How To Make Fantastic Pan Fried Chicken
October 17, 2010 by Christine Szalay-Kudra
Filed under Diet
Southern fried chicken is a classic American dish, offering almost as many ways to cook it, as there are families who eat it. However, no matter which recipes you choose, this guide can help you cook it better. Here are a few tips that will help you steer clear from the most common issues and get a great meal.
Start With Smart Battering
It is a good idea to set up a battering or breading station, depending on how you are making your chicken. The flour coated type is the most common. Set things up going in the most comfortable direction, with seasoned flour, egg/batter, and coating mixtures in baking dishes or shallow bowls. Remember to have a place to put the chicken safely when you are done.
It is a good idea to designate one hand for wet ingredients and another for dry to avoid cross contamination of your dishes. Get started…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..Cooking Perfect Steak
Sirloin steak is a cut that comes from the lower part of beef ribs. It continues from the tenderloin (the place where the most prized steaks come from) and is a high quality cut with a lot of flavor, since these muscles still do a reasonable amount of work. Sirloin has more flavor than a number of other steaks, and is divided into several different subcategories.
Out of these types, the top sirloin is the most prized. You are unlikely to get it unless you specifically look for it, since most sirloin steak is actually bottom sirloin. Less tender and much larger, this is more common and less expensive. The bottom sirloin is connected to the part of the animal called the sirloin tip roast. This is a good roast, but is often somewhat tough, so do not try to eat it as a steak.
Tri-tip steak is a strongly…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..What is in a Typical Mexican Meal?
Mexico offers a unique cuisine that is delicious and healthy. Ancestral home to the Mayan, Aztec and Zapotec civilizations, Mexico has a long history in cultivating food. Native staples included avocados, sweet potatoes, corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and a variety of squash. For meat, they hunted deer, turkey, quail, and rabbit. Chocolate is a native plant in this area, and was prepared as a beverage for the Aztec royalty.
Once the Spanish arrived, their cuisine was introduced. Bread, cheese, beef, and cream were added to the native foods. They introduced chickens, sheep and pigs, as well as wheat and sugarcane. By the time Spain gave up ruling Mexico, their influence was well blended with the native cuisine.
Corn is a major part of Mexican meals. Cornmeal, known as masa, is made into a dough that can be formed into tortillas, empanadas, or tamales. Corn is also added to soups,…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mexican Dishes
It might surprise you to know that Mexican food is considered to be the most varied in the world after Chinese food. Every region of the country has its own food style and Mexican cuisine in vast. The Mexican food eaten in the Yucatan is especially exciting, since it is a unique mixture of Mexican, Mayan, Caribbean and Lebanese influences.
Not all Mexican foods are spicy but some are and chili peppers are widely used in Mexican dishes. There are many kinds of chili peppers including jalapeo, pasilla, habanero, poblano, serrano and more. Mexicans eat a varied diet of fresh fish, meat, seafood, poultry, grains, fruit, and vegetables. Sauces, stews, and soups are common fare and Mexican cooking methods include slow roasting, deep-frying, and baking.
Mexicans like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and anything older than two days is not considered fresh. Costly pesticides and herbicides are hardly used…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..Using the Crockpot to Make Chicken Noodle Soup
Did you know that your humble crockpot could make a delicious pot of soup? While you are off at work or running errands, your soup will be simmering merrily, creating a delicious concoction of goodness. It does not matter if you are accomplished in the kitchen or if you only cook when absolutely necessary… you can make a wonderful chicken noodle soup in your crockpot that will be a vast improvement over canned soup.
If You Use Only the Freshest Ingredients…
If you prefer only fresh ingredients from the farmer’s market, the crockpot can still serve you well. Take the skin off your chicken before cooking. You can use whatever you have on hand… a whole chicken, parts, or boneless pieces. Place the chicken in the crockpot with enough liquid to cover it. Add a stalk of celery, a whole carrot, half an onion or whatever you want to help…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..Mexican Culture, Holidays, and Food
Mexican culture is very interesting and combines features from the prehispanic past and the Spanish colonial period. Mexicans are justifiably proud of their culture, history, and ethnicity.
Mexican city life is not all that different from life in Europe or in the United States, although some Mexican villages still have more traditional ways. Most Mexicans live in large cities and there are more Spanish speaking people in Mexico than in any other country. The Mexican government recognizes over sixty other languages as indigenous Mexican languages.
Mexico is the second largest catholic country in the world, after Brazil. Spanish colonists introduced Catholicism and ninety five percent of present day, Mexicans are catholic.
Mexican Holidays and Celebrations
Every village, city, and town holds a party to honor their patron saint each year on different dates and Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on September 16. The people will pray and burn candles during the religious…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..Mexican Holidays and Authentic Mexican Holiday Food
Mexican food is an integral part of Mexican holidays and celebrations, adding to the color and vibrancy of the occasion. One holiday that most people have heard of is Day of the Dead, which is when families gather together to remember their loved ones who have died. Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 and 2.
The traditions followed on this holiday include building altars to honor the dead and visiting their graves with gifts of the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks.
Another well-known Mexican holiday is Cinco de Mayo. This is a regional holiday all over Mexico, but especially in the area of Puebla. This holiday celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla, which was fought in 1862.
A lot of people are under the impression than Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day but that is another holiday altogether and it is…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..What Food Do Mexicans Eat on Mexican Holidays
Mexican food is an integral part of Mexican holidays and celebrations, adding to the color and vibrancy of the occasion. One holiday that most people have heard of is Day of the Dead, which is when families gather together to remember their loved ones who have died. Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 and 2.
Day of the Dead traditions include honoring the deceased by building altars and visiting graves with gifts such as the favorite Mexican foods and favorite Mexican drinks of the deceased.
Another well-known Mexican holiday is Cinco de Mayo. This is a regional holiday all over Mexico, but especially in the area of Puebla. This holiday celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla, which was fought in 1862.
Many people assume that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day but this is wrong because their Independence Day is September…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..Authentic Mexican Cooking Utensils and Cookware
Perhaps you have eaten Mexican food in a top quality Mexican restaurant or even in a Mexican home. If you have, maybe some authentic Mexican cookware or utensils were used to make the dishes. Mexicans use a range of different cooking methods, including baking, slow roasting and deep-frying and they have unique pots and pans for these methods. Mexicans like to use plenty of fresh produce in their cuisine, including spices and herbs, so you will find sharp knives and a mortar and pestle in any Mexican kitchen.
Some Common Mexican Cooking Pots
Barros or ollas are large, deep cooking pots made from clay. They are ideal to simmer stew, beans, or soup. Olla means pot and Barro means mud or clay. Clay is good for avoiding burnt spots in the food because it distributes heat evenly. It is also safe to place over a direct flame for hours.
You do…
Read more on quick weight loss diets..The Role of Empanadas in Mexican Food Culture
Empanadas are stuffed pastries and the name literally means, “wrapped in bread.” An empanada is usually made by folding a round dough patty in half over the stuffing, making them semicircular. These tasty little snacks are incredibly popular and they make suitable fare for any meal or occasion.
Empanadas from Galicia to Latin America
The type of empanadas you might find as part of a Mexican typical meal are thought to come from Galicia in Spain. These snacks arrived in Latin America with the Galician colonists. An authentic Galician empanada is a large round or square pie, cut into slices. This makes it a hearty, filling and portable lunch for workers. Portable food variations include Cornish pasties, Indian samosas, Italian calzone, and turnovers of different types. A lot of cultures have their own version of “pocket” dishes or meat pies because they are both hearty and portable.
Chicken, cod or pork…
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