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What Can You Eat On the South Beach Diet Menu?

by Linda Miller

One of the first things anyone ever notices when checking out a diet menu to see if they think they can do it is the “can haves” and the “cannot haves”. You will soon form the opinion that you will not go far with a diet when it is unvaried and boring and all the things you would normally enjoy eating are off the menu. This however is not the case with the South Beach Diet.

You will be shocked and delighted when you check out the foods you can eat while on the South Beach Diet. Although some foods are restricted, the foods on the “approved” list are more than sufficient to allow for healthy and delicious dining.

The South Beach Diet is highly successful because it does not make you give up all of the foods you enjoy eating. Delicious meats like chicken breast, turkey, lean beef, Cornish game hen and boiled ham are on the “Can Eat” list, even during the most restrictive phase of the South Beach Diet, Phase 1.

And the South Beach Diet is a seafood lover’s dream come true. There are few limits to the tasty seafood you can enjoy during all phases of the diet plan. You will also learn which fish are high in super healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and be encouraged to include them on your menu regularly.

Fruits and many types of grains are not on the menu during Phase 1, but for those of you who really miss these items, do not worry, they are reintroduced on a gradual basis during Phase 2. The fact that you no longer crave these foods will mean you significantly reduce the portion size when you are once again allowed to eat them.

Phase 2 also allows dairy products and full-fat cheeses back into your diet. As with the carbs you gave up in Phase 1, you will now find that your body does not crave these foods like it did before. This helps you to eat them in a healthier way.

When studying the South Beach Diet you will see that there are numerous vegetables which you can incorporate in your menu. Some of the more popular ones are celery and collard greens, asparagus and cauliflower all of which you are allowed in large portions and as long as sweetened with Splenda, you can even eat pickles!

Another great menu item on the South Beach Diet is salads. Take some of the meats and cheeses you can eat on Phase 1, and add a nice helping of romaine lettuce or spinach. You will have a meal-size salad that will be both tasty and healthful, and you wont’ feel like you’re on a diet at all!

The variation of the menu is one of the main reasons that the South Beach Diet is both popular and successful. You will be pleasantly surprised to discover that there are lots of food choices on the menu which you would normally eat so take a look at the South Beach Diet and see how following this plan can work for you.

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What’s on the Menu of the South Beach Diet?

by Linda Miller

If your idea of a diet is an eating plan which will allow you to make healthy choices about the food you eat, you no doubt will have been disappointed on more than one occasion in the past. There are numerous diets where you are so restricted, you just end up craving for those things on the “forbidden” list, and your chance of succeeding at losing those surplus pounds is practically non-existent.

Fortunately, that is not the case with the South Beach Diet. Contrary to other diet plans, the list of foods you can eat on the South Beach Diet is much longer than the list of foods you must avoid.

You can still eat the foods you love when you are on the South Beach Diet. The only difference with the South Beach Diet is that you are eating them in a way that is better for you. Let’s say you’re a meat lover. On the South Beach Diet menu, you can still enjoy a delicious steak, just make it a leaner cut and don’t totally pig out.

When you are first considering the South Beach Diet, have a long look at Phase 1. This is the most restricted part of the diet, yet you will find it is surprisingly varied and quite a few of the things you would expect you are not allowed are there on the menu.

For example, you can eat sweets during Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. Yes, you read that right. You are allowed to eat up to 75 “sweet” calories per day during Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. You can also eat beef, eggs, low-fat lunch meat, pork, poultry and cheese, as long as it is low-fat or fat-free. And if you’re a seafood lover, the South Beach Diet won’t feel like a diet to you at all, because seafood is allowed - and promoted - on all phases of the diet plan.

If home cooking is your thing, don’t worry. The South Beach Diet makes only slight changes to the items you can use for cooking. During Phase 1, canola and olive oils are used to prepare meals, and other recipes call for you to use low-fat milk and yogurt. But this is only during the highly restrictive first phase of the South Beach Diet menu.

During Phase 1, you eliminate fruits, full-fat dairy foods and grains from your diet. After two weeks of this, your cravings for these foods are drastically reduced, and once your body is cleansed of these negative nutrients, your digestive system works better and you will lose weight more easily and consistently.

The most important question to ask when you are choosing a diet program is, “What will I be able to eat?” You will be more than pleased with the answer to this question on the South Beach Diet. And the weight loss that comes with it won’t be so bad either.

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How To Go About Making A Salad Nicoise

by Kerris Samson

The Salad Nicoise is more commonly called a Nicoise Salad and is pronounced “Ni-suaz”. This particular salad originally comes from a region in the South of France called Nice and involves a number of different raw ingredients the details of which will provided for you later on in this article. Most authentic Salad Nicoise’s use only raw ingredients there are some restaurants who make this salad and will include rice, pasta, potatoes, cheese and cooked vegetables in theirs.

The real beauty of this particular salad over many others you may have tried is in the way that it is presented. It is not only full of color and texture but flavor as well because of the ingredients that are used. Below we now provide you with details of the ingredients along with the steps that you will need to take in order to produce a great tasting and looking Nicoise Salad.

So that you can make this salad for four people you will need to get the following ingredients together:- 1. 10 ripe and large tomatoes 2. A clove of garlic 3. A large cucumber 4. A green and red pepper 5. 6 spring (green) onions 6. Anchovy Fillets (12) which have been kept in olive oil 7. 1/2 Cup (4.5 ounces) of black olives 8. 4 eggs which need to be hard boiled 9. 1/3 cup (3 fluid ounces) of extra virgin olive oil 10. 1 tbspn (15ml) of red wine vinegar 11. Juice from a lemon (These last three ingredients will be used to make the dressing for the salad) 12. Salad Leaves (a number of different varieties such as cos, arugula or rocket are ideal) as well as a good handful of fresh basil. After getting all the ingredients together you now need to start preparing and making your salad. Follow our step by step guide to try making this great tasting salad for yourself.

Step 1 - take the tomatoes, cut this into six pieces each, place them in a dish, and sprinkle a little salt over them. Allow them to stand for around hour as this allows any juices to drain out of them. Whilst preparing the tomatoes you can put the eggs on to cook. It is best if you allow around 5 minutes once the water is boiling to ensure that the eggs are hard boiled.

Step 2 - You need to now take the cucumber and cut it in half down its complete length. After cutting in half take a spoon and scoop out as many of the seeds inside. Once you have removed as many of the seeds you need to then slice each half of the cucumber which has not been peeled up. Make sure that each slice you cut is not to thin or thick. After you have finished preparing the cucumber you can now slice up the peppers and the spring onions. It is best if you can slice these two ingredients for the salad as thinly as possible.

Step 3 - The next step is to take the garlic clove and cut this in half before rubbing it around the insides of the bowl or bowls you are using to present the salad in. If you can use wooden bowls rather than metal, plastic or china as it retains the flavor of the garlic far better.

Step 4 - As soon as you are ready to serve the salad, take your salad leave and lay these over the base of the bowl. The tomatoes that you left to drain can now be used and laid on top of the leaves along with the hard boiled eggs, which have been cut, into quarters. Then onto this, you need to place the peppers, spring onions and cucumber, as well as the anchovy fillets, which should have been drained. Then over the top, you scatter the olives.

Step 5 - The final step you need to take in order to make a great tasting Salad Nicoise is to prepare the dressing. So into a jug or jar place the olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon juice and blend well together and also season it with a little freshly ground black pepper and salt. Once combined you just very gently drizzle this dressing over the top of the salad and before taking to the table to serve roughly tear up some of the basil leaves and scatter these over the top of it. Now take it to the table and enjoy.

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Simple Guide to Grilled Basa Fish

by Andrew White

Basa fish is part of the larger catfish family. The body of a basa fish is stout and heavy. The rounded head is broader than it is long, the blunt snout having a white band on its muzzle. Basa fish has a milder and more delicate taste than other catfish. The basa fish also give less fishy smell than other fish does.

Mekong River Delta in Vietnam and Chao Phraya basin are the native areas of the basa fish. Basa fish are known to be from large rivers, in rapids and in deep, slower reaches. The American and European food market has the latest years taken an interest in the basa fish.

The way we grill basa fish is very similar to the way we grill fish like salmon. A good tip is to brush the fish with butter and add some spices to increase the taste. You can also use lemon or lime to give it a fresher and better taste.

After you have spiced up the basa filets and added some butter it is necessary to pack aluminum foil around them. There are several reasons for this. The process is simple. Make one sheet of aluminum foil for each filet and wrap the foil around it.

When you put the aluminum wrapped basa fish filets on the grill you should grill them for at least 10 minutes on each side. The cooking time is between 10 and 15 minutes. It is important not to overcook them. It is not recommended to turn the fish around all the time. Grill them for 10 minutes on one side and then turn them around for an additional 10 minutes.

You now have a short guide for on how to grill basa fish. All you have to do now is get to the store and buy you some to get started.

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Herbs De Provence

by Manuel Wiggins

Herbs de Provence, the New Name

The origin of Herbs de Provence is Southern France, Provence. It is a mixture of some other herbs. It began its commercial sales in 1970s. Actually, before that date, it was unknown completely.

While usually found as a dried blend, it can also be mixed and used fresh. The traditional blend consists of a mixture of rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme, and sometimes Orange zest and lavender flowers but this may vary by manufacturer or personal taste for those that make their own herbs de Provence. Every experienced cook has a different recipe for herbs de Provence.

Flavorful Uses

This great herb is used to flavor foods grilled. Sometimes it is used while cooking meat and fish as well. Countries of Mediterranean are famous for making delicious dishes containing this herb. They add it to soups, using it as a method of flavoring oils. Pizza and sauces are preferred with some addition of that herb.

Several great recipes are used for Herbs de Provence during the daily cooking. You have to try to rub the herbs on beef, chicken or lamb. As soon as you rub with olive oil, pepper and salt, you can rub the mixture onto the surface of the meat or chicken. You can try to sprinkle it to the hot coals.

From Ordinary to Sensational

You can select potatoes de Provence to get more changes. Initially, select three large pieces of potatoes and cut them into thin pieces. Coal them with olive oil and put in the 450o oven for 25 minutes. As soon as the crispy and golden appears you may take them from the oven.

Baking some herbs de Provence bread will be good for the fans of aroma and flavor of herb bread. You can add 2 spoons of herbs de Provence to a double loaf to follow the French bread recipe. Heat an oven previously for 400o and bake for just 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350o, and continue baking for more 20 minutes. Take the baked from pan and leave it to be cooled.

Herbs de Provence is a versatile blend of herbs that that can be varied to suit you taste and specific recipes but it will always bring a bit of old world taste to all your favorite dishes.

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