Healthy Vegetable Sushi Snacks

Great recipe: fun and healthy snacks for all the family - from eHow



Ingredients

8 inch tortillas
hummus
carrots
zucchini
string cheese sticks
1 cup uncooked brown rice

Step-by-step instructions with photos >>

15 Fun and Boo-tiful Halloween Recipes with Photos

Looking for a special Halloween recipe? Check out my creepy collection! This is a list of 15 of the most fun and creative recipes for your Halloween party.

1. Halloween Marble Cake

From: Zoe Bakes blog

Super Yummy Marble Cake + Spiders On a Cake = Pure Fun!



2. Red & Black Candy Apples

From: mattbites.com

This is without a doubt the most fabulous Halloween treat ever.



3. Black Bean Cat Crudités

From: FamilyFun

Looking for a Halloween night snack that's both healthy and festive? This skeletal array fits the bill, no bones about it - just assorted fresh vegetables and a bowl of dip arranged in the shape of a spooky cat.



4. Pumpkin Waffles

From: smittenkitchen.com

One of the most delicious and original pumpkin recipes I've ever seen.



5. Chili-Filled Coffin Recipe

From: Taste of Home

Here's an easy main dish that's cute enough to double as a Halloween table centerpiece.



6. Squid Ink Pasta

From: No Fuss Fabulous

This delicious Squid Ink Pasta in Shrimp Cream Garlic Sauce is perfect for a Halloween adult dinner party.



7. Spellbinding Cookies

From: Bake It Pretty

Chocolate and vanilla cookie dough swirl together to make an irresistible conocotion sure to lure you in (and have you desperate for more).



8. Jack-o-Lantern Quesadilla

From: Shindig 411

Fun and simple Halloween recipe for a kids party.




9. I Scream Sandwitches

From: Martha Stewart

Make "sandwitches" and eat quickly. Wicked witches have a habit of melting - these ones, especially.



10. Ghostly Gathering

From: Sunset

These sweet, crisp meringues will delight kids of all ages.



11. Tombstone Cookies with Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Crème

From: Sunset

This is a true chocolate-lover's dessert: rich, thick puddings topped with chocolate wafer "dirt" and cookie "gravestones."



12. Spooky Spider Eggs

Frightingly fun (and very stylish) party idea.

From: Sunset



13. Salty Bones

From: Cooking with ChristyB

A fun Halloween recipe that is sure to impress your kids. Salty bones are super simple to make, fun to look at and even more fun to eat.



14. Spiderweb Pumpkin Cheesecake

From: ReadersDigest.com

Halloween desserts don't get any better than this creamy cheesecake crawling with melt-in-your-mouth spiders.



15. Chocolate Marshmallow-Ghost Cake and Mini Cupcakes

From: Martha Stewart

Don't be afraid of these friendly ghosts - they are easy to make. Creating enough to cover and peek out from behind a cake takes no time at all, especially with help from junior chefs.



HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Orange Wednesday: Sweet Potato Soup

This Sweet Potato soup is soooo yummy but not overloaded with calories. It's an ultimate winter food but I like it so much that would definitely eat it all the year round. This specific recipe of soup makes a perfect match for the Orange Wednesday as it contains sweet potatoes, a pumpkin and carrots.



Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes
2 cups of pumpkin
2 carrots
1 celery root
1 large chopped onion
3 sliced cloves of Garlic
Chicken stock
Some fresh thyme
1/2 a cup of rose wine.
1/2 a cup of cream (15% fat)
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp of oil olive

Directions:

Peel the sweet potatoes, the carrots and the pumpkin, and slice into large cubes.

Fry the onion in a pot with some olive oil until it gets yellow.

Add the garlic and the celery root, and keep frying for 1 minute.

Add the carrots, the sweet potatoes and the pumpkin, and keep stirring for 3 minutes.

Add some fresh thyme, the chicken stock and the wine, just enough to cover the vegetables, and bring to a boil.

Low the fire to medium hit, and cook for 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Remove the pot from the fire, fish out the thyme and blend with a hand blender until you get a smooth cream.

Return the pot to the stove, add the cream, the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve hot and garnish with some fresh thyme, a few drops of olive oil and a splash of pepper and nutmeg.

Enjoy!

More Cooking Videos: Easy2Cook.tv

Read Also:

Add Color To Your Diet
Black Beans Soup Recipe
How To Cook Broccoli Properly
Free Organic Vegetable Gardening At Home

Adding Orange Color To Your Diet!

Our Colorful Diet Week continues with orange fruits and vegetables. Yay! Orange color is a happy color and orange recipes are yummy.



But what's actually so good about the orange food?

Orange fruits and vegetables are a great source of beta-carotene which is converted in the body to vitamin A. It strengthens the immune system and prevents several kinds of cancer. It's also good for eyes. Citrus fruits are also rich in vitamin C and potassium.

What orange products will be the best choice for your fun and healthy diet?

Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, peppers, oranges and grapefruits - this is what you need. These fruits and veggies are low in calories and rich in fiber, contain vitamins and minerals that will do good to your body.

And now, on to delicious and healthy recipes for the Orange Wednesday!

Orange Wednesday:

Orange Wednesday: Sweet Potato Soup
Orange Wednesday: Orange Banana Smoothie
Orange Wednesday: Carrot Spicy Salad

Fun Facts About Vegetables

How much do you think about vegetables beyond which ones are your favourite? How much do you really know about them? You may be surprised about the facts behind your favourite vegetables. Like why you cry when you cut onions or why people plant large patches of thyme in their garden. Keep reading to learn these facts and more.


Photo from stock.xchng

Quick Onion Fun Facts

A chemical reaction is the reason why people cry when they cut onions. When you cut an onion, it releases amino acids sulfoxides, which then turn into sulfenic acids. The sulfenic acids then mix together with enzymes from the onion to produce propanethiol S-oxide, which is a sulphuric chemical. The sulphuric chemical, being in a gaseous state, comes into contact with the water in your eyes and causes a burning sensation. In response to this irritation, your eyes release tears in an effort to remove the irritant.

As a side note, when the onion is being cooked, the heat inactivates the enzyme, so that it will no longer irritate your eyes.

There are a few things that you can do to prevent crying when you cut an onion. These include:

• Wear safety goggles,
• Run a fan to pull the sulphuric gas away from you,
• Place the onion in a bowl of water and then cut it, and
• Keep the onion in the fridge until you are ready to cut it, as the cold air in the fridge will slow the chemical reactions inside the onion.

Other Vegetable Fun Facts

I bet you didn't think onions could be that interesting, did you? Well here are some more interesting facts about other vegetables. See how many of these facts you already know.

• Watermelons are actually vegetables! They are in the same family as cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
• The world's largest watermelon on record weighed over 260 pounds.
• In England, it is tradition to plant large patches of thyme because it is said that these patches are playgrounds for fairies.
• Carrots can help you to see better in the dark. That's because carrots contain lots of Vitamin A, which helps to prevent "night blindness".
• Frozen vegetables can be more nutritious than fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables take a lot of time, once they have been picked, to reach the supermarket. The more time between picking and eating, the more nutrients they loose. Frozen vegetables however are usually processed and packaged on the same day they were picked; therefore they maintain the maximum amount of nutrients.
• The top green leaves from beets can lightly boiled and then eaten, just like spinach. In fact, beet leaves are the most nutritious part of the vegetable.
• Two common varieties of peas include snow peas and snap peas. Snow peas are picked before the peas inside have a chance to develop, so that the pea pod is still very flat and tender. With snap peas however, the peas are allowed to grow and then both the pod and the peas inside can be eaten either raw or cooked.

Hope that you have enjoyed reading these facts about vegetables. Please visit The Gardener's Escape to learn more fun and interesting facts about vegetables. Plus, you'll find lots of Gardening Tools that you can use to help you have the best garden on the block!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanne_Jones

Black Tuesday: Kasha As a Side Dish

I'm almost 100% sure that Kasha (Buckwheat Kasha) is not on your usual menu. Too bad. Why?

Here are 3 reasons why you should become friends with Kasha:


1. Because kasha is a very healthy food. Buckwheat is wheat-free and gluten free, rich in protein, high in fiber with none of the cholesterol or fat.

2. Because kasha is a very tasty food (when properly cooked). In Medieval Russia, kasha was considered to be a festive meal, often cooked for weddings and royal feasts.

3. Because kasha is a very easy-to-cook food.
See for yourself!

Kasha (Buckwheat Groats Recipe) - from Russian Cuisine

This is the basic recipe, you might want to enrich it with onions, garlic, mushrooms and herbs.

Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat groats (kasha)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
Salt and pepper

Tip: Wash buckwheat grains before cooking and sort out the bad grains.

Directions

Heat buckwheat in a nonstick skillet over low heat stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes or until golden. Pour over boiling water, add salt and oil/butter. Cover and cook, without stirring, for about 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork; remove from heat and let stand for 3 minutes before serving. Kasha usually served with cold baked milk or butter but you can also serve it with nonfat white cheese.

Read Also:

More About Kasha History and Health Benefits
Black Tuesday: Black Beans Soup Recipe
Black Tuesday: Black Bread Sandwich Ideas

Black Tuesday: Black Bread Sandwich Ideas

What makes a sandwich both healthy and delicious? Here are a few tips for making your sandwich good for your diet menu and yummy.



First, make sure you use a proper bread. As a big fan of Russian Black Bread, I would recommend trying to make a sandwich with this kind of bread. However, using any whole-grain bread is also OK.

Second, choose your favorite vegetables for a filling. Think of fresh, thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, crunchy carrots and onions - what can be healthier?

Next, you should pick low-fat products for the nutritious part of your sandwich. Nonfat cheese, eggs and mushrooms could be good for vegetarians; chicken, turkey and low-fat beef - for meat eaters; tuna, salmon and sardines - for fish lovers. Avocado works well in sandwiches too, although it's high in fat, so try to avoid eating avocado snacks too often.

Finally, don't forget about the dressing. Olive oil works well with all veggies, pesto sauce is usually combined with tomatoes and some types of cheese, low fat mayonnaise could be used for an egg salad sandwich and lemon juice, of course - it's a must when it comes to a fish sandwich.

The variety of healthy sandwiches is really huge, you just need to find your favorite and put it in your lunch box! Healthy diet IS fun, isn't it?

Read Also:

Add Color To Your Diet: BLACK Tuesday
Top 5 Reasons Why Green Vegetables Are Good For You
Green Monday - Easy & Healthy Avocado Recipe
Free Organic Vegetable Gardening At Home

Eat Spinach! (More Green Recipes)

I know I've promised to do some research on a spinach and to come up with some original spinach recipe.

Actually I've found plenty of healthy spinach recipes, please take a look at these 5 I liked the most.



1. Garlic Spinach

This is a delicious recipe for garlic spinach. It's a great way of using up a glut of spinach and works well with baby spinach leaves or even winter spinach. Continue >>

2. Fillet of Sole with Spinach & Tomatoes

Fish, spinach, tomatoes and garlic combine classically in a quick, delicious supper. Serve with steamed new potatoes and a glass of white wine. Continue >>

3. Spinach and Yogurt Dip

Absolutely delicious spinach and yogurt dip. Can be served plain or with pita or any other of your favorite bread. Continue >>

4. Spinach and Beans

This easy recipe uses fresh, in-season spinach, lightly cooked with beans of your choice. It works well with butterbeans, cannelloni beans or even black-eyed beans or chick peas. Continue >>

5. Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Refreshing spinach salad with goat cheese, walnuts and onions mixed together for a successful summer combination. Continue >>

Find more spinach recipes at:

Spinachrecipes.org, Spinach-recipes.com, Eatingwell.com

Read Also:

Add Color To Your Diet!
Top 5 Reasons Why Green Vegetables Are Good For You
Best Green Vegetables for Your Fun Healthy Diet
The Secrets Of Organic Cooking

Green Monday - Spring Asparagus with Lemon

Another green recipe for your colorful and healthy diet comes from Chef John's video recipe blog which is highly recommended to all of you who love food and fun (fits me perfectly)!



Chef John's recipes are yummy, flavored with his great sense of humor. I liked this one: Pan-seared Spring Asparagus with Lemon, Balsamic and Parmesan but there are plenty of other great dishes inside. Worth giving a try!

Read Also:

Add Color To Your Diet!
Top 5 Reasons Why Green Vegetables Are Good For You
Best Green Vegetables for Your Fun Healthy Diet

Green Monday - Easy & Healthy Avocado Recipe

Is your diet boring and exhausting you? It shouldn't be! Let's add some color to your diet!

Continuing talking about green vegetables and their health benefits, I'd like to share with you my favorite quick and healthy avocado recipe. Remember that about 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat (the good one but still...) So don't overdose and everything will be fine.

The best and actually the only commonly used avocado recipe is a Guacamole. Many others are just different variations of this great recipe. It can be called "Avocado Dip", "Avocado Salad", "Avocado Relish" and even "Avosalsa" :)

Of Aztec origin, Guacamole was originally made by mashing ripe avocados, with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) and adding tomatoes and salt.
To this basic recipe I usually add a minced onion, some lemon juice and olive oil. To make your meal a bit more nutritious use also boiled eggs (also finely chopped). Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with dark (full-grain wheat) bread. Your 100% healthy avocado snack is ready.

If you're going to make Guacamole to feed your baby, please have a look at this recipe.

Best Green Vegetables for Your Fun Healthy Diet

Ok, I knew that green vegetables are good for health, I just didn't know how much good they are.

There's so much written about it that I felt a bit lost in all that information. So I decided to start with some research on green vegetables and then continue with my Green Monday Fun and Healthy recipes.

Well, here's my Top 5 Green Vegetables that are not only healthy but also really tasty.

1. Broccoli

It's so dietetic and so healthy and it can also be so yummy if you cook it right. It's high in vitamins C, K, and A, as well as dietary fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as diindolylmethane and selenium. Broccoli's also nice: meals with broccoli look like pieces of art. Broccoli definitely gets number 1!

2. Avocado

It's not leafy and actually it's not even a vegetable but it's green, healthy and one of my favorites. Be careful: about 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat (the good one but still fat...) So don't overdoze and everything will be fine.

3. Lettuce

There's no diet without lettuce as it's a great source of fiber and very low in calories. The secret with lettuce is to get the right proportion with other veggies and with a dressing.

4. Cucumber

Simple but good: poor in calories, rich in fiber and vitamins!

5. Spinach

Spinach is known mostly as a rich source of iron and calcium. I have to confess: I'm not really familiar with this one though I know it's full of healthy benefits. Promise to do some homework and to come up with some delicious recipe of spinach :)

Didn't get into the top but also worth mentioning:

Asparagus, Zucchini, Cabbage, Kale, Green Beans, Celery, Green Pepper, Swiss Chard...

Next time I'll share with you a great broccoli recipe - for those who doubt broccoli's culinary values and those who just want to eat healthy and have fun at one time.

Thanks Wikipedia for the help with the research.

Read Also:

Top 5 Reasons Why Green Vegetables Are Good For You
Add Color To Your Diet!
Crack The Code: Unlock Your Weight Loss and Fat Burning Potential

Top 5 Reasons Why Green Vegetables Are Good For You

Moving on to Green Monday (from the Add Color to Your Diet post), I'd like to talk a little bit about health benefits of green vegetables.



1. Green leafy vegetables provide our body with many essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, and K, folate, iron and calcium.

2. Regularly eating green leafy vegetables reduces the risk of heart diseases.

3. Increased consumption of green vegetables may prevent some kinds of cancer.

4. Spinach, kale, broccoli, and other green leafy vegetables lowers the risk of developing cataracts.

5. Green vegetables are rich in fiber which is really good for health and is especially recommended for weight loss.

You may say: all right but I just don't like the taste...

In my next posts I'll prove that green vegetables can be delicious, you just need to know how to cook them properly so they are yummy and (don't forget!) healthy.

Read Also:
Best Green Vegetables for Your Fun Healthy Diet
How to get your children to eat more veggies!
Add Color To Your Diet!