Stir Frys and Fried Brown Rice Tips…..

The next time you make brown rice, make double and freeze.  Simply thaw and whip up Fried Vegetable Brown Rice.  This is healthy and so simple.  Add whatever vegetables you like or even add a small amount of leftover rotisserie chicken or any other leftover meat to make for a satisfying entree.   Remember too, that you can offer a stir fry side dish to accompany most any grilled or pan seared protein.
Stir frys do not need to be complicated.  You need seasonings such as garlic and ginger, protein if you like, can be tofu, tempeh, seafood, chicken or beef, and a simple sauce.  Personally, I fancy sweet and spicy.  Let us not forget noodles….so many options!

Here are a couple things to keep in mind when preparing fried rice or stir fry:

1)  For fried rice, always use cold rice, this is why leftover is best.  Brown or white rice are equally suitable.
2)  Have all ingredients that are going into fried rice or a stir fry are prepped ahead and ready to go into the pan.
3)  Remember to use meats as a condiment rather than the focus of your stir fry, it will be much healthier and you will get plenty of the daily fiber requirement your body needs. 
4)  Be creative and use leftover meats and vegetables to reduce waste.
5)  Cook meats first, remove from pan, wipe with a paper towel and move on to vegetables.
6)  Cook the vegetables that will take the longest first, adding veggies down to the quickest cooking. Add the cooked meat back to the pan at the very end with sauce ingredients.
7)  Stir fry odds and ends of vegetables you have in your crisper to use them up! 
8)  Pan to use?  Of course you can use a wok, if you do not have one, no worries.  A large heavy skillet with good heat conduction is perfect!  You want the pan very hot before adding oil to begin cooking.

Here are the vegetables in order from longest cooking to shortest:
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Peppers
Mushrooms
Napa cabbage
Broccoli
Snap peas
Pea pods
Green onions
Bean sprouts-just need to be warmed
Water chestnuts-just need to be warmed
Bamboo shoots-just need to be warmed
Ginger-seasoning
Garlic-seasoning

Pantry items to have on hand: 

Low sodium soy sauce
Toasted sesame oil
Chicken broth (better than bouillon)
Chili Garlic Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Rice vinegar
Sesame seeds

The key to making stir frys, fried brown rice or noodles, is to have everything prepped and ready to go in the pan.  Depending on the number of ingredients you use, dinner can come together in a matter of minutes on the stove. 

So get ready to stir fry!  I will be sharing many quick stir fry recipes throughout summer.

Have a wonderful holiday!!

Angie

Buying Organic Meats, budgeting ideas…..

I watched Food, Inc. recently, click here to see the trailer.  What an eye opener! 

I put off watching it.  It is so important to be informed about what is going on in the world of  “corporate” food production.  It’s not farming, so ridiculous!  Lately I’ve wondered how local grocery stores could sell Perdue boneless chicken breasts from $ .99 to $1.98/lb.  Watch the documentary, you will understand how.  It is more important than ever to buy our foods from actual FARMERS.  People who take pride in their animals and treat them humanely.  If an animal is standing in waste, fed unhealthy foods that they aren’t meant to eat, and given crazy growth hormones to fatten them up unbelievably fast, the end product simply cannot be good for the human body.   Watch the documentary, you will understand what I’m talking about.

Think about this.  Try cutting meat out two to three times a week by making good, vegetarian type meals and you will have more in your budget for the better meats/poultry.  In fact, you will most likely SAVE money!Most of us eat entirely too much meat on a daily basis.  The recommended daily allowance varies depending on your age and size and is given in grams per serving.  Find out what your RDA is on this grams to ounces conversion calculator.

There are so many delicious things you can make that kids, yes, I said kids, will love.  Macaroni and cheese, whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce topped with a healthy shaving of parmigiano reggiano, meatless tamale pie , etc.  Also, make dishes where you are using only 3-4 oz. of meat/ serving.  For example, vegetable stir fry using meat as a condiment, pasta sauces with small amounts of chicken or ground meats.   Our bodies are not equipped to digest 8-16 oz portions!  I’m working on brown rice and cheese stuffed poblano peppers (chile rellenos.)..now what’s not to love about that?

Let us all say “NO” to this out of hand corporate way in which we feed our people.  Less dollars in their pockets send a very telling message.  Let’s use this information to make better choices for the environment and the health of our families.

We can do it!  I am going to do my best to share recipes that use smaller amounts of meat and poultry.  We’re going to get healthier together!

I am so up for the challenge!

Have a great week!
Angie

Stretching food budget dollars…..Recipes…..

Hello everyone.  Happy New Year!

I don’t know about you, but after all that holiday spending  my wallet could use a break!  The best way to save money on your food budget is to plan ahead.  Here are some ideas for saving some green:

1)  Plan your menu for the week around the sale paper.  Most stores have their ads on line.  Actually write down your menu on the left of your notebook, and write your shopping list down the right side.  Be sure to check your pantry for items you already have.   If you are making something that can be frozen, make enough for two meals to enjoy at another hectic time.  I will be sharing a favorite breaded chicken recipe in the next couple of days, great to freeze! 

2)  Do you ever get over zealous when buying vegetables and when you finally get to them they’re a science project in your vegetable crisper?  Include frozen vegetables in your menu, they are readily available when you are.  They are very nutritous as they are frozen at the peek of freshness, a very good alternative to fresh, especially in the winter.  You can usually buy a 1 lb. bag for around $1.29, it’s a great value.    The best vegetables to have on hand are:   mixed vegetables, petite peas, white corn, green beans, & lima beans (if you like them, I love them!) loose leaf spinach.

3)  Waste nothing.  I freeze left over rice & noodles, they’re great in soups.  Bread crust ends, rolls, hamburger buns, any type of leftover bread makes for fantastic home made bread crumbs.  You can process them in your food processor to go right into meatballs or meat loaf.  When using fresh bread crumbs you double the amount your recipe calls for.  For breading, you want to dry them; spread them out over a cookie sheet & bake at 250′ for 15-20 minutes.  You’ll want to give them a stir a couple of times while baking for even toasting.  Cool completely and store in an air tight container or zip lock bag.  Remember to date them, they will stay good for at least 3 months.

4)  It’s also a good time & money saving idea to “over cook” for a meal and use what’s left for another meal.   We are all busy and don’t have the time to cook big & time consuming meals every night of the week.     Here is an example:

Meal #1

Oven roasted whole chicken or chicken pieces (make extra!)  (recipe on blog under December post:  One of my favorite comfort foods)
Brown rice- double or triple recipe, 1 part rice to 2 parts water- takes about 40-45 minutes to cook
Petite frozen peas-in saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and add 1/2 small diced onion, cook until translucent.  Add peas and saute until they’re hot, about 5 minutes.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Remove chicken from bone and shred into bite size pieces-date & refrigerate or freeze.
Don’t forget to save the carcass, date & freeze as well.
Brown rice-same as above.

Meal #2

Chicken & Vegetable Fried Rice

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
3-4 cups cooked leftover cold brown rice (you can thaw it in microwave if you need to, just until it comes apart into individual grains, it can be very cold)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 lb. frozen mixed vegetables, thaw in microwave
1 cup fresh bean sprouts, rinsed & drained
1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger (you can break off any size you need at the store) Peeled & minced
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled & minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 bunch fresh green onions, sliced thinly

1)  Over high heat, place a large non stick skillet or cast iron skillet.
2)  Allow the pan to get very hot and add canola oil.  Add the chicken, garlic & ginger; heat through stirring often, move to the side of the pan and add beaten eggs and cook until done. 
3)  Add frozen vegetables, bean sprouts, & rice, stirring often. 
4)  Drizzle soy sauce and sesame oil over cooking rice.  Cook until rice is piping hot, add green onions. 
5)  Taste.  Do then what your taste buds tell you.  You may need more soy sauce or sesame oil.   

Chicken Vegetable Rice Soup

1 chicken carcass
1 large carrot, rinsed and cut into thirds
1 large celery stalk, rinsed and cut into thirds
1/2 small onion, peeled
3-4 springs fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried

1)  Place all ingredients into soup pot, add enough water to cover carcass.  Simmer over low heat for a couple of hours, if water evaporates, add more water to the pot. (bonus, your house will smell wonderful!)
2)  Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon and discard.  If you want a more clear stock, strain through a fine, large sieve into a large bowl.  If you pan has a bit of residue, clean and rinse before adding stock back to pot.
3)  Add stock back to pot.  Now you have a beautiful base for soup.  Add chicken, rice, frozen mixed vegetables, frozen spinach, any bits of frozen leftovers in your freezer would be great!
4)  Taste. Taste.  Taste.  You will now add salt & pepper, tasting after each addition until you get it just right.  Remember that there is alot of soup in that pot, you may need to add a bit of salt.  For added flavor, top each serving with a little parmesan cheese.

Pretty easy, right?  There is plenty more where that came from.  Take special care.
Angie

Turkey Cooking Tips….

Be sure to have a good instant read thermometer for your Thanksgiving bird. You will want to take the temperature in two places, in the thickest part of the breast, and in the thickest part of the thigh. Internal temperature should read 170′-175, you then let it rest, tented with foil, for 15-20 minutes, if your bird is over 20 lbs, let it rest for 30-45 minutes. For a stuffed bird, cooking temperature should be 325′, for a 16 lb. or less bird you cook for 15 minutes per pound, for birds 17 lbs or larger you cook for 12 minutes per pound. For an unstuffed bird, season the cavaty with salt, pepper, & about 1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning. Stuff with 4 stalks of celery, 5 springs of fresh parsley, and 2 large onions, quartered. Cooking time is the same as a stuffed turkey. You will want to prepare your stuffing ahead of time so that it is completely chilled when you stuff your bird. NEVER put warm stuffing into a cold bird, it takes too long for the stuffing to reach the proper cooking temperature. Be sure your turkey is completely thawed as this would greatly affect cooking time and you would end up with tough meat.