OAMC Tip- Freezer Muffins

Freezer Muffins
 
If you like the taste of freshly baked muffins better than leftovers but don't always have time to mix it and bake, you can freeze unbaked muffin batter directly in the muffin tins.

Freeze the batter in the tins and then take the frozen, unbaked muffins out and place them in a Zip Lock bag for further storage.

To bake frozen, unbaked muffins, simply place the frozen batter back into the muffin tins (with paper liners, if appropriate), and bake them according to the original recipe instructions, but add 5 minutes to the baking time.

Freezer Basics from Paula Deen

Freezer Basics from Paula Deen

Freezing food is both time-saving and economical. There’s nothing better than coming home from work and having a delicious dinner just waiting to be heated up. Here are some tips to help your frozen food taste fresh along the way.

FREEZER TEMPERATURE:
The optimal temperature of your home freezer is 0 degrees to negative 10. Turn the temperature down to the lowest setting for the quickest freeze. The rear center is found to be the coldest spot in a home freezer. Setting your casseroles there will ensure a fast freeze. To improve air circulation and to keep a low temperature, remove unwanted clutter in your freezer by clearing out old food. This will help things stay frozen and prevent freezer burn. Also keeping food away from freezer vents will help with the circulation.

FREEZING WHOLE INGREDIENTS:
It’s important to freeze vegetables when they’re at their peak of flavor. Wash the vegetables well and trim or cut into the desired size. Blanch them in a large pot of boiling water until bright green or slightly tender, depending on the vegetable. Shock the blanched vegetables in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Remove from ice water and dry thoroughly. Freeze in labeled freezer bags or freezer safe containers. Enjoy your summer harvest all winter long.

COOLING:
Completely cool casseroles and sauces for at least 2 hours before putting them in the freezer. Any residual heat will cause condensation and a layer of frost to form on the top. The flavor will fall flat after reheating. Also, the temperature will quickly rise if you add anything warm to the freezer, causing other foods to thaw and freezer burn to form.

STORING:
Wrap baking dishes tightly with foil and plastic wrap before freezing. Use airtight, small containers, leaving very little air between the packaging and the food. Using small containers guarantee that the food will freeze faster. Liquids, like thin soups and stocks, will need an inch of room since they expand when they freeze. Use freezer quality products, which will help your food from absorbing other smells in your freezer. Wrap baked goods, like muffins, in aluminum foil and then into freezer bags. Let pancakes cool completely then stack between layers of parchment and place in a freezer bag. For the best quality, store poultry for 6-9 months, beef 3-4 months, fish between 3-6, and fruits and vegetables for 8-12 months.

REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
For casseroles, let defrost in the refrigerator the night before you want to reheat it. Unwrap and loosely cover with foil. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake until the center of the casserole reaches 160 degrees. For large 13x9 casseroles, this should take about 35 minutes. Paula’s “Lots O’ Meat Lasagna” is a perfect freezer recipe.

For soups, stews, and sauces, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop. You can also defrost in the microwave. Just check every minute or so to make sure you aren’t overcooking and to give it a stir.

Capture some summertime in your freezer with “Chef Jack’s Corn Chowder”.

Or for something to warm you up in the winter, try “Paula’s White Bean Chili”. Just remember to add the herbs after freezing and defrosting for a fresher flavor.

For baked goods, like muffins, let defrost for one hour at room temperature then toast, for best quality.

For pancakes, pop into your toaster oven still frozen to enjoy a quick breakfast.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-little-bit-of_everything/

OAMC-Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients

- 1 large bag of frozen broccoli flowerets
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup of minute rice (not cooked)
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

InstructionsCook broccoli and rice together according to package instructions. Meanwhile, saute celery and onion in skillet with butter until onions have started to brown. After broccoli and rice is tender, drain excess water with a colander (this step is key for a great texture!) Put broccoli & rice and celery and onion mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Add cans of soup and stir together well. Place in oven and cook at 350* for approximately 30 minutes. When 10 minutes are left, pull casserole out of the oven and top with entire bag of cheddar cheese. Place back in oven and cook for remaining 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.

OAMC- Explanation

OAMC for those of you that don't know is Once A Month Cooking or as I like to think of it, making more than one meal at a time.  I usually only post these recipes during the holidays, which is when I generally think of folks as being super busy.  Recently, I realized that I am REALLY busy right now.  We have two daughters graduating in May, so there are all the senior events, and proms, and college visits.  We have one son playing baseball, one daughter playing soccer, and another son playing T-Ball on a team that my husband and I coach.  As if that wasn't enough, I got a call asking if I would be willing to serve as the president of the local high school band boosters, so I am busy right this time of the year.  

That is where OAMC comes in.  With OAMC you do all your shopping one day, all your cooking one day, and have all your meals in the freezer ready to go when you need them.  I know I know, it sounds very daunting, but the beauty of OAMC is that you can go at your own pace.  I personally have never cooked for the whole month in one go.  I usually will just put back a few meal at a time.  For instance if I am cooking hamburger meat for tonight's meal, I may make some extra and throw it in some spaghetti sauce to freeze, or mix up some meatloaf to freeze.  You can do that or you can pick one of the other recipes I will be sharing over the next week or so.  I will also be sharing tips and tricks to make cooking more than one meal at a time easier.

Seared Tuna with Olive-Tapenade Vinaigrette and Arugula

Seared Tuna with Olive-Tapenade Vinaigrette and Arugula

1/2 cup chopped mixed-olive tapenade
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
8 1/2-inch-thick diagonal baguette slices
4 6-ounce ahi tuna steaks (each about 3/4 to 1 inch thick)
4 cups (packed) baby arugula

Mix tapenade, onion, basil, 5 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and lemon peel in medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Brush baguette slices and tuna on both sides with oil. Sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add baguette slices; toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add tuna to same skillet; cook to desired doneness, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Divide arugula among 4 plates. Cut tuna into slices; arrange atop arugula. Spoon tapenade vinaigrette over tuna. Place 2 baguette slices alongside each and serve.

yield: Makes 4 servings

Sweet-and-Savory Pork Tenderloin

Sweet-and-Savory Pork Tenderloin

2 (1/2-pound) pork tenderloins
2 teaspoons ground sage
1 tablespoon salt-free lemon-herb seasoning
1/4 cup apricot spreadable fruit
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Cooking spray

Slice pork lengthwise down center, cutting to, but not through bottom. Press with hands to flatten pork. Sprinkle sage and lemon-herb seasoning over pork.
Combine apricot spread and mustard. Spread half of apricot mixture over pork.

Prepare grill.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray, and place on grill over medium-hot coals (350° to 400°). Place tenderloins on rack; grill, covered, 7 minutes. Turn pork, and baste with remaining apricot mixture. Cover and grill 7 additional minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin registers 160°.

Yield: 4 servings

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-little-bit-of_everything/

Omelets with Cheese, Sour Cream and Tomatillo Salsa

Omelets with Cheese, Sour Cream and Tomatillo Salsa

* 4 eggs
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 Tbs butter
* 1/4 cup or so shredded cheese
* 1/4 cup or so sour cream
* a few large dollops of tomatillo salsa

Whisk the eggs together in a medium bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Grate the cheese. I just had some of the Mexican blend around otherwise I would have just used Jack or Cheddar.

Heat the butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. When it has melted, tilt the pan so the butter has coated the bottom well. Then pour in the eggs.

Cook slowly until the bottom has begun to set. Tilt the pan and lift the set eggs to let the runny ones run under the set part. Continue until the eggs are still wet on the top, but not too runny. Add the cheese, salsa, and sour cream to half the eggs, then fold the other half over onto the top. Cook another minute or two until firmly set.

Cut the omelet in half and serve with some toast. French bread is fantastic but any buttered toast will do.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-little-bit-of_everything/

Avocado Salsa

Avocado Salsa

Michael Smith

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pit removed and chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 chili pepper, seeds removed, flesh minced
Salt to taste
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped

Place everything in a medium bowl and toss well until combined.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-little-bit-of_everything/

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

 

Prep: 40 minutes
Chill: 2 to 24 hours

Ingredients

12 oz. dried mostaccioli or penne (about 4 cups uncooked)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced

4 green onions, sliced

1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil, crushed

2 Tbsp. snipped fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

1 Tbsp. anchovy paste (optional)

4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 oz.)

Fresh oregano leaves

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water; drain again.

2. In a large bowl toss together the cooked pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and olives.

3. In a screw-top jar combine the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, the 2 tablespoons oregano, anchovy paste (if using), garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and shake well. Drizzle over past mixture; toss to coat.

4. Cover and chill in refrigerator for as least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, add feta cheese; toss. Sprinkle fresh oregano leaves. Makes 12 to 16 side-dish servings.

　

　

Recipe source:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/greek-pasta-salad/

Stuffed French Toast With Apricot Glaze

Stuffed French Toast With Apricot Glaze

1 8oz cream cheese; softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup almonds; slivered
1 loaf unsliced sour dough bread
4 each egg
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 12 oz jar apricot jam
1 16 oz can apricots

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and the almond extract until fluffy. Stir in the nuts. Cut the bread into 3/4 inch slices, then make a cut (about 2 inches) on the bottom of each piece of bread. It needs to be large enough to create a pocket that will hold about one teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Stuff in the cream cheese mixture. Beat together the eggs, half and half, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip the stuffed bread into the egg mixture and allow it to get thoroughly moist but not heavily soaked. Cook the bread on lightly greased griddle until golden. Heat the preserves, slice the apricots into thirds and add to the preserves with the nutmeg. Drizzle over the cooked toast.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/breakfast-n-brunch/

Asparagus Pie

Asparagus Pie

1 lb. fresh asparagus
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
5 Tbs. flour
2 cups milk
2 tsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbs. celery salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. paprika

Heat oven to 350. Trim and dice asparagus into 1-1/2 inch lengths. Place in pot with water to barely cover and cook 2 minutes over high heat until barely done. Drain.

In saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour until bubbly. Quickly whisk in milk until mixture thickens. Add lemon juice, celery salt and pepper and cook 3 more minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
In baked pie shell, alternate layers of asparagus and spinach with eggs. Pour sauce over filling and smooth out. Top with grated cheese and paprika. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes until sauce bubbles in the middle. Let cool 10 minutes before serving wedges. Makes 6 servings.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-little-bit-of_everything/

Fresh peach dessert

Fresh peach desserts

 

1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup chopped pecans

 

Mix all ingredients and spread in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.   Cool.

 

Filling for Peach Dessert:

 

1 1/2 cups sugar

12 oz. Cream cheese, softened

12 oz. Carton Cool whip

4 cups sliced peaches (may substitute frozen for fresh)

 

Cream sugar and cream cheese. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture over crust. Top with peach slices. If using fresh peaches, sprinkle with Fruit Fresh.

 

Topping For Fresh Peach Dessert:

 

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch

1 1/2 cups 7-UP (regular)

1 (3 oz. Pkg.) Peach Jello

 

Combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in 7-up. Cook until thick. Stir in Peach Jello until thoroughly blended. Cool. Spoon over peaches.

Refrigerate.