Tips Archives - Page 11 of 21

Three Safe Ways to Thaw Food Quickly

August 27, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

(Freezer making meal prep with my pregnant friends)

After three weeks of spacing out meal prep I have a fully stocked freezer ready to go complete with meal options like Chicken and broccoli cheese casserole, Lasagna rolls, Meatballs a variety of soups, even baked goods like pretzels, rolls, corn bread for the chili and banana bread.

Last weekend I invited a few other pregnant friends over to make freezer meals so we could all have a little party and prepare for when we have no time or energy to cook. So with baby on the way I may not be sleeping much but at least I know we will be eating well. The best part is I don’t even have to think about it. Now it’s just about picking what I want and heat and serve delicious homemade meals.

(My fully stocked freezer full of easy meal options)

Wrapping up all the great secrets, techniques and recipes for Make Ahead Meals and Dinner Made Easy with Freezer Meals I share this week Three safe ways to thaw food quickly so you have great tasting meals when you need them most.

Three safe ways to thaw food quickly

In general it is not safe to thaw items directly on the counter, as it takes too long and thaws unevenly. Here are Three safe ways to thaw food quickly.

How to thaw meat:

Refrigerator Thawing works well and is very safe leaving the thawed product still safe to eat 2-3 days after it is thawed. When thawing meat put the item on a plate to catch any drippings as it thaws. Note that this method just takes time; generally allow 24 hours per every 4 pounds of meat. Even small amounts can take a full day to thaw. Keep in mind that some areas or the refrigerator are colder than others and this will effect the time to thaw as well. Food will take longer to thaw in a refrigerator set at 35 °F than in one set at 40 °F.

Cold Water Thawing
No time to wait for the refrigerator? Cold Water Thawing is faster than refrigerator thawing but requires more attention. Place the food in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Also, you don’t want the meat to absorb extra water. Submerge the bag in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. Estimate about 30 minutes per pound; 3- to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. A 16-pound turkey will take about 8 hours to thaw this way. For larger items it is easiest to plan ahead and let them thaw in the refrigerator. If thawed completely, the food must be cooked immediately.

Microwave Thawing
This method is my least recommended but it is considered safe by USDA standards so I will include it for last-minute needs. With microwave thawing plan to cook the food immediately after thawing because some may become warm and begin to cook during the thawing. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended as it could bring it into the temperature danger zone. Follow the individual unit’s introduction for microwave thawing, as each unit is different.

Cooking Without Thawing
No time at all? No worries, this is why I recommend packaging items in individual servings. It is perfectly safe to cook foods from the frozen state. The cooking will take approximately 50% longer than the recommended time for fully thawed or fresh meat and poultry. This method is great for chicken breasts, pork chops and burgers.

(individual burritos, ready for the freezer)

Casseroles

(Chicken broccoli cheese casserole, ready to be covered for the freezer)

You can thaw a casserole overnight in the refrigerator but most casseroles can also be baked right from frozen. Be sure you are using freezer to oven safe dishes or opt for disposable foil pans that make clean up a breeze.

To bake place frozen casserole in preheated oven uncovered. Or partially thaw at room temp or overnight in the refrigerator.

Baking times for casseroles from frozen:

1 qt. 1 hour 15min
2 qt. 1.5- 2 hours
3 qt. 2-2.5 hours

Other tips:

When using noodles in a casserole undercook them slightly as they will finish cooking during re-heating.
Freeze topping separately and add during the last 40 min of baking.

Soups and Sauces:

Store soups in individual or small serving sizes to safely thaw quickly. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or place in cold water for about 15 minutes and then heat in a pan or microwave.

(Soups frozen flat will thaw quickly)

Store sauces, extra broth, or juices in ice cube trays so you can easily portion out what you need

(sauce for short ribs frozen in easy access and portioned ice cube trays)

Dinner Made Easy with Freezer Meals

August 19, 2015August 19, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

Freezing meals is a huge time and money saver for those busy days. Dinner made easy with freezer meals sounds like an easy concept but there are a few secrets to making them easily accessible and tasty. No one wants to wait for something to thaw for hours when you are in a rush only to find bland flavors and soggy textures. This fall with baby on the way I am making sure to have a wide assortment of delicious meals ready to go. You can do this too making those busy school nights easier and not worrying about “what’s for dinner” after a long day. Follow these techniques below for dinner made easy with freezer meals.

Your family size and the type of food will help determine the best way to portion and store items. You want to package things in correct portion sizes for your desired meal. If you are unsure individual portions or portions for two are easiest to thaw quickly and use as many as you need for a particular meal. Remember the smaller the item is the faster it will defrost.

The key to keeping foods fresh and tasting great while frozen is keeping out as much air as possible. If air can move around the food this is what causes food to change flavor, dry out and cause freezer burn destroying the taste and texture.

Essential Dinner Made Easy with Freezer Meals 101:

Pack items in small quantities for quick defrosting times;
Take meat out of the containers and wrap it individually;
Avoid freezer burn by packing airtight, wrap in plastic then foil or use a vacuum sealer;
Clearly label, date and include cooking instructions on packages for easy use.

Freezer Meals Extra Secrets:

Freeze extra broth and sauces in ice cube trays so you can use just what you need.
Freeze extra coffee, juices or pureed fruits and vegetables to add to smoothies.
Remove the skin and cut bananas in chunks allow to freeze individually on a parchment lined sheet pan. This way they are easier to defrost faster, measure out for baking, quick additions to smoothies and easy snacks.
Make large batches of soup and freeze individual 1-2 servings in plastic freezer bags — lay each flat on a sheet pan so they freeze in sheets, they take up less space and defrost quickly this way.
Use foil pans to cut down on dishes.
Save your summer herbs by pureeing them with olive oil and freezing in ice cube trays.
Keep extra pancakes waffles by allowing to cool then freezing in a single layer. Transfer to freezer bags for up to three months. Reheat in a toaster or in a 350-degree oven on a baking sheet covered with foil for a hot breakfast without the effort and mess.

A few of my family favorites for Dinner Made Easy with Freezer Meals

Try this family-loved favorite 4 Cheese Italian Stuffed Shells.

My family loves stuffed shells. They are perfect for children and adults. We make them by the mega batch getting everyone together for a shell-making party making the work easy and fun. Yes, my sister in-law is drinking wine from a straw in this photo, you see your hands can get a little messy while stuffing.

(My husband and sister-in-law stuffing shells)

We package the stuffed shells in freezer bags so we can take out enough for one or enough for a party. After we are done making them we divide up the bags and everyone leaves with several dinner made easy meals.

(500 shells ready for the freezer)

Meatballs are another family favorite dinner made easy freezer meal. I also use the same recipe for meatballs and shape it into a meatloaf too. This one recipe can be converted to two completely different meals easily. Serve the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and meatballs with red sauce and noodles.

Freezer meals can go far beyond just dinner. Don’t forget about breakfast on those busy mornings. I always have some frozen bananas on hand for quick additions to smoothies. They are easily portioned out to make and freeze a few loaves of banana bread.

You can freeze the already baked loaves wrapped tightly in plastic then foil for great flavor and easy on the go breakfast and snacks.

(Banana bread, sliced frozen bananas and mashed banana portioned out for easy baking)

Get the recipe for this easy Banana bread here.

Make-Ahead Meals

August 6, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

It’s not always easy to get meals on the table especially when you are tired after a long busy day. As I am getting ready to have a baby soon I am happy to share some of my secrets to Make-Ahead Meal Success.

Make-ahead meals are essential to any kitchen that feeds a busy lifestyle. When you have a few tried and true meals that are always ready to go you will never worry about what is for dinner again.

Make-ahead meals work best when they are in the portion size you need, so they defrost quickly and are at the point of “heat and serve”. Not to say that crock-pot meals do not fall into this category but the problem with crock-pot meals is they still require lots of advance thought, allowing them to thaw and cook for 6-8 hours. Our goal is to eliminate all extra thought and work to the absolute minimum, because when you are running late and hungry – it is already too late. The secret to success is in the storage and packaging of items for easy use.

These techniques are perfect to help those tired new moms, gifts for those who are sick, and anyone with a busy lifestyle who wants to get a homemade dinner on the table quickly.

Soups Storage:

(individually packaged frozen soups)

Homemade soup and chili are great to have on hand. Storing them flat in individual servings makes for quick thawing and saves space in the freezer by stacking them.

Try my Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

Ready-Made Meals for One or Many:

(Frozen Lasagna Rolls)

As an entrée I love to have Lasagna Rolls on hand as they are simple enough for children and fancy enough for a dinner party.

The key is to make and freeze in individual portions you can take out just enough for one or enough for a party if needed.

Complete Meal with No Dishes:

Some days just the thought of “what’s for dinner” can be too much. It’s great to have a few Complete Meal options ready to go that are just “heat and serve”. Even better portion these into foil pans so you don’t even have to worry about extra dishes.

Chicken and Broccoli Cheese Casserole is a perfect ready-made complete meal.

(Label, date and put cooking instructions on freezer packages for easy use)

Always label and date the package so you know what it is but I suggest taking it one step further and writing the cooking instructions directly on the package so you don’t have to think about it later making for easy husband help.

Dessert: Apple Pie in an Instant

I always make the apple pies for my family holidays but the last thing I want to do when I have a newborn baby is chop apples.

(Apple pie baked and prep for freezer apple pie)

So instead my pies are actually already prepared. You can buy apples when they are fresh and on sale getting the best quality and saving money, then mix the filling in advance and freeze it separately. Again I freeze it flat so it thaws quickly the only thing I need to do is dump this in a piecrust and put it in the oven. I will never prepare just one pie; I always process enough apples for at least 2-3 so I can have homemade pies whenever I need them.

(Apple Pie, get the recipe here).

What to Do with Burned Chicken

July 30, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

(What to do with burned chicken)

So, this happened last week. I want to share this post with you as sometimes things go wrong. We all have the occasional “off” days; other times we just plan mess up. That goes for me too, although I am a professional food expert; it is important that you see not everything is perfect. I love sharing with you and part of expertise comes from making mistakes. The key to any “failed” attempt is how you react, and what you do with it. I could have very easily cried over these chickens, tossed up my hands and said dinner was ruined. However, that was not an option in my mind.

Here is what happened, and how keeping calm and being creative saved the meal.

Last week my husband Joey and two uncles were building a shed in the backyard. I figured they would be working all day and I wanted to feed my hungry workers. My grandmother was also in town so I thought it would be fun to have her over as well. I had planned the prefect menu that allowed me time to go and pick her up and still get everything on the table. I had all the sides done and tossed the chickens on the grill. Right before I left they would be done perfectly in 1 hour. Perfectly that is if I set the grill at the correct temperature.

I apparently thought that the setting next to “off” was low, however on our grill it was high. I now know better. I was grilling those chickens at 550 degrees. I was lucky they were not complete charcoal. Thankfully, the boys smelled my grilled chickens and took them off earlier.

I got home to 4 hungry people and 2 burned birds. There was no time to make something else so I had to cope with this. I put out the cheese plate I had made earlier; got everyone drinks then went to deal with the little culinary disaster.

Luckily in my effort to cut down on cleaning I had put the chickens in foil pans, which actually protected the wings, legs and thighs. They were fully roasted but still good enough to eat with crispy skin just as they were. The chicken breasts however where another story. That skin was not salvageable so I peeled it off and looked at the meat it was fully cooked. No questions there, just slightly on the dry side. So to add a little moisture and flavor I took some fresh herbs from the garden and melted butter with lemon juice to make a savory lemon herb butter sauce. I poured this over the top and served some on the side. Dinner was saved and everyone ate well.

(Save dry chicken by adding a lemon herb butter for flavor and moisture)

It was definitely not one of my most glamorous dinner parties. However, you can’t judge a dinner party on the food alone. What matters most are the connections between the people at the table. Everyone ate well and had fun even though it did not look as I had planned it. The evening was perfect. This one also gives us another good story to laugh about in the years to come. Next time you are hosting family or friends remember to let go. It may not look as you expected, things may and if done enough will eventually “go wrong” but with a positive and creative attitude you will make it better than before and have fun memories to share for years to come.

Easy Dips, Ways to Love Vegetables

July 23, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

I have found that getting kids, even adults to enjoy vegetables can be quite a challenge. What makes a vegetable unique and tasty can be sometimes as simple as an easy dip. Adding a new flavor, color or texture may be all that is needed to see vegetables in a whole new way. Kids, especially aged 2-4, love to have things in their hands and activities to keep busy. Dips are perfect and allow a sense of independence too. Don’t get stuck in the Ranch dressing rut, try out some of these healthy easy dip favorites.

Note: Feel free to adapt these to your own tastes. Where some call for sour cream, yogurt or mayonnaise try mixing it or use what you have on hand. Mayonnaise will be richer and creamier, sour cream will have a light tang and yogurt will be lighter and much tangier. Try it out and find your favorite version for easy dips at home.

All of these recipes list ingredients, just mix together in a bowl or food processor until smooth. Dips usually get better the next day and will keep for up to 5 days if stored well.

Cheese and Onion Dip

1 cup whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 green onions, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Herbed Yogurt Dip

1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon dill
1 tablespoon parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

(Try other favorite herbs as well like rosemary, thyme, oregano or basil)

Curry Dip

1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Ranch Dip

½ cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon lemon juice, if it lacks tartness
Salt and pepper to taste

Tarter Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise or sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons or dill pickles
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pinch of salt and pepper

Creamy White Bean Dip

1 garlic clove
1 (19-ounce) can of white beans such as cannellini, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup silken tofu (6 1/2 ounces), drained and gently rinsed
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne

White Bean and Spinach Dip

1 cup white beans
¼ cup spinach
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
salt and pepper to taste

Hummus

1 15oz can garbanzo beans or chickpeas about 2 cups
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons Tahini1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sweet Pea Dip

1 cup thawed frozen peas
¼ cup olive oil
3 green onions chopped small
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5-8 dashes hot sauce (like Tobasco) more if you like things spicier
1 teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Ginger Carrot Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
4-5 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped peeled ginger

Creamy Avocado Dip

1 ripe avocado
½ teaspoon lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Marshmallow Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1(15 ounce) jar marshmallow cream

Sweet Nut Butter Dip

½ peanut or almond butter
1-tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate Avocado Dip

2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (high quality)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water

Ready-made dipping ease

Don’t have time to whip up something homemade? Try one of these great store-bought options to get started dipping.

Peanut butter
Hummus
Marinara sauce
Yogurt
Cheese Sauce
Salsa
Nutella
Honey

Looking for more ways to get kids to eat better? Try this idea: kids love making Veggie Kebabs or Swords to put in their dips.