Monday, November 28, 2005
Thaw something green and good
Fresh spinach is delicious, but this time of year fresh isn’t always best. Long shipping times can reduce the nutritional quality of produce as vitamins break down over time. Since frozen spinach is picked and processed at the height of freshness, it often contains more color, flavor and nutrients than fresh. As an added bonus, frozen vegetables like spinach don’t need to be washed or cut, which reduces preparation at mealtime.
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For a low-fat version of this dip, use reduced-fat or fat-free ranch dressing and sour cream.
Spinach Dip
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Cook spinach according to package directions; squeeze dry and chill. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Chill before serving. Serve with cut-up vegetables or snack crackers. Makes about 1-3/4 cups.
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Creamed Spinach
1 10-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
Heat soup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, butter, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in spinach and onion; cook until onion softens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.
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Spinach and Sausage Soup
1-1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage links
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound dried orzo pasta
1 10-ounce package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly brown. Remove from skillet; chop and place in a large pot. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Stir in basil and chicken broth. Cover; place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook for 30 minutes. Stir orzo pasta and spinach into the pot. Continue cooking soup until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes 8 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
An easy way to thoroughly dry thawed or cooked spinach is to use a potato ricer. Paper towels or cheesecloth also work well.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, November 21, 2005
Look forward to leftovers
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without a refrigerator overflowing with leftovers. Think of all that ready-to-use turkey as the reward for all the hard work on Thanksgiving. But some creativity is needed to keep everyone from tiring of turkey. By adding a little variety, even the pickiest family members can forget they’re eating leftovers.
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Turkey and Egg Salad
3 cups chopped cooked turkey meat
3 hard-cooked eggs
1 8-ounce jar sweet pickles, drained and chopped
1 8-ounce jar mustard-mayonnaise blend, such as Dijonaisse
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
Peel and chop eggs. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the eggs, turkey, pickles, prepared sandwich and salad sauce and mayonnaise. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 3 hours before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Turkey Delight
2 cups cooked, chopped turkey meat
1/2 6-ounce package dry bread stuffing mix
6 potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup turkey gravy
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Place the stuffing in prepared baking dish. Layer with turkey and cover with 1 cup gravy. Top with mashed potatoes and the remaining gravy.
Bake covered in the preheated oven 45 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Easy Turkey Curry
1-1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 4-ounce can mushroom pieces and stems, drained
1/4 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups cooked chopped turkey meat
Cook rice according to package directions. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter; sauté the onion until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in soup, mushrooms and milk. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Add the sour cream, curry powder, and turkey meat. Cover and simmer until heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Ladle the curry mixture evenly over the rice for each serving. Makes 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
After Thanksgiving dinner, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Leftover turkey will keep in the freezer up to 4 months.
Use turkey in your favorite recipes calling for cooked chicken. The same is true for the reverse—if there isn’t any Thanksgiving turkey in the refrigerator, substitute cooked chicken for your favorite turkey recipes.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, November 14, 2005
Spice up Thanksgiving stuffing with sausage
For many people, stuffing is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner. But no one should feel limited to the same recipe year after year, and there’s nothing like the flavor of sausage to shake things up a bit.
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Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing
1 12-ounce package corn bread mix
1 pound sausage
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside. Prepare cornbread according to the box instructions; leave uncovered and allow to cool completely, preferably overnight.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly brown. Remove sausage from pan; set aside. Add onion and celery to pan; cook and stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, sausage, and onion mixture. Add thyme, sage, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well. Add broth to stuffing mixture; toss gently until evenly moist. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Makes 24 1/2-cup servings.
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To toast bread cubes, bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes, stirring twice.
Low-Carb Sausage and Vegetable Stuffing
1 pound sausage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
8 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 slices whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and toasted
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly brown. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Remove sausage from pan; set aside. Add onion and celery to pan; cook and stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in cabbage, mushrooms, and red pepper; cover pan and cook 10 minutes more, stirring several times. Remove from heat and stir in reserved sausage, bread cubes, parsley, walnuts, and water until mixed. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 45 minutes. Makes 20 1/2-cup servings. Adapted from http://www.butterball.com.
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Pantry Pointers
When cooking stuffing in the turkey, stuff just before putting in the oven and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, November 07, 2005
Potatoes don’t have to be fried to taste good
Not all fries are created equal. Some get their taste from deep frying, which makes them delicious but high in fat. Others get their taste from the oven, where they get crispy without as much fat. To make oven fries that rival the fried version, start with starchy potatoes like russets then cut them into wedges or sticks and don’t crowd them on the baking sheet.
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Crispy Potato Wedges
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 large baking potatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine cheese, salt, garlic powder, oregano and paprika. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut each potato into eight wedges; place on foil. Coat wedges with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese mixture. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Makes 8 servings.
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Tangy Baked Fries
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick fries
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, red pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, mustard, and pepper. Add the potatoes; stir until evenly coated. Arrange fries in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the fries over and bake until crispy and browned, about 10 to 15 additional minutes. Makes 4 servings.
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Oven Roasted Potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, red pepper, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Makes 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When purchasing potatoes, look for ones that are smooth, unblemished, and have relatively few eyes. Potatoes that are wrinkled, sprouting, or have dark spots they are past their prime. Store potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com