The Practical Pantry Newsletter #3
June 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 --
The weather finally got warm enough to plant the garden. Our garden is small, but has tomatoes, broccoli, peas, and lots of herbs. The garlic that was planted last fall is thriving, and our rosebush has given us the first beautiful rose of the year.
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: I have a casserole recipe that calls for dry mustard, and I hate to buy a jar just for one recipe. How much prepared mustard should I use instead?
A: Substitute 1 tablespoon prepared mustard for 1 teaspoon dry mustard.
Q: What can I do to stop my brownies from sticking to the pan?
A: Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil hang over the rim of the pan. Grease the bottom only of the foil. After you cool the brownies according to the recipe directions, grasp the foil edges and carefully pull the brownies out of the pan. Cut them after they cool completely.
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 for picnics and potlucks. The ranch dressing is nice change from the traditional mayonnaise-based salads. If you use reduced-fat ranch salad dressing, you’ll end up with a lighter salad that still offers the creamy texture people expect in a potato salad.
RANCH POTATO SALAD
6 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing, regular or reduced fat
Place potatoes in a pot; cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until tender, about 8 to 15 minutes. Drain; allow potatoes to cool. Add celery, onion and dressing; mix well. Chill until ready to serve. 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. If your chicken is thawed, this recipe only takes a few minutes to assemble.
BUSY DAY CHICKEN CASSEROLE
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup water
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 4.5-ounce can mushrooms, drained
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Ground black pepper to taste
1 1-ounce package dry onion soup mix
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the mushroom soup, celery soup, water, rice, mushrooms, garlic powder and black pepper; mix well. Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread on bottom. Lay chicken pieces over soup mixture and sprinkle dry onion soup mix over all. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Makes 8 servings.
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-- ‘Tis the Season --
Green salads make a great side dish, especially in warmer weather. And we know we should eat more of them because they are good for us. But what stands in the way is that the same old lettuce and dressing gets a bit tiresome. Here are a few tips to bring green salads from dreary to terrific.
-- Start with greens in season. Not only are they less expensive, they have the best flavor. Don’t be afraid to try something new.
-- Wash them well. A quick rinse under running water isn’t always enough. Instead, fill a large bowl with cool water and gently swish them around.
-- Never squeeze. A salad spinner works great to dry greens. If you don’t have one, place them in a colander and allow them to drain. Squeezing will damage the leaves, causing them to wilt and look unattractive.
-- When it comes to dressing, start slow. If tossing the salad before serving, start with just one teaspoon of dressing per two cups greens. This may be enough if the salad is tossed well; you can always add more if the salad needs it. Toss gently, and take your time. Never dress a salad until you’re ready to serve it.
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-- Nibbles --
Check this space monthly for news about products, contests, cookbooks, and more.
“SHARE YOUR GOOD START STORY” CONTEST RALLIES MOTHERS NATIONWIDE
(NAPSI)-The best advice moms receive about pregnancy and motherhood often comes from other moms.
In support of moms’ enthusiasm for exchanging advice, Nestle Good Start Supreme DHA & ARA with Comfort Proteins Infant Formula invites moms to enter the “Share Your Good Start Story” contest.
Whether it’s specific to pregnancy, baby care or infant feeding, moms can submit their personal stories about how they got off to a good start with their baby in 250 words or less online at verybestbaby.com/GoodStartContest or by mail before August 31, 2005.
The most helpful, relevant and insightful stories will be featured online for the benefit of moms everywhere.
One grand-prize winner will receive the much coveted gift of time and the gift of bliss. She will win a year of helpful monthly services of her choice from one of the following: personal chef, or housecleaning or personal assistant.
In addition, she will indulge in a day of beauty and relaxation for herself and a guest at a local spa where she’ll be treated to a soothing massage, refreshing facial and luxurious manicure/pedicure.
Five runners-up will also win the gift of time by each being awarded with three months of services of her choice from one of the following: personal chef, or housecleaning or personal assistant.
“The ‘Share Your Good Start Story’ contest creates a unique forum for gathering real-life stories and helpful anecdotes that can give new moms comfort and support,” said Doreen Ida, mother of two and Vice President, Marketing, Nestle Infant Nutrition. “We applaud mothers everywhere for their generosity in sharing their motherhood experiences every day.”
In addition to submitting a good start story at verybestbaby.com/GoodStartContest, moms will also have the opportunity to discover insights into breastfeeding, baby care, and infant nutrition, as well as find answers from top health care professionals to commonly asked questions about pregnancy and infants.
According to Nestle, breastfeeding is the gold standard in infant nutrition. However, for those moms who cannot or choose not to breastfeed, or who choose to supplement, formulas such as Nestlé Good Start Supreme DHA & ARA with Comfort Proteins provide infants with all the nutrients they need for growth and development.
To obtain rules, visit verybest baby.com/GoodStartContest or mail a 3x5 card with your name, address and phone number to: “Share Your Good Start Story Contest,” 6500 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1900, Los Angeles, California, 90048. No purchase necessary. Contest ends 11:59 PM PT 8/31/05. Void where prohibited. Open to residents of the 50 U.S. states & D.C., 18 or older.
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-- Pantry Staple of the Month --
Confectioners’ sugar--also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar--is granulated sugar that’s been pulverized and sifted with a bit of cornstarch. The cornstarch keeps the fine sugar from clumping and helps to stiffen some recipes made with confectioners’ sugar, such as meringues and icings.
While granulated sugar may leave foods grainy, especially if those foods are not cooked at high enough temperatures, confectioners sugar dissolves quickly in either hot or cold mixtures. Confectioners’ sugar is also great for dusting on a dessert to give it a nice presentation.
Confectioners’ sugar will keep about 18 months in an unopened or airtight container. Granulated sugar does not always substitute well for confectioners’ sugar, especially in uncooked recipes such as whipped cream. But if a substitution is necessary, try 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. You can substitute 1-3/4 cups of confectioners’ sugar for 1 cup granulated sugar.
EASY BOSTON CREAM PIE
This recipe offers a quicker version of this favorite dessert.
Cake:
1 package yellow cake mix (single-layer size)
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Filling:
1 4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons hot water
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, adding the orange extract to the batter. Pour into a greased and floured 8-inch round cake pan. Bake according to package directions, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
For filling, prepare pudding mix according to package directions, adding vanilla extract to the mix. Place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the pudding to prevent skin from forming on top. Cool in refrigerator until pudding is completely set.
For icing, mix confectioners’ sugar and cocoa together; blend in butter. Add hot water and stir until smooth. Cool until it reaches a consistency like frosting, about 15 to 30 minutes.
Split cake horizontally into two even layers. Spread pudding mixture over bottom layer and cover with top layer. Frost with icing to cover the top (do not frost sides). Allow to chill for 2–4 hours before cutting. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. 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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