Wednesday, March 30, 2011

RECIPE: Sunshine Shakes


I had oral surgery yesterday morning and will be eating mostly liquids for the next week or so; I can't quite bring myself to post a really scrumptious-looking dish that I won't be able to eat for a while! I decided to compromise by sharing this recipe for one of our favourite smoothies, since I'm sure I'll be consuming plenty of these while I wait for my mouth to heal up.

When I have leftover crushed pineapple from baking a batch of Aloha Muffins or other quick breads, I freeze it in an ice cube tray to use it in this refreshing drink.

Ingredients:
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup coconut milk or yogurt
3/4-1 cup frozen pineapple or peaches
1-2 tsp honey

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth, adding more orange juice if necessary to get desired consistency.

I shared this recipe at Recipe Swap ThursdayFull Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Favorites and the GCC Recipe Swap.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Weekly Menu Retrospective #31


Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

Breakfasts: Morning Glory Muffins, peanut butter toast, Rhubarb Streusel Muffins, Upside-Down Apple Oven Pancake

Lunches: sandwiches (turkey salad, peanut butter, grilled cheese), pizza, leftover soup, Toad-in-the-Hole

Dinners:

Monday: Smothered Pork (cubed pork cooked in the sauce from this recipe), mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday: Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup, popovers

Wednesday: Baked Pasta, peas

Thursday: Indian-Spiced Honey Garlic Chicken, coconut rice, carrots, vegetable roti

Friday: Sausage and Bacon Potato Hash

Saturday: Western Omelette Wraps, carrot sticks

Sunday: Baked ham, cheesy vegetable casserole, butter tart squares

For more great meal ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

RECIPE: Upside-Down Apple Oven Pancake


Okay, okay, this is the second pancake recipe I've posted in the past couple of weeks. What can I say? I love breakfast! And being the frugalista that I am, I love that it's easy to make a really impressive breakfast dish for very little cost. This one is nice enough for guests - it can even do double-duty as a simple dessert with some ice cream and caramel sauce on top!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
3-4 medium apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:
  • In a 9 x 13” glass baking dish or two 9” pie plates, melt the butter in oven heated to 425°F.
  • Peel and slice apples; arrange apple slices in a single layer on top of melted butter.
  • Place flour in a medium bowl. Beat together egg yolks, milk and almond extract; whisk into flour until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until soft peaks form.
  •  Gently fold egg whites into batter; spread evenly over top of apple slices.
  •  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until pale golden brown on top.
  •  Loosen edges with knife and invert onto serving plate (if making in a 9x13” dish, I find it easier to cut into slices first, then invert each individual slice onto a dessert plate).
Serves 8.

I shared this recipe at Recipe Swap Thursday Full Plate ThursdayFrugal Food Thursday, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Favorites, the GCC Recipe Swap and Sweets for a Saturday.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Weekly Menu Retrospective #30

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

This is probably not the most inspired menu plan I've ever posted - I was feeling under the weather for most of the week and was also working on a BIG project (more about that later!) In other words, I kept the meals as simple and easy as possible :)

Breakfasts: homemade granola, Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins, leftover Upside-Down Apple Oven Pancake

Lunches: bagels with peanut butter, pizza, leftovers

Dinners:

Monday: Western Omelette Wraps, Sunshine Shakes

Tuesday: Pasta e Fagioli

Wednesday: Hamburgers on Cheesy Carrot Sandwich Buns, oven fries

Thursday: Cabbage & Beef Soup, leftover buns

Friday: Bacon & Cheddar Egg Puff, peas

Saturday: leftover soup, nut & seed bread

Sunday: Cheesy Tuna Shells, peas and carrots, chocolate peanut butter brownies

Snacks & Sides: apples, oranges, fresh pineapple, bananas, strawberries, popcorn, roasted chickpeas

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

RECIPE: Cream Cheese Brownies


I *love* cheesecake desserts, but many of them are quite expensive to make, calling for several bricks of cream cheese. This is a good way to get my cheesecake fix while using only a single brick. Even better, that creamy layer is resting atop a dense and fudgy chocolate brownie - dessert perfection!!
 
Ingredients:
Brownie layer:
3 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt 

Cream cheese layer:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Line a 9x9" pan with parchment paper.
To make the brownie layer:
In a large saucepan, melt together the butter and chocolate chips. Cool to room temperature. Add sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, and salt, stirring until well combined. Set aside 1/2 cup batter, then pour remaining batter in prepared pan, spreading evenly.
To make the cream cheese layer:
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar, egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Carefully pour over top of brownie layer in pan. Dollop spoonfuls of reserved brownie batter over cream cheese layer, then swirl gently with a knife. Bake at 325F for 25 minutes, or until cream cheese layer is just barely set (be careful not to overbake!). Cool on wire rack to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator for several hours before cutting into squares.
Makes 16 brownies.

I shared this recipe at Frugal Food Thursday Full Plate Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, the GCC Recipe Swap, Fat Camp Friday and Friday Favorites.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Weekly Menu Retrospective #29


Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

Breakfasts: banana chocolate chip muffins, granola, peanut butter toast, Aloha muffins, Giant Upside Down Apple Pancake

Lunches: pizza, Toad-in-the-hole, bagels with peanut butter, sandwiches

Dinners: 

Monday: Fried rice with sausage, tossed salad

Tuesday: Giant Apple Oven Pancake, scrambled eggs, bacon

Wednesday: Cheesy Mac & Beef Skillet

Thursday: Thai-style chicken wraps

Friday: Black bean & sweet potato soup

Saturday: Chicken pocket sandwiches, carrot and cucumber slices

Sunday: Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots and green beans, cream cheese brownies

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Forget Sticker Shock; I'm Having Packaging Paroxysms

Earlier this week, I received a package in the mail. It was the Cuisinart mixer that I'll be reviewing soon here on this blog (I received a $55 gift certificate from CSN Stores to purchase it, in exchange for writing a review).

Being the thrift store and yard sale diva that I am, I don't often buy things new, and I buy things by mail order even more rarely. Usually it's the price of buying new products that I find seriously alarming; however while unpacking my mixer, I was more than a little appalled at the amount of detritus that ended strewn across the floor:


 Compare that large pile of refuse to the size of the product found inside:


I'm sure I can't be the only one who's somewhat horrified. Now, I'm definitely not picking on the company that sent this to me; all products I've ever received shipped in the mail seem to have had an excess amount of packaging. At least styrofoam peanuts seems to be going extinct; I can recycle or reuse all of this packaging material (and my kids and cat got some play value out of the box).

This was a definite reminder for me of how much less waste I'm generating by secondhand shopping! And although I think buying used is the best way to reduce waste (as well as save a bundle of cash), there are times when it's worth it to buy new. This good quality mixer will probably last me 10 or 15 years (since the one I'm replacing, which was not nearly as good quality as this, has lasted roughly that long). And having good quality kitchen tools that make cooking easier means it's more appealing to make foods from scratch and less tempting to grab take out.

I just hope that when I need another new mixer fifteen years from now, that it arrives with a whole heck of a lot less packaging.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

RECIPE: Coconut-Orange Pancakes


Is there anyone who doesn't love pancakes? They seems to delight everyone, young and old(er). And they are so easy to prepare, it doesn't take a lot of effort to bring a round of smiles to the breakfast table. Much as I love pancakes, I was in the mood to try something a bit different from our standard recipe and came up with this tasty variation.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp canola oil (for frying)

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and soda. In a small bowl, beat together the egg, orange juice, coconut milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture, stirring gently until well combined.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Pour about 3 tbsp of batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook about 1 minute, or until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is golden brown. Carefully flip pancakes and cook just until the bottom browns. Serve with syrup and fresh fruit. 

Makes approximately 12 pancakes.

I shared this recipe at Frugal Food Thursday Recipe Swap Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, 
Fat Camp Friday, Friday Favorites and the GCC Recipe Swap.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Weekly Menu Retrospective #28

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

Breakfasts: peanut butter toast, bagels with cream cheese, homemade granola with yogurt or milk, banana chocolate chip muffins, coconut orange pancakes

Lunches: grilled cheese, pizza, leftovers

Dinners:

Monday: Spicy Peanut & Tomato Soup

Tuesday: Lemony Chicken & Spinach Pasta

Wednesday: Sausage on a bun, Easy Oven Fries, fresh pineapple

Thursday: Cheesy Mac & Beef Skillet

Friday: Bean & Rice Squares

Saturday: Pasta e Fagioli

Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding

Snacks & Sides: apples, clementines, bananas, fresh pineapple, carrot and cucumber slices, homemade yogurt, popcorn

For more great meal ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Fine Art of Food Alchemy (or, How to Transform the Inedible into a Gourmet Treat)


Being the thrifty sort of person I am, I hate to waste anything that can be put to good use in one form or another. I particularly hate to waste food. Even though our city has a municipal green cart program into which I can toss anything that might once have been food, including bones, meat scraps, dairy products and other items that are no-nos for backyard composting, I'd still rather see my food dollars go towards feeding people rather than the green bin. Due to my never-ending quest to keep our food waste as close to zero as possible, I've become known by my brood as a kitchen magician of sorts, taking all sorts of unpalatable-looking food scraps and transforming them into satisfying feasts. I recently shared my recipe for Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup, which is a handy repository for many of the little odds'n'ends one finds hanging out in the back of the fridge. But not *everything* can go in there!

I made a couple of good "saves" in the past week or so, and thought I'd share so you could expand the realm of your food-reinvention repertoire a bit.

Save #1: My older son poured his younger brother a heaping bowl of homemade granola with half a lake full of milk on top. Unfortunately, he hadn't actually *asked* his brother if he wanted the bowl of granola before doing so, and my younger son didn't want it. As my hubby and I had already both eaten a generous helping ourselves, we weren't prepared to indulge in seconds. What to do? I couldn't bear to waste a bowl of my homemade granola, but with the milk already on there and making it soggy, it wasn't going to be too palatable to eat later. I stuck it in the fridge and put on my thinking cap.
Solution: Make a single-serving baked granola! After considerable pondering, I realized that homemade granola + milk = most of the ingredients that go into my baked granola. So, the next morning I dumped the whole bowlful into a single-serving baking dish and put it in the toaster oven at 350-ish for about 15 minutes. I pulled it out and voila! Baked oatmeal for one. It wasn't *exactly* the same as my usual baked granola, but it was still plenty good. In fact, I liked that added texture of the sunflower and pumpkin seeds enough that I may try adding them to my regular baked oatmeal next time I make a batch.

Save #2: I was experimenting with a recipe for Apple Oatmeal Bread. Usually I can get away with doing all kinds of bizarre things in the kitchen and get away with it, but this bread came out a real clunker. Not willing to resign it to door-stop status, I considered my options.
Solution: I decided to go with door #1 and make French toast with it. It was actually a heck of a lot tastier this way! My boys wolfed it down without even batting an eye. Behind door #2 was the bread pudding option, which I think would have worked equally well.

I am always ridiculously satisfied when I transform the nearly-inedible into a tasty treat. What about you? Are you a food alchemist, too? What are your favourite food transformation tricks?

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

RECIPE: Lemony Chicken & Spinach Pasta


It'll be a while yet before we'll be eating fresh spinach from our garden (the nighttime temperatures are still dipping well below zero degrees Celsius, so I won't be planting anytime soon!). Still, this dish says "spring" to me, even though it's easily enjoyed year-round. It's best to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go, as this dish comes together quickly once you start cooking.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb uncooked spaghetti noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
meat from about 5-6 uncooked chicken thighs or drumsticks, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup light cream (milk will do if you don't have any on hand)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 2 tsp dried
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bunch spinach, chopped
extra Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Instructions:
In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until tender. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, saute the onion and garlic in oil until they start to soften. Add the chicken pieces and cook until no traces of pink remain. Add the cream cheese and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to melt. Add the cream, Parmesan, lemon, basil, salt and pepper and simmer for a few minutes until cream cheese is completely melted and sauce is smooth. Add the spinach, cover, and simmer for a few minutes until spinach melts. Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve immediately with extra Parmesan on the side for sprinkling.

Hungry for more pasta? Try these dishes:
Spicy Chickpea Pasta
Thai-Style Peanutty Pasta
Italian-Style Baked Pasta
Cheesy Mac & Beef Skillet
Spinach & Parmesan Pasta Bake

I shared this recipe at Tasty Tuesday, Full Plate Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Fat Camp Friday, the GCC Recipe Swap, Friday Favorites and This Week's Cravings.
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