Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

A couple of days ago, I was craving soup.  I love cheese soups, but unfortunately I'm the only one in my household who does like them, so I usually share whatever I make with my mom.  Tomato Basil Parmesan soup filled the bill.  

It does take a bit of time to make, but the payoff is worth it!  It's spicy.  It's creamy.  It's tomatoey.  It's yummy, and it is filling!  What's not to like?  Plus, it makes a ton of soup, so there is plenty to eat and plenty to share.  Serve this with an antipasto side, such as olives and cheese, plus a crusty bread or just good old-fashioned crackers.  

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

 ½ stick butter

1 cup minced onion (about 1 medium onion)

1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cans (14 to 14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

3 cups chicken broth or reconstituted bouillon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1  Tablespoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can 12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 cup parmesan cheese     

Salt and pepper to taste

In very large sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add onion, celery, and carrots and allow to cook until onions are translucent.  Increase heat and add tomatoes, broth, oregano, basil, and bay leaf.  Cover, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and add cream of chicken soup.  Blend well.  Add milk and blend.  Add parmesan cheese and blend.  Cover, reduce heat to low and allow to heat through for approximately 5 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Potato Soup - Broke Food

I love a hot bowl of potato soup, especially considering how cold it's been lately.  Also, for me, this is comfort food.  When I was a kid and didn't feel well, my mom would make me a bowl of "tater soup."  It was a very soothing soup, especially if you have a stuffy nose or have the flu, and it's extremely easy to make in under an hour. 

As my recipes are prone to be, this is a simple one that can be gussied up or left plain in order to suit your taste, budget, and what you have in your pantry.  Also, as I'm prone to do, I don't follow any "rules" with regard to what is or isn't the right kind of potato to use.  I use what I have and make it work for what I need.  The soup pictured reflects that.  I used Yukon Gold for the soup photographed above.  Some might recommend a red potato or say not to use a white potato.  I believe in your food working for you, not having to go out and buy a bunch of fancy stuff in order to make a meal.  If the type of potato is a hard or very firm potato, slice it thinner and then cook longer, checking consistency of the potatoes while boiling until they're the right consistency.  After all, we're broke!  That's why we're making this soup!

The basic ingredients needed are potatoes, onions in some form (fresh or dried both work), some form of milk product, water, and salt and pepper.  The rest can be added to your taste, based on what you have.  I'm going to list the basic recipe, and then below I will list variations/additions that you may want to try.   The variation shown in the photo above includes:  Potatoes, onions, celery, chopped ham, evaporated milk, and butter. 

Creamy Potato Soup Basic Recipe

3-4 medium to large potatoes peeled and cut into small chunks (or one potato per person)

1 medium onion, minced (or equivalent dried minced onion)

Water to cover

2/3 to 3/4 cup milk, cream, half-and-half, canned evaporated milk, or powdered milk

Salt and Pepper to taste 

3-4 tablespoons butter or Margarine

In a large saucepan, place potatoes and onions.  Add just enough water to cover.  Place lid on sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of cooked, drained potatoes.  Mash these thoroughly, then return to the pot and stir in order to thicken the soup.  Turn fire back on under mixture and add milk and butter or margarine.  Heat until steaming, then add salt and pepper to taste. 

Note, if you use powdered milk you may want to only reconstitute it with half the water necessary in order to help the soup's consistency not be too thin. 

Variations/Additions: 

Meat:  Add any cooked meat that you may have such as leftover ham, cooked and crumbled bacon, grilled chicken, chopped turkey, cooked Spam, cooked hamburger meat, kielbasa, and even finely chopped leftover deli meat. 

Vegetables:  Celery, green onions, carrots, corn, chopped sauteed bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, or whatever is left in the fridge from prior meals. 

Broth:  If available, you may substitute chicken or vegetable broth for some of the water in this recipe.  

Cheese/Sour Cream:   If desired and available, you can either top the soup with cheese or stir in up to 1/2 cup finely shredded cheese of any type (stir well and do not boil if this is added) or sour cream to add richness and protein to the soup.  

Spices:  You may also add garlic, a small bit of red pepper flakes, rosemary, basil, marjoram, tarragon, or other spices (not all at once; choose wisely).

This is a taste-as-you-go recipe.  Start with the basic recipe, then add ingredients to your liking.  If you have doubts about how an ingredient will taste in the soup, remove a small amount of soup to a cup or bowl, add the ingredient, taste, and see how things are shaping up.  Once you get the recipe to your liking, write down your additions for use the next time.  

Serve with crusty bread, a salad, crackers, or Fry Bread.  This makes a very filling meal.  It keeps well and reheats well, so it's great to take in a lunch the next day or warm up for a quick meal. 

Crock Pot Okie Beef Stew - Freezer to Crock Pot

Wow, how about our weather?!  Winter here in Oklahoma has been crazy!  It went from 80 degrees one day to 20-something with a windchill in the teens the next day.  That type of cold, blustery, chilly weather makes me hungry for a warm, rich beef stew.

This recipe originally started out as Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika.  However, as I'm known to do, I have modified it to suit our tastes and lifestyle (you'll see why below).  Sometimes I'm not in the mood for beer in my stew, and sometimes I am going to share this with others who may have either dietary, religious, or other personal reasons for not consuming beer, so the recipe below reflects that.  I've also added extra tomato products because, honestly, stew just doesn't seem like stew to me without some form of chunky tomato in it, and we like our stew a little spicier than the original recipe.

Since Pioneer Woman is an Oklahoma girl herself, I'm paying tribute to our shared heritage by renaming it slightly to reflect the changes. The name is also reflective of the fact that I have modified this to be a crock pot recipe (if you wish to cook this stove top, see instructions below recipe). 

Crock Pot Okie Beef Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil

2-3 pounds stew meat

1 whole medium onion, diced

1 cup rinsed baby carrots or 3-4 whole carrots sliced into medallions

2 cloves minced garlic

1 can of beer, 12 oz. OR 1-1/2 cups chicken stock or chicken broth (not beef, though it's tempting)

4 cubes beef bouillon or 4 tablespoons buillon granules

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 can RoTel tomatoes with green chiles (or other diced tomatoes with green chiles; this is about a 14 oz can)

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 Tablespoon of my All-Purpose Seasoning, second recipe, HERE 

1-1/2 teaspoon sugar

 3-4 potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

In a skillet, brown meat in oil, in batches.  Pour just enough water in bottom of skillet and stir to deglaze the pan. About 2-3 tablespoons of water. Place meat and deglazed mixture in bottom of 1 gallon freezer bag.  Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT POTATOES.   Squish out air and massage to distribute ingredients.  Seal and freeze.  When ready to cook, place cut up potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot and put the frozen mixture on top (or thaw in the fridge the night before before adding to crock pot).  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  Serve with cornbread, crusty bread, or fry bread. This is best when cooked low and slow. 

To make this a stove top recipe, follow instructions, except you will need to add approximately 1-1/2  to 2 cups of water to the mixture and allow it to simmer on the stove top for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  Watch carefully and add water if the stew becomes too thick. 

Freezer to Crockpot - Pepper Steak With Noodles

Pepper Steak with Noodles is a wonderfully rich dish that is easily made in the crock pot.  Put this on to cook in the morning, and come home to the wonderful aroma of peppers and spices.  This beef dish makes its own rich gravy, and is excellent served with noodles, over rice, or mashed potatoes.  

This recipe was originally noted in my post HERE, but I wanted to feature this as its own post, as this is one of our favorites. 

Pepper Steak

2-3 pounds beef stew meat or cut up round steak (See earlier post regarding saving on meat)

½ cup flour

1 tsp. pepper

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic (I use the already-minced garlic and use 2-3 teaspoons)

2 green/bell peppers, cut in strips

2 14 oz. cans Italian or plain diced tomatoes with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cubes beef bouillon or 2 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules

4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. Montreal/Canadian steak seasoning

2 Tbsp. A1 steak sauce

Place flour and pepper in zippered freezer bag.  Shake to mix.  Add stew meat and shake to coat pieces thoroughly. Leave flour and meat in bag. Add remaining ingredients, remove air, and seal.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 6-8.  Stir well before serving to allow sauce to blend and thicken.  Serve over noodles or rice.  

Broke Food - Microwave Scrambled Eggs with Veggies or Heuvos Rancheros

A couple of mornings ago, I was starving, and there wasn't a whole lot in the fridge that was ready to eat.  I hadn't been to the grocery store in a while, and it looked like it was going to be a couple of days before I could make a trip.  

I spotted a carton of eggs and some salsa and knew what I wanted.  I just didn't want to have to take the time to get out a bunch of pots and pans and get them dirty.  

Microwave to the rescue!  I quickly gathered my supplies, and within 5 minutes had a hearty breakfast that was flavorful, spicy, and easy. Normally, any self-respecting southern girl would gasp at not cooking your eggs in butter and a cast iron skillet.  However, I just needed to get to work and fast, without having to listen to a growling belly.  

On a side note, I know that most huevos rancheros are made with fried eggs sunny side up; however, since we're doing this quickly, we had all the components, just a slightly different technique.  

I don't care for tortillas in the morning (yes, I'm weird), so I usually pop a couple of slices of toast in the toaster while I'm microwaving the eggs.  And yes, that's a foam plate.  Did I mention I was in a hurry and didn't want to get dishes dirty?  Ha!   This is also a great way to use up those little tiny packets or containers of salsa you receive with fast food and stick in your fridge!

Microwave Scrambled Eggs with Veggies/Huevos Rancheros 

Pam or other oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk 

Salt and Pepper 

Spray the inside of a large coffee mug with Pam or lightly grease it with oil.  Crack the 2 eggs into the mug and add the milk, salt, and pepper.  Using a fork, scramble the eggs well.  Microwave on high for approximately 45 seconds.  Remove, stir eggs well, and return to microwave and cook for another 1 minute of time.  Remove the mug from the microwave and immediately dump eggs onto a plate.  Use a fork to break up and distribute scrambled eggs. 

For omelet style scrambled eggs, top with chopped onion, peppers, bits of bacon or ham, cheese, and other goodies.  Use what you have in the fridge.  Leftover stir fried veggies are great heated up and spooned over these eggs.

For huevos rancheros style, top the eggs with shredded cheese and spicy salsa.  Roll into flour tortilla or serve alongside buttered toast.  You could even add refried beans or chili, if you can stomach it first thing in the morning.  Otherwise, it also makes a great evening meal. 

There you have it!  Easy, quick, inexpensive, and satisfying! 

Freezer to Crock Pot - Pork Green Chili

We love spicy food.  This recipe for pork green chili fits the bill.  It is not a heavy chili but is very flavorful and uses broth and other spices to create interesting and satisfying flavors.  

This works well in the crock pot  and can be cooked straight from the freezer.  It also works equally well when made stove top.  Serve it with tortillas or spoon it over rice.  Top with a dollop of sour cream, and you'll be in heaven. 

Pork Green Chili

2 Tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil

3 lbs. pork, cut into medallions (I used pork tenderloins)

Ground black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

2 green (bell) peppers, chopped

2  (4 oz.) cans green chiles, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons dried cilantro (If using fresh cilantro, increase to ½ cup).

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 1 chicken bouillon cube)

Lightly brown meat in oil over medium heat.  Lightly pepper meat and place in the bottom of a 1 gallon zippered freezer bag.  Add remaining ingredients.  Squeeze air out, seal, and massage ingredients to distribute. 

When ready to cook, place in crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours or low for approximately 8 hours.  Serve with rice, tortillas, and sour cream. 

Stovetop version:  Lightly brown meat in oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and peppers and saute until onions are translucent.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 1-1/2 hours. Stir periodically and check liquid level.  Add water as needed.  

Broke Food - Lentil Chili

Lentil chili may be listed as a "broke food," but realistically it is very tasty, an excellent source of protein, and it's very filling and satisfying, especially on a cold and blustery day. 

I make this at least once a month, if not more, and each time I'm reminded how great it tastes.  Since lentils cook quickly, this is an easy chili to make when you're needing a large, hearty meal.  It's excellent with crusty bread, cornbread, toast, and is equally satisfying served over rice or with noodles.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Lentil Chili

1-1/4 Cups dry lentils (approximately 1/2 pound)

4 cups water

2 tablespoons oil or bacon grease

1-2 Tablespoons dried minced onions

3 beef bouillon cubes (use vegetable bouillon for a truly vegetarian meal)

15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles like Ro-Tel

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

Dash of hot pepper flakes or Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Another 2 cups of water (possibly)

In a large pot, heat lentils and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly tipped to vent steam, and simmer.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Do not drain. If the lentils look dry as they cook, add water in 1/4 cup increments.  Lentils should still have some liquid after cooking time.  After lentils have cooked, add remaining ingredients. Assess thickness of chili and add water as needed.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes or more.  Serve with rice, cornbread, toast, or noodles. 

Broke Food - Pasta with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Red Pepper Flakes

Simple dishes can often be some of the tastiest and most filling.  Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino fits that bill.  Translated, that means spaghetti with garlic, oil, and red pepper flakes. Its rich flavors combined with pasta make this a decadent yet inexpensive dish to prepare.  

It can be eaten alone as a filling but light main dish.  It can also be be topped with grilled chicken, cooked Italian sausage, or other meat.  It also makes an excellent side dish to serve alongside other vegetables or meats.  

Sunday, when I was doing blog posts, this was my lunch!  It was tasty and filling but light enough that I did not feel like I had eaten a heavy meal.   

The recipe located HERE is similar to the method I was taught and as listed below. 

Spaghetti With Garlic, Oil, and Red Pepper Flakes

7 ounces of spaghetti
2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, minced (substitute garlic powder in a pinch)
1 1/2 teaspoons of chili pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil (may use canola or other oil in a pinch)
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

The measurements in this recipe can be shifted depending on your taste preferences.

1. Cook spaghetti according to the directions on the package, until it is al dente.
2. Strain spaghetti and place in a large serving dish.
3. Add minced garlic, chili pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix together well.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Creative Cooking - Asian Chicken

This is one of those recipes that is relatively inexpensive and makes a TON of food.  It's great to feed a lot of people, and the ingredients are flexible enough that you can make more of less of it  depending on your resources.  

We used to live in Colorado, and on more than one occasion, we would have a house full of people.  When that happened, I had certain go-to recipes that I knew would be tasty, filling, make large quantities, and were usually something that everyone would like.  Add a salad and drinks, and this is enough to feed a crowd. 

 Asian Chicken

4 pkgs. Ramen noodles
4 C. water
¼ C. soy sauce
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (may omit)
2 (16 oz.) pkgs. mixed vegetables, preferrably Asian stirfry, but any will do
6 cups cooked chicken of your choice (can reduce to as little as 2 cups, if desired; 6 cups is a lot of chicken)

In very large pot bring 4 cups water to boil. Stir in seasoning packets from Ramen noodles, soy sauce, and pepper flakes. Add noodles. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Do not drain noodles. Add veggies. Cover; cook until noodles and veggies are tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in chicken. Makes almost 2 gallons.

HINT: To decrease the cost of this dish, you can decrease the chicken and add 2-3 scrambled, chopped up eggs.

Freezer to Crockpot – Taco Soup

There are a million variations on taco soup. It’s easy, it’s tasty, it’s filling, and you can often ad-lib the ingredients to compensate for items you don’t have or use variations to suit your taste if there are ingredients you don’t like.   

Most recipes I have seen say to use a specific type of meat.  Realistically, you can use anything that you have or omit the meat completely  I like either browned ground beef or browned steak pieces/stew meat, but you can also use chicken and even kielbasa that’s been cooked prior to adding it to the pot.

Here’s the recipe. 

Taco Soup

DO NOT DRAIN CANS OF INGREDIENTS. 

1  to 1.5 lb. meat of choice (if fatty meat such as hamburger meat, cook beforehand)

1 small chopped onion

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes (or other diced tomatoes with green chiles)

1 can plain diced stewed tomatoes

1 can kernel corn (not cream corn)

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. taco seasoning

(These are all the regular small-sized cans (around 14-17 oz.), not the large cans.)

Again, do not drain cans of ingredients. Combine all ingredients in 1 gallon zippered bag and freeze.  When ready to eat, add to crock pot and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. 

Stovetop variation:  Combine all ingredients in 5 qt pan, adding dry ingredients last.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Serve with crackers, tortillas, or Indian fry bread. 

 

SUBSTITUTIONS: 

Vegetarian:  Omit meat completely or substitute cooked lentils, tofu, or TVP.   

Meat:  Use browned hamburger meat, stew meat, or cut up pieces of round steak, boneless skinless chicken breasts, or even cooked shrimp.  You may also use thinly sliced and browned Kielbasa or smoked sausage alone or added with the other meats for an interesting taste combination.  Just make sure when using any fatty meat, such as hamburger meat or sausage, that it’s browned and drained before adding it to the recipe.

Beans/corn:  My hubby isn’t a fan of corn but will eat it in stews.  I sometimes substitute navy beans, garbanzo beans, or black-eyed peas. 

Tomatoes:  Use any canned tomato combination that suits you based on what you have.  I like Ro-Tel tomatoes because they already have peppers in them, and we tend to like our food very spicy.  However, you may substitute tomatoes with chipotle peppers for an interesting combination or even tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic.  If you do not have tomatoes with chiles in them, you can use regular diced stewed tomatoes and add a couple of tablespoons of chopped canned green chiles.  I have also used fresh tomatoes but added a small can of tomato paste to thicken up the soup, as fresh tomatoes tend to have more liquid.  

Broke Food - Pad Thai Ramen

Ramen has to be the ultimate broke food, and there are millions of ways to make it.  Pad Thai Ramen is one of my favorites because the base mixture is easy to make, and good all by itself, but even better with some creative additions.  

This is by no means haute cuisine, but it is hot, yummy food!  

PAD THAI RAMEN BASIC RECIPE

1 package Ramen noodles

1 tablespoon soy sauce (prefer low sodium, but use what you have; packets from carryout food work great for this!)

1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter (creamy works, too) 

2-3 dashes of Tabasco sauce 

Sprinkle of red pepper flakes 

Prepare Ramen noodles as on package.  Drain 2/3 of liquid off noodles then stir in seasoning packet.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until peanut butter is dissolved.  Eat as is, or mix in additions. 

ADDITIONS  (Use as many or as few as you like, in any combination that pleases you)

Veggies:  Cooked carrots, Lima beans, corn, edamame, snow peas, cooked bits of spinach, shredded cabbage, diced onions, sliced green onions, diced green pepper, diced celery, broccoli, or whatever you have that's available.

Meat:  This is great for leftovers.  Chicken, bits of rotisserie chicken, sliced leftover steak, cubed bits of ham, cooked pork, Spam (yes, really!), leftover shrimp (I know that's an oxymoron), and even browned hamburger meat.  I have even taken several pieces of shaved deli meat, such as chicken or turkey, chopped it fine, and added to this. One or two well-scrambled eggs also work well as protein additions.  

The creative possiblities are endless, and this is a great dish to use up little bits of veggies or meat left over from other meals.  You can make larger portions by doubling or tripling the ingredients for enough to feed a family.  

Add Egg Drop Soup (boiling chicken broth, whisk in 1 well-scrambled egg until cooked and separated in soup,  2 tablespoons soy sauce, dash of red pepper flakes, and sliced green onions), and you've got a full meal!

Freezer to Crock Pot - Pot Roast with Veggies

The combination of pot roast and veggies is a yummy, satisfying, and comforting meal, especially after a long day.  Walking into your house and smelling the wonderful aroma of a hot meal is like a little slice of heaven.  This is an easy recipe and can be prepared ahead of time, put into the freezer, then cooked in the crock pot for a hearty meal.  (See my confession about this roast below.*)

SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

One 2-3 pound roast, trimmed of excess fat (see below for substitution)**

1 packet Italian dressing mix

1 packet onion soup mix 

2-3 carrots cut into medallions 

1 small onion cut in large chunks (optional) 

2 cubes beef bouillon or 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules

1/2 cup water

 

When ready to cook, 3-4 potatoes cut in chunks.

Trim roast and cut slits in meat.  This is important, as the meat starts to cook it tends to contract and can take longer to cook.  Place roast in 1 gallon zippered freezer bag and add all ingredients except potatoes.  When ready to cook, add potatoes to crock, along with frozen roast and veggies.  Allow to cook for 8-10 hours on high (necessary to get the internal temperature of the roast up where it needs to be). 

*Here's my confession.  The poor roast pictured above had a real workout.  I put the chunk in the crock pot, turned it on, and went on my merry way.  The problem is that the crock pot wasn't plugged in!  D'oh!  I found it about 1-1/2 hours later. Aacck!!  I plugged it in and turned the crock on high, but even at 11:30 last night, it still wasn't done.  I ended up taking everything out of the crock pot, putting it into a large bowl, and sticking it in the fridge because cooking it overnight would have been too much.  I got up this morning, put everything back in the crock pot, and cooked it 4 more hours.  Luckily, it was ready to go by lunchtime.  Unfortunately, some of the carrots and potatoes were worse for the wear, but everything still tasted good! 

** If you do not have roast, another inexpensive cut of meat can work, such as round steak.  What I have done in the past is to get approximately 2-3 pounds of round steak and cut it into medallions.  Use the rest of the ingredients, as directed.  Cook on high 6-8 hours, and check doneness of meat.  This comes out more like a stew than roast but can be a great way to use a less expensive cut of meat. 

Broke Food - German Pancake

German pancake, Big Egg, Missionary Pancake, Dutch baby... these are all names for this simple, scrumptious, and filling recipe. It seems that every ethnicity has a version of this recipe, and they all contain the same basic 4 ingredients.  This is very is easy to whip together, and makes a yummy breakfast or even dessert.  

When baking, this resembles a cross between a pancake and souffle.  It puffs up and rises during baking, but then when removed from the oven flattens into a shape that can be cut.  

This can be eaten sliced like a pizza and sprinkled with powdered sugar or served with fresh fruit.  Our favorite way to eat it is with syrup, as it is not a sweet bread and has a very light texture when eaten with syrup or honey.  

Here's the recipe I use.  

German Pancake

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (prefer butter but margarine is OK)

3 eggs whipped until frothy*

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk 

Place butter in a 8 or 9 inch pie pan and place into a cold oven.  Turn oven to 400 degrees.  This allows the butter to melt in the pan and for the pan to heat up, as well.  

Whip eggs until frothy (see note below).  Add in milk and flour, and mix until smooth.  Remove pan from oven and pour batter into hot buttered pan.  Place back in the oven and cook at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  

Remove and slice into sections.  Serve with syrup, honey, powdered sugar, or fresh fruit in syrup.  

*NOTE:  An easy way to do this is to just place all the ingredients into either a blender or food processor and process for about 30 seconds.  You want a frothy, bubbly consistency to the batter.  Then pour into the hot buttered pan and cook as above. 

"Broke Food" - Fry Bread

 Broke food.... defined as something that is inexpensive, tasty, and filling, and what you eat when you're dead broke.  Admit it.  We've all had those times where there was more month than money maybe because of an emergency or some sort of snafu.  Maybe you're just determined to stay within this month's grocery budget.  You have to stretch what you have in order to make it to the next payday or next budget period.

Broke food to the rescue!

Fry Bread has the bonus of being tasty, all purpose, and can be eaten with a meal as if it's bread, used as a base ingredient for a meal (like Indian tacos), or eaten as a breakfast-type item.

I made pork green chili a couple of nights ago, and we had fry bread alongside it.  It's the base for Indian Tacos by layering fry bread on the bottom, then refried beans, taco meat, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.  It can be eaten for breakfast as it tends to be puffy like a sopapilla, so you can pinch off a corner, fill with honey, and eat.  You can also dust it with powdered sugar and eat it like a powdered doughnut. It's really all purpose! 

Fry Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1-2 teaspoons baking powder

About 1 cup of water

Skillet containing about 1 inch oil or Crisco, heated until a droplet of water sizzles.  The oil depth needs to be deep enough to accommodate the puffy bread.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, then make a well in the middle.  Add the water a bit at a time, stirring with a fork until a sticky ball forms.  Knead 5 times, then cover bowl with a dish towel and allow to rest for approximately 20-30 minutes.

When ready to cook, pinch off an approximately golf ball size blob of dough.  Place an a floured surface and roll out until approximately 1/4 inch thick.  Place in hot oil and allow to cook until it puffs and edges begin to turn brown.  Then flip with tongs and cook until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.

The great thing about this dough is it stores well in the refrigerator.  You can pinch off enough dough to make 1-2 fry bread at a time, and store the rest in the fridge.  Make fry bread for breakfast.  Stick the remaining dough in the refrigerator, then at night use the remainder to make Indian Tacos or serve alongside beans, stew, or other soup!  It's an excellent accompaniment to any hot dish.

Freezer to Crockpot or Grill 2

Sunday night, I hurriedly whipped up a batch of 3 freezer to crock pot recipes and 1 freezer to to grill recipe. Some notes about making these recipes:  I show these packed flat, but when I put them in the freezer, I tend to stand the bags upright and make them as round as I can so that they will fit the shape of the crock pot.  I use a 5 quart crock pot/slow cooker.  If you have a smaller, 1-2 quart slow cooker, you might want to divide these into two bags.

I cook these recipes straight from the freezer.  I do not thaw them first, as I've found that sometimes the recipes with flour in them will clump.  It's perfectly safe to cook from frozen, and the food comes out just the same as if it were thawed.

To remove the frozen chunk from the bag, I either run hot water over the outside enough to loosen things, or run hot water into a plugged sink and submerge the bag for a few seconds to loosen the contents.

Finally, it helps to stir things and let it cook just a little bit more right before you're ready to serve.  This distributes all the ingredients well and makes sure nothing is clumped. Some of these recipes make their own type of gravy, so it's important to stir before serving to make sure everything's where it should be. 

Here are the recipes I used:

Mango Chipotle Chicken for the Grill

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle Kraft Mango Chipotle Dressing and Marinade

2 tablespoons Poultry/Chicken Seasoning

Place chicken in a 1 gallon zippered freezer bag, add ingredients, squeeze air out of bag, then seal and “massage” to distribute seasonings well.  When it’s grill time, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator, then place on grill, cook to desired doneness and enjoy!

Smothered Pork Chops

3-4 boneless pork tenderloins/chops (See earlier postregarding savings on meat)

1 large onion, cut into rings

1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

About 1 tablespoon Montreal/Canadian Steak seasoning 

4-6 peeled and sliced potatoes when ready to cook

Season pork tenderloins with steak seasoning, and layer with onions in 1 gallon zippered freezer bag.  Add cream soup and remainder of steak seasoning.  Squeeze air out of bag and seal.  Freeze.  When ready to cook peel and slice 4-6 potatoes and place them in the bottom of the crock pot.  Then place the entire block of frozen food on top of this in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.   Serve over noodles or toast. 

Easy Beef Tips

3 pounds stew meat (See earlier post regarding saving on meat)

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon pepper

1 packet onion soup mix

½ medium onion, chopped

1 can beef stock (or 1 cup water plus 1 beef bouillon cube or 1 Tbsp. bouillon granules)

Place flour and pepper in 1 gallon zippered bag.  Shake to mix.  Add stew meat into bag, reseal, and shake to coat stew meat well.  Reopen bag and add in remaining ingredients.   Squeeze out air, and seal. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours.  If this seems a bit thin/watery, remove the lid from the crock pot, turn the crock on high, and cook another hour to allow some of the water to evaporate. Serve over noodles or rice.

Pepper Steak

2-3 pounds beef stew meat (See earlier post regarding saving on meat)

½ cup flour

1 tsp. pepper

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic (I use the already-minced garlic and use 2-3 teaspoons)

2 green/bell peppers, cut in strips

2 14 oz. cans Italian or plain diced tomatoes with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cubes beef bouillon or 2 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules

4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. Montreal/Canadiansteak seasoning

2 Tbsp. A1 steak sauce

Place flour and pepper in zippered freezer bag.  Shake to mix.  Add stew meat and shake to coat pieces thoroughly.  Add remaining ingredients, remove air, and seal.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 6-8.  Serve over noodles or rice.  

The Awesomeness of Community Cookbooks

I have a love affair with community cookbooks.  What is a community cookbook?  These are usually cookbooks put together as fundraisers for churches, boy scouts, PTA groups, or made for families and friends to share and sold locally in a community.  They contain some great, down-home recipes that are easily made from ingredients already in your cupboard and usually don't list some weird ingredient that is only going to be used for this particular recipe and costs more than all remaining ingredients put together. (Who keeps fermented Yak milk around anyway?)

These recipes are hearty, often feed a lot of people, are pleasing to the eye and palate, and are shared by folks who know how to get a meal on the table.  Some of my very favorite, tried-and-true recipes are from these books and range from appetizers, salads, and main courses to cakes, cookies, and just some generally fun stuff like Karo syrup finger paint for kids.  

Anyone who knows me knows I love these, and with the internet being so popular, they are harder and harder to find.  I always look for them if I go to garage sales or estate sales and have quite a collection. After a while, you begin to recognize names in the cookbooks and know the recipe associated with that name is going to be a winner.  The photo above shows some of my favorites, but I have many more.  I treasure my collection and hope to share some of the recipes from these books (with credit to the cook, of course), along with some of my own recipes in the near future.