814-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 13, 1996
Meals In Minutes
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LEESPORT (Beaks Co.)
“Good cooking has to take time,”
said Fay Strickier, Berks County
extension home economist. A
broad smile spread across her face
as she added a resounding, “Not!”
With the help of nutrition advis
ers Alice Torres and Carol Fisher,
Fay led a recent workshop called
“Meals in Minutes,” which
demonstrated that delicious meals
can truly be made in minutes.
The secret lies mostly in select
ing the right recipes and in
planning.
Fay explained that a pot roast
can’t be made in minutes, but dou
bling the amount, freezing, and
reheating results in a quick meal
later on.
The demonstration team also
pointed out that what one person
considers time saving another per
son may not. Some people like
using pressure cookers, some like
buying in large quantities and
dividing into smaller portions,
some precook foods, and others
prefer to open cans and dump.
The workshop was packed with
both verbal and written informa
tion for spending less time in the
kitchen and devising better meals.
Planning
Planning includes a lot of com
mon sense ideas. These include:
• The night before place fro
zen meat in the refrigerator to
thaw. Check to make certain you
have all the ingredients to make the
dish.
• As you start cooking, preheat
the broiler or oven, reread the
recipe, and gather all ingredients
and utensils needed.
• During cooking, try to do two
things at once; for example, while
water is boiling for pasta, open
Rice and beans make a company meal when garnished
with a tomato flower and strips of pepper.
This attractive cake can be made in minutes. Thaw a fro
zen pound cake, cut in three layers. Soften lime sherbet and
spread on the bottom layer. Spread soften tropical sherbet
and thinly sliced strawberries on the middle layer. Top with
whipped cream topping garnished with kiwi fruit and a
strawberry fan. The fan is made by keeping on the cap of the
strawberry and slicing the berry lengthwise into eight thin
slices and spreading apart as a fan'.
cans or chop vegetables.
• Hurry up the heating process
by choosing wide-diame’er
saucepans.
• To boil water, start with hot tap
water.
• Use work- and time-saving
ingredients and gadgets whenever
possible.
• Cut down on clean up by reus
ing measuring cups and spoons.
Measure dry ingredients before
wet ones.
■ Have the whole family pitch
in. Divide the meal into pans and
give each member something to
prepare. -
• Bake or chill the dessen while
you’re eating.
Time-Saving Hints
• Meal planning: save time,
money, and unnecessary trips to
the store by planning a two to four
week cycle of menus. Once
planned, you can recycle the
menus. Include cookbook names
and recipe pages and numbers on
menu listing.
• Use the refrigerator for a handy
spot to post a running grocery list.
Encourage family members to add
their ideas.
• Prepare ahead: cut, wash, and
store lettuce and other salad ingre
dients. Place in resealable plastic
bags so you can quickly toss
together,
• Wash, dry, and slice fresh turk
ey and chicken into strips. Place in
freezer bag and freeze.
• Chop large quantities of sea
sonal vegetables such as onions,
green peppers, and celery, and
freeze in half-cup bags or tray
freeze.
• Fresh tomato salad: use low or
nonfat Italian bottled salad dress
ing for tomatoes. Add chopped
fresh or frozen basil and let stand
to warm 30 minutes to absorb fla-
Fay Strlckler, Alice Torres, and Carol Fisher demonstrate quick and easy meals
made In minutes.
vor. Add lemon or lime juice and
other seasonings.
• Stew large amounts of chicken
pieces, then debone and bag them
in serving sizes.
• Fruit sauce for ice cream, fruit,
or angel food cake —heat to soften
one jar of red currant seedless jel
ly, add water to thin and a dash of
lemon. Use as a sauce for fresh
fruit.
• Wash and dry fresh herbs.
Chop and seal in ziplock freezer
bags (squeeze out all air). Stack on
door shelf of freezer.
• Enhance commercial bottled
salsa: add fresh pepper, celery,
cilantro, parsley, and lime juice.
• Add flavor to vegetables:
freeze broth, soups, tomato paste
and sauce, and gravies in ice cube
trays. Add as needed to saute
vegetables.
Make Your Own
One-Dish Meals
Don’t buy packaged one-dish
meals. You can save lots of money
by making your own. A list of
items to stock in your pantry and
menu ideas results in a multitude
of choices for spur-of-the-minute
meals.
You can create hundreds of dif
ferent casseroles by mixing and
matching the foods from the fol
lowing list. Choose one food under
each heading. Cook pasta accord
ing to package directions, and
drain. Add vegetables, sauce, and
meat to the pasta. Stir lightly. Sea
son to taste with salt, pepper, and
spices of your choice. Continue to
heat slowly or place in a greased
casserole dish. Sprinkle with top
ping of your choice. Bake at 350
degrees for 30 minutes or simmer
for 20 minutes.
Protein
1 cup cooked, diced chicken
4 hot dogs, sliced
1 cup cooked ham cubes
1 cup cooked pork cubes
1 pound ground beef, browned
1 cup shrimp, cooked
1 can mackerel
1 pound ground pork, cooked
1 can tuna
1 cup grated American or Ched
dar cheese
Uncooked Pasta
1 cup elbow macaroni
1 cup medium noodles
1 cup shell macaroni
1 cup rice
1 cup spaghetti
l'/i cups thin noodles
1 cup curly noodles
1 cup lasagna
2 cups diced potato
Cot S( '
y'
A herb vegetable bake la made by alternating zucchini,
tomatoes, potatoes, and cloves brushed with olive oil and
arranged In a 12-inch circular casserole dish. Sprinkle with
thin garlic slices and chopped basil leaves. Bake for 30 to 40
minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Vegetable
peas
onions
green pepper
diced carrots
tomatoes
broccoli
com
lima beans
mushrooms
green beans
celery
Sauce
(with soups 'A can milk or water
may be added)
cream of mushroom
cream of tomato
cheddar cheese
cream of potato
cream of celery
chili beef
bean with bacon
onion
green pea
cream of asparagus or cream of
shrimp
medium white sauce your
own recipe
casserole sauce mix (recipe
printed in this article)
Meals In Minutes
• Make ahead meatballs use
with spaghetti, meatball sandwi
ches, beef broth, and mushroom
sauce with meatballs over pasta.
• Pizza—buy prepared or make
ahead and freeze the crust, sauce,
shredded mozzarella, and
meatballs.
• Frozen veal or chicken patties
make into sandwiches or lop
with tomato sauce and cheese for
veal or chicken parmesan good
over rice.
•Microwave chicken breasts
with canned soup (gumbo, mine
strone) and serve over rice.
• Fish fillets broiled or baked
with onion, green pepper, and
tomato sauce, and serve with rice.
• Turkey kielbasa (heated in
microwave) pasta with butter and
Italian seasoning and vegetables.
Free Information
The information given is much
too extensive to include in this arti
cle. Much of the same information
if available through your county
extension office. The free hand
outs include ideas, lists, and
recipes. Look in your phone direc
tory for the number of the Penn
State Cooperative Extension office
nearest you.
Here are a few recipes.
CANNED CREAM SOUP OR
CASSEROLE SOUP MIX
(Use this instead of cream soups in
casserole recipes. It has about one
third the calories).
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
V* cup cornstarch
'/* cup instant reduced sodium
chicken or beef bouillon
Vt teaspoon dried crushed thyme
'A teaspoon dried crushed basil
'/«teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients using
blender or food processor. Store in
airtight container. To prepare as
substitute for one can of condensed
cream soup in recipes, stir together
'A cup dry mix and VA cups water
in saucepan. Cook and stir until
thickened. _
(Turn to Page B 15)