Spicy Fried Basmati Rice

We grilled a cheap "petite sirloin" and chopped it up to eat over the rice.  This was really good, really surprisingly good.  I had  1/4 cup of leftover  sun-dried tomatoes in oil so that made the recipe cheap to make, esp. with the fresh herbs all from the garden.  The stir-frying went together in minutes.  Slicing and chopping always a chore, but so what?   I did cook the rice in the a.m. after breakfast while I read the paper.        Sometimes, multi-tasking is the way to go. 

Try this soon.  Grilled chicken, pork, or shrimp would also be dynamite. 

  Spicy refried rice

Save! Save! Save!

Yesterday, when the sun was hot, there was a bit of a breeze and no rain forecast, I washed a heavy wool blanket in cold water and put it on the deck to sun-dry, thereby saving at least $15.00 of dry cleaning fees.  After the blanket was dry (quicker than you could imagine), I air-fluffed it in the dryer and stuck it into the cedar closet for the summer. 

With house guests here for a month, we have been trying to keep grocery bills under control while catering to their needs:  one vegetarian, one picky eater.   My Significant Other and me are voracious and eat basically anything that's food.  So we have been buying cage-free eggs, organic whole milk, and a host of other pricey groceries.  You would think not buying much meat would be cheap, but you would be wrong.  Today, we're having farfalle with mascarpone, hazelnuts, and asparagus.  It's a delicious vegetarian dish, but the ingredients are expensive.  I'm hoping to get two meals or one meal and a lunch out of it.  

The day after, we're having re fried rice with some cheaper ingredients.  For the carnivores, I will grill a small cheap sirloin and chop it up for us to put over the rice.  Tasty and cheap.  Last night we had bratwurst, sauerkraut  and fried potatoes.   I "doctor" my sauerkraut with onion,  brown sugar, bacon, caraway seed, bay leaf and paprika.  Lots of white wine.  I buy a huge jar at Ocean State Job lot for $2.00.  Of course potatoes are cheap and I got some baby ones on sale.  The vegetarian ate Morningstar Farms Buffalo Nuggets ($4.99 for a box).  We had a HUGE fruit salad with 7 different fruits for dessert.  So tasty and nutritious.  Spell check hates this post.  WTF? 

We are also finding that shopping every three days, with some visits to the supermarket, Whole Foods and Walmart is helping.  We also do not bring the guests along to toss stuff into the shopping cart.   Ya do what ya can.   Just about anything is cheaper than taking four to dinner. 

It is amazing how much terminology a 10 year old doesn't know.  Greasy spoon?  Not playing with a full deck?  All sorts of expressions. 

I have to go up and iron the stuff I used to send to the cleaners.  Being cheap has become a way of life.

Cheers

Red, White and Blue Dessert

When berries, with their good fiber and antioxidants are in season, we can find lots of uses for them.  On cereal, in fruit salad, and in luscious desserts.  This tart is made with "Farmer" cheese, a low fat cheese that doesn't break the bank.  The berries were on sale.  The crust is easy to make in a food processor, and everything goes together nicely.  Your family and guests will approve.

Father's Day At the Grill

The Dad is our household had to cook his own meal yesterday, but what a meal and so inexpensive, too.  We grilled chicken breasts (with skin and bone for added flavor), zucchini and summer squash, red and yellow peppers (on sale), corn on the cob (on sale).  Other sides were black beans (on sale) with onion and garlic and garnished with Mexican cheese (on sale) and cilantro and basil (from the garden).  For dessert, we had a fruit salad of strawberries and blueberries (both on sale) and banana.  I made orange yogurt bread which tasted good with the fruit.  This was a cheap, healthy meal with plenty of fruits and vegetables.  We loved it .  Cost was minimal, and we have leftovers for tonight.  Oh yes!  We also had a salad of tomatoes and avocado with lettuce from the garden.  Seven fruits and veggies with additional herbs and seasonings.  Speaking of seasoning, I gave the chicken a good rub with Penzey's Southwestern Seasoning.


Penzey's have great spices that make even the cheapest eats something special.  You can buy the spices in different sizes, which is handy for the ones you either use a lot of or a little of.  I've been shopping there for years, and have never been disappointed.


We like Barbecue of the Americas for a rub, too.  Penzey's Spices 

We used our smoker to smoke pork chops, and then I made Kassler Ripppen, a German dish impossible to find in Boston.  The smoked pork chops (on sale, natch), are then cooked with aromatic vegetables and saurkraut.  Served with potatoes, it makes a tasty meal.  

Do take advantage of your own garden produce and all the farmer's markets.  There is no reason not to eat cheap and healthy in the summer. 

The Cheeseparer,  

Five Minute Desserts

From late spring into the fall,  we are tempted with fresh fruit.  It's hard to beat a good fruit salad with a harmonious selection of fruits.  Add a spot of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.  We like to macerate a spoonful or two of Apple Jack with the fruit.


Only slightly more ambitious is a compote.  In Germany and Austria in the summer, you can eat a dessert call Rote Grutze  (Red Groats) everywhere.   Red berries and currants thickened with tapioca(?).  Make your own American version with rhubarb, strawberries, cherries, anything red including leftover cranberries you may have in the freezer.  Cook together with a very small amount of liquid (I like orange juice). Thicken with cornstarch or instant tapioca and of course sweeten according to taste.  Served with a bit of cream, this is delicious.


Only slightly more complicated is a country fruit tart.  Take one Pillsbury pie crust from the dairy case (they come two to a box in our area for $2.99 but can often be found on sale.) Put some parchment paper on a large cookie sheet with sides.  Unroll the crust onto the paper.  Pour a mixture of fruits (2-3 cups) sweetened with sugar and lemon juice with a bit of instant tapioca to thicken.  Any kind of fruit will do.  Crimp the sides around the fruit so that the fruit is still mostly visible  in the center of the tart.  Put into a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  Cool on a trivet and eat.  Serves 4 or 6 people on a diet. 


The parchment paper keeps the cookie sheet clean.   Blueberries, strawberries, plums, cherries, peaches--singly or together.  Be creative.  Sprinkle with a tad of cinnamon or nutmeg is you like.  Not too much.  You want to savor the fruit. 


You can make your own crust for about $1.00 less, but that is more than 5 minutes, but not much with a food processor.  Any of these desserts are worthy of company.  Sometimes I sprinkle a few nuts into the fruit salad or over the tart, but make sure no one is allergic.


I hope your garden is planted and thriving and that you have lots of fresh herbs and veggies.   Don't forget to put out plants attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.  It is easy to enjoy life when the weather is good.  Take time to do so.


Yours in frugality, taste and beauty,


The Cheeseparer             

Chicken Tostadas

This is bound to be better than going out for Mexican tomorrow, when the so-so Mexican restaurants in the Boston area will be SRO.  My philosophy is make your own.  


The recipe I'm using is from Gourmet a few years back.  Don't panic!  It's Gourmets "Gourmet Every Day" which is never too complicated.  We're going to have some margaritas and a nice salad that echos ingredients from the main course. 

Enjoy!  You can feed the whole family. 

Gourmet's chicken tostadas

The cheese to be pared here in ricotta salata.

Tuna and Noodles Revisited

When I was in college and sometimes hung out with graduate student history majors, some weekends we would get together, chip in 60 cents each, and someone would make tuna and noodle casserole.  I wasn't into cooking then, but I always enjoyed the cheap dinner.  Guess what?

It's still cheap. I use good quality Italian tuna in olive oil ($1.99 each) and good quality egg noodles, from Ocean State Job lot, so they're really cheap.  I make my own white sauce, and always saute a bit of onion and (green, red,  yellow, whatever) pepper first.  Put in a dab of cayenne powder.  Use part of the oil drained from the tuna as "shortening."  Use whatever dairy product (milk, cream, half and half) is available.  I use 2 6.5 oz. cans of tuna.   We like it with crushed potato chips on top.  Breadcrumbs would be good, too, but not as good as potato chips.

A casserole from these ingredients made 3 weekdays dinners for two.  Can't get much cheaper than that.  It tasted great, too.  I dumped in about 3/4 finely chopped broccoli that was leftover from something.  Frozen peas will also work.  Some color, don'tcha know.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, and we're celebrating in the kitchen, which is the best place.  I'm splurging for some Chicken Tostadas.  See the next post.

Ole!