A whole week into the new year and I haven't posted yet! Tsk tsk on me. Of course, meals have been mostly leftovers, which is less than inspirational, and the food section of our local paper was less than great, too, though sometimes I considered the feasibility of every recipe included. Not this time. They has some of their favorites of the year and I just didn't get why they made the pick. Except the biscuits. The batch size was way too big, but it included lots of tips, assuming any of them work. They don't always. One recipe I came across last year I would have been better off doing the opposite of every tip. I could have used any cookie recipe I had and it would have been better as a "base for any cookie" than that was. That's why I try (or retry, in the case of very old recipes where the qualities of the ingredients might have changed) any recipe that I include here. Great billing aside, they don't always work or aren't worth the bother if they do.
Well, for today, how about another bit for stark beginners: canned food.
Canned food is easy to prepare, but it can often be improved on and isn't always as easy as it seems. For example, most canned food can be heated in the microwave (in a microwave-safe dish, not the can!), but there are still options to consider. For example, it is far better to put cheese, greasy meats, tomato-rich food, or chocolate in a glass dish than a plastic one. (An experiment I don't recommend repeating is putting chocolate in a plastic dish to melt in the microwave and not stirring it. The overheated center core shot out through the side of the dish like a bullet and bounded off the side of the microwave interior with the sound of a ricochet. Fortunately it didn't hit the door glass).
Similarly, most foods can be covered by plastic wrap, but if it is greasy or cheesy, especially if it is piled higher than the dish or close to the brim, we use paper toweling to cover. (Once the plastic has melted into the stew or onto the pizza, you don't want to eat it).
General directions for canned foods
* For canned vegetables except sweet potatoes, cream corn, and chili beans (or others with an obvious thick sauce), drain the liquid and heat covered in a microwave dish in the microwave for about 3 minutes or put in a pot with a little fresh water and heat at medium temperature on the stove. Bring water to a boil and simmer five minutes.
* For canned fruits, the sweet syrup can be used for some recipes but is usually drained off prior to serving the plain fruit pieces unless you're really into the sugar. If the budget is really tight, the syrup can be used as a sugar substitute in coffee and lemonade. For hot glazed fruit, retain the syrup and add 1 T cornstarch for heavy syrup, 2 T. cornstarch if the can says light syrup, heat stirring constantly for ten to fifteen minutes. Bring to a boil and continue stirring and boiling for about five minutes until liquid starts to thicken. Serve as is or pour over angel food cake or pound cake.
* For canned meats, don't drain. Heat in microwave with a paper towel or plate for a cover about 5 minutes or heat in a pan on the stove stirring frequently for ten to fifteen minutes. (For stews, heat on high until liquid boils, then simmer ten minutes. Solid meats like ham or corned beef hash can be fried or baked.
For improving canned food, consider what can be either added to it or served with it. here are a few easy suggestions:
Add slivered almonds or tarragon to green beans or heat green beans in the frying pan used to cook bacon
Add cooked pasta or canned green beans to canned chili
Dribble honey over canned carrots (don't cover)
Sprinkle mini marshmellows and/or ginger over canned sweet potatoes (don't cover as marshmallows will puff and stick to covering)
Sprinkle dried or fresh mint over canned peas
Sprinkle canned potatoes with parsley and pepper
Fry canned ham with canned pineapple rings, powdered clove, and a little of the juice from the pineapples.
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