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Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Ms Sweet Basil

 Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum.


Types of Basil

There are many varieties of these plants.

Thai Basil grow up to 24 inches in height and are 2 feet wide.

Genovese Basil  principally used in Italian cuisine.

Holy Basil  People of Hindu religion use these leaves for worship.

Lemon Basil  with a citric aroma.

Cinnamon Basil  referred to as the Mexican Spice Basil.

African blue Basil strong camphor-like smell.

Medicinal Use using Basil ( Did You Knew???).

    It is used as an expectorant for the treatments of diseases like asthma, flu, cold and bronchitis.

    The leaves are also good for keeping diabetes under control.

    Leaf extract is used to reduce throat pain and high body-temperature.

    The extract is also used as an anti-venom for snake bites.

    It is used along with honey for the treatment of cataract.

    Holy Basil leaves are used in Ayurvedic medicines.

    The leaves  are used to prepare “Basil Tea” which helps to prevent diseases like Dengue and Malaria.

    The tea also treats several health disorders including constipation, diarrhea and indignation.

    The essential oil is used in the treatments of migraines, headaches and allergies.

    Massaging with this essential oil extraction reduces arthritis.


Growing Basil

The basil plants can be easily cultivated from seeds which take less than two weeks to get roots. like me you can easy buy small plants and grow it in the garden or indoors. I like growing them in kitchen windows.

               " Once the flowers bloom, the leaves of the plant turn bitter and lose their flavor."

The Basil plants need  leaves need picking once every 3-4 weeks to grow properly. you can eat them in a salad or make fresh basil bread with the picking of the leaves.

 Or Something simple and Easy

 3 cups fresh basil leaves

    1/2 cup olive oil

    2 cloves garlic, peeled

    1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

    1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

    1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread

    3  tomatoes, thinly sliced

    1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, sliced


Directions

    In a blender, puree the basil leaves, olive oil and garlic. Mix in the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Continue processing until all is blended well .

    Preheat the toaster oven. Slice Italian bread to you likeness in thickness. Spread a layer of pesto on each slice. Top with  tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
    Place topped bread slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet. toast about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted

          Roasted Chicken Leg Quarter

 

6 Med sized chicken legs quarters clean and trim of fat
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon garlic powder
3 tablespoon dry sweet basil

Dry leg quarter and place in baking dish. Sparkle black pepper first evenly over legs, next sparkle salt following the tails of black pepper.next sparkle the garlic powder all over and the basil will be next.( adding more sparkle garlic and basil on the backside chicken leg so you can get more flavor) .sparkle cayenne pepper. you can do the spice heavy if you like and coat the leg quarter to your liking. cover and refrigerate over night. flavor of the spices go though the chicken.Keep cover and place in and 350 oven for 1 1/2 hour pour juices in a bowl and pour over chicken and leave uncover bake for 30 mins.until golden brown.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Hot Water Cornbread

This hot water cornbread is shaped into cakes and fried in hot fat in a skillet.I will make this bread when everyone is ready to eat and don't have time to wait.Make sure you fry it golden brown on both sides.always use the best corn meal it make them taste real good.sometime we just eat them just by them self.



Ingredients:

1 cup cooking oil

1/4 melted shortening

3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

 Preparation:

In a heavy iron skillet add oil. Place cornmeal and salt in a bowl. Pour boiling water over meal and salt. Add melted shortening; stir well. When mixture is cool enough to handle, divide into four portions. Shape each into a cornbread cake about 3/4 inch thick. Place corn cakes in skillet fry until golden brown. Hot water cornbread recipe makes 4 cakes, serves 4.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Southern Candied Yams



My mother made the best yams in the whole world and I am not kidding, well she was my mom so what can I say....

But her yams did melt in your mouth with lots of favor and look and smell so good.

You can tell a good candied yam dish just by looking at it....the color have a lot to do with it that bright orange and yellow color with that gloss of shine and that syrup of goodness.

What made the yams bright is the lemon juice and give it that clean and light taste.

I remember some one bought some candied yams to a church dinner and I just could believe how dark the dish of yams was.

I guess they used dark brown sugar and a lot of dark powder nutmeg and bake those potatoes in the oven to long,

Nobody did not eat those yams and I felt sorry for that sister or brother bring those to the church event.

Ohhhhhh I know what they did, they used the yams in the can and try to fix them up. please please don't ever uses sweet potatoes in a can to make candied yams.

Southern Candied Potatoes

Two cups water

3 medium potatoes cut peel and cut in 3 inch blocks

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon lemon flavor extract

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon nutmeg

1/2 cup corn syrup

Directions Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 3 inch slices add water and all ingredients into a pot with a top.

Cover and cook 40 mins or 1 hour until liquid has thicken.