budgetsmartgirl

Archive for August, 2012|Monthly archive page

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Friday Freebies-Slow Cooker Cookbook

In Friday Freebies on August 30, 2012 at 3:52 pm

I know it’s Thursday but thought I’d share this freebie with you a day early.

One piece of cooking equipment I think every Budget Smart kitchen should have is a slow cooker. Some weeks I use mine everyday. If you’re just getting started with slow cooking here’s a free book from Amazon. If you don’t have a Kindle, no problem, because you can download it to your computer.

I can’t wait to read this one-

http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Cooker-101-Recipes-ebook/dp/B005Z1XCUO/ref=zg_bs_digital-text_2

Have a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend.

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The CSA Box Week 12-A Corn Recipe

In csa box on August 29, 2012 at 12:47 pm

When we signed up for the CSA program in February I thought ahead to all the goodies that I’d find each week and so far I haven’t been disappointed. Last week’s delivery included-

Peppers, melon, watermelon, green beans, cucumbers, tomatillos, eggplant, parsley, Savoy cabbage, carrots, Sungold cherry tomatoes, tomatoes.

Peppers-I had a good supply of these so I combined them with the tomatoes and corn and made Aztec Corn…recipe below. We also received some Serranos. The flyer suggested drying them for later use which I might do.

Melon-what can I say about this muskmelon. I’m hooked. I eat it anytime I need a snack and I’ll be sad to see the last of this item.

Watermelon-same goes for this goodie. This one contains seeds and according to the flyer has much more taste than the seedless variety. I have to agree because it’s the best one I’ve tasted. Idea snack food too.

Green beans-I was tempted to freeze these but for Sunday supper, and being short on time, I decided to oven roast them with pototoes and carrots. I had some leftover and used it on a salad.

Cucumbers-perfect on salads or as the flyer said, sandwiches.

Tomatillos-I’m hooked one these goodies now and will be buying them at the store. I don’t know how hard they are to grow yourself but I’m definitely thinking about it. I made another batch of salsa with these and I love it. So simple yet loaded with taste.

Eggplant-I can’t decide if I want to make a moussaka or the eggplant and chickpea stew again.

Parsley-another batch dried and used in dishes I’ve made throughout the week.

Savoy cabbage-I might make another batch of the stuffed cabbage rolls and freeze it, or just make some coleslaw.

Carrots-they were used with the green beans.

Sungold cherry tomatoes-another great snack food and also used in the corn recipe.

Tomotoes-perfect for a salad.

Aztec Corn (Serves 4)

I love corn on the cob but there’s only so much you can eat. I looked at what I had on hand and came up with this one. You can make it as hot/spicy as you like. This is perfect with grilled fish, chicken or even a veggie burger. 3 ears of corn-take the corn off the cob

1 red or green pepper, chopped

1 cup of  chopped tomatoes

Salt and chipotle chile pepper…you should be able to find this in the spice section of most supermarkets. It packs a punch so add as much as you comfort level will tolerate

Oil

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Add the peppers and cook until slightly softened. Add the corn and then the tomatoes and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they get slightly caramelized.  Add some salt and the chile powder and cook for a few more minutes. Serve immediately.

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It’s Meatless Monday-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

In Meatless Mondays on August 27, 2012 at 4:03 pm

One thing that’s fun to do is take a recipe that uses meat and figure out how to convert it to a vegetarian one. I did that last week with a stuffed cabbage roll recipe. I used the Savoy cabbage and peppers from the CSA box and also the slow cooker to make this easy and tasty supper.  The cabbage is filled with sauted veggies and black beans, plus a handful of the dried herbs I’d dehydrated earlier. I think I managed to makeover this dish into one that is high on taste and nutrition, but low on cost.

12 cabbage leaves

1 red pepper, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 15 ounce can of black beans

1 14 ounce jar of pasta sauce… I used Ragu

Seasoning, including, salt, pepper and onion powder

A handful of dried herbs, including basil and oregano

Oil

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium to high heat. Add the onions and saute until lightly softened. Add the pepper and carrots and saute until everything is lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the veggie mixture. Add the herbs and seasonings. Using a fork or potato masher, slightly mash everything together. Don’t overdo it because you still want to keep the veggies and beans mostly intact.

Pour a little of the pasta sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and swirl around so the bottom is coated.

Place a cabbage roll on a cutting board and put about 1/4 cup of the veggie/bean mixture onto it and roll up. Place seam down in the slow cooker. Repeat with the rest of the leaves.

Don’t worry about piling the rolls on top of one another.

Pour the rest of the pasta sauce over the rolls and cook on high for about 4 hours.

These are perfect served with brown rice. The best thing is the cabbage almost melts during cooking and everything blends together for a very rich taste.

Serves 4

Meatless Monday will be back on September 10th.

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Friday Freebies-Jewelry

In Friday Freebies on August 24, 2012 at 5:07 pm

The other day I received an ad for a subscription to Shop Smart magazine which is published by Consumer Reports. Inside the mailing contained a booklet outlining what’s found in the magazine. It had lots of good stuff and tips and I saw this that I thought I’d pass along to you during this week’s Friday Freebie. It’s a site where you can get free jewelry…you do have to pay shipping and handling. If anyone’s tried it or does try it, I’d love to hear what you think.

http://www.silverjewelryclub.com/default.aspx

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The CSA Box-Week 11-Items for Meals and Snacks

In Meatless Mondays on August 23, 2012 at 4:07 pm

Every week when I bring the CSA box home I think it’s a lot like Christmas, wondering what’s inside and what meals I’ll create. (Well, I do receive an e-mail the day before giving a preview, but it’s still interesting).

Last week’s contents included-

Sweet corn, red onions, edamame, tomatoes, hot peppers, melon, red grape cherry tomatoes, green beans, Savoy cabbage, bok choi, and salad mix.

Corn-there’s only so much you can eat of even a good thing so I’ve been blanching some of the cobs and putting them in the freezer. I did that last year too after a visit to a roadside farmstand. What’s fun is eatting them as you look outside and see the snow falling.

Red onions-apart from the sweet variety, these are my favorites. I did read that they’re the best for making French onion soup, but I’ve yet to try it. These are perfect raw in salads and also fantastic in grilled cheese sandwiches.

Edamame-These are my favorite snacks and it was interesting to see how they’re actually grown. I usually buy them in the frozen food section. If you’ve never tried them, they cook in under a minute and very tasty with just a little salt and pepper. Added bonus is they’re good for you.

Hot peppers-I made more salsa and one thing I’ve discovered it’s great on scrambled eggs.

Melon-I stopped buying melons years ago when I never could find one that wasn’t watery and tasteless so I’m glad this one turned me into a fan again. It’s the Wrangle muskmelon that looks like cantaloupe but so much better. It’s full of flavor, on the sweet side, and perfect as a snack. I also used it for dessert along with some vanilla yogurt. One thing it’s taught me is to look for a certain type of melon because they’re not all created equal.

Red grape cherry tomatoes-once again these became a delicious snack food last week. I used them as a way to eat some leftover ranch dressing instead of chips.

Green beans-eaten as is as a side dish.

Savoy Cabbage-once again one of my favorite varieties. I thought about making coleslaw but altered a recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls that will be next Monday’s meatless recipe.

Bok Choi-I had enough to make two stir fries. I also used some sliced red peppers. When the vegetables taste this good you don’t even need meat or chicken. I serve mine with chopped peanuts and brown rice and lots of soy sauce.

Salad mix-I made a Greek salad with this, lots of olives, tomatoes,  and feta cheese with a herb dressing using the dried oregano from the previous week.

Last week’s batch of produce showed me that when you’re shopping and eating on a budget don’t just think main meals, think snacks too. If you look at the price of most snack foods they can be the most expensive and contain ingredients that aren’t good for you. With back to school time approaching and produce in abundance it’s the perfect time to think about ways you can fill lunch boxes with fruit salads and fresh veggies with dip. They also make perfect after school snacks too.

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It’s Meatless Monday-Aubergine and Chickpea Stew

In Meatless Mondays on August 20, 2012 at 3:50 pm

The wonderful thing about reading food blogs is sometimes you stumble upon a great recipe or two. Last week I saw a site called Little Red Courgette (what we Brits call zucchini) and a recipe for Aubergine and Chickpea Stew. I had both items on hand so thought it would make the perfect Meatless Monday meal.  And if you’re wondering what an Aubergine is, it’s eggplant. This is a great tasting dish using low cost and good for your foods. The chopped onions are essential for the topping so don’t skip on it.  So is the 25 minutes of simmering. The flavors blend together which gives everything more depth of flavor. This dish is proof that food doesn’t have to contain meat to be tasty and/or satisfying.

Remember I told you about the cucumber dressing I made and it didn’t turn out right? I used it as a topping for this dish and I think it was perfect. So if you want to blend a cucumber with some sour cream…or even yogurt, some salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, it makes a nice addition. I served this with brown rice and will be making it again very soon.

Here’s the link if you want to try it-

http://frombootlewithlove.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/aubergine-and-chickpea-stew/

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Friday Freebies-Free Sample Site

In Friday Freebies on August 17, 2012 at 5:58 pm

Seems like there’s no end of sites with links to free things and today I stumbled upon this one. And for those of you in Canada who often e-mail to ask if I know of any sites offering free samples there, this one has a link for just that-

http://www.ilovefreethings.com/

Have a good weekend.

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The CSA Box-Week 10-A Fantastic Carrot Recipe

In csa box on August 16, 2012 at 3:01 pm

You know it’s mid season when new items turn up in the CSA box. Week 10 included-

Sweet Corn, carrots, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, hot peppers, lipstick peppers, watermelon, green beans, cucumbers and oregano.

Once again I played it save and dried the oregano straight away. I can’t wait to use it in fall and winter dishes and think back to summer.

Some of the sweet corn and peppers I used for a soup. I’ll post the recipe on the BSG site soon.

Watermelon, eaten as is for dessert. There’s nothing more refreshing than watermelon on a hot and humid day.

Tomatoes, I used in this week’s Meatless Monday meal.

Carrots…one thing I love about receiving these boxes of produce, besides having great tasting food, is the recipes they include. I’ve tried over half of them and last week throught I’d try the roasted carrots with feta and parsley. Sometimes it’s boring just serving veggies as is and this was the perfect way to give them some pizzazz. The recipe is from Martha Stewart. I liked this recipe so much I’ll definitely make it again and again. I’m also thinking about making it as side dish at Christmas. I didn’t have any fresh parsley on hand, but the dried variety works just as well.

Here’s the link to the recipe-

http://www.marthastewart.com/314045/roasted-carrots-with-feta-and-parsley

Green Beans, while I was in my I won’t just serve plain old veggies mood, I decided to try something different with the green beans too. I usually steam them and sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper, but as I had the oven in full swing roasting the carrots, I threw the beans into another roasting pan. I added some oil, pepper and soy sauce and roasted them for about 15 minutes. Once they were done I sprinkled them with sesame seeds.

Cucumbers…I’d don’t know why but I seemed to have an abundance of these so I made a cucumber dressing which didn’t turn out like I’d planned. But as you know, I hate wasting food and I found another use for it…more about this on next week’s Meatless Monday feature.

And speaking of which, the eggplants were also used in a meatless dish where I was able to use the forementioned cucumber dressing.

Onions and hot peppers I used along with the tomatillos from the previous week and made salsa which I have to say was the best I’ve tasted. And no, I’m not just saying that because I made it. I’ll definitely be buying tomatillos again.

One tip I can give about trying to eat gourmet style meals when you’re on a budget is to search online and see what new ideas you can come up with. This summer I haven’t spent any more money on food than I normally do, but I feel like we’ve eaten tasty and better for us meals.

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It’s Meatless Monday-Two Tomato and Basil Quiche

In Friday Freebies on August 13, 2012 at 3:38 pm

This summer it’s all about cooking with what’s on hand. One of my favorite things to throw together is a quiche. Last week I decided to use the fresh tomatoes and basil from the CSA box and combine it with the sundried tomatoes I’d dehydrated several months ago. I think the combination of fresh and dried really takes the taste up a notch or two.

You’ll need-

1 pastry shell or homemade pastry

1 large tomato, sliced

1/3 cup of fresh basil, chopped

1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes, soaked in warm water until they’re plump again

4 eggs

1 cup of cream…I had this on hand but if you want to cut down on the fat, go with either milk or half and half. I find cream does give a better set quiche and you don’t need to eat so much because it’s more filling

1 cup shredded cheese, divided…I used Swiss

seasonings including, salt, pepper, some onion and garlic powder

I always pre bake the crust of the quiche for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees so the egg mixture doesn’t sink in and make it soggy.

While this is cooking beat the eggs, add the cream, and then add half the cheese and seasonings.

Remove the crust from the oven, let it cool slightly and add the sliced tomatoes. Place the sundried tomatoes on top of it, and then sprinkle the basil over everything. Slowly add the egg mixture and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for about 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven or until the middle is set and the top lightly browned.

This is great all by itself  or makes a super supper with a green salad or even corn on the cob.

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Friday Freebies-For Crafters

In Friday Freebies on August 10, 2012 at 3:02 pm

I know many of you are crafters so thought this site would be a great resource. Lots of free advice, tutorials. and links to more help with making and selling your crafts.

http://freecraftfair.com/

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