A Dash Of Heat

Sometimes all it takes is a pinch of this or a dash of that to zing up a meal. This elevates any bland dish and makes it amazing. It could be an herb or spice, a chopped jalapeno or serrano.

Winter stews are always in need of some punching up. Yes, they're hearty and rib sticking but they can be a bit tasteless. Think about adding something as simple as freshly ground black pepper. Just doing this adds a bit of heat and color. For a bit more color, think pink peppercorns. These add a different kind of heat , similar to chilis and have a sweet fruitiness too.If you want a different flavor, dried ginger give any stew an Asian vibe with a more eye opening fire. This would be a great throw in if your stew has more cabbage and carrots in it. It can also be added to chicken stew too. Don't be afraid to flick a teaspoon into your stir fry either.  It's a nice way to balance out the other flavors. Another fire ball of a spice is smokey paprika. Many home chefs just associate it with dusting it on top of deviled eggs or giving color to roasted ham. Yet it can give layers of flavor and fire to even the simplest of dishes. One of the best recipes is chicken paprikash. This incredibly flavorful dish from Hungary , calls for hot or sweet paprika but you can also use the smoked kind. They're made from the same  crushed dried chilies but the smokey version has been smoked dried with oak. The flavor will just be heightened a bit more, highlighting the other ingredients such as tomato paste and sour cream.

Chilies also add to various recipes. There are so many different kinds that you can vary the same recipe with each one and get a different result each time. Most home chefs use jalapenos . They're fun to stuff with bacon and cream cheese or breaded and air fried. Yet, jalapenos can be sliced and mixed into all sorts of dishes.Try some in a meat loaf recipe. This is a great way to zing up a usually bland dish and transform it into something special. Serve with a side of guacamole or sour cream. Jalapenos can also jazz up any kind of burger.They can be mixed into the ground meat or layered with cheese and bacon for a hot of heat. Chopped jalapenos can also bring up the heat on crockpot chilis too. Other chilis such as the temp rising serrano can do wonders with simple cheese dips and even the famed artichoke one. Serrano chilies come in a variety of different colors and are smaller than jalapenos. The piri-piri is another spicy jolt that's used mostly in South African cooking. Piri piri or peri peri chicken is a delicious and fiery way to zing up an ordinary dish. It's usually a marinade that coats and soaks the meat for twenty-four hours before cooking.You could also use it for wings and thighs too,

Bring the heat to your winter cooking. Any dish can be zinged up with spices and chilies. Try them to liven up a blandly cool dish on a chilly night.

The Many Facets Of Egg Noodles

Egg noodles have been a kitchen staple forever. Many of our mother's and grandmother's recipes centered around them. They're still as versatile and delicious as ever. They could be the main dish or part of a side.They can even be used in desserts.Egg noodles are what you make them whether in savory or sweet dishes.

Egg noodles originated in China not in Europe as many would believe. They were first made about  4000 years ago and preserved ones were unearthed at Lajia in Quinghai ,China in 2005. They made their way to Europe where most German and Scandinavian households used them on a regular basis. Egg noodles were in savory dishes, sopping up gravy and providing the carb part of the meal. German Jews used the noodles in sweet dishes such as kugel.They're different from pasta in the sense of whole  eggs or egg yolks mixed with wheat flour and then boiled in water. Pasta can come with or without eggs. Sometimes olive oil and vegetables can be incorporated in the recipe. Noodles are generally one length and shape while the other,as we all know, comes in avariety of shapes and sizes. Like pasta, egg noodles can be bought or made at home. It's just taking two cups of flour and mixing ot with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of baking powder . Two whole eggs are added and this is what gives the noodles their rich , sunny color.Half a cup of milk is added as well.It's left to sit for half an hour before rolling out. You can use a pasta machine to make them or a knife.It's then dropping them into boiling waiter for two to four minutes.

Whether they're home made or store bought egg noodles are a great base for so many dishes. The Swabian Germans from southwest Germany cook boiled ones with eggs for Lent. This traditional and delicious dish also has sliced peaches  on the side to cut the intensity of the eggs.Germans also use them with meat and gravy recipes. They can be used instead of the traditional spaetzle, a kind of noodle itself. Another delicious recipe is beef tips and gravy over egg noodles. The noodles' mildness is the perfect foil for the beef's and sauce's strong flavors.Try them with either beef or chicken paprikash, the famed Austrian dish, known for its spicy ' paprika sauce. Of course egg noodles taste their best in chicken soup. Nothing beats a homemade one, thick with those luscious eggy, strands and hearty chicken chunks. You can also think out of the box and put the noodles in a minestrone for a chunkier version of the original recipe. Egg noodles have a sweet side. They give body to cinnamon laced sweet casserole along with providing the base.  A lush one involves egg noodles,cherries and sour cream baked together for  truly rich dessert.

Egg noodles are a versatile staple every pantry and kitchen should have. They're easy to use and easy to create hearty dinners and desserts. Make them, buy them but definitely use them in your next dish.,