Sorry I've been away so long ... had to take a break. I get cranky below 40 degrees and if I was prone to the 'noids I'd swear aol and the computer(s) were out to get me. Some days it just ain't worth fightin' it. As usual, if you sent anything and haven't heard back, try again please. I do answer all mail - but I gotta get it first.

The good news is - in honor of Valentine's Day - some real sweetheart recipes and tips. And whaddya know, it's Canned Food Month - time to fall in love again.

From the Canned Food Alliance

http://www.mealtime.org/cfa/index.html

Canned Food Nutrition

Although polls show that many shoppers today believe canned food is less nutritious than fresh or frozen, an analysis of fresh, frozen and canned food conducted by the University of Illinois shows that once the food is prepared for the table, canned food is equal and often better in nutrient levels.

(I've been telling people this for years - always good to get it from the top.)

Fresh fruits and vegetables may start with more vitamins, but crops that go directly from field to processor often retain vitamins better than those that travel hundreds of miles across the country and sit for days in produce bins or at home in refrigerators.

The Canning Process Today

More than 120 pounds of fruits and vegetables are consumed annually per person. Commercial canning today has not changed dramatically since the first canneries opened in the 1800s. It is essentially the same method used for home canning, which is to cook food already sealed in containers. Nonetheless, technology continues to enable canneries to process foods at a more rapid pace, ensuring the freshness of the food. Hermetically sealing the food in steel cans prevents contamination, making canning one of the safest methods of food storage. All canned food is thoroughly cooked, and as a consequence, preservatives are used in relatively few canned foods. As long as the cans remain sealed and are not damaged, the food maintains its nutrition and flavor for more than two years.

Although many people refer to food cans as "tin" cans, they're actually steel cans that contain 25 - 30 percent recycled steel. They're the most tamper-resistant food packaging option available today. And more than 37 billion cans of food are produced each year in the United States and Canada. Today, more than 1,500 food items come in cans. The surprising variety of canned food ranges from artichoke hearts to zucchini, with many new and exciting ethnic and specialty food items in between!

The Care and Handling of Canned Food

Avoid overcooking canned food. Canned products require only gentle warming (never boiling), since they're already precooked and naturally preserved in the can.

Extensive microwaving of canned food may also cause the loss of nutrients and quality. Try heating the liquid from the steel can container first in a microwave-safe dish; then add the remaining contents of the can and heat quickly.

When using canned foods as ingredients, stir or fold them into the recipe gently. Excessive stirring may cause canned fruits or vegetables to break apart.

Follow the "last-in" rule when adding canned goods to a recipe. This can help you avoid overcooking and may enhance the taste and appearance of the prepared dish.

The average shelflife of a canned food is approximately two years. To ensure longevity and nutritional quality, store your canned food in a cool, dry place.

Set aside your empty food cans for recycling. Steel food cans are among the easiest and most economical types of packaging to recycle. Steel cans are collected through more than 14,000 community recycling programs in the U.S. and Canada.

Simple and Sophisticated Canned Food Serving Suggestions

For an easy and elegant and low-fat dip, make your own hummus. Drain, rinse and puree a can of chickpeas in a food processor with 3 tablespoons each of olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Add crushed garlic to taste. Serve with fresh vegetables or bite-sized slices of pita bread.

Spice up a menu by making your own salsa. Rinse and drain canned black beans; gently toss with 1/2 cup each chopped fresh tomato and green pepper and 1 tablespoon each minced red onion, fresh cilantro and lime juice. Ole!

Make a hearty and savory soup in just minutes. Combine a can of whole tomatoes (cut up with kitchen scissors), a can of chicken broth, a can of rinsed and drained white kidney (cannellini) or great northern beans. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and brine-cured black olives.

Surprise guests with a seafood dip. Mix one can salmon or crabmeat with light mayonnaise and a favorite spice. Serve with fresh veggies or pita toast for an upscale appetizer.

Turn an everyday vegetable into a gourmet taste treat. Add a snippet of fresh basil leaves to canned corn that has been sauteed in a skillet with a little olive oil and garlic.

Toss your routine salad aside. Instead, chill a can of shrimp in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then drain it and add it to your favorite potato salad. Choose a potato salad with a vinegar and oil dressing (instead of mayonnaise) to lighten things up.

Add pizzazz to your green beans. Drain a can of green beans and add slivers of red onion. Then toss the mixture in a light oil and vinegar dressing. No need to heat up the stove for this dish because it's best served at room temperature.

Make a colorful and classic fruit compote. Combine canned, drained pineapple chunks, fresh seedless red and green grapes and slivers of dried apricots. Lightly douse the fruits with the pineapple juice that is drained from the can. For a grown-up twist, add 2 tablespoons of orange liqueur to the pineapple juice.

Top off a great meal with a refreshing homemade sorbet. Freeze one can of pears until firm and then puree in a food processor. Serve immediately.

Quickie tip - a seam ripper (find in sewing notions) is a handy little label stripper.

Ode from a Can

It’s hard to be a can,
I’m not a woman or a man.

I’m not a kid or a pet.
And my insides are always wet.

But my reputation lately has soared,
Thanks to my friend Queen Can-ivore!

She’s given cans dignity,
Respect and integrity.

I salute you, oh Queen of Cans!
Reign on, throughout the lands.

Hold your head so very high,
You’ve made this can a happy guy!

Had to use this here for anyone who missed it on an earlier Digest page - Rexanne does get into peculiar mode sometimes :)

Rexanne's Valentine's Day

(every link on the 'net - a beautiful job as all her holiday pages always are)

See more of Rina's unique 'toons

Caricatures by Rina

Ok, now some of the goodies from the big can pages ... check out the links too - highly entertaining and educational.

Twice As Nice Potatoes
Add zing to mashed potatoes by pureeing drained canned white potatoes with drained canned yams. Mix in butter, salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg, to season.

Salmon Horseradish Mousse
Serve guests with an elegant but easy dip made by mixing, in a food processor, drained canned salmon with an equal amount of softened cream cheese and a little sour cream, horseradish and dill. Accompany with crackers or French bread slices.

Seasonal Supper Soup
Fancy enough for holidays, but simple enough for everyday, curried pumpkin soup is a whiz when you blend and heat canned pumpkin purée with canned chicken or vegetable broth and a bit of curry powder. Canned evaporated skim milk can be added for a creamier texture.

Popeye's Pasta
Pump iron with a pesto sauce made from drained canned spinach coarsely puréed in a food processor with garlic, canned walnuts or almonds and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss with hot pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Brown Bag It
Make lunchtime a treat with a salad of canned drained baby shrimp, tossed with canned mandarin orange segments, canned water chestnuts, chives and a prepared, low-fat citrus or balsamic vinaigrette.

Frozen Fudgepops
Thoroughly stir together equal parts canned evaporated skim milk and canned chocolate syrup to make creamy freezer treats. Pour into small paper cups and insert popsicle sticks; freeze at least four hours until firm. To serve, peel off paper cups.

Fruity Fiesta
Make a signature salsa by combining canned drained black beans with a little canned mango nectar, diced canned mild chiles, diced red onion and chopped cilantro. Season with salt.

Smashing Smoothies
Have a nutritional refresher by blending a can of your favorite fruit in its juice with some low-fat yogurt. Blend in banana chunks or ice cubes for a thicker consistency.

Now to the reader contributions ...

From Heather in Atlanta:

My personal rule for cooking is if I can't prepare it in 30 minutes or less, it ain't getting cooked!  I just thought I would pass along a couple of standards around our house that are filling, cheap, and fast!

Spanish Rice

1 and half cups of regular uncooked rice (use more if you need to bulk out
the recipe)
2 packages of Sazon Goya
ground beef
garlic powder
frozen pre-chopped onions and bell peppers (I actually heard the Hallelujah chorus when I found them in the store - no muss no fuss and sooo convenient.)
1 16 oz. can of chili hot beans or pintos or whatever canned tomatoes (use Rotel or other flavored ones for extra kick)

Cook the rice according to package instructions adding one of the packets of Sazon Goya. Brown ground beef, garlic powder, onions and peppers together and drain. Add tomatoes, the remaining seasoning packet, beans and heat. Combine with rice and serve. (About 20 minutes start to finish)

The Sazon Goya turns the rice orange and is like the rice in Mexican restaurants.  I also cook the rice this way and serve as a side dish with beef enchiladas. My Bubba likes shredded Mexican cheese blend on his and sometimes black olives.

Picadillo

This is a Cuban dish that is quick and cooks in one pot.

1 to 2 lbs. of ground chuck or any lean ground beef (you won't drain this so you don't want it too greasy)
1 small can of tomato sauce
onions and bell peppers
whole green olives
garlic powder, cumin, and oregano

Cook it all together. Serve with black beans and rice.

If you want to make canned black beans taste like homemade, add Sofrito (which my Cuban mother-in-law showed me how to make).

Sofrito

half a fresh onion
half a fresh bell pepper
about 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
garlic powder and cumin (to taste, I am VERY liberal with it)
about 2 or 3 tablespoons of sliced salt pork (I keep mine in the freezer and hack it off when I need it)

Process the onion and bell pepper in a food processor or chop finely. Heat the olive oil in a small pan. Add the bell pepper, onion, spices, and salt pork to the hot oil. Cook until the salt pork is done. Add to the black beans and heat through.  Tastes like you spent hours slaving with dried beans.

Being the Georgia native that I am, I have also used that combination with pinto beans. 

I also have a tip about deviled eggs - when I finish mixing the yolk mixture I put it in a Ziplock sandwich bag, squish it into one corner, cut the corner off with scissors and then fill the whites kind of like one of those frosting thingys the gourmets use, but I applied redneck sensibility to it because I can't fill the eggs any other way and then toss the bag when I am finished.

Keep the can opener humming out there for us real folks who actually have lives!

From Beverly the Lunch Lady in Tomball, TX:

My mom used to do the "scratch thing" but I have a house full of boys and no time for that! This is an e-z version of her famous Chop Suey.

Get a package of either Kraft or store-brand macaroni and cheese deluxe. Fix according to package directions. Add one can of tomato soup, UNdiluted of course, and some browned hamburger meat, no specific amount. Voila! This is sooooooo easy!

If you want an easy way to do lasagna, don't fret with boiling those stupid noodles first; just make your sauce, from a jar, a bit thinner with water, and layer sauce, noodles, sauce, mozzarella and cheddar until your pan is full. Cover with foil and bake at 400 an hour! Too easy, and a lot better than my "gourmet" sister's "authentic Italian recipe."

I told my oldest son about you and he highly suggested I send you this recipe for Date Balls. It's his favorite around the holidays, but great any time. I got the recipe from an aunt of mine, whose theory is thus: "After you make something three times, it's automatically YOUR recipe!" So, here are Brad's Date Balls. Over a medium heat, mix 1 egg, 1 cup sugar, 1 stick margarine, and 1 cup chopped dates (the ones in a box, sugary!) Cook until the sugar dissolves, somewhere around 8 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in 2 cups of rice krispies type cereal. Now for the tricky part ... quickly and carefully drop spoonfuls into a plate of coconut and "roll" into balls. Place on something clean and let cool. Yes, it is SIX ingredients, but only if you count the coconut coating! (Actually, it was sugar and margarine that knocked down the less-than-fiver count - as in stuff that's usually around the house.)

Here's one for really easy enchiladas. They aren't super-authentic, but who cares? I brown my beef, which I grind myself ever since I took a 16-hour class on sanitation (scary!), and then add whatever taco seasoning I prefer ... try Pioneer, it's great! Then, I spoon some into the middle of a tortilla, flour or corn, and roll it up. Place them seam-side down in greased baking dish. Then, I take some canned chile and water it down a bit to the preferred consistency, and pour it over the enchiladas. Chop up some onion, sprinkle it on with some kind of cheese. Bake, covered, at 400 for around 30 minutes! A friend of mine taught me that one. Now, for yummy chicken enchiladas, mix one can Rotel tomatoes, one can cream of mushroom soup. Fold in some self-determined amount of chopped, cooked chicken. Spoon into tortillas, place in greased dish (seam-side down), pour some more cream of mushroom soup (thinned a bit) over them, sprinkle on cheese. Bake at 400 about 30 minutes. Now, ever since that class I took, I have a very close relationship with my meat thermometer ... using it constantly! It doesn't cost much, and it's worth it to get one. I always make sure my food is cooked to 165 degrees in the center ... more if it's chicken or pork cooked from a raw state (175 to 185) I know I sound a bit institutional, but that class was a bit of a wake-up call ... aaaagh!

Somewhere along the line, Beverly brought up cooking rice (Oh, try boiling your rice in a big pot full of water, like pasta, and it won't be sticky!) So, I asked about draining. Use a metal, plastic, whatEVER colander to drain the rice ... then rinse it with cold water, unless of course you want to mix a sauce or something with it. I always use cold water anyway, because I always have quite a bit left over. (I like to heat my leftover rice with milk, cinnamon-sugar and sometimes raisins, until hot enough to soften the raisins ... yummy!)

I do have one recipe I thought of the other night ... it's for a really great cheese ball. Soften up one 8 oz. package of cream cheese. Chop up about two bunches of green onions. Dice up one package of smoked beef (the lunch meat; I use Carl Buddig). Now ... mix it all together. Plop it out onto a plate of chopped pecans and "roll" it around and shape it like a ball. This is easy, a bit messy, and absolutely yummy! I always put some on crackers, but it's also good for stuffing celery. If you don't roll it into a ball in pecans, you can actually zap it in the old microwave for a few minutes and use it as a veggy dip. Pretty much a versatile thing. My sister gave that one to me before she became an "authentic" Italian wife/cook.

Beverly also does private catering - lots of goodies and secrets to share. Meet her in the Lunch Lady's Corner. New recipes and tips will be added as time permits.

OMG - almost forgot my nifty, truly amazing tip - you can turn the heat off after pasta boils and let it sit while you find something more interesting to do. I've tried it twice - spaghetti and regular ol' egg noodles. No sticking and no over done.

That's gonna have to do it for now - I'll try not to stay away so long next time. Can't go without leaving you this tho:

Q: How do you fix a broken tomato?
A: With tomato paste.

I do believe tomatoes were once called love apples ...

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

Don't forget to send this page to a friend and send your tricks and tips to me.

TheRealMartha@Mindspring.com

and/or

AltMartha@aol.com

Back to

Halloween

Check out the new Catch All Department - much miscellanea (note stash discovered in the middle of a cleaning binge).

~~~~~

Visit the rest of the site too ...

TheRealMartha.com
Queen C's Can-tagious Can Cuisine
http://members.aol.com/AltMartha/easyrecipes.index.html

Diary of a Mad Politically Incorrect Cook
http://members.aol.com/MsAtte2ude/diarymadpicook.index.html

Bubba Gourmet
http://members.aol.com/AltMartha/BubbaGourmet.index.html

Side Introduction to Vittles on the Go, part 1
http://members.aol.com/MsAtte2ude/sideintro.index.html

Feeder's Digest
http://members.aol.com/MsAtte2ude/FDintro.index.html