It's My Birthday and I'll Eat if I Want To...

When is the one time of the year that I don't feel too guilty about sticking to our food budget? When going to Marzano on Garfield St in Tacoma is fine, even though the price could feed our whole family for almost a week?
On my BIRTHDAY!

So, here's to my favorite restaurant, my favorite husband, and finding a babysitter on Dec 31 who not only didn't charge us but brought me flowers for my birthday (Gracias, Paula!).
P.S. You're probably dying to know what we ate. Ok, I'll share.

I had a salad with greens, prawns, shaved fennel, slivered almonds, sectioned grapefruit, and pomegranate dressing. And yes, it was as amazing as it sounds. All sorts of flavors and textures married in my mouth to produce a more-than-pleasant lunch. Dan ate Linguini Aurora, which had speck (a smoked prosciutto), porcini mushroom, and tomatoes in a heavy cream sauce over linguini.

Tradition!

I love food-based traditions. Especially the ones that involve yummy food, like eating lamb on Easter, candy on Halloween, and massive amounts of steak on my birthday. My favorite, though, is Christmas Eve.
There's nothing I dislike about Christmas Eve: the music, the lights, the anticipation, the smells, but most of all the FOOD.
Our traditions 24th menu isn't extravagant, but to me it equals Christmas. We don't eat turkey, like is so common.
Instead, we eat roast chicken, Russian potato salad, empanadas (if I'm feeling ambitious), and for dessert, flan. Not only are these nostalgia-inducing foods delicious, but they are extremely affordable.
What is your traditional Christmas meal? Not the cookies and such, but the food -- if it were up to you -- you'd make every Christmas because it just isn't Christmas without it?

Winter Frittata

I'm a sucker for squash, both the sport and the food. But since this is a food blog, I'll focus on the food.
Yellow squash and zucchini are excellent fall/winter food. They are inexpensive (I bought 2 small of each for a total of $1) and their flavor profile lends itself to nearly anything you can imagine.
Yesterday, I added the squash to onions, cumin, oregano, garlic, sauteed, and we ate that as burritos. Today I took the leftovers and made a frittata.
There was between 1-2 cups of this mixture left. I added 8 slices of cubed Canadian Bacon which I crisped up (bacon or panchetta would have been yummier, but this is what I had on hand). Then I whipped up 4 eggs and 2 egg whites with a smidge of milk and a bit of kosher salt. I poured the mixture over the leftover squash and ham and cooked it over low heat for 10 minutes, then tossed it in a 350 degree oven for another 10 minutes.
I sliced it like a pie and served up one slice per plate, along with some toast. It was a delicious and filling dinner, not to mention very healthy and wallet-friendly.

My Green Love

When I was in junior high, my friends and I would sing this song all the time. It mentions "some of those tasty sprouts, the ones that they call Brussels." I had no idea what it was talking about, and it didn't matter because we changed it to "Russell" after the boy my friend Jeta had a crush on.

My first experience with Brussel sprouts was a terrible one. Imagine spending all day on the train, then finally arriving at a youth hostel in Prague, where I was promised dinner but given instead a bowl of greasy broth with one floating Brussel sprout. I was 16 and didn't know that this was the first course. I thought that was it. That's the day I discovered that my mom was right: when you're really hungry, you actually will eat what's given to you.

A few years ago, I decided to give said sprouts the benefit of the doubt. What has resulted is a life-long love affair with Brussel sprouts. I love them steamed, boiled, and especially roasted. I love them in butter, drizzled in olive oil and sea salt, or marinated in balsamic. I love them the way Dan made them last night, steam roasted in lemon pepper marinade mixed with pork sirloin.

I have yet to follow an actual recipe for Brussel sprouts because I haven't felt like it was necessary. They are inexpensive if you catch the right season and a good grocer. I just bought a stem for $2 and it fed us plenty with leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Even the frozen sprouts, when doctored correctly, are inexpensive and delicious.

Do you have a favorite way of eating Brussel sprouts? Or are you phobic?

The One Thing...

As you may or may not have noticed, I have no problem cutting corners when it seems appropriate. My time is valuable, and as much as I love food, I love my down time even more.

Therefore, on days where I'll be preparing massive amounts of food (i.e. Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve), I admit to taking a shortcut or two, especially if it saves me money. Hell, I'll even admit to liking Stove-Top more than homemade dressing.
The one thing I refuse to do the easy way on days like that, regardless of time or cost, is nutmeg. I love freshly grated nutmeg. The pre-grated stuff from the store is fine, but for big meals, I grate my own. Always.
What is your one thing you refuse to do without on big-meal holidays?

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I don't usually bake a lot. Most of all, I don't really like baked goods. Sure, an occasionally brownie is great, or a fresh cinnamon roll every now and again hits the spot, but for the most part, I just avoid baked goods. That is, of course, unless I'm pregnant.
Therefore, I've been eating a LOT of baked goods lately, thanks to the generosity of people who like my waist the way it is and never want it to return to normal size.
One of those people, apparently, is me.
I tried a recipe tonight that my 2nd mom shared with me. Now I'm sharing with you.
Mom B's Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box spice cake mix
1 large can of pureed pumpkin
1 bag chocolate chips
(seriously, that's it)
Mix the pumpkin and the cake mix together until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees on a greased cookie sheet in tablespoon sized drops.

Price?
Cake mix $1, pumpkin $0.88, chocolate chips $1.79 = $3.67 for 3 dozen + cookies (we didn't count because we kept eating them as they came out of the oven).
Compare that to $3.99 for a dozen at the grocery store, and you'll prefer these moist, perfect cookies.

I'm Trying

It's been forever, I know. I just don't have the motivation to cook right now. Mostly because I don't have the motivation to eat. Nausea kicked in during this past month and cooking/eating extra yummy foods are not top priorities. I just shared a PBJ with my toddler and was happy to have gotten it.
Sorry, faithful foodies. I'll come back soon.

Eat to Lose Weight: The Toddler Diet

I saw this post on a foodie blog I follow and thought that those of you who've ever struggled with getting a toddler to eat would enjoy this joke.

Cous-Cous Catchoo

My eldest just started kindergarten. This means, for 6 blissful weeks, it's just my 3 year old with me at home.

Instead of clinging to my making-my-kids-something-and-eating-their-leftovers-for-lunch ways, I've decided to make quick, easy, yet tasty and nutritional(ish) foods for lunch.

Today, this included a couscous salad. Couscous is a grain product made from semolina, basically like a tiny pasta. It's available in all grocery stores, and you can find whole wheat to make it more healthy. I found a tri-colored variety in the bulk section of a local grocery store for $1/lb.

My favorite thing about couscous is that you don't really cook it. You cook it by re hydrating it in boiling liquid (I prefer chicken stock to add flavor) with a 3/4 to 1 ratio, then cover it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Once it's "cooked," the world is your oyster when it comes to eating it.

Today, I started with 1/2 cup of dry couscous, added 3/4 cup chicken stock (actually I use bouillon since it's less expensive). Once it had been covered and sat for a bit, I added 1/2 a cucumber, 1 tomato, a couple ounces of leftover chicken, some lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Easy and delicious.

Normally I'd add some crumbled feta instead of the Parmesan, but there wasn't any at home and I didn't want that as an excuse to eat PBJ.

What's your favorite way to eat couscous?

CWW's Veggie Frittata

My good friend CWW sent me this frittata recipe a million years ago. Cleaning out my inbox, I realized it's a perfect recipe for the end of summer, with farmers' markets aplenty and zucchini appearing where it never had before.

Enjoy!

12 oz fresh or one 10 oz pkg frozen asparagus
1 small yellow pepper, cut into strips
1/2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained
1/3 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
2 cups refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 8 eggs
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 TBSP fresh dill or 1 tsp dry
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
3 or 4 TBSP finely shredded Parmesan

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 2-qt rectangular baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

2. If using fresh asparagus, trim woody bases (or you can peel them with a potato peeler and stretch your dollar). Cut into 1-in pieces.

3. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch water to boil. Add asparagus, yellow pepper, zucchini, and onion. Cover and simmer until just tender. Drain well. Stir in roasted peppers. Spread asparagus-pepper mixture evenly in baking dish and sprinkle with half the mozzarella.

4. Whisk together egg product, milk, dill, salt and black pepper. Whisk in flour, making sure it is completely combined. Pour over vegetables in baking dish. Bake, uncovered, about 35 min or until slightly puffed. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan. Let stand for 10 min before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Frittatas are similar to a Spanish tortilla or even a fat omelet. You can add anything to eggs and it's amazing. I love green onions especially in frittatas and I love to top them with a nice melting cheese. They can be served warm, for dinner, with a nice crusty bread, or cold for brunch. Have fun with these! They're a great way to use up your leftover veggies in a new and exciting way.

Freezer-Friendly Foods

Dear food friends,
I'm looking for some great freezer-friendly foods (that my kids will eat) to start trying out now. That way I can stock my freezer a little at a time, thus softening the blow to my grocery budget and easing my time constraints.
Any help, either recipes or links, would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Flat-Broke

Balsamic/Apple Reduction

On Sunday afternoons, what my brain most thinks about is a long nap, not Sunday dinner. I try to keep things simple on Sunday. Today, I pulled out a couple of cheats.

*DISCLAIMER* As a foodie, I know I'm supposed to cook fresh and from
scratch. As a mom, a very pregnant lady, and a very tired person, I'm letting
you in on my secret. I cheat sometimes.

Today, my cheats included a George Foreman grill and a packet of Knorr sauce. Knorr sauces aren't like other prepackaged sauces. They're -- in my opinion -- more homemade tasting, richer in flavor, and worth the $1.19 you pay per package.
Another sauce I consider a "cheat" because it's so easy is a balsamic reduction. It literally takes minutes and mere pennies worth of ingredients, yet it enhances any meal. For example, today's meal:

First, I threw some thin pork sirloin on the GFG with a little kosher salt. Second, I put about 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan with about a cup of apple juice and put it on medium high heat. Next, I threw a box of whole wheat shells to boil. While that was going, I mixed up a packet of Knorr sauce, creamy pesto (my fave). I follow the directions but add about half a cup of milk more than it says, to stretch it out some.

Then I prepared a quick cucumber and tomato salad. When I was done with that, I took the pork off the grill, then threw some frozen peas at the bottom of a colander (about a cup). Then I tossed the al dente pasta on the peas and rinsed it well. A simple toss of the pasta, peas, and pesto together made and easy side dish.

By the time all that was done, the reduction was at a nice, thick syrup. It should be a little runnier than hershey's chocolate syrup to be just right. I drizzled it over the pork and served up a quick, delicious meal.

A good balsamic reduction is very sweet, believe it or not. I've seen it used on fruit for dessert, on crepes, and on nearly anything you can imagine. My preference is over meat, because it is a very rich taste and complimentary to red meat and poultry alike.

Give it a try sometime.

Asian Chicken Wraps

This dish was no appetizer - make these for your family along with a side of rice or lo mein, and you've got a impressive full meal.

I was scared to try making these - chicken wraps always seem rather fancy and complex in restaurants.

Turns out, the hardest part of this recipe was mincing the water chestnut and carrots.  Everything else was pretty enjoyable, to be honest.

I started off by stir frying the carrot (6 or 7 babies) and water chestnut (a small can of Sun Luck brand) together, with a couple of splashes of soy sauce, some black pepper, and barely a pinch of crushed red pepper, to make things interesting.

Next, I diced and tossed in the meat of four fully cooked chicken thighs (much tastier and better texture than breast) which were already boiled in water with a bit of chicken stock to preserve the flavor.  After mixing, I added in about 4 teaspoons of hoisin sauce - the signature flavor in most wraps I've sampled- and a tablespoon of oyster sauce to complement the hoisin with some meatiness.

I stir fried it all together at medium high heat for about 4 or 5 minutes, just barely allowing it to reach smoking point.  Garnished with some green onion, and served with some bib lettuce that was on sale.

They tasted great - I recommend a little extra kick with a few drops of my old friend Sriracha (Cock-a-doodle-doo!)

Chicken thighs    -    $1.50

Water chestnut   -    $0.70

Baby carrot       -     $0.20 (I'm guessing)

Hoisin               -     $0.25 (estimate)

Oyster sauce     -     $0.10 (estimate)

Bib lettuce        -      $3.00

Total                       $5.75

And we ate at least twice as much as you get at a restaurant!

Pulled Beef Sandwich

Ok, perhaps the name is a little on the lame side. I'll think of something fitting of this sandwich.
For those Argentine readers, the recipe is basically and estofado that I pulled and served on a roll with an onion and Parmesan on top.
For those of you not so lucky to understand that last sentence, here's the breakdown:
Meat Sauce
First I seared a roast. Then in a crock pot, I put in 1 can stewed tomatoes, 3 cans (small) tomato sauce, 2 bay leaves, some salt, 2 chicken bullion cubes, and 2 whole onions. That's it.
I let it cook all day on high and pulled the meat using 2 forks about an hour before eating.
I served it on a toasted bacci roll with half an onion and Parmesan cheese on top. It was amazing!
A perk - there's enough left over that I can add a little more tomato sauce and maybe some basil to it and serve it over ravioli tomorrow.

Short on Money, Big on Taste

I just found this great article on foods that are healthy that cost less than $1 a pound. Beat that with a crappy McD's burger. I dare you.

Hey Mikey! She Liked It!

So my kids aren't the best eaters. I've tried anything to get them to eat healthy things, but when it comes down to it, they will just kick and scream all the way through that one broccoli crown or one piece of fruit I try and give them.

Yesterday, I took my youngest to the dr's because she was sick. Without going into detail, let's just say her plumbing is clogged. So the doctor told me to give her plenty of liquids and high fiber foods.

I called my mom, because really I had no idea what I could get my kids to eat that was high fiber. She suggested a soup, and it was a HIT! Here's what I did:

Super Creamy Soup

2 carrots

1 onion

1 turnip, peeled

2 celery stalks

1/2 cup broccoli

1 packet original flavor oatmeal

I diced everything and boiled it in salty water. Then I let it cool down a bit and blended everything together. I threw it back in the pot, added 2-3 bouillon cubes, and let it cook another 10 minutes. Then I served it up, topped it with a little cheese, and the girls LOVED it. I toasted some jalapeño-cheddar bread from Harmons (for me) and dunked it straight in the bowl.


Delish, and very nutritious.

Carne Asada Fries

One of my biggest pregnancy cravings is something called Carne Asada Fries. It's not low fat, low cal, or low price. It is also not low flavor. It's amazing.

Unfortunately for me, the price has recently gone up to $8 a serving (which usually lasts me one meal and a snack). Since I really only have $20 a month to spend on whatever I want, $8 is a lot of moola, even if the food is scrumptious.

Therefore, I tried to recreate this dish at home and was pleasantly surprised at the yum factor.

I started with a bag of steak fries ($2.50) and baked them. Then I tossed half a bag of Mexi mix cheese ($1.50), one lb of steak that we diced and cooked at home with some salt, cumin, and lemon juice ($3). After melting it all together, we added fat free sour cream (maybe a quarter?), homemade guac(50 cents), and some canned salsa from the Mexican aisle (another 75 cents worth). I added a little kosher salt to the top and dug in. It was AMAZING. And at $8.50 to feed 4 people instead of $8 to feed one (and a half) person, it was a delicious bargain.

Inari Sushi

If you've been wanting to try making or serving sushi to someone, this is one recipe to try.  For most people, there are at least two stereotypes holding you/them back:

• Sushi has raw fish: False!  Sushi is just vinegared rice.  The fish is optional.
• Sushi is expensive and difficult to make: Sometimes.  It depends on the ingredients you choose.  This recipe was ultra cheap, and uses a minimum of ingredients.

I thought about writing out my recipe, but there are so many that you can google on your own, and half the fun is experimenting with what works for you.  Me, I chose to leave out the Mirin sauce (we don't have any in the house).  I bought he aburaage tofu pouches in the frozen section of Super China market in Sandy (fast becoming a favorite spot on my map) for less than two dollars. 
Making Inari is a little labor intensive, but a lot of fun.  It took no coaxing whatsoever to get our girls to try them.  They are very filling.  We ate just these and some veggies on the side.  
Itadakimas!

Honey-Miso Glazed Tilapia w/ Soba Noodles

Maybe I can think of a better name for this dish - one that makes it sound cheaper.  But to be honest, I can think of any way to improve it.  I took the idea for the glaze from Alton Brown (thanks!) and tried to build a meal around it with the ingredients I found in the kitchen.
Miso costs about $4 a bag, but a little goes a long ways.  I mixed one tablespoon of red miso with one tablespoon of honey, then brushed it over the two tilapia fillets and baked in the oven at 325 for about 25 minutes.
Soba noodles run about $2 for a pack of 8 generous servings, if you get them a good Asian grocer (thank you, Super China in Sandy!).  I boiled the noodles, rinsed them out with cool water (they are usually served chilled), then tossed in some toasted sesame seeds, a few halved grape tomatoes for acidity, and a few splashes of chili-garlic oil.
On the whole, this dish was pretty great.  The flavors and textures balanced each other out very nicely. 

• Tilapia - $3.00
• Soba noodle - $.25
• All other ingredients - <$1.00

Not bad, eh?