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Velveeta

Velveeta is the brand name of a popular processed cheese product having a taste that is identified as a type of American cheese with a texture that is softer and smoother. It was first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and was sold to Kraft Foods in 1927. The product was advertised for its nutrition. In the 1930s, Velveeta became the first cheese product to gain the American Medical Association's seal of approval. It was reformulated in 1953 as a cheese spread. Velveeta is labeled in the United States as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product". The name 'Velveeta' is intended to connote a velvety smooth product that you eat. Smoothness and meltability are promoted as its iconic properties that occur from reincorporating the whey with the curd. The basic cheese product was spun off into a line of what is now more than a dozen different food products based on Velveeta.

As is the case with most processed cheeses, the manufacturer recommends Velveeta be refrigerated after opening.

From Wikipedia

Artichoke Dip Recipes

Artichoke dip is an appetizer, commonly consisting of a hot mixture of artichokes and melted cheese. It is popular at many American chain restaurants, and is also often served at parties. It is a communal dish that lends itself well to sharing. Artichoke dip is commonly seen as spinach artichoke dip on many menus, and many home cooks choose to add spinach or other various ingredients, as well. There are many recipes for artichoke dip, many that have been in families for years and others that have been swiped from the home cook's favorite casual dining restaurant. The dip recipe  is a basic one, that may be tweaked according to your personal tastes. Feel free to add or remove any ingredients as you see fit, and some variety suggestions are also included below.

Artichoke dip is made of heated, chopped artichoke hearts and a combination of melted parmesan cheese, sour cream, cream cheese and mayonnaise. Seasonings used in the dip often include garlic, lemon juice and cayenne pepper or hot sauce. It is commonly found with cooked, chopped spinach, crab or shrimp mixed in. Adding a melting cheese such as mozzarella or Jack cheese (try a pepper jack if you like a little bit of heat) can result in a creamier, gooier dip that many people enjoy.

How to Make Vegetable Dishes

Making a vegetable dish sounds a challenge for many of us but it is not at all difficult to make a vegetable dish as we are in the normal practice of cooking many meatless dishes in our daily life. Vegetarian dishes are very easy to cook because of the great amount of flexibility while making the vegetarian dishes.

One should not forget the importance of adding vegetables and related dishes into the menu because of the presence of great amount of minerals and vitamins in the variety of vegetables nature has endowed us with. If you are a good cook, you must know that your dining table must have a variety on it. This combination menu will add more nutrition to your menu for the day. Your menu normally includes soup and salads. So it is another type of vegetarian variety in the menu.

The choice of making a type of vegetarian food also depends upon the season of the year. You can make different combination of vegetable dishes in summer and winter. In winter you can serve a variety of vegetable soups. This not only provides you warmth against the cold but it also provides much nutrition to your body. Similarly you can serve a chilled vegetable soup in the summer and this will again make you feel good in the hot season.

The season gets importance as well because there are certain seasons for certain vegetables. Some vegetables are available throughout the year but some are characterized only to be available in winter or summer season. So you can select the vegetable dishes according to the seasons.

But in today’s scientific age, season is no more an issue as you can find frozen vegetables as well throughout the whole year. Also there is a majority of vegetables which are available over the whole year.

From Food Quad

Tuna Casserole

Tuna Casserole recipe:

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

6   ounce    drained tuna
10 ounce   cream of mushroom soup
3 cups        macaroni
1 cup          sliced fresh mushrooms
0.5 cups   mozzarella cheese, grated
0.5 cups   sour cream
0.25 cups fresh bread crumbs
3 tablespoons     butter, melted, divided
1                small onion
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil macaroni until tender, rinse in cold water, and drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in skillet and add onion. When onions are translucent, add fresh mushrooms and cook until tender.

In a medium-size casserole dish, combine macaroni, onion and mushroom mixture, tuna, mushroom soup, sour cream, salt and pepper.

Melt remaining butter and mix with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Top with grated cheese and bake in for about 30 min. at 350 degrees F.

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole is a delicious dish, which is the combination of tater tot and casserole. The traditional tater tot casserole is mainly composed of ground beef and topped with tater tot and cheddar cheese.

Casserole is a food which consists of pieces of meat with various chopped vegetables, and then mix with starchy binder such as flour, potato or pasta and topping with crunchy items for bake. The tater tot casserole was a wonderful dish with the combination of crispy tater tot with casserole which will provide a crunchy mouth feel. Tater tot was a finger food which originated from United States. The origin of tater tot casserole is unknown and well record. But, tater tot casserole is believed originated from United States. This statement had been supported by tater tot was a famous snack food which originated from United States during mid of 20 century. According to the culinary cooking method of casserole, casserole is topping with crunchy items. So the tater tot was used as crunchy topping for casserole which is a popular dish in United States during mid of 20 century. Dear 1 Best Cuisine Guide’s readers, if you would like to discover the know-how to make tater tot, you may read our previous tater tot post. It is easy and simple to prepare at home.

How to make Tater Tot Casserole

Step 1: Ready your Tater Tot Casserole ingredients. To make Tater Tot Casserole, you will need 450 grams of ground beef, 1 can of cream mushroom soup, 1 can of milk, 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and 1 bag of tater tots.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F.

Step 3: Pan Fry the onion and garlic in skillet for a while. After that, add the ground beef into skillet.

Step 4: Add the cream of mushroom soup and the milk to the browned ground beef and cook it until slightly thickened.

Step 5: Remove the browned ground beef mixture from the skillet and pour it into a baking pan.

Step 6: Place tater tots evenly on the entire top of ground beef mixture. Then, sprinkle the cheddar cheese to the ground beef mixture and stir it well. You can also stir in frozen or canned vegetables such as, green beans, carrots or corn optionally in order to enhance the colour and nutritional of the Tater Tot Casserole.

Step 7: Bake uncovered ground beef mixture at 180°C/ 350°F for about 30 to 40 minutes until bubbly.

Step 8: Let cool slightly before serving.

From Best Cuisine Guide

Chicken Lasagna

Chicken Lasagna recipe:

Ingredients:

2      cups      cooked and diced chicken
1      cup        chopped onion
1      package lasagna noodles
1      can        cream of chicken soup
1      can        cream of mushroom soup
2      cups      grated Mozzarella Cheese
1      cup        sour cream
0.5   cups      chopped green pepper 

Directions:

Cook and drain the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Remove and lay flat to cool some. Combine all remaining ingredients except Mozzarella Cheese.
In an 9″x13″ baking dish, layer by alternating chicken mixture, noodles, then cheese. The final layer should be the chicken mixture sprinkled with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Note: This can be made as a casserole using egg noodles instead of lasagna noodles.

Cauliflower Curry

Cauliflower Curry recipe:

Ingredients:

1      Cauliflower
2      Tomatoes
0.25     cups           Coriander leaves
3     tablespoons     oil
2     tablespoons     Dhania
1.5  tablespoons     Red chilli powder
1     tablespoon       Garam masala
1     tablespoon       Almonds
1     tablespoon       Turmeric powder
1     tablespoon       Cumin

Directions:

Blend the tomatoes and almonds (soaked in water for 2 hrs) to get a smooth paste.

Heat the oil and fry the cauliflower till it is well browned.

Add all the spices and keep frying.

Add the chopped coriander and the tomato paste. Adjust water till you get the proper gravy consistency you need. Add salt to taste.

Cook covered for about 10 minutes on a low fire. When it comes to a boil, take it off the fire.

Eat hot with chapatis or plain rice.

Carrot Salad

Carrot Salad recipe:

Ingredients (4 servings):

1    lb           large carrots, scraped and cut in quarters lengthwise
4                  chopped cloves garlic
0.25 teaspoons     each ground cumin and parsley
1    pinch      each, salt and sugar
some           coriander seed
some           wine vinegar, salt, and hot red pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the carrots with salt, sugar, and garlic for 15 minutes. Drain and cover with vinegar, a little more salt, and hot red pepper to taste. Perfume with cumin. Decorate with parsley and little coriander.

Low-fat pasta carbonara

Low-fat pasta carbonara recipe

Ingredients (4 servings):

400      g      fettuccine or spaghetti
150      g     rindless shortcut bacon
50        g     parmesan cheese
3           eggs
1           large brown onion
2     tablespoons     flat-leaf parsley
some           olive oil

Directions:

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender.

Meanwhile, lightly spray a frying pan with oil. Heat over medium heat. Add bacon and onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 min. (or until golden)

Drain pasta and return immediately to hot saucepan. Whisk eggs in a jug with a fork. Add to hot pasta. Stir quickly to coat pasta.

Add bacon mixture, parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to pasta. Toss over low heat for 1 to 2 min. (or until heated through)

Dilly Beef Salad

Ingredients (6 servings):

3    cups    Beef, cooked and cubed
5    lg        Olives, stuffed, sliced
10             Onions, pickled, chopped
0.75    cups    chopped green pepper
0.5      cups    Mayonnaise
0.25    cups    Beer
1         tablespoon    Lemon juice
1         teaspoon    Dill weed
0.5      teaspoon    Salt
0.25    teaspoon    Mustard, dry
0.12    teaspoon    Pepper

Directions:

Combine beef, green pepper, sliced olives, and chopped pickled onion; chill. Combine pepper, salt, mustard, dill weed, mayonnaise, beer, and lemon juice; mix well and add to meat mixture. Toss lightly. Chill at least 1 hour. Garnish with pickled onions and olives.