Braising is basically browning the main ingredient in fat by searing. Then simmered in liquid on a low heat. Make sure the crock pot is covered. You can use pressure cooker or a famously known Dutch oven. Some range of enameled pans or pots for stove or oven works well too. This is a recipe for beef brisket

It is quite difficult to find reindeer video recipe on youtube that is in English.

This is a video about the history of Bak Kut Teh.


This is a video recipe.

White Bean is one of the ‘Resistant starch’ which is a dietary fiber as well as a functional fiber. Other examples of resistant starch are raw banana, rolled oats, green peas, lentils, cold pasta, pearl barley, cold potato & oat meal. Noticed the difference? Cold and raw. Pork ribs from the loin section is rich source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Eaten in moderation and its low fat preparation makes it a hearty winter detox dish. It is a comfort food for everyone in the family.

The very first time I had White Beans dish was at an invitation to Judy K’s home, I think it is Italian style. And the first time I knew about White Beans is when I asked my chef friend (Rose) while we were in Stockholm, what kind of wedding she would like. She said she wants a White Themed Wedding, with white beans soup, white roses floral decorations, white linens for the dinning settings, everything possible to be white. Today I tasted this White Bean Stew I have made, I think it has a good based remembering also that she loves Pork Ribs.

Here is Zannnie’s recipe for White Bean Stew:-

Ingredients
400g pork ribs
1 tablespoon sea or kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 cloves garlic
300g dried white beans (navy beans)
4 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
chopped fresh parsley leaves
Optional Steamed white rice, for serving

Directions
Prepare the white beans, by soaking it overnight (at least 6 hours) to remove toxins in the beans.
Wash the ribs, add garlic, half pot of water and set to boil on medium to high heat.
In another pan, caramelized diced onions until onions are translucent. Add in celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
Add the beans and rib stock to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add sage, thyme and bay leaves to the pan. Simmer the ribs for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.

After 1 1/2 hours, check the ribs to see if they and the beans are both tender. Season and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes. When the ribs are done, add the chopped parsley to the pan and serve. Optional to serve over steamed rice.






Watch the tips given by Ramsay Gordon while making the Greek White Bean soup version:

This is a very yummy looking crudités with Greek yogurt dip. Traditional French appetizers maybe whole raw vegetables or sliced. You can either dip it in a vinaigrette or a creamy cheese dipping sauce. Selections can be carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli, pepper strips, olives, asparagus and or cauliflower. Depending on your local produce, some people may also include fennel.

We featured yesterday that parsley provides you the antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin K, vitamin C and A and flavonoid. Today’s featured canapé recipe is smoked fish, lemon slice and parsley. Smoking is a cooking method not just adds flavour to the fish, but also preserves the fish. Lemon contains Vitamin B, C, calcium, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, proteins and carbohydrates.

Ingredients for Yakitori
(serves 2)

300g Chicken (0.661 lb.)
12 Shishito Peppers
1 Spring Onion
2 Shiitake Mushrooms

Salt
1/4 Lemon
Seven Flavor Chili Pepper
3 Shiso Leaves

- Yakitori Sauce -
100ml Soy Sauce (3.38 fl. oz)
100ml Sake (3.38 fl. oz)
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Honey
1 clove of Garlic

** The yakitori sauce can be stored in a fridge and reheated for reuse. The dipping process helps bring out the flavour of the sauce everytime repeated

Originally uploaded by zannnielim

I have named this salad ''Not-So-Wild!'' Rice because I did not managed to find the wild rice which originally meant for this recipe. However, I've substituted bio Brown Rice instead :) So for a creative tang, thus its name!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup long grain Basmati rice
1 cup ''Not-So-Wild'' rice (that's BIO Brown Rice)
2.5 cups chicken broth
6 green onions, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red capsicum (bell pepper), diced
2 cups thawed frozen peas
1 packet cashew nuts
1 packet dried cranberries
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tbsp sesame oil.
small wedge of lime juice (1 teaspoon)

Steps:-
1. Put the chicken broth in a medium sized saucepan. Add the rice and brown rice, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover. Let cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely.

2. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, lime juice and sesame oil.

3. In a large bowl gently mix together the cooled cooked rice, diced capsicum, garlic, green onions, peas, dried cranberries, cashew nuts, and dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.

4. Chill completely before serving.

Enjoy!

One Kaiseki 懐石料理 (Japanese) dinner can consist from possibly 6 to 15 different kinds of food.  
"shiizakana" (appetizers served with Japanese sake)
"mukouzuke" (sashimi - slices of raw fish)
"kuchitori" (a small side dish)
"suimono" (a soup)
"nimono" (simmered vegetables)
"aemono" (food dressed with sauce)
"kounomono" (Japanese pickles)
"hassun" (food from the mountains and the sea)
"sunomono" (food marinated in  vinegar)
"yakimono" (grilled fish)
"mushimono" (steamed food) 
"nabemono" (Japanese hot pot)
rice 
miso soup
dessert

The kind of food served will change according to the different months, seasons and what is freshly available at the local market. It is also depends on the area. 

Originally uploaded by fruitcakey

Choux pastry is usually baked but for beignets it is fried. In Spain and Latin America, churros are made of fried choux pastry, sugared and dipped in a thin chocolate blancmange for breakfast. In Austrian cuisine, it is also boiled to make Marillenknödel, a sweet apricot dumpling; in that case it does not puff, but remains relatively dense. They are sometimes filled with cream and used to make cream puffs or éclairs. A profiterole, cream puff (US) or choux à la crème is a choux pastry ball filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, or (particularly in the US) ice cream. The puffs may be decorated or left plain or garnished with chocolate sauce, caramel, or a dusting of powdered sugar. source: wikipedia

For a low-fat version, I realized that it is possible! Nonna Marcella (Giulia's grandma) has shared such a recipe! It is an Italian family recipe, takes 15 minutes to prepare, and 25 minutes to cook it. The main ingredients for the choux pastries are extra virgin olive oil, water, flour and eggs! 

Originally uploaded by Gergely22

A popular stew made from vegetables is the peppers and tomatoes stew called 'Lecsó'. Usually onions first fried til transparent before the juicy tomatoes are added.

Lecso made from lard or pig's fat has a special aroma. Sometimes, the lard can be substituted with bacon. Those who are health conscious might have the wrong perception about lard. These trans fatty acids is an alternative to hydrogenated oils nowadays. Lard is forty percent saturated fat as compared to coconut oil which is 85%. Palm kernel oil is also high, having 80%..

In fact, lard has 45% monounsaturated fat (MUFA). Fifty years of research proved that a diet with low saturated fat has no evidence of prolonging life. And most studies show that people who eat more animal fat has a better heart health. Just look at the Japanese, Eskimos, Greeks, Okinawans and the French. They really have low rates of hypertension, heart disease, and coronary problems.

That makes Lecso a very healthy dish in Hungary. Those paprika are so thin skinned if they are harvested in the special climate and region in the Hungarian soil. These lightly yellow coloured paprika are not spicy but sweet. It is a dish that is very rich in vitamins and a great remedy for colds and flu.

Here you can see the recipe.

One of my favourite Hungarian snacks is the Palacsinta. Actually, it is the same as pancakes. Its ingredients are egg, flour, milk & water. It is absolutely easy to make! I just love it with Nutella :) Sometimes I go for the Hungarian cottage cheese filling too :) It smells great especially with some fresh lemon juice on the cheese. The key difference of these Palacsinta to the american pancakes is that, you got to make it very very thin :)

Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
Pinch salt
1 cup carbonated mineral water
Oil for cooking pancakes

Directions
Mix eggs, flour, milk and salt to make a smooth pancake batter. Let the batter rest for 1 hour.

Stir in the carbonated water at the last moment, just before cooking the pancakes.

Heat an 8-inch frying pan. When the pan is hot, add 1/4 teaspoon oil. Swirl to cover the bottom of the pan.

Pour a ladle of the batter into the pan and gently tip and twist the pan so that the batter THINLY covers the entire bottom of the pan. When the top of the batter bubbles, turn the pancake over and cook for 4 or 5 seconds longer. Remove the pancake. Continue until the batter is all cooked; add a little oil before cooking each pancake.

Serve by spreading your favourite fruit jam, cocoa mix, Nutella, cottage cheese with drips of lemon juice or any of your favorite filling and roll up the pancake, serve with fresh berries.

Enjoy!