OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES VERSUS INDOOR WORK
I don't know about you, but during summer I have less time for indoor work, especially cooking. It does help to plan slow cooker meals or a soup for dinner. Quick Beef and Rice Soup was featured in the May 24, 1972 Mary's Memo. When time is short, this soup is table-ready in about 40 minutes. However, I've replaced beef bouillon cubes with MSG-free Better than Bouillon and eliminated additional salt. I thought the soup was too thick so I added an additional 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes. Unless it's the reduced sodium kind, most canned soups have too much salt, another reason for making homemade soup.
QUICK BEEF AND RICE SOUP
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup uncooked long gain rice (I use Uncle Ben's)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
- 1 quart water
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- 3 level teaspoons
- Better than Beef Bouillon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Brown meat in Dutch oven. Drain of excess fat. Return meat to Dutch oven and add remaining ingredients. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Recipe makes 6 servings. Another option for busy times is a casserole that can be made the day before and refrigerated 24 hours or overnight, then baked before it's time to eat. It takes minutes to assemble when it's made with rotisserie chicken.
BAKED CHICKEN-MACARONI CASSEROLE
- 2 cups uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
- 2 cans mushroom soup
- 2 cups milk
- 4 hard cooked eggs, chopped
- 1/2 pound reduced-fat processed cheese (like Velveeta), cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, cut in chunks
Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into 9x13-inch glass dish. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before baking. Bake in 350oF oven for 1 hour or until macaroni is tender. Recipe makes 6 to 8 servings. Mixed Vegetable Salad can also be made ahead and keeps several days in the refrigerator. Serve it with our soup or casserole.
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MIXED VEGETABLE SALAD
- 1 large bag frozen mixed vegetables, crisp cooked and well drained
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- Dressing:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon prepared salad-type mustard
Combine salad ingredients. In a saucepan over medium heat blend together dressing mixture and cook until thickened. Pour over vegetable mixture and store in the refrigerator for a few days to season.
IT MATTERS WHEN TO TAKE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS
If you're going to take 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium in supplement form per day, take half in the morning and half later in the day, since your body can only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at one time. Women over age 50 need a total of 1,200 mg of calcium each day (men over age 50 should be getting at least 1,000 mg of calcium daily). And remember that vitamin D is needed for optimum calcium absorption, the reason many calcium supplements also contain vitamin D.
Source: Weill Cornell Medical College Good & Fitness Advisor, June 2009.
GRILLED VEGETABLES MY WAY
I stir fry or grill a lot of summer's vegetables. The most used combination includes fresh asparagus cut in thirds, chunks of bell pepper (green, red and/or yellow), slices of sweet onion separated into rings, zucchini and button mushrooms cut in half. If I'm doing them on the grill I shake prepared vegetables in a plastic bag or bowl in just enough olive oil to coat lightly. Unlike meat, I do grill vegetables over direct heat. Like any vegetables cooked conventionally, I don't want them mushy but crisp-cooked. Last night, not knowing whether it was going to rain or not, I stir fried the same amount of vegetables in a 10-inch non-stick skillet in which I had melted together about 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Whether grilling or stir-frying, season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper just before serving. Last night I topped my dinner plate of vegetables with shredded cheese and made a meal of the mixture. No, I'm not becoming a vegetarian but I am trying to eat meat only once a day and sometimes replace meat with fish or seafood.
Because I do grill vegetables a lot, it justified my investing in a mesh skillet from Williams Sonoma last year. They must be popular because this year the Williams Sonoma catalog includes a mesh roasting pan and a mesh skillet with a mesh cover that locks in place. Are there cheaper alternatives? The answer is yes and you don't have to drive 40 or 50 miles to find them. You just need something to hold the vegetables so they'll not fall through the grill. |
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