Chef Foundation

Archive for August, 2010

If you are trying to lose weight in a hurry, you may have heard of the Dukan Diet. If you want some Dukan Diet recipe ideas and tips, check out this article.

First, a little bit of information about the Dukan Method will be helpful. The Dukan Diet is a four-phase approach to help you lose weight rapidly and more importantly, to keep the weight off that you lost.  The four stages or phases are the attack phase which is the most intense and restrictive, then the cruise phase, the consolidation phase where you begin to eat more normally and add in all of the foods you love and finally the stabilization phase which is your plan for life.

The Dukan Diet at first appears similar to the Atkin’s diet as it is very protein heavy initially. However, it is different and the whole diet is structured differently so that you have a feasible plan to maintain unlike the Atkin’s where often it seems people drop a lot of weight and the minute they start eating anything with a carbohydrate again, they gain weight.

There are many elements to the diet but one of the great things about it is that Dr. Dukan, the creator feels that dieters can and should eat real food. Instead of powder drinks and bars, he introduces creative recipes that are full of flavor but good for you. Here are a few things to be aware of in with your Dukan Diet Recipe ideas:

Stay away from Salt

Although it isn’t completely forbidden, Dr. Dukan advises you to limit your salt intake and encourages using tons of fresh herbs instead of salt. Use it very sparingly for best results in your recipes, especially during the attack phase.

Use a Bit of French Mustard

You can use a small amount of low-carb, French style mustard for great added flavor to your recipes

Use Lemon but no Lemonade

You can use a squeeze of fresh lemon to flavor your food – try Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken breast or season sashimi with a squirt of lemon. Do not however, make lemonade or drink lemon juice during the first three phases of the diet, even if you are using no-carb sweeteners.

Tons of Spices

On of the best things you can do on the Dukan Diet and when creating Dukan Diet recipe ideas is to really get creative with fresh herbs and spices. Spicy, flavorful food is key to sticking with the diet and feeling satisfied so really utilize tons of spices and experiment with new spices you may not have tried. One great use of spices and herbs is a recipe Dr. Dukan created – Curried Shrimp with Basil. Yum!

Water is Essential – Keep Hydrated

To make the recipes and food portion of the diet work best for you, drink adequate water throughout the day. You must stay hydrated.

Use Eggs for Dessert

A few great Dukan Diet recipe ideas come from Pierre Dukan himself – he incorporates egg whites or eggs and no-carb sweeteners to make a few great treats like his floating island. You can also whip up a shake with stevia or splenda and pasteurized liquid egg whites and ice for a delicious faux Dukan milkshake that is low in calories and high in protein.

Appetizer recipes are guidelines or formulas that are used in making starter course dishes. These come in a variety, from simple food recipes to elegant hors d’oeuvres. They are an important part of any meal as they help built your appetite while the main course is yet to be served.

There are different categories of appetizer recipes. There are cheese recipes such as beer cheese, brie, Gougere and pimento cheese. The cold recipes include antipasto, finger sandwiches, tapas, pinwheels, roll ups and many others. The dip and spread recipes include the Seven Layer Dip, Artichoke Crab dip, Baba Ghanouj and Black Bean Dip. For the non-vegetarian category there are chicken wings, buffalo wings, oriental wings, honey chicken wings and many others.

Pickle and relish category include chow chow, corn relish, freezer pickles, fried pickles and many others. Many kinds of fresh vegetables are used in preparing these starter courses. These vegetables give a spicy taste to the pickles. Bacon, asparagus, artichoke, and meatball appetizers are in the category of the hot appetizer recipes.

For those who love to eat before the meal, there is salsa, seafood, nut and snack appetizer recipes. There are many books, magazines and cookery web sites from which you can obtain these guidelines for cooking starter courses. You are sure to find one that will satisfy your needs. You therefore have all the reasons to have a perfect and appetizing recipe for you and your guests. Any meal planned using these recipes is bound to be a successful one.

Putting this recipe together for Parmesan Cheese Crisps made my mouth water just writing the ingredients down! This is one of my favorite easy appetizer recipes because of it’s crispy lightness and they way they melt in your mouth.

And with the holidays here, if you are anything like me, I am always looking for something new to serve as a starter. This little gem fits the bill perfectly. It goes with almost any kind of food where you don’t want the appetizers to outshine the main course. Not that I’m suggesting it’s not a memorable nibble!

I like this recipe because with all the eating we do during the holiday season, this appetizer is light, not too filling and you can serve it with or without a dip they’re that good! Very versatile and a real party pleaser.

What you’ll need:

- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

- 3/4 teaspoon ground tumeric

- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1/4 teaspoon paprika

- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

- 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)

- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated)

- salt

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Then, in a small bowl, combine the butter and the spices. Brush the top of each tortilla with the butter mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and salt.

Next, cut the tortillas into wedges. Place the wedges on a baking sheet and back until crisp (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Once, crisped, take them out of the oven and transfer the chips onto a wire rack to cool. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving or storing. How easy is that?

This easy appetizer recipe makes about 8 dozen chips.

The humble but delicious pizza pie recipe began as a means of checking an oven long ago to make sure that it was hot enough to cook the foods that were being prepared. Most often, the dough that was cooked this way was a peasants meal and most likely they were thrilled to have something good to eat at that time. They may have eaten it plain or with some type of meager topping. However, as time passed the many different tastes and themes have evolved into the types of delicious dishes we love to eat today.

For centuries, the pizza pie has been popular in many different regions. The ingredients may vary from one area to another as well as from one family to another. They are made of so many different types of ingredients depending on the taste preferences of those eating it as well as the types of ingredients that are available to any specific region or family.

Enjoying a Dessert Pizza Recipe Anytime

Do you realize that people all over the world are eating pizza as they please? Some eat it as a breakfast meal, others like it for lunch and many families share one or two at the dinner table each evening. Some people even enjoy eating different flavors on it as a dessert. These types of recipes are not limited to tangy and savory dishes; you can make them smooth and sweet in taste and appearance as well. They are great holiday treats as well as something the younger crowd will enjoy during parties and sleepovers. The best thing about them is they are so easy to make that even the kids can get in on making their own favorite dessert.

Adapting Dessert Pizzas is Easy

When you find the dough recipe you like for dessert you can begin adapting such a recipe by including the types of fruits and sweets that you might enjoy eating for any special occasion or as an everyday treat.

Recipe for Fruit Dessert Pizza

What You Need

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough 18 ounce 1 small container thawed whipped topping 8 ounce ½ cup sliced strawberries ½ cup sliced bananas ½ cup sliced seedless grapes ½ cup drained crushed pineapples

How to Make It

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Press the thawed sugar cookie dough evenly on to a 12 inch cookie sheet or pizza pan.

Place in oven and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown in color. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Using a spatula spread the container of whipped topping over the cool pizza crust evenly. Then you will arrange the various fruits in a festive pattern and place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.

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Grandson’s Favorite Cake
Before my oldest grandson was three, he decided the best cake in the world was carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting. Each grandchild gets to choose what cake is baked or purchased for their birthdays. We all know when my grandson’s birthday comes along, the recipe below will be on the menu!

Carrot cake is not only delicious, it provides fiber and protein, as well as vegetables and fruit to picky eaters. Even children who do not like vegetables will eat this cake. I hope you enjoy this homemade cake as much as we all do.

My Grandson’s Favorite Cake!

2 cups sugar
1

One of the best ways to set the mood for a great dinner or cocktail party is by treating your guests to the perfect beginning; a warm welcome followed by an aperitif and great cocktail fare. A little preparty preparation and careful planning these Crab Cake Appetizers are guaranteed to be a hit. If you are having a sit down dinner, make the Asian Crab Cakes larger, serving them on mixed greens with the mayonnaise on the side as a salad/appetizer.

Asian Style Miniature Crab Cake Appetizer

1 lb lump crab meat

2 lg eggs beaten

3 Tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

dash cayenne pepper

fresh ground pepper to taste

3 Tbs. minced scallions

1/4 cup minced onions

1/4 cup minced parsley

1/3 cup Hellman mayonnaise

1/2 to 1 cup Panko crumbs

Whisk the eggs in a lg bowl with the cream, mustard, cayenne and pepper to taste until mixture is well blended. Add the scallions, onions, parsley and mayonnaise. Gently fold in the crab meat and breadcrumbs taking care not to break up the lumps to much. Using your hands, divide the crab meat into miniature cakes shaping them gently into rounds, rolling in Panko breadcrumbs to coat lightly. Chill covered in plastic wrap for 1 hour. Heat a few Tbsp butter and oil in heavy skillet saute 2-3 minutes each side till golden brown and cooked through. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven. You make make ahead and reheat in a 300 degree oven.

Serve with Citrus Wasabi Mayonnaise.

CITRUS WASABI MAYONNAISE

1 cup homemade or good quality mayonnaise

1 1/2- tbsp. Wasabi powder or more to taste

2 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 tsp. fresh grated orange rind

Mix ingredients together, chill then serve on side or put a dollop of top of crab cake for a great presentation, with a small curled scallion piece on top of mayonnaise for an extra touch.

Panko Bread Crumbs are the key to giving these Crab Cakes an Asian Flare, you can find them at specialty stores or by mail order.

Serve these on a simple platter decorated with an orchid blossom, for a spectacular presentation.

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