Archive for November, 2011

Halloumi Cheese: The Culinary Pride Of Cyprus

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

If you are looking forward to enjoy your holidays to Cyprus, don’t forget to drop by local restaurants and cafes. Here you can taste the mouth-watering meals, desserts, soups, stews, and delicacies that distinctly characterize Cypriot cuisine. These amazing dishes are described by many as a perfect mix of many Greek cuisines. When you partake of Cypriot dishes, you can expect a a gastronomic experience of a lifetime.

One of the most well-known foods served in this Eurasian island country is halloumi, a classic Cypriot cheese that is also popular in Greece and in the Middle East. Formulated out of a blend of unpasteurized sheep and goat’s milk, the cheese is set with rennet. The cheese is unique considering that no acid or acid-producing bacteria are used in its production.

Registered as a protected Cypriot product, halloumi cheese has a white color and has a characteristic layered texture similar to mozzarella cheese. It has a salty flavor and is typically stored in salt water. If it is frozen below -18 degrees Celsius, it can be preserved for a year or more. Most cheese lovers want halloumi that has been aged and kept in its own brine because it has a stronger, saltier taste. Producers of halloumi sometimes flavor their cheeses with bits of snipped mint leaves to add to the taste.

Halloumi’s fat content is around 25% of the cheese’s wet weight, 47% dry weight with around 17% protein. When cooked, it results in a firm texture, making squeaking sounds as it is chewed.

Another great characteristic halloumi cheese is that it can be used in cooking. Most cheeses completely melt when heated, but halloumi has a higher-than-normal melting point, making it an ideal cheese for grilling and frying. Cypriots love to eat halloumi with watermelon during summer. Halloumi is also a main ingredient in halloumi and lountza, a dish that combines the cheese with a slice of smoked pork or lamb sausage.

When you are planning to have your cheap holidays abroad, don’t forget to order some halloumi cheese to go with your food. Reserve your tour through Travel Republic.

Maintain A Healthy Diet To Promote A Healthy Life

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

When choosing a healthy recipe to serve for your family, it is best to choose one that is balanced. A recipe that includes a variety of healthy foods is more likely to provide adequate nutrients. One way to make nutrient-dense meals is to make them colorful. By choosing foods of different colors, you are sure to gain lots of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from varying sources. And eating a variety of foods will make for healthy, good-tasting meals that your family will love.

You might think eating healthy is synonymous with becoming a vegetarian. Of course, there is nothing wrong with becoming a vegetarian if you take a balanced approach to your eating and make sure that you get enough protein. But you don’t need to become a vegetarian if you’re careful. Not all healthy recipes require you to skip meat altogether. Most of the time, they just require you to make smarter choices when selecting meats and poultry.

Incorporate more whole grains and high fiber foods to your diet: The benefits of eating whole grains and high-fiber foods are numerous. They help protect you against diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Foods like bran, Organic Cacao, beans and fruits and vegetables help with digestion so look to have at least three grams per serving. Remember to drink plenty of water with these foods to keep everything moving. High-fiber foods also help make you feel full, which leads you to eat less overall.

Cutting down your bad fat and bad cholesterol intake or have a raw diet can make a big difference when you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy diet. When it comes to meat, leaner cuts and lower-fat substitutes such as turkey over pork or sirloin over rib-eyes and stew meat can go a long way in keeping your fat intake in check.

When it comes down to it, you don’t have to get fancy or be a master chef to create a healthy food recipe for your next meal. Just keep in mind the significance of serving wholesome foods and make sure that you are making smart, informed choices about all the ingredients you use in your dishes.