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Author: joeadmin11

Dark Chocolate and Bitter Orange Cake: A Grown Up Tea Time Treat

The combination of dark chocolate and tangy orange flavours make this cake a sure fire winner. It's easy to make, dress it up or down to suit the occasion.

There's something about dark chocolate – the thin sort in the fancy wrapping paper which oozes sophistication but is also quite moreish. These days, the newspapers seem to be full of medical reports extolling the health benefits of chocolate – woohoo!

This recipe is packed with dark chocolate and therefore (probably) health benefits. If you whisk the chocolate sponge by hand, you will certainly work off a few calories as well as making a lighter more delicious cake, so go for it. It's the perfect end to an afternoon tea, or if you use double cream for the filling, a very impressive dessert.

Whisked Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe: Ingredients

  • 5 medium sized eggs
  • 5 oz caster sugar
  • tsp of grated orange rind
  • 4oz plain flour
  • 1 oz cocoa powder
  • One and a half ounces of melted butter
  • Pinch of Salt
  • For the filling:
  • About 10oz of creme fraiche or a small carton of double cream
  • Half a jar of good orange marmalade
  • For the chocolate ganache icing:
  • 4oz dark chocolate
  • 4 oz double cream
  • A little grated chocolate

Dark Chocolate and Bitter Orange Cake: Method

Break the eggs into a large heatproof bowl and add the sugar. Place the bowl on top of a saucepan of hot water and whisk the eggs and sugar together for at least five minutes until they have more than doubled in bulk and resemble a pale golden mousse (see the illustration below).

Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until the mixture has cooled. The whisk should leave a ribbon trail in the mixture when you lift it up (see illustration).

Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in half the sifted flour and cocoa powder mixture, add half the cooled melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour/cocoa mixture and the rest of the butter. Fold the mixture through gently but thoroughly until all the ingredients are amalgamated.

Pour the mixture into a lined spring clip cake tin (8" in diameter). It's best to have brushed the greaseproof paper or tin foil used for lining with butter and dusted it with flour and caster sugar in advance.

Bake for about half an hour at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F, Gas Mark 4) or until the top of the cake is firm to the touch and the edges are coming away slightly from the cake tin.

Allow to cool thoroughly before filling and icing.

To Fill and Ice

When the cake is quite cool, slice it in half through the middle with a sharp knife. Spread the creme fraiche or whipped double cream onto one half and the orange marmalade on the other. Sandwich the two halves together.

To make the chocolate ganache icing, melt the dark chocolate and double cream over a low heat. Remove from the heat, transfer …

Health Benefits Of Eating Broccoli

I know many of you are going to say yuck, but one of the best vegetables you can eat to help keeps cancers and disease away is broccoli. Broccoli contains powerful antioxidants in it that help attack the free radical cells in our bodies that cause cancers and disease, but you have to eat the broccoli crown and stem without the cheesy dressing to get the maximum healthy benefits from it.

Broccoli is a green flowery vegetable that is a member of the cabbage family. The vegetable is usually steamed and served with butter, salt, and pepper, and most of the time with a cheesy dressing to make it taste a lot better. However, loading your broccoli up with butter, salt, pepper, and cheeses can actually make this vegetable bad for you. The best way to eat broccoli is steamed with fresh herbs and olive oil or just the way it is so you can receive the most health benefits from it.

The nutrients in broccoli are anticancer compounds known as sulforaphane, calcium, folate, vitamin C, and beta carotene, iron, phosphorus, vitamin E, potassium, protein, niacin, and vitamin K. These are also known as the antioxidants in broccoli that help prevent cancers and diseases because of there ability to create loads of healthy enzymes that help detoxify harmful cancer causing compound from our bodies. The main antioxidant in broccoli that really helps prevent cancers and diseases in the body is the sulfur compound because not only does it fight off the cancer causing cells, but it also helps kill the bacteria in the body that causes infections such as ulcers in the intestines, stomach, throat, and mouth. The other main nutrients are the calcium and vitamin C in broccoli because they help keep our bones, tissues, and muscles strong so we can move easily and freely without any problems such as joint pains and body aches. The vitamin C also helps protect our immune system so it can fight off illnesses better such as cold and flues. All the antioxidants in broccoli are beneficial to our bodies, but in order to get the health benefits from broccoli we have to eat all of the broccoli like I mentioned before such as the whole crown and stem of the veggie.

Some of the different types of cancers and diseases broccoli can help prevent are tumors, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, colon cancer, lung cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. The antioxidants in broccoli can even help keep us looking young and vibrant because they help fight off the free radical cells that cause aging.

Now I know some of you are still thinking broccoli is yucky, but would you consider eating it now that you know the amazing health benefits it could provide for your body? I know I would. Broccoli just contains way to many health benefits in it I simply can not refuse. Keeping our bodies in top shape and good health …

Sumatra Coffee

Sumatra coffee from Indonesia has one of the most distinct characters of all origin coffees. Most coffee experts believe that its deep, pungent, earthy character results less from the botanical variety of the beans or the area where it is grown than from the unusual method of processing. Most coffees are either dry processed or wet processed, but Sumatra coffee is almost always processed by a method in between the two extremes.

In wet processing, the pulp is removed from the coffee cherry before the beans are dried. In dry processing, the seeds are dried inside the fruit before the skin, pulp, parchment, and a white film called silverskin are removed. Sumatra coffee, which is almost entirely grown by small farms, takes a middle way. The pulp is removed at the farm, but the parchment and silverskin are left on. The coffee is then dried in stages before the remaining layers are removed.

Varieties of Sumatra coffee

The four most common varieties of Sumatra coffee are Mandheling, Iskandar, Lintong, and Mayo. Mandheling has low acidity and a bold, earthy flavor. Iskandar has a slightly lighter body and less earthy, more refined flavor, with some sweetness. Lintong has a deep, complex flavor with a lot of smokiness, and Mayo has a heavy, almost syrupy body and intense earthiness.

There is also a variety known as Kopi Luak, which is made from the coffee beans excreted by a variety of civet called the luak after it has eaten the fruit. Kopi Luak producers either “harvest” the beans from the feces of wild luaks, or keep luaks in cages where they are fed on coffee cherries. Since this is obviously a labor-intensive procedure, Kopi Luak is the by far the highest-priced coffee in the world, going for about $300 a pound, roasted. They say the smell of roasting Kopi Luak is not to be believed, which is probably another reason why most roasters don’t offer it.…

Anxiety Stress Relief

When anxiety physically manifests itself in the body, the results can be quite taking. The combined effects of panic, anxiety, and fear often bring undue stress on the body, and can seriously interfere with an individual's health. When a person winds up enduring this type of stress for a prolonged period, it can produce highly debilitating results. This is why anxiety stress relief is such an important factor in combating the effects of depression and anxiety.

Anxiety stress relief is usually administered through two methods: medication and therapy. These methods are often employed in tandem with each other. While many medications are shown to be highly effective in the treatment of anxiety, it is generally agreed that, without therapy, the benefits of the medication are significantly diminished. Therapy is also useful for assisting patients who wish to ease themselves off of regular medication.

Medications For Anxiety Stress Relief

Currently, the most prominent type of medications for anxiety and depression are serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These antidepressant medications alter selected chemical messengers in the brain, physically reducing the sensations of stress, anxiety, and depression. This alleviation lays the foundation for more extensive work that must be done through psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy has proven to be an effective form of anxiety stress relief. At its most basic, it provides the patient with an opportunity to sort out and assess the various aspects of their condition, and gain an understanding of how it work in their lives. The nature of anxiety disorders complicates and distorts an individual's self-perception, and makes it increasingly difficult for someone to envision successfully overcoming the disorder. Psychotherapy allows them to organize their thought to gain a more rational insight into the situation, and then develop a personal plan for systematically overcoming its effects.…

How to Eat Healthy Fast Food

There is a way to eat healthy, maintain and even lose weight while frequentlng your favorite drive-thru or sandwich shop. Learning how to do this is easy if you know what to look for and be willing to take control of how your food is prepared.

There are a few websites on the web that contain nutritional information about every food and condiment known to man at just about all of the major and/or well known fast food chains of our great nation. I have spent countless hours on these retrieving the best choices for my fitness clients who travel for a living and cannot cook, much less shop for groceries. The easiest sites to maneuver are: foodfacts.com and calorieking.com
Simply choose your fast food restaurant and then the foods you like to eat. A healthy choice is anything that is 250-350 calories with fat at around 10 grams or under. Keep in mind that fast food is not normally considered a low fat food, and doing so is difficult, but doable. The easiest thing to go for is a grilled chicken breast with a plain salad of greens and veggies. Skip dressings or go for a low cal vinegrette and use sparingly. Turkey and veggies on whole wheat bread is a great healthy sandwich choice, (skip the mayo of course).
There are ways to alter your favorite food quickie choices by substituting cheese, creamy sauce, and fatty dressings and condiments by opting instead for lemon wedges, fat free dressing (sparingly), and marinara or hot sauces, as well as salsa. These things will add flavor without added fat and calories.
Helpful tips to remember:

  • sodium content can be extremely high, so avoid anything containing more than 600 milligrams
  • drink more water throughout the day to flush toxins away
  • avoid soda altogether, it will only slow you down
  • make a written list of choices as a reference to keep handy when using the drive thru
  • I hope you find this useful.

Children health lunch

Take care on child, not only in school education and in lunch food. Main thing is health but education watching is also important.

Whether you are sending it with kids or relying on what they will receive at school, lunch is an important meal.

Choose foods that will add to healthy, balanced diet. Check with your doctor, school counselor, health care provider or government for recommended nutrition guidelines.  The recommend food is an emphasis on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Use higher fat, salt, sugar and calorie choices in moderation. This may mean using fewer prepared or packaged foods. If you do choose a prepared lunch alternative, supplement this with a piece of fruit or some carrot sticks.

Remember avoid these hot food, cool drinks and ice-cream. Know you are child tastes- if they will eat any thing, give them lots of variety. Add some crunch to their lunch-and it dose not have to be potato chips. Try roasted nuts trail mix or a small bag of popcorn. If they have chips, try the backed variety.

Save money by packing your single servings. Purchasing prepared single- serving of snack food, puddings and pastas can save time. but the cost can add up. Invest in sealable plastic bags and small plastic containers in a variety on sizes and pack your own lunch- sized portions.

Kids like finger foods and they are easy to transport. Cut cheese in sticks rather than slices; slice apples in wedges. Try sending their favorite cut up vegetables with a small, sealed container of low fat dip. …

Cinnamon Coffee Cakes

Cinnamon coffee cakes blend just the right level of spiciness and sweetness to create a truly delectable dessert. Cinnamon, like nutmeg and cloves, is quite evocative. When we smell or taste cinnamon, we think of warmth, holidays, and slow, easy evenings.

When cinnamon coffee cakes and other fine desserts can be easily ordered and promptly delivered, it solves all kinds of problems. We need never scramble around for a last-minute holiday or birthday gift; coffee cakes make elegant and welcome presents for any occasion. Also, we can keep our homes stocked with cakes that will keep friends and family smiling and satisfied, as we enjoy heart-to-heart chats over cake and tea.

Cinnamon Coffee Cakes Blend Spice and Style

The coffee cakes to be found online are of superior quality. We needn't bemoan our lack of time to do the baking; we can simply rejoice in having the excuse to order such delectable products. The right online resource will also offer tea-time accessories, like tea pots and mugs.

Cinnamon coffee cakes add just that extra touch of spice and excitement to an old tradition. Coffee cakes are delightful to serve on any occasion, and specialty coffee cakes, like cinnamon coffee cakes, walnut coffee cakes, and blueberry coffee cakes are even more so. People love to sit and ponder over a mug of coffee and a slice of delicious cake, and, with a good online cake resource, we now have every chance to do so.…

Traditional Coffee Cakes

Everyone remembers the traditional coffee cakes that our mothers and grandmothers made. We associate lazy Sundays with the smell of baking, as the scent of spices would fill the house. Now, we can have those memories back in our own homes.

More and more people are finding that they want to make more time in their lives to enjoy the peaceful pursuits that we engaged in as children. For this reason, people are looking for a way to find high-quality baked goods at reasonable prices. Traditional coffee cakes are great to keep around the house for Sunday mornings and unexpected company, and they also make great gifts.

Exciting Flavors for Traditional Coffee Cakes

Traditional coffee cakes can come in a variety of flavors. It's a delightful surprise to bite into the tart, sweet flavors of raspberry coffee cake for the first time, or to experience the creamy moistness of banana coffee cakes and flourless chocolate tortes. We all deserve a little time off, and the baked goods just like Grandma used to make with which to really enjoy it.

Office settings are a fun way to share baked goods. Morning meetings and casual Fridays all beg to be enlivened with delicious treats. One benefit to ordering online is that high-quality treats can be sent right to home or office, and can be ordered in an instant.…

Low Fat Cooking

There is a glut of contradictory information available on what kind of foods we should or shouldn't eat. Low-carb diets, low-fat diets and their various combinations all have numerous fans and detractors. The important thing is to pick a plan that works for you and helps you to reach your goals, whatever they may be.

One popular dietary choice is low fat. For a food to meet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition of low fat, it must contain only three grams of fat or less per serving. A food labeled fat free must have 0.5 grams of fat or less per serving.

According to the FDA, fats should make up no more than 30 percent of your calories. So first, let's figure out what the different fats are and what they mean to your health. Saturated fats come primarily from animal sources, and are found in many food staples, such as butter, milk, and meat. Coconut oil and palm kernel oil are also highly saturated fat sources. These are the fats most health sources, including the FDA, will tell you should comprise the least part of your fat intake, between seven and 10 percent.

Understanding the Types of Fats
There are several different types of fats, including saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats and hydrogenated or partly hydrogenated fats. An important part of low-fat cooking is understanding these fats and using or eliminating them according to the affect they have on your body.

Unsaturated fats come in two varieties: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Examples of polyunsaturated fats are corn, safflower, and sesame oil; these should make up no more than 10 percent of your daily fat intake. You can also get polyunsaturated fats in the form of omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for our health but not produced naturally in the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in flax seeds, walnuts, spinach, shrimp, clams and many types of fish including trout, salmon and tuna.

Monounsaturated fats are the fats you can have the most of. They comprise up to 15 percent of your fat intake. Monounsaturated fats enjoy the health field's stamp of approval because they may help lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease. These are the fats from avocadoes, nuts, and olive, peanut and canola oils.

The fats you really want to stay away from are the partially hydrogenated fats, also called trans fatty acids or trans fats. Trans fats are polyunsaturated fats with added hydrogen. The added hydrogen makes them firmer and gives them a longer shelf life. Trans fats are abundant in prepared foods, such as French fries, potato chips, cookies, donuts, vegetable shortening and many stick margarines. Trans fats are bad for you because they can both raise your bad LDL cholesterol while lowering your good HDL cholesterol, consequently increasing your risk of developing heart disease.

With just a little experimentation, your low-fat meals can be both flavorful and nutritious. Avoiding the bad fats and replacing them with better options can …

SINDHI EGG SKILLET – Quick, Easy & Healthy Indian Food

JAAFRAAN – A TOUCH OF SPICE

Sindhi’s are an Indo-Aryan language speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from the province of Sindh. Sindh is part of present day Pakistan. Sindhi’s that live in Pakistan are predominantly Muslim, while many Sindhi Hindus migrated to India in 1947. Sindhi cuisine refers to cuisine from the Sindh province. Sindhi food is delicious and is best known for the variety and simplicity of the dishes. Most of the dishes have a onion tomato base 

SINDHI EGG SKILLET

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1 serrano chili, finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powdwer
  • 1 teaspoon gram masala
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon red cayenne powder (optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • 6 Egg
  • For Garnishing
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime cut into wedges

PROCEDURE:

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet & add the bay leaves. Add the onion, chopped chili, ginger, garlic, salt and cook till onion is caramalized.

About 5 to 7 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, garam masala*, coriander, cumin & cayenne chili powders. Stir, simmer, cover and cook 7-10 minutes. Crack the eggs over the curry sauce. Cover again & cook till the eggs are set. Garnish with fresh cilantro and squeeze juice of half a lime before serving. Serve with Nan** or whole grain bread.

  • Garam Masala* –  Available in Indian stores
  • Nan** – Is available in the frozen section in most Indian stores in USA. Also available at Trader Joe’s

PREP TIME: 10 Minutes  COOKING TIME: 20 Minutes SERVES: 2 …