Friday, November 1, 2013

Tip for using and freezing in the small glass casserole dishes



Use any of your recipes (or mine!) for baking or roasting in the glass casserole dishes (see where to buy appliances).
  • Bake or roast as you would normally, making sure your food doesn't come up over the top edge (if it does, you'll not be able to use the vinyl lid, but that's not a big problem, but it means it won't stack neatly in the freezer.).  
  • Allow to cool thoroughly.  Place lid snuggly on top.  Then, wrap the casserole in plastic wrap to double seal (this helps prevent freezer burn and keeps the lid on snuggly.).  Use freezer tape or masking tape to label the meal with what it is and the date it was made.  If the meal exceeds the top of the casserole dish, just double wrap with plastic wrap.  The plastic wrap also helps prevent leaks when thawing.
  • Freeze!  
  • When warming up - remove plastic wrap and open lid a bit for a vent, if microwaving.  Remove all plastic and lid completely if warming up in the oven, and cover with foil if you want to keep moisture in.  DO NOT use foil in the microwave!  
  • Microwave warmup: about 3-5 minutes (or more) depending on power of microwave.  Check food (turn or stir if needed) after the first 3 minutes and after each subsequent minute until done. 

Another healthy food site...

Yes! I have some time to post, finally, and today I am featuring a site I found on Facebook.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/
https://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood?hc_location=stream

Lisa Leake shows how to cut out processed food for a healthier life.  She has tons of ideas, plans and meal ideas, many of which are "take-along-able".   I highly recommend this site!


----------------------------------

New addition to appliances and where to buy:

A must have for OTR drivers: A microwave oven.


A small (.7 cu foot) microwave with a low wattage (700 w) is perfect for the truck. These usually run under $50.   It's small enough to fit and not take up too much space, yet big enough to heat meals in the small glass casserole dishes.   Make sure your truck is properly wired to handle the wattage load.  Talk to your company's maintenance crew. A "plug in" inverter may be able to handle the load, but you need to make sure your truck's wiring and auxiliary power can handle it.  If you own your own truck, you might be able to do it yourself. Here's a link to how to install an inverter.  http://www.thetruckersreport.com/power-inverter-install/

-------------------------------------------------

On a general note, I've been busy with college so I've not had a lot of time to play with this site. However, I am still in the process of writing my 2nd cookbook, which targets healthier eating and recipes. It will be more "how to cook", with many of the same ideas as Grillin' the Road's portable meals.  Proceeds of paperback book sales will go to the Michael J Fox Parkinson Foundation, with the entire book being available online in its own web page and for download in PDF.  This will be a while coming, so please be patient.