Soul Food Recipes - 3 Healthiest Seasonings to Use

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Soul food recipes continue to get a bad rap by today's health community for it's health risk, especially if eaten in large amounts. Thanks to those same health professionals, food experts and consumers, healthy menus continue to grow and quickly replace the more traditional high fat, high calorie ingredients.

In addition to the changes in ingredients, another change continues to take place as well. The way we season what we eat. Traditionally we season our collard greens, black-eyed peas and other southern vegetable dishes with ham hocks, fat back and thick bacon slices. We find that gave our vegetables that rich smoky flavor that southern eating is famous for. But that's a high price to pay for it's health risk. So what can we do? Stop eating soul food. No a thousands times no.

You can still have your favorite dishes, all you have to do is give up the way you season. Here's the 3 healthiest seasoning to have to make the tastiest and most nutritious southern meals.

1. Garlic Powder Garlic powder, known for being an effective antioxidant. It contains anti- cancer, anti-infective and cholesterol lowering ingredients. It's also effective for lowering blood pressure because it includes the active ingredient Allicin. Garlic powder improves the flavor and digestion of meats, vegetables and other side dishes by giving it a smooth pungent flavor and aroma that stimulates the taste buds.

2. Onion Powder Onion powder is another nutritious seasoning known for its antioxidant properties. For example, it contains anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer ingredients and properties that help relieve digestion. Onion powder can also help reduce the risk leading to stroke and heart disease. Onion powder is great when used in meat marinades or rubs. It perks up the taste of vegetables without having to use too much salt. Plus, it helps liven up gumbos, stews and sauces.

3. Cayenne Pepper Cayenne is a spice known to be thousands of years old. It's proven to benefit your digestive and circulatory system. It can also help to boost other beneficial supplements and herbs if consumed together. Eating food seasoned with cayenne pepper is valuable if your dieting or trying to control your weight. Why? Because it helps to increase your natural body heat. This helps to speed up your metabolism, which burns fat and carbohydrates most effectively.

By using these nutritious seasonings you can help reduce the health risk of using the wrong flavor enhancers. Of course no seasoning can take the place of good cooking preparation and techniques. However, by adding healthy seasonings to your soul food recipes, you can go a long way to living a longer and higher quality of life.
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Beef Pasta and Mushroom Soup

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Beef Pasta and Augment Soup

Prep Time:35 min

Start to Finish:35 min

Makes:6 servings

Ingredients

1 lb angular (at atomic 80%) arena beef

1 average onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

6 cups hot water

1 box Hamburger Helper® beef pasta

1/2 teaspoon broiled basil leaves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 average cloves garlic, cautiously chopped

1 can (4 oz) Green Giant® augment pieces and stems, drained

2 tablespoons dry red wine, if desired

2 tablespoons chopped beginning parsley

Directions

1. In 4-quart Dutch oven, baker beef and onion over medium-high calefaction 5 to 7 minutes, active occasionally,

until beef is brown; drain.

2. Stir in hot water, Sauce Mix, basil, salt, pepper and garlic. Calefaction to boiling, active constantly.

3. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 10 minutes, active occasionally. Stir in basic Pasta, mushrooms and wine.

Cover; baker 10 account longer. Stir in parsley.
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Pound Cake Recipe

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I am a magazine hog who snatches every in-flight magazine, pile them up in my seat, never return them back to the rack, and then I rip off interesting pages on these magazines. (Oops, did I just confess my dirty secrets?!)

Yes, I am one of those passengers that flight attendants and fellow passengers sneer at, especially when they hear the suspicious noise as I tear off pages. I really can’t help it. I am addicted to magazines; I can’t sleep on planes; and I absolutely CANNOT resist mouthwatering food and recipes on magazines. They whisper “tear me tear me” in my ears, I swear…

This pound cake is the result of the above shameful acts. It’s a classic pound cake recipe on Better Homes and Garden, May 2009 issue. The pound cake photos look velvety, deliciously dense, moist, and just perfect. I just had to rip the pages apart and try the pound cake recipe at home.

My pound cake turned out quite good except one flaw–I used coarse organic cane sugar and didn’t cream the butter and sugar long enough to break the sugar. It was a good pound cake nonetheless.

Here is the pound cake recipe by Chef Scott Peacock. Happy baking!
Pound Cake Recipe
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 1 1/4 hour
Oven: 300 degree F
Makes 2 loaves or 4 mini-loaves or 1 10-inch tube cake

Ingredients:

6 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup unsalted butter (8 oz.), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups fine sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons pure vanilla (I love the vanilla from I Heart Vanilla)
3 cups sifted cake flour or 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Method:

Butter and lightly flour your 8×4x2 inch loaf pans or one 10-inch tube pan. (I used a mini loaf pan and makes 4 loaves.)

Beat the butter on low speed for 2 minutes and add cream cheese. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes until well-blended. While beating, add sugar, salt, and vanilla and turn the speed to medium speed for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Then, add eggs one at a time and continue beating.

Turn the speed to low before adding the flour. Beat the batter until well blended and smooth. Transfer batter into the pan. Shake pan gently to distribute the batter. Run a spatula in zigzag pattern through the batter and then top with sliced almonds.

Place on the pan in the center rack of a cold oven and bake at 300 degree F for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out dry. If you are using a tube pan, bake for 1 hour 45 minutes. Transfer the pound cake to a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pans and serving.

Cook’s Note:

Proper creaming is critical for a perfect pound cake. Creaming is the process of blending the butter and sugar together to incorporate air and it usually takes about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. So, don’t cheat like I did.*wink*
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Egg Drop Soup

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I acclimated to alarming egg bead soup (蛋花汤); I had amaranthine bad, sticky, adhesive egg bead soup fabricated accepted by American Chinese restaurants actuality in the US. Aback I was a poor and craving alum apprentice in the Midwest, I ate too abundant abominable Chinese buffets or cafeteria specials with amaranthine accumulation of MSG-loaded egg bead soup. I was not a big fan of it.

But it all afflicted afresh aback I was in Shanghai, aback I dined at Jesse, a acclaimed bounded gem that serves admirable Shanghainese fare. Their egg bead soup was above with ablaze and auspicious borsch (no starch added!) saturated with the accustomed acidity of clams. My accessory and I slurped the big confined of egg bead soup dry; it was satisfying…

I accept been authoritative egg bead soup with clams aback I came back. I try to carbon the aftertaste and absolute the recipe, and I anticipate I am accepting there.

Try my egg bead soup compound and say goodbye to the runny, tasteless, plain, arid egg bead soup you get from your Chinese joints. Say accost to a refreshing, comforting, and home-made egg bead soup that you will charge to exhausted the summer heat. If you don’t like clams, you can add tofu into the egg bead soup and it works fine, too.
Egg Drop Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

3 eggs (beaten)
2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water
1 pound clams (rinsed and scrubbed)
4 oz. tomato (diced into small pieces)
1 stalk scallion (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine

Method:

Bring the chicken broth and water to boil. Add the diced tomato into the soup and bring it to a quick boil. Add a thin stream of the beaten egg into the boiling broth by circling around the soup pot in a clock-wise manner until the eggs are used up. Wait for 1 minute or so until the eggs are cooked then add the clams and seasonings. As soon as the clam shells are open, add the chopped scallions into the egg drop soup. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

When you pour the eggs into the boiling soup, don’t stir the soup with ladle or it will break up the eggs too much.


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Apricot Fingers

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MAKES 20

11/4 cups broiled apricots

6 tablespoons air-conditioned accomplished (caster) sugar

4 oz. (125 g) butter

2 cups (8 oz, 250 g) advantageous (plain) flour, sifted

1 teaspoon double-acting baking crumb (2 teaspoons baking powder)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon arena cinnamon

milk

LEMON ICING:

1 cup (5 oz, 55 g) confectioners’ (icing) sugar

1 tablespoon broiled butter

2 teaspoons auto juice

yellow aliment coloring

Directions:

1. Soak apricots in hot baptize for 1 hour. Baker apricots with 3 tablespoons amoroso until soft. Puree and cool.

2. Rub adulate into abrade and baking powder. Add 2 tablespoons amoroso and mix to a close chef with the egg. Chill.

3. Divide chef in half. Roll out and band a 11 x 7 inch (28 x 18 cm) anointed slab block pan (tin) with bisected the dough.

4. Spread with apricot pur6e, baptize with actual amoroso and cinnamon.

5. Cover with actual formed pastry, besom with milk. Bake in a hot oven (425°F, 220°C, Gas Mark 7) for 10 minutes, lower calefaction to 350°F (180°C, Gas Mark 4) and baker for a added 20 minutes. When cold, ice with auto icing. Cut into fingers.

6. Auto icing: Sift amoroso into a bowl, add broiled adulate and auto juice. Mix to a overextension bendability with baking water. Mix in chicken aliment coloring.As Seen On Tv - Official Secret Restaurant Recipes Click Here!

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Butterfly Muffins

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MAKES 36

6 oz (185 g) butter

1/4 cup (51/2 oz, 170 g) superfine (caster) sugar

1/2 teaspoon boilerplate abstract (essence)

3 eggs

2 cups (8 oz, 250 g) self-raising flour

‘/2 cup (4fl oz, 125 ml) milk

jelly (jam)

whipped cream

confectioners’ (icing) sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375-400°F, (190-200°C, Gas Mark 5-6). Adulate 36 patty block tins or band tins with cardboard patty cases.

2. Chrism butter, sugar, and boilerplate abstract until light, white and fluffy.

3. Add baffled eggs gradually, assault able-bodied afterwards anniversary addition.

4. Gently activity in sifted abrade and milk. Spoon a aggregate teaspoon of the admixture into anniversary of the patty block tins.

5. Reduce oven temperature to moderately hot (375°F, 190°C, Gas Mark 5) and broil for about 1 5 account until acme accept risen able-bodied and are analogously brown.

6. Air-conditioned on a wire rack. When cakes are air-conditioned cut a amphitheater from the top of anniversary application a small, aciculate knife. Cut the circles in half.

7. Place a baby abundance of apricot or raspberry clabber (jam) assimilate anniversary cake.

8. Cover the clabber (jam) with 1 teaspoon of aerated cream.

9. Replace the bisected circles to anatomy butterfly wings on top of the cakes.

10. Sprinkle the butterfly muffins agilely with sifted confectioners’ sugar.As Seen On Tv - Official Secret Restaurant Recipes Click Here!

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Bacalhau (SALT COD CASSEROLE)

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A acceptable Portuguese dish, Bacalhau (bah-kah-loah) makes an unusual, appetizing ancestors cafeteria or banquet basin and may be served with a blooming salad. The alkali cod should be bought the day afore you ambition to baker it, so that it can be blood-soaked in algid baptize for 12 hours to abolish some of the salt.

4 SERVINGS

2 lb. alkali cod

6 fl. oz. [3/4 cup] olive oil

11/2 lb. potatoes, peeled

1 lb. onions, cut in slices and afar into rings

1 lb. tomatoes, coarsley sliced

2 garlic cloves, cautiously chopped

1. teaspoon coarsley arena atramentous pepper

10 atramentous olives, stones removed 4 above eggs, sliced

2 tablespoons cautiously chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Put the cod in a medium-sized bond basin and awning with algid water. Leave covered for at atomic 12 hours to soak. Change the baptize every 3 or 4 hours, or whenever convenient.

2. Cesspool the cod and bathe it able-bodied to ablution off the salt. Put the angle in a medium- sized saucepan, awning with baptize and accompany to the abscess over aerial heat. Lower the heat, awning the pan and simmer the cod for 15 account or until it is cooked.

3. Pour abroad the baptize and cesspool the cod well. Skin and cartilage the fish. Flake it and set acidic.

4. Preheat the oven to adequately hot 375′F (Gas Mark 5, 190″C).

5. Half ample a ample bucket with absolute baptize and accompany it to the boil. Add the potatoes and abscess them for 15 to 20, minutes, or until they are aloof cooked. Cesspool and cut the potatoes into slices and set aside.

6. In a ample frying-pan calefaction 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over abstinent heat. When it is hot add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, active occasionally until they are bendable but not brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic and pepper and baker active anxiously for 4 minutes. Draw the pan off the heat.

7. Arrange the potato slices, the cod, onions and tomatoes in layers in the goulash until it is full. Pour the actual oil over the top. Put the goulash in the centermost of the oven and baker for 30 account or until all the capacity arc thoroughly acrimonious and the top is brown.

Garnish the basin with the atramentous olives, egg slices and chopped parsley. Serve hot.As Seen On Tv - Official Secret Restaurant Recipes Click Here!

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