Marlene’s Cooking Club Sideshow
By admin | March 11, 2010
Topics: Marlene's Photo Sideshow | No Comments »
Saute’ Shrimp Stir Fry with Potatoes, Mushrooms and Sweet Peas
By admin | March 11, 2010
An easy dish in which all ingredients of shrimps, potatoes, mushrooms, and
sweet peas are cooked separately and then tossed together for a delicious meal.
Topics: Cooking Videos | No Comments »
Baked Hamburger and French Fries
By admin | March 6, 2010
Love Fast Foods? Here is an easy delicious one you bake in your oven.
Ingredients: Frozen Sirloin Patties, (hamburger/ turkey burger) Buns,
Frozen French Fries, Pam spray, Salt, Black Pepper,…
Topics: Cooking Videos | No Comments »
Marlene’s Beef Fajitas
By admin | January 19, 2010
Marlene’s Beef Fajitas
by Marlene Owens
Eating Beef Fajitas in restaurants is quite convenient and delicious. Cooking it at home can also be very convenient, delicious, and inexpensive. You can save lots of money by making restaurant recipes at home.
Today, the recipe is none other than one of my favorites. “Beef Fajitas.”
I remember one day I was treated to lunch at a Mexican restaurant by a dear friend who turned me on to ‘ Beef Fajitas’ many years ago.
It was so good, that I had to make it for my family. I asked the waiter what was the seasoning on the beef.
The seasonings are easy to find in most stores!
“Fajita seasonings,” he said. I then asked him, “where do you buy it,” and he said, “at most grocery stores.”
When I went grocery shopping that week, I went directly to the section for ‘Ethnic foods’ and found it.
The first time I ever tasted Fajitas was made with beef. I brought some pepper steak meat that was sliced and I marinated it overnight wth the seasonings and did my family enjoy it.
Make it for Everyone!
This dish is for everyone in the family including the children, who really liked it!
What I did was make it with beef strips. I let the beef marinate overnight and In those days, I use to fry it.
Make it Healthier!
Now, I bake it in the oven and then gently saute it with the vegetables.
I’ve found this to be a little bit more healthier, since I’m not frying everything. This is a quick dish that you can put together in no time.
Bake It!
Once the beef is baked in the liquid marinate. Just drain it, reserving the liquid and gently saute the beef with some fresh garlic.
in with the veggies, place them on the flour Tortillas add the topping and you are finish.
You can double the recipe for more people and I suggest you do that because everyone will be so happy eating your “Fast Foods Beef Fajitas”
Marlene’s Beef Fajita’s
1 1/2 lb Pepper Steak Strips
3 Cloves Fresh Garlic (sliced)
2 T Taco Or Fajita Seasoning
Sprinkle
Salt
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Black Pepper
Vegetables
1 lg Onion (sliced)
1 lg Green Pepper
1/2 lg Red Bell Peppers
1/2 lg Yellow Bell Peppers
3 cloves Fresh Garlic
1/4 cup Olive Oil
6 Flour Tortillas
1/2 c Sour Cream
1 lg Tomato
Sprinkle these dry seasonings directly on veggies.
Salt
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Black Pepper
Taco Or Fajita (seasoning) ( Sometimes I use both)
[Note: Chicken or Turkey strips may be substituted.]
Step # 1
Rinse and pat beef dry.
In a bowl; place beef, garlic, garlic powder, taco or fajita seasonings, salt, black pepper, paprika; toss with two forks to coat chicken.
Transfer to a covered aluminum foil lined pan and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
Cooking
Step # 2
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; place covered beef to cook until done. (about 1 hour)
Step # 3
In a frying pan; add olive oil, sprinkle salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, taco or fajita seasonings, and fresh garlic.
Add all peppers, garlic and onions and saute. Veggies should be crunchy.
Then, add baked beef and saute with the veggies until beef is coated well.
Step # 4
On a plate, place a flour tortillas, add beef mixture with vegetables to half of tortillas.
Add tomatoes, and top with sour cream. Fold in half and enjoy!
Marlene Owens
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Topics: Meat | No Comments »
How To Save Money On Your Groceries!
By admin | January 2, 2010
7 Tips on how to save money on your groceries
To save money on your groceries will definitely be a challenge for the average person due to unemployment and the increasing cost of housing, our monthly utilities bills, gaseoline and etc. In other words, just about everything impacts our food bills because we must eat food.
Transporting the food with higher oil prices will pass right down to the consumer.
That’s you and me.
So how can we as consumers save money on our grocery bill?
I know that this may be difficult for some people to understand, but you must start somewhere.
We will have to get back to ” Basic Cooking.” We will have to eat like people ate in the nineteen forties and fifties. I know because I was there.
Growing up in New York City in the nineteen-forties and fifties were a wonderful experience when it came to eating foods. My neighborhood had a vegetable stand, a meat market, a live chicken market and a fish market on each corner. Mothers did all the cooking in those days and we were healthy.
In those days when children wanted something to snack on they would go to the vegetable stand and buy some fresh, oranges, apples ,bananas, grapes and etc. And the price was five or ten cents for some fruit.
We didn’t have many fast foods places where people could buy food like they can today. The point I’m trying to make is this. It was right after World War ll and most people had little money but nonetheless we survived and ate lots of fresh vegetables.
Today is looking more and more like that time and we really need to get back to ” Basics ” and start cooking for our family and save money at the grocery store.
The first thing that must be done is ” Plan.” You must plan what you’re going to feed your family every day. At my house, I sit down and write up an menu for the week.
Then I go and check and see what I have on hand and write down what I need to purchase from the store. I know it’s hard to stick to your list, but do try.
Here are 7 effortless tips that you can save on your next grocery bill.
.
1 – Cut your red meat bill in half, by eating more white meat like turkey, and chicken.
If you substitute Ground Turkey meat for Ground Beef meat you will pay 1/2 of what you’ll pay for Ground Beef meat.
Today, they have practically any Beef Meat in Turkey form ; like, Turkey ground, sausage, bacon, wings ,thighs and breasts. Once you substitute these white meats for red meat, your stomach and your pocketbook will thank you.
The only drawback with cooking with Turkey Ground is that you do need to know how to cook and season it for best results.
You’ll save about $25- 35 dollars on your meat bill.
2 – As for vegetables buy fresh ones, like carrots, string beans, cabbage, white and sweet potatoes, spinach and etc. Add your favorite seasonings and they cook up very fast and taste great!
Another savings of about $10 -15 dollars.
3 – When it comes to Water, why not invest in a Water Filter Pitcher and make your own? This Water Filter Pitcher will pay for itself in no time.
You could save $7-9 dollars by making your own delicious water at home.
4 – As for you coffee lovers, purchase a coffee pot and make your own coffee at home and bring some of it to work with you for your coffee break.
You could easily save more than $10 a week.
5 – Eating out for lunchtime can be expensive. Cook a little extra food at dinner-time and take it to work for your lunch. I’m sure you you will definitely save some money here too.
Could we say you could save maybe $25 a week?
6 – As for the bread, getting a breadmaker will save you money in the long run. I’ve been making my own for some time now and it’s a wonderful machine to have. I make, whole wheat, raisin, white bread, Italian bread, pizza, pie crust, buns, rolls, and cookies in my breadmaker.
For special occasions and birthdays for my family and friends, I make them homemade- bread and
they just love it. Yes, breadmakers can be expensive but it is a must have product.
Now couldn’t you save an extra $6-8 dollars a week?
7 – Instead of buying salty snacks, buy a Popcorn Microwaveable Bowl and make your Popcorn at home with your own ingredients.
It could save you at least $5-6 dollars a week.
Add up all these tips and the total is over $100 dollars in savings.
So there you have it, some seven (7) suggestions on how to save you some money at the grocery store.
by Marlene Owens http://foods4u2cookhome.com/blog
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Cooking Definitions
By admin | December 30, 2009
Au gratin – French: Describes a topping of cheese or bread crumbs or a sauce over food that is browned under a broiler or baked in the oven.
Au jus – French: Served in natural juice or pan juices.
Baste – To moisten food periodically with a seasoned liquid while cooking.
Batter – An uncooked mixture, usually of flour, eggs, liquid, and butter/oil
Beat – To stir or mix rapidly in order to blend or make lighter
Bind – To add egg, cream or other liquid to a mixture to hold it together.
Bisque – A rich, thick soup, a variation of cream soup.
Blanch – To immerse briefly in boiling water. Used to loosen skin, to remove or set color, or to stop enzymatic action (as for canning or freezing).
Bouillon – A clear soup stock not as strongly flavored as broth.
Braise – To cook over low heat with a small amount of liquid in a
tightly covered pan. Meats may or may not be browned in fat first.
Broil – To cook under direct heat in broiler or over coals.
Cacciatore – Italian style of cooking in a flavorful tomato-wine sauce. Usually chicken or veal.
Canape – A small piece of fried or toasted bread with a topping. Served as an appetizer.
Candy – To cook in sugar or heavy syrup.
Capon – Roaster which has been gelded; grows larger and has tender meat.
Clarify – For butter, to melt and skim off top foam, then strain off milk solids, using only the clear layer.
Chill – To reduce temperature by putting in refrigerator or over ice.
Coddle – To simmer slowly just below the boiling point (usually applies to eggs or fruit)
Cream – To beat butter, or butter and sugar, until very light and nearly
twice original volume.
Crimp – To pinch the edges of pastry together to form a fluted edge and or to seal in a filling.
Crisp-Tender – Cooked until tender enough to be pierced by a fork but still firm to the bite.
Cut In – To mix solid fat with dry ingredients using fingers, pastry blender or two knives.
Cube – To cut into 1/4-inch squares.
Deep Fry – To cover food with hot oil and cook.
Dice – To cut food into small, even cubes.
Deglaze – To loosen pan drippings by adding liquid, usually to make a sauce.
Dissolve – To form a solution by adding a dry substance to a liquid.
Dredge – To coat, usually with flour.
Dress – To add a dressing (as for salads or vegetables); to stuff (as for fowl or meats); to garnish or decorate.
Drizzle – To pour liquid such as melted butter over food in a thin stream.
Dust – To lightly sprinkle one food item with another ingredient.
Enrich – To add eggs, cream or butter.
Entrée – In the United States, the main course of a meal; in other parts of the world, the term denotes a small prepared dish served between main courses at a formal dinner.
Flambé – To douse with an alcoholic beverage and ignite.
Flake – To separate into small pieces with a folk. (fish)
Flute – To make a decorative edge on the rim of a pie crust.
Fold In – Using a spatula, to combine fragile substances, such as whipped cream, into a heavier mixture with light, circular motions.
Fondue – A dish of melted cheese, broth or oil, into which other pieces of food are dipped; a baked dish, similar to a soufflé, made of cheese and bread crumbs.
Fricassee – To cook meat by braising or stewing in gravy.
Fry – To cook in oil or fat. For stir-frying or sautéing, a small amount of fat is used. For deep frying, a larger amount is used, often enough to cover the food.
Garnish – To ornament a dish with bright and savory tidbits.
Gelée – French, refers to jelly or a jellied substance.
Glaze – To add a shiny appearance to food by applying a coating of syrup, beaten eggs, or milk. (Icing)
Gluten – The sticky substance in wheat flour that gives dough its tough, elastic quality.
Grease -: To apply a thin layer of butter or oil on food or utensils.
Grate – To separate food into small particles by rubbing across the teeth of a grater.
Grill -: To cook over hot coals or a gridiron or under a broiler.
Hors d’ oeuvre – From the French, literally “outside of work”, the term has come to be synonymous with appetizer.
Infusion – A method of preparing beverages by covering a flavoring item with boiling water, covering the pot, and allowing it to stand until flavor is extracted.
Julienne – Cut into match-like sticks or strips.( carrots, potatoes)
Knead – To work dough with the palms by pressing, stretching and folding, turning a small amount after each push. Process develops the gluten until dough is smooth and elastic.(bread, pie dough)
Marinate – To let food stand in a highly seasoned liquid or marinade, to tenderize or to add flavor.
Mince – To cut or chop into very small pieces.
Mix – To thoroughly combine ingredients until evenly distributed.(cakes)
Pan-fry – To fry in an uncovered pan in the fat that accumulates from the cooking meat.
Parboil – To boil partially in a liquid. Cooking is unusually completed by baking.
Pare – To remove the peel or outer covering from a fruit or vegetable with a knife.
Paste – A thick creamy mixture, made by mixing dry ingredients with a liquid or by pounding fresh herbs, meats, or nuts with a mortar and pestle.
Pit – To remove the pit or pits from fruits. (prunes)
Poach – To cook in a hot liquid. (egg)
Precook -: To cook partially or completely before a final cooking or reheating.
Preheat – To heat an oven or broiler in advance of use to assure that it will be the proper temperature when ready to use.
Purée – To press through a sieve to make food the consistency of a thick paste.
Reduce – To boil a liquid and reduce its quantity through evaporation.
Roast – To cook in an oven, uncovered and without water.
Render – To melt down solid fats to get a liquid oil. (crisco)
Sauté – : To brown in a small amount of oil or butter.
Scald – To bring to a temperature just below the boiling point. (milk)
Scallop – To bake in a sauce, usually covered with seasoned bread crumbs.
Score – To make a sharp narrow slits or cuts in the outer surface of food to decorate or to allow seasonings to penetrate. (bread)
Sear – To quickly brown the surface of meat using very high heat.
Shred – To form small and narrow pieces by rubbing food against a shredder. (carrots, beets)
Sift – To put dry ingredients through a sifter or sieve. (flour)
Simmer – To stew gently below or just at the boiling point.
Skim – To remove fat or scum from the surface of a liquid. Steam: To cook covered in the vapor that rises from the liquid in which a food is cooking.
Steep – To soak in a liquid at a temperature below the boiling point. (tea)
Stew – To boil slowly or with simmering heat. (beef stew)
Stir – To mix ingredients until well blended.
Toss – To mix ingredients lightly without mashing them. (salad)
Truss – To bind the wings or legs of a fowl before cooking. (with string)
Whip – To beat quickly and steadily with either a hand or an electric beater.
Whisk – To stir rapidly, using a whisk, to blend ingredients or introduce air.
Courtesy of: http://foods4u2cookhome.com/blog
Topics: Kitchen Tips | No Comments »