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BAKING BASICS AND OPTIONS

Hey everyone, with the holidays just ahead, interest in cooking, especially baking, reaches an annual high. Baking Basics and Options can be a big help in answering questions you may have in the weeks ahead. The best part is it’s Free on this site. To get your copy, simply click the box on the right margin. My apologies for editing errors, there seem to have been a layout problem formatting my Word doc. for publication, but I didn’t want to delay getting the book out in view of the season.

This week’s posting is a reminder that if you plan baking projects, or to prepare a dinner for any or all of the holidays ahead, the time to buy the supplies is from now until mid-November. I caught onto this fact the hard way five years ago. That fall I noticed there were deep, constant sales on baking ingredients, vegetables, accessory dishes like cranberries and stuffing mix, even turkeys. A few days after Thanksgiving, I set out, cookie list in hand, with high hopes but was brought up short. The prices had returned to normal, some even higher. I waited in vain for December holiday sales and by Christmas calculated my dinner had cost almost double what it would have the month before.

So please take my advice and begin to stock-up on the items you need for the holidays as you see the sales in the coming weeks, especially the baking supplies. That’s where you’ll realize the biggest savings, since many ‘baking’ ingredients are basic to other dishes in a meal as well, soups, gravies, sauces, puddings. Buying gradually also allows the food costs to be defrayed by amortizing them, rather than having them swell the other holiday expenses.

Another advantage to buying ahead is that it gives people time to examine the options and decide what they want, and in the past few decades, each of the baking basics categories has added a lot of options. Some were introduced for medical reasons, the emergence of the gluten allergy, the increase of diabetes and the attention to managing cholesterol for example. Also, most countries have experienced growing ethnic diversity, adding new food products to the market shelves. Finally, improved air transport, both of people and products, has given rise to an insatiable culinary curiosity, the urge to explore different cuisines and the demand that the ingredients be available.

The result is that we have an amazing array of products to choose from. Whether you’re cooking to accommodate an allergy, please a guest, try something new or just upgrade an old recipe, there’s a solution to your baking needs out there for you. If it isn’t on the store shelf, it’s on the web.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baking Basics and Options offers a guide to help you decide which item is best for your project, to advise you on what to buy, even what to look for if you’re in doubt. It describes the natural ingredient choices in all four basic categories of baking supplies; flour, sugar, fats (shortening) and dairy, not synthetic s and/or substitutes. There are more than enough of those items, especially sweeteners, to fill their own book, and often selection is determined by specific need.

Probably the most fundamental component in baked goods is flour. The book describes the milling process explaining how the various grades are produced; whole wheat, white, unbleached, bleached, all-purpose, cake and self-rising. It mentions and defines many grains, other than wheat, oat, corn, rice, whose flour is now available, either in the international section of supermarkets and/or in health food or ethnic stores. Included in the alternatives, is potato flour and a discussion of the gluten allergy.

Sugar is another fundamental component of baking. As mentioned above, this is the category with the most alternatives, often synthetic. Not only are there too many to include in this book, but also most substitutes are used in connection with specific diets, medical or cosmetic. Since the majority of ‘sweeteners’ are known by brand names a discussion can be construed as a recommendation. So I’m sticking to the natural traditional sources; sugar cane, beets, corn and honey. If you do choose an alternative sweetener, the important things are to be sure you choose the right one, use the proper amounts and that it bakes as well as sugar.

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Fats, referred to in baking as shortenings are a bit more complex because they can be either animal derived, like butter and occasionally requested lard, or vegetable based, like Crisco and seed and nut oils. Either way they raise the question of calorie and cholesterol content, but they are responsible for keeping the baked texture light or ‘short’ so it’s important to know how to choose the right one.

The book starts with the bad boys—the Saturated Fats. These are of animal origin and include butter, lard, cream and some tropical plant oils like palm and coconut. The commonality is that they retain solid form at room temperature. Saturated fat is a slow burning energy source and the excess is stored in cells which can accumulate to cause obesity and obstruct normal organ function.

 

 

 

 

The middle-men are the Trans Fats or Trans Fatty Acids as they are often called. These are liquid oils that have been hydrogenated. Air atoms are forced into them altering them chemically and causing them to solidify. The most familiar examples are margarines and Crisco and the oils most used as bases are sunflower, cottonseed, rapeseed, safflower and soybean. Crisco was introduced in the U.S. in the early 20^th century by Procter & Gamble as an alternative to expensive rendered cooking fats. Margarine, a German discovery, dates back to thrifty Napoleon looking for ways to feed his army, gained its foothold both in England and the U.S. through food rationing during WWII.

The problem is that when the oil molecules are solidified by hydrogenating, the body can’t distinguish them from those of saturated fat. Manufacturers have given much attention to this problem and margarines have undergone real changes. Most have phased out hydrogenated oils, eliminating trans fats, and rely on a mixture of vegetable oils and cream or milk. Even those targeted for specific markets, medical or religious, use emulsifiers rather than hydrogenated oils. It’s important to read the labels when buying margarine because there are so many verities on the market.

Polyunsaturated or Monounsaturated oils are clear vegetable, nut or seed oils that remain liquid at room temperature. Some, such as fish oils, contain polyunsaturated oil known as Omega-3 fatty acid which has the positive effect of lowering cholesterol. Other oils may not have so directly beneficial an effect on our health, but they don’t raise cholesterol and may actually lower it as well. Unfortunately, the liquidity prevents most of these oils from ‘setting’ in a cooled baked object, ruining the texture. It’s best to rely on the recipe for guidance.

Unlike flour and sugar, fats have specific storage requirements. Ones that solidify require cold storage; liquid oils should be kept in dark cook places and have limited shelf lives. Improperly handled, they can spoil, or become ’rancid’. The book deals with these questions.

Dairy products are the fourth and final important baking components and eggs are usually the first thought. The regular substitutes are discussed, but so is a non-dairy alternative I found helping a child with a severe allergy. I break my rule and recommend a brand name, because this was such a perfect solution.

Milk has several alternatives, soy and nut milks, which have longer shelf lives and add flavoring are popular. Canned milk is another option. Evaporated milk is excellent for baking, both skim and whole, but they have different applications which the book addresses. Sweetened Condensed Milk is in a class alone.

At this point the book goes on to discuss flavorings, which are also common baking ingredients. The definitions of chocolate designations and when to use vanilla bean are included for example. Extracts are also discussed. The book ends with selected recipes as illustrations.

HOW TO FREEZE PEACHES, CORN AND GREEN BEANS FOR WINTER

Last week, we discussed freezing zucchini to enjoy later, but there are other items available in late summer which can be similarly preserved to have handy during the months ahead. I’m not talking about ‘stocking up for the winter’. That’s far too time and space consuming for today’s lifestyle. This is about having enough of certain produce items to make a featured dish for a holiday feast, or to serve as occasional reminders of warm, sunny days during cold, snowy ones.

Still, not all of the produce so plentiful in the early fall is suitable for freezing. The best way to tell is to check the glass cases in the supermarkets. If an item isn’t there, it doesn’t commercially flash-freeze well and won’t survive the slower domestic process. This especially applies to things with high water content and soft flesh, tomatoes, plums and eggplant for example. The frozen water content forms crystals which attach to the other frozen elements in their make-up, thaw faster and drain the item of its juice and flavor, leaving a deflated, pulpy mass. These items are better canned, or for tomatoes, optionally, dehydrated, allowing the juices to remain or dry in the flesh, retaining flavor.

You’ll probably think that the best choices from the late summer crops to freeze, green beans, corn and peaches are ‘Ho-hum already done’ and you’d be right. However, I can promise you the difference in texture, flavor and appearance between commercially processed and what you do yourself, will be a happy surprise, no, make that shock.

There are a few tips to simulate the commercial flash-freezing process which help to assure a good result. The difference between treatment of the 3 items discussed here is noted at each step. Of course, they should be cleaned and prepped first; the beans trimmed, any strings removed, the corn husked and silk brushed off, the peaches washed, stems removed.

• For corn and peaches bring a pot of water to a boil, for beans use a skillet.
  1) Immerse the beans only until they turn bright green (blanched) about10-15 sec.
  2) Dip the peaches about 10-30 sec. until the skins will peel easily
  3) Cook the corn on cob about 5 min. until just beginning to tenderize.
• Immediately run cold water over the produce to stop the cooking
• Spread a counter top with paper towels
  1) Lay the beans and corn cobs out, separated, to dry
  2) Using a sharp knife, peel the skin off the peaches. Do not allow to dry. Start freezing prep.
• Cover cookie sheets with waxed paper
  1) Spread the beans out separately on the cookie sheet and freeze
  2) Brace the bottom of each corn cob in the center of a tube pan. Using a sharp knife, slice off the kernels, letting them fall into the pan. Spread them evenly over the lined sheet and freeze.
  3) Slice the peaches, about 6 per half, directly onto the lined sheet, not overlapping, and freeze.
• Freeze the produce according to your freezer’s rate, usually between 40-60 min.

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To Package: The reason for freezing the produce on cookie sheets is to capture color, freshness and taste. The reason to take pains to be sure there’s no overlapping is to avoid clumping and damage in storing, as well as to make it easy to remove a desired portion. It’s important the packaging maintain these assets.

• Use zip lock bags or square plastic boxes with secure lids, like those used for dinner entrees.
• Do not let the items thaw, package for storage quickly
• Place the items in the containers individually, not overlapping
• If layering is necessary to fill the container, separate them with accordion-like folds of waxed paper-not plastic wrap
  1) the corn is best in bags and should be spread to an even thickness
  2) The beans can be arranged in a uniform layers in bags or boxes.
  3) The peach slices should be placed individually in each layer, and dusted with a thin coating of powdered sugar before being covered with the paper for the next layer, in boxes.
• Make room in the freezer to store these containers flat, even stacked, but never on end, allowing the contents to clump together

Cooking: Because these items have been blanched and domestically frozen, which takes more time than the commercial flash method, they take a few minutes less time to cook. Here are some general guidelines. Individual recipes follow.

• Normally green beans need 15 min.to steam or boil. These should be checked at about 10 min. frozen, 8 min. thawed. Take about 5 min. off roasting time too.
• It takes about 2 ears of corn for a single serving as a side dish and that’s a lot to freeze. If you have room for this-fine, but if not use this corn to add to casseroles, salads, side combos or even salsa. Done this way it will stand up to cooking in a dish or just being tossed in a salad.*
• The peaches quickly lose their juice when thawed and are best used directly from the freezer. Remember they have a thin coating of sugar and adjust other ingredients accordingly

*I come from a state famous for its white table corn. My Mother-in-Law was a master at freezing it. She taught me the tube pan trick and her winter dinners occasionally featured sides of buttered corn. She froze it in 1 cup bags which she considered a single portion or the amount usually required for adding to 4 portion dishes. She stored the bags in large plastic containers in the freezer. If you’re a corn lover and have access to a lot of it, plus the freezer space, this is the way to go.

Now on to the recipes.

Beans: Hand select the beans to be frozen, choosing the largest, firmest, straightest ones. This assures even freezing and makes the best presentation later. As stated above, they cook as directed for commercially frozen ones, only for a bit less time, depending on your appliances and can be used in the same ways. Always serve these whole; cut beans are too ordinary to be ‘special ‘.

 

 

Of course, the easiest and often most attractive way to serve green beans is simply to add toppings. Fresh herbs such as thyme, sage and rosemary are favorite toppings and mushrooms and Karmelized onions are popular add-ins too. Broiled portabellas, sliced, are wonderful, so are button caps first lightly broiled in butter with soy sauce added, then reheated, poured over the beans. A good entrée suggestion is:

Ham and Beans au Gratin: Serves 4
1 lb. beans or about 80 whole beans
8 slices Deli ham – custom cut 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch thick
½ cup grated sharp cheese
2 cups milk
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Salt& pepper
Paprika and dried parsley for garnish
1 envelope chicken bouillon granules –optional
Parboil the beans until crisp tender, about 8 min. Shock under cold water and drain well. Divide the beans into 8 piles of 10 beans each, and wrap each bundle in a slice of ham. Place bundles in a greased dish, seam side down. Make a simple cream sauce by heating the butter in a saucepan until it foams, Add the flour and stir to a smooth paste. Quickly add the milk, return to medium heat and stir constantly until sauce becomes smooth and thick, about 3 min. Add seasonings; pour the sauce over the bean-ham bundles and top with the cheese and garnish. Bake at 350 deg. until bubbly and cheese melts and browns slightly, about 15 min. Serve hot at once. Tip: plate with a spatula, taking care to serve the bundles intact.

Corn: Don’t try to freeze corn-on-the-cob. It isn’t that great commercially and even worse domestically. Make sure the ears are silk-free before you cut the kernels off because shreds of silk will mat them when frozen and can ruin any dish.

As stated, the best use of the corn is as an addition to another dish, and, of course, that depends on the recipe for the dish. If it’s a cold salad or salsa, dip the bag with the corn into boiling water for about 3 min. then shock under cold. Otherwise just add to the recipe as directed. The following salad is a refreshing change in winter

Corn Salad: Serves 4
2 cups corn kernels-thawed and parboiled-see directions above
½ a jarred fire-roasted red pepper- in thin strips about ½ inch long

 

 

2 scallions-white and light green portions only, sliced thin
1/3 of a green bell pepper –finely diced
1/3 cup light vinaigrette
4 medium tomatoes seeds hollowed out or 4 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeds removed.
Mix the vegetables; toss with the dressing, fill the tomatoes and chill before serving.

Peaches: Keep the peaches in the boiling water only long enough to loosen the skin. The riper the peach the less time it takes. Hold the peach on a slotted spoon under cold water, until cool enough to handle; prick it with a paring knife and peel off the skin. Place the peaches on a waxed paper covered flat surface until all the fruit is peeled, then begin slicing each for freezing over the paper covered cookie sheet, making sure the slices don’t touch. Freeze, then lightly dust with powdered sugar as boxed.

When frozen, place the slices in a 4 inch square freezer box. Supermarkets sell these in 3-packs. Place the slices, without touching, in layers and separate the layers with a long strip of waxed paper woven accordion style between layers. Peaches are best used frozen and thawed in a dish’s preparation. Remember in using them that they are lightly sugared and adjust the recipe.

Frozen this way peaches consume more room than packaged in bags, so, unless you have a lot of space, they’re best reserved for accessory dishes like salsas and sauces. If you plan a dish using a quantity of them, like a pie, for a winter event, make it, then freeze it in a metal pan, and bake it frozen, just add about 15 min. to the oven time.

Peach Salsa; Yield 3 cups
2 cups peaches
½ cup sliced grape tomatoes-or chopped tomato
½ green bell pepper-chopped
1 scallion-thinly sliced-white and green parts only
Generous dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and allow flavors to meld for about 20 min. Store covered and chilled for 2 days. Serve with fish, poultry and rice.

Peach Syrup Topping –Filling: Yield 1 ½ cups
1cup peaches
1 Tbs. butter
1/3 cup apple juice

 

 

1tsp.lemon juice
1 tsp. corn starch
Pinch powdered ginger-optional
Sugar to taste-if needed-preferably brown
1 tsp. – 1 Tbs. Brandy, rum, Madera or Triple Sec-optional—extracts may be substituted
Mix the liquids and flavorings in a cup and dissolve the corn starch. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the peaches, gently stirring and shaking until the color brightens 1-2 min. Add the liquid and continue stirring gently until the mixture thickens and clarifies-3 min.

Use over ice cream or slices, optionally toasted, of pound or angel food cake.

Quick Dessert Cups: Serves 6
12 wonton wrappers
2 Tbs. butter
1 ½ cups peach filling
½ cup whipped cream or flavored yogurt
2 Tbs. all fruit spread-optional, but keeps pastry from becoming soggy if cups are prepared ahead.
6 cup muffin pan
Place a wrapper diagonally in each muffin cup. Brush with butter and lay another diagonally across the first, so the 4 corners stand up in points. Brush with butter and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10 min. until golden. Cool and remove from the pan; can be done ahead. Spread a teaspoon of the jam in the bottom of each wonton cup, and divide the filling among them. Top with a dab of yogurt or whipped cream.

Don’t forget the thawed peach slices can be used by themselves scattered over ice cream, meats, in salads, mixed with winter fruits in compotes and other ways, even over cereal to brighten a dreary winter morning.

SAVE SOME ZUCCHINI FOR WINTER

At the end of summer we’re often so focused on the luscious stone fruits, peaches, plums, etc., the big, ripe tomatoes and the sweet yellow corn that we tend to take another currently plentiful produce item for granted-the zucchini, which may be most versatile ‘vegetable’ of all. (Zucchini is actually a fruit, specifically a berry.) It has an interesting history too.

Zucchini is not Italian, but like all squash, native to the Americas. It was brought to Europe centuries ago along with its cousin the yellow squash. Together they were called ‘summer squash’; a name still used for the yellow ones. The Northern Italians, especially the Milanese and Tuscans developed the green squash into the product as we now know it, as well as a golden version, and gave it its present name, which is generally universal, though in England it’s called a ‘Marrow’ and in France a ‘Courgette’. Zucchini’s easy cultivation and adaptability to other ingredients led to its quick inclusion in ethnic cuisines as far East as Turkey.

It didn’t return to the U.S. until the late 19^thcentury and remained relatively unnoticed until we began our culinary expansion in the 1970s. Now it’s hard to find a cookbook without several listings and, like cantaloupe, a cultivated, cosmetic, version is available all year at a stable price. It’s so versatile that it can be found in dishes for every meal in everything from bruschetta starters, to entrees, to baked goods. For this reason, I’m not going to include a long list of recipes for zucchini but rather deal with how to use it and/or preserve it especially the farm produced local crops.

Zucchini is very prolific and there’s often a surplus at the end of the season, even for back-yard gardeners. One partial solution, I’m told, is to eat the flowers before they mature. These are delicious prepared stuffed or fried in recipes readily available especially on the web, but usually there is still over abundance at this time of year.

Due to high water content, zucchini doesn’t freeze well, even by commercial flash-freezing. Whole it deflates when thawed and slices clump in freezing. So how does one avoid wasting the extra? I’ve had some success for short periods, freezing thick slices on a cookie sheet before bagging them or freezing it in a sauced dish like ratatouille. However, one of the best ways to preserve zucchini is to accept the fact that it’s going to change texture, become limp and combine it, with other ingredients, into a ‘base’, which will keep for several months, for future dishes. Food Tips and Cooking Tricks by David Joachim has an excellent recipe for such a base and ideas on how to use it but, of course, once made, you can use it as you please.

 

 

Zucchini Base; Yield 8 cups
5 lbs. zucchini –shredded*
1 onion -finely chopped
1 garlic clove- minced
2 Tbs. oil
Saute onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add zucchini and stir until soft. Cool drain most of the moisture by squeezing in a towel or pressing in a colander. Freeze in desired sized containers with firm lids.
* To shred, use a food processor or the large teeth of a hand grater, but avoid the seedy core.

USES: Add salt and pepper as desired to all the below
Chilled Zucchini Soup: 4 servings
1 chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
2 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. red pepper
3 ½ cups base
3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
1cup plain yogurt
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until soft. Add the base, seasonings and broth. Simmer 10 min. Add the yogurt and chill. Puree if desired and serve garnished with walnuts.

Hot Zucchini Soup: Serves 4
Follow the directions for the chilled soup omitting the coriander, reducing the curry powder to 1 tsp., changing the yogurt to light cream and optionally choosing beef broth. The addition of left-over meat is welcome as are cooked pasta, diced potatoes or rice.
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Primavera Sauce: Serves 4
1lb. shaped pasta
Follow the directions for the soups, slicing the onion and substituting oil for the butter. Omit the seasonings and add 3 medium chopped tomatoes and 2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil with the base. Cook 2 min. and serve over cooked pasta garnished with ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese and pass extra cheese.

Stuffed Eggplant: Serves 4
2 eggplants -split lengthwise, seeds removed and most of the meat scooped out and diced
Follow the directions for the sauce, mix it with the diced eggplant and use it to stuff the eggplant shells. Top with the cheese and bake on a sheet in a preheated 350 deg. oven until tender, about 30 min. Serve at once.

Another way to reduce a zucchini surplus is to cook it into baked goods. There are recipes for zucchini bread, muffins and cakes everywhere. Once baked, these items can be frozen and enjoyed months later. Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a real treat in winter. Just add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour and stir ½ cup mini chocolate chips in with the zucchini to convert any bread recipe. For more great sweet zucchini recipes see The Moosewood Restaurant New Classic Cookbook.

Of course, zucchini is best fresh. If confronted with a quantity, it keeps only a few days at room temperature but over a week refrigerated. There are several ways to prepare it which require larger amounts per serving. One is to grill it because it shrinks over the fire.

Stuffed Zucchini: Serves 4
Follow the above recipe substituting 4 zucchini for the eggplant. Simply remove the seeds, stuff with ground meat and cook in the preheated 350 deg. oven for 20 min. for beef, 30min. for other meats, topping with the cheese halfway through. Serve hot with tomato sauce on the side.

Grilled Zucchini: Allow double the amount per portion. This serves 3-4
Cut in thick slabs and marinate in Italian vinaigrette for about an hour. Alternately for 1 ½ lbs. zucchini mix ½ cup salad oil, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ½ tsp. dried basil, plus salt and pepper to taste for the marinade. Grill about 2-3 min. per side until slightly charred.

Roasting zucchini also shrinks it so a larger amount is required per portion. For 1 ½ -2 lb. Toss with 2 Tbs. oil, pinch each garlic powder, crushed fennel seeds (optional) dried basil and dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Roast on a sheet in a 400 deg. oven 25-30 min. until vegetables are tender and browned. Serve with Parmesan curls or crumbled Feta.

Fried Zucchini is a great way to use extra zucchini. Allow 1 ½ to 2 per person. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut across into 4 quarters and Julianne each into 3 pieces. Drain on towels for 1 hr. then dredge in flour, shake off excess and lay pieces out on a cookie sheet. Freeze slightly to firm, about 20 min. Heat about 3 inches oil in an open pot and fry zucchini in batches until brown. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly. This works best in an open pot, not a ‘fryer’ but be careful adding the cold zucchini as the oil will sputter.

Baked Zucchini Sticks are an easier option to frying. Cut zucchini as above but only into 8 pieces. For 3 medium zucchini, dip into 3 lightly beaten egg whites mixed with ½ tsp. water then roll in a mixture of ½ cup flour, ½ cup grated Parmesan. ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ¼ tsp. salt. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 20 min. until golden. Serve at once. Makes 24.

Microwaving zucchini is my favorite method to cook it for everyday eating. It’s so easy to slice one, add a quarter of an onion sliced, a drizzle of oil, pinch of garlic powder, salt, pepper and herb(s) of choice, basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel ,and nuke it for 3-5 min. until crisp tender. Topped with Parmesan, it’s a great vegetable side, but it’s also good on toast as a snack or sandwich.

 

 

The addition of tomatoes and, optionally, peppers turns it into an instant ratatouille, which is not only a good side, or sandwich filling but makes excellent bedding for fish. Simply spread it in the bottom of a dish, place the fish on top and bake or broil until cooked. Yum!

The added advantage, when made with canned diced tomatoes, is that this concoction freezes for about a month and can be perked up with the addition of cooked cut green beans, mushrooms or spinach to serve at a later date. The addition of rice and sausage, leftover ham or hot dog slices turns it into a quick dinner casserole. It’s a way both of using up fresh zucchini, and also preserving surplus.

So if you see zucchini sales in the market, pass a farm stand with a sign, or are a backyard gardener coping with a big crop, don’t worry. There are ways to take advantage of the sale prices and/or excess without wasting it and you’ll be glad you did. As ordinary as the taste may seem to us now, I can guarantee it will be a welcome change in January.

 

EASY DINNERS FOR BUSY FALL NIGHTS

Fall may be the ‘busiest’ time of year. Getting back into regular routines and adjusting to new schedules, often involving orientations, can be stressful. To those responsible for providing dinners, it’s even more so because the time to prep has to be figured into their day as well. The choice of meal can be a problem too. Sometimes it has to be delayed, and occasionally served in shifts, which means it has to hold well, or be a quick-fix.

As a provider, read Mother, who was often involved in school activities, I had a couple of other requirements. The dinner had to be easy to clean-up and not involve a cooking method that could necessitate a wardrobe change- NO frying, even sautéing.

Over the years, I collected several recipes that I turned to each September. Please check the site Archives for Sept. 2013 Quick Weekday Dinner Recipes for Busy Families and Sept.2015 Amazing Back-to-School Dinners. Simply click BLOG on the header and then select the month and year from the drop-down box on the right side of any page. This year’s entries are a whole new group of recipes and perhaps a bit more upscale, but still well within my requirements.

Unlike past years, some of these recipes require sides. My go-tos are usually frozen French Fries, or Couscous cooked with an envelope of bouillon granules, 1 Tbs. dried parsley and ½ tsp. lemon juice. Of course, a can of sweet potatoes, red beets, or (1) 15oz. can of creamed corn, plus (1) 8 oz. can of whole corn mixed with 2 eggs and sprinkled with cinnamon, microwaved for 2 min.to make a quick corn pudding are also side solutions, as are the many available packaged rice and pasta mixes. Only one recipe will need a vegetable as well.

Most of the dishes below can be made ahead and refrigerated for days, even frozen and finished in the oven or microwave. All will make your weeknights easier.

Make Ahead Beef Skewers: Serves 4 –A make-ahead, easy cook meal. Can be cooked in shifts.
½ cup oil-canola preferred
1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
2 Tbs. Soy sauce
3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
¾ tsp. mustard powder OR 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
½ tsp. garlic powder OR 2 tsp. fresh minced

 

 

 

 

1 ½ lbs. lean beef in 2 inch cubes-round, or chuck
2 medium zucchini in 2 inch slices
2 medium summer squash in 2 inch slices
1 red (or other color) bell pepper in 1 ½ inch pieces
(12) 10 inch skewers
Mix first 5 ingredients for the marinade. Alternately thread the meat and vegetables on the skewers, place in a glass or ceramic pan and pour the marinade over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Uncover and broil (allowing dish to warm a bit) 4-6 inches from heat for 4-5 min. Turn and finish cooking to taste. These arealso great for grilling.

Flounder Rolls: Serves 4- Quick cooking, easy to prepare. Can be cooked in shifts.*
I devised this some years ago, for a child who loved spinach but hated fish. Then I was surprised to find out it freezes well using fresh fish, and can be cooked frozen, simply add 6 to 8 min. to the cooking time. Otherwise, just use frozen flounder or tilapia.
4 fish fillets – divided in half lengthwise
(2)10oz boxes of frozen chopped spinach – thawed and drained
2 envelopes chicken or beef bouillon granules
2 eggs
Ground nutmeg
2 tsp. butter
1 lemon quartered
Toothpicks
In a bowl, mix the bouillon packets and the eggs with the spinach, making sure they’re well combined. Divide the mixture into 8 portions, and roll a strip of flounder around each, tail end over the thicker one, leaving enough overlap to secure with a toothpick. Alternately, for larger rolls, divide the spinach into 4 portions and wrap each with 2 pieces of fish over lapping on each side. Press the tops and bottoms to compact the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and melt the butter in an ovenproof dish large enough to hold the fish rolls comfortably. Using a spatula, transfer the rolls to the dish, but be sure they are upright and the sides are straight. Sprinkle the tops with nutmeg, and bake about 20-25 min. until fish is very white and opaque, and eggs bubble out of the top making a white foamy sauce. Serve at once with pan juices. Garnish with lemon wedges.
* Can be frozen if using fresh fish, just allow about 5-8 min. of extra cooking time. Otherwise cook within 24 hours of making them, but store well chilled and covered.

 

 

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1 cup orange juice-preferably fresh
1 Tbs. orange zest
4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless breasts or skinless thighs
Place the chicken in a glass or ceramic dish. Mix the first 8 ingredients and pour over; cover, marinate refrigerated overnight. Allow dish to warm a bit and then bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 30 min. (40 for thighs) basting at least once. Plate and serve hot, with sauce over.
*This dish cooked, can be frozen. Cook about 5 min. less and reheat in 350 deg. oven for about 15 min. To cook it in shifts-prepare dish and set aside a portion. Reheat portion in the microwave for 2 min.to serve.

Linguine Salad with Ham and Vegetables: Serves 4-Can be frozen and eaten cold, room temperature or warm in shifts. Smoked turkey can substitute for the ham.*
8 oz. – 1 full 8 oz. cup frozen cut green beans or chopped broccoli – cooked(easily done in the microwave)
(1) 14 oz. can seasoned diced tomatoes- Italian or Mexican
½ lb. Deli sliced ham julienned or smoked turkey
½ cup grated Parmesan
¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
1 medium onion in thin slices
(1) 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives – drained
½ cup oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 pkg. Good Seasons dressing mix
8 oz. cooked linguine
Optional for serving, toss with 1 ½ to 2 cups ‘baby’ spinach leaves, stems removed
Mix the dressing packet with the vinegar and oil; measure out 2/3 cup and save the rest for another use. Place all the other ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the measured dressing. Serve at room temperature, warm slightly or chill for later. Toss with or bed on spinach if desired, just before serving.
* Freeze, well covered. Thaw in the refrigerator and it’s ready to eat or be heated.

 

 

 

Couscous with Sausage and Vegetables: Serves 4-Can be made2 days ahead and served in shifts*
½ lb. Pork or Turkey link sausage Or 2 pkgs. Brown ‘n Serve sausage
3 cups cooked couscous*
1 each- medium zucchini and summer squash – cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 small carrots -sliced
1 small onion cut in half and sliced
1 red bell pepper in large dice
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. oil
¾ tsp. curry powder
¾ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup vegetable bouillon
Salt to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 ½ Tbs. dried
Heat the oil in a medium pot with a lid and sauté the vegetables until soft, about 5 min. over medium heat. Remove vegetables to a plate and cook couscous* in the same pot, as directed on box. Return vegetables to the pot, with any juices, add the spices and bouillon; cover and let stand for 5 min. Meanwhile cook sausage in the microwave until most of the fat is exuded. Drain fat, slice sausage. The smaller ones in 4 pieces, larger links in about 6 slices each. Add sausage and parsley to couscous mix and adjust salt. Serve at once or refrigerate and reheat in the microwave as needed.

LIKE FROZEN YOGURT? THEN DIY THE FLAVOR

I seem to be stuck in a cold foods’ rut the past weeks, but with all the heat waves this summer it feels natural. So continuing along that path, this week’s posting is for the more health minded people—Frozen Yogurt or Fro-Yo. Hey, you guys, why stick to the flavors in the glass case, when it’s so easy to create your own?

Yogurt is made by fermenting any type of milk, cow, sheep, goat, even soy, full fat to skim, with bacterial cultures. It’s simple to make but whether commercial or home-made, once finished, it must be kept chilled and should be used while fresh. About 2 weeks or 10 days after the sell-by date, the active cultures start to dissipate.

Heating kills the live cultures, so be aware that while yogurt tenderizes meat, moistens baked goods and adds flavor and body to soups and sauces, it doesn’t bring any special ‘health’ benefits to cooked food. On the other hand, freezing inhibits the cultures yet doesn’t totally destroy them, but Fro-Yo isn’t just freezing a container of fresh yogurt. Yogurt, even Greek yogurt contains too much water to freeze evenly; even strained it will separate and be ‘icy’ or ‘gritty’ when frozen.

There are several ways to overcome this. The addition of sugar or corn syrup, which inhibit ice crystals forming, cream, mascarpone, boosted by a bit of cornstarch, even beaten eggs to give a creamy texture all help, but the final step in starting with plain yogurt, always seems to be the use of the ice cream maker.

However, I’ve made it a point in passing on recipes during this very hot summer, especially the ‘Treat’ ones, to avoid space and time consuming requirements. So I’m going to simplify this right now. If you want to make Frozen Yogurt from scratch, to preserve the tartness, Google directions and then use the following recipes to make Fro-Yo in your choice of flavor. Otherwise, start with a container of a commercial brand vanilla frozen yogurt. Incidentally, these recipes also work with ice cream.

One of the beauties of yogurt is that it readily combines with other flavors. When heated it blends in but chilled it hosts them, even spotlights them. So use these recipes as base directions and feel free to take off and follow your fancy. The important thing is to mash the ingredients together until well incorporated so they freeze together smoothly.

Have on hand 2 cups =1 pint vanilla frozen yogurt for (4)1/2 cup=1 scoop servings. Soften in the refrigerator 20-30 min. then mix in the any of the following combinations and refreeze at least 30 min. When soft this can be spooned into popsicle molds and frozen for easy eating.

Bananas Foster
1 large very ripe banana
2 Tbs. rum
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
Slice, then mash the banana with the rum and sugar. Mash again into the yogurt until well mixed. Refreeze.

Burnt Almond
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
2 Tbs. grated chocolate
2 Tbs. Amaretto
2 tsp. honey
Mix ingredients and add yogurt, mashing until blended. Refreeze
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Peach-Bourbon*
2 peeled peaches chopped
2 Tbs. bourbon
1 Tbs. dark brown sugar
Mash the ingredients well and mash again with the softened yogurt until blended. Refreeze

Peña-Colada*
8 oz. can crushed pineapple-well drained
2 Tbs. dark rum
1 Tbs. dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp. coconut extract
Mash ingredients well, then mash again into yogurt until well mixed. Refreeze

*Recipes courtesy of Food Tips and Cooking Tricks by David Joachim

It’s easy to imagine more flavor combinations. For example, just off the top of my head:

Baked Apple
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 Tbs. apple juice or cider
1 Tbs. brandy
Pinch cinnamon
Microwave the apple with 1 Tbs. sugar, cider and cinnamon until soft -about 3-5 min. depending on machine. Mash with other ingredients and allow to cool. Mash again with yogurt until well mixed and refreeze.