Serve Mop Sauce As A Side Dish To Complement The BBQ Meat

Mop sauce adds flavor and juiciness to all kinds of meat, especially if you are cooking them by barbecue method. Unlike other sauce, it has a thin consistency, nearly similar to that of water. Most food lovers who crave for roasted dishes are already aware of mop sauce. It will keep the meat moist, even if you consider slow cooking it on an open fire for a long time. It is called mop sauce because a mop-like, thin cotton cloth is used for applying the sauce.

Mop Sauce Recipes

If you are preparing ribs in the Memphis Style barbecue recipe, you will need rib mop sauce for basting. And while using it for barbecuing meat, remember to use an aluminum foil below the meat. This will collect the dripping sauce from the meat, which otherwise will fall in the flame. Coming to recipes for classic mop sauce, the main ingredients are vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, along with seasoning spices. The following are some recipes, which you can try out for making delicious BBQ meat.

Barbecue Mop Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup canned tomato sauce
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup strong black coffee
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions for Preparation

Take a saucepan and add all the ingredients - tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, butter, black coffee and sugar. Heat the mixture over medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low setting and simmer for some time. As it cools down slightly, you can use BBQ mop sauce for brushing burgers, steaks and chicken. Also, you can serve it as a dip sauce to your barbecue meat.

Mop Sauce for Pork Ribs

Ingredients

• ½ cup vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• ½ cup water

Directions for Preparation

Mix all the ingredients - vinegar, olive oil, yellow mustard, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne and water. If time permits, mix well the concoction and let it chill in the refrigerator before using. Or else, heat till the mixture turns warm and use it directly. You can make pulled pork mop sauce in the same manner with additional spiciness. For that, add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes as a substitute for chili powder in this recipe.

Texas Mop Sauce for Brisket

Ingredients

• 2 cups vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 cup olive oil
• ⅔ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 lemons, pulped and cut in half
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• ½ cup water

Directions for Preparation

In a medium large saucepan, add all the above listed ingredients - vinegar, minced garlic, crushed bay leaves, paprika, chili powder, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, hot sauce and water. Heat it over high heat setting, and wait till the concoction reaches boiling temperature. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover lid and keep it warm. With this, your brisket mop sauce is ready. You can use this sauce for basting beef cuts after every 20-30 minutes.

Mop Sauce for Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 quart cider vinegar
• 1 can beer
• 16 ounces barbecue sauce
• ½ cup hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions for Preparation

In a saucepan, combine together the chicken mop sauce ingredients - cider vinegar, beer, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, black pepper and salt. For increased flavor, allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Just before grilling chicken, you can remove it from the fridge and use for basting chicken, after every hour.

As per your taste preference, you can alter the seasoning spices used in the mop sauce recipe. Prepare the sauce ahead of barbecuing the meat and keep it in the refrigerator. And instead of using barbecue sauce during cooking, serve it as a side dish to complement the BBQ meat.

Lowering Of The Antioxidants That Impart The Health Benefits To Decaffeinated Green Tea

Is decaffeinated green tea actually good for you? Before we explore this question and look at the benefits of green tea, let us look at the process of decaffeination itself. Decaffeination is the process wherein the caffeine contained in foods, such as coffee and tea, is removed. So, a cup of coffee would have only a few milligrams of caffeine in it. This is a great way for all the tea lovers to enjoy the natural flavors of the beverage without having to deal with the harmful caffeine side effects. Moreover, green tea is in itself quite beneficial to the health of a person as it is not only one of the least processed teas but also provides antioxidant polyphenols known as a catechin. Also, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), this catechin is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea such as a decreased risk of cancer and heart disease.

Methods of Decaffeination

Carbon Dioxide Decaffeination: Known as supercritical fluid extraction, the carbon dioxide method of decaffeination involves soaking the tea leaves in a carbon dioxide solution. This helps in releasing the caffeine. Once the tea leaves are separated out from the solution, then the caffeine is removed by using charcoal. The tea leaves are then immersed back into the filtered solution, to allow the absorption of the nutrients. It is believed that this process of decaffeination retains polyphenols and catechins which impart the benefits to the green tea.

Ethyl Acetate Decaffeination: This method of decaffeination is often used synonymously with "naturally decaffeinated" process and is the most commonly used decaffeination process. This process involves soaking the leaves in water. Once the tea leaves are removed, the caffeine is removed by bringing it in contact with ethyl acetate. Post this, the tea leaves are again immersed in water to reabsorb the nutrients.

Decaffeinated Green Tea Benefits

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that are the primary forces that destroy the free radicals and environmental toxins in the body. Free radicals in the body cause modification of the cells, tampering with the DNA and cell death. This not only causes a number of health problems but also results in the speeding up of the aging process. The neutralizing antioxidants in green tea help fight off diseases such as the coronary artery disease, high cholesterol problems and even cancer. Here is a list of green tea benefits.

• Lowers the cholesterol levels
• Improves digestion and bowel regularity
• Fights signs of aging
• Helps prevent atherosclerosis
• Protects against cancer including bladder, breast and ovarian cancer
• Controls blood sugar
• Boost metabolism and burns fat to promote weight loss.

In addition to these benefits of green tea, decaffeinated green tea also helps reduce the symptoms of an overdose of caffeine that is present in normal tea. This caffeine often gives rise to gastrointestinal problems and nervous system side effects like depression and fatigue. It is important to keep in mind that the effects of this tea on pregnancy have not been explored and is thus best avoided during pregnancy.

Decaffeinated Green Side Effects

While green tea does have a range of benefits, it is also important to keep in mind the side effects of this natural tea. It is observed that the green tea or the green tea extracts can inhibit the function of medications such as adenosine, antibiotics, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, propranolol, and metoprolol and certain blood thinning medications. Moreover, the decaffeination process itself results in a lowering of the antioxidant catechins in the tea, thus robbing it of its most potent health benefits. The presence of ethyl acetate compounds in the tea can cause a number of liver problems as well.

Green tea is rich in antioxidants and the decaffeinating process does affect the naturally healthy components in it. However if you just cannot tolerate the caffeine in natural teas, then decaffeinated green tea is a great option for you.

Healthy Diets For Men Provide Necessary Energy

We grew up listening to our moms insisting that we eat a healthy diet. What we didn't like back then, we didn't eat. We now realize why it is necessary to follow a healthy diet. Following a healthy diet is not difficult. Little changes in eating habits can go a long way to help maintain a healthy body. This article will center around healthy diet, where I will write about the good diets for men. These diets for men are not very difficult to follow. If you follow the diet given below and couple them with some exercises, I am sure you will lose excessive fat. Keep reading....

Healthy Diets for Men

What is a good diet? How do you decide which diet is good and which is not? A well balanced diet is a good diet. As you know, there are various nutrients that are required by the body. Whatever you eat, it must provide you with necessary minerals, proteins, fat, carbohydrates and calcium. When your diet is rich in these nutrients, it is a good diet. For example, a low cholesterol diet is one of the good diets for men. The following paragraphs will throw light on the other good diets for men, several of which are easy diets that work fast.

High Protein Diet
Men require a high protein diet if they want to shed off excess fat and replace it by muscles. Experts believe that men require more protein than women because they are taller and weigh more. It is necessary to calculate the amount of proteins needed by men with the help of a formula. For every kilogram of body weight, the protein requirements are 0.8 grams. This formula makes it easier to understand the daily requirements of protein and you can choose eggs, milk, turkey, legumes and many more foods from the protein rich foods list. A high protein diet could be one of the good diets that work fast. In addition to the above list, there are several other high protein diet foods which can be consumed in various meals of the day.

Low Carb Diet
Yes, carbohydrates are important in the diet to make it balanced. Carbs should be consumed so that your body receives energy to carry out its functions properly. There are two types of carbs; simple and compound. Simple carbohydrates are better, as they are easily broken down by the digestive system, while complex carbohydrates are not so easily digested by the body. Hence, a low carb diet is recommended. However, it is essential to know which carb foods to include in the diet. Walnuts, hazel nuts, seeds, are some foods from the low carb foods that you can consume. Apart from these foods for weight loss, include huge servings of fruits and vegetables to the low carb diet plan for men. Other meat like goat, deer, duck, pheasant, can also be included in good diets for men. However, while eating meat and fish, ensure that the portions are smaller.

Low Sodium Diet
With the world craves for fast food, you are not an exception. However, what you do not realize is that fast food contains too much of sodium. True, sodium is required by the body to function properly. However, too much of sodium is not good for anyone's health. If you consume too much of sodium, it gets accumulated in your blood. This increases blood pressure. Chances of heart stroke and heart diseases increase due to the increase in the blood pressure. The kidneys start working overtime, meaning they are under pressure too. Hence, it is better to follow a low sodium diet plan. In all the good diets for men, it is necessary to reduce the amount of salt.

Weight Loss Diets For Men

I am sure there might have been plenty of guys who have been on plenty of weight loss diets. Some work, while some do not. There are certain tricks to be followed, in order to make weight loss programs for men, successful. Following a low calorie diet works, where you consume foods that are low in calories but are sufficient for daily activities. Several low calorie diets that you can follow are mentioned below.

1000 Calorie Diet
If you are in a hurry to lose weight, then you could also follow the 1000 calorie diet menu. You need to include loads of fresh raw fruits and raw vegetables, reduce the consumption of dairy products and red meat, reduce the use of butter and other fats, and at the same time, reduce the consumption of sweets. Eating small but frequent healthy meals is another weight loss tip for men. If you crave for any of these forbidden foods, try to control yourself, rather than giving in to your cravings.

1200 Calorie Diet
The 1200 calorie diet is another low calorie diet that promises to decrease your weight if it is followed correctly. This is a popular diet and is recommended by experts too. This diet is said to be adequate for human needs and is said to be excellent for weight loss.

1500 Calorie Diet
A 1500 calorie diet is good for those who want to lose their weight without starving themselves, and without facing the side effects of dieting. In a balanced and a healthy way, this diet can be of use for losing weight and looking fit and healthy making this diet the best diet to lose weight. With fruits and vegetables, in addition to dry fruits and healthy dairy products, this diet can work wonders when followed judiciously.

Other Low Calorie Diets
There are several other low calorie diets like the 1600 calorie diet and the 1800 calorie diet. It is recommended that you consult a nutritionist and your doctor, as they will be able to give you the right advice on which diets to follow.

Additional Tips

In addition to the above easy diets that work, there are certain diet tips that you can follow. These tips will help you in reducing and maintaining your weight and converting your good diets into the best diets for men.

Food and Beverages
There are several foods in the list of superfoods for weight loss, which can be included in the daily diet. Oatmeal diet for weight loss is also one of the tried and tested diet and helps in weight loss. Protein shakes can be included in the diet with some delicious protein shake diet recipes for weight loss. Make your daily diet interesting with these ideas.

Frequent Meals
Instead of eating a lot in one meal, it is always advisable to eat small frequent meals. Not only will small meals not pile up weight and calories, they will also help in acting as metabolism boosters.

Calorie Count
While eating your meals, try to count your calories. Stop when you feel that you have exceeded the required amount of calories. Take the help of a nutritionist to understand how many calories you need throughout the day.

Exercises
Diets cannot become good diets for men unless they are accompanied with exercises. Any form of exercises are important. Cardio exercises and fat burning exercises will help you remain fit and healthy. Establish a gym workout routine for weight loss and follow it.

I hope this article has helped you in your quest of good diets for men. With the help of this article and your nutritionist, draft a diet plan for yourself. Follow it strictly for a month and see the difference in yourself. If you are in a hurry to lose weight, you could go for crash diets for men. You will be able to find diets that work for men by making subtle changes in your existing diet. A trick to remember - do not 'think' that you are on a diet, as it will make you crave more for food. Just follow the plan and exercise without stressing yourself. This will give you better results.