usvi-on-line
cooking for others
cooking for others
I was wondering if our master chefs had any recipes that lend themselves well to bringing over to others after surgery, etc...
When it rains, it pours and I have several friends I would like to cook for. Thankfully I think they will all be ok, but their families are in various states of crisis right now and I would like to do something nice for them.
While I would appreciate any recipe, I am looking for something "different" than typical italian fare that is easy to bring ( I have lots of those recipes). It would also be great if it could appeal to kids and also not require that it be eaten the day it is brought over.
Or if someone has a better idea than a casserole for a light meal or whatever. Maybe a variety of salads?
Thanks in advance!
When it rains, it pours and I have several friends I would like to cook for. Thankfully I think they will all be ok, but their families are in various states of crisis right now and I would like to do something nice for them.
While I would appreciate any recipe, I am looking for something "different" than typical italian fare that is easy to bring ( I have lots of those recipes). It would also be great if it could appeal to kids and also not require that it be eaten the day it is brought over.
Or if someone has a better idea than a casserole for a light meal or whatever. Maybe a variety of salads?
Thanks in advance!
"Sponges grow in the ocean...I wonder how much deeper it would be if that didn't happen."
Chicagoans had a similar situation awhile ago.
here is a thread with some suggestions:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... asta+salad
here is a thread with some suggestions:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... asta+salad
janet
One thing I've done that goes over well is bbq beef sandwiches, I just throw a roast, some seasoning and bbq sauce in the crockpot and then shred it. Depending on who it is, I'll make a couple of sides, lettuce salad, potato salad, veggie salad, green beans, cheesy potatoes, etc. I take buns and cookies for dessert.
Enchilada casserole is also a favorite or tamale pie.
Here in the midwest a lot of people like a big pot of chicken and noodles.
One other thing I do a lot is make a breakfast casserole cook it part way and then let them finish cooking it. Take fresh fruit and some muffins and they can eat it for any meal throughout the day!!
Hope this helps and you are so sweet to take something to your friends!!
Enchilada casserole is also a favorite or tamale pie.
Here in the midwest a lot of people like a big pot of chicken and noodles.
One other thing I do a lot is make a breakfast casserole cook it part way and then let them finish cooking it. Take fresh fruit and some muffins and they can eat it for any meal throughout the day!!
Hope this helps and you are so sweet to take something to your friends!!
People and kids really like shepherd's pie, and I have often made that for others in these circumstances..
Just saute ground beef or ground chicken, and season as much or as little as you think they would like. Put in the bottom of one of those glass pyrex dishes (I use a round one), then add a layer of peas and carrots (again, you could do fresh peas and fresh herbs, or plain old frozen peas or corn, whatever they might like). Top with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. I like to season potatoes with buttermilk and scallions, but again, you can go from easy to enhanced....
Easy to warm up later... a one dish meal that is also hearty and filling.
Just saute ground beef or ground chicken, and season as much or as little as you think they would like. Put in the bottom of one of those glass pyrex dishes (I use a round one), then add a layer of peas and carrots (again, you could do fresh peas and fresh herbs, or plain old frozen peas or corn, whatever they might like). Top with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. I like to season potatoes with buttermilk and scallions, but again, you can go from easy to enhanced....
Easy to warm up later... a one dish meal that is also hearty and filling.
At this time of year, I think picnic food. So maybe some cold chicken--I love cold fried chicken, but you could also do cold bbq chicken, or marinate chicken parts in olive oil, lemon juice, cracked pepper, salt, and thyme overnight, then grill and chill. Stuff like this is great because they could just eat it out of hand or convert it to a sandwich, salad, etc. Plus it keeps a couple of days in the fridge.
With the chicken you could bring over a couple boxes of the pre-washed salad greens, and then all sorts of salad veggies--carrots, onions, peppers, olives, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, etc., all prewashed, sliced, and seperately bagged so they can do a build your own salad thing. Bring a couple bottles of dressing and a loaf of crusty bread to go with.
A big basket of whole hardy fruit, prewashed, is good too. They can just dump it on the counter and take what they need over time.
With the chicken you could bring over a couple boxes of the pre-washed salad greens, and then all sorts of salad veggies--carrots, onions, peppers, olives, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, etc., all prewashed, sliced, and seperately bagged so they can do a build your own salad thing. Bring a couple bottles of dressing and a loaf of crusty bread to go with.
A big basket of whole hardy fruit, prewashed, is good too. They can just dump it on the counter and take what they need over time.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
As for cooking the breakfast casserole part way, I just didn't want to show up with something raw. I precook my crescent roll crust so it doesn't get soggy, put the ingredients all in and cook it half the cooking time. Then I deliver it and have them cook it the rest of the time before they are ready to eat it. I just didn't want it getting dried out the first time I took one and this method has worked ever since!
If you left the eggs in a liquid state, they'd make any bread soggy, so depending on your casserole, I'd maybe just leave off 10-15 minutes of cook time so it's almost done, but yet they can put it in the oven to warm up and finish cooking!
If you left the eggs in a liquid state, they'd make any bread soggy, so depending on your casserole, I'd maybe just leave off 10-15 minutes of cook time so it's almost done, but yet they can put it in the oven to warm up and finish cooking!