Blogs: Kitchen Wizard

Here are some quick ideas to save you time and make cooking with your microwave easier. 

1.         When defrosting foods, allow the same amount of resting time before you being to cook the food (defrost 5 minutes, rest 5 minutes).

2.         Reheat foods at 70% for best quality.

3.         When reheating yeast bread products, wrap them in a paper towel to retain moisture.  This will prevent the bread from turning to rock.

4.         To separate cold bacon slices with ease, microwave on high 15 to 20 seconds.

5.         Rule of thumb for bacon, microwave on high 1 to 1-1/2 minutes per slice.

6.         Parsley and other herbs dry beautifully in the microwave resulting in no more waste.  Place about 1 cup on a paper towel and microwave on high 2 to 4 minutes.  Crumble in paper towel.

7.         Melt 16 ounces of caramels with 2 tablespoons water, microwave at 70% for 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir every minute.  Great for taffy apple or caramel sauce.

8.         Citrus fruit will obtain more juice if microwaved.  Lemons and oranges microwave for 15 seconds.  Grapefruit for 30 seconds.  All on high.

9.         Syrup for pancakes is wonderful warm.  Recover cover and microwave at 50% for 30 seconds.

10.       Saute mushrooms, onions and celery with unsalted butter.  Place veggie and butter in dish, microwave on High 1 to 2 minutes.

SCALLOPED POTATOES

             5 cups potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

             2 tablespoons flour    

            1 teaspoon salt

            1/2 teaspoon savory

            1/4 cup onion, chopped

            1-1/2 cups hot milk

            2 tablespoons butter or margarine

               Paprika

               Parsley, chopped or flaked

Toss together in an 8”x 8” glass baking dish the potatoes, flour, salt, savory and onion.  Stir in the hot milk, spread evenly and dot all over with the butter. 

Cook,   covered, 15 minutes or until potatoes are done, stirring 3 times during the cooking period.  Sprinkle top, to taste, with paprika and chopped or flaked parsley.  Let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

Serves 5

Sixty years after the invention of the microwave, there is still a  misconception on just how to cook with it.  Most people just use it to reheat items or "cook" frozen meals.  Yet, with the right knowledge and technique, you can cook most everything into impressive kitchen masterpieces.

APPLE CRUMBLE

            1 cup all-purpose flour

            6 tablespoons butter or margarine

            2/3 cup granulated or light brown sugar

            1-1/2 lb cooking apples

             1/4 teaspoon of salt

             1 teaspoon ground cloves

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in 1/4 cup of the sugar.  Peel, core, quarter and thinly slice the apples and spread evenly in a deep dish.  Add 1/3 cup sugar and ground cloves to taste.

Cover and microwave on High for 5 minutes or until the apples begin to soften.  Top with the crumble mixture, press well down, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Without covering, microwave on High for 8 to 10 minutes or until just set.  Give the dish a quarter-turn every 3 minutes during cooking.  Do not overcook.

A scoop of ice cream on top is a nice finish.

Serves 4

New England Boiled Dinner

Whole 3 - 3 1/2 pound corned beef brisket (or large whole ham)
Cabbage
Small whole red potatoes
Medium white potatoes
Whole carrots

Put water in large pot to start to heat. Place whole corned beef in water. Cover. Cook 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Cut stock end off the cabbage then quarter the cabbage.

Peel carrots and cut off the large and small ends. Cut carrots in half.

Wash potatoes but don't peel, put red potatoes in whole. Cut white potatoes in half.

Put vegetables in pot starting with carrots and potatoes, cabbage goes on top. Cover and cook 1-1/2 hours more.

Remove vegetables from pot and drain.

Remove corned beef and place on cutting board and slice.

Serves 8

Garlic is one of the most favorable spices found in the kitchen.  The taste is wonderful and health benefits are plentiful.

Garlic comes from the lily family and is related to onions, leeks, chives and shallots.   There are over 300 varieties grown worldwide.   American garlic is known for its white papery skin and is one of the most common varieties.  Italian and Mexican garlic have a pinkish purplish color and milder flavor.   Garlic is a root crop, growing underground.  The head, also known as the bulb, contains cloves of garlic.  It is harvested in July and hung in root cellars to dry.

Unpierced, whole garlic cloves have very little flavor.  The smaller you cut garlic, the stronger the flavor will be.  Chopping very fine or using a garlic press creates the strong aroma and potent flavor associated with garlic.

When sautéing garlic, be careful not to burn it.  The taste turns extremely bitter and it will be necessary to thrown it out and start over.

The National Cancer Institute lists garlic as a cancer prevention herb, especially cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.  This would include cancers of the stomach, colon, esophagus, pancreas and breast.   Data from seven population studies shows that “the higher the amount of raw and cook garlic consumed, the lower the risk of stomach and colorectal cancer.”   The World Health Organication issued general health promotion of garlic for adults of 2 to 4 g. of fresh garlic.  This would equal approximately one clove daily. 

The World Health Organization cautions that tests do show that “garlic has been shown to interfere with certain prescription drugs, including those used for HIV treatment.”  It is a blood thinner so it should be “avoided by pregnant women, people about to undergo surgery and people taking blood thinners.”

When purchasing garlic look for big bulbs.  The bigger, the better.   Pick a head that feels heavy and avoid anything with green shoots or sprouts growing.    Store bought garlic will keep for several months when stored in a dark, dry place at room temperature with ample air circulation.  You can also store in a paper bag, egg carton or mesh bag.  To avoid mold, do not refrigerate or store in plastic bags. Garlic’s lifetime decreases once you start removing cloves from the bulb.

The New England Journal of Medicine reported on Monday that heart attacks and strokes can be decreased by following a Mediterranean style diet.  The Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables and even wine with meals. 

The study conducted by Dr. Ramon Estruch of the University of Barcelona was long in planning.  Eventually it was decided to randomly assign subjects at high risk of heart disease into three groups.  One group was given a low fat diet and the other two groups were instructed on the Mediterranean diet.    One group of the Mediterranean diet was given 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil four times a day.  The other group received walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts and instructions to eat an ounce per day.   Additionally the participants ate three servings of fruit a day, two servings of vegetables, fish three times a week and legumes (beans, peas and lentils) at least three times a week.   Red meat was eliminated from their diet but wine was permitted with meals. Commercially made pastry products were avoided and dairy products and processed meats were limited.

The study reported that those assigned to the low fat diet did not lower “their fat intake very much.”  So the study wound up comparing the usual modern diet consisting of red meat, sodas and commercial baked goods with a diet that avoided all those things.

The results were remarkable.  Dr. Estruch said “this is actually really surprising to us.”

So what exactly is a Mediterranean diet?  To the right I have inserted the Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid prepared by Oldways.  Here you can see that physical activity and drinking water play an important role in this diet.   Fruits, vegetables, grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and spices should be consumed at every meal.  Fish and seafood twice a week.   Red meats and sweets “less often.”

For more information on the study as reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, please visit http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200303?query=featured_home#t=article.

Homemade biscuits are always a favorite and very easy to make.  Here I use instant potatoes (and no one knows) but you may wish to use homemade mashed potatoes or microwave mashed potatoes.

If you would like to follow along as I make this meal , please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CglaU9ZEXHk.  I'll show you step-by-step how to make biscuits using a homemade biscuit cutter.

Chicken & Biscuits 

1 (4-lb) whole fresh chicken
1 (16-oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 (1-2 lb 8 oz) box Bisquick
1 qt buttermilk
1 box instant potatoes
1 (16 oz) jar chicken base
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp black pepper
Pinch salt
Flour

Wash chicken and place in pot with about 1 gallon water. Cover pot and bring to boil. Boil for 25-30 minutes until done. Remove chicken from pot, but keep water on simmer. Remove chicken from bone and break into bite-size pieces.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make biscuits and form dough, mix together in bowl:

3 cups Bisquick
1 cup buttermilk

Place dough on counter or cutting board. Put some flour on dough and roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Use biscuit cutter or clean tomato paste can with holes in top for cutter. Dip edge of can in flour and cut biscuits. Reform dough and cut biscuits until all dough is gone. This will make approximately 11 biscuits total. Place biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet or tray, not touching. Bake 10-12 minutes on center rack. Lightly butter tops after baked.

Make instant potatoes according to package directions.

To make rue, start with two cups of flour and 1/4 lb melted butter. Add flour to the butter until desired consistency (like Playdoh).

While rue is cooking, add to water from chicken 6 level tbsp chicken base, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp granulated garlic and salt. When rue is done add all rue to water from chicken. Reduce heat so it doesn't boil. Stir constantly until broth is mixed well. Add vegetables and chicken and cook until vegetables are done.

Serve over mashed potatoes and opened biscuits.

Serves 6-8

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two proposed regulations for mandatory labeling of nutrition and caloric information for restaurants, food establishments and vending machines.The purpose of the labels is to provide consumers with more information for better choices when eating outside the home.You may already see these regulations in action as you eat out or visit fast food locations.

The proposed laws would impact restaurants and food establishments with more than 20 locations.Entities with less than 20 locations may “opt in” to the federal menu labeling requirements by registering with the FDA every other year.Establishments such as movie theaters, airplanes, bowling alleys and other locations whose primary purpose is to not serve food would be exempt from the new requirements.

Calorie information must be disclosed prominently on all menus and menu boards including menu boards for drive-through restaurants.The information must be displayed clearly and prominently.A succinct statement must be posted prominently concerning daily caloric intake to help the public better understand the choices they are making.The proposed statement is suggested as “A 2,000 calorie diet is used as the basis for general nutrition advice; however, individual calorie needs may vary.”

Another requirement of the proposal would be wording on menus and menu boards that additional written nutrition is available to consumers upon request.

State and local governments will not be permitted to require additional or different nutritional requirements similar to those covered by the new proposed law.However, state and local requirements could be imposed on any facility not covered under these proposals.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans now consume roughly one-third of their calories from restaurants.Some further studies suggest that having nutritional information available when ordering may prompt consumers to order more healthy items.A report published in 2012 in the International Journal of Behavior Nutrition and Physical Activity reviewed seven studies and found that “calorie labeling does not have the intended effect of decreasing calorie purchasing or consumption.”

The FDA is inviting consumers to submit their comments on the proposed regulations by visiting www.regulations.gov

Although this recipe is loaded with fat, there are some easy changes to be made to minimize the fat content.  Use either Cream of Celery soup or fat free mayonnaise in place of the regular mayonnaise.  Low fat Cheddar cheese could also be substituted.  Also consider topping with broken Ritz Crackers instead of potato chips.

CHICKEN POTATO CHIP CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
1-1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed potato chips
1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Thaw and partially cook broccoli while mixing ingredients.

In a large bowl combine the chicken, rice, soup, mayonnaise, onion, celery, water, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper. Add broccoli. Mix well. Spread this mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with cheese, then potato chips. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potato chips are lightly browned. 

These pancakes are very fluffy, almost cake-like.  They can be thinned down if you like or even consider using a premade pancake mix.  No matter your preference, the cinnamon is the exact right amount.  And the kitchen will smell wonderful.  This is one your guests will be sure to love.

PANCAKE MIX

·  1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour

·  1 tablespoon brown sugar

·  1 tablespoon baking powder

·  1 tablespoon cinnamon

·  1/2 teaspoon salt

·  1 1/4 cups milk

·  1 egg

·  3 tablespoons butter, melted

·  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CINNAMON GLAZE

·  1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

·  3 ounces cream cheese

·  1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

·  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·  3 to 4 tablespoons milk
 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and the salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. The pan is ready when a little water is splattered  onto the pan surface and dances around the pan and eventually evaporates.

Combine the two bowls. Do not overstir.   It is okay if the batter has small lumps, Don’t be surprised if the pancake batter bubbles a bit – it’s normal.

Lightly spray skillet or griddle with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush with melted butter. Then, use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to spoon batter onto the skillet or griddle. Gently spread the batter into a 4-inch circle. The batter will be quite thick.

When you begin to notice the edges of the pancake look dry and little bubbles start to appear on the top surfaces of the pancake, turn over. This takes about 2 minutes. Once flipped, cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle.

To make the glaze, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat then whisk in the cream cheese. It will look separated at first, but after whisking will come together into a thick paste. Whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of the milk. You want to be able to drizzle the glaze over the pancakes. If it’s too thick, you can add another tablespoon or two of milk if you like.

 

With the cost of food and the increase in prices all around us, it’s very important to try to shop economically whenever possible.  Here are some tips that may serve to guide you as you consider which items to purchase.  Some of these tips you may already practice, but consistency is key.  Whether you are a coupon user or not, these tips are designed to save you extra money when shopping.

(1)   Always take an inventory before going to the market.  After you have planned out your weekly meals, it’s important to know what you have on hand so you can avoid duplicate buying.  Having three boxes of the same type of cracker in your pantry is just a waste of money.

(2)   Bulk buying is not always the answer.  Always check the shelf tag for the per pound price or per item price and do some quick mental calculations to make sure you really are getting the better deal.

(3)   Experiment and buy store brand items.  For example, Hannaford’s has Home Essentials glass cleaner that is very comparable to Windex and can save you lots of money.  Even a few cents here and there add up.

(4)   Plan ahead and cook ahead.  Take chili, for example, if you are cooking, make enough for two extra meals and freeze some.  You can save yourself time and money and have something quick, easy and nutritious on hand for those nights when it could have been a more expensive fast food night.

(5)   Grocery stores are laid out so that the produce and dairy sections are on opposite corners of the market.  This causes the shopper to have to walk through the whole market past aisles of items not originally on the list.  We’ve all been guilty of throwing the items from the aisles in our carts, causing us to spend extra money.  Avoid those areas.   Also consider avoiding checkout lines with candy, magazines and other little novelties you can’t live without.

To see a video of mine explaining some of these items further, just visit www.cnyflavor.com/quick-tips.php.

If you have more tips for saving money at the grocery store, I would love to hear them.  Just leave me a comment below.

Most ground beef recipes call for a pound of ground beef.   Everything from chili to casseroles.  But buying ground beef one pound at a time is certainly not the cheapest way to go.  It may seem easier, but in the long run, you are making more work for yourself and costing yourself extra money to boot. 

Buying ground beef in a five pound chub is a great way to save some money.   By buying in the 5 pound chub, you can actually cut the ground beef yourself  into five one pound portions and freeze some for later use.

Simply cut the chub lengthwise right down the top to slice off the wrapping.  Turn upside down and flip the beef out of the package.  Discard the package.  Score the top of the chub into five equal pieces as a guide.   Take a longer knife and just cut straight down.  Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in airtight plastic sealable bags for up to three months. 

Always thaw ground beef in the refrigerator, never on the kitchen counter.  You may thaw ground beef in the microwave but watch carefully as the ends may start to actually cook. 

One serving of cooked ground beef is four ounces.  One pound, or 16 ounces,  of raw ground beef equals two cups of ground beef.

You can check out my video on saving money on ground beef by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZnSGvvFDeo.

I received an email this week from my food supplier containing a very sudden warning about a price spike in certain produce.  You may recall that earlier this month desert freezes occurred in Arizona and California.  While farmers tried methods to protect their crops, the four days of below freezing weather just proved to be too much for certain crops and losses are substantial.

This year most of the desert crops were well ahead of their projected harvest dates with a large supply for projected demand.  There were unfortunately multiple days of freezing temperatures resulting in loss of product.  This in turn creates a large gap in supplies and wide spread quality problems.  These issues will take weeks to sort out and get through.

Crops substantially hit by the freeze are broccoli, Romaine and green leaf lettuce and green onions.  Broccoli has already risen from an average 2012 price of $7.93 per fob (free on board or shipping price) to $31.23.  Equally substantial increases will be seen for the lettuce and green onions.

Using wind machines and water, California was able to save the majority of citrus crops, with the possible exceptions of Mandarin oranges.  They are still a concern due to their thin skin and ease of peeling.  More than $17 million was spent to try and save these crops, according to California Citrus Mutual.   Navel oranges made it through the freeze while Clementines had already been harvested.

In Arizona, 75 percent of the lemon harvest was completed prior to the freeze.

Spicy.  That’s the first thing that comes to mind.  Real Tex-Mexican food with its wonderful spices and flavors is the staple for West Texas.  Everything has a spicy flavor to it.  Even breakfast.  My host in Texas says they have three types of food, Mexican, barbecue and more Mexican.   The locals refer to their cuisine as Mexican, not Tex-Mexican.

Since moving to New York I have only been able to eat Mexican food on my trips to other locations.  Mexican Food is not a real popular item here in Central New York.  It’s way more than Taco Bell and is an art itself.  Meats, cheeses and spices are rich and plentiful.  Salsas come in different varieties of strength, depending on the variety of pepper.  Each is a varying degree of flavor and spiciness   I love spicy salsas and like to add it to Mexican cuisine.  I put it on top of burritos and even my rice and beans.

While I was in Texas, I had the opportunity to eat in three Mexican restaurants.  They all were decorated in traditional Mexican theme with bold tiles, bold artwork and bold colors.  Complimentary appetizers are chips and salsa.  The servers all spoke Spanish and used hot pads when serving the dishes.  And boy were they hot.  I had the opportunity to try burritos, a spicy shrimp dish and a beef dish.  All were excellent.  Dinner for four including beverages of coffee and tea was just under $100.00.

Another popular food item in West Texas is barbecue.  Texas barbecue is mostly beef and spices again contain lots of flavor.  Chili is a favorite of Texans.  There are thousands of chili recipes and each location and family has their own version and specialty.

I had the opportunity to go to breakfast.  The restaurant served traditional breakfast items but each contained its own original spices.  I had the Eggs Benedict which was a little spicy and very delicious.   Breakfast for four was $64.00, including beverages but not including tip.

West Texas has the usual fast food joints such as Taco Bell, McDonalds, Sonic and Jack-in-the-Box but none ever seemed to be too busy.  I like breakfast sandwiches from Jack-in-the-Box.  Unfortunately, the ones I ate from West Texas were lacking.

From my earlier blog you may recall that I mentioned that businesses in West Texas are having difficulty finding and keeping employees because of the boom in the oil industry.  That was evident in some restaurants.  At a Waffle House, the cook mentioned that he was just about to complete a 27 hour shift.  He was obviously very tired and made a number of mistakes while we were there.

Texans love to eat and carefully plan out the next meal.  Just my kind of place.

I recently returned from a trip to Midland, Texas which is commonly known as West Texas.   The area consists of two towns, Midland and Odessa, located just 20 miles apart. The population of each town is 125,000 for a combined total of around 250,000 people.  It’s a boom town, growing at an unreal pace.  The unemployment rate is a mere 3 percent which is the lowest in the country.  Locals say that the 3 percent unemployment rate is really just the folks who don’t want to work.

Housing is almost impossible to find.  There is no vacancy at apartments and the campgrounds are filled to capacity.  A few hours away in Austin, an Extended Stay hotel is $150.00 per week and in Midland the rate is $500.00 per week.

There are plenty of pick-up trucks because it’s Texas but also lots of Mercedes, Escalades and even a Ferrari and Lamborghini or two.  People are well dressed and very well mannered, wearing obviously expensive clothing and sporting expensive jewelry.

Midland is a pretty city with a new hospital and clean streets and sidewalks.  The surrounding area is brown and ugly with no hills and very few trees. It is desert, that’s for sure.  One family just purchased a new house and are so excited because there is a pecan tree in the front yard, one of two trees on the property.  West Texas is still in a drought so water rationing is the norm.  There isn’t enough water to water a lawn.  Some residents have taken to drilling their own water wells just for the purpose of watering their lawns.  These homes display prominent signs so their neighbors don’t turn them in for violating water rationing laws.

The reason for this boom is oil.  Lots and lots of oil.  You can smell it in the air.  Pumps are going round the clock and oil is being pumped and hauled as quick as it will come out of the ground.  While everyone knows someone who works in the oilfields, the oil industry is not the only industry profiting.

Restaurants are busy.  There is a normal two hour wait for people who dare to venture out on the weekend.  Food is plentiful and not cheap.  The problem for the food industry is getting enough good help.  Restaurants are struggling to find enough employees.  McDonald’s is paying $14.00 per hour while the 7/11 convenience store is offering a $1,500 bonus to anyone who stays for six months.  Several popular restaurants came to town to expand but never even opened their doors because they could not find enough employees to train and open. 

In my next blog I’ll talk about the cuisine in West Texas.  I had some of the finest southwest food around.