Eat your Veggies! Simple Cooking Methods

Vegetables add colour, taste, texture and bulk to our daily diet. There are dozens of different vegetables that can be prepared in literally hundreds of ways. So what's best? There is no best. The thing to do is to eat your vegetables, lots of them, everyday in a wide variety of ways and stop worrying about the preparation methods. Variety is the key... Raw Many vegetables taste fabulous just the way they are straight out of the garden. Lettuce, tomato, celery, cabbage, onion, radish, carrot are obvious choices here. But they are just as likely to find themselves next to chopped up broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beans and zucchini on a starter platter with dips. Wash 'em, chop 'em and eat 'em. Oh, yeah, you could also make a salad! Steamed Steaming heats the vegetable and softens it's texture. It's gentler than boiling and allows the vegetable to maintain it's colour if not overdone. Use a stainless steel steamer that will fit into most good size sauce pans. Make sure you use a pan with a tight fitting lid. There should be enough water to just touch the bottom of the steamer. Water should be simmering the whole time the vegetables are being cooked. Boiling Boiling vegetables is really going out of fashion, but it's a legitimate preparation method! The big concern is loss of nutrients. All cooking methods result in the loss of some goodness from the vegetables. If boiling, try to find a way to use the water the vegetables have been boiled in (i.e. to make a gravy or sauce) to bring those nutrients back to the table. Vegetables should be barely covered with water. Bring the water to a boil (covered) then slow to a simmer until vegetables are tender. Microwave Very popular for vegetables as it retains colour, flavour and nutrients. Trial and error will be your guide with microwaving as there are plenty of variables involved. However, a few guidelines will help...The more food you put into the oven, the longer it will take to cook. Underestimate your cooking time rather than overestimate. Undercooked food can be cooked some more. Over-cooked food is ruined. Food straight from the fridge will take longer to cook than that at room temperature. All food continues to cook after it has been removed from the microwave oven. It is part of the cooking process and should be taken into account to prevent over-cooking. Stir Fry Very rapid method of quick frying vegetables, meat (optional) and sauces in one pan to make a meal. Primarily associated with Asian cooking. The key to doing this well is preparation. All items to be cooked should be chopped to a size that will allow them to cook quickly in the wok. It is also important that the wok is heated to a high, consistent temperature throughout. Vegetables maintain their colour and crispness with this sort of cooking (if not overdone). Baking Brilliant! Especially for those 'root' vegetables like potatoes, turnip, carrot and beetroot. Chop into similar size pieces, brush lightly with olive oil and put in a hot oven to roast. Size of the pieces will determine the cooking time but expect at least 40 minutes. Outside is chewy, inside is moist and fluffy. Dress with sour cream and chives. Yum! Barbeque Does anything scream summer like the word barbeque? Love a barbeque. This is primarily open flame cooking, so could apply to a campfire as well. Cooking outside just changes everything about food. You'll need foil, fire and fresh veggies. Grease your foil, chop your veggies and put the closed packages on the grill. Be adventurous, it's really hard to mess this up! Judy Williams (http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com) splits her time between being a media executive and an earth mother goddess. No Dig Vegetable Gardens represents a clean, green way to grow your own food. The site covers all aspects of growing, cooking and preserving your harvest. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Judy_Williams/1030 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6373

Once-A-Month-Cooking: How to Make Your Plan Work

As one of the oldest children in a family of nine, I know that cooking for a crowd can almost be a full-time job. Once-a-month-cooking has been a lifesaver for our family. In the beginning though, when we first heard of cooking 30 meals in one day, it sounded rather impossible. It was not until we had tried it, though, that we found it is not only possible, but it can even be quite simple and fun! Blessings If you are skeptical about taking on what might seem like an overwhelming task to you, let me first share some of the blessings which have resulted for our family from once-a-month-cooking. o It has saved us many hours of trying to figure out what to have for dinner and answered the infamous question, "What's for dinner?" o We have been more readily able to show hospitality to other families when the main dish is already made and in the freezer. (We usually plan ahead for this by doubling or tripling seven to ten of the recipes on cooking day to use as "company meals.") In like manner, it is much easier to being meals to needy families when you have casseroles in the freezer ready to be pulled out and heated at the drop of a hat. (We also plan for this by preparing many of the dishes in disposable pans.) o It saves time (You only have to do mountains of dishes one day a month, not every day! You also don't have to start dinner at 4:30 p.m. or earlier everyday... just pull dinner out to thaw in the morning.) and money (You can usually save quite a bit by buying in bulk). o We are brought closer together as we spend a special day as a family cooking these meals. o This is an excellent lesson in Home Economics for your children. Mom always has the oldest girls plan the menu, grocery list, and strategy for the cooking day. She often has us do the grocery shopping, as well. Planning Proper planning is essential for a successful cooking day. I usually start planning at least a week in advance. First, pick which day will be your cooking day. Clear your schedule that day. You will want to focus your energies entirely on cooking. Menu Planning: After you have chosen your cooking day, begin menu planning. Go through your cookbooks and find recipes suitable for freezing. Strive for variety. My list usually includes: one-dish dinners, meatloaf, meatballs, layered casseroles, soups, chili, hamburgers, meatless dishes, and so on. Make sure that you include a number of family favorites, in addition to any new recipes you may be trying out. You do not want to fill your freezer with meals your family won't find appetizing! When you write down your menu, make sure and write down the cookbook and page number the recipe came from. In addition, mark whether you are planning to double or triple the recipe. Make Your Grocery List: Using your menu list, write down the quantities of ingredients needed for each recipe. I like to categorize like ingredients on five to seven different lists (meats, vegetables, cheese, pasta, spices, etc.). Take these lists and combine all like ingredients onto a final list. For example, if there are fifteen recipes calling for one pound of ground beef, you will write "15 pounds ground beef" on your final grocery list. After you have made your final grocery list, make sure and check your cupboards to see what you might already have on hand. You probably have most of the seasonings. But be sure that if you need four teaspoons of garlic powder, you actually have that much in the jar. I have not checked thoroughly before, and it has been real headache. I have found it most helpful to keep a separate "food preparation list" along with my grocery list which states what is to be done with the items which I need large quantities (Such as, if one the items on your list is "20 pounds of chicken breasts," note beside that item how many cups need to be cooked and diced, how many chicken breasts need to be cooked and left whole, how many need to be left frozen, etc.). You will also want to make sure you have plenty of freezer bags and foil on hand. These will be essential on your cooking day. Cooking Day Strategy: It is wise to develop a basic cooking day strategy of what you will do when. This does not need to be an exhaustive list, but it will save you time and effort if you have planned the basic order of what you will be cooking when. If you are going to be working together as a family on cooking, plan who is responsible for what tasks. Although everyone will need to be flexible, it will definitely save hassle to have most of the schedule worked out ahead of time. Shopping: The day before you begin cooking, do your grocery shopping. Make sure you do not rush through this. Read your list thoroughly and check to get the best deal. Cooking The sooner you can start in the morning, the better. Begin by cooking the meats, grating the cheese, chopping the onions, or whatever bulk preparations your "food preparation list" says you need to do. If you have planned to make soups, you should start these early on, as they usually need to cook for longer. Cooking the meat is one of the most time-consuming projects and you will probably find you end up browning ground beef and boiling chicken most of the day! As much as is possible, use all of the burners on your stove at the same time. Keep soapy water in the sink at all times and take turns being on "dish duty." As soon as a dish is used, wash it. This will save you from having an enormous mess at the end of the day. You might also find it helpful to take a five-minute kitchen cleaning break every hour or so to wipe down the counters and put things away which you are no longer using. Freezing What do you do with the completed dishes? Here are some guidelines for freezing: o We always designate the kitchen table as our "finished recipe" zone. We often have someone who is specifically just working on labeling things and taking them to the freezer from the kitchen table. o Proper labeling is a key factor in making sure you know what you have in freezer. Make sure you label the containers with the recipe, the cookbook it came from, the page number, how many it serves, and any additional instructions for the dish. Also write out a list with all of the recipes you make and freeze and how many they serve on the outside of your freezer. o Transfer soup to a big bowl and cool for about an hour. You can either place the soup in plastic freezer bags or plastic containers with lids (32 oz. cottage cheese and yogurt containers work well for this). o Most other recipes can be transferred to plastic freezer bags. Do not fill the bags very full, as foods expand when frozen. Do not put anything which is still hot into bags. You will likely split the bag at the seams and have a gigantic mess to deal with! o Use smaller labeled bags for cheese or anything else to be sprinkled on top once the dish is cooked. Make sure you keep these in a very accessible place in the freezer. o If the recipe is something like lasagna which cannot be frozen in a plastic bag, freeze it in the size of pan the recipe calls for, cover with foil, and label. I wholeheartedly encourage you to give once-a-month-cooking a try. If you are like us, you will soon wonder how you ever lived without cooking this way! You could also simplify this plan and just cook for two weeks at a time to start. For further information, ideas, and recipes, I highly recommend you read Once-A-Month-Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg and Dinner's in the Freezer by Jill Bond. Happy Cooking! Crystal Paine is a 23-year-old homeschool graduate and the owner of Covenant Wedding Source, LLC (an online retail bridal business). She writes articles on a variety of topics and recently authored her first booklet for young women, The Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions. She lives with her husband in Topeka, KS. They are expecting their fist child in January. For more information on her business and booklet, visit her website: [http://www.covenantweddingsource.com]. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Crystal_Paine/1246 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5788

Whisk Your Way to a Perfect Meal Every Time!

The whisk. A true versatile cooking utensil. Whisks come in all shapes and sizes and surprisingly accomplish far more then what most think they do. One of the dictionary definitions for a whisk is--A kitchen utensil usually in the form of stiff thin wire loops attached to a handle, used for whipping foodstuffs. We shall see that the whisks of today can do a lot more. The whisk of today is made of many different materials. There are the traditional wire whisks and also many kinds of nylon whisks to. Sometimes called whips they are a great time saver. No matter what you are creating in your kitchen there is a style and design made for you. Let's take a look at the most common and useful designs. The nylon flat whisk is made to whip gravies and delicate sauces into shape. The flat design helps cooks get into corners and covers more surface area when whisking, and is also good for taking care of lumps in flour. The traditional balloon whisk comes either in nylon or stainless steel. It is the essential tool for meringues and silky smooth sabayons. The larger the balloon head is the quicker air is mixed into the sauces. Some other useful whisks that are helpful in the kitchen include triangular whisks for getting along edges of pans and bowls and special ones for eggs and gravy. So no matter what your needs are the right whisks can be found online at many fine stores. Curtis Miller is an accomplished writer in many areas. For additional kitchen articles and tips visit country kitchens Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Curtis_M/2053 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9689

Two for One Dinners: Beef

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then here are some ideas to put the "zing" back into mealtime. With a little creativity your home-cooked meal can easily become a delicious meal another night. There are a six articles in this series, today we are going to look at what you can do with beef. DINNER - NIGHT ONE: Pot Roast Make a slow-cooked pot roast with onions, carrots and potatoes. Give it a flavor boost with bottled horseradish. Serve it over mashed garlic potatoes with a green salad. Put the leftovers in a tightly covered container, or ziplock bag in the refrigerator or freezer. DINNER - NIGHT TWO: Vegetable Beef Soup Chop the leftover beef into cubes and mix with a packaged beef broth with frozen mixed vegetables (i.e., green beans, carrots and corn) for a simple, and filling soup. You can find in your grocer's frozen food section packages of "soup mix" vegetables as well. Serve the soup with cornbread or biscuits on the side. This soup also makes a great lunchbox item that you can warm up and put into an insulated thermos. Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Copyright 2005, Michele Webb. All Rights Reserved. Michele Webb owns her own website and is a member of a number of organizations for women Netpreneurs and business owners. She has over 20 years experience in health care, clinical trials, management, project management and software development. She currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada USA with her two dogs. You are invited to visit her website at: http://www.ebooksnstuff.com. [http://www.ebooksnstuff.com] Or, you can email the author at: support@ebooksnstuff.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michele_Webb/2487 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10811

A Cookie Assembly Line: Efficient Cookie Baking for Busy Cooks

As a busy working mother, I'm short on time, especially during the holidays, but baking Christmas cookies is a family tradition I'm unwilling to give up. Over the years, I've come up with many ways to make the process of baking a large variety of cookies go much smoother and take less time out of my busy life. You may want to start by checking out my 6-day program for hassle-free Christmas cookie baking ( http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/hassle-free.php ). In addition to the 6-step method, I've found an efficient way to prepare a large variety of cookie dough with minimum fuss by setting up a cookie assembly line. The best part about this process is that you can make 12 different batches of cookies and only have to wash the dishes once! This process assumes that you have already chosen your recipes and gone grocery shopping. You will want to use your longest available expanse of countertop for this. My assembly line turns two corners as it winds around my small kitchen, but that is fine. You may need to make some adjustments depending on your individual recipes, but for most recipes, you can set up your assembly line like so: Flour Line: -Large mixing bowl -Measuring cups and spoons -Fork for stirring -Flour -Baking powder and baking soda -Salt -Cocoa powder -Spices -Any other dry ingredients that are added to the flour in your recipes Butter Line -Another large mixing bowl (or the bowl from your stand mixer) -A second set of measuring cups and spoons -Electric mixer -Wooden spoon -Rubber spatula -Butter, shortening, margarine and/or cream cheese -Sugar (white and brown) -Eggs -Vanilla and other extracts -Chunks such as raisins, nuts, chocolate chips -Rolled oats -Any other ingredients that are added to the butter and eggs in your recipes -Plastic wrap -Felt-tip marker To avoid transferring flavors from one recipe to another, you will start with basic recipes that have no spices, chocolate, or other strongly flavored ingredients. Starting with your first recipe, go down the line measuring out the amount of flour, baking powder/soda and salt into one bowl. Then, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla in your larger bowl as directed. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. After that, stir in any chunks. Next, scrape down the edges of the mixing bowl so that it's fairly clean, shape the dough into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Identify the recipe by writing its name on the plastic wrap with a felt-tip marker, and refrigerate it. If it is a slice-and-bake refrigerator cookie, form it into a log instead of a ball, according to the directions in your recipe. If you plan to bake much later, you can even freeze the dough. Most cookie doughs freeze very well. Defrost at room temperature while still wrapped in plastic wrap, and unwrap only when dough is thoroughly defrosted. Otherwise condensation could add too much moisture to your dough. When your first batch of dough is prepared, wrapped, and stored in the refrigerator or freezer, return to the beginning of your assembly line, without washing your dishes, and begin preparing the next batch of dough. When you have prepared all the recipes that contain no spices or cocoa, move on to the recipes that contain cocoa, and finally those that contain spices. This way, you will only have to do dishes once at the end of the process, and you will have several different kinds of dough waiting to be baked. When all your dough is prepared, then you can finally put away all your ingredients, clean up the kitchen, and do your dishes. Now if you plan to finish your baking today, you'll have lots of space for rolling out your dough or setting out your cooling racks. If you plan to bake another day, you're done! Copyright 2004 Mimi Cummins. All Rights Reserved. Mimi Cummins is co-author of the book "Christmas Cookies Are for Giving: Recipes, Stories, and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts." [http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/] This book, "enthusiastically recommended" by Midwest Book Review, is full of baking tips and hints, including nearly 50 recipes each with a full-color photo. For more information visit [http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/] or order from your favorite online bookstore. [Note to webmasters: you may include a link to the book using your affiliate program (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other) if you wish.] Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mimi_Cummins/350 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4933