As I have been learning more about nutrition, I have been making an effort to eat more beans. As I have been very busy lately, I've relied more heavily on my slow-cooker. The result is that about half of my dinners over the last two months have been bean and vegetable soups. They have been great! They taste good, I can fiddle with the spices and veggies for variety, I've been losing weight, and I've been sleeping and feeling better.
2 cups of dry beans (I use a half cup of each of four kinds that cost $0.80-1.60/lb)
soaked overnight, then brought to a boil for a few minutes. Black, kidney, navy, pinto, red, whatever.
stock - whatever bones or stock I've got, sieved. I don't measure it.
1 lb carrots, sliced
1/2 head green cabbage
some sauteed/caramelized onions
some sliced celery
peppers, scallions, or whatever else was cheap that week
Sometimes I add some barley or rice to thicken the soup.
hot peppers to kick it up, the standard Italian herbs
A crock of this lasts 10-15 meals for $5-10, depending on what veggies are put in. I tend to eat it with corn chips (organic unsalted from Trader Joe's, $2.50/lb) and some cheese. It's easy, it's cheap, and it's good for you.
Showing posts with label Dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dinner. Show all posts
2011-05-25
2011-04-22
The Best Burger I've Ever Made
While looking for a friend's of a friend blog posts about D&D, I came across Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. In the same day, a Khymos post sent me on a link journey to a comment in the Ideas in Food blog, and I started Jonesing for a good burger. I ended up making two too-big burgers for $4. $2 each for juicy heaven.
12 oz 80/20 ground beef - 800 calories - $2.40
2 potato buns - 180 calories - $0.33 or $0.50 (from a package of 12)
2 strips of store brand bacon - 80 calories - ~$0.42
1 tablespoon of butter - 100 calories - $0.09
2 oz colby jack cheese - 200 calories - $0.50 (because we didn't have goat cheese!)
2 spare slices of onion
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of flour
a square foot of plastic wrap
I chopped the onion and bacon into small pieces, then browned them in a little steel skillet with a little fat from some other bacon. Then I mixed the bacon and onion into the beef with the Worcestershire sauce (maybe put the butter in there too, next time), packed the beef into a "log" (it was only 2" thick) and wrapped it in the plastic, then put it in the fridge to rest for an hour. I took out the log, cut it in half to make the two patties. I floured the patties, then fried them in the butter while lightly toasting the buns. I put the cheese on the patties after flipping them.
That's it. We did not put anything else on these succulent burgers. These blew away every other fancy burger I've had, so juicy and delicious. One of my regular complaints about burgers at restaurants (I'm not talking about the awful trash at fast food joints) is that the buns are too big. I don't want an enormous roll engulfing my burger and making it hard to fit in my mouth, giving me a lot of flour taste over the beef and fat. The small, generic, potato buns from any supermarket are the perfect meat-holders for me.
Our only lament was that we had no goat cheese. A little chevre from Trader Joe's would have topped this off nicely. Actually, we also decided that 4 ounces is the right size for a burger. The 6 oz burgers were delicious, but unnecessarily large.
So, each burger I made had about 650-700 calories and cost $2, but I would happily use a third less meat and swap the Colby Jack for some chevre ($0.50/oz), shaving off over a hundred calories and about $0.25 per burger.
12 oz 80/20 ground beef - 800 calories - $2.40
2 potato buns - 180 calories - $0.33 or $0.50 (from a package of 12)
2 strips of store brand bacon - 80 calories - ~$0.42
1 tablespoon of butter - 100 calories - $0.09
2 oz colby jack cheese - 200 calories - $0.50 (because we didn't have goat cheese!)
2 spare slices of onion
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of flour
a square foot of plastic wrap
I chopped the onion and bacon into small pieces, then browned them in a little steel skillet with a little fat from some other bacon. Then I mixed the bacon and onion into the beef with the Worcestershire sauce (maybe put the butter in there too, next time), packed the beef into a "log" (it was only 2" thick) and wrapped it in the plastic, then put it in the fridge to rest for an hour. I took out the log, cut it in half to make the two patties. I floured the patties, then fried them in the butter while lightly toasting the buns. I put the cheese on the patties after flipping them.
That's it. We did not put anything else on these succulent burgers. These blew away every other fancy burger I've had, so juicy and delicious. One of my regular complaints about burgers at restaurants (I'm not talking about the awful trash at fast food joints) is that the buns are too big. I don't want an enormous roll engulfing my burger and making it hard to fit in my mouth, giving me a lot of flour taste over the beef and fat. The small, generic, potato buns from any supermarket are the perfect meat-holders for me.
Our only lament was that we had no goat cheese. A little chevre from Trader Joe's would have topped this off nicely. Actually, we also decided that 4 ounces is the right size for a burger. The 6 oz burgers were delicious, but unnecessarily large.
So, each burger I made had about 650-700 calories and cost $2, but I would happily use a third less meat and swap the Colby Jack for some chevre ($0.50/oz), shaving off over a hundred calories and about $0.25 per burger.
2011-03-26
A Simple Dinner with Pork
After an entire week of eating bean and vegetable soup (not complaining!), I went for a change and grabbed a couple pork center loin chops. I've been happy eating less meat, and I made sure to buy the smallest package of two, which cost $2.09. They were about a half inch thick and a third of a pound each. Instead of making my awesome pineapple pork stir-fry, I went an easier and less labor-intensive route.
I put a cup of brown rice and a crushed dried chili pepper into two cups of boiling water in a 1 qt pot, then set to simmer for 45 minutes. This is generally about six modest portions of rice.
Then, I heavily sauted a sliced medium onion in my steel frying pan. I didn't fully caramelize it, but it was more brown than yellow. When it was done, I put the onion on a plate and set it aside.
I patted the pork chops dry with a paper towel, then put them in the hot pan for a few minutes to brown. I sprinkled rosemary on the tops, then flipped them over, sprinkled with pepper, put a cover on and turned the heat down to low.
Then I made salads from bagged mix, baby spinach, walnuts, habanero cheddar cheese, button mushrooms, and dried cranberries, topped with a little light ranch. All together the salads cost a little less than $1 each, and we'll eat them daily while we have the components. The greens and mushrooms were on sale this week, and I've always got walnuts and cheese.
When the chops were done cooking, I plated them, then poured a half cup of Chardonnay (about 1/40 of a $15 box of Almaden) into the skillet to deglaze it. I turned the heat back up a bit and reduced the sauce down to about two tablespoons, then poured it over the pork chops.
The chops were juicy and delicious! The rice and onions were a good accompaniment for the pork, and the salads rounded out the meal. This was a great dinner for two for $5. Each person's meal cost $2.50 and had about 600 calories. If the rice is made earlier, this meal takes a half hour to make.
I put a cup of brown rice and a crushed dried chili pepper into two cups of boiling water in a 1 qt pot, then set to simmer for 45 minutes. This is generally about six modest portions of rice.
Then, I heavily sauted a sliced medium onion in my steel frying pan. I didn't fully caramelize it, but it was more brown than yellow. When it was done, I put the onion on a plate and set it aside.
I patted the pork chops dry with a paper towel, then put them in the hot pan for a few minutes to brown. I sprinkled rosemary on the tops, then flipped them over, sprinkled with pepper, put a cover on and turned the heat down to low.
Then I made salads from bagged mix, baby spinach, walnuts, habanero cheddar cheese, button mushrooms, and dried cranberries, topped with a little light ranch. All together the salads cost a little less than $1 each, and we'll eat them daily while we have the components. The greens and mushrooms were on sale this week, and I've always got walnuts and cheese.
When the chops were done cooking, I plated them, then poured a half cup of Chardonnay (about 1/40 of a $15 box of Almaden) into the skillet to deglaze it. I turned the heat back up a bit and reduced the sauce down to about two tablespoons, then poured it over the pork chops.
The chops were juicy and delicious! The rice and onions were a good accompaniment for the pork, and the salads rounded out the meal. This was a great dinner for two for $5. Each person's meal cost $2.50 and had about 600 calories. If the rice is made earlier, this meal takes a half hour to make.
2010-11-04
Fettuccine with Gorgonzola Sauce and Scallops
I went a little fancy last night, but still without breaking the bank. I made some fettuccine while making other pasta, and Trader Joe's continues to be a good source for Gorgonzola at $5.79/lb. The local supermarket had sea scallops for $8/lb, which is a special treat for me, and asparagus for $2/lb. I won't pay for heavy cream, and I turned all my milk into yogurt, so I used yogurt in the sauce and it worked just fine.
Whole Wheat Fettuccine:
1 cup flour, 1 egg, 2 Tbsp milk
$0.50, 500 calories
Gorgonzola Sauce:
1/3 lb Gorgonzola cheese - $2 - 500 calories
2 Tbsp butter - $0.19 - 200 calories
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour - $0.02 - 50 calories
1 cup plain yogurt - $0.37 (organic, homemade) - 80 calories
splash of lemon juice
splash of sake (or whatever white wine is lying around, optional)
Scallops:
8 sea scallops, 1/2 lb - $4 - 200 calories
1 Tbsp butter - $0.10 - 100 calories (not all consumed)
pepper
Asparagus:
1/2 lb asparagus - $1 - 30 calories
1 Tbsp olive oil - $0.05 - 100 calories (not all consumed)
pepper
Read all this first. You'll be juggling around the stove. Start cooking the pasta, frying the asparagus in oil with pepper in a skillet, and frying the garlic in butter in a small pot. When the garlic is browned, whisk in the flour to make a garlicky roux. When the roux is foamy, whisk in the yogurt (cream, milk, whatever) and bring to a simmer.
Remember to drain the noodles when they're done, and set aside. Also set aside the asparagus when it is done. Toss a tablespoon of butter on the skillet when the asparagus is off, turn up the heat, and sear the scallops for about 2 minutes on each side. Crumble up the Gorgonzola and whisk it into the sauce until it melts. The scallops will have slightly crisp golden ends, and be so tender in the middle. I used Alton Brown's method, but I may go for longer time at a lower heat in the future. Do not use a non-stick skillet.
The pasta and sauce alone run under $3.50 and about 1400 calories. This whole decadent meal ran $8.50 and 1800 calories, or $4.50 and 900 calories per stuffed person. Even after breakfast, a hearty PB&J, and an apple in the afternoon, we come in comfortably at the average daily budget for someone receiving supplementary nutritional assistance.
Whole Wheat Fettuccine:
1 cup flour, 1 egg, 2 Tbsp milk
$0.50, 500 calories
Gorgonzola Sauce:
1/3 lb Gorgonzola cheese - $2 - 500 calories
2 Tbsp butter - $0.19 - 200 calories
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour - $0.02 - 50 calories
1 cup plain yogurt - $0.37 (organic, homemade) - 80 calories
splash of lemon juice
splash of sake (or whatever white wine is lying around, optional)
Scallops:
8 sea scallops, 1/2 lb - $4 - 200 calories
1 Tbsp butter - $0.10 - 100 calories (not all consumed)
pepper
Asparagus:
1/2 lb asparagus - $1 - 30 calories
1 Tbsp olive oil - $0.05 - 100 calories (not all consumed)
pepper
Read all this first. You'll be juggling around the stove. Start cooking the pasta, frying the asparagus in oil with pepper in a skillet, and frying the garlic in butter in a small pot. When the garlic is browned, whisk in the flour to make a garlicky roux. When the roux is foamy, whisk in the yogurt (cream, milk, whatever) and bring to a simmer.
Remember to drain the noodles when they're done, and set aside. Also set aside the asparagus when it is done. Toss a tablespoon of butter on the skillet when the asparagus is off, turn up the heat, and sear the scallops for about 2 minutes on each side. Crumble up the Gorgonzola and whisk it into the sauce until it melts. The scallops will have slightly crisp golden ends, and be so tender in the middle. I used Alton Brown's method, but I may go for longer time at a lower heat in the future. Do not use a non-stick skillet.
The pasta and sauce alone run under $3.50 and about 1400 calories. This whole decadent meal ran $8.50 and 1800 calories, or $4.50 and 900 calories per stuffed person. Even after breakfast, a hearty PB&J, and an apple in the afternoon, we come in comfortably at the average daily budget for someone receiving supplementary nutritional assistance.
2010-11-03
Ricotta: Ravioli and Pumpkin Pie
Ricotta was on sale, so I bought some and decided to make it into a ravioli and a pie. After learning from my mistakes while making pasta, I have settled on a method that has been working pretty well for me:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
This ingredient set doubles well, also. Most pasta recipes that I have found use less fluid, but they also tend to use AP flour or special pasta flour that I don't see at my supermarket. Whole wheat flour seems to be thirstier, and if I use any less liquid, I end up with a crumbly dough that falls to pieces. Mix up those ingredients (I just use a fork and my hands on a cutting board) until you get an evenly-moist wad, roll it into a ball, cover and let rest for half an hour (I put a big mug upside-down over it).
For each cup of flour that you used, tear your dough ball into three pieces, if you are using a pasta machine instead of a rolling pin. Pound down a piece and roll it out. On my machine, I rolled the sheets down to a size 2, except for one piece that I rolled to a size 1 as an experiment. A ravioli that I made with size 1 dough broke in the boiling water, so I recommend using size 2. You may have to experiment, too, since I don't know how to communicate that thickness.
I used a drinking glass to cut out circles from the dough sheets, and kept rolling the scraps together until all the dough was used. I took a circle, brushed it with a mixture of egg and water (1 egg was more than enough to brush all the ravioli). Then I put a heaping tablespoon of ricotta in the middle of the circle, covered it with another circle, and crimped the edges together all around with my fingers. As an experiment, some I just pushed down, others I dug in with my fingernails, and others I folded over the edges to make a stronger seal. None of the raviolis opened around a seam, so it didn't seem to matter how each was sealed, except aesthetically.
I made some spaghetti, too, and draped it over a dowel rod to dry.
The ravioli sat out for a while before it was time for dinner, and I don't know how that affected their cooking. I carefully dropped them into boiling water until they were all floating, about six minutes. I took out the ravioli with a skimmer. I used an 8 oz can of tomato sauce that I heated in a pot with minced garlic and spices, and I dusted everything with some Parmesan (just Kraft).
They were pretty good. Whole wheat pasta is an acquired taste, and ricotta cheese has very little flavor. I am sure that they would be better with different kind of cheese inside, or some spices. This was a very basic experiment, and I think it worked out well enough. All the ravioli together cost about $1, and had about 700 calories. Quite a bargain for dinner for two. Add some green veggies.
The pie cost about $5 to make:
2 eggs - $0.20 - 140 calories
1 cup ricotta - ~$0.60 - 320 calories
3/4 cup brown sugar - $0.30 - 540 calories
1/2 tsp salt
nutmeg
cinnamon
16 oz canned pumpkin - $? - 175 calories
Pre-made graham cracker crust, store brand - $1 - 880 calories
4 oz Pecans - ~$1.25 ($5/lb) - 800 calories
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Beat in the ricotta. Stir in the pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices. Pour into the pie crust (yes, I am so lame for using a pre-made crust). Put pecans on top. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes.
Very easy to make. Each slice (1/8th of the pie) costs about $0.60 and has about 360 calories.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
This ingredient set doubles well, also. Most pasta recipes that I have found use less fluid, but they also tend to use AP flour or special pasta flour that I don't see at my supermarket. Whole wheat flour seems to be thirstier, and if I use any less liquid, I end up with a crumbly dough that falls to pieces. Mix up those ingredients (I just use a fork and my hands on a cutting board) until you get an evenly-moist wad, roll it into a ball, cover and let rest for half an hour (I put a big mug upside-down over it).
For each cup of flour that you used, tear your dough ball into three pieces, if you are using a pasta machine instead of a rolling pin. Pound down a piece and roll it out. On my machine, I rolled the sheets down to a size 2, except for one piece that I rolled to a size 1 as an experiment. A ravioli that I made with size 1 dough broke in the boiling water, so I recommend using size 2. You may have to experiment, too, since I don't know how to communicate that thickness.
I used a drinking glass to cut out circles from the dough sheets, and kept rolling the scraps together until all the dough was used. I took a circle, brushed it with a mixture of egg and water (1 egg was more than enough to brush all the ravioli). Then I put a heaping tablespoon of ricotta in the middle of the circle, covered it with another circle, and crimped the edges together all around with my fingers. As an experiment, some I just pushed down, others I dug in with my fingernails, and others I folded over the edges to make a stronger seal. None of the raviolis opened around a seam, so it didn't seem to matter how each was sealed, except aesthetically.
I made some spaghetti, too, and draped it over a dowel rod to dry.
The ravioli sat out for a while before it was time for dinner, and I don't know how that affected their cooking. I carefully dropped them into boiling water until they were all floating, about six minutes. I took out the ravioli with a skimmer. I used an 8 oz can of tomato sauce that I heated in a pot with minced garlic and spices, and I dusted everything with some Parmesan (just Kraft).
They were pretty good. Whole wheat pasta is an acquired taste, and ricotta cheese has very little flavor. I am sure that they would be better with different kind of cheese inside, or some spices. This was a very basic experiment, and I think it worked out well enough. All the ravioli together cost about $1, and had about 700 calories. Quite a bargain for dinner for two. Add some green veggies.
The pie cost about $5 to make:
2 eggs - $0.20 - 140 calories
1 cup ricotta - ~$0.60 - 320 calories
3/4 cup brown sugar - $0.30 - 540 calories
1/2 tsp salt
nutmeg
cinnamon
16 oz canned pumpkin - $? - 175 calories
Pre-made graham cracker crust, store brand - $1 - 880 calories
4 oz Pecans - ~$1.25 ($5/lb) - 800 calories
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Beat in the ricotta. Stir in the pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices. Pour into the pie crust (yes, I am so lame for using a pre-made crust). Put pecans on top. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes.
Very easy to make. Each slice (1/8th of the pie) costs about $0.60 and has about 360 calories.
2010-10-15
Salmon Cakes with Sake Cream Sauce
Doesn't that sound like something you'd get at a fancy restaurant? It was pretty inexpensive and easy to make, and delicious!. I saw a 1.75L bottle of sweet, unfiltered sake for $7, and figured I would be able to find recipes to use it in. I also had some canned salmon in the pantry from a sale once upon a time, and the canned stuff is no good to eat my itself. Canned salmon has to be mixed with other things, and you'll need to pick out some vertebra and skin, but it's about a quarter the price of fresh salmon. Wild Alaskan salmon is on the list of sustainable, environmentally sound commercial fish.
1 14.75oz can of Bumblebee wild Alaskan pink salmon, remove the bones and skin - forgot the price ($2.50-4?) - ~600 calories
1 cup breadcrumbs - about a quarter of a $1 can = $0.25 - 330 calories
1 onion, small, finely chopped - ~$0.50 - 70 calories
1 tsp cayenne pepper! - $0.07
mix that all up in a big bowl until the salmon pieces are small
2 Tbsp soy sauce - negligible
2 eggs - at $1.29/dozen (Trader Joe's) = $0.22 - 140 calories
mix that into the salmon mixture until everything is moist
in a small pot:
1 Tbsp oil - $0.06 - 100 calories
1 Tbsp minced garlic - $0.05
sautee, turn heat to low
2 Tbsp butter - at $3/lb = $0.19 - 200 calories
2 Tbsp flour - at $3/5lb = $0.03 - 50 calories
add the flour slowly while stirring, let it dissolve and the mixture start to turn brown (a roux)
add 1/2 cup plain homemade yogurt or milk - at $6/gallon (organic, TJ's) = $0.20 - 40 calories (skim)
1/2 cup sake - ~$0.50 - ~150 calories
1 Tbsp lemon juice (from concentrate) - ~$0.06
stir for a bit on heat, then set aside off heat
Pack the salmon mixture into cakes. I made six that were almost an inch thick and 3.5" in diameter. Heat some oil on a skillet at low-medium heat. Fry the cakes for about 4 minutes on each side, until the contact area turns golden brown.
If you make six cakes, each will have about 200 calories plain, plus 90 calories with sauce if the sauce is evenly distributed. This is a tasty dinner for three for $5-6, depending on how much the can of salmon is.
This recipe reflects what I did last night, with two fixes: I used 2 Tbsp of oil to start the sauce, which was more than I needed, and I splashed in too much lemon juice, which overwhelmed the other flavors. The recipe I found online called for a cup of cream, but cream is expensive and essentially milk with 18% fat, so I had no qualms about making a little roux and adding skim yogurt to get a little thicker and richer sauce. Milk would do too, but I've been turning all of my milk into yogurt and using it on cereal, burritos, and soups just fine. I bet that you could use any white wine instead of sake, and I've had cream sauces with Chardonnay and Champagne. Cayenne pepper rocks in any fish dish! Use it!
I should take more pictures of what I make.
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