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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Carnivore269
 
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Default Cooking "cheats" for the time challenged...

Other than using the microwave more (which honestly is something I try
to avoid unless I'm in a critical hurry, or am cooking carrots), there
are some shortcuts that I like to use, and would be thrilled to hear
others from others in the same boat. :-)

Pre-sliced veggies such as pre-bagged brocolli or mushrooms,
pre-washed/bagged greens such as baby spinach,
Canned low-salt soups for sauces, and they also work well in stir
fry's,
I usually use the cream ones including celery, brocolli and mushroom,
Planning for the meat and thawing it the night before, and sometimes
also pre-cutting or slicing it for the morning brunch if I am planning
stir fry,
using a lot of eggs for frittatas,
pre-grated cheeses kept in the freezer.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head other than the
obvious "Meal planning". :-)

C.
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Julia Altshuler
 
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I'm not sure if this one counts since it doesn't save time as much as it
moves it to a more convenient place.

When I get home from the supermarket with a week's worth of produce,
even if I haven't planned what I mean to use each carrot or onion for, I
wash and slice everything. I get out the cuisinart, peel and slice all
the onions, put them in a plastic bag, rinse the cuisinart and repeat
for the carrots, broccoli, and the rest of the vegetables. The only
things I don't prep ahead of time are the things that change color or
get seriously grotty.

When it is time to cook, all I have to do is reach into the fridge for
the vegetables. I consider this a nutrition trick as well since I'm
more likely to cook with more vegetables if I don't have to wash a knife
and cutting board each time I use them. Black beans are easy when the
onions, celery, carrots and peppers are ready to throw in. Soups take
almost no time when it is only a matter of defrosting stock and tossing
in the precut vegetables.

Next trick: Use V-8 juice and orange juice for curry tomato soup stock.

--Lia

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JLove98905
 
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I may get bashed for even mentioning this, but it is a time saver...

There's a book called "The Cake Doctor," Where all of the really elaborate
cakes start with a box of cake mix. Saves a lot of time, but still gives that
homemade appeal!

-Jen
Half the people you know are below average. -Steven Wright


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PENMART01
 
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In article <GjOfb.682839$Ho3.145955@sccrnsc03>, Julia Altshuler
> writes:

>When I get home from the supermarket with a week's worth of produce,
>even if I haven't planned what I mean to use each carrot or onion for, I
>wash and slice everything. I get out the cuisinart, peel and slice all
>the onions, put them in a plastic bag, rinse the cuisinart and repeat
>for the carrots, broccoli, and the rest of the vegetables.


Prepping veggies days before using... BLECH!


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

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Carnivore269
 
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Julia Altshuler > wrote in message news:<GjOfb.682839$Ho3.145955@sccrnsc03>...
> I'm not sure if this one counts since it doesn't save time as much as it
> moves it to a more convenient place.
>
> When I get home from the supermarket with a week's worth of produce,
> even if I haven't planned what I mean to use each carrot or onion for, I
> wash and slice everything. I get out the cuisinart, peel and slice all
> the onions, put them in a plastic bag, rinse the cuisinart and repeat
> for the carrots, broccoli, and the rest of the vegetables. The only
> things I don't prep ahead of time are the things that change color or
> get seriously grotty.


That would save a lot of time during the work week. ;-)
I've never thought of pre-cutting onions which is why I use dried
minced a lot.

How long do bagged onions last in the 'frige? Yellow, white or purple
onions?
I'd like to try this since I want to cook with more onions.

As for carrots, I just buy the baby ones. <G>

>
> When it is time to cook, all I have to do is reach into the fridge for
> the vegetables. I consider this a nutrition trick as well since I'm
> more likely to cook with more vegetables if I don't have to wash a knife
> and cutting board each time I use them.


Agreed, but I would probably not pre-cut squashes. I cut them in about
1" chunks anyway so that takes very little time. And I'm just cooking
for two.


> Black beans are easy when the
> onions, celery, carrots and peppers are ready to throw in. Soups take
> almost no time when it is only a matter of defrosting stock and tossing
> in the precut vegetables.


Do you make your own stock on the weekends? We used to save bones and
make bone stock when we got a pressure cooker full.

>
> Next trick: Use V-8 juice and orange juice for curry tomato soup stock.
>
> --Lia


And chili! ;-)

C.


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John Gaughan
 
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Carnivore269 wrote:
> How long do bagged onions last in the 'frige? Yellow, white or purple
> onions?


Onions last anywhere from three or four days to a week, depending on how
fresh they were when you bought them.

I don't cut up vegetables every time I go food shopping. If I have a
meal planned that has a lot of prep time I usually chop stuff up the day
before and keep it in ziplock bags.

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/


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Jeffrey P. Vasquez
 
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Carnivore269 wrote:
> Other than using the microwave more (which honestly is something I try
> to avoid unless I'm in a critical hurry, or am cooking carrots), there
> are some shortcuts that I like to use, and would be thrilled to hear
> others from others in the same boat. :-)


Okay, this could be a fun thread and one where departures from the time-
saving tricks of the professional chef could be fairly enlightening...

1) Double the mileage of marinades: marinate tonight's entrée then pour
the marinade into a freezer ziplock with another night's meal. I call
this slow-marinating, because it will continue to marinate for weeks in
the freezer and a little oil in the marinade prevents freezer burn. For
the unadventurous go with two flank steaks; for the adventurous try pork
to chicken. If it's an involved marinade recipe, I sometimes make a large
batch and throw a bunch of different things in the freezer. (Double bag
them if you have to...leaking marinade in the freezer is *the worst*)

2) ...

  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
Julia Altshuler
 
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Carnivore269 wrote:
>
> How long do bagged onions last in the 'frige? Yellow, white or purple
> onions?
> I'd like to try this since I want to cook with more onions.



If you want them perfect, the way they are when they're first cut, they
only last a day or two pre-cut and bagged. But I'm not fussy when it
comes to onions I'll be using for cooking. The convenience of having
them ready overrides the slight wilt. I keep them a week or longer if
they look O.K.

--Lia

  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
Julia Altshuler
 
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Frogleg wrote:

>
> I admire Julia's efficient prep work, but she probably has meal plans
> in place, too. I wouldn't cut up, say, celery, in advance, not knowing
> if I would eventually want pieces or sticks for snacking, dice for
> salad, julienne for shrimp & celery remulade, or bias-cut slices for
> stir-fry.


No, I don't plan that carefully. I just choose a good enough all-round
size to slice into and leave it at that. Then I use it in whatever.
Carrots get cut into coins. That's good for snacks, soups, stir-frys.
If I would have preferred julienne for a particular recipe, I use coins
instead. Remember, this is about saving time. Getting out the
cuisinart only once a week saves time. If this was about perfectly
presented meals, I'd be thinking in another direction.

--Lia



  #11 (permalink)   Report Post  
Elaine Parrish
 
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On Tue, 7 Oct 2003, Julia Altshuler wrote:

<snip>
>
> No, I don't plan that carefully. I just choose a good enough all-round
> size to slice into and leave it at that. Then I use it in whatever.
> Carrots get cut into coins. That's good for snacks, soups, stir-frys.
> If I would have preferred julienne for a particular recipe, I use coins
> instead. Remember, this is about saving time. Getting out the
> cuisinart only once a week saves time. If this was about perfectly
> presented meals, I'd be thinking in another direction.
>
> --Lia
>
>


I buy red, orange, and yellow bell peppers when they go on sale. I dice
them up, spead them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, put it in the
freezer until they are frozen, then scoop them into a ziplock bag, and
store in the freezer. When I need them, I just retrive the quantity I need
and put the rest back in the freezer. I do this with green bell peppers
and with onions, too. They are too limp to thaw and use in salad, but they
are perfect for cooking. They last for months.

I do this with hamburger meat, cooked,shredded chicken, bulk sausage,
and smoked sausages, etc, too. I also keep shredded cheese frozen. It
takes only minutes to dress up canned spaghetti sauce, a frozen pizza,
make red beans and rice, tacos, burritos, enchaladas, ect.

Elaine

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Frogleg
 
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On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 17:52:04 GMT, "Jeffrey P. Vasquez"
> wrote:

>
>Carnivore269 wrote:
>> Other than using the microwave more (which honestly is something I try
>> to avoid unless I'm in a critical hurry, or am cooking carrots), there
>> are some shortcuts that I like to use, and would be thrilled to hear
>> others from others in the same boat. :-)

>
>Okay, this could be a fun thread and one where departures from the time-
>saving tricks of the professional chef could be fairly enlightening...
>
>Double the mileage of marinades: marinate tonight's entrée then pour
>the marinade into a freezer ziplock with another night's meal.


We assume you mean doubling the marinade recipe, not marinating A and
transferring the liquid to B.
  #14 (permalink)   Report Post  
Carnivore269
 
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Frogleg > wrote in message >. ..
> On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 17:52:04 GMT, "Jeffrey P. Vasquez"
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >Carnivore269 wrote:
> >> Other than using the microwave more (which honestly is something I try
> >> to avoid unless I'm in a critical hurry, or am cooking carrots), there
> >> are some shortcuts that I like to use, and would be thrilled to hear
> >> others from others in the same boat. :-)

> >
> >Okay, this could be a fun thread and one where departures from the time-
> >saving tricks of the professional chef could be fairly enlightening...
> >
> >Double the mileage of marinades: marinate tonight's entrée then pour
> >the marinade into a freezer ziplock with another night's meal.

>
> We assume you mean doubling the marinade recipe, not marinating A and
> transferring the liquid to B.


Let's hope so...
Re-using marinade is extra dangerous.
Or so I've been taught?

I've been cheating a LOT lately with marinades and using commercial
salad dressings! Kraft makes some good ones. I did chicken the other
day with their Honey Dijon dressing with a little lemon pepper and
garlic powder for barbecued split breasts. It was divine...... ;-) I
normally use their plain italian or creamy italian. Ceaser works well
too for a chicken marinade.

Now I gotta check them out for a good one for beef. Any suggestions?

C.
  #15 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jeffrey P. Vasquez
 
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Carnivore269 wrote:
> Let's hope so...
> Re-using marinade is extra dangerous.
> Or so I've been taught?


Argh! Let's not get off-topic. Start a new thread, if you really must
revisit the microbiology. Better yet just ignore my suggestion, if it
scares you.

> I've been cheating a LOT lately with marinades and using commercial
> salad dressings! Kraft makes some good ones. I did chicken the other
> day with their Honey Dijon dressing with a little lemon pepper and
> garlic powder for barbecued split breasts. It was divine...... ;-) I
> normally use their plain italian or creamy italian. Ceaser works well
> too for a chicken marinade.
>
> Now I gotta check them out for a good one for beef. Any suggestions?


I call this "Found Object Cuisine." This is one of the biggest time-
savers in meal prep.

2) Here's my Found Object BBQ sauce recipe:

1/2 bottle on-sale brand X mesquite BBQ sauce
1/2 bottle on-sale brand Y hickory/spicy BBQ sauce
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp horseradish vinegar (or less depending)
1 tsp tabasco sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all and heat.
Preparation time: 3 minutes.

I loathe store-bought BBQ sauces, because they're too sweet and too
bland. However, making BBQ sauce from scratch is just horrifically time-
consuming. I find combining different brands pleasantly offsets the worst
qualities of either alone. This trick works with lots of consumer food
products.

NB: I keep diced horseradish in a bottle with rice vinegar -- substitute
accordingly and don't overdo it. It's very easy to put too much in and
take the BBQ sauce to the other side of the scale.


  #16 (permalink)   Report Post  
Julia Altshuler
 
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Frogleg wrote:

> We assume you mean doubling the marinade recipe, not marinating A and
> transferring the liquid to B.


If the marinade was used the first time in the refrigerator for several
hours, poured off the first item, poured on the 2nd item and frozen, it
shouldn't be a problem. The 2nd item is then defrosted in the
refrigerator in the marinade. With this method, I can't see that
anything harmful would have a chance to grow. I like the trick.

--Lia

  #17 (permalink)   Report Post  
BOB
 
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Julia Altshuler typed:
> Frogleg wrote:
>
>> We assume you mean doubling the marinade recipe, not marinating A and
>> transferring the liquid to B.

>
> If the marinade was used the first time in the refrigerator for several
> hours, poured off the first item, poured on the 2nd item and frozen, it
> shouldn't be a problem. The 2nd item is then defrosted in the
> refrigerator in the marinade. With this method, I can't see that
> anything harmful would have a chance to grow. I like the trick.
>
> --Lia


I re-use marinades all the time. The first meat is marinated in the
refrigerator, poured off the first and onto the second, which is then put in
the refrigerator to marinate while the first meat is cooked. The marinade
never gets more than a degree or 2 above the 'fridge temperature. Of course,
YMMV and if someone doesn't like the sound of this, don't do it.

BOB


  #18 (permalink)   Report Post  
j*ni p.
 
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Hark! I heard " BOB" > say:
> Julia Altshuler typed:
> > Frogleg wrote:


> >> We assume you mean doubling the marinade recipe, not marinating A and
> >> transferring the liquid to B.


> > If the marinade was used the first time in the refrigerator for several
> > hours, poured off the first item, poured on the 2nd item and frozen, it
> > shouldn't be a problem. The 2nd item is then defrosted in the
> > refrigerator in the marinade. With this method, I can't see that
> > anything harmful would have a chance to grow. I like the trick.


> I re-use marinades all the time. The first meat is marinated in the
> refrigerator, poured off the first and onto the second, which is then put in
> the refrigerator to marinate while the first meat is cooked. The marinade
> never gets more than a degree or 2 above the 'fridge temperature. Of course,
> YMMV and if someone doesn't like the sound of this, don't do it.


I believe the marinade issue came about because some folks would
marinate meat, remove and cook it, then introduce the same marinade
(with raw meat juices) to their dish again. Bleah! I don't think
marinading more than tne batch of meat would be an issue, as long
as everything is kept cold (as you both said), and the meats are
cooked properly afterward...


--
j*ni p. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!
  #19 (permalink)   Report Post  
Goomba
 
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Carnivore269 wrote:

> That would save a lot of time during the work week. ;-)
> I've never thought of pre-cutting onions which is why I use dried
> minced a lot.
>
> How long do bagged onions last in the 'frige? Yellow, white or purple
> onions?
> I'd like to try this since I want to cook with more onions.


How long does it possibly take to slice/dice or mince an onion? Less
than a minute. And if it is taking you more time than that, you need to
keep practicing your knife skills by slicing more, rather than less.
Goomba
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Carnivore269
 
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"Jeffrey P. Vasquez" > wrote in message .77>...
> Carnivore269 wrote:
> > Let's hope so...
> > Re-using marinade is extra dangerous.
> > Or so I've been taught?

>
> Argh! Let's not get off-topic. Start a new thread, if you really must
> revisit the microbiology. Better yet just ignore my suggestion, if it
> scares you.


<guilty look> Sorry! I really don't want to see this thread degenerate
off of the subject line. After all, I started it. <G>
I'm a lab tech. I know plenty about microbiology so can make up my own
mind. :-) I'd just advise caution (like keeping everything cold and
not going over 24 hours). I'd probably feel ok re-using beef or fish
marinade, or even pork, but I've had Salmonella and it's not fun, so
I'd be far more cautious of re-using chicken marinade.

Well, enough of that! LOL!

>
> > I've been cheating a LOT lately with marinades and using commercial
> > salad dressings! Kraft makes some good ones. I did chicken the other
> > day with their Honey Dijon dressing with a little lemon pepper and
> > garlic powder for barbecued split breasts. It was divine...... ;-) I
> > normally use their plain italian or creamy italian. Ceaser works well
> > too for a chicken marinade.
> >
> > Now I gotta check them out for a good one for beef. Any suggestions?

>
> I call this "Found Object Cuisine." This is one of the biggest time-
> savers in meal prep.
>
> 2) Here's my Found Object BBQ sauce recipe:
>
> 1/2 bottle on-sale brand X mesquite BBQ sauce
> 1/2 bottle on-sale brand Y hickory/spicy BBQ sauce
> 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire
> 1 tsp fish sauce
> 1 tsp horseradish vinegar (or less depending)
> 1 tsp tabasco sauce
> Salt & pepper to taste
>
> Mix all and heat.
> Preparation time: 3 minutes.
>
> I loathe store-bought BBQ sauces, because they're too sweet and too
> bland. However, making BBQ sauce from scratch is just horrifically time-
> consuming. I find combining different brands pleasantly offsets the worst
> qualities of either alone. This trick works with lots of consumer food
> products.
>
> NB: I keep diced horseradish in a bottle with rice vinegar -- substitute
> accordingly and don't overdo it. It's very easy to put too much in and
> take the BBQ sauce to the other side of the scale.


Hmmmmm... interesting recipe. :-) I tend to modify commercial BBQ
sauces by just using some additional spices/herbs. I really do like
Kraft regular. As for marinades, I messed up earlier. I use a lot of
Wish Bone brand, not Kraft. Kraft tends to add too much "sweet" to
their salad dressings.

Sometimes just plain lemon or vinegar, soy sauce, lemon pepper and
garlic will do. :-) Or Kikoman light teryaki sauce! That one is good
for a lot of things and is the primary ingredient in my jerky
marinade. I make beef, deer and emu jerky. In fact, I've got a bunch
of emu in the freezer right now that needs to be jerked! Jerky
marinades are a whole 'nuther subject...

Kraft regular BBQ sauce on chicken in the microwave is quite good.
Chicken is pretty much the only meat tho' at least in my experience,
that comes out good in the microwave. (Another on topic for the
subject <G>) I use a covered corningware.

C.


  #21 (permalink)   Report Post  
Frogleg
 
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On Tue, 07 Oct 2003 16:44:00 GMT, "Jeffrey P. Vasquez"
> wrote:

wrote:
>> We assume you mean doubling the marinade recipe, not marinating A and
>> transferring the liquid to B.

>
>Double the mileage, not the marinade.
>
>Before I assume from your tone that this is going to be another
>microbiology discussion ...


Hmmm. Drain marinade from substance A and pour over B? I don't think
so. No elaborate microbiology here. Just standing time and common or
garden bacterial growth.

>Try transferring a fish marinade to a cut of beef.


Not on your life. I'm aware that Worcestershire sauce contains
fermented anchovies, but I'm thinking it's under more controlled
conditions than just letting fish rot in a corner somewhere.

While I do think that some current food caveats are over the edge, the
idea of combining a chicken that has been bathed with 10,000 others in
a cool-water bath, my carefully constructed herb/acid marinade, and
then pouring that on a piece of beef makes me gag. The chicken
marinade will, I hope, be rendered reasonably sanitary by grilling. I
would no more use the marinade on another food than I'd rinse my hands
and drain the water over a meat roast.
  #22 (permalink)   Report Post  
Frogleg
 
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On Tue, 07 Oct 2003 18:31:44 GMT, Julia Altshuler
> wrote:

>Frogleg wrote:
>
>> We assume you mean doubling the marinade recipe, not marinating A and
>> transferring the liquid to B.

>
>If the marinade was used the first time in the refrigerator for several
>hours, poured off the first item, poured on the 2nd item and frozen, it
>shouldn't be a problem. The 2nd item is then defrosted in the
>refrigerator in the marinade. With this method, I can't see that
>anything harmful would have a chance to grow. I like the trick.


Trick! Trick? I'm far from a food safety fanatic, but this sounds to
me much like the youngest child bathing in the water the older ones
left behind. Or wringing out the dish towel over the soup pot.
Refrigeration doesn't eliminate bacterial growth; it slows it down. If
you make enough marinade for 2 dishes, what's the problem with
marinating them separately, rather than passing clumulative bacterial
growth from one to another? Do you really want your flank steak to
taste of exuded chicken juices? Oh, ick.
  #23 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jeffrey P. Vasquez
 
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Frogleg wrote:
> Trick! Trick? I'm far from a food safety fanatic, but this sounds to
> me much like the youngest child bathing in the water the older ones
> left behind. Or wringing out the dish towel over the soup pot.
> Refrigeration doesn't eliminate bacterial growth; it slows it down. If
> you make enough marinade for 2 dishes, what's the problem with
> marinating them separately, rather than passing clumulative bacterial
> growth from one to another? Do you really want your flank steak to
> taste of exuded chicken juices? Oh, ick.


Okay, last off-topic for this...

Prove it.

Give me an initial bacteria population. Make it large to be conservative.
Give me conservative growth rates through several hours. In fact, make it
at room temperature. Make it a nice big bacteria population. Then use the
decimal reduction curves to prove to me how much bacteria are left after
cooking.

Here's a problem for extra credit (it's a word problem, sorry):

Betty wants to make her famous Salmonella-Black pepper Brisket. Here's
the recipe:

1 cup common salmonella (assume 10^20 bacteria)
1 tbsp black pepper (okay, black pepper is naturally antimicrobial, so
let's say just a pinch)

She rubs her brisket and preheats her oven to 149 degrees Fahrenheit.
When it comes to temperature she pops in the brisket. After the oven
comes back up to temperature, how many minutes elapse before her "rub" is
safely deceased? (Hint: you don't even have to search beyond past posts
to this newsgroup, but by all means do)


Extra, extra credit: Describe the flavor of exuded chicken juices.


Disclaimers: Don't try this at home -- it's a mental exercise. Do not
substitute botulinus in this recipe. Don't marinate your youngest child.

NB: Actually, only about 80,000 salmonella fit in a cup, but let's
overlook that for purposes of this demonstration.
  #24 (permalink)   Report Post  
Carnivore269
 
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Goomba > wrote in message >...
> Carnivore269 wrote:
>
> > That would save a lot of time during the work week. ;-)
> > I've never thought of pre-cutting onions which is why I use dried
> > minced a lot.
> >
> > How long do bagged onions last in the 'frige? Yellow, white or purple
> > onions?
> > I'd like to try this since I want to cook with more onions.

>
> How long does it possibly take to slice/dice or mince an onion? Less
> than a minute. And if it is taking you more time than that, you need to
> keep practicing your knife skills by slicing more, rather than less.
> Goomba


Pththththhhthtth!!!

So there. ;-)

C.
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Jeffrey P. Vasquez
 
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Carnivore wrote:
> Pththththhhthtth!!!
>
> So there. ;-)


Have to agree here.

Case in point: Stir-fry. Total cooking time maybe six minutes with a
really hot wok. Total prep time easily thirty to forty minutes depending
on how many vegetables you toss in. Impeccable knife skills won't help
you here, especially if you like a fine, Cantonese dice on the veggies.
That's why you see Yan dice one carrot and then reach for the bowl...

3) Found Object Seafood Stir-Fry:

If you're lucky enough to have a Trader Joe's in your neighborhood, they
sell an *amazing* 1 lb. bag of frozen seafood random. This is scallops
and shrimp and calamari -- it's just an amazing thing to have in the
freezer. They also sell frozen Asian Stir-fry vegetables with sauce pack.

1 pack TJ's seafood random
1 pack TJ's Asian Stir-fry vegetables
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tspn Sriracha (hot sauce)
dash sesame oil

Heat the wok up. Toss in the peanut oil. Throw in the *frozen* vegetable
pack. When thawed and starting to cook, throw in the *frozen* seafood
pack. When the seafood has thawed pour off as much of the water as you
can (quickly, doesn't need to be dry, just drier). Toss in the flavor
pack and remaining ingredients and cook until the seafood is done
(calamari and scallops are done very quickly, but make sure the shrimp
has some color). Serve over rice from the rice cooker (just to speed
things up more).

Total prep time: ~10 minutes (including rice, but not counting rice
cooking time, since it can be done one to two sitcoms prior to starting
stir-fry)

NB: You may want to try this with just the flavor packet first, since
I've stated most of my Found Object cuisine recipes are predicated on my
feeling that all consumer food products are bland.


  #26 (permalink)   Report Post  
Goomba
 
Posts: n/a
Default Cooking "cheats" for the time challenged...

"Jeffrey P. Vasquez" wrote:
>
> Carnivore wrote:
> > Pththththhhthtth!!!
> >
> > So there. ;-)

>
> Have to agree here.
>
> Case in point: Stir-fry. Total cooking time maybe six minutes with a
> really hot wok. Total prep time easily thirty to forty minutes depending
> on how many vegetables you toss in. Impeccable knife skills won't help
> you here, especially if you like a fine, Cantonese dice on the veggies.
> That's why you see Yan dice one carrot and then reach for the bowl...


And what exactly is the case in point? That you either invest in the
"thirty to forty minutes" one place or another or...what? Prepping
veggies days in advance starts said veggies on the downward spiral of
decay and lost nutritional status.
Goomba
  #27 (permalink)   Report Post  
HELEN
 
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Default Cooking "cheats" for the time challenged...

for time saving, in the frozen food section you will find frozen choped
onions and diced green peppers these are handy for fast cooking

  #28 (permalink)   Report Post  
Carnivore269
 
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Default Cooking "cheats" for the time challenged...

Goomba > wrote in message >...
> "Jeffrey P. Vasquez" wrote:
> >
> > Carnivore wrote:
> > > Pththththhhthtth!!!
> > >
> > > So there. ;-)

> >
> > Have to agree here.
> >
> > Case in point: Stir-fry. Total cooking time maybe six minutes with a
> > really hot wok. Total prep time easily thirty to forty minutes depending
> > on how many vegetables you toss in. Impeccable knife skills won't help
> > you here, especially if you like a fine, Cantonese dice on the veggies.
> > That's why you see Yan dice one carrot and then reach for the bowl...

>
> And what exactly is the case in point? That you either invest in the
> "thirty to forty minutes" one place or another or...what? Prepping
> veggies days in advance starts said veggies on the downward spiral of
> decay and lost nutritional status.
> Goomba


Weekday mornings are hectic... :-)
I have to cook, take care of the livestock, then get ready to go to
work as I work swing shifts. Stir fry's are nutritious, convenient,
and the variety of meats and veggies you can use in them makes them in
interesting meal. I do them a LOT! Leftover stir fry becomes omlettes
or frittatas.

I don't have much time in the mornings. I have more time on weekends
or sometimes I'll pre-prepare some stuff the night before right before
I go to bed.

It's a matter of WHEN you have the time. :-)

C.
  #30 (permalink)   Report Post  
Frogleg
 
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Default Cooking "cheats" for the time challenged...

On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 08:18:45 -0400, Goomba
> wrote:

>And what exactly is the case in point? That you either invest in the
>"thirty to forty minutes" one place or another or...what? Prepping
>veggies days in advance starts said veggies on the downward spiral of
>decay and lost nutritional status.


I agree that I'd prefer to leave the veg whole until ready to use, but
also think the OP had it right that doing *all* the washing, peeling,
chopping, etc. at once would be a time-saver over all.
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