budgetsmartgirl

Posts Tagged ‘pantry staples’

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More than Just a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

In Budget Smart Cook on April 16, 2010 at 2:04 pm

If you think peanut butter is just for making PB and J sandwiches for the kids, think again. It’s one of the best bargain foods and there’s so much you can do with it.

An Essential Pantry Staple
Peanut butter’s always had a place in my pantry. I like to keep a jar of both chunky and smooth/creamy on the shelf at all times.

Everyone Loves It
We loved it when we were children and I have to admit when I’ve had a bad day; sometimes a PB and J sandwich is all I need to put a smile back on my face. And how many other foods, well, maybe pizza, can you think of that both children and adults love? If you make a dish using peanut butter I can guarantee you won’t have any leftovers.

Gourmet Sandwiches
You might think the PB and J sandwich doesn’t rank in the category of gourmet sandwiches, but there are some ways to put a new twist on it and create some variety. I’ve paired it with things like cherry jam. Another favorite combination of mine is PB and Nutella spread.

A Healthful Snack
A PB and J sandwich can be a healthful treat for both you and your children. No sugar added peanut butter plus a no sugar added fruit spread served on whole wheat bread makes a healthy after school treat.

Breakfast in a Dash
Here’s one of my favorite breakfasts on the go. In a blender add about a cup of soymilk, a chopped banana and about two tablespoons of PB. It’s a great energy booster and tastes delicious too. You can use chocolate soymilk too.

Pasta
Many years ago I tried a deli salad that I thought was wonderful. Cooked spaghetti with slivers of carrots and chopped green onions with sesame seeds in a sauce that tasted really good. One day I happened to see a similar recipe in a magazine and discovered the sauce was just PB, some oil and soy sauce. Ever since then I’ve been making the salad myself.

Hummus
In my house, we’re big fans of hummus with pita bread. Sometimes I’ll make my own hummus and one day I was out of tahini, so I substituted it with PB. We actually liked the taste better and it’s a lot cheaper than a jar of tahini.

Salad Dressings and Dips
One of my favorite ways to eat peanut butter is to use it as the basis for a salad dressing.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes-

Baked Chicken Salad with Field Greens-Serves Four
Whisk together-
•½ cup chunky peanut butter
•¼ cup warm water
•2 tablespoons soy sauce
•2 tablespoons canola oil
•2 tablespoons honey
•2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
•1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root, you can use powder but I think the fresh variety really adds a lot more flavor
•And if you like a little heat, try adding a dash of red pepper flakes too.

I use about three to four cups of shredded cooked chicken for this dish.

Wash five cups of field greens or you can use a combination of romaine and red leaf lettuce. Place the field greens in a large serving bowl and top with the chicken strips, pour on the dressing and toss everything together. It’s wonderful served with crusty bread and makes the ideal meal for a hot summer evening.

The same dressing also makes a great marinade for chicken or pork.

A Quick Snack
If you feel your energy is starting to slide, try eating some peanut butter on whole-wheat crackers. A study conducted by Harvard University found that women who eat at least five tablespoons of peanut butter each week reduced their risk of Type 2 diabetes by more than 21 percent. Start snacking ladies!

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No More Frozen Pizza

In Budget Smart Cook on April 7, 2010 at 4:22 pm

If you arrive home from work worried about what’s for dinner, or if you consider yourself culinary challenged, you’ll be pleased to hear help is on its way. Lynn Epstein is co-author (along with Iris Feinberg) of Mama Says, “No More Frozen Pizza!” a recipe collection for new cooks. Housed in a retro pizza box, the recipe collection includes main courses, sides, and salads, each one with a colored photo. It’s available from both target.com and amazon.com and costs $19.99, plus shipping and handling. It can also be ordered through the Web site www.mamasays.us.. And be sure to check out their blog for more recipe ideas. Here Epstein shares with us cooking and money saving tips, plus, some mouth watering recipes that I can’t wait to try.

Budget Smart Girl (BSG)-Have you always been interested in cooking?

Lynn Epstein (LE)-Yes! My mom is a terrific cook. She collected recipes from friends, magazines and the newspaper and would make a wide variety of main dishes, salads, and desserts. When I was young, I remember eating Chicken Kiev and thinking this tastes so divine – I can’t wait to cook – just like my mom. After dinner my mom would always ask the most important question — and my father always answered first then my sisters and I would chime in – “does this recipe go in the good book?” The good book was her black three-binder with tried-and-true recipes. In the margins were her notes… So I’ve been a food-oriented-person since I was little.

BSG-How did the book come about?

LE-My dear friend, Iris Feinberg and I had been thinking about going into business together. As we mulled various ideas over, we often compared notes on kids and laughed when we realized that both us were sending family favorite recipes in binders or reciting recipes over the phone to our college-aged kids. Ironically, the cookbooks we sent them weren’t being used! They wanted our recipes and advice. Then we laughed again, remembering that we did the same thing – calling our mother or grandmother for recipes.

And that’s how the Mama Says, “No More Frozen Pizza!” recipe collection was conceived. After talking with our kids about which dishes they wanted to cook for themselves, we reworked and streamlined those recipes to accommodate the new cook, post-college budgets and time-constraints.

BSG-You advocate saying no to things like frozen pizza, so do you have any favorite tips to preparing quick and healthy meals?

LE-The big secret to preparing quick and healthy meals is a combination of planning and having staples in the pantry to avoid reaching for phone to order take-out. For this age group a mix of canned items, dried herbs and a fresh item or two will produce a healthy, nutritious, delicious and quick meal. It’s like a basic math equation – 2 pantry items plus 2 items from the fridge plus a dash of spices and a couple of minutes equals dinner for tonight AND leftovers for either lunch or another dinner.

At the most basic:

(Jarred Marinara Sauce + dried pasta) pantry items + (mushrooms + grated Parmesan) grocery store = Pasta with Mushrooms and Tomato Sauce, add a salad for a meal

In the NMFP collection, we go beyond this uber-basic recipe but the concept is there.

BSG-On your Web site, we can download a list of your recommended pantry staples. Do you want to share some of them with us here?

LE-A couple cans of the broth, diced tomatoes, dried pasta, canned beans, spice mix…

BSG-I know lots of people fall back on fast and expensive foods when they lack time. Any time saving tips for meal preparation?

LE-Canned or frozen vegetables are my timesaving short cut! With your vegetables in the pantry you are always able to make chili, soup, a side dish or a base of a main course. With these pantry basics – you can use the majority of your food budget for some meat, fish or other protein, along with a favorite vegetable and salad fixings (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc).

BSG-What are some of your favorite fast meals and would you like to share a recipe with us?

LE-
Chicken Paprikash: http://mamasays.us/blog/2010/03/04/chicken-paprikash-a-simple-easy-weeknight-meal/

Soy Sauce Chicken: http://mamasays.us/blog/2009/11/09/soy-sauce-chicken-a-great-family-treat/

Greek Lemon Soup: http://mamasays.us/blog/2009/04/23/thrifty-thursday-greek-lemon-soup/

Fish Tacos: http://mamasays.us/blog/2010/03/18/easy-fish-tacos-thrifty-thursday/

Vegetarian Chili: http://mamasays.us/blog/2010/02/16/quick-vegetarian-chili-with-avocado-salsa/

BSG-Any other money saving tips you’d like to share with us?

LE-Two money-saving tips:

First, if you like a recipe, when you make it again, double it. Freeze the extra into portions for lunch, dinner for one, two or more. That way the next frozen dinner you eat can be one that you made. Don’t forget to date and label the items. Ziploc bags are perfect for freezing.

Second, we’ve found that it’s the fresh food items that often spoil or go to waste; eggs, fresh veggies, cheese, herbs, etc. So when you decide to make a dish that includes these items – do a little research to find other recipes that call for that item as well. If you are using our recipe collection you could decide to make several of the recipes which call for Parmesan cheese or you could online to one of the recipe sites and search by that item to find other recipes to help you use-up the item. It helps you to create a food plan or menu for the week that maximizes your grocery dollars and the items you purchase.

BSG-If there anything else you’d like to share with readers?

LE-Get in the kitchen and cook. It’s fun, relaxing, satisfying and a great way to spend time with a friend or significant other.

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Pantry Staples

In Budget Smart Cook on April 16, 2009 at 2:10 pm

As someone who loves to cook, I’ve always been obsessive about keeping lots of supplies on hand for cooking and baking. However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized just how valuable a well stocked refrigerator could actually be. I got up one morning to find the fridge had broken and everything had melted. Not wanting to risk food poisoning, I just decided to toss everything and start again. That’s when I knew that having a well stocked kitchen can actually save you money. Here are some of the items I keep in the pantry, fridge etc. If you haven’t already got a good supply, try buying a few items a week. Another plus is, impromptu meals become are a breeze.

Refrigerator
•A tube of tomato paste, great for jazzing up sauces, soups, things like shepherd pies. I recently found one made from sun-dried tomatoes so I’m eager to try that one.
•A jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, great for salads, sandwiches and egg dishes.
•Peanut butter
•Sugarless fruit spread
•Low fat mayonnaise
•Miso
•Eggs
•A couple of different cheeses
•Gingerroot that I peel, cut up into pieces, place in a jar and pour vinegar over it.
•Chutney, I have a couple of different types in there, great for soups and sandwiches
•Dijon mustard
•Salsa, either homemade or store brand
•Jar of pesto sauce

Freezer
•A couple of loaves of bread
•Tortillas
•Filo pastry
a package of frozen peas
•Stir-fry vegetable mix

In the pantry•Worcestershire Sauce – no one should be without it.
•Soy sauce, low sodium if possible
•Tabasco, both red and green varieties
•Cans of beans, different varieties, garbanzo, kidney, etc.
•Cans of Chile peppers
•Cans of tomatoes, crushed, some with peppers
•Jars of pasta sauce
•Olive Oil
•Balsamic vinegar
•Sea salt
•Lots of herbs and spices
•Raisins
•Nuts
•Breadcrumbs

I found a great way to keep all the staples organized in the pantry. A couple of years ago I bought two boxes of Mason jars while they were on sale, thinking I’d spend a couple of days canning tomatoes etc. Well, let’s just say I got a little sidetracked with work and never got round to it, so here I was with two boxes of jars taking up space in the basement. I now use them as containers for the staples. I got so carried away with my newly found organizing skills, I even went out and bought one of those label making machines and labeled all the jars.

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