Healthy Bean Sprouts

When people grow beans, they might throw away any other parts of the plant but bean sprouts (the part that shoots from different types of bean) has been a popular food in its own right for many years.

Usually taken from the Mung bean, bean sprouts are a sweet and crunchy by-product of a vegetable which can be used in stir fries, chop suey, salads and other recipes usually of Asian origin.

How to Make your Own Bean Sprouts

Making your own bean sprouts (i.e. growing them at home) is easy, all you need is:

• 2-3 tablespoons dry Mung beans
• 1 quart glass jar
• Water
• Cheesecloth and rubber band

1. Soak the dry beans in water for about 10 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the beans. Cover the mouth of the jar with the cheesecloth and hold in place with a rubber band. Place the jar, almost upside down in a bowl. You want the beans to stay damp.
3. Place the jar and bowl in a warm dark place, or cover with a dark cloth to keep the light out.
4. Rinse beans twice daily. Sprouts will be finished in 6-7 days, and should completely fill your jar.

You can add the sprouts to a salad for a little extra crunch or just make them and then try out some new recipes such as:

1. Asian Bean Sprout Salad Recipes
2. Stir Fried Bean Sprouts Recipes
3. Asian Coleslaw Recipes
4. Recipes for Buddha’s Delight topped with Sprouts
5. Asian Paper Rolls Recipes

Find these and more recipes using bean sprouts on Recipebridge.

Five Asian Recipes With Bean Sprouts is a post from: RecipeBridge Blog

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Add a personal touch with DIY food gifts this Easter

If you feel like you give the same presents every year, it can be a little difficult to think up new gift ideas which really show how much you care. DIY food gifts are a great way of adding a personal touch to the holidays and can be enjoyed by everyone!

From cookies exchanges to creative food hampers, attractive packaging adds to the fun and gives the gift even more of a festive touch. Make shortbread bites or homemade cookies and put them in plain boxes then get creative with ribbon, or even make your own wrapping paper with stamps and lots of colorful inks!

Cookie Compotes – Small, bite sized cookies nicely presented in a compote or festive mug is a great way of getting creative with your gifts this year – wrap them in clear plastic and add ribbons and sparkles for extra festivity!

Ginger Palmiers – Made with spices of the season, the ginger syrup and sugar are deliciously sweet and all your palmier creations can be stored in a jar of any size. Decorate with homemade labels and a fabric top and other decorations of your choice.

Drink Mixers – You don’t just need to give food gifts on Christmas – you can give great drink mixers for all those cocktail lovers out there for Easter as well. Create syrups, sodas and other mixers to really spice up the liquor cabinet. Pour into nice bottles and create personalized labels for a special touch.

Lebkuchen – A very festive treat, these German cookies are a great gift to give on Easter. They are easy to make and can be made in large batches to give to all your friends and family. Enjoy experimenting with nutty flavors and different spices and wrap them creatively in personalized boxes or parcels.

Candy Marshmallows – A sweet taste of festive candy canes can be made into small marshmallow squares to pass around your friends. They will love the beautiful pink and red swirly patterns in the marshmallows and can top their numerous cup of hot chocolate with these pieces over the festive season too!

Homemade Fudge as Food Gifts

As well as all of these great food gifts, there is one that is very popular among practically everyone any time of the year, and that’s homemade fudge. Deliciously rich and indulgent, this is sure to be a food giving success!

You will need:

• Vegetable oil/cooking spray
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 ½ cups mini marshmallows
• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup crushed peppermint candy

1. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with two sheets of waxed or parchment paper in a crisscross manner (one lengthwise, one crosswise) so ends overhang sides of pan; coat evenly with cooking spray.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, cook sugar, salt, butter, cream, and marshmallows, stirring, until butter and marshmallows are almost melted (5 to 6 minutes).
3. Bring mixture to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally (5 minutes). Remove from heat. Add chips and vanilla; stir until chips are melted. Pour mixture into lined pan.
4. Let fudge cool in the pan at room temperature (3 hours). Use edges of paper to lift out fudge; place on cutting board, and remove paper. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Sprinkle evenly with crushed candy.

The great thing about this lovely festive fudge is that you don’t need to make loads. Its rich flavors and chewy, moist texture are so great o their own that only a few well decorated pieces are needed to make this a truly exclusive and personal gift.

Find more festive recipes for Easter food gifts on recipebridge.

DIY Food Gifts For Easter is a post from: RecipeBridge Blog

Rocket or Arugula Leaves?

Although ‘rocket’ is the name that many of us will know, it is also called arugula and that is its most common name in some parts of the world such as the USA. A dark green vegetable, it is often used in salads and other recipes and has a very distinct flavour.

Its peppery taste is very much a love/hate with many people but when used in the right recipes it can truly enhance the flavour of a dish.

Origins of Arugula 

Arugula is often found in Italian cuisine, and if you look at its history it has Mediterranean origin plus its uses by Romans in Ancient Rome. It used to be grown for its leaves as well as its seed and its most famous use as an aphrodisiac.

Arugula and Nutrition

Arugula is often used in salads not only to add more flavor, but also because it is the perfect low fat ingredient for a healthy salad with a similar peppery taste to cress.

• There are 25 calories in 100g rocket salad.
• It’s rich in minerals such as iron, potassium, manganese and calcium.
• It contains strong antioxidants for keeping immune systems healthy and preventing illness.
• It’s rich in vitamin C which also keeps your immunity levels high.
• Rocket is high beta-carotene which converts into Vitamin A when consumed which has been proven to prevent cancer developing.

Recipes with Arugula

We absolutely adore this delicious Ricotta and Arugula Pie – it’s great for dinner with the family!

You will need:

• 3 Puff pastry sheets
• 500g Ricotta
• 300g Rocket and spinach
• Basil
• 2 Onions
• 1/3 bulb Garlic
• Pinenuts, toasted
• Bocconcini cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg

1. Mince onions and garlic, fry in olive oil in a cast iron pan till soggy and brown and fragrant.
2. Season bocconcini with olive oil, salt and pepper. Marinate.
3. Mix rocket and spinach in a food processor. Don’t make it too fine. Make sure vegetables are as dry as possible otherwise you’ll get a soggy pie.
4. Mix chopped vegetables up with onions, garlic, ricotta, add salt and black pepper, pinenuts and basil
5. Make sure the pan you just used is a clear of onions as can be. It will still be oily so no need to oil it. Place a sheet of puff pastry over the bottom.
6. Bake in oven at 200C until golden.
7. Spoon on the vegetable/ricotta mixture and level.
8. Push the bocconcini into the mixture.
9. Lay another sheet of puff pastry on top. Seal the edges as best as you can then slash the top of the pie so the steam can get through. Brush beaten egg all over the pie pastry surface.
10. Bake for about 30 minutes at 200C, or until golden on top.

This is a great warming spring recipe and you can even serve with a little arugula salad with garnish too!

Find more arugula recipes on Recipebridge.

Peppery Arugula Recipes is a post from: RecipeBridge Blog

Easy and healthy mussels

Mussels are salt water molluscs (a type of clam) and are also a popular seafood found in a range of countries across the globe. They have a soft, moist texture and slightly salty taste reminiscent of other seafood but they can be prepared in a variety of ways and can also be eaten as an appetizer or entree – it’s up to you!

Mussels are high in protein and low in fat, not to mention delicious so there is no reason not to try these yummy sea dwellers.

How to Choose Mussels for Cooking

Go to a reputable fishmonger or reliable supermarket fish counter. Make sure that the mussels you pick or you are given are tightly closed, undamaged, and smell fresh. If it is open a little, tap it and see if it closes – this means it is alive and suitable for eating.

How to Clean Mussels

Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush to get rid of dirt, sand, barnacles etc and then cut away the beard. Rinse them but don’t leave them to soak in fresh water as this will kill them and make them unsuitable for eating.

How to Steam Mussels?

1. For 450g mussels, pour 1 or 2 cups of white wine or water into a large saucepan, add the mussels and cover. Cook on a high heat and bring the liquid to the boil.
2. When steam is coming from the sides of the pan, reduce the heat and simmer the mussels until they begin to open. This should take about 5 minutes. During cooking shake the pan a little so that the mussels are redistributed and cook evenly.
3. After several minutes, keep an eye on the mussels and try to remove each mussel as it opens. This can be a tedious task but will be well worth it, as each mussel will be cooked just right.
4. When all the mussels have opened, they can be served in their shell, in a bowl, with the broth strained and then poured over them. Throw away any mussels that have not opened.

Find many mussels recipes on Recipebridge.

How To Cook Mussels? is a post from: RecipeBridge Blog

Coastal Sardines

Sardines are a popular coastal dish, and across the world, sardines can be found in coastal towns as delicious restaurant specialties and thanks to the freshness, they can taste absolutely amazing. They have been eaten for hundreds of years and were first eaten in Europe, namely in Portugal, Spain and France.

Over the years, the popularity of sardines has spread and they are a massive hit in the UK, across the US and other coastal parts of the world where sardines can be easily bought and sold.

Ways to cook sardines

Fresh Sardines

Not everyone has the luxury of living along the coast, and one of the great things about living near the sea is that fresh produce such as sardines are readily available. The invention of tinned sardines became a great fashion about 200 years ago when Nicholas Appert introduced the idea of canning fresh ingredients so that it could stay fresher for longer. This is something that many manufacturers still do now and allows those of us that live inland to taste sardines, tuna, and other seafood for a cheaper price than fresher produce.

Find fresh sardines recipes on Recipebridge.

Grilled Sardines

If using fresh sardines (recommended for best taste), prepare the fish first by washing scaling and deboning them. Grilling sardines is easy and requires a hot oven plus usually the use of a marinade or brushed on oil so that the skin doesn’t dry out.

Find recipes for grilled sardines on Recipebridge.

Baked Sardines

Baking your sardines is another delicious way of cooking, and can be done by heating your oven at 180C then preparing your fillets. They can be seasoned, brushed with oil or you can squeeze lemon over them and then place them on a baking tray for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven for a tender and ready-to-fall-apart texture.

Find baked sardines recipes on Recipebridge.

Ceviche with Sardines

Ceviche is a South American seafood dish, and it is famously eaten in the Mediterranean as an appetiser or main course using sardines as the seafood ingredient. With a special type of marinade, you can create this fishy yet distinctive Mediterranean taste and experience the taste of Europe.

Find more sardines recipes on Recipebridge.

Four Ways To Sardines is a post from: RecipeBridge Blog

Deliciously healthy almonds

Almonds are actually the seeds that come from the almond tree. A Middle Eastern nut, these delicate seeds are shaped like teardrops and have a rough brown shell which is also edible. Almonds have been around for years, and it is thanks to their unique taste, texture and flavor that they make great snacks as well as a good ingredient for a number of recipes.

Almonds are said to have been around for many thousands of years, perhaps since around 1400 BC. By 100 AD, the Romans threw almonds over newly married couples as an old form of confetti as a fertility symbol.

Grown in Spain, Morocco, Greece, and Israel around 600 AD, the trees have since been moved all around the world and nowadays the biggest cultivation of almonds is in California, USA.

 Nutritional Benefits of Almonds

• Almond nuts are high in fat, but are a good snack to have when losing weight and having a little ‘good’ fat in your diet is better for you than none at all!
• They are full of vitamin E which is good for looking after your heart and can reduce the risk of heart attacks.
• Almonds are high in phosphorus and therefore promote healthy teeth and bones.
• They can lower cholesterol and also keep insulin in your blood level as well.
• They are rich in protein which aids weight loss, keeps muscles strong and also help with muscle recovery.

You don’t have to just eat almonds raw; there are many ways that you can use almonds in cooking. For example, you might like to try tossing them in salads, adding them to stir fries, mincing and blending them into sauces, or even making your own pesto etc.

How to Roast Almonds

Roasting almonds is a popular way of preparing this delicious nut and can be done very easily. You will need:

• 1 pound whole raw almonds
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

1. Spread the almonds out in two 9 x 13 inch baking dishes.
2. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, until a nutty scent fills your kitchen.
3. Remove almond from oven and sprinkle with salt.
4. Cool for 1 hour and then serve.

Easy Recipes Using Almonds

There are many meals that use almonds either as a main ingredient, side dish or even a garnish, and by putting this lovely type of nut into your cooking you will not only benefit from its many health advantages but you can also make your meals much more exciting with new flavors and textures. All of the following recipes are available on Recipe Bridge:

Savory

• Lemon Almond Biryani
• Green Beans with Toasted Garlic and Almonds
• Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Grapes and Almonds
• Almond Crusted Goats Cheese over Mixed Greens

Sweet

• Honey Almond Ice Cream
• Chinese Almond Cookies
• Orange Almond and Poppy Seed Cakes
• Raspberry Almond Trifle

Find these and more almond recipes on Recipebridge.

Recipes With Almonds is a post from: RecipeBridge Blog

The gourmet flavors of dover sole

Sole is a firm textured fish with a delicate texture, usually available year around. Sold as fresh wild caught or frozen, fresh sole fillets have almost no fish smell and are springy to touch. However, frozen sole can get a mushy texture when thawed. In the recent years sole has become a favorite of many gourmet restaurants and seafood lovers indulge in the delicate flavor and texture of this flat fish.

Ways to cook sole

As with most fish preparations, sole can be broiled, baked, steamed and sauteed.

Broiled Sole

Simple add seasonings, salt and pepper and broil sole fillets or whole fish.

Find recipes for broiled sole on Recipebridge.

Baked Sole

Coat the whole fish with olive oil or butter and bake in a sheet pan. Of course add seasonings to your choice. Adding garlic and parsley brings out great flavors in this delightful fish preparation.

Find recipes for baked sole on Recipebridge.

Sauteed Sole

The classic French dish sole meunière it’s dredged in flour and sautéed. Clean the whole fish, dredge it in flour mixed with salt and pepper and saute in a pan with olive oil. Serve with lemon slices.

Find more recipes for sauteed sole on Recipebridge.

Steamed Sole

Steaming is particularly good for rolled fillets of sole, as it retains it’s shape and remains moist. Of course steaming is great cooking preparation for cutting down on calories as no fat is used. It usually takes less than ten minutes to steam a sole fillet or even whole sole fish.

Find steamed sole recipes on Recipebridge.

Poached Sole

Poaching is another great way to cook sole. One can poach sole in white wine or cider for great flavors. Adding the poching liquid to the final preparation or any sauce to with it enhances the fish flavors as well.

Find poached sole recipes on Recipebridge.

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