The Practical Pantry Newsletter Issue #2
May 2005
Visit our website at http://www.practicalpantry.com every week for new columns, recipes, tips, and more!
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In this issue:
-- News from the Kitchen
-- Reader Questions
-- Tried and True
-- Direct from the Pantry
-- ‘Tis the Season
-- Nibbles
-- Pantry Staple of the Month
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-- News from the Kitchen --
After a long winter, spring is finally here. For me, this season brings visions of backyard gardens and farmers’ markets. I look forward to cooking with seasonal vegetables and fruits in the coming months and sharing new recipes for these items with you.
If you need a recipe for a vegetable that’s an old favorite or something you’ve never seen before, drop us a line at . We’ll do our best to find the kind of recipe you are looking for, and you never know—we might make that vegetable the subject of an upcoming column.
As always, your input is important to us and will help us improve the newsletter. Email any comments or suggestions to .
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-- Reader Questions --
Q: When a recipe calls for green pepper, what type of pepper does it mean?
A: Usually if a recipe calls for green pepper, it is referring to green sweet bell peppers. This is always true in recipes in The Practical Pantry. Any other type of pepper, such as banana peppers and jalapeno peppers, will be listed specifically.
Q: What can I do when my brown sugar gets hard?
A: When you are ready to use your brown sugar, put it in a microwave-safe container in the microwave oven. Place a cup of water next to it. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes.
In the future, try storing your brown sugar in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Allow it to come up to room temperature for about 15 minutes before using.
If you have a question about a cooking technique or ingredient, or if you are just looking for a recipe, write to The Practical Pantry at .
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-- Tried and True --
I make this recipe often because it is a filling meal that is low in fat. To reduce the fat even further, substitute ground turkey breast for the ground beef. If fat isn’t a concern, feel free to serve it over crunchy chow mein noodles.
This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator, and leftovers are good for a few days. For longer storage, put leftovers in the freezer.
BAKED CHOW MEIN
8 ounces lean ground beef
3 cups cooked white rice
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 16-ounce can mixed Chinese vegetables, undrained
1 10.75-ounce can low-fat condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; coat a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, combine beef, rice, onion, celery, mushrooms, Chinese vegetables and soup; mix well. Turn mixture into prepared casserole dish; bake until hot, about 30 minutes. Serve with soy sauce if desired. Makes 6 servings.
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-- Direct from the Pantry --
When time is short, combine a few canned goods from the pantry into an easy meal.
CREAMED CRAB
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 6-ounce can crabmeat; rinsed, drained, and cartilage removed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Dash cayenne pepper, optional
Toast or biscuits
In a 1-quart microwave-safe dish, combine soup, crabmeat, lemon juice, and basil. Add cayenne pepper if desired. Cover and cook on high power, stirring once, until heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve on toast or biscuits. Makes 4 servings.
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-- ‘Tis the Season --
Rhubarb has a unique taste that makes people either love it or hate it. Although considered to be the “favorite pie plant,” rhubarb is a versatile vegetable that is delicious in dishes from muffins to cake.
Since rhubarb is a good source of calcium, potassium and vitamin C for only 30 calories per cup, get busy harvesting and cooking. Just remember, only the stalks are edible, so don’t use the leaves or roots.
EASY RHUBARB SAUCE
Serve this microwave sauce over vanilla ice cream for a simple summer dessert.
3 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 3-ounce package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix, unprepared
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the rhubarb, water and sugar. Microwave, uncovered, on high until rhubarb is tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in pudding mix until blended; cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over ice cream if desired. Makes about 6 to 8 servings.
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-- Nibbles --
Check this space monthly for news about products, contests, cookbooks, and more.
NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT BURGER RECIPE
(NAPSI)-You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to win the Build A Better Burger National Recipe Contest and Cook-off® but, apparently, it helps.
Consider Clint Stephenson, a genuine rocket scientist who calculates spacecraft centers of gravity for a living. He developed the grilled California avocado BLT burger with caramelized chipotle onions that was judged to be out of this world and earned him the coveted $50,000 grand prize in the Build a Better Burger Contest.
“Clint had a wonderful recipe with flavors that unfolded as you bit into the burger,” says Jeffrey Starr, culinary director for Sutter Home Winery and Build a Better Burger.
If You Build It, You Could Win
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the contest poses the question: Can you build a better burger?
James McNair, head judge and author of a new book called “Build a Better Burger,” (Ten Speed Press), says he looks for imaginative recipes that reflect cultural and regional influences. His new book gives a complete history of the contest and offers tips for contestants. In addition to including all of the winning recipes, the book gives specific details on keeping burgers moist and flavorful, handling meat, preparing the grill, preventing flare-ups on the grill and more.
The contest accepts entries from May 30, 2005 to August 26. For complete contest entry rules, visit buildabetterburger.com or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Build a Better Burger, Sutter Home Winery, PO Box 248, St. Helena, Calif., 94574-0248. Build a Better Burger is not open to residents of California or Utah. Ten finalists will be flown to the Napa Valley to compete in a burger grilling cook-off on October 1, 2005.
The contest is sponsored by Sutter Home Family Vineyards, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the California Avocado Commission.
Here’s the winning recipe:
GRILLED CALIFORNIA AVOCADO BLT BURGERS
WITH CARAMELIZED CHIPOTLE ONIONS
Caramelized Chipotle Onions
1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Tabasco® Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 tablespoon beef broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Point Reyes Blue Cheese Spread
61/2 ounces light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese
4 ounces Point Reyes blue cheese or other favorite blue cheese, crumbled
Patties
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound round sirloin
1/3 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 cup Zinfandel
3 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, thyme and basil (any combination)
1 tablespoon Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
11/2 teaspoons spicy seasoned salt
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
12 Fresh California avocado slices
Balsamic vinegar for brushing on the avocado
Spicy seasoned salt, for sprinkling on the avocado
12 precooked bacon slices
6 (41/2-inch) soft Kaiser rolls, split
6 romaine lettuce leaves
6 (1/4-inch-thick) large tomato slices
To make the cheese, prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make the caramelized onions, combine onion, pepper sauce, broth, vinegar, oil, garlic and brown sugar in a 10-inch nonstick, fire-proof skillet, cover with a lid, and place on the grill rack. Cook onion mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized and most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove pan from the gill and set aside. To make the spread, combine the cheeses in a fire-proof saucepan, cover, and set aside.
To make the patties, combine the chuck, sirloin, onion, Zinfandel, herbs, pepper sauce and seasoned salt in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the rolls.
Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Meanwhile, place the saucepan with the cheese spread on the outer edge of the rack to warm the cheese mixture just until it reaches a very soft, spreadable consistency. Remove the saucepan from the grill and set aside.
During the final minutes of grilling the patties, brush the avocado slices with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Arrange on a rimmed nonstick perforated grilling pan coated lightly with oil and grill alongside the patties for 1 to 2 minutes, turning as necessary. During the final 30 seconds, add the bacon slices to the pan. When the avocados are nicely grilled and the bacon is crisp, remove from the grill. When the patties are cooked, remove from the grill, stacking to keep warm. Place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly.
To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the cheese mixture over the cut sides of the rolls. On each roll bottom, place a lettuce leaf, a tomato slice, a patty, an equal portion of the caramelized onions, 2 avocado slices and 2 bacon slices. Add the roll tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers.
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-- Pantry Staple of the Month --
The best line of defense against take-out food for dinner is a well-stocked pantry. When it comes to stocking the pantry, a freezer is as important as a cabinet full of canned goods.
Since frozen vegetables are picked and processed at the height of freshness, they often contain more color, flavor and nutrients than fresh. Long shipping times can reduce the nutritional quality of produce as vitamins break down over time. As an added bonus, frozen vegetables like peas don’t need to be washed or cut, which reduces preparation at mealtime.
Frozen peas that are thawed but not cooked can be substituted for fresh peas in salads and other uncooked dishes. To quickly thaw peas, place them in a strainer or colander and pour boiling water over them.
A bag of frozen peas makes an excellent ice pack because it molds to your body. Wrap it in a towel to insulate the cold before using. The peas can be refrozen and used many times as long as they are labeled properly so that they are not mistakenly eaten.
SOY-SAUCED PEAS
1 medium onion, chopped
2 4-ounce cans mushroom pieces and stems, drained
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 16-ounce packages frozen peas, thawed
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained and halved
3 tablespoons soy sauce
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, peas, water chestnuts and soy sauce. Cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
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The Practical Pantry, in print since 1998 and on the web since 2000, is a weekly column with recipes to turn pantry staples into easy and healthy dishes.
Copyright 2005, Tammy Perry Olson
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