Time saving tip: Progresso Recipe Starters

I am big fan of time saving tips especially when it comes to cooking. Last summer I discovered Progresso Recipe Starters Cooking Sauce, and just like the name it's a great recipe starter and time saver. You don't have to make everything from scratch right??? 

Progresso sent me a gift pack containing all five flavors:

 

Creamy Three Cheese

Creamy Portabella Mushroom

Creamy Roasted Garlic

Fire Roasted Tomato

Creamy Parmesan Basil

I have tried all five flavors, sometimes using the recipe on the can or coming up with my own ideas.  The Creamy Three Cheese sauce has become a staple ingredient in my macaroni and cheese recipe.  I like supplementing canned cheese sauce to the shredded cheese in my mac and cheese.  Canned cheese sauce makes a creamier mac and cheese without adding large amounts of shredded cheese, which can get expensive especially when cooking for a crowd.  Not only do I like time saving tips but money saving tips as well.  But I digress. This post is supposed to be about the Progresso recipe starters...where was I lol....Oh yeah, the recipe ideas are endless for these cooking sauces.

I used the Creamy Roasted Garlic cooking sauce for a chicken pot pie using a recipe on the Progresso label. It is super easy.  All you need is the cooking sauce, chicken, mixed vegetables, flour, poultry seasonings and pie crust.

I made shrimp alfredo with the Creamy Parmesan Basil cooking sauce.  I combined the cooking sauce with half and half, butter, shrimp and Old Bay seasoning.

I also made my own version of baked stroganoff by combining the Creamy Portabella Mushroom sauce with ground chicken, sautéed onions, diced tomatoes and penne pasta. It was so good!  I know tomatoes are not a traditional ingredient in stroganoff but that night I was craving diced tomatoes and adding them to the dish was perfect.

The possibilities are endless....

DISCLOSURE:  The information, products and Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ gift packs were provided by Progresso through BlogHer Food.

Grilled Garlic Thyme Shrimp Kabobs

Grilling season has officially begun; I love this time of year! Grilled ribs, chicken, corn, asparagus, kabobs...the possibilities are endless!  And plus grilling is healthier. There is something wonderful about standing in front of an open flame on a beautiful sunny day, with a glass of iced tea in one hand and tongs in the other. I must admit I do prefer charcoal, for the smoky flavor, but gas is so much easier - no ashes, no lighter fluid - you only have to make sure that your propane tank is not empty.   

 
This past week I fired up the grill and made garlic thyme shrimp kabobs. I used my favorite go-to marinade recipe; a garlic thyme marinade recipe adapted from a recipe I found several years ago in the Washington Post.  It’s quick, easy and can be used on chicken, beef and shrimp.

A marinating tip…..Marinades do not tenderize meat because marinades do not penetrate the meat very deeply, and, therefore, are better for adding flavor. Marinating shrimp is not the same as marinating beef or chicken.  Shrimp should be marinated no longer than 1 hour and much less especially if the marinade contains high levels of an acidic ingredient. The acid in the marinade will begin to cook the shrimp; changing its texture. According to Cooks Illustrated, if marinated too long, a marinade containing acidic ingredients like vinegar, yogurt, citrus juice and buttermilk will turn the outer layer of meat (beef, pork, chicken, seafood) mushy and not tender, or even cause the meat to dry out. To avoid this, minimize the use of acidic ingredients and/or marinate for shorter periods of time.  This recipe only contains a small amount of balsamic vinegar and therefore marinating the shrimp for an hour will not affect the texture.

Grilled Garlic Thyme Shrimp Kabobs

Ingredients

• 1 pound of raw deveined and shelled shrimp
• Garlic Thyme Marinade (see recipe below)
• Bamboo or metal skewers

Directions

1. In a ziploc bag, marinate shrimp 1 hour in marinade, flipping the bag several times so the marinade distributes evenly. 
2. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water 30 minutes in advance. If using metal skewers, brush with oil or spray with non-stick spray.
3. Thread shrimp onto skewers.
4. Grill kabobs on a preheated grill for 3 minutes on each side or until pink.

Garlic Thyme Marinade
Update 5/15/2013

Makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

• 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves (may substitute 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped). You can also use rosemary, oregano or marjoram.
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Whisk together the garlic, thyme, sugar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and oil in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 1 week).

Note: This recipe makes enough marinade for 1 pound of meat.

The Basics of Brining Chicken

When eating chicken, do you prefer the breast or the thigh?  I was a dark meat person preferring chicken thighs to breast because breasts were always dry; that was until I discovered brining. Brining is the process of marinating meat in a solution of salt and water prior to cooking. This process allows the meat to absorb the brine and retain moisture as the meat cooks.  Meat can be brined and then frozen prior to cooking. Also, brined meat cooks faster.

Chicken, turkey and pork can be brined; the marinating time varies by the cut and weight of the meat and must be refrigerated while marinating.  The basic brine I use most often contains a mixture of salt, sugar and water.  Not all brines contain sugar, so it is optional; however the sugar works to counteract the flavor of the salt and helps the meat brown when cooking. Additional herbs or seasonings can be added to a brine such as garlic, onions, herbs or even fruit juices

Basic Chicken Brines

Chicken	Time	Water	Table Salt	Sugar
1 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken	30 mins to 1 hour	2 Quarts	¼ cup	½ cup
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces	30 mins to 1 hour	2 Quarts	½ cup	1 cup

Your brine solution must be cold prior to adding the meat, but dissolving sugar in cold water can be a pain, so I use one cup of warm water to dissolve the salt and sugar and then I add enough cold water to make 2 quart of brine.  Brine your meat for the recommended time and then rinse thoroughly.

Brining Tips

• Be careful when adding additional salt and seasoning to meat that has been brined, the meat has absorbed the salt from the brine and it is easy to over salt the meat when cooking it. The general rule of thumb is not to add any additional salt to brined meat. If you are new to brining, I recommend cooking a small piece of the brined meat prior to adding additional seasonings; this will allow you to taste the saltiness of the meat. 
• The salt you use also matters, one cup of table salt is not the same as one cup of kosher. 1 cup of table is equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of Morton Kosher salt or 2 cups of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.
• Use a plastic, glass or stainless steel container for your brine; do not use aluminum. Always cover your meat when brining.

I am by no means an expert in brining and there is so much more to brining than I will cover in this post. But I hope this is a good introduction to the technique. I do not cover brining a whole chicken here because I have not done it yet myself and the guidelines for how long to brine range from 1 hour to 8 hours, so I want to try it first to give better instructions to my readers.