How To Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream In Less Than 15 Minutes

Almost everyone loves ice cream, but what a lot of people don't realize is that it's extremely easy to make. You don't need any fancy equipment to enjoy delicious homemade ice cream. In fact, you don't even need that much time, as the recipe I'm about to share will take less than 15 minutes!

At the end, you'll have a rich, velvety and indulgent vanilla ice cream; the perfect thing to enjoy with a slice of apple pie, or to impress your friends with at the end of a dinner party.

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In order to make ice cream, you usually need to use a machine. If you don't keep the mixture moving while it freezes, ice crystals form inside and give the ice cream a gritty texture when you eat it. You've probably experienced this texture when you've re-frozen a carton of ice cream that has thawed; it's about a million miles away from the smooth texture it should have.

How To Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream In Less Than 15 Minutes

The Secret That Makes This Easy and Quick

The secret to easy ice cream is simply to follow a traditional custard recipe that requires no stirring. To do that, we simply need to use heavy cream in the mixture, and no milk. That way, we can simply throw the mixture in the freezer to set. That means no more stirring, and no more fuss!

For this recipe you'll need just 4 ingredients: 2 cups of heavy cream, 1.75oz of granulated sugar, 2 egg yolks, and 1 vanilla pod.

The Recipe

The first step is to slice the vanilla pod lengthways on a plate, and scrape out the seeds inside with a spoon handle. You'll need to put the seeds to one side on a plate, as we'll need them later.

Next, take the pods and throw them into a pan, along with the cream and sugar.

Place the pan over a medium heat, and sir the mixture while it heats up. Once it reaches the boil, turn down the heat and whisk together the egg yolks in a bowl.

Slowly pour the mixture into to the bowl with the egg yolks, whilst whisking them together. Add the seeds and continue to whisk until the mixture is speckled with vanilla seeds. Fish out the vanilla pods, and transfer the mixture to a freezer proof bowl.

Finally, all you need to do is throw the mixture into the freezer for 2 to 3 hours, and we're done! Delicious homemade vanilla ice cream, with only 15 minutes preparation!

How To Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream In Less Than 15 Minutes

Health Benefits Of Basil

Basil is a popular herb in Italian cooking, particularly in pesto. This fragrant and flavorful herb, a relative of peppermint, is an excellent, nutritious addition to your pasta sauce, soup, or salad.

An array of flavonoids exist in basil, which help to protect cells and chromosomes from damage. Studies have shown that two of these flavonoids in particular, orientin and vicenin, are useful in protecting cell structures and chromosomes from damage by radiation and oxygen.

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Essential oil of basil has been shown to inhibit the growth of several types of bacteria, many of which have become resistant to antibiotics. This essential oil has been found to inhibit growth of the widespread staphylococcus, enterococcus, pseudomonas, and e. coli bacteria, among others. Adding basil to your vinaigrette will both enhance the flavor, and ensure that the fresh salad greens are safe to eat.

Health Benefits Of Basil

Eugenol, which is found in essential oil of basil, provides an anti-inflammatory effect, by blocking an enzyme called cyclooxygenase. Aspirin and Ibuprofen work by blocking this same enzyme. So, basil can have healing benefits, and provide relief from the symptoms of inflammatory problems, like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions.

Basil is also a good source of vitamin A, which helps to prevent damage to the cells by free radicals. Vitamin A also prevents free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol in the blood stream, preventing the cholesterol from building up in the blood vessels.

Magnesium is also present in basil. This essential mineral helps the heart and blood vessels to relax, improving blood flow. Other nutrients found in basil include iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.

The fresh, spicy flavor and scent of basil will wake up any boring salad or soup. Use fresh basil whole, or shredded to add a burst of flavor to your dinner. If you are using fresh basil in a cooked dish, add it towards the end of cooking, so that the volatile oils will not be dissipated by the heat.

Insalata Caprese is a simple salad, utilizing tomatoes, fresh mozzerella cheese, basil, and olive oil.

1/2 pound, fresh mozzerella, sliced 1/4 inch thick.

2 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick.

1 cup fresh basil leaves.

salt and pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.

On a serving plate, arrange the mozzerella and tomato around the edge, alternating mozzerella and tomato slices.

Tear up the basil leaves, and sprinkle them on top of the tomatoes and mozerella cheese.

Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Just before serving, drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the salad.

Serves 4.

Health Benefits Of Basil

Best Chili Recipes - You Can Lose Weight Eating This Low Calorie Chili

In this article we will look at a low calorie, high protein chili recipe that is sure to please you and your family or guests. It is not hard to make a quality dish of chili as many times this dish gets bad press as being fattening and this is just not the case.

I love chili! I can eat it anytime of the year and never be unhappy with it! It is fast, and cheap like some of the girls I dated in college but that is another story entirely! Many people think that chili is fattening because of the carbs associated with it in the form of beans. Let me be the first to tell you that no one person has ever gotten fat from eating beans unless they bury them in fat and grease. Period! Chili, if done properly whether it is beef, chicken, or even pork can be a low fat, high protein shot that tastes great! The secret is to get the flavor you want from the ingredients and not from the fat! Believe me, this is not hard to do. Here is a low fat, high protein chili with all the benefits of helping one to lose weight and stay healthy and not have all the fat that can be associated with day to day chili. This chili recipe will serve 6+/- people. In this recipe I will use beef, but you can substitute whatever kind of meat protein that you wish. Chicken, turkey, pork or even tofu if you want to make this a vegetarian style of chili. There are also tofu products that are textured like tofu sausage that is really excellent for chili recipes. So here we go with the ingredients.

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The ingredients you will need are:

Best Chili Recipes - You Can Lose Weight Eating This Low Calorie Chili

1. 1 1/2-2Lbs of lean ground beef. It should be 10% or less if you can get it.

2. 4 garlic bulbs finely chopped.

3 tablespoons of either California or New Mexico chili powder.

1 dash of cayenne for added heat if you like. The thermogenics and metabolism boost from it is good too!

I tablespoon of cumin.

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.

1 large can of fire roasted tomatoes diced up. These cans are either 26 to 28 oz.

2 15oz can of some kind of red bean either kidney or Louisiana red bean. Pinto beans will do in a pinch though.

1 large onion chopped fine. Either a brown or red onion the choice is yours.

1 1/2 of a cup or more depending on taste of canned diced chilies. The Hatch chili variety is best in my opinion.

3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato paste.

1 or 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

1 one little dash of salt or sea salt or even season salt, or you can leave the salt out for your guests to add themselves. I know salt make you hold water, but is some cases you just have to have some to bring the flavors of your food out.

OK! Lets cook:

1. Get your hands on a large skillet of either the no stick, stainless steel or my favorite a cast iron skillet and take your very lean ground beef and brown it up. When the beef is browned and not burned, it is time for you to drain off the excess fat from the skillet. I usually put the beef in a bowl and then take another bowl and place it on top of the bowl with the beef and squeeze down and tip sideways over the sink and squeeze all that extra fat out of the beef. I leave what little grease is still in the pan and if there is too much I drain it out until only a slick remains.

2. Now it is time for you to put the beef back into your skillet and put the garlic, chili powder, and cumin in for you to mix together on a low medium heat. When the total ingredients in the skillet are hot and simmering as you can tell from the little bubbles on the sides of the skillet it will be time for you to add y our tomatoes, onions, chilies, beans, and tomatoes to the recipes and stir them together and let them blend. It is good to let this mixture cook for 2 to 4 hours on low simmer and you should check it every now and again with your spoon to see if you want to add anything to this recipe. About ten minutes before the dish is done add your Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and salt. Keep on low for another thirty minutes and then turn the heat off and let the flavors marry to each other. When your guests arrive it is chow time!

Best Chili Recipes - You Can Lose Weight Eating This Low Calorie Chili

An Easy, Quick Recipe - Baked Ham Steak With Pineapple

Are you often rushed in the evenings? Finding it hard to get dinner on the table and still have time for the important things in life? A few easy quick recipes, combined with a little planning will make cooking dinner a pleasure again.

Look for recipes that are simple --with minimum preparation, then let your oven or slow cooker do the work. This recipe features an easy preparation, then cooks quickly in only 20 minutes in the oven while you fix a salad and warm some dinner rolls. Baked Ham Steak with Pineapple is an old favorite that can easily and quickly solve tonight's dinner crisis.

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You will find these pre-sliced ham steaks vacuum packed in the meat department of your grocery. Sizes range from 1 to 2 pounds. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 pound, but choose a steak that will serve your family. If it is much smaller, then cook for a little less time. This serves 4 generously.

An Easy, Quick Recipe - Baked Ham Steak With Pineapple

Baked Ham Steak with Pineapple

1 1/2 pound ham steak

1 can pineapple rings

brown sugar

cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Trim off or slice through the fat on the edge of the ham in several places to prevent curling in the pan.

3. Place the ham steak in a shallow ovenproof pan and place the pineapple slices on top. Pour the pineapple juice over all.

4. Place the ham steak in the oven and bake for 20 minutes (uncovered).

5. After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven up to broil.

6. Baste the ham with the pan juices. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the pineapple slices and dust with cinnamon.

7. Return to oven and broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the pineapple is lightly browned. Serve each ham steak with a pineapple slice.

Serve with a tossed salad and dinner rolls for an easy quick dinner recipe solution. I hope that this menu will find its way onto your table soon.

An Easy, Quick Recipe - Baked Ham Steak With Pineapple

Spanish Food - How to Make Spanish Chorizo Sausage

Chorizo is that wonderfully tasty sausage to be found and enjoyed all over Spain. There are many different ones, each Spanish family having its own particular favorite but, basically, they fall into two different types... fresh chorizo, which will need cooking before you eat it, and cured chorizo, which you can slice and consume just as it is.

Chorizo sausages are normally a strong, orangey-red color. This is because of the paprika or pimentón they contain - a main ingredient of chorizo sausages.

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Paprika comes in two different types - "picante" or spicy, and "dulce" or sweet. Depending on the type of paprika used to make the sausage, the resulting chorizo will be either a spicy or sweet variety.

Spanish Food - How to Make Spanish Chorizo Sausage

But, how is chorizo made, and what are its origins?...

How To Make Chorizo

Going back, more Spanish families lived in the country. More-often-than-not, they'd have a little plot of land, where they'd grow their own vegetables, keep some chickens... and fatten a pig.

The beauty of keeping a pig was that it could be cheaply fed from kitchen leftovers and, once killed, nearly every part could be used, with practically no waste. When November arrived, and the pig was nice and fat, the family would gather together - each having their own particular role to play - and kill the pig.

In Spanish, this slaughtering of the pig is known as the "matanza", and is still very much celebrated in Spanish villages to-day, with fun-loving fiestas, free-flowing wine, and much rejoicing.

Why did the "matanza" traditionally take place in November? Well, the weather was cooler then, with less chance of the meat going off. Also, it meant that village people were well-stocked up for the winter. This was particularly important as - even to-day - more-isolated villages in mountainous areas are completely cut off for a spell during winter when heavy snows have fallen.

Going back, each family would kill its own pig. This was no easy task, as getting a big, fat pig settled, ready for the knife, is quite hard work!

The pig was killed by stabbing it in the neck. This also released the blood, which the ladies of the family would catch in a bowl. Care had to be taken to ensure the blood didn't clot, for this was needed for mixing with rice and spices to make "morcilla" or black pudding.

It was also the task of the females to make the chorizo sausages. For this, they would take the pig's intestine, empty it, clean it, and then leave it to soak in salt water, to remove any unpleasant odors.

Once ready, the intestine would be filled with a mixture of finely-chopped pork, paprika, garlic and salt, and the end tied in a knot. Originally, the chopping of the meat and the procedure of squeezing it into the intestine was all done manually. Nowadays, however, there's a machine to help with this.

Once filled and securely tied, the chorizo sausage was ready for hanging. It would be left to cure in a well-ventilated place, probably for at least 3 months.

Nowadays, the pig is killed in the local abattoir, under strict, hygienic conditions. A vet will test the meat and, once it's been approved, the owner of the pig will collect it, take it home, and carry on with preparing it.

And now, for those of you with a pig roaming around in your garden, which you plan to slaughter in November, here's a basic recipe for making your very own, tasty, chorizo sausage!...

Chorizo Recipe

Ingredients:

- 1 kilo pork
- 40 gr paprika - sweet or spicy, according to taste
- 2 cloves garlic - peeled and crushed
- 20 gr salt
- 50 cm pig's intestine
- A little water

Method:

1. Chop up the pork fairly finely.
2. Mix in the paprika, garlic, and salt.
3. If necessary, use a little water to facilitate mixing.
4. Cover with cling film.
5. Leave in fridge 24-48 hours.
6. Fill intestine with the mixture, leaving a few centimetres of intestine free at one end.
7. Tie a knot in the end of the intestine.
8. Leave to hang in a well-ventilated place, normally for 3 months plus.

Well, I do hope all this talk of killing pigs and filling intestines won't put you off enjoying all those delicious chorizo sausages you'll find in Spain!

Spanish Food - How to Make Spanish Chorizo Sausage

Wild Edible Recipe: Sauteed Puffball Mushrooms

Yes! I did it! I love the confident feeling of learning something new.

Until yesterday I was sure of two edible mushrooms. Today I am sure of four. My two new delicacies are the Gem-studded puffball and the Pear-shaped puffball. I have a fifth under study.

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Before I share this recipe, it's time for my disclaimer: ALWAYS test for edibility.

Wild Edible Recipe: Sauteed Puffball Mushrooms

When I gather mushrooms, I put each species in a separate paper bag. When I get home, I take them out of the paper bag and begin my visual study.

The mushroom under study right now is the fawn mushroom. I found one on a hike with "Wildman" Steve Brill last month. I have found it twice since, but did not eat it. I just studied the shape, how the gills were attached and the stem. "Wildman" has made replicas out of Sculpey - which is an excellent way to improve observation skills. It's also fun.

I am cautious enough to consult other mushroom identification guides, but "Wildman" has the best photos and his sculptures are accurate. I am now making a spore print and when I do sample this mushroom, it will be a piece the size of a green pea.

THE RECIPE:

Sautéed Gem-studded (Lycoperdon perlatum) or Pear-shaped (Lycoperdon pyriforme) mushrooms:

1. Remove mushrooms from paper bag, trim dirt and wipe with a cloth or paper towel

2. Do not wash or immerse in water. Do not salt. That makes the mushrooms tough

3. Cut the larger mushrooms into bite-size pieces

4. Coat with olive oil and one-half teaspoon of lemon or lime juice

5. Set pan over low heat, then add coated puffball mushrooms

6. Cook until tender

Puffballs are fragrant when picked and they do have a distinct flavor, but it is delicate. I enjoyed it as a simple side dish.

Wild Edible Recipe: Sauteed Puffball Mushrooms

Holiday Recipes You Can Make in Your Crockpot or Slow Cooker

Are you always short oven space when preparing holiday meals? Let your crockpot or slow cooker help you out. This article has recipes for Diabetic Sweet Potato Casserole and for Bread Dressing. Now how about that for convenience? And aren't we all looking for convenient ways to help us with those large meals!

BREAD DRESSING

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1 cup butter
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
2 cans (8-oz) mushrooms, drained
12 to 13 cups dry bread cubes
1 tsp poultry seasoning*
2 well-beaten eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt*
1 1/2 tsp sage*
1 tsp dried thyme*
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp marjoram, optional*
3 to 5 cups chicken or turkey broth

Holiday Recipes You Can Make in Your Crockpot or Slow Cooker

Melt the butter in a skillet; saute the onion, celery, parsley, and mushrooms.

Place the bread cubes in a very large heat-proof bowl. Pour the butter/vegetable mixture over the bread crumbs. Add the poultry seasoning, salt, sage, thyme, pepper, and marjoram, if using; toss together well to blend in the seasonings. Pour in enough broth to moisten to your desired amount of moisture. Add the well-beaten eggs and mix very well.

Lightly spray the crockpot or slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Pack the dressing into the cooker. Place lid on cooker and cook on high for approximately 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to low setting and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

*Omit if using packaged stuffing mix.
Because you are dealing with raw eggs, be sure to follow the instructions and heat on high first!

DIABETIC SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This casserole uses Splenda for those who avoid sugar. The other recipe (below this one) uses actual sugar and brown sugar. This recipe is for diabetics or anyone who avoids sugar.

2 cans (18-oz each) sweet potatoes, drained & mashed
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp Splenda Granulated
1 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 tbsp orange juice
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk

In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, butter, Splenda granulated, Splenda Brown Sugar Blend together. Beat in the orange juice, eggs, and milk.

Lightly spray the crock of the slow cooker or crockpot and transfer mixture to the cooker.

Topping:
2 tbsp + 2 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter, melted

Combine the Splenda, pecans, and flour. Add the melted butter stirring until combined. Spread topping over the sweet potato mixture.

Place lid on cooker and cook on high setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Serves 6

Enjoy!

Holiday Recipes You Can Make in Your Crockpot or Slow Cooker