Food Lush

Living Without A Microwave

Editor's note: Welcome Jess M., to the Food Lush family! We're thrilled to have her join us and if you'd like to get to know Jess better, follow her on Twitter.

***

by Jess M.

Recently we decided to get rid of our microwave. It was big and bulky, took up a lot of counter space, and we didn’t feel like we used it all that much. Sure, we reheated leftovers or melted a little bit of butter, but overall I felt like most things we used it for could be done another way.

So, we bought a toaster oven. (The Oster TSSTTVMNDG Digital Large Capacity Toaster Oven) We have three kids and so actually a lot of meal prep involves heating up frozen kid foods: corn dogs, nuggets, french fries, pizza. With the toaster oven, these things are ready quicker than they are when you cook them in the regular oven and you don’t have to heat up the whole kitchen just for a single corn dog.

There are some “accessory” items that really help with our conversion to toaster oven life:

• I bought a set of small Pyrex dishes for food storage. We still use the plastic ones, but if it’s something I know we’ll reheat in the toaster oven, like macaroni, I can go ahead and store it in a smallish Pyrex dish.
• We have a quarter sheet pan that came in a set with some half sheet pans and it is the perfect size to fit in the toaster oven.

• Food Service Foil Sheets. My husband laughed at these when he saw me bring them home from a Costco trip, but they are so convenient. They are just the right size for my quarter sheet pan so I don’t have to tear/cut/waste regular sized foil. And they keep the pan clean so I don’t have to scrape off cooked-on cheese every time we have a snack.

Have you lived without a microwave? How do you melt your butter?

 

 

(Photos from: Amazon)

Cajun Red Beans and Rice

by Jen L.

I grew up in Louisiana. Even though I haven't actually lived in Louisiana for nearly 14 years, I sometimes absolutely MUST have some Cajun food.  We have a decent Cajun restaurant close by that has great gumbo, good seafood dishes and a nice overall variety of Cajun and Creole foods.  Usually, though, I end up making it myself.  While I was growing up, my mom managed to get her hands on one of the best Jambalaya recipes of all-time, which I like to serve from time to time.  I make a mean Shrimp Creole, a recipe I concocted all on my own. It's kind of a fusion of versions from two favorite restaurants.  However, when someone actually requests Cajun food from my kitchen, it's usually red beans and rice with andouille sausage.

Now here's the thing--andouille is not the easiest thing to find outside the south.  When we lived in NYC, I usually ended up going with "andouille-style" smoked sausage, which tastes ok.  If you can get your hands on real andouille, go for it. (Bonus points if you can find Manda brand!)  If you are not into hot and spicy things, you can certainly replace the andouille with regular smoked sausage.  You can also omit the sausage completely for a hearty vegetarian meal.  I should point out that some recipes call for celery, but I don't care for crunching down into a piece of celery with my beans and rice. But if you like it, toss a couple of chopped ribs of celery in there.

CAJUN RED BEANS AND RICE

• 1 pound dry red kidney beans
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (Louisianians like Tony Cachere's)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste) or hot sauce
• 1 pound andouille sausage
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For best results, soak dry beans overnight.  Drain and rinse beans when you're ready to put the dish together, and return them to your pot.  In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Cook onions, peppers and garlic until onions are transluscent.  Add to pot of beans.  Pour 6 cups of water over beans and vegetables.  Add Cajun seasoning and cayenne. Stir well, then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.  When the 2 hours is nearly up, slice andouille into rounds or bite-size pieces and brown in a skillet. (Andouille generally comes fully cooked, but be sure to check the package.)  Add browned andouille to beans and simmer for 30 minutes.  Cook rice as directed.  Serve beans and sausage over rice.

(Photo from Simply Recipes)

Cookie sheets and cutting boards; Or the Things I Let Go To Pot

by Jonniker

I don't know what it is about my kitchen gear that I don't think I DESERVE to buy nice or even, in some cases, functional things. If my pants were falling off of my body, I would . . . buy new pants. When I run out of make-up, I buy new make-up.

So why is it that when my cutting boards are so sliced and beaten up that they're probably hotbeds of ambient e coli and salmonella, do I think I don't need to replace them? You guys, I have a cookie sheet that is literally black with what I jokingly call "seasoning," as though it is a precious cast iron skillet. It isn't. It's a $4 cookie sheet that I am too stubborn to replace, even though I can't even properly clean it anymore, because who knows if that's dirt or just burnt-on CRAP? 

See also: vegetable peelers. My dad visited recently and almost removed the tip of his finger with my sub-par vegetable peeler. "Do you use this thing?" he asked accusingly, leading me to confess that no, I actually didn't, and had been peeling veggies with a butcher knife instead, so far gone was my $5 peeler. 

I replaced it recently and SURPRISE YOU GUYS. I can peel carrots in half the time, without fear of removing my knuckles in the process. 

I have a $20 olive oil dispenser that I consider . . . indispensible (see what I did there?), but when it comes to basics, I just let my stuff go to pot. And this is stuff I use EVERY DAY. Every day! 

So you know what I'm doing this week, y'all? I'm buying myself some basics. Nothing fancy, just basic things that no longer harbor disease and bacteria. It's the little things, I guess. Like this:

Good Cook Non-Stick Cookie Sheets, $17. 

I can afford $17, especially since I make the expenditure once every 20 years. 

For God's sake, I can get a set of three wooden cutting boards for $15. 

There. I have solved my problems for around $30. THIRTY DOLLARS. With that price, I can even afford to buy a SILICONE cutting board set for meats n' stuff.

 

(Obvious PSA: Wood cutting boards are less sanitary because of the grain, so don't go slicing raw meat on them, ya hear? Otherwise my salmonella nightmare could be your reality.)

{Photo credit: All photos from Amazon.com}

Reader Question: Deep-Freezing Containers

By Dani

We got this question from Dawn: "I'm trying to figure out how to best store homemade deep freeze items. We recently purchased a deep freeze, and my goal is to fill it with yummy, homemade sauces, casseroles, etc. We're expecting a baby in mid-January, and I figure if I can put the work in now, I can be super lazy about cooking when the baby comes... Any help you can provide would be much appreciated!"

I LOVE my deep-freeze, and I'm often teased for having a stuffed freezer even though I now live in the suburbs (growing up 40 miles from a store can give you some funny habits...) and I LOVE this idea of prepping ahead of time.

That said, I think solutions really need to be tailored to your tastes and portion sizes, but here are the general rules I've discovered:

For traditional casseroles or large baked dishes like lasagna or enchiladas, you really can't beat the disposable aluminum pans. Don't buy them at your grocery store, though, because you'll hardly save money--I suggest Costco or Sam's Club (if you don't have a membership there, Wal-Mart is your next cheapest bet). The ones at Costco are much tougher than the traditionally flimsy pans you buy at the regular grocery store, and they are much less expensive. Those kinds of meals are typically really messy, too, so these throwaway pans can save you a lot of scrubbing on stuck cheese later.

For freezing smaller meals (say, two chicken breasts with teriyaki sauce and some veggies--instant stir-fry!) I've found that heavy-duty plastic or glass to-go containers work really well. I use these ones from Rubbermaid (bought at Costco for a great price!) and they are super tough. Rubbermaid also has a glass variety--I haven't tried them myself, but I have these glass containers from Pyrex that have frozen and defrosted beautifully for years.

The only trouble with using re-usable containers is that they are hard to label. I've tried to use masking tape or sticker name tags to delineate different dishes, but they can come off in the freezer and have occasionally left nasty residue on my containers. One solution is to place a small piece of paper with the information on it directly inside the container facing out, but I rarely remember to do that.

Another option for small meals is Ziploc bags. I know it's kind of trashy (ba-dum-ching!) but freezer-safe Ziplocs are a life-saver in my house, especially for random things like extra muffin batter I didn't have time to bake, leftover marinara sauce, smoothie ingredients, cooked rice or ... well, you get the picture. Generally, if it's not a complete meal but still needs to be frozen, I stick it in a Ziploc, label it with a Sharpie and put it in the freezer for a night when I need that extra ingredient.

For proteins, like premade kabobs or chicken breasts, I wrap them in aluminum foil and then put them in a Ziploc. I think it keeps the flavors tasting fresher, especially for seafood. Another option is to use butcher paper, which also works well to keep flavors in and freezer-burn out.

Hope that helps, Dawn, and happy cooking and freezing!

(Photo credit: Rubbermaid.com)

Owl-themed Kitchen Things

by Elsha

Right now our kitchen theme is "mish-mash of whatever we owned when we got married." Which wouldn't be so bad if that hadn't happened six years ago. That's probably not going to change anytime soon, but I do love to browse cute kitchen things! My latest obsession is owl items. 

These mugs are the perfect colors for fall: 

(photo credit: amazon.com)

These owl salt-and-pepper shakers would go with any set of dishes:

(photo credit: westelm.com)

I feel like these measuring cups wouldn't be very practical, but I kinda want them anyway.

(photo credit: pier1.com)

I like this cookie jar. Pretty sure that winking owl is telling me that second cookie is our little secret. Alright, tenth cookie.

(photo credit: anthropologie.com)

I totally need these appetizer knives for when I entertain. HA! I've never hosted anything that would require appetizer knives. Ever. I still like them.

(photo credit: target.com)

Do you have a kitchen theme, or are you a mishmash person like me?

Kitchen Workhorse: Chicago Metallic Sheet Pans

by Elissa

Now that the weather is cooling off, it seems like I am roasting vegetables all the time: squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, eggplant, etc. And because I love roasted vegetables generally, my Chicago Metallic sheet pans may very well be my most-used piece of kitchen equipment.

They're solid and well made, so that they don't warp even at high temperatures. Things brown really well, and they're not tough to clean. I've had mine for over 5 years, and they have held up very well. They're not non-stick, so they do get a little black around the edges, but I view this patina as adding character.

They are also great for baking cookies and sheet cakes. If you're looking for a great pan, pick up a couple of these!

 

Kitchen Trick: An Easy Way To Store Rice, Quinoa, and Other Grains with Instructions

by Caitlin

You cut open the bag of rice and as you scramble with your other hand to grab the measuring cup you stupidly left just out of reach, you try to keep the bag level but it starts wobbling and some spills out. You finally get the cup and try to pour the rice into it without it sprinkling all over the counter and floor. Which is silly, really, as you know you'll inevitably be sweeping up rice later, after it's stabbed the bottom of your feet on the way to the stove. When it's all over you're left with an open, partially used bag that you stuff into a ziploc, or tie a rubber band around, only to repeat the whole process next time. 

Sound familiar?

Allow me to help. 

I would also like to state for the record that I did not even get this idea from Pinterest, the appeal of which I'm still uncertain about. I'm pretty sure I got it from my Mom. You can be certain I didn't get it from Pinterest because it doesn't involve any chalkboard paint or burlap, although it does involve a mason jar, though that's not strictly necessary.

It's right up there with my saute pan draining tip, which is another trick I didn't come up with on my own. And as with that previous tip, it's not rocket science, and I feel certain others must know about it, yet I feel I'd be doing a disservice not to share it with you.

So:

Photo by me. I hope you appreciate the time I took to Pinterest-up this picture, what with the clutter of a mixing bowl, Lowe's coupon, mesh bag of limes, and the hand lotion lurking in the distance. 

Tear, cut, or otherwise remove the instructions from your bag of rice/quinoa/whatever. Pour contents of the bag into a handy container (I always have extra mason jars lying around my house leftover from canning, but you can use whatever you've got. Tupperware works.), and throw in the instructions. Voila. Display on your counter for that extra Pinterest-y touch. 

Next time you go to cook your grains, you can dip your measuring cup right in the container, while performing nary a circus act. Victory!

How do you store your grains? Are you obsessed with Pinterest? If so, please help me understand why. 

Swedish dish cloths

By Katie

A few weeks ago I was strolling through a little resort town in southwest Michigan with some friends, poking in and out of gift shops, when we encountered a bin full of something labelled "Swedish Dishcloths."

They sheets, about 6 inches by 8 inches, were stiff and looked almost like notecards, but the explanatory label pretty much promised that they were some kind of miracle kitchen product- a cross between a sponge and a dishcloth, made of a mix of cellulose and cotton that cleaned surfaces with or without spray cleaners, buffed stainless to a streak-free shine, and cooked dinner for you. (Okay, not that last one.) 

Plus, they were cute. So I bought one.

And you know what? They ARE awesome! They apparently last forever (mine is still like new after more than a month) because you can wash them in the dishwasher or washing machine, and in a pinch they can be sterilized by microwaving for a minute while damp. They dry to a stiff sheet but soften immediately in water. As promised, they do a great job shining countertops and even stainless steel appliances with just water, no drying needed.

Ever since I was reminded how gross kitchen sinks and surfaces are (more germs than your toilet! Yummy!) I've been looking for a way to keep my counter sponge and my dishes sponge clearly and obviously separate so people don't mix them up- these make it easy!

Plus, look, a ton of cute designs:

These are all from Scandanavian Stitches (and there are dozens more designs on that site, including a bunch of cute holiday ones) but a quick google search of "Sweedish Dishcloths" shows dozens of places to buy them. I think they'd make a really great, low-key hostess gift (cute and practical! Win and win!) I paid about $6 for mine -- more than your average sponge, for sure, but given how much longer it lasts than a typical sponge, definitely worth it.

(All pictures from: scandanavianstitches.com)

Pounding Chicken

by Tara

(Let's go ahead and get the 12-year old giggling out of the way because of the overuse of the word "pounding" in this post.)

I've been making several recipes lately that require pounding chicken into thinner chicken. It's not usually something I think about a lot, but since I've been doing it a lot, I have been thinking that I need a kitchen tool that is actually made for this. For the last 9 years (I didn't start cooking till I got married) I have been using the side of an old school meat tenderizer, like this:

Photo from Williams-Sonoma.

It works fine, but sometimes the pointy part tears up the chicken if I'm not super careful, and it's quite the arm workout since it's such a small tool. So I think I need something new. What should I get?

 

This one looks a lot like a spatula, but the wider head would work better than my current tool.

Rosle Meat Tenderizer

(Photo from Bed, Bath, & Beyond.)

 

This might work just as well as anything. Although maybe it wouldn't hold up to lots of pounding?

Crate & Barrel Crab Mallet

(Photo from Crate and Barrel.)

 

I really, really like this one. And we all know that I adore PC products.

Pampered Chef Meat Tenderizer

(Photo from Pampered Chef.)

 

Or maybe this one? It also looks like a spatula, but less so since it's rounded.

Norpro Meat Pounder

(Photo from Chef's Catalog.)

 

Maybe I should just call it a wash and head to a home improvement store for a rubber mallet?

Workforce Rubber Mallet

(Photo from Home Depot.)

 

What do you think I should get to pound chicken?

Okra Three Ways

By Erica H.

(UPDATED! Because both of my parents individually contacted me within five minutes of publication to let me know I had left out a step. Eagle-eyed about food, my family.)

We've covered okra in this space before, but around these parts there tends to be significantly more okra than there are ways of dealing with okra. Any box of local produce I get in late summer is going to have okra. A whole big bag of it.

Would you say I have a...plethora of okra?

So the standard thing, the regular thing, the ONLY thing (it often seems) is to bust out the cornmeal and the vegetable oil and go to town. Not that there's anything wrong with that! Here, for example, is how my folks do it:

• Chop it into one-inch chunks, not rings. Makes for more okra, less breading. Oh, what's that? You're just here for the breading? Chop it into rings.
• Par-boil it for a few minutes. Or, as my mother says, "Cook all the snot out." Because "slime" wasn't a disgusting enough word, apparently.
• Roll it in a mixture that's half-cornmeal, half-flour, half-Tony Chachere's. Er, just "seasoned" with Tony Chechere's. Liberally* seasoned.
• *My addition to the recipe. I've basically made it my own and probably didn't need to credit it.
• Let it rest on some wax paper for a while so the breading gets nice and sticky.
• Get some oil hot.
• Dump it in, brown it up.
• Dip the result in ranch dressing, live happily ever after.

The end. Thank you and goodnight!

Oh, wait. That's right. Sometimes I kind of get bored of this perfectly perfect approach to okra and I just have to wonder...what else is out there? What options do I have, okra-wise?

Well, a little publication called the New York Times has something to say about it! (Roast. Is what they say.) Please keep in mind that this recipe is specifically labeled "FOR HEALTH." So proceed with caution.

But what if you only have a skillet and a stovetop and a dream? Never fear! Alton Brown is here, and he wants to you to mix that okra with a slew of tomatoes and some tasty Asian seasonings. Okra and tomatoes! Like gumbo without all that gross seafood!

Note: though the okra and tomato combination is quite delicous, it seems to me that the sauteé method only works with small, delicate okra. I kept mine on the stove for literally three times as long as the recipe suggests and was still left with pieces that were inedibly tough.

For my money, roasted okra wins the day. It's the fastest, easiest, least-ingredient-requiring option and has a fantastic flavor to boot. Embrace the slime, you guys. Okra it up.