Monday, October 31, 2005
Make morning versions of your dinnertime favorites
Making breakfast foods for dinner often is a nice change of pace from typical evening fare. But some dinner favorites also can be altered to make a breakfast that is as tasty as it is special.
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Breakfast Pizza
1 8-ounce tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 12-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll crescent dough and place on prepared pan; press seams together and press up sides of pan to form a crust. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, brown sausage; drain and cool slightly. Sprinkle sausage, hash browns, and cheddar cheese over crust. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, milk and pepper; pour over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings.
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Morning Lasagna
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups diced fully cooked ham
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
4 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch pan. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in onions, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce.
Spread a fourth of milk mixture in prepared pan. Layer with three noodles, half of the ham and broccoli, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, half of the eggs and a fourth of the milk mixture. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles, milk mixture and cheeses. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Makes 12 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When it comes to breakfast, don’t be afraid to think outside of the cereal box. For a quick and nutritious breakfast, serve low-fat yogurt topped with low-fat granola, oatmeal, whole-wheat toast spread with peanut butter, or cottage cheese topped with fruit.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, October 24, 2005
Break out the pumpkins this Halloween
No matter how you celebrate Halloween, the menu plays a big part. From children’s parties to adult parties to school parties, food is often the focus of the event. While skinned cherry tomatoes make good bloody eyeballs and gelatin makes excellent guts, trick-or-treaters need to eat more than just scary treats and candy. So break out the pumpkin—fresh or canned—for a delicious and seasonal treat.
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Since the pumpkin will shrink and shift as it bakes, put the pumpkin on a baking sheet before baking.
Dinner in a Pumpkin
1 medium sugar pumpkin
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups tomato juice
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
1 cup uncooked white rice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash pumpkin, cut off top, scrape out seeds and discard or save for another use. Place beef in a large, deep skillet. Crumble and cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain fat; add onion and garlic, sauté 2 minutes. Add sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato juice and rice; mix thoroughly. Layer inside of pumpkin with 1/3 of cabbage, green beans and beef and rice mixture. Repeat layers, replace lid and bake until pumpkin is tender, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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Since Halloween revolves around so many sweet treats, this pie offers one item that packs all the flavor of pumpkin pie with less sugar.
Reduced-Sugar Pumpkin Pie
1 9-inch piecrust, unbaked
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
3/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup half and half
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under and crimp. In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, SPLENDA, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and half-and-half until blended. Add eggs and vanilla, stirring until blended. Pour filling into piecrust. Bake until pie is set in the center, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Makes 8 servings. Recipe adapted from SPLENDA.
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Pantry Pointers
To make your own pumpkin pie spice, combine 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
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Monday, October 17, 2005
Easy biscuits complete almost any meal
Sometimes it’s not the entree that makes a meal special. Sometimes it’s going that extra mile to add a finishing touch to a meal, like with a homemade dessert or fresh biscuits out of the oven. And with these recipes, homemade biscuits don’t have to be time consuming to make.
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Sour Cream Biscuits
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees; lightly grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add sour cream and oil; stir just until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 4 to 6 times. Roll out to approximately 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on prepared baking sheet; if desired, lightly spray tops with nonstick cooking spray to encourage browning. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 4 biscuits.
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Despite their name, these biscuits do not taste like mayonnaise. The mayonnaise does, however, give the biscuits a fluffy texture.
Mayonnaise Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
Preheat oven to 400 degrees; lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together flour, milk, and mayonnaise until just blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.
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Cheddar Bitty Biscuits
2 cups buttermilk baking mix, such as Bisquick
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 450 degrees; lightly grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine baking mix, cheese and minced garlic. Using a fork, stir in milk just until moistened. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic powder; brush over hot biscuits. Makes 1 dozen.
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Pantry Pointers
As a substitute for self-rising flour, place 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 1-cup measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to fill measuring cup.
Check your leavening ingredients before making biscuit dough. When baking soda and baking powder are past their prime, your biscuits won’t rise properly.
Be careful not to knead biscuit dough too much. This will develop more gluten in the flour, and this gluten will make the texture of the biscuits rubbery. Kneading as little as possible makes biscuits light and tender.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, October 10, 2005
Marinating turns steak into London broil
London broil is not a cut of meat; rather, it is a method of marinating an inexpensive cut of beef, broiling or grilling it, and then thinly slicing it. Although top round steak and chuck shoulder can be used, flank steak is most commonly used in London broil recipes.
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Easy London Broil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons ketchup
1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 pounds flank steak
In a small bowl, mix together garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, black pepper and oregano. Score steak in diagonal lines on both sides, being careful not to cut more than 1/8 inch into each side of steak. Rub garlic mixture into both sides of the meat. Place meat in a sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Flip meat every few hours.
Preheat broiler. Remove steak from marinade; discard any excess marinade. Broil, 2 to 3 inches from heat, until steak reaches desired doneness, about 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Allow steak to rest 10 minutes before slicing across the grain into thin slices. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Quick London Broil
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 pounds flank steak
Mix salad dressing mix, wine and oil. Score steak in diagonal lines on both sides, being careful not to cut more than 1/8 inch into each side of steak. Rub both sides of steak evenly with the salad dressing mixture. Place steak in a sealable plastic bag; refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate.
Preheat broiler. Remove steak from marinade; discard any excess marinade. Broil, 2 to 3 inches from heat, until steak reaches desired doneness, about 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Allow steak to rest 10 minutes before slicing across the grain into thin slices. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Adapted from kraftfoods.com.
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Pantry Pointers
For best results, use a meat thermometer to check steak for doneness. The reading for a rare steak is 145 degrees, medium is 160 degrees, and well done is 170 degrees. Remember that overcooking toughens the meat.
Recipes using flank steak often call for it to be sliced across the grain. This makes the meat easier to chew because it is cut across the fibers of the meat. For most flank steaks, slicing across the grain means slicing across the width instead of the length.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, October 03, 2005
October is Celiac Awareness Month
Celiac disease can come on at any age and affects over two million Americans, yet many people remain undiagnosed. In order to call attention to this disease, October was proclaimed Celiac Awareness Month.
A person with Celiac can no longer eat gluten—the type of proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. These proteins are common in American diets, and avoiding them can be tricky. But to decrease Celiac symptoms—abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue and more—adhering to a gluten-free diet is important. The recipes below offer gluten-free version of two comforting dishes; however, before cooking for a person with Celiac always verify that the ingredients are safe for the prescribed diet.
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Turkey Tetrazini
8 ounces uncooked rice spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 green onions, chopped
2-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 cup gluten-free chicken broth
1/4 cup light cream or evaporated milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions; keep warm. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; sauté onions and mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Add turkey or chicken; stir to coat. Add sherry, broth, and cream. Bring to simmer. Add the cornstarch and stir to thicken. Add spaghetti and cheese; stir just until heated. Makes 4 servings.
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Yellow Cake
1-1/2 cups white rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 eggs
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and rice flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. Mix the white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside. Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add the flour mixture, milk and vanilla and mix well. Spread batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely; frost if desired. Makes 24 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
Gluten is used in a large number of processed foods, so it is important to read labels carefully when shopping for someone with Celiac.
For more information, visit the Celiac Disease Foundation website at http://www.celiac.org, the Celiac Disease Support Center at http://www.celiac.com or the Celiac Sprue Association at http://www.csaceliacs.org.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
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