Extend the Shelf Life of Your Groceries with These Hacks!

 The Covid-19 lockdowns and the continuing pandemic overall made us change a lot of our everyday habits, and shopping especially. We all have to be careful with where we go and reduce how much time we spend in public places to stay safe. In previous articles, we’ve shared helpful advice on how to reduce the number of shopping trips you take and how to tell if a store is not sanitized properly. This time, we’d like to tackle a topic that everyone will find useful every day, pandemic or not, showing 12 easy kitchen hacks that will help you extend the shelf life of your groceries.

1. To keep asparagus fresh and crisp for a week or more,

  

cut the stems, submerge them in water like flowers, and throw a plastic bag over them before refrigerating, like this:

2. Storing onions in pantyhose 

 

can help them stay fresh up to 8 months

3. Turning a tub of sour cream or cottage cheese upside down 

 

can create a vacuum seal in the container, which will prevent the growth of bacteria longer.

4. Submerging berries in a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 10 parts water, 

 

then draining and keeping in the fridge can extend their shelf life. The solution is too weak for you to taste the vinegar, but it can keep strawberries fresh for up to 2 weeks and raspberries for a week


5. Store ginger in the freezer. It doesn't just last longer that way, it also grates more easily. You won't need to peel it, too, since the skin dries down very thin

6. Potatoes can be stored with apples to prevent them from sprouting

7. Store leftover fresh herbs for months:  

 

simply squish pieces of herbs into an ice cube tray, top up with olive oil, and freeze.

8. Storing salad this way will absorb and excess moisture 

 

and make it last all week. You can use a regular towel or washcloths in place of the paper towel, too.

9. It's much better to store mushrooms in a paper bag 

 

than a plastic bag, as plastic traps moisture, which can lead to mildew.

10. Store carrots in the fridge for months by simply removing the greens 

 

and keeping them in a container filled with water

11. Store delicate herbs such as parsley, basil, and cilantro 

 

like a bouquet of flowers covered with plastic and refrigerate to make them last longer.

 

12. The easiest way to regrow scallions

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Leftover Foods That Don't Belong in the Microwave

While popping some leftovers in the microwave might seem easy, the truth is that you might actually be damaging your health by microwaving and consuming certain foods. In many instances, it's preferential to heat up leftovers conventionally, in other words using an oven or stove. Here are 10 types of food that you shouldn't reheat using a microwave, together with an explanation of how they should be heated properly:

1. Casseroles 

How to reheat properly: Splash some water over the top of the casserole you want to reheat. Doing this keeps it from drying out when heating it in the oven. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake at 325°F (165°C) until heated through. Be sure to check the temperature in the middle of the casserole, as that’s where it takes the longest to warm up.

2.Chicken

How to reheat properly: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then place the chicken at the center. Wrap it tightly in the foil, then reheat until its internal temperature registers a minimum of 165°F (74°C) on a meat thermometer.

3. Pizza 

 How to reheat properly: Simply bake in the oven at 375°F (191°C) until the cheese has melted and the crust is crisp. If you’re only heating a slice or two, place the slices in a dry skillet and cover with aluminum foil. Heat on medium until the cheese has melted and the crust is crisp. 

4. Pasta

How to reheat properly: Place the pasta in a saucepan and heat it on medium-low. If you used oil or cream when you first cooked it, add a small amount and stir frequently. If you used a tomato-based sauce, you can add a small amount of water to thin it out a little, as well as adjust the seasoning to taste.

5. Steak

How to reheat properly: Slice the steak leftovers thinly and place in a saute pan. Add a small amount of oil to the pan, and heat on medium until the edges have browned and the slices have warmed through. 

6. Potatoes

How to reheat properly: If you’re reheating French Fries, place a little oil in a non-stick saute pan and heat until it begins to simmer. Add the fries and fry them until brown and crisp. When the fries are done, take them out of the oil, then drain on a paper-towel-lined dinner plate. 

For mashed potatoes, place a large deep pot on the stove and fill it one-third of the way up with water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Place the mashed potatoes in a smaller pot and submerge in the larger pot, stirring frequently until the mixture warms through. You can add a splash of milk to thin it out if required. 

Boiled potatoes can be reheated in the oven. Place the potatoes in an oven-proof dish, adding a dash of olive oil. Place them in an oven set at 300°F (150°C) and leave to heat through. You can check that they’re done by pushing a fork into the middle of the largest potato. If it comes out hot, then you’re good to go. 

7. Spinach

How to reheat properly: Due to the possibility of harmful nitrosamines (which are carcinogenic) forming upon reheating, it’s better to avoid reheating spinach altogether. 

8. Mushrooms

How to reheat properly: Place the mushrooms in a skillet, preferably with a lid. Add a little olive oil or butter and heat over a medium-high heat for just a few minutes. 

9. Eggs

How to reheat properly: Reheating eggs should be avoided because they can become toxic if they’re exposed to high heat, however, cooked eggs and egg dishes can be reheated in the oven at a temperature of 165°F (73°C) before serving. 

10. Rice

How to reheat properly: Place the rice into an oven-proof baking dish and add a little water. You can also add a few knobs of butter or a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Cover the baking dish with a tight-fitting lid or cover tightly in aluminum foil. Bake at 300°F (149°C) for approximately 15 minutes.

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Sesame tofu and vegetable noodles- Anti-inflammatory food

Ingredients 

75 g wholewheat or soba noodles

100 gm firm tofu, cubed

1 cup sliced vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, mushrooms and capsicum

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp sesame seeds

Lime juice

salt to taste 

How to make it:

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Sear the tofu with a teaspoon of sesame oil in a hot pan until golden, then add the vegetables and ginger. Toss in the noodles and soy sauce. Finish with sesame seeds and lime juice.

 

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Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

 Ingredients

1 2 1/2- to 3-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

¼ cup water

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 cups crushed tomatoes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp pepper pdr, divided

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

¼ tsp salt, divided

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

 

Preparations

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 450 degrees F.

Place squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish and add water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until the flesh is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively, place squash cut-side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F until tender, 40 to 50 minutes.)

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes more. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, crushed red pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook until heated through and the flavors have blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.

Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells into a large bowl. Stir in Parmesan, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the shells cut-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spoon one-fourth of the squash-Parmesan mixture into each shell. Layer one-fourth of the tomato mixture on top, then sprinkle 1/4 cup mozzarella into each shell. Dollop 1/4 cup ricotta over the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining squash mixture, tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Bake the squash lasagnas for 15 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil, watching carefully, until the cheese starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Cut each lasagna in half to serve.

 

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High-Protein Veggie Breakfast Casserole

  

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms 

 2cups chopped multicolored bell peppers 

1 small red onion, chopped 

1(5-ounce) package baby spinach, chopped 

1(15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed

1½cups shredded pepper Jack cheese 

8 large eggs 

⅔ cup half-and-half

½ cup small-curd 2% cottage cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion pdr

½ tsp pepper pdr 

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

Hot sauce or salsa, for serving (optional) 

 

Preparations

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 7-by-11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 cups mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add 2 cups peppers and the chopped onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach; cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir in rinsed black beans and 1½ cups cheese.

Combine 8 eggs, ⅔ cup half-and-half, ½ cup cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon cayenne (if using) in a blender; process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the egg mixture to the black bean mixture in the baking dish; stir until evenly combined. Cover the dish tightly with foil.

Bake until puffed around the edges, lightly browned and just set in the center, about 1 hour 5 minutes, uncovering during the last 20 minutes of baking. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve with hot sauce or salsa, if desired.  

 

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High-Protein Breakfast Casserole

 Ingredients

 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4ounces sliced fresh wild mushrooms, such as oyster or shiitake (about 1cup) 

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 1¼cups)

 1smallyellow onion, chopped (about 1cup)

¼tsp salt, divided

1(5-ounce) package baby kale

1½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

8 large eggs

½ cup small-curd 2% reduced-fat cottage cheese

⅓ cup whole milk

1½ cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese, divided OR mozzarella / mild cheddar cheese can be substituted

 

Preparations

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray. 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 ounces sliced mushrooms; cook, undisturbed, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the moisture has evaporated, about 3 more minutes. Add chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, ⅛ teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add 5 ounces baby kale, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper; cook and stir until the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.  

Combine 8 eggs, ½ cup cottage cheese, ⅓ cup milk, ¾ cup Colby-Jack and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt in a blender; process on low speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. 

Spread half of the kale mixture in the bottom of the prepared dish; pour the egg mixture over the top. Scatter the remaining kale mixture over the egg mixture (most of the vegetables will sink to the middle). Top with the remaining ¾ cup Colby-Jack. Bake until puffed around the edges and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

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Tofu & Vegetable Scramble

  

Ingredients

1 ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil

5 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 cup chopped vegetables, such as zucchini, mushrooms and onions

½ tsp spice of choice, such as chili powder or cumin pdr

Pinch of  pepper pdr

⅓ cup canned chickpeas, rinsed

¼ cup  salsa

¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese, preferably sharp (1 oz.)

1 dash Hot sauce and chopped coriander leaves to taste

Preparations

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, vegetables, spice and pepper; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.  

Add chickpeas and salsa and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.  

Remove from heat, gather the scramble into one section of the pan, top with Cheddar cheese and let melt off the heat. Serve with hot sauce and cilantro, if desired.  

 

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Authentic Vegan Russian Pirozhki

 

Can you Make Authentic Vegan Russian Pirozhki?

 It's actually quite easy to veganize Russian pirozhki. For the best vegan Russian pirozhki, use soy milk in place of regular milk and omit the egg wash in the end. You will also need to make the following tweaks in the filling:

• In the cabbage filling, omit the boiled egg for a vegan cabbage pirozhki
• In the pumpkin filling, omit the feta for one-of-a-kind pumpkin, caramelized onion and dill vegetarian pirozhki. Thats the same advice I give my readers about veganizing my caramelized onion and pumpkin pizza. 
• Omit the butter from the mushroom filling for vegan mushroom pirozhki (similar to my mushroom bourekas)

You can also stuff vegan pirozhki with mixed vegetables, sweet potato or potato filling.

  

 Do you need dipping sauce for Russian Vegetarian Pirozhki?

These vegetarian pirozhki are great on their own! If you're looking for a good dipping sauce, I recommend the sauce from my Ukrainian cucumber salad. It's super simple! All you gotta do is mix equal parts sour cream and mayo, add dried dill, salt and pepper. You can even dilute it with a touch of vinegar if you want a more liquid, pourable sauce. Indians, we can eat with green chutney/ tomato ketchup/ tomato chutney.

Making the Baked Pirozhki Dough Recipe:

First, you have to make the filling. Because this pirozhki recipe uses a traditional yeasted dough, the dough requires time to rise. While the dough is rising, make your favourite filling - or make all three to try them all out!

Make the Dough 

   

 Storage Instructions for Baked Vegetarian Pirozhki

Allow the pirozhki to cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes or microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until heated through.

For longer storage, freeze baked pirozhki in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. They will keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake frozen pirozhki at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or microwave for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.

Ingredients for Russian Pirozhki Dough:

1tbsp Active Dry Yeast

2 tbsp  icing sugar

1cup water or enough to cover

1liter milk warmed to lukewarm (around 100-110°F)

a few pinches of salt

½ cup oil 

1kg flour(about 8 cups)

2 tbsp sugar

Ingredients for Mushroom Pirozhki Filling:

2 lb mushrooms/ 800 gm

1onion finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

Ingredients for Cabbage Pirozhki Filling:

2large onions

½head of cabbage

2 hard-boiled eggs

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pirozhki with Caramelized Onion and Feta:

1onion

1pumpkin or squash of your choice

½ bunch dill

100 gm feta

Instructions

How to make Russian Pirozhki Dough:

Combine yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix together and set aside, letting yeast activate for 10 minutes.

Then in a large bowl, combine ½ the milk, yeast mixture, sugar, salt, and oil. Mix to combine. Begin adding flour in batches; add more flour or milk as needed. Dough should be not too sticky and very soft and elastic. I make this with a Kitchenaid stand mixerf ollow, but you can also easily do it all by hand (see more on this below!). Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a dark, warm but well-ventilated place. Let dough rise for 1.5 hour, or until doubled in size (the dough should roughly fill twice the volume it started with). Mix dough again with spoon or stand mixer paddle, and see if need to add flour. Let rise again for 30 minutes. While dough is rising, prepare filling.

How to make mushroom filling for pirozhki:

Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter. Add onions and cook until colour changes and onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.

Slice mushrooms thinly. Add mushrooms to onions and sautee until mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

How to make cabbage filling for pirozhki: Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs neutral-tasting oil, like Canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until colour changes and onions become golden, about 15 minutes. Chop cabbage into thin strands. Add cabbage to large bowl with 2 TBs water. Put cabbage in microwave for 2 minutes, to soften slightly. Let cool until easy to handle and add 2 TBs of salt. Proceed to massage cabbage until it has softened considerably, approximately 5 minutes. Chop hard-boiled eggs into small pieces. ( can be omitted for vegetarians) Combine cabbage, sauteed onions and hard-boiled eggs. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

How to make pumpkin, caramelized onion and feta filling for pirozhki: Set oven to 400F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone matfollow. Cut pumpkin or squash in half, scoop out seeds and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Place pumpkin face-down on the baking sheet. Pierce skin a few times to let steam escape. Bake until pumpkin collapses fully when poked with a fork, about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Let cool until safe to handle and scoop out pumpkin flesh. Set aside. Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs neutral-tasting oil, like Canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until onions change colour, about 10 minutes. Lower heat and continue cooking until onions fully caramelize, an additional 15-20 minutes. Mix pumpkin, caramelized onions, dill and feta together.

Continue shaping pirozhki: ( I have put the photos how it is shaped before the ingredients) Divide dough into portions: Cover counter with flour, and roll dough out into thin layer. Cut circles using a 3-4 inch round cup or cookie cutter. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, then pinch the edges firmly together to seal. You can also bring all edges to the center for a round shape. To bake, cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Add a bit of oil. Place pirozhki about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, and brush each with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water). Bake at 360F for 20-25 min, until golden up top. Remove from oven and cover with a soft kitchen towel until ready to serve. 

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs