Thrifty Recipe- Meatiest Vegetarian Chili

My husband and I are not "tofu people." We love a good steak, pulled pork, chicken, you name it. Until the past two weeks or so, I had only purchased tofu once, and that was to cube and put in a crock pot soup recipe. However, several factors have led me to begin to integrate it into our diet:

My dear friend Kimberly's blog, Badger Girl Learns to Cook, often mentions the virtues of tofu and other meat-free, clean eating meal alternatives. She wore me down! :)

We are adventurous eaters, and I always like to try cooking new things, so tofu seemed like a fun new challenge. It is also very quick to prepare.

Tofu is a very reasonably-priced protein. I've been getting two packages of extra firm organic tofu for $5 at my new favorite store, Sunflower Market. Have I mentioned how I am slightly obsessed with this grocery store? Ever since I started shopping there, I have found myself eating so many more fresh fruits and vegetables because their produce selection is amazing and very reasonably-priced. I see the store as a combination of the best parts of Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Aldi.


Anyway, here is the recipe. The version on allrecipes.com was for eight servings. I edited to make a half-recipe and made a few other tweaks as well. It turned out great. A good level of spice, and the tofu pieces stayed together and worked well with the bell peppers, onion, and beans. Even better, our two year old devoured two bowls.

Meatiest  Vegetarian Chili
From allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped

1 each green, yellow, and red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid hot pepper sauce, such as Green Tobasco

Directions
1. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until they start to become soft. Add the bell peppers; cook and stir until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, the whole process should take about 10 minutes. Lower heat and stir in garlic for about 30 seconds, then remove pan from heat.
2. Meanwhile in a seperate pan, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat and add cubed tofu, turn and flip tofu until golden brown on each side.
3. Pour the black beans into the slow cooker and set to Low. Stir in the vegetables, tofu, and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, vinegar and hot pepper sauce. Stir gently and cover. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Thrifty Recipe: Butternut squash stew

I'm back to blogging! Now that we're kind of settled into our new (rental) home I made a great new recipe last night. It was super easy and my daughter was a fan because of the raisins and garbanzo beans. More posts on road trip/moving/etc soon. However, we don't have internet at our new home yet so it might be awhile.



From Women's Day website

  Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Stew
From Woman's Day Magazine

Ingredients:

•1 can(s) (28-oz) whole tomatoes

• 1/2 cup(s) raisins

•2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

•1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon

• Kosher salt and pepper

•1 red onion, cut into ½-in. wedges

• 1/2 medium butternut squash, (about 1 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-in. pieces (I used a bag of Archer Farms frozen squash from Target. Worked great)

•1 cup(s) couscous

• 1/4 cup(s) fresh cilantro, chopped

•1 can(s) (15-oz) chickpeas, rinsed

Directions


1.Place the tomatoes (and their juices) in a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker and break them up slightly. Add the raisins, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and mix to combine.

2.Add the onion and squash and cook, covered, until squash is tender, 5 to 7 hours on low or 3 to 5 hours on high.

3.Ten minutes before serving, cook the couscous according to package directions; fold in the cilantro. Gently fold the chickpeas into the stew and cook, covered, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve over the couscous.

Thrifty Recipe: Slow-Cooker Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

From the Reluctant Gourmet

I have been trying to plan at least one meatless meal per week, to be thrifty, but more importantly to try new things and hopefully eat more healthily. This recipe was a big winner. My 16-month old ate almost an entire stuffed mushroom by herself. My husband and I wished we could each have another one. I served it over couscous and with sweet potatoes.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow
and http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/04/crockpot-stuffed-portabella-mushrooms.html

Ingredients:
4 large portobello mushrooms (or two per adult, one per kid)
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped (Roma or another type would be more thrifty, but the cherry tomatoes were very crisp and tasty)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used packaged Progresso breadcrumbs but you could make your own)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

With a knife, cut the stems off of the mushrooms, chop, and put in bowl. Scrape the gills out of the mushroom caps and add to bowl. Add tomatoes, bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.

Coat the bottom of the slow cooker with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Divide filling between the mushroom caps, spooning it in. Lay mushrooms in the slow cooker, it's OK if they overlap.

Cover and cook on low for 4-7 hours (That's what the recipe says but mine were done after 2 hours, be sure to check on them. Don't be alarmed when the mushrooms shrink down in size as they cook.)

Thrifty Recipe- Applesauce Chicken

It's been awhile, sorry about that! Between travelling and an unpleasant cold going through the family, blogging wasn't high on my list for a week.

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned an applesauce chicken crockpot dinner made during a week I avoided going to the grocery store. With a toddler, there is always some applesauce in the house. Add in a few spices and vinegar and you have a tasty dinner. Here's the recipe. Add some sweet potato fries (or a sweet potato) and peas and you have a healthy, balanced meal.

Applesauce Chicken
From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

and http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/

From http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Ingredients:
--4 frozen chicken breast halves or thighs
--1 1/2 cups of applesauce
--1 T dried onion flakes, or 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
--1 T apple cider vinegar
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--2 cloves garlic, minced (I used about 2 tsp of dried garlic flakes instead)
--1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I'd add even more, especially if serving to adults)

Directions:
1. Put the frozen chicken pieces into your crockpot. Add the onion (if you are using the dried onion, wait and add it to the applesauce).
2. In a bowl, mix the applesauce, vinegar, garlic, and spices together. Pour on top of the chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 3-4.

Thrifty Recipe- Indonesian Chicken

Chicken has been on sale quite a bit in the past couple weeks, so I've stocked up on thighs and drumsticks. When I saw that peanut butter was a main ingredient in this recipe I had to give it a try. It was delicious! We had it with steamed broccoli and baked potatoes, but it would also be great with rice and a stir-fry.

Indonesian Chicken
From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow
and http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Ingredients:

• Eight chicken drumsticks, skin removed
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 chopped cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 t sesame oil
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 2 T brown sugar
• Sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
• garnish with sesame seeds and lime wedges; optional

 Directions:

1. Put the peanut butter into your crockpot and turn it to high so it can begin to melt. Add the other sauce ingredients and stir to mix. Add chicken and toss to coat.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will become, but it may fall off the bone if you cook too long.
3. If your crockpot isn't at least 2/3 full, keep an eye on it so the peanut butter doesn't burn. You may need to stir a few times.

 

Thrifty Recipe- Chinese Lemon Chicken

As requested, I will be posting some more favorite crockpot recipes. What's better than putting a bunch of stuff in the crockpot in the morning, smelling the lovely fragrance of cooking all day, then sitting down to a fantastic meal in the evening?! This one is from Make it Fast, Cook it Slow, a cookbook I got for Christmas. The recipe is also available on the blog http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/. I stirfried some green peppers, onions, and pineapple to accompany the chicken, and stired them into the crockpot right before serving over jasmine rice.

Chinese Lemon Chicken
From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces or equivalent
• 1/2 cup flour
• olive oil for browning chicken
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (I used just a dash)
• 6 oz (1/2 can) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional- adds spice)

Directions
1. Cut chicken into strips or large chunks
2. Dredge in flour, shake off excess
3. Brown chicken in skillet with a little olive oil (you are not trying to cook the chicken through, just give it some color) and place in crockpot
4. Mix rest of ingredients in a seperate bowl and pour into the crockpot
5. Cook on high for 4 hours, on low for 6-8 hours

 

PS- Happy Valentine's Day readers! Hope you have a wonderful day. Thrifty Tip: Make a homemade Valentine card on the computer or by hand. Your sweetie will appreciate the personal touch!

Thrifty Recipe- Cranberry Pork Roast

I got a new crock pot cookbook for Christmas and this is the first recipe I tried. It was awesome. I served it with baked potato and some peas. However, there is so much great sauce next time I'd serve it over rice. The cookbook is by a woman who used her crock pot every day for a year and blogged about it. An interesting concept. I love my crockpot but not enough to use it every single day!

Cranberry Pork Roast
From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow and Crockpot365

Ingredients:
2.5 to 3 pound pork loin roast or rib roast
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup raisins
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup cranberry juice
1/2 of a small lemon, thinly sliced

1. Put the meat in a plastic ziplock bag with the ginger, mustard, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Shake to coat. Pour the contents into your crockpot.
2. Add the cranberries, sugars, raisins, and garlic. Pour in cranberry juice and top pork with the lemon slices.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for about 4 hours. (I did low for 6 hours then high for one hour and it turned out well)

Thrifty Recipe- Slow Cooker Pot Roast

It's seven degrees outside as I write this. The perfect day for a nice hearty crock pot meal. This pot roast recipe was easy and turned out great! It also creates a lot of leftover meat that could be used for fajitas or sliced on sandwiches. The recipe is from the November 2010 issue of Women's Day Magazine.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed golden mushroom soup
1/3 cup dry red wine or cooking wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 1/2 to 4 pound boneless bottom round roast or chuck roast or similar
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, thick pieces halved lengthwise

1. In a 5 quart or larger slow cooker, whisk together soup, wine, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme. Add beef, turning to coat. Arrange carrots around meat.
2. Cover and cook until meat and carrots are tender. On low 8 to 10 hours or on high 5 to 6 hours (I used a smaller piece of meat and ended up doing 4 hours on high and then one hour on low)
3. The recipe says to pull out the meat and slice, but I was able to break it into pieces with a fork and serve that way.

Thrifty Recipe- Hawaiian Chicken Drumsticks

Made this earlier this week and it turned out really well. I had bought a huge family pack of drumsticks a couple weeks ago and froze them small zip-top bags in groups of four. To make this recipe, I thawed two bags-worth overnight before putting them in the crock pot in the morning.

Hawaiian Chicken Drumsticks
From about.com

Ingredients:
12 chicken drumsticks (I used 8 and it turned out fine)
1 cup ketchup
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Splash sesame seed oil

1. Place chicken in the crockpot (I left skin on but could also be done skinless)
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the chicken
3. Cook on low for about eight hours, moving chicken around every few hours if some aren't covered by the liquid.

I served this with white rice and also made up a quick stir-fry to go with it.

Veggie stir-fry

Ingredients:
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/3 of an onion, cut into strips
1 small can chunk pineapple (undrained)

1. Cook bell pepper and onion in olive oil until just tender
2. Add pineapple and juice and cook until pineapple is warm
3. Serve with rice

Thrifty Recipe- Slow Cooker Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs can be a thrifty choice. They have quite a bit of meat on them and can be really tasty. At our Rainbow Foods (which is basically the same thing as Pick N Save in Wisconsin), they often put the "family size" package of thighs on sale. Last week I got a package of 12 for about $4.00. Nice. I found this recipe online about six months ago when I googled "chicken thigh crock pot." It's a spicy meal which is great over plain rice. The Food Network website lists a rice recipe on the same page which is probably good as well.

Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs
From the Food Network


Photo from Food Network

 Ingredients:
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
6 to 8 skinless chicken thighs (note that the recipe calls for cooking 4 pounds of chicken but then tells you to save half for another meal- I just go with 6-8 thighs)
Salt and pepper
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and 1 teaspoon sauce from can (I just buy a tiny can of chipotle/adobo salsa from the Hispanic section of the grocery store and use 1/3 to 1/2 of it)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 avacado, diced (optional- garnish)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional- garnish)
Lime wedges (optional-garnish)

1. Put onion, celery, and carrots in bottom of the slow cooker
2. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and put on top of vegetables
3. Whisk together tomato sauce, lime juice, chipotle sauce, and garlic. Pour over chicken.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours (I've never tried it on high but it works great on low)
5. Serve over rice with avacado, cilantro, and lime for garnish