Eat Healthy Fast Food !!!

Did you know that in 1970 Americans spent $6 billion for food, while in 2001 it racked up till $110 billion. This amount is more than for education, computers, books, newspapers, music, films all together.

Everyday, in the morning, day, evening, and even night time, quater of American population eat in fast-food cafes. McDonalds is a common food for students as well. Why? First of all, it`s cheap, and, secondly, its delicious. But we forget how its harmful !

There is some facts that you most probably dont know if you still eat McDonalds !

- the ammount of salt and sugar in McDonalds food such hight that pet`s foot is sometimes healthier !

- you would have to walk for 7 hours straight to burn off full-size coke. Big Mak and fries

- the editional fat in McDonalds promotes endoseleal disfunction for up to 5 hours after meal

-McDonalds mislead people adding beef-axtract to their oil

- 2609 cows everyda turns into a Burgers. That`s 952,285 cows per year. And this is just in USA !

-one Burger patty doesn`t necessary come from one cow ! think about that ! You probably eat pieces of hundreds of cows...

_ Here is a SHOKING VIDEO about experiments with McDonalds food ! Watch it please! so impressive !

I know its really hard to avoid at all such food as burgers and french fries, but what you can do is to learn how to make healthy analog of these.

Here i`m offering you a recipe of healthy `Florida Red Snapper Burger` ! Enjoi it !

Recipe :
( you will need a food processor to make it)

1/2 pounds red snapper fillets, fresh or frozen fillets, thawed
1 teaspoon minsed garlic or 1 garlic clove
2 teaspoons jerk seasoning (chillies, thyme, ciannamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and onions)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 small onion
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
1 slice lettuce per Burger
1 slice of fresh pineapple per Burger

In a large bowl combine egg, onion, bread crumbs, cillantro, jerk seasoning, garlic and salt.
In your food processor grind red snapper until finally choped. Add this to the mixture in a bowl. After mixing well, make 6 Burgers. Use grill pan or grilled pannel to cook Burgers. Cook about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with lettuce and a fresh slised pineapple on a kaiser roll.

That`s it ! Enjoy your healthy meal and Forget about McDonalds !!!

Magic Bananas !

Did you Know these about simple Bananas ???

Two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

People suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn.

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, now you know how helpful bananas are ! But eat just Bananas is boring ! You can enjoy this majic fruit in different forms ! And here i wanna offer you delicious easy making desert - Banana Pudding !!!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

1-1/2 cups cold water

1 (4-serving-size) package instant French vanilla pudding and pie filling mix

2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream

40 vanilla wafers cookies (about)

3 to 4 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice from concentrate

4 vanilla wafers, crushed to crumbs for garnish

Preparation:

Combine sweetened condensed milk and water in a large mixing bowl. Add pudding mix and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Refrigerate pudding mixture for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream into chilled pudding mixture until combined.

Select a large (3-quart) decorative glass bowl. Spread 1/2 cup of pudding around the bottom of the bowl and top with one-third of the vanilla wafers, followed by one-third of the bananas and one-third of the remaining pudding. Continue layers, finishing with pudding on top. Sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafer crumbs. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

America might get the blame for a lot of things these days but next time you’re tempted to join in remember there’s something for which we should thank our colonial cousins: the modern cocktail!

The first cocktail appears in an American magazine in 1806, saying it is ‘a stimulating liquor, composed of spirit of any kind, sugar, water and bitters ...’

By the beginning of the twentieth century there was a growing interest in cocktails on both sides of Atlantic, but 1920 Prohibition Act in America banned the production, sale and serving of alcohol. Strangely enough, rather than being the death of the cocktail, prohibition led to more ingenious concoctions being invented – mainly to disguise the taste of the home- made, crudely-produced moonshine that was available!

During the second half of the twentieth century, cocktails featured in a number of films and in literature, all helping to enhance its image as a drink with a touch of class and sophistication.

James Bond is renowned for preferring his martini shaken not stirred and there is a good reason for this. Shaking chills the drink more quickly so the ice melts less resulting in a cooler, less diluted drink.

Today the popularity of cocktail is huge ! In bars, clubs, restaurants people, especially women prefer order a beautiful, bright decorated things.

But if you have spare time, or organizing a home party, it would be useful to read this blog further and find out how to do most popular non-alcohol cocktails at home !!!

Here i`m offering you a recipe of three cocktails ! Enjoy !!!))

Virgin Margarita

1 part orange juice 1 part lime juice3 parts sour mix

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the ingredients and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled cocktail glass.

To make a long drink, use a highball glass and top up with lemonade.

Sour Mix

1 cup caster sugar 2 cups water

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice Stir together well. Keeps in the fridge for up to 7 days. Toothless Shark

1 part lime juice 1 part grenadine

6 parts orange juice

Three-quarter fill a highball glass with orange juice. Add the lime juice and stir well. Slowly pour in the grenadine. Do not stir.

How to make cup noodles 'BETTER' for you !!

As we all know, instant noodles is not very healthy, counting the calories and to sodium and MSG inside, but in the busy cities of most countries, and with the way how marketing side is promoting, instant noodles has become quite a norm to the society. It has a huge variety, from noodles, ramen, and rice noodles. They are sold in all Asian markets with a huge selection to choose from.

Cup noodles are the easiest thing to make on Earth (I think). But it's not exactly healthy for you. Let face it, sometimes, we just don't have time to cook. It does not fit in the healthy food category; it should be eaten only if you don't have any other options. But it's very easy to make and very convenient. So, people tend to forget about nutrition and just eat it when they are hungry. I know many may disagree that we should continue to consume instant noodles, but when we just can’t avoid having a quick fill of the stomach and ahead with the rush of assignments we have in hand, there are some tips and reminders you need to know about cooking instant noodles.

The Usual Way

• Normally, we cook the instant noodles by putting the noodles into a pot with water, throw in the powder and let it cook for 3 minutes.

• By doing this, when we actually boil the ingredients in the powder, normally with MSG, it will change the molecular structures of the MSG causing it to be toxic. The other thing that you may or may not realized is that, the noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4-5 days for the body to excrete the wax after you have taken the noodle. The noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4 to 5 days for the body to excrete the wax after you have taken the noodles

The Correct Way (which you might or might not know)

• Boil the noodles in a pot with water, wait til once the noodles are cooked then take out the noodles and throw away the water which contains wax.

• Boil another pot of water till boiling and put the noodles into the hot boiling water and put the ingredient with the powder into the water in order to make noodles soup

• Cup noodles soup base powder package is very high in salt and often contains msg. Do not add all the powder, add only enough to give some flavor to the instant noodles.

• Do not drink the broth of the cup noodles, it's very high in salt and may contain msg. If you want something warm, have some hot chocolate instead.

• Try to supplement the cup noodles with some vegetables if you have any.

Tips & Warnings

• Most convenient foods are high in salts, fats and preservatives. Only eat it as a last resort food.

• There is an interesting site that does reviews on different instant noodles, here is the link: http://noodleson.com/review/

• If you must eat instant noodle, make the meal more nutritious by eating other foods with it


Well, enjoy your healthy cup noodles,,, CHEERs =)

Different Types of Chillies and How to Make Foods Less Spicy

The chilli pepper (also chile or chilli; from Nahuatl chilli, via Spanish chile, I prefer chilli pepper here,) is the fruit of the plants from the genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, related to tomatoes, cherries and eggplant. Therefore chili peppers are considered fruit, not vegetables.

What we call “heat” or “fire” of the chilli is known in the industry as the pungency* level. The pungency is the result of both the plant’s genetics and the environment in which it grows. Although plant breeders can produce a chilli with a certain amount of relative heat by varying water amounts and temperature levels, genetic control is not yet fully understood.

The heat is due to capsaicin, an alkaloid, and four related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Each capsaicinoid has a different effect on the mouth, and variation in the proportions of these chemical is responsible for the differing sensations produced by different varieties. Capsaicin causes pain and inflammation if consumed to excess, and can even burn the skin on contact in high concentrations (habañeros, for example, are routinely picked with gloves). It is also the primary ingredient in pepper spray.

*While many people think of pungent as a sharp or acrid smell, another meaning is “causing a sharp or irritating sensation,” e.g., burning.

The various types of peppers range from varieties that are quite mild to chilli peppers that will certainly scorch your mouth. Below I have provided a list of some of the most common types of peppers.

• Bhut Jolokia (Ghost)

• Red Savina Habanero
• Habanero
• Thai
• Chiltecpin
• Santaka
• Chili piquin
• Cayenne
• Serrano
• Chile de Arbol
• Jalapeno
• Ancho Poblano
• Anaheim
• Bell Pepper

As types of peppers go, bell pepper is one of the mildest peppers. The Bhut Jolokia and Red Sabina Habanero will certainly set your mouth on fire, so it’s a good idea to keep a tall glass of water nearby. You may be surprised to note that the jalapeno pepper fell closer to the end of the list. This is because, when compared to other types of chilli peppers, the jalapeno is actually quite mild!

To most people, the idea of taking a big bite of something loaded with chilli pepper is frightening. The burn, the fear is too much. For example, you take that first taste of a Mexican or Thai food recipe you've been slaving away at for hours. Suddenly, fiery heat races across your tongue and throat and you scramble for a glass of water. Your guests will be arriving any minute and, as you frantically ponder the options, your eyes move repeatedly to the fire extinguisher on the wall. But, NO MORE WORRY, this situation doesn't call for panic as there are several ways to tone down spice in a dish. Take a breather, drink some cold milk (not water), and read these tips to help make food less spicy. They are particular useful for Mexican Food recipes and Indian food recipes but can be used for almost anything.

Instructions

1. Curries and other Indian food recipes are easy to over-spice. Furthermore, sometimes even the spice called for by an Indian food recipe is too hot for some people to handle. To make a curry or other similar dish less spicy, try adding some yogurt or coconut milk. However, make sure it is plain/natural flavor as you don't want to end up with strawberry curry.

2. Yogurt works to lessen spice because it is a dairy product. Dairy products are effective at decreasing spice where as water is not. If you are dealing with a spicy Mexican food recipe, try adding some sour cream (which is also a dairy product) to make it less spicy.

3. If you are hesitating to alter the dish itself, consider providing a dip based on sour cream, yogurt, or other dairy product. Mango chutney is also useful for helping guests make food less spicy.

4. Add more rice to a Mexican or Thai food recipe. If you have the time, you can try diluting Mexican food recipes or Indian food recipes with more of the same. For instance, if you have made a rice dish that is too spicy, make another half of the recipe, omitting any spicy ingredients. Then mix it in with the original batch. Or, you can add/provide other solid ingredients (not water) that will dilute the taste. For example, mix chopped lettuce in taco filling or serves it with enchiladas that are too spicy.

5. If your recipe uses spicy ingredients that are large and visible such as whole chilli peppers or chunks of hot pepper (in fresh salsa perhaps) or large pepper flakes you can try actually picking these out with a fork. Get the kids to help if you are short on time.

6. For soups and other foods of liquid type, you can add some cream or shredded cheese (notice a theme here?) to make it less spicy. You can also put in more of some of the other main ingredients. Cooking wise, dairy products are more easily added in individual servings rather than a big pot. If the soup is still to spicy, cook it down to make it thicker and then serve over rice.

7. Finally, if your dish can tolerate some sweetness, go ahead and add some sugar or honey, both of which will make it less spicy. This works well in some oriental dishes where sweetness is not a problem.

Coloring your food... Naturally

Have you ever eat something really with a bright blue color? Well, I don't think I have, I was thinking about this topic for the past few months. Research found that color controls our mood. I think I believe that.

But, it is believed that blue will decrease or even delete our appetite! How come color affects our appetite? well then, If we look into something red, orange, brown, our appetite might increase. weird huh?

Well, since color affects our food, let's make something very colorful!


This is a recipe that I found from the internet and this is very easy to make, however, the ingredients needed for this food are very vary, although you can always get it from the supermarket.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans French-style green beans, drained
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
• 2 (15.4-ounce) cans small green peas, drained
• 2 (4-ounce) jars diced pimientos, drained
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen shoepeg corn, thawed
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup diced celery

Preparation

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes to cool.

Stir together green beans and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; gently stir in dressing. Cover and chill for 8 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Zha Jiang Noodles ------Beijing Noodles with Meat Sauce

Zha jiang mian ( 炸酱面 , literally "fried sauce noodles", often transliterated as " Za Jiang Mein ") is a northern Chinese dish consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with a mixture of ground pork stir-fried with Zha jiang ( 炸酱 ), which is salty

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh noodles Optional vegetable garnish:

2 Tbsp. oil Blanched bean sprouts

1 Tbsp. minced garlic Julienned cucumber

1 pound ground pork

2 Tbsp. sherry

4 whole scallions, chopped

Seasoning sauce:

¼ cup brown bean sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ tsp. chili paste with garlic

(Optional seasoning sauce: 1/2 cup brown bean sauce 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper)

Sauce:

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

(Optional vegetable garnish blanched bean sprouts julienne cucumber)

Preparation:

----Boil the noodles until just tender – about 4 minutes.

----Drain. Mix with a little oil and keep warm.

----Mince the garlic and have ready.

----Pour sherry in a small cup and have ready.

----Chop scallions and have ready.

----Combine seasoning sauce in a cup.

----Combine sauce in a cup.

Cooking:

Heat a wok. Add oil and heat.

Add garlic and stir till aromatic. Don’t burn

Add pork and break up while browning until all pink is gone and pork is somewhat dry.

Add sherry and mix in.

Add scallions and mix again.

Add the seasoning sauce mix and stir well.

Stir the sauce to loosen the cornstarch and add to the wok.

Stir until all is smooth, thick, and bubbly.

Place warmed noodles on a serving platter, pour sauce over and serve.

Optional vegetable garnish may be placed on top.