Betty Crocker - Betty Crocker Fast From-Scratch Meals

Copyright 2016 by General Mills, Minneapolis, Minnesota. All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

www.hmhco.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Crocker, Betty, author.

Title: Fast from scratch / Betty Crocker

Description: Boston : Houghton MIfflin Harcourt, [2015] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015042720 (print) | LCCN 2015047488 (ebook) | ISBN 9780544714458 (trade paper) | ISBN 9780544714472 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Quick and easy cooking. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX833.5 .C687 2015 (print) | LCC TX833.5 (ebook) | DDC 641.5/12 dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015042720

V1.0316

GENERAL MILLS

Owned Media and Publishing Director: Amy Halford

Owned Media and Publishing Manager: Audra Carson

Senior Editors: Grace Wells and Cathy Swanson

Food Editor: Lori Fox

Kayla Knudson, Editorial Associate

Recipe Development and Testing: Betty Crocker Kitchens

Photography: General Mills Photography Studios and Image Library

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

Publisher: Natalie Chapman

Editorial Director: Cindy Kitchel

Executive Editor: Anne Ficklen

Editorial Associate: Molly Aronica

Managing Editor: Marina Padakis

Production Editor: Helen Seachrist

Cover Design: Tai Blanche

Interior Design and Layout: Tai Blanche

Senior Production Coordinator: Kimberly Kiefer

Dear Friends,

It never ceases to amaze what a handful of fresh ingredients, a few simple steps and 30 minutes can produce. Youre on your way to turning out an impressive homemade mealno takeout needed! Look here for fantastic fresh recipes to get dinner on the table in no time. Youll also find recipes for jams and pickled veggies that are great to have on hand and add that something extra which only homemade can do. While youll spend only 20 minutes prepping these yummy additions, it takes additional inactive time until theyre ready to eatbut well worth the wait!

From salads to skillet meals to dessert, its clear that less can be more. Eye-opening are tasty examples of how a recipe can easily become more than the sum of its parts.

Whether its your local farmers market for interesting new ingredients like , a roadside stand for freshly picked produce or your favorite grocery store committed to carrying locally sourced meats, its worth buying fresh, in season and close to home. Thats the crux of fast from scratch. Because when you start with amazing ingredients, the end result is always a fantastic dish.

So take a peek inside. Well introduce you to new food ideas and show you how to combine fresh ingredients to make meals you can be proud of and that your family will ask for again and againperfect for any night of the week.

Happy Cooking!

Theres no better way to hold on to the taste of summer than by canning produce picked at the peak of ripeness, and when it comes to gift giving, whats better to have on hand than jars of homemade jelly or jam? Sure, you could buy these things, but making them yourself means you can use the best ingredients possible for fresh taste thats beyond compare. Also, homemade versions dont have the preservatives that store-bought varieties may contain.

When making your own foods, the right storage container is important. Follow these general guidelines:

Jams, Jellies and Preserves: For freezer jams, choose plastic containers that are meant to go in the freezer, or use glass preserving jars with no curves under the neck of the jar. Be sure to choose a size that will leave enough room for expansion. For water-bath processed jams, use glass jars specifically made for canning (regular or wide-mouth) with lids and bands.

Fruit Butter: Wide-mouth glass preserving jars or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids help fruit butter stay fresher longer.

Chutney: For chutney that will be frozen, choose plastic containers that are meant to go in the freezer, or use glass preserving jars with no curves under the neck of the jar. Be sure to choose a size that will leave enough room for expansion. For chutney that will be refrigerated only, choose wide-mouth glass preserving jars or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.

Pickle Slices: Go for glass preserving jars (regular or wide-mouth) with lids and bands.

Pickled Vegetables: For these, its important to use nonreactive covered containers.

Dried Vegetables: Choose tightly covered containers.

Seasoning Mixes: For these, opt for small containers with tight-fitting lids.

Dessert Mixes: Choose food-safe glass jars with screw-on lids to show off the layers.

Grow some fresh herbs for cookingits fun to be able to snip just a bit of basil to add to a salad when the container is on your windowsill. Or why not have a small pot of rosemary handythe fragrance is amazing! Other herbs that grow well in small pots include parsley, thyme, mint and chives. Remember to snip and use the herbs often to encourage them to grow. Here are some other tips to get you started:

Purchase herbs in small pots or plant seeds in sterilized black dirt available at the garden store.

• Keep the herbs in a warm, sunny spot away from drafts.
• Water sparingly as herbs do not like wet soil.
• Feed once a month with a fertilizer labeled for use on edibles.
• Most herbs benefit from having the flowers pinched off.