Hands up everyone who made a New Year's resolution to lose a few Christmas kilos or adopt healthier eating habits this year? Great. Now, wouldn't you like to be able to achieve it without using the "d" word? Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring eating and it doesn't have to mean "dieting".
The first step in your healthy eating plan should be to look at how you are preparing your meals. Frying everything in inch-deep oil is obviously a big no-no, as is cooking with cream and butter. It's a shame, I know, but don't worry - there are plenty of healthy cooking methods that will still have you salivating.
Stir-frying is a healthy option that also tastes great. You can use fresh herbs like basil and coriander and sauces like soy, oyster and sweet chilli to add flavour without adding too many calories. This is a quick and easy way to prepare food, too, so it's perfect for weeknight meals. In terms of equipment, all you need is a good non-stick wok and a tool to toss the food around for even cooking. Serve with rice or, for an even easier option, you can add noodles straight to the work.
Most woks come with a steaming rack, so why not use it? Steaming is one of the healthiest cooking options around. Fish fillets scattered with fresh herbs and wrapped in banana leaves make an impressive dinner party dish for your health-conscious friends (and even for those who aren't watching their waistlines). Or try a whole steamed fish for maximum impact.
Grilling is another tasty yet healthy way to cook. A non-stick grill pan with a drainage channel around the perimeter will make attractive grill marks on your food while allowing excess fat to drain away. It's a great way to cook steaks, chicken breast, fish and kebabs. Just apply a little olive oil spray to the food to prevent it drying out.
Got a sweet craving? At this time of year there is an abundance of delicious fruit available that should keep you satisfied, including mangoes, peaches, plums and nectarines. It's fantastic straight from the fruit bowl or chopped up in a fruit salad, but for an occasional treat, serve with a scoop of low-fat ice-cream.
It's also worth looking at your existing cookware. Do your pans have an effective non-stick coating? If so, you will need only a small amount of oil to add flavour and moisture to your food, resulting in much healthier cooking. If the non-stick coating is non-existent or has lost its effectiveness, chances are you are adding too much oil to your food. It may be time to invest in some good-quality non-stick cookware. While it may cost a little more than the cookware you can pick up at the supermarket, think of it as an investment in your health.
4.3.08
Healthy Cooking Means you can Ditch the Diet
Dice an Onion like a Professional
Have you ever wondered how chefs manage to chop their onions into neat little dice without accidentally adding julienned finger to the menu? It's actually quite simple once you know the trick.
Before you get started, here are a few helpful hints that will make the whole process easier. Firstly, it's very important to use a sharp knife when dicing fruit and vegetables, as a dull knife can slip off the surface of the food and you may cut yourself. Use a chopping knife or cook's knife rather than a serrated knife for cleaner cuts. To ensure your chopping board doesn't slide across the bench while you chop, place a damp tea towel underneath.
Now you're ready to go. Just follow these three easy steps for a perfectly diced onion every time.
1. First, cut the onion in half from top to bottom. Peel and discard the skin. Take one half and lay it flat-side down. Make three horizontal cuts (holding the knife parallel to the chopping board), being careful not to slice all the way through. This will prevent the onion falling apart while you chop.
2. Turn the onion towards you and make six vertical cuts down through the onion. Again, take care not to cut all the way through the end of the onion. The closer the vertical cuts, the finer your dice will be. While chopping, make sure you tuck your fingertips away from the knife blade.
3. Hold the onion together with your fingers, tucking them away from the blade. Begin with the tip of the knife on the chopping board and slice straight down to form your dice. Continue across the rest of the onion. This technique will produce an even dice.
To get the best from your knives and ensure you can keep dicing onions like a pro, try to keep them in pristine condition. It is important to keep them sharp by running them through your knife sharpener before you begin preparing your food. You should avoid putting your knives in the dishwasher, as the harsh chemicals in the dishwashing detergent can blunt the blade or even pit the edge. Instead, wash your knives in hot soapy water and dry immediately with a soft cloth.
Finally, you should store knives in their protective sleeve, in a knife block, or on a magnetic rack - your knives will thank you for your care, and so will your grandchildren.
Buying gift baskets within budget
Gift baskets are designed exquisitely to attract the eye and are filled up with various contents which may vary from assorted chocolates to floral designs and other items.
It is interesting to note that with the growing trend of gifting gift baskets and their immense popularity have actually facilitated the growth of various firms which are dedicated to the creation and manufacture of these gift baskets. Not only are these baskets exquisitely designed, they are filled up with alluring contents. One of the greatest advantages of these gift baskets are the fact that they are at present designed for different occasions and purposes. Therefore the consumers have ready made goods ready in their hand and this has also greatly encouraged the formation of various firms dedicated to the creation of gift baskets. For the firms also, the creation of gift baskets is a profitable venture and ensures great sales as well. Therefore, since there are so many firms operating in the market in the field of gift basket creation, the consumer has a variety of choices available to ensure that they are able to invest within budget. Usually the price of gift baskets begins from $50 or below and is available at expensive prices also.
It is advisable that one conducts a through shopping enquiry and visits various stores before actually deciding on which baskets to buy. This will enable one to also consider the various lucrative discount offers on gift baskets. In fact there are several websites in the internet which also provide gift baskets for various occasions and offer great discounts on them. In such cases, it is necessary to point out that these gift baskets bought from online portals require extra shipping charges and in such cases while the price of the gift basket may be affordable, the shipping charges make it go beyond one's budget. Therefore, in such cases, one must be instrumental in making sure that there are cheaper arrangements made for shipping prior to the buying of the gift basket. Moreover, in many cases it has also been noticed that one can exchange the expensive items incorporated in a gift basket with cheaper alternatives thus reducing the price. These facilities are offered by certain selected manufacturers. However, it is also not a bad option to try making a gift basket by one's own effort and filling it up with one's choicest goodies and in such cases the personal touch makes it an even more memorable gift.
Wedding gift baskets
Gift baskets are one of the prevalent ways of presenting someone with a memento to be preserved for times to come. In recent times the act of gifting gift baskets has emerged as a common phenomenon and therefore there are numerous firms engaged in the creation of these intricately designed gift baskets. Available for a variety of occasions, these gift baskets are also cheaper and therefore one can invest on them depending upon one's budget. Usually the gift baskets are available within a price range of $50 to $250 or $300 and are the most popular form of gifting in western countries.
Weddings are the occasions of celebration and one of the most important social phenomena. This is an occasion that binds the newly weds in a bond of together ness forever and it is an occasion of revelry and merrymaking. In western cultures gift baskets have been considered to be appropriate for gifting one's loved ones and nowadays there are various gift basket manufacturers who design gift baskets especially for this occasion. It is significant to bear in mind that these gift baskets need to be symbolic of the spirit of togetherness that wedding binds them into. Moreover, the contents in a wedding gift basket may be arranged according to the personal likes and dislikes of the couple or their personality as perceived by the presenter. Wedding gift baskets are available in a variety of prices form about $50 to around $300 depending upon the worth of its content.
Most wedding gift baskets are comprised of champagne or superior quality wine as in the west wines or champagnes are toasted after the wedding is over to celebrate the union of the newlyweds. Chocolates are equally popular as ingredients in a wedding gift basket and so are cheese items and crackers. Confectionary items are quite popular as contents in wedding gift baskets. Spa gift baskets are also considered as quite appropriate for gifting in weddings. These usually contain candles, lotions, slippers and amorous contents which are symbolic of the beginning of their blissful wedded life. Such gift baskets are usually available between $100 to $150. Music CDs and photo frames are often included in these wedding gift baskets meant to provide an ambience for the newly wed and the frame is symbolic of storing their wonderful memories in the wedding and on their honeymoon as well. Such memories can be preserved for several years to come.
Gift baskets for various occasions
Gift baskets are very common in western cultures as a mode of presentation in various occasions and are preferred by consumers because of their elegance and superb designs. In the recent times, gift baskets have emerged as one of the most prominent and prevalent means of offering a present and with the passage of time the use of gift baskets have become extremely popular as they are not only available in a wide variety of prices but at the same time they are exquisitely designed and therefore facilitate the forging of individual relationships. The wide popularity in the use of gift baskets have prompted various organizations to invest on the creation of gift baskets, especially in the west as these ensures profitable ventures. Today, there are innumerable manufacturers of gift baskets and increased competition in the market has also ensured supreme quality items being made available for the consumers.
Gift baskets are available for a variety of occasions. In fact gift baskets have replaced birthday gifts of any other kind and the birthday gift baskets are filled with a variety of assorted chocolates, cookies and other confectionary items specially designed for this purpose. Gift baskets are also designed for other occasions like weddings and wedding anniversaries and these contain items which celebrate the couple's togetherness and therefore most of the items should reflect a touch of romance like candles, chocolates, wines etc. More often gift baskets are commonly gifted to youngsters who may have got a new job or recently graduated and such gift baskets are filled with flowers, beverages like tea and coffee and fruits etc. The most important ingredients for a get well gift basket include flowers and these flowers are symbolic of good health that may prevail soon on the one who is being gifted the basket. Housewarming gift baskets may consist of flowers or even seeds for planting in the garden. Gift baskets are available for every occasion and the birth of a new baby may also be celebrated by gifting a gift basket. Gift baskets for babies contain sweet stuffed toys and various items that are of use to the baby like baby oil, baby soaps, baby towels etc. In this case however one must be aware of the hygiene as these items are meant for being used by the child. Gift baskets are suitable to be gifted in any occasion and these are wonderful options to strengthen personal relationships.