[KYHeirloomer]

>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.<

Two rules of thumb when using hot liquids in a blender:

1. Never fill the container more than half way.
2. Remove the center of the cap, and hold a kitchen towel loosely in place over the hole.

That'll prevent those infamous explosions.

[shel]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

Two rules of thumb when using hot liquids in a blender:

1. Never fill the container more than half way.
2. Remove the center of the cap, and hold a kitchen towel loosely in place over the hole.

That'll prevent those infamous explosions.

Coincidentally, I flipped past a cooking show on FN this afternoon, and the chef, Bobby Flay, ofgferedanpther suggestion to eliminate the blender explosion: don't blend too hot a mixure - let whatever you're blending cool down a bit.
shel

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

>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.<

Two rules of thumb when using hot liquids in a blender:

1. Never fill the container more than half way.
2. Remove the center of the cap, and hold a kitchen towel loosely in place over the hole.

That'll prevent those infamous explosions.

LOL!! Thank you sooooo much!!! And here I've been holding it down tighter to prevent them. Yes, folks, I am an idiot....a good cook, but an idiot.

I will definitely try it again now with those tips in mind.

[DC Sunshine]

Another tip for those blender blasts....tip a little of the hot stuff to be blended and whizz that with the centre piece of the lid out (plus towel over the top!), then add more hot stuff. Works for me. Seems to heat up the blender and the air in it to make blending the rest easier and much less dramatic!! Saves your ceiling paint job too

[shel]

Originally Posted by indianwells

My favourite quick meal would be to knock up a quick tomato sauce (sorry, I just can't buy the jarred stuff!) then throw in a top quality tin of tuna (Spanish if possible) and serve over pasta. Delicious, nutritious, filling, cheap(ish) and very easy!

I made this with the addition of black olives and some chile flakes. Need to experiment a little with the proportions until getting what I like, but this is a great, simple, dish. I used spaghetti but some other pasta shapes may be better suited to this dish. That Spanish tuna (Ortiz) in all its forms is soooo good. I usually get it as a treat, but now I can see getting it more often. Discovered that the tuna can be had with jalapeno flavor - sounds ike a good possibility.

Thanks to you and Ishbel ...

shel

[RufusTF]

Two things I used to do for a quickie that I picked up in japan:

1. Okonomiyaki - It's a veggie-pancake like thing that can vary widely. You chop up/julienne any and all vegetables you have around, and in a glass mix one egg and some rice flour and some water (add water if you blow the ratio & have to thin it). Saute your veggies w/ oil hot and fast, add the egg mix and cover for a quick spell. The restaurant version has thin meat/fish on the up side and is flipped for a quick but thorough sear. Hit it w/ any sauce you have. There are some available that are specific to the dish but the idea is quick, dirty, cheap, & little prep, right? Anything you like goes.

2. yaki soba - these fresh noodles are sold in single packets (well, packets of packets) and can be cooked many ways, but the quick'n dirty way is this: You chop up/julienne any and all vegetables you have around, and add the noodles & a bit of water to the pan. Stir & cover. Can also be done w/ any meat or fish. Again, a sauce is good here. There are some that blah blah blah blah,.....

For either one all you keep on hand is either the noodles or some rice flour, everything else is leftovers & extras. For those of you that care okonomiyaki is the fast food of osaka, and the sauce is not unlike teriyaki sauce, soy based, sweet to almost sweet, thick. The most common meat is thin strips of pork belly, though again, anything goes.

[MaryB]

When (and if) I have leftover pulled pork I freeze it in muffin pans. Pop them out and into a freezer bag. You can grab one or two and nuke or heat in a pan with a bit of BBQ sauce. I use the same trick for chimichanga meat. Baked beans freeze well and are quick to heat and mine are almost a meal by themselves with a pound of bacon to a pound of dried beans. Lots of homemade soups, and I just vacuum bagged lasagna for lazy meals. I can't live without a food saver for leftover meals and they can be boiled in the bag to reheat.

[beetrootbrain]

I have invited friends over for dinner tonight and am baffled as to what i can russel up?

I have a fridge full of garlic, onions and peppers - what can i add to these ingredients to make a tasty slap up meal (not too slap up - sort of sophisticated slap up!?)

[MaryB]

Sounds like a good start for fajitas or peppers on sausage, could do a pasta sauce of some sort........ stuffed peppers works......

[MikeLM]

Saw the good things said about Amy's products, and this morning the Wall Street Journal had a short piece on frozen pizzas - guess who came out ahead by several furlongs!

So I picked up an Amy's olive and mushroom pizza at my local Whole Paycheck this afternoon and will try it over the weekend, adding some of the garlic salami I got at Ream's Elburn Market, a noted sausagemaker about 40 miles west of Chicago.

Mike

[wobaby]

Originally Posted by beetrootbrain

I have invited friends over for dinner tonight and am baffled as to what i can russel up?

I have a fridge full of garlic, onions and peppers - what can i add to these ingredients to make a tasty slap up meal (not too slap up - sort of sophisticated slap up!?)

Sorry, i know its too late to make it now but............

Sausage Fajita's with a onions, tomato, crushed garlic and capsicum sauce. I like to add extra capsicum , tomato's, onion to store bought sauce's.

Cut the sausages up into small circles and cook through on a non stick pan. add lettuce - fresh cheese of your liking and , then fold a few sausages into a fajita with a dollop of sour cream - then grill for 20 seconds in a flatbed sandwhich press. YUMMOOO!

[elizabethbryce@]

Last night we had Gratin Dauphinois, very quick, very easy to make and absolutely delicious. DH had seconds as I had made the recipe for a full 4 serves instead of 2 as I really wanted to have some for lunch today...leftovers doesn't seem to stay leftovers in this house///