Introduction
In this day and age, folks are "flying." Some get home from work all tired out and have no one to cook for them. Old folks are light eaters, except for some fat old men like. We want something fast and easy even if we have to cook it ourselves. And we want it to taste good.
My wife does some of the cooking at our house but she notified me on my retirement that she was no longer the cook because she was retiring. I though she was kidding. I do most of the cooking. Well, I have always liked to cook because when I was a little kid my mother taught me to cook and she made it fun. We usually cooked beans and fed the hobos hot bread and beans when they came to the back door.
One time when nobody was home, I decided to cook donuts. My mother came home to a very messy kitchen which she had to clean up. Then she told me how to make real donuts. It was the deep-frying thing that I didn't understand. Did I get scolded for trying to cook donuts. Never! That would have hampered my education.
Here are some hints for preparing good meals in a hurry:
1. Stock Up on Some Goods
It's awful at 10:00 o'clock at night to try to fix something to eat and there is nothing in the cabinet. Keep some things on hand.
I buy most everything in case lots. Our store has a case-lot sale every year, but we can buy anything by the case at any time. I save money that way. For example, I get a buck-a-box off my wife's favorite cereal.
Here is what I stock: canned vegetables and fruits, mushrooms, cooking soups like cream of mushroom and cream of celery, ready-to-eat-soups which I adulterate, chicken broth, cake mixes and frosting because my grandkids expect a cake each and every Sunday, and canned beef, chicken, turkey and tuna. With these items on hand, I can cook up a lot of good basic meals.
I forgot. I also buy canned gravy by the case, beef, chicken or turkey, and pork.
Other things I keep on hand are stewed tomatoes, enchilada sauce, Chinese vegetables. tomato paste, olives because my wife loves them, and noodles for lasagna plus spaghetti and country noodles for chicken and dumpling soup. I also keep a few roles of dough in the refrigerator including cinnamon role dough. And don't for get the tortillas. I like the corn variety. Oh, you will need rice, onions, and garlic, and a collection of spices.
2. Make Quick Soups
Some folks think that you have to cook rice first. That you must keep it under lid for 20 minutes or a gremlin will come out of the earth and eat you up. All you really need to know about rice is that you need at least twice as much liquid as rice and that you have to cook it for 20 minutes any which way you want. You don't have to cook rice before adding the good stuff. Add your onions, garlic, meat, vegetables, soups, gravies, or whatever, and cook it in a frying pan or in a pot. You can make some wonderful dishes without even trying. My wife likes me to stir in some shredded cheese at the end of the process.
Soups are easy.
Chicken and Dumplings
You can take a couple of cans of chicken noodle soup but you won't necessarily like it. It depends on the brand of soup. I suggest that you boil country noodles in chicken broth and cream of celery soup, drop in a can of chicken or turkey meat-don't forget the mushrooms-how about a can of carrots? When it is boiling, drop bits of croissant dough on the top. Keep it boiling under lid for 20 minutes. Wow! You have chicken and dumplings.
Cheese Soups
I keep cheese around the house. It is my wife's favorite food. Start with any canned cream soup. Drop in some carrots. Grate the cheese and stir it in. Season to taste. Yum!
Cream of Potato Soup
I use canned potatoes slices and canned carrots because it is so fast. Drop in a can of cream of celery soup, a can of mushrooms and you are done. Okay, add some onion and garlic. Do you like Chinese vegetables? Drop in a can.
Chowders
I use canned or frozen crab meat or clams, maybe shrimp. I simply put them in creamed soup, maybe add canned carrots or canned sliced potatoes, add grated cheese. That's it! Oh, yes. Don't for get the Old Bay® seasoning.
3. Make Quick Mexican Food
Enchiladas or Tacos
Take some canned meat such as chicken, beef, pork or turkey, toss in a chunk of garlic, some onion, and simmer it in a frying pan. Okay, use leftover meat. Grab a few tortillas. You can quickly soften them by putting them in a frying pan with a little oil. I just put them in the microwave for a few seconds. Roll the meat mixture into the tortillas. Now, just pour a bit of hot enchilada sauce over the top. Now that didn't take long, did it. My wife likes me to toss in chopped olives. Place shredded cheese on top of the enchiladas and melt the cheese in the oven, in a fry pan, or just toss the enchiladas into the microwave for a minute.
If you want tacos, just put the meat mixture into the tortillas and add a bit of chopped lettuce and tomato. Don't for get the cheese. Yes, you can put some salsa on top. Avocados? Why not?
Rice and Beans
You need rice and beans with those enchiladas. I use canned refried beans of the low-fat variety or lintel beans or such. To make Spanish rice just cook your rice in chicken broth for twenty minutes with the good stuff already in it. I add onion, green tomatoes from my garden, garlic, and such. You decide. I like green chilies either fresh or from the can.
Mexican Soup
Make any soup and add enchilada sauce and green chilies. Aye! Aye! Aye, Aye! Did you add hot peppers?
4. Make These Quick Meals
Chef Salad
Chop up part of a head of lettuce. Add some chopped onion. Cube some ham and some cheese. Drop those in. Add some croutons-not the hard kind that break your teeth. Mix in your favorite dressing. That's it. Well, I like toast too. This is a good time to mix orange juice with lemon-lime pop. It makes a nice drink.
Hot Roast Beef or Turkey Sandwich
Toast some bread. I like mine buttered. Place meat from a can or a package or leftover meat on the toast. You may want to quickly heat the meat in a fry pan or in the microwave. Pour hot canned gravy over the mixture. Slice some tomatoes from your garden if you've got them. You can buy chicken-ala-king by the can. You simply pour that over the toast-yes, heat it first.
Rice Dishes
Some folks think that you have to cook rice first. That you must keep it under lid for 20 minutes or a gremlin will come out of the earth and eat you up. All you really need to know about rice is that you need at least twice as much liquid as rice and that you have to cook it for 20 minutes any which way you want. You don't have to cook rice before adding the good stuff. Add your onions, garlic, meat, vegetables, soups, gravies, or whatever, and cook it in a frying pan or in a pot. You can make some wonderful dishes without even trying. My wife likes me to stir in some shredded cheese at the end of the process.
5. Spaghetti
I love spaghetti. My wife won't eat tomatoes very often, so I often cut up green tomatoes which she can't recognize as a tomato. The other day I saw some wonderful fresh Italian sausage in the local grocery. I couldn't resist it. I bought the mild variety because I am chicken. It had some tiny hot spots so I did get the gist of the hot stuff.
First I baked the sausage at 350oF for 40 minutes while I watched the football game. I then fried garlic and basil, and onions and green tomatoes, and added the sausage. My wife took the good stuff from the bottom of the dish I cooked the sausage in and added it to my sauce. Finally, I added canned beef gravy to make the sauce. I added apple juice. I boiled the spaghetti, drained it and coated it with butter and Parmesan cheese, and we were ready to eat.
I always season spaghetti with basil. I never add oregano. Many Italians stay away from that stuff. One thing that could help the sauce is cooking wine. We don't have wine at our house so I added apple juice to the sauce. Wow, that spaghetti was good.
I like spaghetti sauce with tomatoes and tomato paste, even stewed tomatoes or Italian stewed tomatoes, but I don't make such very often because of my wife. She likes spaghetti noodles with just butter. That is what she has to eat when I make regular spaghetti and her temptation is not overcome by my sauce. Lasagna is just layers of freshly boiled lasagna noodles with cheese and spaghetti sauce (meat in the sauce) in between. You have to bake it. Put cheese on top, preferable at the end of the bake. No, I'm not much for Spinach Lasagna or Eggplant Parmesan.
Well, that should get you started.
The End
copyright©2007 John T. Jones, Ph.D. (Taylor Jones the Hack Writer)
