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I know that pre-cut foods cost more for the additional labor, but sometimes it’s exactly the help I need to get a meal completed and my family fed.  I’ve started keeping an assortment of sliced meats and cheeses on hand at all times, and depending on my meal plans, I add these other ingredients:

• Cut fruit — easy to pack for lunches
• Shredded cheese
• Peeled and cubed butternut squash — for roasting and soup
• Seeded pomegranate seeds — great to toss on green or fruit salads
• Cubed large pieces of meat (like a pork shoulder) by the butcher

I like to prep my own ingredients, but when our kitchen was being remodeled, I really appreciated being able to buy so many ingredients pre-cut so that that I didn’t have all the mess of washing the food, cutting boards, and knives, and disposing of the food waste.

As my kids get more active, and it gets that much harder to get meals ready, there are a few ingredients that I have started to get pre-cut.  We eat a lot of broccoli and cauliflower, so buying those veggies already broken down feels like a huge time saver for me (same for Brussels sprouts).  I also buy shredded cheeses that come in handy for grilled cheeses or taco toppings. During the holidays, especially if I am feeding lots of people, I will get even more pre-cut ingredients that will make things go more smoothly in the kitchen!

A Better Pot Roast:

Pot roast can be made from various cuts of meat that are widely available at all markets that sell beef.  To get the best meat for your family, look for organic, free-range, and grass fed.   You will pay a few dollars more per pound for beef raised this way, but the health benefits are overwhelmingly worth the $6-10 extra dollars that you will pay for the roast.  Think of using your roast as a compliment to the other dishes in your meal:  potatoes, roasted vegetables, green salad, fresh fruit, rice, noodles, and bread.  A 3-4 pound roast makes at least 3 meals for our family of four.  Check out these ideas of how to use your pot roast beyond the classic preparation:

Five Meals To Make From Pot Roast – in addition to classic pot roast!
Start with a cooked pot roast – or even better, pot roast leftovers — and make it into any of the following dishes:

1. Shredded Beef Tacos.  Shred pot roast, and serve in corn tortillas with pico de gallo and avocado slices.
2. Beef Stroganoff.  Sauté a chopped onion and sliced mushrooms in olive oil.  Add cubed pot roast and 1 cup beef broth, and heat.  Once heated, add 1 cup sour cream, and season with freshly ground pepper.  Serve over noodles or rice.
3. Beef Hash.  Shred or cube pot roast, and add to potato hash.
4. Bolognese Pasta Sauce.  Add shredded pot roast (and any pan juices and vegetables left over) to tomato marinara.
5. Beef and Black Bean Chili.  Shred or cube pot roast, and add to beef and bean chili instead of ground beef.

Classic Pot Roast:
Sharon’s recipe inspired by Beef Pot Roast from Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becket, 1975.

• 3-4 lb. chuck, shoulder, top or bottom round, brisket, blade, or rump
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 cups beef or vegetable stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 bay leaf

Rub meat with clove of garlic, or for more intense flavor, slice garlic and tuck into meat. Dredge roast in flour and pepper.  Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pan, then brown the meat on all sides in the fat (about 2-3 minutes per side).  Do not let it scorch.  Add diced carrot and celery to pot when the meat is half browned.  When the meat is browned, add onion stuck with the whole cloves, stock, wine, and bay leaf.  Cover, and bake 3 to 4 hours in a 300-325 degree oven, or simmer on top of the stove.  During this time turn the meat several times and, if necessary, add additional hot stock.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  When the meat is tender, spoon off excess fat, remove bay leaf, and serve with the pot juices.   Enjoy!

Classic Pot Roast pairs nicely with potatoes – try:  mashed, smashed, roasted, baked, or potato pancakes. 

We keep seeing cauliflower recipes popping up everywhere.  It could be because this often-overlooked, yet nutrient-packed vegetable is now on many lists of food trends for 2014; it could also be because there are so many delicious ways to cook it, and more people are discovering that.

We love cauliflower (and, fortunately, so do our families), so we have been even more inspired lately to try new recipes and flavor combinations.  A lot of people skip over cauliflower because of not-so-fond memories from childhood.  Perhaps you’ve only had cauliflower steamed into submission or smothered in a cheese sauce.  Or maybe you just cook it the same way over and over.  We want to convince you to give cauliflower a spot in your meal planning.  If you already like cauliflower as much as we do, we have some delicious ideas of how this seemingly bland veggie can carry lots of flavor, especially during the winter when there aren’t as many choices for seasonal produce.

Buying, Prepping, and Storing

• Avoid cauliflower heads that have any brown spots.  The leaves should still be tucked closely to the cauliflower as well.
• Cauliflower can be cooked whole or cut down into smaller florets, much like broccoli.  Cut away the leaves and the bottom.  If cutting up, begin by cutting pieces around the core, and cut further if you need smaller pieces.  If there are just a few brown spots, you can cut those away.
• Store the cauliflower in the refrigerator, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag for about a week.

General Cauliflower Cooking Tips

• Cauliflower is great raw, roasted, braised, or steamed.  A few recipes may call for boiling the cauliflower (like those for “mashed” cauliflower).  In general, though, we avoid boiling since the cauliflower easily becomes mushy and water logged.
• The subtlety of flavor works to your advantage if you want to add roasted or steamed cauliflower florets to dishes like spaghetti sauce, pizzas, omelets, or even macaroni and cheese!
• Cauliflower can almost always be used in any recipe that calls for broccoli.

Roasted Cauliflower Variations
Our favorite way to prepare cauliflower is to roast it, as we do with lots of other vegetables.  It is great roasted with just olive oil, salt, and pepper, but here are some delicious ways to add even more flavor. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard-Lemon Butter from Epicurious

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Cut cauliflower in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in single layer on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with salt. Roast until cauliflower is slightly softened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in lemon juice, mustard, and lemon peel.

Spoon mustard-lemon butter evenly over cauliflower, and roast until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer cauliflower to platter. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower from Bon Appétit

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Toss the cauliflower florets with the onion, thyme, garlic cloves, and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast until almost tender, about 35-40 minutes, turning occasionally.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, toss to combine, and roast about 10-12 minutes longer.

Roasted Nutmeg Cauliflower from Ellie Krieger, The Food You Crave

• 1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the cauliflower in a 9×13-inch baking dish, toss with the oil, and sprinkle with the nutmeg and salt.  Cover the dish, and roast for 30 minutes.  Remove the cover, stir, and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and nicely browned, stirring occasionally.

Traditional Pesto (Pesto Genovese) from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

• 2 cups loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
• Salt
• ½ clove garlic, peeled, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or chopped walnuts*
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more if desired
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, pecorino Romano, or other hard cheese (optional)

Combine the basil with a pinch of salt, the garlic, the nuts, and about half the oil in a food processor or blender.  Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary and adding the rest of the oil gradually.  Add more oil if you prefer a thinner mixture.  Store in the refrigerator for a week or two, or in the freezer for several months.  Stir in the cheese by hand just before serving.

While thinking about this question, I realized that I don’t use boneless, skinless chicken breasts very often, so I’m looking forward to hearing how Kimberly and other people use them in their meals.  I almost always use a whole chicken to roast or for soup; bone-in  skin-on breasts for roasting; and chicken thighs for chili.   When I do use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, the three dishes that I make over and over are:
1. Chicken in the Indian simmer sauce Tikka Masala (I buy the sauce pre made).  I cube the chicken and simmer it in the sauce, usually with cubed potatoes or cauliflower, and serve it over rice.  It’s really easy and ready by the time the rice is done cooking.
2.  I roast the chicken with olive oil and salt, and then cube it for chicken pot pie.
3.  I roast the chicken breasts to use in packed lunches and thinly slice them to serve on top of green salad or in the kids’ lunches for finger food.

Since they cook quickly and are so versatile, boneless chicken breasts are a favorite weekday protein of mine.  I always have the ingredients for our preferred preparations of chicken breast on hand, so I don’t have to think too much about it at the store. As long as I pick up the chicken, we are set for one meal, and leftovers at least for one lunch.  I have cooked all three of these dishes so much that they are now very easy for me, and fortunately everyone likes them.

1. Kung Pao Chicken – my mom started cooking this dish when we were younger, and it has been a favorite of mine ever since! On those days when I am really organized, I will cut up the chicken into bite-size pieces and measure out the sauce ingredients ahead of time, making it even faster to cook.
2. Sautéed Chicken Breast with Pan Sauce – I like to pound the chicken flatter so it will cook evenly, and so it will cook faster.  I simply season the chicken with salt and pepper, dredge it in flour (shaking off any excess) and then cook in a pan that I’ve heated with about 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  They take about 4-6 minutes per side.  While they are cooling down, I make a simple pan sauce to serve over the chicken.
3. Breaded Chicken – Just like with the sautéed chicken breasts, I also pound these thinner. After seasoning, I dredge first in flour, then egg, then Italian breadcrumbs.  A trick I learned years ago is to set these on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before cooking so that the breading won’t fall off during cooking.  I also cook these in a combination of butter and oil.  I serve with lemon slices. If you want, you can also grate Parmesan, or any other spices or herbs into the breadcrumbs for added flavor.

Get the new year off to a healthy start for your family by incorporating meatless dinners into your weekly meal plan. We all know that there are many benefits to vegetarian diets:  lower grocery bills, lower ecological impact, positive health impact, and less ingestion of hormones and antibiotics fed to factory-farm animals.  Having a consistent theme of “Meatless Monday” (or any day of the week) can also help you feed your family in a number of ways:

• Easier Planning.  Using the idea of a theme night can help make menu choices easier each week.
• Balanced Meal Plans.  Focusing on vegetarian options helps create a more balanced meal plan.
• Establish a Routine.  We can all do better at feeding our families more vegetarian meals (unless you are already vegetarian!), so having one day set aside for that helps get you in the routine and will surely inspire you to find other dishes you want to cook as well.

It may seem easier to eat meatless in warmer months when there is a plethora of ripe produce for salads and fresh fruit, but there are many hearty and warm foods that can stand in for meat with satisfying results.

Pack your pantry and refrigerator with these Meatless Monday staples:

• Beans
• Eggs
• Grains
• Cheese
• Tofu
• Meat Substitutes (veggie burgers)
• Mushrooms (Portabella are especially “meaty”)
• Nuts

Meatless Monday Meals — with recipes!

• Lentil Soup
• Baked Potatoes
• Vegetable Chili
• Tofu Fried Rice
• Frittata
• Pasta with Marinara or Pesto Sauce
• Salads with nuts, dried fruit, cheeses and vegetables (pictured above)

Try vegetarian for at least one night a week — and Bon Appetit!

Healthy, Hearty Lentils

If you don’t already use lentils in your cooking, here are some compelling reasons to start: they are highly nutritious, packed with protein, inexpensive, and easy to cook.  Throw in how delicious and versatile they are – as evidenced by how many cuisines around the world incorporate lentils into their dishes – and you run out of reasons to bypass them in the grocery store.  We love using lentils in vegetarian chili, stews, and soups during colder months, but we also use them in side dishes (like dal or as an accompaniment to salmon) or in salads throughout the year.

There are many lentil varieties, but the most common you’ll see in recipes are brown lentils, French lentils, or red and yellow lentils.

• Brown lentils are the brownish or greenish lentils that are the easiest to find in grocery stores.  They are great for stews and soups since they keep their shape well.
• French lentils (du Puy) take the longest to cook and are a little more difficult to find, but they hold their shape best and are delicious.
• Red or yellow lentils are often used in dal.  They cook quickly (around 15 minutes) and break down more than other types of lentils, yielding a more creamy texture.

Braised Lentils
This recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything is a flavorful, easy way to cook lentils. You can add different spices for variations, or use as a base for cooked rice, roasted veggies, or even browned bacon.

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ onion, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup dry white wine (you can substitute with vermouth)
• 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
• 1 cup dried brown lentils, washed and picked over
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes until the onion begins to soften.  Add the garlic, and cook for another minute.

2.  Add the bay leaf, wine, stock, and lentils.  After bringing to a boil, lower the heat so the mixture is at a simmer, and partially cover the pot to cook for about 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally, and add water if necessary. You want to cook the lentils until they are tender.

3.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook to desired tenderness. Remove the bay leaf, and sprinkle with parsley.

Enjoy!

Other lentil favorites:

• Ina Garten’s Lentil Sausage Soup
• Ina Garten’s Salmon with Lentils
• Mark Bittman’s 7 Ways to Make Lentil Soup

This recipe is from an old cookbook of my mom’s called Madame Wong’s Long-Life Chinese Cookbook, by S.T. Ting Wong.  I am including the original preparation of the chicken here, but I no longer deep fry the chicken.  Instead, I pour a small amount of oil to cover the wok before adding the chicken to stir-fry.  I also don’t add chili peppers anymore because it adds too much spice for my kids.  Kimberly

• 2 whole chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1/2- inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups oil for deep-frying**
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or cashews (optional)
• 10 whole dried red chili peppers
• 2 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon chili paste with garlic
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sherry
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1. Combine chicken, salt, egg white, and cornstarch.  Mix well.  Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, blend sauce ingredients. Set aside.
3. Heat oil to 350 degrees in a wok. Deep-fry chicken until it separates and is almost cooked. Remove by draining through strainer.
4. Reheat 2 tablespoons of oil in wok to smoking hot. Stir-fry red chili peppers until they are dark red. Lower heat. Add scallions and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
5. Pour in chicken. Stir-fry on high heat for 1 minute.
6. Add sauce. Stir-fry until thoroughly heated and glazed.  Add roasted peanuts.

These come from Pam Anderson’s How to Cook Without a Book. Here are some general directions for pan sauces with some ideas below (use with chicken and turkey cutlets, boneless pork chops and tenderloin, some with fish, etc…).

Secret Weapons for Improving Flavor

Knowing how to amp up the flavor of a dish you have spent the time shopping, prepping, and cooking for can be your secret weapon to a delicious meal.  There are a few ingredients, some added during and some at the end of cooking, that you can rely on to boost flavor. Sometimes these ingredients are already built into a recipe, but if not, you’ll have the information on hand to adjust a recipe to your liking.  What you use will depend on what you are cooking, but adding just one of these flavor-enhancers can make a dramatic and surprising difference in the final flavor.

Five Ways to Boost Flavor

1. Citrus – A squeeze of citrus juice, usually lemon, added at the end of cooking can really brighten the flavors.  It adds an extra touch of flavor, even if you just use the zest.  A little goes a long way, even with the zest, since the flavor is carried through the oils in the rind.  Add the zest to salad dressings or over sautéed vegetables.  Add juice to pan sauces, soups, or rice dishes.

2. Vinegars – As with the citrus, a little splash of vinegar in a dish will give it an added depth and balance to the flavor.  Add to soups, or even a nice balsamic vinegar to vegetables.

3. Parmesan – There is a reason this is called the king of cheeses. Delicious on its own, it really does amazing things to some dishes when added.  Shavings or grated Parmesan on top of pasta, as we all know, is delicious, but it is also great over roasted vegetables, in salads, and even on mashed potatoes.  A Parmesan rind tossed into a soup during cooking yields an amazing flavor.  It is fantastic in vegetable soups, or something like a white bean and kale soup.  If you don’t happen to have one saved over in the freezer from your last piece of parmesan — or if you just don’t usually buy parmesan — it is getting easier to find Parmesan rinds by themselves for sale.  If you have more than one left, simply wrap it in some foil, write the contents and date on the outside, and stick it in the freezer.

4. Toasting spices – To get the most flavor out of any spices you use in a dish, toast them either in the cooking oil you are using for the dish, or even on a dry skillet, and then add to a dish.  You can even toast a taco seasoning mix a little before adding water to add more flavor. If you like a simple, fresh pasta with butter, salt, and pepper, consider toasting the pepper in some of the butter or oil before adding pasta to the pan to coat with the fat.

5.  Salt – Salt is crucial in cooking, and if you don’t add enough during the cooking you really lose out on flavor.  A little salt added at the end of cooking can also make a difference.  We like kosher salt for cooking, but fine sea salt for finishing.  Even flavored salts can add to the finished dish.

Bonus:  Texture – Although not a specific ingredient, adding anything to a dish that will give it some texture — and flavor while you are at it — does help. The visual of a dish is important, but so is texture.  Something crunchy, like toasted nuts, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds, can sometimes help bring a dish together.