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One of the things I cannot stand in this world is precut garlic in a jar. Just the smell is enough to send me running for the other room with a sink. But I like the easier, softer way as much as anyone else, so I sprinkle certain things (roasted vegetables [esp. potatoes], lentils, chili) with Penzey's Granulated Garlic Powder. It's not the same taste as I get when I chop fresh garlic, which I still do. It's its own very enjoyable flavor. Other brands may work as well, but I'm not certain, as I never used to like the taste of plain garlic powder.
Get jarred garlic paste at an Asian/Indian grocery - very inexpensive and more versatile than minced garlic.
I agree that it's a shortcut when the frozen vegetables are readily available fresh and/or are precut or prepared in some way. Frozen chopped onions and peppers are a shortcut. Frozen peas are really not, because how would you get them for most of the year.
Are we considering prepared peanut butter to be a shortcut, then? Given that you can purchase whole peanuts right there?
Frozen peas
Canned baked beans (I do try to doctor them up)
Canned chicken broth in a pinch to make a sauce Dried pasta (although I would love to make my own but I refuse to purchase the pasta attachment for my standmixer)
Salad mix
If you'd really love to make your own pasta, you should try it! I've done it many times and even though I recently bought several pasta attachments for my mixer, I used to do it all by hand prior to that. It's super easy and so delicious - way better than store bought.
Just roll the dough very thin with a rolling pin and then cut it into whatever shapes you want. I started out by cutting long fettuccine type noodles for my spaghetti and also lasagna shaped noodles for my lasagna. Then a couple weeks ago, I decided to make fun shapes, so I got some miniature cookie cutters and now I sometimes use those. The cookie cutters are harder to use than just cutting them into long strips or rectangles, but still not hard at all. It just takes a bit longer.
The person who takes care of my dogs when I go out of town, got sick recently and had to have surgery, so I made her some homemade chicken noodle soup and I cut the pasta into little puppy dog shapes for her. She loved that! And so did I - what a special gift to give someone - personalized chicken noodle soup! The possibilities are endless.
Are we considering prepared peanut butter to be a shortcut, then? Given that you can purchase whole peanuts right there?
No. Unless you know of folks who boil and crush their own peanuts down to a paste along with oil and other ingredients to turn it into "butter."
Buying frozen chopped carrots as opposed to whole carrots is a shortcut. I don't think it's unfair for me to not want to compare this to peanut butter, is it?
Making your own peanut butter requires nothing but grinding peanuts, really. They produce their own oil.you can add additional ingredients, but it isn't necessary.
No. Unless you know of folks who boil and crush their own peanuts down to a paste along with oil and other ingredients to turn it into "butter."
Buying frozen chopped carrots as opposed to whole carrots is a shortcut. I don't think it's unfair for me to not want to compare this to peanut butter, is it?
Of course it isn't. You could buy flats of strawberries and make all your own jam. In fact, you could grow those strawberries yourself and then make the jam. But that's a whole different level from "shortcuts."
Garlic already peeled and minced is a shortcut. A rotisserie chicken is a shortcut. A jar of jam or a jar of peanut butter is not a shortcut.
I buy bacon bits and microwave them before using to get some of the fat out. This substitutes for bacon in many recipes.
I also use "Makin Bacon" to microwave my bacon. It has these 'T' shapes where the bacon hangs down and the fat drips off into a tray. The bacon is not flat. I can live with that.
I get the shredded and sliced carrots in bags. It is one less thing to prepare.
Fried chicken breast strips is a big short cut for us. My grandmother had to buy the live bird and my mother whole dressed chickens so I know just how big a short cut that is.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vrexy
If you'd really love to make your own pasta, you should try it! I've done it many times and even though I recently bought several pasta attachments for my mixer, I used to do it all by hand prior to that. It's super easy and so delicious - way better than store bought.
Just roll the dough very thin with a rolling pin and then cut it into whatever shapes you want. I started out by cutting long fettuccine type noodles for my spaghetti and also lasagna shaped noodles for my lasagna. Then a couple weeks ago, I decided to make fun shapes, so I got some miniature cookie cutters and now I sometimes use those. The cookie cutters are harder to use than just cutting them into long strips or rectangles, but still not hard at all. It just takes a bit longer.
The person who takes care of my dogs when I go out of town, got sick recently and had to have surgery, so I made her some homemade chicken noodle soup and I cut the pasta into little puppy dog shapes for her. She loved that! And so did I - what a special gift to give someone - personalized chicken noodle soup! The possibilities are endless.
Personalized chicken noodle soup is today's winner of the Internet. No. Scratch that. The decade's winner of the Internet. I love this so much!
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