Russian Christmas Food

traditional russian christmas food

all about russian christmas food

Russian Christmas Food

Ever wondered in a Russian restaurant and got amazed by the amount of calories that each dish contained? Or, maybe, thought why do these Russians eat that vegetable soup with meat, then pasta with meat and then have that sugar-rich drink with plenty of fruit? Read on, for we are about to tell you where the Russian food is coming from and, most importantly, why is it this way.

For starters, let's remember that Russia, aside from being a land of Tsars, Bolsheviks, Revolution, Perestroika and Sputnik is a vast amounts of land. It's so big it takes almost 1/6th of total surface of all land on Earth. Apparently, the climate there isn't always friendly. In fact, most of the Russia's land experiences cold weather approximately 7 - 8 months in a year. Which doesn't leave much for warm-loving crops, animals and other growing or running food that one can procure.

russian christmas food

Such conditions required that prepared food has to be easily preserved and provided enough energy for people to survive during long cold months when procurement of food was hard or not possible. This has led to dishes like "borsh" - heavy vegetable soup with cabbage, beet and, in some recipes, small pieces of meat, "okroshka" - another heavy soup based on kvas or kefir with (varying from recipe to recipe) pre-boiled eggs, cucumbers, potato, small cubes of meat, onions and a number of additional ingredients or ever famous "pelmeni" (aka ravioli) - a nice little pack of meat (proteins) and dough (carbs, fiber) that is very easy to prepare and consume.

Russian Christmas Food

It has also created a number of dry snacks, that are well preserved and usually consumed together with some sort of alcoholic drink (beer, vodka, "samogon") as those too provide high energy boost and produce sense of warmness, necessary during cold times.

Most of traditional Russian meals are not spicy. However, being such a vast land, Russia inevitably happen to be the place where East and West would cross their paths. Roads from Asia lead to Europe - all the way through Russian spaces. Apparently, getting spices and other condiments, not custom to original Russian foods, was much easier business for cooks in Russia, than it was for Europeans. The fact that this land had been a place of many crossroads also explains why Russian food has meals similar to those in many different countries. For example, Russian vareniki or pelmeni are very similar to ravioli from the West and dumplings from East.

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German Christmas Food

German Christmas Food

German Christmas Food

old time german christmas food

food of the german christmas markets

traditional german christmas foods

German Christmas Food

My son, then 8 years old, became fast friends with the neighborhood baker, even though neither one of them spoke each other's language. It was a time that we'll never forget, and during holiday time especially, we miss the lifestyle that only life in a small German village offers.

There are a couple of favorite German Christmas Recipes that I make sure to add to our celebrations every year, and I've included variations of them here for you and your family to enjoy this holiday season.

Traditional German Christmas Punch

1 cup water

2/3 cup sugar or Splenda

Couple pinches of ground cloves

1 cinnamon stick

3 cups apple juice

1 lemon, sliced

In a 3 quart saucepan, bring water, sugar, cloves and cinnamon to boil. Stir in juice and heat through. Do not boil. Take spices out and pour over lemon slices in serving bowl. Serve warm. Makes 1-1/2 quarts.

German Christmas Stollen

1-1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar or Splenda

3/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

5-2/3 cups flour

1 ounce active dry yeast

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup candied citrus peel

1/2 cup candied cherries

Scald milk. Add sugar, butter, and salt, and cool to lukewarm. Add 2 whole eggs, and 2 yolks. Mix and Add to 3 cups flour and yeast in food processor. Process and let double. Add raisins, citron, and cherries, and rest of flour. Process and put on floured board and knead. Let rise in greased bowl. Once raised, cut into 3-4 pieces. Roll each into an oval, butter, and fold in half lengthwise. Put on greased baking sheet, cover, and double. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Cool and frost with white butter frosting and decorate with candied cherry halves and sprinkle with colored sugar.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Frewerd

Traditional Mexican Christmas Recipes

Traditional Mexican Christmas Recipes

mexican food at christmas

mexican christmas food

Christmas in Mexico is all about hospitality and making traditional Mexican Christmas food recipes to share with friends, family and neighbors. There are some Mexican Christmas recipes, which are made only at Christmas, and others, which are made throughout the year, for various occasions. Tamales, for example, are enjoyed all year in Mexico but sweet tamales are for birthdays, christenings and Christmas parties.

There are also traditional Mexican drinks, including atole, which is a thick, cinnamon-flavored drink, and ponche, which is a fruit punch. Ponche can be made with or without alcohol.

Atole - A Traditional Mexican Beverage

This recipe serves four people and it is warming and delicious. Atole is meant to be served thick but if it thickens too much, you can add a little extra milk to thin it down a bit.

What you will need:

• 3 cups milk
• 3 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 7 oz white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 oz masa dough
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

How to make it:

Dissolve the masa in the water, then strain this liquid and add the cinnamon sticks. Bring it to a boil, and then stir in the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and milk. Keep boiling the atole until it is thick. Take out the cinnamon and serve hot.

Traditional Mexican Bunuelos

This easy recipe for bunuelos serves ten people and everyone will enjoy these festive Mexican cookies. They are served broken into pieces with a hot anisette-flavored syrup poured over them. Bunuelos are popular with adults and kids and they are popular at Christmas but made for other occasions too.

What you will need:

mexican christmas food

• 2 eggs
• 9 oz piloncillo (raw sugar)
• 9 oz lard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons anisette
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 lb flour
• 2 cups water

How to make them:

Boil half the anisette in half the water and let it cool. Sift the salt with the flour. Add the eggs and egg yolk, as well as the water and anisette mixture. Knead the dough until it is stiff, and then form small balls. Roll them out thinly, and then fry them one at a time in the lard. Heat the piloncillo in the remaining water with the rest of the anisette. Strain the mixture once it is thick, then break the fried bunuelos into pieces and serve them with the syrup poured over the top.

mexican christmas food
Mexican Christmas Salad

This salad serves ten people and is a combination of fruit with a tangy dressing. This is a colorful and healthy Mexican Christmas food recipe and it is easy to make. Chill it for a couple of hours before you serve it, to let the flavors combine and to ensure it is very cold.

What you will need:

• 2 peeled, diced, cooked beets
• 1/2 cup unsalted pecans or almonds
• 1 diced banana
• 1 peeled, diced apple
• 1/4 fresh peeled, diced pineapple
• 1 peeled, chopped orange
• 1 diced cooked carrot
• Seeds for 1/2 pomegranate
• 3 tablespoons salad oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar

How to make it:

Put the lime juice, salad oil, salt and sugar in a screw-top jar and shake until well blended. Combine the fruits then pour the dressing over the top and stir well. Garnish the salad with the pomegranate seeds and nuts and chill it in the refrigerator before serving.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KC_Kudra

Christmas Gift Food

russian christmas food

german christmas food

christmas food gift baskets

mexican christmas food

christmas food

Varieties of gift selections are seen in many shopping malls, Christmas gift food is one of the most popular Christmas gifts. Creative souvenir items are at stake, as a lot of people are traveling during Christmas holidays. Tourist will certainly buy souvenir items to make their trips more memorable. Souvenir items can be given also as simple gifts for your friends. These souvenirs can be food items with creative packages.

Food items for Christmas include candies, cake, chocolates, fruits, and other varieties of food. Wines are also popular Christmas gift items, because many families will celebrate Christmas with wines on their tables. Giving food items is nice, because many people will surely like this kind of gifts. They can enjoy these gifts during the Christmas Eve, while they are celebrating this meaningful event with their love ones. It is certainly great to open gifts packages with food items inside. Food gifts may symbolize prosperity and joy. This means that the givers wish you prosperity and happiness as you celebrate Christmas Eve with your love ones.

When you give food items, you can give a great amount of happiness to your receivers. The impact of food gifts differs from material gifts. The more memorable food gifts are when they are wrapped with creative and unique packages.

There are many food items that are available with cute wrappers and packages. Sweet foods are more enjoyable, as these are happy foods. These foods can increase happy hormones in the body. Food gift items are simple gifts, but the impact of these gifts to your receivers is remarkable. These gifts are also not too expensive. You can buy foods with cute packages by just having a small amount of budget.

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Jamaican Cookbooks

Jamaica is an island nation located in the Caribbean Sea, to the south of Cuba and west of the island of Hispaniola (which contains Haiti and the Dominican Republic). The island nation was a British colony from 1655 (when General Robert Venables seized the island from the Spanish) until 1962, and is today the most populous English-speaking island in the Caribbean. Jamaica is well known for its culture especially popular music and literature, and also has developed a highly distinctive (and tasty!) style of cuisine.

Jamaican cuisine is perhaps known for its use of spices. In particular, pimento (also known as "pimenta", "allspice" or "Jamaica pepper"), and annatto (a spice that tastes like pepper with a hint of nutmeg and comes from pulp surrounding the fruit of achiote trees), play an important part in many dishes.

Another unusual ingredient in Jamaican cuisine is ackee (also sometimes spelled "akee" or "achee") which is a kind of fruit, which is boiled and then sautéed with salted fish (cod), tomatoes, onions and peppers. Great care must be taken to prepare ackee properly, because if this is not done correctly there is actually a risk of poisoning!

There are a great variety of other interesting Jamaican recipes, some of which you may have heard of, including:

- Jerk dishes for example are meats prepared in by rubbing with a spicy marinade and then cooked over a grill or in an oven (traditionally they were smoked by nowadays this is less common that it once was).

- Curried goat is goat meat cooked in a spicy sauce.

- Rice and peas consists of rice cooked with coconut milk, herbs and flavorings and mixed with legumes such as kidney beans.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Tanna

Jamaican Jerk Pork Recipe

The island of Jamaica is known for its many interesting dishes such as saltfish and ackee, curried goat, fried plantains, and of course jerk dishes. In particular, jerk dishes are well known by many people in the United States of America, Canada and Great Britain - as such dishes have become quite popular not just among people of Jamaican descent, but also among the wider community. Outside of Jamaica, perhaps the best known of jerk dishes is jerk chicken, however in Jamaica itself the traditional meats for jerk are either pork or goat.

All jerk dishes are however prepared basically the same way:-

1. The meat is cut into chunks. If making jerk pork, you might want to consider using pork shoulder.

2. Jamaican jerk spice or marinade is applied to the meat. You should rub the jerk spice into the meat, including making some shallow cuts into the meat and rubbing the spice into this. I would also suggest leaving the meat in the marinade over night.

3. The meat is then cooked. Ideally the cooking should be done over a charcoal grill, and if possible some pimento wood or berries placed on the hot coals, but if this is not possible, reasonable results can be achieved by simply cooking the meat in a normal kitchen oven.

Preparing meat in this ways result in a spicy and rather fiery dish. Of course, I won't pretend that this is necessarily going to be everyone's taste, but if you do like spicy food, why not give it a go?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Tanna

Brazilian Food - A National Dish

Brazilian Food - A National Dish

Brazilian food can be very attractive and interesting. The cuisine of Brazil is characterized by a great variety of flavors and dishes, and due to the great size of this country, its cuisine can offer unbelievable differences when going from one region to other.

Feijoada is the National Dish

However, there are some dishes and drinks that can be found at most Brazilian places, and the feijoada is at the top of this list. Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil and can be found at every city or town of this country. This dish is characterized by being very intense and heavy, and therefore is traditionally served for lunch, and often followed by a nap. This dish became popular during the times of Portuguese colonies. Since then, it gained such a weight in the traditions of Brazil that is considered the main national dish of the country.

Brazilian national dish

Brazilian Food - A National Dish

The traditional Brazilian feijoada is a stew that contains a variety of ingredients, based on pork meat (tail and ears are often added to the traditional recipe), beef products, and black beans. This dish is usually served with rice and orange, and sometimes fried cassava as well. Portuguese feijoada contains a few different ingredients than the Brazilian one. This feijoada often includes red beans or white beans, carrots, cabbage, and other vegetables. Besides this, this feijoada might be accompanied as a side dish by some of the beef products that are part of the Brazilian recipe.

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Traditional Jamaican Dishes Ideas

Traditional Jamaican Dishes Ideas

Traditional Jamaican Dishes Ideas

Traditional dishes in Jamaica are the representation of their history and culture. Through the dynamic and innovative minds of Jamaican people, they learn to adopt and mimic ideas from other foreign culture. Hence, Jamaican tend to combine food elements and techniques which make their food interesting and exciting to eat.

Having a strong influence of people that colonized Jamaica, their food preference has become extraordinary to taste with. Jamaican spices have been the most sought out seasonings that modifies the cuisine into more outstanding taste and style. These spices and seasonings are usually added in breakfast, lunch, and dinner food. Common spices used in Jamaican cuisine are the following:

• Allspice (also called Jamaica pepper or pimiento leaves)
• Breadfruit
• Ackee
• Callaloo
• Nutmeg
• Sorrel or Roselle Plant
• Scotch Bonnet Pepper
• Tamarind
• Escallion
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Thyme
• Bayleaf
• Annatto
• Garlic
• Coconut
• Coconut milk
• Onion
• Jackfruit
• Vinegar, Ketchup
• Sugar cane
• Jamaican Jerk Spice

These spices are grown in Jamaica, and they provide a distinct flavor to every Jamaican dishes. On the other hand, aside from having a unique blend of Jamaican spices, Jamaican foods have a special define dishes that can only be found in the island. Jamaica served spectacular meals with different styles and tastes. The typical traditional dishes and desserts in Jamaica becomes their trademark of having such an incomparable taste among all the islands in Caribbean.

Traditional Jamaican Dishes Ideas

Traditional Jamaican Dishes Ideas

Traditional Dishes are:

• Ackee and Saltfish (Jamaican's national dish)
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken
• Curry goat and Curried Mutton
• Jamaican patties (beef, chicken, vegetarian, cheese, curry)
• Brown Stew Chicken, Brown Stew Beef
• Oxtail
• Saltfish with cabbage or Callaloo
• Steamed Fish
• Jamaican Spiced Bun

Traditional Desserts are:

• Fresh Mango
• Soursop Ice Cream
• Coconut Drops
• Banana Fritters
• Gizzada
• Sweet Potato Pudding

Above examples, only shows that the foods and spices in Jamaica are fresh and healthy to eat with. Even other countries and Caribbean islands were enticed with the uniqueness that the island could offer. People have always been tempted by the delicious and nutritious Jamaican dishes. Most people travel in Jamaica not only for the breathtaking beaches, and festivals they also visit the island because of food. It has been known that the Jamaican culture is very endearing and promising to others which give them lots of acknowledgment. Jamaican people have excelled in terms of festival, music, people, art, tradition, and most especially in terms of food and with this it is an achievement that everyone should be proud of.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Food and Island Trivia

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Food and Island Trivia

Green Mountain Coffee

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Food and Island Trivia

Coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year. Coffee Arabica traces its roots to Abyssinia and was introduced into Arabia more than one thousand years ago. The tradition of coffee consumption is certainly one of the most established ones with ties to many cultures as merchants and people kept promoting coffee as a beverage of choice across the world.

In India, tradition gives credit to BaBa Budan, a Moslem pilgrim to Mecca, with the introduction of coffee into Southern India about 1600. The region where Baba Budan settled is still known as the Baba Budan Hills and continues to be an important coffee producing area in this part of the world. In 1699 coffee was introduced into Java. The coffee plants went from Java to Amsterdam in 1706 and a few years later they ended up as seedlings in the Paris Botanical Gardens. This explains how, in 1723, three of these plants went from Paris to Martinique. The French naval officer, Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, was the person transporting the seedlings. Only one of the plants survived and from it Arabica coffee was established in Martinique. From Martinique, coffee went to Jamaica and to other coffee producing areas of the Western Hemisphere.

Coffee remains a popular and sought after beverage worldwide with many people devoted to finding new flavors, trying out new ways of cooking with coffee, painting with coffee, using coffee as additive for natural pesticides, natural soil conditioners and fertilizers, as ingredient in natural organic cosmetics and many other uses!

Following is some interesting trivia about coffee, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, food and the island of Jamaica.

First, some general trivia:

• A cup of coffee contains around 100 to 150 milligrams of caffeine as compared to 30 milligrams of caffeine in the average chocolate bar
• 75% of all caffeine consumed in the United States is from coffee
• The steam rising from a cup of coffee contains the same amounts of antioxidants as three oranges, according to a scientific report from the University of California. Antioxidants are good for you, they are heterocyclic compounds that can prevent risk of some illnesses
• The famous Lloyd's of London started under the name Edward Lloyd's Coffeehouse
• "To Insure Promptness" was an inscription placed on brass boxes in old London coffeehouses. Customers were encouraged to place money in these boxes to promote good and efficient service from the coffeehouse workers. In time, the acronym, TIP, became a byword and it is what we use everywhere......next time you add the 'tip" to your bill, remember that the tradition originated around coffee

Now, some Jamaican trivia:

• "Ackee" is both the national fruit and the national dish of Jamaica
• Most Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is exported to Japan
• The pimento plant is native to Jamaica and is one of the island's main agricultural export crops to Russia, Germany and the US. The Spaniards called it "Pimienta de Jamaica." Nowadays, it is known as "Allspice, a combination of many spices." Allspice is made from ripe berries dried and pounded to a fine powder. It is used in meat curing, confectionery and food processing. The oil distilled from the leaves is used in men's fragrances.
• Jamaican "Jerk" is a unique way of preserving and cooking meat such as pork, chicken, fish or beef. The origin of the word "Jerk" is unknown. It may be from the Arawak Indian language or simply the physical reaction to "pull" or "jerk" meat off the fire. Jamaican "Jerk" is a culinary delight of the island.

What about a Jamaican quick linguistic lesson?

• Common greetings: "Yah Mon" (or Man). "Yeah Yeah, Whaapen" (what's happening?). "Y'allright? Whattagwan" (what's going on?).
• Responses to greetings: "Mi deh ya" (I am there). "Look pon you de bettah one" (not as good as you). "Cool, everyting criss, kopustetic" (give thanks, bless and many others).
• Favorite eating phrase: "Goo to eat". A favorite Jamaican meat is chicken, cooked as brown stew, fried or jerked.
• Restaurant phrase: "Havin' it" (means "are you eating here or taking it to go?)
• "Pepper" usually means "the bottled hot pepper sauce." If what you want is black ground pepper, ask for "black pepper" instead.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Timothy_S._Collins

Jamaican Food - Full of Fun, Flavor, and Family

Jamaican Food - Full of Fun

Jamaican Food - Full of Fun

Speaking of food, that's another thing that Jamaica is known for. Well that and gorgeous, life changing Caribbean vacations. Many will think of jerk chicken or pork, a spicy, flavorful dish that can be served with rice or simply by itself. Jerking actually refers to both the spicing and slow cooking of meat. This process preserves the juices and creates a unique spicy flavor. Anyone who has bit into a properly prepared piece of jerk chicken knows there is nothing quite like it. The jerk seasoning usually contains hot pepper, onions, garlic, thyme, allspice, ginger, and cinnamon. These days, you can simply buy a bottle of jerk seasoning sauce at the grocery store and cook up some chicken in the stove or on your gas grill. The traditional method, however, utilizes an outdoor pit lined with wood. Exotic couples vacations to Jamaica are even enhanced by the spicy flavoring of jerk chicken. Sometimes, a couple visiting Jamaica on vacation will return to their home and immediately pull out the phone book to see if they can locate a Jamaican restaurant in their area. The food is intoxicating and very hard to forget. Thankfully there are many Jamaican restaurants in all corners of the world.

Jamaican Food - Full of Fun, Flavor, and Family

In your daily life, meals can be nothing more than a quick shoveling of food into your mouth. Chewing is optional, and for many meals you may not even sit down at the dinner table. In Jamaica, the customs are a little different. The social aspect of the meal is very important, whereas table manners take a bit of a back seat. Food is served family style in large plates. Everyone takes what they want from each plate. Of course, for some in Jamaica life is also very hectic and they may not always get a chance to sit down with their families for a proper dinner. And if you have your honeymoon all inclusive resort all picked out and envision sitting down to eat your food family style, you will probably have to go elsewhere, as the resort you are staying in is likely a buffet or standard sit-down meal establishment. However, if you meet some friends on your trip and ask the waiters to serve you family style, they just might oblige. Just imagining plates full of jerk chicken, fried plantains, and peas and rice is enough to make anyone hungry.

Jamaican Food - Full of Fun

While you don't have to fly to Jamaica just to get some jerk chicken, why not let that be an excuse to take a vacation? SuperClubs can help you decide which caribbean vacations will fit your style and budget. And if you're worried about your exotic couples vacations being ruined by a lack of sun, don't be. Go to our website and check out our SuperClubs Sunshine Guarantee. We think you'll like what you see. And if you're looking for a honeymoon all inclusive resort, we've got special treats in store for you as well at SuperClubs!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alice_Lane

A Taste of Jamaican Food and Recipes

A Taste of Jamaican Food and Recipes

A Taste of Jamaican Food and Recipes

The flavors of Jamaica are the product of the island's history combined with a verdant, lush climate. The Spanish, British, African and East Indian have all had an influence over what is today a unique island cuisine made colorful by the many tropical fruits that thrive here.

The waters off Jamaica have always teemed with fish and seafood is the primary protein source for islanders. Snapper, grouper, sea bass and other reef a deep sea fish are caught daily by the many fishermen whose boats line the beaches. Spiny lobster, shrimp and freshwater crustaceans are readily available and cooked usually in a thick sauce. Chicken and goats are well suited to the small mountainous island and are kept by many families but cattle are rare and beef is not the predominant meat.

Many of Jamaica's fruits, including pineapple, mango, banana and avocado were brought to the region by slave traders and plantation owners experimenting with crops. What were once sugar cane fields are now being used to grow fruits and ackee for export and domestic use.

Few other cuisines mix such a range of spices and tastes - sweet, hot and savory - as Jamaican cooking. Jamaican food wouldn't be the same without the spices, seasonings and colors from: Allspice, the pimento berry.

Among many of the spices grown in Jamaica are nutmeg, ginger, thyme, scotch bonnet peppers, which are integral distinct flavors of Jamaican cooking. The pungent thyme grows rampantly on the island and is found in the majority of Jamaican foods.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/Jen E Carter

Jamaican Food Recipes - Rice and Peas

Jamaican Food Recipes - Rice and Peas

Jamaican Food Recipes - Rice and Peas

Jamaican Food Recipes - Rice and Peas

The most Jamaican of Jamaican food recipes has to be Rice and Peas. The world may know us for jerk chicken, but Rice and Peas is our comfortable old friend that we just cannot do without.

We eat it so often that it has become known as our "Coat of Arms". Ask a Jamaican about Sunday dinner, and the words "Rice and Peas" will almost definitely be in the answer. Some of us will eat it every day, and with every type of meat. Or with just gravy. Or all by itself.

Other countries in the world have variations, but none is exactly like ours, made delicious with coconut milk and the perfect blend of seasonings.

Before powdered and canned coconut milk and canned peas came on the market, the preparation of rice and peas was a lengthy process. A dry coconut would have to be split, the coconut meat taken out and grated, then put through a sieve and the milk squeezed out. Some people still prefer to do it this way, but in addition to being time consuming, grating coconut is not easy on the fingers. So those of us who treasure our hands are grateful that we have easier alternatives to grating!

Ready to cook?

Jamaican Rice and Peas

2 cups parboiled rice1/2 cup red peas, dried or canned4 cups water1 50g sachet of coconut milk powder, or 1/2 of a 400ml can of coconut milk1 tsp salt1 small onion, chopped1 stalk escallion (crushed)1 sprig thyme1/4 tsp pimento (all spice)pinch of black pepper1 whole green scotch bonnet pepper (or other hot pepper)

If using dried peas, soak them for a few hours (or overnight) in water to soften. Boil peas in cold water until tender. Pour off stock from peas and measure. Add enough water and coconut milk/coconut milk powder to make 4 cups of liquid, and add to peas.

If using canned peas, there is no need to cook them beforehand. Just add the four cups of liquid as described above.

To the mixture of peas, water and coconut milk, add all the seasonings and spices. Allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the rice to this mixture, and stir well. Increase flame until liquid boils. Then reduce heat and cover. Simmer until rice grains are tender. Apart from the first stir, try not to stir the mixture again while cooking, as this might make it sticky.

A delicious alternative to red peas is gungo (pigeon) peas. This version is especially popular at Christmas time when gungo is in season. Use canned or green gungo peas. There is no need to soak green gungo. Merely boil until tender, then continue the recipe as described.

Rice and Peas makes a nutritious, filling and tasty accompaniment to a wide array of meat dishes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allison_Morris

10 Best Foods for a Healthy Life

10 Best Foods for a Healthy Life

10 Best Foods for a Healthy Life

Our body needs a whole variety of foods to function properly. Naturally, procured foods are ideal for our daily needs. The key to a healthy lifestyle is eating healthy, so let us look at the ten healthiest foods that we can have:

1. Vegetables are high in nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. They are rich in fiber which helps flush out the toxins from our body. They adhere to the fat residues that are left in the intestine and wash them out with our bowel movements. An adequate amount of fiber also prevents constipation. Dark, leafy greens are very beneficial. They are loaded with beta-carotenes, vitamin C, carotenoids, anti oxidants, and phytochemicals. You can incorporate spinach, cabbage, or lettuce into your salad. Always try to buy fresh vegetables, preferably organic varieties, as they are free of pesticides. If at all fresh ones are not available, opt for frozen ones as opposed to tinned or canned varieties. Tinned food is soaked in brine, and its intake increases the sodium content in our diet.
2. Fresh seasonal fruits are always good for you. An apple a day really does keeps the doctor away. Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and flavonoids and mostly consist of fiber and water. Berries such as blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries are rich in antioxidants. They contain a compound called anthocyanin that helps neutralize free radicals. These free radicals are the ones that lead to cell damage.
3. Instead of refined foods, shift to whole grains. The processing strips them of their nutrients. Oatmeal, brown rice, whole grains, pasta, and cereals are good sources of fiber, protein, minerals etc. They are high in fiber and thus help prevent constipation while also preventing the onset of cancer and high cholesterol. Whole grains satiate us as well and keep us from eating too much during meals. They also contain folic acid and selenium that are crucial elements for maintaining a healthy heart.
4. Beans and legumes are rich in phytochemicals. Along with whole grains, they are an excellent source of protein, and are rich in fiber, iron, and magnesium. Such foods help control diabetes and fight cancer and aid weight loss as well.
5. Fish such as salmon, halibut, sardines, mackerel, etc. are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. They help fight cholesterol and triglyceride levels and boost brainpower.
6. No fitness diet plan is complete without milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. They are not only rich in calcium, but also consist of protein, vitamin and minerals. They help fight osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and intestinal problems. If you are weight conscious, shift to low fat milk and cheese. Probiotic yogurt contains active bacteria which works wonders for our stomach.
7. Nuts are full of fat, but of the good kind. They contain mono and polysaturated fats that help lower LDL levels and also fight cancer and heart problems.
8. Chicken, turkey, lamb, etc. are good sources of protein and are far healthier than red meat.
9. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and carotenoids and are especially good for pregnant women and growing children.
10. Finally yet importantly, drink at least 6-8 glasses of water every day. Doing so aids digestion, accelerates metabolism, and controls weight.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_R._Edwards