Using a Crock Pot for Easy Meals
December 28, 2009
You shouldn’t feel guilty if you come home from a long day of work and don’t feel like cooking. We’ve all been there. Unfortunately, many of us make a quick trip to a fast food chain to get the chore of providing a meal over with. This habit, however, can have dire results. Instead, invest in a crock pot or a slow cooker. Cooking with a crock pot is an easy way and fast way to create a simple, healthy meal. The good thing about a crock pot is that you can throw in a variety of ingredients, and they usually form a great meal. Here are some ideas.
Put boneless chicken breasts into the crockpot with a bottle of Italian dressing. You can also use dry ranch dressing seasoning. It comes in a packet and can be found in the salad dressing aisle of your grocery store. Add some fresh broccoli and a couple of potatoes. Let the mixture cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours, and you have a complete meal.
Brown some hamburger meat. Thrown in the meat, a can of beef broth, and 3 or 4 cans of your favorite vegetables for a tasty soup. You can even freeze whatever is leftover for an easy meal for later. Again, cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
Make chili. Brown hamburger meat. Add a couple cans of chopped tomatoes, a can of tomatoe paste, a couple cans of tomatoe sauce, and any other veggies you like- like onions, celery, jalapenos, or bell peppers. You can also buy a pre-made chili kit that will have all the spices you need (garlic, cumin, oregano, etc…) Cook in the same manner.
Don’t be afraid to create your own concoctions in your crock pot. The great thing is that you can throw it in there, and forget about it. Providing a hot, healthy meal for your family is easily in reach.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTES
December 17, 2009
* If you’re cooking lumpia, you can substitute garbanzos with patani seeds.
* Cubed potatoes can be substituted by white kamote or sweet potatoes.
* For sinigang dish, sampaloc (tamarind) fruits can be replaced by green mangoes, calamansi juice or kamias fruit.
* Instead of using commercial lumpia or wonton wrapper, you can use home-made lumpia or wonton wrapper.
PROPER CHICKEN STORAGE
December 17, 2009
Fresh, raw chicken can be stored in its original wrap for up to two days in the coldest part of the refrigerator. However, freeze chicken immediately if you do not plant to use it within two days after purchasing. You can freeze most chicken in its original packaging safely for up to two months; if you plan to freeze it longer, consider double-wrapping with freezer paper, aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Air-tight packaging is the key to freezing chicken successfully.
When freezing whole chicken, remove and rinse giblets (if any) and pat dry with paper towels. Trim away any excess fat from chicken. Tightly wrap, label, date and freeze both chicken and giblets in separate strength-freezer plastic, or foil wraps.
Thaw frozen chicken, wrapped, in the refrigerator for best results. Thawing time for chicken varies depending on how thoroughly frozen the chicken is and whether the chicken is whole or cut up. A general guideline is to allow 24 hours thawing time for a 2.25 kilos whole chicken; allow about 5 hours per 450 grams for thawing chicken pieces. Never thaw chicken on the kitchen counter, this promotes bacterial growth.
INSPECTING CHICKEN
December 17, 2009
Physically inspect the chicken before purchasing. Its skin should be creamy white to deep yellow; meat should never look gray or pasty. Odors could signal spoilage. If you notice a strong, unpleasant odor after opening a package of chicken, leave it open on the counter for a few minutes. Sometimes oxidation takes place inside the package, resulting to a slight, but harmless odor. If the odor remains, return the chicken in its original package to the store for a refund.
HANDLING CHICKEN
December 17, 2009
When handling raw chicken, you must keep everything that comes in contact with it clean. Raw chicken must be rinsed and patted dry with paper towels before cooking; cutting boards and knives must be washed in hot sudsy water after using and hands must be scrubbed thoroughly before and after handling.
Why?
Raw chicken can harbor harmful salmonella bacteria. If bacteria are transferred to work surfaces, utensils or hands, they could contaminate other foods as well as the cooked chicken and cause food poisoning. With careful handling and proper cooking, this is easily prevented.
Chicken should always be cooked completely before eating. You should never cook chicken partially, and then store it to be finished later, since this promotes bacterial growth as well.
EXTRACTING COCONUT
December 17, 2009
* Have the coconuts grated. Squeeze until the meat is well extracted.
* Strain the pulp out of the milk and set aside. This is called the “kakang gata” or first extraction.
* Add another cup of water in the pulp (depending on how many cups the recipe requires), and repeat the process. This is the thin coconut milk or second extraction.
BOILING, SIMMERING, STEAMING
December 17, 2009
* Steam potatoes whenever possible to conserve nutrients. If you have to boil them, add 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to the water to make potatoes snowy white. Add a little milk in which cauliflower is cooked to retain whiteness.
* Add a grated quarter of small onion and a dash of sugar to the water in which you boil frozen or canned vegetables to improve the flavor. Or add a dash of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), garlic powder, pepper and onion flakes or powder to the salted boiling water before adding the vegetables for a rich flavor.
* To cook eggs in the shell: boil water, lower eggs into the boiling water in a metal spoon so the metal absorbs the heat and eggs won’t crack from the sudden change of temperature. Lower heat to simmer and cook eggs to desired doneness. For eggs at room temperature - soft boiled, 3-4 minutes; hard boiled, 10 minutes. For eggs right out of the refrigerator - soft boiled, 5 minutes; hard boiled, 12 minutes. Immediately plunge eggs in cold water after cooking; the shell will peel off easily and the whites will be tender.
* A teaspoon of salt added to water brings to a boil faster, cut and down egg whites running out in case the shells crack.
DEEP FRYING
December 17, 2009
* Use a deep heavy saucepan (3 to 5 quarts) if an electric fryer is not available.
* Oil should be enough to cover the food to be fried and allow it to move freely in the pan but should never exceed half the depth of the pan. This is to prevent spilling over of hot oil when it bubbles up when adding cold food.
* A wire basket is necessary in frying small food items as meat balls, Frech fries, etc. for even browning on all sides and for ease of loading and unloading to and from the pan.
* Be sure oil is pre-heated to the recommended temperature before the food is added so that the heat, not the oil penetrates the food. A frying thermometer is most helpful to know exact oil temperature. If it is not available, do a simple temperature test by dropping a 1-inch cube of bread into the hot oil.
FRYING, SAUTEING, BROWNING TIPS
December 17, 2009
* In pan frying and sauteing, always get your pan hot first before adding the oil or butter so food will not stick to the pan.
* When sauteing with garlic, always brown them in oil after salt has been added but before any other ingredients. This will bring out the full flavor of ingredients.
* Never pierce meats when browning because the juices will escape and the meats become tough and dry. Use tongs, not fork, for turning them over.
* When frying several pieces of food at a time, never let the pieces touch each other as they cook, or they will stew instead of saute.
* Brown red meats quickly, over high heat, uncovered. Brown poultry slowly, covered or uncovered.
Lava Flow Cocktail
November 11, 2009
Lava Flow Cocktail
- 1 oz. Light Rum
- 1 oz. Malibu coconut rum
- 2 oz. strawberries
- 2 oz. pineapple juice
- 2 oz. coconut cream
- 1 banana
Aye, as ey was at le Port of Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, that I perchance a drink of this elixir at Cronies. Delicious et superb, it was smooth, refreshing, and tasty. Basically a pina colada with a hint of grenadine. To mix this disaster:
You need yer rum, two types, of course; pineapple juice, coconut cream, strawberries, and bananas. Blend together the strawberries and rum to pour in the glass first, then blend the bananas, coconut cream, and pineapple juice to carefully pour atop the rum n’ strawberries. The strawberry concoction will creep up the sides of the glass like a lava flow, and there be yer drink! in da flavor of Hawaii. Rating: 4 stars out of 5.
