All posts in category Shopping

Buying, Storing, and Cooking Mushrooms

Hi friends!

Have you ever gone for a hike and seen funky giant red and white polka-dotted mushrooms in the forest?

Don’t eat them!

Some people like to forage for wild mushrooms but personally I like to stick to the grocery store or farmers market kind.

Mushrooms

So here’s a little info on how to buy, store, and prepare mushrooms.

What are the best mushrooms to buy?

There are many fun varieties to choose from, depending on where you shop. But the most commonly available are white button, brown button (aka baby-bella or crimini), and portabella so I’m going to focus on those.

Fresh mushrooms are available in the produce section throughout the year and may be found in bulk or in cello-wrapped trays. They are typically available whole or sliced and some may be triple-rinsed and ready-to-eat.

Look for mushrooms that are firm, plump, and uniform in color with a slightly shiny surface.

Avoid those that are wrinkled or have wet slimy spots but don’t worry about particles of peat moss on some of the mushrooms – it is completely harmless and can be brushed off.

Dried mushrooms are also an option available year-round – ask your store if you need help locating them.

How should I store my mushrooms?

Fresh mushrooms should be stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag. If you buy them packaged, leave them as is but transfer them to a paper bag once opened so they last longer.

They are best if used within a few days of purchase but can be kept for a week or longer.

Finally, do not wash mushrooms until you are ready to use them.

If you aren’t able to use your mushrooms within a week, sauté and freeze them for later use. Do not try to freeze fresh raw mushrooms because they will be gross.

Dried mushrooms should be stored in a tightly sealed container in either the refrigerator or freezer for up to one year.

How do I prepare mushrooms?

When you are ready to use your mushrooms, wipe with a damp cloth or mushroom brush or rinse in cold water and pat dry with a clean towel. Do not soak them because they can easily absorb water and become soggy.

You can use whole mushrooms, slices, or just the cap. If using the whole mushroom, you may want to cut off the very bottom of the stem if it is spongy, dry, or discolored. To remove the stem, wiggle and gently break it off with your hand. Wiggling your bum also helps.

You can choose to eat your mushrooms raw or cook them any number of ways. Try sautéing them, stuffing and baking them, or adding them to sauces or casseroles.

What can I make with my mushrooms?

When I asked friends to share their favorite mushroom recipes, here’s some of what I heard:

Here’s a recipe for mushrooms en papillote from Williams-Sonoma - I don’t think I’ve ever had mushrooms this way but it sounds delicious!

Check out some of her other slow-cooker adventures on her blog, What A Crock (Pot).

Can’t argue with that!

I’m glad we’re all on the same page here!

For more ideas, check out my Mushroom Recipes board on Pinterest.

Mushroom Recipes Pinterest board

I’d love to hear any great mushroom ideas you have too!
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by dianaleahwilson on April 11, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Cooking, Shopping, Vegetables
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Posted by dianaleahwilson on April 11, 2013

http://projecteatme.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/buying-storing-and-cooking-mushrooms/

Eat Right on a Budget

Boo!

Do you think eat right, your way, every day is just for rich people?

It’s not true. Research says so. Healthy food can be affordable.

But if you want to stretch your food dollars, there are a couple of tricks to keep in mind.

Weighing Food Costs

Tips for grocery shopping on a budget

Plan. Think about what meals you want to cook this week. Make a list of ingredients you need but don’t already have. That’s your grocery list.

Pay attention to flyers, coupons, and in store sales. Stock up on pricier foods (meat and seafood) when they are on sale. If you can find shrimp on a buy-two-bags-get-three-free sale AND have the freezer space, go for it!

Stay in season. These days you can find most things year-round if you look hard enough, but the quality and price tends to be a lot better when things are in season. You might also be able to find cheaper, fresher items at your local farmers market.

Look at prices. Most stores list the price per unit (eg. 0.54¢/g) on their shelf tags. Use these to find the more affordable product – it is often a larger container, but don’t assume this is the case. Don’t forget to compare nutrition information too.

Buy in bulk. For meat it is often cheaper to buy family packs, this might mean buying a 5 pound package of chicken breasts, and splitting it up before freezing when you get home. If you’re lucky, your store will have a bulk section where you can bag your own nuts, seeds, dried fruits, cereal, pasta, rice, and other grains. Buying spices from bulk bins can save you millions of dollars.

Cut costs by cutting your own foods. It’s nice to be able to buy pre-cut fruit and vegetables, but cutting them yourself will save you mucho moola. Things like instant rice, instant oats, and pre-sliced meats and cheeses tend to come with a higher price tag too.

What tricks do you have to eat right on a budget?
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by dianaleahwilson on March 21, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Shopping, Uncategorized
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Posted by dianaleahwilson on March 21, 2013

http://projecteatme.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/eat-right-on-a-budget/

Buying, Storing, and Preparing Strawberries

Happy Valentines Day!

As I’m sure you can tell from the title, I’m going to talk a little more about my favorite heart-shaped fruit today.

Although I have a strange cousin that doesn’t like strawberries and have met a few kids that have never tried them, for most people, strawberries aren’t a new thing.

But figuring out the best way to buy and store them can actually be a challenge because they are quite perishable.

Strawberries

What are the best strawberries to buy?

Fresh strawberries are available year round in most grocery stores but the quality can vary. Choose berries that are firm, plump, and free of mold. They should have a shiny, deep red color with green stems. Strawberries don’t continue to ripen after they’ve been picked so avoid buying berries that are dull in color or have yellow or green patches. Choose small to medium-sized berries for more flavor.

Make sure the container is not packed too tightly so the berries don’t become squished and check for stains or moisture on the container which could indicate spoilage.

Frozen strawberries are another great option when they will be cooked, blended, dried, or added to cereal. Avoid bags of frozen berries that have obvious stains or frost on the outside of the bag or that are frozen into one big lump as this may indicate the berries have been thawed and then refrozen.

How should I store my strawberries?

Strawberries should be stored in the refrigerator. Interestingly, they stay fresh longer if stored at higher humidity so keep them in the produce drawer or a sealed container that traps humidity. Even when properly stored, strawberries should be used within 2-3 days or they will start to spoil.

If you are unable to use your strawberries within a few days, try freezing them.

To do this, you must first gently wash them in cold water, pat them dry, and remove the stems. Adding  a little lemon juice to the rinse water with help them keep their color. Arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer them to a plastic freezer bag or container. Store them in the freezer for up to a year.

How do I prepare strawberries?

Do not wash strawberries until you are ready to use them and do not remove the stems until you have washed and dried them. Following these rules helps to prevent spoilage and prevent the strawberries from absorbing too much water and losing flavor. To remove the stems, simply pinch them with your fingers or use a paring knife to dig them out.

Strawberries are great to eat raw and can be eaten on their own or sliced and added to salads, hot or cold cereal, or eaten on top of yogurt, pancakes, mouse, or any other number of things. They can also be blended and added to smoothies, baked into muffins or crisps, or cooked into jams.

What can I make with my strawberries?

When I asked friends to share their favorite strawberry recipes on twitter, here’s some of what I heard:

Sounds like fresh out of the field or straight from the hand is a favorite. I guess if you’re starting with something as perfect as a strawberry, why risk ruining it?

I didn’t ask Sandi what recipe she used but I’d like to try these Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins from Simply Recipes.

I also started a Pinterest board for all things strawberries.

Pinterest Strawberries

I’d love to hear any great strawberries ideas you have too!
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6 Comments
by dianaleahwilson on February 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Cooking, Fruits, Shopping
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Posted by dianaleahwilson on February 14, 2013

http://projecteatme.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/buying-storing-and-preparing-strawberries/

Are you smarter than a fifth grader?

Hi all,

Due to my procrastination, I’m still working on getting ready for the elementary school healthy living fair I’m working at tonight so no time for the blog post I had planned.

So here’s what we’re going to do.

I’m going to post three sets of nutrition facts panels and you have to tell me which is a better choice in each pair. This is part of what I’m doing with the fifth graders tonight.

So….

Are you smarter than a fifth grader?

Label set #1:

AB

Label set #2:

AC

Label set #3:

AD

Leave your guesses in the comments. Good luck!

And remember if you haven’t done the Black Bean Eat Me Quiz, you still have until midnight EST tonight (Thursday).

Diana

 

8 Comments
by dianaleahwilson on January 31, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Shopping
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Posted by dianaleahwilson on January 31, 2013

http://projecteatme.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/are-you-smarter-than-a-fifth-grader/

Buying, Storing, and Cooking Black Beans

Many people are scared of beans because they don’t really know what to do with them. I took the following information straight from The Bean Institute, which is a great resource to learn all about beans from farm to fork including health benefits, the latest research, and cooking videos.

Black Beans

What are the best black beans to buy?

Beans are available in the grocery store in two forms: canned and dry.

Dry beans are much more cost effective and much lower in sodium. Canned beans are more convenient.

If you decide you want to try dry beans, don’t get a bag that is larger than what you can use in one year.

If you decide to go for canned beans, look for the ones that are low or reduced sodium. Per 0.5 cup serving, regular canned black beans contain about 460mg of sodium, Bush’s Reduced Sodium Beans contain 240mg, and Goya Low Sodium Black Beans contain 125mg. If your store carries a different brand, check the label to see how much sodium it contains.

How should I store my black beans?

Store dry beans in airtight containers and use them within one year of purchase.

Store canned beans in cool cabinets, away from appliances that produce heat and use them within one year of purchase. And never consume canned foods if the cans are rusty, bulging, or dented.

How do I cook black beans?

If you are cooking with dry black beans, you need to follow four steps:

1. Sorting and Cleaning: Clean your beans of any debris by placing them in a pie plate or bar pan. Discard any foreign objects like leaves, small stones or twigs as well as any broken beans.
2. Rinsing: After inspecting and cleaning your beans, place them in a colander and rinse them under cold running water.
3. Soaking: It’s important to soak your beans before cooking them. Soaking has two major benefits: It reduces the cooking time and it breaks down the compounds in beans that cause flatulence. Beans will double or triple in size, depending on which soaking method you use, so it’s important to use a large enough pot when soaking beans. There are three soaking methods you can use, the Hot Soak Method, the Traditional Soak Method, and the Quick Soak Method. The Hot Soak Method is the recommended method because it reduces cooking time and gas-producing compounds the most and it produces consistently tender beans.

The Hot Soak Method

    1. Place beans in a large pot and add 10 cups of water for every 2 cups f beans.
    2. Heat to boiling and boil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
    3. Remove beans from heat, cover and let stand for 4 to 24 hours.
    4. Drain beans and discard soak water.
    5. Rinse beans with fresh, cool water.

The Traditional Soak Method

    1. Pour cold water over beans to cover.
    2. Soak beans for 8 hours or overnight.
    3. Drain beans and discard soak water (NOTE: cold water starts but does not complete the rehydration process so the beans will appear wrinkled after soaking. They will fully rehydrate during cooking.)
    4. Rinse beans with fresh, cool water.

The Quick Soak Method

    1. Place beans in a large pot and add 6 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans.
    2. Bring to boil and boil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
    3. Remove beans from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
    4. Drain beans and discard soak water.
    5. Rinse beans with fresh, cool water.

4. Cooking: Now that you’ve cleaned, rinsed, and soaked your beans, you can cook them, which is as easy as simmering (not boiling) beans in fresh water. You can prevent your beans from foaming and boiling over by adding a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water. Stir beans occasionally as they cook and make sure there is enough water to cover them. Black beans generally take 60 minutes to 90 minutes to cook. Bite into the beans to test if they are done – they should be tender but not mushy. Drain them immediately after they reach the desired tenderness to prevent over-cooking.

Canned black beans are ready to use in any recipe, however, draining and rinsing them reduces sodium content by about 40%.

What can I make with my black beans?

When I asked friends to share their favorite black bean recipes on twitter, here’s some of what I heard:

Black Bean Omelet

Perhaps a Southwestern Omelet like this one from Cooking Light ?

Asian black bean burger

And Lindsay isn’t a liar. Here’s a mouth-watering recipe she recently shared for Asian Black Bean Burgers.

Black Bean Lasagna

And I have to say this lasagna recipe looks tasty!

Black Bean Recipes

Their short link went here … a list of 135 recipes featuring black beans!

Black Bean Salsa

In addition to several recipes for salsa, The Bean Institute has a ton of recipes on their site that cover:

  • Appetizers
  • Soups and Stews (Perfect for this weather)
  • Salads
  • Easy (my favorite kind of recipe)
  • For a crowd (Think Superbowl)
  • Side Dishes
  • Main Dishes
  • Ethnic Cuisine (Mexican, Jamaican, Egyptian…)
  • Chef’s Creation
  • And don’t forget to check out their cooking videos
  • Or check them out on Pinterest where they also showcase recipes for breakfast and dessert!
Do you have a favorite recipe to share? Feel free to do so in the comments!

Disclaimer:  The Bean Institute has kindly offered to donate a prize for next week’s Eat Me Quiz. However, I was not compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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3 Comments
by dianaleahwilson on January 24, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Cooking, Shopping
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Posted by dianaleahwilson on January 24, 2013

http://projecteatme.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/buying-storing-and-cooking-black-beans/

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