Start by boiling spaghetti until al dente, then drain and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined.

Next, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté diced bacon until crispy. Remove the pan from heat and allow the bacon to cool slightly. Pour off any excess fat, leaving a small amount to coat the pan.

Now, return the pan to low heat and add the cooked spaghetti, tossing it gently to coat it with the remaining bacon fat. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the pasta, ensuring it is evenly distributed. The residual heat will cook the eggs, creating a luscious, creamy sauce.

To finish, sprinkle chopped parsley over the pasta for a burst of freshness and extra color. Serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and a pinch of black pepper.

The beauty of Pasta Carbonara lies in its simplicity, allowing the rich flavors to shine through. The combination of salty bacon, creamy eggs, and sharp Parmesan creates a delightful balance that will leave your taste buds wanting more.

So, the next time you’re looking for a quick and satisfying meal, give this Pasta Carbonara recipe a try. It’s a timeless classic that never disappoints. Buon appetito!

Picture Credit: VistaCreate

Why does oatmeal help lower cholesterol?

Oats are considered a superfood as well as a daily resource that we should all consume to take care of our health. It is good for the heart, regulates weight, improves digestion, and prevents constipation.

Great benefits of oats to reduce so-called bad cholesterol:

• Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which is rich in lipoproteins and helps reduce the density of LDL (bad cholesterol).
• This type of fiber is similar to that found in apples, whose effectiveness in lowering cholesterol is well known.
• There is another aspect to keep in mind: not all foods that contain oats will help you lower your cholesterol. Example? Oatmeal cookies, which instead of helping you, can actually hurt because they contain a lot of sugar and saturated fat.

Ways to consume oatmeal to lower cholesterol

1. Oatmeal with green apple and cinnamon

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of instant oatmeal
• 1 green apple
• 1 glass of water (200 ml)
• a little cinnamon

Instructions:

• Start by washing and slicing the apple. It can not be cleaned, because it is in the peel and contains most of the useful properties that will help lower cholesterol.
• Now boil a glass of water with the oats until it is completely cooked. It’s very easy.
• After 10 minutes, add the apple pieces, and leave them to cook for another 20 minutes. When you see that the apple has softened, turn off the heat.
• Put everything in a blender and mix until smooth. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top before eating. This is a great recipe for breakfast.

2. Oatmeal with pear

Ingredients:

• 1 pear
• 100 grams of instant oatmeal
• 1 glass of water
• 20 g of honey

Instructions:

• This dish is perfect for breakfast or lunch. To prepare it, you must first heat a glass of water in a saucepan and then pour the oats. Once it has acquired the desired sticky consistency, add a tablespoon of honey to give it more flavor.
• Then peel the pear and cut it into small pieces (do not peel). Pears are also ideal for fighting cholesterol, and in combination with oats, their potential benefits even increase.
• Put the oatmeal in your favorite bowl and add the pear pieces. It’s delicious and you get a nutritious and healthy breakfast.

3. Oatmeal with plums

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of instant oatmeal
• 2 plums
• 3 walnuts
• 1 glass of water

Instructions:

• Bring the water to a boil and add the oatmeal.
• While it is cooking, you can peel the plums.
• Also, chop the walnuts and set them aside for later use.
• When the oatmeal is cooked, put it in your favorite bowl, and add plums and walnuts.

This breakfast is an effective way to fight high cholesterol. In addition, it helps maintain a slim figure and eat right every day.

Keep in mind that the three best fruits to fight cholesterol are apples, pears, and plums. However, strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, and grapes are also very useful, so you can use any combination you want when you cook oatmeal in the morning to lower cholesterol.

In this case, the most important thing is to eat oatmeal every day.

In addition to oatmeal, do not forget to eat well during the day and exercise moderately. Start taking care of your health today!

Picture Credit: VistaCreate

Both turkey and chicken are healthy meats that you can make part of your diet. In fact, experts recommend that you consume both to improve your overall health, regardless of your age.

These meats have a better reputation than red meat, which is associated with a higher risk of developing chronic diseases when we eat too much red meat. In addition, you should try to avoid industrially processed meat, as it may contain dangerous additives that affect metabolism.

Chicken meat

This meat is high in protein. Studies have shown that these nutrients are necessary to ensure proper muscle function. These substances are characterized by high biological value because they contain all essential amino acids and are quite easily digested.

In addition, chicken has a low-fat content. The content of lipids in it indeed consists of a rich species, but they do not pose any threat to health. From a scientific point of view, the consumption of saturated fatty acids has varied greatly in recent years, according to a study published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.

On the other hand, we must not forget that chicken also contains many B vitamins. These trace elements are necessary for the body and play a key role in many metabolic reactions associated with energy production. For example, vitamin B12 is a substance that is fundamental to the prevention of anemia.

Turkey meat

Turkey meat also contains proteins with high biological value. The difference between these two types of meat in this regard is barely noticeable. The only thing is that, depending on the part of the animal you consume, the amount of protein you consume may vary.

However, there are significant differences in fat content. Turkey meat does not contain saturated lipids. In fact, the total amount of fat is lower than in chicken. Cholesterol levels are also noticeably lower.

Despite all this, there are no serious health consequences here. Saturated lipids are not considered harmful.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that turkey meat contains a higher level of calcium than chicken: almost three times more. These data are interesting for the diet to prevent skeletal diseases. There is evidence to suggest that regular calcium intake reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

Cooking meat is an important factor

There are some things to keep in mind when cooking chicken or turkey. The first is that the best way to cook it is to grill, bake or boil in water. Thus, fatty acids are not subject to change, which ensures that they are healthy.

You should avoid frying these meats, as well as covering them with batter. In these situations, you can produce harmful and even toxic components, such as trans-lipids and acrylamide. Both substances can cause systemic inflammation and affect organs, tissues and cells.

On the other hand, the best way to eat meat is to accompany it with vegetables. In this way, you provide a sufficient source of trace elements and antioxidants.

If you also want to include carbohydrates in your diet, the best options are tubers, legumes, and rice. It is important to avoid pasta and bread as much as possible, as their high glycemic index can impair sugar metabolism in general.

Turkey and chicken: two healthy types of meat

Both turkey and chicken can be in a healthy diet. They should be eaten regularly because they are one of the sources of protein with the high biological value we need. It is also good to eat white meat instead of red.

In general, cooking methods will affect the result of these foods, but there are almost no significant differences between them. The best way to cook them is on the grill or in the oven, but you can also boil them. In this way, fatty acids will have health benefits.

Remember that a healthy diet is based on variety, so it is important to alternate these types of meat with other high-protein foods, such as eggs, fish, and dairy foods.

Picture Credit: Unsplash

Cooking time:

1 hour 35 minutes

Calorie:

164 kcal per 100 g

Ingredients:

• onion – 1 pc;
• cream 33% – 250 ml;
• milk – 250 ml;
• dense white fish fillet – 400 g;
• smoked haddock or other fish – 400 g;
• butter – 30 g;
• carnation – 3-4 pc;
• leek – 2 stems;
• flour – 30 g;
• shrimp – 300 g;
• sea salt, black pepper, parsley, bay leaf.

For the top layer:

• potatoes – 750 g;
• butter, cut into cubes – 75 g;
• hot milk – 50 ml;
• yolks – 2 pc;
• grated cheddar cheese – 75-100 g;

Cooking:

1. Stick the cloves in the onion, put it in a saucepan, add the bay leaf, and pour milk and cream. Bring to a boil.
2. Dip both types of fish in milk and cook for 3-4 minutes, no matter if it stays a little raw.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks and simmer for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft. Add flour and stir for another couple of minutes.
4. Gradually pour in the milk and simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the consistency resembles a sauce. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley.
5. Cut the potatoes into cubes, fill with salted water, and set to boil. After boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes are soft. After it, drain the water and make mashed potatoes. Add butter, milk and allow to cool slightly. Then add the yolks.
6. Divide the fish into small pieces, mix with the shrimp and onion sauce.
7. Transfer to a heat-resistant form and spread the puree on top in an even layer. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese.
8. Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 25-30 minutes, until the top of the cake, becomes dark golden.

How to serve potato pie

Serve the potato pie hot with green peas or green beans.

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A biscuit with berries or fruit is a delicious open pie with fruit filling. Any seasonal berries and fruits will be suitable as a filling.

Ingredients:

• flour – 170 g
• cold butter – 120 g
• cold water – 60 ml
• salt – a pinch
• sugar – 5 g

For the pie filling:

• fruits or berries – to your taste
• sugar – 1 tbsp
• powdered sugar – optional (for topping)
• 2 yolks for grease the sides of the pie
• 1 tbsp milk or water

Recipe:

1. Mix flour with sugar and salt.
2. In a food processor, mix the flour with the butter. Gradually add cold water. Knead the dough.
3. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. At this time, do the stuffing: wash the fruit or berries, cut if necessary.
5. Divide the dough into 2 parts and roll out into a cake about 3 mm thick.
6. Put the cakes to a baking sheet greased with oil or lined with baking paper.
7. In the center of the cake layers out the fruit or berries, distributing on the surface and leaving 2 cm from the edges. Sprinkle the filling with sugar. You can add or reduce the amount of sugar at your discretion.
8. Wrap the free edges of the cakes on the filling, forming the sides of a round biscuit.
9. Grease the sides of the biscuit with egg yolks diluted in a spoonful of milk or water.
10. Put the biscuit with fruit in a preheated oven to 180°C and bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
11. The finished biscuit should cool. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve.
12. Enjoy!

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If you think that avocado dishes are something complicated and easier to cut into slices, we will convince you otherwise. With avocado, you can quickly and deliciously prepare a delicious snack, dessert, or main course.

1. Avocado + egg

Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Prepare a poached egg and place it in the avocado hole. Season to taste.

2. Avocado + hummus

Mash the avocado and mix it with the hummus, making the perfect addition to the pie or bread with bran.

3. Avocado + pasta

Boil the pasta from hard wheat. When they are ready, leave a quarter of the pasta water. Cut the avocado into cubes, add to the pasta and mix.

4. Avocado + tuna

Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Fill it with canned tuna, add spices, and olive oil to taste.

5. Avocado + berries

Mix in a blender half an avocado and frozen berries. Delicious and healthy smoothies are ready!

6. Avocado + pineapple

To prepare the original variation of salsa sauce, cut the pineapple and avocado into cubes and mix. Serve in the avocado peel, salt to taste.

7. Avocado + lime

These products will make a delicious salad sauce. Grind avocado in a blender with the juice of 1 lime. Done!

8. Avocado + cocoa

Mixing 1 avocado with 1/3 cup of cocoa powder in a blender, you will get a stunning chocolate mousse.

9. Avocado + boiled eggs

To make delicious stuffed eggs, boil them and cool. Chop the avocado and mix with the yolks. Fill half of the eggs with the mixture.

10. Avocado + ice cream

From this, you will be able to prepare the best milkshake. You take a blender, ripe avocado and ice cream, mix, and taste!

Picture Credit: Unsplash

These recommendations will help you not to gain too much and not harm your health.

During a forced stay at home during quarantine due to coronavirus, there is a great chance to start overeating and, as a result, gain excess weight and worsen health.

Adhering to these tips, you can strengthen the immune system and reduce the degree of anxiety.

1. Decreased caffeine intake. If possible, exclude altogether and pause. Avoiding caffeine will help you behave more evenly and reduce anxiety.

2. Refusal of alcohol. The immune system is directly suppressed under the influence of alcohol, plus when intoxicated we tend to eat more and not usually more fatty and sweeter foods.

3. The mode of eating. Enter your food rules: basic meals. As long as the period of reduced physical activity continues, remove the snacks, they will take away additional calorie intake.

4. Eat only in the kitchen. Neither at the computer in the workplace, nor in the bathroom, relaxing, nor watching the series, nor tricks from the vases in the kitchen. There will not be this rule you will become mired in food depravity.

5. The cleanliness of kitchen surfaces from food. Vases, saucer, trays, fruit bowls — clean them! Otherwise, you will turn into the white walkers into the kitchen for the next piece, slice, nut, and you will eat once a day from morning until night.

6. Do not mix pleasure. Food, reading, bath, series should all be separate. Absorption of food under something has a “hypnotic” effect. How much I ate I didn’t understand myself, I recovered when it became hard to breathe.

7. Fewer semi-finished products. Such a great time is not justified by the lack of time for cooking. Indulge yourself with homemade food. And the more “ready-made store food” there is, the higher the temptation will be to have a refrigerator and nip off a bite.

8. Pasta or not? Pay attention to frozen vegetables, fish, legumes, dried (frozen) mushrooms. Calm your brain with a complete food freezer. Of these products, you can feed yourself much more interesting than pasta.

9. The priority of the order via the Internet. The fewer contacts you have, the better. And if you have the opportunity to buy elderly neighbors take them some products. Now is the time to show kindness to people.

10. Keep track of expiration dates. Keep in mind the expiration dates. Random rainy day purchases can lead to quick food spoilage and food poisoning. As you know, coughing and diarrhea are the worst companions.

Picture Credit: Pexels

A few tips to help you make homemade meals healthier.

What we eat directly affects not only physical health but also our mental state. For example, the frequent consumption of unhealthy foods (hamburgers, sausages, chips, sugary drinks, and other foods) are associated with an increased risk of depression, but following a proper diet — on the contrary, with its reduction.

Therefore, eating good food, you provide yourself with health, high spirits, and peace of mind.

1. Choose whole grains

Whole-grain foods retain a large amount of fiber, which improves digestion. A diet high in this substance helps lower cholesterol, control blood sugar and maintain a normal weight.

And eating whole grains is associated with a reduced risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

American nutritionists recommend that at least half of whole grains be in whole grains in the diet.

2. Eliminate white sugar

Or at least reduce its intake. A lot has already been said about the dangers of this product.

Excess weight, liver failure, high blood pressure, diseases of the cardiovascular system and kidneys, acne, memory impairment, premature wrinkles — this is not a complete list of the unpleasant consequences of an addiction to sweets.

3. Use the correct oil

One of the important criteria when choosing an oil is the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Excessive amounts of the second can contribute to the development of chronic diseases and weight gain. While omega-3 has anti-inflammatory properties. Ideally, the ratio should be close to 1:1, but slightly higher values ​​are allowed.

No less important is the smoke point. This is the temperature at which the oil begins to produce those same carcinogens that are dangerous to health. The larger this point, the better. This means that the oil can be used at high temperatures.

4. Less of frying

Or at least try not to use a lot of oil. Firstly, products absorb oil and become more high-calorie. Secondly, as we said above, with the wrong choice of oil, it can be dangerous at all.

It is believed that frequent consumption of fried foods is associated with a high risk of type 2 diabetes, heart failure, obesity, and hypertension.

Therefore, it is better to choose another heat treatment: baking, boiling, steaming, stewing or blanching.

5. Add superfoods to dishes

Put more greens and seeds in salads. For example, flax, sesame, chia seeds.

Sprinkle porridge with nuts, pomegranate seeds, and berries. You can also add superfoods to smoothies and desserts.

6. Pay attention to sweets and drinks

Instead of purchased yogurts with a bunch of sugar and other dubious ingredients, prepare a natural product and add fruits and berries to it.

Freshly squeezed juices are healthier than packaged juices, and fruit drink is more aromatic and tastier than natural soda.

Picture Credit: Pixabay

So that the board does not slide on the table

How to improve the taste of tomato sauce
If the tomato sauce is too acidic, sugar will help soften its taste. But in this case, the number of calories in the dish will increase significantly. If this is important to you, replace sugar with baking soda. Only half a teaspoon is enough for the excess acid to go away.

Take care of your nerves
Cooking will take place in a more relaxed atmosphere if you prepare all the ingredients necessary for the dish in advance. Believe me, this is much better than in a hurry to peel the garlic, which was supposed to be in the pan five minutes ago.

Dry meat
Before cooking meat or poultry in a pan, they must be thoroughly dried – for example, using a paper towel. Excess moisture prevents the formation of an appetizing crust, and the meat is more likely to be stewed than fried.

Give the meat a break
After removing the meat from the fire, do not rush to cut it into pieces. The steak needs to “rest”, otherwise all the juices will leak onto the cutting board, and the dish will turn out dry. Usually 5-7 minutes is enough.

Sauté nuts and spices
It may seem strange to you, but professional chefs always fry nuts and spices in a dry frying pan before adding to the dish. This is necessary in order to stretch the essential oils and enhance the taste and aroma of the product.

Cut desserts with a warm knife
Hold the knife in hot water for one minute, then wipe it dry quickly and start slicing the cheesecake or any other “sticky” dessert. The pieces are guaranteed to be neat.

Add acid
If something is missing from the dish, it is almost always acid. Add some wine, lemon or orange juice – we are sure that you will like the new taste.

The secret of juicy meat
Almost all restaurant meat is cooked in brine before cooking – and for quite a long time, from 4 to 12 hours. This trick helps to maximize the preservation of juices inside the product during its heat treatment – for turkey and chicken it is especially important. Add your favorite spices to the brine to give the meat a spicy taste and dye the skin in a darker shade.

How to keep greens fresh
To keep leafy vegetables and herbs fresh for several days, place them in a container after covering the bottom with paper towels. They absorb excess moisture and prevent quick spoilage of the product.

How to make the sauce glossy
To give a pleasant glossy shine, as well as a thick and rich texture to the sauce, professional chefs add a few slices of cold butter to the finished gravy. Just don’t let it boil! Just wait until the butter has melted, and immediately remove the sauce from the heat.

Do not wash the pan. Deglaze!
Whatever sticks to the bottom of the pan, do not rush to wash it off. Add quite a bit of wine or broth to get a delicious gravy that has gathered the taste of all the products cooked in the dishes.

Picture Credit: Vince Lee

Chia seeds are nothing but seeds of Spanish sage. The health benefits of these seeds have been repeatedly proven by scientists. A spoonful of seeds contains only 60 calories, they have no sugar, but there is protein and fats, so they perfectly saturate, charge with energy, help not to overeat. What else is so useful these tiny grains?

Cardiovascular Health

Chia seeds contain the beneficial Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which improve heart health and help normalize blood pressure. As you know, eating sea fish, which contains these beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids, can reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, thrombosis, as well as heart attack and stroke. And the content of these fatty acids in chia seeds many times exceeds their content in fish.

Weightloss remedy

Chia seeds – an excellent tool that helps to improve metabolism and lose weight. They contain soluble fiber, which is capable of absorbing 12 times more water, as a result of which excess cholesterol and toxins are removed from the body, metabolism is accelerated and hunger is muffled. These magical “seeds of life” in the stomach turn into a gel, which slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose and as a result prevents the formation of fat.

Immunity strengthening

Chia seeds, due to their useful composition, strengthen the immune system, have a preventive effect against various colds. They are even called analog pharmacy antibiotics, and they also help heal wounds. In addition, it is a source of calcium, for example, two tablespoons of seeds contain 6 times more calcium than a glass of milk.

Constipation prevention

Chia seeds have a beneficial effect on the entire digestive system, and all this is due to the content of soluble and insoluble fibers. They normalize the bowels, improve peristalsis and help to cope with constipation.

Additional energy

Chia seeds have been known for a very long time, but they became “fashionable” only a few years ago. The Mayan and Aztec tribes used them as stimulants of energy and endurance. These properties of chia seeds have been preserved so far; scientists argue that they are as effective as energy drinks.

Picture Credit: ValeriaJa