There are plenty of different ways of cooking fish and it is fun to try different methods. Depending on whether you are using a whole fish, steaks of fillets, you might like to try braising, deep or shallow frying, steaming or even cooking the fish on a wood fish board. Stuffed fish tastes delicious and adds texture. Round fish are the best for stuffing because the body cavity is larger. Most stuffing is made from breadcrumbs, which expand when they cook, so do not use too much. If you are using sea bass, a parsley and walnut pesto makes a great stuffing. If you have fillets, you can sandwich them with stuffing or roll them, then oven-bake them.
Steaming is a good, easy way to cook fillets, whole fish, and steaks. You need to put the fish in the steamer over boiling water and have a tight-fitting lid on it. For more detail go to: www.delicious-sandwich-recipes.com.Poaching is another healthy way of cooking it, in which you add seasoning, cream or another thickener and herbs. This gives you a sauce to serve with the fish.
Oven baking and roasting are suitable for whole fish or fillets. You place the fish in an ovenproof dish and add herbs, seasoning, oil or butter and white wine. If you want very tender flesh, you can cook your fish “en papillae”, which means you put the fish in sealed paper or foil, so it will cook in its own steam. You might like to add lemon or limejuice, fresh herbs and white wine to the fish before sealing the parcel and cooking it. If you would like to braise your fish, you need to put it on top of sautéed vegetables in an ovenproof dish, add some white wine and bouillon, and cook for about 20 minutes, with a tight-fitting lid in place.
If you are using fillets or small, whole fish, grilling is another cooking method. If your fish are whole, make a few slashes through the skin on each side of the fish and brush it with olive oil or melted mutter. Turn the fish halfway through cooking and baste it if you want. You can also wrap the fish in foil with herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil before placing it on the grill.
You do not always need to heat fish in order to cook it. For more detail go to:www.july4-recipes.com.Crevice is when you soak white fish, usually snapper, in chili, herbs, and lime juice. You can also use flounder, sole, or scallops. The acidic citrus juice cooks the fish.
You can use pretty much any wood to cook fish, as long as it is pest-free and untreated. You need to soak the board for at least an hour before cooking, to ensure it is waterlogged. This means the wood will generate enough steam to cook the fish
Cedar is a common wood for fish boards but you can also use alder, maple, cherry, apple, or oak. A wood fish board is for one use only and you can get one from a specialty food store or online.
To stop the fish sticking to the board, brush the fish with oil first on one side. You will not need to flip the fish during cooking because it cooks indirectly. Season the fish and place it on the fish board, which you then put on the grill. Make sure you are using a low fire so as not to ignite the board and baste the fish during cooking with anything non-flammable.
Using a wood fish board to cook the fish results in a wonderful flavor. The wood will smolder, making the fish deliciously smoky. In addition, since you only use the board once, it really cuts down on washing up!
The Baker’s Rack w/Cutting Board is a convenient way to add additional space and organization to your kitchen.
Features:
Easy no tool assembly
Wood cutting board for food preparation
Bonus top rail for spices
Durable metal construction for years of use
2 full-sized adjustable shelves (250 pound capacity on lower shelf)
4 hooks for hanging utensils
Open wire design for easy cleaning
Screw…
This handy board allows you to do regular mundane prep on one side and on the other side it has helpful measurements for rolling out pastry or pizza dough….
This Pizza Peel is made from solid wood and has a tapered edge that slides easily under your pizza. The long handle protects you from the heat of the oven and the generously sized spatula will hold even large pizzas. The peel also has a hanging hole for storage. It measures 14 inches wide by 15 inches long, not including the handle….
I am thinking of buying one but have heard it’s better to make the dough in the machine then bake in the conventional way. Any help as to which is the best to buy (economical please)
Yeah I have a break maker. I use it every other day sometimes more. I use it to both make the dough and bake it. It is so much easier adn I guess cheaper to use than a regular oven. The one I have can also be used to make cakes, pizza dough, bread dough etc. It has a special function for adding nuts, seeds and other ingredients part way through the process – which is does automatically. And it is so easy to clean.
The best bread machine we’ve found for gluten-free bread baking. Programmable feature puts you in charge. Bakes a delicious 1.5 to 2 pound loaf every time. It has a viewing window, automatic settings for breads, cakes and jam, sourdough starter and programmable cycle that makes gluten-free bread in under two hours! Dimensions 17 x 10 x 12 inches. Manufacturer’s limited one-year warranty….
Old-fashioned bread the new-fashioned way, Betty calls it. Easy, convenient, modern. There’s no knead for loafing. Not with that fabulous combination in the kitchen: Betty Crocker and the bread machine. The construction of this book, first of all, is wonderful. The cover is hard and the binding is heavy, enameled spiral. Each page lays flat on the counter, or you can hold the book open on one…
Tom Lacalamita’s The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook showed how easy it was to have freshly baked, delicious, and nutritious bread anytime. Now comes The All-New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook: 101 Brand-New, Irresistible, Foolproof Recipes for Family and Friends, which presents recipes suitable for making 1 1/2- and 2-pound loaves, using the new ingredients now readily available. Here you will…
Designed for people who own bread machines that yield two-pound loaves and for anyone whose machine makes a one-and-a-half pound loaf, this book contains a variety of recipes that make maximum use of a bread machine’s convenient and timesaving festures. Conversion directions for favorite recipes are included. 10 photos. 80 recipes….
Good teachers understand the importance of funding and resourcing. Unfortunately school budgets are often very tight and many teachers find that they are forced to purchase their own supplies throughout the school year.
Raising extra money for educational supplies, resources, excursions or materials can be an important step towards enriching students learning experiences and enhancing the effectiveness of your own teaching methods and strategies.
Here are five tips to help your school increase the funding available for you and your school.
1. Student Centered Fundraising
Student centered learning approaches encourage higher order thinking and engage the learner in the learning task. Involving students in fundraising activities provides excellent opportunities to encourage the learner to develop a wide range of skills and experiences.
Understanding the value of money, working as a team to achieve a common goal and participating in the wider community are invaluable experiences for students, and all of these skills can be fostered through the fundraising process. Some fundraising ideas that have worked well include:
- Selling sweets, chocolate drives - Making t-shirts - Baking and selling cookies - Creating and selling artwork or posters - Selling or requesting donations door to door - Approaching local businesses
Always gain parental permission prior to involving students in the fundraising process; most parents are delighted to help the school improve resourcing. Students should always be accompanied when collecting door to door
2. Fundraising through Local Business
Many local businesses and retail chains offer special programs for teachers to increase funding for supplies. For example, offering free advertising in the school newsletter for the local stationary store may lead to a discount for teaching staff, or even free stationary and supplies.
Some businesses will issue vouchers to schools, and if they are sold to students and parents, the teacher and the school may receive a percentage of the sale price.
Cold calling businesses and asking for donations to the school can also be an effective way of increasing funding levels at school.
3. Student run school enterprises
Selling snacks, ‘renting out’ computer game time in the lunch breaks, selling toys and treats at school can increase funding levels. Older students can become involved in running the store and learning how to monitor, track and record transactions. The enterprise can be linked to thematic units of work in order to enrich students’ learning experiences. For example, students may learn how to attract and maintain customers by studying a unit on Advertising. Students may enhance mathematical concepts by learning about percentages and percentage off sales. The possibilities are endless.
4. Saving the environment – raising money through recycling
Some businesses will buy school items such as old computers and printer cartridges and exchange them for cash in order to support the educational system.
Dedicating one day per month to recycling and asking parents to donate recyclable items to be resold can be an effective way to make a profit for the school supplies fund. For example, glass bottles can be sold to recycle plants. Used clothing can be sold on eBay or at school jumble sales.
Used books donated by parents can be sold or exchanged to raise funds for new books for students’ classrooms or the library.
By placing a regular request for such items in the school newsletter, schools can actively promote recycling and raise money.
5. Tax Savings
Teachers can often claim back the cost of school supplies through the taxation system. Any items relating to work are usually taxing deductible. Often teachers are unaware that they can claim for particular items.
Here is a list of items you may be able to claim, however, always seek advice from a professional certified accountant and remember the list is not exhaustive.
- Books, magazines, textbooks, educational journals - Pens, paper, diaries, art supplies, stationary - Home office expenses such as a percentage of electricity bill, rent or mortgage, cable internet bill, cable bill, telephone bill and office furniture - Computer, printer, laptop, cartridges, USB connections - Digital cameras - Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen
About the Author
Jennifer Dobson invites you to take a look at www.MpmSchoolSupplies.com where you will find all kinds of resource books, classroom decorations, school furniture, classroom rugs, educational toys, and much more. The best part is by shopping at MPM School Supplies you are helping children in need all around the world because 50% of the gross profits are donated to children’s charities!
This IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) finalist text is designed to present the principles of science that are applicable to baking. Each distinct chapter covers one or a group of related concepts, and contains introductory narrative and background information; an exemplary recipe; and a series of culinary lessons. Additional recipes are included in each chapter, and a s…
The introductory bakeshop course is a required part of the culinary arts curriculum. Students must obtain the skills to build their careers, and the new edition of this book provides them with the basic procedures as well as higher level techniques. New recipe ideas and practical applications fill the book and gives the student the tools to expand their skill set….
A wealth of inspiration for restaurateurs, chefs, and caterers. This sumptuous guide for professional pastry chefs provides a treasury of classic and contemporary recipes. The authors of American Regional Cooking for 8 or 50 have created a resource of recipes ranging from simple, easy-to-prepare desserts to more complex gourmet creations, including instructions on procedures, equipment, and ingred…
Building muscle mass is not a luxury.It is a necessity!!
Chris
Whether you are a 20 year stallion or a 60 year housewife you will need muscle mass to confront small everyday challenges and fulfil your duties however humble might they be!
I consider strength training and muscle mass development as an absolute must for every man and woman of whatever age!
-higher basal metabolic rate since muscle mass is much more metabolically active than fat!
-fat reduction usually accompanies muscle gain
-muscles are the engines of our body!With stronger engines we are bound to have a better performance in our work,common daily duties and chores,beloved hobbies and sports,sexual activities (I have just blushed scarlet!),etc.
With a more efficient powerhouse we can feel and be more alive!
-stronger and denser bones,stronger tendons and ligaments.Reduced danger for osteoporosis.
-improved cardiovascular health.Strength training has been found to help reduce Low Density Lipoprotein or LPL (the bad guy,what we call bad cholesterol).At the same time it is beneficial for the good guy:LDL
-lower blood pressure
-as we age-we won’t be young for ever,shall we?-muscle loss and body fat increase are inevitable consequences as long as we are not engaged in some kind of strength training. I strongly urge you to keep this in mind since years flow like water!
Muscle loss decreases life quality in a dramatic way!
I have a strong conviction that all people can enjoy a vibrant life until their very late years!But they will have to include strength training in their every day rituals!
-stronger muscles and joints will function as shock absorbers to prevent from injuries. This is critical for aged people
-improved balance ,stability and coordination
-strength trainining shows an inverse correlation with obesity.
As one can easily conclude strength training is not an option but a must!
Muscle development needs mainly two things:
- the right supportive nutrition
-an effective strength training program
Nutrition is a domain that many people ignore.Nutritional mistakes halt the progress towards muscle development for many fitness enthusiasts. What’s more, nutrition is by far the most important parameter for novices at muscle building.These people could achieve spectacular results with only minor adjustments to their nutrition strategy and tactics!!
Muscle development and nutrition
1. If you need to gain some muscle mass your first concern is to create a slight caloric surplus.
Though,you will have to move very cautiously if you want to minimize the possibilities of fat storage.
Thus,while some fat gain is inevitable in this phase, you could control it by taking the appropriate measures:
-the caloric surplus should be slight
-the caloric surplus should be gradual :start with a 10% increase over your caloric maintenance level and make it bigger when and if you reach a plateau.
2. Meals frequency is of strategic importance.
Spread your daily caloric intake into 5-6 equivalent meals and try to eat every about 3 hours.Include a premium protein source in every meal otherwise your body might cannibalize its own muscle tissue!Some benefits of frequent eating-among many else-are:
-your metabolism is boosted into high gear
-you are never hungry and the danger to pig-out is minimal
-you have a constant flow of nutritional constituents and energy
-your blood sugar and insulin levels are kept under control
-there are less possibilities for fat storage
3. How much protein? For an average fitness enthusiast-who is actually the “target group” of my articles-2gr of premium source protein per kg of body weight will suffice.
If you are a bodybuilder you will definetely need more (but these articles are not addressed to bodybuilders anyway!)
4. Protein sources:just good plain food.Please refer to my article:”Fitness/exercise:nutrition to boost your results”.
I am a strong opponent of any kind of supplementation and a fervent advocate of feeding only on unprocessed,unrefined,natural foods!!
5. Supplementation:
I will put it explicitly: don’t be suckers!Don’t even touch the chemical,man-made supplements!
You can perfectly -and you should – receive all the necessary micronutrients from whole,real foods amply provided by mother nature.
A real food is something much more complex than the total of its constituents.It is a unique combination of nutrients which work synergistically to satisfy our nutritional needs in the most efficient and idoneous way.
You don’t have to part with your hard-earned money only to buy garbage that eventually will harm you!
Eat abundant quantities of vegetables and if you have some money to spare go for organics.
6. And what should my nutrition base be?
We have touched on this subject many times. Please take a look here:
FITNESS/EXERCISE:NUTRITION TO BOOST YOUR RESULTS
I will limit myself here to the biggest no-nos and yes-yes.
Supportive nutrition:biggest no-nos
-white flour
-table sugar
-high fructose corn syrup
-artificial sweeteners
-hydrogenated oils(trans fats)
-sodas and all typical sugary refreshments
-visible fat in red meats
-processed meats and fish that contain sodium nitrite.Also sausages,hot dogs and the like
- all candies and pastries
-white bread
-white pasta
-white rice
-fried oils
-margarin
-all foods that contain substantial amounts of monosodium glutamate
-all deep fried foods:French fries,potato chips,doughnuts etc.They are full with acrylamide and trans-fats
-all types of canned soups
-mayonnaise and similar oily condiments and dressings
-all commercial baked foods:biscuits,cookies,cakes,bagels,croissants etc.
Supportive nutrition:biggest yes-yes
-all kinds of vegetables in season.I eat broccoli nearly every day.
-all fruits but in moderation due to their high sugar content.Prefer to take your antioxidants from vegetables which are nutritionally denser
exceptions(you can eat more from these):cranberries and most types of berries,pomegranates
-whole eggs:you can eat at least two yolks/day.Yolk protein is really valuable.
Additionally yolk contains precious choline for your mind as well as lutein and zeaxanthin which can play a serious role in the prevention of macular degeneration.
Don’t buy into the myth of high cholesterol! This myth has been debunked from the findings of multiple studies.
Try to find omega-3 eggs.
-sunflower and pumpkin seeds(I keep a reservation for flax seeds)
- mixed raw nuts
-avocados(they belong to fruits!)
-extra virgin(cold pressed) olive oil
-turkey and chicken breasts
-low fat cottage cheese
-low fat plain yogurt with active live cultures.Avoid funny alternatives as frozen yogurt,yogurt with fruits and tons of artificial sweeteners etc.
If you have a creative imagination you can try endless combinations with yogurt,raw nuts,seeds,fresh or dried berries etc.
-wild fatty fish and especially the miraculous,humble sardines.
Sardines are a real food treasure: they contain omega -3 fatty acids, the much rare coenzyme Q10,selenium,calcium,phosphorus ,iron,potassium vitamin D and premium quality protein.
The best thing is that they contain practically zero mercury, a poison that has completely changed our tuna-eating habits.
6. In the third part of this comprehensive article on the appropriate nutrition for muscle building we recited very succintly and explicitly the big nutrition no-nos.
It’s much easier to fight an enemy if you can see him!
But what happens if the enemy is lurking in the durk seeking to devour on first chance your precious muscle earnings?
And-much worse-if he is disguised as a caring friend?
This is our subject for today!
Unhealthy foods disguised as healthy
6.1. Tuna fish:
I quote its name and my heart pains because tuna is -or better was-one of my most favourite dishes.Cheap,convenient,available everywhere and highly nutritional. The big concern with tuna is its relatively high content in toxic mercury. Recent research both in Europe and in the USA have found mercury levels in tuna fish to be alarmingly high.
I suggest that you should do your own research because mercury levels differ from sea to sea and from kind to kind.Depending on your weight, check your safe consumption rate.
I have switched to sardines. Luckily in Greece they are abundant,cheap and of excellent quality.
Sardines practically contain zero mercury because of their small size and their short life. They are a gift from the sea for us.Humble but of inestimable value!
6.2. Protein bars or energy bars
While you can find few products with a decent quality and nutritional value ,most of them are mere rubbish. They are full with table sugar,artificial sweeteners,high fructose corn syrup,highly processed soya protein isolate,hydrogenated oils(trans-fats) and the like!
Search very carefully in order to find bars of acceptable quality. Double check the labels!
Most producers market energy/protein bars as nutritionally sound alternatives of meals with real food.
Alas,this is far from the truth!
Unprocessed,unrefined,natural food is what our bodies really need and deserve!Our human engines need the right kind of quality fuel in order to function well and to their maximum potential.
Why eat a bar with added protein and fiber of questionable quality when we can have the real thing naturally packed with excellent quality protein while accompanied by tenths of indispensable micronutrients?
Keep protein or energy bars only for emergency situations and plan ahead so as these emergency situations should be kept to a minimum.Don’t use them to justify your lousy eating habits!!
6.3. Sports drinks:
Most sports drinks are nothing more than artificially colored,sugary water.
The only established fact with these products is that they bring crazy profits to their producers!
Ah,another one is that they make your wallet lighter!
Or is it the same thing?
It doesn’t stop to amaze me how easily,evidently sane people leave themselves to be deliberately misled!!
Is it a kind of collective paranoia the fact that we deny to discern the obvious , namely that we are overtly suckered?
Or is it our illogical,extravagant desire for quick and easy fixes?
In a future entry we will see simple recipes for nice,homemade sports drinks.
6.4. Breakfast cereals
Despite their pretentious and highly pompous claims many breakfast cereals are nothing else but well concealed cereal killers.
Those marketed more heavily have most often the poorer nutritional value.
The majority of the products :
-are based on refined grains and the quantity of fibers is minimal
-have excessive sugar content
-use fancy artificial colorings
-contain big amounts of salts(sodium)
-contain saturated or/and hydrogenated fats
Be very careful to select breakfast cereals of the proper quality. Leave taste aside and search for nutrition.They should be based on whole grains with minimal salt ,sugar and trans fats content.Don’t fall victims to the marketing hype!
6.5.Many fat free products:
To compensate for the lack of taste these products are loaded with sugar,high fructose corn syrup-brrrr!- or artificial sweeteners.
6.7. Many sugar free products:
They are packed with saturated fats or trans fats from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
6.8. Commercially packaged fruit juices:
Though generally they won’t harm you,they have very little to offer you either. No fibers,very few vitamins and quite a lot of empty calories.
You can instead opt for homemade, freshly squeezed juices. By far the best option is to eat the whole fruit .
This will give you valuable fibers plus a satiety feeling.
In general try to avoid liquid calories.
6.9. Fruit smoothies:
Usually they won’t differ a lot from a milk shake,packed with sugars,fats and dead calories.
6.10. Liquid meal replacements:
Use them sparingly and only in case of emergency. One or two meals at the most per week. If you want real results go for real food!
Till now in this series of articles devoted to effective muscle building we saw :
- that muscle building concerns the general population and not only certain groups of people.We saw in other words that it is not a luxury but a real necessity.
-some strategic principles of supportive nutrition which we accepted as a very important determinant for proper muscle building.
-that supplementation is a real waste of money-at least for the ordinary fitness enthusiasts.
-the biggest nutrition no-nos
-the most important nutrition yes-yes
-and finally the top nutrition traps which are unhealthy foods disguised as healthy, usually for humble profit seeking reasons.
Now it is high time to speak about the training part of the equation.
Strategic principles of strength training
1. General axiom:aim for simplicity.Learn to appreciate the magnificence of simplicity.
2. Prefer free weights which can tax the totality of your muscles in the most appropriate way. A pair of adjustable dumbbells would be fine.
3. Keep your workouts short:20′-30′.But they should be really intense:decent loading of the muscles and minimal breaks.
4. Aim for three workouts per week.If it is hard for you, go at least for two and never for less.
5. Forget about split workouts.You are not a bodybuilder!Go for total body workouts.
6. The best range of repetitions if you want to build some muscle mass is 6-8 per set. So you will have to adjust your weights accordingly.
If you aim for strength development you should go for less.Conversely ,if you seek muscle endurance you should go for more repetitions.
Attention!:a big number of repetitions won’t bring muscle definition as many people erroneously thing.
Muscle definition is mostly a matter of low fat percentage. Make sure that you read my article: “Muscle definition:the absolute article”.
7. Prefer to perform only compound/multijoint exercises which tax big muscle groups and more joints .These exercises are the best investment for your limited time.
The best movements are the classic ones: squats,lunges,deadlifts,presses and rows.
Things are simple and it’s contrary to our interests to make them seem more complex!
8.Don’t forget symmetry.If you train one group of muscles don’t forget to train the antagonists as well.
9. Don’t fall into the trap of overtraining.Balance quality with quantity.
10. Challenge yourself to brake some records.Excellent motivation indeed! You will need to coordinate body and mind. Make full exploitation of your most powerful weapon:your mind!
11. Pay due attention to the basics:excellent style,warm up and cooling down with some static stretching,blah blah blah.. ..
12. Last but not least:if you are struggling to build muscle you will have to limit long ,strenuous cardio.Opt instead for short but real intense HIIT workouts.These workouts will help you save muscle while shedding fat.Sprints are excellent!
Conclusion
Lousy nutrition habits are a conspicuous violation of the muscle building laws. Eat right ,train smart,watch your cardio ritual and muscle development will be a logical consequence!
Chris Strogilis
About the Author
Civil engineer with postgraduate studies in MBA and Marketing.
christos@macon.gr
http://maconwaterproofing.blogspot.com/
http://totalfitness-christos.blogspot.com
Japan cooking TV show BLOOPERS! Cute cupcake recipe demo & tutorial, funny mistakes goofs
