Introduction: Easy Kefir. <PIC> If you've ever made Kefir from powdered kefir starter you may have thought you needed to follow the instructions on the package. Not true! The instructions tell you to use a quart of milk, to heat it to 180º, let it cool to 100º and add the starter. None of this is true - it is so much easier than that. I may have the temperatures wrong because I threw out the instructions long ago but you get the ideaFollowing the directions means heating the milk - which means getting out a pot, later washing that pot, it means using a thermometer, later washing that thermometer, it means standing around watching milk almost boil, then standing around watching milk get almost back to room temperature. It means finding a container to store the kefir in so it can go into the fridge after it gets thick, then later washing that container. Following the instructions is also twice as expensive as not following them - as you will see. Step 1: Supplies. <PIC> 1/2 gallon of milk - I use organic whole cow's milk but you can use goat milk as well as lowfat milk.Kefir starter - available at Whole Foods and here on Amazon.spoon and cup. Step 2: Mix and Pour. <PIC> Pour out a bit of milk and add the culture to it. Mix it well and then just pour back into the milk container. Step 3: Shake. <PIC> Put on the cap and shake or turn it upside down 25 times or so.I've made kefir this way for at least two years now with success every time. Step 4: Wait 24 Hours. <PIC> That's it, just wait 24 hours with the container sitting out of the fridge. After 24 hours you can test the consistency and see if it's as thick as you like, if not then give it a few more hours. Afterwards just put it in the fridge - it will stay delicious for at least a month, though it is unlikely it will not be drunk well before then. The milk container does get a nice bulge to it but that's OK.You may use a few tablespoons of your homemake kefir to start another batch - the same way - by stirring it into a cup or so of milk and then pouring that mixture into your container of milk. I have hear that the powered starters make for a culture that gets weaker over time. I don't know if this it true because I get tired of kefir after a few months of eating it and take a kefir break for awhile. Step 5: Kefir Soup. <PIC> This may be weird sounding to all of you who are used to sweet kefir with fruit found on the grocery store shelves, but I eat mine in a soup bowl with a soup spoon, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, chili powder and sesame seeds. Yummers.


Introduction: Corn Salsa. <PIC>
          Corn salsa is so simple and tasty. I've been sick the past couple of days and it was one of the only things that sounded good. :) This salsa is best with fresh corn, but it works well with frozen corn too! Just pop it in the microwave to defrost or leave it overnight in the fridge.
Ingredients: 		1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh or defrosted corn
		1/4 red onion
		1 jalapeno or serrano pepper
		1/2 tomato or a few cherry or grape tomatoes (if tomatoes are out of season, the smaller ones will taste better!)
		1-2 limes
		salt
		chili powder
		cilantro
Method: 		Dice the onion, tomatoes and jalapenos and dump into a big bowl with the corn (I like to scoop out the excess seeds and liquid from the tomatoes, but you don't have to!)
		Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of chili powder and the juice of one lime.
		Taste and add more lime and salt as needed!
You will want to use lots of salt. I normally put in two big pinches, which always seems like far too much but works perfectly. You do need quite a lot to balance out the sweetness of the corn. Same with lime juice - you'll use more than you think! It's never more than two limes, though.
Keep in mind that this is best eaten right away - the salt will pull water out of the veg and make it runny after a while. :)


Introduction: Watermelon Dessert "Pizza". <PIC> Why not put a twist on the old fruit platter, and dress it up like a pizza?When eating watermelon one summer day, I realized a slice looked not too far off from a pizza bun covered in tomato sauce - and thus the idea for watermelon dessert "pizza" was born.With your toppings on hand, this should take no more than a few minutes for each "pizza". Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> The base of the "pizza", aka. the bun with tomato sauce is a single slice of watermelon. Choose your own toppings. Experiment. Go crazy.Here are some ideas:- galia or honeydew melon, cut into circles (slices of mozzarella cheese)- green or blue grapes (olives)- strawberries (pepperoni or other sausage)- green or yellow apple, shredded (shredded cheese)- green kiwi (fresh herbs, pesto) Step 2: Making the Pizza. <PIC> For the first "pizza", I added circular pieces of galia melon. I used the top of a glass to punch out perfect circles. I planned on using kiwi for the green herbs, but as luck would have it I picked up the wrong kind of kiwi (yellow instead of green). The green "herbs" are pieces of watermelon skin, cut into shape with a knife and a pair of scissors.For the second "pizza", I used a cheese grater to grate an apple and used this for cheese topping. I added strawberries and grapes to represent pepperoni and olives.The most important factor in any kind of creative dessert is to have fun, so don't let your selection of fruits be a limit. Use what you have, and experiment.I would love to see what you come up with, or if you have any ideas for other toppings!


Introduction: Authentic Horrchata . <PIC> Horchata is a creamy agua fresca made with rice, cinnamon, evaporated milk and condensed milked mixed with water. Nothing beats it on a hot day and it's super easy to make. so first thing first here's what you need:3 cups Long Grain Rice1 Mexican Cinnamon Stick 1 can Condensed Milk1 can Evaporated Milk2 Tbs Vanilla extract SugarWaterFine mesh strainer (Optional)You can always change the recipe because it's really to you. Some people like it sweet, some like it with alot of cinnamon. My mom always eye balls it.My mom makes a double batch and keep the concentrate in a separate container so when it runs it (which it will) you can easily make another batch. Step 1: . <PIC> So grab your rice and throw it in a pan. Your gonna want to keep it on medium heat. now Grab a wooden spoon and stir the rice often. Step 2: Toasting the Rice. <PIC> First the rice is gonna get really white. Keep stirring your rice until you get a even browning throughout the rice grains. This takes about 10-20 minutes, you don't want to rush it. Step 3: Cool and Soak. <PIC> Now that your rice is ready place it in a bowl and let it cool off. Next you add water and let the rice soak it for at least 3 hours or overnight. You can rush it if you like but it's not the same. Add your cinnamon stick, I like to bury it under the rice but my mom says it's the same thing. After 3 hours the rice is ready for the next step. Step 4: Add Milks and Blend. <PIC> Seperate the rice and cinnamon into 2 batches. Save the second blended batch of concentrate for your refill. Now place your rice and cinnamon in the blender about half way. Add your vanilla extract, condensed and evaporated milk and blend it as smooth as you can. Step 5: Last Step. <PIC> Grab your favorite pitcher and fill it up halfway with water. My mom added a little extra condensed milk to sweeten it up a bit. If your using a strainer place it on top of the pitcher and pour your rice blend in. If you like it a little sweeter you can add some more condensed milk or sugar to taste.Finally grab a cup with some ice and pour that liquid white gold down your throat hole haha.


Introduction: Homemade Carbonara. <PIC> I just love carbonara!  I would say it is my favorite pasta/sauce.  I thought, it must be impossible to make something so delicious.  Well, it isn't!  It is very easy.  So I made it and promptly ate it all up (with some help). Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC>
          This amount of ingredients fed my husband an I. The sauce was thick so it could serve 3.Ingredients: 		Pasta (I used enough for 2)
		1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (Grated is better, mine was just shredded but it worked out fine)
		1 Pkg. Bacon (I just really like bacon, you don't need this much)
		3/4 Cup Peas
		1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
		3 EggsSupplies: 		Pot for boiling Pasta
		Pot/Pan for Bacon
		Bowl for mixing sauce ingredients
		Wooden Spoon
		Cutting Board and Knife Step 2: Get Everything Going. <PIC> Bacon: 		Cut up your bacon.
		If you don't want to cut it up, you can cook the full strips and try to break it up with your spoon as you cook it.
		Put a bit of olive oil in a pan and turn on the stove.
		Throw in the bacon and start cooking!
		(Mine made a mess of the pan since I was always stirring it so you may not want to do this if you really don't want to clean that mess.)
		Drain the fat when it's done.
		Either put it back in the same hot pan to wait, or if the pasta is ready, you'll be mixing it with that.Pasta: 		While the bacon is cooking, start heating up some water.  (You might want to do this before you start the bacon.)
		Boil your pasta until it is cooked the way you like.
		Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot.  (Go on to next step)Peas: 		Cook the peas.
		That is all.
You are doing everything at the same time, but it's not bad at all.  I thought I would be going crazy running from one thing to another, but it isn't that much to do.  Cook up the peas and then just set them aside.  Boil water and we all know that takes forever and you just have to wait for it to happen.  You will spend most of this time preparing and cooking the bacon.
         Step 3: Mixing Time. <PIC>
          While your bacon and pasta is finishing up, mix up your sauce.
		Crack and beat your eggs.
		Once they are ready, mix in the whipping cream and parmesan cheese.
Mix it all together! 		Once the bacon and pasta is ready (ideally they will be ready at the same time), take everything off the heat and mix it all together in one of the hot pots you just used.  (Remember to drain the pasta first!)
		Mix everything up.  You are using the heat from the pasta and bacon to cook the sauce. (I actually put it back on the stove on the very lowest setting for a couple minutes because my bacon and pasta didn't finish at the same time and I was afraid I didn't have enough heat to cook the eggs and cream properly.)*Be careful not to scramble the eggs by cooking it on too high a heat, that is why you take the pasta and bacon off the heat before adding the egg mixture.
		When everything is mixed up and heated up, stir in your peas and you are ready to eat. Step 4: Eat It!. <PIC> It is so good!  Eat it up!
*Note for reheating.  It's hard.  You need to carefully heat it up like you would with candy melts.  Otherwise you start to scramble the eggs.


Introduction: NaSiGoRaNg. <PIC> NaSigorang
making of nasigorang-
for chillie oli -
                   (1cup oil,chillie flakes,dry chillies,sugar n fry )
for curry-
                  in a seperate wok ad oil add  g&g chopped n fry and then add onions n fry and after that add 4 eggs an scramble it after that add the chillie oil that we made before n then add the marinated prawns(turmeric n with salt) and the fried fish pieces and boiled shredded chiken pieces and   mix and then add tomato and mix n keep for 5mts add salt too..n soya dark sauce n mix  n let it to boil after that add the boiled rice and mix well by adding  pinch of ajinamoto n add the chopped spring onion leaves n serve with some coriander leaves  and with kebabs wid hotty hot!!!!!!!


Introduction: Peach Brown Betty. <PIC> Brown betty is a tradition desert similar to a cobbler, crumble or bread pudding. They are normally made with apples in the fall, but this being summer, I wanted to make a variation with peaches, which are in season. This is a very easy recipe to make and it is a wonderful summertime treat!As always, thanks for reading! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> 3 Cups peaches  - preferably fresh but you can used canned if that's what you have. This is about 4 medium peaches.3 Cups bread crumbs - This is about 6 slices of sandwich bread3/4 Cup brown sugar1 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp nutmeg1/4 tsp salt4 TBSP butter (unsalted)1 TBSP Bourbon (optional, but recommended) Step 2: Prep - Peaches. <PIC> Peel and cut peaches. Chop into small pieces and place in mixing bowl.Add brown sugar, bourbon, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir well and set aside. Step 3: Prep - Breadcrumbs. <PIC> Place bread in oven at about 350 degrees to dry it out a bit. Basically, you are trying to make it a bit stale.Conversely, you could just use stale bread if you have it on hand.Dice the bread and crumble finely. I used a food processor to accomplish this.Melt the butter and add to the breadcrumb mixture. Give it a quick mix. It's not necessary to over mix it. Step 4: Optional Step - Fresh Whipped Cream. <PIC> Add a 1/2 Cup of whipping cream into a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 TBSP sugar. Whip or whisk until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Don't wait long.  Step 5: Combine and Bake. <PIC> Layer the breadcrumb and peaches. There isn't necessarily a right or wrong way to do this. I just went for even layers.Place into a 375 Fahrenheit oven. Make sure it is covered with either the lid or foil.Bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and lightly stir the mixture, then place back into the oven for and additional 10 minutes uncovered. Remove and allow to cool slightly.  Step 6: Serve It. <PIC> Serve hot or warm with either vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!


Introduction: What Is Dry Land Fish(morels). <PIC> Dry land fish is an edible mushroom that grows from April to mid May (may differ depending on where you live). They're found just about all over the world. they can grow about up to over 12 inches and look like a sponge. Step 1: Materials. <PIC> netted bag(like the bags oranges come in)the NETTED BAG is important you'll see why coming up walking stick that's all you need if you're not going to hunt for to long, if so have a bottled water it's a lot of walking. Step 2: Tips on Where to Look. <PIC> in my 3 years of hunting for dry land fish i've learned some things form experience. dry land fish don't like poor, dry, or rocky soil(they like moist good soil). they also like to grow close to rotting wood or decaying wood (like dead tree stumps, decaying branches, etc). Step 3: When to Start Looking for Morels and When to Pick Them. <PIC> The best time to start looking for morels depends on where you live. where i live in virginia the best times is from April 15th to may 15th. so do some research and find out when the best time for your area is. Step 4: Ensuring Another Good Year of Morel Hunting. <PIC> remember that netted bag well here's what it's for. when you pick a morel and put it in a closed bag, you are keeping the spores in that morel from falling out so there for there will not be any there next year. also it helps keep them aired out. When you put it in a netted bag the spores will fall out as you are walking. Remeber to use the netted bag. so that we can perserve these delicacies for years to come. Step 5: How to Identify a Real Morel From a False Morel. <PIC> When hunting for morels watch out for false morels. false morels are morels that can be mistakend for true morels and are responsible for about 20 percent of mushroom related deaths. there are three distinct features of a real morel: 1st:Cut lengthwise it will be hollow from bottom of stem to top of cap.  It'll look like a rubber mold. 2nd:Bottom of the cap is attached to the stem Cap and stalk all one piece 3rd:Cap  is full of Ridges and Pits notice in picture 1 the Bottom of the cap is not attached to the stem in picture 2 and 3 it doesn't even look like a morel in picture 4 the morel on the left is a real morel  and notice how the morel on the right isn't hollow it's a false morel in picture 5 the cap looks more like a brain it has wavy lines. a real morel has ridges and pits like in picture 7. Step 6: Recipe. <PIC> morels taste great, there are all kinds of recipes for tasty morels i prefer having them covered in cornmeal and frying them but you may like them some other way so here are a couple recipes: MOREL MUSHROOM SOUP 4 c. morels, fresh 1 med. onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 c. asparagus, cooked 4 c. milk 4 tbsp. whole wheat flour Salt & pepper to taste Saute morels, onion and celery in a small amount of oil until barely tender. Stir in flour gradually, add milk, salt and pepper. Add cooked asparagus. Simmer until slightly thickened Wood Family Favorite in a butter entrée 1 big haul of fresh morel mushrooms 2 lbs real butter (or margrine) 1 doz eggs 1 box saltine crackers Mushroom Preparation - Wash and cut fresh mushrooms into quarters, slicing long way. Soak in large bowl of salt water to remove and kill all those little pesty critters. Leave soak in refrigerator for a couple hours. Preparing the Feast - Pre-heat skillet (cast iron preferred) and about 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium low heat. Crack eggs into large bowl and beat till blended well. Place a large amount of crackers into a ziplock bag and roll with a roller to finely crushed crumbs and place in large mixing bowl. Place a hand full of cut and cleaned mushrooms into egg batter and coat real good. Individually cover mushrooms in cracker crumbs. Place in pre-heated skillet (cast iron preferred) and butter. Saute in butter for approx 5 minutes over medium heat turning as needed Note: add more butter as needed and be carefull not to over heat the butter.


Introduction: Raw Vegan Cupcakes. <PIC> Sometimes at Instructables HQ we have in house contests where we challenge each other to the best foods. This time around, we decided on cupcakes.
I chose to whip up a batch of awesome vegan raw cupcakes! these are easy to make and require no baking!  Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> These cupcakes have 2 main parts, "cake" and "frosting"
(For 6 cupcakes)
The cake is consistent of:
1 c. of walnuts
5 Medjool dates, pitted
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
2-3 tbsp of Cacao Powder or cocoa powder
1 tsp of Vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
and the frosting is:
1/2 c of Peeled Almonds
3 tsp of Agave Nectar
4 tsp Coconut Oil
Juice from 2 limes Step 2: Making the Cupcakes. <PIC> for making the cupcakes, i just threw all the ingredients in a food processor and waited till they where all stuck together. It took about 7 minutes, if your mixture is a bit to dry add a bit of water to get it going. You should be left with a tasty sticky chocolately mess.  Step 3: Frosting. <PIC> For the frosting i used a blender. First i melted the coconut oil a bit to make it creamy and then put in all in a blender and let it whurl! took about 5 minutes to get the right consistency. If you don't blend it enough your frosting may be gritty.  Step 4: Frost Your Cupcakes. <PIC> Next put your cupcake batter in cupcake papers and then cover them with tasty frosting.  Step 5: Chill and Serve!. <PIC> to get them the right texture, chill them for about an hour and serve!
These are very tasty treats set to please any palette, vegan or not!
Hope you enjoyed these cupcakes!


Introduction: Quick Fix Donuts. <PIC> My 5 years old son always asks for an after school/taekwondo surprise and sometimes I prepare him these donuts as they are ready in less than an hour and using ingredients that you can find in your pantry.No need to proof yeast, no need the hassle much, and definitely kids approved.If you are looking for airy donuts that you can get from Tim Horton's or Dunkin Donuts, these are not for you. These donuts are crispy on the outer and somewhat resemble a cake texture in the center. Step 1: Ingredients and Method. <PIC> Mix in a bowl:2 c AP flour2 tsp BPa pinch each of cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and saltIn a separate bowl, melt:2 tbsp shorteningInto melted shortening, add in 1/2 C milkIn another bowl, beat together:1/2 c sugar and 1 whole eggPour in shortening mixture into beaten egg, stir well, then add in flour mixture, knead.Let rest in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutesRoll flat dough and cut with donut cutter or round cutter. Let rest on room temperature for 10 minutes. While resting, heat enough cooking oil.Fry donuts until brown, a couple at a time. With a slotted spoon, take out donuts and place on paper towel lined plate. Step 2: Enjoy~. <PIC> I filled some of the donuts with blackberry jam, some are glazed with maple glaze, some are coated in icing sugar, some with mixture of icing sugar and cinnamon powder, some with melted Baker's semi sweet chocolate and sprinkles, and left some more plain for my 16 months old :)This recipe makes 6 mini donuts, 6 drop donuts, and 10 medium size donuts.


Introduction: Paddle Bit Baked Potato. <PIC>   Here is a simple way to hollow out a potato so you can fill it with desired ingredients and bake. Step 1: Gather Equipment and Ingredients . <PIC> Drill Paddle Bit ( I used a 1 1/4in, but the size of bit depends on the size of the potato)Tin FoilPotatoCheeseButterChivesBacon BitsSour Cream This is what I use for my potato, but the ingredients can be modified to fit your taste. Step 2: Core the Potato. <PIC>   Using the drill place the tip of the paddle bit into the top center of the potato.  Slowly drill out the center of the potato.  Caution when doing this. You do not want to get you hand while coring the potato.  Also, try not to go all the way through the potato. This will make a mess when baking and the ingredients will leak out.  This would also be a good time to start per-heating the oven at 350 degrees F. Step 3: Fill the Potato. <PIC> Fill the potato with the ingredients in what ever order you desire.I like to put them in layers with butter on the top and bottom. Step 4: Wrap in Tin Foil. <PIC> Wrap the potato in tin foil.Then take an extra sheet of tin foil to make a base. This is to hold the potato upright in the oven while baking.Once wrapped place into the over for hour to hour and a half. Depends on the size of potato. Step 5: . <PIC> Removed from oven and unwrap and enjoy. Caution they will be hot.


Introduction: Ham and Pineapple Pinwheels. <PIC> Here's an easy recipe for some tasty pinwheels with a tropical flair!These tortilla roll-ups are perfect for a Summertime backyard barbeque. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> Thinly sliced Ham1 large can Crushed Pineapple, drained8 ounces Cream Cheese5 or 6 Large Flour Tortillas Step 2: Cream Cheese. <PIC> Allow the cream cheese to set out of the refrigerator for about an hour so it will be easier to spread. Spread a thin layer of cream Cheese on a flour tortilla. 1 package of cream cheese (8 ounce) is enough for 5 or 6 large tortillas. Step 3: Pineapple. <PIC> Open can and drain the pineapple very well, you'll want to remove as much juice as possible to prevent the roll-ups from getting soggy. Spoon the crushed pineapple on top of the cream cheese and spread. Step 4: Sliced Ham. <PIC> Remove thinly sliced ham from package. Blot each slice with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Layer a few slices of Ham over the pineapple. Step 5: Roll and Slice. <PIC> Roll up the tortilla and cover in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting. Remove plastic wrap and slice in 1" pieces with a serrated knife.Place on serving plate. Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.Enjoy!


Introduction: Potato Bonda : an Easy to Make Snack Food. <PIC> Potato Bonda or Potato Balls are an easy to make snack food which can be made in a very short time. Whenever some unexpected guests arrive, you can make this tasteful snack and surprise your guests. Step 1: Pressure Cook the Potatoes. <PIC> Pressure cook five to six (about half a kilogram) of potatoes in a pressure cooker for about eight to ten minutesRemove the cooker from stove and allow the pressure to come down to normal Step 2: Mash the Boiled Potatoes. <PIC> Once pressure is normal, remove boiled potatoes from cookerYou can place the potatoes in cold water to rapidly cool them downRemove skin and mash the potatoes with your finger without any lumps Step 3: Saute the Mashed Potatoes. <PIC> You can prepare other ingredients when the potatoes are being pressure cookedChop two medium sized onion and keep asideChop five or six Green chilies (as per your taste) in to fine piecesPlace a frying pan over medium flame and add about a tablespoon of oilStir fry the chopped onions and Green chilies till raw smell disappearsAdd salt to taste and the mashed potatoes to the pan and mix wellRemove the pan from stove and allow the potato mix to cool down Step 4: Make Batter. <PIC> In another vessel, take the following ingredientsAbout half a cup of chickpea flourOne teaspoon of red chili powderOne teaspoon of cumin seed powderOne teaspoon of fennel seed powderAbout half a teaspoon of Asafoetida powderSalt to tasteMix all these ingredients with water to form a thick batterNow make about one inch size balls with the mashed potato mix and place them in the batter so that the potato balls are evenly covered with batter on all sides.If the batter is very thick, add little water. If it is runny, add little amount of chickpea flour. Step 5: Deep Fry the Potato Balls. <PIC> Heat enough cooking oil over medium flameOnce the oil is heated, add the coated potato balls one by oneRotate the bonda with a ladle so that all sides are evenly cookedWhen the outer surface of the Bondas turn golden brown remove from oilStrain extra oil using a strainerServe this delicious snack food hot with coconut chutney and coffee


Introduction: XXL-Ravioli Au Gratin. <PIC> What are you doing with fresh pasta? Noodles? Spaghetti? How boring....I made huge Ravioli, XXL size ones! And because I didn't want them to fall apart, when boiling, I just baked them, almost like a Lasagna. I filled them with a mixture of pork and Ricotta, but you could also fill them with a cheese or vegetable filling. A little tip: Use a huge gratin dish. Mine was a little too small and so I had to put the Ravioli slightly on top of each other. Pasta tends to stick, so mine were sticking together after baking and I could not remove them nicely. But they tasted wonderful anyway! Step 1: . <PIC> For the Pasta:For 3 Persons:200 g Pasta Flour (Durum Wheat Flour)2 big EggsKnead the ingredients together until you have an elastic dough.Let rest under a bowl for 30 minutes. Step 2: . <PIC> For 6 big Ravioli:300 g ground Pork50 g Bacon Bits2 cloves of Garlilc, chopped Salt and Pepper Rosemary Paprika Oregano 300 g Ricotta400 ml Tomato Sauce from the Jar grated CheeseFry the bacon bits and the chopped garlic in a wide pan. No need to add any fat as the bacon will have enough. Then add the ground pork, season well and fry until well browned. Put aside and let cool. When it is cooled mix with the Ricotta. Step 3: . <PIC> Roll the pasta out very thin and cut the sheet into 6 rectangles. Put 1-2 tbsp of the meat filling on each one. Brush 1 cm at the sides of each pasta sheet with cold water. Step 4: . <PIC> Fold the Ravioli together and push the sides well together. If you like them to look nice use a Ravioli cutter to cut all sides nicely. Step 5: . <PIC> Grease a large gratin dish and pour the tomato sauce into it. Put the Ravioli into the sauce.Bechamel Sauce:30 g Butter1 heaped tbsp Flour 400 ml Milk Nutmeg20 g grated CheeseFor the Sauce Bechamel melt the butter in a small pot and add the flour. Mix until it's a big blob of flour, then add the milk and season with pepper, paprika and nutmeg. Whisk well all the while until it thickens. Add the grated cheese and mix. Step 6: . <PIC> Pour the sauce over the Ravioli and sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Step 7: . <PIC> Bake at 180 C for 30-40 minutes.Serve hot!


Introduction: How to Press Tofu. <PIC> Tofu is one of my favorite foods to cook with. There are so many ways to cook it and it accepts flavors really well! I know that many people have issues with the texture of tofu, so I thought I'd show how I press my tofu to get the best texture from it. This really only works with medium, firm and extra-firm styles of tofu - anything softer and it'll just crumble under the weight!Plus, when you press tofu properly, you remove LOADS of water, which means there's more room for marinade and seasonings to get in and make your tofu awesome. :D Step 1: What You'll Need to Press Tofu at Home. <PIC> You can buy tofu presses (or make your own! We have a few tutorials here on Instructables), but they tend to be kinda expensive for how often I'd use them. Instead, I use these items:2 large plates2 paper towels or one cloth towela few canned foods or books, whatever you have on hand Step 2: Drain Your Tofu Over the Sink. <PIC> I like to use a knife to cut one edge of the package and let the tofu drain over the sink. You can slightly squeeze the package at this point too - it'll help get out a bit more water before pressing! I just press my palm into the top while I let it drain. Just don't press too hard, you can bust the tofu. :P Step 3: Set Up the Press. <PIC> Place the paper or cloth towel on a large plate in the middle. Make sure to fold it several times so there's quite a bit of bulk under the tofu. This is especially important if you're using paper towels - never do just one layer because it will disintegrate and attach itself to the tofu. Yuck! Place the tofu onto the towels, and then place another plate on top as shown. At this point, put 2-3 cans or a couple books on the top plate. This will create your press! Just make sure you don't add too much weight, because you can cause the tofu sides to break and collapse. Step 4: Press the Tofu for 15 Minutes to 1 Hour. <PIC> The longer you press it, the better it will be! I normally do mine for at least 20 minutes because I always seem to be rushing to cook, but an hour makes for amazing tofu as far as I'm concerned. I had enough time to let it sit for an hour today :DIf loads of water starts building up in the bottom plate, pour it off, otherwise just let it hang out. (See photo above for a gauge of how much water will come out!)If you're using cans you may need to slightly adjust their position or remove one depending on how the tofu is looking. Sometimes too much weight in one place can cause the tofu walls to bow out and break.  Step 5: Comparison of the Tofu Before and After. <PIC> This is what the tofu should look like at the end - it should be a bit smaller! If you pressed it for long enough, you won't see any excess water seeping from the sides, either. :D


Introduction: Bechamel Sauce and Potatoes. <PIC> I was in dire need to create a recipe for the snack foods contest so I thought I would try something original (or semi-original at least) and decided to try and make potatoes with bechamel sauce.  The recipe is quite simple and is easy to make in no time at all. NOTE: My sauce is a little runny because I over cooked the roux and used too much milk in the original recipe, it is usually much thicker.ANOTHER NOTE: I was only using two potatoes in the pictures because I was only making this for myself this time.   Step 1: Materials and Potatoes Recipe. <PIC> Materials:  (for everything)
    -pans (I had 3)
    -whisk
    -scale (metric preferably)
    -grater
    -colander
    -plate
    -silverwareIngredients:
    -flour (40 grams)
    -butter (40 grams)
    -2 eggs
    -milk (2 cups)
    - 4 potatoes
    -olive oil
    -seasoningsPotato recipe:
   1.) peel and grate those bad boys.
   2.) rinse under cold water until the water that comes off of them is not cloudy. (this is to remove the starch so they aren't that starchy.)
   3.) dry off the shredded potatoes as much as possible, use a paper towel to squeeze out the water and transfer them to another bowl and pat dry. (now would be a good time to start heating up the oil in a sauce pan)
   4.) Beat eggs and season with salt and pepper well then pour onto the potatoes and mix well. (I would not recommend letting the mixture sit out for long as it will not keep that long)
   5.) use a spoon as a guide and clump together the egg-potato mixture and place it in the saucepan of oil.  Cook until very lightly browned (the potatoes will become bitter if they become too dark because of the eggs cooking too much.)
   6.) the potatoes are now done!! Hooray Step 2: Garlic Bechamel Sauce Recipe. <PIC> 1.) measure out 40 grams of butter and 40 grams of flour.
2.) melt the butter in a medium sauce pan then whisk in flour until a roux is formed. Then cook said roux for approx. 5 minutes.
3.) whisk/stir in milk 1 cup at a time, I would recommend using a rubber spatula, and be sure to stir vigorously to remove all lumps.
4.) let it simmer 10 minutes then season generously with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
5.) the bechamel sauce is now complete and ready to pour on top of your potatoes.


Introduction: Cherry Vanilla Tea. <PIC> The tea used in this recipe comes from Romania. It's absolutely divine! Without further adieu, I present the recipe! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> For this recipe, you will need:2 teaspoons of cherry vanilla tea1/2 cup hot water2 sugar cubes (optional) Step 2: Soaking the Tea. <PIC> Pour the hot water into a cup, and also place a small drainer inside. Place the tea inside of the drainer, making sure that it is submerged in water. Let sit until the water turns a deep pink / red. Step 3: Adding the Sugar. <PIC> This step is optional, but if you like, you can add 2 sugar cubes while the tea is still hot, to ensure that the sugar will dissolve. And that's all folks! Enjoy!


Introduction: How to Make Mango Pickle, the South Indian Way. <PIC> There are many different methods to prepare mango pickle. This is one such method used in South India which will allow you to store the mango pickle for a long time. The recipe is simple but may take a week as the mango pieces are mixed with salt and seasoned in the sun for a week. Step 1: Cut Mangoe Into Pieces. <PIC> Take one medium sized raw mango. This one I have harvested from our tree.Cut the mango into cubes of about 3/4 inches in size.Remove the seed from inside but leave the hard shell intact.Transfer the cut pieces in to a bowlThe raw mango pieces weighed about 200 grams. Step 2: Add Salt and Keep in Sun. <PIC> Add about 20 grams of crystal salt to the mango pieces.Shake well so that all pieces are uniformly mixed with saltCover the bowl with a clean cloth and keep it in sunlight.Keep the mango pieces in sunlight for seasoning. Shake mango pieces everyday.After a week of seasoning, the mango pieces are ready for pickling. Step 3: Other Ingredients. <PIC> The following ingredients are required to make the spice powderDry red chilies 12 to 15 numbers (As per you taste)One teaspoon of Cumin seedsOne teaspoon of Mustard seedsOne teaspoon of Fenugreek seedsAbout 5 grams of unprocessed AsafoetidaDry roast all ingredients separately other than red chilies. Add few drops of oil in the pan for roasting red chilies.The quantities of ingredients mentioned here are sufficient for about 500 grams of Mango pieces. Step 4: Grind the Spice Powder. <PIC> Allow the roasted spices to cool and then transfer all ingredients to a mixer / grinder jar Step 5: Make Spice Powder. <PIC> Grind the roasted spices into powder and transfer to a bowl Step 6: Heat Oil. <PIC> Heat a frying pan over medium fireAdd a tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan. We usually prefer Sesame oil for pickling.When the oil is heated, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds.When mustard seeds start to crack, add the seasoned mango pieces to the oilUse a ladle to turn over the mango pieces till all the pieces are properly covered with oil. Step 7: Add Spice Powder. <PIC> As I have said earlier, the quantities of ingredients we have used to make spice powder is sufficient for about 500 grams of mangoes. Our cut mango pieces weighed about 200 grams. So we will add slightly then than half the quantity of the prepared spice powder. You can store the balance for another pickling job.Mix the spices with the mango pieces and cook for about five minutes.Turn off the stove and allow the pickle to cool down.Transfer the mango pickle to a bowl.Enjoy the mouth-watering Mango pickle with Rice, Chappathy or even with morning breakfast.


Introduction: Cucumber Sushi Roll. <PIC> Learn how to make a basic vegetarian sushi roll. Perfect for learning how to make other more complex rolls. These instructions are for complete beginners in rolling sushi.Everything needed:1) Makisu (sushi matt) OR a hand towel2) Plastic wrap3) Sharp knife4) Small sauce pan5) Medium sauce pan6) Spoon for stirring (wooden or plastic)7) Spoon for scooping out cucumber seeds8) Bowl of water9) Nori (dried sushi seaweed)10) Cucumbers11) 3 cups Cooked white rice (half a cup cooked rice per roll) for 6 rolls----a) 1 cup uncooked short grain white rice ( koshihikari, Dongbei, or Calrose)----b) 3 tablespoons (Tbsp) rice vinegar----c) 2 cups water----d) 1/2 teaspoon (Tsp) table salt----e) 2 Tbsp Sugar Step 1: Preparing the Cucumbers. <PIC> - Start by skinning the cucumbers with a peeler. - Use the Knife to cut off the ends of the cucumbers- Cut the cucumbers in half so they each make two semi circle halves. - Use the spoon to scoop out the seeds. - Cut the "C" shaped cucumber panels into 1/3 or 1/4 inch wide sticks.- Trim the sticks so they match the length of the nori. If the cucumber is shorter than the nori, you will need to line up two sticks and make sure they are trimmed to match the length of the nori. Step 2: Cooking the Rice Part 1. <PIC> - Start by rinsing the rice in the bowl of water. Use your fingers to stir the rice for a few seconds to release the extra starches and impurities within the rice. Carefully pour out the water without losing any rice (use of a fine strainer is recommended.) - Repeat that last step at least two more times Step 3: Cooking the Rice Part 2. <PIC> - Add the rice to a medium sauce pan or pot along with 2 cups of water. Increase heat to medium high and wait for the water to boil.- Fill the bowl back up with water to use later and set aside- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover. Wait about 15 minutes for all of the water to be absorbed. You may continue towards the next step while waiting.  Step 4: Cooking the Rice Part 3. <PIC> - In a small sauce pan or pot, add the vinegar, salt, and sugar and turn up the heat to medium high. Stir with the wooden or plastic spoon until everything has been dissolved in the vinegar.- Once the salt and sugar has dissolved in the vinegar, take the pan or pot off of the stove and cover.  Step 5: Cooking the Rice Part 4. <PIC> - Once all of the water has been absorbed by the rice, pour the vinegar mixture onto the rice while maintaining the low heat.- Keep stirring gently with the wooden spoon or spatula until the rice is dry but still sticky. Do not over heat. Step 6: Preparing the Nori and the Mat (towel). <PIC> - You may need to cut the nori in half, length wise (hot dog fold), in order to have the correct size (pictured). Scissors work perfectly for this.- If using a hand towel instead of a sushi mat, fold in half in a rectangle shape to get the desired size (pictured).- Cover the hand towel or sushi mat with the plastic wrap.- Lay the nori down onto the wrap shiny (smooth) side down with the rough side facing up. Step 7: Preparing the Roll. <PIC> - Use the water from the bowl to wet your hands.This will minimize the rice getting stuck to your hands. Reapply water as you continue the next step-Grab a small amount of rice and start to cover the nori almost completely. Leave about half an inch to an inch on top which will act as the adhesive to bring it all together. The rice layer should be only be about two grains thick. Too thick of a layer will prevent the roll from closing.-Lay one of the cucumber sticks in the middle after finishing with the rice. Step 8: Rolling. <PIC> - Roll a little bit of the mat, and place your thumbs under it. Hold the cucumber with your fingers and start rolling by pushing forwards with your thumb until the mat overlaps fully around the roll.- Use your fingers to compress lightly into a roll shape.- Pull back the mat to expose the plastic wrap. Peel the wrap back. - With a little bit of water on your fingers from the bowl, wet the 1/2 inch tab of nori that is not covered by the rice. Then quickly use your fingers to overlap that wet part with the rest of the roll to close it off.- Wait about a minute for the roll to completely dry Step 9: Cutting . <PIC> - Wet the knife with the water from the bowl. This will prevent the roll from warping as the rice won't stick so easily to the knife.- Cut the roll in half with the wet knife by applying only a tiny bit of pressure and in a sawing motion. This is much easier with a very sharp knife. Line up the halves and then cut into thirds.  Step 10: Enjoy !. <PIC> - Goes well with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce.- A great introduction into rolling more complex rolls of sushi.


Introduction: Pull-apart Garlic Braid. <PIC> This delicious garlic braid is great for beginner bakers and experienced ones alike! It's super simple and it's a recipe I developed myself. Enjoy!  Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> The things you will need is:Pizza dough1 stick of melted butter (1/2 a cup) 2-3 cloves of garlica capful of olive oila pinch of salta pinch of peppera cake pana small oven-safe bowl Step 2: . Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Step 3: . <PIC> Take your pizza dough and split it into 3 parts. These will be used for the braid. Step 4: . <PIC> Roll out the 3 sections of dough into strips. Step 5: . <PIC> Join the tops of the 3 strips and braid them together.  Step 6: . <PIC> Brush your braid with melted butter. Step 7: . <PIC> Put your braid in your pan. Step 8: . <PIC> Take 2-3 cloves of garlic and put them in an oven safe bowl. Step 9: . <PIC> Drizzle a capful of olive oil over them and sprinkle some salt and pepper on them. Step 10: . Bake both the braid and the garlic at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. You can put both in at the same time if you want. Step 11: . <PIC> Take your braid and garlic out of the oven. *CAREFUL- IT WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT* Step 12: . <PIC> Combine your garlic with the rest of the melted butter and pour on the braid. Step 13: . <PIC> Put the braid on a plate and enjoy!


Introduction: Sea Creature "dogs". <PIC> Turn some plain hot-dogs into an underwater adventure!  Step 1: Get Some "dogs" and Make Some Friends!. <PIC> I used turkey franks for my underwater adventure. You can use any kind of hot dogs you want though. Admittedly, the kind that "plump when you cook 'em" work best. They look better when done, but really...any "dog" will do! For the Octopus dogs, you need to cut the "dogs" in half. If the kiddos are helping, they can use a plastic knife! Hot dogs are soft and cut easily. Once the hot dog is cut in half, carefully cut the octopus tentacles by cutting lengthwise up the "dog" to make 8 "legs".  Doesn't look like much now, but once you cook him (or her) the tentacles will "open up" and curl on their own! Step 2: Jelly Fish!. <PIC> Now that we have the Octopus "dogs" prepared, let's make them some Jelly fish friends! For these guys, you'll need some pasta. Spaghetti and "spirally noodles", as my daughter likes to call them, work best.  Just cut the rounded ends off of a hot dog to use as the head/body of your jelly fish friends. They should be about an inch. The spaghetti noodles just stick right into the cut side of the hot dog pieces. Push the spaghetti in, almost to the top and then break it off at about 2-3 inches in length. Pierce as many in as you can. The more the better. The spiral noodles sort of "screw" in, like opening a wine bottle (Moms, you know what I'm talking' about! Just pretend it's their bedtime and your opening that much needed bottle of Moscato before your bubble bath! lol) You won't be able to get as many in as with the spaghetti, but the effect is much more cute! Plop them into their bubbly boiling bath with the Octopus buddies to cook. Step 3: Leftover Fun. <PIC> After you make the Jelly fish, you should have a small section of hot dog left. Cut it into small slices an "skewer" them with a few pieces of spaghetti or other pasta. Now, these don't necessarily look like sea creatures, but the kids love 'em and they make good, tasty use of these leftover bits!  Once they're sufficiently skewered, drop 'em in the pool with the rest of the kids! (Boil them with the other hot dog creations, don't actually put them in a swimming pool with your children! That's gross! lol) Step 4: Put Your Octopus's Garden Together. <PIC> Once all of your pasta is cooked and the Octopus buddies are ready, it's time for the fun part! Using your kid's favourite condiments, let them decorate! Add faces, and even some relish "seaweed" to the plate! This can be as elaborate, or as simple as you want! As long as the kids have fun, they'll think they are great! We used mustard faces, and even some small pieces of Nori (dried seaweed) for the mouths. Relish makes a cute seaweed effect, but these guys even look cute swimming in a bowl of chicken broth! So let the kids have fun making and decorating their underwater friends!  Goldfish crackers also make a great addition to the party, we just didn't have any! lol I hope you and your kids enjoy this fun little lunch time creation as much as my daughter and I did! Playing together in the kitchen isn't just fun, it's yummy too!


Introduction: Organic Seaweedless Sushi - Growing Your Own Sushi Wraps From Edible, Easy-to-cultivate Leaves.. <PIC> FOREWORDIf like us, you are worried about marine pollution, then you will be looking to make your sushi wraps from something you can grow yourself. The following is one of the easiest and tastiest  I have found.Nasturtium tropaeolum majus is a most useful plant to grow in any garden not just for decoration or wildlife habitat but because the leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible. They will also  grow in poor soil, in containers and as they can be found in both bush  and climbing varieties, are eminently suitable for urban or limited  space, square foot and vertical gardening.Here I am using them as an alternative to nori and making home-grown sushi wraps.TOP PHOTOGRAPHFor a more elaborate traditional sushi, I wrap the rice in extra large  nasturtium leaves. I don't have a rolling mat but just use eco baking  paper. I can then cut them into lengths just as I would with nori. You  can also use other leafy vegetables such as cabbage, kale or spinach but  the younger and more pliable leaves are easier to manage.SECOND AND THIRD PHOTOGRAPHSmörgåsbord - open sandwich style sushi. A very simple light lunch, created from balls of Thai rice just placed on nasturtium leaf wraps. I  married them with a confits de tomates and a fines herbes omelette. Just fold the leaf around the rice ball as you pick it up and bite into a taste sensation. Step 1: TIPS ON GROWING THIS MEDICAL AND CULINARY PLANT. <PIC> COMMON GARDEN NASTURTIUMS -  MEDICAL AND CULINARY TREASURE YET SO EASY TO GROWNative to South America, in the past nasturtiums along with sprouted seeds and citrus fruit were used to treat scurvy because of  their high  vitamin C content, they also contain valuable anti-oxidants.  Prized for  many centuries as a medicinal plant, the nasturtium can be used to   treat skin problems (in particular acne), hair loss, respiratory and  urinary infections. So there is a lot more to this common garden plant  than meets the eye! You can grow nasturtiums all year round in just about any soil and although they are often described as annuals they are in fact perennial, so if you are careful to place them near a stone wall or other heat sink, then you can keep them going through the Winter. Nevertheless, they do self-seed very freely so you can actually do as I do and let them continue in the container, just adding a little new home-made organic compost once a year or whenever you see the leaves beginning to lose their healthy green colour.The only pest problem they really seem to have here is attack by cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, who find them just as tasty as we do. They are however easy to pick off the leaves and as my quail love to eat them, are yet another bonus of growing nasturtiums.HAVE FUN!Just have fun experimenting with colour and their fabulous peppery taste will make you want to use them with all your favourite fillings. If you can try to get hold of some of the seeds of nasturtium Jewel of Africa - find them on seed swaps or you can buy them through good seed merchants, I get mine from Chiltern seeds, for example on-line. The leaves are most beautifully variegated and they make fabulous sushi wrapsPlease  feel free to ask questions or share your own ideas either here, or on  the article, or any other questions you may have about growing and  eating nasturtiums.The original article of mine can be found :hereAll the very best and Bon Appétit!Pavlovafowl aka Sue


Introduction: Mason Jar Sauerkraut . <PIC> After an afternoon of thinning and harvesting the garden beds that we shared this summer as part of a backyard garden series in Whitehorse, a group of us learned how to make single jar batches of sauerkraut! Making sauerkraut is one way to preserve some of the harvest for later, and because the cabbage is fermented, it forms lactobacillus's probiotics which are supposed to be extra good for you and your gut! This method is super easy. Once prepared, the sauerkraut is stored in a cool place, like the back of the fridge or root cellar, for a few months, to be pulled out right around the winter solstice when it can be enjoyed almost like crisp fresh cabbage - or so i have been told! (our first tasting is still months away). Step 1: Equipment and Ingredients:. <PIC> freash cabbage head  non idodinized salt - sea salt or kosher salt  cutting board and knife  mason jarsboiling water - kettle/pot  plastic wrap  cool place to store for 4 months Step 2: Prepare the Cabbage. <PIC> Remove any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage and cut the head in half from top to bottom. This will allow it to be laid flat on the cutting board. Beginning at one end, cut thin slices off the head - cut them as thin as you can! (smaller than an 1/8" in thickness if possible). It takes practise to slice it this thin, it is almost as if you are trying to shave off one layer at a time. Don't include the solid core of the cabbage in your shreddings.You can either cut the entire cabbage head up this way, or stop once you have a sizeable pile cut. Step 3: Add the Salt. <PIC> Line up your clean mason jars, and add one tsp of sea salt (non-iodized) to each pint jar. Step 4: Pack the Jars. <PIC> Add cut up cabbage to each jar, packing the jar(s) up to just below the top. Our cabbage was cut a bit thick (photo 1)!  When we got better at cutting it thinly, we replaced some of the thicker cabbage  (photo 3). Slice more cabbage if you need to, and continue to fill the jars until they are all packed. Step 5: Add Boiling Water. <PIC> Add boiling water to each jar until it covers over the top of the cabbage. Remove a bit of cabbage if the jar is too full to cover completely with water. Step 6: Seal the Jars. <PIC> Add a layer of plastic wrap over each of the jars, before adding your metal lids. This will protect the lids from being corroded by the salt water.Tighten, but don't over tighten the lids :). Step 7: Shake It Up!. <PIC> Shake it baby, shake it! This will dissolve and distribute the salt in the water.  Step 8: Store It for Later!. <PIC> Thats it. Once your jar(s) of cabbage have cooled to room temperature, tuck them away in the back of the fridge or cool root cellar, and try to forget about them for a few months :).This particular recipe and method must be kept cool and is intended to be opened and eaten around the solstice (Dec 21). Warning: Because this method involves making sauerkraut in a sealed jar, if it warms up too much, the cabbage will ferment more rapidly, produce more gas, and might become too pressurized - you don't want your jars to explode, so be sure to keep your sauerkraut cool!


Introduction: Homemade Capsicum Cheese Pizza - Who's Hungry. <PIC> Hello there foodies !! Pizza is a yeasted flatbread typically topped with tomato sauce and cheese and baked in an oven. It is commonly topped with a selection of meats, vegetables and condiments. Originated from Italy now this dish is served all over the world, it is a simple to make and everyone loves pizza.As a treat for all the Pizza lovers, I'll be showing you the recipe to make Capsicum Cheese Pizza at home in this Instructable.  Step 1: The Ingredients. <PIC> To make this delicious pizza, you'll need the following items in your shopping cart. Pizza Base  Capsicum   Red Onion  Cheese  Tomato Sauce  Shezwan Sauce/ Chutney Step 2: Prepping the Base. <PIC> I'll be using a regular microwave oven to bake the pizza. Before you get into the topping, you'll need to prepare the base to get it ready for the toppings. If you want to see how to make the perfect pizza base, visit my previous Instructable. First, preheat the microwave for about 30 seconds. Now heat the base in the oven for about 1 minute. You should see that the base will be puffed a little. Step 3: The Crust. <PIC> Though the topping is important, the crust is where the magic happens. To make the crust, first coat the pre-baked base with a layer of tomato sauce. Add grated cheese over the sauce all over the pizza. Be generous with the cheese, cos after all, it's a cheese pizza. Now bake the pizza for about 2 minutes in the microwave.  Step 4: The Toppings. <PIC> Toppings are one of the things that can never be compromised on a pizza. Different people prefer different toppings. Since this is a capsicum cheese pizza, for the topping, you'll need a capsicum and an onion. Finely chop the capsicum and red onions. Now add this topping on the base which is baked with the crust on. Also grate a little more cheese on the toppings. You can also add Schezwan chutney over the topping to give the pizza a spicy upgrade.  Step 5: Bake It All !. <PIC> After adding the topping, put the pizza in the oven for one last time and bake it for about 3-5 mins depending on the amount of toppings. Even after baking if you feel that the toppings are under-cooked, then feel free to microwave it for another minute. Note: The timing is totally dependent on the size and the thickness of the base. So make sure to keep that in your mind when you're using a microwave oven like me.  Step 6: Slice and Serve. <PIC> Once the pizza is fully baked, remove it from the microwave and slice it. You can add chili flakes additionally to it and serve. Serve it with Tomato ketchup and a drink. Pizza and a Carbonated drink are one of the best combinations to savor and enjoy. See you again with another simple recipe. Ciao !!


Introduction: Mexican Vegetable Pickles. <PIC> Salsa and guacamole are staples when it comes to Mexican food but there's one condiment that will complete the trifecta of flavor for any south-of-the-border sandwich, taco or salad: pickled vegetables. Carrots and onions combine with jalapenos in a brine of vinegar, garlic, salt, spices and herbs to make this spicy, tangy, crunchy side that will keep in the refrigerator for weeks!Adding the vegetables at different times throughout the cooking process keeps the onions and jalapenos from overcooking and losing their color. The spices and herbs in this recipe can be adjusted for personal preferences. Also, to reduce the heat of the jalapenos, remove the seeds and membranes from inside the peppers before cooking. Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients. <PIC> 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar1 1/2 cups water4-6 cloves garlic3 bay leaves1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground or crushed black pepper1 teaspoon canning & pickling salt1/2 teaspoon celery salt1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seed or ground dry mustard1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano1/2 teaspoon epazote, optional2 cups diagonally sliced carrots 1/8" slices1 1/2 cup radially sliced onion stem to root3/4-1 cup thinly sliced jalapenocilantrocarrot greens (optional) Step 2: Create Your Brine. <PIC> In a large saucepan, combine first 10 ingredients (through epazote) and bring to a boil. Step 3: Cook Carrots. <PIC> Add the carrots to the boiling brine and simmer until tender (about 10 minutes but start testing for desired texture after 6 or 7 minutes). Step 4: Add Onions & Jalapenos. <PIC> Add onions and jalapenos and bring mixture back to boiling. Remove from heat. Step 5: Add Cilantro & Carrot Greens. <PIC> Stir in chopped fresh cilantro and carrot greens (optional). Cool about 15 minutes. Step 6: Pack in Jars. <PIC> Transfer the pickled vegetables and the brine to 3 half-pint canning jars that have been sterilized. Cool completely. Cover with lids and rings and store in the refrigerator. Step 7: Consume!. <PIC> Pickles are ready to eat as soon as they cool but the flavors will develop best after 24 hours. Step 8: Create a Masterpiece. <PIC> Be creative ... think outside the taco ... Bloody Marys anyone??For more brilliant ideas like this one, follow along with me at picniclifefoodie.com!


Introduction: Basics - Addictive Chocolate Soda Cracker Cookies. <PIC> These cookies are almost addictive for chocoholics such as myself. It's hard to stop eating them, once one has had the first one.  Although it seems like a lot of steps to go through to make them, it is actually an easy process. Step 1: Ingredients and Equipment. <PIC> IngredientsAbout 1 1/2 sleeves of soda crackers; unsalted is probably the best, i.e. forget the soda part1/2 cup sugar (not bad so far)1 cup (2 sticks) butter (whoa, here come the calories!)12 oz chocolate chips (when does it end?)1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (ahh, one healthy ingredient); Roasted pecans are a good substitute for walnuts.Equipmentcookie sheetbaking paperspatula, handy but not essentialmeasuring things, and other normal kitchen equipment Step 2: Layout. <PIC> Preheat oven to 325°F. Line cookie sheet with baking paper, overlapping the sides.Cover the baking paper in the cookie sheet with soda crackers (saltines) in a single layer.  Step 3: Boil the Sugar and Butter for 3-4 Minutes. <PIC> Stir and boil together sugar and butter in a small saucepan for 3-4 minutes. Make sure the mixture is boiling when you start the timer. If it turns brown, take it out right away.  Step 4: Pour Melted Butter and Suger Over the Crackers. <PIC> Pour sugar/butter mixture over crackers and spread evenly.Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for approximately 8 minutes...the cookies will be golden and bubbly but not brown.  Step 5: Chocolate Layer. <PIC> As soon as the cookie sheet is out of the oven, sprinkle approximately 12 ounces of chocolate chips on top of the crackers. Put cookie sheet back in oven for about 1 minute to help chocolate melt. Spread chocolate with a knife or spatula. Step 6: Walnut (or Pecan) Layer. <PIC> Sprinkle 1 ½ cup chopped nuts evenly on top of the melted chocolate, covering the whole area. Press the chopped nuts slightly with a spatula so the nuts adhere to the chocolate.  Step 7: Freeze the Cookies and Break Them Up. <PIC> Put the cookie sheet in the freezer and cool until hard--ten to twenty minutes. Lift the cookies out by the baking paper and peel back gently from cookies Break the cookies into pieces. I use a big knife, to help break them into somewhat regular sizes.  Mostly, these cookies have to be broken into varying sizes and shapes, they don't cut well. Step 8: What to Do With the Finished Soda Cracker Cookies. <PIC> Keep covered in the refrigerator or freezer. It's best to keep them under lock-and-key. Don't let the kids get them. Nor should you eat any of them yourself. Save them for guests you don't particularly like, especially if they don't take any statins.Please disregard the picture accompanying this step.  I just couldn't restrain myself.


Introduction: How to Make Maple Candy. <PIC> I will show you how to make the simplest maple candy. Out of just maple syrup. Step 1: Materials. <PIC> You will need One large sauce pan (mine was small, bad mistake) A maple candy mold or some thing to mold the candy in ( have extra in case) A wooden, or stainless steel spoon A candy thermometer and 1 or more cups of syrup Step 2: Heating the Syrup. <PIC> Pour the syrup in a the large sauce pan and turn on heat to 3 or 4 You want the syrup to heat up very slowly. Stir occasionally.  If heated up to fast it may boil over and make a mess. This may take a long time but boil the syrup to 235 deg F, not the bubbles. Make sure to keep the thermometer in the syrup not in the bubbles Once the syrup is exactly 235 F pull it off the stove and let the temp drop to 175 F with out stirring Step 3: Turning the Maple Syrup Into Cream. <PIC> Once down to 175 deg F, stir rapidly till the syrup turns lighter and creamier. This will take about five minutes. Step 4: Putting It Into Molds. <PIC> Once the mixed syrup is cream immediately glop it into the molds. Once it sort of cool you can dab your finger with water and smoothen the backs. Step 5: The Candy Is Complete. <PIC> Once the candy in the molds are cool pop them out and store them in the fridge for up to 1 month  Enjoy


Introduction: Coffee From Bean to Cup. <PIC> This is my simple, relaxed approach to roasting, grinding, and brewing your own coffee. Coffee has been cultivated, traded, roasted, and brewed since around 1100AD, and as most of you remember from elementary History class, there was not electricity back then which means most of us possess the equipment or can cheaply acquire said equipment to do much of this ourselves. Most of us do not live in the right region of the world nor the right elevation to grow amazing coffee beans but once we can get our hands on them, the rest is a piece of cake.  I focused mostly on the roasting in this instructable hoping that if you are looking into roasting your own beans, you already have a pretty good grasp of the other two. Roasting really doesn't have to be that hard, it's really not that expensive, and to make your own fresh roasted beans to coffee is like no other coffee experience you'll ever have.  Step 1: Get Some Beans. <PIC> Green coffee beans can be found a lot easier than they use too. There's many different regions to get many different beans from that are good for many different things. Soil, altitude, ways of processing, size of bean, where in the world they are grown, all of these things effect the end product. If you are into flying that plane into the ground, there are hundreds of books and articles to read, this isn't that how to guide though. This is a very basic no frils, in case you are curious approach. If you like it and open your own roasting house, I expect some credit...  Personally I have really enjoyed getting my beans from a supplier called smokinbeans.com which also sell on Amazon. 1. Pick your bean. I recommend you start at the roast of coffee you like, then find what is the best bean for that roast. I like a medium roast so my favorite is  Yirgacheffe which is arguably one of the best beans in the world. (side note- great beans are much more affordable when they are still green so get something nice!)2. Buy your bean. Usually most distributers will sell in bags of 5 pounds or more but you can find less. Anything under 5 pounds though and for the price, usually, in my experience, it'll cost you the same as the 5 pound bag.  Step 2: Get Everything Else.. <PIC> 1. You will need one heat source. I bought a hot plate at Wal-Mart (I got the Oster Single Burner $19.99 only because it had the flat cook top and I didn't want beans falling through the coil of the $9.99 burner, it's up to you), it works just fine and it's very cheap. Get as fancy as you like, roast them on your grill, I've seen alcohol burners too... If you use a camp stove you might want to use a heavier pan than he aluminum popper just for heat transfer sake (but then you are getting into thermal dynamics and that's a different instructiable)   just have a little control of the heat and it can't get 1000 degrees F (of C for that matter) because beans do burn.2. You need a roasting container. I use a whirley pop popcorn popper ($19.99-$29.99 from your favorite online retailer). Again, it works great and again, you can get creative and use whatever you want. just keep the beans moving over the heat or once again, they will burn. (open fire or gas burner=thicker skillet and wooden spoon) 3. When they are done you will want a metal bowl, I like stainless, to cool the beans. A sink of ice water is nice but not absolutely necessary. A pair of work gloves I highly recommend so you don't singe off your finger tips while you're cooling the beans. And I recommend you do this all outdoors in a garage, back porch, fire pit camping, grill,  unless everyone in the house LOVES the smell of roasted coffee. You may say, "But Chris, I have a stove, and a skillet, and a wooden spoon, what's stopping me from just roasting them right on the stove?" The technical answer is nothing... Go for it! The only byproduct besides smoke and beans is something called chaff, it is the hull of the bean that get's burnt off, and it makes a mess while you are cooling the beans so, at least take them outside to cool them.Total investment:Burner $19.99Popper $25.99Beans, 5# $25.99The bowl and gloves I had...I bought a nice ceramic hand crank grinder for $35.00 on amazon but if you have a grinder you don't need this.That's it If you just had the cast iron skillet and the spoon and a fire, you can do it just fine... all you would need is the bowl gloves and beans, all the same concepts apply no matter the equipment... And with the crank grinder you can roast and brew completely off the grid! For all you survivalists out there :) Step 3: OK, the Meat and Potatoes, and Beans. <PIC> 1.Get hot plate, get popper, get roughly 10oz. of beans. Pour beans into popper. Don't put on heat quite yet... let's have a little talk.When I started doing this I read everything I could find, I started stop watches to make sure it was roasting right, I had my IR thermometers out to check the temp of the beans I was ALL OVER IT. I can tell you most of that has gone away. Turns out the beans do most of the work and they really don't need your help or encouragement. There are two defining stages in roasting that will help you know where your beans are at in the roasting process, first crack and second crack. First crack sounds kinda like pop corn popping and second crack is not as distinct, or quite as predictable. So if you are roasting anything but a City Roast+ like me, look up where in the cycle to take it. I'm sure someone that has brewed coffee for a long time is going to send me hate mail over this but  I pretty much always roast a city roast+ which is right after first crack-ish, So I roast until then and then I stop. And that's how complicated I choose to make it. Can you make it more complicated than that? sure... go for it. I know for a fact there are lots of other how to's out there that can help you with that. (OK truth be told I was going to just leave it at that but I started to feel guilty that I didn't include something else to guide you along a little better, then I remembered this link: (http://legacy.sweetmarias.com/library/content/using-sight-determine-degree-roast) If I'm going to keep it simple but not leave you stranded this is the site to fill the gaps! they have done a fantastic job of showing you how to tell your roast by site and have tons of more information if you desire a bit more information than what I provide along with being able to purchase a huge variety of beans. Ok so now, the basic name of the game is, (for my roast) get it to first crack quickly, then cool it down, also quickly...1.5. Beans in popper. (or skillet)2. Place on burner and turn that sucker up to high, if you are using what I use... (I'm shooting for about 450F for the beans in case you desire to use a blow torch, fire pit, camp stove, or engine block... try to adjust the distance from heat source to get roughly the same result as a stove to burner.) ((sorry I feel to reiterate so much right here but the "high" setting on your camp stove is not the same as the "high" setting on your stove top, or a fire, or whatnot, so before you end up with a pile of smoking black little dots in the bottom of your pan that are permanently burnt into place, make sure you kinda have the feel for the difference between boiling water and melting steel.)) 3. Start turning the handle and get comfortable. If you have the popper like I do, you'll be turning the handle for about 15 to 20 minutes straight so seriously, don't be bent over in some weird position. If you are stirring a skillet over a fire, make sure you aren't going to burn your hands over the coals for the next 15 minutes or try to hold a cast iron skillet by hand over a fire for 15 minutes. Hell try and do that for 2 minutes!3.5. It usually takes about 15 minutes or so to get them to where I like them, you'll have to experiment with your roast and beans to get what you want...4. Once they are where you want (mine are right after first crack) get them off the heat and put them in the bowl. 5. I toss them in the bowl to get as much air as I can between the beans while pretending to be the Swedish Chef form the Muppets to entertain my 5 year old. Bork Bork Bork... (a lot of you are to young for that reference I'm sure, you should look it up)5.5. Put the base of the bowl in the ice water to cool it down if it's getting to hot to hold, just don't get the beans wet. (you don't have to do this but it can save your fingers)Also you don't have to act like the Swedish Chef but I recommend it.  Step 4: Congrats! You Made Beans! Now Make Your Own COFFEE!. <PIC> 1.Ok your beans are cool to the touch, they may not be totally cool on the inside still so let the sit a while still before you grind them. (How long is a while? I have no clue, use your best judgment... If you REALLY want to grind them, a while will be a lot less time than if you are a very patient person I'm betting.)2.Grind them to Spec. I'm sure you know that different ways of brewing have different grinds but in case you didn't, they do. If you didn't know that, go find a website to explain this to you before you move forward. Or the owners manual to your coffee making apparatus...3. Brew and enjoy.-- You did it! --      Final thoughts: There is so much more that can be added and if you find you like doing this I encourage you continue to learn on the subject. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world only second to oil, and oil suck to drink... I also encourage you to look into purchasing fair trade coffee if you can or care. Basically all it does is make sure the farmer on the other end isn't getting ripped off by the government or market. It use to be a lot more expensive but now it's not that big of a difference. If you have any thoughts, helpful advice for the peeps, or ways I can make this better, leave me a comment or shoot me some mail. I'm always interested in improving :)


Introduction: Apple Roses. <PIC> Apples are abundant in fall, found in ciders, pies, and turkey stuffing for Thanksgiving. They are an incredibly versatile fruit found in both savory and sweet treats. This Instructable takes the fall fruit and turns it into a delicious and decorative bite sized pie or tart in the shape of a rose. It's simple, fast and a crowd pleaser. So break it out to sweeten your next holiday or festive feast!   Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> Preheat your oven to 375F. You'll need the following for your Apple Roses:Two Red/Pink Skinned Apples (I used a Pink Lady and a Winesap Apple)Pre-made Pie Crust3 Tablespoons of Butter1/4 Cup Brown Sugar1/2 Lemon (to juice)1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie SpiceA pinch of SaltFlour to cover cutting boardTools:Sharp KnifeMuffin PanBowl Microwave Step 2: Half and Core. <PIC> Cleanly and evenly, cut your two apples in half. You should now have four apple halves. Using a teaspoon scoop out the core of your apple. This is also a good time to preheat your oven if you haven't done so already. Preheat to 375F. Step 3: Slice 'Em. <PIC> Turn each apple so that the cut side is face down on the cutting board. Using a sharp knife slice the apple halves crosswise until they are about 1 cm thick. You can also use a mandolin for this step if you happen to have one.  Step 4: Soften. <PIC> Next, you'll have to soften your apples so that they can easily roll into the final rose form. Place your apple slices in a bowl and cover with the juice from half a lemon. You'll also want to add a tablespoon of water. Place your bowl in the microwave and heat for 40 seconds. Gently stir apples to make sure they get even heating. Reheat in your microwave for another 40 seconds. If you can bend your apples without breaking them they are done. If they are not that soft yet, microwave for another 40 seconds.  Step 5: Dough. <PIC> Unroll your dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife cut 2 inch (5.08 cm) wide strips.  Step 6: Buttery Goodness. <PIC> Soften your butter in a small bowl. Once softened, add your brown sugar and your teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Mix until throughly combined. Once mixed, spread a thin layer of your sugar and butter mixture on each dough strip.  Step 7: Apples. <PIC> Place your apple slices on each dough strip so that the rounded part of the slice is hanging off of your dough. Overlap each apple slice on top of the one before it.  Step 8: Fold. <PIC> Fold the bottom half of your dough up so that the apples are sandwiched between the two layers of dough securing them in place.  Step 9: Roll . <PIC> Starting at the same end that you began layering your apples begin to roll your dough into a tight spiral. Once you've completed the roll, place your rose into a GREASED muffin tin. Continue and repeat with all of your other roses. Step 10: Bake. <PIC> Bake your roses in your oven at 375F for 40 minutes. Once done, cool for at least 5 minutes before removing your roses from the pan. Step 11: Enjoy. <PIC> You're done! Enjoy your new mini apple roses. They can be a fun breakfast pastry or a clever desert addition to a fall themed meal.


Introduction: Birthday? Bake a Snowball Cake!. <PIC> For my youngest daughters 20th birthday she requested a snowball cake. You know the kind I'm talking about. Hostess is famous for them. It seems she had seen a picture of one on one of the crafting sites she frequents and figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Well she asked and I made it. My girls know that if there is a way to do it and it is important to them then I will certainly try my best, so the cake was made. It wasn't easy and sometimes it wasn't pretty but I managed to pull it together. She is a fan, at 20 years old!, of My Little Pony. So a trip to Wal-Mart to buy pony decorations completed the cake. Step 1: Items Needed for This Cake Project. <PIC> Cake mix (Chocolate devils food cake works well but let’s not split hairs any cake is good.)A medium size metal or glass bowl for baking (Try not to make a special purchase. Many  people have metal mixing pans and these work great.)A round 8 inch cake pan (Again, let’s not be too particular. If all you have is a 9-inch pan then go with that. It just entails a little more trimming.)Fluffy White frosting- (This is made by Betty Crocker and works much better than marshmallow fluff) Another name for this is seven minute icing.Marshmallow FluffCoconut- I use Bakers angel flake coconut/sweetenedFood ColorDecorations-These are optionalAir Brush-Also optional as coconut can be colored before putting on cake by simply putting it in a ziploc bag with a few drops of pink food color and shaken until all flakes are colored. Ziploc bag Step 2: Let's Begin. <PIC> Bake the cakes according to directions on the box and be forewarned that the cake in a bowl will take forever to bake. You just have to watch it and test it occasionally to know when it is done. It will take over an hour! After cakes are baked let cool. Once cooled the cake can be assembled.  Step 3: . <PIC> First you must take the round cake and place over the bottom layer which is the 8-in round and trim off the excess cake making it all line up so that when cake is assembled and iced it looks like one cake.  Step 4: . <PIC> After trimming, remove the top cake and on the bottom cake make a 1/2 inch recess/well in it at about 1 inch from the edge. This recess will then be filled with marshmallow fluff. Step 5: . <PIC> Place the top cake back upon the bottom cake and if desired it may be secured with skewers. I personally didn’t use any on my cake as this was my first attempt at it and you are benefiting from my mistakes. Step 6: . <PIC> At this point you simply frost the cake with Betty Crockers Homestyle Fluffy White frosting or the seven minute icing. I did find that this frosting worked well and was more like the true snowball cake in taste and texture.  Step 7: . <PIC> After frosting the cake you need to apply the coconut. Now if you colored your coconut in the ziploc bag, (this is done by just adding coconut to the bag and a few drops of pink food color and shaking it until all the coconut is the desired color), you just take handfuls of it and press into the cake until the cake is coated. If you are using the airbrush then apply the uncolored coconut the same way and then add your color to the sprayer and have fun! I know I did. Step 8: . <PIC> Once cake is completed to this point you just need to add the decorations whatever they may be! Or none! Step 9: . WARNING: This cake should NOT be made the day before and the frosting and gravity do not have a nice relationship. This cake should be assembled as close to time to eating it as is feasible.


Introduction: Carrot Cream With Spinach. <PIC> Greetings
It's been a few days that i've been exploring soup recipes, and after I've seen the soup contest I've decides do do my first instructable. Hope you all enjoy it.
This is a common soup traditionally made in Portugal, that I took the liberty to add a small touch of myself. I don't usually follow recipes strictly so I'll just tell what I've used this time, if you're reasonable you'll change the quantities or ingredients at your taste.
What will you need:
Ingredients:
+/- 200 gr of Spinach
3/4 Potatoes
3/4 Carrots
1 Spoon of corn flour
2/3 Bits of garlic
1 Onion
1 Slash of Black pepper
1 Vegetable flavor bouillon cube (It alredy got salt in it)
10/20 dl of Olive oil
Tools:
Heat source
Cooking pan
Knife
Cooking spoon
Peeler (optional)
Stick mixer Step 1: Wash and Peel Off All the Vegetables. <PIC> Make sure everything is well washed and peeled off for a nice clean cooking. Don't forget to cut off the tips of the garlic, onion and carrots. Step 2: Onion and Garlic Flavouring Stew. <PIC> This is a critical step in traditional Portuguese cooking, first of all chop the onion and garlic then throw it in the pan with olive oil. Let it cook a bit until the onion get the yellowish color from the olive oil. By then add a slash of black pepper, watch out the quantities of it because it can get spicy. Step 3: Potatoes and Carrots. <PIC> Cut the potatoes and carrots so that it cooks faster , the smaller you cut, the faster it cooks. Cut the carrots a little bit smaller than the potatoes , because the carrot takes longer to cook .
Fill the pan with water just slightly over the vegetables level. Cook them at boiling point, it will take about 20 minutes, just keep mixing and tasting for a better notion of the cooking point. Step 4: Take Care of the Spinach. <PIC> Take all the leaves from the spinach and throw away the rest. Don't forget to wash them very well!!! Step 5: Stick Mixing. <PIC> Use a stick mixer to blend everything at the pot this time. While doing it add the spoon of corn flour , this will increase the creamy aspect of the soup, if you add too much the soup will become solid.
By the advising of a user, I've put in consideration the kind of flour used in this recipe, it was suggested organic cornflour (commonly known in the U.S. as corn starch), you should feel free to try whatever you want as I said in the beginning of this instructable. Step 6: Add the Spinach. <PIC> With a nice homogeneous cream, add the spinach and let it cook at a slightly boiling point for about 3/4 minutes . if you boil it too much the spinach leaves will become too much soft and break.
From a later suggestion, I've discovered that the spinach has a inconvenient, the cooking of this vegetable produces oxalic acid into the water, witch can be toxic if taken in large quantities, for the more worried minds, its advised to boil the spinach separately and then drain its water before joining it with the cream. Step 7: ENJOY THE SOUP. <PIC> I hope that you enjoyed this instructable and that you've made a good use out of it.
Good apetite!


Introduction: Egg Pakoda With Boiled Egg Yolk. <PIC> Pakoda is a deep-fried snack food made with different materials. Here I tried my hands on making Pakoda with boiled egg yolks. It is very delicious and everybody loved it. Step 1: . <PIC> Boil as many eggs as you like to make PakodaRemove the shells from the boiled eggsSeparate the egg whites and egg yolks and keep them in different containers Step 2: Make Batter. <PIC> Mix the following ingredients together in a panOne cup of chickpea flourLemon juice from one medium sized fruitOne teaspoon of Red chili powderOne teaspoon of Cumin seed powderHalf a teaspoon of Turmeric powderSalt to tasteAdd water as required to the mix and make batter of medium consistency. Step 3: Deep Fry Pakodas. <PIC> Coat boiled egg yolks with batterHeat cooking oil in a frying panWhen the oil is heated to the required level, add the batter coated egg yolks one by oneDeep fry the Pakodas and remove from oilOur super delicious Pakodas with boiled egg yolks are ready.


Introduction: Delicious Whole Wheat Butterflake Rolls. <PIC> Butterflake rolls that will leave your family begging for more!  The recipe is a must have in our home for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners.  It's a bit of work, but they are well worth it.I'll show how to make these using freshly ground wheat flour.  If you don't have a wheat grinder, you can use wheat flour from the grocery store, or you can follow the original recipe and use white flour.  Any way you do it, they will be great!We use fresh ground (literally fresh -- ground as it is needed) wheat from our long term food storage.  The results are amazing.  They will not rise quite as high as the white flour version, but they seem to last better (without drying out), and everybody, the children included love them this way! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC>
          For 3 dozen rolls (all of the images will show a doubled batch that makes 6 dozen): 2 packages of quick rise yeast1/4 cup for warm water2 eggs1/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon salt1 1/4 cup hot water (not boiling)6 to 8 cups flour3 sticks of soft butterIf you are making whole wheat rolls from freshly ground wheat add:2 Tablespoons Dough EnhancerUse Hard White Wheat to make the 6 to 8 cups of flour!I use Blue Chip Baker Dough Enhancer, 4 tablespoons for a double recipe.  I've also used homemade dough enhancer successfully in previous years.  Many food storage sites will have recipes for making dough enhancer.  And, you can get by without it.  If you do, you might want to add a few tablespoons of wheat gluten that you can find at any grocery store.Remember that the less flour you use the better.  You need enough to be able to handle the dough, but more will make the rolls too heavy and they will not rise well.  Fine white flour may produce the best rising rolls, but the rolls made from fresh ground wheat can't be beat!You can find Hard White Wheat at many grocery stores and stores like Whole Foods.  It is very inexpensive when purchased in bulk.  If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or if you have a friend or co-work that is a member, ask them to purchase a 25-lb. bag of Hard White Wheat from the Church Cannery.  A 25lb. bag costs roughly $6, and when properly canned (which you can do at most canneries) it will last almost forever.  Don't try to can the ground flour though, unless you can freeze it.  The oils in the flour will make it rancid after a few days, if not frozen.Don't use Red Wheat!  You can try it, but it is typically much heavier than the albino form (Hard White Wheat), and tastes much more "wheaty."  Our children use fresh ground Hard White Wheat to make chocolate chip cookies, and they like it as well as white flour.  We made the mistake of using Hard Red Wheat for waffles once...  They all went into the trash.  If your storage is mostly Red Wheat, I hope you have better luck with it than I have had.Finally, there are many great wheat grinders on the market.  I really like my Tribest Wolfgang Grain Mill, but they are very expensive.  You can find a good electric grinder for much less -- probably right around $200 for an impact grinder.  Tribest mills are nice because they look nice left out on the counter top, and the produce flour on demand.  Many of the impact grinders have a large canister underneath that collects the flour, and the sound like and airplane engine, but they do a great job and can be used for far more than just wheat.  We have a K-Tec mill that we use for making fresh corn meal (really corn flour) from popcorn and larger dent corn.  These can be found new for less than $200.  Shop around and find something you like and will use.  It is a worthy investment if you like fresh flour or have invested in long and mid-term food storage.  There are many brands and types to choose from, from the impact mills that explode the kernel into flour to the stone grind mills like the Tribest mill.  There are even some that include an oat roller for making fresh rolled oats for granola or cereal from oat groats.Again, don't be alarmed by the cost of the mills.  If you don't have one, try this with store boughten wheat flour, or white flour.  They would probably be even lighter with cake flour, but I haven't tried that yet! Step 2: Soften the Yeast. <PIC> The first step is easy, open the yeast packets and soften the yeast in a 1/4 cup of warm water.  If you are doubling the recipe, use 4 packets of yeast and 1/2 cup warm water.  If the water is too hot you can kill the yeast.  Lukewarm will do fine.While the yeast is softening it is a good idea to start mixing the ingredients in the next step.  Also, if you are grinding wheat into flour, now is a good time to grind the first couple of cups. Step 3: Mix the Liquids.... <PIC>
          While the yeast is softening, and possibly while the wheat is grinding (if you are using fresh ground wheat), use an electric mixer to beat the:eggs (2)sugar (1/3 cup)salt (1 teaspoon)evaporated milk (1 1/4 cup)and hot water (1 cup)The hot water should not be boiling.  Once it is mixed with the room temperature milk and cold eggs it should be about the right temperature to promote yeast growth -- probably just a little warmer than lukewarm.A Kitchen Aid mixer is great for this job.  It has enough power that you will not need to mix flour in by hand. Step 4: Add the Yeast and Flour.... <PIC> Next add the softened yeast into the mix.  Once it is well mixed, begin adding flour slowly!  Add the flour 1 cup at a time.If you are using freshly ground wheat, mix your dough enhancer or gluten into the flour while adding it to the liquid mixture.Only add enough flour to make the dough manageable.  The dough should be soft and somewhat sticky.  Use as little of the flour as possible, though you will probably need just about 6 cups to make it manageable.  This will keep the rolls light and flaky.Now is a good time to get your muffin tins out and spray them with cooking oil (Olive oil based is best!) Step 5: Shape and Butter the Rolls!. <PIC>
          Clear off a big space on a counter top or pastry board, clean it well, and then cover it with flour.Now pour the dough out of the bowl onto the side of the floured surface.  (Have plenty of flour on hand.)  Make sure the flour your hands.Divide the dough into 3 portions (or 6 if doubling the recipe.)For each portion, follow these steps:Roll the portion of dough into a rectangle about 10 by 12 inchesSpread soft butter across the entire rectangleFold the rectangle in half and roll it out again to approximately 10 by 12 inchesRepeat this procedure until you have used an entire stick of butter.  It should come out to be about 5 to 8 times.Remember to only add enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter / pastry board, and rolling pin.  Spread each layer with butter before folding the dough.  You can use less than a stick of butter per dozen, but I recommend 1 square per dozen rolls.  If you use less, have at least 6 layers / folds.Next, use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 squares.  Place the squares in the greased muffin tin with the layers lengthwise (90 degrees to the bottom of the tin) so that the layers will fan out as the dough rises and cooks.Repeat these steps with each portion of dough, and place the pans in a warm dark place to allow the dough to rise.  The rolls must be cooked when they have risen (maybe as long as 2 hours) to about double in size.  Otherwise they will fall.  To keep them from falling avoid bumping the pan, etc. Step 6: Rise and Bake. <PIC> Allow rolls to rise.  Depending on the yeast you use this may take up to four hours.  I've found that with quick rise yeast my first batch is nearly ready to cook when the last batch is done being rolled out and placed into the pan (when making 6 dozen.)  This is substantially less than four hours, probably closer to 1 and a half.Bake the rolls at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, for 7 to 12 minutes.  Watch them closely or they will burn.  They should be a nice golden brown, more golden than brown.They are best while hot, with butter and honey or jam, but they are still great the next day with or without more butter, and with or without honey or jam!


Introduction: Recipe for a Caipirinha Cocktail - the Famous Cachaca Drink From Brazil. <PIC> My version of the Caipirinha cocktail: delightfully refreshing and powerfully alcoholic drink based on cachaca. Step 1: Some Information, Ingredient List and Required Tools. <PIC>
          Caipirinha (k-eye-per-reen-yah) is the name of the drink: Cachaca (kashasah) is the name of the alcoholic spirit/liquor used in the drink. Cachaca is a Brazilian distilled liquor that starts from unaldulterated sugarcane juice (unlike rum, which is made from what is left over after the main sugar removal process).In Ontario, Canada I have only seen the Pitu brand of cachaca available.This version of the Caipirinha uses limes. (The only other fruit I have made it with is lemons - so far). I am indebted to Markus in Germany who introduced me to this wonderful cocktail.You will need:a jigger for measuring (I cannot be held responsible for anyone "free handing")cachacalime(s)teaspoon measurecoarse sugarice cubesmuddler, aka pestle aka "mashing stick"short, wide glass(es) (Old Fashioned type)sharp knife and cutting boardshort straw(s) Step 2: Rinse and Dry the Limes. <PIC> Start by rinsing and drying the lime(s). (I'm not usually drinking alone so I wash several.)[[BR]]
Since you do not remove the rinds from the drink, the skin should be clean - at least peel the fruit stickers off![[BR]]
(BTW, I'm taking the photographs while Mrs. Caipirinha does the actual work here.) Step 3: Remove Some of the Rind. <PIC> Remove the thicker rind top and bottom ends and any unsightly blemishes. Step 4: Pith Removal. <PIC> Half the limes with a knife and cut a "V" groove to remove the center pithy part from each half. (You don't want her/him to complain their drink is full of pith!) Step 5: Cut Into Small Pieces. <PIC> Slice each lime half into 8 pieces Step 6: Place Pieces in Glass. <PIC> Depending on the size of the lime, its juiciness and your serving size, place 1/2 to all of the lime into a short, wide glass. I don't recommend a tall tumbler since you are going to "get a little rough" with the lime pieces soon and need room to mash. Step 7: Add Coarse Sugar. <PIC> Add 3 teaspoons of coarse sugar. Here I usually use 1 teaspoon of coarse (to aid grinding the limes) and 2 teaspoons of ordinary granular sugar (to hasten dissolving/sweetening - plus I'm cheap). Step 8: Muddle (what a Great Word!). <PIC> Muddle, grind, pulverize, mash those lime pieces right in the glass with a "mashing stick". During the early days I used a "wooden thing in the drawer" that turned out to be a tart shell pastry shaper. Now, thanks to my daughter who returned from Germany with an official Pitu brand muddler, I can mash and muddle with the best of them. This wooden device has a nice handle and knurled bottom face.[[BR]]
What you find to mash with is obviously up to you but the purpose is to get the juice out of the lime pieces and at the same time release some of the sour citrus oil from the rind. Leave it all in the glass. Step 9: Crushed Ice. <PIC> Now you'll need finely crushed ice. For those schmucks that don't have an automatic machine (like me), here's what I find efficient: a thick plastic bag and a hammer.[[BR]]
Place 4 large ice cubes into a thick plastic bag. In Ontario, our milk comes in bags perfectly sized for this. Let the air out of the bag and on a flat surface, whack the ice/bag with a hammer to get very small ice pieces/water. The hammer held by the young lady is a meat tenderizer and the flat side works great. Step 10: Add Ice to the Glass. <PIC> Now simply pick up the bag and pour ice contents into the glass. You can avoid dumping half the ice on the counter by holding the bag's open end to form a smaller exit hole and shake the closed end. Step 11: Add More Sugar and the CachaÃ§a. <PIC> Add a final teaspoon of coarse sugar and pour 1 to 2 ounces of cachaÃ§a over the ice Step 12: Add a Straw and Stir. <PIC> Serve with a short straw (bendy type or whatever you have, but a straw is important).[[BR]]
Now sip on that. Mmmmmm... You get the semi-sour drink along with crunchy sugar. Try to sip slowly! Step 13: The Environmentally Friendly Drink!. <PIC> When you get to the bottom and begin making disgusting slurp noises, remove the straw and tip the glass up to get every last drop, toss the lime remnants into the composter and repeat! Step 14: Cheers!. <PIC> There are some who will balk at the complexity/time of preparation. To those I would say stick to your mass produced, artificially coloured and flavoured liquids where you simply "snap a cap". This drink is about standing around the kitchen, yacking, savouring its taste and is sibling to the "Slow Food" movement.Warning: This drink is "stealthy". Think about it: sour, unconcentrated lime juice hides the alcohol taste, the sweet (and crunchy!) sugar also hides the alcohol taste and finally super-cooling with finely crushed ice tends to hide the alcohol taste. Use responsibly between consenting adults. The Caipirinha is in a class of drinks called a "leg spreader" - because it makes you really relaxed - and you go all limp - I guess.I welcome your comments, variation descriptions and experimental suggestions.OH!... and much thanks to Mrs. Caipirinha for the outstanding work she did.