The Slow Cooker Catering

09/15/2015

Hello fb friends! Here's a tip regarding storing zest at a later time. Enjoy!

ZEST PRESERVATION

Preserve citrus zest by storing it in the freezer. First, to prevent it from being watery once it’s thawed, microwave it before freezing for 30 seconds on waxed paper, then let it sit for an hour, or until it’s dry. Freeze it in a freezer-safe container.

Have a recipe that calls for citrus juice, but not the zest? Save it by using this tip, and you'll always have a supply on hand.

08/28/2015

Hello fb friends! Here's a tip we often use when we cook our charro beans, cheesy potato casserole, etc. It's an extra step but well worth it if you want to add a smoked bacon flavor to your dishes or garnishing.

Rendering Bacon

Rendering is a simple technique used to melt fat from diced meat (usually pork or bacon). The result is mall, crisp bits known as lardons [LAHR-don]. Lardons are used to garnish soups, salads, eggs — wherever you want a bit of meaty flavor. And the rendered fat is great for sautéing vegetables.

Originating in French kitchens, lardons are traditionally made with slab bacon — an unsliced chunk of smoked bacon. But to make lardons at home, thick-sliced bacon works fine. Since the strips are already about ¼-inch thick, all you need to do is to dice them. If a subtler smoky flavor is what you want, blanch the bits in boiling water before rendering.

To render, cook the bacon in a skillet over low heat. The process is slow (10–15 minutes) but it’s the only way to completely extract the fat from the meat without charring it.

Once the fat is melted out, remove the rendered bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper-towel-lined plate.

08/28/2015

Here's a great tip we want to share.

Fresh cantaloupe is a quintessential summertime fruit, but removing the seeds can be a mess. Not so, when you take advantage of a kitchen tool made for another summer treat — an ice cream scoop! It makes quick work of seeding cantaloupe, as well as honeydew, removing all the melon seeds in just one swoop.
Want more great recipes & tips?

Save time and mess when seeding melons by making use of a utensil made for a different warm weather treat.

07/28/2015

Recipe of the week.

PICKLED JALAPENO GUACAMOLE

Agave is a sweetener from the same plant used to make tequila. The nectar (or syrup) is stocked with other sweeteners at grocery stores.

Makes: 8 servings; Total time: 10 minutes
MASH:
6 avocados
STIR IN:
1⁄2 cup minced red onion
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1⁄4 cup diced, pickled jalapeño
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste

Mash avocado in a large bowl to desired consistency.

Stir in onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, agave, cumin, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 259 cal; 22g total fat (3g sat); 0mg chol; 60mg sodium; 17g carb; 11g fiber; 3g protein

07/28/2015

Here's another great tip regarding avocados. Instead of putting massive amounts of lemon or lime juice, which unfortunately many guacamoles taste like, you can tone it down by doing this. Enjoy!

Easy Being Green

To keep guacamole from turning brown, top it with a layer of sliced tomatoes, then tightly cover it with plastic wrap. The slices keep air out and their natural acidity prevents browning as well, so your dip stays fresh and bright.

07/10/2015

Hello FB friends! Here's a good kitchen tip that will be very beneficial. Enjoy!
Freezing Bacon Slices

To save what’s left of a package of bacon, lay the raw strips about ¼-inch apart on parchment or wax paper. Cover them with another piece of paper and roll them up. Put the roll in a plastic freezer bag, seal, and freeze. Then, when you need a slice or two of bacon, simply unroll the paper, remove what you need, and freeze the remainder.

Don’t always use an entire package of bacon at once? Freeze it so it lasts longer, using this tip to keep the strips separate.

07/05/2015

Hello fb friends! Here's a cook idea regarding ice cream. If you don't have an ice cream scoop you can always use this method.

A butter knife is a handy tool for serving ice cream, especially if you don’t mind not having perfectly rounded scoops. It slices right through the ice cream, even if it’s frozen hard, and the ice cream slides cleanly off into the bowl when scraped along the edge.

06/19/2015

Hello fb friends! Here's an oven fried recipe that all can enjoy.

OVEN FRIES

For crisp oven fries, two things are important: Keep the oven hot and cut the fries as thin as possible.

Makes: 6 servings; Total time: about 45 minutes
SLICE: 3–4 large russet potatoes, unpeeled (about 2 lb.)
TOSS: 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 475°. Lightly coat three or four baking sheets with nonstick spray.

Slice a thin piece from one side of each potato, creating a flat surface. With flat sides down, cut potatoes into ¼-inch-thick planks. Stack planks together and cut into ¼-inch sticks.

Toss fries with oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Arrange fries in single layers on baking sheets. Bake fries 15 minutes, then flip and bake until golden, 20–30 minutes more. Serve fries immediately.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 161 cal; 5g total fat (1g sat); 0mg chol; 8mg sodium; 27g carb; 2g fiber; 3g protein

SEASONING VARIATIONS

A big plate of oven fries with plenty of salt, pepper, and ketchup is pretty darn good. But, if you want something different, try one of these three easy, flavorful options. Just toss the potatoes, oil, and salt with a seasoning combo, then bake according to the Oven Fries recipe above.

HERB: Mix 1 Tbsp. each minced fresh thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

CHILI: Mix 1⁄2 tsp. sugar, 1⁄4 tsp. each chili powder and cayenne, and 1⁄8 tsp. paprika.

CHEESE: Toss fries with 1⁄4 cup finely grated Parmesan.

ENJOY AND HAVE A SAFE SUMMER!

Slice a thin piece from one side of each potato, creating a flat surface. With flat sides down, cut potatoes into ¼-inch-thick planks. Stack planks together and cut into ¼-inch sticks.

06/06/2015

Hello FB friends! Here's another kitchen tip regarding asparagus. They're high in fiber and when prepared properly in recipes, they're very delicious.

Storing Asparagus

To keep asparagus fresh for several days, cut off the ends and stand them upright (unwashed) in a container. Add an inch of cold water and cover with a plastic bag, then refrigerate. Refresh the water as needed.

05/30/2015

Good Morning facebook friends! Now the rain has settled and this week will be dry, make some time to light up the bbq grill. Here's a tip on how to grill plank salmon. If you follow this information to the tee you'll be enjoying a wonderfully smoked salmon.

CEDAR PLANKS

Cedar planking is an ideal method for cooking salmon. The distinctive smoky flavor of the wood is absorbed by the fish’s delicate flesh, resulting in delicious results. You can buy cedar planks packaged for cooking at most grocery and hardware stores.

The most important step in plank cooking is soaking the wood. You want it to smolder, not burn, on the grill, plus the moisture is what creates smoke. Soak cedar planks at least 1 hour, or up to 6, in any container that completely holds them, plus enough water to keep them submerged. A baking sheet works well. The planks will float, so weigh them down with something heavy, such as large cans, bricks, or stones. (Place bricks and stones in a resealable plastic bag for sanitary reasons.)

Once you’ve got the plank on the grill, check it periodically and have a spray bottle of water handy to douse any flare-ups. If the plank ignites, it could take your dinner with it!

05/13/2015

Hello FB friends! Here's another cooking tip. Have a wonderful week.

CORING & CUTTING CABBAGE

To slice cabbage, first peel off the outer leaves (they’re often bruised or torn), then cut the head in half vertically, slicing through the core. Next, remove the bitter, tough core in the center of each half. Use the tip of a chef’s knife to cut down both sides of the A-shaped core, angling the knife tip inward to create a wedge — the core should just fall out. The cabbage is now ready for chopping or shredding.

To chop, place half the head on a cutting board, cut side down, slice it crosswise into wide ribbons, then rotate the head and cut the ribbons into cubes. For thin, coleslaw-like shredded cabbage, cut the halves into quarters, then “peel” the flat surfaces into thin slivers using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler.

04/30/2015

Hello FB friends! Here's our weekly cooking tip. Hope you all have a wonderful week. Also, sorry for not opening but on Monday, we received a phone call of a client wanting to contract our services. One door closes and a better one opens. If we get this contract we are still going to open as soon as we know the schedule.

Coring & Cutting Cabbage

To slice cabbage, first peel off the outer leaves (they’re often bruised or torn), then cut the head in half vertically, slicing through the core. Next, remove the bitter, tough core in the center of each half. Use the tip of a chef’s knife to cut down both sides of the A-shaped core, angling the knife tip inward to create a wedge — the core should just fall out. The cabbage is now ready for chopping or shredding.

To chop, place half the head on a cutting board, cut side down, slice it crosswise into wide ribbons, then rotate the head and cut the ribbons into cubes. For thin, coleslaw-like shredded cabbage, cut the halves into quarters, then “peel” the flat surfaces into thin slivers using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler.