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Planning a meal is a stimulating experience particularly when you start to think about the delicious ingredients that you will use. This is especially true when it comes to the first course in the meal called appetizers. Appetizers, as the word implies, are meant to rouse one’s appetite and excite the taste buds for the full serving of food ahead. In this way, appetizers are critical opening chows that should be carefully selected and prepared.

Indian appetizers have some of the widest selection of mouth-watering snacks. They are as diverse and unique as the Indian people. For them, preparing appetizers is considered to be a special form of art. Consequently, you are assured that serving Indian appetizers will be a pleasant experience for everyone on the table.

Most of the Indian appetizers are eaten while they are hot or cold. Indian soups served while they are still hot boost one’s energy. There are two types of soups in India. The one from the south is called Indian Rasam and the one from the north is called Indian Shorba. The traditional south Indian Rasam is a good preparation for plain cooked rice or curries.

One sumptuous Rasam appetizer soup recipe is made from lots and lots of tomatoes.   Kerala uses diced tomatoes and a combination of savory spices. The spices include garlic, chilies, tamarind pulp, mustard seeds, and curry leaves among others. Just the sound of that makes one want to prepare it so it can be tasted immediately.

What you need to do first is to boil the tomatoes, garlic, and chilies in 4 cups of water. Put in all the ground spices such as the tamarind pulp and let it simmer for a maximum of 15 minutes. Then allow the mustard seeds to splutter in a heated pan with oil. Fry them for a minute together with the curry leaves, red chili, and onions and mix them in with the tomatoes. Lastly, garnish with some chopped cilantro or coriander leaves.

Meanwhile, other Indian appetizers are best with tea or wine. They include Shish kebab, pakoras, bondas and samosas. Samosas are not only delectable but nutritious as well. The dough is made from white flour, white vinegar, salt, and some water and oil. The dough goes through a process of kneading, dividing, stacking, and stripping until they are ready to be peeled for the fillings.

The samosas are filled with mixed vegetables and Indian spices, sealed with a flour and water paste, and then baked or deep fried. For more enticement, the samosas can be dipped into a tamarind chutney sauce.

On the other hand, Indian appetizers can also come as light dishes. These types of appetizers are eaten on the side to make the whole course a fully satisfying and substantial meal. In particular, chicken lollipops are fun finger foods that come in inviting presentations. The good thing about it is that it is very easy to prepare. You will surely finish it in a span of 45 minutes.

There are truly numerous options for appetizers that Indian recipes offer. Choose the one which will suit your taste, ingredients, and preparation preferences.

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www.therenegadehealthshow.com – Annmarie disappeared for about 15 min today and reappeared with our video camera… She made a delicious chocolate raw smoothie for Rebecca’s kids!

Lemon is always one of the most refreshing tastes for desserts.  And lemon bars have long been a popular dessert choice.  But here we offer something a little different than the usual lemon bars.  Give this recipe for Chewy Lemon Nut Bars a try. These bars have oats in the crust giving them their chewy texture and chopped pecans give crunch.  A great combination for the creamy lemon center.  These bars are great for picnics, parties, pitch-ins, potluck, family dessert or just simply with a cup of coffee over conversation with friends.  They also work well in lunchboxes and as after-school snacks.   Give these versatile bars a try soon.  You’ll be glad you did.

CHEWY LEMON NUT BARS

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup quick oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp grated lemon peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, and granulated sugar; cut in the margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts and oats. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture; set aside. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese, egg, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a small mixing bowl using medium speed of electric mixer, until well blended. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top of the cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Enjoy!

This Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake is a perfect dessert for pitch-in meals at work, picnics, family reunions, church socials, family meals or just about any occasion that calls for a dessert.  It is also great with coffee for visiting with friends or entertaining.  Blueberries are known as one of the healthiest foods available so working them into desserts is a good thing.  This cake uses lemon extract rather than vanilla, adding a bit of lemon flavor to compliment the blueberries.

BLUEBERRY-YOGURT BUNDT CAKE

2 cups sifted cake flour
3 tbsp instant non-fat dry milk powder
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cake flour, milk powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in the pecans.

In another bowl, mix together the sugar and yogurt. Beat in the eggs, oil, and lemon extract. Fold in the blueberries. Combine the flour mixture into the blueberry mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pan then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

After cake is completely cooled, drizzle with a sugar glaze or frost with a cream cheese frosting, if desired. This cake is fine without any glaze or frosting.

Enjoy!

Enjoy those wonderful summer vegetables from your garden, grocery store, or farmer’s market in delicious casseroles. Quick, easy, inexpensive and perfect for family reunions, picnics, pitch-in meals, etc. Choose from Zucchini Cheese Casserole, Shirley’s Asparagus Casserole, and Summer Squash Casserole.

ZUCCHINI CHEESE CASSEROLE

1 1/2 qts (6 cups) peeled, seeded, diced zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup Ritz style cracker crumbs
6 tbsp melted butter or margarine
8-oz pkg shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together all ingredients except one-half of the cheese. Pour mixture into a 9-inch square baking dish that has been lightly greased. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until zucchini is tender and casserole is bubbly.

SHIRLEY’S ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

2 cans asparagus (or an equal amount of fresh, steamed)
2 tbsps milk
3/4 box cheese crackers or saltines
3 hard boiled eggs
1 or 2 pieces pimento, chopped
2 small cans English peas
2 cans mushroom soup
1/2 stick butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat mushroom soup and milk together in a medium saucepan. Crumble crackers into melted butter and mix well. Using half of each layer asparagus, sliced eggs, peas, soup mixture, sprinkle with pimento. Repeat with remaining items. Top with crackers. Bake at 325 degrees until browned and bubbly.

SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE

2 lbs. yellow squash, sliced (can mix yellow squash with zucchini if desired)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded carrots
1 pkg (8-oz) herb stuffing mix (I prefer Pepperridge Farms)
1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan, cook the squash and onion in boiling salted water for 5 minutes; drain. Combine cream of chicken soup with the sour cream. Stir in the carrots. Fold in squash and onion mixture. Combine stuffing mix and butter. Spray a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half the stuffing mixture in bottom of dish. Spoon vegetable mixture over the stuffing. Top with the remaining stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Have dessert from the tropics with either of these delicious recipes.  The Hawaiian Fruit Cake is a simple cake to make and is perfect for taking to church suppers, office pitch-ins, picnics, etc.  It is also perfect for family meals.  Quick, easy, yummy–that’s a combination that is hard to beat.  The Tropical Angel Food Cake Dessert uses a bakery angel food cake so it goes together quickly and easily.  It needs to refrigerate overnight or all day so it is a perfect make-ahead dessert!

HAWAIIAN FRUIT CAKE
 
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, well beaten
1 can (20-oz) crushed pineapple in juice
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup chopped macadamia (or other) nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together; add the butter and mix well. Mix the pineapple and egg together and add to the flour mixture along with the chopped nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

TOPPING:

1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese
1/4 lb butter, softened at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 cups powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Spread the frosting over the cake while the cake is still warm.

TROPICAL ANGEL FOOD CAKE DESSERT

1 (10-oz) angel food cake
1 container (12-oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 can flaked coconut, toasted
1 jar (6 or 7-oz)maraschino cherries, well drained and chopped
1 can (15-oz) can crushed pineapple

Break the angel food cake into bite-sized pieces. Arrange half of the cake pieces in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Top with half of the undrained crushed pineapple and half the chopped cherries. Spread half of the whipped topping over the fruit; top with half the toasted coconut. Repeat the layers exactly as before, ending with the topping and coconut. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy!

This terrific new course will teach you the techniques and hardware that will have you broiling like any culinary professional. There is nothing left out of this short but comprehensive guide in cooking foods such as steak, fish, chicken and vegetables.
How To Broil Delicious Food Like The Professionals

With its classic Rock & Roll theme and great chef-prepared meals, the HARD ROCK CAFE is a fantastic place to eat.

Back in the 70′s, Eric Clapton – the original guitar god, founder of Cream and Derek & the Dominoes, writer of the immortal “Layla” – liked to eat at this quirky American restaurant in London, England, called the Hard Rock Cafe.

The diner was this funky old building that used to be a Rolls Royce dealership. It was run by a couple of young American guys who liked to keep it loose. Hard Rock Cafe was an instant classic. You could be yourself at the Hard Rock. It was good food and a good time.

So Clapton got to be friends with the American duo and asked them to save him a regular table – put up a brass plaque or something. And the young proprietors said, “Why don’t we put up your guitar?” They all had a chuckle, and he handed over a guitar, and they slapped it on the wall.

No one thought much more about it. Until a week later, when another guitar arrived (a Gibson Les Paul, by the way). With it was a note from Pete Townshend of The Who which read: “Mine’s as good as his. Love, Pete.”

The young proprietors put it on the wall. After that, the guitars never stopped coming.

The restaurant franchise continues this practice today with Hard Rock Cafes in more than thirty countries worldwide. Each Hard Rock Cafe is filled with Rock & Roll collectibles. Many famous musical artists continue to donate items to the restaurants.

Hard Rock Cafe features fun menu items like Blackened Chicken Penne Pasta, Hickory Smoked Chicken & Spinach Dip, Famous Pig Sandwich, Love Me Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce, Rock Your World Chicken Quesadillas and their Purple Haze Mixed Drink.

>>> So if you want to prepare a delicious meal to impress family, friends or even a hot date – maybe someone you met on a romantic dating site – here is Hard Rock Cafe’s most popular meal of all – BAKED POTATO SOUP FOLLOWED BY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS & ORANGE FREEZE DESSERT…

–Hard Rock Cafe Baked Potato Soup–

8 slices bacon

1 cup Diced yellow onions

2/3 cup Flour

6 cups Hotchicken stock

4 cups Diced — peeled baked Potatoes

2 cups Heavy cream

1/4 cup Chopped parsley

1 1/2 teaspoon Granulated garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon Dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon Coarse black pepper

1 cup Grated Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Diced green onions — white Part only

Additional chopped bacon –

Grated cheese and Chopped parsley for Garnish

Fry bacon until crisp. Chop bacon and reserve drippings.

Cook onions in remaining drippings over medium-high heat until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add flour, stirring to prevent lumps.

Cook 3 – 5 minutes until mix just begins to run golden. Add chicken stock gradually, whisking to prevent lumps, until liquid thickens. Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, chopped bacon, parsley, garlic, basil, salt, pepper sauce and black pepper. Simmer 10 minutes; DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. Add grated cheese and green onions.

Heat until cheese melts smoothly.

Garnish each serving as desired with chopped bacon, grated cheese and chopped parsley.

–Rock Your World Chicken Quesadillas–

4 flour tortillas

1 grilled chicken breast

barbecue sauce

crushed pineapple

bacon bits

colby-jack cheese

cooking oil spray

Take flour tortilla and sprinkle half of it with cheese and 1/4 of cooked chicken.

Add bacon bits and a little bit of crushed pineapple (no juice) if desired. Pour a little bit of BBQ sauce on top. Don’t be too generous with the sauce or it will seep out of the quesadilla.

Spray the pan with cooking spray. Fold the tortilla in half and place in pan. It only takes a few short minutes to brown one side and then flip over to brown the other side.

When done, cut into wedges and serve with added BBQ sauce if you like to dip.

–Hard Rock Cafe Orange Freeze–

2 cups orange sherbet

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup milk

1 sprig fresh mint (for garnish)

In a blender, place the sherbet, juice, and milk; blend for 15 seconds or just until the sherbet is smooth.

You may have to stop the blender and stir the mixture up a bit to help it combine.

Pour into a tall, chilled glass and place a sprig of fresh mint on top.

Serve immediately, either to drink or as a dessert.

Or try…

–Hard Rock Cafe BBQ Beans–

2 15-ounce cans pinto beans (with liquid)

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons diced onion

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded pork or chopped bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour entire contents of the can of pinto beans into a casserole dish (with a lid). Dissolve the cornstarch in a small bowl with the 2 tablespoons of water.

Add this solution to the beans and stir. Add the remaining ingredients to the dish, stir well and cover.

Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every 30 minutes.

After removing the beans from the oven, let the beans cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

–Hard Rock Cafe Grilled Vegetable Sandwich–

6 Tbl Mayonnaise

1/2 ts Fresh Parsley — Chopped

Dried Oregano

Salt to taste

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 sm Zucchini

1 Yellow Summer Squash

1/4 Eggplant

1/4 c Olive Oil

2 Sourdough French Roll

1 TB Parmesan Cheese — Grated

8 Onion Ring Slices

4 slices Tomato

2 Pieces Red Leaf Lettuce

Preheat the barbecue or stovetop grill.

To prepare spread, put 3 tbsp of the mayo into a small bowl and add the parsley, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Set this and the remaining mayo aside until you’re ready to make the sandwich.

Prepare the bell pepper by cutting it into quarters and seeding it. Brush the entire surface with olive oil. Slice the zucchini, squash, and eggplant into lengthwise slices with oil as well.

Cook the red pepper on a hot grill for 2 or 3 mintues. At that point add the remaining vegetables to the grill and cook everything for 4 to 5 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

Be sure to salt the vegetables and turn them halfway through the cooking time. When the veggies are tender and begin to char, remove them from the grill and prepare each sandwich by first cutting the french rolls in half lengthwise through the middle. Spread the parsley-mayo mixture over the bottom of the rolls.

Arrange the zucchini onto the rolls. Stack the yellow squash and then the eggplant.

Peel the skin off the red peppers and then add to the sandwiches. Arrange the onions over the peppers. Divide the parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the peppers. Arrange the onions and tomato slices next.

Add the lettuce and spread the mayo on the top of the rolls. Close sandwiches and cut in half. Pierce each half with a toothpick and serve.

Dig In and Enjoy!

A Graduate of the Holland College Culinary Course, Brian Alan Burhoe has cooked in Atlantic Coast restaurants for over 30 years. He is a member of the Canadian Culinary Federation. Brian’s articles reflect his interests in food service, dreamstudy, imaginative literature and our best friends — our dogs.

His Home Page is A CULINARY MYSTERY TOUR – A Literary Chef. His articles have been reprinted on numerous culinary websites and various Blogs, including the popular Romantic Relationship site WUVING.com.

Other Popular items on the Hard Rock Cafe Menu:

Hard Rock Cheeseburger or Bacon Cheeseburger : Served with Seasoned Fries.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Sandwich: Topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato & Jack cheese. Served with Seasoned Fries & Coleslaw.

Hard Rock Cafe Veggie Burger: Served with a Side Salad.

Hickory Bar-B-Que Chicken: Served with Seasoned Fries, Coleslaw & Ranch Beans.

Entrée House Salad: Fresh mixed greens with shredded cheese, seasoned bacon bits, dried cranberries and in-house made garlic croutons. Served with choice of dressing.

Looking for a change of taste? What we have here is Asian flavored Indian chicken recipes and Chinese chicken recipes. These recipes are also suitable for diabetics. Now, you can prepare more varieties of delicious and healthy food for your family. Below you will find dumpling recipe and green curry chicken recipe.

Thai Green Chicken Curry
Serves 4-6

10 meat, 4 fat, two vegetable
Protein 100g
Fat 86g
Carbohydrate 30g
Total Calories 1280

Ingredients:
one little chicken (cut into big pieces)

Curry paste:
five large green chilies
one bunch spring onions (washed and trimmed)
one bunch mint leaves
two bunches fresh coriander including roots
two stalks lemongrass (sliced)
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp lemon rind
two tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
two tsp shrimp paste or powder
1 cup coconut milk
one cup water
1 cup child eggplants (optional) /orca
Citrus leaves or curry leaves
Fish sauce to flavor

Garnishing:
½ cup chopped coriander
½ cup chopped green chilies

Methods:
Put all spice elements in a foods processor and grind into a fine paste. Gently simmer the coconut milk in a non-stick pan till decreased to half. Add curry paste and stir-fry in the decreased milk for about 20 minutes until the paste is thick and also the oil separates out. Add chicken pieces and eggplants/orca, cook uncovered till chicken is cooked through. Season with fish sauce and curry leaves. Garnish with chopped green chilies and coriander prior to serving.

Pepper Chicken with Fermented Beans
Serves 6

9 ½ meat, two vegetable, one ½ fat, ½ starch, ¼ sugar

Protein 97g
Fat 60g
Carbohydrate 43g
Total Calories from fat 1100

Elements:
800g chicken pieces
one tsp salt
one Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
one Tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped aged orange peel
two Tbsp (30g) black fermented soya beans/miso
3 green peppers (reduce into bite measurements)
two red peppers (reduce into bite sizes)

Seasoning:
one tsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
one ½ Tbsp dark soya sauce
two tsp corn flour
3 Tbsp water

Chop chicken into bite-size pieces| and rub with salt, set aside to drain. Heat one tbsp of oil in a non-stick wok until smoke happens. Include chopped garlic and ginger and stir-fry till fragrant. After that, include chicken pieces and fry till they begin to turn brown. Get rid of the chicken items, leaving some with the oil behind. Stir fermented beans and orange peel to the remaining oil. Stir fry for 1 more moment. Lastly include in peppers and saute briefly until they are cooked and still crisp. Return the chicken towards the wok, sprinkle rice wine and pour in seasoning mixture. Cover and cook for 30 seconds over high heat. Serve immediately.