Five Star Indian Recipes

India, the land of Maharajas, a country with great regional diversity. Rich in culture and heritage. Indian recipes reflects the colourful and varied life led by its people. Indian recipes is an exciting and eclectic mix of styles and flavours.

Spices form an integral part of great Indian cuisine and their correct use is the key to successful Indian cooking.

There is no such thing as generic Indian food. India has a wide diversity consisting of 17 major languages and 844 different dialects, 38 states. We have made an attempt to compile the most wanted Delicious Indian recipes. Click here to read More about this e-book.

Super Food Quinoa

Quinoa is a superfood that originated in South America. More recently it has been grown in parts of the United States of America. Regular readers will know of my sorrowful attempt last year to grow my own quinoa. Unabashed I am going to try again this year when the UK weather warms up.

One question that often crops up is about the different types of quinoa. Most people are familiar with the standard cream coloured seed type of quinoa. This is still the most common form of quinoa that is sold in supermarkets here in the UK. There are, however, other varieties available as red quinoa and black quinoa. The health food chain sometimes has the red quinoa variety on sale but very rarely. The red quinoa is slightly crunchier and has a bit more of a bitter flavour. I much prefer it to the cream variety but only have it when I can get hold of it.

The other type of quinoa is black quinoa which I have yet to try. I understand from an American supplier that this type is not grown as much because it is harder to grow commercially. I have also heard that the people who grow black quinoa only sell it locally because it is so good. 

When cooking each of these types of quinoa there is no difference what ever. You still use 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water and bring to the boils. Then just simmer for 12 - 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed into the quinoa seeds. Of course the different colours add a dynamic look to your meals and the red variety of quinoa certainly looks very attractive on the plate.

By-Products Of Quinoa.

You can now get quinoa flour and quinoa flakes which allow you to bake with quinoa much easier. The flour is quite oily and cannot be used as a like for like replacement for wheat flour. I have produced a few recipes in the quinoa cookbook but I am still experimenting with it. Quinoa flakes can be eaten as a porridge or used in cookie recipes. It works very well in this form and my favourite tray bake tastes stunning - though I say so myself.

More recently I have heard of quinoa powder. I still haven't seen this in the UK. There are shops selling quinoa bread which is like rye bread. Quinoa is being used as an ingredient in breakfast cereals and snack bars which must mean that it is finally getting recognized as a great versatile food for all occasions.Click Here

Health Recipes

 Cooking Quinoa Grain can be done in a number of ways. The way you choose will depend on what type of recipe you are going to use it in. The most basic way to prepare it is by boiling it in water. You use one part of quinoa to two parts of water. Rinse the quinoa under a tap to get rid of any coating on the seeds. Clic

Some brands will already be pre washed and not need the rinsing process. If it needs rinsing you will see a light foam appear when you rinse it. You then bring the quinoa to the boil and then simmer it for 10 – 15 minutes. If you want it firm and crunchy then only boil it for ten minutes. If you want it soft and fluffy then cook it for fifteen minutes. After you have done this a few times you will get to know how you like it.

As well as boiling it in plain water you can use vegetable stock or meat stock to boil it in. This will infuse the quinoa with the stock flavour. Some people also add olive oil to the water. You can also add any herb or spice you want to experiment with. What ever you add will add this flavour to the grains you are cooking. This is good when you are using it as a plain meal accompaniment as it gives it a bit of flavour without overpowering it.

You can also cook quinoa in a microwave oven although this is no quicker than the standard method and it does take more watching than boiling. 

If you are making a soup, risotto or a casserole then you do not need to prepare quinoa in this way. You can simply add it to the other ingredients and it will bulk up during the cooking process. You may need to add some more liquid because quinoa absorbs a lot of the moisture in the recipe. It will also slightly thicken the recipes which means you can reduce the amount of cornflower or other thickening agents you might be using. Your meals will feel much more satisfying and filling and you will feel fuller for longer because quinoa is a complex carbohydrate. 

You can add the seeds into cakes, cookies and scone recipes. It has to be prepared using the boiling method described above. You can also make them into a breakfast style porridge and add fruit to give it a more interesting flavour.For more details Click here 

Smoke Meats

Competition BBQ Secrets... Learn how to slow smoke meats like the pro's. Did you know that "competition quality" ribs are better than any rib you can get in a restaurant? No? Then you better read this. Click HERE

Barbecue

Your BBQ Sucks! Learn how slow smoke meats right... mouth watering competition style. Ribs, pork, brisket, and chicken. Instant download eBook and FREE BBQ newsletter. Click HERE

Real Secrets Of Wine

This is a 139 page book, aimed specifically at people who have an interest in wine but have never managed to develop their knowledge beyond ‘inquisitive amateur’. They may well have made several attempts to advance their knowledge in the past but have not found the right product to help them. I faced this same problem and couldn't find a suitable product to help me.

There were numerous, coffee-table tomes waxing lyrical on the topic of wine. However, whilst extremely professionally put together, they shared a common fault – too much information. I wanted an easy read, providing a succinct overview of the whole topic and its component parts.

What I invariably got was the opportunity to achieve a doctorate in the subject, if I could have persevered. Well I couldn't – the mass of information I was required to plough through would invariably sap my enthusiasm and my eyes would start to ‘glaze over’. Only after coming across several other people who had experienced the same problem did I decide to write Secrets of Wine.

Secrets of Wine provides a concise overview covering all aspects of wine, from grape to glass. It summarizes the numerous themes of wine, some of them quite complicated, into ‘easy to read’ and understandable sections. Some of the areas covered include:

• What are the 8 styles of Port and how do they make them?
• What exactly is Sherry and what are the 15 types produced?
• What are Madeira, Marsala and Vin Santo wines?
• How do they make Saké and how many different styles are there?
• Muscadet sur Lees – what exactly does the sur lees mean?
• What are sulfites which are present in wine?
• What is a ‘Blanc de Blancs’ wine and, for that matter, what is a ‘Blanc de Noirs’ wine?
• What is Ice Wine?
• What is a varietal wine?
• Which are the top wine-producing countries; where does China fit?
• What is Prädikatswein (adding sugar to this wine, in Germany, is a criminal offence!)?
• What are the 8 essential components of wine tasting?
• How do I create useful tasting notes?
• What is ‘blind’ tasting and what are ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ tastings?
• What are the basics of pairing food with wine?
• What is a sommelier?
• What’s the difference between ‘Old World’ and ‘New World’ wine?
• What’s the best way to store wine?
• What exactly is ‘corked’ wine?
• Should wine be decanted?
• What is ‘Noble Rot’ and how can wine benefit from its qualities?      

Click here for the Wine making secrets

                            

BBQ Secrets

I just finished a good book on cooking competition quality barbecue entitled "Competition BBQ Secrets". It's one of the few books around that give you ALL the details on how to slow smoke ribs, chicken, butts, and brisket. Important information like times and temperatures are not left to chance. Included also are chapters on fire management, wood selection, rubs, brines, marinades, sauces, turkey, and much more! I highly recommend that you add this book to your barbecue library. Many Grand Champions, Reserve Grand Champions, and Backyard Kings have been created by reading this valuable instruction manual. For all the details, Click Here