Spicy Tamarind-Glazed Grilled Chicken Wings

Cooking Time 25 minutes Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes Marinating chicken wings in a base of tamarind puree, fish sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes and cumin, and further brushing while grilling ensures optimal flavor and plenty of charcoal.Topped with crispy onions, these wings offer a flavor explosion perfect for summer entertaining in the garden Ingredients 4 servings ¾ cup tamarind puree ¼ cup fish sauce2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tsp.ground cumin 3 tsp Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp Morton Kosher Salt divided 4 lb.Separate chicken wings, drumettes and flats as desired ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced, preferably on a mandolin coriander leaves with small stems and lime wedges (for serving) Step 1 Tamarind puree, fish sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, cumin and 1 tspdiamond crystal or ½ tsp. Morton's Kosher Salt in a medium bowl until combined and forms a fluffy paste. Set the tamarind glaze aside. Step 2 Pat wings dry with kitchen paper, then season with the remaining 2 teaspoons.diamond crystal or 1 tsp. Morton's Kosher Salt. Place in a large bowl; add half of the tamarind glaze and toss to coat. Chill for 15 minutes. Set aside the remaining frosting.Step 3 Meanwhile, place the onion in a bowl of ice water and set aside. Step 4 Prepare a grill over indirect medium-high heat (for a charcoal grill, set the coals to one side of the grill; for a gas grill, leave out a burner or two). Arrange the wings on the wire rack over indirect heat, being careful not to overcrowd them.Brush the top of each wing with some reserved frosting. Cover and grill on the grill for 15 minutes. Uncover, flip wings and brush other side with frosting. Recover and grill until wings are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a wing reads 165°F, about 15 minutes. step 5Brush the wings with more glaze, then place over direct heat and grill until browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Step 6 Transfer the wings to a plate. Drain onion and place on kitchen paper; I know that. Scatter onion on wings and sprinkle with cilantro.Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Fundamentals of Clean Eating

 Clean eating does not have a specific definition because it is not a specific diet. Clean eating is choosing to live your life in a healthier way. Choosing to eat clean means filling your plate with natural, wholesome foods and excluding anything processed or refined. The idea is not deprivation in the interest of weight loss, as with some other diets, but rather rediscovering and embracing fresh, unaltered food that nourishes your body. Your relationship with food will forever change when you understand that what goes on your plate is fuel for your body. The quality of fuel directly affects the way your body performs, so why not provide the best possible food choices through clean eating? Your clean eating plan will follow certain principles, such as eating smaller, more frequent meals and staying hydrated, but the plan is flexible and you are an individual. A clean eating plan will not be the same for everyone. Life happens, and if you can eat clean at least 80 percent of the time you will reap wonderful health benefits and feel energized.

What Is Clean Eating? 

Clean eating was not a mainstream diet and lifestyle plan before Canadian fitness model Tosca Reno introduced her version of clean eating in a series of books. This plan gained almost instant acceptance, especially among those trying to lose weight, because Tosca herself went from fat and frumpy to sleek and toned following clean eating principles. Clean eating did not originate with Tosca Reno though. The concept as a whole was first popular in the 1960s counterculture as another form of rebellion against corporate encroachment in almost every facet of life. People rejected the proliferation of processed food that was part of a conformist, middle-class lifestyle, and they embraced natural, whole foods instead. This clean eating movement was furthered by several books exposing the dangers of pesticides and food additives and the effects they had on human beings and on the food chain. During this clean food activism period, another group of people quietly and successfully used the same principles, without the political element, to get healthy and fit. To them, clean food equaled more energy and quicker muscle recovery and growth, as well as overall good health. This group consisted of bodybuilders and weightlifters. It is this subculture that Tosca tapped into when joining the weightlifting scene under the advice of fitness publisher Robert Kennedy, whom she eventually married. Although she didn’t invent clean eating, Tosca has pared the concepts down to simple guidelines that produce results, and that people can follow easily. Clean eating should never be considered a fad diet or even a temporary diet. It is meant to be a lifestyle that includes food and exercise to succeed. 

Clean Eating Principles 

So now that you know how clean eating came about, it is time to look at what guidelines you will follow on the plan. Remember, your goal can be 100 percent clean eating, but following these simple principles even 80 percent of the time will enable you to reap all the health benefits of the plan. This is a long-term lifestyle choice. Try to be practical and flexible with your food and exercise goals. It gets easier as time passes and you develop new habits.

 Eat Whole Foods, Such as Whole Grains, Lean Proteins, and Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

 Whole and fresh foods are at the foundation of the clean eating diet. Eat a variety of delicious fresh foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. “Whole” does not mean an entire orange or head of lettuce; it means unrefined and unprocessed. Processed foods are stripped of valuable nutrients, pumped full of additives, and can contribute to disease and poor health. There are some packaged items that can still be clean foods, but a good basic rule is that if you don’t recognize an ingredient or can’t pronounce it, you probably don’t want to eat it! 

Eat Five to Six Small

 Meals a Day Many people grew up with the notion of three square meals a day with no consideration given to individual body requirements or the ill effects of spiking and plummeting blood sugar. A good, steady influx of nutritious foods can regulate and stabilize blood sugar, creating fewer food cravings for sugar or caffeine and supplying you with energy throughout the day. 

Eat Every Two to Three Hours and Never Skip a Meal 

The principle of eating meals regularly and frequently goes hand in hand with eating smaller, more frequent meals to avoid blood sugar fluctuations. You might think that skipping breakfast or starving yourself through lunch is a good way to lose weight or control your diet. Unfortunately, all you are doing is creating a massive blood-sugar tsunami that will eventually crash, wreaking havoc on your body. Start your day with a wholesome breakfast to kick-start your metabolism, and top up the tank every few hours afterward.

 Drink at Least Eight Cups of Water a Day

 Keeping your body hydrated is a healthy diet staple for most eating plans, and is good common sense. Your body is about two-thirds water and needs water for everything to work correctly and efficiently. Water helps flush toxins from the cells and tissues, helps in the absorption of nutrients, and regulates body temperature. Always have a bottle of water on hand and sip from it throughout your day. If you are thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. 

Eat Healthy Portion Sizes 

In a supersized world it is important to realize that you might be eating more than you need, which can contribute to weight gain and poor health. When you first start eating clean, you may not know what the right portion size is for a chicken breast or bowl of cereal. Weigh and measure your food until you can eyeball it accurately. If you don’t have a scale, most clean eating portions can be measured roughly using your hands. Fruit and vegetable portions should just about fit into your two cupped hands (1½ cups), starchy carbohydrates should fit in one cupped hand (¾ cup), and lean protein portions should be about the size of your palm (6 ounces). 

Combine Lean Protein and ComplexCarbohydrates in Every

Meal Pairing protein and carbohydrates is a cornerstone of the clean eating diet, because this combination of food groups is extremely effective for stabilizing blood sugar. The slow release of sugar into the blood, rather than the quick rush created by carbohydrates or protein alone, can also help burn fat and promote healthy weight loss. So try a couple of apple slices with a small scoop of natural nut butter or wrap a lean piece of chicken in a whole-grain tortilla for lunch, and see how much better you feel. 

Avoid Refined, Processed Foods 

The list of foods to avoid might seem long, but once you start eating clean, those refined and processed foods will no longer be the least bit appealing to you. The list includes candy, white bread, white rice, lunch meats, pizza, cookies, processed cheese, junk food, and even products that are labeled as healthy, such as low-calorie frozen dinners. 

Eliminate Sugar

 You should avoid refined sugar like the plague because that is exactly what this poison can be, deadly. Refined sugar can cause devastating effects such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, depression and fatigue. While your body uses glucose converted from foods as energy for every process in the body, the type of sugar that is found in processed foods is fructose. When you consume fructose the entire burden of processing it falls on your liver, creating waste products and toxins. There is more to purging sugar from your diet than not buying sweet cereals. The best defense to avoid refined sugar is to read food labels carefully, even on clean foods such as Greek yogurt. If you see words ending in “ose” or “sweetener” beware, this is usually sugar in disguise. If you need a little sweetness in your meals, add naturally sweet fruits and vegetables.

 Include Healthy Fats and Eliminate Unhealthy Fats

 Fat has become the enemy in many healthy eating circles, but this should not be the case, because your body needs healthy fats to function. Healthy fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids) help synthesize hormones, provide fuel for the body, and assist in the absorption of some vitamins. Many clean eating foods contain healthy fat such as avocado, salmon, olive oil, and eggs. The unhealthy fats (saturated fats and trans fats) contribute to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues. 

Never Leave Home Without Clean Eating Foods

 One of the main reasons people fall off the healthy-eating wagon is they find themselves stranded in a sea of processed products and fast food when they are away from home. When you are hungry and your blood sugar is plummeting, it is hard not to give in to the plethora of unhealthy choices surrounding you. The solution is a cooler bag filled with clean eating meals and snacks that you can tote with you to work or school. This portable clean eating “cornucopia” will also ensure you don’t skip meals. You can even pack all your foods the night before, for convenience. 

The Benefits of Clean Eating:

Many people have a combative relationship with their food, due to years of fluctuating weight and poor health, as well as eating products that are processed and simply bad for you. It can be difficult to understand that food is supposed to make you feel energized. There should be no side effects from a great meal. Clean eating will forever change how you perceive food because the benefits of this lifestyle will be evident in your mirror and in your body after a very short time on the plan. Depending on your initial physical state and commitment to clean eating, you might experience some of the following benefits sooner than others. 

General Feeling of Well-Being 

Eating nutritious, healthy food and avoiding foods clogged with fat, sugar, and preservatives will make your body feel great. How could it not, when all the building blocks of good health are sitting on your plate? There will be a spring in your step, and you will feel motivated to continue on your clean eating journey.

 Better Immune System 

An effective disease-fighting immune system starts with the food you eat, especially colorful fruits and vegetables packed with vitamin C, other antioxidants like betacarotene, plus vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C can increase the number of antibodies and white blood cells available to fight off disease and infections. Zinc can also increase white blood cell counts. 

Improved Sleep

 Sleep is a crucial component of good health, and lack of sleep can have serious detrimental effects on the body. All the nutrients found in clean eating foods help stabilize and regulate the hormones responsible for supporting deep sleep at night. There is also a definitive link between sleep deprivation and obesity. Getting seven to eight hours of quality sleep a night can also help with your weight loss goals. 

Increased Energy Levels

 Many people rely on the artificial, fleeting energy rush they get from either caffeine or sugar to get through the day. This artificial high is usually followed by a crash that requires another unhealthy boost, which creates a vicious cycle and a tired body. Clean eating provides a sustained slow energy boost that comes from a steady release of sugar—achieved by combining proteins with complex carbohydrates and fiber, as is found in Greek yogurt and fruit. This combination provides energy all day with no midmorning or midafternoon crash. 

Healthy Hair and Clear Skin 

The first areas of the body that suffer when you are not getting enough nutrients in your diet or are eating too much harmful food are often you hair and skin. They are like a barometer of good health. Whole, clean food and adequate hydration will flush harmful toxins and free radicals from your body, creating a youthful glow and lustrous, healthy hair.

 Improved Mental Clarity

 Your brain is like any other organ in the body: It needs a steady influx of vitamins, fats, proteins, essential fatty acids, and minerals to help it run well. Clear thought, mental alertness, and decreased fatigue are all results of clean eating. The high level of antioxidants in produce may also help protect the brain from the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. 

Decreased Body Fat

 Many people start the clean eating diet to lose weight, and while clean eating is not a weight-loss diet, losing weight is a natural result of eliminating empty-calorie processed foods and eating whole, nutritious foods. All the foods you avoid when eating clean are key contributors to obesity. All the foods you eat—clean, healthy food—will fill you up and stop food cravings without adding empty calories to your body. 

Decreased Risk of Cancer, Heart Disease, and Diabetes

 Cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are the major causes of death around the world. These diseases can be prevented by diminishing their common risk factors, which include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and a sedentary lifestyle. All these risk factors are decreased when eating clean.

Improved Mood

 Depression and mood disorders can have their roots in vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. Increased availability of vitamins and minerals through healthy eating can improve mood. Some whole foods also contain vitamins that help produce mood-elevating chemicals in the body, such as dopamine from vitamin B6 contained in sunflower seeds and cooked tuna. Also, when you are energized and maintain a healthy weight, you will feel attractive and confident. 

Prevention of Age-Related Ailments and Conditions 

Many debilitating diseases associated with old age are preventable with healthy clean eating. No matter when you start eating clean (in your twenties, fifties, or even seventies), your body will respond by becoming the efficient machine it is meant to be. Providing the right fuel can keep joints lubricated and pain free, improve mobility, and help create a positive outlook well into the golden years.

Precious “Pork” and Coriander Dumplings

The Chinese haven’t yet really figured out this entire vegetarian thing, let alone the vegan thing, so it can be a bit hard to enjoy their kitchen. Fortunately, we’re not going to let that hold us back. If they won’t adapt their kitchen, then we will and we’ll make it better than it ever was in the process. Who’s with me? 

Preparation time: 15 minutes 
Cooking time: 10 Minutes
 Serves: 6 – 5 dumplings per person 
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
 Calories 74 Protein 
4.5 g Cholestero
l 0 mg Fat 
2.8 g Carbohydrates
 7.5 g Fiber
 1 g Sodium 238 mg

Ingredients 

3 mini pork-style sausages
1 finely chopped spring onion (shallots)
 Handful coriander leaves
 1 small chilli Ginger pinch sugar pinch salt
1 tablespoon lemongrass
1 tablespoon garlic
2 teaspoons lime juice to taste
1 packet egg-free wonton wrappers

Directions

 Using a mortar and pestle mix together the lemongrass, chilli, and garlic to create a spice paste. Add the chilli a little at a time, until the paste has the right spiciness for you. 

 Add in the finely chopped coriander leaves, along with the sugar, salt and lime juice.

  Blend the sausage in a food processor until you’ve got a coarse mince. 

 In a nonstick frying pan heat a dash of oil, then stir-fry the mince with a bit of spring onion. Then add in the earlier-made paste until the taste is strong and delicious. Put it aside and let it cool.

  Create a work station to make your dumplings. You’ll need a bowl of water for you to dip your fingers in, your dumpling wrappers all stacked up, a board for you to fold you dumplings on, and your fillings with a teaspoon so that you can easily scoop the content into the dumpling. 

 Put a teaspoon of the filling in the center of a dumpling wrapper. Wet your fingers and moisten the edge of the wrapper then fold it up into a triangle. Crimp the edges, then press the filling outwards to remove air pockets. Put the dumpling aside and proceed to the next dumpling.  

When all your dumplings are ready, let a pan of salted water come to a boil and add the dumplings to the water. Don’t throw in too many! A few will do. Wait about 2 minutes, until the pastry becomes translucent. Take the dumpling out with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Dumplings work well with an assortment of sauces,

Paleo Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza

 Serves: 12

 Preparation Time: 2 hours

Ingredients Topping:

 Chicken thighs (450g, boneless and skin removed) 

Yellow onion (1/2 chopped)

 Garam Masala powder (2 ½ tablespoons) Paprika (1/2 teaspoon) 

Cayenne pepper Gouda cheese (100g, shredded) 

Tomato sauce (450g/400ml) 

Garlic (2 cloves, chopped) Ginger (1 teaspoon, dried) 

Salt (1 teaspoon)

 Cashew cream (100ml) Cilantro (25g, chopped) 

Crust: 

Whole raw cashews (250g) 

Almond flour (25g) 

Baking soda (1 teaspoon) 

Eggs (4)

 Almond milk (120ml) 

Apple cider vinegar (1 teaspoon)

 Coconut flour (60g) 

Curry powder (2 teaspoons) 

Salt (3/4 teaspoon) 

Extra virgin olive oil (80ml) 

Almond flour (2 tablespoons) 

Cold water (2 tablespoons) 

Cashew Cream: 

Raw Cashews (150g) 

Directions

 Mix tomato sauce, garam masala, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger and salt together. Pour mixture into a large saucepan then put in chicken. Cook for 1 hour or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Put cashews into a food processor and grind finely. 

Put in almond flour, baking soda, curry powder, coconut flour and salt; blend together for a minute. 

Add milk, oil, water, eggs and vinegar and blend for a minute. Scrape sides of bowl and blend until dough is smooth. Put aside for 2 minutes. 

Flour a piece of parchment paper and put dough on top, dust dough with flour and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. 

Use hands to press dough flat and roll dough flat. Remove top parchment paper. Be careful as dough is sticky. 

Put dough on parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. 

Remove chicken from pan and chop roughly. 

Mix cashew cream with sauce from chicken. Put chicken back into pot and stir to combine.

 Oil crust and put chicken mixture on top. Top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes (450˚F/230°C).

 Serve topped with cilantro. Cashew cream Use 750ml of hot water to soak the cashews.
Drain water from cashews, put water aside till needed. Blend cashews using 200ml of water. Blend till smooth (add water as needed).

Nutritional Information (entire pizza) Calories 390 Fat 35 g Cholesterol 81 mg Sodium 43 mg Protein 50.8 g Sugar 5.9 g
Carbohydrate 48.2 g

The End

Mexican-style mini meatloaves

Yield: 4 servings 

You don’t have to go south of the border to enjoy the distinctive flavors in these little meat loaves. But you can imagine yourself there as you feast on this fare, maybe with a cool glass of cucumber-mint water to go along with it. 

Ingredients =>

 For the sauce:

 ½ cup tomato paste 

½ cup water Tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper 

2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped

 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 

2 pinches sea salt 

black pepper to taste 

For the loaves: 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

 ½ cup finely chopped onion 

½ Tablespoon grated garlic

2 eggs, beaten

 2 pounds lean ground beef 

1 teaspoon cumin

 1 teaspoon coriander 

1 teaspoon chili powder 

½ teaspoon sea salt 

¼ teaspoon black pepper – or more to taste 2 carrots, grated 

1 bell pepper, cut into very fine dice 

¼ cup chopped cilantro 

Directions

 Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Over medium-low heat, combine ingredients for the sauce in a small sauce pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes. The consistency should be fairly dense, almost like ketchup. If the sauce reduces too much, add water 2 tablespoons at a time and whisk, until the desired texture is reached.

 Meanwhile, using a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions over low to medium heat until they are translucent and slightly brown at the edges. Add the grated garlic, stirring for about a minute. 

Place the ground beef into a large mixing bowl and add the beaten eggs, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, and spices. Combine well. 

Line 2 mini loaf pans with parchment paper and divide the meatloaf mixture between the 2 pans, pressing it in firmly. The meat will shrink a little bit during cooking, so it’s fine if the mixture is slightly above the top of the pans.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce evenly over the top of each loaf.  The remaining sauce can be saved for dipping.

 Bake uncovered loaves for 40-50 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 160°F.

The End

DECADENT THREE-LAYERED CHOCOLATE CREAM CAKE

30 minutes 60 minutes x8 

INGREDIENTS 

» 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate » ½ cup (1 stick) butter 

» 1 ½ cups powdered sweetener, divided
» 3 eggs

 » ½ cup + 8 tablespoons raw unsweetened cocoa powder

 » 1 vanilla pod 

» Pinch of sea salt 

» 1 cup whipping cream 

» Coconut whipped cream 

» 1 can coconut milk, refrigerated overnight 

 DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a little cooking oil into a pan smaller than 8 inches. 2. Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler and melt them together. Stir in ½ cup of sweetener and keep on stirring over low heat until everything is well combined. Remove from heat and let cool a little bit.
 3. Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Add ¼ cup of sweetener little by little.
4. Whisk the yolks together with another ¼ cup of sweetener. Add the chocolate mixture to the yolks and stir well. Mix in ½ cup cocoa, and then scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add to the mixture along with salt.
5. Fold in egg whites slowly to the chocolate mixture, but do not over mix. 6. Cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely and then remove from the pan.

Cream:
 1. To prepare the 3 types of filling, beat the whipping cream for about 6-7 minutes until it gets very thick. Slowly add ½ cup of sweetener.
2. Divide the cream into halves and place one half in a bowl. Divide the remaining cream into halves again and place in other 2 separate bowls. You will have 3 bowls, one with ½ of the cream and two with ¼ of the cream.
3. Take a bowl with ¼ cream, add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and mix well. This will be the lightest-colored cream. 4. Add ½ the cream to the bowl, add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Mix until well distributed. This will be the middle-colored cream.
 5. Add 3–4 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the last bowl with ¼ cream. This will be the darkest cream.

Assembling:
 1. Slice the cake horizontally in 3 equal slices using a very sharp knife.
2. Place the bottom part on a serving plate and cover with the middle-colored cream. Repeat with the second layer.
3. Top with the third cake piece and spread the light-colored cream on top, followed by the darkest cream.
4. Cut in 8 slices and enjoy.
NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING) 
Total Carbohydrates: 11g Protein: 7g Dietary Fiber: 6g Total Fat: 27g Net Carbs: 5g Calories: 304

Basic Flour and Water Pastas

 1. Spaghetti This is perhaps one of the most popular types of pastas shapes that are available today and it is considered to be one of the best inventions known to man. This pasta is sturdy in texture, which makes it the perfect vehicle to go along with a variety of different sauces. However, this type of pasta is not usually sued with any sauces containing large chunks or meat. 

2. Spaghatini This tiny pasta’s name literally means tiny spaghetti. If you are going to use this for one of your Italian style recipes, I highly recommend that you use the highest quality brand that you can find and to make sure that you do not overcook this pasta. This type of pasta is great when paired with simple sauces, but nothing too heavy. 

3. Linguine The word linguine literally means, “Little tongues,” and if you were to travel to Italy, you would find this type of pasta primary in the southern part of the amazing country. This pasta is exceptional when paired with sauces that require the pasta to have more surface room. This pasta is much sturdier than spaghetti and does not break under the weight of the sauce so easily.

 4. Bucatini This pasta is often called Perciatelli by those who manufacture this kind of pasta. It is hollow and often used when preparing rather robost pasta sauce. In Italy you can primarily find this type of pasta being prepared in the south to central part of the country.

 5. Fusilli This is a rather fun shape of pasta to use in any of your Italian style recipes. It kind of resembles a coiled phone cord in shape or can look similar to a corkscrew. This type of pasta is exceptional when paired with sauce that contain chunky bits as the chunky bits will cling to the pasta very well, allowing you to savor the dish that much more. 

6. Penne If there is any type of tubular pasta that is used the most today, it is this kind of pasta. You can find these types of pasta in a variety of different sizes and with a variety of different ridges available. Penne goes extremely well with a variety of tomato pasta sauces, sauces that contain small chunks and even heavy cheese sauces. 

7. Maccheroni This type of pasta has deep roots in Italian history. It first made an appearance in the courts of an aristocratic and ancient Italian society. Now however, this pasta is mostly known for its tubular and straight edged shape, similar to that of penne. Similar to penne, this type of pasta will either have a smooth texture or be covered in tiny ridges. Many of the sauces that pair exceptionally well with penne will pair exceptionally well with this type of pasta as well. 

8. Rigatoni These large sized and chewy types of pasta are one of the most popular and most renowned types of pasta used in Italy today. These pastas are usually served with many traditional pasta sauces that contain meat or chunky vegetables. Once you try this type of pasta, you will never want to use any other type of pasta again.

 9. Cavatappi The name of this pasta literally means “corkscrew.” However, unlike the short type of pasta Fusilli, these pastas are hollow on the inside, though they do resembled a large and long fusilli noodle. These types of pastas are twisted in shape, making them ideal for pasta sauces that are packed full of vegetables or just great tasting hearty pasta sauces. 

10. Orecchiette This type of pasta is particularly popular in a region of Italy known as Apulia. There these kinds of pasta are typically served with a sauce that incorporates broccoli. The name of this particular pasta literally means, “little ears” and they are usually crafter by hand using a pasta dough made out of flour and water then pressed in between the thumb and palm of a hand. They are incredibly tasty pastas to enjoy with virtually any kind of pasta sauce, but goes well with pasta made with broccoli. 

11. Farfalle The name Farfelle means “bowtie” in Italian and this name is how this pasta got its shape. This type of pasta is perfect for Italian recipes that use chunky meat sauces of chunky vegetable recipes.

 12. Conchiglie The name of this type of pasta literally means, “shells.” This type of pasta can be found in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The smallest of this type of pasta is the one that is most commonly found in many popular Italian style soup recipes while the larger types of this kind of pasta can be found when paired with many tasty Italian sauces. One of the best dishes or sauces to pair this pasta shell with is anything that contains butter or cheese. I highly recommend this simply because this type of pasta contains a large surface area that gives the sauce a perfect amount of space to thickly coat the pasta. 

13. Ruote This type of pasta is also known as “ruote di carro” which literally means, “cartwheels” in Italian. This type of pasta pairs exceptionally well with any kind of vegetable pasta sauce, meat pasta sauce or any other type of sauce that pairs well with Rigatoni. 

14. Lumache While this type of pasta literally name may not sound appealing, I can promise you that is not the case. For this pasta I highly recommend serving it with any type of meat sauce or sauces that contain sausage and cream. 

15. Strozzapreti The name of this pasta means literally, “priest stranglers” in Italian. There are many myths and stories surrounding the origin of this pasta with the most popular being that a priest who went through a glutinous episode fell to his own demise as he was eating this pasta. Of course we don’t know how true this story is. What we do know is that this time of pasta is actually pretty harmless. I highly recommend serving this kind of pasta alongside any sauce that is accompanied with fusilli pasta as it will taste just as delicious.

Mediterranean Omelette with Fennel, Olives, and Dill

 Serves 6

 Ingredients: 

2cups fresh fennel bulb, sliced and chopped 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 

1/4 cup green olives, pitted

 5 eggs, gently beaten with salt, black pepper and paprika 

2 tbsp olive oil

 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 

1 tsp paprika

 1/2 tsp salt 

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

 Directions:

 Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté fennel bulb, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until light brown. Cover, and simmer until soft, about 5 minutes.

 Add tomatoes and olives. Season with salt, pepper and paprika and sauté for 2-3 minutes more. Transfer fennel mixture to a bowl.

Heat remaining oil in the same skillet and cook beaten eggs until eggs are just set in center, tilting the skillet and lifting edges with a spatula in a way to let uncooked portion flow underneath. 

Cover with fennel mixture and sprinkle with dill. With the help of a spatula, fold uncovered half of omelet over; slide onto a plate and serve.

Cooking Tips to Save You Money

Cooking a delicious meal shouldn’t gobble up your entire grocery budget for the week. With a little planning and preparation, you can make amazing meals for less than you think. There are also plenty of little tips and tricks you can use to save money that you can use to splurge on fancy cuts of meat for a special meal or treat yourself to a fabulous vacation. Make your money and your food work for you by stretching your budget. Here’s how!

1.Plan your meals at the beginning of each week
 Decide what you’ll be making for the week and go through your pantry and refrigerator to see what you will need. Add those items to your grocery list and stick to your plan. But another crucial aspect of this is to look at what is going on sale at your local supermarket. You don’t want to revolve your meals around expensive ingredients or they will literally eat up your entire budget. By doing this, you’ll avoid buying things you don’t really need or making multiple trips to the store which can be a waste of your time and money.

2.Don’t buy pre-packaged vegetables and salad mixes 
You might think that having a bagged salad ready to go is a great idea, but the reality is that in most cases, it will turn bad faster than you can eat all of it. They are also much more expensive than if you were to just buy a head of lettuce and make your own salad. The same goes for pre-washed and pre-cut bags of fresh vegetables. You are much better off buying them unpackaged. Broccoli costs twice as much cut up in those pre-packaged bags. Buy it intact and you’ll be saving big. The same goes for fruit incidentally. Never buy those packages of sliced fruits. You’ll get fresher fruit at a better value if you cut it up yourself.

 3.Try out your green thumb 
You can save a lot of money growing vegetables and herbs of your own. Not everyone has room for an entire garden, but some things really don’t need much space and they grow quite quickly. Instead of buying a pre-packaged bag of salad, buy the seeds and grow it yourself. Fresh herbs are great for adding flavor to your dishes but they can be really expensive. Some of them can be grown in little pots right in your kitchen. Others can be grown outside. Rosemary is one that can grow outdoors any time of the year. Visit your local gardening department and see how easy it is to grow your own herbs. It’s so much cheaper and nothing is more satisfying than plucking your herbs fresh off the plant and tossing them into your culinary creations!

 4.Bulk up
 Buying in bulk will always save you money if you use things wisely. When it comes to meats, take the time to portion your cuts out and wrap them in butcher paper. Label them and then tuck them into freezer bags. By doing this, you avoid wasting quality food and saving yourself precious time when you need to make a meal. You’ll be able to find things very quickly this way and thaw out only what you’ll need. While buying from the wholesale stores can help you save big on meat, don’t forget to check out the meats at your supermarket for sales and stock up on those too. Big bulk containers of spices like garlic powder are also a great way to save money particularly if you use it in most things you cook. But if you’re going to buy things that you won’t use as often like paprika, remember that spices have a shelf life in your cupboard and they won’t be as flavorful the longer they sit there.

5.Stock up on staple items
 When your local supermarket has a BOGO (buy one, get one) take advantage. Most will also accept coupons on top of that so keep a vigilant eye out for the things you keep in your pantry like olive oil, pasta, and beans for example. These items will keep for a while without spoiling.

6.Keep a stash of frozen vegetables
It’s never a bad idea to keep frozen vegetables on hand. For starters, they are often cheaper than fresh and they are also higher in nutrients thanks to being frozen at the peak of freshness. Avoid those pricey flavored varieties and buy them plain. Vegetables frozen without sauce have no added sodium, unlike canned vegetables. But the frozen vegetables in cheesy, spicy or Asian sauces tend to have a high sodium count so beware. You can make your own fresh and delicious sauces instead or use these frozen vegetables in soups and stews. Another bonus is that no one will be able to tell they were once frozen. 

7.Use the entire whole-roasted chicken
If you want to buy one of those rotisserie chickens from your supermarket, go for it only if you make use of it in its entirety. If you’re just eating it and tossing the bones, you aren’t getting the most for your money. You can pull all the meat off the bones and use it to shred into soups, sandwiches, salads, and other recipes. Then take those bones and boil them up with water, chopped onions, garlic and seasonings. Allow it to simmer for an hour and guess what you’ve got…homemade chicken broth. You can use this to make soups and to work into other recipes plus it will taste better and have much less sodium than the shelf-stable versions. It freezes well too so make sure to portion it out to get the full benefit of it. By doing this, you make the purchase of the rotisserie chicken a very wise investment. Go for dried beans Canned beans are great in a pinch and are an inexpensive way to make your meal heartier. But they also pack a lot of sodium. Dried beans don’t come with all the sodium and are loads cheaper. It takes a little extra prep work to soak them and get them ready but once you do, you can portion them out in containers in your freezer and grab them as needed for your soups, garnish for salads, or to make homemade hummus.

8.Big batches are the way to go
 Whether you have a big family or not, making a big batch of soup, lasagna, or some multi-purpose food like a versatile meat you can use as the base for many different meals will save you lots of money and time in the long run. Plus, everyone has those busy days where everything goes crazy and by the time you get home, there’s no time to make anything good. Instead of blowing your weekly budget on pizza or takeout, you can heat up one of your prepared portions to save the day. Besides, nothing tastes better than a home-cooked meal, even if it was cooked fast
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9.Always sign up for store incentives and memberships
 Every supermarket has some sort of rewards program. Plus there’s literally an app for everything now. Use these tools to help you save money on the things you buy every week and take advantages of special incentives and coupons. For example, Walmart has an app called the Savings Catcher. Scan in your receipt and it will scour the advertisements of all competitors in the area. If it finds a price difference, it gives you the money you would have saved if you’d bought it elsewhere. It might only be a few dollars per receipt but that money adds up, and that’s more money in your pocket!

 10.Go to the supermarket in the evening
 In the evening, you can score some pretty great deals on perishable foods. That rotisserie chicken will be half off in the evening because the store needs to sell it. The same goes for breads, pastries and anything else that they make fresh. The shelf life of those items is extremely limited and even though they were made in-store that morning, your store needs to move them in order to be profitable, even if it means selling it at half the price. Even on sale though, it’s a waste of money if you don’t use what you buy. Make sure you store your discounted breads in the refrigerator or freezer so that they don’t go to waste.

11.Buy the store brands instead of national brands 
You can save gobs of money just by purchasing your store’s generic brands. When you buy the big name brands, you are often paying for the label and the identity associated with that name. The big name brand of rice is a good dollar more than the store’s generic brand and there is no difference in taste. Try the store brands and you’ll see it’s the same ingredients and that they are most often produced in the same factories as those big name brands.

12.Reuse as much of your leftovers and scraps as possible 
Remember that extra bread you got on sale? You can use it to make bread crumbs or a side of stuffing for your chicken dinner. Crumbs at the bottom of your bag of chips can be saved for making breading on fried foods too. And it doesn’t stop there. Think about all the bits of vegetables you wind up with leftover like the ends of carrots or celery. Save these to toss in with those chicken bones from your rotisserie chicken to make that chicken stock. Get creative with those leftovers too. You can turn leftover mashed potatoes into potato pancakes or stuff them into wonton wrappers for a quick perogie. When it comes to cooking, you’re only limited by your own imagination and budget if you allow it. Some of the best meals you will make will be from the most simple and wholesome ingredients that will literally cost you only a few dollars to feed your whole family per meal. Start off making one or two changes in your supermarket shopping and cooking habits and then gradually add more. As time goes on, you’ll be an expert chef as well as an expert on savings.

Banana and Raisin Tea Cake

(Prep Time: 15 min | Cooking Time: 45 min | Servings 4) 

This is a delicious sweet bread that can also be called a tea cake. Spread it with a little butter and all fruit jam.

 Ingredients:

3ounces butter, melted 

8 ounces whole wheat flour 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

3 ounces brown sugar 

3 very ripe bananas, mashed 

3 ounces raisins 

2 eggs lightly beaten 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda Dash of salt 

Directions: 

1. Lightly grease a loaf pan and set aside.
2.  Melt the butter and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda in a large bowl.
3.  In a separate bowl mix the eggs, butter and brown sugar. 
4. Add butter mixture to flour mixture.
5.  Then stir in the raisins and mashed banana. 
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
7.  Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.

Simple Dessert-Making Tricks to Master

While cooking leaves a lot of room for improvisation, when it comes to baking it’s all about science. But you don’t need to frantically dig through your closets for your old class notes. You can still become a dessert-making master with a few simple tricks that will make whipping up your next dessert a breeze. 

1. Egg temperature matters

 When it comes to cakes and brownies, some recipes will tell you to let the eggs sit at room temperature. Others won’t. Is there a difference? Yes, and the difference is that your baked goods will come out much better if you allow your eggs to come to room temperature. Let them sit out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you plan to bake. 

2. Get perfect brownies every time

 Even if you grease your pan well, it’s beyond frustrating to attempt to take brownies out of your bake ware only to have them fall apart. Save yourself the trouble by using parchment paper. Once they finish baking, you can just lift it right out of the pan for flawless brownie perfection. 

3. Make flawless cake cuts

 If you’ve ever tried making a layer cake, chances are you’ve wound up with wonky layers thanks to uneven cutting. When cuts really matter, make it simple by using unflavored wax dental floss. It works like a charm, even for cutting even slices when you’re serving your guests. 

4. Use marshmallows to frost cupcakes

 Anyone who has ever tried to do too much knows the horrible feeling that occurs when you pop cupcakes in the oven and realize you have no frosting. An easy way to solve that problem is to use marshmallows instead. Just add a large marshmallow to the top of each cupcakes 5 minutes before they need to come out of the oven. You’ll need to keep watch on them though so look for them to get gooey and a little golden on top, then press them down with the flat side of a spoon and spread evenly. 

5. Stave off staleness with a slice of bread 

Perhaps the greatest thing since sliced bread is what you can actually do with sliced bread, aside from buttering it up and eating it of course. Fresh slices of bread are your hero when it comes to desserts. For cakes, pin slices of bread to the cut portions that are exposed with no frosting by using toothpicks. This will keep the cake moist on the inside. You can also revive cookies that have gone stale by sticking them in a plastic bag with a slice of bread. 

6. Make fast and healthy frozen yogurt pops

 For when you need dessert but want to stay healthy, a great treat for the whole family is to take Popsicle sticks and insert them through the top film of your yogurt cups. Freeze them and voila! You’ll have frozen yogurt on a stick! 

For a sweet finish every time, try these dessert making tricks the next time you need to make something sweet.