Summer 2007

Dear Friends,

Summer is just around the corner. This time of year we all enjoy picnics and barbecues and look forward to more time outdoors. We still face the daily question: "What's for dinner?" I like to keep it simple, especially this time of the year.

Over ten years ago, I devised what I call "Express Cooking" - an easy way to prepare our meat, and keep our freezer stocked with ready-to-eat food. You'll find some of my favorite recipes below.

Before I explain Express Cooking, I want to draw your attention to a new feature on our website: the Archives section for my Online Letters. I hope you'll take a look! You'll find recipes for Ice Cream in a Bag, Apple Pie, Foolproof Piecrust, Roasted Tomato Soup, nutritional information on whole wheat flour, oats, soluble and insoluble fiber, and so much more. You'll see the Letter Archives in the sidebar; I hope you'll visit often.

Also, you have permission to print one copy of my Online Letters for your own personal, private use. If you have an FCH group, or similar homemaking group, you may make one print copy for each person in the group. So, enjoy! I hope you find all the information and tips helpful.

Express Cooking is designed for busy people who want to make economical meals efficiently. If you want to put a nutritious, home-cooked meal on the table for your family every night, but your time is limited, then Express Cooking is for you!

Meat is often the main ingredient in our meals. It is usually the most expensive ingredient both in terms of dollars and preparation time.

Express Cooking uses a few Master Recipes to cook meat and then gives you at least half a dozen different ways to serve it. If you purchase your meat when it’s on sale, you’ll reap big savings, too. You’ll make fewer trips to the grocery store, saving time and money.

With Express Cooking, you just heat and serve a cooked entree, leaving you more time at dinner hour.

Here’s how:

1 ~ Select one type of meat you want to prepare. Choose a recipe from the following pages, or substitute your own.

2 ~ Buy the meat in a large quantity, 10 pounds or more to suit your family’s needs.

3 ~ Cook the meat. Store it in meal-sized portions in freezer bags. Label and freeze.

When you want a quick meal, thaw the meat in the refrigerator overnight, or in the microwave at the last minute. Heat a vegetable, add baked potatoes – cooked in minutes in the microwave – and dinner is done!

By precooking just the meat, you have maximum flexibility and the process is very efficient and streamlined. No need to pre-assemble a variety of casseroles, or cook many different recipes all day just to stock the freezer. The cooked meat takes much less freezer space than entire meals. You don’t need a large freezer to Express Cook!

Here’s how it works for me: In about 2 hours when it’s convenient for me, I cook all of my ground beef meals. I buy 12-15 pounds of lean ground beef when it’s on sale and cook it all. I save at least $10 on the meat. I use the Master Recipe for Meatballs and Meatloaf and make 2 meatloaves, 50 meatballs and a stuffed green pepper. While all of those bake in the oven at one time, I cook several pounds of ground beef in the frying pan and make Saucy Ground Beef. My husband grills hamburgers on the grill.

That evening, we eat the stuffed green pepper. I put hamburgers in the refrigerator for dinner the next day. Everything else goes into the freezer. I slice the meatloaves so they freeze quickly. When I want to serve them I take out just what we need for one meal. Slices thaw quickly. I freeze the meatballs in 1 or 2 large freezer bags; it’s
easy to remove just what I need for a meal later. I freeze the Saucy Ground Beef in quart-size freezer bags, about one pound per bag.

Another day, when chicken is on sale, I will simmer 2 or 3 whole chickens or 8-10 lbs of chicken leg quarters or breasts. I remove the bones and skin, and bag 2 Cup portions of cooked chicken in quart-size freezer bags. If I’m in a hurry and there’s a good sale, I’ll sometimes buy boneless chicken, streamlining the process even further. That evening, I’ll use some of the chicken broth for chicken soup. I freeze the rest of the broth in plastic freezer containers to use later.

When round steak is on sale, I ask the butcher to trim it and cut it into 1” cubes. I simply brown the meat in a skillet and freeze it, about 1 pound per bag. I will use that later to make beef chow mein, beef stew, or vegetable beef soup.

I Express Cook when it’s convenient for me and when the meat is on sale. I keep a variety of cooked meats in the freezer, on hand for quick meals. I rarely freeze raw meat; it takes time to thaw later and then it still needs to be cooked. When I buy it, I cook it by the next day, and freeze it. This method allows me to shop, cook, and clean up one time.

Yes, I still cook some recipes totally from scratch on the night I serve them. I do that only when I have time. I also use my slow cooker and let dinner simmer all day. But, with a freezer well supplied with Express Cooked meat, I rarely have to rely on expensive convenience foods.

Here’s a sample menu I’ve used:
Sunday - Meatloaf, baked potatoes, green beans, canned peaches
Monday – Chicken Noodle Casserole, mixed vegetables, apple slices
Tuesday – BBQ Chicken on a bun, salad, canned pork and beans
Wednesday – Spanish Rice, broccoli, carrot sticks
Thursday – Beef Stew in the slow cooker, French bread, leftover fruit
Friday - Tacos with salsa, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream
Saturday – Meatball Subs, salad, fruit cocktail

Side dish tip: I freeze meal-size portions of rice and pasta, too. Long grain rice is much cheaper, and more nutritious than rice that cooks in a few minutes. Here’s an easy way to cook rice: Put rice in a microwave-safe dish that allows room for rice to expand. Add boiling water; cover. Microwave on Low (30% power) for 20 minutes. Let stand, covered 5 minutes. To cook very large amounts, pour the rice into a roasting pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil spray. Add boiling water for the amount of rice you are cooking. Cover. Very carefully place the pan in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. You can cook brown rice in these ways; just increase the cooking time to 45-50 minutes. When you freeze cooked rice and then thaw it, it will seem rubbery. But, when heated, it will be just fine. A minute or two in a covered microwave-safe dish in the microwave will do it.

Below, you’ll find the Master Recipes you need to make these meals and many more. You’ll think of other family favorites to add to my list of serving suggestions for each recipe. Keep it simple! With the main ingredient already cooked, it only takes minutes to get dinner on the table!


Meatball-Meatloaf Master Recipe
Multiply the recipe to meet your needs.

Ingredients:
4 – 6 slices of soft white bread
½ pounds ground beef
½ Cup ketchup
Tablespoons mustard
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
¾ Cup milk

Method: Yield: About 20 meatballs or 1 meatloaf

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line with foil: 9” x 13” pan, or a cookie sheet that has edges around it to catch meat juices.

. Cut the crusts off the bread, then cut bread into cubes. Set bread cubes aside.

3. Put the ground beef in a large bowl.

4. Put the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into the bowl with the meat.

5. Place the bread cubes on top of everything. Pour the milk onto the bread. Note: The soft bread and milk help create the “melt-in-your-mouth” texture of this recipe. Do not substitute dry bread or cracker crumbs.

6. Mix thoroughly with your hands to evenly distribute all of the ingredients.

7. Take a small handful of meat (about 1/3 Cup) and shape into a ball. Place the meatballs on the pan close together (but not touching) in rows so they fit in the pan.

8. Bake for about 20 minutes or until done, 160 degrees when checked with a kitchen thermometer. Juices should run clear and there should be no pink meat.

9. Remove meatballs from the pan with a slotted spoon. Serve promptly or store in freezer or refrigerator for later use.

To make meatloaf: Pat the meat mixture into a foil-lined loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ¼ hours or until meat is done (160 degrees internal temperature).

Variations:
Stuffed Tomatoes: Cut the top off a tomato; scoop out the insides. Fill with meat mixture. Set in a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees till done (about 20-30 minutes depending on size). Top with cheese if desired.

Stuffed Green Peppers: Slice green peppers in half; scoop out seeds and ribs. Fill with meat mixture. Set in a baking pan and bake at 350 till done (about 20-30 minutes depending on size).

Menu Magic with Meatballs

Okay, after you bake loads of meatballs (I often do 60 at a time), what different ways can you serve them? We automatically think of spaghetti. That’s fine, but let’s get creative and avoid menu monotony with our meal planning. Meatballs mix well with many different flavors. They can easily be made in quantity - especially if you bake them - and they freeze well. Simply thaw as many cooked meatballs as you need for a meal, then try some of the following serving ideas to add variety to your dinner menus.

Meatball Subs: Place several hot meatballs in a sub roll. Add warm spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs: Heat meatballs with a jar of sweet and sour sauce. Serve over rice. Sprinkle Chinese noodles on top.

Meatballs Alfredo: Heat meatballs with bottled Alfredo sauce. Serve over cooked noodles. Add sliced mushrooms if desired.

Barbecue Meatballs: Heat meatballs with canned pork and beans. Add any of the following: ketchup, onions, brown sugar, bottled barbecue sauce, cooked corn.

Mexican Meatballs: Heat meatballs with a jar of your favorite salsa. Serve with rice, cornbread or refried beans.

Meatball Stew: Place meatballs in a large saucepan. Add one package of frozen vegetables for stew (carrots, potatoes, celery, onion). Add beef stock or consommé to cover (or use instant beef bouillon diluted in water according to package directions). Cover and simmer gently just until veggies are cooked. Dissolve 2 T. cornstarch in ¼ C. water and stir into stew to thicken. Add more cornstarch (dissolved in a little water) if needed to achieve desired consistency.

Make-A-Face: This is a favorite with children! On an empty plate, let your child create a face using meatball eyes, plain, cooked spaghetti for hair, a radish or grape nose, and strips of cheese to form the mouth. Set out a variety of sliced veggies to make earrings, a necklace, and other embellishments. Have butter, Parmesan cheese or spaghetti sauce to add to your creations.

Meatball Mac & Cheese: Add mini-meatballs to macaroni and cheese. To make
mini-meatballs, shape raw meat into small balls, about the diameter of a quarter.
Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes or until done.

Porcupines: Before baking, roll the raw meatballs in crushed corn flakes, then bake. For extra crunch and bacon flavor, sprinkle several tablespoons of bacon bits into the cornflakes.

Fruity Meatballs: Press a chunk of pineapple or a small piece of apple into the center of each raw meatball. Close the meat around the fruit and bake.

Hidden Crunch Meatballs: Press half a water chestnut into the center of each raw meatball. Close the meat around it and bake.

While meatloaf and meatballs are baking in the oven, cook some ground beef in a large frying pan. It is a very versatile ingredient! Try this Master Recipe and some of the variations below.

Saucy Ground Beef Master Recipe

Ingredients:
1½ pounds ground beef Multiply the recipe to meet your needs.
½ Cup diced onion
1/3 Cup diced green pepper or thinly sliced celery, optional
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash of chili powder, optional

Method:
In a large non-stick skillet, fry the ground beef, onion and green pepper or celery, until thoroughly cooked. Drain meat mixture in a sieve or colander and discard meat juices. Return meat to skillet. Add seasonings and tomato sauce. Stir over low heat until heated through.
Note: For taco or burrito filling, you will want to decrease the tomato sauce so it just moistens the meat; see below. Remove the meat for tacos and add the more tomato sauce for sloppy joes and the other recipes below.

Don’t like onions? Maybe the kids don’t like green pepper? Omit them & add a little onion powder if desired for flavor. This recipe is very flexible!

Use this to make:

Sloppy Joes: Adjust the amount of tomato sauce to achieve the consistency you prefer. Serve on buns.

Spanish Rice: Add Saucy Ground Beef to 2 – 4 Cups of cooked rice. Stir in 2 Cups cooked corn. Add more tomato sauce if needed to moisten all ingredients. Put in a greased casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese if desired. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Taco or Burrito Filling: In the master recipe, decrease the tomato sauce by half, so there’s enough to coat the meat without making it too “soupy”. Add a package of Taco Seasoning (or half the package depending on how spicy you like it). Stir thoroughly. Serve in taco shells or burrito wraps with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, and any other favorites.

Mexican Cornbread: Spread the cooked Saucy Ground Beef in the bottom of a greased 9” baking pan. Mix one box of Jiffy cornbread mix according to package directions and pour over the top of the meat. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread is done.

Chili: Add to the cooked Saucy Ground Beef, one can (any size, depending on how many beans you like in chili) of kidney beans, drained, a large can (28 ozs) of tomatoes, 1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust amount to suit your taste). Add tomato sauce, or bottled chili sauce, and water to reach desired consistency.



Cooked chicken is another versatile ingredient. You can easily roast one or two whole chickens in the oven, or buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked. When I have time, I like to use the Master Recipe below. Not only do I have lots of great tasting cooked chicken, but I have all that wonderful broth - perfect for soup or to use in other recipes.


Chicken Master Recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken, 2-3 whole or about 8 lbs. of chicken pieces
-3 stalks celery, washed & cut in thirds
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or sage + marjoram)
Salt & Pepper to taste (Go easy! You can always add more later.)

Method:
1. Remove the bag of giblets from inside the chickens. Discard or keep for other uses.

. Rinse the chickens well; clean out the insides.

3. Place the chickens in a stock pot or other large pot. Fill with water to cover.

4. Cover the pot, leaving lid slightly ajar. Heat on top of the stove on high until the water begins to boil. Turn heat down so that water continues to simmer gently.

5. Skim the foam and discard. You can omit this step, but the broth is clearer if you skim it.

6. Add celery, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

7. Cover and simmer 1 ½ hours or until chicken falls off the bone.

8. Remove chicken from broth with a large slotted spoon. Allow chicken to cool 10-15 minutes.

9. Remove all bones and skin. Cut or pull meat into 1-2” pieces. Place meal-size portions into freezer bags. Squeeze out the air, seal, label and freeze.

For the broth: To cool it down as quickly as possible, fill your sink with ice cubes and carefully place the pot of hot broth on the ice (or pack ice around the pot). Remove the celery. Skim fat off the top and discard. Allow broth to sit 15 minutes to cool, then ladle into plastic freezer containers, leaving about 1” of empty space at the top to allow for expansion when frozen. Mark the containers with the date and contents and freeze.

Note: Food safety is important! Broth and chicken should be cooled and put in the freezer or refrigerator as quickly as possible. Pint or quart containers are best for broth. Large containers of broth take a long time to cool and bacteria may rapidly multiply while temperatures are lukewarm.


Quick & Easy Ways to Dish Up Chicken!

When you have cooked chicken on hand, you have a versatile main ingredient that can quickly be served in a variety of ways. The serving ideas below are great ways to use leftover roast chicken, or chicken you’ve simmered and frozen. In a pinch? You can use canned chicken or microwave a half chicken breast (6-8 ozs.) on High for 2 minutes in a covered, microwave-safe dish.

Try some of these meal ideas and create some of your own!

BBQ Chicken: Add BBQ sauce to cooked chicken pieces. Heat through and serve on buns.

Chicken Noodle Casserole: Cook 4 Cups of egg noodles, drain and rinse. Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup with 1 can of milk. Add ½ Cup mayonnaise for added creaminess (optional). Combine the noodles with the soup mixture and stir in 1-2 Cups cooked chicken. Pour into a large greased casserole and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Adapt this recipe to your family’s taste. Add 1-2 Cups cooked vegetables. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. For a crunchy topping, sprinkle dry bread crumbs on top, dot with butter or margarine. Use more meat if you prefer a meaty, hearty casserole.

Tip: You can substitute chicken (instead of tuna) in most of your tuna casserole recipes. You can also add cooked chicken to your favorite green bean casserole or squash casserole recipe to create a main dish.

Chicken Pot Pie: Add 2-3 Cups of cooked mixed vegetables to 1-2 Cups of cooked chicken. Place in a greased pie plate or casserole dish. Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom) with half a can of milk. Spread over the chicken and vegetables. Add a little more milk if necessary to coat all of the chicken and veggies. Top with refrigerator biscuits, or your favorite biscuit dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until biscuits are done.

Chicken Cacciatore: Add cooked chicken to spaghetti sauce. Serve over cooked spaghetti (thin spaghetti cooks the quickest!). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Chicken Alfredo: Serve cooked chicken over cooked spaghetti or noodles. Warm a jar of Alfredo sauce and spoon over chicken. Optional: Add cooked broccoli for a one-dish meal.

Chicken Enchiladas: Warm cooked chicken. Place a large spoonful of chicken in a warm tortilla. Add shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped chilis, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, or your family’s favorite Mexican toppings.

Chicken Tacos: Use the ingredients for enchiladas but stuff them into taco shells.


Want more master recipes? Read my review of the cookbook, "Make-A-Mix: 306 Recipes to Save Time and Money."


Freezer Storage Times for Meat & Poultry ~

Cooked meat and poultry may be kept frozen 1-6 months, according to the manufacturers of Ziploc bags. Why are freezer storage times often given in a range? Optimum time may be just a month or two, if the meat is sliced and exposed to air. Properly packaged, it will be fine much longer.

Air causes freezer burn. The meat is not spoiled but freezer burn does not look very appealing! You can prevent freezer burn by properly storing food. Remember; air is the culprit. It dries out the meat and “burns” the surface. Here are some tips:

1. Store foods only in freezer bags, heavy duty foil, or containers designed for freezing. Storage bags are not thick enough for freezing. Air permeates the thinner plastic of these bags and will allow your food to dry out.

. Press as much air as possible out of the freezer bag and then seal. To remove even more air, insert a straw in one corner, carefully suck out the air, remove the straw quickly and seal the bag. The idea is to get the bag to cling to the meat as much as possible so the air does not come in contact with the food.

3. Ziploc’s Double Guard freezer bags have 2 layers. The inner layer is designed to cling to the food when you seal the bag as directed. This helps prevent freezer burn. This inner layer has a tiny hole so the plastic will cling to the food and therefore it is not recommended that you wash and re-use these bags.

4. Another way to prevent freezer burn is to freeze meat in a sauce or broth. That will prevent air from coming in contact directly with the meat.

5. Cooked meats that are higher in fat usually freeze better than low fat meat such as sliced turkey or chicken. Slices expose more of the meat surface to air and, if the meat is already low in fat, it tends to dry out quickly. Freeze these in broth, use Double Guard bags, or freeze for just one month before using for best results. Meatballs, meatloaf and other ground beef dishes will usually remain at optimum quality for a longer time.

For more information, visit www.ziploc.com or ~

Visit www.reynoldskitchens.com/ Click on “Cooking School” and then "Food Safety." Or call Reynolds Wrap at 1-800-433-2244.

Until next time ~

Yours in Him,

 

Copyright, 2005, Laurie Latour.  www.FutureChristianHomemakers.com

You may make one printed copy for your own personal, private use.  FCH leaders may make one printed copy for each person in their group.  Copyright line above must be included in all copies.  Permission for any other use must be requested in writing. 
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