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| a tribute to this blog's namesake - cilantro |
Generally, in life, I am a staunch proponent of investing time and money up front (with well-considered decisions) and reaping the benefits later. In my culinary life especially, I believe it will pay dividends.
Hubby and I happen to see eye-to-eye on a lot of matters, but the one thing that gets us in to tiffs is what to cook for dinner. With his long hours, my nearly two-hour commute home on most days and our mutual, stubborn resolve to cook food fresh, it's always a point of contention and we're at a loss for what to compromise on. I'm hoping our effort to cut down prep time and our unwavering dedication to teamwork will see us through. If not, then I will be seeing a lot more of these:
Procedure
Remove any ties or rubberbands (set those greens free!) and thoroughly rinse (cilantro/parsley/kale are what I've tried so far). Place in salad spinner to remove excess water. Lay out to dry on towel for up to an hour. Using a paper towel, give a final pat down to make sure leaves are completely dry.
Loosely wrap the bunch in paper towels and insert into airtight bag. Label outside of bag with a piece of tape with name and date. Tape can be removed later so that bag can be reused.
Kale keeps well up to 6 days and according to my "sage" mom (te he he), cilantro stays up to 2 weeks! TBD...
Next on my hit list is cooking quinoa and beans on Sundays so they can be used in salads and dishes throughout the week. Do you have any advanced prep tips to share?
Hey, I thought I was your sage?!? JK, JK. Mom should be everyone's sage when it comes to cooking. I like to cook a lot of chicken curry on Sunday so that on Monday or Tuesday we can make other dishes with it. Makes a great addition to pasta when you toss it with sauteed California blend veggies or you can cook up some quick quesadillas {a little alliteration for you} with the addition of onions and bell pepper.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Can't get enough of you two--perfect Preetham and "just-because" flowers.
Mom can be Sage Sr., you can be Sage Jr., and...oh boy, this could keep going all the way to Nia #LotsofLadiesInTheFam
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chicken curry recommendation! Sounds yummy and filling. I'll have to consult your blog for how to make GOOD curry.
I like to wash herbs and put them away for storage exactly as you described above. Saves time and makes sure they are reddy for use! :)
ReplyDeleteAnother tip: lettuce (romaine / green leaf /red leaf) - when you get it home, again remove any rubber bands and chop off bottom stem as close as you can. Wash thoroughly in salad spinner, wrap in damp paper towel and wrap again in a kitchen towel. Keeps nicely in the crisper drawer for 1-2 weeks, and is ready for full pieces for sandwiches or to tear for quick salad!
One more (along the lines of CM's chicken curry) - I like to make a big pot of soup or chili on Sunday and put it away in single-serving ready-to-microwave glass containers for a nice delicious lunch for the next few days.
Hahah yes, more power to "being reddy" ;-) I NEVER buy lettuce because I don't use it enough and it goes bad so quickly. This is such a great tip and I'd finally get that "crunch" I'm always craving in sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteLove the Sunday soup/chili idea too. Yesterday I made chick peas, black beans and quinoa, but they still require quite a bit of assembly. Something ready to pack in my lunchbag would be awesome. Thx again for the great ideas, Bek!
I have "sage" envy.
ReplyDeleteHaha "sage" envy...or FOMO!?
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