Monthly Archives: October 2014

Beverage

Cranberry Wassail

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As the weather cools off, we crave warm hearty meals and hot beverages to keep warm and for comfort. Wassail is a traditional holiday drink of mulled cider, usually drunk as part of wassailing, an old English drinking ritual to bring about a bountiful apple harvest the next year.

While we no longer follow this tradition of singing and drinking in apple orchards (though it sounds pretty fun…) you can make your own low-key version of wassail at home any time. Traditional wassail is made with a base of wine or hard cider, or even brandy or sherry, to which you add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger, and add apples or orange slices and simmer it for hours.

This version requires a microwave and five minutes.

Ingredients (per cup):

  • 1 tbsp wassail spices
    • (if you don’t have this, make your own by combining 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp ginger, and 1 tbsp cloves)
  • 1 1/2 cups any juice (I used cranberry pomegranate)

That’s it if you want it virgin, or add:

  • 1/2 cup rum, vodka, or brandy
  • or 1/2 cup red or white wine

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Step 1: Mix the spices into the juice, and microwave or heat on a stove until warm. Serve with a cinnamon stick stirrer to be fancy.

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Step 2: Optionally, add some red wine or hard liquor to really amp up the warming capability of the drink. A guaranteed holiday party pleaser.

Healthy, Main Dishes, Salads, Side dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Barley & Kale Veggie Salad

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Fall is the time for bumper crops of kale. As the current “It” vegetable, we know all about how healthy kale is for you. But even though kale chips are amazing, sauteed kale in greens makes a great side dish, and Zuppa Toscana is a definite crowd-pleasing soup, sometimes you need a new way to enjoy this power green. If you like light, fresh, great-cold-or-room-temp dishes, this baby’s a winner!

I’ve been meaning to try more grain and veggie salads, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. Kale is on sale for 0.99 per bunch, organic! You can’t pass up that kind of deal. So with a fridge full of kale and a hankering for something new, I made up this recipe. It turned out fabulous! The combination of tomato and cucumber and onion crunch with the soft cooked barley and fresh kale leaves is really addicting.

The best part about it? It makes a crap-ton, and per 2 cups is under 100 calories! So you can stuff yourself on this all you like and feel good about it. Have it for lunch, as an afternoon snack, before dinner to dull the appetite. There really isn’t a bad time for this.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch kale, rinsed, torn and stems removed
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 cucumber, rinsed, skin-on, diced
  • 2-3 large tomatoes, diced
  • 2-3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup barley
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • Salt & pepper to taste

 

Step 1: Cook the barley in 1 1/2 cups water by bringing to a boil, then lowering to a simmer. Cover, and cook 20-30 minutes, until all water is absorbed and barley is soft. Add more water if needed during cooking. Let cool.

 

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Step 2: Chop all your veggies and place in a large bowl. Mix the oil and vinegars, and salt & pepper if using. Pour over the veggies.

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Step 3: Combine the cooled barley with the veggies and mix well. Now you have a giant side dish, snacks all week, or a super healthy and vegetarian main course.

 

Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian

Fresh garden salsa

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Salsa is a beloved condiment in many cultures. The ingredients can vary widely, but basically always contains tomatoes and chilies of some sort. “Salsa” is the Spanish word for sauce, and may come in many forms such as pureed until smooth, a combination of smooth and chunky, or the uniformly diced pico de gallo.

Salsa can be wickedly spicy to light and fruity. See Wikipedia for a long list of salsa types. Basically any fresh fruit and/or vegetable, diced or blended, with or without fresh herbs, can be called a salsa.

Fresh salsa right out of the garden, just lightly diced, is my favorite kind. I like to see the chunks of what I’m eating in bright technicolor on my tortilla chip. This salsa is amazing on its own, or you could spoon it over fresh white fish fillets, onto tacos, or into a soup with rice, beans & diced chicken.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cherry or pear tomatoes
  • 2-10 large tomatoes, diced small
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 3-5 garlic cloves, diced
  • 2 jalapenos, diced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
  • Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Handful fresh chives, chopped
  • 4-5 tbsp lime juice, or juice of 2 fresh limes
  • Sea salt to taste

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Step 1: Dice up all your tomatoes and onions. This part takes a little time, but is well worth it. It is up to you how big to dice, or you can puree part of the tomatoes or all of them. Totally up to you.

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Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, herbs, and lime juice. That’s really all there is to it!

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This salsa is wonderfully fresh and vibrantly colored. It is super healthy for you, so throw it into everything, or just eat spoonfuls!

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Breakfast, Eggs, Healthy, Vegetarian

Rainbow burrito

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Burritos are one of my favorite ways to sneak in extra vegetables. Because you can’t really see them, you can put all kinds of rainbow goodies in there and help your heart and health with little effort.

Obviously, sub in 1 cup of whatever veggies you have on hand. This is what I had, and it made a pretty breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 strips red bell pepper
  • 1 slice turkey bacon
  • 1-2 strips orange bell pepper
  • 2 eggs, scrambled
  • 1-2 strips green bell pepper
  • 2 med purple cauliflower florets
  • 1 10 inch tortilla

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Step 1: In a frying pan, saute the veggies until soft when poked with a fork.

Step 2: Add the eggs, and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring every so often, until everything is cooked.

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Step 3: Pour it onto a warm tortilla and wrap it up, tucking in the ends. You can add in sriracha or other sauces if you like. Enjoy!

Breads, Snacks, Vegetarian

Banana muffin bites

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Banana bread and banana muffins are my favorite way to use up leftover past-prime fruit. (The second-best way is to freeze bananas and add them to smoothies!) These little banana bites are a great portion-controlled breakfast, treat, or on the go snack.

If you don’t have mini muffin tins, feel free to portion it into regular sized muffins, or even a bread pan.

Ingredients:

  • 3 bananas (best if slightly over-ripe)
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp vanilla

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Step 1: Mash up the bananas, and mix all wet ingredients in one bowl. Milk, butter, egg, vanilla, and banana.

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Step 2: Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl – flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. If you have a stand mixer, use that. Otherwise mix with a spoon. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Don’t over-mix but make sure to break up any lumps.

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Step 3: Spray 2 muffin tins, and add about 2 tbsp muffin mix. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until muffins are brown on top and fluffy. Let cool on a wire rack.

These are delicious, relatively healthy, and also freeze well. Use ratios of wheat flour, almond flour, or ground flax for extra nutrition.

Casseroles, Crock pot, Healthy, Main Dishes

Stuffed cabbage casserole – SNAP meal

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This is the last of my posts of meals I made while doing the SNAP Challenge. You can look back to see recipes for Vegan Stuffed Green Bell Peppers, Turkey BLT, Turkey Frittata, and many more meal ideas. All these meals were made with about $28 for one week.

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. One grandmother is Slovak & Hungarian and my other is Slovak & Polish, so this is a classic in my family. Usually made with ground beef, they can also be stuffed. I am usually too lazy to take the large amount of time to boil the cabbage until the leaves are soft, cool them down, carefully roll each little package, then cook.

I figure you’re just gonna cut them up into mush anyways. And I have still never figured out just what makes my grandmother’s cabbage rolls so mind-blowingly addicting. Maybe with a few decades more practice…

This recipe substitutes lentils for the ground beef, because let’s face it lentils are about $3 cheaper per pound. Everything else is pretty much the same. I also used turkey bacon rather than regular pork bacon because 1. it was on sale, and 2. it is healthier for your heart. All around, this meal is super cheap and also very healthy.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup lentils, cooked
  • 1 cup rice, cooked
  • 1/2 small head of green cabbage, sliced
  • 1-2 cans tomato sauce (some people use 1 sauce and 1 paste)
  • 5 slices turkey bacon
  • Garlic salt to taste

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I made this in a crock pot on low for 6 hours, you can use a baking pan in the oven for 1 1/2 hours if you prefer.

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Step 1: Layer the sliced cabbage, lentils, rice, bacon and sauce. Sprinkle in as much garlic salt as you like. Top with some extra sauce and/or water and remaining cabbage.

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Step 2: Bake on low in a slow cooker for 4-6 hours, or at 350 in an oven for 90 minutes.

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This makes a HUGE batch, so be prepared to either freeze individual portions for later or feed a lot of people at once. Or just eat it five days in a row…

This entire pot of casserole, cost $1.76. I kid you not. I ended up with about six servings, making each serving $0.29.  Can’t really beat that.

 

 

**UPDATE: The SNAP Challenge is complete, with many lessons learned! All SNAP Meal Recipes listed below:

Less than 5, Vegetarian

PBB Sandwich – SNAP meal

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When it comes to sandwiches, almost anything goes. And your options for frugal lunches is quite expansive. You have all the “salads”: tuna, egg, chicken. Probably more. You have lunchmeat, from bottom of the barrel bologna to the fanciest $20/pound roast beef. Then you have the endless options with peanut butter.

Peanut butter is a frugal food star because it is still pretty cheap per ounce, yet packs a big protein and caloric punch per tablespoon.

Peanut butter is great on its own. Or with jelly. Or with some nutella (brand or store brand ‘chocolate hazelnut spread’). Or mixed with some plain Greek yogurt. But this combo is my favorite: peanut butter and banana. If you have honey too, drizzle a little on for a full-blow “Elvis” sandwich.

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices bread (or a tortilla)
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/2 banana, sliced

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Step 1: Spread on the peanut butter.

Step 2: Slice the banana about 1/2 inch thick. One banana can make two sandwiches, or you can put two layers of slices on.

This breakfast, lunch, or snack is quick to make, portable, and costs only $0.38 per sandwich!

 

 

**UPDATE: The SNAP Challenge is complete, with many lessons learned! All SNAP Meal Recipes listed below:

Less than 5, Main Dishes

Chicken, broccoli and potato dinner – SNAP meal

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This is a super simple meal you can get together in about 10 minutes for under $1. You’ve got protein from your chicken, starch and carbs in the potato, and a healthy serving of veggies from the broccoli.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken drumstick
  • 1 medium baking potato
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli
  • Garlic salt

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Step 1: In a frying pan, cook the chicken for 10-15 minutes, until no pink at all when poked.

Step 2: Wash the potato and poke some holes in it with a fork. Microwave the potato 8-12 minutes, until soft.

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Step 3: Microwave the broccoli 5-7 minutes, until soft. Serve it all with a dash of salt and enjoy. You can add whatever else you have to top the potato: butter, sour cream, cheese, beans, salsa…

 

 

**UPDATE: The SNAP Challenge is complete, with many lessons learned! All SNAP Meal Recipes listed below:

Breakfast, Finances, Healthy

Turkey bacon frittata – SNAP Meal

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Frittatas are one of my absolute favorite meals for breakfast. You know I love any meal which is cheap, versatile, and lets me use up bits and scraps of food left in the fridge. This is exactly one of those meals. Frittatas take well to every vegetable, meat, or grain you have sitting around waiting to be eaten. Just mix in it, let the eggs bind everything together, and you have an amazing meal that didn’t end up in the trash!

Since I already had turkey bacon, I looked around to see what else would go well in my frittata. 2 pounds of rice and a pound of lentils makes an awful lot, so I added some to add heft. I have a tiny window garden, so some fresh green onions and spinach were added too.

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Helpful tip: You can grow your own green onions from the store. My grocery store regularly has them on sale, three bundles for $1. Just cut the bottom most inch or two off, leaving roots intact, and plant them! Then you will have your own free green onion garden forever after. You can see I have plants in various times of growth.

Now for the fun part.

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips turkey bacon
  • 5 eggs
  • handful green onions
  • handful spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice
  • 1/4 cup cooked lentils
  • 2 tbsp margerine

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Step 1: Cook the turkey bacon about 2-4 minutes on both sides, until crispy. Take off heat and let cool on a plate until you can slice it into bite-sized pieces.

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Step 2: Add the rice, lentils, and vegetables. You could add in here any vegetables you have, onion, potato, celery, the possibilities are endless. Cook in the bacon grease, adding margarine if things still stick.

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I used a cast iron skillet here, because this recipe calls for finishing in an oven. If you don’t have cast iron, or don’t have an oven, this recipe is just as perfect for an omelet. When it says “bake in a 350 degree oven”, simply scramble everything together, let cook, then flip to cook the other side. Viola!

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Step 3: Scramble up the eggs in a small bowl. Simply crack them all in, being careful to not add shells. Then with a fork, whisk them quickly. The longer you whisk the more air bubbles you create, and the lighter and fluffier the eggs will be.

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Step 4: Add the eggs to the pan. Make sure all the ingredients are distributed around the pan. Let cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the eggs begin to set. You will see the edges becoming more opaque and if you run a spatula through it the bottoms will be cooking through.

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Step 5: Put the whole pan carefully into a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Just long enough to thoroughly cook the egg on top. Take it back out and let cool

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This frittata was absolutely delicious! I sprinkled on a little bit of garlic salt, and enjoyed one quarter of it each morning for four days in a row. This can be refrigerated and reheated later. They are quite healthy (unless of course you add four kinds of meat and tons of butter and nothing else) and very frugal. Try it, I bet you’ll love these and make them regularly.

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The cost of the entire frittata was $1.20! Cut into quarters, that is a cost of $0.30 per serving. You can’t do much better than that for this quality meal!

 

 

**UPDATE: The SNAP Challenge is complete, with many lessons learned! All SNAP Meal Recipes listed below:

Finances, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes

Turkey BLT – SNAP Meal

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The BLT is a classic sandwich, and when turkey bacon goes on sale for $1.99 per pound, you cannot pass it up. With a garden supplying fresh greens and tomatoes, this sandwich is otherwise quite cheap. Even if you don’t have a garden, spinach is often on sale for $1 per pound, and one roma tomato is less than 50 cents.

You can of course use more or less bacon to taste, or omit it entirely if you are vegetarian/vegan. Alternatively, you can use strips of tofu which sometimes go on sale for $1 per pound. Just drain, slice it up, and fry in a pan.

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 4 slices of turkey bacon
  • 1/2 roma tomato, sliced
  • 1 small handful baby lettuce/spinach

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Step 1: Cut the bacon strips in half and fry in a pan. This should take 5-7 minutes per side.

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Step 2: On the bread, layer the bacon, tomato slices, and lettuces. Enjoy!

I had my sandwich with a small handful of grapes growing wild behind my house. It actually made enough for two sandwiches, or one thick one.

Without considering the tomato and spinach, the cost is $0.33. If you make it into two sandwiches, the cost is $0.21 each. Even if you add in a few cents for the veggies, it is crazy cheap for a delicious and healthy lunch.

 

 

**UPDATE: The SNAP Challenge is complete, with many lessons learned! All SNAP Meal Recipes listed below: