It is easy to make impressive and delicious homemade chocolates for family and friends at Easter or anytime. You can purchase Easter chocolate molds at most specialty or discount stores and a wide variety of chocolate at your local supermarket. With a bit of time and patience you will soon be turning out gorgeous homemade chocolates.

Types of Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla. It is stronger and richer than milk or white chocolate and is usually the preferred choice for cooking.

Milk chocolate contains the same ingredients as dark chocolate but has added milk solids. It is sweeter, creamier, softer in texture and less intense than dark chocolate.

White chocolate doesn’t contain cocoa solids, only cocoa butter blended with sugar, milk solids and flavourings, such as vanilla. It is rich, creamy and sweeter than milk chocolate.

Eating chocolate – dark, milk and white – can be used for cooking. Dark varieties include bitter, semi-sweet and sweet. Bitter chocolate has up to 80% cocoa liquor and butter with a minimal amount of sugar. Sweet chocolate has a higher proportion of sugar and vanilla to cocoa butter.

Good-quality cooking chocolate can be found in the baking aisle of supermarkets. It is similar in taste to eating chocolate, but a small amount of cocoa butter has been replaced with vegetable fat to make it easier to melt, able to set without tempering. Cheaper than normal eating chocolate.

Compound chocolate is sold in blocks or buttons and can be found in the baking aisle of supermarkets. The cocoa butter has been replaced with vegetable fat or oil, making it easier to melt and to set at room temperature without tempering. It lacks the flavour and texture of other chocolates, but is perfect for kids’ cooking.

Melting Chocolate

Chocolate can be melted in several different ways including on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven.

Stove Top – put chocolate in a clean, dry, heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure no water or steam enters the bowl of chocolate, or it the chocolate could seize. Stir constantly over medium to low heat until the chocolate has melted.

Microwave – put chocolate in a clean, dry, microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 1 minute on medium/high then stir. Cook for another 30 seconds then stir again, continue until chocolate has all melted.

Stove – preheat oven to 160 C. Put chocolate in a clean, dry, heatproof bowl. Turn oven off then place the bowl in the oven for 10 minutes minutes. Remove and stir, then place back in oven if required for several minutes, remove and stir again.

Tips for Melting Chocolate

* Break chocolate into even sizes pieces before melting.

* Use a metal spoon to stir chocolate; wooden and plastic spoons retain moisture that can cause the chocolate to seize.

* Always use a metal, glass or ceramic bowl to melt chocolate.

Making Homemade Chocolates

1. Melt your chocolate, (see above), then stir thoroughly to remove all lumps.

2. Pour melted chocolate into the moulds until they are filled to the top.

3. Tap the moulds with your fingertips to remove air bubbles from chocolate.

4. Let chocolates set, until hard.

5. After your chocolates have completely set and hardened, carefully pop them out of the mold.

6. Use a butter knife to trim off any excess chocolate around the edges.

Tips for using Chocolate Moulds

* Never wash your chocolate molds with soapy water. The soapy water will remove the shine of the mold, making it difficult to get the chocolate off. Just wash in hot water.

* Always dry your molds carefully after washing. Water spots can also cause spots where the chocolate won’t release easily from the mould.

* If your molds are sticking, very lightly coat them with a thin layer of vegetable oil.

* If you make a mistake, or if extra chocolate dribbles in the wrong places – don’t touch it while it’s still wet. Place the chocolates in the fridge or freezer to harden, then you can easily just pick off the parts you don’t want there.

How to Store Chocolate

Chocolate should be wrapped in alfoil and placed in an airtight container. Store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Do not store in the refrigerator.

Unopened chocolate has a shelf life of 12 months and opened chocolate, properly wrapped and stored has a shelf life of 3 months. (However it would never last this long at my house!)

Chocolate Terms

Seize – Chocolate will seize up when small amounts of liquid mix with it, it becomes a thick grainy mass that cannot be remelted or used.

Chocolate Bloom – White spots that appear on chocolate, caused by the chocolate being heated and cooled too quickly. This can also occur when chocolate is refrigerated, it does not affect the quality and can still be eaten.

Tempering – A technique used to stabilize chocolate with a high cocoa butter content through a melting and cooling process so the chocolate will set firm and shiny at room temperature.

By: Sandy Prosdocimo

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Healthy raw food is the best way to maintain your health and life. Every time someone suffers from a major health issue in their life they are immediately asked to go back to eating raw food, the question is – if raw food is so good for a diseased body, why shouldn’t it be taken early on? The fact is that raw food is very high in vitamins, minerals and yes even protein.

A common complain that people starting into raw vegan food is that it is so time consuming and complicated. Let me make this very clear, it is not! How can it be time consuming when you are not even cooking anything? Quite to the contrary, raw vegan food recipes and very simple and can be made even by 6 year old. Probably the biggest advantage that you get by eating this kind of food is that it keeps the level of fiber in your body at an optimal rate. This is simply too important for your digestive system and also for maintaining your energy level always at a high.

Healthy raw, vegan food recipes also help you conquer obesity, heart problems and asthma, apart from heart burns, gastritis, and constipation which are all too common in a cooked food diet.

While starting out on a vegan food diet you can try one of the many books available online which offer a lot of delicious raw food recipes to start out with. These books are written by experienced health coaches and fitness professionals who had witnessed amazing changes in their life after they switched onto a vegan food diet.

By: Anna Dean

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Chinese food. It’s certainly tasty enough, but is it healthy? In these modern days of looking good and feeling good this is a question that might often be on the lips of anyone who has just devoured an egg fu yung. Well the answer to the question is that, yes, authentic Chinese cooking is very healthy. In fact the Chinese diet might be one of the healthiest in the world.

Sadly the same can not be said about the meals prepared at some Chinese restaurants or take-aways, where the food is often prepared with highly saturated fats and the meat used in the preparation of the recipes is not exactly of the leanest cut. The meals prepared in establishments like this are neither authentic, or healthy. Although they might very well be extremely tasty. But at what cost to the diners health?

Good, authentic – and healthy – Chinese food is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated oils and has no use for dairy ingredients such as cream, butter, or cheese. Meat is included in the recipes but is not of an abundant quantity. So lovers of authentic Chinese cooking are easily able to avoid the dangers associated with the intake of too much animal fat in their diet.

So in answer to the question: ‘Is Chinese food healthy?’ the answer is a very definite yes, but you must be sure that the Chinese meal that you are eating is an authentic Chinese meal prepared in the traditional manner and using only traditional and healthy ingredients. You can have your cake and eat it; just as long as you know that it is the right kind of cake you are eating.

By: Melanie R. Craig

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1. Fast food has a very high energy density. About 65 percent higher than a typical diet and twice as high as recommended healthy diets which makes us eat more than we otherwise would. Energy density refers to the amount of calories an item of food contains in relation to its weight. Foods with a high energy density confuse the brain’s control systems for appetite, which are based solely on portion size.

2. British researchers from the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Center and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have determined that repeated eating at McDonald’s or KFC or Burger King, people are more likely to gain weight and become obese. This is because fast food not only contains many more calories than traditional food, but also is more likely to undermine normal appetite control systems.

3. By eating a Big Mac and fries, the body consumes almost twice as many calories as you would if you ate the same weight of pasta and salad. Fast Food restaurants feed the obesity epidemic by getting people to eat many more calories than they need through persistent advertising.

4. McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King menu items using nutritional data from the fast food restaurants’ Web sites, found that when we eat high energy density foods, we don’t reduce the portion size so we get a lot more calories than we need. Our current society possesses a weak innate ability to recognize foods with a high energy density. Food intake is assessed by the size of the portion, yet a fast food meal contains many more calories than a similar sized portion of a healthy meal. The conclusion is we are all being fooled into eating too much food.

5. People get fat eating regular portion sizes, but since the food has a high energy density, people gain weight. In evolutionary terms, the human appetite was designed for low energy density foods. In other parts of the world where these foods are still the dietary staples, obesity is virtually non existent. Our bodies were never designed to cope with the high energy dense foods consumed in the West. That is a major reason why fast food in contributing to the major rise in obesity.

6. Another fact is that fast food may speed up people’s risk of clogged arteries that can lead to heart attacks. Researchers at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Francisco have demonstrated that a certain type of fat, called oxidized fat, can accelerate the buildup of plaque in arteries. And many types of fast food such as hamburgers, pizza and French fries are loaded with oxidized fat. The conclusion is fast food meals are high in saturated fat and low quality carbohydrates, white bread and lots of soda. Our bodies require fiber and more healthful types of fats. Fast food represents a dietary pattern that is the opposite of what is recommended for a healthy body.

By: Glenn Freiboth

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The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Then the Caribbean became a crossroads for the world . . .

Once the Europeans brought Africans slaves into the region, the slaves diet consisted mostly of food the slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had to be inventive, and they blended their traditional African foods with staples found on the islands. The Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, ackee, pudding and souse, mangos, and the list goes on.

Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of original early African dishes, and includes cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn meal.

African men were hunters in their homeland, and often away from home for long periods of time. They would cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition was refined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique is known today as “jerk” cooking , and the secret involves a slow meat cooking process. Jamaica is famous for jerk chicken and pork, and you’ll find jerk all over the island.

After slavery was abolished, the Europeans went to India and China for labor, and more cooking styles were introduced. Much of the Indian cooking culture remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.

The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple in home cooked island meals. The Chinese also introduced mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors introduced the popular codfish.

Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that the fruit trees and fruits so familiar to the islands were introduced by the early Spanish explorers. The fruit trees and fruits brought from Spain include orange, lime, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts.

Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty”, but do not know that particular ship carried breadfruit, which was loaded on board from the islands of Tahiti and Timor. In the movie the crew took over the ship, forced the captain into a small boat to fend on his own, and they threw the breadfruit, which they considered “strange fruit” overboard. Another ship was more successful in bringing breadfruit from Polynesia to Jamaica and the St Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple diet in the current day Caribbean

America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili pepper to the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America actually introduced these foods the rest of the world via the Caribbean.

So it’s no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative with the flavors of Africa, India, and China, along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its own special flavor and cooking technique.

By: Linda Thompkins

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Homemade chocolate frosting tastes so much better than that ready made kind you buy in a can, although that is good when you don’t have time, but really, it’s pretty easy to whip up some frosting of your own with this recipe.

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, combine butter and cocoa; beat until well mixed. Add in the milk, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until frosting is smooth and creamy. Add more milk if you want a thinner consistency.

=> Chocolate Cake Frosting Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Frosting Recipe

Here’s a good chocolate fudge icing recipe that goes great with chocolate cake.

3 squares baking chocolate



5 tablespoons butter

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

7 tablespoons milk

Dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the chocolate and the butter; cook on low heat until both are melted. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, add the sugar and stir in the milk, salt and vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture and beat until frosting is smooth and easy to spread.

=> Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe: Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Recipe

Here’s an easy frosting recipe that spreads creamy and smooth on your homemade cake.

2-2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

6 tablespoons butter

5-6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cocoa. In another small bowl, add 1/2 cup of cocoa mixture and the butter; beat well. Alternately add in the remaining cocoa mixture and the milk; beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the vanilla.

=> Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe: Chocolate Chip Frosting

If you’re a chocolate chip lover, this is quick way to make some homemade chocolate frosting.

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a saucepan, combine butter, sugar and milk; bring to a boil. Stir in chocolate chips and the vanilla. Remove from heat. Beat frosting until cool and is a spreading consistency.

=> Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe

The wonderful flavors of chocolate and peanut butter make a nice frosting to use on cupcakes.

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2-2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup cream or evaporated milk

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and cocoa; stir until well blended. Stir in the sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in the cream until the desired consistency is reached.

=> German Chocolate Frosting Recipe: German Chocolate Cake Frosting Recipe

Here’s a great German chocolate frosting recipe that features coconut and pecans.

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 stick butter

1 can condensed milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 can coconut

Directions

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and cook over low heat; stir constantly until frosting reaches a thick consistency (about 12 minutes). Stir in the pecans and coconut.

=> Chocolate Cream Frosting Recipe: Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This makes a rich chocolate frosting that goes great on brownies and cupcakes.

4 squares unsweetened chocolate



1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (room temperature)

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons evaporated milk

Directions

In a saucepan or double boiler, melt chocolate over low heat.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it has a fluffy consistency. Stir in the melted chocolate; with an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Slowly blend in the sugar.

Increase mixer speed to medium high. Gradually add in the milk and beat until the frosting is a smooth consistency.

By: Brandy Summers

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In this fast moving life where people don’t have time to shop manually, online shopping has emerged as a time saving and convenient way of shopping. Thus, Online Food Ordering System has become a boon for the restaurant owners who do not want their customers to move away just because of the scarcity of time. Customer is the king for every business and no body wants to loose the profitable customers. The online food ordering system provides various features to your customers so as to keep in the list of your regular customers.Customers can enjoy the convenience of ordering food online while sitting at their homes/offices. This results in a comfort for both restaurant owners as well as their customers as there is no more annoying phone call or pamphlet/brochure based food ordering.

The Online Food Ordering System system helps the restaurant owners to upload their menus online so that they can be easily managed or changed and customers can order online for their favorite cuisines. Moreover recipes can be customized according to the taste and preferences of the customers. Adding more to this, the system has various others features which prove to be propitious for the restaurant owners. Let us have a quick glance at them:

Easy to Use Service – The system is quite easier to use and access. Since it is a web based service so there is no need for installation. All you have to do is to just subscribe to it and start using it within a few hours. All Time Accessibility – The system provides all time accessibility to your customers with an all time open online restaurant .They can reach your restaurant online even when your restaurant is closed. Increased ROI - With various payment gateways, your customers can pay online which proves to be a more convenient and secure way of doing business. Live sales report and online statistics help in keeping a track towards increasing ROI.

With all its utilities and features, the online food ordering system helps the restaurant owners to create a brand image of their restaurant and mark a position for themselves in the digital marketplace. To conclude, the online food ordering system as a whole shows a way for restaurant owners to act in time and lead the cut-throat competition.

By: Shefali Dhamija

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Argentina food is that food which is ethnically associated with the people of Argentina. If you are looking for Argentina food, you are looking for food and recipes that were invented by the inhabitants of Argentina. If you are in that country, you should have no problem at all. If away, you can still find it. Beef holds sway in Argentina food. Argentines consume beef in large quantities, with some people eating it more than once every day. A preferred manner of eating beef is the asado or barbecue. The highly flavored European effect is still apparent as the cooking expressions criollo (creole) and Porte

]]> http://www.swanneefoods.com/?feed=rss2&p=104 0 http://www.swanneefoods.com/?p=89 http://www.swanneefoods.com/?p=89#comments Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:32:20 +0000 admin http://www.swanneefoods.com/?p=89

Mail order food gifts are a fantastic way to express your affection or appreciation for another person. They can communicate your heartfelt thanks and fondness in a package that will be remembered long after its contents have been enjoyed. Whether you’re buying them for a friend, relative, or for a corporate gift, mail order food gifts can fit any occasion perfectly. If you have never considered ordering gourmet foods online, you may discover that you’ve been neglecting one of the hidden gems of culinary delight.

Gourmet Gifts Ideas For Every Occasion

One of the key advantages of buying mail order food gifts is that they fit any occasion. They make ideal housewarming gifts, anniversary and birthday presents, and Father’s Day gifts. You can give a food basket to congratulate someone for a job promotion, graduation, or to celebrate the launch of a new business. Mail order food gifts can be used to express thanks to an office colleague or to congratulate a business partner for securing a new account.

Everybody loves gourmet foods. While many people search relentlessly for the “perfect gift,” a custom-designed wine and cheese basket might convey the right message. Regardless of the event or occasion, food basket gifts are always enjoyed and remembered.

Gourmet Gift Baskets Can Meet Any Culinary Taste

Have you ever experienced the frustration of searching for a unique gift for a person who has everything? Mail order food gifts eliminate that frustration. The sheer variety of items and food combinations can match any person’s unique culinary taste. For example, a Robiola Bosina cheese paired with a light chardonnay might suit a loved one’s specific pairing preference. On the other hand, a box of carefully selected butter caramels or pecan turtles may be more appropriate. You can buy mail order food gifts to match any circumstance and palate.

Some people enjoy Italian food while others prefer healthy meals. Some enjoy wine while others prefer chocolate. Millions of people have cultivated a strong fondness for seafood, pizza, fruit, and gourmet meats. There are several companies online that specialize in customized mail order food gifts for every taste imaginable.

Elegance And Style With Wine and Cheese Baskets

While mail order food gifts can suit any occasion, few can match the grace and sophistication of wine and cheese baskets. Some baskets are focused on particular combinations with Merlots or Zinfandels paired with a sharp Jack cheese. Others showcase several wines with a variety of French cheeses forming the backdrop. From budget-friendly combos to premium selections, mail order food gifts that pair wines and cheeses are always appreciated. Plus, the pairings convey a uniqueness that makes the gift stand apart from others.

The Convenience of Ordering Gourmet Gifts

Shopping online has dramatically changed the retail landscape. Rather than spending hours visiting malls and specialty food shops, millions of people are ordering mail order food gifts on the internet. In many cases, it is the only way they can order specific items, such as caviar, lean meat cuts, and certain chocolates and confections. In other cases, it’s a matter of convenience; they can peruse gourmet gift ideas online at a time that suits their schedule, not the business hours of local shops. The companies which sell mail order food gifts will gladly send them to your home or directly to the person to whom you intend to give them.

Gift Baskets Offer More Flexibility

The flexibility you’ll enjoy when choosing gourmet foods online for your friends and family allows you to customize your gifts for each person. For example, your parents might be delighted with mocha truffles while an office colleague might enjoy a premium fruit and wine basket. One friend may be grateful to receive an Italian cheese plate while another prefers smoked and cured meats. There is a staggering assortment of mail order food gifts that you can order online.

Whether you need to find the perfect gourmet gift or want to avoid the holiday tumult at your local mall, a gift basket of culinary delights is an ideal solution. Unique, convenient, and always enjoyed, mail order food gifts are a fantastic way to celebrate any occasion.

By: Brandi LeBlanc

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Healthy eating is not just about choosing the right food to eat but also how you cook it. Steaming food in a food steamer is one of the healthiest, most nutritious methods of healthy eating.

The raw food diet is undoubtedly the healthiest of all diets but using a food steamer and steaming food comes in at a close second.

When you cook by steaming food in a food steamer the food never comes into contact with the water, so vital nutrients are not lost in the cooking process.

A food steamer will retain the cellular structure of food tissues as well as their aromatic composition because the heat when steaming food is gentle.

Inside a food steamer, the steaming food is wrapped in watery steam and cooking takes pace through a convection process. You will also notice that meat, in particular, stays tender and tasty.

Which Foods to Cook in a Food Steamer

Steamed vegetables keep most of their flavonoids and vitamin content, so other than eating them raw, steaming vegetables is the next best way of cooking them.

Fish is also excellent when cooked in a food steamer because it retains all of its flavors and nutrient content such as the essential Omega-3 fatty-acids found in all seafood and fish doesn’t fall apart during the cooking process.

Stir-frying, boiling, grilling, and other high temperature heating methods destroy many important nutrients. If you want to maintain the nutrients and rich flavors of fresh foods, then steaming food is the key!

You can use your food steamer to steam fish, chicken, vegetables, dumplings and much more and reap the health benefits of fat-free cooking that produces crisp and delicious results.

A Food Steamer is a Healthier Choice

All it takes is a simple change to your dietary habits to greatly assist in promoting better health.

Good health and vitality go hand in hand with great tasting food, steaming food perfectly seals in all the natural vitamins and minerals of foods which are vital to maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.

A Food Steamer Preserves Vitamins and Minerals

Brown rice, for example, should be cooked in a food steamer, because this is the only method of cooking brown rice that guarantees the retention of its valuable vitamin B1.

A diet including five servings of steamed vegetables a day can help in the fight against aging and also protect against several serious diseases.

It’s the abundance of vitamins and mineral salts that is so important and by steaming food you will minimize the risk of losing these vital vitamins and nutrients while cooking.

Overcooking or burning food will destroy most, if not all, of the health benefits from eating it, this can be easily avoided if you use a food steamer.

If you are health conscious you may prefer steaming food in a food steamer to other methods which require cooking oil, resulting in lower fat consumption.

By: Elaine Woosey

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