Quick Cooking Is My Passion

This is a much discussed topic and sometimes the tips are just not anything you think will help your particular circumstances. Trying to put meals on the table in a short amount of time, can be a frustrating ordeal. It is not enough to find a really fast recipe, because you obviously don’t want to serve something fast that you and your family will not enjoy.

I think the best advice is to start with a menu plan. I keep saying I am going to do this, but when I sit down to start, my mind goes biserk.

I am going to list a few tips that I have picked up along the way that seem to help me a lot. If you can think of more tips, please let me know and I will add them.

1. The most simple way to start a menu is by writing out at least 10 meals your family loves to have served to them. It can be simple or elaborate.

2. Before making out your shopping lists, check your refrigerator because you don’t want good food to spoil.

3. Place all your pots, pans, utensils and non-perishables on the counter the night before or in the morning before you leave the house, so that you don’t have to take time to get all these out when you’re ready to cook.

4. Before you begin cooking, decide in what order you will need to cook each item so that they will all be ready at about the same time. You don’t want to first start on something that will only take 15 minutes to cook, when another menu item will take 30 minutes.

5. Prepare casseroles ahead of time. A day or two before you plan on serving your casserole, go ahead and mix all the ingredients together and do any cooking necessary to putting the casserole together. Then all you have to do on the day you’re eating your dish is stick it in the oven and bake it.

6. Do all your chopping and cutting at one time. If you know you’ll be using onion or celery or sweet peppers three nights this week, go ahead and chop enough for all three meals on the less busy night, then it’s ready when you need it later in the week.

7. Try to clean as much as you can while your food is cooking. The more you get cleaned while you’re cooking the less you’ll have to do after mealtime is over.

8. Either use a bag your produce came out of or a plastic grocery bag for your garbage while in the kitchen. Less trips to the trash saves precious time.

9. Before placing uncooked casseroles in the freezer, include anycooking intructions on the label. You won’t need to pull out the recipe again.

10. If you’re going to be making a casserole, lasagna, enchiladas, soups or chilis, go ahead and double up on the recipe. Then eat half and freeze half. On a day you really don’t have a lot of time to cook, you can pull out one of these and have dinner on the table in no time.

11. Since it’s more budget friendly to buy cheese in a block and shred it yourself, than buying it pre-shredded, shred the whole block and put it in a zip storage bag in the refrigerator. You get the same effect as you would if you bought the cheese already shredded.

12. Kids can be a huge help just by setting the table. Depending on their age they may be able to do other kitchen duties also.

13. Empty your dishwasher in the morning so you can start loading dirty dishes as you get them while preparing dinner.

Now a few easy recipes and a couple I think might be interesting to try.

African Casserole (An interesting one)

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Small amount oil
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (16 oz) can tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz) can cream corn
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (3 1/2 oz) can ripe olives and juice
• 6-8 oz shell macaroni, cooked
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Saute’ chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic in small amount of oil until clear.
2. Remove from pan, saute’ ground beef and add chili powder, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
3. Add sauteed seasonings, tomatoes, corn and tomato sauce.
4. Add olives and olive juice.
5. Taste to adjust salt.
6. Add macaroni which has been cooked in salt water as directed on package.
7. Add oregano.
8. Place in 9X13 inch casserole.
9. Refrigerate 6-8 hours to allow flavors to blend.
10. One hour before serving, slice cheese on top.
11. Bake at 350˚ for 1 hour.

(If glass dish is used, remove from refrigeration sooner and bake at 325 degrees)

Serves 8-10

Santa Fe Soup (Another interesting one)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs hamburger
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can shoe peg corn
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes diced, mild
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
• 2 pkgs Taco seasoning, mild

Directions:

Stove top Cooking

1. Empty all ingredients (except Ranch dressing and taco seasoning) into a 2-3 quart cooking pot and cook for about 30 minutes.

2. Brown ground beef, drain.

3. Add ranch dressing and taco seasoning to ground meat. Add to ingredients in the pot.

4. Cook until beans are tender and flavors have blended (another 15-20 minutes)

5. Serve over corn chips, and top with cheese and sour cream if desired.

Crockpot method:

1. Cook hamburger until done, drain.
2. Add Ranch dressing mix and Taco seasoning to hamburger.
3. Place in slow-cooker along with other ingredients and cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6-8 hours on low.
4. Serve over corn chips, and top with cheese and sour cream if desired

Serves: 6-8

SOME SIMPLE SUGGESTIONS FOR MEALS:

Fish: Fish fillets can be sautéed, broiled or grilled within a matter of minutes. Serve with steamed veggies and you have a quick and healthy meal.
Grilled Cheese: Served with soup, grilled cheese sandwiches are the ultimate quick comfort food meal.
Tuna Sandwiches: Mix a can of good tuna with mayo, a little chopped onion and celery to make tuna sandwiches.
Crab Legs: Buy these when they’re on sale, and you’ll have a quick and special meal for date nights at home.
Quesadillas: A vegetarian version with cheddar cheese and black beans can be made in just minutes. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
Waffles or Pancakes: They’re not just for breakfast! Adding these to your dinner menus can help save both time and money.
Pasta Primavera: Toss pasta with veggies like mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. A simple sauce can be created by melting butter and adding a little Parmesan cheese.
Easy Jambalaya: Use minute rice, black beans, shrimp and sausage along with Tabasco to taste make a quick and easy jambalaya.
Egg Sandwiches: Fried eggs on an English muffin topped with a slice of American cheese makes a filling dinner.
Meatballs: Meatballs are a versatile thing to keep in your freezer, whether you buy bagged meatballs or prepare them yourself. Use them with spaghetti sauce and noodles, meatball subs or with cream of mushroom soup over mashed potatoes for meatballs and gravy.

QUICK TURKEY DINNER (Easy)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. raw ground turkey
1 c. cracker meal or bread crumbs
1/2 c. Egg Beaters
2 tbsp. butter
1 (16 oz.) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 c. water
2 tsp. low-sodium chicken bouillon
Parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. In small bowl, combine turkey, cracker meal and Egg Beaters until well blended. Shape into 8 oval patties.

2. In large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Brown patties on both sides. Blend cranberry sauce, water and bouillon, pour over patties. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

3. To serve, arrange patties on platter, spoon sauce over patties and garnish with parsley. Serves 8.

Okay, I have to run but visit me again for more reciped and ideas.

See Ya!

JanetK