Alright, last but by far not least are basics for the Refrigerator and Freezer. I truly hope that you find this helpful. I know most of it's just common sense, but it helps sometimes to have it all written out.
Pantry Basics for your Refrigerator and Freezer
Butter
Cheese – cheddar, Parmesan and other favorite flavors
Milk – or soy and cream and or heavy cream
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Sour cream
Vegetables –fresh and frozen
Fruits – fresh and frozen
Yogurt – plain
Beef – ground bulk and patties, round steak, rump roast, bottom round and country style boneless ribs
Chicken – whole, parts, boneless skinless breasts and ground
Pork – ground bulk, sausage and links, tenderloin, chops and roasts
Ground turkey
Ham
Bacon Fish of choice, fresh water or salt water, whole or fillet Seafood of choice....I like to keep IQF shrimp in the freezer for fast pastas or stir fries. I like scallops and crab too.
Below you will find a list of common staples that you would most likely find in any pantry, mine included (plus extras, but we'll cover those later!). For now, I'll cover just the pantry staples, I'll do Herbs and Spices and Refrigerator/Freezer in later blogs. With this list, you should be able to pull a meal together anytime. Hope this is helpful. :-)
Pantry Basics
All purpose flour
Baking Mix (Bisquick or Krusteez)
Cake mixes
Cornmeal
Cornstarch
Milk – powdered, evaporated and shelf stable
Sugar- granulated, brown and powdered
Oatmeal – rolled oats and quick cooking
Cereal – cold and hot (cream of wheat, malto meal, cream of rice and or grits)
Plain and or Italian Breadcrumbs
Crackers – saltines, club, butter, wheat, rye or other whole grain
Cooking spray
Vegetable Oil
Olive Oil
Shortening for baking
Extracts – vanilla, almond, lemon and orange and maple
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans and pine nuts)
Long or short grain white Rice
Spaghetti
Macaroni
Other favorite shaped pastas IE. Penne, Angel hair, Fettuccine, shells, etc.
Baking soda
Baking powder
Kosher salt or sea salt
Black pepper – whole peppercorns and ground
Garlic – fresh
Fruit, canned – peaches, pears, pineapple, pumpkin and applesauce
Beans - canned red kidney, black, white (cannellini and or great northern), garbanzo
Yeah, I know it's something pretty simple. But for some people it's a pain in the hiney. This is my favorite way to make it and I think it's the simplest and best method. It doesn't curl up like when you stand over the stove and babysit it while it fries and splatters your entire stove and the wall behind it and you yourself.
The best part is, you don't have to babysit it!!!! You can do other things.....like fry your potatoes, slice tomatoes, fry your eggs or make your pancakes or waffles or omelets or whatever else you might be having with it.
What you need.......Bacon, a cookie sheet with sides and your oven!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Place bacon on cookie sheet, no need to grease it.
Bake the bacon for 15 minutes then check to see how it's doing, pull it out and drain some grease. No you don't have to flip it either!
Please tell me you don't throw your grease away either, I don't wanna hear it! I save mine to cook and or flavor other stuff. Too good to waste!
All total it will probably take you 25 to 30 minutes. I don't time it, I just watch it and go by smell. But check it every 5 minutes or so just to be safe.
When it reaches slightly under your desired doneness, remove from oven, drain again and transfer to a paper towels to finish draining and cool. It will firm up a bit more as it sits and cools.
I don't know about you, but I seriously hate to see those ugly green rings around the yolk of hard cooked eggs. It means they've been cooked to death and in my opinion, it changes their flavor too. So here's the secret to hard cooking eggs the right way, not just according to me and how I learned but also by the American Egg Board. Happy Cooking!
What You Need
Eggs
Step 1 PLACEeggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling.
Step 2 REMOVE from burner. COVER pan. LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large).
Step 3 DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.
Compliments of the American Egg Board! Check them out, you'll learn everything you ever wanted to know and then some.
www.incredibleegg.org
I like this recipe very much. It's a different spin on beef stroganoff and I can throw it in before work and forget about it until I get home! Then all I have to do is add the sour cream and flour then cook up some pasta and a vegetable. Not to mention that there are always leftovers for lunch the next day...yum!
Crock Pot Chicken Stroganoff
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces (*can use frozen, then leave whole)
1 pkt. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
2 small cans sliced mushrooms or 2 c. fresh sliced button mushrooms
1 12 oz. carton light sour cream
2 t. flour
2 t. chopped fresh parsley
1. Layer ingredients into the crock pot as listed above until you reach the sour cream.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. *IF you used frozen chicken breasts allow to cook for 8 -10 hrs. or cook on high for 6-8 hrs. Then you can shred them at this point or leave them whole and serve one per person.
3. Stir the flour into the sour cream and then stir into chicken mixture, replace lid and allow to cook for an additional 30 minutes while you cook your pasta. Stir in parsley and serve.
You may choose to serve this over the pasta or stir the pasta into the chicken and sauce. The latter is a better idea if you're taking this dish to a potluck!
I found this recipe from the American Egg Board some time ago. It's so simple and easily adjustable depending on what you have on hand. Just use your imagination and go for it! Change the veggies, add herbs and spices, change the cheese, add some bacon or ham or sausage...the possibilities are endless.
Makes for an easy breakfast, lunch or dinner to pull together fast, just add some potatoes or toast and or fruit or a salad and you've got it!
Muffin Frittata's
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended. Add cheese, zucchini, bell pepper and onion; mix well. Spoon evenly into 12 greased muffin cups, about 1/4 cup each.
Bake in 350 degrees F oven until just set, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes. Remove from cups; serve warm.
