Do you sometimes feel like a juggler at the circus as you hurry
to get dinner ready? Preparing a meal can be like keeping
several balls in the air as you hurry back and forth from task to
task: Wash! Chop! Mix! Cook! Stir!
Give yourself a break! By planning ahead, you can make some
of the dinner tasks you are constantly juggling easier. Spend a
few extra minutes planning complementary menus where you "cook
once and eat twice".
Plan meals based around key foods, prepared in larger
amounts for use in one recipe the first night, and an entirely
different recipe within the next night or two. This is different
from making large batches and eating leftovers. For example:
*Separate out and refrigerate the portion to be served
for
your next meal before you set the food on the table. This keeps
your food quality higher by preventing "planned-overs" from
becoming "picked-overs".
*Promptly refrigerate the food for the next meal to keep it safe.
Perishable cooked foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and
dairy products shouldn't be at room temperature longer than two
hours, total, for first and second use.
*Refrigerate the prepared-ahead food in shallow containers
so it cools faster in the refrigerator. For thicker foods--such
as stews, hot puddings and layers of meat slices--limit depth of
food to 2 inches. Loosely cover food. This allows heat to
escape and protects from accidental contamination from other
foods during cooling. Stir food occasionally to help it cool;
use a clean utensil each time. Cover tightly when cooled.
*As a general rule-of-thumb, use the extra refrigerated food
you cooked within one or two days. Freeze for longer storage.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when you're ready to use
again--never thaw at room temperature.
Here are some quick and easy examples of "cook once, eat
twice" to get you started. Adapt according to your family
preferences and add your own ideas for the different food
categories.
CHICKEN/TURKEY:
Day 1:
Day 2:
RICE:
Day 2:
You can also save leftover rice from one night and
chicken/turkey from another night and put them together in any
number of dishes for night three. Possibilities include: rice-
based casseroles, chicken or turkey rice soup.
The USA Rice Council recommends you reheat leftover rice
thoroughly before serving. Unless you use the rice in a dish
with added liquid, you may need to add a small amount of liquid
to your reheated rice. For each cup of cooked rice, add 2
tablespoons liquid. Cover and heat on top of the range or in the
oven until heated throughout. In a microwave oven, cover and
cook on HIGH about 1 minute per cup.
Rice also freezes well. After cooked rice has cooled in the
refrigerator, transfer it to plastic freezer bags in quantities
needed for future meals. Label and date.
BEEF/PORK:
Day 2:
PASTA:
Day 2:
Here are two examples of how to rinse pasta when you're
cooking enough for another meal:
*If you are preparing a cold dish, such as a salad, for your
first meal, rinse all the pasta.
*If you are preparing a hot dish, such as macaroni and cheese,
for your first meal, drain the pasta. Then separate out the
pasta for your second meal. Rinse just the portion for your
second meal under cold water.
Store cooked pasta in an airtight container in the
refrigerator. You may wish to add a little oil (1-2 teaspoons
for each pound of cooked pasta) to help keep cooked pasta from
sticking.
By cooking once and serving twice, you can ease your
mealtime juggling act!
Cook extra chicken breasts or turkey cutlets. Cover
and
refrigerate half the chicken or turkey. Top the remaining half
with your favorite seasonings or sauce for serving immediately.
The next night, slice the plain cooked chicken or
turkey
into strips and combine with lettuce and Caesar salad dressing
for a main dish salad.
Day 1:
Make a large batch of plain rice. The first
night--while
the rice is cooking--prepare a hearty sauce so your rice can be
served as a main dish. For example: add cooked ground beef to
tomato sauce flavored with Italian seasoning.
Make fried rice with your favorite veggies and a can
of
shrimp from your pantry.
Day 1:
Make a roast the first evening and enjoy part of
it.
Slice the rest of your roast for delicious sandwiches
or
a hearty stew.
Day 1:
Cook macaroni for your favorite macaroni and cheese
recipe
the first night, plus extra for another recipe.
Extra pasta can be served in a cold dish, such as a
pasta
salad, at a later meal. You might add some cooked meat from a
previous meal to your salad. Another quick and easy pasta
possibility for macaroni is to combine it with chili soup for
Chili-Mac.
