Hearty Orange Squash Soup

We came up with this dish when the parental units brought home enough squash and pumpkin to feed Iceland. They were EVERYWHERE in the garage, something had to be done! It's a warm, fantastic winter soup. I also tried to stick with similar colored vegetables/spices, to keep the squash's bright orange color.

Summer squashes are some of the most versatile vegetables, and they last forever. We keep ours in a colder place in the basement, and grab one whenever we want an easy meal.

Squashes come in an abundance of variations, including butternut, acorn, spaghetti, banana, and turban. The difference between a summer and winter squash are the season they are grown in. Summer squashes are actually the ones served during the winter, since they are grown in the summer months.

They aren't limited to blending either. Squash make a fantastic side dish by simply cubing them and baking with salt and butter. Or, if you're a little more motivated, you can grate one up and make a breakfast hash instead of using potatoes. Do you love pumpkin pie? Think about trading pumpkin for decadent butternut squash! The best part about doing so is you add minimal time to your recipe, but eliminate the canned pumpkin!

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash (3 cups, give or take a little)
1 or 2 large orange or red bell peppers
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup red wine
1 cup light cream or 2% milk
½ tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper to garnish

Directions

Using a sharp knife, take the skin off the butternut squash. You might be able to get away with using a vegetable peeler, but I'm not coordinated enough for that! Cut it into cubes. They don't have to be perfect, they're going to be blended up anyway. Chop the bell pepper into strips and get as many seeds out as you can. If you'd like your soup to have a more red color, add more red peppers instead of orange.

Now, add everything into the crockpot (including the turmeric and paprika). Make sure you mix it so the cream and wine are swirled together. Turn it on high for about four hours. When you can stab a fork through a squash chunk, it's done. Let the soup cool.

When you're blending the mixture, you might have to do it in separate batches. We had to do it twice. Be very careful when blending it, if it's very hot and there's no release for the air, it can burn you quite badly. If it's still hot when you blend, make sure you have a little opening on the lid!

Garnish with a little paprika, salt, and pepper! Enjoy!

Marjorie Gelso is a co-author of http://www.engineered-fitness.blogspot.com/. She is a fitness coach and new recipe connoisseur. Their main goals are teaching portion control, fitness, and that yummy food can also be healthy!

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out the other many recipes at her blog!

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Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe

A diagnosis of gluten intolerance or celiac sprue will turn your culinary world upside-down. That's what happened to me two years ago. Much experimentation in the kitchen followed. I have since come up with many great gluten-free recipes that go far beyond simply swapping out wheat-based flours for gluten-free ones.

First, choosing a flour base with a good texture is important. Second, these flours don't have the same flavor as wheat-based flours. Neutral flavored flours allow you to add ingredients to cover the lack of flavor. One of my favorites is yeast extract.There are many flavors inherent in a traditional bread or crust. A lot of these actually come from the yeast used in leavening. You will get some of this from the yeast used in a normal recipe. You can also trick your taste buds into thinking it is a "normal" crust by adding more yeast flavor by means of an extract.

Adding an acid will make the flavor seem more balanced and less flat. One of my favorites to use is apple cider vinegar. I also like to add herbs and spices; I choose garlic, onion and basil for this recipe since they all go well with pizza.

Ingredients:

1 packet or 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

small pinch of sugar (or a teaspoon of honey)

1 cup of warm (not hot) water

1 teaspoon of gluten-free yeast extract

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 to 3 cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (also add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum if it is not included in the mix you use)

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of granulated dried garlic

1 teaspoon of granulated dried onion

1 teaspoon of dried basil

Directions:

Combine the water, yeast, sugar (or honey), and yeast extract in a measuring cup. Set aside to allow the yeast to bloom.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the gluten-free all-purpose flour, salt, garlic, onion and basil in the work bowl of your favorite food processor fitted with the dough blade. Pulse to combine and aerate the ingredients.

Add the apple cider vinegar and olive oil to the liquid mixture. Whisk to combine. Add the liquid mixture to the food processor. Process for three minutes to both mix and knead the dough.

The dough will be wetter and stickier than a standard wheat-based dough. Using a wetter dough will avoid the dryness found in many gluten-free baked goods. Use a spatula to remove the dough. Move it to a lightly floured surface and dust with flour as needed. Quickly form it into a ball, using as little flour as possible to accomplish this. You want to keep the dough as wet as possible. Move to a warm (but not hot) location and cover with a large bowl. Leave it until it has doubled in size. That should take about 2 hours; the exact time will depend upon the warmth and humidity in the room.

Flatten the dough with your hands, using flour if needed to avoid sticking. Use a rolling-pin to shape it to 14 inches round. Place on a parchment lined pan. Top with your favorite sauces and toppings. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree F oven for 12 to 18 minutes.

Which gluten-free all-purpose flour to use?

There are many options out there. My absolute favorite is Cup 4 Cup. It has a very neutral flavor and a texture that is very close (but not identical) to traditional wheat-based flours. It contains milk powder which really adds a lot of softness and a texture not normally found in gluten-free flours. The biggest problem with this is that many people with celiac sprue are also lactose intolerant.There are lactose-free options out there that avoid this, although the end product ends up a little bit less like a traditional pizza crust. Click here for a guide to choosing the best gluten-free flour for your needs.

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Crab Cake Recipes

Sea food is great, apart from the fact that it can be prepared in a variety of ways, it's a great sources of vitamins and is relatively simple to prepare. Crab cake is a type of fish cake, made up of crab, meat, seasoning and other ingredient. It's popular in the United States and mainly associated with Baltimore, Maryland. Here are some recipes for crab cakes:

Maryland Crab Cakes

• 1 Pound of Crab Meat
• 2 slices of white bread, crusts trimmed
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon-Style prepared mustard
• 1 Teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Table spoon of Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter.

Directions for preparation: Examine the crab meat for any pieces of shell. Pick and remove them all. Break bread into small pieces and place in a medium size bowl with crab meat. Add eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire Sauce, old bay seasoning. Mix the ingredient manually to avoid over working the crab meat, there is need to preserve the lumps of meat as much as possible.

Form them into patties, about 6 large cakes. Heat about 4 table spoons of butter in a skillet and fry cakes for about 4 minutes till both sides are brown.

Ginger Crab Cakes

• 14 ounces of crab meat
• ½ cup of light mayonnaise
• ¼ cup of minced green onions
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 2 table spoons of minced fresh ginger root
• ¼ teaspoon of hot pepper sauce
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup of dry bread crumbs
• ¼ cup of vegetable

Directions for preparation: Mix crab meat, mayonnaise, green onions, lime juice, cilantro, ginger, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Shape them into 12 patties.

Beat eggs in a shallow light dish, place bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Dip patties into the egg and press bread crumbs to coat them all over.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 table spoons oil over medium heat, add the remaining oil as needed and cook for about 3 minutes as required on each side until it turns golden.

The preparation time for this recipe is about 22 minutes, it takes about 12 minutes for preparation and 10 minutes to cook.

You can give your family and friends an unforgettable treat with these crab cake recipes. They can be eaten as light snacks or served as compliments to a main meal.

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How To Make Pot Roast

Remember that time needed when preparing this dish is not included in this cooking.

What are the things that you need?

· large skillet and a crockpot

· 1 tbsp of oil

· salt, pepper, flour

· pot roast

· 1/2 c of water or a beef broth

How do you make it?

1. Heat tablespoon of oil on a skillet over a medium heat

2. Season about 3 to 4 pound of roast with pepper and salt then dust them with flour. You have to choose a good bottom round or chuck roast.

3. You need to brown meat in hot oil on all the sides. Remove to the plate and add cup of beef broth or water to the skillet. You must also stir to loosen up the browned bits before removing it from heat. This will enable it have a good taste and soft when eating.

4. Halve before slicing two large onions. You should ensure that you place them in the bottom of 3 1/2-quart (or even larger) crockpot.

5. Cut about 4 to 5 medium potatoes to about 1-inch pieces before adding them to the onions.

6. Cut about 2 to 3 carrots to 1/2-inch-thick rounds before adding them to vegetables into a crockpot.

7. Place the browned roast on your vegetables. This should give them the needed taste at the same time making them happy.

8. Pour the skillet juices over roast and vegetables to give them a brown look.

9. Season it with a little more pepper and salt before adding 1 bay leaf.

10. Cover before cooking it on a LOW setting for about 7 to 9 hours, or on a HIGH setting for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

11. Remove the vegetables and roast to the serving platter. You have to make sure that you keep warm until the time of serving.

Tips to remember when making it:

1. You can use turnip, rutabaga, parsnips, or other root vegetables when making this dish. This will always depend on your preference and taste.

2. Replace broth or half of the water with red wine when adding more flavors.

3. For you to get gravy skim off fat before transferring the juices to saucepan. You need to simmer it until reduced to 1 cup before adding one 1-tablespoon paste that is mixed with water and a tablespoon of flour. You should continue stirring and cooking until thickened.

In conclusion, the above information will give you a guide on how to make pot roast from your home with a piece of your best beef chuck roast.

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How I Lost 19 Plus Pounds - My Journey

Tips to boost your metabolism.

There are a lot of diets out there; all of which promise huge success. They want you to commit to taking supplements and eat special foods they sell. They tell you to exercise 1 hr a day or more. Who has time for that? If I did I wouldn't be looking for a way to lose weight, I would already be in shape. I just want a way to lose weight and eat healthy foods easily found at my local grocery store and fruit stand. There has to be fat burning foods, I know they exist. But where can I find a list of fat burning foods and why aren't all the diet plans talking about them? Many plans make weekly weigh in's part of their plan. I saw my grandmother go through this. These sessions upset her each week. The worst part about this is they share your weight with everyone at the meeting and they berate you in front of everyone when you don't meet their standards. How is that supposed to make you feel re-assured and confident in yourself? I don't want any part of that and I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on fat burning supplements and pre-packaged foods. I don't even know what is in fat burning pills. To me, losing weight is all about making changes, not taking pills that block carbs and fat burning solution> drops you add to food during the day. What happens when I no longer want to be a part of that type of program? Do I gain all my weight back? Will I be able to plan my daily meal by myself, if I don't have someone to share what foods I ate and how much I ate with. I certainly won't have access to all the pills they sell. All I wanted was a simple way to lose weight and speed up my metabolism all while eating healthy fat burning foods. Is that too much to ask? Actually, it isn't.

All I wanted was a simple plan - to lose weight and be healthy. No strings attached. Well, here is what I did. I found a way where I can eat grocery store items, cook home cooked meals, eat out, and not take a bunch of pills. I mean, I wasn't lacking in the vitamin department when I had a physical, so why do I need all those pills. I learned about water and how important it is to my body. Each morning I drink 2 cups on the way to work. This is so easy I don't even think about it anymore. What else am I going to do while traveling around in my car. I also use a straw. I find it easier to drink the water this way and I actually consume more water by using it.

I also found out what foods burn the most fat and when to consume these fat burning foods. Do you believe these exist? Well, they do. And there are plenty of them. If taken at the right times these foods can burn an enormous amount of fat and give you energy. One example is potatoes. I know many people and fat loss critics say to stay away from potatoes. I learned that for moderate to very active people potatoes are actually good. Plus the standard potato can be fixed up in so many ways you can never get tired of them. I like to add chili to mine and make a taco potato. I no longer eat at Taco Bell and other fast food Mexican restaurants but still want to have that type of food sometimes. I just make my own. I make chicken tacos at home. I get the antibiotic and hormone free chicken and cook it in olive oil or on my George Forman Grill. They are the best tacos I have had and I never feel ill after eating them.

I exercise at my level. I found out that exercise can be anything. It can mean a walk around several blocks while getting some fresh air and it can mean doing push ups or jumping jacks with my kids at night. We change it up at my house. There are days when I walk on the treadmill, yes walk - not run, while watching my favorite shows. I tape them and when I am ready to walk I replay them. I get a little exercise in while being entertained. A thirty minute show minus commercials, which I skip, is about 15 minutes. I walk at a slow rate and watch two shows. In this time I can walk a little over one mile. This is a great stress reliever for me too. You don't need a gym membership to exercise. I actually had one, costing me money I could have used for more important things, and I spend one day there. It wasn't conveniently located and the hours did not fit my schedule. Plus it was always freezing in there and they didn't have anything to keep my kids occupied.

I have lost 19 pounds. I would like to lose a little more, maybe another 10 pounds. I don't want to be high school skinny as I hear on commercials. I was way too thin back then. I just want to fit into my clothes that sit unused in my closet. I made a promise to my dad while he was in hospice. He noticed my weight gain even when I couldn't see it. Maybe I just didn't want to see it. I was always so busy moving forward, like we do in this country, that I failed to look back and see what was missing. I forgot that taking care of me is how I will be able to take care of the other people in my life. I was on blood pressure medicine too (2 pills a day) and I wasn't even 40 yet. My doctor put me though a battery of tests to determine what was causing my high blood pressure. When nothing could be found, I was told it must be genetics. This answer did not sit well with me. I decided that if I didn't have high blood pressure when I was 30 why did I have it now when I wasn't even 40. I started asking myself what was different from 30 to now. I also decided to make a change; the change my dad had wanted for me a long time ago. I decided to love me so I could properly love my family. It wasn't instant and there are still days I eat things I shouldn't but I am on the right track.

Visit my page about foods, good one and bad ones and how to lose the weight and get off the meds. http://www.loseweightfatlossfactor.com/

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Meethi Matri (Indian sweet crackers)

Meethi Matries charming are crisp and sweet snack during festivals like Holi and Diwali. You can also serve cookies or cookies as. Fennel and cardamom gives them very beautiful and sweet taste.

make 14

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (Maida flour)

1 tablespoon Sooji (semolina, Rava)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed

2 tablespoons OilApprox.

1/3 cup lukewarm water

Oil to fry

Syrup

Garnish

Cardamom2 TSP crushed 1/2 teaspoon ground pistachio

Method

Mix flour, Sooji, salt, fennel seeds and oil in a bowl type.

Add water as needed soft dough added.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth. Let it rest at least 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 14 equal parts. Roll the dough between your palms to Kugeln.

Rollen the dough balls into 3 inch circles. Pierce each Macdonald 8-10 seats on both sides with a fork. This will prevent that Matri, puff not when frying.

Heat at least 1 inch oil in a skillet over medium heat. The oil purely done to verify that oil is ready a small piece of dough. It should sizzle lightly oil, when the batter to float immediately oil too hot.

FRY a few Macdonald at a time.

Fry the Matries until both sides a light golden brown are. It takes six to eight minutes. If the Matries over high heat are fried, they are not be cooked.Take over from kitchen paper so that it can absorb the additional oil.

Over medium heat and cook bring sugar for syrup in a pot of water.

Cook for you for about 2 minutes until syrup is sticky, candy thermometer it should the Matri, one after the other in the syrup, which will ensure that it is fully coated with syrup.

Placement allow the extra syrup Bach for the Matries on a wire rack or over greased Platte

wet Matries with cardamom and pistachios cut during the Matries with syrup. Matries will dry in an hour.

Matries can be stored in airtight container up to one month.

Enjoy! the delicious Matris.

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Cabbage pickle (bandh Gobhi Achar)

Cabbage Pickle is a spicy condiment with every meal. This is quick and easy to prepare. Traditional Indian meals are not complete without cucumbers / enjoy.

Make 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups cabbage cut (Patta Gobhi, bandh Gobhi)

3 teaspoons mustard seeds coarsely ground, (RAI)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds coarse ground (Saunf)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric (Haldi)

1/2 Teaspoon chili powder adjustment to Key

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon Asafetida (Hing)

1 tablespoon mustard oil (Sarso ka fairy tale) this is my preference, but you can olive oil

Method

Mix all the ingredients together with the cabbage and put in the glass.

Place the glass in the Sun for three or four Stunden.

Gurke can be refrigerated for about two weeks.

Serving suggestions

Cabbage pickle can be used as a side dish.Use the cucumber for sandwiches.

Enjoy..

Carrot Soup with ginger

Is carrot and Ginger Soup delicious easy and super healthy with a further advantage of the tasting? This soup is with carrots, celery, ginger, and seasoned with mild spices. Of course, this soup is nutritious!

For 4 persons

Ingredients:

3 cups carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 Cup celery slices cut into small pieces

1/3 cup ginger peeled and cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons oil1 teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeera)

1/2 tsp Carom seeds (Ajowan)

1/8 teaspoon Asafetida (Hing)

1 Teaspoon salt

2 TL sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, try the heat too, adding the oil a cumin seeds to; If the seed immediately is cracks, the oil is ready.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the cumin seeds, Carom seeds, Asafetida. Add seeds, carrots, celery and Ginger like crack. Sauté about 12 minutes until carrots are very tender.

Puree them in the blender with 2 cup water, at high speed. If necessary purée add water added.

Using the same pan and pour you the soup salt and sugar, bring the soup over medium heat cooking.

Add more water if necessary.

Switch when the soup boils, the heat to low and let it simmer for ten minutes.Serve soup hot, black pepper and lemon juice in the bowl, if you're ready to serve.

Enjoy..

Spinach Potato (Aloo Palak)-pakora

Spinach potato pakoras are great as an appetizer, a tasty compliment to your afternoon tea and a delicious spicy snack at any time. They are fried with spinach, potatoes, mizzen and spices and then until crispy golden.

Serving for 4

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces,

diced (will make 2 cups diced potatoes)

2 cups spinach packed roughly chopped

2 green chilies, finely chopped, adaptation to the1 Cup Besan (gram flour, in Indian shops)

2 tablespoons rice flour1/2 tsp red pepper, adjust taste

2 teaspoon ground coriander (Dhania) 1 teaspoon mango powder (Amchoor, in Indian stores)

1 Teaspoon cumin (Jeera)

2 teaspoons salt¼ teaspoon Asafetida (Hing) about

2 tablespoons water match for Needed

Also need for oil to fry

Method

Combine all dry ingredients, Besan, rice flour, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, mango powder and Asafetida in a bowl type. Mix well.

Potatoes, spinach, and green peppers in a dry mix add, mix well and had water to make a soft and sticky dough.

When you're ready mix pakoras fry the vegetables with dry ingredients, otherwise the spinach and potatoes let the water due to Salz.Erhitzen at least an inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat.

To test, put a drop the dough into the oil.

The dough should come and does not immediately change the color.

Put about a tablespoon keep mixture with your fingers into the oil. The pakoras not over lap.

Fry the pakoras in small series; This takes three to four minutes per batch.

Fry the pakoras, occasionally turn Golden until both sides are.

Repeat this procedure for the remaining Chargen.

Die crispy, delicious pakoras are now ready to be served.

Tips

If the oil is too hot the pakoras are not engraved; If the fat is not hot enough, the pakoras will be greasy.

Enjoy...

Tomato rice (Pulao)

Tomato rice or Pulao has a South Indian flair as Samber powder in this recipe I have used. Samber powder is a spice blend used in many South Indian dishes. It has a spicy and tangy taste. This flavor with tomatoes and rice taste great! This dish will make a nice lunch box food.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

3 chopped tomatoes

1-1/2 of cup chopped tomatoes

3 tablespoon oil

1/4 of Cup

raw peeled peanuts

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 green chopped

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3 TSP Samber chili powder in Indian grocery store

1-1 / 2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup coriander (Hara Dhania) chopped

2 cups water to expose

Method

Soak wash and the rice in about 3 cups of water for at least 15 minutes.

The water drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

If it moderately hot add mustard seeds.

When seeds cracking peanuts and stir fry for one minute until peanuts are slightly golden brown.

Add approximately 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, green chili, turmeric, Sambar powder, salt and coriander, cooking, until the tomatoes are tender. This takes about 2 minutes.

Add rice and 2 cups mixture of water and bring it to boil, the heat to low and cover to reduce the PIN.

Let it boil for about 18-20 minutes.

Water and cooking until the rice is soft, has evaporated.

Stir in the rice, and add the remaining tomatoes, stir, cover the Pan and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve rice, by it, either alone or with yogurt.

Enjoy!