Casserole Swap

Written Monday, September 29th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

Have you ever participated in a cookie swap around the holidays? Cookie swaps are a fun way to get a wide variety of Christmas cookies (without all the baking). If you have never heard of or participated in one, it’s really simple. Each person is given responsibility for one type of cookie, and they will bake several dozen of their assigned cookie (1 dozen x the number of participants). At the swap, each person gets one dozen of each kind of cookie. Recently I came across an article by Rebecca Lang on myrecipes.com about “Casserole Swapping�, and it works on the same principle as a cookie swap. I love this idea and think it’s a fun way to turn the chore of freezing make-ahead meals into a party! This is a great idea for a couple’s party, club meeting, or church group social. Add a salad and some rolls and this will be the easiest party you ever hosted!

Here’s my personal spin on how a casserole swap works: Each person is assigned a different casserole, for which they will prepare two batches: one to freeze and swap, and one to share. At the party, everyone gets to try all the casseroles, and they will also get one to take one home. To add a fun element of surprise to deciding which casserole each person gets to take home, I suggest assigning numbers to each dish, and have each person (or couple) draw a number out of a hat to choose their casserole. If someone gets something they really don’t like, they are then free to make a swap with someone else. There will be leftovers, so make sure to have containers and bags so each person can take home what they want.

If you like this idea as much as I do, here is a party plan to use as a guideline for your own casserole swap:

The Plan

· E-mail recipes to everyone at least one week in advance. You can design, download, and print personalized recipe cards for your casserole swap at http://www.freeprintablerecipecards.net. Remind each person to prepare, wrap, and freeze their casserole in a foil pan or other disposable, oven-proof container.

· Ask each person to bring a serving spoon, and a recipe card for their casserole that includes reheating instructions (extra oven mitts are a good idea as well).

· Make two sets of small cards with a number for each dish for the swap drawing (one for the hat and one for each dish). Number casseroles as they come out of the oven.

· Put out several large ice chests or coolers to store the frozen casseroles until it’s time to swap them. One or two large chests should be enough; borrow them if you need to.

· Plan to serve buffet-style. Make sure to have coasters, trash cans and extra napkins available and out where people can find them.

· To save your countertops, have trivets, wooden cutting boards, or other heatproof flat surfaces available for hot casserole dishes.

· Set out plates, flatware, beverage glasses and napkins two hours before everyone arrives.

· Toss the salad an hour before everyone arrives.

· Set your oven to “low� or “warm� about ½ hour before everyone arrives.

· Bake or warm rolls in the oven after casseroles have been warmed up.

· Have fun!

Let's Talk About Rice

Written Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

There are many of types of rice and knowing a bit about them can help you decide what type to choose for your recipe. Most types of rice are defined either by the size of their grain, or by their origin. Different varieties need different styles of cooking and they produce different textures and flavors.

Long-Grain Rice cooks dry and fluffy, with tender, separate grains. It is 4 to 5 times as long as it is wide. Carolina is a variety of long-grain grown in the southern U.S.

Basmati is another type of long-grain that is sometimes referred to as the “champagne of rice�. It is highly prized for its aromatic fragrance and is a staple in Indian cooking. Basmati rice should be rinsed before cooking.

Pecan Rice is a long-grain brown rice with the flavor of pecans.

Medium-Grain Rice such as Arborio is slightly more round and absorbs more water than the long-grain varieties. This produces moister, stickier rice. Medium-grain rice can be used in recipes the same way as long-grain rice.

Sticky Rice, or Glutinous Rice is a medium to short-grain rice used in Oriental cooking because it is easier to eat with chopsticks.

Thai Fragrant Rice has a wonderful fragrance, and its tender grains are much prized by the Thais and Vietnamese.

Wild Rice is an aquatic grass that grows along rivers and lakes on the Canadian-American border. The long, thin, black grains have a nutty flavor and a chewy texture. Because it is very expensive, it is often mixed with white (especially long-grain) rice. Wild rice takes 15 to 20 minutes longer than white rice to cook and absorbs four times its volume in liquid.

Good Protein Sources (Part 2)

Written Friday, September 19th, 2008 by April Boland

Hard to believe that when I wrote my previous post on how to get sufficient protein in your diet, I forgot to include protein powder!  This might sound like something that only bodybuilders and weight lifters use, but every day folks like us can use it too.  In fact, many nutritionists recommend it, especially if you are vegetarian or vegan.

A large can of protein powder can typically be found in the health food section of your supermarket, and can cost you anywhere between $12 and $25.  This is not cheap, but think of it as an investment.  The can usually contains enough to last you for months and months, depending on how often you use it.  You can add it to all kinds of things, such as:

Milk in your cereal
A shake or smoothie
A bowl of oatmeal
Pancake or cake batter
Sauces

20 Minute Flatbread Pizza

Written Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 by April Boland

Last week, I tried a recipe for Spinach/Goat Cheese Pizza that I found in this month's issue of Fitness Magazine. It took about 20 minutes to make and was really delicious. That got me thinking, so the other day I tried my own variation on the theme. Here's what I did:

• Brush olive oil over 1 slice of wheat naan (Indian flat bread, but you can use any kind you like). Bake on 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
• Top with fresh baby spinach leaves, goat cheese, bits of turkey (or fake turkey, if you are vegetarian) and pine nuts. Bake another 12 minutes in the oven.

Voila!

A glossary of cooking terms- part 2

Written Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

Here are some more cooking terms and definitions from my cookbook:

Garnish- An edible decoration added for appearance, taste and texture to a finished dish. A garnish may be added on top, under, or around the food, and can be integral to the dish or simply an embellishment. Also refers to the act of placing a garnish on a dish.

Glace- Stock that has been reduced until it reaches a thick and syrupy consistency. Often used as a base for or to enhance soups and sauces, or to add shine to broiled or grilled meats. Pronounced (GLAHS).

Glaze- To add shine to a food item. You can glaze foods many ways such as brushing grilled meat with glace, brushing an egg wash on pastry before baking, or sautéing foods in butter and sugar.

Mince- To cut food into very small pieces. Pronounced (MIHNS). Minced food pieces are smaller than chopped food pieces.

Mirepoix- A mixture of 1 part chopped carrots, 2 parts diced onions and 1 part diced celery sautéed in butter used frequently in cooking. Mirepoix is used to season and flavor soups, stews, and sauces, and sometimes as a bed on which to roast or braise meats. The size to which the mirepoix vegetables are cut depends on their intended use and length of cooking time. A larger dice is preferred for longer cooking times and use as a bed for roasting, while a much smaller dice is used for shorter cooking times. Pronounced (mihr-PWAH). Alternate spelling: mirepois. See also: Aromatics.

Parboil- To cook food in boiling or simmering water. See also: Blanche.

Par-cook- To partially cook food by any method. This technique is used when you have several individual foods that may take different amounts of time to cook. Par-cooking allows you to bring each food to a certain degree of doneness so that they can be completed together at the same time.

Pate a choux- A paste or batter made of milk or water, flour, butter and eggs. It is used to make hollow pastries that are often filled such as éclairs and cream puffs. Pronounced (PAHT-ah-SHOO).

Peel- To remove the outer layer (skin or peel) from fruits, vegetables and sometimes cheeses.

Puree- A sauce or soup that is made from ingredients that have been cooked, blended, processed, or strained until a thick, smooth consistency is achieved. Pronounced (pyur-AY).

Reduction- To simmer or boil a liquid to evaporate its water, reduce its volume, and concentrate its flavor.

Rendering- To heat fat-containing animal products to melt and separate the fat from the meat or tissue.

Roux- A mixture of cooked fat (often butter) and flour used to thicken soups and sauces. The ratio of fat to flour is generally 1:1. The roux may be cooked to varying degrees of doneness depending on the desired flavor and color. The longer you cook the roux, the darker it is and the stronger the flavor. Pronounced (ROO).

Shock- To submerge or run a blanched food under cold water to stop the cooking process and set the color. This is also sometimes known as refreshing. See also: Blanch.

Sieve- A wire mesh kitchen utensil used for straining liquids or sifting dry ingredients. Pronounced (SIHV).

Sweating- To cook a food item in a pan over a low heat without browning or adding any color until the food is tender and begins to release its moisture. Sweating helps foods release their flavor quickly when combined with other foods. Onions are an example of a food that is commonly sweated, turning almost translucent when done correctly.

Tempering- The process of gradually introducing or adding a hot or acidic ingredient to other ingredients in order to avoid cooking or curdling (like eggs or chocolate).

Whisk- 1. A looped wire kitchen utensil, also known as a whip that is used for whipping or stirring. 2. A term used for whipping ingredients vigorously to incorporate ingredients or air into other ingredients.

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

A glossary of cooking terms- part 1

Written Friday, September 12th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

I have been cooking for a very long time, but I still sometimes run into a term or a word that I am not familiar with, or for which I need clarification. When this happens, I make it a habit to write it down (with its definition) in a notebook that I keep in my kitchen. Over time, I have collected quite a few of these words and terms, and am planning to include them in my upcoming cookbook “The Smarter Cook�. Here are a few that I have found most helpful (be sure to look out for these plus a few more in “The Smarter Cook� due to come out in the Fall of 2009.)

Al dente- An Italian phrase meaning “to the tooth�, used to describe cooking pasta only until it offers a slight resistance when bitten into, but is not soft or mushy. Pronounced (al-DEN-tay).

Aromatics- Herbs, spices and certain vegetables used alone or in combination to enhance the flavor of foods.

Au gratin- A “gratin� is a dish topped with cheese and/or breadcrumbs mixed with butter and browned in the oven or under a broiler. The term “au gratin� refers to any dish prepared in this way. Pronounced (oh-Grah-tn or oh-grah-TAN).

Blanching- To quickly and partially cook food (usually fruits and vegetables) in boiling water or hot oil, and then immediately plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking process. Blanching is usually done to aid in the preparation of a food item. Uses for blanching include: to loosen skins for removal (like peaches and tomatoes), and to “set� the color and flavor of vegetables before freezing. Alternate term: Parboil.

Bouquet garni- A bunch or bundle of herbs tied together with twine or butcher’s string or placed in a cheesecloth bag and used to flavor soups, stews, stocks or sauces. Tying the herbs together or bagging them in cheesecloth allows their easy removal from the dish after cooking. In classic French cuisine, the herbs would typically be parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Pronounced (boo-KAY-gahr-NEE).

Broth- A liquid resulting from cooking meats, vegetables, or aromatics in water. Used as the base for soups, stews and sauces. Alternate term: Stock

Caramelize/Caramelization- 1.To heat sugar until it melts and becomes a clear syrup. 2. To brown the sugars found inside and on the surface of many foods. Browning fruits, vegetables or proteins is often referred to as caramelization. Pronounced (KEHR-ah-meh-lyz).

Cheesecloth- A cotton gauze-like cloth used in cooking for straining liquids, enclosing spices and herbs to be immersed during the cooking process, and to bind ingredients together.

Chiffonade- Thin strips of leafy greens or herbs such as spinach or basil. The strips are the result of stacking the leaves together, one on top of the other, rolling the stack into a cylinder, and cutting the cylinder into thin strips. The strips are used as a garnish, as a bed for other ingredients, or as part of a salad. Pronounced (shihf-uh-NAHD).

Chop- To cut food into bite-sized pieces. Chopped food pieces are larger and coarser than minced food pieces.

Clarify- To turn a cloudy liquid into a clear one by removing any solid impurities or sediment.

One way to clarify a liquid is to add egg whites to the broth or liquid and simmer for 15 minutes. The egg whites will attract sediment and particles like a magnet so that after cooling, you can remove them by pouring the mixture through a cloth-lined strainer. Pronounced (KLEHR-ih-fi).

De Glaze-The process of heating a liquid, usually stock, broth, or wine, in a pan in which food has been cooked to remove the browned bits of food (and their flavor) from the pan. This is achieved after the cooked food has been removed from the pan, by adding the liquid to the pan, then heating it while stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits of food. The resulting mixture is often used as a base for a sauce to accompany the food cooked in the pan. Pronounced (dee-GLAYZ).

Dice- To cut food into tiny (1/8 to ¼ inch) cubes.

Dredge- To dip or submerge a food in a dry ingredient in order to coat it prior to cooking. Many foods are dredged in flour or a flour mixture prior to sautéing, pan-frying, or deep-frying. Pronounced (DREHJ).

Foods with a Bad Rap

Written Thursday, September 11th, 2008 by April Boland

1. Coffee - Many people condemn coffee, yet recent studies have proven it to be rather good for you. According to a recent New York Times article, coffee can reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver. You might want to switch to decaf in order to avoid the adverse effects of caffeine and its withdrawal symptoms, but coffee itself is not a bad choice for morning beverage.
2. Chocolate - How many times have you or someone you know sworn off chocolate for health reasons? Yet WebMD asserts that a bit of dark chocolate a day is good for your heart! The flavonoids it contains "keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries." In moderation (it still contains a bunch of calories), chocolate can actually help your health rather than hurt it.

No-Salt Seasonings

Written Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

Are you or someone you love trying to reduce salt (sodium) in your diet? Reducing or eliminating salt from your diet does not mean that you have to sacrifice taste as well. Keep the flavor in your salt-free meals by using one of these delicious and easy-to-make salt-free herb blends:

Directions for salt-free blends- Combine all ingredients and store in a small, airtight container. You may want to add a few grains of rice to prevent caking. When using fresh herbs, use 3 times the amount of dried herbs.

Super Salt-Free Seasoning- 2 tsp. garlic powder and 1 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, and dehydrated lemon juice.

Sassy Salt-Free Seasoning- 3 teaspoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons each of summer savory, celery seed, cumin seed, sage and marjoram, and 1 teaspoon lemon thyme; crush w/mortar and pestle.

Spicy Salt-Free Seasoning- 1 teaspoon each cloves, pepper and coriander, 2 teaspoons paprika and 1 tablespoon dried rosemary; crush w/mortar and pestle.

Good Protein Sources

Written Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 by April Boland

As a vegetarian, I am constantly concerned about getting enough protein. I have also done a lot of research into the subject. Yet the recommended foods and supplements are not just helpful for vegetarians - anyone can benefit from getting the right amount of protein each day. According to the Recommended Daily Allowances, most adults should be consuming between 45 and 56 grams of protein each day (depending on age and sex). Paying attention to your protein intake based on food labels and such will give you a quick answer to whether or not you are meeting your targets, and if not, here's how you can start.

• Meat- This is a no-brainer, but meat-eaters who are not eating enough protein should stock up on lean meats in order to meet their target intake. Vegetarians, go for the fake meats. They come as "sausages", burgers, cold cuts, chili, ground "beef" and "chicken" nuggets, and are usually fortified with protein.

• Fish - Again, fairly obvious. Some vegetarians allow themselves to eat fish, and if you are one of them, stock up. Those omega fatty acids are great for your brain.

• Nuts - Go for raw nuts without salt. They still taste delicious and give you a protein/healthy fat boost without high sodium.

• Dairy products - Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, yogurt and sour cream if you can.

• Soy products - Tofu, soy nuts, soy milk, etc. are generally considered vegetarian staples, and they are delicious.

• Beans and legumes - You can cook these or throw them in a soup or salad. They are pretty versatile.