Shopping, and Lack Thereof

The past 5 weeks I have shopped only for basics.  I bought some milk, one loaf of bread (plus won more in a gift basket off the radio), some fresh fruits and vegetables, diapers, and duct tape (turned out I did have some, like I thought).  Here is why I chose to do this:

1. Save time, money, and reduce stress.  I did not look at a single shopping ad for 5 weeks!  
2. Prove to myself that I could live without shopping at all for a month or more, if I had to.
3. Determine what my fridge, freezer, and pantry are missing.
4. Rotate through some of the food that I had.

My experience was very successful.  My family noticed very few differences in our diet.  Here is what we learned:

1. Country Cream powdered milk and Morning Moo's Milk Alternative are both pretty good.  I could get used to them if I had to.  Usually I mixed them with 2% milk, and it tasted great.  Powdered milk from the cannery tastes nasty.  Even mixed with regular milk, or with a little vanilla or sugar.  Gross.  I did like it, though, with Nestle Quik.  I would even mix the dry milk with warm water, Quik, and ice cubes and drink it immediately.  
2. I missed yogurt and sour cream.  My son missed yogurt and cottage cheese.  My husband missed fresh fruit.
3. We can see that if we had to continue doing little or no shopping for a couple more months than we would get bored with the food we have.  Just one month wasn't a problem, but any more than 3 months would get boring.  So, we intend to store a larger variety of foods as finances allow.

Today I went shopping, and had a fairly normal trip.  I just bought what was on sale!  This included eggs to freeze (I used frozen eggs on Saturday in waffles, and it turned out great!), and the milk and sour cream I found discounted for quick sale.  I intend to freeze this as well.  Frozen sour cream will work great in something like enchiladas.  I just wouldn't want to put it on a baked potato.  I also bought a ham shank for 99 cents/pound.  I intend to use this with dutch oven potatoes, baked beans (I'll freeze some), and freeze slices to use for pizza, omelets, and ham and eggs.

Tofu

Believe it or not, but tofu is a food storage food. I freeze it!
First, some basic explanations on tofu, since most people aren't very familiar with it.

What is tofu?
Tofu is soybeans processed in a fashion similar to cheese.

Where can I buy tofu?
Tofu can be found in your local grocery store in the refrigerated section of the produce department. It is next to eggroll and wonton wrappers.

Why should I eat tofu?
It's healthy, and a great source of protein.

What types of tofu are there?
Silken-can be used in smoothies and as a substitute for cream cheese in cheesecake. I never buy this kind.
Firm and extra firm-This is the kind I buy. I marinade it, then fry it.

More about tofu
Tofu is packed in water, and acts as a sponge. So, if you plan to marinade it, you want to get as much water out of it first, so that it can then soak in the marinade. You can get water out of it by using towels, paper towels, or smashing it between two plates with some heavy cans on top.


Freezing tofu
Just like every other food, I try to buy tofu when it is on sale, and then buy more than one package. Within the past few months I have seen tofu discounted for quick sale, and Buy One Get One Free. Great times to stock up. Tofu firms when it is frozen. To freeze tofu, I just take it out of its original package, squeeze some water out of it (see above), then put it in a marked freezer bag.

Cooking frozen tofu
I make up my marinade (I like teriyaki) in a bowl, then put the frozen tofu right in the bowl with it, and store it in the fridge with a lid. When the tofu is defrosted enough to cut, I cut the tofu in cubes (about 1 inch), then put it back in the marinade. Store in the fridge until the tofu has taken in the marinade (about a day). Then I cook the tofu (without the marinade) in a fry pan with a little oil, stirring minimally. Then I add the marinade, and take out the tofu (you can use the same bowl through this whole process, since you're using tofu, not meat), and let the marinade simmer. This thickens and enhances the flavor of the sauce.

Any questions?

Salmon Enchiladas

I adapted this recipe from The Well-Fed Heart.  Yummy!  You will notice with both this recipe and my chicken enchilada recipe that I don't roll tortillas for my enchiladas.  I just layer the tortillas and filling.  This saves time; I have also found that rolling corn tortillas is quite tricky.  They tear a lot.

Salmon Enchiladas

1 15-oz. can salmon
1 4-oz. can diced green chilies
1/4 cup chopped onion (I used yellow, but green or sweet would be great)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2-1 cup black beans (depending on how much you like beans)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (monterey jack and cheddar are good)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
corn tortillas
cream cheese, softened, if desired
salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cook onion in a fry pan covered with cooking spray over medium heat, until soft.
3. Mix first eight ingredients in a large bowl, reserving ½ cup shredded cheese.
4. Cover bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish with salmon mixture.  Place tortillas on top.  Repeat layers until all of salmon mixture is used, preferably ending with tortillas on top (although this doesn't matter too much).
5. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.  
6. Remove from oven. Spread the cream cheese on top, followed by the salsa, and then reserved shredded cheese. 
7. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cheese is browned, and salsa is warm.

Chicken Enchiladas/Freezer Meals

I have decided the past several months that as much as I like cooking, I do not like cooking every night. So I try to make extra large recipes sometimes, then freeze a portion for a meal on a later date.
Chicken Enchiladas is one meal that freezes quite well. When I make them I don't follow a recipe. I just throw everything together. So, sorry but the measurements are not exact. Proportion ingredients according to your taste and what you have on hand. You may use flour, corn, or wheat tortillas.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 1/2 lb. chicken, cubed (cooked or uncooked)
1 med. onion
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can green chilies (optional)
12 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cottage cheese
12 oz. cheese (cheddar, monterey jack), divided
Tortillas

Cook onion with uncooked chicken, if using, in fry pan over medium high heat, until chicken is cooked and onion is soft, adding a little water as necessary. It is good to let it brown a little, as this enhances flavor.
Mix all ingredients together, reserving some cheese, except tortillas, in a large bowl. Spread a small layer of chicken mixture in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Layer tortillas on top, then spread with a layer of chicken mixture. Repeat until all of chicken and sauce is used. You may need to use multiple glass dishes. Pour reserved cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.