The Pantry

Three “must have” fresh ingredients:

Onions Celery Bell pepper.

One or more of these are needed in just about every recipe. They don't keep indefinitely in the cabinet or refrigerator.

Onions will keep a few weeks in a cabinet. Do not refrigerate unless some has been used off one. A cut onion will keep about a week in the refrigerator, if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Slice or chop and freeze (like the celery), if you can’t use in a week. Use frozen onion in any recipe you will cook.

Celery may keep three weeks or maybe a bit longer. Chop and freeze in about ¼ to ½ cup packages or freeze loose on a tray and then put in bag to use as needed in anything cooked.

Peppers will last a week or two or three, depending on how fresh and also on the refrigerator crisper. Chop or slice and freeze (like the celery and onion) and use in recipes that will be cooked.

Two other ‘must haves’ from the produce section are Potatoes and Carrots. Always refrigerate carrots. They will keep two or three weeks and sometimes longer. Never refrigerate potatoes until cooked. Potatoes should be stored out of the light and not near a moist area (like under the sink). They will keep a few weeks.

Garlic is good to have, but it may or may not keep well for a few weeks. It may be safest to use garlic powder or bits. It will freeze. Garlic is a very important ingredient in Mexican, Asian and Italian recipes. Fresh ginger is best for Oriental dishes, but ginger powder can usually be substituted, but not in same amounts. Can peel, slice and freeze to have as needed.

Spices –

There are several important spices to have around. Others will depend on personal taste.

Garlic Powder Onion Powder

Paprika Ground Mustard

Ginger Basil

Thyme Oregano

Cumin Chilli Powder

Black Pepper Red Pepper

Parsley Celery Seed

Cinnamon Nutmeg

Tumeric

Two general purpose – Old Bay (great with seafood) and Zatarain’s Creole (spicy Creole type dishes) if you wish. Italian seasoning is good to add to jars of spaghetti sauce.

Canned Items

Tomato Sauce Tomato Paste whole or Diced Tomatoes

Lower Sodium Chicken Broth Lower Sodium Beef Broth (Swanson is good)

Ver receta completa...

How to determine your best methods for make ahead or convenience food

“I need something quick and easy for dinner/breakfast/lunch/snacks”.

We all mean we want something that will not take a lot of time and effort to get to the table. It does not matter if you need to feed a hungry 'one' or a family. Of course we can 'settle for' any of the fast food restaurants or the prepackaged frozen products that abound. These, however, are expensive and often are not very good for our health. We need alternatives. Too often the alternatives still have too much fat and sodium as we are using processed foods such as canned beans and soups. There should be a better way that does not make us a kitchen slave for at least a couple of hours each evening. Actually, there are many alternatives for make ahead or convenience foods.

To get started, ask yourself some questions.

What do I need/want?

• Fast, no frills - cream soups and purchased convenience foods work for me if I can get it to the table with no complaining.
• Oven ready to cook - (Thaw and bake although baking time may approach an hour)
• Prepped food that allow rapid finish of fresh-cooked meal
• Convenience meals without the high cost
• Convenience mixes without the high cost
• Mealtime options, since I never know who will be there or what I want to eat until it is time to make dinner.
• Food that is nutritious and reasonably health conscious without sacrificing taste but with minimal meal-time effort
• Really fast food without 'fast food ' cost and serious health concerns
• Carefully planned meals for a week, month or longer.
• Economy through bulk purchasing
• Ability to prepare when I have time or physical strength to prepare
• Special types of dishes due to dietary needs or preference
• Special sauces and condiments
• Methods to prepare and cook a meal faster
• Easier entertaining

You probably found several wants or needs in the above list. Most likely, you thought of more. Your particular needs or wants will let you know which make-ahead or speed appliance techniques will work best for you.

This site is devoted to looking for options that fit your needs and life and make great tasting, healthier food as easy as possible. Let's get started by looking at the pantry.

Ver receta completa...

A wonderful Mom

Clatter, Clunk, Swoosh. Awakening to strange sounds coming from the kitchen early in the morning was nothing new around the Watson household. As my eyes fight to open, my nose fights to awaken to the familiar aromas of Eggs, Bacon, Chicken for tonights dinner ,and ... "WHIRRLRLLZLZZZZZ"...ahh thats the bananas, strawberries, grapes, yogurt and ice being mixed into a thick, fruity, delicious smoothie that sizzled my tastebuds enough to get out of bed and head towards the kitchen. When I arrive, there she is. Humming, whistling, prancing around on tip toes with her hair pulled up and her white apron draped around her. The flour bag sitting on the cutting board signaled bisquits in the oven, while the steam filling my nose hightens my senses as she tells me how easy it is to cook chicken and potatoes in the crockpot.

Mom was always driven. Always looking for a better way to do things. She taught me to think big, but stay grounded. That nothing good is created without hard work, drive and determination. Her brutal (and most of the time deserving) honesty kept me always striving to do better and to not linger on a single accomplishment, but to use that accomplishment as a stepping stone to a greater accomplishment that she knew I could achieve.

My mother sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer. During the last months of her life, she documented out her philosophy of cooking. What came out of years of cooking for a Family of 5 while still holding down a full time job was a system that allowed her to create great meals in an efficient way all while saving money wherever possible. Before she found out about her cancer, Mom had a dream to create a blog and share what she had learned over the years with others. Sadly she never got to realize that dream...

Tonight I came across a folder on my computer that I had copied over from Moms laptop. This folder contained blogs posts that she had already started prepairing for her blog that she dreamed of creating. It came over me to drop everthing I was doing and continue her dream for her. So Mom if you are out there, this is for you...

your loving son,

Michael

Ver receta completa...