Amazing Taste

Written Monday, May 10th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Let me share a word or two about a product I really love - Amazing Taste Seasoning Packets. Big flavor, little package, even smaller price. In these times when stretching your food dollar is a big deal, this is a product that will help you do just that without sacrificing flavor.

There is NO OTHER seasoning product I know of that does what Amazing Taste accomplishes. Not only are meats, poultry and seafood perfectly seasoned, but the tenderizing effect makes it possible to use cheaper cuts of meat and still get a quality meal on the table.

But wait, there's MORE! Really. This stuff is lower in sodium than the 'other guys' and also contains absolutely NO MSG. On top of that, there's no guess work about nutrition facts or ingredients here. While all the nutrition facts are available on-site, you don't have to go there to find them, they're on the back of each and every packet of Amazing Taste. Did I mention these packets sell for a mere 99 cents each and that each packet seasons from 2 to 4 pounds of protein? Does it get any better than that?

The Amazing Taste Seasoning Packets come in nine fabulous flavors:

Beef Seasoning
Burger Seasoning
Chili Seasoning
Fajita Seasoning
Malibu Seasoning
Pork Seasoning
Poultry Seasoning
Seafood Seasoning
Steak House Seasoning

Dr. Ghazi Taki and Adam Taki are the father-son team that developed and founded Amazing Taste. I spoke with Adam Taki the other day and I was able to tell him how much I love this product. Not only am I sure of what we're eating, but I'm also able to stretch the food budget in a truly delicious way. There's no hidden fluff in these packets, just real ingredients without extra salt or MSG and it's a product I fully trust.

Where do you get Amazing Taste? Check out the store locator at the Amazing Taste website, and while you're there, have a look at the recipes, read about the company and how it all started, and even order a packet or two (or all 9 flavors!) to try out for yourself. You can even find a link to my original post about Amazing Taste at Cooking with Anne.

I'm looking forward to any and everything the Amazing Taste label can dish up!

Cookbook Review: 101 Things To Do With Meatballs

Written Thursday, November 5th, 2009 by Anne Coleman

Stephanie Ashcraft of 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix fame, has done it again. This time the focus was meatballs and this book, like the other twelve '101' books, comes through. Nothing is faster than prepared meatballs in the struggle to get dinner on the table quickly and many of the recipes in this book are ready in 30 minutes or less.

Each recipes uses very few ingredients and relies on a base of frozen meatballs. Keep in mind that though the book is endorsed by Rich Foods, you can easily substitute homemade meatballs for any of the recipes, provided they are frozen first as the cooking times take that into account.

This isn't all spaghetti and meatballs either; with recipes like Meatball Jalapeno Poppers, Chipotle Meatball Pasta and Italian Focaccia Meatball Sandwiches there is lots of variation and something for everyone.

I made Crowd-Pleasing Meatball Chili (pictured above right) and Thai Pizza and both were very good. The kids especially love meatballs and chili so that combo is a real winner for them. There are far more recipes that I plan to try since I happen to think meatballs are one of the finest foods ever invented. This is one of those books you'll find yourself turning to whenever dinner needs to be done FAST, and you won't be disappointed.

You can find a copy of 101 Things to do with Meatballs at Amazon.com.

Make Your Own Meal Kits

Written Thursday, October 15th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

Some of you might remember my post from last July where I described some of my favorite supermarket shortcuts from the freezer. In that post, one of the shortcuts I listed was Jimmy Dean Breakfast Scrambles, which my husband and I love for a quick meal anytime. They are soeasy and convenient that I usually have one of these handy little time-savers in the freezer at all times! A few days ago, after we had another of our “breakfast scramble” suppers, I started thinking that it would be cool to try and make my own kits and see if I could do it for less money. Since my husband’s favorite breakfast scramble is sausage, I decided to try and copy that one first. 

After a quick trip to the store for ingredients, I am delighted to say that my experiment was a success. For the same price as one Jimmy Dean Sausage Breakfast Scramble (purchased at the local Superstore for $3.48), I was able to purchase enough ingredients to create three kits of my own, equal in size to Jimmy Dean’s, for just $2.65 each! In addition to the great savings, the best part was that I had total control over what went into my kits! I like that there were no worries about excessive sodium, that I could adjust the ingredients to suit our tastes, and that I could make it healthier by using turkey breakfast sausage instead of pork sausage.

Now that I know how easy and economical it is to make my own meal kits, I plan to experiment with some more and blog about it in future posts (so stay tuned)! If you have any meal kit ideas, please give me a shout out…maybe your idea will be a feature on Food for Thought here at Half Hour Meals!

Penny’s Breakfast Skillet Meal Kit:

In a large skillet, brown turkey breakfast sausage in vegetable oil; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine cooled turkey sausage with potatoes and pepper/onion mix and toss ingredients to combine evenly. Divide mixture in equal amounts among three gallon-size freezer bags (I found scooping it out with a one-cup measure worked great). Label and freeze, use within 6 months. Note: Since you only need 1 ½ lbs. turkey sausage for the recipe and it’s sold in 1 lb. rolls, you obviously have to buy two lbs. I cook it all, and then just freeze the extra ½ lb. for use later (or use it to make up a quick quiche)!

To prepare Breakfast Skillet:

In a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add contents of Breakfast Skillet Kit. Cook Breakfast Skillet until potatoes are beginning to brown and onions and peppers are soft. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk until combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, push Breakfast Skillet to one side of the pan; pour egg mixture into the empty half of the skillet. Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir and scrape the eggs until they begin to scramble. Once eggs are scrambled, stir to combine with Breakfast Skillet. Remove from heat and serve.

Variation: Breakfast Skillet Kits make a great frittata!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take contents of one kit, thawed, and arrange in a greased 9-inch pie pan. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk; pour over breakfast skillet mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Eat Cheats: Breakfast on the Go

Written Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 by April Boland

The other day, a colleague of mine walked into our office kitchen while I was getting my breakfast. He looked at my plate, dumbfounded. "French toast? Where did you get French toast from?" Another time, I was asked how in the world I was able to have pancakes at the office. I am building quite a reputation as the woman with the awesome breakfasts.

The secret isn't really a secret. Brands such as Aunt Jemima have really expanded their product lines, and we no longer have to settle for frozen waffles alone. Sure, the waffles are great, but now we have a choice between those or pancakes or French toast. At the supermarket, you can find all of these fancy breakfast items in the frozen section. Just pop a pancake or slice of French toast in the toaster, as you would a waffle, and you're done.

Not only that, but brands such as Jimmy Dean offer breakfast bowls and sandwiches containing eggs, cheese, sausage, etc. that you can pop into the microwave. All of these options are fast and really help break up the monotony of breakfast.

2-Minute Cheesecake

Written Monday, September 15th, 2008 by April Boland

Kraft now has a Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake Filling product, which is incredible for those of us who are interested in making a fancy, delectable dessert within a couple of minutes. This tub of cream cheese-based filling can be spooned right into a pie crust, and you're done!

Alternatively, my mother suggested to me the other day that you can put it in a glass with crushed graham crackers on the bottom and top it with fresh fruit. In fact, there are plenty of ways to garnish your cheesecake:

• Cookies/graham crackers
• Fresh berries
• Fruit jam
• Whipped cream
• Chopped nuts
• Maraschino cherries
• Chocolate syrup, drizzled on top

Supermarket Shortcuts- From the Shelves

Written Friday, August 1st, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

Some of my favorite Supermarket Shortcuts are on the shelves. With a little imagination, there are so many things that can help you get dinner on the table fast. Here are just a few ideas:

“Ready Rice�- These are an easy and convenient side dish as well as a meal-starter because they’re ready in 90 seconds. Add some sautéed meat and veggies and you have your own rice bowl. Uncle Ben’s and Comet both have several varieties that are really good.

Canned Stew- When homemade is not possible, with a little imagination these can be an acceptable substitute. Canned beef stew can be topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven for easy Shepard’s Pie, or topped with biscuits or a pie crust for a quick pot-pie. If you can find it, Mrs. Fearnow’s Brunswick Stew is pretty good as well. My family likes it served over rice. Remember to round out your meal with a salad or some fresh fruit.

Progresso Soups- There are several varieties that are great served over cooked rice or topped with biscuits or dumplings.

Packaged Dinner Kits- Like their frozen counterparts, these are both easy and convenient, especially for people who don’t like to cook. Not as good as homemade, but they can be doctored with some dried herbs or sautéed onion to make them a decent alternative. If you go this route, try to stick with the ones that allow you to add your own fresh meat. Also remember to look at the label on these if you are watching your sodium intake as they tend to have high sodium content (like Hamburger Helper).

Boboli Pizza Crust- These are almost a no-brainer! Add some jarred pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella and pepperoni and dinner is done! Your imagination is the only limit to the varieties of pizza you can make with these. They are also a great foundation for last-minute appetizers.

Angel Food Cake- A super-easy dessert idea (and the cake is fat-free!). Top it with fruit and ice cream, cut it in chunks and layer it with pudding and canned pie filling, or smother it with custard sauce and fudge. The possibilities are endless for a quick and delicious dessert using store-bought angel food cake!

These are just a few of the shortcuts to be found in your grocery store. If you begin the practice of looking at items and thinking of other ways to use them, you’ll be surprised at what you can come up with. Be creative, don’t be afraid to take chances and try new combinations. Not every one will be a winner, but some of the best-loved recipes of today began as accidents (ever hear of chocolate chip cookies?).

One last thing: remember to pay attention to the labels when using convenience foods, because they can be high in sodium and saturated fats. For a more well-rounded meal, try to combine convenience foods with fresh ingredients or serve them along with fresh ingredients like a salad or some fruit. I hope you find these shortcuts helpful and I hope they save you as much time, money and frustration as they have for me.

Supermarket Shortcuts- From the Refrigerated Case

Written Thursday, July 31st, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

Just like in the freezer aisle, the refrigerated section (dairy, meat etc.) of your supermarket holds some surprisingly good shortcuts. Here are some of my favorites:

Mashed Potatoes- My family loves mashed potatoes and I don’t always have the time or energy to make them. I can’t stand instant mashed potatoes, although I admit they are convenient and have a long shelf-life. My favorite shortcut was the frozen mashed potatoes from Ore-Ida because you could make as much or as little as you wanted, but the stores in my area have all stopped carrying them. My next favorite would be the refrigerated ones from Shedd’s Country Crock (in the meat department in my store for some reason). These are great and don’t need any “doctoring� although you can add some sour cream or cream cheese to make them a bit richer. I recently added some French onion dip to them and it was really good!

Pillsbury Pizza Dough - Not only does this make a fast and delicious pizza, it can also be used to make and lots of other things like garlicbread sticks, pot pies, garlic bread, etc. You’ll be surprised at what you can use it for once you put your mind to it.

Hormel or Tyson Refrigerated Entrees- Both Hormel and Tyson have fully cooked meat entrees like roast beef, beef tips, meatloaf and chicken or turkey and gravy (usually found in the meat section). Maybe they aren’t as good as homemade, but these ready-in-four-minutes entrees can serve as a creative starting place for a good meal. For instance, the pot roast or beef tips can be served over rice or noodles, the meatballs and gravy are just asking to be turned into Swedish Meatballs over noodles, and the chicken and gravy are the perfect shortcut for some of your favorite casseroles. Keep in mind that you are paying for convenience and these entrees will cost more than homemade, but if you are crunched for time, they could be worth the extra cost. Also remember to read the labels as some of these entrees are high in sodium.

Supermarket Shortcuts- From the Freezer Part 2

Written Sunday, July 27th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

Here are some more of my favorite shortcuts from the freezer aisle of the supermarket:

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Scrambles- When you're in the mood for "breakfast supper" these are a super fast and easy meal. All you have to do is add fresh egg and in 10 minutes you're done! They come with the meat already in them, and I found there was plenty of it and it did not taste like rubber. We like the sausage best, but the bacon was also very good. I often make these for breakfast when we have had overnight company. With fresh fruit and toast, muffins or biscuits, they make an easy and satisfying breakfast.

Frozen Stir-Fry Veggies- Add your own beef or chicken and a bottle of teriyaki sauce or a package of stir-fry seasoning and you have dinner in about 15 minutes. Serve over Minute rice, or my new favorite, Ready Rice by Uncle Ben's that you microwave for 90 seconds.

Frozen Cakes, Pies and Cream Puffs- These are great for emergency desserts when you get last-minute company and have no time to bake. I love the Pepperidge Farm cakes because they taste fresh and they are just the right size (no too big, not too small). I am not a huge fan of bake-and-serve pies because most of them aren't as good as my homemade, but I do love the lemon meringue pies from Edwards (their pecan pies are also very good). Frozen cream puffs are also great because all you have to do is set them out to thaw on a serving plate an hour or so before dinner, drizzle some jarred fudge sauce over them and serve (for a really elegant look, scatter some fresh berries around them too). Yum!!

Supermarket Shortcuts- From the Freezer Part 1

Written Thursday, July 24th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

Like the deli in your supermarket, the frozen foods aisle is a great place to find dinner shortcuts (and I don’t mean T.V. dinners!). Here are some of my favorites:

Meatballs- Another of my favorite time savers, and one I put on my personal staples list. Pre-cooked frozen meatballs are another instant dinner idea, and most of them are as good as homemade. Use them for spaghetti and meatballs, meatball subs, sweet-n-sour meatballs, etc. There are also quite a few recipes out there for casseroles that use frozen meatballs, so if you have them on-hand you are halfway to dinner!

Dinner Kits- I put these on the list because they are fast and they areconvenient, even though I find that most of them have little taste. I avoid the ones that already have the meat in them because there is never enough and it usually has a texture like rubber. If you use a frozen dinner kit, look for the ones that you add your own meat to. An exception to this rule are the ones by Bertolli- they have enough meat (not rubbery) and they taste great! Keeping one of these on-hand for emergencies is not a bad idea (add some garlic bread and a salad, and dinner is done).

Refrigerated Pie Crust and Pour-A-Quiche- What could be easier? Mrs. Smith’s makes a great frozen quiche filling that you thaw, pour in a pie shell (I use Pillsbury) and bake! You can add some of your own ingredients if you want, such as chopped onion, real bacon bits, frozen chopped broccoli (thawed and drained) or fresh herbs. With a side salad or some fresh fruit, this is an easy delicious meal.

Supermarket Shortcuts- 1. Salads and Slaws

Written Thursday, July 24th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

I thought I would do a series of posts about some of my favorite Supermarket Shortcuts. These are not necessarily items that you have to keep on-hand all the time, but they will bail you out of a jam when you need to put a meal together on-the-fly and you have no clue what to make! Instead of heading for the nearest drive-thru, try some of the ideas from this list. You may be surprised at the money you save, and you can feel good about serving your family a meal that was prepared at home. Keep a copy of this list in your purse or in your car so it’s handy when you need it. If your life is like mine, those dinner emergencies always seem to pop up when I am in the car or in the store and nowhere near my cookbooks!

Salads and Slaws- When you don’t have time to make your own from scratch, deli potato or macaroni salads and slaws are a big help. For a more homemade taste, you can “doctor� them up with some sour cream, horseradish, diced onion, fresh herbs, etc. and nobody will be the wiser! Served alongside burgers or hot dogs, they make another easy meal.