17 Bites

I finally learn how to make pizza

2011-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

I went with a friend to a bread baking class at NYC's Le Pain Quotidien. It was a blast. Not only did I learn how to make amazing bread, but I came home with (at least) ten pounds worth of fresh baked bread- baguettes, walnut and raisin batards, rolls, rolls with chocolate inside (!) and a big batch of dough to use the following day. At the end of the class, we each made a personal pizza. (The picture above is an iphone shot from the end of class.)

Despite the fact that I've been making pizzas for years, I never really knew how to do it.

Here today, I'm happy to share with you the tips I learned so you too can join me in never having to go to the slice shop again. Here's another great opportunity to get the kids involved. From start to finish, they'll love making the dough, putting on the toppings and watching the magic happen. Hey, you might even be adventurous and make two pizzas- one plain and one with a challenge ingredient for them to try. For me, my topping was sauteed beet greens with garlic. Oh, and a little pesto which they've grown accustomed to trying and liking now.

You'll be so proud of yourself when your done- trust me, it's worth it.

Pizza

*You will need a pizza stone for this recipe.

There are many basic pizza dough recipes out there. The one from class was measured in grams, so for the sake of everyone here not using a scale, I'd refer you to this one from Bon Appetit, conveniently located here following all directions except for the end where it says to "roll out the dough".

Before you get started with forming your dough into a pizza shape, put your pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven. Heat the oven to as hot as it will go- mine goes to 500, but maybe yours goes higher. It should heat for at least a half hour.

Now for your dough.

Punch it down, take it out and put it on a work surface. Flatten it out with your hand.

Walk away. Seriously. If you try to stretch it out now, it will just bounce right back on you. Go pour yourself a drink. Come back in 15 minutes.

Now form your dough into a pizza shape. The easiest way is to pick up your dough and hold just the outside edge of it, turning the dough quickly in your hands, letting the dough stretch out naturally as you go around.

As my instructor said, "Only focus on the outside of the dough. Gravity will do the rest."

Keep turning until your dough is very, very thin- you may be able to almost see through parts. (This is where I made my mistake before- my dough was way too thick.)

Cut a piece of parchment so that it is no bigger than your stone. Place your somewhat circular dough on it. Spread on your toppings (don't overload.)

When your pizza is nicely decorated, pick it up by the parchment and put it on your stone. You can leave the parchment underneath. It will brown somewhat, but that's OK. (This tip was great, as sliding a pizza full of toppings onto a hot stone was just too difficult for me to deal with before.)

In about 10 minutes, check your pizza- does it look like it would look at the pizza shop? If not, give it a little more time. If it's nice and bubbly and slightly brown, take it out and enjoy!

I'm not like other folks

2011-07-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

I decided to treat myself. Give myself a night off of family dinner. Make their night by giving them mac and cheese and since Don was having a late night, I would make a dinner all for myself.

The luxury.

Did I make a nice filet? Perhaps a some arctic char over sauteed spinach? Chicken Piccata??

No. You know what gets me excited? Salad. I made the biggest, most ridiculous salad one could eat. It had everything I picked up from the CSA that day in it: greens, peppers, scallions, cucumbers, sauteed zucchini, radishes (yes, still getting them), radish greens and I topped it off with some sauteed shrimp.

This is how I am. I'm a weirdo. I was kind of hoping somewhere after becoming a grownup and having children that my kids would follow suit. That they would get as excited by a freshly picked vegetable as I do. That they would marvel over the new baby tomatoes growing outside in pots on my deck. That they would rush to the kitchen in anticipation of the possible array of color on their plates.

No such luck. Imagine my horror when Jack, age 9 months, when presented with a plate with Cheerios, carrots and peas, decided on his own to push the carrots and peas off of his plate. My future futile attempts resulted in the same behavior. I swear I gave him lots and lots of opportunities only to end up with him having a belly full of anything but vegetables.

I'm bringing this up to alleviate some of the guilt that parents feel about food. Kids bring to the table their own sets of desires, opinions and feelings about what they eat. We can only present them with opportunities and hope for the best. I'm not going to stage a battle over food as I know this creates other issues. But I am making the effort to give them the chance to taste something new- over and over and over again.

And you know what? This past week, both my kids ate cucumbers. And last night, they even asked for them. So it works. Keep putting it in front of them and see what happens. Maybe nothing will. But maybe you will be surprised and they might try something they never tried before.

And finally, after weeks and weeks of radishes- I leave you with a recipe. This is my favorite recipe so far (and also the easiest):

Sauteed Radishes
Cut radishes into quarters. Heat a lob of butter in a pan. Throw in your radishes and saute until crispy. Sprinkle with salt. If you want to really be crazy, sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar over them at the end.

Even if you think you don't like radishes, this may change your mind. Be an example and try it for the first time in front of your kids. It's good for them to know you go through the same things, too.

Presentation is Everything: I Serve Salad For Dinner Shanghai Chicken Salad and Zucchini Chips

2011-07-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

We're talking baby steps here.

But first, a little background.

About nine months ago, I embarked on a mission- to have my kids eat more than what one would find on a kids menu. It has been a painfully slow process. Maybe, just maybe they incorporate a new food into their repertoire every 2 months. I'm not kidding. But I still put it in front of them. I ask them to put it on their fork. If there's a green light there, I ask them to take a lick. And maybe I get so lucky that they even take a bite. One bite.

In nine months, we took the slow ride from frozen chicken nugget to homemade chicken nugget (which became acceptable after the fourth or fifth time), to chicken without breading (the horror!)

And before anyone calls child protective services on me, please know that my kids do not starve. I will always serve something on the side- sliced bread, fruit, milk, something so I know there is at least some kind of sustenance in their belly before bed. And honestly, if not they'll make up for it by eating three bowls of Cheerios in the morning and even out the score.

There really has been success. I'm telling you that I have gone from a person who would never, NEVER think to put anything besides white food and a banana in front of my kids to serving this up for last night's dinner: Shanghai Chicken Salad and Zucchini Chips.

Now, I know you have noticed that our plates do not look the same. But they have the very same foods, just presented in a slightly more palatable way. I'm not one of those moms who cuts my kids sandwiches into little dinosaurs with cookie cutters- too much work- but this I can manage. It's one dinner with a kid-friendly twist.

Shanghai Chicken Salad
America's Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes

1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1/3 cup hoisin
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 T plus 1 1/2 t, grated ginger
4 chicken breasts
1/2 napa cabbage, sliced thin
1 red pepper, seeded, sliced thin
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
1 cup chow mein noodles

Whisk vinegar, 3 T soy, hoisin, sesame oil and ginger in a bowl. Place chicken in Dutch oven and pout 1/2 cup of vinegar mixture over it. Add remaining soy sauce and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, put on low and simmer until cooked through- 7-10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool. Shred.

Put chicken in a bowl, toss with 2 T of vinegar mixture, then add salt and pepper, cabbage, pepper, scallions, remaining vinegar and toss. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles.

Zucchini Chips
myrecipes.com

Combine 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesa, salt, 1/4 t. garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Put a few T of milk in another bowl. dunk zucchini slices into milk, then into breading and place on a pan with a wire rack. Spray with cooking spray bake in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.

The Chicken Train

2011-07-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere in the middle of 2005, I stopped being cool.

A tired mom with a new baby, somehow things just fell by the wayside.

Like matching. And makeup. And proper hygiene.

Since then, there have been improvements. I actually shower on a semi-regular basis now and most of the time I have looked in the mirror before I leave the house. But then there are other things which are just not as important anymore.

In an effort to get my kids to eat more than the regulars (grilled cheese, mac and cheese, ravioli, yogurt, cheerios and fruit), I've needed to think outside the box.

Which is where The Chicken Train comes in. If you have tried my previous strategies: getting the kids to cook with you, limiting choices, and making the food taste like candy, then perhaps you are ready for the next trick. You'll need to leave every ounce of coolness behind because you're about to make a total fool of yourself. Just embrace it.

It goes like this:

You're kid decides whatever you have made for dinner (in this case, chicken) is gross without even trying it. Stand up, get your groove on and start rapping (while, of course, inserting your own child's name in):

"Is Jackie on that chicken train? Chicken train! Chicken train! Who's gonna ride that train? Is Jackie? (Yes!) Is Jackie? (Yes!)
Whoooo- Whoooo, on the chicken train. Whoo-whooo, on the chicken train...."

The more ridiculous the better. I'm telling you- they laugh, they clap, and yes, they try a bite.

Works like a charm. Just leave the coolness at the door.

Below is the latest recipe I tried this on and both my kids got on the sausage train. A first.

Sausage and Broccoli Fettucine
adapted from America's Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes

a few tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 pound fettucine
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed
grated parmesan

Boil water in a large pot for the noodles. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook sausage until browned, breaking it into pieces as you cook. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Boil pasta and add broccoli during last 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid and drain. Return to the pot. Add cheese, sausage and toss. Add pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

What The Heck Are Quelites? And Other Questions Such As, How Will I Get My Kids To Eat It?

2011-07-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

This past week, in my email box was a list of items to expect in this weeks CSA delivery. We were getting more lettuce, more scallions and leeks, parsley, more garlic scapes, more (eh hem) radishes, and the kicker of the week: quelites.

Yeah, I didn't know what they were either. So of course, I turned to my friend the internet to help me out. That search lead me to a trusted source- Deborah Madison. On her site, I learned that I could use them in any way that I would use spinach. And let's not forget, I'm also trying to get this on the plates of my kids. And it's green. I realize I had some success with the pesto the other day, but I don't want to press my luck. So this is where a previously posted recipe comes in. Since it's been a while since we've all seen it, I'm going to give it to you again. And since it basically makes challenge food taste like candy, I think it's worth it. You may recall this recipe because it is, indeed, the one recipe that got my son to eat shrimp and like it. So there you go- proof that it's worth a shot.

Shrimp with Greens and Hoisin

adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2004

3/4 cup orange juice

2 T hoisin sauce

2 t minced ginger

about 20 or so shrimp (I buy them frozen, peeled and deveined)

1 T coriander

sesame oil

a big bunch of greens- spinach, bok choy, chard...

cooked rice

Mix together the orange juice, hoisin, and ginger in a small bowl. Dry off your defrosted shrimp and sprinkle with coriander. Heat a few tablespoons of sesame oil in a pan and cook your shrimp until pink. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Add the greens and a tablespoon or two of water to your pan and cook until wilted. Place cooked rice on each plate and divide the greens equally and top with your shrimp. Add the hoisin mixture to your pan and reduce until about 1/3 cup- just a few minutes. Drizzle the sauce liberally over your plates.

Picky Eater Trick: Get the Kids Involved

2011-06-29T04:44:00.000-07:00

I know you've heard this advice before. So had I. And I didn't believe that getting my kids involved would change anything. But I swear to you this happened.

Ben: What's for dinner tonight?

Me: Noodles. (Sometimes the less information the better.)

Ben: With what?

Me: Pesto Sauce.

Ben: NO!!!!! I. HATE. SAUCE!!!! NO!!!! (Crying begins.) PLEASE! NO! ONLY NOODLES!! NO!! SAUCE!!!

Me: (Deep breathing begins.) Ben, I promise you, it will be yummy.

Ben: NO!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Me: (Think quick, mom!) OK. Listen, why don't you come out onto the deck with me and help me. I need to pick the basil leaves to make the pesto.

What happens from there is that my two boys pick (way too) many leaves of basil. They roll garlic in the (fancy!!) silicone garlic peeler (what fun!), they throw handfuls of things into the food processor (two points!!) They press the button and watch it get "torn into shreds!!" (think super-hero voice.) And pesto was made.

I put it over the noodles and they taste one bite. One boy ate one bite. Success. One boy ate three bowls. The very same boy that was having the tantrum earlier.

I'm shocked. I'm thrilled. I'm most certainly going to try this again.

After dinner, I say, "So, how about if I were to put pesto on chicken, would that be good?"

I got an enthusiastic yes.

Simple Pesto Recipe

- a few handfuls of basil leaves

- two or so cloves of garlic

- a few tablespoons of pine nuts, briefly toasted in a dry pan on the stove (as soon as they start to look a bit brown, take them off the heat)

- a few glugs of olive oil

-parmesan cheese

-salt and pepper

In a food processor, throw in your basil, garlic and pine nuts. Whir until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly pour in olive oil until is makes a nice smooth sauce. Put pesto into a bowl. Mix in a few shakes of salt and pepper and grate in half a cup or so of parmesan. Mix to combine. Use immediately over your noodles with a little pasta water and if not using, freeze.

The Radish Cliffhanger

2011-06-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

I ended up choosing Food52's recipe for Sauteed Radishes with Mint. The verdict?

Well...

Let me first get something straight. The name of this blog is 17 Bites. Not 17 Bites of Something Unfamiliar at One Sitting. But instead, 17 Bites Over the Course of However Long It Takes to Get the Kids to Eventually, Maybe, Tolerate It, Perhaps Even Like It. (That title was, of course, too long for this blog, so I opted for the much simpler, 17 Bites. You're welcome.)

Considering this was bite #1, I'm going to call it a success. Not because my family scarfed down a plate full of them, but because they took, and this is important, one bite.

You know, that whole "one small step for man" kind of thing? That's what I'm going for here. I'm hoping that this is the first step in just seeing it and tasting it and maybe next time it will be a little less intimidating.

They also get stickers.

I know, I know, technically this is a bribe. But I feel satisfaction in knowing I'm not using sweets to get them over the hump. I'm not creating a situation where they are eating the yucky stuff only to get to the good stuff. But I do feel they need something. And believe me, I've tried the approach of oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over a food to show them how delicious it is (think, a When Harry Met Sally kind of performance, but a PG kind) with no success. I mean, these are radishes for crying out loud. Even my husband looked as if he needed a sticker.

The definition of success with this process needs to be scaled back. I know this is going to take forever and luckily, I have forever to get there. All I ask is that one bite. That happens and I know the next one will be easier. And the next one. And the next one.

And lucky me, Tuesday's CSA pickup included not one, but two (!) more bunches of radishes. So radish fans, please share the love with your favorite recipes.

The Proof Is In The Pudding: 17 Bites Gets All Serious For A Second

2011-06-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

As fascinated as I am by food, I'm equally fascinated by learning. In fact, I'm a learning specialist in a local school, which basically means that during the school year I spend my days talking with teachers and parents about how kids learn.

I recently attended a conference where many of the speaker's suggestions for the classroom came from the book, Teaching with the Brain in Mind, by Eric Jensen, which I'm reading right now. Eric Jensen is a leader in the field of brain-based learning and has been connecting brain research with practical applications in the classroom for over 20 years.

The reason I'm bringing all of this up in a food blog is due to the fact that food choices are even more important than we might think. One of the studies mentioned in this book points directly to specific foods that are good for the brain and support learning and memory. The foods mentioned in this study are:

leafy green vegetables
orange vegetables
salmon
nuts
lean meats
fresh fruit

Do your kids eat any of these things? Yeah, neither do mine. OK, fruit is never a problem. And peanut butter is easy, if only they could bring it to school (both are in nut-free schools.) But salmon?? Leafy greens??

Looks like this might be more of a challenge than I thought.

Lucky for us the author also gives us a little advice. These are things that I've heard before, but I think they are worth mentioning. He says:

Stop giving kids total control over their food choices. Instead, let children choose from a few desirable choices. So, in other words, "Would you like grilled chicken or salmon for dinner?"
Offer nutritious snacks or no snacks
Push water instead of sugary drinks

There were other studies mentioned in the book that point to the importance of these choices. I hate to get all Jamie Oliver on you, but it's pretty gloomy. Students with diets low in B-12 had reduced learning ability and those with too much dietary fat and unbalanced diets in general could have impaired cognition.

And to really drive it home and make me feel guilty, he ends by saying, "The foods we serve are not just feeding a child's daily energy requirements, they are shaping the child's brain."

Well, crap.

All I'm saying is I better find a way to make salmon taste like candy. And quick.

Challenge of the Week: Radishes

2011-06-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Honestly...

In my CSA share this week were the standard variety spring veggies: lettuce, cucumbers, leeks, scallions- all easy vegetables to throw in a salad. But then there's the outlier.

RADISHES.

For someone who's trying to get my kids to eat color- well- here's a shocking one. Beautiful bright pink. What fun! How beautiful!

How spicy.

Does anyone even really like radishes? I mean, sure, I've put thinly sliced radishes on buttered bread like the Open-Faced Butter and Radish Sandwiches, but that's because it masks the spicy flavor and instead just provides a nice crunchy topping. However, I don't see butter and radish sandwiches going over very well with my 3 and 5 year old.

Me: "Hey guys, I've got some bread and butter for you! But wait, it's even better because I put a sliced white and pink spicy vegetable on top of it! "

The result of which would be mass hysteria at the breakfast table.

I needed something a little easier for them to start.

Perhaps these Braised Radishes, or even better, maybe these Sauteed Radishes with Mint. I'll let you know how it goes. And if all else fails, I'll make sure to have some really good bread on hand because I'll be eating a lot of radish sandwiches.

A Fresh Start

2011-06-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

The word "fresh" can mean many things. For me, it's a clean slate. It's a new beginning.

What it's not is expired, old, tired. (Eh hem, "Frugal Family Foodies", it's time to move on.)

And with this word "fresh", I begin again. With a new, inspired passion: to help my children move beyond the kids menu. To be excited by the weekly CSA pick-up. To be a part of the cooking process and have a smile on their faces during family dinners.

To put it simply, I would like my children not be horrified by the color green and instead be delighted by greens AND reds AND purples on their plates. To my 3 and 5 year old, this is a tall order.

And so, this is my mission. The mission I bring to you and to all the families out there who struggle with picky eaters. For parents who are exhausted by the fighting, the bribing, the arguing over something that is supposed to be the highlight of the night. I will provide you with what works and what doesn't, recipes for successful family dinners, some laughter, some crying and hopefully inspire you to join me in this endeavor.

It's not an easy task, but it's one I know is important. Please come with me on this adventure- because I also know it will be a lot more enjoyable with company.

Research states it can take a child up to 17 times before they will like a new food....I'll let you know if that's true.

I'm here to solve your problems

2009-07-14T17:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, I've come full circle. Not only have I been lifted from my ugly funk, but now I'm here to help you. Because as you may or may not know, you have problems.

Especially if you're a member of a CSA.

Problem number one:

You have even more beets and you want a salad that doesn't taste like your last one.

Problem number two:

You have no idea what to do with fennel. You're thinking, isn't that just black licorice? Is that supposed to be good or something?

Problem number three:

The squash have arrived. And not just a few.

OK. First off, take a deep breath. We're talking about food here, people. Let's just get that clear. Get some perspective.

Let's tackle problem number one. Romaine and Roasted Beet Salad with Creamy Roquefort Dressing is out-of-this-world-good. The dressing is not at all lowfat, so if that's an issue, head on down to problem number two. But I swear I could eat that stuff with a spoon AS DINNER and be happy.

Two: Fennel. Scary. Who wants to eat that for dinner? I mean, don't get me wrong. Nothing against black licorice. Like, when I'm at the movies or something.
Enter Shrimp and Fennel Risotto. I swear, you barely even taste the fennel. Somehow it transforms into something that belongs in a savory dish. Weird, but true. Oh, and delicious. And easy and cheap.

Now here's the winner- made tonight:

Bulgur Salad with Grilled Zucchini and Onion, Middle Eastern Style
adapted from Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

2 cups bulgar
1 quart boiling water
3 zucchini
1 medium onion
1/4 cup olive oil
S&P
1 T, + 1 1/2 t. pomegranate molasses
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 cup minced parsley
4 cups greens (I used red leaf, he suggests spinach or arugula)
pita *See Note!

Place bulgur in a bowl. Pour boiling water over. Let sit for 20 minutes or so.

Light Grill. Oil up thick slices of zucchini and onion and grill. Let cool and chop into half inch squares.

Make dressing- add pomegranate molasses, lemon, cumin, and salt and whisk. Add oil and shake it up in a jam jar.

Place grilled veggies over bulgur with the parsley. Pour in dressing. Mix. Pile on top of greens.

Grilled Flatbread

Just one more reason to make the bread. I used a ball, cut it in two, oiled it up and stretched it out on my grill. And made this. (Will you just look at that picture?) So, so delicious.

There...all better now?

I think I need to turn myself in

2009-07-08T17:39:00.001-07:00

It has come to my attention that I have an unhealthy addiction.

No one has been brave enough to confront me on it. No interventions planned. But I know it's coming.

The problem is, see, I can't seem to get my mind off of pine nuts.

Yes. Pine nuts.

It's true that I've had thoughts of hiding a small bag of them in my purse for emergencies, sneaking one niblet here, one there. Stashing them in random places around my house, just in case I get the itch, the craving, the yearning for one.

But can you blame me? How beautifully it combines to make pesto? The gorgeous nutty flavor it adds to a salad. And have you had a Pignoli cookie lately? Are you kidding me with that?

And so, tonight dinner, Pesto Pasta with Zucchini and Yellow Squash along with a tossed salad served with my dressing and pine nuts was prepared.

And the effects of the full-on embracing of my habit?

Delicious.

Some people drink when they're depressed...

2009-07-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Me? I make fresh tortillas.

After a wonderful week away in glorious Door County, WI with the in laws, I came home just in time for a full blown hide-under-the-blankets-close-the-shades-and-cry-all-day episode that lasted several long days. But could I actually stay in bed all day? NO! My lovely boys were in just as good of a mood.

Lucky me.

That's where I found myself in the kitchen. Deciding that it was that night that I would be making tortillas from scratch. Because I was just that logical.

No, this is not a thing I do. In fact, I'd never made them before in my life. But something about mixing fresh flour and pushing and pulling the dough (kind of like how I'd been feeling those days) kind of sounded like the perfect activity.

And here it is- the recipe for fresh tortillas. Not as hard as you might think. Able to be made on a weeknight by keeping the other ingredients simple- cheese, salsa (yes, jarred), guacamole, sour cream.

A slight, but well worth, diversion from my local food pursuits. Really, I COULD live on bread alone.

Easy Guacamole
my standard, simplest and most delicious version
avocado
lemon
garlic
cumin
red pepper (the spice, not the veg)

squash avocado. squeeze half a lemon on the mush. press in a garlic clove. throw on a light sprinkle of cumin and a heavy sprinkle of red pepper. season with S&P.

Speaking of Salad Dressing...

2009-06-16T17:54:00.001-07:00

Almost every salad I make uses my dressing. It's easy, delicious and goes well with almost any salad.

However, there may be times when you want something a little different from the usual.

Say, when you get six (giant) heads of different kinds of lettuce in your CSA box.

Not that I'm complaining. I know how I couldn't wait for fresh greens. But I feel the pressure. The thing with lettuce is that if I don't get to it, I can't just stick it in the freezer for winter. I've got to eat that stuff up!

And so...there has been many, many salads in my house lately. Because of this, I give you a nice alternative to my basic dressing, Buttermilk Dressing. It's creamy goodness offsets the crisp crunch of fresh spring lettuce perfectly.

So if anyone's in the mood for a salad in the North Jersey area, please stop by! Trust me, you'd be doing me a favor.

The Miracle Stir-Fry That Got My Son To Eat Shrimp

2009-06-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

There are maybe about 10 things my son eats. I'm sure most of you can imagine what's on that list.

I'll tell you what's not:

Shrimp.

But not anymore. Now that I have found the Miracle Stir-Fry.

It's so family friendly due to it's sweetness, but can make things like, say shrimp, kale and bok choy suddenly palatable to a three year old.

Here is the recipe in all it's glory:

Seared Coriander Scallops with Bok Choy and Hoisin

Yes, I realize that says scallops. But we had shrimp and that's what we used. Another side note- I didn't have coriander seeds, only ground. Still delicious. And I added kale.

Bottom line- any seafood and hardy veg would be great with this sauce.

And did I mention my son now eats shrimp?

Amazing. Thank you, Bon Appetit.

Never Buy Salad Dressing Again- Dressed Greens, Bread Recipe (it's legit!) and a Reality Check

2009-06-11T17:15:00.001-07:00

So first of all, the most exciting thing since...well....my friend Stephanie just found THE bread recipe online at NYTimes.com. You'd have to agree with me that if a recipe is posted on one of the most public newspapers in the world, it's completely legit to share it here with you.

So, no more begging you to do this- you now have absolutely no excuse. The link to the recipe, made famous by the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Simple Crusty Bread.

Moving on. You know how sometimes you buy one of those bottles of dressing and you use it once, then it sits in your fridge and perhaps you didn't clean all the drips off the bottle when you put it away. And then, a month later you reach into your fridge to grab it and look at it's crusty bits that have formed under the cap, and you pause, just for a second and think, hm..is this still any good? But then you don't delay on that thought because, well, you just don't. So there you go, pouring that month old, opened crusty buttermilk dressing onto your greens and grab your fork.

Please. For everyone's sake, including your own, know that making your own dressing is a snap. (And cheap.)

Many people have requested my dressing. It's the same every time. It probably breaks dressing rules or something, but it's easy and really, really good. And anyone with 10 seconds can make it.

My Salad Dressing
(Please pardon the un-recipe like directions here.)

Extra virgin olive oil
Seasoned rice wine vinegar (find it next to the soy sauce in your grocery)
Dijon Mustard
thyme
kosher salt and pepper

1) In a small container with a lid, pour in olive oil. Count to four as you pour.

2) Pour in as much rice vinegar, count to four as you pour. (I know, it's not supposed to be that much acid to oil, but it's better this way with this vinegar.)

3) Squirt in some dijon, a small blob.

4) Shake in a bit of dried thyme and add your S & P.

Put your lid on and shake it up.

Done. Delicious. Enough for your salad for that night, or even tomorrow's. No crusty bits or rancid spoiling milk products to be found.

And finally- a side note:

Just so you don't get the idea that I go and cook homemade raviolis and such every night, I present you with last's night delectable dinner:

Broken Lasagna Pieces with Butter and a cold MGD. Because sometimes it just hits the spot.

Spinach, Day Two: Spinach-Ricotta Calzones

2009-06-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

So I had a good amount of filling left over from yesterday's "homemade" raviolis that I felt was worthy of another meal. (This IS a frugal blog, and all. Waste not, want not.) So what to do with delicious spinach ricotta filling?

Make calzones.

Okay, so here I go again. This is a warning. PLEASE, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY TIMES I'VE MENTIONED THIS, BUT MAKE THE BREAD! I'm telling you, my husband has called the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day thing "life changing". It's true. And this is one more reason why:

These calzones were the EASIEST things to make.

Preheat your oven to 450. Grab a hunk of already made dough from the fridge, roll it out into a circle and put filling on half of your circle. Fold over the calzone, run a wet finger along the edge and pinch shut. Bake for 25 minutes.

So, if you're one of those people who are NOT listening to me (you still don't trust me??), go ahead and buy some dough and use that. But then, go out and get the book and start making this bread. Just imagine the smell of fresh bread baking with five minutes of work.

And by the way, use any hearty green you want in this- I was a little sneaky and added some kale to tonight's spinach concoction and no one was the wiser.

Now go. Get your bake on.

Pretty Much Homemade Spinach Ravioli

2009-06-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

In my CSA box this week:

- giant bag of spinach
- large bunch of kale
- bok choy
- winter savory (an herb)
- 3 heads of lettuce (boston, romaine, and red leaf)

Be careful what you wish for is something I may have heard before.

Dying for greens, anything green, a single green chive shooting from the ground and I'm practically in tears (a little overboard, yes, I agree)...and then, BLAM! You want greens, you got it!

I thought I'd tackle the monster bag of spinach first this week and finally use one of the cookbooks I bought and thought would be worn by now. How to Cook Without a Book by Pam Anderson (luckily, not THE Pam Anderson) is a great resource that gives basic recipes which you can alter depending on what you have.

Like, for instance, a bag of spinach taking up so much room I couldn't fit my milk in the fridge.

Her recipe for making homemade ravioli, she claims is a weeknight meal. And it is. Kind of. It takes a little more time than she thinks, but still, all on the table in under an hour. Which I think is impressive considering your whipping this stuff up from *scratch*.

So why is it "pretty much" homemade? She uses wonton wrappers. They are available in the dairy isle in many groceries now, and are perfect squares ready for whatever you want to plop inside 'em.

Here's the technique, more or less, in the book:

1. Make your filling (below)

2. Put up a large skillet of water to boil and then line wonton wrappers on a dry counter top.

3. Spoon a tablespoon of filling on them.

4. Dip a finger in water and run it along the outside of the wrapper with the filling.

5. Take second wrapper and lay it on top, pressing to seal.

6. Let rest on a wire rack. When water is boiling, toss in some salt and a little oil and cook raviolis for three minutes.

Spinach-Ricotta Filling (adapted a bit)

Saute washed spinach, garlic and oil in a large (huge) saute pan until wilted.
Mix with about a half cup of ricotta and an egg. Add S & P.

Quite good, quite cheap and quite impressive. And on a Monday, no less.

Buono Appetito!

Bring It On..Pasta with Spinach and Blue Cheese

2009-06-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

I made it.

It was touch and go there for a bit. Wary winter times of leaning off the edge, butter knife a bit too close, thinking it'll never come.

But it came. It's here.

Thank you, Spring. You have saved me.

And Mark Bittman. You saved me, too.

And Blue Cheese. Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Here is the first of many, many beautiful spring dishes to come.

This recipe- Mark Bittman's Pasta with Spinach and Blue Cheese is, as his recipes always are, simple and delicious.

Made with gorgeous spinach from my new CSA share from Honeybrook Farm. Add some toasted pine nuts. You'll be happy you did. Then it will be you who will be so darn thankful.

A Return To the City to Get Farm Fresh Produce

2009-04-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

It's odd. I move to the "garden state" and I can't get any good spring produce. Even at my local Whole Paycheck, there's nada. I know..it's early in the season yet. I'm sure there will be a bounty of produce soon. But I'm anxious. It's been way too long. (And I know some of you are thinking, "Garden State, right. More like Garbage State. Well, to those of you I say there are many many farms in this mighty state. So just step off.)

So imagine my confusion at dinner at my lovely friends Karen and Jordan's apartment in NYC when they serve an incredible dinner featuring a lasagna with fresh ramps (made with homemade pasta with local flour) and a salad with pea shoots and other tiny spiny green things all using farm fresh produce from the Union Square green market.

Where's my fresh veggies? Aren't I the one in the burbs? Somehow they get glorious greens? I'm jealous, to say the least.

But their gain is my reward. Eating dinner at their house is a treat. A few things I should tell you about Karen and Jordan. Lets see, where to begin.

First off, they are total foodies. They completely put me to shame. They spent last summer and almost every weekend last year living and working on a farm. When we visited them on this farm, I asked them where their garbage can was, and they were perplexed. They just didn't generate any garbage.

They get up at 7 am on a Saturday to get to the green market.

Jordan roasts his own coffee. He also slaughtered his own turkey for Thanksgiving this year, apparently.

Did I mention that their kitchen is maybe 40 square feet. I'm not kidding. Somehow they accomplish all this foodiness in that amount of space.

I could go on. But I must stick to my point here.

Which is...oh yes. They sent me home with a great goody bag filled with stuff! A bunch of (local) broccoli rabe and sorrel, homemade jams and fresh roasted coffee.

And man what a difference fresh produce makes! Last night's Pasta with Broccoli Rabe is a really simple delicious meal, courtesy of my (least) favorite go-to egomaniac, Rachel Ray. And with the sorrel tonight I made this Sorrel Salad with Creamy Chive Dressing. Lucky for me I noticed some renegade chives growing in our yard, so that's about as local as it gets. And if you, like me, have been starved for fresh, crunchy green goodness, this salad's where it's at.

So if you're in NYC or somewhere where green things are actually shooting up through the ground and are also made available for purchase, good for you. I hope to join you in this celebration soon.

What To Do With A Free Turkey?

2009-04-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Um..cook it?

Allow me to explain. My family likes a good deal. My mother, for instance, when noticing there is a two-for-one deal at the supermarket on onions, will pick up a bag for her and a bag for me. She often comes to my house with various extras from her supermarket sleuthing, like say, a pineapple, two avocados, a can of black beans ("It was the can-can sale!") and some whole-wheat flour.

And so, it was not that far of a stretch that I came home from my passover seder with a turkey.

My gracious aunt, in all her thriftiness, somehow got her hands on not one, but (I think) three (!) free frozen turkey breasts from the supermarket. I'm not sure how. I didn't ask questions. I just got in the car and headed home with my bird boobs patiently awaiting their consumption.

So when it was mid-week and I was feeling like making a turkey dinner (read: potatoes, green beans, gravy), during a playdate with five children running wild in my house, I cranked up the oven and went for it.

I bring this up for several reasons. One, though my breasts were cheap (the turkey's! puleeze!), buying turkey this way is pretty darn frugal. You should see how much meat comes from cooking a turkey breast. We've got several meals to go with that thing. Oh, and soup, of course, let's not forget to use our carcasses, people.

Two, I made this meal mid-week. And yes, I kid you not, during a playdate with five children. Did I mention I made dinner for all the kids at the same time? The thing is, roasting a turkey breast? Easy! Schmear some stuff on it, throw it in the oven and you're golden.

Three, the bargaining tool you can use after you make such a meal. As in, after watching Lost, your husband looks down and says,"This rug could really use a vacuuming." Where then you look at him and simply say, "Um...turkey dinner?"

And you win.

There's winning all over in this meal.

So here's the scoop. The most simple of recipes for Roasted Turkey Breast from your gal and mine, the one and only, Betty Crocker.

Reminiscing Through Food: Red Lentil Soup

2009-04-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

When we first moved to Brooklyn, there was this little place down the street from us called The Olive Vine. They served your typical middle eastern fare: falafel, hummus, grape leaves (a personal addiction of mine, strange I know) and multiple things made with pita.

They also had a lentil soup unlike any I had had before. Creamy and smooth with a hint of spice and a nice twang of lemon. Served with their fresh pita, it was a satisfying meal on it's own. Not that I ever only ordered the soup. But I could. If I didn't need everything on the menu at once.

After our move to the burbs, there have been certain things I have missed. So I thought maybe I could use food to help me have a little part of Brooklyn in NJ.

This Red Lentil Soup is the real deal. Just like the soup from my old hood. Served with slices of lemon, I can almost imagine I'm there.

Well, sort of. Minus the restaurant around me, the nice waitstaff who always offered us free cake (who does this is NYC??) and the wonderful smells of fresh baked pita.

So I purchased a new cookbook. Not frugal, I know. But the recipe will make up for it. It makes a ton of soup with cheap ingredients.

Enough chatting. Here it is, a slow-cooker recipe:

Red Lentil Soup
from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

2 T olive oil
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery
2 1/2 cups dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 t cumin
1 t tumeric
3/4 t ground coriander
2 T. fresh lemon juice
6 cups chicken or veggie broth
S & P

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker, along with lentils, spices, lemon juice. Add the broth and enough water to come about 3 inches above vegetables. Cover, cook on HIGH for 1 hour.

2. Turn the cooker to LOW and cook for 5 to 6 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with slices of lemon.

The Great Fake-Out: Empanadas, or more appropriately, Mexican Calzones

2009-03-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just don't have it in you.

You look at your choices and think about your friends at the burrito joint in town. They could use the business, right? It IS what they are now calling, "The Great Recession".

Then you realize the recession is exactly why you're NOT going to do that- you're going to tough it out and make your own darn food. Save a buck or two (or twenty).

This dish is perfect for this kind of night. This recipe for Fake Empanadas is great because it actually looks like you spent a good amount of time making a great meal, but it's really a cinch to make. Pair it with some jarred salsa, some sour cream and some guacamole and your golden.

So fake 'em out. Throw some "sweat" on your forehead, scatter flour everywhere and tell them how you slaved over these. They (might) just never know.

Monday's repeat:
Spiced Braised Beef with Sweet Potatoes (slow cooker)

The Rachel/Ina Mash-up: Results...Delicious!

2009-03-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

So most of you know by now how I feel about Rachel Ray. If you don't, please feel free to click here, or even a post from my former life, here. Lets just say it doesn't make me all warm and fuzzy to hear her say, "EVOO" or better yet, "Yum-O!"

Ina Garten, on the other hand, I love. I may resent her beautiful house on Long Island, where she brings home freshly caught lobsters on a whim and her weekly (daily???) deliveries of gorgeous fresh flowers, and..well, I could go on and on.

But damn can that woman whip up a recipe.

Which brings me to the Mash-up. I had a recipe for a Sausage and Pepper Frittata from, eh hem, Rachel Ray. Considering it was not quite pepper season here, I decided to swap them out for, yes, you guessed it, potatoes.

So I looked at Ina's Frittata recipes and did a nice combo of the two. I used Ina's methods, but most of Rachel's ingredients.

The (long) point I'm trying to make here is that a fritatta is a great recipe to know- you can throw in whatever you have on hand. You have a basic method (whichever one you choose) and you add whatever you like or whatever is in season.

And the biggest bonus of all is that you get to walk around your house saying, "Free-TA-ta, free-TA-ta!".

No? Just me? Hm. You're all so serious all the time...sheesh.

Wednesday's repeat:
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal

I'm Blushing, Really

2009-03-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

Frugal Family Foodies was chosen to be on a list of the "Top 100 Blogs for the Frugal Gourmet"! If you are looking for some other good blogs out there dedicated to keeping great food cheap, go check it out.

So, the picture is my son, Ben. I'm a little shy about posting such personal pictures on this blog at it is so public, but would you just look at that kid? It's doubly pleasing in some weird way that he's wearing a matzoh apron while we were making pizza with bacon on it.

It is true what they say that when kids help make the meal, they actually eat it. Pizza is a great meal to make with kids. My son is only 3 1/2 and he was able to pull up a chair and jump right in. He was flattening the dough, spreading sauce and dropping on toppings. It was especially nice for him to peek in on the oven while it was baking to see it "puff up".

We made two pizzas- the "safe" one with just sauce and cheese and the fun one using frozen spinach sauteed with garlic, bacon and cheese. I'm pleased to say that he enjoyed both! My favorite pizza recipe- carmelized onion and blue cheese pizza is here. There you will find a recipe for dough and of course, the delicious toppings.

And my advice with cooking with kids? Don't think about the mess until much, much later. Just get into it! There was flour everywhere, but that was half the fun!

Monday's repeat recipe:
huevos rancheros

Time to Get Real: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2009-03-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Apparently it's going to snow 10 inches here tonight. Somebody forgot to mention to mother nature that, um, it's freaking MARCH! It's not time for snowstorms..it's time for fruity cocktails and sandals.

Okay...I'd at least settle for mud season.

So, because tonight I was slightly pissed, I figured it was a Serious Food Night. The kind of night when you're not screwing around. When no ordinary dinner will do.

Here's what to make when this feeling comes over you.

This recipe for Pulled Pork Sandwiches takes almost zero work with overflowing payoff.
You throw your meat into the crockpot with some broth and press start. Many hours later, you shred it and throw it in the oven with BBQ sauce for a half hour.

That's it. I'm not kidding.

I'm loving this crockpot deal. Do you have any favorite slow cooker recipes?

And this weekend's repeats:
Risotto
Pasta Puttanesca

The Healthiest Chili You'll Ever Eat: Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Kale

2009-02-26T06:08:00.000-08:00

Remember Spirulina?

No? You mean, you weren't a health nut like me? Oh, what..are you surprised that I'm calling myself a health nut?

Well, I'll have you know that years ago, I was the one carting green, yes, green spirulina smoothies to work for breakfast. I was a vegetarian. I took a handful of vitamins in the morning.

And really, things haven't changed that much. Except for butter. And red meat. And my lack of vitamins.

All that being said, this chili will make up for all that. And you won't even know you're eating something healthy.

To prove my point-

beans- full of protein and fiber, rich source of antioxidents
cooked tomatoes- healthy lycopenes
butternut squash- good source of phytonutrients
kale- also high in phytonutrients

If you're just skipping over all that healthy mumbo-jumbo, it doesn't matter, because this recipe for Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Kale (though, just so you know, they used Swiss Chard) is also a delicious, easy and cheap meal. And that's really what it's all about, right?

For When You've Got Nothin': Tuscan Bread Soup

2009-02-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

Okay- so, you've got no money. You've got no food.

You look in your pantry. You see onions. You see garlic. You think, "Hm..how I wish I could make dinner with just these two foods. If only Robin, from FFF could tell what to do..."

I am here to save you.

Tuscan Bread Soup is your soup tonight. Because obviously, you've been following my over-used advice of making your own bread the easy way, so you at least have bread. And, good little readers that you are, you have a nice block of Parmesan- the one you've had for months, still just shredding it away.

We're almost there. A few more ingredients and you have soup. Amazingly delicious soup. With zero potatoes, even. I swear.

Here it is- another stolen one from America's Test Kitchen

Tuscan Bread Soup
serves 4 to 6

4 slices crusty Italian bread, 1 1/2 inches thick
4 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 t. minced fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried (I used dried)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 475. Place bread slices on baking sheet, brush tops with 1 T. oil and back until golden- 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 3 T. oil in Dutch oven. Add onion and cook 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add broth, cream and thyme and simmer about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Rip bread into 1-inch chunks and place in soup bowls. Ladle soup over bread, sprinkle with Parmesan, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve.

Oscar-Worthy Meals: The Winners!

2009-02-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

Considering it's Oscar night, I thought I'd take a look back through the almost fifty recipes posted here so far and pick out the clear winners. The ones I will go back to time and time again. The trusted ones that get put into my special little black book of staple recipes.

There were many nominees...it was hard to narrow it down. But here, for you, the top seven.

The catagory?

Easy, Frugal and Delicious Meals to Make on a Weeknight.

And the winners are:

Pasta Carbonara
Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos
Potato Soup with Kale and Chorizo
Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Blue Cheese and Walnuts
Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms
Sweet Potato Quesadillas (I know, there's already Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos, but come on...THREE ingredients!!
Fettuccine with Walnuts and Parsley

Happy Cooking!

Cannellini Soup with Parmesan: A Perfect Mix of Gourmet and Frugal

2009-02-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

Remember a while back, when I was talking about the importance of quality of ingredients in your frugal cooking? This soup demonstrates that point.

A soup so simple, almost a peasant style soup, but jazzed up a bit with a few ounces of prosciutto and flavored with my most favorite of frugal tricks- using the rind of the parmesan to add incredible depth and flavor to your soup.

And once again, from Epicurious, your recipe for Cannellini Soup with Parmesan. It is an easy, delicious and affordable comfort meal.

And no, the picture just doesn't do it justice. You'll just have to trust me on this one.

Cheater's Tangine, Take two: Meat Edition

2009-02-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

If, after reading yesterday's post, you thought, "Hm..that sounds really delicious, but, um, Where's the Beef??" then this one's for you.

I just found someone selling their never-used slow cooker for a deal a few weeks ago and I've been dying to try it. Plus, through the magic of Facebook, an old friend I just found requested slow-cooker recipes on my blog.

How things have changed. Many years ago, this friend and I were, I'm sure, up to no good. Now, here we are discussing Crockpots. Well. Moving on.

This recipe from Real Simple magazine for Spiced Braised Beef with Sweet Potatoes is really great and extremely easy. You really just throw everything into the slow cooker and press start. And the great thing about slow cooking is that you can buy those less expensive cuts of meat and they become simply delicious after stewing for many hours.

This one's a crowd pleaser. And, it feeds six. So economical and so yummy.

Cheater's Tangine: Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew

2009-02-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

First, a few excuses as for my absence:

1) Last I checked, Steak Au Poive is not frugal.

2) I didn't think I could include the number of our local pizza delivery as a blog post.

3) Recipe for pasta with tomato sauce, anyone?

So- not the most frugal week. Except for that pasta and sauce, of course, but somehow I think you've got that one covered.

To make up for things, I present you with Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew. Another recipe from Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. It's a super quick and easy version of typically more involved versions of Moroccan tangines. No fancy equipment needed and the ingredients are cheap.

It's incredibly flavorful as well. The spices really make it seem exotic, without all the fuss. Serve it over some couscous for a nice, warm and filling meal.

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew
Jack Bishop, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen
serves 4

2 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 T. minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. cumin
1 t. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 pitted prunes, chopped
2 T. minced fresh cilantro
salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook, 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, cook 1 minute. Stir in cumin and cinnamon and cook, 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, chickpeas, sweet potato, and prunes and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer, stirring once or twice, until potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro and salt and pepper and serve.

If Pesto Could Be Easier, This Is It: Fettuccine with Walnuts and Parsley

2009-02-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

This is one of those recipes where you see about *five ingredients and think, "huh, there's no way this could be good. It's too easy. There's not enough work involved. I'll skip it."

I'm telling you, don't. This recipe for Fettuccine with Walnuts and Parsley from (again) Ellie Krieger is in fact a genius recipe that does have about *five ingredients and really is minimal work. I didn't trust it at first either, but it's just plain delicious.

It's simple. It's full-flavored. And it's ingredients are most likely in your kitchen right now.
***Just a side note: the recipe in the book does NOT contain arugula, so I did not use it. Oh, and I'm also guilty of using, eh hem, regular pasta instead of whole wheat.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, it's healthy. Two healthy recipes in a row. You'd think I was on a health kick or something.

*For those of you who are counting the ingredients right now and thinking, five?? OK- look, I'm not counting the olive oil, salt and pepper. Okay?? Sheesh. So picky.

Summer, In Bowl Form: Tomato-Tortilla Soup

2009-02-09T10:33:00.001-08:00

You know that feeling you get on a summer day when you're outside, sunglasses on, BBQ burning in the background, drinking a margharita and eating chips and salsa? This soup is like that.

Really, exactly like that. Except for that the salsa is actually soup, the weather is actually cold, and the chips are inside your soup. And you're using a spoon. And I suppose it's not quite margharita season, either.

Did I lose you? Please, come back.

This recipe for Tomato-Tortilla Soup is from Ellie Krieger (who's a health nut, by the way- those of you who think I just eat sticks of butter every day) from her book, The Food You Crave. The great thing about this soup is that it's mostly pantry staples, so you can whip up this little gem in the middle of winter and no one will be the wiser.

So put on your sunglasses get out your soup pot. Summer's calling.

The Incredible, Edible, Economical Egg: Souffleed Blue Cheese Omelet

2009-02-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it was this post by The Kitchn which sent me into a dizzying downward spiral towards the winter blues. Please, click on that link and just CHECK OUT the beautiful produce on the west coast. The gorgeous citrus, in the brightest colors I have seen since October. There is nothing in nature, over here, on the east coast that even resembles those colors. So, the blues is where I went.

And what a better dinner to help me through the week (which, I did declare before was Blue Cheese Week) than a Souffleed Blue Cheese Omelet.

It's light and fluffy (faintly reminiscent of summer) with the cojones to stand up to the doldrums of a heavy winter's day.

And of course, it's easy, it's cheap, and it's got blue cheese.

So, tell me...how are you making it through the last weeks of winter?

Souffleed Blue Cheese Omelet
A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Jack Bishop

6 large eggs, 4 separated
3 T. milk
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 T. unsalted butter

1. Move an oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425.

2. Whisk 2 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until combined. Beat the four egg whites with a mixer until they hold soft peaks. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture until just combined.

3. Melt butter in 10 inch skillet over medium. When butter stops foaming, add egg mixture and cook until edges are set, about a minute. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the omelet has puffed and browned slightly, 8 to 11 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve.

Risotto, Part two

2009-02-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

Here is my second risotto on FFF, but it really should have been my first, as it is my favorite. Find the first recipe here.

I've made this a few times now and every time it's delicious. I've made it for company as well as on a weeknight. It's simple, yet can be elegant. And since I have, for some reason, declared this Blue Cheese Week (don't ask), I present you with Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Blue Cheese Risotto.

It's cheap, it's pure comfort, and it's fantastic.

BTW- I left out the spinach, used dried rosemary and used an acorn squash instead of butternut. Nothing was sacrificed. Feel free to change it up for what you have at home. That's the beauty of this dish. ***And more importantly- I used only one cup of rice. This recipe says it feeds four. With one cup of rice, it made four giant portions.

For When You Want to Get Serious: Ricotta Gnocchi and Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding

2009-02-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

*****Warning: If you are dieting, or considering dieting, just skip this post. Trust me. All efforts will fail.

So first, some back story. A few years back, my friend Rebecca and I decided to be ambitious and make gnocchi. We'd never made it before, but we thought it couldn't be that hard. So off we went, mixing, rolling cutting and boiling.

They looked okay when they were done, but one bite and we knew something went horribly wrong. They were not quite cooked and sort of tasted like glue. So we added a little flour and tried to cook them a bit more. They then became flavorless dry blobs. Our final (brilliant) idea was to fry them (!!) in butter, which resulted in them becoming fried, gluey, buttery globs.

Oh, did I mention that my mother-in-law was over for dinner?

So last night was make-up night. With my same friend, a few years later, but minus the mother-in-law pressure.

And since this friend was coming out and staying the night, we thought we'd just go for it and make an it an entire indulgent event.

This recipe for Ricotta Gnocchi is actually not too difficult. You mix the ingredients together in one bowl, roll out into two ropes, cut them and boil them. And if we could do it, considering our history, you can, too.

And, if that wasn't enough- we made this absolutely incredible Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding for dessert.

Sometimes, you have to just go for it. And this was worth every bite.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas.. *Three Ingredients to Perfection

2009-01-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

These were so surprisingly good. Three ingredients. Flour tortillas, sweet potato and cheese. Well..toppings help, too. But really, all that is needed is some sour cream and your good.

This is the lazy version of the Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos (which were also fantastic), but this time, there's little work. Perfect for when you really don't want to fuss in the kitchen. For when the second beer happens before the cooking even begins. For when pepperoni pizza delivery sounds really, really good.

These were so good, in fact, that when I gave my husband the last wedge of my quesadilla, he shouted out in joy. I kid you not.

The recipe is adapted from Simply in Season.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas
feeds 4

flour tortillas, two per person
two yams
shredded cheddar
sour cream
salsa, if you like (I liked mine without, but my husband liked the salsa)

1. Boil a pot of water. Cut up two yams into chunks. When the water boils, throw in some salt and the potato chunks. Cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and smoosh them up.

2. Shred some cheddar.

3. Heat a saute pan with some butter. Throw in a flour quesadilla, put some shredded cheese on top, put some smooshed potato on top of the cheese and cover with the other tortilla. Saute until browned. Flip and brown other side.

4. Do the same with the rest of the tortillas.

5. Top with sour cream (and salsa, if you like)

Linguine with Lemon, Garlic, and Thyme Mushrooms- A Gorgeous, One Pot Meal

2009-01-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

Typically, I'm not a big food network person. There was a period of time when I had a newborn that I found myself glued to the station, but these days I find myself more annoyed then entertained.

However, there are two exceptions. The first is Jamie Oliver. I like to think that I watch his show for the way he cooks in season from whatever was fresh picked from his garden. Yes, I like to think that.

The second is Nigella Lawson. I'm not sure what it is about her. Maybe I have a thing for that accent, or maybe I actually really like what she makes, but something about her made me buy her cookbook a few months ago. And lucky for all of you, this recipe for Linguine with Lemon, Garlic, and Thyme Mushrooms was in it.

(Sorry, but this last paragraph needs to be read in her British accent. Give it a try.)
It's a beautiful dish. Simple, fresh flavors and a breeze to make. The mushrooms are not cooked, just marinated in the lemon and thyme oil while the pasta cooks. And it all comes together in about 10 minutes. It's lovely, really. Simply gorgeous.

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Blue Cheese and Walnuts.

2009-01-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

That's all I really need to say, isn't it? I mean, doesn't the title just speak for itself? How utterly delicious this pizza is? How full-flavored and complex, yet unbelievably simple? Really, it's my new favorite. And it will be yours after you make this. Which, if I have anything to say about it, you will.

There are plenty of recipes for this pizza out there, but I used one from a great cookbook by Jack Bishop called A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I know, a veggie cookbook. But if you know me at all, you also know about my past. And it's a great cookbook- I've used it so much the pages are all crumpled and stained.

Now go. Make this.

Caramelized Onion Pizza with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Jack Bishop

You'll first need some pizza dough- use whatever recipe you like- one that makes enough for two pizzas, like this one here.

2 T. olive oil
4-5 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. fresh thyme, minced (I used dried, it was fine)
cornmeal for sprinkling pizza peel or baking sheet
5 ounces blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. While the pizza dough is rising, put a baking stone on the lower rack of your oven and heat to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet at medium high heat. Add onions, sugar, salt and cook for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until deeply brown- about 15 minutes. Stir in vinegar, cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, stir in thyme and pepper and cool the onions.

3. Cut dough into two pieces and roll it out on a floured surface. Slide the dough onto a pizza peel (or what I use, which is the underside of a baking pan) sprinkled with cornmeal. Reserve other dough in an airtight container or, as I did, use it for another pizza (there is enough onions for two, I think..)

4. Spoon onion mixture onto the dough, dot the cheese over onions.

5. Slide pizza from peel onto stone. Bake about 12 minutes. Sprinkle nuts on top and bake another two minutes. Remove and let it rest while you make the other pizza. Cut into slices and serve.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH...(The REAL winter salad solution)

2009-01-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

What? What's that you hear? OH, that's just me, crunching away on a nice RAW salad. Oh, not the season, you say? All you're eating lately is potatoes, you say? Well, I'm sorry to hear that because I've just enjoyed an experience only summer can bring.

If you think I've lost hope and bought up a bunch of mealy winter tomatoes and tasteless iceberg, you're wrong. I've learned something very important this week. Thanks to Farid Zadi (yea, I don't know who he is either...but my Wiki friends tell me he's some Algerian cooking expert), and his incredible recipe on Epicurious for Fennel and Carrot Slaw with Olive Dressing, it is, well, as he said himself, "..in the dead of winter, when vegetables are scarce, the clean flavors of this salad are as close as you're likely to get to a summertime farmer's market."

And, after that last depressing potato post, that's exactly what I needed. I'm assuming maybe you do, too?

It's all about slaws, people. Be prepared for more of them to come.

Garlic-Potato Soup, Or Why-Don't-I-Live-In-LA Soup

2009-01-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

I know. Enough already with the potatoes. I feel it, people. It's mid-January and spring is not even close. They say that January is the most depressing month and I'm starting to believe it. The root vegetables are exciting and delicious for a good two months, and then, January. Thank god butter makes it better. And garlic. And butter.

But, if you're trying to cook in season, give this one a go. It's smooth and creamy and comforting. I just wish I could say the same about January.

And here, I'm thieving you yet another Cooks Illustrated recipe. If I go to the slammer, send food. Anything but potatoes.

Garlic-Potato Soup
adapted from Cooks Illustrated, Soups and Stews 2009

3 T. butter
1 leek halved, washed and chopped
3 garlic cloves minced, 2 heads garlic, rinsed, outer skins removed and top third cut off
6 cups chicken broth, plus one cup to thin
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 t. minced thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup minced chives

1. Melt butter in Dutch oven. Add leek and cook 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add garlic heads, broth, bay leaves and 3/4 t. salt. Partially cover pot and simmer about 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes, simmer about 20 minutes more.

2. Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic head and using tongs or paper towels, squeeze head until cloves slip out of the skins. Using a fork, mash the cloves.

3. Stir in cream, thyme, garlic and heat soup. Use immersion blender to process until creamy with a few chunks remaining. Add broth if it's too thick.

And, I'm sorry Cooks Illustrated, but I added another lob of butter at the end and instead of adding more broth to thin it out, I added milk. It's probably wise to follow the experts on this one, but my version was quite delicious if I do say so myself. But then again, my butter addiction is real.

This is about soul food

2009-01-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

and me, being the queen of it.

OK. Maybe I'm not exactly who you think of when you think "soul food".

Maybe I'm not even remotely close.

But, this being a land of equal opportunity- I thought that perhaps you would overlook my Jewish-girl-from-Jersey past. Perhaps you would overlook the fact that there was not a whole lotta pork going in the kitchen of my youth. Or sausage. Or even kidney beans, for that matter.

Despite all this, soul food was on the menu last night. And I was going to do a good job of it, darn it! And to my surprise (and my husbands) it was good! Actually, really good!

It was the recipe for Red Beans and Rice from Cooks Illustrated, Soups and Stews edition. I even had a fantastic cornbread on the side.

They don't let you in to their website to get recipes unless you have a subscription, so shhh... don't tell anyone. Here's it is:

Red Beans and Rice
adapted from Cooks Illustrated, Soups and Stews 2009
serves 8 to 10 (did you hear that? Because I sort of didn't read that. I have a ton of beans if anyone wants to come over...)

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 celery rib, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 t. minced fresh oregano (I used dried herbs, and it was still good)
1 t. minced fresh thyme
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
4 bay leaves
1 pound dried kidney beans, rinsed and picked over
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
7 cups water
8 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch moons
white rice
hot sauce

Cornbread recipe, below

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven (or really, the biggest pot you have! I had to switch half way through), about 7 minutes. Add onion, pepper, celery and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic, cook 30 seconds. Add 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. pepper, oregano, thyme, cayenne, bay leaves, beans, broth, and water and boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours (so plan ahead!).

2. Stir in sausage and cook 30 minutes more. Meanwhile, make your rice. (They had a fancier rice recipe, but I made just straight up white rice and it was just fine.)

3. Serve beans over rice, pass hot sauce on the side. Crumble your cornbread into it, if that's your style.

Golden Sweet Cornbread Recipe, posted on allrecipes.com. Perfect.

Hanger Steak with Warm Bulgur Salad (Yes, I'm Serious)

2009-01-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

Steak?? Who ever thought there would be a nice steak meal on this frugal blog?

Not me. Not until I saw the recent article in Food and Wine called "Chef Recipes Made Easy". This particular dish, made at the restaurant would set you back $18 a person. The beauty of the recipe listed in the magazine is that it was frugal-ized. At home, it will cost about $5 each. Definitely worth it for a nice steak meal, I think.

Make this excellent meal on a Saturday night. Put the kids to bed, light some candles and have date at home. Because really, who wants to go out in this weather anyway?

Happy Date Night...

What's Your Favorite?

2009-01-16T05:54:00.001-08:00

It was leftovers night last night and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for you to feed my addiction. You know you've got that favorite cookbook that's got various stains in all shades of the rainbow scattered among it's pages. It's dog-eared and worn down, with notes on what was good and what to avoid making again.

I want to hear what it is.

What's your favorite?

It's Health Night! Pasta with Sausage, Cannellini Beans and Kale

2009-01-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

What? You don't believe me? You think my butter-is-better attitude would never post a health food, let alone something that sounds as suspect as the meal above?

While it may be true that this is not exactly a dieting blog, this recipe for Pasta with Sausage, Cannellini Beans, and Kale is a powerhouse of antioxidants! Kale! Sun-dried tomatoes! Beans! All good for you foods, glistened with the sweet savory flavor of sausage over the soul satisfying smoothness of pasta. And it's from Cooking Light, no less!

So there. Now you can go ahead and make this delicious, simple, quick and cheap recipe and feel proud of your healthful home-cooking self.

Stumble It!

Potato Post Number Five: The I-Love-Mollie-Katzen Edition

2009-01-13T18:42:00.000-08:00

While making dinner tonight, I realized that the person I should really thank in this blog is Mollie Katzen.

You know, the author of the wildly popular best selling classic, Moosewood Cookbook. The cookbook that was in fact, my first real cookbook. (Although, there was that one I had as a young girl, the Betty Crocker Kids Cookbook, where I had taken all the quizzes and graded myself with smiley faces when I got the questions right....um, yes. Moving on.)

Anyway-I worked my way through that cookbook in college and I swear it's what really taught me how to cook. From there, I was able to start improvising. You know, with the regular college staple items. Like ketchup. And soy sauce packages.

So, she's written a bazillion cookbooks by now, but one of my favorites is Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. And in that very cookbook is a recipe I've made several times before and it's perfect for, yup, you guessed it, potato season.

And here it is:

Moroccan Root Vegetable Stew
Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special, Mollie Katzen

1 1/2 T. veg oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups peeled and diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. coriander
1 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
pinch of cayenne
4 cups stock or water
1 cup peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 cup peeled and diced turnips
1 cup cubed potatoes
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced rutabaga (optional, if using, increase spices a bit)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup currants
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Warm oil in a soup pot and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, cover, and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes. Add cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in water or stock and all your root veggies. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add bay leaves and currants, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Puree 2 cups of the soup if you like with an immersion blender and add it back to the soup. Add the lemon juice and cilantro.

Pasta Puttanesca to Make Your Neighbors Jealous

2009-01-12T18:02:00.001-08:00

You want intense flavor? You want comfort food at it's finest? You want an aroma so good your neighbors are going to come knocking at your door? Then, this recipe for Pasta Puttanesca is it.

OK. So I should tell you, it's a Rachel Ray recipe. I realize that this may cause a rift as I understand that Rachel Ray is kind of like anchovies. You either love her or you hate her. So if you are one who doesn't love the way she calls olive oil, "EVOO" or constantly says, "Yum-O!", for this one recipe, I ask you to put your feelings aside. Because in this recipe, it's actually the anchovies that make the recipe so darn good.

And if all this talk of anchovies scared you off (and Rachel for that matter), you should know that the anchovies completely melt in the sauce and you don't even know they're there.

I can't really say the same thing about Rachel, though. That you'll have to suss out for yourself.

Breakfast for Cheaters- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal

2009-01-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

First off, welcome to all the readers from Beingfrugal! A big thank you to Lynnae for posting my blog. I am honored. If you haven't checked out her blog, you should- she's really the frugal queen.

Now. About breakfast.

Yesterday, I made those pumpkin muffins (again). It's kind of overkill now. I believe this is the fifth time in about two months. I can't help it! They're so good and so easy.

But here's the problem. You end up with this little blob of pumpkin puree left. And what do you do with that? It's too small to freeze because then you end up with this mystery mush in a plastic container that is forgotten about in the back of your freezer. Or, it sits in your refrigerator, waiting for something and then gets thrown out when you find it a month later.

In comes this breakfast for cheaters. Really, who wants to eat breakfast when you can instead eat peanut butter oatmeal cookies in a bowl? Because, if you take a look at the recipe, that's really what it is. I mean, yea, it's wholesome. There's pumpkin, oats, peanut butter...all good things. But when you taste this, you'll think you're secretly getting away with something.

And that's what I like about it.

It's from Jessica Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious, of which there has been plenty of debate. Should we hide our veggies in the recipes we make? Whatever side of the debate you side on, you should make this. It's really a recipe for the adults, anyway. And, yea, I guess the kids will like it, too.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld

1 cup of milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 cup old fashion oats
2 teaspoons peanut butter
dried fruit and nuts (optional)
maple syrup, for serving (though, personally, I don't think it needs any)

Directions:
In a saucepan, combine milk, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and spice. Bring to gentle boil. Stir in oatmeal. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in peanut butter. Sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts, if you like.

A Break from the Potato Pantry- Thai Green Curry Mussels

2009-01-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

I think the person who started calling mussels "cockroaches of the sea" never lived in Brooklyn.

These sweet little shells, harboring tiny morsels of briny goodness? Cockroaches? I don't know about you, but I certainly never knew a cockroach (or as we called them in Park Slope, "water bugs", because apparently there's a difference, you know) to be so tasty.

And so CHEAP.

Did you know you can get two POUNDS of mussels for three bucks?

So to get out of my root vegetable rut, I made this recipe from Cooking Light for Thai Green Curry Mussels. It's one I've made before. It's so, so very easy and it comes together in less than 20 minutes.

One bite and you'll forget that it's mid-January.

The Winter Salad Solution- January Soup

2009-01-07T17:51:00.000-08:00

You know that feeling you get after eating a big bowl of salad filled with only the most delicious, in season vegetables? Maybe it's just me, but don't you, after finishing such a salad, say to yourself, "Damn, girl, you are the picture of health!" And then, if you're like me, you follow this virtuous feeling with a hot fudge sundae?

OK. Well. It's January. I walk through the isles of my supermarket, trying to eat in season and try, really try, to keep my head up in (endless) potato season. And, being January, I want to feel that virtuous summer salad feeling.

In comes this soup. It's from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. This recipe for Autumn Minestone is really a bunch of (quite healthy) winter veggies boiled with water and herbs. On it's own, it's great. But, being me, I find it's even better with a couple of lobs of butter thrown in at the end and a cup or so of milk. It will make you feel warm and healthy, which I figure makes up for the unhealthy additions.

OK, well..I'm off for that hot fudge sundae.

New England Clam Chowder- A Frugal Winner

2009-01-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit addicted to Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations on the Travel Channel. Before motherhood and settling in to suburban livin' here, I used to travel. It's one of my favorite things to do, but now that I've got two (small) kids in tow, it's sort of on hold. At least until they can carry their own bags. So, for now I get my kicks from watching other people's witty banter about travel and imagine the time when I will once again visit such places.

Why am I talking about this? Because recently there was an episode about Spain in which canned seafood was discussed. Not just your regular canned tuna from Costco or anything- but good quality seafood. It was said that something about the canning makes the flavor improve.

Now. I'm not sure if this just involves the fancy schmancy seafood they were eating, but I'm telling you that perhaps that was what made this New England Clam Chowder with Corn and Herbs so darn good. I did splurge on the good brand of clams, considering it was still a really cheap meal. And don't believe the recipe, it really feeds six- especially if you have
that good bread. (Must I put the link again? Just get the book and make the bread!)

So it turns out that the frugal food article in last month's Bon Appetit is not so bad after all. The debacle of the meatloaf from yesterday's post was enough to make me think twice, but I'm glad I stuck it out. This one's a clear winner.

Oh, and when you've got some time, check out the Everything's Better with Bacon Slideshow. Because, well, it simply is.

Alert: Chili Cures Guilt

2009-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

So there's been some guilt. I'm not talking about the "Oh, I ate the whole batch of Christmas cookies" guilt or the "Did I really need to make latkes again?" guilt, or even the "Sure, another eggnog would be great!" guilt. It's none of those things.

You see, first there was the Impulsive Filet Mignon Purchase Night (at Whole Foods no less) for a fancy New Year's dinner. Did I really know before getting to the checkout that it was $30/pound? I probably shouldn't really even mention the blue cheese and port wine sauce that was poured on top.

Then, there was the Bacon and Beef Meatloaf Night, which first off didn't even form into a loaf, then ended up in the trash because I couldn't bear to just plate up a bunch of ground beef with some bacon swimming around it. (I'll leave out the part where my husband thought I was poisoning him by serving it, eh hem, not fully cooked.)

I don't think I should, on top of all this, mention that I found my son today standing in the kitchen saying, "Mommy, what's this?" with the Cuisinart food processor blade in his hand. I'll just skip right over that.

What I needed was a good meal that was cheap, easy and healthy. And luckily I found this recipe for Vegetarian Chili with Orange and Cumin in the frugal issue of Bon Appetit. I must say, I was hesitant to try it, as it was right after the recipe for Beef and Bacon Meatloaf That Wasn't. But, thankfully, it was great. A good, winter pantry meal I'll go back to for sure.

Hopefully now I'll be getting myself back on track.

Wish me luck.

Suburban Latkes...

2008-12-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

are way better than urban ones.

Let me explain.

A few years back, I had a Hanukkah party in my apartment in Brooklyn. It was a great idea- make a truckload of latkes and enjoy the greasy goodness that they are with all my closest friends.

Well, little did I know that that greasy goodness get translated into a greasy smell that not only takes over your (tiny) kitchen, but in small NYC apartments, it takes over your living room, your bedroom and your closets. And not only does it take over your entire living space, but it does so for the next week. I found myself on the subway on the way to work, paranoid that everyone was sniffing me out, wondering, "What's up with the smelly chick of there? Does she work at the BK Lounge or something?" Then, of course, I realized that my oily smell was probably one of the better smells on the train...but, I digress.

After that latka-a-thon, I swore that I would never do it again. But somehow, last night, I just got into the holiday spirit. And now that I have a little boy who is learning about such things, I decided it was time to give it another shot.

And you know what? Now that I'm living the easy-breezy suburban life, not only are things like buying groceries easier, but latka-making is easier, too! Sure, there was a bit of an oily odor going on last night, but when spread throughout a house, somehow there's enough space that it's not that bad. And how great, because I've decided that I need to make these things more than just once a year. Their basically french fries, in fresh, flat disc form. To really drive that fact home, my son wanted ketchup of all things on them. There was no talking him into putting applesauce and sour cream on his "french fries".

Well...at least he ate them.

And so here, the basic recipe I used last night for Potato Latkes. And, just so you know, I had no lemon juice, didn't put the potatoes in cold water first and didn't even really drain them, and they turned out great. So, no need to get all fussy with the recipe.

Now go ahead and make these suckers, no matter what you celebrate. They're worth it.

Giving the Bird to the Bird? A Call for Help

2008-12-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

In grade school, my math teachers had this problem about me they couldn't figure out. For some reason I always aced the harder problems, but would get the easy ones wrong. It followed me for years. They would put me in these advanced math groups, then would follow with frustration over my contradictory math knowledge. "Slow down!" they would say. "You're being careless!" and on and on, into the report card it would go.
Which brings me to chicken.
Apparently, this problem has followed me, not only through grade school, but right into my adult life. Because for some reason beyond my understanding, I cannot roast a darn chicken.
Tonight was my second attempt at this. My first, as some of you may know, was back in my previous life during my Meat Ventures for the Vegetarian when I wrote this post. That time a friend had to essentially step in and cook the darn thing for me. So I thought, what the heck? I'll try it again! This is something one should be able to do!
I checked my resources. I even watched a video on The Amateur Gourmet's blog about it and followed his recipe. I did all the right things. I used a meat thermometer. And after the bell went off on my timer, poke, poke, poke with that thing and I couldn't get it to the right degree! Back in the oven it would go. Poor breasts burning, potatoes crisping, thinking, it must be done now! Right, right? Cut into it, and redness. Redness all over that thing.
Trying to make the best of the situation, I lop off the breasts and decide to only half give up. I put the breasts on a plate and throw the rest of the thing into a pot for soup. Besides, this is FRUGAL Family Foodies and waste not, want not.
What is this about? I can pull together a fancy dinner for eight, but not a simple four pound roast chicken?
Anybody out there with advice for me? I'm dangerously close to calling it off with such a frugally fine feathery friend.

The Quickest, Easiest Pumpkin Muffins Ever

2008-12-19T06:56:00.000-08:00

Don't know if I've mentioned this, by I am no baker. It's all too precise for me. Everything has to be measured perfectly. I am too much of a sloppy cook. Throw in a little of this, a little of that, taste, and repeat. Which explains some of the failed muffins, cakes, breads, pizzas, cookies..I could go on and on.
However.
If you are like me, then these muffins are for you. I made them together with my three year old son. They took us all of about five minutes to make. Best of all, they are absolutely delicious. Even my little guy liked them. And that's saying something because there are very few things he will allow on his plate. AND little did he know, they're even healthy! Ha-ha. I win.

Pumpkin Muffins
From Gourmet November 2006
Adapted from the American Club
Makes 1 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Fettuccine With Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts- (Don't Skip This One)

2008-12-14T16:59:00.001-08:00

I'm telling you. This dish was the biggest surprise when it was finished. I looked at the recipe and thought, meh, I could skip this one. But I'm so glad I didn't.
It essentially has three ingredients. Pasta, Brussels and pine nuts. No onions, no garlic. No flavor, is what I thought. But boy was I mistaken. It is just so amazingly delicious. If you are one of those people who claim they hate Brussels sprouts, it's you I want to make this. Yes, you. I know it's hard to get your mind around this one, but you not only will like it, you'll LOVE it.
And come on, you can't really beat the price. Pasta, a bag of Brussels, and three tablespoons of pine nuts? Now, go. Become a lover of this Cruciferous concoction. You can't afford NOT to.

I'm About 95% Sure This is the Best Soup I've Made

2008-12-10T18:40:00.001-08:00

See..I had a bad day. I wanted soup. Soup would make it better. So, I put up the onions, the sausage, the broth, kale and spices and was anticipating a quick escape into a warm soup world, where all problems melt away and are covered with the soothing goodness of a delicious, homemade bowl of comfort.

Well. Little did I know, that after following the first set of directions, there would be the hour simmering time. An hour. And little did I know that the bottle of white wine that I was using for white wine spritzers would just become multiple glasses as I ran out of seltzer. And, well, and hour was kind of a long time.

All that being said, I really do think that this is one of the best soups I've made. Completely worth the time investment. Which, really, is not all that long because during that hour simmering time, you're doing nothing (or, should be doing nothing).

So, here it is. Potato Soup with Kale and Chorizo.
And none of that fussy "smoked paprika" is needed. The regular stuff was just fine.
A delicious soup with two sausage links, kale, broth, onions and potatoes.
A cheap getaway.

What To Do With Your Two Buck Chuck?

2008-12-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

And I'm not talking about the cleverly named Charles Shaw wine. I'm talking about the pound of ground meat I got for two bucks on sale at Whole Foods the other day. I just didn't want to do the same ol' thing. I wanted something outside the box this time. Something with a little kick and visual appeal.

And I found it, once again at my trusted site, Epicurious. A great recipe for Spiced Beef Corn Bread Cobbler. Don't be put off because it looks like too many steps. This actually can be a weeknight meal. The whole thing, start to finish took 45 minutes.

The entire dinner probably cost only about five bucks to make and feeds four. Which gives you enough green for a glass of the real Two Buck Chuck. Or better yet, make it two. You can swing it.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos (or, What-To-Do-With-All-Your-Potatoes Burrito)

2008-12-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

If, like me, in all your frugal-ness, have stocked up on maybe too many potatoes, take heed. I have the answer to at least part of your pile o' potato problem. It's called Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos, and trust me, you'll be happy you have a good supply to make these again and again.
This recipe is adapted from The Moosewood Low-Fat Cookbook, which I actually don't own (um, perhaps because of the title...have you read about my love of butter and bacon yet?) but found online through the magic of the internet.

You'll need:

a can of black beans, not drained
an onion, diced
couple a cloves of garlic, smashed
half a palmful each of chili powder, cumin, cayenne (if you like it spicy)
a good sized yam, peeled and diced
shredded cheddar, about half a block
4 flour tortillas
sour cream

Here's what to do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Put up a pot of water to boil. Throw in some salt and when it boils, toss in the yam chunks. Let them cook until they're soft, about 10 minutes. Drain, remove from heat.

In a skillet, heat some oil. Add the diced onion and saute. Drop in your garlic and spices and cook for about a minute or two. Throw in your can of beans with their liquid. Let that stew for a while until the liquid starts to evaporate a bit and the smell reaches other members of your household. You'll know the beans are ready when you hear someone ask you what's for dinner.

Smash those beans down with a smasher of some kind, right in the pot.

Take out a 9x13 pan. In each tortilla, mound on a scoop of bean mixture, a scoop or two of smooshy potatoes and some cheddar and roll it up. Put it in your baker, seam side down. Fill the rest and put those next to your others. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top cheese get all melty. Top with sour cream.

Enjoy the divine flavor combination with a nice cold bottle of beer and return to your pantry full of potatoes and smile.

Frugal is the New Black

2008-12-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

At least, that's what my friend, Karen told me the other day when she commented on my blog. And you know what? She's right.
Imagine my surprise yesterday, upon checking my mailbox and finding none other than Bon Appetit with a cover that says, "Eat Better for Less". They're calling it The Value Issue.
AND on top of all of that, what recipe is pictured on the front?
Fettuccine Carbonara.
Was I not just speaking the praises of this recipe two days ago? How wonderfully sinful and cheap it is? How it can take away all your troubles while at the same time fill you up, with bacon-y love?
Well then.
I suppose I'm on the right track here. And, to help us all along, I will most certainly be trying out some of their frugal delights and posting only the good ones for you to try.

Quality Ingredients and the Frugal Foodie

2008-12-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

As you can tell from yesterday's post, I don't skimp on certain things. The cream was organic, the cheese was the real deal Parmigiano Reggiano and the bacon was quality, thick cut and nitrate-free.
So how does this work into the budget of someone trying to eat frugally?
I'll tell you how.
By choosing recipes that use the expensive items sparingly. The recipe for Monday's Carbonara, for instance, uses eight slices of bacon. BUT, this is for a good, heaping FOUR servings. It was only a half cup of that organic cream. And the Parm? When using the good stuff, and this is important:
YOU DON'T NEED AS MUCH.
A few shavings of good Parm goes much further than the stuff you find in a can on the shelf in the grocery store. You will run out of that in a few dinners, wheras I've had that block of cheese in my drawer for a good two months now and still have half of it left.

Case in point was tonight's dinner. Pizza with fresh mozzarella, sausage and mushrooms.

First, the cheap stuff. The crust came from a hunk of the dough I use for my bread. So that was practically free.

And, since tomatoes are certainly not in season, I used one can of diced tomatoes that I drained. Last I checked, one can was about a buck seventy five.

I sauteed some mushrooms, which I bought loose at the store and ran me about two-fifty.

Then came the more expensive ingredients.

First, the meat. Sausage is quite cheap. I bought four good quality links which were about $3.50, but I only used two of them and froze the others. They were each so flavorful that I did not need any more than that.

And now, the cheese. Yes, I bought fresh mozz, but I only used about half a little ball of the stuff. Since it's good quality cheese, I needed to use less. If I had bought that packaged shredded stuff, I would have needed two bags to cover the two pizzas. Oh, have I mentioned that I made not one, but TWO pizzas with all this stuff? We have leftovers for tomorrow.

So-there it is. Use the good stuff, but stretch it because you won't sacrifice flavor by using less.

There, doesn't that make you feel better? You can be a cheap gourmet afterall.

Got a Case of the Mondays? Eat This..

2008-12-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

OK. Why was I left out here? How come nobody ever let me in on Pasta Carbonara? Seriously, are you kidding me? When these are the ingredients?? Bacon?? Cream?? Parmesan?? It's everything I love about a bacon and egg breakfast. Except at night. And with pasta. And a big glass of wine. Really, it's win-win.
So, next time you come home on a Monday night and feel a bit blue, make this little wippersnapper of a dish. It's super easy, quick as a wink and did I mention the bacon and cream?
This whole thing takes as long as it takes to boil and make the pasta.
I swear.
Follow this recipe at Everyday Food and by dessert, everything will be right in the world.

Risotto- The Ultimate Frugal Foodie Dish

2008-11-22T06:14:00.000-08:00

Rice, broth, an onion, some Parm and whatever you'd like to add to make it special- risotto is the ultimate cheap and seasonal dish:

You can make it a simple meal for your family or it looks just as fancy for a dinner party.

It's cheap- you can easily double the recipe by simply adding another cup of rice and some more broth.

It's especially warming on a chilly, late fall evening.

Best of all, whatever's in season is what you add. This time, I made mushroom risotto, but I've made butternut squash risotto, sun-dried tomato risotto, risotto with eggplant, risotto with zucchini...you can add shellfish, meat... you get the idea.

Here's a recipe for basic risotto from Jamie Oliver. You can follow his exactly, or omit the celery and alchohol- I did and it was still delicious.

To this basic recipe, I sauteed some mushrooms in butter in a seperate skillet and added them to the risotto at the end.

Lovely- add a glass of red wine and you have an outstanding (and cheap) dinner.

Four Ingredients, Four Stars

2008-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, I lied. It's really five ingredients if you count the grated Parm...but this recipe for Fettuccine with Sausage and Kale from Gourmet magazine that I found on Epicurious (one of my favorite resources, by the way) is so easy, so tasty, and did I mention minimal ingredients?

I must say that at first, I was skeptical. There was no onions, no garlic...no garlic?? Where's the flavor? With just pasta, sausage, kale and broth (and cheese), this recipe is surprisingly full flavored. Put on some good music and you'll feel instantly transported to a bistro in Italy.

And for you kale-a-phobes, this recipe's for you. Give it a try.

Don't you trust me yet?

Avoid Thanksgiving Week Madness- Make and Freeze Soup

2008-11-17T10:26:00.001-08:00

Like this splendid one from Art Smith's Kitchen Life. Here's the scoop- make one or two soups this week, freeze the leftovers. Then, next week when your cooking all week long for your guests on Thursday, you can just heat up soup for easy dinners Monday through Wednesday.
But don't just make ANY soup. Make this one. As you know, carrots are quite cheap and in season right now. This carrot soup rivals any other due to it's addition of coconut milk and Indian spices. (It says you can substitute light yogurt, or light coconut milk, but I'm a purist- the full fat variety coconut milk is just too freakin delicious to pass up.)

Curried Carrot Soup

1 T. Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 pounds carrots, scrubbed, unpeeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
1 T curry powder
1 t. ginger
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk (or, plain nonfat yogurt, or light coconut milk)
S & P to taste

Heat the oil. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cover. Cook about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, stir well. Stir in curry powder and ginger, cook for 30 seconds.

Add the broth and boil. Reduce heat to medium low and partially cover the pot. Simmer for about 30 minutes (until carrots are tender.)

Transfer the soup in batches to a blender. (Or use an immersion blender.) Return soup to pot and add your coconut milk until soup is hot. Do not simmer. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Avoid That Call for General Tso's..Stock Your Pantry!

2008-11-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

Alice Waters, in her book The Art of Simple Food does an excellent job of explaining the power of a well stocked pantry. She writes what items she keeps in stock, then goes on to list the 32 main courses, 25 side dishes, six sauces and 11 desserts she can make without a trip to the market.

I claim to be no Alice Waters. However, my pantry is still a work horse. For example, on a night like tonight, with the last of my week's shopping left in the fridge, I turn to my pantry to come up with something reasonable to put on the table.

Tonight, it was um..well, I'm not sure it was..Gumbo? Chili? I don't know what to call it except delicious. However, to give it more of a visual, I'll call it Red Beans and Rice with Sausage. Pick up some sausage links and I'll bet you have the rest on hand.

You'll need:
two onions
garlic
stock or broth or even just water
kidney beans (or black beans or pinto, whatever you've got)
chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano
rice (brown, white...)
sausage

Cooking it:
Cook your rice in a pot
Saute those diced onions in oil in a dutch oven
Mix in the spices- I used kind of a heavy hand here, I wanted some spice!
Cut up your links and throw 'em in..saute
Pour your stock in- about 2-3 cups worth...simmmer
When your rice is done, throw that into your stockpot
Simmer all that goodness together until the flavor combines- I did so for about a half hour
Serve...if you've got some sour cream or plain yogurt, it goes great on top.

Broccoli and Cheese Quiche- Eggcellently Frugal

2008-11-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

OK. Bad joke. But seriously- eggs are great, cheap food. A meal in a package, loaded with protein and all other sorts of good things- and inexpensive to boot. Even if, like me, you're seduced by the more expensive variety, the MOST I've paid for some farm fresh eggs was about five bucks for a dozen.

A DOZEN!

Do you understand what I'm saying here? If you eat two eggs at a time, well, let me tell you, doing my quick math here, that's six meals. Six meals for under five bucks. And if you get them at a market or a better place than Whole Paycheck (where I picked up my last expensive carton), you've scored an even better deal.

Which brings me to my quiche. Any friend of mine who has had a baby in the last few years will recognize this quiche. It's easy to make and travels well- making it a great meal for someone who needs some easy quick food herself.

This recipe is versatile- you can easily change up the ingredients depending what's in season. This week, broccoli was looking particularly good and I found some great Cheddar.

Now I have a confession to make. I know I usually say, make it yourself and it will be much cheaper. And it's true. But the one thing I just won't make... is pie crust. I'm bad I know! Dollars just drained out of my wallet even writing that. But sometimes you have to cheat, and this is my time.

That being said,
here's the recipe:

My Go-To Quiche:

Eat or bring to a friend who really needs it. They will sing your praises. (And try not to feel guilty about how easy it was to make.)

Buttermilk Pancakes- You CAN make them yourself!

2008-11-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

I post this picture of my far-from-perfect looking pancakes purposely- and that is to show you that you don't need to be intimidated to make your own pancakes. First off, there are very few ingredients. Most likely you have all them, except for some buttermilk on hand. Pick up a quart at the store and your ready to go.

I've tried a few recipes, but the one I keep coming back to is from Heidi Swanson's book, Cook 1.0. It makes consistently yummy, fluffy pancakes every time.

The best part of making your own is that it's cheap and makes a lot. I make a big batch, then freeze them in separate packets of two so I can just whip out a baggie and nuke 'em for a minute and breakfast for my little guy is served in a flash.
And no matter what they come out looking like- add some butter and syrup and no one will complain. Trust me.

Mix Together:

2 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking powder
1/3 c. sugar
pinch of salt

Add:
2 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
(I add) 2 T. of flax meal to make them seem healthy

Stir together until just combined, but still a bit lumpy.

Heat a skillet. (If you have a cast iron one, it's worth using it. The results are shown in this great post by the author of Smitten Kitchen. If you haven't checked out her site, you should. You want to see beautiful food? She's got it.)

Drop batter by 1/3 cup fulls. Flip when littles bubbles form on the top.

Let cool on a rack if you've got one. Try as hard as you can to leave some leftovers to freeze for another day. And good luck with that- they're irresistible.

Entertaining on the Cheap (They'll never know!)

2008-11-11T18:20:00.001-08:00

Unless of course, they read your blog. Then your out of luck. Which I'll be in a second when I post about the dinner I made the other night.

Pasta with Sausage, Basil and Mustard, a recipe from Nigel Slater is a powerhouse. The reason I post this on this blog (besides it being absolutely fabulous) is that it clearly demonstrates two solid concepts of eating well on the cheap. One is:

PASTA STRETCHES.

I once was making dinner for just my husband, when out of the blue I got a call from a friend from out of town. He was with his girlfriend and two other friends. So I invited them over for dinner. All I had to do was add another box of pasta and voila! dinner for a crowd! And two:

USE MEAT MORE AS A CONDIMENT THEN AS THE MAIN ATTRACTION.

This article, entitled "Putting Meat Back in It's Place" in the NY Times by Mark Bittman highlights this important point.
Making separate chicken breasts for every person can add up. But when you use meat, as in the recipe above- the most expensive item in your meal will feed many people.

So next time your worried about feeding a crowd and feeding them well, make this. You'll thank me later. And so will your guests.

T.G.I.Monday Chicken Soup

2008-11-10T18:44:00.001-08:00

A two-parter of sorts, but none-the-less, this chicken soup cures what ails ya on a cold Monday night. It's cheap, it's easy and it makes leftovers.

Buy:
a few chicken thighs with skin

You may have:
carrots
celery
onions
a bay leaf
noodles of some sort

On a Sunday, (though of course this soup, I suppose, could be made any day), throw your thighs in a big soup pot. Break the carrots and celery into a few pieces- throw them in, too. Cut an onion in half and chuck that in. Add the bay leaf. Fill your pot with water until it comes above your food. Cover and cook for quite a while- half hour, hour, whatever time you've got (adjusting so that your water doesn't boil over.) Just let it go until your house smells really good. Remove the carrots, onion, celery and toss 'em in the garbage. Cool the chicken on a pan. Save the delicious broth you just made in a container. Shred your cooled chicken stick it in the fridge.

Now- Monday night is nice and easy. Dice up more onions, celery, carrots and saute them with oil/butter for about 10 minutes or so. Throw out the fat that has made a nice little layer on top of your broth. Dump your broth in the pot. Once it's boiling, throw in your noodles to cook. Right before those noodles are done, throw in your shredded chicken.

Now slurp that baby up and be happy that your first day of the week is done.

Cream of Broccoli Soup- or, What to Do if Your Baby Will Not Eat Your Broccoli Puree

2008-11-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

On my quest to keep it on the cheap, I had the novel idea of making my own baby food. I bought all sorts of fruits and vegetables and I came home feeling virtuous that my little guy was going to eat fresh, organic baby food made by his mother.
Well...that was a waste. It was actually the first food ever that he spit out. I kept trying, too, with no luck. He kept looking at me like I was trying to poison him. Apparently, my son only likes toxic, non-fresh puree that has been sitting on the shelf of Target for 17 months.
However, none was lost on this effort. My beautiful green puree turned into a gorgeous Cream of Broccoli Soup!

Buy this:
-a head of broccoli
-an onion or two
-milk
-chicken or veggie broth
-dried thyme
-butter

Then, do this:
-Cook the onions with some butter
-Add the broccoli and saute for a bit
-Add about 4 cups of broth and cook until the broccoli is tender
-Add a few pinches of thyme
-If you've got one of those hand blenders, blend that sucker up, or use a blender
-Put it back in the pot and add some milk, about a cup or more
-Add salt, pepper (and if you like- and I like-, another little chunk of butter)

Huevos Rancheros- So Freakin' Cheap, So Freakin' Good

2008-11-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

I will not pretend to hail from Mexico, or even California, where one can get the real deal of this dish. No, I'm not even close. A Jewish girl from New York has no business even entertaining the thought of making such a meal. That being said, damn I made some good Huevos tonight! This classic is so cheap, I'm surprised I didn't live on this in college.

Here's what you need:
Corn tortillas
Can of beans
Eggs
Cheese (I used cheddar, just what I had)
Sour Cream and Salsa

Here's what to do:
-Take several corn tortillas and spread some oil on them. Bake them in the oven until they crisp up.
-Dump a can of beans in a pot. Add garlic, chili powder, red pepper and heat. Smash beans down with some kind of smashing device. (A spoon, potato smasher..)
-Crack eggs in a buttered pan and cook until they fluff up a bit.
-Plop a heap of beans on each tortilla, slide an egg on, top with cheese and throw back in the oven for a minute for the cheese to melt.
-Top with salsa, sour cream...guac if you have it..

The only sad part of this whole story is that I didn't have a good beer to wash this all down.

Bacon-tarian

2008-11-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

I used to be a vegetarian. For a good 10 years, I swore off eating anything that could walk. That was, however, until I found bacon. Bacon, I now know, is one of those things that makes everything better. Like real butter- but that's for another post. And bacon is what makes this Lentil Soup from Everyday Food so, so good. This recipe perfectly builds on the same concept from my last post about mixing the cheap with the expensive to create a good meal. Take cheap lentils and add a sprinkling of good bacon and you've got a great, cheap and delicious meal. I changed it a bit by substituting cubed butternut squash for the carrots (I had leftover squash and no carrots and I figured, they're both orange...?) and still got stellar results. Warm, filling and leftovers for several meals to boot. Pair it with some bread and you're good to go.

Baked Mostoccioli with Fresh Mozzarella (or to the rest of us, Baked Ziti)

2008-11-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

There I was, midweek, out of everything. I had used up all my fresh produce and my refrigerator was looking like it belonged to a college freshman- all beverages and condiments. What to do? Go back to a classic- Baked Ziti. This is where having a stocked pantry comes in. Now, I know what you're thinking. A box of pasta, a jar of sauce...there's nothing gourmet about that. Nothing splashy. Oh, I beg to differ. If you put out a nice loaf of bread like I made in my last post, use a fancy pasta shape and the one ingredient to take it up a notch- fresh mozz... you have a winner. It's the same concept those fashionistas use- mix and match the cheap with the expensive. I'm no slave to fashion, but I am a slave to good, hearty, faux-fancy food.

Here's what to do:
-Cook your pasta (don't forget to add a hand full of salt to the water before cooking)
-Embellish your jarred sauce (I added some dried basil, oregano and thyme smashed between my fingers, some garlic and a good hunk of butter)
-Mix the cooked sauce with the pasta and add your chunks of fresh mozz
-Stir it around and add some parm if you've got any
-Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
-Feel virtuous for cooking a meal with really only three cheap ingredients

Bread Alone

2008-11-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

I was never a baker.
Chapters involving the words "proof" or "sift" would automatically be skipped over in cookbooks, never to be returned to at another time.
However, everything changed when I discovered the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Please, don't be intimidated by this book. It is simply a life-changer. You make an easy dough (even for a non-baker), stick it in the fridge and any time you want a loaf of absolutely beautiful bread, you hock off a ball of it and bake it. I'm not kidding. It is the very first staple in this series of Frugal Family eating. Each morning, I can ball up a chunk, let it sit on my counter and throw it in the oven for 30 minutes and I've got beautiful and CHEAP bread for the next day or two.
I would tell you the exact instructions on how to do it, but I think they might yell at me. So- get thee to the library, write down the recipe and get to it!