NEW!
This column has moved to an Allrecipes Blog--you can find new editions of Single Servings here:
What's All This?
First time reading Single Servings? Check out my other columns where I explain what it's all about. Then read the rest!
Freezing Marinated Meats
There are a couple marinated dishes this month, so what should you do if you want everything prepped on Sunday, but don't want to over-marinate your meat? I'm so glad you asked:
- You can prepare marinades completely, add meat, then freeze.
- Pull individual portions out of the freezer the night before, then the meat will marinade as it defrosts.
- Cook as directed.
Shopping List
Meat:
1-1/2 pounds ground turkey
8 large fresh shrimp
3/4 pound flank steak
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
Vegetables:
3 limes
Cabbage*
Fresh cilantro
1 large tomato
3 white onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
1 dried New Mexico chile pod
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lettuce
*Most grocery stores sell halves of cabbage--if you don' see any, ask a produce employee if they can cut one for you.
Spices:
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
(Did you organize your spice jars like we talked about last month? Mine look beautiful--did you color coordinate yours too? No? Yeah, me either.)
Dairy:
1 egg
4 ounces cotija cheese
Oil/Condiments:
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Other:
1 (32-ounce) package corn tortillas
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
Preparing and Storing Fresh Herbs
Putting an entire bunch of parsley to use in mere days can be challenging, so here are some tips for increasing their lifespan.
Full disclosure: I'm totally cribbing this information from another article on Allrecipes.
- To prepare fresh herbs, submerge in water, then rinse and blot dry. Pick the leaves off of the stems, then tear, chop, or use whole. (The stems can be used for flavoring soup stocks.)
- Fresh herbs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- For storage up to 10 days (depending on the type and freshness), place the bouquet of herbs, stem end down, in a tall glass and fill with cold water. Change the water every two days to maintain freshness.
Here's the whole article:
Extra Groceries?
Have stuff to spare? What to do, what to do?
- Cabbage: I said it before, and I'll say it again--appetizer!
- Parsley: Mix into mayo for a souped-up sandwich spread or make the Pesto recipe below. Freeze pesto in an ice cube tray, then store cubes in a resealable plastic bag. These can be easily defrosted to add flavor to veggies, pasta, sandwiches, etc.
Cilantro: Try this recipe...
- Tortillas and Cotija Cheese: Either wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze the remainder of these items, or…more tacos, anyone?
A Couple Things to Keep in Mind
- With the exception of the Prep and Freeze recipe, I intend for you to eat all the meals in one week, which is why prep is done on a Sunday. If you don't plan to eat them all within seven days, adjust your prep accordingly. (Veggies might go bad if cut and stored for too long.)
- Keep all meats frozen in individual servings until one or two days before you plan to cook them. And don't scrimp on the resealable bags--get the good ones--the generic variety aren't as good at keeping things fresh.
Related Links
Let me Know
Is this column helpful? I'd really love to know what you think, so drop me a line to tell me what worked, what you could do without, or what else you'd like to see. Also, feel free to pass along recipes you think would be great to feature, as well as any helpful "Single Serving" tips you might have (I'll give you a shout-out if I use them!).
What's this?