Money Saving Tips for Food Storage and Cooking

Here are money-saving tips from our readers to help you save money each month when cooking and storing your food.
Fresh Salad Tips
When storing lettuce (after washing) in the refrigerator, put a damp paper towel on the bottom of a plastic container and one on the top. Helps to keep lettuce crisp and last longer. Can be used on leaves or torn pieces, even in salads.

Another hint: when making fresh lettuce/spinach salads, don't add the tomatoes. Serve them separate. That way if you have to put any away, the tomatoes won't wilt and create a bad taste for your lettuce

Make Your Own Pizza

I've been saving money by using a great pizza crust recipe that tastes just as good as ordering out for pizza. It's very simple and the only cleanup is a mixing bowl and measuring cup. My husband likes thick crust so I doubled the recipe and made 1 crust on a larger baking sheet. I also baked the crust for about 5 minutes before putting the toppings on it.

Homemade Pizza:
2 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
1 package Active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix baking mix and yeast; stir in water and beat vigorously. Turn dough onto well-floured surface; knead until smooth, about 20 times. Let dough rest a few minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half on ungreased baking sheet into rectangle, 13x10 inches, or on pizza pan into 12-inch circle. Pinch edges to make a slight rim.

Spread with sauce (spaghetti or pizza works well - also simple homemade tomato sauce) Top with your choice of toppings.

Bake until crust is brown and filling is hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares or wedges

Pasta Recipe

Chicken Macaroni



Ingredients:
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
ground black pepper to taste
Procedure:
In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour.
Serve Hot

Seafood Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice
1 pound bay scallops
1 pound uncooked small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat, chopped
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

Procedure:

In a large skillet, saute onion in oil and 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Stir in broth and clam juice; bring to a boil. Add the scallops, shrimp, crab and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are firm and opaque, stirring gently. Drain, reserving cooking liquid; set seafood mixture aside.

In a saucepan melt the remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth. Combine milk and reserved cooking liquid; gradu

ally add to the saucepan. Add salt and remaining pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cream and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir 3/4 cup white sauce into the seafood mixture.

Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles; spread with half of the seafood mixture and 1-1/4 cups sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Serve in 12 person

Pasta Carbonala

Ingredients
1 pound thick-sliced bacon diced
2 tablespoons Salt
1 pound Linguini
3 Eggs
1/3 cup Chopped Italian parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Procedure:

1.Saute the bacon in a small skillet until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on a paper towel.
2. Boil the water and cook linguini until firm and tender.
3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs thoroughly in a large bowl suitable for serving. Have the cooked bacon and the chopped parsley ready at hand.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it immediately in a colander, and pour into the bowl of eggs and immediately begin tossing it. As the strands of pasta become coated with the beaten eggs, their heat will cook the eggs.
5. Sprinkle the bacon and parsley on, and serve immediately. This is great with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve in 4

Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (you can use lean)
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz)
1/2 cup water
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 4 oz can mushrooms (optional)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. chili powder
7 oz (1/2 a small bag) of uncooked spaghetti
1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar or mozzarella
1 4 oz can mushrooms, drained (optional)
1 cup bell pepper (optional)

Procedure:

In a large skillet cook and stir your hamburger and onions until hamburger is light brown; drain. Stir in tomatoes (with liquid), water, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, chili powder, mushrooms, bell peppers and spaghetti; break up tomatoes with fork.
Heat to boiling and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stir occasionally, until spaghetti is tender, about 30 minutes. You might need to add a little extra water. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Cover and heat until cheese is melted.
To make lower in fat use fat-free cheese and lean ground beef.

Serve in 7 person

Vegetable Recipe

Choupsuey ( Filipino Food / Lyn Style)


Ingredients:

1/4 kilo pork cut into small cubes
1/4 kilo chicken giblets & liver
2-3 pcs. chicken wings, cut into small pieces
1/4 kilo fresh shrimps, shelled
2 large onions, quartered
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 pc. medium sized carrots, round thin slices
1/4 kilo cabbage, chopped 1 1/2" squares
1/4 kilo cauliflower, break into flowerettes
2-3 pcs. stalks leeks, chopped 2" long 2-3 stalks celery, chopped 1" long
1/4 kilo snow peas (sitsaro)
10 pcs. string beans (habichuelas)
2 pcs. ell pepper, red & green, big slices
2 cups chicken or meat broth
1 tbsp. vetsin
2 tbsp. fish sauce (patis)
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 tbsp. sesame oil (optional)

Procedures:

1.Saute garlic until brown. Add onions, when half cooked stir in pork, giblets, liver, chicken, and shrimps.
2.Saute for 2 minutes and pour in fish sauce.
3.Stir. After 3 minutes, add 1/2 cup water. Cover.
4.When almost dry, add broth. Let boil.
5.Season with salt and vetsin, and put in all vegetables.
6.Cook until half done and thicken soup with dissolved cornstarch.
7.Do not overcooked vegetables.
8.Serve hot.

Serve for 6 person




Asparagus Tomato Strifry




Ingrediets:
2 Tbsp. Cooking oil
2 Tbsp. Green Onions
¼ Fresh Asparagus ( sliced diagonally 2” long )
1 ½ cups Fresh button mushroom, sliced For Sauce:
1 Tsp. Cornstarch dissolved in
1 Tbsp. Water
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Pc. Tomatoes, sliced
¼ tsp All purpose Seasoning mix

Procedure:

1. In hot oil, sauté green onions until transparent. Add Asparagus and mushroom
2. Mix together Cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Add to the vegetables and cook until thick.
3. Add tomatoes and sprinkle of all purpose seasoning mix.
4. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve Hot. Makes 2-3 Serving

Beef Recipe

Beef With Mushroom

Ingredients:
½ Kilo Beef tenderloin ( slice into
½ thick butter)
2 Tbsp. Butter
½ cup mushroom sliced
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 Tsp. Lemon or Calamansi Juice
1 ½ Tbsp. All purpose seasoning mix
1 clove Garlic, minced
¼ cup ButterDash of Pepper

Procedure:
Marinate the sliced beef in all purpose seasoning mix, pepper . Set asideStir-fry onions, mushrooms, garlic and butter. Season with lemon juice, seasoning and aji-no-moto umami super seasoning. Set aside.Cook beef tenderloid in butter over medium heat, turning at once, until the desired doneness.Seve on a steak plate with stir-fried mushroom.

Serve w/rice its good for 6 person

Chicken Recipe

Orental Chicken Wings



Ingredients:
1 kl. Well-cleaned chicken wings
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp pepper powder
1tsp garlic seasoning mix
Procedure:
1. Combine soy sauce, rice wine and honey Sprinkle garlic seasoning and pepper
2. Mix and mix very well until completely dissolve. Add chicken wings and mix will.
3. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375” F.
5. Line broiler or shallow baking pan with aluminum foil. Put chicken and bake for 30 minutes turning occasionally.
6. Bake for another 25 minutes, occasionally brushing with marinade until brown in color.

Serve Hot / Makes 5 Servings





Chicken Tinola (Filipino Food / Lyn Style)


Ingredients:
2 tsp. cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ginger, cut in strips
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 kg. stewing chicken, cut into serving pcs
1 tbsp. patis
10 cup rice water
1 small green papaya, sliced 1/3 thick
1 cup pepper leaves
1 tsp. salt

Procedures:

1. Fry the garlic in hot cooking oil until brown. Add ginger and chopped onions. Cook until soft.
2. Drop in chicken. Season with patis (fish sauce). Cover and simmer for 5min.
3. Add the rice water, simmer until chicken is tender.
4. Add sliced papaya and cook until papaya is tender.
5. Just before removing from the fire, season with salt and vetsin. Add pepper leaves.

Serve hot, with steamed rice.

Pork Recipe

Pork Adobo



Ingredients:
1 kilo pork cut into cubes
3 gloves garlic minced
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 cups of water
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
2 pcs. bay leaf
1 pinch pepper
salt to taste (optional)
1 small can pineapple tidbits (optional)

Procedures:

1.Mix all the ingredients, cook for 30 to 50 minutes. or until tender...
2.Add pineapple tidbits cook for 5 minutes.
3.Serve hot with steamed rice

Your Tips For Cooking

Cooking is the process of preparing food by applying heat, selecting, measuring and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure for producing safe and edible food. The process encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to alter the flavor or digestibility of food. Factors affecting the final outcome include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual doing the actual cooking.

Here are the some tips before you prepared food for your family.

Frying, Sauteing, Browning

1. In pan frying and sauteing, always get your pan hot first before adding the oil or butter so food won't stick to the pan.
2. When sauteing with garlic or ginger, always brown them in oil after salt has been added but before any other ingredients. This will bring out the full flavor ofingredients.
3. Never pierce meats when browning them; the juices will escape and the meats become tough and dry. Use tongs, not fork, for turning them over.
4. When frying several pieces of food at a time, never let the pieces touch each other as they cook or they will stew instead of saute.
5. Brown red meats quickly, over high heat, uncovered. Brown poultry slowly, covered or uncovered.
6. Keep fried foods warm in a 250° F. oven. They may also be reheated by placing them in a 400° F. oven for 15 minutes.

Deep Frying

1. Use a deep heavy saucepan (3 to 4 quart size) if an electric fryer is not available.
2. Oil should be enough to cover the food to be fried and to allow it to move freely in the pan but should never exceed half the depth of the pan. This is to prevent spilling over of hot oil when it bubbles up on addition of cold food.
3. A wire basket is necessary in frying small food items as meat balls, french fries, etc. for even browning on all sides, and for ease of loading and unloading to and from the pan.
4. Be sure fat is preheated to the recommended temperature before the food is added so that the heat, not the oil, penetrates the food. A frying thermometer is most helpful to know exact oil temperature. If it is not available, do a simple temperature test by dropping a 1" cube of bread into the hot fat. At 370° F. Which is satisfactory temperature for frying most foods, the bread.will brown between 50 to 60 seconds; at 390°F. it will take from 20 to 25 seconds. Adjust heat to keep an even temperature.

Boiling, Simmering, Steaming

1. Steam potatoes whenever possible to conserve nutrients. If you have to boil them, add 1 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice to the water to make potatoes snowy white. Add a little milk to the water in which cauliflower is cooked to retain whiteness.
2. Grate a quarter of a small onion and add it and a dash of sugar and salt to the water in which you boil frozen or canned vegetables to improve the flavor. Or add a dash of MSG, garlic powder, pepper and onion flakes or powder to the salted boiling water before adding the vegetables for a richer flavor.
3. To cook eggs in the shell: Boil water, lower eggs into the boiling water in a metal spoon so the metal absorbs the heat and the eggs won't crack from the sudden change in temperature. Lower heat to simmer and cook eggs to desired doneness. For eggs at room temperature — soft cooked, 3 to 4 minutes; hard cooked, 10 minutes.. For eggs right out of the refrigerator: soft cooked,, 5 minutes; hard cooked, 12 minutes. Immediately plunge eggs in cold water after cooking; the shell will peel off easily and the whites will be tender.
4. A teaspoon of salt added to water brings it to boil faster, cuts down on whites running out in case the shells crack.

Broiling, Barbecuing, Roasting

1. When broiling steaks or chops, put one cup water in the bottom of the broiler pan to prevent grease burning on the pan, eliminate smoke, make pan easy to wash and catch the drippings for the gravy.
2. For barbecues, chicken should not be more than 3 Ibs.; 2 Ibs. is best because it cooks fast and is tender and juicy. Pork should be thinly sliced so it is thoroughly cooked. Beef steak should not be less than an inch thick or it will dry out; 1-1/2" thick is best for rare, medium or well done.
3. When roasting or broiling, line roaster pans with foil (barbecue pans, too) to facilitate cleaning. Cover the rack also but slash between the grooves to allow the fat to drip into the pan.

Baking, Candy making

1. When making pastry for pie crust, add a pinch or two of baking powder to the dry ingredients before adding the water; makes the pastry more flaky.
2. When adding water to pastry, be stingy with it, use only ice cold water and never pour it all in one spot on the flour and shortening mixture. Shake or sprinkle the water,sparingly over the mixture while stirring with a fork. Dough mixes easier this way and the pastry is flakier.
3. After removing a cake from the oven, place the pan on a damp cloth for a few minutes and the cake will come loose from the pan easily.
4. When butter is too hard to cream, shred it into a warmed bowl and it will cream faster.
5. Prevent nuts and fruits from sinking to the bottom of cake batter bycoating them with flour. 6. When beating eggs separately, beat whites first; then the yolks may be beaten without washing the beaters. Whites will not beat up to full volume or stiffness if any yolk or bit of fat gets into the bowl.
7. To make good meringue, always let the egg whites warm up to room temperature before beating them. Also, add 1 tsp. of water for each egg white. It will increase the volume and make the meringue more tender.
8. For drop cookies, oil the spoon. Batter will not stick and will drop off easily.
9. In making dishes that call for hot milk or liquid to be added to eggs, as in custards, mix sugar with eggs and stir in hot liquid gradually to avoid curdling.
10. Pie crust brown beautifully with a sheen when brushed with milk or beaten egg yolk before baking.

Disasters and Remedies

1. If a dish is too salty, slices of raw pared potato added to it while cooking will absorb excess saltiness. When cooking adobo and it turns out too sour, add sugar.
2. If a pan of grease catches fire, sprinkle baking soda or salt over it to stop fire and smoke. Do not use water or flour.
3. To save burned food, immediately set burned pot containing the food in a larger container with cold water. Do not stir the food. Leave uncovered until cooled. Then pour contents into another pan. Do not scrape the bottom. Scorched food will adhere to the bottom and can be discarded thus eliminating the burnt taste from the rest of the food.
4. When boiling rice and the water has completely evaporated but the rice is not yet cooked, soak a double layer of paper towel with water and put it on top of the rice. Cover pot and keep on low heat. This way the rice will cook evenly and the bottom will not be soggy or burned.
5. To correct a too thick sauce: heat until simmering, then beat in, a spoonful at a time, a little cream or stock until of right consistency. Use a wooden spoon, spatula or wire whisk and scrape over bottom of pan as you stir.
6. To correct a too thin hot sauce: blend a tsp. of flour with a tsp. ofsoft butter, or more as needed, always in equal amount. Beat into hot sauce,away from the heat, until smooth. Simmer a minute or two. to remove anyraw taste of flour.
7. To correct a lumpy sauce, strain or beat with a whisk until smooth.

Odor Removers

1. Boil a little vinegar on the stove to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors. However, cooking foods with vinegar like adobo and paArs/wdoes not help because the combination of vinegar with other foods like garlic creates odors.
2. To eliminate fishy odor, rub fish inside and out with a slice of lemon.
3. To keep raw fish fillets fresh and odorless in the refrigerator, rinse\in a solution of 1 tbsp. lemon juice and 1 cup water, dry thoroughly, wrap and refrigerate.
4. Put orange peelings on the oven racks when you preheat the oven; gives the house a delicious smell. Take out the peelings when you use the oven because burnt peelings have too strong a smell. Return peelings to the oven as soon as you turn it off and the remaining heat will be just enough to bring out the sweet orangey smell.
5. To remove the smell of garlic from the fingers, rub them with a cut ripe tomato.
6. A little vinegar added to the water in which cabbage or beets are boiled will help them keep their colors and cut down the cooking odors.
7. When cooking foods with strong odors, close all doors to other rooms in the house; if possible, open kitchen window and allow air to cross ventilate by opening a door to the outside. If a lot of cooking with garlic is done in the wintertime, ventilate the house once in a while when the temperature is mild (30°F. and above). Lower thermostat 5 degrees. Open the front and back doors and allow the air to cut through the house for at least 5 minutes. On a windy day 5 minutes is more than enough.
8. Lighting up the fireplace doesn't only give a warmth and a glow to the house, it also provides a draft which clears the air of cooking odors.

Culinary Tricks

1. To keep parsley crisp and fresh, place a bunch upright in a wide mouthed jar with airtight lid. Add just enough water to the jar to cover the stems without it touching the leaves. Store in the refrigerator.
2. Wash a bunch of green onions. Cut off roots. Pat dry with a paper towel and mince. Store in tightly covered plastic containers in the refrigerator. Keeps better and longer than when left in the crisper.
3. Cut off about half an inch from both ends of cucumbers to remove bitterness. To bring out their taste, slice them ahead of time, sprinkte with a little salt and refrigerate until ready for use.
4. To avoid tears when cutting onions, leave them in the refrigerator for a few days before using them.(Or peel and cut them in half under cold running water. Keep under running water for about a minute or let soak in cold water for a time before slicing.)
5. Roll lemon with palm over a hard surface or heat lemons before squeezing to get more juice from thenru
6. Scale fish under water to keep scales from flying around.
7. Frozen raw meats defrost faster when submerged in cold water rather than when left standing at room temperature.
8. For fluffier and higher pancakes, double the number of eggs called for in the recipe. Put yolks in the batter, beat the whites separately until stiff and gently fold in the batter.
9. When preparing sauces, add flour to melted butter off the heat for a smoother mixture. When adding any liquid to a sauce base, stir it in off the heat also. Add hot sauce to cold sauce two tbsp. at a time so the cold sauce warms up gradually and does not curdle.
10. If a recipe calls for a covered casserole or skillet and none is available, use a piece of aluminum foil as a lid.
11. Marinate meat in clear plastic bags. Close tightly and press occasionally to distribute fluid.
12. To coat meats or chicken pieces, measure seasoned flour into a paper bag, drop in a few pieces at a time and' gently shake bag.
13. To keep open boxes of raisins and prunes, keep them in tightly covered jars. Hard dried out prunes and raisins may be revived by dropping them in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and dry and they will be tender again.
14. Store peeled ginger root in a plastic bag in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and they will not dry up. When a recipe calls for ginger root, simply grate frozen root.
15. To center gelatin mold on serving plate, smooth a few drops of water on plate with fingers; unmold gelatin.
Ever wish you could head into the kitchen and whip up a delicious dinner? The good news is that if you've read this far, you'll have no problem at all — because if you can read, you can cook! The trick is knowing some kitchen basics, what kinds of recipes are best, and where to find inspiration for making mouth-watering meals.

Read on for some ideas about how to get started.