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Super fast to prepare winter foods
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It's winter and fresh foods are not easy to get. I have recently re-discovered the joys of frozen fruits and vegetables, here are a few quickies I've done recently:

Frozen mixed vegetables: microwave for 3 minutes, serve with smart balance (butter) and dash of salt as a side dish or with teriyaki chicken aka stir fry. You can get a bag of frozen mixed veggies at the store for $1.50 that will last you several days.

Frozen fruit: smoothie, top yogurt, or for a quick dessert treat microwave with oatmeal and dash of brown sugar and smart balance on top for a quick crumble.

Soup: mix tomato soup with V8 and warm, top with spinach leaves and some cheese for hearty soup.

Ham! A small pre-cooked ham can be used for sandwiches or as part of several other meals including breakfast.

Snacks: Microwave sliced apple with a dash of cinnamon (add oatmeal for crumble if you like), apple sauce is also a great snack. I've been making banana bread or blueberry muffins on the weekend and snacking all week on them.

Processed foods: Kraft Easy Mac, microwave oatmeal, and sun chips save me frequently

What are your winter foods tips???
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I love winter veggies, esp squash and root veg (turnips, rutabagas, parsnips) as a nice change from potatoes or rice... If I have to go frozen I admit I am partial to peas - and the kids love to snack on them - they're like little ice-pops! ;-) Frozen blueberries are killer in martinis or muffins... I'll take either hee hee!

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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Anything in a crock pot
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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fish is never out of season. had a super fast dinner on monday night:

start some brown rice boiling.

take as many haddock filets as you need to feed as many people as you want

cover a baking sheet in tinfoil to make cleanup easy

cover the tinfoil with fresh spinach (regular or baby, your choice)

lay the haddock filets on the spinach

spread about 1tbsp of salsa on each filet (more or less as you like)

slice/grate about 1/2oz of cheese for each filet and put on top of salsa (i used thin-sliced stretched mozzarella)

slam into oven/toaster oven at 400-410f for 15-20mins, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily

turn oven/toaster oven to broil for ~2mins - just enough to brown cheese

by this time, the brown rice should be done. use a spatula to serve fish, trying to get as much of the spinach bed onto the plates as possible. add 1/2 cup brown rice and serve with a salad or other veggies.

start to finish in 35mins.

cheers!

-mistress k

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ill advised racing inc.
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]
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i love squash/root veggies, and i do 2 super easy meals at work quite often:

1) microwaved acorn squash
- microwave whole squash on high for 4mins, then turn it over and repeat
- cut squash in half and lay halves rind-down on plate. sprinkle with seasoning (add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon if you like; i just like a little nutmeg)
- microwave 2 more minutes on high, then eat

2) microwaved sweet potato
- poke holes in whole sweet potato with fork and wrap loosely in a paper towel
- microwave on high for 4mins, then turn over and repeat
- add seasoning if you like; i prefer mine just as they are!

cheers!

-mistress k

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
Last edited by: mistressk: Dec 23, 09 11:37
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [mistressk] [ In reply to ]
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LOL my work lunches are far simpler than that - usually leftovers! If none available (some days I just gotta eat that much) then veg & hummous; maybe a can of tuna; maybe an avo; some raw almonds. After a really hard lunch-run I might also drink a Boost.

But you've inspired me to try nuking a squash at work now!

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]
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i take leftovers fairly often, too - or "made-overs", as in i make enough to ensure tanker gets a lunch, and if there's more after that i'll take some too. got some of my "dry chili" (ground chicken, red & green pepper, onion & kidney beans cooked in taco spice with a little hot sauce and some salsa stirred in) in a pita for lunch today when i get back from the bank - that's another quick one, just throw all of the above into a frying pan, spoon into a pita when it's all cooked to your satisfaction, and eat with lots of napkins handy!

cheers!

-mistress k

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [mistressk] [ In reply to ]
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I'll be trying this fish recipe!

Having never bought acorn squash, that will be an adventure just to find and then cook it.

DFL > DNF > DNS
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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Pumpkin soup!

saute some garlic and a sweet onion in olive oil
add one can pumpkin
add some chicken or veg bouillon to equal half the can in volume
add curry spices, black pepper and some black beans if you like them, and a few tablespoons of salsa
serve with plain yogurt

its so fast easy yummy and super nutritious too
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [triLA] [ In reply to ]
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Love the pumpkin soup idea, I'll be trying this one out tonight!
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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what about winter vegetables?
Squash, Pumpkin and Roots, tastey.
My god, I could never eat like you.
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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leek and potato soup. We make it in pressure cooker and the whole thing takes 30 mins or so. Cook time is only 10-15 mins. Our pressure cooker get lots of use in the winter when it's soup and stew season and makes a lot of weekend meals into weekday meals.
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
I've been making banana bread or blueberry muffins on the weekend and snacking all week on them.

On what planet does banana bread last all week????

Not in this family, lol! :)
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [triLA] [ In reply to ]
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had to revive this, as i sit eating a bowl of the butternut squash soup i made last night.

1 large butternut squash, cut in half, roast on non-stick pan for 45mins @ 350f

remove from oven, carefully scoop out seeds & discard. scoop out flesh.

in large saucepan, saute 1 medium onion + 3 cloves garlic (chopped) in 1tbsp olive oil until tender.

add squash flesh, a dash of salt, about 1/2tsp nutmeg, 1/2tsp black pepper, and 2-3 cups water (depending on desired consistency).

bring to a boil, let simmer for 30mins, stirring often.

run through a blender until smooth (in batches if necessary), then back into the saucepan. add 1/2 cup milk (i used 1%, but anything between skim and heavy cream will work), and heat through. DO NOT allow it to boil.

serve, and enjoy! makes about 4 servings of 1.5 cups each - refrigerate any leftovers in microwaveable containers for a quick, warming, healthy snack on a cold winter's day!

cheers!

-mistress k

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I made an amazing baked pasta the other night. Took cooking time but it was easy to make.

Started making my own red sauce: Onion, garlic softened in olive oil. Can of chopped tomatos, can of tomato sauce, random italian spices and salt/pepper. Let it simmer while doing the rest.

I got big ziti type pasta. Anything you can stuff will work fine. Boil until not quite done. Meantime mix ricotta cheese, herbs, fresh shredded parm until it looks good.

Spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of a ceramic casserole dish. Stuff pasta with ricotta mix. I got a pastry kit and used it to squirt in the ricotta and it worked perfectly. One layer of pasta, some shredded mozz (not buffalo), more sauce, to your preference. Cover with foil and pop in the oven for 30 minutes @ 350*. Pull off the foil, add more cheese, put back in the oven for about 15 minutes until it gets brown and bubbly.

I have no measurements, I just went by feel. The rest of the sauce went on spaghetti two nights later and it was yummy.

I had no interest in going low cal or low fat but if you do light ricotta and skim mozz I imagine you could do pretty well calorie wise.



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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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my favorite is butternut squash soup with white beans and toasted pumpkin seeds on top :)



"What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass for six hours a day. What are YOU on?" - Lance Armstrong
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [flyer521] [ In reply to ]
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Cabbage is usually fairly available this time of year, this is my adaptation of a side dish, I added the beans to make it more of a meal.

Slice one medium onion (yellow or white)
Slice up a head of cabbage, you want the white not the green parts. I usually cut it into strips.
Drain and rinse a can of white beans (I use great northerns)
Need some cumin seed and tumeric black pepper and salt. ( I never measure spices sorry)

Saute onion in some olive oil (olive oil and butter is awesome for this, but I usually just use the oil to cut calories)
Add cabbage and spices, cook until cabbage is just soft, add beans and heat until warm.

Eat enjoy, takes me less than 5 minutes to prepare.

One thing you can do to make it a bit better, bloom the cumin seed and tumeric in a hot dry skillet first, then add the oil and proceed from there. This is a common practice in indian cooking. The seeds will pop a bit and the tumeric will brown and smoke, makes the kitchen smell wonderful.


Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I made a fantastic pesto on Friday. Fresh organic basil, garlic, parm cheese and olive oil in the food processor while pasta is boiling. 20 minutes total and everything was done.



I also did an apple crip yesterday. The peeling of the apples took the longest.

1.5 cups oats
.5 cup brown sugar
8 tbls butter (the real stuff)

Whir in the food processor until crumbly

Butter baking dish. Lay the sliced apples in the dish, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle oat mixture over the top. Pop in 400* oven for 30 mins. Eat!

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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Re: Super fast to prepare winter foods [JenHS] [ In reply to ]
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i did apple crisp this weekend, too :) slightly different:

core, then slice 2 macintosh apple thinly. i leave the skin on, as both hubby and i love the skins, and they have a ton of vitamins.

lay slices into a pyrex dish - i use a 9" round one, and i don't butter/grease it first. sprinkle cinnamon on top of apple slices.

mix 1 cup quick oats, 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar, 2tbsp unsalted butter until thoroughly combined. a couple of minutes with a fork in a big steel mixing bowl does it. evenly pour this mix on top of the apples.

bake at 350f for about 30mins, then broil on high for ~5mins (until sugar melts & oats brown) and serve.

200cal, 7g fat, 15mg cholesterol, 58mg sodium, 33g carbs, 9g sugar, 3g fibre, 3g protein.

cheers!

-mistress k

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
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