Meat is not only a nutritious, but also a useful product. To the use of meat, people came thousands of years ago. There is a theory according to which the use of meat has given a new impetus to the development of mankind. And recently vegetarianism has become a fashion, many people still remain convinced meat eaters.

Man is a carnivorous creature, although he eats mixed food. The protein we get from meat goes to building muscles, provides energy and vitality, that’s why you need to eat meat. Most of the meat is water. And only 20% are proteins. In addition, the meat contains mineral substances and fats. More fatty meat contains less protein. Amino acids contained in meat proteins are represented in meat in the ratios most suitable for humans. The organism is better absorbed by proteins of animal origin. They are faster and more fully digested.

This article describes how to prepare a steak at home in a frying pan. You also learn what steak is, popular steaks and what meat is used to make it.

Of course a steak cooked in a frying pan will not be as close to an ideal as the professionals on special kitchen utensils and grill. But in the art of cooking steaks with something and yes you need to start.

Steak is a quality cooked thick piece of meat cut from the carcass of an animal.

INGREDIENTS FOR STEAKS:

• Steak – a piece of meat
• Vegetable oil, it is desirable to take one that is intended for cooking at high temperatures
• Salt
• Pepper
• Spice

THICKNESS THICKNESS
Thickly sliced ​​steak creates an excellent crispy crust, while the meat is not over dried inside. With thin chunks, the steak is overcooked from the inside, when the crust just starts to brown. If you prefer a ruddy outside of a steak with a juicy, pink center, choose thick pieces of meat.

Image credit: RitaE

PREPARATION OF MEAT

Defrosting steak

It is best to defrost the meat in the main compartment of the refrigerator – the steak will be thawed about a day. If you need to defrost faster, you can put it in a vacuum package in cold water. Then in an hour the steak will be ready for cooking.

Defrosting the steak in the microwave is not recommended – even in the defrosting mode, the upper layers of meat begin to be prepared, while the middle is still cold. Then it will be difficult to achieve a uniform roast. Under no circumstances should meat be thawed in warm water or at room temperature.

Salute the steak in advance

Salt the steaks in advance and allow them to reach room temperature before frying. Salt at least 40 minutes before frying. If you salt the meat before cooking, this will give the opposite result: the moisture will come to the surface.

If you solite in advance, the process will go differently: salt draws moisture to the surface, where it settles in small puddles. Meanwhile, the salt softens the meat and breaks the protein. After a quick softening, the moisture, elongated with salt, begins to be absorbed back into the steak. So your steak turns out to be more tender and juicy.

Pepper

Roll the steak around the perimeter with medium pepper:

If there is no such pepper, then it is possible to pepper the meat from both sides (and not along the perimeter of the edge) with pepper from the mill.

It is worth considering that usually, when cooking a steak on the grill, do not recommend pepper meat before frying. Pepper can burn during frying and give a pungent taste.

When the steak is cooked in a frying pan, the pepper does not have time to burn.

Spice

Some say that steak will not spoil the steak, others – “a good steak does not need it”. Then again, do some experimentation and see how much you like.

Spices can be added before frying or during: 2 minutes before the end of frying.

If we add before frying, then salt and spices can be rubbed into the meat lightly patting and stroking your hand. Do this with both surfaces of meat.

If you add during the frying, then about 2 minutes before the end of cooking, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan, as well as your favorite herbs and flavors. Butter will fill the steak with a rich smell. Slightly tilt the frying pan and spoon evenly distribute the oil over the surface of the meat.

If you want to supplement your dish with herbs or aromatic seasonings – although a good steak does not need it – consider these options:

• Rosemary
• Lavender
• Thyme
• Sage
• Garlic

Butter

Vegetable oil increases the thermal conductivity of the steak and allows for more even distribution of heat. In addition, when frying on an iron or cast iron frying pan, it does not allow the steak to burn.

You can go in the following ways:

Lubricate the steak with a brush or whatever, and do not pour oil on the pan.
Pour on a well-heated frying pan 1-2 teaspoons of oil and when it starts to smoke put a piece of steak.
Use a multi-layer frying pan with ribs and non-stick coating and do not use oil – is considered the most desirable option at home.

HOW TO PREPARE A STEAK
Do NOT put the steak on a cold frying pan. The frying pan must be well heated.

Put a piece of steak in a frying pan and start frying without losing power.

Duration of steak roasting

The duration of steak roasting is 3-6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness and the desired readiness.

How many times do I turn over

Food, which is often turned over, is cooked faster and more evenly.
On the other hand, meat does not have enough time to fry nicely, although it still emits enough flavors.
Try it yourself and see how your steaks work better. The cooking should satisfy your own preferences.

If we turn one time: then fry one side for 5 minutes and then the other side for 5 minutes

The total cooking time depends on the thickness of the piece of meat and the desired availability.

Steak ready

To accurately determine the timing of the steak, you can use a culinary thermometer. But if it is not there – it does not matter!

Image credit: TapisRouge

Steak’s recipe – how to cook: measure the temperature

A thermometer is the best choice if you are experimenting and want to achieve a steak with an ideal taste and consistency. An electronic thermometer should only pierce the surface a little and show the temperature.

To determine the temperature to cook a steak, consider this table:

120 ° F = Rare (with blood)
130 ° F = Medium rare
140 ° F = Medium
150 ° F = Medium well
160 ° F = Well done

After the meat is removed from the fire, you need to let it lie for 2-5 minutes (you can cover it with foil). During this time, all the juices will be evenly distributed throughout the piece.

Pancake is a traditional dish of North America, popular both in the US and in Canada. In these countries, pancakes are an integral part of breakfast, but residents of other continents have appreciated them for a long time – today this delicious pastry is included in the menu of cafes and restaurants around the world.

The origin of the pancakes is not known exactly (perhaps the recipe was brought to America from the Old World by Scottish emigrants), but that today is one of the most popular desserts in the US is indisputable. They are easy to prepare, so a rare breakfast does without pankakes, but for family tea at any time of the day these pancakes are quite suitable – it is unlikely that there will be at least one American sweet tooth, capable of abandoning a pile of fragrant, lush, tender pancake, covered with maple or chocolate syrup , whenever they were offered to him. By the way, even if the honor of the invention of the recipe belongs to immigrants from Europe, the pan for pancakes is an absolutely American invention. With the help of such a frying pan, pancakes are baked very quickly and do not need to be turned over.

Pancake are an original and tasty dish that you should learn to cook.

Preparation of the dough

To make pancakes really delicious, you need to mix separately dry ingredients, separately – liquid and only then connect them.

In a deep bowl or bowl for a mixer, pour a glass of milk, shake 1 egg, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Olive oil can be replaced with the same amount of melted butter.

Beat the resulting mixture with a mixer, whisk or fork.

In another container, connect 1.5 cups of wheat flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of Vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and then mix.

After combining the liquid base with a dry one, mix them until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Image credit: RitaE

Baking Pancakes

Prepared dough should be used immediately after preparation, otherwise the baking powder will cease to function, it will settle, ceasing to be light and fluffy.

Heat on the stove dry (without adding oil!) pan, pour onto it 2 tablespoons of dough, forming a future pancake, then 2 more spoons, and then until the entire pan is covered with dough slices.

Once the bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, turn them over with a spatula to the other side. On the frying of the pancake on the other side of the time it will take even less.

The beauty of avocados is that dishes from it can be prepared by culinary experts with any level of experience. There are many recipes for guacamole (avocado) and the only thing you need to know for their successful implementation are a few simple rules.

How to choose avocado

The fruit should be mature, not too hard, but not too soft. If the skin is not squeezed – the fruit is not ripe, if pressed too lightly and deeply – overripe. Peel also should not break, it can not have dark spots, if there are spots, most likely, the avocado not only overgrew, but also rotted.

How to clean an avocado

Slice the fruit along and twist the halves in opposite directions, simultaneously dividing them. If they are separated from each other with difficulty – the fruit is immature. Next, you need to pull out the bone and scrape the pulp with a teaspoon.

In South and Central America, where avocados were prepared long before the appearance of Europeans, the main success in the preparation of this fruit is considered a combination of buttery-nutty taste of fruit and additives, and the sharper the contrast of the taste of guacamole and supplements, the more delicious.

From the avocado cook everything, anything – from soups to pies, but the most popular dish in the whole world is the Mexican guacamole.

Main rules

Instead of overripe, it is better to buy an unripe avocado, and let it ripen at home at room temperature, and not in the refrigerator.

Avocado dishes can not be prepared in advance, they must be eaten immediately after cooking.

If a dish from an avocado is not served immediately, it leaves a bone to prevent the flesh from fading. For the same purpose, lemon juice is added to the salads – the more, the more delicious.

To fully enjoy the exquisite taste of guacamole, it is prepared only with natural seasonings, without preservatives and substitutes. Household appliances, blenders and mixers are not recommended.

The main recipe for guacamole consists of just a few products: mashed avocado pulp, lime juice, cilantro, chili (in the original poblano variety) and salt.

It can be diversified with the help of additional products:

• nourishing – with fried bacon cubes;
• exquisitely – with crumbled blue cheese;
• unusually – with tuna in its own juice;

Image credit: CookYourLife

Three-color guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 1 tomato or ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 medium onion
• juice of lime or lemon
• chopped fresh or ground chili
• salt

Dredged avocado pulp to a fork to mash, but to feel the individual pieces. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon into it. Add finely chopped onions, diced tomatoes or pomegranate seeds. Salt and sprinkle chili to taste. You can add a spoonful of olive oil. Stir and decorate with a slice of lemon.

Guacamole State of Pueblo

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• 1 orange or grapefruit
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• juice of lime or lemon
• 1 sprig of fresh coriander
• ¼-1 pod of fresh chili

2/3 of the avocado cut into thin slices, the rest stretch. To make an orange on lobules, peel them from the skin. Cut the onions into semicircles. Beat the lemon juice, butter, chopped coriander, chopped chili, salt. Put in the salad bowl leaves of lettuce or lettuce, over the fruit and onions, pour over the sauce.

Festive guacamole

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• 1 tbsp. l. red caviar
• 2. Art. l. sour cream
• juice of lime or lemon
• black ground pepper to taste
• dill

Cut the avocado in half and, without damaging the skin, pull out the stone and scrape the flesh. Skins to save. Cut the pulp into cubes, knead a little. Add caviar to the flesh, pour sauce from sour cream, lemon juice and black pepper, mix. Fill with a mixture of skins, decorate with a slice of lemon, eggs and chopped herbs.

Image credit: Einladung_zum_Essen

How to serve guacamole

Traditionally, guacamole is eaten with corn chips or wrapped in tortillas.

Interesting facts about avocado

This is the most caloric fruit on the planet.

It contains substances that lower the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Avocado is an aphrodisiac, in due time it was because of this that it was forbidden to eat conquistadors.

Image credit: Free-Photos

January 22 is considered the birthday of popcorn.

Popcorn appeared 388 years ago. It was on this day in 1630 that the South American Indians presented the European colonists with a bag of popcorn, and a special machine for making popcorn was invented only two centuries later by the American Charlie Cretors.

Many do not realize that popcorn is not just an important attribute of going to the cinema, but also a healthy snack that has a lot of useful properties.

Popcorn contains potassium, iodine, zinc, vitamins of group B, which contribute to the excretion of cholesterol from the body. In addition, regular consumption of popcorn will help to improve the functioning of the nervous system.

In popcorn contains a huge number of powerful antioxidants, which reduce the likelihood of cancer and heart disease.

Popcorn consists of whole grains of corn, and a portion of this snack can provide about 70% of the recommended daily dose of whole grains. Moreover, insoluble fiber, which is contained in whole grains, positively affects the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

Popcorn is not only useful, but also low-bollocks, if you do not add oil, toppings or salt to it. For those who adhere to proper nutrition or diet, popcorn can be an excellent alternative to other, less useful snacks.

Image credit: Gadini

Use during pregnancy and diet

The question of the possibility of eating popcorn in dietary nutrition arises quite often. Of course, high-calorie popcorn, cooked using a fairly large amount of oil, sweet or cheesy can not contribute to weight loss.

But the product prepared at home is useful and contains a small number of calories. In small quantities, it can be used as snacks, and also to replace bread.

Another argument in favor of eating popcorn in the diet menu is a high fiber content. It helps to cleanse the body of toxins, salts and other toxic substances.

Despite the numerous advantages of Popcorn, its use in pregnancy is undesirable.

Since the body of a woman during this period is weakened, and taking into account the features of the production and preparation of popcorn by doctors, it is not recommended to use not only the product in pre-packaged form, but also manufactured at home.

The enhancer of the glutamate sodium taste that is part of this dish is also prohibited for pregnant women. And food additives threaten the health of the future mother and child.

Salt disrupts the body’s water balance, and sugar affects the functioning of the pancreas.

A stunning holiday cake! Very delicate and incredibly fragrant.

Key Lime  Pie is a branded dessert that comes from hot Florida, consisting of an ingredient available for the tropical climate – lime of “Key Lime” but an ordinary variety is also quite suitable. One of the main secrets of making the right Key Lime unit is not too long to bake. Today there are a lot of variations on the lime pie theme all over the world, but they all revolve around the cheesecake principle: a fine sand base and a lot of rich, delicate stuffing. The version of the unit we are preparing in UpsideDownCake is even more tropical – due to the addition of coconut chips to the composition of the cake. Acid-sweet, with a thin lime bitter, it resembles foaming lemonade. A real salvation on a hot summer evening.

And here is the recipe of the unit for 8 servings:

To bake the cake we take cornflakes (6,17 oz), sugar (2,4 oz), grind in a blender. Add the butter (3,5 oz), a little vegetable oil and bring to a homogeneous mass. Spread it evenly into a mold with high sides and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Have gotten – let’s cool down.

Now is the time to start the filling. For her diligently mix in the blender 2 eggs, 6 yolks, lime juice (8 oz) and condensed milk (21,5 oz). We lay out on the time to cool down the cake and send it all together in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. After that, we send to the refrigerator for as long as you have patience – in a chilled form it will be easy to cut. Before serving, decorate Key Lime with cream, slice and lime.

Bon Appetit! Have a Merry Christmas!

Image credit: Henry_Rico

INGREDIENTS

• 400 g fillet of salmon
• 1 tbsp. l. honey
• 4 tbsp. l. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. dry Italian herbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

This delicious and delicious dish is prepared very simply and quickly, but you will need an additional 30 minutes to marinate the fish. We used salmon for the recipe, but other types of red fish, such as salmon or pink salmon, are also suitable.

How to cook baked salmon in honey-soy marinade
Cut the salmon fillet into portions. Mix in a bowl soy sauce with lemon juice, honey, passed through the press with garlic, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Lay the fish in the marinade and leave for 30 minutes.

While marinating fish, heat the oven to 220 degrees. Lay the prepared pieces of fillet in a greased olive oil, send it to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
This fish contains some substances that improve the functioning of brain cells.

Image credit: cattalin

Sandwich with canned tuna

Image credit: mp1746

You will need: 2 pieces of any bread, 1 egg, 75 grams of canned tuna, 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise or sour cream, vegetables for your taste: tomato, cucumber, as well as lettuce and greens (parsley, green onions).

How to cook a sandwich with canned tuna: First, boil an egg, peel and cut it into slices. Wash and thinly cut vegetables, and canned tuna with a fork and mix with a teaspoon of mayonnaise. Put eggs on the first half of the bread, then lettuce leaves and canned tuna. After that, sprinkle the fish with finely chopped vegetables and cover with a second half of bread.

If you count calories, then use bread from whole wheat flour or loaves, and also eliminate mayonnaise or use lean sour cream instead. Even in this case, the recipe will not lose its taste.

Sandwich with spicy cottage cheese

Image credit: julenka

You will need: 200 grams of cottage cheese, greens (onion, parsley, dill), a spoonful of low-fat sour cream and mayonnaise, one pepper and cucumber, as well as spices to taste (salt, coriander, ground black pepper).

How to cook a sandwich with spicy cottage cheese: Wash and finely cut cucumber, pepper and greens. Add to the cottage chopped vegetables, greens, mayonnaise, sour cream and spices to taste. Mix thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Such a mixture can be spread on bread or make a traditional sandwich with two rolls. The recipe for mayonnaise can also be excluded – the taste will not be affected.

Sandwich with mozzarella

Image credit: Samueles

You will need: one tomato, half eggplant, 2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil, 125 grams mozzarella, spices (ground black pepper, salt, Provence herbs).

How to cook a sandwich with mozzarella: Dry the bread in a dry frying pan. Then cut plates of eggplant and fry it in olive or sunflower oil. Cut the tomato and mozzarella into thin slices. Lay out the bread ingredients in this order: eggplant tomato and morcarella. Season everything with spices and cover with a second slice of bread.

Sandwich with beans and cheese

You will need: 250 grams of white beans, 100 grams of cheese, greens (oregano, coriander), salt, pepper and olive oil.

How to cook a bean sauce with beans: Soak the beans for a night in the water, and in the morning – cook it until ready and drain the water. Beans, herbs and spices mix and bring to the state of mashed potatoes with a blender.

Dry bread on a dry frying pan, and in the meantime – cut finely cheese. Next, take the bread, sprinkle it with olive oil and spread the bean paste over it (or lay out the whole bean paste). Top with cheese and cover with a second slice of bread.

Sandwich with chicken and cheese

Image credit: Meditations

You will need: 20 grams of cream cheese, 50 grams of boiled chicken, half a cucumber, salt, pepper.

How to cook a sandwich from a chicken: Drain the bread in a frying pan and even in a warm form spread it with a thin layer of cheese. On top, lay a slice of boiled chicken and cucumber slices. Add spices to taste. Such a sandwich can be eaten and cold.

INGREDIENTS

• 300 g of pumpkin
• 200 ml of milk
• 3-4 tsp. honey
• 2 stars of Illicium
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• pinch of nutmeg

To prepare this cocktail, a small but ripe and rich pumpkin is best, and since there are many of its varieties, we recommend that you try it before preparing a cocktail, and, depending on the taste of the pumpkin, adjust the amount of honey.

How to make a milky-pumpkin cocktail with spices
Peel the pumpkin from the peel and seeds, cut into pieces and fold into a small saucepan. Add a cinnamon stick, a Illicium and a pinch of nutmeg. Pour hot water and cook for 12-15 minutes until soft.

Lay the pieces of pumpkin in a blender and whisk until smooth, then add milk and honey, whisk again. Ready cocktail pour into glasses and garnish with cinnamon chips.

A pumpkin is useful for losing weight, it is often included in the diet of its patients by nutritionists. Useful properties of pumpkin for weight loss are that it is a low-calorie product, and thanks to the substances contained in the pulp helps to reduce weight and normalize metabolic processes.

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Shrimp contains a whole complex of vitamins. Among them: provitamin A, which is useful for vision, vitamin A – the source of skin youth, almost all B vitamins, useful for bones, nails and hair, vitamin D and E, protecting the circulatory system, and vitamin C – a guarantor of good immunity.

Crispy and appetizing, fried tails of shrimp are a great snack that will complement any feast.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1⁄2 lbs shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp. l. flour
• a pinch of salt
• pepper to taste
• 100 ml of water
• 150-200 ml of vegetable oil

Prawns in batter are prepared very simply and quickly, but before cooking they must be thawed, so get them from the freezer in advance. For frying, refined vegetable oil without odor is best suited, and all sorts of tomato sauces or on the basis of homemade mayonnaise are suitable for serving.

How to cook shrimps

Clear the defrozen shrimp from the head, legs and shell, leaving tight ponytails. In a deep bowl, whip the egg and salt, add water, add flour and pepper. Mix until uniform.

In a small pot or saucepan, heat up the vegetable oil, and when it starts to crackle, dip the tail of the shrimp into the dumpling bag holding it by the tail, and send it to fry for about a minute – until a confident golden crust. Put the shrimps in a plate with a paper towel.

Image credit: angelorosa