Fine Old Recipes

If you are looking for a great way to save money and impress your family, try your hand at bread making. Sourdough bread is a special bread that does not need yeast to help it rise. Sourdough starter is the secret of why sourdough bread tastes so danged good! You combine flour, water and time to make a sourdough starter. It usually takes about a week to get a good vigorous starter going.

There are quite literally hundreds of sourdough starter recipes out there. You can read dozens of books which all have their own way of making the starter and the bread. What matters is that you find one that works for you. I have tried probably a dozen or more over the last few years. I’m happy with the one I use now, but if or when I accidentally kill this one, I may try a new variation. That’s part of the fun of working with sourdough — experimenting!

The sourdough bread recipe that I like is very simple. It uses water, the sour (or sourdough starter), flour and salt. That is it. Combine those ingredients and some time and you will have amazing homemade bread. Many sourdough bread recipes call for yeast, store bought yeast, as one of the ingredients. I’m not such a snob that I am going to tell you not to do that. It certainly will certainly ensure that your bread rises. It will, unfortunately, also affect the taste. Yeast has it’s own distinctive flavor and while it is lovely, it is not part of the normal sourdough taste. It can overpower the acidic flavor of the sour. Many recipes call for yeast to begin the sourdough bread starter and that can help to jump start your starter, for sure.

If you have a good, strong sour, then you will have a great, chewy and sour bread to show for your efforts. The hardest part about making sourdough bread is having the time and patience to let the bread rise. With regular yeast bread, the dough rises for an hour and the shaped loaves rise for an hour. And that is it. With sourdough bread, the dough rises for two hours, the shaped loaves rise for an hour at room temperature and overnight in the refrigerator. You have to have the time to let the dough rise and the sour flavor to develop. If you can, then you will have wonderful bread to eat and share.

Finding allergy free recipes is comparable to finding a needle in a haystack. It’s often difficult and frustrating. Many people are allergic to some of the biggest allergens such as soy (even hidden soy), wheat, dairy, and nuts. These things are usually hidden inside foods too, so even if it isn’t obviously one of the above, it could be lurking in breads and soups, and even candy.

Recipes can be found everywhere, but a cookbook usually provides a comprehensive guide to cooking meals allergy free. There are alternatives for almost everything, such as BBQ “chicken” without the chicken, soy free milk, and dairy free breads. The unlucky individuals that are allergic to everything may have a harder time, but there is still hope. Measurements and food balance is important when preparing recipes. For whatever reason, the recipe doesn’t always come out as intended if you follow the rules step by careful step.

After cookbooks, the Internet is truly your best cooking buddy. There are likely thousands upon thousands of recipes lurking out there waiting to be prepared. On the Internet you will find plenty of other people that share your same allergy worries and know how to prepare delicious recipes that are healthy and filling.

Of course, if you are still on a hunt for that perfect allergy-free chocolate cake recipe, you can ask around. Talk to people about what they do for holidays or vacations. Learn about basic alternatives that can quickly turn your cooking habits into something easy and stress free.

While finding the recipe is only half the fun, cooking can be challenging. You must learn to like “strange” alternatives and be prepared to put them in the meals you create. Not everything will be as delicious as you had hoped, but you can try again with different spices or ingredients. Eventually you will find something that everyone in your family will enjoy.

One thing that those will allergies learn, is that allergy-free foods come at a high cost. Why? Food companies base their products around allergens because they act as filler. In this case, you must learn to fend for yourself and budget so that you can prepare allergy free meals that are healthy for you and your family.

Closing Comments

The fun part is learning patience and finding recipes that will make your entire family happy. It doesn’t need to be extravagant, but you do need to be kitchen savvy. Regardless of how the allergies started, it is crucial to your health that you avoid the major allergens that can cause health problems.

So you are thinking about trying some healthy recipes, but you do not know where to start, or you think you don’t have enough time? Well you are mistaken! Healthy foods can now be simpler than you would ever have expected. There is no need for complicated calorie counting; all you need are a few tips to help you through it. You will realize soon enough that cooking and eating healthy meals is definitely worth it.

Plenty of fruits and vegetables are the key to eating healthy. They are filled with the essential vitamins and nutrients your body and your brain needs to function and make it through the day. If you think you do not possess the time required to cook those healthy recipes, you are wrong! Of course there are some more complex recipes, but there are also plenty of super easy and super fast ones.

So for your next breakfast, try this: 30g of whole grain cereals and 175g of yogurt mixed together, with 125ml of orange juice on the side. You don’t like orange juice? Not a problem! You can substitute for your choice of vegetable of fruit juice, as long as it is 100% pure. You can also add as many fresh fruits as you want to your breakfast. For even more delicious nutritious, add in some scrambled eggs. Now that is a quick and nutritious morning!

Now if you work out of the house, lunch can be a little tricky. So if you must eat out, try to remember what not to eat: no fast food and no over processed food. Feeding your body this kind of stuff will not make you feel better. Also try to keep an eye on sugary, fatty or salty food. You do not have to avoid them, moderation is always the key.

How about this for a quick brown bag lunch: spread on whole wheat bread a mix of tuna, light mayonnaise and your shredded cheese of choice, for a delectable homemade tuna sandwich. After a complete healthy meal like this one, you will feel ready to take on the rest of your day.

Now I understand that dinner can be a bit puzzling. You probably aren’t alone, and you have the kids to feed or a husband to feed as well. Well why not make this an opportunity to teach them some new habits! A child’s growing body needs to be fed well. So this might be your chance to teach your family how to feed themselves better.

For example: 1 lb of boneless chicken cut into strips, 1/4 cup of fat free Italian dressing, 2 cups of frozen of fresh mixed vegetable of your choice and 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce. Fry the chicken and dressing in a large skillet, add the veggies and soy sauce and fry for another 5 minutes. Dinner ready to eat for four! Have any leftovers? Why not make them the next day’s lunch and save yourself even more time!

So when trying your hand at healthy recipes, use your imagination! Just remember the big lines: lots of fruits and vegetables, more whole grain and not too much salt! Anything taken with moderation is acceptable; you just need to be careful!

Healthy food can be hard to find these days. Eggs are very healthy and nutritious for breakfasts, and are extremely easy to prepare, especially with these online healthy recipes.