It worries me that Sam doesn’t get to eat enough vegetables during weekdays. Although she assures me that the meals in the school cafeteria is decent and that they do serve vegetables, I still worry. Vegetables are notorious for making cooked food spoil faster but I figured that if kept down to the basics and if the vegetables are cooked as a soup, perhaps, the dish can stay fresh in the fridge for a day or two. I decided to try cooking and packing a chicken and vegetables soup for Sam this week. I ought to call her up tomorrow though to say she should reheat and eat this one ahead of the other packed ulam.
What else did she bring? Bistek, chicken afritada, and chicken and potatoes with creamy cheese sauce. Only four ulam this week — Friday is a holiday so she’s coming home on Thursday evening.
Try packing the meat and vegetables seperately. Like for example on the chicken tinola? on the picture, i would put the chicken in a small container submerge in sabaw so the meat does not dry then the just half cook the leafy vegetables and put them in separate container with the potatoes and submerge them in some more sabaw. You can actually freeze these and when ready to eat just thaw and microwave. The veggies will then be cooked just right. I have tried this time and again for my sister in Maryland who comes to visit me in Texas just so she can haul some home cooked kare kare and brisket back with her. I used the half gallon ice cream containers, cook the dish 2 days before she leaves, freeze them and when she gets back to her home after a six hour flight they usually are still frozen. She just have to explain to homeland security at the airport what the contents of those ice cream containers are. I thought that is hilarious. She swears the dish still taste just as good as fresh 2 months later- yeah, sure.
Oh, what a great suggestion! Great, great suggestion. That ought to do the trick — packing meat and veggies separately. Thanks.
This is exactly what I am going to tell you. I learned this technique from my husband. Would you believe? He also told me when I reheat the dish, do not include the vegetable yet, lest it will become soggy. He said add the vegetable while the soup is boiling then turn off the stove after a minute or two so that the vegetables will have sufficient time to absorb the heat.
It’s a good technique too for home use. Boil meat in bulk; add vegetables only just before serving. Your husband knows cooking well. hehehe