Simple Stovetop Healthy Popcorn Recipe

With all of the hype recently about the health benefits of popcorn, it is increasingly obvious why people love and crave popcorn so much.  Of course, without a doubt, the healthiest popcorn to eat is air-popped, with no toppings.  However, let’s face it: air-popped popcorn, with no oil, butter, or salt, is not very appetizing.

So what is the best compromise between “naked” popcorn and the butter-laden salty kernels from the movie theater?  Stove top popped popcorn.

Made with a little thought, it can be made with a minimum of unhealthy aspects while still being tasty.  You can also add a wide variety of flavorings that are both delicious and still healthy — most cooking spices, like chili powder, cumin, curry powder, garlic powder, Cajun spice, garam masala, or even combinations of spices are wonderful ideas.

Stovetop popcorn is a wonderful compromise between healthy and tasty

Cheater Microwave Raspberry Cake Recipe

Easy Dessert Recipes Perfect for Dorm or College Food, or Any Time

This easy cake recipe using fruit preserves is quick and simple, but can be modified to fit any taste for sweets.

This super easy cake recipe is perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth without lots of preparation and mess, or a lot of technical know-how, as with most baking recipes. This makes it ideal as a beginner college recipe for a young adult just off on their own and living in the dorms, or any time you have limited space or equipment for baking. No oven or specialized equipment is necessary, just a couple of bowls, a glass or ceramic dish, and a microwave. It is also very quick to make, so can be easily used to just throw together if you decide at the last minute that a meal just has to have a dessert, or whenever you don't have the time to deal with the mess that most baking results in.

Try experimenting with different preserves, in addition to the recommended raspberry. Apricot, blackberry, plum, strawberry or even apple would probably be wonderful. Just be sure to use the seedless preserves, not jams with the seeds, nor jellies, as these are likely to give the finished cake undesirable tastes or textures. Above all, have fun with it! Try combining different flavors in the cake and the frosting, like apricot in the cake and plum in the frosting. Or try a triple-berry cake, with raspberry, blackberry and strawberry. With a recipe this easy to put together, it isn't hard to get creative.

Indian Chicken Curry Recipe

Wonderfully Seasoned Curried Chicken from India

This is a spicy and delightful chicken curry dish from India, usually served over rice.

This recipe for Indian chicken curry is actually surprisingly easy to prepare; most of the preparation involves measuring and grinding spices, and the cooking, although it requires some amount of time, requires little attention.

Like most Indian food, it is quite spicy, which can be moderated by reducing the amount of chili powder. But, also like most Indian dishes, it has a subtle array of flavors which has been very appropriately compared to a symphony for the taste buds, as opposed to Western recipes, which may contain only one or two seasonings, if any at all besides salt or pepper.

This chicken curry is generally served with rice. Optionally, it can also be served with plain yogurt, which can cut down the heat factor considerably for those who aren't quite up to eating such spicy foods.

It also keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week or so.

Indian Chicken Curry

Pljeskavica or Cevapcici

Pljeskavica (pl-yes-ka-vee-tsa) and cevapcici (che-vahp-chee-chee) are traditional and (understandably) well-loved foods in the Balkans, including Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and others.  In essence, they are their version of hamburgers (or hamburger-sticks.)  They are nearly as easy to make, but much tastier than their American counterparts.  They are best if started early in the day, or even the day before, they are planned to be cooked; this allows time for the flavors to blend together.  They can be cooked in almost any manner, including pan-frying, broiling (in the oven), or grilling.  My personal preference is far and away for grilling.

Lemon-Pesto Chicken

This recipe was inspired by my AeroGarden, as a way to use the profusion of fresh lemon basil I had on hand.  I used all three kinds of basil in the Gourmet Herbs seed kit; approximately 5 parts lemon basil, 2 parts globe basil, and one part sweet basil.



Ingredients:

• 1 c. fresh lemon basil, finely cut (or regular basil, along with the juice and zest of half a lemon)
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb. chicken (tenders or boneless breasts)
• 1 lb. fresh spinach
• 2 16 oz. can of mushrooms (pieces and stems)
• 3 tbs. butter
• 3 tbs. flour
• 3 c. milk
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. dry or 1 tsp finely cut fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp. dry or 1/2 tsp finely cut fresh oregano
• 1/4 c. fresh finely cut parsley
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lb. package wide egg noodles

Cauliflower with White Sauce and Cheese

This is a rather simple but very delicious recipe for cauliflower.  Many people dislike cauliflower for its mushy texture and bland taste, but the combination with the white sauce and cheese give it a delicate combination of flavors that go well with almost any main dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole cauliflower
• 1 Tbs. butter
• 1 Tbs. flour
• 1 cup milk (approximate)
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• salt & pepper to taste

Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onions and browned onions are often used as interchangeable terms, and although they are related, they are not precisely the same thing.  Caramelized onions are cooked significantly longer, until the natural sugars in the onions are, well, caramelized.  Caramel is in essence simply browned sugar, and despite the bite onions have, they are very sweet as well, which means they are full of natural sugars.

Many recipes, especially those which will feature the onions directly, such as fajitas, call for caramelized onions; cooking onions this way breaks down the compounds which give onions their bite, and leaves them rich and sweet tasting.  Properly caramelized onions are sufficient as a side dish all by themselves, or feature well with other sauteed vegetables, like mushrooms, peppers, squashes, tomatoes, and more.

Making Fresh Whipped Cream

Is it very simple to make fresh whipped cream; it takes only a minute or two, easy enough anyone can do it, and the taste is far superior to anything you can buy in a can.

Simply take the desired amount of heavy whipping cream — one cup is plenty for most needs — and put it in a mixing bowl. Remember that it will increase in size considerably, so use an appropriately larger bowl.

Quinoa with Peanuts and Sesame Seeds

 This is an absolutely delightful Indian inspired dish, that can be made mild with just a hint of spice, to as hot as you desire, simply by adjusting the amount of green chili you use.  The peanuts, sesame and cumin all accentuate the subtle nuttiness of quinoa, which is itself a remarkable food, considered one of the top superfoods, as it is very close to a complete source of nutrition. 

Making a Simple Rue

The basis to many recipes, especially (but not limited to) anything with a ‘white’ or cream sauce, is a simple rue (or roux). Most simply put, it is flour, to thicken the sauce, which has been sautéed in butter to get rid of the ‘floury’ taste that it would give the food if you added it directly.
When making a rue sauce, the general rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of butter (or other oil for the calorie-conscious) for every cup of liquid. This makes a fairly thick sauce, just about perfect for brown gravy. Use a higher or lower rue-to-liquid ratio as needed.