Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Prepping food for easy meals

Here are some tips that you can do after shopping that will save you time on weeknights after work.

Green beans: Snip the ends off. Bring a pot of water to a boil and put a drain insert or steaming basket in it. When the water is boiling well, put the beans in. Get a bowl of ice water ready. When the water comes back to a full rolling boil, take the beans out and put them in the bowl of ice water. Drain and store in the fridge for up to three days. To prepare, heat a tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a skillet, add beans, season with salt and pepper (and garlic or black bean sauce if you desire) and saute until heated. Serve. Top with a tablespoon of crumbled bacon, toasted sesame seeds or slivered almonds if desired.

Lettuce: Wash the heads thoroughly when you get them home and shake dry. If the bottom has turned brown, cut a 1/4 inch or so off. Wrap the lettuce in paper towels and put back in its plastic bag (clean the bag out first if the lettuce was especially dirty). You can even tear the leaves for salad if you plan on using it all in a day or two. Still, be sure to wrap the lettuce in paper (or cloth) towels. But don't use a metal knife and cut it; it will discolor rapidly.

Asparagus: If you like grilled asparagus, cook a pound or two at a time. Be sure to snap off the bottoms; they will naturally break where the tender part starts. Cook it about 8 minutes or until crisp-tender, no more. You can reheat it in the microwave (if it seemed a little bitter to you the first time, try reheating it in milk - that smooths out the taste) or use it cold in a salad or with a drizzle of lemon and butter and a poached egg on top.

More to come as I think of them.

Later this week, we will be gone a few days to see my nephew graduate; if I don't keep up my posts then, please check back after June 9 for sure.


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