Wise Observer

Paella is a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. Spain and the Catalan languages, paella means frying pan or pot. The traditional paella pan is flat and of large diameter, it can also have handles on each side.

In fact, paella is one of the most versatile dishes to make. Paella also has the advantage of being great to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Spanish Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, Spanish Paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.

Here are three basic steps to follow to make wonderful Spanish Paellas while leaving you the latitude to be creative and to make the dish their own by customizing it to their taste.

1. Preparing the rice.

Select a type of rice that you are comfortable using. Feel free to experiment but know that Spanish Paella contains a lot of ingredients and if you are unhappy with the end result with a particular type of rice, you might end up with a lot of waste. Basmati, brown or a mix with wild rice can add great taste and texture. Follow the instructions on the package with regards to washing and cooking the rice. Finely chop some onion, garlic and tomato. Heat a saucepan and add olive oil once the saucepan is hot (make sure that the oil does not start smoking. Burnt olive oil is carcinogenic and quite unhealthy). Once the oil is hot, throw in the uncooked rice. Frying uncooked rice gives it a nutty taste. Let the rice fry in the saucepan for a minute or so. Add the chopped onion, garlic and tomato until they soften, mixing constantly. Spice with saffron, salt and pepper. Feel free to experiment. Cumin, Cayenne various fine herbs or even a bit cinnamon or cloves can easily be added for a flavoring of your own. This mixture should not be on the stove for more that three to five minutes. At high heat with constant mixing, none of the ingredients should stick but they should mix well together and soften. Once all the ingredients are combined, remove the saucepan from the burner and mix in some frozen peas. Add enough peas to make a well balanced mixture.

2. Choosing and making the meat.

In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts…it’s all good. Do not cook the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your Spanish Paella.

3. Combination of it all

Cover the bottom of the Spanish Paella pan with the uncooked rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked shell fish and small fish filets rolled up and fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the Spanish Paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit or until the rice is fully cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or mussles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.

In short, the secret to preparing the perfect Spanish Paella is to make it your own!

Learn how to make Spanish Tapas and Paellas the easy way by visiting my website www.spaintapas.com. Each month there is a new free www.spaintapas.com and more to review received by newsletter!

Let’s have stew tonight! Here are 3 easy and very different recipes for stew you can make in your crockpot.

Recipe #1 - BARBEQUE BEEF STEW

* 2 lbs. stew meat
 * 3 tbsp. oil
 * 1 c. onion, sliced
 * 1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
 * 1 lg. clove garlic
 * 1/2 tsp. salt
 * 1/8 tsp. pepper
 * 2 c. beef stock
 * 1 can (8 oz.) tomatoes
 * 1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms
 * 1/3 c. barbecue sauce
 * 3 tbsp. cornstarch
 * 1/4 c. cold water

Saute onion, pepper and garlic in oil. Add salt, pepper, beef stock, tomatoes, mushrooms and barbecue sauce. Cook in slow cooker/Crock Pot on low heat 8-10 hours. Mix cornstarch, cold water and thicken before serving. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Recipe #2 - BRUNSWICK STEW

1 Chicken, 3 lbs, cut up
 2 quarts Water
 1 Onion, chopped
 2 cups Ham; cooked, cubed
 3 Potatoes, diced
 2 cans Tomatoes; 16 oz, ea, cut up
 10 ounces Lima beans, frozen and thawed
 10 ounces Corn; whole kernel, frozen, partially thawed
 2 teaspoons Salt
 1 teaspoon Sugar
 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned salt

In a slow cooker/Crock Pot combine chicken with water, onion, ham, amd potatoes. Cook covered on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is done. Lift chicken out of pot; remove meat from bones. Return chicken meat to pot. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, salt, seasoned salt, sugar and pepper. Cover and Cook on HIGH 1 hour. Makes 8 servings.

Recipe #3 - CROCKPOT CHICKEN STEW

2 lb Chicken breasts/skinless Boneless/ cut in 1" cubes
 2 c Fat-free chicken broth
 3 c Potatoes; peel, cube
 1 c Onion; chop
 1 c Celery; sliced
 1 c Carrots; sliced thin
 1 ts Paprika
 1/2 ts Pepper
 1/2 ts Rubbed sage
 1/2 ts Dried thyme
 6 oz No-salt-added tomato paste
 1/4 c Cold water
 3 tb Cornstarch

In a slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients; cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Mix water and cornstarch until smooth; stir into stew. Cook, covered, 30 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.

There is one type of wedding favor which is almost always appreciated by the guests at the wedding and this is an edible wedding favor. Whether you opt for sweet or savory items you and your guests are likely to enjoy them. If you have a special wrapper made up it will look that little bit special and even a simple bar of chocolate will be a popular choice. These chocolate bars can be simple milk chocolate, dark or white chocolate which are filled with items such as almonds or raisins. Most brides and grooms opt to have their names plus the date of their wedding printed on the wrapper and to select a wrapper design which relates to love, weddings or the specific theme of the wedding.

It is not unusual to see a picture of the happy couple on this sort of wrapper or even a presentation box. Other edible wedding favors can come in the form of small pieces of candy in tins. There is also typically the option of personalizing the tin by including the wedding date and the name of the bride and the groom. Tins are always useful so once the candy has been eaten, it can be used to store many small items that might be lost otherwise. Candy will probably remain a favorite edible wedding favor for some time because it is so popular.

Why not place an image of the happy couple with the wedding details directly onto the face of the cookie to add a finishing touch. There are many bakeries that can make these cookies for you in a variety of sizes and shapes; you just simply need to select a design and give the bakery a photo to use in the design process. Edible wedding favors can also come in the form of teas, coffees and cocoa for something a little more sophisticated. Tea, coffee and cocoa are very popular with many people and there a huge range to choose from these days so you would not have just stick with the most popular available. Once again, the packaging can contain information about the bride and groom and if it is a metal or plastic container it can be used at a later stage an will not go to waste. If you have not found any of these suggestions appealing, there is no reason why you cannot come up with something that is completely unique for your guests!

There are many ways of lowering your carbohydrate intake, even when you crave deserts. Try this cheesecake recipe:

Best Cheesecake
Low Carbohydrate Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 pound grated aged asiago cheese
1-1/4 pound cream cheese at room temperature
4 eggs
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat asiago and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add garlic and tarragon and combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into an 8 inch buttered spring form pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, checking after 45 minutes.
Cake should be golden and puffed, not loose in the center. Remove from the oven and let stand 30 minutes before cutting.

Or try this recipe, for Chocolate Meringue Kisses:

Chocolate Meringue Kisses
Low Carbohydrate Recipe
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup Splenda
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Directions:
Preheat oven to 225-degrees. Put baking parchment on a cookie sheet.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add vanilla extract a few drops at a time and cream of tartar. Beat until meringue starts to look creamy and forms soft peaks. Add in Splenda a little at a time. Add in cocoa a little at a time.

Put meringue on parchment paper cookie sheet by spoonfuls. (You can use a pastry bag and pipe them into cones like Hershey kisses, or flower shapes.) Bake at 225-degrees for one hour. Turn off oven, open oven door a crack, and allow to cool five to ten minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool away from drafts. Remove from parchment paper when cool.

Carb count for total recipe: 28.7g. Number of cookies varies depending on size.

Variation:
You could also do these with daVinci-flavoured syrups and a little food coloring if desired. Then sprinkle a little granulated Splenda on the top for that sugar “sparkle.”

Note:
If you make smaller meringues, don’t bake them quite as long, or they will be over-dry and fracture easily.

Berries and Roasted Pecans
Low Carbohydrate Recipe
Ingredients:
18 ounce round of Brie cheese
1 cup mixed berries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup Cognac
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup lightly toasted pecan pieces
Assorted crackers

Directions:
Early Preparation: Marinate berries in Cognac for four to six hours. Lightly toast pecans in 350-degree oven for three to five minutes. Set aside.

To serve: Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees.

Cut a wedge 1/4 of the diameter of the Brie. Stack it o top of remaining round and place on ovenproof serving platter.

In a small saucepan heat apricot preserves over medium heat until dissolved. Stir in marinated berries and then nuts. Reduce heat and warm through.

Heat the Brie in oven until softened, but not runny. Spoon mixture over Brie and serve immediately with assorted crackers.

Recipe makes four to six servings.

Blackberry Ice Cream
Low Carbohydrate Recipe
Ingredients:
1-1/2 quart Half n Half
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cup Splenda
6 egg yolks
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
30 ounces fresh blackberries

Directions:
Mix first five ingredients together; heat to a gentle boil.

Remove from heat and chill.

Add vanilla extract; crank for about 30 seconds then add blackberries and crank until done.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 201
Total Fat: 18.7g
Total Carbohydrates: 6g

Chocolate Mousse
Low Carbohydrate Recipe
Ingredients:
4 ounces heavy cream
One chocolate (or cappuccino) Atkins shake mix
Stevia to flavour (optional)

Directions:
Sift shake mix, then whisk ingredients in a bowl until just thickened (be careful not to over-whisk).

Scoop into individual serving dish. Chill for 30 minutes.

Recipe makes two servings.

Carbohydrates: 2.5g per serving

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Have you ever tryed putting hot sauce on your food and had a bad experience? If you are one of those people who just can’t handle spicy food but wish you had more of a tolerance, try to slowly build a tolerance by consuming peppers with low grade heat, then gradually move up the scale. Believe it or not, genetics, ancestry and cultural histories play a large part in determining whether or not someone may or may not have a tolerance to spicy food. Generally, Central and South Americans as well as people from India and North Africa have a higher tolerance for spicy food than Western and Eastern Europeans. Lastly, I would like to address the issue of ingesting large quantities of capsaicin. A good rule of thumb is: “Whatever burns on the way in, will burn on the way out”. This is because the mucus membranes and soft tissue that line your mouth are very similar to those found in your rectum. I know it is not the most appetizing thing to think about, but it is worth mentioning. I have personally noticed that consuming a bite of a fresh pepper (even a habanero or dare I say a Naga Jolokia (Indian Ghost Pepper >1,000,000 Scoville Units)) produces less discomfort than some processed artificially flavored hot sauce that contains synthetically altered or concentrated capsaicin. Also, take into account that the Scoville heat scale, as groundbreaking and informative as it is, is not an absolute. I have had roasted jalapeno peppers that were hotter than roasted cayenne peppers. I have also consumed cayenne peppers off the vine that were hotter than fresh habanero peppers.