Lexington, KY - The better part of my winter was spent in the kitchen. Besides the warmth that a hot oven brings on a frigid day, the comfort of hearty stews, apple crisps and fresh bread have warmed us to the toes on the coldest of days.
But with the promise of spring ahead, I am already plotting my course to spend as little time in front of a hot oven and as much time as I can hiking trails, turning over spring flower beds and planting the first peas of 2011.
Recently I shared with readers of my blog one of my newest kitchen time saving tips and asked readers to share some of theirs. These tips help lighten the load and cut down on cooking time when dinner still needs to get on the table, even on the nicest of spring days.
Vegetable Stock
Keep the ends of mushrooms, onions, carrot peels and all the other trimmings in a large Tupperware container in the refrigerator. When the container is full, add water and make a simple stock by simmering for two to three hours. After the stock cools, divide it into 2 cup increments in Ziploc bags, and store in the freezer for later use in soups, sauces and side dishes.
Ground Beef
Ground beef is a staple in most American homes. But thawing a frozen package of ground beef to cook for tacos or sloppy joes is a time zapper. It is not only possible but advantageous to cook ground beef, either seasoning it or not, and freeze it for later use. After cooking the ground beef, drain off the fat and cool enough to transfer it to a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe container. When adding the cooked ground beef to chili, in a slow cooker, or in a skillet for tacos, there is no need to thaw beforehand. Straight from the freezer to the pot or pan and reheat till hot.
Mushrooms
Although I'm not an avid fan of mushrooms, I do enjoy the earthiness of them in certain dishes. So for that reason, I have found a great way to keep them on hand to use at a moment's notice. After cleaning the mushrooms thoroughly, chop them in either a food processor or by hand into small bits. Store them in either a Ziploc bag or a mason jar and use them as needed in side dishes, salads, quiches, soups or crepe filling.
Hamburgers
Although you probably don't want to pre-cook hamburgers and freeze them, forming them into hamburger patties ahead of time is definitely a great idea. After bringing meat home from the store, form the patties, put layers of wax paper or plastic wrap between each patty and wrap them all tightly with plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc bag before freezing them. When the perfect spring day calls for a last minute grill party, pull the hamburger patties out of the freezer, thaw and fire up the grill.
Simple Syrup
Iced coffee, lemonade and sangria are three of the best summer drinks, and coincidentally all three can be made using a basic simple syrup. Simple syrup is one part water, one part sugar (e.g. 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar) heated in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. After cooling, store the simple syrup in the refrigerator. I keep mine in a mason jar and use it often to sweeten a variety of drinks.
Dry Spice Rub
Whether seasoning grilled fish, marinating steak or spicing up coleslaw, homemade spice rubs are an invaluable asset to the kitchen pantry. They typically last up to two months in a sealed container and the ingredients are easily adjusted for any palate. The fennel-chile dry rub recipe included below comes from the cookbook "Modern Spice" by Monica Bhide.
Fennel-Chile Dry Rub
Makes about 1/4 cup
Prep/Cook time: 5 minutes
1/4 cup fennel seeds
4 whole dried red chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground peppercorns (use a medley of different colored peppercorns)
1. Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds. Toss until the seeds are fragrant. This takes just about 1 minute, so watch them carefully and keep tossing the seeds in the pan or they will burn.
2. Add the chiles and toss for another 5
seconds.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Grind to a coarse powder in a spice grinder. Add the peppercorns and mix well.
5. Store, covered, until needed.
If you have a favorite kitchen tip to share, please comment to this article at www.chevychaser.com. We'd love to hear your kitchen wisdom, and maybe we'll include it in an upcoming article.