Low Fat Delicious Vegetarian Recipes

Today, people are willing to do anything to achieve weight loss. There are so many new diets added on to the market everyday . The result is that in their quest to become thin, people are starting to take such drastic measures that it ends up harming their health. The weight loss effects of such fad diets or products, which claim to be "miracle diets", have  short term results and have many side effects. This makes it extremely important that we choose ways of weight loss methods which are healthy.

The vegetarian diet includes many low fat recipes which are used by many people in the world for various reasons. Depending on what kind of vegetarian they are people are trying to create different low fat vegetarian recipes. People are turning towards these low fat vegetarian recipes because they are nutritional, help reduce cholesterol and also help people mentally concentrate better.

A good way of staying perfectly in shape is eating organic food. Vegetables and fruits are the best examples of natural and completely healthy food. What's even better is that you can cook them easily at home and add a personal touch. Since you prepare the meal yourself, there is absolutely no chance that an artificial additive or chemical might enter it and affect your health. Vegetarian recipes are generally low fat, low calorie and high fiber. The low cal and low fat part makes them a perfect meal when a person is what  to achieve weight loss. The high fiber part increases metabolism and hence again, helps in weight loss by burning more calories. Remember that it is a combination of healthy eating, exercise and resisting tempting foods that leads to healthy and permanent weight loss.

This is perhaps the very reason why more and more people are adopting Vegetarianism as a lifestyle. Below are one low cal delicious vegetarian and fruit juice recipes. The amount of salt, sugar and spices has not been mentioned as these can easily be altered in any vegetarian recipe according to one's taste.

1. Sweet Potato Fries: A perfect complex carbohydrate lunch. It isn't like your traditional French fries. It is much healthier and vegetarian.

Ingredients:

Sweet potato

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Oregano

Paprika

Preparations:

Firstly, pre heat the oven to 450 degrees. Now take a non stick  dish and cover it with aluminum foil . Now, slice the sweet potatoes into fine strips and lay them neatly on the dish. Next, sprinkle olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and paprika on the sliced sweet potatoes. Lastly, heat them in the oven at the same temp for about thirty minutes and your delicious vegetarian low cal recipe is ready. The spices should be added according to your own taste.

Apple and Blackberry Twist Fruit Juice:

This is a sweet fruit juice you can make for breakfast

Ingredients

1 Apple

1 cup of Blackberries

Frozen ice cubes

Equipment

Blender

Knife

How To Prepare

Chop the apple into four pieces. Pour into the blender the chopped apple pieces and a cup of washed blackberries. Add the frozen ice cubes and blend for 2-3  minutes until smooth. Enjoy!

The best thing with Vegetarian meals is they are very easy to cook. Even if you don't agree with a particular recipe, you can always add a new taste to it by adding a personal touch. Trying to cook new vegetarian recipes is equally easy. Try the above mentioned low cal delicious vegetarian recipes and even if you are a non- vegetarian, you will certainly feel a stronger drift to being all time vegetarian.

Read More

Do You Love Cooking, Food or Italian Recipes?

A couple of centuries from now, this will be referred to as the Golden Age of the Foodie, without a doubt. Never before have so many cuisines, ingredients and cooking methods been so readily available to so many people. Even the most exotic ingredients can be found, the most obscure of kitchen gadgets located. If you're into cooking, food or even Italian recipes, you'll find a wealth of information available. Where is this treasure trove? If you're reading this, you're standing knee-deep in it right now. It's the Internet.

With the explosion in Internet content, a huge amount of information has become available free of charge to anyone interested in cooking. With the click of a mouse, you can open huge recipe collections, for more details visit to www.fair-recipes.com read cooking tips and even see video demonstrations of basic cooking procedures, if your computer is beefy enough to handle such things.

When it comes to food, the options are even more limitless. In years past, if a food maker wanted to get his product to the public, he had basically two options. He could hit the farmer's markets, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com running a booth and selling directly to the public on a small scale, or he could go through the torturous process of getting his products into grocery stores. This can be a very time-consuming and frustrating process, and once the products are in they require constant attention to ensure they are properly shelved, labeled and stocked.

Now, with the Internet, small food producers can sell their products directly to the public. Some of them have even banded together to form the electronic equivalent of a farmer's market, with many producers under one Web site's banner. You need to know at least a general number of servings to prepare and adjust your recipe in order to accommodate those needs. Some people find it much simpler if they can double or triple recipes rather than scaling them to specific serving sizes. If this works best for you then by all means incorporate this practice when cooking for crowds. One thing you must be aware of is that you will need to include in order creating the meal you are planning.

For Italian recipes, the growth has been just as explosive. There are vast databases of recipes with special sections devoted to Italy, and even sites devoted solely to the cuisine of the country. Whether you're into cooking, food, Italian recipes or all of the above, your computer can bring you an almost endless menu of options.

Read More

Coq au vin - Recipe

I have been trying to present cuisines from a variety of countries, and the recipe below is no exception. Coq au vin literally means "rooster in wine" en Français. I use chicken in my recipe, but this classic French stew is typically made with old rooster. Old roosters apparently create a rich broth for what eventually becomes the gravy/sauce. There are hundreds of variations throughout France, but I think you will find the recipe below to be fit for special occasions.


Ingredients (serves 5):

1 bottle (750 milliliters) – dry red wine (preferably a French wine like Beaujolais)
1 – large onion, chopped
1 – large carrot, chopped
4 sprigs – thyme
5 sprigs – Italian parsley
1 – bay leaf
5 to 6 pounds – chicken legs, breasts, wings, and backs (leave skin on) – about 2 of each part
8 ounces – bacon slices, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoons – butter
3 cloves – garlic, minced
2 tablespoons – unbleached all purpose four
1 - shallot, chopped
1 pound – button mushrooms cut into quarters
Salt and pepper to taste
10 – French baguette bread slices 1-inch thick


Preparation:
Gently mix the wine, onion, carrot, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in a large bowl. Immerse the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Chicken and vegetables ready to marinate

The next day, remove the chicken to a bowl or plate. Strain the wine from the vegetables and set both aside. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon for about 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain.

Sliced and cut bacon

Place 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot into a small bowl and pour off the rest. In the same pot, add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and 1 tablespoon of butter and allow the butter to melt over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken pieces to the pot and cook until they have browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Chicken parts browning.

Remove and repeat with the second half of the chicken pieces. Once all the chicken has browned and been removed, add the vegetable reserve and cook until browned, about 12 minutes.

Vegetables browning

Make sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot when stirring the vegetables. Add the garlic and cook for one minute stirring. Add the flour and stir for an additional 2 minutes (do not allow the flour to burn). Add the red wine reserve to the pot and stir to remove bits and cooked flour from the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 45 minutes.

In a frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and allow the butter to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the button mushrooms and continue to sauté the mixture for an additional 10 minutes (the mushrooms should turn golden brown but not completely lose their moisture).

Meanwhile toast the bread on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until brown. Once the vegetables and chicken in the pot have simmered until the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken to a bowl. Once again, strain the liquid and discard the vegetables. Let the oil separate from the strained liquid and discard (see photo).

Remove the oil from the sauce

Place the liquid back into the pot and boil until the liquid is reduced to a sauce, about 10 minutes. You can boil longer if you want a thicker sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add the bacon, shallots, and mushrooms to the sauce and cook over medium heat until the ingredients are heated, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken pieces. Place one or two pieces on each of five plates along with 2 slices of the toasted bread. Cover both the bread and chicken with the sauce and serve hot.

Read More

Baltic German Beet Relish

1 qt raw cabbage

1 qt beets,Cooked

2 c  plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1 T  salt

1 t  black pepper

1/2 t  red pepper

2/3 c  prepared horseradish,Grated

1    white vinegar

Chop cabbage and beets. Add seasonings and horseradish. Mix

thoroughly. Cover with cold vinegar. Put into quart jars. Cover and

refrigerate. Will keep up to one year in refrigerator.

Bamberger Krautbraten (Bramberger Meat & Cabbage Casserol

4 Servings

1 lb cabbage,head, small

1 T  vegetable oil

2    onions,medium, chopped

1/2 lb pork,lean, cubed

1 lb ground beef,lean

1 t  caraway seeds

1/2 t  salt

1/2 t  pepper

1/2 c  white wine,dry

1 t  vegetable oil

3    bacon,strips, thick sliced

Remove outer, wilted cabbage leaves and core.  Place cabbage in a large pot of boiling water and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Remove and drain. gently pull off 12 leaves and set aside.  Finely chop the rest of the cabbage.  Heat 1 T vegetable oil; add onions, pork, and ground beef. Cook until lightly browned.  Drain off excess fat.  Add the chopped cabbage, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper.  Pour in the white wine. Cover and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring often. Grease an ovenproof dish with 1 t of vegetable oil; line the dish with half the cabbage leaves. Spoon in the meat mixture, cover with the rest of the cabbage leaves. Cut bacon strips in half and arrange on top. Place in preheated 350 degree F. oven; bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Read More

Ideal Easy Italian Recipe For Your Party

For parties and gatherings, there are easy Italian recipes you can prepare. These are easy to prepare in a very short time. Impress your guests with the secret of your easy to prepare Italian dinner recipe.Many love Italian food. It is rich with mixtures of delicious meat and sauce. If you decide on having a party, you can serve Italian dinner not having to spend so much time to prepare one. There are many easy Italian dinner recipes ideal for any party or gathering.

An Italian dinner will surely impress your guests and satisfy their appetite. To have an idea, here are the details on how to make your Italian dinner party enjoyable to everyone.Italian dinner usually starts with a fine wine. It can be a Martini or Negroni combined with lemon and a cube of ice. You can serve Limoncello after dinner. Italians believe that this is good for digestion.

For the main dish, here are some easy Italian recipes which you can prepare to complete your Italian party.

Bruschetta Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds of ripe Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons red onions finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan shavings
Toasted crusty bread
Slice the tomatoes into half and squeeze the seeds out. Cut into cubes and put it into a bowl. Mix other ingredients such as garlic, onions, vinegar, basil, salt, pepper and olive oil. Leave it for at least an hour in room temperature. Prepare the toasted bread and apply some olive oil on it. Scoop the tomato mixture all over the bread and sprinkle it with the Parmesan cheese. It is ready to serve.

Baked Ziti with Sausage
Ingredients:
1 diced large onion
6 cloves of garlic
1.5 lbs of spicy Italian sausage
Salt
Pepper
¼ cup of dry red wine
1 can of chopped tomatoes including the juice
4 diced tomatoes
¼ cup of chopped fresh oregano
1 cup of ricotta cheese
¾ of grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup of flat leaf parsley chopped into small pieces
1 pound dry ziti pasta which is cooked to al dente
1 pound mozzarella cheese which is diced
Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425o F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion in oil until it is soft. Put in the sausage and garlic. Wait for the sausage to turn brown. Add salt and pepper to make it tasty. Remove the excess fat and heat again. Mix the red wine and boil.
Next, add the tomatoes with juice. Let it simmer for about 9 minutes. Allow the sauce to get thick then you can add the oregano.

Mix the parsley together with half parmesan and ricotta in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper.

Combine the cooked pasta and the ricotta mixture. Add the sauce and sausage. Mix and combine with mozzarella. Pour it into large baking dish which is greased. Use the excess parmesan and thoroughly sprinkle. Bake it without the cover until it bubbles and colored light brown. Now you can serve it.

There are a lot more varieties of easy dinner recipe products available. It will be sure hit to your guests.

Read More

Baked Spinach With Cheese - Uberbackener Spinat Mit Kase

1 Servings

1 lb fresh spinach,washed and

1    dried

1/4 lb butter

1 lg onion,diced

2    cloves garlic,minced

1/2 t  salt

1/2 lb emmenthaler cheese,grated

1 t  paprika

1/8 t  nutmeg

1/4 t  pepper

Cut spinach into strips. In a large Dutch oven heat butter until bubbly. Add onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Grease an ovenproof casserole. Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom of the casserole. Add the spinach. Sprinkle with paprika, nutmeg and pepper. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degF about 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Makes 4 servings.

Read More

French Toast Recipe for the Family

It's 8AM and your kids are screaming and jumping because they need the most important part of their day, breakfast. There's many good breakfast recipes around, but a simple one is the good old French toast.So while your kids are running around and calling "mommy!"  you can swiftly open up the fridge and pull out 2 eggs and some milk. Then move yourslef close to the cupboards and pull out the all mighty French bread. Now your kids are probably wondering what your going to make them. This usually ends up calming them down and eagerly waiting to see what your preparing.

Crack both eggs into a medium bowl, but don't get any shell inside. Add a tiny bit of milk in the bowl, just use your eye and estimate half the size of your fist. Make sure you had the pan hot and ready. Mix the eggs and milk till well battered and then dip your French bread inside of it till it soaks up nicely. Then splatter that on a hot pan and flip over when you feel its golden.

After having about 6 pieces of French toast cooked and ready to serve, place this on the table with some maple syrop and watch your kids devour it. If you wanted a quick and easy recipe to make, this one is the one. Call it what you want, but this is the easiest French toast recipe. This can be repeated the next morning, or if you like try a new breakfast recipe.

Read More

Three Traditional Italian Recipes

Italian food is very diverse in both ingredients and flavor. Many people tend to associate Italian food with the thought of pastas and tomato-topped bread, but there is much more to Italian cooking than that! Soups, savory breads, saucy meat dishes, and delicate desserts are just a few of the great dishes that Italian cuisine has to offer. This article features three of my favorite authentic Italian recipes. I hope you enjoy them!

Sicilian Succo

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
3 (29-oz) cans tomato sauce
4 (6-oz) cans tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped parsley (fresh) + additional 1 tbsp
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (fresh)
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
In a large pot, mix the chopped garlic, tomato sauce and paste, 1 tbsp parsley, and basil. Bring this sauce to a boil, then turn the heat down to low to simmer the sauce. In a bowl, mix together the pork, beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp parsley, and garlic powder. Mix this together well, then form into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Fry the meatballs in a skillet in very hot olive oil until they are thoroughly cooked. Add the meatballs to the sauce mixture and cover. Allow it to simmer on low for about four hours. Serve over noodles of your choice.

Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 (14-oz) cans beef broth
1 (14.5-oz) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5-oz) can great Northern beans (un-drained)
2 small zucchini (cubed)
2 cups packed spinach (rinsed well and torn into pieces)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Use a large stock pot to brown the sausage and garlic. When the sausage has browned, add in the broth, carrots, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, then cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the beans (including the liquid) and the zucchini. Cover the pot again and simmer for another 15 minutes (or until the zucchini has become tender). Remove from the heat, then add the spinach. Put the lid back on so the heat from the rest of the soup cooks the spinach (about 5 minutes). Serve hot with a nice Italian bread.

Tiramisu

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
6 egg yolks
1 lb Mascarpone cheese at room temperature
(Mascarpone substitute: 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, ½ cup heavy cream, 5 tbsp sour cream)
1 1/2 cups hot water
5 tsp instant coffee powder
1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
12 ounces ladyfingers or sliced sponge cake
Unsweetened cocoa (for dusting)
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate (grated) - optional

Directions:
In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of hot water with the instant coffee. Stir until the coffee has dissolved, then add the liqueur. Dip in 1 ladyfinger at a time, quickly turning it to coat. Remove it from the liquid and place it on the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch dish. Line all coffee-coated ladyfingers side by side until most of the pan's bottom is covered. Pour half of the mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese mixture) over the top of the ladyfingers. Add another layer of coated lady fingers and cheese. Refrigerate this for about 4 hours, or until the dessert is firm. Just before serving, dust the top with cocoa. Garnish with the grated semi-sweet chocolate (if desired) and cut into squares to serve.

Read More

Three Traditional German Recipes

German cuisine has become very popular not only in Europe, but all over the world. Most of their food is comprised of beef, poultry, fish, or pork—pork being the most popular choice of meat. Most German foods are not spicy, although mustard is an extremely popular condiment for sausages (the form in which most of their meat is prepared). Roasted meat and stews are also very popular ways to prepare meat. In this article, I have included three of my favorite traditional German recipes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

Ingredients:
6 apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
2 lbs kielbasa sausage (sliced)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 (32 oz) package sauerkraut

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the apples and sauerkraut over a medium heat. Let this mixture simmer for about 10 minutes or until the apples have turned soft. Add in the brown sugar and sliced kielbasa and mix well. Cook for an additional five minutes, or until the sausage meat is heated all the way through.

Rye Bread

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups rye flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup molasses

Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. In a large bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, and milk. Beat in the molasses, butter, 1 cup of rye flour, and the yeast/water mixture. A blender works best for this part. Mix in the remaining flour using a wooden spoon or plastic baking spatula. Fold in the white flour until the dough begins to stiffen. Knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth. If the dough is sticky, add flour to it. Cover the dough with a wet towel and let it rise for an hour and a half (or until it has doubled in size). Punch the dough a few times, then divide it in half. Shape each section into a loaf, then place them on a greased cookie sheet to rise again for another hour and a half. Bake at 375 degrees F for about half an hour.

Apple Cake

Ingredients:
4 cups of apples (peeled, cored, and diced)
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together the eggs and oil until the mixture is creamy. Add in the sugar and the vanilla extract and beat thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly add the egg mixture into this, mixing until well combined. Fold the apples into the mixture. Spread the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Read More

French Bread Lasagna Recipe

For a really different take on the Italian classic, Lasagna, try this unique recipe for French Bread Lasagna.  Instead of lasagna noodles, this recipe calls for half-inch thick slices of French bread.  Tell the kids you are having an international meal to really peak their interest.  Explain that lasagna is usually an Italian dish but this is made with French bread and being eaten in their American kitchen.  Have a little fun with the concept and talk to the kids about the different cultures while you enjoy this meal.


FRENCH BREAD LASAGNA


1 lb lean ground beef


1/3 cup chopped onion


1/3 cup chopped celery


2 garlic cloves, minced


14 slices french bread (about 1/2" thick)


4 large tomatoes, sliced about 1/2" thick


1 tsp dried basil


1 tsp dried parsley flakes


1 tsp dried oregano


1 tsp dried crushed rosemary


1 tsp garlic powder


3/4 tsp salt


1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper


2 tsps olive oil, divided


3 tbsps butter


3 tbsps all-purpose flour


1 1/2 cups milk


1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese


2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese


In a skillet, brown the beef with the onion, celery, and garlic; drain well and set aside.  Toast bread and line the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan or dish with 10 of the slices.  Top slices with half of the meat mixture and half of the tomatoes.  Combine the basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; sprinkle half of the mixture over the tomatoes.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil.  Crumble remaining bread slices over the top of the spices and oil.  In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour until smooth.  Gradually stir in milk and bring to a boil.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat, stir in Parmesan cheese.  Pour over the casserole.  Top with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.


Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Read More

If You're Looking To Buy French Food, Here's A Fun(gus) Idea

Have you considered going online to buy French food this winter to spice up your traditional festive feasts? If you've not really considered going out to buy French food or gourmet ingredients then the reason may be either because your local supermarket simply doesn't stock such food or ingredients, which is of no surprise, or perhaps you're not too sure which gourmet ingredients you should be looking for, and what you can do with them.

In a previous article I suggested one or two things that can be done with goose fat, which is really one of the most incredible ingredients that you can introduce into a whole variety of traditional meals which we all do throughout the winter season. But today I want to introduce another gourmet ingredient which can also be used in a whole heap of feasts in a multitude of ways that can really take an old, slightly dull meal and totally transform it into something which will really get you noticed.

When you go to the supermarket to buy mushrooms you generally find that you have two or three varieties. The only particularly clear way of identifying which variety is which is that the button mushrooms are about the size of buttons, and the big mushrooms are, well, bigger. But they all really taste the same don't they? In fact most of the time I use supermarket mushrooms in recipes I can barely taste mushroom at all.

That's the problem with using supermarket ingredients, because most of us use the same ingredients in our recipes, completely oblivious to the fact that we are actually well aware that those ingredients made little difference as far as the flavour is concerned, and largely seem to end up only as adding texture. If you head over to France to buy French food or to eat at a French restaurant you will almost certainly notice that the flavours are very much more distinct, rich, and delicious.

Often you can tend to assume that it's a gourmet chef who has done something magical and horrendously difficult to the ingredients in order to rustle up something so monumentally fabulous. Rubbish. In most cases the only real difference is that they been able to buy French food. Proper French food, not just the stuff in your supermarket that begins with 'le' or 'la'.

You could easily do just the same with your own recipes this winter, and so the gourmet ingredient I would strongly recommend to you today is to buy a jar of dried porcini mushrooms. You don't actually need a great many dried porcini mushrooms because they have a very intense flavour, and used sparingly can be used in a whole variety of recipes.

For almost any stock, source or risotto in which you will usually include mushrooms, use dried porcini mushrooms instead and you'll find that the flavour is unbelievable. You'll need to soak the mushrooms in warm water for about half an hour before you need to use them, but here's a good tip: many people just throw the remaining liquid away, but this is an appalling waste. If you're going to use porcini mushrooms in a stock, source or risotto, then after you have finished soaking the mushrooms strain be liquid and add this to the recipe wherever possible in place of water.

For some meals such as casseroles, or meals including rice, add the dried porcini mushrooms right at the beginning. Just remember that porcini mushrooms have a very strong flavour, unlike the British mushrooms sold in supermarkets. For this reason it is important to make sure that when you are replacing the cardboard mushrooms from your supermarket with gourmet ingredients such as dried porcini mushrooms from France, reduce the number of mushrooms you use, otherwise the flavour can become overpowering.

Read More