Recipes for some tasty treats
There are a lot of ways to cut back on the grocery bill and January is a good time to get started. The first thing to do is to make a list and stick to it. A recent survey shows that over sixty per cent of the items that you pick up in the grocery store are items that you really didn’t intend to buy. Shoppers are apt to get caught up in the whole idea of shopping and find themselves picking up items they don’t really need. Another secret of economical shopping is never go to the grocery store hungry. When you are hungry everything in the store will appeal to you. The best time to shop is after you have eaten
Only buy exactly what you need. All of the stores are willing to get you just the portion of meat that you want. Don’t buy 6 chops when you only need 4 just because there are 6 in the package. You will end up cooking them, someone will probably end up eating them just “to save them” and not only has it increased the cost but someone ends up with extra calories. Produce can also be purchased in just the amounts you want, if you ask. Perishables that are not used promptly have to be discarded, the loss of a green pepper here and a few apples there doesn’t seem like a major thing at the time but a whole year’s worth of discarded fruits and vegetables really counts up.
Finally, shop alone. This will let you concentrate on what you are doing without distractions. Small children can be an obvious distraction, wanting items that are strategically placed to appeal to them and not always something you need or want but another adult can be just as “costly” putting fancy cheese or expensive snacks in your cart just because they appeal at the moment
There didn’t seem to be any kitchen utensil that was the “in gift” this Christmas but there were a lot of woks around. Maybe you got a new one and would like to try a bit of stir-frying. Don’t let the lack of a wok discourage you as you can use a large skillet just as well. The amount of oil required can be cut down if you are concerned about calories by coating your wok or skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Some other tips for stir-frying are to get everything you need all gathered together before you start any cooking. Partially freeze the meat you are using and then slice it diagonally across the grain so that more surface is exposed to the heat and will cook faster. Be sure that the vegetables are sliced or chopped into uniform pieces so that they will cook in the same amount of time.
Once you start cooking start with the ingredients that need the longest time to cook and then add the other ingredients based on how long they need to cook. While cooking, use a lift and stir motion all the time during the cooking.
This Stir-Fried Steak is quick and easy and low in calories, only about 232 calories per serving.
STIR-FRIED STEAK
1 pound lean boneless top round steak, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable cooking spray
12 small pearl onions, peeled
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2-cup green or red sweet pepper strips
3 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 (10-ounce) package frozen French-style green beans, thawed
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups hot cooked thin egg noodles,
cooked without salt or fat
Partially freeze steak, slice diagonally across the grain into 1/4-inch strips. Set aside. Combine the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, water, seasoned salt and pepper. Stir well and then add the steak. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. Coat a wok or heavy skillet with the vegetable cooking spray. Heat to medium high (325 degrees if you are using an electric wok) Drain the beef and save the marinade. Add the beef and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the onions, mushrooms, pepper strips, broccoli and green beans, and stir-fry 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just crisp-tender. Serves 4.
Combine the cornstarch and the reserved marinade. Stir well. Pour over the mixture in the wok and stir-fry until thickened and bubbly. Serve at once over the noodles.
It may be a mixture of cultures but Stir-Fried Chicken Curry is delicious and low in calories, for a curry, having only 299 calories per serving.
STIR-FRIED CHICKEN CURRY
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, skinned
1 (20-oz.) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, undrained
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules
Vegetable cooking spray
1/4-teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
2 cups hot cooked rice (cooked without salt or fat)
2 Tablespoons flaked coconut
Cut the chicken into thin strips. Drain the pineapple but save the juice. Set the pineapple aside. Combine the pineapple juice with the curry powder in a shallow dish and add the chicken. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Drain the chicken and save the marinade. To the marinade add the cornstarch and the chicken bouillon granules. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves and then set aside.
Coat your wok or heavy skillet with the cooking spray. Heat to medium-high (325 degrees on an electric wok) for 2 minutes and then add the chicken and the red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and the green onions and stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir-fry until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add the pineapple, raisins and peanut s and cook about 1 minute just to heat these ingredients. Serve over the hot cooked rice and garnish with coconut.
Scouting around in the stores I have been pleased to find that we can now buy “White Chocolate”. Even though its name, flavor and texture are like dark chocolate white chocolate is really not chocolate. It is mixture of cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar and vanilla. It doesn’t have any cocoa solids that give dark chocolate its color and some of its flavor. The taste comes mainly from the sugar and vanilla with just a hint of the dark chocolate flavor. You can use it in recipes where you usually use the dark chocolate with some interesting results.