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Skillet Meals From Home
While there are hundreds of boxed meals that can be prepared in a skillet, with a minimum amount of work, you can create your own skillet meals at home.
Macaroni and cheese is a wonderful base for many of these, but there is no limit to the kind of foods that can be cooked in a skillet. Some of the most tender barbecue ribs I have ever made were made in an electric skillet, at the time I had no oven.
I boiled the ribs in beer, cooking removes the alcohol, then put them in an electric skillet, brushed them with barbecue sauce turned the skillet to simmer and put the lid on.
I let them cook for about 5 hours, checking occasionally to make sure they were not burning, and adding sauce as they were turned. They were delicious, and fall of the bone tender, give it a try sometime, you will love them!
Now back to the macaroni and cheese, while cooking the macaroni, brown hamburger in a skillet add a can of chili, when the macaroni is done add the cheese then stir into the hamburger chili mix.
Its called Chili-mac and a favorite of even the most discriminating family members! This is a little trick I learned from a true Texan, just open a small package of Fritos and add chili to the bag, only one skillet used for the chili and no dishes to wash.
Give everyone a spoon; they will love it for camping and outdoor parties. Left over roast can make a wonderful one skillet mean, just cut the roast in small pieces, add bouillon for flavor, add water and cook in the skillet until the meat is tender, add vegetables and cook until they are done and the water cooks away.
Left over pork steak is excellent when rolled in flour, and fried in olive oil; add water and rice to the mixture, the flour on the pork creates wonderful gravy for the rice.
See Also:
50 Ways to Do Everything Better and Faster
The History of the Fry Pan
Taking Control One Area at a Time
Standing in the middle of your kitchen and looking at all of the areas that food is stored can be intimidating!
Just pick one area at a time and start, put the trash can close by and start throwing out anything that hasnt been used in a while. Opened cereal boxes that no-one likes, open boxes of cookies etc. etc. etc.
You will be amazed at the amount of space these things take up in your cupboards and drawers. Here are some important rules to consider when cleaning out cupboards and drawers:
*All items must be visible, face all labels forward
*Put taller items in the back
*Put similar items together
*Clear plastic containers can keep small awkward shaped items together
*Pasta sauces should be near pasta
*Rice vinegar and soy sauce could be together
*Set up your cabinets for maximum usage, lazy susans can hold all of your bottled goods (labels out) rather than having to dig behind one to find another
*Shelf steps can be used to put things at different heights on the same shelf, this is especially helpful if all of the items are the same size, like canned soups
*Keep your herbs and spices alphabetized, it saves time
When cleaning out drawers, consider where you use the items most, and put them close to that area if at all possible.
The drawers closest to your work area should hold the items you use the most.
Try to avoid stacking pots and pans that you commonly use inside of each other. Limiting the size of a stack of pans to three makes them easier to get to; this may mean that you have to stack items you dont use very often higher.
Look at your counter tops, if you dont use and item at least a couple of times a week, put it in a cabinet out of the way.
This opens up the counter top for things you use more often. Organize your kitchen to best suit you and your needs, you will be in there more often than anyone else. |
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Preparing a Start up Set of Pots and Pans
Every womans kitchen is different, depending on how much time she spends in it, how much she likes to cook, how many people she cooks for and what she likes to cook.
A woman who cooks a lot of soups and stews for a large family will need large pots. A woman who cooks for only one or two people can get away with much smaller cookware.
Most women receive a few hand me downs from family and friends when they finally move away from home. It is amazing, as a matter of fact, how many items mom has two of in the dark recesses of her kitchen cupboards.
However, this will not cover all of your needs. As your experience grows, along with the types of recipes you prepare, your cookware will expand to cover those needs.
Skillets are a requirement if you plan to fry anything, which sooner or later you will, having coated skillets and cookware is a plus if you dont like food cooked in a lot of fat or oil.
A basic set of pots usually 2, 3 and 5 quarts and a stock pot, will cover most of your stovetops needs. If you plan to bake you will need a couple of pie pans, whether metal or glass is up to you.
A cookie sheet, not only for cookies, but for heating pizza, can also be placed under foods that may boil over, leaving a mess in your oven.
A casserole dish which can double as a cake pan can also be used for making lasagna. You will also need a colander for draining pasta; it can also be used while washing beans or lettuce in the sink.
You will find yourself coming up with unique ways to adapt recipes so you can use the pans that you have, and eventually you will purchase every thing you need to have the perfect kitchen for you.
Related Topics: Refrigerator and Freezer-Approximate Storage Times,
Cooking For Two, Cooking For Two
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