Iris Bohnet)征求意见。她建议采取如下做法。

Put yourself in your manager's shoes, Dr. Bohnet says. Think through the boss's interests and concerns, and familiarize yourself thoroughly with the problems the recession has caused your company and what management has done to solve them. Then, develop some business-related arguments for your goals and desires, stressing your support of the company's goals.
伯纳特说，要设身处地地站在你的经理的立场上想一想。想想老板的利益和关注点，要对衰退给公司带来的问题和管理层采取的对策有充分的了解。然后，为自己的目标和愿望找出一些与业务有关的说法，强调你对公司目标的支持。

Consider any leverage you have. The best possible bargaining position, of course, is to have 'a strong outside option,' such as a competing job offer, she says. Another source of leverage is the fact that most employers can't afford to lose anyone else post-layoffs.
想想你所拥有的任何优势。她说，当然，可能讨价还价的最佳立场是有一个强有力的外部选择，比如一份很有竞争力的工作宴请函。优势的另外一个来源是这样一个事实：大部分雇主在裁员之后经受不住再损失其他任何人。

Do your homework. Knowing what other comparable workers are being paid, at your company and elsewhere, can be helpful. Web sites, including salary.com, payscale.com and salaryexpert.com, publish pay data by occupation. Your human-resource department or professional group may have data, too.
要预先研究一下市场行情。了解在你的公司和其他地方其他有可比性的员工的薪酬水平，这会大有帮助。包括salary.com、payscale.com和salaryexpert.com在内的网站按职业公布薪酬数据。你的人力资源部或职业团体可能也有相关数据。


本文来自: 恒星英语学习网(www.Hxen.com) 详细出处参考：http://www.hxen.com/englisharticle/yingyuyuedu/2009-06-09/78990.html

Planning a share portfolio

Planning a share portfolio
Tere is no shortage of tipsters around offering"get-rich-quick'opportunities.But if you are a serious private investor,leave the Las Vegas mentality to those with money to fritter.The serious investor needs a proper'portfolio'-a well-planned selection of investments,with a definite structure and a clear aim.But exactly how does a newcomer to the stock market go about achieving that?
5 Well,if you go to five reputable stock brokers and ask them what you should do with your money,you're likely to get five different answers-even if you give all the relevant infoumation about your age,family,finances and what you want from your investments.Moral?There is no one "right‘way to structure a portfolio.However,thereare undoubtedly some wrong ways,and you can be sure that none of our five advisers would have suggested sinking all(or perhaps any)of your money into Periwigs*.
10 so what should you do?We'll assume that you have sorted out the basics-like mortgages,pensions,insurance and access to sufficient cash reserves.You should then establish your own individual aims.These are partly a matter of personal circumstances,partly a matter of psychology.
For instance,if you are older you have less time to recover from any major losses,and you may well wish to boost your pension income.So preserving your capital and generating extra income are your main 15priorities.In this ease,you'd probably construct a portfolio with some shares (but not high risk ones),along with gilts,cash deposits,and perhaps convertibles or the income shares of split capital investment trusts.
If you are younger,and in a solid financial position,you may decide to take an a ggressive approach-but only if you're blessed with a sanguine disposition and won't suffer sleepless nights over share prices.If you recognize yourself in this description,you might include a couple ofheady growth stocks in your 20 portfolio,alongside your more pedestrian investments.Once you have decided on your investment aims,you can'then decide where to put your money.The golden rule here is spread your risk-if you put all of *‘Periwigs’is the mame of a fictitious company.
译文：
规划股份投资
我们周围不乏情报贩子，向人们提供迅速发财至富的机遇害。但是，如果你是一个认真的私人投资者，就把拉斯韦加斯的心态留给那些有钱可供挥霍的人。认真的投资者需要一份正规的投资组合表——一种计划很周密的投资选择，结构明确，目标清晰。但是，一个股票市场的新手又如何能做到这一点呢？
如果你去向5位有威望的股票经纪人咨询，询问你应该如何使用你的资金，你很可能得到5种不同的答复，即使你提供了所有关于你的年龄\、、、，家庭、财源和你想从投资中获得的好处的信息。这是个道德问题吗？没有一种安全“正确”的方法来排列这种投资组合，然而，却毫无疑问地有几种错误的方法。可以相信5位经纪人中不会有人建议你把全部（或一部分）资金投入佩里威格斯公司。
那么你该怎么做呢？我们假定你已把基本情况弄清楚了，如抵押贷款、养老金、保险金和动用现金储备的机会。然后，你一定要建立起自己的目标。这里一方面是个人所处的环境，另一方面是信收理学的问题。
比如说，如果你年纪较大，你从重大投资损失中恢复过来的时间就较少，你就很希望能够提高你的养老金收入。因此，你的首要任务就是保护你的资金和引发额外的收入。在这种情况下，你大概想制定出一份包括某些股份（但不是风险很大的股份）的投资组合，同时还有高度可靠的证券、现金储蓄，可能还有可换证券，或分割资本信托公司的所得股。
如果你年轻一些，并且经济状况可靠，你可能会采取一种积极的方式——你必须性格开朗，不会因股票价格的浮动而夜不能眠。如果你觉得你的情况是这样的话，你可在投资组合中包括几项有令人陶醉的增值前景的增长股，和其他比较平淡的投资项目放在一起。一旦你的投资目标确立以后，你就可以决定你的钱投向何处。这里的指导原则是：分散你的投资风险。如果你把所有资金投入佩里威格斯国际公司，你就把自己当成了命运的人质。

Financial Crisis

What Caused The Financial Crisis？ 　　I think we can sum up（总结，概括） the cause of our current economic crisis in one word — GREED（贪婪）. 　　Over the years， mortgage lenders were happy to lend money to people who couldn‘t afford their mortgages. But they did it anyway because there was nothing to lose. These lenders were able to charge higher interest rates and make more money on sub-prime loans. If the borrowers default，they simply seized the house and put it back on the market. On top of that， they were able to pass the risk off to mortgage insurer or package these mortgages as mortgage-backed securities. Easy money！and what went wrong with our financial system？ 　　The whole thing was one big scheme. Everything was great when houses were selling like hot cakes and their values go up every month. Lenders made it easier to borrow money，and the higher demand drove up house values. Higher house values means that lenders could lend out even bigger mortgages， and it also gave lenders some protection against foreclosures. All of this translates into more money for the lenders， insurers， and investors. Unfortunately， many borrowers got slammed when their adjustable mortgage finally adjusted. When too many of them couldn‘t afford to make their payments， it causes these lenders to suffer from liquidity issue and to sit on more foreclosures than they could sell. Mortgage-backed securities became more risky and worth less causing investment firms like Lehman Brothers to suffer. 字串6 　　Moreover，insurers like AIG who insured these bad mortgages also got in trouble. The scheme （体系，结构）worked well， but it reverses course and is now coming back to hurt everyone with a vengeance.