38 - Wednesday, August 5, 1992 - North Shore News Running to the store is out with toddler in tow THIS COLUMN is the result of a reader’s request. She_ wanted casserole recipes that she could make ahead and freeze to assist her daughter — no names but a hint: Mom is coping with two sets of twins, toddlers and newborns. The toddlers are eating real food but, as many. of us will remember, little kids need special attention. They eat small portions. They don’t deal well with big pieces of anything. I found that mine dealt well with seasonings such as soy sauce, mild chili and mild curry. Pepper didn't appeal so 1 omitted it and we peppered our food on our plates. I remember weil our daughter, Suzy, describing a dish as being “soft. meat,’’ with satisfaction. Baby teeth are just that. My first hint is about shopping. Running to the corner store for anything is out. Help Mom. by laying in a variety of tins: assorted soups, vegetables and meats such as corned beef. Add some exotics such as tinned bean sprouts (great in omelettes), olives and canned Chinese noodles. oo For the: freezer, chop a number of onions and green peppers — they freeze well for cooking pur- poses. (not. salads) and are the two items’ most of us make an emergency.:run to the store for. Shape ground beef into _ patties and: package pre-frozen and bag- ged in Jots. If you’re making a_ roast, package extra gravy in small tubs. It’s fussy things like gravy that.a busy mother hasn't time to fix. ’ Buy some convenience foods. A large package of dehydrated mashed ‘potatoes can be a god- send: Don’t turn up your. nose at a few boxes of Hamburger Helper or the others — tuna, chicken, ete, 7 oo Don’t forget tetra packages of milk and dry milk .and cani.cd milk. Think- ahead about. what might be an emergency and add powdered juices and hot chocolate mix. oee I have almost a commercial mentality when it comes to stockpiling freezer meais.. It comes from when, as a travel writer, I left the country for long periods, leaving the kids with a sitter. They unanimously detested ‘‘sitter food”? so I'd stockpile prepared main dishes — but scientifically, so that no unnecessary work was involved. The theory is simple and will work well for anyone who has mealtime emergencies. All it takes is a few hours but the results are quite splendid. Have many dishes getting ready at once. ‘ First, you shop, using a list. Naturally, you buy in large quan- tities which saves money. Next, vou consider your containers. Knowing I'd be doing this on a reguiar basis, I bought eight loaf pans, all the same size. Foil lined, 1 could prepare 24 dinners, removing the frozen casserole, over-wrapping and labelling. The last eight stayed in the tins, usual- ly two of each variety. You can buy foil containers and if you reuse them four or five times they’re worth the money. Most frozen casseroles require at least an hour in a moderate oven if taken directly from the freezer. Cut the time in half if you thaw them overnight in the fridge. Everyone needs at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day. Include as many of these in the casseroles as you can. Barbara McCreadie a Hoek BUDGET BEATERS | Now, for starters, let’s look at a tried and ideal recipe combo using stewing beef. Next week, I'll follow up with chicken. This quantity will make four casseroles which will feed four aduits. Toddlers will eat less but leftovers will make a quick lunch. Four-Way Beef 4 Ib, lean stew beef (buy when it’s between $2 and $2.29 Ib.) 2 packages onion soup mix (use no-nanie) : Water to cover, about 8 cups (mote: save vegetable juices as noted below) This is your starting point. In a Geep kettle, bring ingredients to a boil. Cover and let simmer 2 hours or until meat is fork-tender. oo Vegetables Pre-cook all, saving the water to include in the beef sinmering mixture, Drain tins into the same measure — not only do we save nutrients but the flavor is vastly improved, For each of the four recipes, ingredients follow. Do not cut ‘‘one-at-a-time’? — get out your chopping block and do the whoie fot at once. Basic Seasonings To the pot of simmered meat, add: 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce & drops gravy browning (Crosse and Blackwell) Next: Divide the meat mixture in half, removing half to a sepa- rate kettle. Thickening and Seasoning To one pot, 2dd: ¥. cup flour combined with cup wsier To the other: Y cup cormstarch, mixed with “4 cup water add: Y cup ketchup To the pot thickened with corn- starch add: % cup soy sauce Basic instructions: Turn both mixtures into (four in total) prepared dishes. Add Prepared vegetables to each mix- ture, stir, seal and freeze. Classic Beef Stew To one dish of flour-thickened beef, add: 2 large carrots, sticed and stesmed (remember to save water) 1 onion, sliced lengthwise, %4’’, steamed with carrots Optional: 1 smalt parsuip, sliced and steamed with above; 1 cup frozen peas (or, you can cook these later as a side dish) * Do not add potatoes as they do not freeze well To serve: Steam some new potatoes (no peeling required) or To the pot thickened with flour prepare mashed potatoes, either from scratch or a mix. Sliced tomatoes and soft rolls are easy side dishes. Simple Stroganoff To one dish, flour-thickened beef, add: 1 tin mushroom pieces, drained or the equivalent in fresh mushrooms, sauteed in a bit of butter To serve: Heat until bubbly. Stir in % cup sour cream. Serve with rice and a tinned or frozen green vegetable. Hawalian Beef To one dish cornstar- ch-thickened beef, add: 1 large green pepper, cut in chunks and sauteed in a bit of butter 1 tin (small) pineapple chunks (buy unsweetened and drain the juice into a jug of fruit juice — why waste it?)- To serve: Prepare regular rice or instant as package directs. Broccoli is great with this or, if on hand, a green salad. Chinese-Style Beef To the last portion, cornstar- ch-thickened beef, add: 1 tin’ mixed drained Chinese vegetables (this inciudes bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mushrooms and bamboo shoots). China Lily is one brand I’ve used — packed about 20 oz. 2 ribs celery sliced diagonally in V2" pieces, steamed ¥% a medium onion, sliced lengthwise, steamed with celery To serve: Prepare rice as directed. Top meat with crisp Chinese noodles (tinned or bulk). Try a package of stir-fry vegetables with this or steam some broccoli. A package of large sesame-coated crackers is good, too. : Next week: Four-way chicken. You can prepare these casseroles at the same time you do the beef, sim- ‘ mering chickens as the beef cooks and chopping the vegetables along with the ones for the beef. The following week. we'll deal with a 10-pound sack of lean ground beef. In ail, if you follow along, your freezer wil} be stocked with 20 dinners for four, ail dif- ferent, all nutritious and all prepared in less than four hours, total, THE PARENTING RESOURCE CENTRE Childbirth, Newborn Care, Parenting Education Worksbops, series, one diry serninars and individual instruction fee. For more information and a free brochure call 922-8470 / #5 - 659 Clyde Avernse West Vancouver, B.C, V7T 1C3 FAST COLLISION REPAIRS | CALL THE PROFESSIONALS AT JEYLORMOTIVE "4959 LTD. FREE RENTAL COURTESY CARS B.C.A.A. APPROVED — A.R.A, CERTIFIED 1.C.B.C. 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