Showing posts with label cheap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheap. Show all posts
Monday, October 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Brazilian Beans and Rice
This recipe is from a real Brazilian!
Beans:
1 can black beans (do not drain)
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Rice:
1 cup long grain rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced onion and garlic (taken from the amount in the bean recipe)
2 cups water
Combine chopped onion and minced garlic, separate 1 tbsp for the rice recipe. Add one 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a sauté pan and brown the onion and garlic. In a seperate pan, sauté the onion and garlic for the rice with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the rice and sauté the whole mixture until rice is slightly brown, add water and bring to boil, when water boils turn heat to simmer and cook for 20 about minutes until rice is tender. (ok, I’m assuming not everyone knows how to cook rice). In the bean pan, when onion and garlic are slightly brown add the entire can of beans, juices included. Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. (it is ideal if you can work both pans at the same time, then they simmer together and are both done at the same time).
This is the basic brasilian staple. It is usually served with some kind of meat or sausage (you can throw the cooked sausage in to the beans when they simmer, if you like that kind of thing), or an a fried egg (yummy and cheap). I will often make a cucumber tomato salad to top the rice and beans. Fried bananas with cinnamon and sugar for dessert! Yum!
*from Mae Williford
Beans:
1 can black beans (do not drain)
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Rice:
1 cup long grain rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced onion and garlic (taken from the amount in the bean recipe)
2 cups water
Combine chopped onion and minced garlic, separate 1 tbsp for the rice recipe. Add one 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a sauté pan and brown the onion and garlic. In a seperate pan, sauté the onion and garlic for the rice with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the rice and sauté the whole mixture until rice is slightly brown, add water and bring to boil, when water boils turn heat to simmer and cook for 20 about minutes until rice is tender. (ok, I’m assuming not everyone knows how to cook rice). In the bean pan, when onion and garlic are slightly brown add the entire can of beans, juices included. Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. (it is ideal if you can work both pans at the same time, then they simmer together and are both done at the same time).
This is the basic brasilian staple. It is usually served with some kind of meat or sausage (you can throw the cooked sausage in to the beans when they simmer, if you like that kind of thing), or an a fried egg (yummy and cheap). I will often make a cucumber tomato salad to top the rice and beans. Fried bananas with cinnamon and sugar for dessert! Yum!
*from Mae Williford
Some tips for cooking cheap
Stretching the Meat:
My mom also grates a potato into her hamburger when she is making tacos and such to add bulk, you can't taste it but it helps stretch the hamburger! (Christine Hogg)
I add green beans to hamburger sometimes to stretch it, but only in things that wouldn't taste weird, like stroganoff.
You can also add wheat to hamburger.
Often in recipes I will only use about 1/2 of the meat the recipe calls for. You still get the flavor of the meat and your meat will go twice as far.
Cheese:
My friend Tammy was telling me that cheese was cheapest at Sam's Club. We don't go to Sam's so next time I went to Costco, I wrote down the price of cheese. Then the next time I went to Bottom Dollar -those of you who live in Manassas know that it is the bottom of the bottom in price (and quality) I wrote down the price there. Whoa. Buy cheese at Costco (or Sam's).
Bottom Dollar:
block cheese-$3.99/lb
shredded cheese-$3.65/lb
Costco:
block cheese-$2.24/lb
shredded cheese-$1.99/lb
The Fryer Chicken:
I like to buy a whole fryer chicken, cook it in the crock pot for 4 hours on high with some salt. I de-bone it and then we freeze it in portions or empty the crockpot, throw the chicken back in with your favorite BBQ sauce and a little water and let it cook for about an hour longer on hi, uncovered and you have wonderful tasting BBQ chicken for sandwiches or in tortillas or just to eat! (be warned though, my husband would eat the whole chicken in one sitting if I let him!) (Christine Hogg)
I cook the fryer chicken in the crockpot with a can of cream of chicken, a little water, some garlic salt, lemon pepper, rosemary, and thyme. We eat it the first night with mashed potatoes. I make gravy from the juices in the crockpot. Then the next night you can leave the bone in and make stew out of it. Put in in a pot with the leftover gravy and maybe some water and add potatoes, carrots, onion, etc. -whatever you like in stew. You can make stew out of any leftover meat you have, roast, chicken, pork...
Roast:
If you find a roast on sale, you can eat it as roast the first night, then burritos then next night, then bbq sandwiches the third night. (Tammy Bylund)
Another idea for leftover roast is meat pot pie. Basically throw in the meat, any gravy, some veggies, and make a pie crust for the top.
My mom also grates a potato into her hamburger when she is making tacos and such to add bulk, you can't taste it but it helps stretch the hamburger! (Christine Hogg)
I add green beans to hamburger sometimes to stretch it, but only in things that wouldn't taste weird, like stroganoff.
You can also add wheat to hamburger.
Often in recipes I will only use about 1/2 of the meat the recipe calls for. You still get the flavor of the meat and your meat will go twice as far.
Cheese:
My friend Tammy was telling me that cheese was cheapest at Sam's Club. We don't go to Sam's so next time I went to Costco, I wrote down the price of cheese. Then the next time I went to Bottom Dollar -those of you who live in Manassas know that it is the bottom of the bottom in price (and quality) I wrote down the price there. Whoa. Buy cheese at Costco (or Sam's).
Bottom Dollar:
block cheese-$3.99/lb
shredded cheese-$3.65/lb
Costco:
block cheese-$2.24/lb
shredded cheese-$1.99/lb
The Fryer Chicken:
I like to buy a whole fryer chicken, cook it in the crock pot for 4 hours on high with some salt. I de-bone it and then we freeze it in portions or empty the crockpot, throw the chicken back in with your favorite BBQ sauce and a little water and let it cook for about an hour longer on hi, uncovered and you have wonderful tasting BBQ chicken for sandwiches or in tortillas or just to eat! (be warned though, my husband would eat the whole chicken in one sitting if I let him!) (Christine Hogg)
I cook the fryer chicken in the crockpot with a can of cream of chicken, a little water, some garlic salt, lemon pepper, rosemary, and thyme. We eat it the first night with mashed potatoes. I make gravy from the juices in the crockpot. Then the next night you can leave the bone in and make stew out of it. Put in in a pot with the leftover gravy and maybe some water and add potatoes, carrots, onion, etc. -whatever you like in stew. You can make stew out of any leftover meat you have, roast, chicken, pork...
Roast:
If you find a roast on sale, you can eat it as roast the first night, then burritos then next night, then bbq sandwiches the third night. (Tammy Bylund)
Another idea for leftover roast is meat pot pie. Basically throw in the meat, any gravy, some veggies, and make a pie crust for the top.
Rice Casserole
3 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked), can use brown or white
hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
chopped onion (to your taste)
chopped celery (to your taste)
1 TB soy sauce
milk
chow mein noodles
You cook the rice as directed on your package. (I make a huge batch and then freeze it, comes in handy when I don't remember to start the rice earlier than the rest of the meal. Then I pop into the microwave and instant rice!) Brown the hamburger with the onion and celery. Drain, add soup and soy sauce, add to rice. I add a little bit of milk, because I use brown rice so it is a little drier than white, so it doesn't dry out during cooking.
Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour. Sprinkle the chow mein noodles over the top upon serving.
*from Christine Hogg
hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
chopped onion (to your taste)
chopped celery (to your taste)
1 TB soy sauce
milk
chow mein noodles
You cook the rice as directed on your package. (I make a huge batch and then freeze it, comes in handy when I don't remember to start the rice earlier than the rest of the meal. Then I pop into the microwave and instant rice!) Brown the hamburger with the onion and celery. Drain, add soup and soy sauce, add to rice. I add a little bit of milk, because I use brown rice so it is a little drier than white, so it doesn't dry out during cooking.
Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour. Sprinkle the chow mein noodles over the top upon serving.
*from Christine Hogg
Easy Burritos
One of our favorites is a tortilla with a spoonful of black beans, refried beans and cheese melted on top.
You can add onions, tomatoes, lettuce or whatever you like on top.
This one is pretty fast and No meat=cheap.
You can add onions, tomatoes, lettuce or whatever you like on top.
This one is pretty fast and No meat=cheap.
Calzones
For 4
Dough:1 T dry yeast1 cup lukewarm water
1 T sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T olive oil
2.5 - 3 cups flour
Dissolve yeast mixture in a bowl. Add sugar, salt, and oil. Mix well. Gradually add flour to from a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Separate dough into 4 or 6 even balls. Roll out balls into flat circles. Place calzone fillers on one half of the rolled out circles. Fold over and seal up the edges. Put on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until nicely brown. Serve with tomato sauce spooned on top of each calzone.
Filling ideas: mozzarella cheese, broccoli, fresh spinach, pepperoni, ham
You'd think calzones would be hard to make, not true! One of the keys to making successful dough is the temperature of your house. When I made dough during the winter, it was about 68 degrees in our house and the dough was having a hard time rising. When I went to make the dough this summer, it was over 78 degrees in the house and that yeast went to town. My suggestion: if you're making this in cold temps (and your keeping the heat bill low), put the dough bowl on the stove while it preheats.
*from Ash Theodore
Dough:1 T dry yeast1 cup lukewarm water
1 T sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T olive oil
2.5 - 3 cups flour
Dissolve yeast mixture in a bowl. Add sugar, salt, and oil. Mix well. Gradually add flour to from a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Separate dough into 4 or 6 even balls. Roll out balls into flat circles. Place calzone fillers on one half of the rolled out circles. Fold over and seal up the edges. Put on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until nicely brown. Serve with tomato sauce spooned on top of each calzone.
Filling ideas: mozzarella cheese, broccoli, fresh spinach, pepperoni, ham
You'd think calzones would be hard to make, not true! One of the keys to making successful dough is the temperature of your house. When I made dough during the winter, it was about 68 degrees in our house and the dough was having a hard time rising. When I went to make the dough this summer, it was over 78 degrees in the house and that yeast went to town. My suggestion: if you're making this in cold temps (and your keeping the heat bill low), put the dough bowl on the stove while it preheats.
*from Ash Theodore
Tomato Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cans diced tomatoes, divided
1 cup chicken broth
4 oz. cream cheese
salt to taste
1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until tender.
2. Add two cans of the tomatoes, all of the tomato juice and the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Add cream cheese and let it melt into small pieces.
4. Carefully transfer hot soup to a blender and blend until smooth and even textured. NOTE: Don't fill blender too high and make sure to leave an opening for the steam escape! If necessary, blend in two batches. Or just use one of those hand mixers in the pot.
5. Return soup to pan, add the last can of the tomatoes, add salt to taste and warm through.
Serve with grilled or toasty cheese.
*from Ash Theodore
1 onion, chopped
3 cans diced tomatoes, divided
1 cup chicken broth
4 oz. cream cheese
salt to taste
1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until tender.
2. Add two cans of the tomatoes, all of the tomato juice and the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Add cream cheese and let it melt into small pieces.
4. Carefully transfer hot soup to a blender and blend until smooth and even textured. NOTE: Don't fill blender too high and make sure to leave an opening for the steam escape! If necessary, blend in two batches. Or just use one of those hand mixers in the pot.
5. Return soup to pan, add the last can of the tomatoes, add salt to taste and warm through.
Serve with grilled or toasty cheese.
*from Ash Theodore
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
For 4:
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayo
1 stalk celery
1/2 onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Boil chicken breast for about 30 minutes. Chop celery and onions. Once the chicken is cooked, you can either shred it off with your fingers or cut it into small pieces. Mix all of the ingredients together and serve on bread. Croissants are always good, but you may not have them on hand.
You don't have to wait while the chicken salad cools down through refrigeration. Eat this recipe warm, it's good.
*from Ash Theodore
Apricot Chicken
For 4-6:
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle (8oz) Russian Salad Dressing
1 cup apricot jam
1 package (1 and 1/8oz) dry onion soup mix
Mix dressing, jam, and onion soup mix. Put chicken in 9X11 baking dish. Pour mixture over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes.
You can also use peach jam, which tends to be on sale a bit more than apricot. You can serve this with rice and peas for a delicious meal.
*from Ash Theodore
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle (8oz) Russian Salad Dressing
1 cup apricot jam
1 package (1 and 1/8oz) dry onion soup mix
Mix dressing, jam, and onion soup mix. Put chicken in 9X11 baking dish. Pour mixture over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes.
You can also use peach jam, which tends to be on sale a bit more than apricot. You can serve this with rice and peas for a delicious meal.
*from Ash Theodore
Chicken and Rice
1.5 cup uncooked rice (not instant)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 chicken breasts (can use only 2 or 3 if living on the cheap)
3 cups boiling water with 3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
In a 9x13 pan, place the rice, spring half cup cheese. Top with chicken. Boil water and bouillon and pour over chicken. Sprinkle onion soup mix over it. Spread chicken soup over that. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Sprinkle rest of cheese and back half an hour longer.
Recipe note: yes, this is a recipe for a casserole and yes, it does use cream of chicken soup. But it is good. Eat with a fresh salad or some steamed broccoli for a convenient but quality meal to enjoy on a Sunday evening or busy day.
*from Ash Theodore
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 chicken breasts (can use only 2 or 3 if living on the cheap)
3 cups boiling water with 3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
In a 9x13 pan, place the rice, spring half cup cheese. Top with chicken. Boil water and bouillon and pour over chicken. Sprinkle onion soup mix over it. Spread chicken soup over that. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Sprinkle rest of cheese and back half an hour longer.
Recipe note: yes, this is a recipe for a casserole and yes, it does use cream of chicken soup. But it is good. Eat with a fresh salad or some steamed broccoli for a convenient but quality meal to enjoy on a Sunday evening or busy day.
*from Ash Theodore
Pork Tenderloin Marinade
So easy, yet you feel gourmet when you make it...
1 lb. pork loin chops, boneless
3 T white wine vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 c sour cream
2 T Dijon mustard
Place pork loin chops in bowl or plastic bag. Combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and crushed garlic cloves. Pour over meat.* Let marinate. Grill or broil until well-cooked. Serve with mustard sauce. For mustard sauce, combine sour cream and Dijon mustard.
*you can freeze the pork at this time if desired. When ready to prepare, thaw meat then grill.
*from Ash Theodore
1 lb. pork loin chops, boneless
3 T white wine vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 c sour cream
2 T Dijon mustard
Place pork loin chops in bowl or plastic bag. Combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and crushed garlic cloves. Pour over meat.* Let marinate. Grill or broil until well-cooked. Serve with mustard sauce. For mustard sauce, combine sour cream and Dijon mustard.
*you can freeze the pork at this time if desired. When ready to prepare, thaw meat then grill.
*from Ash Theodore
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Pizza Dough
makes 3 crusts. You can freeze in a ziptop bag and defrost in the microwave on high for 20 seconds.
3 T. yeast
3 Cups Warm Water
3 T. oil
9 Cups flour
3 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T. oregano
1 T. garlic salt
you can also roll out the crust bake it at 500 degrees for 4 min. prepare it like you would a pizza and then freeze it like a frozen pizza. When you want to eat it bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 min. until the cheese melts.
Fajitas
1/4 C. Lime
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. Vegetable oil
Pork Chop Marinade
1/4 C. lemon juice
1/2 C. Olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic
pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic and herb seasoning
1/2 C. Olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic
pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic and herb seasoning
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Taco Soup
1lb ground beef browned and drained
1 can beans undrained (black, kidney, pinto, or other kind)
1 can corn undrained
1 can crushed tomatoes (can be petite diced or whatever other kind you have)
1/3 c. salsa
4-5 t. chili powder
dash of garlic salt and onion salt (I use a little more than a dash-just add to taste)
Simmer 10 mins.
Garnish with grated cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips
I don't use a whole pound of beef. I get beef at Costco and I use one of those patty things their beef comes in. You can also use chicken.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
BAKED POTATO WEDGES
8 lg. unpeeled baking potatoes, cut in wedges
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. oil
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. paprika
Combine oil with cheese and seasonings. Arrange potato wedges, cut side down, in baking pan. Brush oil mixture over potatoes. Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Brush mixture over potatoes occasionally as they bake.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tortillas
2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 T. Shortening
1/2-3/4 cup water
Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add water. Knead Dough.
Let rest 15 mins. (I've never let it "rest") Divide into balls and roll flat on floured board. Cook in ungreased pan on medium heat until lightly brown on both sides.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)