The Flat-Broke Foodie

The End is Near?

2011-06-30T19:57:00.001-07:00

Is it time to hang up the apron on this blog?

Hey, Mikey!

2011-06-24T14:47:00.001-07:00

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding healthy food, how our modern lifestyle is detrimental to our health, disastrous farming practices, the vile garbage we call fast food, etc.
Whoever said "Knowledge is power" didn't like Whoppers.
Because I now refuse to take my kids to McDonalds, much to their chagrin, I've been trying to make acceptable (to them) substitutions for "kid foods" at home. Thus today's idea.
Yummy Veggie Nuggets
I usually slice my eggplant and end up with those end pieces that I don't even know what to do with. Today, I cut those end pieces up in little nugget-sized chunks. Egg wash, salt, bread crumbs, pan fried, and a side of ketchup. My 4 year old ate a plateful before thinking to ask what they were.
Since I used leftover bits of eggplant, I'm guessing about 10 - 20 cents a plate of these nuggets.

Help, Please!

2011-06-14T11:20:00.001-07:00

Friends, I have a bucketload of refried pinto beans. Literally, a bucketload. We all know they are inexpensive and easy to prepare and tasty, but I'm seriously thinking if I see another bean burrito I might throw it out the window.
I know there are recipes out there that use beans, other than the obvious Mexi-style ideas. We've done all those.
Will you help me? How should I use my (bigger-than-my-head) tupperware full of beans? Keep in mind they were prepared with garlic and bay, so only savory recipes, please!

Polenta

2011-05-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know why Polenta has escaped my sight for a flatbroke favorite. Polenta is corn meal that has been boiled until it's a creamy, yummy foundation for any meal.
I like to cook my polenta in reduced fat broth for a lighter version or in milk and cheese for a heavier (non-diet friendly) creamier version.
Today, I made 1/4 cup of polenta in 1 cup of broth. Then I topped it with sauteed onions and squash with basil, deglazing the pan with vinegar. It was so comforting, and the whole dish cost less than $1, and I could only eat about half.
Another favorite way to make polenta is with spaghetti sauce instead of pasta.
My FAVORITE way to eat polenta (also the one I never ever do anymore because of the calories) is to wrap it around a piece of mozzarella cheese and deep fat fry it until it turns a light golden brown. Then dip it in marinara. It's spectacular.

Flat-Gross Food

2011-05-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

These are the ingredients in McDonald's chicken nuggets.
Sure, they're inexpensive now, but how much will they cost in the future?

Chicken Breast, Water, Corn Starch Modified, Salt, Flavor(s) Chicken (,, Yeast Extract, Wheat Starch, Flavoring Natural, Safflower Oil, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Rosemary ),, Sodium Phosphate, Seasoning (,, Rosemary Extract, Canola Oil and/or,, Soybean(s) Oil, Mono and Diglycerides, Lecithin ),, Breading (,, Wheat Enriched Bleached Flour (,, Flour, Niacin, Iron Reduced, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid (Vitamin aB) ),, Corn Flour Yellow, Wheat Flour Bleached, Leavening (,, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Lactate ),, Spice(s), Whey, Corn Starch ),, Breading ( set in Vegetable(s) Oil), Vegetable(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated (,, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated and/or,, Corn Oil Partially Hydrogenated and/or,, Canola Oil Partially Hydrogenated and/or,, Cottonseed Oil and/or,, Sunflower Oil and/or,, Corn Oil ),, TBHQ To Preserve Freshness,, Dimethylpolysiloxane An Anti-foaming Agent.

Um, gross. An anti-foaming agent?

Homemade Pitas!

2011-05-16T11:13:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting a good pita recipe for a while. This is the recipe I'll be making today, to eat a yummy pita and hummus snack this afternoon. It looks delish and totally doable. The pita price came out to $0.78 for 8 pitas. Also, this blog I'm linking you to is pretty sweet.
Also, a flatbroke tip from me: Costco sells individual serving sizes of hummus. If you eat prepackaged food in serving size containers, you'll eat less of it (at least I will, especially hummus) and therefore spend less dinero.
Enjoy!

No Wheat? No Prob!

2011-03-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not Catholic, but I do my own version of Lent every year. I think it's a good tradition, and it does our body and spirit good to have a little more self control, IMO.
This year, I decided to give up something I love very much but I know doesn't love me: WHEAT.
I was told by an Iridologist who looked like Dr Ruth's older sister that I have a slight wheat allergy. I know, she's not a doctor, but the eyes don't lie.
Anyway, the less wheat I eat, the better I feel, and that's the truth. That's also what led me to give up wheat for this year's sacrifice.
Many of my favorite foods are made of wheat: bread, pasta, pizza crust, pasta, and pasta. Oh, and pasta. I thought that this would mean a really difficult withdrawal phase for me. Thankfully, that isn't the case. I've found excellent, low cost meals that are not shy on flavor. For example:
This is a 4 oz salmon fillet ($0.75), pan fried with a little Pam, a screaming hot pan, and cooked skin side down. It's seasoned with dill and kosher salt, then covered with the heat lowered. I served it over half a cup of rice and next to some steamed broccoli and asparagus (bought on sale) cooked over the rice. Everything got drizzled with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, and cost easily less than $1.75 for the whole meal.
Was it delicious? YES.
Did I miss wheat? NO.
I'm open to no-wheat recipes, if you'd like to share your favorites. And by "I'm open" I mean, please share.

Yummy Bread and a Guest Blogger

2011-03-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

What? Baking on FlatBroke? No worries, folks. It's not from me but from an handsome man who happens to be my brother.
Here's the best part. For both loaves of bread, Paul estimates that it costs less than 50 cents. Legen (wait for it) dary.
Knock 'em dead, bro.
-------

Last night I was craving bread. Not your standard out-of-the bag type of bread but something with some substance to it. I looked around for recipes of bread that would satisfy my cravings but they all seemed so complicated and time-consuming. I really wanted a crunchy baguette with some cheese but that would take much more time than I was willing to invest, after all, it was 10:30 p.m. I considered going to the store to buy some but I didn’t want to change out of my pajamas. So I did what most sensible foodies would do and Googled “easy bread recipe.” I found one and promptly set to work, encouraged by some of my insomniac Facebook friends.

I took out a large mixing bowl out of the cupboard and put in 2/3 cup of sugar. (Yes, that’s a lot of sugar but isn’t bread mostly carbohydrates anyway?) I added 2 cups of really hot tap water and mixed them until the sugar melted. I then added 1 ½ tablespoons of active dry yeast and let it sit for 20 minutes. This is a crucial step, don’t be impatient, let the yeast do its thing. When the yeast looked puffy and full of air pockets (think Manuel Noriega’s skin complexion) then you are ready to go.

Mix in 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, ¼ cup of oil and mix until salt is dissolved. I used my trusty whisk again. It is such a fun kitchen tool. You should have a latte-colored mixture by now that smells like, well… yeast. Begin adding flour a cup at a time. I used the whisk to mix in the first 3 cups; it was handy and you know how much I like it. After that you have to switch to a wooden spoon. (Boo, but the whisk can only take you so far in life.) Keep adding 3 more cups of flour for a total of 6 cups. Mix with the spoon until you can’t mix anymore, then comes the stress-relieving part: roll up your sleeves and stick your hands in the warm dough. Begin kneading and with every fold of dough think of something stressful that happened to you that day. It’s amazing how good it feels to put your weight behind each knead and squeeze your problems away. When you run out of stressful things to think then your dough, and your mind, are ready to rest. Put a spoonful of oil in a bowl and let your dough ball roll around in it so it gets all oily. Then take a clean kitchen rag and get it wet, stick it in the microwave for one minute and carefully pull it out (it will be hot, duh) and place it on top of the bowl. This will give the dough ball a warm steam bath. Take out a second towel and do it to your face, if you want, just don’t burn yourself or you will ruin the whole experience. Do that every five minutes. I also put a pot of water to boil to humidify the air, after all, I do live in the second driest state in the Union.

Now comes the relaxing part, make a cup of your favorite herbal tea and go back to Facebook to chat with your friends. When a half hour has passed, or in Facebook time 2 chats about nothing, then check on your dough. It should be nice ans fat by now, kind of like most of our bellies. Take it out of the bowl and place it on the counter, pretend the dough IS your belly and flatten it. Admit it, you do that when you look at yourself in the mirror, you suck it in and pretend you have the same body you had when you were 16. Divide the dough into two balls and shape them like a loaf of bread. Spray two bread pans and put the dough in them. Repeat the warm towel and steam treatment, at least for the dough, your face is optional. The dough will do what our bellies do when we’re sitting down, expand again. When it is about that much over the edge of the pans (I’m holding my fingers and showing you) then preheat your oven to 350 degrees. When the oven is hot then carefully put the bread inside. Set your timer for 30 minutes and go back to Facebook. The smell of baking bread will soon begin to tease you, begin thinking of ways to enjoy your bread. Tease your Facebook friends by describing the smell in the air. When the timer beeps, take the bread out and put it on a cooling rack. Don’t cut into it for at least 10 minutes, don’t worry, it will still be warm.

The texture of the bread is a little more dense than most breads and the extra sugar makes it sweeter but not sweet enough to call it a sweet bread. Enjoy your bread with a third cup of tea. When you are finished, go to bed and dream of how tasty it will be when you wake up 4 hours later and enjoy the bread again for breakfast. Give it a shot, you’ll like it.

R. Paul Pickett

Drinkable Salad

2011-01-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

I hopped on the green-smoothie bandwagon.
Recently, I read an article in TIME magazine that suggested adults need 8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day instead of the recommended 5. I love my veggies, but it's tough to get even 5 servings in, let alone 8! What to do, what to do.
A friend suggested a green smoothie, which thing I had mocked before.
Today I made my first one like this:
2 cups spinach
1 cup peaches
1 banana
1/2 cup fat free yogurt
tiny bit of water
2 tsp splenda
It sounds gross and looks like guacamole, but the taste isn't bad. And 4 whole servings of F&V.
Anyone out there try green smoothies? What's your favorite thing to sneak in there?

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

2010-12-31T13:30:00.001-08:00

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!

2010-12-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-11-24T15:14:00.001-08:00

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

2010-10-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-25T17:50:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-06-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

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.

A New Trick

2010-04-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I decided to make country-style hash browns. I washed and diced my potatoes, threw them in the pan with a little oil, kosher salt, and oregano.

As you know, potatoes don't cook fast. As you also may know, I don't like to wait.

After 7-8 minutes, I was getting impatient. I grabbed a box of chicken stock from the fridge and tossed in about a half a cup then I covered up the hash browns and let them cook 2 more minutes. Then I uncovered the pan and let the stock reduce for another minute or so.

The end result? The best hash browns I've ever, EVER, EV.ER. made, hands down.

Give it a try and tell me what you think. I'm going to serve this as a dinner side, also. It's that good.

My Fave Zucchini Bread

2010-03-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

I was browsing a friend's cooking blog and came across her Zucchini Bread recipe. I know it's not zuke season, but this mess is so good I wanted to make sure and immortalize it here. I'm just posting the link so she gets all the credit.

Monkey Bread a.k.a. Pull-Aparts

2010-03-13T13:08:00.001-08:00

When my dear friend, suburbanbrunette, blogged about Monkey Bread, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The soft middles, the gooey crunchy outsides, the complete numminess that is a good monkey bread. oooooooo.....
So I asked for the recipe and am reposting it here. She got it from the website cookinglight, but she also gave me a not-so-light version of it. I made the light version. Rhodes Rolls were on sale plus I had a coupon, so the whole thing cost me about $3, but it would cost much less if you made the bread dough yourself.
Sidebar -- I forgot to take a picture when they first came out so you get an ultra close-up of the few that were left over.
From Hooli:

Cooking Light's Monkey Bread
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
2 (1-pound) loaves frozen white bread dough, thawed
cooking spray

1. Combine 1 cup sugar, brown sugar, milk, butter, and 1 1/4 tspoons cinnamon in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute. Remove sugar syrup from heat; cool 10 minutes.
2. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tspoon cinnamon in a shallow dish, stir well. Cut each loaf of dough into 24 equal portions. Roll each portion in sugar mixture; layer dough balls in a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Pour sugar syrup over dough,; cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 35 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
3. Heat oven to 350.
4. Uncover dough, and bake at 350 for 30 or so minutes or until browned. Immediately loosen edges of bread with a knife. Place a plate upside down on top of pan, and invert bread onto plate. Drizzle any remaining syrup over bread.

Alternative version:

Mormon Monkey Bread
24 frozen Rhodes Rolls
1 teaspoon cinnamon
small pkg cook and serve butterscotch pudding
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Place frozen rolls in a sprayed bundt pan. Mix dry ingredients together and sprinkle over rolls. Drizzle melted butter over rolls. Place wet cloth over pan and let rise overnight (about 8 hours). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Take out of oven and invert immediately on a large plate.

And, yes, they are as amazing as they sound. Happy eating!

Inari Sushi

2010-02-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

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!

A Sneak Peak

2010-02-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

Dan made Inari Sushi last night. DELISH! And the whole dinner was under $3!

More to come.

Honey-Miso Glazed Tilapia w/ Soba Noodles

2010-02-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

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?

A Meatless-Monday Find

2010-02-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Dan and I have decided to hold off on eating meat on Mondays. It is because we can't be vegetarians; we love meat too much. However, we understand the damage it does to the environment to raise, butcher, and transport animal products. Therefore, we don't eat meat once a week. It's not much, but it's what we can do.
This week, Dan asked me to make enchiladas for him. I was considering a cheese enchilada for Meatless-Monday, but then had a flash of inspiration: Roasted vegetables wrapped in a tortilla, covered in green enchilada sauce and cheese. YUM!
Here's what I did:

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 small zucchini, cubed
1 small yellow squash, cubed
1 onion, rough chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 T oregano
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

I tossed these all together and baked them at 350 for half hour. It smelled so good in my house. I'd seriously eat just those things together as a meal and be happy.
After the mix was done, I added a softened block of fat free cream cheese, a cup of shredded monterrey jack and 8 oz of ff sour cream. Mix it all in a big bowl, then fill your tortillas. I used both flour and corn tortillas, just to see which was better.
I put them in a deep pan, covered them in green enchilada sauce and sprinkled some cheese on top. I reheated it all in the oven for ten minutes and ate like a (vegetarian) queen! It was so creamy and cheesy and a little sweet from the butternut squash. Just amazing.
Also, it was very economical. I made the whole meal for about $11, and it fed 3 adults dinner, 1 adult lunch, and there's still one more ench in my fridge for tomorrow.
Where's the beef? Who cares!

Versatile Greek Filling

2010-01-29T21:00:00.000-08:00

I found a recipe for Greek Spinach-Cheese Rolls in one of those little recipe magazines you can get in the check-out line of the grocery store. It sounded good, so I made them this week. The filling was easy, and I just rolled it into the store-bought low-fat crescent rolls in a tube and baked them in a muffin tray.
They were little, they were cute, they were tasty. A good pot-luck dish or party appetizer, perhaps.
The only problem was the disproportion of filling to dough. I ended up with quite a bit of leftover filling. Fortunately, I also had 3 leftover thin cut steaks for milanesa.
Today, being short on ingredients for the dinner I had in mind, I took the stuffing and rolled it into the steak, skewering it and pan searing it. Then I deglazed the pan with some apple cider which I reduced after taking the steaks out and drizzled it over the meat.

Pretty frickin' amazing.

I served it with cubed potatoes cooked on the stove in 2 T olive oil, 1/4 cup butter, oregano and fresh rosemary.

Spinach Filling
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 cup to 1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack
1 tsp dill week
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed and browned with green onion

That's it! Mix it together and have at it! I even used a spoonful this morning and made myself a Greek-ish omelet.

Thank you, mini recipe magazine from the check-out counter.

Rutabaga Love

2009-12-27T20:24:00.001-08:00

I made a Mustard Molasses Chicken for dinner, recipe compliments of Rachael Ray. I made it because it had both rutabagas and kale, both on my list of "foods to try."

Honestly, the recipe was a little bleh.

The rutabaga, however, was ah-maze-ing. It reminded me a bit of turnips, or "neeps" as I call them in an homage to Scotland and as taught by the nice lady named Rose that I sat next to on the train from London to Edinburgh.
I got onto wiki and found out that rutabagas are, in fact, a type of turnip. They are a root vegetable related (believe it or not) to a cabbage! The tops or edible, and the tuber is delish. I cooked mine in a mustard sauce, but next time I'll roast them with a little rosemary. Or maybe I'll cook them into some mashed potatoes, like I do with turnips (shhh! don't tell Dan).
As far as penny pinching, they ain't no potato, but they aren't bad. I paid about a dollar for my rutabaga, and it fed both my husband and I with a bit left for tomorrow's meal.

Pupusas

2009-12-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took a group of my 3rd year Spanish students to sample the fare at Café Guanaco Jr. on 500 E. and 2700 S. in Salt Lake. At my urging, everyone ordered pupusas.
Pupusas are the must-have food of El Salvador, and they're really not that hard to make. Most recipes call for just 3 or 4 ingredients: masa de maíz (a corn flour available at most grocers), water, and whatever you want to put on the inside.
At Café Guanaco, they start at $1.65. Two of them make a mighty meal, especially when you add on the encurtido and salsa roja that come on the side. I'm thinking about going back next week while I'm on break from school and work - pupusas really are an ideal meal during the winter.

Tarta de Manzana

2009-12-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Spanish Apple Tart

My good friend Uxua gave me this recipe after I nearly inhaled a whole tart the first time I tried it. Really, it's amazingly easy. I like to brush the top with dulce de leche after it cools off. The tarta isn't very sweet, so it marries well with dulce de leche.
Mix in a bowl the following:
3 eggs
6 Tbs sugar
6 Tbs flour
6 Tbs milk
1 Tbs soft butter
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 cup applesauce OR 2 minced peeled apples

The mixture will be very runny. Pour it in a round pan, 9x9 or so. Then, in a circular pattern, place thin slices of apples on top of the mixture.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush the apples with marmalade (it makes the apples shiny). Return to oven for a quick broil. No more than 3 minutes, because as you can see by my picture, 4 minutes is too long.

Any apples work well with this, though Granny Smiths are extra good.

Lasagna Burger

2009-11-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, though you like to try different and strange foods, you also love the homey feeling that familiar foods bring. That's the feeling that Rachael Ray's Lasagna Burger evoked for me. (and no Rachael Ray dissing. Love her or hate her, the woman can cook!)
Here's the recipe. The only thing I changed from the original is the patty. I used ground chicken thighs and added spinach, an egg, and a little panko as binder, since I always use spinach in my lasagna.

You'll need better bread than a hamburger bun. Try a bacci roll or anything that can hold its own against a lot of sauce.

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, (or ground chicken or turkey, like I did)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• One 14.5-ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
• 1 handful basil leaves, shredded or torn
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk

Optional:

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, season the meat with plenty of salt and pepper. Mix in spinach, egg, breadcrumbs, if you're using them. Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for more even cooking.
2. Make a red sauce. You know how.
3. In large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, 7 to 8 minutes.
4. While the patties are cooking, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg, then cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano.
5. Spoon some red sauce on the roll bottoms, then top with the patties. Dollop the cheese sauce on the patties and set the roll tops in place.

As RR would say, Delish!

Taste of Utah Recipe Contest!

2009-10-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

I found this in the paper today:

"Think you have the best recipe? Share it with us, we just might publish it in our new taste magazine debuting October 31, 2009. You also might win a prize from one of our sponsors.
Post your recipe online at tasteutah.com ."

I look forward to seeing your recipes there! Good luck!

Leftover Smarts and White Chili

2009-10-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Anyone who loves to cook and is on a budget knows the importance of being effective and creative in the use of leftovers. I've recently discovered the giant frozen turkey breasts sold in the supermarkets. I can make 3 full meals out of a ten dollar turkey breast, plus enough for picking meat off the bones and a sneak sandwich. :)
A few days ago I got a recipe from my friend Amy for white chili. Dan's been asking for white chili for a couple of years but I hadn't found a recipe that called to me until Amy's. I had some turkey leftover, maybe 1 lb, and the bones. Here's what I did with what I had (and the tub of half-cooked beans Amy gave me).

WHITE CHILI

First of all, I boiled the bones of the turkey breast to make a nice stock. Then I removed the bones and finished cooking the beans in the stock. You can use 2 cans white beans(drained) and some prepared chicken broth, if you'd like.
In a separate pan, make a basic bechamel. (1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour, cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of flour taste, add 1 cup of the stock, 1 cup milk). Add 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt. Easy. Take that mixture and add it to the beans simmering in the homemade stock.
Cut up the cooked turkey (or chicken), add it to the mixture, along with one of those little cans of green chilis. Add a cup of cheese (recipe called for monterey jack but I used pizza blend and it worked well) and mix it all together until it make a smooth blend. Serve with fresh cilantro as garnish, maybe chips on the side.

This was, hands down, the best white chili I've ever had. The cumin and cilantro added a zesty citrus flavor without having added any lemon.

Too Many Tomatoes? Ratatouille!

2009-09-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

I have a friend (hi, Amy!) recently request a recipe for all the tomatoes that are so prevalent in Utah at this time of the year. I'd been looking for some new zucchini recipes when she requested that, so naturally I thought of something to use both. What could be better than RATATOUILLE!
Don't be too terribly impressed. Ratatouille is french for "chunky meatless stew." Just kidding. Its root means "to toss food," which is a pretty accurate description. It's pretty simple, and definitely delicious. I did add some Parmesan cheese to it on the plate. We ate it as a side with grilled chicken. I may make it sometime as a main dish, served with crusty bread. Or, I might toss in some stew meat sometime and eat it as a main dish. Either way, I'm sure it will be better tasting tomorrow. And since everything except the oil, butter, and flour, came from gardens, this dish ended up costing mere pennies.

Ingredients
2-3 T olive oil
1/2 stick butter
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, rough chopped
3 cups zucchini, peeled and cubed, seeds out (for the big ones, not necessary for the littles)
1 cup squash (traditionally it calls for eggplant but I didn't have any on hand)
1 green peppers, seeded and rough chopped
2-3 cups ripe tomatoes, halved if romas, quartered if bigger
1/2 cup flour (I used spelt)
1 Tbs. capers
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stem and rough chopped, or 2 T dried
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet, add the garlic, green peppers, and onion and saute.
2. Flour the pieces of zucchini (and eggplant, if you use it) lightly.
3. Add the zucchini and eggplant (or squash) and to the skillet. Toss. Cover and cook over medium low temp for about half hour.
4. Deglaze your pan with a little balsamic vinegar or apple juice (or wine if you have it).
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the tomatoes and rosemary and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is thick.
7. Add capers and remove from heat.

Braised Cod in Chili Sauce

2009-09-13T19:26:00.001-07:00

All woks are a thing of beauty, and I'm no snob when it comes to Chinese food. So my longing to try something different last Friday night in no way had anything to do with being tired of my old friend General Tso. I'm just trying to broaden the repertoire.
Szechuan Garden, on the corner of 1300 E and 8600 S, had just what I was looking for: Braised Cod in Chili Sauce.
Although each chunk of the fish was intact when served, each one was still delicate and flaky enough to fall apart in my mouth. Sitting at the bottom of this spicy sea was a bed of crisp Asian greens, adding a delicate celery like flavor as counterpoint to the chilis, not to mention textural contrast. And though it wasn't exactly a bargain at $11.95, there was plenty to take home for my lunch the next day, effectively making it a $6 meal.

Which Came First?

2009-09-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Someone gave me a rotisserie chicken this week. You know, the kind you get at the grocery store?
We've picked off of it for 3 days. We've eaten chicken quesadillas, chicken pitas, chicken in a green salad, and just chicken off the bone. Now, I have the carcas simmering to make a stock for a soup.
Granted, I have a magical ability to make an ounce of any meat streeeeetch like you wouldn't believe, but postulize with me for a second.
A rotisserie chicken will cost you anywhere from $4.99 to $6.99 at the grocery store. If I see one at the lower end of the spectrum, I pick it up. Sure, it's not cooked by me. Sure, I can't really season it the way I'd like. You're right, it's not home-cooking. However, it's basically the same price as buying a whole raw chicken, even without adding the cost of cooking it in your oven or grill or home-rotisserie, the cost of spices, or the cost of my precious time. And look at all I can do with it!
If you like all dark meat all the time, you can probably pick up a leg/thigh pack for 99 cents a pound, and that will certainly be less expensive. We're a mixed bag kind of family, so having the choice of leg, breast, wing, etc, is the way to go for us.

Orale!

2009-09-04T22:08:00.001-07:00

As far as bang for your buck, there's no better place than a taco stand or a tiny taco shop. Even though one of the best things about Utah is the sheer number of taco stands and taco shops, there is not any place greater than Alberto's. My location of choice is 4935 S State St, right on the corner of Vine Street.
Where else can you shell out $3.89 and get a huge flour tortilla, the best carne asada in the valley, fresh pico de gallo (with lots of cilantro), fresh guac, and a ton of napkins to clean up the mess you are going to make?
As a side note, don't ever order a combo dish. The rice and beans are mediocre. The tacos are good, the tortas a great sandwiches but a little dry. The quesadillas are good, especially with carne asada and guac. If you want to try something different (but a little pricier than a burrito), go for the carne asada fries. Imagine nachos without the tortilla chips, add french fries. DELISH!
Don't forget the horchata. Today's splurge: $5.58

I Got the Mozz

2009-09-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Baguette: $1.69
Fresh Mozzarella: $2.99 on sale @ maceys
Tomatoes: free from the garden
Basil: free from the garden

Add a splash of balsamic and some kosher salt and I have a DELISH sandwich for $4.68. Normally this would feed 4 people, but Dan and I had generouse portions and one sandwich left to fight over for breakfast.

What Do You Get When You Plant an Egg?

2009-08-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, you won't actually get eggplant by planting an egg. I just wanted to clear that up for any fourth grader who googled "eggplant" and came upon this post.

I haven't always been a fan of eggplant. Not even Eggplant Parmesan, after which this recipe is loosely based. I discovered eggplant one day in my early marriage when I couldn't afford the $4.99/lb for thin steaks to make milanesa sandwiches, and I was really really jonesing one.

I did a rough estimate of what these sandwiches cost, and it comes to about $1.50 per sandwich. I'd pay ten times that much for this sandwich in a restaurant, it's that good.

Eggplant Milanesa Sandwich

Peel and slice an eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Generously salt both sides and let sit for a few minutes. When the eggplant has "sweat" enough, pat it dry (both sides) with a paper towel. Run it through an egg wash, then in seasoned(I use salt, pepper, basil) panko breadcrumbs. Then you can either bake it at 425 until it's soft or pan fry it in a 1/4 inch hot oil, just a bit each side until it browns. A note on the oil: eggplant is a sponge, so use good oil that you plan on ingesting in both preparations. Always drizzle a little oil on the baked eggplant as well for flavor and crunch.

Next, take your favorite bread -- a baguette sliced lengthwise works well -- and have fun with it. My favorite thing to do with this is mayonnaise, fresh tomatoes, kosher salt, milanesa, a little (ok, a lot of ) lemon juice, some shredded lettuce, and maybe a bit of mustard.

This sandwich is not to be missed, and at around $1.50 per sandwich, you can't go wrong.

I made 6 milanesas from one eggplant and froze 3 cooked ones for later. They heat up nicely.

Enjoy!

A Quick Note Explaining This Blog

2009-08-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

I love food. I always have. With the blessing and a curse of having a mother who cooks extremely well, with the blessing and a curse of having grown up in a restaurant and catering business, with the blessing and a curse of having managed that restaurant as an adult, and with the blessing and a curse of having married a foodie, my interest and love of food have created an insatiable appetite to try as many concoctions as possible.

Unfortunately, my husband and I aren't what you'd consider "well off." We aren't really even "pretty-well off" or "good-enough off." Utah doesn't pay its school teachers well, and I'm a SAHM. This means, to stay certified as foodies, we've had to become inventive and creative in how and where we get our yummy fix. This blog is dedicated to sharing that with you. I'll share my favorite, inexpensive recipes, my favorite places to grocery shop, and budget-friendly restaurants you may not have tried.

To the foodie in all of you, ENJOY!