Category Archives: Cooking

Digital meat thermometer with remote reminder a great investment

Posted on by Carol

I was recently at a department store, browsing the kitchen aisle. This meat thermometer  looked interesting, but I was skeptical of its claims:

  • Set the type of meat and temperature.

  • Stick the probe into the cut.

  • Place the device on the counter and the meat in the oven, with the wire strung through the closed oven door.

  • Listen for the beep.

The unit came with an optional vibrator, remotely connected to the thermometer, that can be worn around the neck or carried in a pocket. It reminds the cook to return to the kitchen when the meat’s nearly ready.

I couldn’t resist trying it, and it’s far exceeded my expectations.

In an attempt to protect my family from food poisoning, I tended to overcook meat. The result was a dry and tasteless meal. Now everything I cook is moist, but cooked through. This thermometer was definitely a great investment at around $20.

Baking bread – What do I do with leftovers?

Posted on by Carol

I bake a loaf of bread at least every other day. Although I add a tablespoon of lecithin, a natural preservative, to most loaves, there is always some waste. Most breads stay fresh four days or less.

But bread that isn’t eaten immediately is recycled. I cube what’s left and then spread the cubes across a cookie sheet. The cookie sheet is then placed in a a 300 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for 25 minutes. This dries the cubes into croutons.

Once thoroughly cooled, I put the cubes in a large freezer bag, and place the bag in the freezer.

I use the toasted cubes as croutons for salads or to make stuffing. If I serve soup, I set out a bowl of toasted bread cubes rather than crackers.

There’s little need to defrost the croutons before serving since, once removed from the freezer bag, they come room temperature in roughly 15 minutes. And as long as you’ve cooled the croutons before placing them in the freezer bag, they’ll stay crisp.

Great recipe for turkey burgers

Posted on by Carol

Last time I was in the meat section of Kroger’s, I noticed how inexpensive ground turkey was compared to ground beef. I bought a package of turkey on a whim, and then went on the internet looking for a good recipe containing ingredients I had on hand.

I found a terrific recipe on cooks.com. I left out the ginger, and served it on a ginger-flavored bread. It did need to cook longer than stated in the recipe.

Tonight, we’re having turkey burgers again, served with corn on the cob:

  • Lay out a square of aluminum foil (one square per ear of corn)

  • Remove the husk from the cob; wash the corn.

  • Place the ear of corn in the middle of the foil.

  • Add several pats of butter alongside it.

  • Wrap the tin foil around the corn.

  • Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 365 for 40-45 minutes.

  • Open the tin foil and then roll the ear in the melted butter.

  • Remove the ear and place it on the plate.

Stone Soup

Posted on by Carol

Sunday I participated in Stone Soup. Once every other month, members from First United Methodist Church of Benton travel to Quapaw Methodist Church in downtown Little Rock. Every Sunday, this church provides meals to the homeless. Volunteers from various organizations provide the labor for the program.

When we arrived, we found there’d been a scheduling mishap. Another group had also been requested to help, so we were over-staffed. However, the large number of volunteers made things easy and efficient. I scooped large tubs of potato salad into a metal bin. Others cut onions, heated tubs of barbecue, sliced pound cake, decorated tables with tiny vases of artificial flowers, and wrapped plastic utensils in paper napkins. Later I scooped ice into Styrofoam cups, and then handed the cup to someone else who added iced tea.

Near the door, there was a small disagreement between two men standing at the head of the line. One accused another of cutting in. The woman who runs the pantry spoke to them, assured them that there was plenty for everyone, and things quieted down.

Once everything was in place, people were allowed through the line. There was more than enough for everyone, and anyone who desired could have seconds and thirds. For the most part, the recipients of the meal were friendly, humble, and very appreciative. After finishing his dinner, one man played the piano.

A little boy, the son of a volunteer, went among the tables with a pitcher of tea, refilling empty cups.

When the last person left, metal chairs were folded and stacked on tables. The floors were swept, and the dishes washed. We were only there 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Definitely something I’ll participate in again.

Other community food banks in Arkansas

Best bread machine books and recipes

Posted on by Carol

I’ve now made five successful loaves of bread, using recipes from Better Crocker Best Bread Machine Cookbook, and am quickly becoming used to fresh loaves of bread in the house.

These are the recipes I’ve made so far. I’ve only changed the recipes slightly.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread (4.5 stars) I added 1 tablespoon of gluten and 1 tablespoon of milk.

Cinnamon Honey Wheat Bread (4.5 stars) I added 1 tablespoon of gluten and 1 tablespoon of milk.

Bear Nut Bread (5+ stars – just the smell of this bread baking will drive you wild. I used Negro Modelo beer. Be sure to give this beer plenty of time to go flat; it’s reluctant to lose its head.) The smoked cheddar cheese at the grocery store was quite expensive, so I bought regular shredded cheddar cheese, and added 3/4 teaspoon of Cogin Liquid Smoke Hickory. I also added 2 teaspoons of gluten and 2 1/4 teaspoons of water. (I keep the liquid smoke on hand, sprinkling it into the oil when I cook hamburgers.)

Caraway Cheese Bread (3.5 stars – a little dry) I added 2 teaspoons of gluten and 1 tablespoon of milk. Next time I’ll also add 2 tablespoons of butter to add a little moisture.

As far as learning about bread baking, I’ve found Bread Machine Magic: Book of Helpful Hints the most worthwhile. I also bought Bread Machines for Dummies, which was so-so. I tried one recipe from the Dummies book, and it didn’t come out well at all.

Veggie pizza – meal in about a half an hour

Posted on by Carol

This pizza contains much less fat than restaurant-style pizza. It makes 4 large slices.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roughly chop or slice the following ingredients:

1 green, red, or yellow pepper

1/2 red onion

1 crown of broccoli tops (cut these into small pieces; large pieces will burn)

Mushrooms

Toss the chopped vegetables into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to distribute the oil. Set aside. (Tip: These can be prepared the night before, or whenever you have time during the day.)

Put one four-cheese DiGorno pizza with rising crust on a pizza pan.

Sprinkle the pizza with jarred garlic powder and oregano leaves.

Add the vegetables (if there are too many, save the remainder for spaghetti sacue).

Put the pizza in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Quarter and serve.

Mexican Rice – a meal in under a half hour

Posted on by Carol

Makes 2 large servings or 4 small servings

Coat the bottom of a large pan with oil.

Cook 1 1/2 cubed chicken breasts over medium heat, turning the cubes from time to time. Add small amounts of additional oil as necessary. Canola oil is healthiest. (Alternatively, use 1/2 to 1 lb of ground beef for the recipe.)

Add 1 can of black beans.

Add 1/2 to 1 can of well-drained canned corn (optional).

Add 1 to 1 ½ packages of Taco seasoning (I prefer mild or Chicken Taco seasoning).

Stir gently together. Bring to a low boil, and then lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes.

To thin the sauce, add water or chicken broth to taste (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Spoon over cooked rice. Add a dollop of low-fat sour cream if desired.

Jasmine and Basmati Rice

Posted on by Carol

I prefer to use Jasmine or Basmati Rice. Both are less sticky than traditional long-grain rice. Basmati’s my favorite because it’s the least sticky and most flavorful of the white rices, but it must be soaked for a half hour, and then strained, before cooking.

I use a rice cooker. For Jasmine rice, I add 1 1/2 cups of rice to 2 1/4 cups of water (or 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth). For Basmati rice, I add 1 1/2 cups of rice to 1 1/2 cups of water (or 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth).

When the timer goes off on the cooker, I scoop the rice into a large colander, which rests in large bowl. I then stir in 2-3 tablespoons of butter and allow some of the moisture to evaporate for a few minutes before serving.

Assume that it will take approximately 20 minutes to cook the rice.

After I wrote this, I looked for a good site that listed the various types of rice. I found one at www.foodsubs.com.

A note on chicken breasts (warning – may make you hesitant to eat chicken)

Posted on by Carol

Most grocery store chicken breasts are quite large. Once I was at the Arkansas State Fair, and saw some of the chickens from which these oversized cuts come from.

A carpet of straw was dotted with white chickens and their child handlers. Some of the birds were so front-heavy that they couldn’t stand – which meant their feathers quickly became encrusted with feces. Others birds would wobble to a stand, take a few uncertain steps, and then collapse.

One of the mothers told me, with a repulsed look on her face, that the large poultry processors will only accept chickens of a certain size, because that’s what their machines are designed to process. Those who breed normal-sized birds have few places to sell their animals.

Let’s hope that none of these chickens are marketed as “free-range.”