Wednesday, November 21, 2007
By LISA LOSASSO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
With the holiday shopping season starting earlier than ever, and Thanksgiving right around the corner, everyone could use a little help in the kitchen and quick evening meals are a good place to start.
Whether you’re working and raising a busy family, having company from out of town or you need a meal on the table quick after a long day of shopping there are several solutions.
One-dish casseroles can be made the night before a busy day, covered and stored in the freezer. When you come home from a busy day, all you have to do is pop it in the oven and set the timer. Not only does this give you more time with your family, but it gives you some time to catch your breath and relax a little before dinner time.
Crock-pot meals are also a wonderful way to make a large family meal without standing over a hot stove. Just thaw the meat in the refrigerator overnight, gather all of the ingredients, and throw them in the crock-pot first thing in the morning before you leave the house. When you arrive home that evening, the aroma of a home cooked meal will be wafting through your house. Set the table and enjoy your meal. It’s almost like it’s been done for you.
Saving time
Any busy mom knows that a wok can be a life saver after a long day. Either purchase pre-cooked stir-fry chicken or beef; uncooked meat pre-cut for stir-fry, or cut up some fresh pork, beef or chicken breasts. Add a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables, or chop up some fresh vegetables of your choice. Serve it over brown rice, and you’ve got a quick meal even the kids will love.
If your busy life calls for more drastic measures, or you just need a break from the grind, Gordana Jelic-Lettieri, owner of Super Suppers on Boardman-Canfield Road can most certainly help.
Take n’ Bake Meals from home made wedding soup, to Heavenly Chicken, can be purchased right out of the food case and require no more than heating.
“We do all the work, and you get all the credit… and we’re okay with that,” said Jelic-Lettieri.
For a truly unique experience, customers can call 24-hours ahead of time and put the meals together themselves at one of several fully stocked food stations.
Visit www.ssboardmancanfieldoh.com for a menu of available meals and a nutritional breakdown of each meal. Gift cards and holiday meals are also available.
Honey Baked Ham is another great option. According to Karen Phillips, assistant manager at the Presidential Square Plaza location in Boardman, everything is fully cooked and ready to go.
Making a meal
Not only can you pick up box lunches and party trays, or ready-made dinners for family gatherings and last minute get togethers, but you can reserve holiday meals and gifts for family, friends and clients. Visit www.honeybakedforyou.com for more information and a list of available products and prices.
Frank Luther, general manager of Popeye’s Chicken in Austintown suggests one of their slow roasted and deep fried Cajun turkeys for a quick holiday meal. You can also choose from a wide variety of sides such as Cajun rice, red beans and rice, or mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy.
Whether you’re ready or not, the holidays are here and before you know it, they’ll be gone… So relax and have fun!
CROCK-POT ITALIAN SAUSAGE
2 pounds Italian sweet sausage
4 potatoes, quartered
4 onions, quartered
4 green peppers, quartered
1 cup water
Cut sausage into serving pieces and put in crock-pot. Add potatoes, onions, green peppers and water. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Kid friendly casseroles
VEGGIE AND CHEESE CASSEROLE
2 (1-pound) packages frozen broccoli and cauliflower
1 block Velveeta Cheese
1 stick butter
11⁄2 sleeves Ritz Crackers
Pour frozen veggies into 9x13-inch casserole dish. Cut enough Velveeta cheese into slices (about 1⁄4 inch thick) to cover the veggies. Melt butter in sauce pan. Remove from heat. Crush Ritz Crackers into melted butter and mix well. Sprinkle cracker mixture on top of cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.
TATER TOT CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef
1 pound package frozen green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package shredded cheddar cheese
1 package Tater Tots
Brown ground beef. Drain fat. Place in 9x13-inch casserole dish. Place frozen green beans in even layer on top of the ground beef. Mix cream of mushroom soup with one can of milk. Pour over ground beef and green beans. Add layer of Tater Tots. Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top of Tater Tots. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
CHINESE CHICKEN/VEGETABLE STIR-FRY
3 to 4 whole chicken breasts, deboned
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 medium zucchini
1⁄2 pound mushrooms
3 green peppers
4 green onions
Peanut oil
Cut chicken into 1 and one-half inch chunks. In medium bowl, mix soy sauce, sherry, sugar, cornstarch, ginger, red pepper, and salt; add chicken chunks and marinate 10 minutes. Cut vegetables Chinese style and stir-fry separately in hot oil in wok or large fry pan. Stir-fry chicken, adding oil if needed. Drain oil. Toss all ingredients gently to mix well. Serve with rice.
Recipe by Elena Rossi, Cincinnati, Ohio. Published in “Angels and Friends Favorite Recipes.”
LEFT-OVER TURKEY SOUP
6 cups homemade chicken stock or 1 (49.5-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
1⁄2 cup brown rice
2 large celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper
2 tablespoons dried tarragon, crushed
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
In 4-quart crock-pot, mix together stock, corn, rice, celery, onion, green bell peppers, and tarragon. Cover and cook on low for five hours, or until rice is tender. Stir in turkey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 30 to 45 minutes longer.