Food and Beverage Blog

Spicy food seems to be growing in popularity. Some of the cuisines that are associated with a lot of spice include Mexican, Thai, Szechuan Chinese, and Indian. How you create the spiciness for each of these cuisines will differ slightly due to the ingredients.

Mexican food, for example, is associated with spicy flavors, yet most recipes use milder chilies like jalapenos, serranos, and anchos. The more chilies that are added, the more heat you will feel when you eat the dish. Hot peppers like habaneros will really increase the flames. Try different chilies before you add several to your cooking. Build your spice gradually.

Many Asian recipes rely on chili oil. A few drops can really spice up a recipe. It is often used in soups, salad dressings, stir fries and other recipes. Infused oils like this are great for people who love the heat but cannot tolerate chili flakes or seeds in the actual food. Chili oil also blends into the food well, putting the heat in every bite.

You can use a variety of chilies to build up the spiciness in a dish. Anchos create a lingering heat that builds slowly. Jalapenos jump in with their heat, though chipotle and dried jalapenos will be less potent. Aleppo flakes are perfect for adding heat to Indian dishes. It is similar to the ancho chili, but hotter. It sneaks up on the diner and lingers on the palate. Cayenne fits many different cuisines and can be easily controlled in a dish when using the powdered version.

If you do not want to use chili peppers, ginger can give a nice spice to a dish. Use it in Mexican or Asian dishes to add depth of flavor. Ginger also blends nicely with other ingredients, adding that little “something extra” that we often find lacking in some recipes.

Appetizers before a meal can be quite a good idea, my favorite appetizer has to be soup, and there are so many different varieties of soups that can be made.

Soup may seem a little boring to some people, but with a little creativity there can be some very tasty results, here are a few of my favorite recipes for soup.

First on my list is traditional Butternut squash soups with a twist, instead of just the original Butternut squash soup, why not add an Apple flavor to it, this can give it a nice sweet taste to the soup.

Cream of Broccoli soup is a nice taste, but what if you add a little cheese to the mix, it’s not just a case of adding melted cheese to the soup, how about cheesy croutons, you get the double benefit of the croutons and the melted cheese added to the flavor of the soup.

Potato soup with a difference is nice, the difference is that you could use a potato nugget in your soup to give it a crispy feel, add a little seasoning of your choice to a Golden brown Potato nugget and really taste the difference.

Pumpkins are always a nice touch in soups there are many ways to make Pumpkin soup appetizing, you could try a gazpacho, or maybe bisque, or a more traditional cream of Pumpkin soup with certain twists.

This last one may be a little harder to make, but in the long run this will be just delicious, how about a cream of turkey soup with an addition of Turkey dumplings, this may take you a little bit longer to make than your traditional soup, but if you enjoy Turkey then this is worth the time and effort.

Soup doesn’t have to always be the same old boring taste, try to mix and match for better results, and enjoy your appetizers.

Knowing how to whip up cheap easy appetizers will serve you in good stead especially if guests frequently drop by suddenly. These recipes are not only simple to prepare; they are also tasty.

Avocado Appetizer

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon thyme
2 ripe avocados
1 honeydew melon
3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions

Get a small bowl and combine the following: honey, olive oil, salt, 3 tablespoons vinegar, pepper and thyme. Mix them with a wire whisk. Chop the avocados into small pieces.

Add a tablespoon of vinegar. Utilize a melon baller on the melon. Place the avocado in a bowl. Spray the pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle dressing and serve.

Cheese Tortellini Appetizer

Ingredients

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 cup of carrots, sliced
1 cup creamy Italian salad dressing
26 ounce pack of frozen cheese tortellini
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, grated

1 (12-ounce) block mozzarella cheese (cubed)

Instructions

Cook the tortellini as per package instructions. Drain it. Add the carrots and peppers. Combine it with the salad dressing and mozzarella cheese. Mix and store in the fridge for 24 hours. To serve, put them in glasses. Top with the Parmesan cheese.

Tips: you can add other ingredients to this recipe. You can put in various cheeses (Swiss, Colby and others), meats or different kinds of vegetables. You can also add mushrooms, zucchini, grilled eggplants and tomatoes.

Deviled Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cilantro
8 eggs
2 tablespoons jalapeno pepper
1 green onion chopped
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Instructions

Put the eggs in the saucepan and add coldwater. Boil at high heat. Take off from the heat. Allow it to stand for 15 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Remove the water. Mix the other ingredients in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to flavor it.

Skin the eggs and take out the yolks. Mix the yolks with mayonnaise until it gets smooth. Put this in the egg whites. Top it off with cilantro and chili powder.

Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

1 serrano pepper
1 lime, juiced
1 chopped white onion
4 cloves garlic
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (15 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
2 jalapeno peppers
1/2 bunch cilantro

Instructions

Put the onion in a bowl and put it aside for now. Blend the following in a blender: pepper, tomato sauce, serrano pepper, jalapeno peppers, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Add the cilantro in the blender. Pulse until the cilantro is chopped. Add this tomato mix to the bowl with the onion. Stir, mix then put the bowl in the fridge for an hour.

If you are tired of serving up the same old dishes, these recipes will add a different taste to your meals. Not only are they cheap, but their simplicity means you can make them anytime.

Baking can be fun especially if you know what you are doing and you have all the appropriate ingredients and tools available. Who said baking had to be hard? It can be just a piece of cake! Here are some simple cake recipes to get you started on the route to great baking.

#1 – Rich Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Butter, to grease the cake pans, 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 extra-large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 300° F (150° C).

-Grease 2 (8-inch) circular cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

-Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.

-Combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in another bowl.

-Slowly add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.

-Add the coffee and stir until combined.

-Empty the batter into the cake pans and bakes for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

-Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

-Remove the cakes and put them onto a cooling rack to cool.

#2 – Easy Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Apple sauce, 3/4 cup Water, 1/2 cup Sugar, 2 1/2 cups Mixed dried fruit, 2 Egg whites gently beaten, 1 1/2 cups White flour, 2 teaspoons Baking powder,

Directions:

-  Preheat oven at 300ºF.

- Line a 6-inch circular cake pan using greaseproof paper.

- Put the apple sauce, water, sugar, and dried fruit in a saucepan.

- Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

-  Allow to cool.

- Combine the egg whites into the fruit mixture.

- Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture.

- Mix to make a firm batter. Add water if necessary.

- Pour into the cake pan and sprinkle brown sugar on top.

- Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, when a skewer comes out clean.

Novelty cakes are those that are created and designed in a wide variety of designs. These cakes have become prevalent at events particularly birthday parties. They are available in three types:

1. A simple round cake with objects or pictures on top.

2. Dimensional cakes when the cake is cut into the shape of the object desired.

3. 3-Dimensional where the cake is made in an imitated object that stands upright.

These cakes are costly and difficult to design but not if you buy a novelty cake tin in the object that you desire. Just bake a regular cake mix using the tin. When it is baked the ridges made by the tin will show you where to place certain extras. Frost the cake in your selection of colours and there you have it, your own novelty cake!