Kitchen Smarts: Featured Recipe & Tips: Beans

To Choose:

 Buy beans from a busy market with a steady turnover. Freshness does count, even for dried beans. Older ones will tend to take longer to cook.

To Store:

Transfer dried beans to a glass jar and stick a couple of dried Chile peppers in with them. The chilies will keep any pantry bugs from invading your beans.

To Sort & Rinse:

Spread beans out in a single layer and pick out any shriveled or discolored beans. Dump beans into a large bowl or stock pot of water and swirl around. Discard any beans that float to the top. Drain.

To Soak:

Cover rinsed and sorted beans with 4 times the volume of cold water and set aside for 6-8 hours or overnight, until beans have doubled in size. When one is cut open, it should be moist all the way through. Drain and cook as desired. Note: Lima and Pinto beans do not generally need soaking.

Featured Recipe-Mean Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

2 apples

2 medium onions

4 slices bacon

1/2 jalapeno, diced

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 large can pork and beans

Directions:

Peel and dice apples and onions. In a skillet, add ground beef, apples, onions, jalapeno and diced bacon and sauté until onions become translucent. Add barbecue sauce, pork and beans and cook until hot throughout. Serve!

  Pack the car and pitch the tent (or take off in your RV!)… But remember your High Quality Kitchen Tools too! Learn all about the products that will make your family outdoor cooking experience a WILD one!

Even if your idea of camping is sitting in your own back yard you’ll find lots of great ideas for outdoor cooking experience, portable take-alongs, and of course a tasty recipe or two as well!

In other words, a bit of Planning before you leave on your trip, can prevent a rotten camping trip! A little preparation makes for a good camping experience.

  For a quick meal while camping, brown ground beef, add sloppy Joe sauce, and freeze it in a freezer bag. Throw it in the cooler (it will help keep other food cool too) and then warm it up in a pan over a fire or on a grill. The kids will love the Sloppy Joes.

This can also be done with taco meat; just bring along your shells or tortillas and other desired toppings!

 Add a few ice cubes to aluminum foil packet dinners or vegetables to prevent them from burning and keep them moist!

 Using a few corn chips as fire-starters is economical and efficient. Simply light them with a match and toss a few on the campfire or barbecue! Works great!

GENERAL CAMPING TIPS

 To judge the temperature of a fire, cautiously hold your hand, palm side down, over the fire at cooking height. Count the number of seconds you can hold that position and you will have an indicator of how hot the fire

temperature is:

 5 seconds = low

4 seconds = medium

3 seconds = medium-high

2 seconds = high

 To clean messy BBQ grills:

 Use 1/2 an onion to scrape off grease and burnt on food pieces. You use the 1/2 onion like you would a scouring pad. I didn’t believe it would work myself until I tried it!

 To make soot clean easily:

 You may want to coat the outside of your camping cooking pots with bar soap before putting them on the fire. This makes the soot clean off easily!

 Take plenty of heavy duty aluminum foil on your camping trips. You can make so many things from aluminum foil, including sauce pans, lids, bowls, and even water bowls for your pets!

 Use powdered milk for cooking on camping trips, as it is easier to store, lighter to carry and cheaper than regular.

 Getting your on-the-road oatmeal is fast if you turn regular oatmeal in a blender before leaving home. Blending makes the oatmeal the same as “instant.”

 When getting ready for a camping trip, fill large coffee cans with chili, stew or soup, and freeze. It adds to the coldness of the food in the cooler, plus you can set it at the edge of the campfire to heat, right in the can!

Serve up in bowls and then dispose of the can. No big pots to wash and worry about!   

APPLE DESSERT PACKETS

12 Large Apples

4 Tbsp Sugar

3/4 Cup Biscuit Mix

Raisins

3 Tbsp cinnamon (or to taste)

Core and chop 1 apple in fairly large pieces, peeling if desired. Mix 1 tsp. sugar, a few raisins and cinnamon to taste with 1 Tbsp. biscuit mix; stir into chopped apple. Wrap in a piece of greased aluminum foil, leaving

sufficient space for steam. Cook in the embers approximately 30 to 45 minutes (the juice of the apple moistens the dough sufficiently).

Makes 12 packets.

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BARBECUED CHICKEN WITH VEGGIES

Heavy duty aluminum foil

6 Chicken Drumsticks (or whatever kind of chicken you prefer)

Peeled and Quartered Potatoes

Carrot Slices

Peeled Onions

Green Bell Peppers (sliced)

Your favorite B-B-Q sauce

Tear off a large square of foil — place two pieces of chicken in foil — add a few of each veggie type on top of this — drench in B-B-Q sauce! Wrap up foil very tightly and place in COALS of fire — cook for approximately 55 minutes — carefully take off of coals, unwrap, and enjoy!!

BEEF STEW PACKETS

3 lbs beef, cut in 1-inch chunks

12 bacon slices (about 3/4 lb.)

12 tomatoes

6 onions

Place 1/4 lb. of beef, 1 slice of bacon (cut in pieces), slices of onion and quarters of 1 tomato in aluminum foil packet. Cook in embers 30 to 40 minutes.  

Makes 12 packets.

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BISCUITS & SAUSAGE GRAVY

Biscuits:

2 cups flour

2 Tbs sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3 tbs buttermilk powder

2/3 cp water

You can mix dry ingredients ahead of time, adding wet stuff at the last minute to make slightly sticky dough (mashed up together in a zip lock bag). Flour hands and drop small handful size balls into iron skillet. Cover

with lid or foil and cook 10-15 minutes over hot coals.

Sausage Gravy:

1 roll of country sausage (I use Owens)

1/4 cp corn starch (or flour)

Oil or fat

1 can evaporated milk

Black pepper

Water (or use another can of milk instead for a richer version)

Brown sausage in a big iron skillet and scrape it off to one side. Tilt pan a bit so grease collects to one side. Using a fork, stir in corn starch with enough additional oil to keep it creamy. Then quickly add the canned milk & water (enough to make around 2 cups liquid). Add black pepper to taste and remix in sausage. When you eat this you’ll think you’re in Camper’s Heaven!

Have fun camping this summer and don’t forget those high quality kitchen tools!

Did you know that more than 70 percent of America’s fresh strawberries are grown in California? Strawberries are picked starting in January in the southern part of the state, than move to the northward to the central coast by April. Which means that by summetime grocery stores will have plenty of this tasty sweet fruit. Stawberries are even low in calories. How about making a sweet homemade treat with this fragrant fruit. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 1/3 cup salt

2 pints strawberries, washed, and hulled

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

Mix eggs, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler. Puree strawberries in an electric blender or put through a food mill. Add to eggs. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly. Remove top of double boiler and stir in lemon juice. Chill.

Stir in heavy cream. Pour into the can of an ice cream freezer; insert dasher and place can in freezer container. Layer crushed ice and rock salt in freezer around the container. Churn until ready and ripen ice cream in freezer, or turn into plastic containers or bowl, cover and freeze 2 hours. Makes 2 quarts.

The other day I was thinking about what some of the challenges many homemakers face.  One of them happens to be when unexpected guests drop by. A “Stress Buzzer” goes off in your head, “What am I going to do now?,” “I don’t think I have enough food.” Many homemakers have encountered this issue at one time or another. You may have dinner ready and it’s just something simple like hamburgers for four or even chicken defrosting in your fridge but now there are two additional mouths to feed. What to do?

Well you’ve read previously about me teaching you how to keep your pantry stocked. If your pantry and freezer are well-stocked, there’s no problem with having two additional guests. Serving Chicken?  Here’s a Potluck Chicken your guests will enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 -3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon pepper

1 Tablespoon butter

1 pound fresh sliced mushrooms

1/2 pint sour cream

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and pat dry chicken breasts.  In a large storage or freezer zip-lock bag combine flour, parsley, salt and pepper. Place chicken breasts in bag and shake until well coated. In a skillet on medium heat melt butter. Place chicken breasts in melted butter and cooked until lightly brown. Once browned, place chicken breasts in a 9 x12 baking dish . Set aside. In the same skillet chicken was cooked in, saute 1 pound fresh sliced mushrooms, approximately 5-8 minutes. Add sour cream, dry white wine and rosemary.  Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour over chicken.

Bake 1 1/2 hours. Serve with rice or noodles.  You have 8 generous servings for everyone. Complete the meal with a tossed green salad and some flaky biscuits. Surely a recipe worth adding to your file,

Hello Everyone!

As “my food for thought” (e.g. writing inspiration), I would like to get your suggestions on what your interests are when it comes to cooking information. While I “could” ramble on about what I “think” you may want to hear, it would just be a guess… since I don’t yet have my degree in mind-reading.

Seriously, though, I have such a variety of cooks on my list that it would be impossible to even come close. Everything from beginners to experienced cooks to professional chefs. While one might want tips on how to stock their pantry, another might be looking for recipes or catering advice. What’s a chef to do? Ah… this is where you come in…

I’d like to pick your brain for a minute (maybe two). If you could answer the short survey below, I’m sure it will give me lots of suggestions for my upcoming food publications. Just write your answers below my questions in your reply email (More than one answer per question allowed, listed in order if importance).

As a special thank you gift for helping out, I’m giving everyone that participates a free e-book “Family Meals Matter Cooking with Kids”.   This E-book will not only give you kids friendly recipes but tips and information on kid friendly kitchen product as well. After I see your answer come through I’ll send out the link to your free e-book.

You can either click the “Comment” link under this survey and post it here, or copy/paste it into an email to be more discreet and send it to me here >>> Cooking Survey <<<. I know some folks might not want to share their thoughts with everyone on here and that’s fine.

At what level do you feel you are in your cooking abilities?
a) Beginner
b) Intermediate
c) Experienced
d) Professional

What is your biggest current frustration/challenge in your cooking?

What skill(s) would you most like to learn to help in your cooking?

Are you interested in cooking/eating healthier?

Which are you more interested in… recipes or cooking tips? (Don’t worry… I plan to do both, just trying to prioritize

Your additional suggestions or requests…

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That’s it… hope I didn’t work you too hard Thanks a bunch for your input! It is very much appreciated, and will help to create an interactive publication that will benefit everyone.

Thanks in advance for your help… I know I can count on you

See you in the kitchen.

Eating Out Is Expensive…….Eating With Family Is Pricesless……..