The Practical Pantry

There are many ways to celebrate Independence Day, and most of them involve food. Fortunately, grocery stores tend to have good sales for this holiday. By watching sales flyers and keeping your cookout, picnic, or potluck simple, you can celebrate the red, white, and blue without sacrificing a lot of green. For menu ideas, here are some classic Fourth of July columns.

2005: This Fourth of July, serve it on a skewer

Impress your cookout guests with Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs or Peanutty Pork Kabobs served alone or on a bed of rice.

2006: Bring red, white, and blue to Independence Day

Let your food show its patriotic colors with recipes for Red, White, and Blue Coleslaw, Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad, and Red, White, and Blue Trifle.

2007: Beef up your burgers

Get out the grill and cook up some Chili Burgers, Blue Cheese Burgers, or Teriyaki Beef Burgers.

2008: Serve American cheese for an American holiday

What could be more American than the cheese that melts over just about anything? Add some to your celebration with recipes for Hoagie Dip, Old-Fashioned Cheese Potatoes, and All-American Burgers.

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Many of the recipes that end up in the weekly newspaper column come from my need to make dinner with what I have on hand. Last week’s column (Turn leftover pork into something new) was no exception.

Recently I had leftover grilled pork sirloin chops in the fridge that I wanted to use up. I also had three of my favorite perishable staples: celery, carrots, and onions. I decided to make something that was like a stir fry, but with a thickened gravy that would coat and flavor the plain white rice I made to serve with it. The result was Pork and Vegetables, an easy recipe that didn’t taste like leftovers.

Pork and Vegetables

1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

2 celery ribs, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 to 1-1/2 cups cubed cooked pork (1/2-inch cubes)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

Hot cooked rice

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add onion, green pepper, celery, and carrots; cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add pork, broth, soy sauce, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Bring mixture back to a boil; stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

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If you’re familiar with my recipes, you know I am a big fan of onions. Onions usually are inexpensive to buy and easy to store, and there is nothing like a chopped fresh onion to add flavor to a dish. Sometimes a little onion is all it takes to make a meal taste like you spent more time cooking it than you really did.

So I’m always happy to chop an onion, like the other day when I had to chop some onions for a photo.

After the photos were taken, I put the chopped onion in the refrigerator and didn’t think of it again until it was time to make dinner. A recipe called for a small onion, chopped, and it was really nice to just shake half of the large onion out of the plastic container and into the heated skillet.

I often have heard of mythical people that chop all the vegetables they will need for the week all at once. I had never tried it, and I probably never will. But I might make an exception for onions, because it sure is nice to have those ready to go.

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I used to enjoy the convenience and flavor of a boxed curry rice mix, until the cost shot up to nearly $3.00 a box. That was all it took to send me into the kitchen to replicate the taste.

It turns out that making curry rice from scratch is pretty easy. Curry powder is a mixture of spices, which adds a lot of flavor all by itself. I threw in some cumin for good measure, but I think this rice would be good without it as well.

Below is the recipe I currently use whenever the craving for curry rice strikes. It’s not an exact replica of the packaged mix I used to buy, which got some of its flavor from carrots and peppers, so I might continue to tweak the recipe. But for now, this is a tasty side dish that is almost as convenient as opening a box.

Vegetable Curry Rice

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and onion; cook until rice is lightly browned and onion is tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and turmeric; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 12 minutes.

Stir in corn and peas. Cover and continue to simmer until rice and vegetables are tender, about 3 to 6 additional minutes. Makes 4 servings.

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I was shopping for a Father’s Day card this week and saw one that said something like: “You know why Father’s Day is in June? Because about a month after Mother’s Day, someone looked at the calendar and said, “Hey, wait a minute…”

It sometimes does seem like Father’s Day is an afterthought. After all, Mother’s Day is the holiday with the most cards mailed, the most long-distance calls made, and the most flowers sent. But dads deserve their own day and shouldn’t play second fiddle. (Especially my dad. If you’re reading: Hello! I love you!)

So this Sunday, let the dad in your life do something he enjoys while you treat him to a special meal. For inspiration, here are some classic Father’s Day columns.

2005: Combine two great tastes for Father’s Day

This Father’s Day, don’t choose between beef and seafood. Instead, make a version of surf-and-turf with recipes for Spicy Grilled Shrimp and Barbecued Marinated Flank Steak.

2006: Make a meal for Dad’s heart

Keep your celebration on the healthy side with recipes for Spinach Dip, Maple Salmon, and Topless Blueberry Pie.

2007: Serve brunch for Father’s Day

Whether you let Dad sleep in before a late brunch or wake him up early for a day full of fun, start the celebrating off right with recipes for Vegetable Omelets and Hash Browns.

2008: Give Dad a beer-themed day

If the dad in your life likes to kick back with a beer on his special day, go ahead and make that beverage the theme with recipes for Easy Beer Bread. Beer Brats, and Beer Cake.

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I normally use a dozen eggs long before the date on carton, but once in a while I find that the date has arrived and left me with a few eggs still to use. When that date arrives, I hard cook them.

Some of these eggs are more vertical than horizontal because the eggs are older and have some air into the shells. Once hard cooked, these eggs will be easier to peel than fresher eggs.

Different people have different favorite ways to cook eggs. I tried many methods before settling on this one, which I consider my favorite method to hard cook eggs.

1. Put the eggs in a saucepan that’s big enough so that the eggs don’t crowd each other. Add enough water to cover eggs by an inch.

2. Cover the pan. Place eggs over high heat and heat to a full boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the pan from burner.

3. With the pan still covered, let large eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. (For medium eggs, cook 3 fewer minutes; for jumbo eggs, cook an additional 3 minutes.)

4. When time is up, drain the hot water. Cool eggs under cold running water for a minute or so, and then fill pan about halfway with cold water and add a tray of ice cubes. Serve eggs immediately or place them in the refrigerator. (Unpeeled hard-cooked eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.)

To peel hard-cooked eggs, tap each egg on the counter (or a cutting board) until it cracks. Then roll it between your hands until the shell is cracked all over. After that, the shell should be relatively easy to peel off.

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Soup is a year-round dish for me, but during the summer I usually take a hiatus from chili and stews. So before the weather gets hot, I made a batch of chili.

I won’t even try to debate what constitutes the proper chili ingredients, but this recipe really hit the spot for me. The lime gave it a wonderful flavor (and let me use up some extra limes!) while the spices gave it some zip. This is not a really hot recipe, but it’s not mild either. I found it just right for saying goodbye to cold nights.

Hint-of-Lime Chili

1 pound ground turkey
2 small to medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 16-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Dash rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Hot cooked rice, optional
Shredded cheddar cheese, optional

In a Dutch oven or medium pot, cook the turkey, onions, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, lime juice, and cornmeal. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, sage, pepper, and paprika; mix well. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until flavors blend, about 30 to 60 minutes. Serve with rice and sprinkle with cheese if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

At right, chili powder, oregano, cumin, sage, pepper, and paprika bring a lot of flavor to this chili.

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When serving chili, put out bowls of accompaniments such as sour cream, grated cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, minced raw onion, sliced black olives, chopped green chilies or jalapenos, cornbread, tortilla chips, and salsa.

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At left, the last time I made this chili I only had mozzarella cheese on hand. It tasted pretty good.

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If this is your first time here, welcome to the new website! If you are a regular visitor, thank you for reading! As promised in this week’s newspaper column, here are 12 favorite recipes from over the years to mark the start of my 12th year of writing The Practical Pantry.

— MAIN DISHES —

Quick Pasta Primavera: Spaghetti, vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, and a few other ingredients are all you’ll need to make this easy recipe from the March 27, 2003 column.

Eric’s Fish Hot Dish: This casserole appeared in the very first newspaper column on June 4, 1998, and it’s a great way to serve fish.

Slow-Cooker Swiss Steak: This recipe from the February 26, 2009 column cooks a lean cut of meat slowly in a tomato-based sauce until it’s tender enough to cut with a fork.

White Chili: A variation of this recipe originally appeared in the January 2, 2000 column. This recipe works equally well with ground chicken or ground turkey.

— SIDE DISHES —

Crispy Potato Wedges: Instead of french fries, try these oven-baked wedges from the November 9, 2006 column. They get their flavor from Parmesan cheese and seasonings.

Restaurant-Style Cole Slaw: If you have the time to chop a head of cabbage, you’ll be rewarded with cole slaw that tastes like what you’d order in a restaurant. I have made this recipe countless times since it appeared in the December 2, 2004 column.

— SOUPS —

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup: Mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup give this recipe from the January 24, 2008 column a wonderful flavor with only a half hour of simmering. I have left out the chicken and substituted vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian soup.

Split Pea Soup: This new favorite from the April 6, 2009 column uses a leftover ham bone for flavoring.

— DESSERTS —

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies: Just three ingredients make up these decadent treats from the December 4, 2008 column.

Caramel Ice Cream Sauce: You’ll never have to serve plain vanilla ice cream with this easy sauce from the July 14, 2005 column. The last time I made it I didn’t have half-and-half on hand, so I substituted 1/3 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of butter. It was just as delicious as the original recipe.

— BREAKFAST —

Snickerdoodle Mini-Muffins: Although this recipe didn’t appear in print until the February 19, 2009 column, it’s been a favorite of mine for many years.

And finally…

— SNACKS —

Since my favorite snack is salsa and tortilla chips, I make Simple Salsa (recipe below) from the July 30, 1998 column often. While this recipe is good, I often alter it to fit whatever ingredients I have on hand. I’ll add chopped fresh cilantro if I have some, as shown in the photo below. If I don’t have whole tomatoes, I’ll use a large can of diced tomatoes. In a pinch, I’ll even use thawed frozen green peppers. Lack of exact ingredients is rarely enough to keep me from making salsa!

Simple Salsa

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
1 large onion, minced
1 large green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Hot sauce and crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Cut up the whole tomatoes. Mix with diced tomatoes, onion, green pepper, garlic, cumin, and vinegar. Add hot sauce and crushed red pepper to taste if desired. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Makes about 32 servings.

If you have other favorite recipes from past columns or suggestions for future columns, please leave a comment. I hope that this new website will help make this the best year yet for The Practical Pantry!

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I love macaroons. I’ve made them a few times, but more often than not I buy them when the craving strikes. I had heard that Jennies Coconut Macaroons were good, but I resisted trying them. I found it hard to believe that macaroons from a can — not a bakery or clear plastic package — could be very good.

I’m happy to report that I was wrong.

It turns out that these macaroons are just the way I like them. The texture is great, and they aren’t too sweet.

The best part? The only ingredients in these macaroons are unsweetened coconut, honey, and egg whites. They are gluten free and dairy free, making them an excellent choice for people with those allergies or intolerances.

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If this is your first time visiting our new website, welcome! For more information on the upgrade, click here.

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If this is your first time visiting our new website, welcome! For more information on the upgrade, click here.

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Whenever you fire up the grill to cook a piece of meat, you might as well make the grill do double duty by cooking a side dish or two.

Potatoes are great on the grill because there are so many ways to cook them. Wrapping whole potatoes in foil and baking them on the grill is the easiest as far as preparing them, but that method takes the longest to cook. That’s why I prefer slicing or dicing potatoes.

Sometimes I cut potatoes into thin slices, but most often I dice them. The hungrier I am, the smaller I make the pieces. Once cut, I drizzle the potatoes with a little olive oil and top them with onion slices and minced garlic as well as a sprinkle of seasoned salt and pepper.

No matter how I cut them, the potatoes always end up wrapped in a large piece of heavy-duty foil.

Cooking time will depend on the size of the potatoes and how many are in each foil packet. It usually takes my grill about 20 to 25 minutes to make two or three diced potatoes look like this:

The added bonus is, of course, the easy cleanup that comes from grilling in foil.

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