More on Meat for the Masses

Back to the topic of serving local, quality meat to your home minions, whilst on a budget.
Your main ally in this quest should be ground meat. Pork, Beef, and Turkey are all available at the market, each with different attributes, availability, and cost.
What makes ground so valuable to you is that it thaws quickly, is versatile, nutritious, and often economical. A good habit to get into is to simply grab a frozen pound from the freezer and toss it into the sink. The next morning transfer it to the fridge and figure out how to use it during the week. A day or so after that one is gone, replace it with another. In a pinch, you can thaw one in a bowl, under running tepid water in about an hour. Oh yeah, and I'll bet some of you have microwaves too.
So, what to do with the ground? First see our post on meatloaf. Don't dis it...meatloaf if real good food with a high pedigree. Also, kids enjoy making it. Its fun and so tactile to mix the meat, egg, spices, and breadcrumbs with your hands, squishing and folding and shaping. Make little 'meatloaf' patties of ground pork with sage, red pepper flakes, fennel, and garlic and you have knock out breakfast patties or kick butt meatballs for penne and tomato sauce.
Next, I'd like to offer this technique: simmer it.
Id consider Bolognese sauce, taco meat, and Sloppy Joe to all be in this category of simmered ground meat, and the basic technique is this:
1)Saute onions and garlic.
2)Add a spice paste or whole spices or both.
3)Add the pre-seasoned meat in little dollops and raise the temp a bit to sear the meat. As it begins to brown, stir and break up the dollops allowing the uncooked bit to brown.
4) When 90% of the meat is done have some liquid ready-tomato sauce, leftover bean liquid, or a sweet and sour mix of vinegar, tomato, and brown sugar. Pour this over the meat and deglaze the pan. Allow this mix to simmer to the desired consistency and sup well.

Truly the usefulness of ground meat is nearly infinite so stock up, and then use it up!

Stuffed Shells & Spinach Bisque

The Food Nanny
February 23 &24, 2010
Meal 1: Stuffed Shells, Herb Risotto, Bitter Green Salad
• Place the shells in the oven and heat until bubbly at 350°.
• Transfer the risotto to a saucepan and thin with a little warm water. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue to stir and add water gradually until the rice grains are completely al dente and not starchy at all - maybe 5 minutes. The consistency should be flowable, like porridge, but not soupy. Season with S&P, olive oil, butter, truffle oil, grated cheese, or whatever you prefer and serve hot.
• Dress and serve the greens. Meal 2: Spinach Bisque, Whole Wheat Challa, Three Bean Salad
• Heat the soup on the stove top.
• Warm the challa in the oven.
• Serve the bean salad at room temp.

Calzones & Tortilla Soup

The Food Nanny
February 16 & 17, 2010
Meal 1: Grilled Chard & Ricotta Calzones, White Bean Salad, Mixed Greens
• Warm the calzones in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.
• Serve the bean salad at room temp.
• Dress and serve the greens

Meal 2: Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Hominy, Refried Kidney Beans, Latin Cole Slaw.
• Heat the soup on the stove top.
• Heat the refried beans in a sauce pan with a little water or in the microwave, also thinned a little.
• Season the slaw with a little salt as we omitted this to prevent wateriness, and serve chilled.

Koftas and Shepherd's Pie

The Food Nanny
February 10 & 11, 2010
Meal 1: Quinoa and Brown Rice Koftas, Chic Peas with Feta, Grilled Sesame-NIgella Pita
• Warm the koftas in the oven at 350 for 10 -15 minutes. Warm the pita in there too for the last couple of minutes.
• Serve the chic pes at room temp.

Meal 2: Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils and Winter Vegetables, Rustic Boule, Mixed Green Salad.
• Warm the pie in the oven at 350 for 20 -25 minutes or until the top is crusty and the sides are bubbling a little..
• Warm the boule and dress the salad.

Gluten Free Bread, our second attempt- for our new gluten free family.

Potato Perogies & Napa Cabbage Stir Fry

The Food Nanny
February 2 & 3, 2010
Welcome to the Winter Cross-Quarter! Happy Groundhog Day.

Meal 1: Potato Perogies, Baby Lima Bean Pan Roast, Mixed Greens
• Heat the beans on the stovetop or microwave.
• To cook the Perogies: You may steam or quick boil them if you like. But the best thing to do is to melt some butter and, over medium heat pan fry those babies until each side is golden brown. Serve with yogurt or sour cream.
• Dress the salad and serve.

Meal 2: Napa Cabbage Stir Fry with Ginger Sauce and Deep Fried Tofu & Three Rices
• Warm the rice in a sauté pan with a little oil and then a splash of water or in the microwave. Transfer to serving dish.
• Get several T of oil very hot in a sauté pan. Carefully tip in the vegetables and stir them until hot - about 2 minutes. Next add the tofu cubes and immediately add the sauce (shake it vigorously first). Stir the dish together and cook as the sauce thickens - 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately atop the rice.