[bughut]

When you do have a spare 3minutes, Throw carrot swede and onion into a pot with smoked ham ribs. (add water) Boil the bejeezuz out of it and portion in the freezer.
Zap in the micro as and when you need comfort, warmth, nutrition and flavour.
Its the one thing that comes instantly to mind for all the above requirements

[shel]

Originally Posted by Tasty Thoughts

A few quick ideas:

Stuffed potatoes- bake potato (microwave if you want it fast), cut in half, top with a pinch of butter, cooked broccoli, and shredded cheese. Heat to melt cheese.

Caesar salad- with or without cooked chicken or steak (whatever is leftover from another meal)

Homemade corn chowder- all you need is frozen corn, potatoes, milk, onions, and some seasonings. Ready in 30 min.

Yes! The ol' potato and veggie in the microwave trick. Works a treat. Sometimes I'll put some store-bought salsa on the 'tater. We've got some really great "fresh" salsa available in the Bay Area - as I'm sure other places do. Not that Pace or other supermarket stuff.

I'd not thought about making a corn chowder. That's a good tip. I'll check my files as there will probably be several ideas to be found. Add a little jalapeno, and bada-bing!

Happy Holidaze,

shel

[shel]

Originally Posted by bughut

Throw carrot swede and onion into a pot

What's carrot swede? Never heard of it.

shel

[KYHeirloomer]

I'm guessing bughut meant: ....carrot, Swede, onion.....

In which case, Swede is how Europeans refer to rutabaga. It's a dimunitive of Swedish Turnip, which, in some venues, is still a synonym for rutabaga.

[shel]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

I'm guessing bughut meant: ....carrot, Swede, onion.....

In which case, Swede is how Europeans refer to rutabaga. It's a dimunitive of Swedish Turnip, which, in some venues, is still a synonym for rutabaga.

What a diference a comma makes ...

Happy Holidaze,

shel

[bughut]

Thanks for clearing that up for me KY. Forgot to add the yellow split peas too.

[MikeLM]

When you're reduced to frozen dinners, Shel-

My son and I had to eat them for lunch for several months while working in his cabinet shop. We tried several brands - once.

We settled on Safeway Select as the most consistently palatable. One dinner wold feed both of us nicely, which helped on the cost and we could usually find them on sale and stock up for the freezer.

Mike

[shel]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

When you're reduced to frozen dinners, Shel-
[...]
We settled on Safeway Select as the most consistently palatable.

OK, Mike. I have to stop at the local Safeway later this morning to pick up something for a client. I will look at the frozen dinners and see what they have and what the ingredient list is,

Truth is, I don't shop at Safeway, but it seems reasonable to at least take a look at a product that's so strongly recommended.

Happy Holidaze,

shel

[shroomgirl]

well tuna noodle casserole is a throw back to a 60's childhood.....so I'm really not sure if it would translate well for someone who didn't grow up on it.
As to quality ing. vs not.....well kinda like tuna nicoise, better ing.= better finished product.

my tuna casserole is: cooked noodles...egg preferably. tuna in oil, canned mushroom soup....yep, cambells just for this one dish.....sour cream, red onions or scallions, frozen tiny peas, goodly amount of black pepper...And what would tuna noodle be without the crushed potato chips on top....not thick kettle ones but thin straight forward potato chips and plenty of um.

Tj's has loads of cryovaced soups all with relatively low costs....butternut, tomato red pepper, mushroom etc....not used them personally but bought them for others.....the price is considerably cheaper than "premium" campbells.

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by shroomgirl

Tj's has loads of cryovaced soups all with relatively low costs....butternut, tomato red pepper, mushroom etc....not used them personally but bought them for others.....the price is considerably cheaper than "premium" campbells.

Oh, and that reminds me of a favorite I used to do all the time (until I cut the carbs a few years back...or got sick of it...one or the other, LOL)...I like the Imagine Organic soups. My fave was their Creamy Potato Leek...I'd fry up a strip of bacon and crumble that on top of a small bowl of soup with a dollop of Stonyfield Farms Organic Plain Yogurt (almost just like sour cream without as much fat) and a little grated cheddar. Sooo nice on a cold winter's day.

If I knew how to paste images in the way Shel does all the time, I would...but here's the link to their company:
Our Products

:0) D~

[pgr555]

Left over rice with what ever vegies are in the fridge (left over fish works in it too) quick stir fry

Nachos with beans, sour cream, cheese... or line glass bowl with refried beans ( you can add already cooked ground beef but I am a veggie) layer in corn, sour cream, grated cheese. micro wave 1 1/2 minutes and dip tortilla chips... all its missing is a green and my family loves it... literally takes 3 minutes to make and is very cheap.

Refridgerator salad - all the leftovers in the fridge that could possibly go in a salad, a can of tuna, cheese, nuts for protein

I use to make this great corn cheese chowder... not when i don't make it my husband buys corn chowder (Imagine Natural brand) adds a zapped potato chopped up, a can of corn, grated cheese and cayenne. Not as good as my homemade, but time is 10 minutes!

[shel]

OK, Ihit the Safeway this afternoon and checked on the Safeway Select frozen entres. First, the store only had three items, and after reading the ingredient list decided I'd pass ... Gawd how I hate that store! Selection is minimal, prices are high, and, for the most part, quality is low. I grabbed the item for my client and a six-pack of ramen that was on sale, and beat a hasty retreat.

pgr555, rice and vegetables are a standard here. I'll often make a big batch of brown rice and freeze it in 1-gallon freezer bags, flattening the rice so it fills the bag and can lay flat on the freezer flooor. After it's frozen, I'll just break off a chunk whenever needed, add some veggies and a sauce, and there's a quick and easy dinner. I try to stay away from nacho-like dishes.

Dory - I've tried some of the TJ and Imagu\ine soups. There was one that I liked, but the others just didn't cut it for me. Howeever, I've not tried them all. TJ's here carries Imagine soups. Next time I'm atTJ's I'll take another look at the soups.

As for posting images, take a look at the symbols just above the area in which you write your posting. There's a small square with a mountain in it. Click on that and a box will appear above the message space. Type in or paste the URL of the image you want to post. I think Phil Hatch taught me that technique, and it took me a time or two to get it to work right.

Happy Holidaze,

shel

[shel]

Originally Posted by DoryD

Oh, and I really like the Amy's Organic brand of frozen food (in the organic section of your grocer). My fave thing to heat up on the run is her No-Cheese veggie pizza with sweet onions, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers on a whole wheat crust with a balsamic vinegar sauce instead of the normal tomato. I sprinkle some fresh grated parmesan or asiago on it before cooking and it's soooo good (and healthy, too).

I was atTJ's this afternoon and li looks like they have virtually the same pizza. I think shroom mentioned it. This was the first time I've seen the item at TJ's, and would have bought it in a minute except that I'm expecting acoupon from Amy's and want to try the Amy's pie first.

shel

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by shel

I was atTJ's this afternoon and li looks like they have virtually the same pizza. I think shroom mentioned it. This was the first time I've seen the item at TJ's, and would have bought it in a minute except that I'm expecting acoupon from Amy's and want to try the Amy's pie first.

shel

yeah, my TJ's in VA used to carry Amy's...I first got it when it was at Fresh Fields (now Whole Foods), but when TJ's started carrying it I always bought from there because it was so much cheaper.

And for the Imagine soups...that's the only one I liked (the Potato Leek). I make my own soup, so that was really just for time's sake. My fave thing now is to make a batch of creamy broccoli and chicken and eat it all week. For that, I chop almost a head of garlic, 4 or 5 shallots...saute them in a little butter with some fresh thyme, salt and pepper, pour in chicken stock and add chopped boneless chicken and lots of broccoli (just the very tops). Simmer for about an hour, then add a little heavy cream (yes, it has to be heavy cream, but you don't have to use a lot to get the creamy taste, and over the course of several servings, the fat content is minimal) and cornstarch to thicken. Season again at the end to taste, and enjoy yummy homemade hot soup for the next few days (always better on the 2nd day).

I used to make a Cooking Light version of Potato Leek that I liked a lot, but I think I burned out on it. Now I'd like to do it again, but I have yet to figure out how to puree soup in my Vitamix without it exploding all over me and the kitchen (yes...I've managed to do this TWICE with my creamy mushroom soup, lol).

[shel]

Originally Posted by DoryD

yeah, my TJ's in VA used to carry Amy's...I first got it when it was at Fresh Fields (now Whole Foods), but when TJ's started carrying it I always bought from there because it was so much cheaper.

I did a Google search on the TJ's pizza, found a site where it was discused and "reviewed." Someone said the TJ's pie was in fact made by Amy's. The TJ's here doesn't carry Amy's.

My fave thing now is to make a batch of creamy broccoli and chicken and eat it all week. For that, I chop almost a head of garlic, 4 or 5 shallots...saute them in a little butter with some fresh thyme, salt and pepper, pour in chicken stock and add chopped boneless chicken and lots of broccoli (just the very tops). Simmer for about an hour, then add a little heavy cream (yes, it has to be heavy cream, but you don't have to use a lot to get the creamy taste, and over the course of several servings, the fat content is minimal) and cornstarch to thicken. Season again at the end to taste, and enjoy yummy homemade hot soup for the next few days (always better on the 2nd day).

Thanks for the idea. Sounds pretty good. I love broccoli, and have evn gotten to where I like the stems - peel 'em, dice 'em, cook 'em in some way. I can see the peeled and diced stems as a tasty addition to your soup.

I used to make a Cooking Light version of Potato Leek that I liked a lot, but I think I burned out on it. Now I'd like to do it again, but I have yet to figure out how to puree soup in my Vitamix without it exploding all over me and the kitchen (yes...I've managed to do this TWICE with my creamy mushroom soup, lol).

Usually the explosions occur if there's too much liquid in the blender and if the top to the blender doesn't allow for venting. Have you tried using less soup and leaving the top slightly ajar. Once I started paying attention to those two things, no more explosions.

Happy Holidaze,

shel