Frugal, Economical, Quick And Easy Meals

[perc-o-prince]

I wanna see what Rich and Chuck made/make. I drool just thin

Oh, Steve... {blushing}

I like to start by asking what Rich would like, and give him a choice of available proteins-on-hand. Last night, I too was looking to use something up.

Pulled a 1/2 pork tenderloin from the freezer, diced it and marinated it in various asian goodness. Diced onion, red pepper, celery, pineapple, and water chestnut. Did the wok thing, added some peanuts, and served it over rice. Kung Pao!

I like having lots of pantry staples on hand so that nearly anything in the freezer can be turned into something.

Tomorrow, dinner will be built around baked potatoes w/ sour cream I think!

BTW- when possible, make double what you'll eat and freeze the rest for an easy dinner! We did that with stuffed red bell peppers Friday and have an easy micro-dinner ready for next time! Just need to make some rice or mashers and zap a veggie!

Chuck (It's really fun to experiment!)

 

[westtexman]

Toggles - the soup looks great, but how can it be "chicken" soup without chicken? I don't think broth counts as "chicken"! LOL.

Pete - I have some of those EXACT same plates! I acquired them from my grandmother when she went into the nursing home a few years ago (along with her bread machine and very vintage Kitchen Aid mixer - neither of which I use often enough).

I've decided I'm sick of eating out. My wallet is getting thinner and my waist is getting bigger, so it's time for a change. Tonight I did a bit of "bulk" cooking to last a week's worth of lunches and dinners. I made a Taco Salad (keeping the ingredients separate until time to serve). I found a recipe on YouTube and it was great. It had salad mix, mushrooms, green onions, French Dressing (I know - not Mexican, but it was a nice addition), taco meat, cheese and sour cream. It was great!

I also made a batch of homemade refried beans. It was my first time, so I experimented a bit. I added fresh garlic, red onion, a bay leaf, oregano, garlic salt and pepper and pinto beans. They were good, but I think I used a bit too much oregano. Next time I will decrease or omit.

I love this thread. I need some more recipes. I like the soup idea! The meatloaf looked good too!

 

[ronhic]

Easy pasta sauce

This is something that I make often when I just can't really be bothered to cook....the basic idea serves as the basis for most of my tomato sauce recipes and I also tart it up with an apple and chilli to bake chicken in...

1x450gm can diced tomatoes
1x medium onion chopped
1x clove garlic crushed or equiv garlic powder/granules
3x teaspoon oil
1x teaspoon sugar
salt and cracked pepper....

Saute onion until transparent in oil. Add garlic and then add tomatoes, sugar a minute later. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the liquid has reduced and thickened by reduction. serve over cooked pasta with stinky cheese

Variations....

-Add 6 anchovy fillets and 6 chopped capers....at the tomato/sugar stage....or

- add a small diced apple and chilli powder to taste. Brown 2 chicken breasts. place in greased casserole, cover with sauce and bake for 30-45 min in 180c/350f oven....top with grated cheese in the last 10 min

 

[appnut]

and my waist is getting bigger

And it's so cute on you B!!!

Chris, I like that easy pasta suace and the versatility to do something different with it and bake the chiicken. although I've been known to do something imilar with a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers and other spices). (Although I mainly keep the Ro-Tel around to make the Velveeta & Ro-Tel dip).

 

[mattl]

Easy Slow Beef Vegetable Soup

I've come to like a quick (in prep time...) vegetable beef soup.
I just place the following in my slow cooker:

~1 lb of some sort of beef cut into cubes
2 c. water
1 bag frozen Bird's Eye Soup Vegetables
1/2 bag frozen pearl onions
1 qt. canned tomatoes (or store bought equivalent)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 handful barley

Just put the beef in the bottom of the cooker, I don't bother to brown it, add the rest and mix, leaving the beef on the bottom if at all possible. Cook on low 8 hours or 3 to 4 on high.

I toss in what ever else I have around, I like fresh mushrooms sliced and Italian green beans are great, add what ever.

Serve with a large salad and good bread and we have dinner for two days - plus a snack or two.

 

[mattl]

In the spirit of using more small electric appliances I prefer to grind my own hamburger. Ground Chuck around here is running $2.90 lb. which is quite high when Chuck Steak is $1.98.

I always double grind it using the small holed disk with the Kitchen Aid grinder attachment. It is a messy job so I do as much as possible at one time and bag it up to freeze. I did 6 lbs. a few weeks ago, made some great hamburgers on my Cuisinart Grill. The rest will probably go into spaghetti sauce or Gołąbki.

 

[ronhic]

Quick cottage pie

for 4 people

450gm (1 lb) ground beef
1x large onion chopped
1x clove garlic or equiv
1x beef or vege stock cube
2x tablespoon plain/all purpose flour
1x tablespoon worcester sauce (at least)
2x tablespoon ketchup
ground pepper
1x 450gm can diced tomatoes
450gm frozen mixed vege (peas/corn/diced carrot)-microwave until nearly cooked
3x good sized potatoes cooked and mashed with a little grated parmesan cheese and butter ( or however you like..it has to be enough to cover the dish)

-brown ground beef and onion
-add garlic and stock cube/powder cook for another minute to cook the garlic.
-add flour and cook through
-add worcester sauce, ketchup, tomatoes. stir constantly and bring back to simmer.
-season with pepper (and salt if needed)
-add cooked (frozen) vege and stir. Mixture should be quite thick and a spoon drawn across the bottom of the pan should leave a channel.
-put into a rectangular pyrex/corningware dish large enough to leave room
-top with mashed potato and bake 180c/350f for 25-30min

 

[toggleswitch2]

Golabki?

 

[toggleswitch2]

spinach and rice

why so much water, I don't know.

http://greekfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/spanakorizo2.htm

 

[toggleswitch2]

Less oil and any type of rice works. Just adjust your liquids level.

As Julia Child once said..."First, take a leek........."

http://www.recipezaar.com/Prassorizo-Greek-Leek-Risotto-163086

 

[toggleswitch2]

SOUPA me YOUVARLAKIA.
(Porcupine meatball soup.)

So simple it's CRAZY!

I've NEVER had this with vegetables.

http://www.kitchenrecipes.com/recipes/Greek/8437.htm

 

[mattl]

Golabki !

The proper Polish spelling of cabbage rolls...

Had to Google to find out how to spell it, we pronounce it ga-lum-ki, or gol-um-ki and golembek for a singular one. No idea on the proper pronunciation.

 

[aquarius1984]

MattL

AFAIA its pronounced Goh Lump Ki least thats the way I pronounce it anyway and never been corrected by Polish work colleagues.

Am very fond of "Bigos" too.

Jar of Sauerkraut washed well in water.
Cover in chicken stock and heat.
Add Diced Kabanos, Wiesjka, Sopocka etc.
Whole black peppercorns.

Cheat recipes hmmm. I have a few but can I think of any at the minute - been a while since.

Been eating really well lately which means cooking everything from scratch.

As for cooking lettuce I do occasionally have a good fridge clear out where whatever veg/salad is left in there gets finely sliced or grated and sweated in a stock pot,

You name it, all goes in.

Lettuce Radish Carrots Onions EVERYTHING that I would be throwing away if not eaten that day.

Cover with veg stock and lightly simmer for 30 mins.

Nice hearty veggie soup and you wouldnt guess I had used salads in it.

Never had any complaints either LOL!

R

 

[nurdlinger]

OMG a chance to use my Polish heritage

The letter "l" in "golabki" actually has a tilted stroke through the ascender, and that makes it sound like a "w". So for "golabki" you would say "ga-wumb-key" (some say "ga-wump-key"). As Matt says, this is the plural form; the singular is golabek. We always translated it as "pigeon" but it might be a more generalized term for that kind of bird.

 

[perc-o-prince]

Go³¹bki

I've been hankerin' for some for a couple of weeks and just bought a head of cabbage last week to that end! Everything else is already in the freezer or pantry! I'll make enough to freeze some for quick dinners later on.

Mattl- do you make your own placek or kielbasa? Yummo!

Chuck

 

[perc-o-prince]

It used to be that chefs...

left out at least one essential ingredient when sharing a recipe. Toggie- I just noticed what look like cannellini beans in your soup. I didn't see them on the list!!

Chuck

 

[andrewinorlando]

Gee Toggles, if you need more room for "gadgets", then perhaps you should consider combining households into something larger?????? This was you can always be "gadget happy"!!

 

[toggleswitch2]

Busted. OOOPPPPS sorry. The elevator no longer goes to the penthouse at all times.

 

[toggleswitch2]

~Gee Toggles, if you need more room for "gadgets"......

The only gadget I need has a centrally located "pull handle", and doesn't take up mcuh room. It's the accessories that come with it that are the space-killers. LOL

 

[mattl]

...."Mattl- do you make your own placek or kielbasa? Yummo! "

Sadly no. My parents were first generation American, and with my mom's death a lot of Polish customs and knowledge went with her. She and a cousin who are both gone now were fluent in both language and culture. My dad still makes the cabbage rolls but not as well as he used to. We've "Americanized" some recipes and still use them but not as much.

I guess we really should start a thread on ethnic American foods...