Portland Observer, September 8,1982 Section II Page 3
A little confidence is all it takes
••They’ll never be able to sell that!”
was the com m ent a frie n d made
when the first flavored frozen vege
tables appeared. The price was
about a third higher for a little but
ter or white sauce and a couple o f
herbs. They were, however, a great
success.
One o f the things today’ s consu
mer is w illing to pay fo r is the con
venience o f ready-made flavorings.
Many homemakers seem to have lit
tle confidence in th e ir a b ility to
season foods and are w illing to leave
that to experts. They buy seasoned
spaghetti mixes, taco sauce mixes,
white sauce mixes, rices w ith herbs,
salad dressing packets and seasoned
salt. The list is endless.
I f you’ re really interested in sav
ing m oney, b u ild up y o u r c o n fi
dence in using herbs and spices.
Then build up your supply o f these
tasty additions. You can even make
seasoning packets o f your own so
you have your own convenience at
about half the cost.
Here are five general suggestions
to give you confidence to s ta rt,
f rom then on you are on your own.
In seasoning foods, there arc no fast
rules.
1. Remember to use spices and
seasonings w ith a lig h t touch. Be
conservative. Start with just a pinch
or 'A teaspoon and increase. You
should know som ething has been
added, but not w hat. I f a fla v o r
shouts at yo u , y o u 'v e used to o
much. Le ttin g herbs sim m er fo r a
w hile w ill help develop those fla
vors, too.
2. Use fresh spices and season
ings. A p a in te r can’ t create w ith
drie d oils and you c a n 't achieve
bright flavors w ith worn out spices.
Flavors arc fro m the arom atic oils
o f a plant. Once these oils are lost in
standing, the spice or seasoning is
worthless. Protect the oils by keep
ing the jars or tins tightly closed and
stored in a cool area. Be sure they
arc kept d ry . W hen you can no
longer detect arom a, discard the
spice.
Buy sm all containe rs o f spices
and replace more frequently. Check
the food co-op stores to sec if they
carry seasonings you can buy in
small amounts to try out something
new.
3. Learn th a t tw o fla v o rs are
often better than one. Try mixing a
spice and a liquid flavoring. Lemon
and vanilla go well together. Or use
a nutmeg and cinnam on com bina
tion. Only half amounts, naturally.
4. Introduce only one flavor at a
time. Most people prefer the fa m il
iar when it comes to choosing food.
D o n ’ t overw helm the palate w ith
to o many fla v o rs at once. A new
salad dressing is enough fo r one
meal. D on’ t press your luck by try
ing the herb meatloaf recipe and the
d ill flavored beans at the same time.
Tom orrow is soon enough.
Study recipes fo r the best ” go-
togethers.’ ’ Some fla v o r com bina
tions arc p a rtic u la rly pleasing —
lamb w ith m int or orange; tom ato
w ith oregano and thyme; pork and
ginger. Learn which your family w ill
enjoy. The backs o f the bottles or
cans give you some suggestions to
try.
A little adventure and cre ativity
on your part and you w on’ t need to
give those special seasoning packets
a second glance.
The Oregon State U niversity Ex
tension Service office near you has a
variety o f in fo rm a tio n about food
preparation and buying. I t ’ s a good
source o f ideas fo r getting more for
your food dollar.
H ere’ s a d e lig h tfu lly fla v o r fu l
recipe fo r m a king yo u r ow n taco
seasoning mix in clu d in g the direc
tions for making tacos. The impos
sible Taco Pic has been featured in
many magazine ads recently and is a
real w in n e r. You can use your
homemade taco sauce fo r this, too.
label and store at room temperature
indefinitely. T o use: Brown I pound
ground beef in skillet; drain o ff ex
cess fat; sprinkle 1 package mix over
meat and stir to blend. Add 'A cup
water and 1 tbsp. catsup. Simmer
and stir, uncovered, fo r 10 minutes
or u n til w ater has evaporated.
Spoon into taco shells and top with
chopped o n io n , grated cheddar
cheese, chopped tom atoes and
shredded lettuce.
IM PO SSIBLE TACO P IE
The pie that does the impossible
SAFEWAY
Boneless
Chuck Roast
Assorted
Pork Chops
Town House
17 0z. Can
Franco American
14.75 Oz. Can
Town House Cut
Or Sliced. 16 Oz. Can
Safeway, Regular
Chicken Or Liver, 26 Oz. Can
Celebrity Pieces
& Stems, 4 Oz. Can
Regular And Unbleached
25» Off Label, 10 Lb. Bag
All PUMPOS!
spa
I4 cup instant minced onion
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons salt
I tablespoon crushed hot red
pepper flakes
I tablespoon instant minced garlic
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons oregano, crushed well
ft pieces o f aluminum fo il, ft inches
square or ft small envelopes
Combine and mix all ingredients.
Spoon six even portions o f mix onto
fo il pieces or into envelopes. Wrap,
Pancake
M ix
Krusteaz Buttermilk Or
Wheat & Honey, 3.5 Lb Pkg.
Beef Or
Regular
* 16oz. Pkg.
Beef
Rib Steak
$168
h. I
Leaf Spinach
Sw eet Peas
Spaghetti
Green Beans
Dog Food
Mushrooms
3-Pound Coffee
Bath Tissue
Gold M edal
Flour
S158
$158
■ I Lb.
Loin Ends
And
Center Cuts
Town House
15 Oz. Can
Armour
Hot Dogs
Safeway
Quality
“ Boneless Beef
Pink
Salmon
s29?
s175
Frozen,
Whole Or Half
1 2 to 4-Lbs.
Safeway
^Quality End
Cantaloupe
SUPER
SAVER
3 » ,s1 San Joaquin Valley Sweet Melons
3.. ,s1
3., rSl
3 f , s1
31., sl Bartlett Pears
2 » s1 Sweet Corn
$C48
Maxwell House. Reg.,
Or Auto Drip
15 cl
Ir Casaba I
Melons
;
U S No 1
Tenoei lo c a l
Golden f
w
e.77C
Brownie
M ix
Nice ’N Soft
4 Roll Package
Russet Potatoes
N oith.\e-
Grown
Lb.
u29c
5ror59C
10¿ab999C
Betty Crocker German
Chocolate, 19 Oz. Pkg.
Contact
Light Bulbs
¡?&©99c ©
Soft White
60W, 75W
* Or 100W
TA CO SEA SON I N O M IX
Makes 6 packages m ix , each
yielding about 8 tacos.
plate, 10x I'A inches. Cook and stir
beef and onion u n til brown; drain.
S tir in seasoning m ix. Spread in
plate; top w ith chilies. Beat m ilk ,
biscuit mix and eggs un til smooth,
13 seconds in blender on high or I
minute w ith hand beater. Pour into
plate. Bake 23 m inutes. T op w ith
tom atoes and cheese. Bake u n til
kn ife inserted in center comes out
clean, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 3
m inutes. Serve w ith sour cream ,
chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce
and cheese i f desired. 6 to 8 serv
ings.
by making its own crust.
1 pound ground beef
'A cup chopped onion
1 envelope (1'/« ounces) taco
seasoning mix or homemade
seasoning combination
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green
chilies, drained
1 !4 cups m ilk
% cup biscuit mix
3 eggs
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or
cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 400°. Crease pie
Luncheon
M eat
Magesty Luncheon
Favorite, 12 Oz. Can
J $189
■ Pack
Buffetin
NyQuil
«
I
SUPER ■ Cold Capsules
U p 20 Count
M Package
Analgesic Tablets
100 Count
$299
$249
Nighttime Cold
Medicine, 14 Oz.
Price Effective 9 /8 /8 2 at Safeways in the Portland Area
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SAFEWAY