Soul Food Recipes - 3 Ways to Cook Confidently

Soul food recipes have enjoyed a tradition of down-home cooking and what we affectionately call comfort food. People in the south, especially African Americans see it as the holy grail of eating and good times.

It's used to celebrate, comfort and even heal, that's how important it is. But because of the tight economy more people choose to cook more meals at home and save money (25% -75%) rather than eating out.

The problem is most of us like soul food , but in this fast-food age less of us know how to cook those magical meals our grand mothers and great-grandmothers cooked with ease. If you're a new mother, wife, single man or house-husband you may have this desire or need to cook. But you may lack the mental tools and skills to pull it off.

Fortunately the internet has dozens of soul food recipe sites with those favorite dishes you enjoyed since you were a child. You know, the one's your great-grandma used to prepare for holidays, birthdays and special occasions. That's good news, but you may be one of the millions of "recipe challenged". Meaning you can read a recipe, but the results always turn out between weird looking and out-right disaster.

Don't panic, here's 3 ways to cook soul food recipes more confidently.

1. Know Your Cooking Terms.

This seems like a simple issue, but it may surprise you how much this will add to your cooking confidence. Plus, it may surprise you how many people don't know the correct cooking terms in a recipe, but think they know. For example, do you know the difference between mix and fold? Many cooks don't.

As a result, not knowing the difference between those two cooking terms is the difference between a scrumptious dish fit for a king or queen or garbage a starving dog wouldn't eat. I recommend getting a cooking dictionary or at least a book of cooking terms. When you come across a recipe term you're not sure of you can immediately look it up. By doing this simple action, you'll be a recipe expert in no time when it comes to cooking terms.

2. Know Your Seasonings.

If one skill defines soul food , meaning how to enjoy it and how to cook it, it's the seasoning. Knowing how to season and what to season with what food is one of the hallmarks of a good cook, especially when it comes to southern food.

Here's another tool that can give you a quick start and give you quick confidence. Get a soul food seasonings dictionary, available online. This will show you what seasoning go with what dishes at-a-glance. This information will help to make your cooking mistake free.

3. Know Your Measurements.

This is one of the quiet but important keys to cooking with confidence. Traditionally our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used guesstimates based on their experience. For example, a dash of this, a pinch of that. To give you quick confidence when preparing any recipe, get these 3 important - but inexpensive tools. A measuring cup, measuring spoons and a small scale. By using these simple tools you'll have the confidence your measurements are accurate and your portions are right. They will save you the cost of the recipe failures you have to throw in the garbage can. That cost savings alone is worth the small investment, Don't you agree?

By following these simple tips your cooking confidence will increase each time you apply them. The soul food recipes you choose will turn out more like the ones you see in the book or on the website for a change. In addition, they'll taste more like you imagined them to be.

How to Host a Mexican Fiesta

Any time is a great time to host a Mexican fiesta. This type of dinner party or get together is a wonderful way to show off your Mexican cooking skills. As far as menu choices, the possibilities are almost endless.

Mexican fiestas are typically very casual and colorful occasions. This goes for the atmosphere, food and decoration, alike. Mexican food options include everything from tamales and tacos to burritos to guacamole to salsa to refried beans to carne asada to quesadillas to margaritas to deep fried ice cream to Mexican wedding cookies to much more!

There are many dishes that can be made and frozen, ahead of time... even as far as several weeks in advance. Doing so makes it much easier to get things ready, on the day of the event.

Some recipes such as hot dips and even enchiladas or burritos can be prepared and served in crock pots, which can easily be placed along a table for serving. For outside fiestas, plugging the pots into a plug strip will eliminate the need for multiple electrical outlets.

Grilling is another great option, for outside fiestas. Even recipes as simple as grilled corn on the cob with chili butter, lime juice and a touch of cheese are more than festive when prepared in this manner.

Large green onions, also referred to as 'knob onions' are yummy grilled, as well. Grill with jalapeños, drizzle with lime juice and serve with carne asada, for a traditional treat. These onions can be found in Mexican markets.

Another idea for a Mexican fiesta, at home, is a taco bar. Similar to those seen in Mexican restaurants, a taco bar can include all the ingredients to assemble tacos, burritos, etc. be sure to include other side dishes such as tamales, nachos and refried beans.

No party, of any kind, is complete without a variety of cold beverages. Serve Mexican beer, sangria, margaritas and a selection of non-alcoholic drinks like iced tea, lemonade and soda... even ice cold water will be appreciated, by some.

To give your buffet tables a Southwestern feel you can use terra cotta tableware and serving bowls. You may also opt to use brightly covered disposable tableware that is now available in many south of the border patterns.

Pinatas are a must, for any fiesta... especially when there will be children in attendance. Again, as with the tableware, they can be purchased in many different varieties, both online and at party supply stores.

Use a very large sombrero, for a unique and inexpensive centerpiece. Place a balloon bouquet in the very center. Fill the remainder with corn chips. Place small bowls of guacamole, salsa and cheese dip around the sombrero. Enjoy!

Homemade salsa is quite simple to make. Consider making your own using one of the following Mexican recipes

Salsa Recipe

2 (10 ounce) cans tomatoes (Rotel brand-1 hot and 1 mild)
1 (14 ounce) can peeled tomato
1-2 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies
1/4 cup onion
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Use a food processor to pulse the onions and jalapeño to desired consistency. (This should only take a few seconds.) Add tomatoes with juice and green chilies, process again. Transfer to a bowl and add spices.

Chill until flavors are combined, approximately 2 to 3 hours.

Pico de Gallo Recipe

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, no stems
1 or more jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice or more to taste
salt to taste

Directions

Slice the tomato in quarters and remove seeds and gel. Chop into small chunks.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator 1 hour to let the flavors mingle.

Healthy Low Calorie Meals

The ideal way to keep your metabolism revved up is to eat small-frequent meals, which in turn makes it much easier to lose weight! Eating small, balanced meals of approximately 300 calories each, will help you to assure your weight loss and assist you in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

One of the easiest ways to cut the extra calories out of the diet is to cut out the empty calories. Empty calories are found primarily in soft drinks, juices and even alcoholic drinks. Regular consumption of these drinks usually account for all the daily calories required for simple day to day survival. Stick with water and low fat milk!

Here are some tasty foods you can eat on a low calorie meal plan.

poultry (no skin, chicken breast, turkey breast, ground turkey, etc.)
white fish
eggs
lean meat
fresh fruits and vegetables
skim milk
rice
low fat cheese
baked or boiled potatoes
whole grain bread
whole grain pasta
low calorie/low fat salad dressing
sugar free foods

Take the time to measure out a serving size. It will make meal planning and calorie counting a lot more productive and enjoyable.

Here is a breakdown of how to distribute your caloric intake throughout the day for a 1300 calorie per day diet. As long as you stay within your intake (of course with little to NO fats) you can choose just about anything you would like to eat.

Breakfast:400 calories
Morning Snack: 100 calories
Lunch: 400 calories
Afternoon Snack: 100 calories
Dinner: 200 calories
Evening snack: 100 calories

Inexpensive Cobb Pizza Oven With Multiple Other Uses

If you decide to buy a pizza oven for the home it will probably be electric and only capable of cooking pizza, nothing else. Since these ovens have such restricted use they tend to be used a couple of times, and then forgotten.

Instead of wasting money this way you may wish to consider a viable and inexpensive alternative, the Cobb Grill.

For those who are not familiar with the Cobb it is a compact multifunction cooker that makes an excellent pizza oven, but does much more as well. The fuel of choice for the Cobb is the humble charcoal briquette. 6 - 9 briquettes is sufficient for up to 3 hours cooking time.

For use in the home the Cobb is ideally sited close to the main kitchen cookers extraction hood. Unless your extraction can cope the Cobb should be lit outside and left for 15 minutes for the coals to turn grey. The design of the Cobb is such that the sides of the cooker remain cool, so when the Cobb is ready it can be picked up and brought inside. You are now ready to to use the Cobb as a pizza oven.

You will soon realise that the Cobb makes an excellent emergency cooker for the home in times of power cuts. It comes with its own carrying bag and is compact enough to take camping or use on a boat.

If you've ever watched the 'Hairy Bikers' on TV you'll recognise the Cobb they feature regularly. These two British Chefs have travelled the world cooking many different cuisines using the Cobb as their cooker of choice.

Whether at home or away the Cobb will cook everything from a full family breakfast to a roast dinner with all the trimmings. We've already mentioned its capabilities as a pizza oven, but it will do so much more. You can bake bread in it, smoke meat or fish, use it as a wok, cook stew and dumplings and it makes an excellent BBQ.

When we think of BBQ we're bound to think of the smoke and occasional flare ups. With the Cobb its not a problem. Meat juices are directed into a moat arrangement in the bottom, so never come into direct contact with the heat source and hence produces little or no smoke. For this same reason the Cobb doesn't flare up.

The moat serves several purposes. As well as collecting meat juices it can be part filled with water or wine etc. As the stove heats, the steam from the moat keeps the cooking meat above moist and helps prevent shrinkage. In addition, if you wrap vegetables in foil they can be cooked in the moat and not absorb the meat juices. The liquor left at the end of cooking makes an excellent base for gravy or a sauce.

As I said, the Cobb is much more than a pizza oven.

Inexpensive Outdoor Programs For Troubled Teens

Outdoor activities are considered therapeutic for troubled teens. Teens become troubled when they feel they are worthless. Outdoor activities give them a sense of self worth that starts the process of turning their life around.

Outdoor activities with family will help a withdrawn teenager come back to his or her family fold. Hiking, biking and gardening are some of the inexpensive outdoor activities that families can do together and help their teen get over his or her problems. Volunteering for charity sponsored outdoor activities as a family can help the teenager focus on something more than negative thoughts.

When families are unable to manage the teen on their own, inexpensive wilderness and other outdoor camps specially tailored for troubled teens will help them change for the better. These camps have experience field instructors who teach troubled teens new skills while weaning them away from negative habits. The number of teens recruited for these camps are few and the instructor can deal with specific problems on a one to one basis. Troubled teens work as a team with other troubled teens. They help themselves and others to change their ways for the better. The camps involve outdoor activities work and discipline that are proven therapeutic methods to help troubled teens. Some camps are sponsored by grants and charge a low fee or help teenagers for free.

Troubled teens are argumentative, defiant, disobedient, and unmanageable and lack motivation. Outdoor programs like wilderness camps teach them to work against the elements with others who have the same issues. They are cut off from society and learn to fend for themselves with other teens. They learn new skills and this increases their self confidence. Wilderness camps include many activities like hiking, mountain climbing and river rafting. These camps sometimes offer a troubled teen an outdoor interest that endures for life. Some camps address specific issues that trouble teens like ADD/ADHD or weight loss.

Troubled teens turn their life around while participating in group physical activities. They learn responsibility, cooperation, participation and to deal with consequences of their actions. They learn to take responsibility for their actions, to overcome hurdles and to solve problems. The instructors are usually experienced counselors. They help the teen find goals and values at the camp. They organize workshops to increase the communication skills of the troubled teen. The group setting helps teens understand that they are not alone and they have peers who want to change their ways just as badly as they do.

Before sending their teens to these wilderness camps, parents need to check the credentials of the organizers and the qualifications of the counselors. The organizers should have a reputation of helping teenagers. They should not be a vehicle of abuse. Parents should check the testimonials of those who have attended the camps. Parents should also check if there are any complaints about the treatment of troubled teens at the camp. The object of camps should be to help teenagers and not demoralize them.

Parents should encourage troubled teens to participate in outdoor activities to help them focus on activities that have a positive effect on their behavior.

Pinto Beans and Cornbread - Using Leftovers to Feed Your Family Delicious Meals For a Week

In tough economic times, we all need ways to save money. Stretching your food dollar is an excellent way to save money and eat well.

Two huge money wasters regarding food are eating out and wasting leftovers. It is not uncommon to spend $10 on a sandwich, fries, and a drink. My first thought is to imagine what I could have purchased at the grocery store for $10.

I can feed my family several meals for $10. I also imagine how healthy, or unhealthy, the meal is that costs $10. Fast food meals are typically loaded with calories, fat, sugar, and cholesterol.

Meal planning is very important to my family. Here is an example of a weekly meal plan designed to stretch your food dollar. Dried beans are very inexpensive. On Sunday, I will cook a large pot of pinto beans. I will also cook some chicken breasts in water and store the shredded meat.

You want to cook enough beans to last several meals. This will vary according to the number of people you are feeding. I save electricity and time by cooking my beans and chicken at one time rather than at each individual meal.

The Sunday meal will consist of a bowl of warm pinto beans topped with chow-chow or ketchup. I make a pan of cornbread, and serve the meal with a cold glass of buttermilk or sweet white milk. A green onion is a nice side addition, or a hunk of sweet Texas or Vidalia onion. Fresh sliced salted tomatoes, when available, are a tasty treat. My husband enjoys crumbling the cornbread in the bowl and ladling his soup beans on top. A side salad is optional.

Cornbread is a great breakfast or lunch staple. You can serve it warm with fresh honey, or crumbled in a glass of milk or buttermilk. Tortillas are great breakfast treats filled with scrambled eggs and cheese or warmed with honey inside.

On Monday, plain tortilla chips are spread evenly in a casserole dish for nachos. These are topped with a bed of shredded cheese, then layers of beans, shredded chicken, and jalapeno peppers. This is baked at 350 degrees until cheese is melted. The cheese base helps support the other additions. Add shredded lettuce to the top after baking, along with salsa and sour cream.

On Tuesday, more leftover pinto beans are mashed up to create refried beans for chicken bean burritos. Flour tortillas are warmed and spread down the center with the mashed beans. Add shredded lettuce, chicken, cheese, salsa, diced onions, jalapeno peppers, and roll up burrito style. Microwave the burritos quickly to melt the cheese. You can prepare burritos ahead of time and store in plastic wrap for quick re-heating later.

On Wednesday, I take fresh corn tortillas from the refrigerator and fry up crispy tostada shells. These are drained on brown paper bags. Refried beans are spread along the surface of the fresh cooked shells. Add shredded chicken, lettuce, salsa, cheese, sour cream, hot jalapeno peppers, and black olives. Now you have tasty pinto bean and chicken tostadas. These fresh shells are so much tastier than boxed, ready made tostada shells.

On Thursday, what happens next depends on what's left. Shredded chicken can be used in chicken stew, chicken salad sandwiches, or in crock-pot chicken barbecue. My family loves my chicken barbecue on hamburger buns served with coleslaw or potato salad.

We keep a jug of fresh tea in the refrigerator, and water is always available. Fresh lemon slices in a glass of ice water are refreshing. Soft drinks are okay in moderation, but they are expensive and unhealthy. Kool-Aid has a delicious pink lemonade drink mix. Real lemon juice also makes simple and tasty lemonade; the recipe is usually on their label. Tea and lemonade contain sugar, but they are certainly tasty and affordable alternatives to sodas.

I do not cook the same meals each week. This is just an example of a Mexican style menu for one week. There are many other alternatives that include fresh ground beef, sirloin steak, red beans, potatoes, other bean varieties, and rice dishes. If you use a bit of imagination, you can come up with many ideas of your own to stretch your food dollar during tough times by simply planning your meals in advance.

Spicy Chili Recipes - Tuna Chili Curry

This is for all of you out there who love spicy chili recipes. I created this Mouth-watering recipe by chance, due to the fact that I'd been ill and had not been shopping and therefore was practically out of food.

I had a quick look through my kitchen cupboards and found the ingredients that I have put together to create this magnificent spicy and delicious chili recipe, which I am now sharing with you.

One of the chief benefits, aside from being totally healthy and easy and quick to cook is the fact that it is really as cheap as chips to make.

If you like any kind of spicy chili food, then you are going to love this - I promise you.

So get your chili taste buds ready for this one. I'll be very surprised if you don't make this one of you spicy favorites. If you like it hot, like I do, then simply add more chillies or chili powder.

I call it Spicy Chili Tuna Curry and it is ideal for anyone, but especially for students and the like who are living on a small budget.

Spicy Chili Tuna Curry.

Ingredients:

One Large Onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
1 Inch of fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped)
1 flat teaspoon of garlic granules (use fresh garlic if you prefer)
1 large green pepper (roughly chopped)
1 large red pepper (roughly chopped)
3 - 6 table spoons olive oil
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 gram)
1 tin of tuna in spring water (200 gram) drained
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons of sugar (Optional)
2 heaped tablespoons of Patak madras curry paste
4 - 6 tablespoons of vinegar
2 flat tablespoons of salt Fresh ground black pepper Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 teaspoons of extra hot chili powder (Use less if you prefer)
Rice cooked

Method:

Fry the onions until medium to dark brown. Add garlic and ginger. Add peppers and stir-fry on high heat for 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste. Fork in your Tuna and mix well. Add tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Add salt, pepper, chili powder, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice and stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes once it's boiling.

Dish up on a bed of rice.

This meal serves four to six good helpings!

I kid you not, this is one of the best tasty and yet inexpensive spicy chili recipes.