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: Cheesy cornbread

Last week, I hosted about twelve people at my house for a chili dinner. I wanted to make cornbread to go with the chili, but wanted to make it a step-up from my usual square pan of Jiffy cornbread bars. After looking around online, I found several different ways to doctor up Jiffy cornbread. Here's the recipe I went with. It turned out great, nice and moist with bits of corn in it. My toddler daughter loved it. The recipe is super thrifty too- each package of cornbread is about 70 cents at Target, and the rest of the ingredients probably add up to a couple dollars. It filled a 9x13 pan. Several other recipes included chopped jalapenos or canned diced green chiles, I think I will try that next time.

Cheesy Cornbread
From Food.com

Ingredients
2 (8oz) boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (add more if you like your bread super cheesy)
1 small can (8oz) creamed corn

1. Combine cornbread mix with the eggs and milk. (these are the same amounts as are listed on the box directions)
2. Stir in cheese and corn
3. Pour into 9x13 pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes (I ended up going for 30 minutes until it was a nice golden brown)

My Three Favorite Recipes

My dear friend Badger Girl Learns to Cook tagged me in a blog game (kind of a modern version of a chain letter) where you post the three favorite recipes you've ever shared on your blog. Can you believe I've posted 37 recipes in my 226 blog posts? Here are the three that stand out to me on this crisp fall day.

Slow Cooker Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs
A zesty crockpot meal. Now that the weather is getting colder, this recipe is on my "to-make SOON" list.

Eggplant Pizzas
I have fond memories of my mom making this when I was a kid, and the eggplant rounds topped with sauce and cheese are just as tasty now.

Terri's BBQ Green Beans
Best. sidedish. ever. case closed.

The other part of the blog game was to tag other food blogs so they can also list their top three recipes. However, Badger Girl's is the only food blog I read. So go check hers out!

Thrifty Recipe- Eggplant Pizzas

I was reminded of the value of gardening this weekend at my parents' house. They have a bountiful garden, and it seemed that every meal contained at least a couple items they had grown. Some examples:

- Pickled beets (my favorite)
- Caprese salad with homegrown tomatoes and Thai basil
- Shaved refrigerator pickles made of homegrown cucumbers
- Sliced tomatoes with red wine vinegar and oil and dill

My parents' garden at the beginning of August

They sent us home with an eggplant they had grown and last night I made eggplant pizzas. Here's the recipe:

Eggplant Pizzas

Ingredients
- One medium eggplant
- One stick unsalted butter
- 1-2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 cup pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce (homemade or jarred)
- 1 cup shredded mozarella

1. Cut off the ends of the eggplant, peel, and slice into half inch thick rounds
2. Melt butter in a shallow dish and put breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. Dip each round in the butter and then in the breadcrumbs, coating all sides with crumbs.
3. Place on a greased cookie sheet or jellyroll pan
4. Spoon sauce onto each round, and spread evenly over top surface, then top with shredded cheese
5. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes

They will be really hot, so be sure to allow to cool a bit before eating. I served with buttered angelhair pasta. Our 19 month old daughter at a whole pizza herself.

CSA's (Community supported agriculture) are another way to get fresh produce without the labor of growing it yourself. Of course, it's not so thrifty to get the produce but then let it go to waste! My BFF Badger Girl has a series on her blog outlining recipes and strategies for getting the most out of your CSA. Be sure to check that out if you need more information about CSA's or are looking for recipes.

What to do with leftover tahini?



Picture from Your Dreams Coming True Cooking Blog

We have all been there. We buy an ingredient that's required for a recipe, and then have to figure out what to do with the leftovers. In my case, I'm stuck with a large jar of tahini. For those who haven't used it before, it's a sesame seed paste. The thrifty person in me needs to figure out how to use it up. Help!

In a cooking frenzy earlier this week inspired by a beautiful homegrown eggplant my parents brought me, I made a batch of baba ghanoush. One of the ingredients was tahini, which I was able to find at the store, but only in a large jar. After making the recipe, I still had at least a few cups left. I sent my mom home with some, but the huge jar is still there every time I open the fridge.

So far, my plans are to make some homemade hummus (though I didn't list it in my recipe, tahini is often added to hummus). I also found an interesting-looking tahini cookie recipe.  There is also an interesting recipe here. Do you have any other great ideas? Have you had a similar problem with another ingredient? Do share.

Thrifty Recipe- Pasta Salad

Photo From http://www.quickitalianrecipes.net/italian-pasta-salad/

In the summer, there is nothing like a cool pasta salad with lunch or dinner. It's relatively easy to make, portable, and can be changed and tweaked to fit your guests. In the past I have bought a ready-made kit, but have realized that it's thriftier and more fun to come up with my own combinations. Here are some suggestions of ingredients and mix-ins, what are some of your favorites?

Pasta Salad Formula: Base + Mix-Ins + Sauce= Pasta Salad

Base: One box of rainbow rotelle or other hefty pasta such as macaroni, cooked until done but still firm. Rinse and allow to drain and cool.

Mix-Ins: There are so many ways you can go here. Some suggestions are below.

• Diced bell pepper
• Diced onion (green or white)
• Pepperoni pieces, quartered
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Tomatoes, diced
• Cooked ham, diced
• Peas
• Broccoli
• Olives
• Feta cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Chunks of cooked chicken
• Chopped spinach

Sauce:

• Tomato juice, makes it more of a gazpacho
• Italian salad dressing, here is a recipe if you are interested in making your own
• A combination of sour cream, mayonaise, or plain yogurt for a creamy salad
• Vinegar and oil

Just mix the combination of Base + Mix-Ins + Sauce together, amount of mix-ins and sauce vary based on your taste.

Enjoy!

Thrifty Recipe: Sundried Tomato Pesto

I was inspired by my friend Badger Girl's blog yesterday. She posted a recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto. It sounded really good. However, I am not a member of a CSA and don't have any fresh-grown garlic scapes. But I did have a half jar of sundried tomatoes and some very healthy basil and oregano plants on my deck.
One trip to Google later, I had my dinner recipe for tonight. Good old Giada to the rescue. I made a half recipe of the below. Served with leftover Papa John's breadsticks and a salad, it was an Italian feast!

Penne with Sundried Tomato Pesto
From Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 12 ounces penne pasta (I used fettucini)
• 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.
Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.

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- Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

I was at a brunch recently and these were the hit of the party. The combination of salty and sweet is addicting. A thrifty and fun item for a get-together at any time of day.



From Allrecipes.com


Bacon-Wrapped Smokies
From Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds
1 (14 ounce) package beef cocktail wieners
3/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2.Refrigerate 2/3 of the bacon until needed. It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon. Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.

3.Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sugar is bubbly. To serve, place the wieners in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting.

Thrifty Recipe- Gnocchi

Romulo Yanes for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Karen Evans

It's almost the end of the month and will be out of town for part of the week. Another perfect chance to see if I could make it without grocery shopping. (disclosure: I did stop at Target for whole milk, bananas, and bread - with a toddler in the house there are certain things you just can't go without) The following recipe is great for this kind of week. I didn't realize it before I read this article, but in Argentina, gnocchi is served near the end of the month (on the 29th specifically) when people are almost out of money and groceries. My history with gnocchi has always been with Italian food, and it was the first dish I ate when we were in Rome a couple years ago. Little did I know it was also a thrifty Argentinian tradition.

Below is the recipe from the Wall Street Journal. The recommend a sage butter sauce but the two times I have made it I used this sauce recipe from Martha Stewart- Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce.

Gnocchi
From the Wall Street Journal- New World Gnocchi January 29, 2011

Ingredients:

3 large or 6 small Idaho potatoes
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
1½ cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Fill a large pan with salted water and bring to a boil.

2. Set up a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour.

3. Scrub and dry the potatoes but do not peel them. Microwave on high until soft—the setting and time varies widely by microwave. Allow to cool only enough to be able to handle and peel with a sharp knife.

4. Pass potatoes through a ricer into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt and flour over the potatoes. Add egg.

5. Using hands, knead quickly trying not to overwork the dough. The dough should be slightly on the wet side—though not sticky.

6. Generously flour a work surface and pinch off a small handful of dough. Using both hands, roll it into the shape of a snake. Using a sharp knife, cut into bite size pieces and lay them, separately, on the cookie sheet. Continue until finished.

5.Once water boils, add the gnocchi, a few at a time, to boiling water. Using a skimmer, retrieve the gnocchi as they rise to the surface.

Tomato Sauce for Gnocchi
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes with juice, crushed by hand
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) tomato sauce
2 sprigs basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Gnocchi
Thinly shaved parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1.Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine; cook until most liquid has evaporated. Add tomatoes and juice, tomato sauce, basil, and red pepper flakes.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until slightly thick, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

3.Reheat gnocchi over low heat in sauce; gently toss. Serve with cheese shavings.

Thrifty Recipe: Indian ground turkey with split peas and coconut

OK, right up front I'm going to say that this isn't the quickest/easiest recipe. However, the taste is so amazingly different from anything I've had before that I just had to share it here. Please don't let the long ingredient list scare you. Just give it a try! Ground turkey can be a thrifty choice. It goes on sale once a month or so, when it does I try to buy a couple packages to freeze for recipes like this one.

Ground Turkey with Split Peas and Coconut
From Healthy South Indian Cooking

Ingredients
1/2 cup dry split peas
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 dry bay leaf
2-4 slivers cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup chopped onion
2-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green chili pepper
1 pound ground turkey
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded coconut or unsweetened coconut powder

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add split peas and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes until split peas are tender and water is absorbed. Drain any remaining water and set aside.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add bay leaf and cinnamon stick into oil. Add cumin and fennel seeds.
3. Immediately add onion, garlic, chili pepper, and the remaining turmeric powder. Cook, stirring, until onions are tender. Add ground turkey and pan-fry about 3 minutes until browned.
4. Stir in curry powder, cayenne powder, and cumin powder. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in salt (I skipped this), cover, and cook another 5 minutes.
5. Stir in cooked split peas. Cover and cook another two minutes. Add coconut and stir well. Serve with rice and plain yogurt.

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- Molten Chocolate Cakes

Photo from Women's Day Magazine

Craving some decadence? Well, these molten chocolate cakes are for you. We (well actually my husband) have made these cakes for guests for the past two weekends and they have turned out great. Both times, we doubled the recipe to make four. I received ramekins for Christmas and have been looking for excuses to use them. This is a great excuse. And super thrifty as well- only five ingredients. Save the egg white you don't use and make an egg-white omelet the next day.

Molten Chocolate Cakes
From Women's Day Magazine

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins
1 Tbsp flour, plus more for the ramekins
1⁄3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions
1. Heat oven to 450ºF. Butter two 6-oz ramekins and dust the inside with flour.
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg, egg yolk and sugar in a medium bowl until thick and lighter in color, about 1 minute. Add the melted chocolate mixture and flour and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins. Bake until edges are set and center still jiggles slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 seconds. Run a knife around edge, then invert each cake onto a plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with fresh mint or berries, if desired. Serve immediately.

Make-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate the batter in the ramekins for up to 1 day. Before baking, bring to room temperature.

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- Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin Mac 'n Cheese

Tried this recipe last week and it turned out really well. It also made a lot of hearty leftovers. My potato masher came in handy to mush it up for our daughter, who also loved it! The whole wheat pasta, broccoli, and cauliflower balance the naughtiness of all the cheese and sour cream. Here's a link to the recipe on Rachael Ray's website.
Rachael Ray's Official Website :: Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin Mac 'n Cheese

Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 1 small head or bundle broccoli, trimmed into florets (I used half a bag of frozen broccoli)
• 1 small head cauliflower or half a large head, trimmed and cut into florets (I used half a bag of frozen cauliflower)
• 1 pound whole wheat macaroni or penne or other short-cut pasta
• 2 cups sour cream or reduced fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup chives, finely chopped (I used dried)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or crushed into paste
• A few drops of hot sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Salt the water and add the broccoli and cauliflower florets. Boil the vegetables for 5 minutes, then remove them with a spider or a strainer and drain. Add the pasta to the water and undercook by about 2 minutes, then drain.

2. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream in a large bowl along with the mustard, chives, garlic, hot sauce and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta and cauliflower and two-thirds of the cheese. Stir to combine, then transfer to a casserole or baking dish and cover with the remaining cheese. Cool and chill for a make-ahead meal.

3. To heat and eat, place the casserole on baking sheet and bake it in the middle of a pre-heated 375°F oven until deeply golden and bubbly, about 40-45 minutes.

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- Apricot-Sauced Chicken

Another favorite from the Five in Ten Cookbook. It's great over white or brown rice and with broccoli or another green veggie. When you plan your meals for the week, try to include another one that uses heavy cream so the rest of the container doesn't go to waste.

Apricot-Sauced Chicken
From The 5 in 10 Cookbook

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
One 8.5 ounce can apricot halves (around 12 halves)

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in frying pan, add chicken breasts and cook until white throughout but still moist, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan.
2. Add the wine to the pan, scrape any drippings off bottom of pan, and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about one minute. Pour in the cream and boil until slightly reduced and thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to tasts. Add apricots (drained) and warm through. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.