I finally made a couple things worth sharing. I'll start with this one since you may also be looking for a way to use your abundant tomatoes. We had a bowlful, so I broke one of my own cooking rules and made spaghetti sauce from scratch. It wasn't too bad to make and the sauce turned out pretty well. Lauren had thirds.
Since I had tomatoes and basil in the garden, I doled out the 99 cents for fresh parsley (by the way, what else do I make with fresh parsley?). The recipe is from food.com, but I don't feel like looking for the link. I found it by doing a Bing search for spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.
Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
4 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (I'd peel them too)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet or heavy saucepan. Add onion, basil, garlic, and salt; saute until onion is tender, 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, and sugar; heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring often, or until sauce has thickened. Remove parsley. (Edited to add: at this point, I used an immersion blender to mostly puree the sauce so it was smoother and more like jarred spaghetti sauce.) Serve over spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.
I read another recipe that said to add half a carrot to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and add some sweetness, so I did that, and I thought the sauce was almost too sweet. If you do that, I would reduce the sugar a bit.
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Popsicles
Popsicles are a refreshing treat in the summer heat, and these homemade ones can't be beat!
Really though, these are naturally sweetened, have no artificial colors or flavors and are still cheap. And tasty. You could totally have one for breakfast. It's basically a frozen smoothie. I always forget to take pictures of stuff, so I'll try to remember the next time I make some.
I have two sets of popsicle molds. Some cheap ones from Ikea (in pink) and a set from Amazon that is similar, but not identical, to these. I prefer the latter, but really any old popsicle mold will do just fine.
Banana Fudge Pops
from Real Food Real Deals (I like a lot of her recipes)
2 cups sliced ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
2 T maple syrup
1/2 t vanilla
Blend everything until smooth, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
Strawberry Mango Lime Popsicles
from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
half of one mango
1 cup of strawberries
1/4 cup lime juice
1-2 T honey or maple syrup
Blend everything until smooth, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
Really though, these are naturally sweetened, have no artificial colors or flavors and are still cheap. And tasty. You could totally have one for breakfast. It's basically a frozen smoothie. I always forget to take pictures of stuff, so I'll try to remember the next time I make some.
I have two sets of popsicle molds. Some cheap ones from Ikea (in pink) and a set from Amazon that is similar, but not identical, to these. I prefer the latter, but really any old popsicle mold will do just fine.
Banana Fudge Pops
from Real Food Real Deals (I like a lot of her recipes)
2 cups sliced ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
2 T maple syrup
1/2 t vanilla
Blend everything until smooth, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
Strawberry Mango Lime Popsicles
from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
half of one mango
1 cup of strawberries
1/4 cup lime juice
1-2 T honey or maple syrup
Blend everything until smooth, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Slow Cooker Chicken and Homemade Chicken Broth
A whole chicken is a good investment of your grocery money. They are pretty cheap, usually around 99 cents a pound, and they can last for several meals, especially if you make your own chicken broth with the bones. I have been making this slow cooker chicken for a while. It is not the most amazing roast chicken you will ever have - it doesn't have any butter rubbed on it and the skin doesn't get crispy, but you also don't have to worry about changing the temperature, flipping the bird, basting or checking the temperature and unless you really overcook it, it shouldn't be dry. Meals that I can put in during naptime and not worry about until dinner are right up my alley.
I made this chicken last Tuesday and we had it with a green salad and some sauteed yellow squash that night, then Preston had chicken on his salad for lunch the next two days and I used the leftovers to make Chicken and Peas Fried Rice on Thursday. I felt frugal.
Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food
2 t paprika
1 t salt
1 t onion powder
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken
Mix all the spices together and rub all over your chicken, including in the cavity and under the skin on the breast. Loosely dice the onion and put in the bottom of the slow cooker, then place the chicken on top of the onions and cook on high 4-6 hours until the chicken is falling off the bone.
You should never make bone-in chicken without keeping the bones and making chicken broth with them. All you do is put the bones back in the slow cooker, add a loosely chopped onion (you can include the skin), a couple of loosely chopped carrots, some celery if you keep it around, a bay leaf, some peppercorns, or parsley. Really you can use any vegetables and herbs you have lying around if you like the flavor. Then cover the bones with water and turn on low before you go to bed. In the morning, let the broth cool a bit, then strain out the bones and veggies and pour the broth through a strainer into containers. If you have cheesecloth you can use that to strain off some of the gunky stuff that collects at the bottom. I store the broth in old cottage cheese and yogurt containers. Let it cool in the fridge for a day, then you can skim the fat off the top and freeze it until needed. You will need to add additional salt to the recipes you use this broth in since no salt is added to it.
I made this chicken last Tuesday and we had it with a green salad and some sauteed yellow squash that night, then Preston had chicken on his salad for lunch the next two days and I used the leftovers to make Chicken and Peas Fried Rice on Thursday. I felt frugal.
Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food
2 t paprika
1 t salt
1 t onion powder
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken
Mix all the spices together and rub all over your chicken, including in the cavity and under the skin on the breast. Loosely dice the onion and put in the bottom of the slow cooker, then place the chicken on top of the onions and cook on high 4-6 hours until the chicken is falling off the bone.
You should never make bone-in chicken without keeping the bones and making chicken broth with them. All you do is put the bones back in the slow cooker, add a loosely chopped onion (you can include the skin), a couple of loosely chopped carrots, some celery if you keep it around, a bay leaf, some peppercorns, or parsley. Really you can use any vegetables and herbs you have lying around if you like the flavor. Then cover the bones with water and turn on low before you go to bed. In the morning, let the broth cool a bit, then strain out the bones and veggies and pour the broth through a strainer into containers. If you have cheesecloth you can use that to strain off some of the gunky stuff that collects at the bottom. I store the broth in old cottage cheese and yogurt containers. Let it cool in the fridge for a day, then you can skim the fat off the top and freeze it until needed. You will need to add additional salt to the recipes you use this broth in since no salt is added to it.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Meatless Shepherds Pie
I couldn't figure out where to put the apostrophe in the title of this post, so I just left it out. I'm sure you'll all weigh in on the subject.
The following adjectives apply to this dish: cheap, healthful, filling, warm, easy, tasty. What more could you want? Preston and the kids would probably prefer regular shepherds pie, with ground beef, frozen veggies and cream of mushroom soup, but this super cheap version is more likely to appear on our dinner table this fall and winter.
Meatless Shepherds Pie
recipe from The Cheapskate Cook
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon olive oil, butter or fat from chicken stock
1/4 – 1/2 cup onion (to taste), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or other vinegar
1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or a few drops of hot sauce
1 cup frozen sweet corn (optional)
Pour lentils into a small saucepan and cover with stock or water until stock or water level is one inch above lentils. Bring lentils to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and allow lentils to cook for 20 minutes or so until done.
Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan, cover them with water, add a teaspoon of salt, and bring them to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes until they are tender and pierced easily with a fork.
Drain the lentils in a colander.
Sauté onion in the small saucepan until soft. Add thyme, spices, lentils, vinegar, ketchup and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the onions and stir to combine add a splash of chicken stock or water (about 1/2 cup) to the lentil mixture and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
When potatoes are tender, drain them, transfer them to a large bowl and mash them well, blending together the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. Stir in butter, milk, salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour lentil mixture evenly into a pie pan or 8×8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle lentils with frozen sweet corn. Spread potatoes evenly on top of the corn.
The following adjectives apply to this dish: cheap, healthful, filling, warm, easy, tasty. What more could you want? Preston and the kids would probably prefer regular shepherds pie, with ground beef, frozen veggies and cream of mushroom soup, but this super cheap version is more likely to appear on our dinner table this fall and winter.
Meatless Shepherds Pie
recipe from The Cheapskate Cook
1 cup lentils, rinsed
2 pounds of a combination of potatoes and sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon olive oil, butter or fat from chicken stock
1/4 – 1/2 cup onion (to taste), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or other vinegar
1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or a few drops of hot sauce
1 cup frozen sweet corn (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pour lentils into a small saucepan and cover with stock or water until stock or water level is one inch above lentils. Bring lentils to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and allow lentils to cook for 20 minutes or so until done.
Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan, cover them with water, add a teaspoon of salt, and bring them to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes until they are tender and pierced easily with a fork.
Drain the lentils in a colander.
Sauté onion in the small saucepan until soft. Add thyme, spices, lentils, vinegar, ketchup and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the onions and stir to combine add a splash of chicken stock or water (about 1/2 cup) to the lentil mixture and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
When potatoes are tender, drain them, transfer them to a large bowl and mash them well, blending together the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. Stir in butter, milk, salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour lentil mixture evenly into a pie pan or 8×8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle lentils with frozen sweet corn. Spread potatoes evenly on top of the corn.
Bake the pie in a 375-degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until heated through.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Vegetarian Asian Lettuce Wraps
This recipe is everything I'm looking for a dinner recipe. It's healthy, frugal, easy to prepare, and delicious. This was my first time having lettuce wraps and they were good. If the wraps aren't working though, I think you could just chop up the lettuce and have it as a salad. I thought her idea of serving it with egg fried quinoa was a great idea too, although I haven't tried it.
Asian Lettuce Wraps from Super Healthy Kids
2 tsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced (or substitute dried)
3 cups black beans, rinsed (2 cans or about 1 1/3 cups dry)
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
3 green onions, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
one head bibb, iceberg, or romaine lettuce, washed and leaves separated
for the sauce:
4 T soy sauce
4T brown sugar
1/2 t. sesame oil
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 t fresh ginger, minced (or substitute dry)
Saute garlic, ginger, carrots, mushrooms and onion in oil, adding water if necessary, until cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cilantro and beans and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add to saute pan (you may not need all of it) and bring to a boil. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves.
Asian Lettuce Wraps from Super Healthy Kids
2 tsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced (or substitute dried)
3 cups black beans, rinsed (2 cans or about 1 1/3 cups dry)
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
3 green onions, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
one head bibb, iceberg, or romaine lettuce, washed and leaves separated
for the sauce:
4 T soy sauce
4T brown sugar
1/2 t. sesame oil
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 t fresh ginger, minced (or substitute dry)
Saute garlic, ginger, carrots, mushrooms and onion in oil, adding water if necessary, until cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cilantro and beans and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add to saute pan (you may not need all of it) and bring to a boil. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Best Budget Recipes: Mush
Or, yet another variation on beans and rice.
Just what you wanted. Another recipe involving legumes and brown rice. Hey, when you're in the beans and rice, rice and beans stage of life, you look for variations on a very cheap theme.
I really liked this meal. Andrew really liked it too. Preston ate it. Lauren held one small forkful in her mouth for quite a while until she was threatened and finally swallowed it. I'm sure I'll be making it again soon!
adapted from The Cheapskate Cook (and by adapted, I mean, I cut the recipe in half)
1 cup lentils
1 cup brown rice
4 cups chicken broth (have you ever made your own?)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mix the lentils, rice, and broth in a saucepan, and boil around 25-30 minutes until everything is tender and broth is absorbed. Stir in tomato sauce and salt (I added quite a bit, but my chicken broth was unsalted) and plop it all into a square baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until cheese is melty
Just what you wanted. Another recipe involving legumes and brown rice. Hey, when you're in the beans and rice, rice and beans stage of life, you look for variations on a very cheap theme.
I really liked this meal. Andrew really liked it too. Preston ate it. Lauren held one small forkful in her mouth for quite a while until she was threatened and finally swallowed it. I'm sure I'll be making it again soon!
adapted from The Cheapskate Cook (and by adapted, I mean, I cut the recipe in half)
1 cup lentils
1 cup brown rice
4 cups chicken broth (have you ever made your own?)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mix the lentils, rice, and broth in a saucepan, and boil around 25-30 minutes until everything is tender and broth is absorbed. Stir in tomato sauce and salt (I added quite a bit, but my chicken broth was unsalted) and plop it all into a square baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until cheese is melty
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Eggs and Noodles
How about a super simple, super quick, super cheap and satisfying meal for quick weeknight dinners or Sunday suppers? Here you go. This meal is in the running with Spicy Pintos for the cheapest meal ever. AND, my Lauren, who only eats eggs in the form of french toast or "germinal" pancakes, ate her entire serving and proclaimed, "Eggs are yummy for me!" WIN. This is a good little recipe to have in your arsenal.
Recipe from More With Less cookbook
2 cups wide ribbon noodles
2 T butter
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk, cream or half-and-half
parsley and shredded parmesan, optional
Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain. Melt butter in a large skillet, add noodles and stir fry for a couple minutes. Beat eggs with milk, then add to skillet, and scramble together until eggs are set. Top with parsley and parmesan cheese. Pair with a simple green salad and dinner is served.
Recipe from More With Less cookbook
2 cups wide ribbon noodles
2 T butter
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk, cream or half-and-half
parsley and shredded parmesan, optional
Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain. Melt butter in a large skillet, add noodles and stir fry for a couple minutes. Beat eggs with milk, then add to skillet, and scramble together until eggs are set. Top with parsley and parmesan cheese. Pair with a simple green salad and dinner is served.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Honey Baked Chicken and Baked Brown Rice
Chicken legs are one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can buy. I have found them for as low as 59 cents a pound. If you usually shy away from dark meat because you think it is less healthy, now is the time to change! I even heard Dr. Oz say that this is a fallacy and white meat has no greater health benefits. In fact, dark meat may help lower your cholesterol. It also has more iron, plus I think it is tastier. This recipe takes minutes to prepare and is a perfectly warm dinner for a chilly evening. The original recipe is from the More with Less cookbook, but I found it on Whole Eat & Whole Treats.
Honey Baked Chicken
4 chicken leg quarters
1/3 cup honey
2 T melted butter
1 T prepared mustard
1.5 t curry powder
1 t salt
Place the chicken in a casserole dish. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Bake at 350 for about an hour and a half, basting 3 or 4 times with the pan juices.
This chicken is delicious with brown rice. If you have a hard time cooking rice on the stovetop, try baking in the oven following the recipe below. It always turns out perfectly. The chicken would probably also be great with mashed potatoes, spooning some of the sauce over the top.
Baked Brown Rice
1.5 cups brown rice
2.5 cups water
2 t butter
1 t salt
Put everything in an 8 inch casserole dish and cover tightly with foil. Baked at 350 for an hour to an hour and a half.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Lentil Rice Casserole
I really like lentils. They're probably my favorite legume. They are versatile, quick cooking, and like most beans, they're inexpensive. One of my favorite lentil recipes is one I got from a dinner group member while I was at BYU. So thanks LaRisa, wherever you are now.
Here is the original recipe:
Lentil Rice Casserole
3 c water
3/4 c lentils
1/2 c brown rice
3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 t basil
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t garlic powder
1 T chicken stock
Shredded cheese for garnish
Mix together and bake for 2 hours or cook in slow cooker for a few hours. Top with cheese.
That recipe is good, but I use the lentil/rice mix as a meat substitute for tacos, so here is my variation:
3 c water
3/4 c lentils
1/2 c brown rice
1/4 c chopped onion or 1/4 t onion powder
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t garlic
1 t salt
1 t pepper
optional: 1 can regular diced tomatoes or Rotel
Mix everything but salt and tomatoes in slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. Add salt and tomatoes and cook on low until ready to serve. Depending on your slow cooker, you may need to add water to keep it from burning.
I serve this in tortillas with shredded cheese and sour cream.
Here is the original recipe:
Lentil Rice Casserole
3 c water
3/4 c lentils
1/2 c brown rice
3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 t basil
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t garlic powder
1 T chicken stock
Shredded cheese for garnish
Mix together and bake for 2 hours or cook in slow cooker for a few hours. Top with cheese.
That recipe is good, but I use the lentil/rice mix as a meat substitute for tacos, so here is my variation:
3 c water
3/4 c lentils
1/2 c brown rice
1/4 c chopped onion or 1/4 t onion powder
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t garlic
1 t salt
1 t pepper
optional: 1 can regular diced tomatoes or Rotel
Mix everything but salt and tomatoes in slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. Add salt and tomatoes and cook on low until ready to serve. Depending on your slow cooker, you may need to add water to keep it from burning.
I serve this in tortillas with shredded cheese and sour cream.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Best Budget Meals: Classic Black Beans & Rice
Now that my husband has graduated and has a "real" job, we are poorer than ever. True story. So I am planning very economical meals and thought I would do a collection here. I'm always mystified when people talk about $10 dinners as if that is cheap. A $10 dinner every night is $300 for a month - that's more than our entire monthly food budget - and what about breakfast and lunch? These meals are much less than $10 and they are some of our favorites.
We have this meal almost weekly and it never fails to satisfy. I don't even look at the recipe anymore - I just eyeball everything and it always turns out delicious. I haven't added up the cost, but I'm guessing it is about a $2 dinner.
Classic Black Beans and Rice
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of black beans (undrained, although I sometimes do drain and rinse them)
3/4 cup water
1 t oregano
1/4 t sugar
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 t ground cumin
several shakes of garlic salt
1 T apple cider vinegar
Heat oil in a medium saucepan and saute onion, green pepper and garlic until tender, 8-10 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and stir until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced, about 20 minutes. You can mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon to flavor the sauce. Serve over white rice (I typically use brown rice, but this is one meal where I always use white rice). I like to serve this with thick slices of tomato on the side and probably another green or orange vegetable.
I have also gone through some previous recipes and added a "budget" tag, so you can click on the tag at the bottom of this post to see more examples of inexpensive and easy dinners.
We have this meal almost weekly and it never fails to satisfy. I don't even look at the recipe anymore - I just eyeball everything and it always turns out delicious. I haven't added up the cost, but I'm guessing it is about a $2 dinner.
Classic Black Beans and Rice
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of black beans (undrained, although I sometimes do drain and rinse them)
3/4 cup water
1 t oregano
1/4 t sugar
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 t ground cumin
several shakes of garlic salt
1 T apple cider vinegar
Heat oil in a medium saucepan and saute onion, green pepper and garlic until tender, 8-10 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and stir until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced, about 20 minutes. You can mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon to flavor the sauce. Serve over white rice (I typically use brown rice, but this is one meal where I always use white rice). I like to serve this with thick slices of tomato on the side and probably another green or orange vegetable.
I have also gone through some previous recipes and added a "budget" tag, so you can click on the tag at the bottom of this post to see more examples of inexpensive and easy dinners.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Pasta Carbonara
I'm sure this technique has been around for a long time, but I just found out about it. It makes a quick and cheap dinner. You can vary the amounts depending on the size of your crowd, but this is what I did.
1/2 box pasta Note: We pretty much only use Ronzoni pasta now. They have three different varieties: Smart Taste, which is regular white pasta enriched with calcium, vitamin D, and fiber; Garden Delight, which is made with vegetables (a regular serving has 1/2 serving of vegetables); and Healthy Harvest, which is whole grain. I like all three. I usually do whole grain spaghetti, the garden type of penne or similar, and Smart Taste macaroni. I can usually get this brand free or close to free with coupons, so we always have a decent supply on hand.
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup parmesan (I use the cheap kind in a can)
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled bacon
Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it is cooking, beat the eggs with the parmesan and salt and pepper. When pasta is done, drain it and immediately return to the pan. Dump in egg mixture and mix. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Top with crumbled bacon and more parmesan if desired and serve.
Note: Theoretically, the pasta will completely cook the eggs. I'm not sure how thoroughly I believe that, so use caution in serving to young children. I always just pull out a serving before I put the pasta back in the pan, and serve it with butter and cheese.
1/2 box pasta Note: We pretty much only use Ronzoni pasta now. They have three different varieties: Smart Taste, which is regular white pasta enriched with calcium, vitamin D, and fiber; Garden Delight, which is made with vegetables (a regular serving has 1/2 serving of vegetables); and Healthy Harvest, which is whole grain. I like all three. I usually do whole grain spaghetti, the garden type of penne or similar, and Smart Taste macaroni. I can usually get this brand free or close to free with coupons, so we always have a decent supply on hand.
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup parmesan (I use the cheap kind in a can)
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled bacon
Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it is cooking, beat the eggs with the parmesan and salt and pepper. When pasta is done, drain it and immediately return to the pan. Dump in egg mixture and mix. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Top with crumbled bacon and more parmesan if desired and serve.
Note: Theoretically, the pasta will completely cook the eggs. I'm not sure how thoroughly I believe that, so use caution in serving to young children. I always just pull out a serving before I put the pasta back in the pan, and serve it with butter and cheese.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Dinner in a Pumpkin
(Picture not my own)
Have you ever had dinner in a pumpkin? I have. Twice. I first had it in college, thought it was ingenious, and vowed to make it myself someday. That day was today. It was easy, it was delicious, and the missionaries were impressed (So was the husband. The baby was not impressed). There are many variations of recipes out there. I did this:
1-1.5 lbs ground beef/turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 can mushrooms (or fresh would be good)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked rice (I used leftover brown rice - it was good)
Brown the ground beef/turkey with the onion and mushrooms, if applicable. Drain and stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, soup and cooked rice. Meantime, cut the top off a pumpkin and clean it out. Throw the hamburger junk inside, stick it in a roasting pan, and put it in the oven for an hour or so. To serve, scoop out some junk and scrape the sides to get some pumpkin in there too.
Benefit: My pumpkin was decent sized, so I had a lot of roasted pumpkin leftover, which I am mashing and putting in the freezer for pumpkin recipes all winter long. Booyah.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Crock Pot Caribbean Black Bean Soup
This soup is awesome. It is my favorite way to use ham hocks. I am waiting for ham to go on sale so I can get one and cook it up on a day that we are NOT having people over, so there are plenty of leftovers for stuff like this. It's a cinch to throw together too.
1 lb dried black beans, rinsed and sorted
3 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ham hock or 3/4 cup cubed ham
1 T oil
1 T ground cumin
2 t oregano
1 t thyme
1 T salt
1/2 t pepper
3 cups water
2 T vinegar
Soak beans overnight in 4 quarts water. Drain. Combine everything but vinegar in crock pot. Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours or high 8-10 hours. For a thicker soup, puree half of cooked bean mixture in blender and return to cooker. Add vinegar and stire. Debone ham and cut into bite-sized pieces, then return to soup. Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro if you want.
1 lb dried black beans, rinsed and sorted
3 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ham hock or 3/4 cup cubed ham
1 T oil
1 T ground cumin
2 t oregano
1 t thyme
1 T salt
1/2 t pepper
3 cups water
2 T vinegar
Soak beans overnight in 4 quarts water. Drain. Combine everything but vinegar in crock pot. Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours or high 8-10 hours. For a thicker soup, puree half of cooked bean mixture in blender and return to cooker. Add vinegar and stire. Debone ham and cut into bite-sized pieces, then return to soup. Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro if you want.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Spicy Pintos
We like beans. They're healthy, cheap, and delicious. This recipe is a cinch to throw together and very versatile. Recipe is from About.com. I get a slow cooker recipe in my email every Monday from them.
1 pound dried pintos, rinsed, sorted, and soaked overnight
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water, or to cover
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Drain soaked beans. Throw it all in the slow cooker. Cook on high 6-10 hours.
The recipe suggests you serve it with cornbread and slaw. If you're into making slaw, go for it. It can be served with pretty much anything, though. You could add ham and have a main dish (although it's a fine main dish, as is). I usually serve it in a bowl with some shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and avocado if we have one. It also makes very good refried beans - just mash and fry (or would you just call that fried beans, since they're only fried once?).
Let me know how you enjoy it.
Cheers.
1 pound dried pintos, rinsed, sorted, and soaked overnight
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water, or to cover
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Drain soaked beans. Throw it all in the slow cooker. Cook on high 6-10 hours.
The recipe suggests you serve it with cornbread and slaw. If you're into making slaw, go for it. It can be served with pretty much anything, though. You could add ham and have a main dish (although it's a fine main dish, as is). I usually serve it in a bowl with some shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and avocado if we have one. It also makes very good refried beans - just mash and fry (or would you just call that fried beans, since they're only fried once?).
Let me know how you enjoy it.
Cheers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)