The Kitchen Recessionista

On Migraines, Marathons, and Paella.

2011-02-22T19:23:00.003-05:00

Hello, loyal three readers! I took a little detour for a couple of weeks to jump a couple of headache hurdles and then run a marathon (a real one, not a metaphorical one :)). The race was planned; the migraines were not! But on the plus side, I’m so glad the headaches came a few days before the marathon … I’m just not sure I could have covered 26.2 miles with a throbbing noggin as WELL as throbbing legs!

The first couple of weeks after a big race like that always send me into fits of laziness, where the sofa becomes my new best friend and the cat welcomes a new bedmate once the sun comes up. (When I’m training, I’m up well before the sun and off to the gym!) Though I’ve been dutifully making dinner most nights – and taking photos of each meal, too! – I’ve been a slouch, clearly, in the blogging department. But now I’m back on the wagon – in my writing as well as my training!

And what better way to come back into the blogosphere than with one of my new favorite meals, veggie paella?

I believe I haven't yet espoused the love I have for my new Le Creuset, which, while certainly a splurge, is quickly becoming one of my favorite kitchen additions. (And truly, it wasn’t really a splurge at all, as I paid for it via a gift card! Oh, I do love a free trip to the cooking store.) Now, the last time I made paella in the French oven, it did not go quite as planned. Oh, sure, it ended up tasting just fine, but it took so long to cook that I finally had to give up, leave the meal in LeeLee’s capable hands, and storm off to my bowling league, where I ate a sad old tired grilled-cheese sandwich so I wouldn’t faint there on Lane 34. I did have some when I got home from bowling, and ate on it all week for lunch, but still. It was not the triumphant Le Creuset arrival I had anticipated!

Tonight, though, changed all that.

See, the problem I had last time (I think) was that I didn’t let the paella mixture come to a hearty boil. I let it bubble up a little, sure, but I didn’t really let it get going before I put it in the oven. So therefore, the rice took forever to cook, sending me into fits of despair each time I opened the oven and popped the lid (I know, not a wise idea either, but I was in A State) and put my teeth on another little hard pellet of grain. This time, I let the paella really get moving before I put the dish in the oven – and within 25 minutes, dinner was ready!

As I write this, it’s all I can do not to sneak back into the kitchen while LeeLee is at a meeting and have another spoonful of paella out of his lunch portion for tomorrow (because I certainly wouldn’t want to steal from myself!). It was really that good. If I do say so myself. And I feel like I can brag a little this time around, because last time’s turned out so very poorly in the cooking portion.

This time, however, the veggie shrimp and chicken simply popped with a saffronny goodness, the peas plumped up, the yellow bell pepper and garlic and onion all nice and golden. All hail the Le Creuset!

No stats today because, to be honest, I have misplaced my grocery receipt. The climb back from post-marathon laziness is steep!

:)

Potato and Pea Coconut Curry.

2011-01-31T19:36:00.003-05:00

First of all, I apologize for the iPhone photo; my camera’s batteries ran down right there at the dinner table (as did the batteries to our fancy-dancy new corkscrew Mike got for his birthday – I think a battery thief is afoot!). I’ll replace them tomorrow morning.

Anyway. On to tonight’s meal!

Rarely have I gotten the hang of Thai cooking; I adore it so, but I’m never able to truly replicate restaurant quality at home. Even the veggies in peanut sauce I made a couple of weeks ago wasn’t quite up to par. It was good, for a homemade attempt at Thai … but I’d just as soon have gone out for the real deal!

But tonight … wow! Finally, a dish I can make.

This is another one from my new Vegetarian Slow Cooker book, and it didn’t disappoint. This morning, I sautéed some onions, minced gingerroot, and garlic for a few minutes until everything had softened up, and then added a cup’s worth of broth to the mix. Once I brought that to a boil, I poured the whole pan into my Crock-Pot atop some diced sweet potatoes and white potatoes, and let the mixture cook all day while I was at work.

When I got home tonight, I mixed some Thai red curry paste in with some coconut milk, threw in a can of drained peas, and flicked the cooker up to high for a few minutes to let everything heat up nicely. As soon as LeeLee got home, dinner was ready to roll!

Normally I would have made some jasmine rice in the rice cooker, but LeeLee had an evening meeting, so I just brought out a Seeds of Change microwaveable rice pouch and called it a day. Sometimes, one must pay for convenience. :)

Suffice it to say, this is definitely a meal I’ll make again. In fact, I can’t wait to dive into the leftovers tomorrow!

The stats:

Sweet potatoes: $4.98 ($2.49/person)
White potatoes: $2.68 ($1.34/person)
Peas: $0.89 ($0.45/person)
Red curry paste: $0.62 ($0.31/person)
Coconut milk: $1.75 ($0.88/person)
Onion: $0.90 ($0.45/person)
Broth: $1.29 ($0.65/person)
Gingerroot: $0.59 ($0.30/person)
Rice: $3.00 ($1.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $16.80 … or $8.37 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough for two lunches the next day. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Pizza Soup With Garlic Bread.

2011-01-27T19:40:00.002-05:00

A day late, I bring you: A Crock-Pot Creation!

(Hey, the snow’s still on the ground! I’m not THAT late.)

When I told a colleague the other day that I would be making pizza soup this week, I’m afraid she took me literally. “Pizza SOUP?” she asked, and suddenly I realized she must be imagining me putting a whole box of Papa John’s into my new food processor (thanks, Mom!) and proclaiming, “Soup’s on!”

Once I explained what the ingredients actually were – basically it’s a, um, souped-up version of tomato bisque (if you’ll pardon the pun – teehee!) – my colleague’s face relaxed and she smiled. “Oh, that sounds GOOD!”

It really is!

Twenty minutes before the meal was to be served, I tossed some penne pasta into the crockery and turned the dial up to High. Five minutes later, I heated up some garlic bread, and voila! A hearty meal fit for a snow day. Add a little wine into the mix – in a glass, I mean, not the soup bowl! – and it was a wonderful dinnertime treat indeed.

The stats:

Pizza sauce: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Veggie pepperoni: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Veggie chorizo: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Penne pasta: $0.99 ($0.25/person)
Bell pepper: $1.17 ($0.59/person)
Diced tomatoes: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Daiya vegan cheese for garnish: $4.99 ($1.25/person)
Garlic bread: $2.99 ($0.75/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $20.81 … or $8.19 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe leaves us enough for at least two more leftover servings – one of which will be going into our freezer for later consumption. :) So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

“Steak,” Mashed Potatoes, and Peas.

2011-01-26T20:45:00.003-05:00

I beat the snow home by about 5 minutes tonight, parking the car just before the traffic got really bad, sending even our quiet little neighborhood into a frenzy of honking horns and hazard lights. LeeLee wasn’t so lucky; he arrived home an hour and a half after the snow really got cranked up, wet and cold after having walked the mile and a half from his office.

If I’d really been thinking this morning, I would have put something in the Crock-Pot to really get the house smelling like winter and comfort food. But this morning, I still held out a modicum of hope that I’d be able to attend tonight’s book club a good hourlong drive away! One look at noontime weather report cured me of those dreams, however (and shortly thereafter, the book club organizer sent out a note postponing the meeting, so no harm, no foul!).

So, the Crock-Pot may not have been called into service, but I turned to the next best thing – “steak” medallions with gravy, mashed potatoes, and English peas. If that’s not comfort food, I don’t know what is!

The hidden beauty of this meal is that it also doesn’t take too long to make, in the end. (Though I made it home early from the office, my day’s work duties weren’t done, so I hadn’t the time to play around in the kitchen!) But its taste is exponentially greater than the time it takes to put dinner together. In no time, LeeLee and I had cleaned every morsel of “steak” and peas off our plates, leaving quite a few servings of potatoes in the pot after having more than enough at dinner. (When it comes to mashed potatoes, I always seem to make enough for an army. I can’t help it.) But no matter; they’ll be great for leftovers later!

There’s no magic to this dish, but it always goes over well. And tonight, it provided enough fuel for us to complete Round 1 of snow-shoveling! And if that’s not a ringing endorsement, than I don’t know what is.

The stats:

“Steak”: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
English peas: $2.78 ($1.39/person)
Potatoes: $3.99 ($1.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $11.76 … or $4.89 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe leaves us with a TON of mashed potatoes to use as lunch ingredients for the rest of the week. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Red Beans and Rice With Chorizo.

2011-01-24T20:53:00.001-05:00

Dinner on the table in 5 minutes’ time? Can do!

Tonight brought with it a quick turnaround time; LeeLee had a meeting tonight that was slated to begin half an hour after his arrival home. I made it home earlier than he did tonight, so when he called to say he was coming, I went into action.

I’ve been so good about using the rice cooker lately, but tonight I simply didn’t have the time, so out came a package of good old Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. While it cooked in the microwave, I emptied a can of red beans into a stovetop pot and brought the veggie chorizo out of the fridge. Sub the rice out, swap the chorizo into the microwave, and two minutes later, dinner was served!

It could’ve used some collard greens as a side item, but overall I’d say this was a successful Monday-night dish. And tasty, too!

The stats:

Red beans: $0.88 ($0.44/person)
Rice: $2.49 ($1.25/person)
Chorizo: $3.99 ($1.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.36 … or $2.69 per person.

:)

A Long Weekend in the Kitchen.

2011-01-18T19:43:00.007-05:00

Perhaps the title of this post should say “Lengthy” rather than “Long” – the latter sounds like it was a boring old extended time cooking things I’d rather not have eaten. That couldn’t be further from the truth! Rather, I thoroughly enjoyed four consecutive days off from work (I took Friday off to augment our Monday holiday) … and I enjoyed puttering in the kitchen, too.

On Thursday evening I made "sausage"-kale soup with garlic bread, which turned out to be the perfect on-the-go dish! LeeLee popped in for a quick dinner break before heading back to work, and I like to think this meal helped sustain him for a long night of burning the midnight (or 2 a.m.!) oil. It helped me, too, during a long night of college-basketball-watching. :)

I spent Friday afternoon making a dozen bagels – which turned out great, if I do say so myself (though I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures!), and for dinner we treated ourselves to a night out, but come Saturday I was right back to work. We had some errands we needed to run in the afternoon, but before we left the house, I sautéed some winter vegetables and mixed them with some barley, veggie broth, and diced tomatoes before plunking the whole pan’s worth of goodies in the Crock-Pot for an afternoon of simmering. This winter-vegetable casserole was a first for me – another entry in my new Vegetarian Slow Cooker cookbook. And while I know you’re not supposed to try new recipes when entertaining, I say to heck with that. The risk usually pays off – and it did on Saturday! Served alongside some Quorn cutlets and English peas and paired with a nice red wine, it was a meal fit for guests.

On Sunday, many hours after a morning brunch at home (in the picture above, you can see the homemade bagels propping up our scrambled tofu), we went to some friends’ home for a dinner party – it had a South of the Border theme, so we brought along a “Mexican Lasagna,” from the Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook. It seemed to go over well; we had just enough left over for two small servings at the next day’s lunch, along with plenty of tacos that our hosts insisted we take (they had dozens of fixings left over!).

I neglected to take a photo of the lasagna on my way out the door – even though our friends live five minutes away, we were running late – but you can see the leftovers in the photo above!

Last night I made a chik’n divan, since I had some extra time around the house, and we devoured the leftovers for lunch today. Chik'n divan isn't hard to make, but it just takes time, which as you well know is at a premium during a normal workweek!

Which brings us to tonight – succotash with brown rice and “sausage”-cheese muffins! A perfect comfort-food meal for a night where the ice coats the sidewalks outside and makes us long for our native Gulf Coast.

Stats will return tomorrow! I hope y’all had as nice of a weekend as we did!

:)

BBQ Chik’n and Cornbread With Peas.

2011-01-11T19:37:00.002-05:00

First of all, I just want to register that my trusty old Crock-Pot has really gotten a workout so far this year! It’s been called into service nearly every day, and I just don’t know what I’d do without it!

Today, it cooked BBQ chik’n and cornbread just beautifully. I prepared the meal – placing the filling in the bottom of the crockery and then spooning the cornbread mixture on top – and flipped the switch to Low, and by the time I got home nine hours or so later, the cornbread was beautifully brown and the filling had taken on a smoky and delicious flavor. I love coming home to a Crock-Pot meal – the aroma is great! For a food-lover like me, it’s better than potpourri. :)

Anyway, I felt like the meal needed something to round it out, and I wasn’t really in the mood for a salad – salads and snow seem like a strange combination! So I put on a can (two small cans, actually; Safeway was out of the normal size) of English peas and dinner was served.

This meal never disappoints; we made light work out of a serving and a half or so apiece, and mowed through the peas in seconds flat. But we’ve still got enough chik’n and cornbread for two more hearty lunch servings. Hooray!

The stats:

Morningstar Farms chik’n strips: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Barbecue sauce: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Corn: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Jiffy mix (two boxes): $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Eggs (two): $0.84 ($0.42/person)
Soy milk (2/3 cup): $0.48 ($0.24/person)
English peas (two cans): $2.78 ($1.39/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $14.07 … or $7.05 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for two more servings. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Taco Soup.

2011-01-10T19:42:00.001-05:00

Boy, we’ve been having a lot of soup lately! But these days, as cold as it’s been (with more snow predicted for tomorrow!), soup really appeals to my taste buds in a way that it doesn’t the other, say, 10 months out of the year. In fact, as I check out my menu plan for the rest of the week I see that there are several more days of various and sundry soups coming down the pipe … and I’m totally OK with that.

But back to tonight. I made this Crock-Pot special for the first time a few weeks ago after my friend Jessica sent me the recipe, and it was such a hit at Chez Recessionista that I knew I had to whip up another batch in short order. Already it’s become one of LeeLee’s favorite dishes, and the best part is it takes about five minutes to make in the morning. What could be better?

Jess’ recipe is genius in its simplicity. Simply take some shredded chicken (we used Morningstar Farms strips, of course), put it in the Crock-Pot, and add a can of black beans, a can of corn, a can of chili beans, a can of Rotel (or, you know, in our case, Safeway Tomatoes and Green Chiles), a can of tomato sauce, and four cups of broth, mix in some minced onions, add a packet of taco seasoning, and let ‘er rip! After a long day at work, come home and eat up. And then – if you’re a family of two, like LeeLee and me – prepare to put plenty away in the fridge or freezer for later. :) It makes plenty!

So thanks, Jessica, for the great idea! This will be a wintertime staple, for sure.

The stats:

Chik’n strips: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Black beans: $0.89 ($0.45/person)
Chili beans: $0.89 ($0.45/person)
Corn: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Vegetable broth: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Taco seasoning: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Tomatoes and Green Chilies: $1.09 ($0.55/person)
Tomato sauce: $0.89 ($0.45/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $14.24 … or $7.15 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes at least two more servings (and probably more, to be honest – it’s cooling now, so I’ve not put any in Gladware just yet). So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Weekend Update.

2011-01-09T22:09:00.004-05:00

Well, here we are, coming to the end of another weekend. I’m sorry to see this one go – it was Big Fun!

So, what did we do? Well, we cooked quite a bit – more than a usual weekend! But LeeLee and I felt like we needed to make up for lost home-cooked meals since we’d eaten out several times during the week (a rarity for us). And if I do say so myself, the homemade end results weren’t really much of a sacrifice in the quality department. (I’ll let LeeLee chime in down in the comments if he disagrees. I trust he can set the record straight. :))

On Saturday morning, after my run, I prepared a recipe from a book I received for Christmas – Mixed Vegetables with Peanut Sauce from The Vegetarian Slow Cooker. I flipped the Crock-Pot to low and we promptly left for the afternoon, and when we returned, dinner was nearly complete! I just had to whip up a quick peanut sauce and mix it in with the veggies … and since we were running late for a movie, I decided to forgo the rice cooker in favor of good old Uncle Ben. Sometimes time trumps savings!

The verdict? Success! Next time I will add a little something sweet to cut the peanut sauce’s tanginess a little, but other than that I was quite pleased with how this meal turned out. It was hearty, easy to make, wonderful to eat, and gave me a chance to whip up something in a cuisine style I’m not used to cooking with. I can’t wait to give it another go!

This morning, we woke up way early to hit the early service at church, and then returned home and actually spent a rare Sunday morning truly relaxing – reading the newspaper, watching the morning news shows, drinking coffee, the whole nine yards. While we relaxed, I took 10 minutes to put tonight’s dinner in the Crock-Pot – a vegetable soup teeming with odds and ends from the pantry and crisper.

We’ll get back to dinner in a second; we have to eat lunch first! And today’s took on a more brunchy theme – the menu consisted of tofu breakfast burritos and a side of grits. It was also served much earlier than a normal lunch (try 11 o’clock on for size) because we had woken up with the sun for church. So brunch fit the bill.

I think I’m finally figuring out the tofu scramble I’ve made for nearly a decade. Recently, I added a can of tomatoes and green chiles (that’s Rotel for you brand-name people; we’re sticking with Safeway brand till there’s a sale!) to the pan as I began to sauté my tofu, and I feel like the dish is better for it. Within about 15 minutes, the liquid has evaporated and you’re left with a meaty, flavorful dish that really pops. (I also add turmeric, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and minced onion at the beginning of the cooking process; I always have. The tofu absorbs it all beautifully!)

The last time I made this scramble, LeeLee and I decided to serve it in flour tortillas to create breakfast burritos. Genius! With a base layer of refried beans and a generous portion of scramble, these burritos are perfect for a lazy Sunday morning. And we wouldn’t be Southern if we didn’t serve grits, so you’ll always find them on the menu, as well. (Next time, though, I just might sauté some home fries, instead. We shall see.)

Anyway, brunch was as well-received as ever (it could have been just because LeeLee was starving!) … and I had an extra burrito left over, which I enjoyed tonight after arriving home from an evening out with friends. :)

But before I headed out to meet friends, I needed a quick dinner! The vegetable soup was ready and waiting; about 15 minutes before I was to serve it, I put some garlic bread in the oven as well to complete the meal.

I’d not tried this particular soup configuration before (“soup configuration” – there’s a phrase that doesn’t get used often enough! :)), but I was pleased with the results. I mixed together two cans of diced tomatoes, a can of green beans, a leftover turnip (the root, not the greens), some cole-slaw mix, some potatoes, half an onion, some garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and then poured a box (four cups or so) of vegetable broth over the top, and just let the Crock-Pot do the hard work for the day. Around 3, I determined the potatoes weren’t cooking fast enough on Low, so I kicked it up to High for a couple more hours. And voila! A hearty, healthy soup that produced plenty of leftovers for this week’s lunches!

A little red wine would have complemented the meal beautifully, but I was getting ready to drive, so I held off. But next time I’ll have a bottle uncorked and ready!

So, all in all, not a bad weekend of dining-in here at Chez Recessionista. Stats to return tomorrow; in the meantime, have a great week!

:)

In Praise of Groupon.

2011-01-06T22:02:00.004-05:00

Since moving to the D.C. area, LeeLee and I have been spoiled by the amount of nearby free museums, art galleries, and national parks just waiting to be visited. In fact, we’ve gotten so used to everything being free that we have a hard time paying for the privilege of visiting ANY of the area’s attractions – even ones we’ve really, really wanted to see.

So when, a little more than a year ago, I received word from a friend of mine that I could get Newseum admission passes for half price, I jumped at the chance. All I had to do, she said, was go to a site called Groupon and buy them – no muss, no fuss.

Turns out, she was right! I got $20 tickets for $10, which made the whole Newseum trip seem so much more feasible. Following that purchase, we’ve bought passes to take his parents to the Corcoran Gallery of Art while they were in town, as well as coupons for boat tours, restaurants, and other museums as opportunities pique our interest. All for right around half price.

Now, first of all, let me just say: I recognize we don’t need all – or any – of this stuff. I know that the most hard-core Frugal Freddies out there would scoff that we are purchasing these Groupons at all. We’re in a recession, for crying out loud! But LeeLee and I like a good date night now and again, and as far as I’m concerned, $7 per ticket for a three-hour boat ride down the Potomac isn’t so much of a splurge.

This week, we found two of our Groupons coming near to their deadline for use, so we got hoppin’. On Tuesday we found ourselves at a nearby watering hole with a couple of friends (who had also bought the Groupon) and enjoyed a nice happy hour -- $20 worth of beverages for $10:

And tonight, I met LeeLee after work and we visited a restaurant we’d never tried before but quite enjoyed! ($30 worth of food for $15, if you must know.) We left stuffed, and just barely over our $30 limit … with leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. :)

So no, Groupon isn’t as frugal as, say, not going anywhere. Or cooking at home rather than eating out. I’ll definitely concede that. But if you’re looking to get out and see some new sights while trying to stay on a budget (as my mother would say: Never pay full price!), this service is a mighty fine way to do it. At least it is for us.

(And to be clear: Groupon is not paying for this, and they’ve not reached out to this blog in any way – I just wanted to offer my experiences for y’all to do with what you will! And I wanted to explain why I’ve been eating out more than usual this week. :))

:)

Tater Tot Hotdish.

2011-01-05T20:07:00.003-05:00

You know, I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of tater tot hotdish.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve enjoyed it all along. But something always seemed … off. I mean, it tasted all right, and I could tell the recipe had “good bones,” as my mother would say, but it just didn’t come together perfectly. Tonight, it did! And I couldn’t be more pleased.

The trick, I think, is to ignore the recipe’s recommendation to water the celery/mushroom soup combo down with a little bit of water. Today, I just mixed the two soups together in a bowl, spooned it over the top of the mixed vegetables and ground beef, put the tots on top, and baked the heck out of that dish. And lo and behold, the end result was tastier than ever! (Also, instead of adding diced fresh onion, I sprinkled some minced onion on top of the vegetables instead. I think the dish was better for it, to be honest.)

Finally, I feel like I can add this hotdish to our more regular rotation with confidence. And I’m glad for that; it’s the perfect wintertime meal!

The stats:

Ground “beef”: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Cream of celery soup: $1.39 ($0.70/person)
Cream of mushroom soup: $1.39 ($0.70/person)
Tater tots: $3.49 ($1.75/person)
Frozen vegetables: $1.99 ($1.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $12.25 … or $6.15 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for another round of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Baked-Bean Soup With Salad (and Fritos!).

2011-01-03T18:59:00.004-05:00

The weather took a turn overnight and reverted to its good old January self (yesterday, our high was in the 50s! Go figure), and as soon as my feet hit the cold wood floor this morning, I knew some soup would be just the thing to combat the cold. I’d been wanting to try this recipe, from A Year of Slow-Cooking, for a while, and today seemed like the perfect day to fire up the good old Crock-Pot and get moving.

I was running a bit late this morning following the untimely demise of one of my favorite drinking glasses (which insisted on shattering into a million tiny shards of glass when it hit the floor, rather than breaking cleanly and calmly), so I was very pleased to see that this recipe was a quick fix. Within five to seven minutes, all the ingredients – fresh, canned, and spicy – were loaded up into the crockery, and I flipped the dial to Low and let it go. By the time LeeLee and I arrived home tonight, dinner was ready to go – just add salad!

This recipe didn’t taste quite as baked-beany as I’d expected, but it was good nevertheless, and we both went back for seconds. The fresh tossed salad was a perfect accompaniment, providing a little greenery to the meal. And the Fritos? Well, as usual, they were the icing – or, er, crisping? – on the cake. We’ll definitely make this one again!

The stats:

Pinto beans: $0.88 ($0.44/person)
Fire-roasted tomatoes: $2.39 ($1.20/person)
Molasses: $3.99 ($0.16/person)
Fritos: $2.99 ($0.75/person)
Carrots: $2.99 ($1.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $13.24 … or $3.55 per person.

BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for at least one more serving of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

Leftovers: Pizza and Salad.

2011-01-02T21:28:00.002-05:00

(Not my best picture, I'll grant you. Moving on.)

On New Year’s Eve, we celebrated the dawn of a new year – and a Florida State football win! – with some friends and fun … and food, of course. :) Our friends brought chips, salsa, and other appetizers, and we supplied the homemade pizzas (one peach-blue cheese-shallot, one good old fashioned “pepperoni”) and dessert (a peach-blackberry cobbler in the Crock-Pot).

The dessert didn’t last the night, but with two pizzas, we were bound to have leftovers! And as we enjoyed leftover “sausage”-egg casserole this morning for brunch, we heated up the remaining pizza this evening for dinner. I tossed a salad to round out the meal, and a hearty dinner was ready. I wish every meal could be so easy!

Stats to return this week!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T22:18:00.004-05:00

Here at Chez Recessionista, we started the day off with homemade bagels (a first!) and “sausage”-egg casserole:

And then proceeded to burn off all those calories (or at least a few) with a hike near Great Falls on the Potomac River:

And THEN loaded right on back up with some black-eyed peas, rice, and collard greens – a requirement for New Year’s Day dinner!

Here’s to a fantastic 2011!

Old Faithful With “Sausage”-Cheese Bread.

2010-10-19T22:32:00.003-04:00

Today, friends, was One of Those Days, straight on the heels of another One of Those Days. Nothing awful, nothing tragic – I’ve got health, family, a good job, and a purring kitty … life in general is pretty darn good – but today was just one of those days where things seemed to go awry at every turn.

So I wasn’t all that surprised when, as soon as I stepped off the bus near my home this evening after work, I realized I’d left most of tonight’s dinner ingredients in the fridge at work.

But these are the days when Old Faithful – remember Old Faithful? Good old black beans and rice? – really shines. I didn’t have rice at hand, but I knew the Safeway could help me out with that (I couldn’t bring myself to re-purchase all the ingredients for the other meal I’d planned … we’ll give it another try tomorrow!). When I got to the grocery store, I decided that LeeLee and I needed a little treat to go with Old Faithful, so I went ahead and picked up some Morningstar Farms sausage links and some cheese to make sausage-cheese muffins. I paid, got halfway home, and realized that I had no muffin tins with which to make said muffins!

Who cares? I thought to myself as I continued heading home, not even breaking stride in an effort to head back to Safeway. I’ll just turn the muffins into bread instead.

And so, 40 minutes or so later, dinner came to fruition with nary a glitch. The rice and beans were as easy to cook as ever, and the bread only took an extra 10 minutes (muffins take 20; this took 30). And there’s not a grain of rice nor single legume left! (Also, I am a little embarrassed to say, there’s not much bread left, either. It doesn’t seem to last long around here.)

So today may have been One of Those Days. But sometimes there are benefits to everything going awry – tonight’s meal was a hit in spite of itself!

The stats:

Black beans: $1.09 ($0.55/person)
Rice: $1.19 ($0.60/person)
Cherry tomatoes: $3.49 ($1.75/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
“Sausage” links: $4.49 ($1.50/person)
Cheese: $3.49 ($1.16/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $14.75 … or $6.06 per person.

Sloppy Joes With Acorn Squash and Sweet Potatoes.

2010-10-18T20:34:00.002-04:00

Well, this proved to be a meal full of surprises!

When our CSA, Great Country Farms, delivered these yam-like potatoes last week, I instantly thought they were sweet potatoes and planned for them as such. Imagine my surprise when today, after snapping one open while washing it, I found the center to be perfectly white – like the rest of our 40 pounds of baking potatoes – and its smell to be perfectly earthy and, well, not sweet! Oh, well, I decided, they’ll bake just the same, and I wrapped four of them up and put them in the oven.

While they baked, I prepared the acorn squash, slicing it lengthwise and scooping out the seeds and stringy bits from the middle. I’d never cooked acorn squash before – well, at least not well -- and figured now was as good a time as any to give it another go. So I put a pat of butter into each hollowed-out side, topped them with a pinch (or three) of brown sugar, and finished off the glaze with some maple syrup. Then into the oven they went in a pan with one inch of water in the bottom, nestled right along the sweet potatoes on the rack.

The sloppy Joe preparation went as it always does – quickly and easily when the time comes. But then came the surprises!

“I think these are sweet potatoes,” LeeLee said as he unwrapped his spud, poking it gingerly with a fork.

“They can’t be,” I rebutted. “They’re white and starchy like the rest of our potatoes.”

About that time, the distinct scent of sweet potatoes filled the air. “Yes,” LeeLee said again. “These are definitely sweet potatoes.”

So I put away the garlic powder and parsley and brought out the cinnamon.

The second half of tonight’s surprise is that the acorn squash turned out great (if I do say so myself)! We’ll be making this as a side dish for as long as the markets have squash available this fall and winter … which I hope will be many months!

By the end of the meal, the sloppy Joes were decimated, the sweet potatoes devoured (skins and all), and the acorn squash was scraped clean right down to its hard green hulls. I’d say this was a meal full of pleasant surprises, indeed!

The stats:

Buns: $1.00/eight ($0.13/person)
Ground “beef”: $3.49 ($1.75/person)
Pizza sauce: $1.59 ($0.80/person)
Mushrooms: $2.39 ($1.20/person)
Acorn squash: Prepaid.
Sweet potatoes: Prepaid.

GRAND TOTAL: $8.47 … or $3.88 per person.

BUT WAIT! We had sloppy Joes and two baked sweet potatoes left over. So the per-person price goes down even more!

Potato Soup With Salad and Bread.

2010-10-14T20:56:00.002-04:00

The fall weather continues, and we’ve got 40 (!) pounds of potatoes to use up, so tonight’s meal practically made itself!

As we did last year, LeeLee and I went out to Great Country Farms a few weeks ago to pick potatoes, and boy did we come home with a haul. The great thing about those little bundles of starchy goodness is, as long as you treat them properly (putting them into paper bags and storing them in a dark, cool place), they’ll last for months! We’re banking on that, for sure.

So back to tonight’s meal. Today was a rainy day here on the homefront, so I had a taste for soup. I knew I didn’t want to do anything super-complicated, so Mama’s potato soup recipe did the trick! I heated up some garlic bread on the side and tossed a salad to round out the meal, and dinner was ready within half an hour!

I should already warn you that we’ll be making this quite a lot over the cooler months. It satisfies, it’s nourishing, and it’s easy to make and economical, too. All hail the potato!

The stats:

Potatoes: Prepaid.
Soy milk: $1.99 ($0.50/person)
Garlic bread: $3.99 ($1.00/person)
Butter lettuce: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Tomato: $2.00 ($1.00/person)
Garbanzo beans: $1.15 ($0.58/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $11.63 … or $4.33 per person.

Tater Tot Hotdish.

2010-10-13T19:46:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the weather is finally starting to feel autumnal here in the Mid-Atlantic region, and as a result my tastes have started to turn to heartier fare than the salads, light soups, and bright-eyed pastas of yesterweek. So when the cool October breeze tickled my bare arms today and chilled me on my bike ride home from work, I knew there was only one thing to do: Break out the casseroles!

This is the first time I’d made the tater tot hotdish (which I found on Cooks.com by mistake a year or so ago) in quite a while, and I made some modifications while I went – I think for the betterment of the dish. For ease, I added minced onion flakes instead of a fresh chopped onion, and spiced the dish up with some garlic powder, salt, and pepper. But the biggest change I made was adding chopped Boca burgers rather than the pre-ground soy burger crumbles, and I think the meal was better for it.

But the best news is, this dish makes enough for at least two hearty additional servings of leftovers. Hello, Thursday and Friday lunch!

The stats:

Boca burgers: $3.99/four ($1.00/person)
Cream of mushroom soup: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Cream of celery soup: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Frozen vegetables: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Tater tots: $2.50 ($1.25/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $12.37 … or $5.20 per person.

BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for at least two additional servings of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

Postcards From the Last Couple of Weeks.

2010-10-12T22:30:00.012-04:00

Well, leave it to me to put a damper on my own re-entry into blog society.

Clearly, I have not really gotten the hang of this whole timely-blogging thing again quite yet. :) As is my way, my eyes were bigger than my writing stomach, as it were, and right after I relaunched The Kitchen Recessionista, I promptly left for a week of visiting family in Florida, followed closely by several more days of hosting dear friends up this way. But now I am here, and our guests have departed (and we miss them terribly!), so it is time to roll up my sleeves and get back into the kitchen!

That's not to say I haven't been cooking all the while, though. Heavens, no. Football season necessitates a certain standard of fare, after all, and weeknight meals must carry on. So here I am, in not-so-triumphant fashion. But I hope you’ll enjoy the postcards of what we've been up to the last couple of weeks, at any rate, and swing back around tomorrow night for dinner. The weather is finally turning here in the Mid-Atlantic region, so I’ve got a nice, homey, piping-hot meal planned out!

But for now …

Our schedules may have been wacky, but we managed to comfort ourselves with some home-cooked meals nevertheless. We enjoyed spaghetti and “meatballs” with baked eggplant and homemade, canned pasta sauce:

And then I made a sausage-corn chowder with fresh-picked potatoes in order to carb-load for the following day’s half-marathon:

… which was then followed by a post-half-marathon carb-refuel (these starchy, carby meals are a sacrifice, but somebody’s got to do it!):

… followed several days later by a most excellent rendition of Crock-Pot Hoppin’ John:

… and a Sunday brunch teeming with grits, tofu scramble on an English muffin, and bacon:

From there we kicked off this week with a Quorn gruyere cutlet over seasoned pasta and collard greens:

… and closed today with a Tofurky “pepperoni” pizza and tossed salad.

Which just about brings us up to speed. Meal breakdowns and proper posts to begin again tomorrow!

Veggie Burgers With Green Beans, Beets, and Baked Potatoes.

2010-09-15T20:54:00.001-04:00

I just don’t understand folks who believe you ought to put away the grill the Tuesday after Labor Day. Why, in this region of the country, the weather’s just getting good! Temperatures in the 70s and 80s, low humidity, no more mosquitoes … why would I decide to start cooking inside every night right when the climate has mellowed?

So off to the grill I went tonight, armed with a new task: to make beets taste good. I know I should like them; I’m a root vegetable fan, after all, and beets are so healthy and nutritious. But so far, I’ve not been able to make them tickle my palate. I was determined to rectify that situation tonight.

The potatoes (picked from our local CSA, Great Country Farms) went into the oven as I fired up the grill, and while I waited for the flames to die down I prepared the green beans, snapping off the ends and topping them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Then I peeled the beets, cut them into rounds about a quarter-inch thick, topped them with some salt and placed them on a sheet of aluminum foil. Once the grill had heated up, I put the beans and beets on, turning/stirring them about 10 minutes in. I cooked the veggie burgers for the last 10 minutes or so, warmed up the buns, and voila! Dinner.

I knew I’d like the potatoes, and the green beans, and the veggie burger. But I was nervous about those beets. Would this way of preparing them appeal to my senses any better than all the other ways I’d tried? It was time for a taste test.

Success!

I can’t say I went back for seconds, but I did enjoy a very hearty portion and cleared my plate with ease. Grilling them in rounds allowed the beets to caramelize a little bit and took away some of the earthiness that had given me trouble in the past. Today, I actually enjoyed them in a way I hadn’t been able to before, and I’m confident that after a couple more tries, my taste buds will adopt them fully!

All in all, it was a good night on the back patio. Now, here’s to a fall of grilling sensations!

The stats:

Veggie burgers: FREE (friends gave us two they weren’t going to use after a cookout)

Buns: $2.99/eight ($0.37/person)

Onion: $1.29 ($0.32/person)

Tomato: $3.00 ($1.50/person)

Green beans: Prepaid.

Beets: Prepaid.

Potatoes: $0.69 ($0.35/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.97 … or $2.54 per person.

BUT WAIT! We’ve got green beans, buns, and burger toppings left over for use in our lunches tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

The Prodigal Recessionista Has Returned.

2010-09-14T16:30:00.003-04:00

Anybody out there?

I don’t blame you for leaving. Here we were, enjoying a lovely holiday season together, basking in snow days, and suddenly, I drew the curtain. I’m sorry about that. I hate when other bloggers just up and leave with no warning, no goodbye! But the truth is, I didn’t really plan to leave. Snow days led to holiday family time, which led to more snow days (the mid-Atlantic got walloped last winter!), which led to downtime, which got me out of the habit of blogging altogether. And then – do you ever do this? – so much time elapsed that I felt sort of ashamed to come dragging back in several weeks/months after I so abruptly departed! I don’t know why.

I’ve still been cooking on a recession-era budget (because I don’t know about you, but the economy is still no great shakes on this end of things); I’ve still been planning out new and (I hope) creative meals. I’ve just not been blogging about that. And I intend to rectify that starting this week.

But I don’t expect my faithful five bloggers to come back straightaway. I wouldn’t blame you one iota for moving on and not looking back! But regardless, I’ll be back here in the blogosphere, doing something I’ve missed these last few months. I hope you'll find it in your heart to join me again -- when your schedule allows, of course!

:)

Snow Day!

2009-12-19T19:28:00.003-05:00

For a native Floridian, snow is way cool. Twenty-plus INCHES of snow? Unfathomable.

But yet today we have indeed fathomed such a feat of nature – the DC area’s largest snowstorm in years, and one of the top ten storms to ever hit here! “Snowstorm” and “blizzard” have always sounded scary to me, but this was nothing but fun.

It helps that we had no place we had to be today. And that we had a fridge full of food. And a working furnace (unlike some of my friends at present – why does the furnace always go out during the coldest time of the year?).

And so, today, we’ve spent much of our time eagerly watching the snow fall outside, and occasionally dressing up like big ol’ marshmallows to go out and play in it. Snow is a novelty to LeeLee and me, even after several years in the Mid-Atlantic region, and we’re thrilled with this turn of events.

We were even MORE thrilled when our next-door neighbor dropped by with a bottle of French wine – a thank-you gift for when we kept an eye on his house while he was away on vacation awhile back. I knew it would go beautifully with tonight’s dinner – tomato quiche with salad!

There’s nothing like a quiche on a cold, chilly night. And tonight’s turned out very well, if I do say so myself – MUCH better than last time, when it was too watery and not very cohesive, even when cooked all the way through. So we enjoyed a glass of wine with our quiche and our salad, and will soon be hunkering down for a night of board games and Netflix DVDs. What could be better?

Happy snow day, all!

The stats:

Eggs: $3.49 ($0.87/person)
Soy creamer: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Pie crusts: $2.89/two ($1.45/person)
Diced tomatoes: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $12.87 … or $5.57 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe actually makes TWO quiches, one of which I put in the freezer right after baking. AND the first quiche left us with leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Happy Birthday, LeeLee!

2009-12-15T20:47:00.002-05:00

Today is LeeLee’s birthday. I’d tell you how old he is, but he may not like that, so I’ll just say he’s somewhere between 25 and 95.

And it ain’t 25.

(Sorry, LeeLee.)

We went out for a night on the town last Friday, so this evening we had a quiet dinner at home. Per LeeLee’s request, I made all his favorites – red beans and rice, collard greens, Tofurky Italian sausages, and champagne. And I topped it all off with a special birthday cake for dessert!

I think it all went over well. LeeLee was especially tickled that I brought out the rice cooker and pan-cooked the sausages. And we were both pleased with how the birthday cake came out – I’d never made it before, so its taste was anybody’s guess!

Happy birthday, LeeLee. Here’s to 95 more years together.

(No stats today – it wouldn’t be polite to let the guest of honor know how much you spent on their meal, now would it?)

:)

Chik’n Posole, Salad, and Biscuits.

2009-12-09T21:48:00.003-05:00

I should’ve known something was different when I took a taste of tonight’s chik’n posole, still simmering on the stove, and began to cough, reaching for my water bottle in a panic. The burn! The sting! The warmth in the throat and chest!

Too much jalapeno? Perhaps just a smidge.

Even LeeLee, purveyor of all things spicy, teared up and choked a little. But the tastiness of tonight’s meal won out in the end, and we both went back for second helpings.

The cool salad helped chill our taste buds, and the biscuits soothed our souls if not our tongues. But the chik’n posole … I think it’s one of my favorite dishes ever. EVER.

And I think I’ll make it just as spicy next time.

The stats:

Chik’n strips: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Hominy: $1.15 ($0.58/person)
Broth: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Diced tomatoes: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Onion: $0.99 ($0.50/person)
Jalapeno: $0.25 ($0.13/person)
Salad: $3.49 ($1.75/person)
Biscuits: $3.49/12 ($0.58/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $15.86 … or $6.79 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

"Bacon" Quesadillas With Rice.

2009-12-07T22:12:00.005-05:00

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably know that we’re allies to nearly any quesadilla out there. But LeeLee and I had never tried a bacon (well, “bacon”) quesadilla before! So when I found a recipe for one over at The Frugal Girl, I knew I had to give it a go.

The dish couldn’t have been simpler. I put some rice on to cook, and while it did, I prepared my tortillas with a layer of cheese, a layer of “bacon” (four slices for each quesadilla), and then another thin layer of cheese to bind things together. I sprayed a frying pan with some cooking spray, heated it up, and let ‘er rip!

The results were … oh. Fantastic. So good. Rich, hearty, filling, tasty. Everything you could expect from a blend of cheesy quesadillas and hearty bacon! We mowed down our tortillas in record time, with the rice following shortly behind.

And the best news? We’ve got another quesadilla left over for LeeLee to take for lunch tomorrow. If I don’t fight him for it, of course.

The stats:

Tortillas: $2.99/six ($1.00/person)
“Bacon”: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Cheese: $2.99 ($1.50/person)
Rice: $0.88 ($0.44/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $11.85 … or $5.44 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough for another lunch’s worth. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

“Steak,” Peas, and Loaded Potatoes.

2009-12-02T20:44:00.002-05:00

When life throws you a scheduling curveball – when a meeting comes up at the very last minute and a leisurely dinner is suddenly out of the question – there’s really only one thing to do: Make “steak,” English peas, and twice-baked potatoes.

Who’d have thought this could be a 10-minute meal? But it’s true. Thank goodness for the freezer, is all I have to say, because remember those potatoes I made a month or so ago? They came in handy tonight!

I put the potatoes in the microwave for five minutes (I’d have preferred to bake them the old-school way, but hey, whatcha gonna do when time is tight?) and, while they cooked, I set the peas on the stove to heat up. Once the potatoes came out, the pepper “steaks” went in, and two and a half minutes later, dinner was ready! Not too shabby when you get right down to it.

And what’s more, the potatoes have held up beautifully in the freezer, and the steak was hearty and filling, as always. And the peas? Always a hit!

Take that, crazy schedule!

The stats:

Pepper “steak”: $5.99 ($3.00/person)
Peas: $1.44 ($0.72/person)
Potatoes: Prepaid.

GRAND TOTAL: $7.43 … or $3.72 per person.

:)

Postcards From the Holidays.

2009-12-01T20:55:00.001-05:00

Now that I’ve emerged from my Tofurky stupor and holiday-decorating soiree, I think it’s time to show off some postcards from Thanksgiving week, don’t you? Meal breakdowns will return tomorrow, but for now, here’s what we’ve been up to.

We kicked off our countdown to Thanksgiving with a bowl of pumpkin soup, served with a side of sausage-cheese muffins. Let me tell you what – those muffins are a force to be reckoned with! I ate way too many in much too short a timespan. And I’m not sorry about it one bit.

Then, on the night before Thanksgiving, we determined that we needed a quick and easy meal to consume while we began the prep work for Thursday’s feast. Ramen with Rotel to the rescue … as always!

On Thanksgiving morning, we had some orange muffins and bacon to fuel the day as we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the succeeding dog show, padding around the house and generally taking our sweet time getting ready for our 2 p.m. lunch with a friend.

And then came the feast.

We enjoyed leftovers for nearly the whole weekend, but on Sunday it was time for something different. Sausage-corn chowder fit the bill beautifully, along with a new batch of sausage-cheese muffins!

Last night, I made my world-famous “meatballs” and sautéed them while we cooked some angel-hair pasta and warmed up some homemade pasta sauce I’d canned over the summer. Si si!

Which brings us to tonight, where we used up nearly all the rest of our hand-picked potatoes from September in an excellent (if I do say so myself) rendition of potato soup, with the requisite Goldfish ... and the leftover sausage-cheese muffins. :)

But not to worry. We'll have plenty more muffins where that came from, I feel sure!

I hope your holiday was as lovely as ours! What traditions did you observe?

:)

Halushki With Butternut Squash.

2009-11-23T20:45:00.003-05:00

Today’s recipe was the only path I really could take tonight, to be truthful. The rain has been steadily coming down all day, the weather turning crisp and autumnal again. A cold-weather pairing of halushki, which I’d never tried before, and baked-and-mashed butternut squash were sure to hit the spot!

I became intrigued by halushki when I stumbled upon a recipe for it over at The Urban Vegan a couple of weeks ago and immediately added it to my meal plan. I’m so glad I did! It exceeded my expectations by a mile, earning an immediate spot in the winter dinner rotation … and accolades from LeeLee, which is always a plus!

But the halushki wasn’t the only part of the menu that was a first attempt tonight. The butternut squash recipe we tried was actually a test run for Thursday’s Thanksgiving feast, and on the whole we were pleased by the attempt. Next time, we’ll bake the butternut squash for a longer time, and covered with foil, to allow the pieces to soften and make mashing easier. Tonight’s came out too chunky for LeeLee’s taste, but I liked it just fine! Mixed with Silk vanilla creamer and some brown sugar – what’s not to love?

The stats:

Macaroni: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Cabbage: $1.44 ($0.72/person)
Mushrooms: $2.95 ($1.48/person)
Squash: $2.49 ($1.25/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.88 … or $3.95 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough for leftovers the next day. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Poor Man’s Stew With Salad and Foccacia.

2009-11-18T20:37:00.002-05:00

I wasn’t sure what to make of it when I set everything to boil in my large saucepan. Would veggie “beef,” mixed vegetables, and broth go well together, all by themselves, until the time came to add a can of cream of mushroom soup? Would that just muddy the waters, as it were? Would the spices I’d chosen go along with the dish as a whole? Shouldn’t I just throw a canned of diced tomatoes into the mix instead and call it a day?

Rather than give in to my doubts and my Type A mind, I went along with the recipe and was so pleased with the result! This turned out to be a smooth, hearty stew filled with protein and veggies and all manner of goodness, with not very much fat and next to no money involved. In fact, the most expensive parts of this meal were found in the salad and foccacia – not that I’m complaining about how those side items turned out!

So I’ll definitely be giving this dish another try. Who knows? It may even join the regular rotation by the time winter’s in full swing!

The stats:

Ground “beef”: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Mixed vegetables: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Veggie broth: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Cream of mushroom soup: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Salad: $3.59 ($1.80/person)
Foccacia: $3.99/seven ($0.86/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $16.07 … or $6.91 per person.

:)

Postcard From the South.

2009-11-17T22:13:00.007-05:00

Oh, how I wish you’d been there!

I had SO MUCH FUN in Florida over a long (four-night!) weekend. My family and I visited my favorite cheesemakers, Sweet Grass Dairy, in South Georgia, and went on hikes and walks around some of our favorite nature preserves and lakes. We watched Florida State beat Wake Forest in football. We sent a good amount of time just lounging on sofas or porch swings, chatting and catching up with each other.

And … we ate. This IS a food blog, for crying out loud, people.

So let’s begin at the beginning, shall we?

I arrived in Florida at lunchtime, and because the drive from the airport to the house is a long one, we stopped off for a bite to eat first. But that night, I was able to savor one of Mama’s home-cooked specials, Crock-Pot chili. Hearty yet comforting, spicy yet smooth, it was a meal that couldn’t be beat! And it was the perfect dish to cap off a long day of traveling.

The next night, leftover chili fueled a whole new meal: Stuffed bell peppers! As much as I try to mic my mother’s peppers, I always fall short. Hers were delicious!

We ate out the next couple of nights, snacking on leftovers here and there. Believe me, we didn’t miss many meals! :)

… and before I knew it, it was time to return home to Virginia. Though I confess that every time I leave Florida, I have to spend a few days adjusting to what “home” is. I always leave a little bit of my heart down in the Sunshine State. I suppose it’ll be something I’ll just continue to get used to.

So, a good 24 hours after my arrival back here, I was still feeling a touch out of sorts when I arrived home after work today. Luckily, I knew just the meal to whip up to combat that! When you’re in need of comfort food, it’s best to turn to an old favorite … potato soup. With Goldfish, of course. And a salad to round things out.

I'll be back to giving The Stats tomorrow, but for now, happy eating and traveling to all of you!

Chik’n Posole With Salad and Foccacia.

2009-11-11T19:18:00.004-05:00

I’ve had this dish in my mind for about a week now, and on this rainy, chilly night, I knew I could wait no longer. So into the pot my ingredients went, and out came chik’n posole.

I first stumbled across this dish last month over at $5 Dinners, and the first go-round was, I must say, a success. Tonight’s rendition was just as good – maybe even a little better, since there were no leftovers save for a few tiny kernels of hominy and a sad old piece of diced tomato. Paired with a salad and some frozen foccacia rolls (cooked, of course, silly!), it was a great, hearty, tasty dish.

I can’t wait to serve it again!

The stats:

Chik’n: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Diced tomatoes: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Broth: $2.78 ($1.39/person)
Hominy: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Onion: $0.79 ($0.40/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Foccacia: $3.99/seven ($1.14/person)
Hot pepper: FREE from the garden!

GRAND TOTAL: $18.54 … or $8.43 per person.

:)

Veggie Burgers, Mixed Veggies, and Baked Potatoes.

2009-11-09T19:31:00.001-05:00

First of all, I owe you an apology for missing a week’s worth of posts! Last week got away with me – work during the day (as usual), but then fun outings and adventures nearly each evening! That’s pretty rare for a weekday homebody like me … but it was a blast. From a moonlit hike at the National Arboretum (which I highly recommend and which, on a frugal note, was paid for by the company I work at!) to an evening with friends, I stayed busy but had a great time. But I apologize for being absent for a week! In the middle of it all, I promise I did take photos of each meal – and in fact managed to eat at home nearly every night, despite my adventures!

I’ll do a catch-up post soon. But in the meantime, here’s tonight’s dish.

Given the autumnal weather – and accompanying meals – of late, I found myself in deep, DEEP cookout withdrawal. Don’t get me wrong – I love soups and chilis and hearty, wintry meals. But a girl could use a burger once in awhile, too, you know?

The George Foreman grill seemed like too much work tonight. So I wrapped up a couple of potatoes (still more from the batch we picked a couple of months ago – and I can assure you there’s plenty more where that came from!), baked them in the oven for an hour, and 15 minutes from their finish time, I put four Morningstar Farms Grillers on a cookie sheet and set them in to bake as well, turning them with 7 minutes left on the clock. When I put the burgers in, I also plunked some mixed vegetables into a pot to warm up, and by the time the oven timer went off, dinner was ready!

We served the potatoes with butter and some leftover sour cream from last weekend’s chili, and served the burgers with lettuce, onion from the farmer’s market, and a tomato. It was a summertime meal in the middle of a crisp, cool fall – and a welcome interruption from cold-weather dinners!

The stats:

Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Burgers: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Mixed vegetables: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Potatoes: Prepaid.
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Tomato: $0.91 ($0.46/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.40 … or $2.21 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough burgers for two rounds of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Sloppy Joes, Peas, and Twice-Baked Potatoes.

2009-10-29T20:40:00.002-04:00

Now this was a meal I’d been looking forward to all week! There’s just nothing like a sloppy Joe. Paired up with peas and topped off with a twice-baked potato (which I’d never made before), it was a great dish.

But the potato. Oh, the potato! I’d never known how to really make a twice-baked variety until a couple of weeks ago, when I stumbled upon this recipe. Instantly, my mind shifted to our makeshift “root cellar” (really the cabinet under the counter), where three bags of potatoes sit waiting to be used (and used often). And I knew that I’d have to give this rendition a try!

Truth be told, it wasn’t hard work at all. Sure, it took time to bake seven potatoes (!) and then let them cool enough to where I could scoop out the insides and prepare the filling. But the actual work took upwards of 10 minutes, tops … and with that, I had restaurant-quality potatoes right here in Chez Recessionista. To add to my bliss, I was able to freeze five of the potatoes for use later (more on my latest freezing craze in another post, I promise).

So, in short, the meal turned out great. And now LeeLee has leftover sloppy Joes for tomorrow’s lunch, too. But I’m taking the leftover potato. Sometimes, generosity just doesn’t pay. J

The stats:

Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
“Beef”: $4.29 ($2.15/person)
Pizza sauce: $1.85 ($0.93/person)
Mushrooms: $2.49 ($1.25/person)
Peas: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Potatoes: Prepaid.
Sour cream: $2.29 ($0.57/person)
Cheese: $2.99 ($1.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $16.59 … or $7,37 per person.
BUT WAIT! This dinner made enough leftover for a couple of additional meals, AND the potatoes made enough to freeze for at least four more servings. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Tomato-Basil Quiche With Salad.

2009-10-27T21:16:00.002-04:00

Please forgive the delay in posting this week! I ran a marathon on Sunday and have been in recovery (read: sleep) mode for the last 48 hours or so. But I’m back now … and hungry! So let’s get to it.

Today’s dinner was a great one for a nice rainy day – quiche served alongside a lush green salad. It was so tasty, so fresh, and teeming with summer veggies cooked at the peak of perfection!

Wait. Summer?

Remember this dinner, where I made two quiches and froze the second one? Well, we’re reaping the rewards of that today! And honestly, this reheated quiche was even better than the original. It was firmer, tastier, and more cohesive since it had time to settle. And believe me, it was very difficult not to just split the pie plate in half and eat it all!

So this experimental frozen quiche worked out great. We’ll definitely try it again!

The stats:

Quiche: Free! (Already paid for, if you must know the truth, but free for today!)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $3.99 … or $2.00 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for LeeLee to have for lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Pasta Otoño.

2009-10-21T21:35:00.001-04:00

Clearly, it’s “Use Up the CSA Bounty Week” here at Chez Recessionista, and in keeping with the theme, tonight I threw together a new dish. Forget pasta primavera, that celebration of spring! Tonight, we welcomed in pasta otoño, a celebration of autumn goodness!

Instead of squash and other warm-weather goodies, I sliced two baby eggplants, cut some green beans into one-inch lengths, and washed some final yellow cherry tomatoes from today’s farmer’s market. I mixed the veggies with a sauce concocted with milk, flour, butter, and spices – and a touch of red-wine vinegar for taste – and added some diced Boca chik’n patties for some additional protein. I tossed the rotini pasta into the saucepan, and voila! Pasta otoño!

And it was so good. It was lacking a little tiny bit because of our sudden salt shortage (OK, it wasn’t quite “sudden” – I just forgot to pick up a new salt shaker at the grocery store!), but we hardly noticed. The creaminess really brought out the flavors in the eggplant, beans, and tomatoes! And though this dish has its roots in a standard primavera, it adapted beautifully to a more autumnal feel. Next time, I may add some nutmeg to the mix, just to augment the mood.

So, in short, this dish was a success. I can always tell the recipe has gone over well when LeeLee requests it again before the dishes have even been cleared from the table! Suffice it to say, we’ll be doing this one again. LeeLee has requested the addition of Tofurky sausage links next time. I think we can manage that!

The stats:

Rotini: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Eggplant: Prepaid.
Green beans: Prepaid.
Chik’n patties: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Tomatoes: $3.00 ($1.50/person)
Silk: $2.39 ($0.80/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $9.89 … or $3.68 per person.

:)

Swiss Chard Quesadillas With Rice.

2009-10-20T22:18:00.002-04:00

Sadly, last week was our final CSA delivery of the season. We enjoyed each and every one of the 18 weeks that Great Country Farms made deliveries to our door and loved the fresh foods we ate every week as a result! But all fields must rest now and again, I suppose. Even if it means we’ll just have to forage at our local farmer’s markets for the winter.

(Oh, such a tough life, no?)

Anyway, included in Great Country Farms’ last shipment was a heaping helping of Swiss chard, which I knew just what to do with. Quesadillas! They’re always a winner.

And so tasty. We each mowed down a full quesadilla apiece, and the rice besides! I don’t know what I’ll do now that we won’t be getting fresh chard delivered each week! Will our quesadilla nights run aground?

But the more I think about it, the less I worry on the whole. Cabbage season is upon us, after all … and cabbage quesadillas are tastier than you think!

… but they’re still no Swiss chard.

The stats:

Tortillas: $2.29/ten ($0.46/person)
Cheese: $2.99 ($0.75/person)
Swiss chard: Prepaid.
Rice: $0.88 ($0.44/person)
Onion: $0.50 ($0.25/person)
Jalapeno: FREE from the garden!

GRAND TOTAL: $6.65 … or $1.90 per person.

:)

Black-Bean Patties With Sweet Potatoes and Salad.

2009-10-19T22:23:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s sweet potato time again!

The potatoes were supposed to serve as an accompaniment to the patties, with the salad providing an assist. But as is the way with sweet potatoes, they quickly took center stage and gave our dinner a big boost!

That’s not to say that the black-bean patties played a distant second fiddle. Instead, they made a perfect complement to the veggies gracing our plates, and topped with some homemade canned salsa, they couldn’t be beat. Mashed with a jalapeno pepper, some bread crumbs, and some spices, they made a great and hearty entrée for a hungry Chez Recessionista!

But the sweet potatoes. Oh, the sweet potatoes. I think I cannot go a single week this fall and winter without them. They’ll be a mainstay of the kitchen from here on, in all their sweet and savory glory.

Welcome back, yams. It’s been too long.

The stats:

Black beans: $2.00 ($1.00/person)
Bread crumbs: $1.99 ($0.14/person)
Jalapeno: Prepaid.
Sweet potatoes: Prepaid.
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.98 … or $3.14 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough patties for another meal’s worth of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Chik’n Posole With Salad.

2009-10-15T22:18:00.002-04:00

By the time I got home from work tonight, after spending half an hour walking in the rain, umbrella barely keeping the misty water off of my jacket, the meal I’d already planned to make seemed the only course of action. Of COURSE tonight would be an excellent night for chik’n posole! A hot, steamy broth, teeming with onions, tomatoes, peppers, and chik’n strips? Paired with a salad and some asiago bread? What could be better?

I hadn’t tried this recipe before, having just stumbled upon it recently over at $5 Dinners. But as we have decidedly entered the soup season, I knew it would be a hit at Chez Recessionista. But what I hadn’t banked on was its ease of cooking – what a great thing! Within about 15 minutes, dinner was served, and the preparation steps themselves took little to no time.

But the proof is, as usual, in the tasting. And this dish hit the spot! We both loved the mixture of flavors, how the tomatoes were prominent without being overpowering, how the chik’n was more of an accompaniment to the larger meal than the main event. And I’d never really given hominy a try before – what a pleasant surprise to the palate!

So, in short, I’m very thankful there’s enough left over for my lunch tomorrow. (LeeLee will be polishing off the rest of the tater tot hotdish, if you must know!) We’ll definitely be using this recipe again!

The stats:

Chik’n strips: $4.69 ($2.35/person)
Diced tomatoes: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Veggie broth: $2.58 ($1.29/person)
Onion: $0.72 ($0.36/person)
Hominy: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Jalapeno: Prepaid.
Salad: FREE (buy one, get one free)!

GRAND TOTAL: $9.99 … or $5.00 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough for leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Tater-Tot Hotdish.

2009-10-14T22:45:00.001-04:00

Today marked the first day this season that the high temperature remained below 50 degrees, and as a result, I felt some special cold-weather comfort food was in order. Add the temperature to the rainy day, and I knew I had to get in the kitchen and get to work!

The end result? A new recipe I stumbled upon over at Cooks.com, while I was looking for an apple pie recipe, of all things! It’s called a “Tater-Tot Hotdish,” and it is pure comfort-food heaven. While I was initially concerned that the fat content would be much too high and the nutrition content much too low, that fear was assuaged when I put everything together in the baking dish. The dish teemed with mixed vegetables – a whole bag full! Add that to the protein in the ground “beef” (we used Quorn grounds today) and the creaminess of the soups, and you’ve got a good, hearty meal that just so happens to be topped with tater tots.

And so easy! This recipe took five minutes, max, to prepare, and about an hour to cook. And the results were great. We’ll definitely give this one another try – I can already tell it’s going to become a cold-weather favorite!

The stats:

Tater tots: $2.50 ($0.83/person)
Mixed vegetables: $1.67 ($0.84/person)
Ground “beef”: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Cream of celery soup: $0.99 ($0.50/person)
Cream of mushroom soup: $1.49 ($0.75/person)
Onion: $0.72 ($0.36/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $12.36 … or $5.78 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes two additional servings. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Black-Bean Soup With Rice.

2009-10-13T22:38:00.002-04:00

Oh, Crock-Pot, how do I love thee?

Tonight was an autumnal soup night, and it was well past time that I brought out my favorite black-bean soup recipe (from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson) for the occasion. I knew it would provide just the perfect amount of comfort and heartiness I was looking for on a crisp fall night, when the air smells of acorns and the last honeysuckles of the year.

What I didn’t know is that LeeLee would be detained at a meeting and so we’d be eating in shifts. Hence, the lack of photography – I just completely forgot, as I was out of my routine! (Which goes to show you how routine-filled life can become at times, no?)

Anyway, the soup was as good as always – more on account of the recipe than the cook! And the house smelled so good after the veggies had had a chance to simmer in their broth all day long. What a wonderful welcome home after a long day away!

Expect to see this recipe time and again over the winter months – it’s one of my favorite. In fact, I dare say it may quickly become the winter version of Old Faithful! But I can think of worse fates. :)

The stats:

Black beans: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Bell pepper: FREE from the garden.
Jalapeno pepper: Prepaid (CSA).
Carrots: $2.99 ($0.60/person)
Broth: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Rice: $2.50 ($1.25/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $9.98 … or $4.10 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes an additional serving of leftovers for LeeLee tomorrow as well as enough for a freezer container, so we can enjoy some for later. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Ramen With Rotel, a Chik’n Patty, and Salad.

2009-10-12T22:06:00.004-04:00

Mondays will sneak up on you sometimes. You’re just riding along, enjoying your Sunday afternoon, and the next thing you know you’re swept up in Monday madness, catching up on things left over from Friday and trying to tackle Tuesday’s problems early.

Yeah … I had a stealthy Monday today.

So when I got home from work, I was in No Mood to whip up a big dinner. Add to that the fact that we’re at the end of our grocery week (I usually go to the store on Tuesday), and the answer was clear.

Ramen with Rotel it is! We added a salad to put some extra greenery into our diet and came away from the table feeling full and happy.

Tomorrow I’ll get back to “normal” meals. But what a great thing, to have a go-to meal or two that will do in a pinch!

A postscript: I did have time, however, to whip up an apple pie, teeming with handpicked apples. Not a bad night in the kitchen!

The stats:

Ramen: $1.75/six ($0.15/person)
Rotel: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Boca chik’n patties: $3.99 ($1.00/person)
Salad: FREE! (Buy one, get one free!)

GRAND TOTAL: $6.74 … or $1.65 per person.

:)

This Week, So Far. (Or, Apple-Picking, Canning, and Cooking.)

2009-10-08T21:40:00.008-04:00

This has been a good week – and weekend – of cooking and canning! Let’s back up a bit and move forward day by day.

On Friday, LeeLee and I played hooky and went apple-picking down at Hartland Orchard in Markham, Virginia. We picked nearly a bushel of apples and settled up for a bill of $16 -- $10 for the apples and $6 for the cider! Not too shabby, seeing as how all those apples would come in handy in days to come (more on that later).

On Saturday, we watched some college football with friends and served my mother’s best recipe of sausage-corn chowder, accompanied beautifully by our friends’ fruit empanadas and crescent rolls (and a few apples for our hosts). No photos – I blame the depression that followed Florida State’s loss – but rest assured there was barely a drop of chowder or a crumb of empanadas left.

Sunday brought with it a canning expedition! I gave apple butter a try for the first (and second) time – I whipped up two batches in just about three hours. And let me tell you … it is so easy to do, and so tasty! And now I’ve got enough apple butter to give to friends and family and, oh, yes, eat myself.

Sunday also brought with it one of my favorite salads – the Spinach, Egg, and Mushroom Salad I’ve made several times now, inspired by the good folks over at $5 Dinners. We enjoyed it Sunday as much as we ever have, and I confess I’m going to miss it in the winter months, when dinner salads don’t have quite the same appeal. Perhaps we can make an exception for this particular salad – it’s got some warmth with the cooked eggs and onions, anyway!

On Monday, I gave the orange-chicken recipe I found over at A Year of Slow-Cooking a try, and it turned out pretty well. It did have one hiccup, which was completely my fault and not the recipe’s – I noticed later that the recipe called for six hours in the Crock-Pot, and my chik’n were in there for more than eight!! And it showed a bit around the edges – some areas were pretty much charcoal by the time I got home! But the rest of the meal was great, and I’ll definitely give this one another try (and follow the directions next time!).

We had a bye day on Tuesday, when I went to see a concert. May not have been frugal, but it was surely fun.

Which brings us to yesterday, when Mama’s famous potato soup made its second appearance of the season in as many weeks. A blustery afternoon led us to believe that soup was really the only remedy, and the potato soup fit the bill, as usual! And we’ve certainly got the potatoes to spare. :)

And with that, we’re back up to date. Look for a new breakdown tomorrow!

:)

Lentil-Rice Casserole With Crispy Kale.

2009-10-01T21:10:00.003-04:00

As is clear from looking out the window these days (much less by looking at the title of this blog!), we are living in recessionary times. But there is no need to equate “recession” with “ramen (though we love it so). Nor is there any need for recession cooking to be any less exciting or tasty or nutritious than less frugal fare.

My eyes lit up when I came across a recipe for lentil-rice casserole over at $5 Dinners! I adore lentils and am always looking for a way to use them – especially ways wherein I don’t have to soak them first! So when I saw this recipe, which just throws all the dry ingredients in with some broth and spices and onions, I knew I had to give it a try.

Today was the most autumnal day we’ve had yet in the D.C. area, and this casserole was so warm and comforting … a true winner. And it only took minutes to prepare, leaving me plenty of time to catch up on housecleaning and just plain old relaxing while the casserole cooked!

Also, today was CSA delivery day, and in this week’s box came some beautiful fresh kale. I took about half the stalks, washed them well, and pulled them apart, lying them on a cookie sheet. I sprayed them with some cooking spray, seasoned them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and baked them for the last 10 minutes of the casserole’s cooking time. Voila – crispy kale! There’s nothing like it.

So, tonight we had a meal that was tasty, nutritious, hearty, comforting, and recession-friendly. We’ll definitely be enjoying it again!

The stats:

Lentils: $0.27 ($0.14/person)
Rice: $0.49 ($0.25/person)
Cheese: $4.59 ($2.30/person)
Onion: $0.50 ($0.25/person)
Kale: Prepaid.

GRAND TOTAL: $5.85 … or $2.94 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough for a very good-sized leftover. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Catching Up!

2009-09-30T21:44:00.007-04:00

I apologize for my lack of posting this week – I was graced with a day off yesterday and, while that was a much-needed break, Monday was spent getting ahead on things so I wouldn’t be hit by a deluge when I returned to work today! So I’ve got a few meals to discuss, but for simplicity’s sake I won’t give the stats of each one. I’ll get back on track tomorrow!

On Sunday, I was in a rush to get to my bowling league, so I whipped up a quick rendition of ramen with Rotel, served alongside a Boca chik’n patty and a bowl of salad. It’s always a winner at Chez Recessionista, and I stand proudly by it as a quick way to pull together dinner when time is short!

Monday evening brought with it an autumnal feel – the air felt cool and crisp as we neared October, and I knew the time was right for a nice warm bowl of potato soup. With that, I whipped up a rendition of my mother’s best recipe, and LeeLee and I reveled in its creaminess and heartiness on a nice fall night – topped off, of course, with Goldfish crackers. Because frankly, potato soup is always best served with Goldfish. Plain and simple.

Last night, after I returned home from a day of lighthouse-looking on the Chesapeake, I wrapped two potatoes in aluminum foil and put them in the oven to bake while I sliced lots of okra for their own turn in the oven. While the veggies cooked, I mixed together some Quorn ground “beef,” mushrooms, and pizza sauce, along with some spices, for an order of sloppy Joes – which turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. There’s just something so comforting about sloppy Joes – we don’t have them nearly enough!

Which brings us to tonight. LeeLee was called away to a meeting at the last minute, so instead of going out for takeout, I pulled an Amy’s pizza out of the freezer and put it in the oven while I tossed a salad and treated myself to a four-course meal. I began with the Caesar salad:

then moved on to the pizza:

then enjoyed a cookie from the Bread Man:

er … not pictured, because I ate it too quickly.

and then cracked open a Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.

Mmmm … heaven!

:)

“Beef” and Bean Chimichangas With Rice.

2009-09-24T20:36:00.002-04:00

This is a recipe I’ve had up my sleeve for a week or so, ever since I saw it over at $5 Dinners. We’ll never turn down a good Mexican meal here at Chez Recessionista, and I had a feeling this dish would fit right in.

The short story? It fit in, all right. So much so that I think it’s already destined to become a regular!

Though it takes about a half-hour to bake, the preparation time is less than 10 minutes, and most of that is spent waiting for the beef and bean mixture to warm up and cook through. When I put my pan of chimis in the oven, I put the rice on to cook, and half an hour later everything was done! And to our satisfaction, at that.

We only had room in our baking dish for five of the six chimis, so I baked the last one separately after we were finished with dinner. No matter – the last two are destined to become LeeLee’s lunch tomorrow, anyway, so tardy cooking was not a problem.

Anyway – thanks, $5 Dinners, for another great meal!

The stats:

Quorn “beef”: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Black beans: $1.29 ($0.65/person)
Jalapeno: Prepaid.
Tomato sauce: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Corn: $0.79 ($0.40/person)
Rice: $0.88 ($0.44/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $8.95 ... or $4.49 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes an additional serving for lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Mama’s Vegetable Soup.

2009-09-22T21:25:00.002-04:00

So, yesterday’s meal offered a fond farewell to summer. Today’s dinner offers up a hearty welcome to autumn!

I brought out the good old Crock-Pot for a rendition of my mother’s famed vegetable soup, complete with potatoes from our own Great Country Farms. (As an aside, you’ll be seeing quite a few of these potatoes over the next little while … we have about 20 pounds’ worth!)

I’ve gotta say, it was a pleasure going through the day safe in the knowledge that barring a power failure, dinner would be ready when we got home from work tonight. And sure enough, when I came in the door, the smell of simmering soup greeted me like an old friend. I may talk a good game about my love of summer, but oh, how I love autumnal meals just as much! There’s just something so comforting, so homey, about soup, about the Crock-Pot … it’s a great way to begin settling down for the night.

Anyway, the vegetable soup was ALMOST as good as Mom makes – it was certainly greeted with enthusiasm (and second and third helpings) at our table this evening! Look for this recipe to be a mainstay in the cold-weather repertoire – it’s a go-to that’s healthy, easy, and tasty to boot.

The stats:

Mixed vegetables: $1.67 ($0.84/person)
Vegetable broth: $2.58 ($1.29/person)
Potatoes: Prepaid.

GRAND TOTAL: $4.25 … or $2.13 per person.

:)

BBQ Chik’n, Kebabs, and Potatoes.

2009-09-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

Last night, the last official night of summer, you knew we had to take to the patio for one final cookout of Summer 2009. There simply was no other option. No surprise there.

While our potatoes baked in the oven indoors, fresh from the fields of Great Country Farms, I sliced a zucchini and a yellow squash, skewered them with whole white mushrooms, and put the skewers on the grill to cook awhile. As they heated up, I prepared the chik’n, taking Quorn’s “naked cutlets” and slathering them up good with barbecue sauce before throwing them into the grill as well, ensuring they had nice even grill marks as time went by.

By the time they were finished, the potatoes were also ready to go, and dinner was served! It was a great final meal of a great summer … if I do say so myself! :)

The stats:

Chik’n: $4.99/four ($1.25/person)
BBQ sauce: $1.50 ($0.38/person)
Mushrooms: $2.00 ($1.00/person)
Squash: $2.00 ($0.50/person)
Potatoes: Prepaid.

GRAND TOTAL: $10.49 … or $3.13 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes two additional servings of chik’n for lunches this week. So the per-person price goes down even more!

... and I just had to include this bonus photo of how LeeLee arranged the potato on his plate. Suffice it to say, we were not lacking in the spud department tonight!

:)

How We Spent Our Weekend.

2009-09-21T20:24:00.006-04:00

It was a busy weekend – from football games to bowling league to an 18-mile run to everything in between, we had a great time, but we certainly kept moving! Here’s the culinary evidence:

We kicked things off with a one-two pasta punch -- dining in on Thursday night and dining out on Friday. Thursday's meal was spaghetti and meatballs, served alongside a salad, because when one is training for a marathon, one must have all the carbs one can consume!

Saturday evening was a cookout feast, but … well. Florida State was playing, and the food was eaten in fits and starts between downs. The spread was great – Tofurky Italian sausage, baked beans, squash, stuffed peppers, beer, cheesecake, and on and on – but unfortunately, no photographic evidence remains.

On Sunday morning, we enjoyed a Florida State Victory Brunch of cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, and veggie bacon. Heaven on a plate!

Finally, on Sunday evening I whipped up a quick noodle-and-chik’n dish before dashing off to bowling league. It was evidently well-received – there wasn’t a noodle to be found anywhere after the meal was finished! Always a good sign.

And the stats for two of our four meals:

Spaghetti With Meatballs and Salad.

Pasta sauce: Free (homemade and canned!).
Meatballs: $4.29 ($2.15/person)
Spaghetti: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $9.28 … or $4.65 per person.

Chik’n With Vermicelli and Lima Beans.

Boca chik’n: $3.99/four ($1.00/person)
Pasta Roni: $1.34 ($0.67/person)
Lima beans: $1.00 ($0.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $6.33 … or $2.17 per person.

Enjoy your week!

:)

Ramen With Rotel and a Chik’n Patty and Salad.

2009-09-16T21:26:00.001-04:00

When I picked up the ingredients for this, one of our favorite go-to meals, last night at the grocery store, I really didn’t think I’d be using it so soon! But today was a long, fairly rough day at work, and by the time I got home I knew I didn’t feel like rolling up my sleeves and whipping up a big, complicated dinner. (Instead, after dinner I rolled up my sleeves and got to work on some spaghetti sauce, canning four jars’ worth!)

I was tired. I was hungry. After a 9-mile run this morning, I needed carbs in the worst way. I knew LeeLee would feel the same.

So … here came ramen noodles topped with Rotel (or, in this case, Safeway’s equivalent), served with a Boca chik’n patty and a salad on the side. And it was filling, comforting, and healthy, in spite of the fact that the whole meal took just 10 minutes to make!

Perhaps tomorrow we’ll be back on the culinary-delicacy train. Today, though, we were just as happy to let the noodles do the talking!

The stats:

Boca chik’n: $3.99/four ($1.00/person)
Safeway brand Rotel: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Ramen: $1.75/six ($0.15/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $10.73 … or $3.65 per person.

:)

End of Summer Harvest Soup.

2009-09-15T21:40:00.003-04:00

Ah, fall. I know I spent yesterday’s post maligning the entrance of autumn, what with the cookout season ending and all, but there is an excellent reason we ought to move into a new season after all – the Crock-Pot cometh!

Sure, I’ve been known to pull out the slow cooker in the summer months, but I really get it going in the cooler part of the year. Tonight’s meal blended the bounty of summer with the tastes of fall, and it was great!

I found this recipe over at A Year of Slow-Cooking and knew it had to make a foray into my home before the squash season is over for the year. And it was so good! The house smelled great when I got home this evening, and because LeeLee was running a bit late, the pasta had plenty of time to plump up after I put a couple of handfuls in upon arriving.

I’m sorry that squash season is on its way out – we use it quite a lot in our meals, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. But before it goes fully away, I think I’d like to give this dish a second go-round. I guess I’ll have to hurry!

The stats:

Zucchini: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Yellow squash: $0.75 ($0.38/person)
Tomato sauce: $0.99 ($0.50/person)
Vegetable broth: $2.58 ($1.29/person)
Pasta: $0.99 ($0.25/person)
White beans: $1.50 ($0.38/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $8.31 … or $3.55 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough leftovers for LeeLee to enjoy for lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Veggie Dogs With Squash and Baked Beans.

2009-09-14T22:03:00.002-04:00

My favorite cashier at Safeway, Kendyl, gave me a quizzical look the other day as I stood on the other side of the moving belt, loading groceries onto it from my cart.

“Another cookout?” she asked, raising one eyebrow at me.

I grinned sheepishly. “Yeah.”

“It’s getting too cold!” she said, scanning the veggie dogs and putting them into a bag. “You’re gonna have to have cook-INs soon!”

She may have a point. But LeeLee and I are planning on using up every last iota of grill time before the weather turns completely autumnal or, more severely, wintry. So, tonight, we thumbed our noses at the impending change of the seasons and fired up our trusty little red grill for another go-round.

This particular cookout fare is something you’ve come to expect by now – veggie dogs with fresh farmer’s market squash and baked beans to round out the meal, served with a Red Stripe beer on the side. I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to procure squash from our local markets, so I’m trying to use as much of it as I can in the meantime! And the veggie dogs and beans are, of course, family favorites.

I finished this week’s menu plan over the weekend, and Kendyl is going to be surprised again – TWO cookouts on the way! But when one is staring down the barrel of the autumnal gun, one must do what one must do!

The stats:

Veggie dogs: $3.99/five ($0.80/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Squash: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Baked beans: $1.49 ($0.75/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.97 … or $2.42 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal leaves us with extra veggie dogs and buns for leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Labor Day Weekend (aka Goodbye to Summer).

2009-09-09T20:11:00.008-04:00

I’m reluctant to say a true farewell to summer yet – I want to stretch the season out as long as possible! – but like it or not, Labor Day weekend ushers in the start of autumn (and football season), if not officially, then certainly in spirit. So, what else can we do but go along to get along?

Meal breakdowns will begin again tomorrow, but in the meantime, here’s how we spent our Labor Day weekend.

First, I nearly burned down the back yard with a malfunctioning torch. One moment, things were going as planned; the next, I looked up to find the entire torch in flames, quickly burning up a nearby bush. I got it extinguished eventually, but suffice it to say, I don’t think I’ll be using the torches again anytime soon.

Then, on Saturday, we went to Great Country Farms to pick potatoes and eat pancakes. We harvested about 15 pounds – for $6.50! If we’re lucky, they’ll last until Christmas.

We used the first few potatoes straightaway in a cookout:

And, on Labor Day proper, invited some friends over for some Florida State football … and some chili, salad (they brought a fruit salad which was divine, and LeeLee made a lettuce-based salad to go along as well), and football-snacking food. It all seemed to go down smoothly.

And autumn was brought in properly with … some Guadalajaran quesadillas with Swiss chard. And rice.

Which brings us up to the present. A good, long weekend, leading directly into a nice, short workweek. Can’t beat that!

:)

Taco Pasta With Salad.

2009-09-03T21:01:00.002-04:00

Thursday nights typically mean at least one of us will be coming home late, so I’m always on the lookout for something fairly straightforward to make on the fly, even if it’s 8 p.m. and we’re starving. Tonight, I ended up getting home early and had all the time in the world, but, safe in the knowledge that I’d already chosen a one-pan meal, I used my spare time to make and can six jars of salsa. (I don’t idle well.)

So. Dinner!

A week or so ago, I stumbled upon a Taco Pasta recipe over at $5 Dinners (which is quickly becoming one of my go-to sites for frugal, healthy, and filling – not to mention delicious! – meals), and I knew it would be a perfect Thursday night candidate. It might even get us off our Hamburger Helper habit (which, in fairness, we haven’t fallen prey to in awhile).

I was initially skeptical that our pasta would cook in the pan with everything else, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results! The excess water boiled off as the pasta cooked, and we were left with a wonderful meal that was rich in protein and low in fat. Paired with a side salad, it was a complete dinner that left us both full and satisfied. We’ve given it the thumbs-up, which means we’ll be adding it back into the rotation soon. In the meantime, LeeLee has plenty to take for lunch tomorrow – always a bonus!

The stats:

Ground “beef”: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Fusilli pasta: $0.99 ($0.25/person)
Tomato paste: $0.89 ($0.45/person)
Kidney beans: $0.99 ($0.50/person)
Cheese: $4.59 ($1.15/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $15.44 … or $6.35 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes a good-sized portion for lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Catching Up: Summer Veggies With Angel-Hair Pasta.

2009-09-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

Pasta, to me, is one of the very best ways to mix and meld lots of various flavors. You can add nearly anything to a pasta dish and come up with something that’s pleasing to the palate!

So I knew when I saw this recipe over at – where else? -- $5 Dinners, I knew I was going to have to give it a try.

Truth be told, I’ve made a dish like this before. A friend of ours had LeeLee and me over to dinner years and years ago, way back when, and concocted a very similar dish, which I went on to replicate time and again through my early 20s. But it’s been years since I’ve made it, and I was so glad to stumble onto something like it again!

I’ve gotta say, this particular flavor blend really it the spot. I loved the way the olive oil brought out the more subtle tastes inherent in zucchini, onions, and cherry tomatoes, and I loved the pure summer-ness of this meal. I’ll definitely be making it again before autumn makes its way in!

The stats:
Pasta: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Zucchini: $0.60 ($0.30/person)
Cherry tomatoes: $3.00 ($1.50/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $5.60 … or $2.80 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal made another portion for LeeLee to have for lunch the next day. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

BBQ Chik’n, Squash, and Tater Tots.

2009-09-02T22:33:00.000-04:00

(First things first: I recognize there is no photo today. I got so distracted by pulling everything off the grill that LeeLee and I sat down to eat and cleaned our plates before I exclaimed, “Oh, no! The blog!” Sorry about that!)

This week, the temperatures have been downright autumnal, the air filled with a crispness I haven’t felt since last November. It can mean only one thing: College football season is here!

(I haven’t talked much about my love for football on this blog. But don’t worry – over the next 12 weeks, I’ll make up for lost time! I’ll try to keep it appetizer-related, though. :))

Tonight, we fired up the grill and got to work, deviating from our usual burger-and-dog fare and moving instead toward barbecued chik’n. Great Country Farms sent us a BEAUTIFUL yellow zucchini squash in their most recent CSA shipment, so I sliced it up and put it into two foil packets, topped with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. While the grill fare cooked, the tater tots baked in the oven indoors, and within 30 minutes, dinner was served!

It felt great to eat outside with no humidity and no heat wave. Though Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, we’re going to carry our summer cookout season right on until we’re forced inside by wintry gusts!

The stats:

Chik’n: $4.99/four ($1.25/person)
Squash: Prepaid.
Tater tots: $2.50 ($0.63/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.49 … or $1.88 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes two additional barbecued chik’n servings, as well as additional squash. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Ramen With Rotel, a Chik’n Patty, and Salad.

2009-09-01T18:47:00.002-04:00

Well, we’ve been able to sidestep this meal for the better part of a month now, but once again, Tuesday night madness reigned supreme, and here we found ourselves, two steps between making a takeout run and making something quick and easy here at home instead.

Say what you will about ramen – or Rotel, for that matter. Scoff if you must. But we ate better tonight that we would have if we’d picked up something on the way home … and we did so much cheaper, too.

I’ve extolled the virtues of this dish 1,000 times, so I won’t repeat myself here – too much. :) But I will say that rarely have I found a dinner I can make in less than 10 minutes, spending less than $4 per person, and with a fill-you-up level of at least three hours. This dish fits the bill. And on nights like tonight, it’s a lifesaver!

The stats:

Ramen: $1.25/six ($0.10/person)
Rotel: $1.25 ($0.63/person)
Chik’n patties: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $9.99 … or $3.61 per person.

:)

Tomato-Basil Quiche.

2009-08-27T20:41:00.003-04:00

Tomato-Basil Quiche.

As I’m writing this, two quiches are baking in the oven, and though I haven’t sampled them yet, if they taste as good as they look we’ll be in good shape!

I got this particular recipe from one of my very favorite blogs, $5 Dinners, and was especially interested to use it because of the multitude of tomatoes and fields of basil we’ve got around the house right now. These quiches definitely made a welcome dent in our supply!

And the preparation was a breeze. No vegetables to sauté. No pans to get dirty. Just two pie pans and the filling! I was shocked at how easy it all was to put together.

Now we’ll just have to see how it tastes …

It was very good! It could’ve used more salt, but that’s my fault – we ran out of salt as I was seasoning the quiches and the end result wasn’t a surprise. But LeeLee didn’t seem to mind – between the two of us, the entire pie pan was cleaned out within minutes!

I’ve got the second quiche cooling in the kitchen now; when it’s ready, I’ll put it in the freezer to bring out later. I can’t think of a more efficient meal!

The stats:

Tomatoes: Prepaid.
Basil: FREE from the garden.
Eggs: $2.00/six ($1.00/person)
Pie crust: $4.19/two ($2.10/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Zucchini: $0.60 ($0.30/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.79 … or $3.65 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes two quiches, one of which we’ll freeze for later. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Two-for-One Pizza With Salad.

2009-08-25T21:27:00.001-04:00

I’ve been wanting to give this deal a try all summer, and today, I knew our time was nigh.

I learned a few months ago that Whole Foods Market had launched a “Twofer Tuesday” pizza deal, and ever since I’d been eager to give it a try, to see whether it was all it was cracked up to be. So, tonight, with the cupboards bare of any meal-like concoctions (today is Grocery Day) and our stomachs rumbling with hunger, I decided to give it a whirl.

The initial price to entry is steep $16.99. That’s for two large pizzas, which put my mind at ease a bit. But the proof was in just how far we could stretch those pizzas … and I must say, I was impressed with the results!

I ordered two different kinds – one zucchini-ricotta pizza with lemon basil and one portabella-shallot pizza. Both were a delight – so light and so airy, and so downright summery. LeeLee and I each had three slices for dinner, paired with a Caesar salad from home, and we were stuffed. But we were shocked by how much pizza we had left over!

Let’s see. I packaged two slices apiece for LeeLee and me for tomorrow’s lunches. Then I took the remaining six slices – three from each pie – and divided them into two additional containers for freezing, so we could enjoy them later, on another rushed and hurried night. So that’s six per-person servings for $16.99 – not a bad deal!

I read on our local Whole Foods’ website that they’ll be ending this promotion at the end of August. I hope they reconsider – if Twofer Tuesdays continue, we’ll definitely be back!

The stats:

Two pizzas: $16.99
Caesar salad: FREE (buy-one-get-one-free at Safeway!)

GRAND TOTAL: $16.99 … or $2.83 per serving.

:)

Spicy Bean Cakes With Peach Salsa, Corn, and Green Beans.

2009-08-23T20:54:00.002-04:00

Well, tonight’s meal was a last-minute substitution, necessitated when the cherry tomatoes I thought I had on hand (for lemon-basil pasta, you see) simply weren’t there. So I turned my attention to this meal, which was also on the menu for the week (courtesy of inspiration from $5 Dinners), and promptly began to frown, for I hadn’t half the ingredients and was feeling a bit dejected at my lack of planning!

(Oh, sure, I started the week with these ingredients. But the eggs went toward Saturday’s brunch, the onion went to a Friday night barbecue … the list goes on an on.)

But never fear! A little substitution never hurt anybody! Or, in this case, an omission or two. Or three. But who’s counting.

I found that mixing two cans of black beans, mashed with a potato masher, with half a cup of bread crumbs, a small bell pepper, and some fresh cilantro, spiced up with some cumin and some salt, hid a multitude of culinary sins. So we didn’t have onion. So we didn’t have your standard egg binder. Who cares? These cakes became, well, cakes very quickly, and within 20 minutes they were ready to roll, served with some fresh corn and green beans from Great Country Farms, our CSA!

I will say that the other lucky part of this meal (the first spot of luck being the fact that everything worked out as it should) was that earlier today, my friend Denise and I spent the afternoon canning salsas – one tomato-based and one peach-based. So tonight with dinner, LeeLee and I gave the peach-mint salsa a try with our black bean cakes, and the combination was so good it looked like I planned it that way! That never hurts.

So, in short, we had a great meal, learned a new recipe, and tasted a new canning creation. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday night!

The stats:

Pepper: FREE from the garden!
Black beans (two cans): $1.98 ($0.99/person)
Bread crumbs: $1.69 ($0.14/person)
Cilantro: $1.67 ($0.09/person)
Corn: Prepaid.
Green beans: Prepaid.

GRAND TOTAL: $5.34 ... or $1.22 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough cakes for two servings of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Pepperoni Pizza With Salad.

2009-08-19T20:45:00.002-04:00

This really hit the spot tonight!

We were facing off with midweek chaos this evening, going nose-to-nose with deadlines and new projects and unexpected assignments. Something had to be done. Something quick and easy to prepare. Something filling. Something to give us a break, for goodness’ sake!

A pizza party was the perfect solution!

When I got home from work, I commenced working on the dough, which took me all of 10 minutes to prepare. Then, all I had to do was sit back and relax while the dough rose for 45 minutes – a task I was gladly amenable to! When the dough had risen enough to my liking, I pre-baked it for 10 minutes before topping it with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and veggie pepperoni slices and baking the whole thing for another 15 minutes. While it baked, I tossed a salad and set the table. Fifteen minutes later, dinner was finished!

If I’d been thinking ahead, I would have made the dough last night or over the weekend. That really would’ve made this meal especially quick today. But no matter. We each had enough going on that an hour’s time before dinner was a welcome surprise!

The stats:

Dough: $1.12 ($0.56/person)
Sauce: $1.85 ($0.93/person)
Pepperoni: $4.29 ($2.15/person)
Cheese: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $16.24 … or $8.14 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for a good-sized serving of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Chorizo “Sausage” With Squash and Onion Rings.

2009-08-18T20:36:00.002-04:00

My apologies for the blurriness of this photo! I don't know WHAT went wrong with these tonight.

Tonight was a race against Mother Nature – and I think we ended up in a tie!

I had a couple of squash in the fridge from last week’s CSA shipment that were just this side of overripe, so I knew I couldn’t delay in cooking them. And, of course, what better way to cook squash than to throw it in a foil packet, season the slices with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and toss everything with a little oil before throwing the whole shebang onto the grill?

No better way, right? Right.

So on the squash went, and out LeeLee and I went onto the patio to supervise. Within about five minutes, the gray clouds that were supposed to hold off until 7 p.m. began to roll in at 6 instead, and shortly thereafter, the rain began to fall – huge, thick drops of rain that hit the bricks with thud after thud. LeeLee and I packed up and headed back in, leaving the squash to cook by its lonesome while the onion rings baked inside.

When the squash was nearing its completion, I put the chorizo on to grill, and closer still to dinnertime, I laid the buns on the grate as well. With the rain still coming down, I rushed everything back inside with nothing worse for wear, and dinner was served!

So how was the squash, you might ask, since that really was the impetus behind this whole sordid tale in the first place. Well … not so good, actually. It seems that while I thought the vegetables were “just this side of overripe,” they were actually on the other side of ripeness. They weren’t BAD – they just weren’t GOOD. And that was totally my fault by waiting until today to cook them. I won’t make that mistake again!

But everything else was great. And the meal was finished off with a sweet treat, something else I concocted to make the most of some quickly ripening CSA deliveries:

Peach cobbler.

And unlike the squash, this was PERFECT, if I do say so myself. I can’t wait to try it again. (I used this recipe, if you’d like to give it a try on your own!)

Squash. Peaches. You win some, you lose some!

The stats:

Chorizo: $4.99/four ($1.25/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Squash: Prepaid.
Onion rings: $2.99 ($0.75/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $8.97 … or $2.12 per person.

:)

Eggplant Penne With Salad.

2009-08-13T21:28:00.001-04:00

Oh, I needed some carbs today. After running 10 miles before work this morning, I was craving them, in fact.

But I didn’t want just any carbs. No, they needed to pack a nutritional punch, as well, providing a little bang for my buck. So by the time I got home from work, I knew just what I was going to make: An eggplant penne meal I’d seen written about over at $5 Dinners.

Eggplant? Pasta? Fresh salad greens and tomatoes from the CSA, delivered to my doorstep just this afternoon? It doesn’t get much better than this!

I was surprised at how easy this recipe was to make – but, then, I’ve made enough $5 Dinner recipes by now that I shouldn’t have been so shocked. Erin does a great job of whipping up fantastic meals for a fraction of what you think they’d cost, both financially and time-wise. So when everything came together perfectly at the end, with minimal prep work in advance, I should have known … but I was still pleasantly surprised!

Anyway, in short, this dish was a hit. LeeLee and I both loved it, and my body was very grateful for the shot of carbohydrates. We’ll definitely be making it again!

The stats:

Eggplant: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Penne pasta: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Parsley: FREE from garden!
Basil: FREE from garden!
Crushed tomatoes: $1.45 ($0.73/person)
Cheese: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Lettuce: Prepaid.
Tomatoes: Prepaid.
Garbanzo beans: Free (my mother had extra cans and gave us some!).

GRAND TOTAL: $6.45 … or $3.23 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough leftovers for a hearty lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Sloppy Joes and Tater Tots.

2009-08-12T20:30:00.002-04:00

Every so often, you just crave a sloppy Joe!

Tonight was one of those nights at Chez Recessionista. We have a full cupboard for the first time in a week and a half – just looking in the cabinets or in the fridge makes my heart swell with joy – and plenty of hamburger buns for upcoming cookouts. An easy way to make sure we use them all is to make a few sloppy Joes ahead of our grilling fiestas!

I pulled some leftover tater tots out of the freezer to accompany the main course, and we happily munched away. The poor dinner never had a chance. :)

And the best part? There’s plenty of Joe mix left over for LeeLee’s lunch tomorrow!

… And the BEST best part? This, from the bread man at the Wednesday afternoon farmer’s market:

A summertime feast, indeed.

The stats:

Hamburger buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Ground “beef”: $4.69 ($2.35/person)
Pizza sauce: $1.39 ($0.70/person)
Mushrooms: $2.95 ($1.48/person)
Tater tots: $1.99 ($0.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $12.01 … or $5.15 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes additional servings for leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Ramen With Rotel and Salad.

2009-08-11T20:40:00.002-04:00

On the last night before I went to the grocery store (post-vacation, remember), I dug deep in the cupboards and came up with another household favorite – one that, I’m a little sorry to say, we’ve been turning to a bit too frequently as of late! But on a night when there’s nary a drop of food in the house, some ramen, a can of Rotel, and a Boca chik’n patty prove to be a delicacy indeed.

As always, I feel as though it’s redeemed a bit by the side salad. And frankly, I don’t feel like ramen (sans flavor packet, remember) paired with tomatoes and green chiles is THAT bad of a meal, especially when topped with some chik’n! But we’ve relied on it a bit too much lately, and that has to stop. So I’ll take it out of the rotation for a couple of weeks and see what we can come up with in the meantime. I bet I can think of SOMETHING. :)

In the meantime, though, I did love our swan song!

The stats:

Ramen noodles: $1.25/six ($0.10/person)
Rotel: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Boca chik’n patties: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $10.43 … or $3.83 per person.

:)

Old Faithful With Salad.

2009-08-10T18:32:00.002-04:00

We’re back from our summer vacation rested, relaxed, and ready to go!

But … we have no food in the house. Which can only mean one thing.

Old Faithful to the rescue once more!

Black beans and rice is always a great go-to meal to get us back on track. After nearly a week of eating vacation-style – that is, not quite as sensibly as we’re accustomed to – LeeLee and I needed a dinner like this one to get us moving toward the straight and narrow again. And our budgets could use the diet, too!

So, beginning today we’re back in the game, and Chez Recessionista is back in business!

The stats:

Black beans: $1.25 ($0.63/person)
Rice: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Boca chik’n patty: $3.50 ($0.88/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $11.24 … or $4.76 per person.

:)

Pasta Primavera With Salad.

2009-07-30T20:41:00.002-04:00

Now THIS was a great meal!

When I saw this recipe over at $5 Dinners, I knew it would fit in beautifully with my weekly menu plans. While most of our veggies aren’t grown in our home garden – yet! – we get a ton of great stuff from Great Country Farms each week, and I just knew that whatever we got would be suitable for primavera.

Let me fess up: This dish was supposed to have yellow squash in it, too. But as I was carrying the squash to the cutting board after washing it, it slipped out of my hand and bounced along the kitchen floor. Now, I like to think my floors are clean. But to eat off them? I wasn’t so sure. So into the trash it went, reluctantly, and on I went with my cooking.

This was a great one-pot dish – it came together beautifully, and the steps were well-articulated and easy to manage. But the real test is, of course, what happens when the dish makes it to the dinner table. The verdict?

Success!

LeeLee and I both had two helpings, leaving enough for another serving for LeeLee’s lunch tomorrow. We’ll definitely be making this one again!

The stats:

Rotini pasta: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Chik’n “breasts”: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Green beans: Prepaid.
Grape tomatoes: $3.00 ($0.30/person)
Milk: $2.09 ($0.52/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $14.08 … or $4.45 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes an additional meal for lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Spinach Salad.

2009-07-29T20:16:00.004-04:00

For many years now, I haven’t really turned to salads as main-course dinner fare. For lunch? Sure. But dinners always required something more substantial, especially after LeeLee and I turned vegetarian in 2001 and said goodbye to chicken salad, tuna salad, and the like, all of which had been mainstays on the dinner table.

If you’ve been hanging around Chez Recessionista for long, you’ve seen me write about this spinach salad several times before. I found this recipe over at $5 Dinners, and it’s become an instant favorite. It’s so tasty, so easy – and filling!

I put the eggs on to boil and went about cleaning the house until they’d finished and had time to cool. When LeeLee called to say he was on his way home, I put the spinach on our plates, turned the “bacon” strips on in the microwave, and began sautéing the onions. While they cooked, I made my homemade dressing (mayonnaise, olive oil, and lemon juice, spiced up with salt, pepper, and fresh dill from the garden), and by the time LeeLee walked in the door, the onions had turned a pretty translucent color and dinner was ready!

Within about 10 minutes, the plates were clean, without even one scrap of spinach left – a sure sign of success. And LeeLee even did the dishes. I’ll take it!

The stats:

Eggs: $2.75/dozen ($0.46/person)
Bacon: $3.39 ($0.85/person)
Spinach: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Mushrooms: $1.99 ($0.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $11.12 … or $3.06 per person.

:)

Lemon-Basil Pasta With Salad.

2009-07-28T21:00:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, the garden surprises you. Last year, our herb garden soared with success – except for the basil, which wilted and fell apart by mid-summer, barely yielding a single leaf. This year, however, our basil has clearly made up for lost time – it’s growing faster than we can use it! Not that we’re complaining, of course. We can always find something to do with our garden’s bounty.

Tonight we enjoyed one of my favorite meals – LeeLee’s Lemon Basil Pasta. It’s such a summertime dish, so light and bright. And the best part? Every ingredient except for the penne (and the side salad) was locally grown! Some ingredients, like the basil, were grown SO locally that it only took about five steps to procure them. The others were snapped up at the farmer’s market last Saturday. There’s just something about farm-fresh food that’s extra-tasty – tonight’s meal was a treat!

The stats:

Lemon: $0.50 ($0.25/person)
Basil: FREE from the garden!
Penne: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Cherry tomatoes: $3.00 ($1.50/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $8.49 … or $4.25 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes two additional servings for leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Old Faithful With Salad.

2009-07-27T21:24:00.002-04:00

Ah, Old Faithful, how I’ve missed ye!

You knew we couldn’t go long at Chez Recessionista without trotting Old Faithful back out for another go-round. Tonight was just another one of Those Nights – when LeeLee was running a bit late at work and I wasn’t in the mood to make a big ornate meal. Thankfully, I didn’t have to!

That’s when Old Faithful really comes through, to be honest; when we’re befallen by a case of the Mondays, when the weather is so summery-hot that the thought of heating up the kitchen with a lot of pots and pans and oven work seems like the exact wrong thing to do, that’s when Old Faithful shines.

So here’s to you, Old Faithful. You never let us down.

The stats:

Black beans: $0.89 ($0.45/person)
Rice: $2.19 ($1.10/person)
Chik’n patty: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $10.57 … or $4.43 per person.

:)

Veggie Burgers With Corn and Parslied Potatoes.

2009-07-26T20:57:00.002-04:00

If it’s Sunday, it’s Cookout Night at Chez Recessionista. So tonight, we tempted the rain for the second time this weekend and … WON! Well, this time, anyway. And that’s good enough for us.

This is one of the very easiest meals I make on the grill. I wrap each ear of corn into an individual foil packet with some butter, salt, and pepper, and let them cook until the potatoes have boiled through inside (usually about 30 minutes from the time I put the pot on the stove). About 10 minutes out from serving time, I put a couple of Morningstar Farms Grillers over the coals and, about one minute out, I pull the corn off and toss a couple of buns on. A mere 60 seconds later, voila! Dinner is served.

Tonight’s meal also featured one of the last homebrewed Wiezenbiers we’ve got around the house, as well as the debut of the cucumbers I pickled a month ago. Lo and behold, they’re actual PICKLES now! Will wonders never cease?

I hope you’ve all enjoyed your weekend as much as I have!

The stats:

Veggie burgers: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Corn: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Tomato: $0.75 ($0.38/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Potatoes: $3.00 ($1.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $10.24 … or $3.63 per person.

:)

Veggie Dogs With Squash and Tater Tots.

2009-07-25T11:17:00.002-04:00

Nothing says a summery Friday night like a cookout, right?

After having been out of town for a little while, it was nice to just sit down with LeeLee on a Friday night and enjoy an evening on the patio. The stormy weather that had been threatening all afternoon let up, so we fired up the grill and started cooking!

The veggie dogs were a hit, as always, and the squash was farm-fresh, which is always a treat for the taste buds. And, of course, tater tots are always a fan favorite. Paired up with some homebrewed beer, it was a meal that couldn’t be beat!

The stats:

Veggie dogs: $4.79/eight ($0.60/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Squash: Prepaid.
Tater tots: $3.00 ($0.75/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $8.78 … or $1.47 per person.
BUT WAIT! There are plenty of dogs and buns left over for additional meals. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Cabbage Quesadillas With Rice and Salad.

2009-07-23T21:16:00.003-04:00

OK, OK. So I know “cabbage” and “quesadillas” don’t usually go together. I never would have thought of it myself, either … until I got home and realized that my Swiss chard was past the point of no return and simply couldn’t be used in good conscience.

And that’s when my eyes turned to today’s delivery from our CSA, Great Country Farms. And THAT is when I saw a perfect head of cabbage, sitting on the table, just waiting to go into the refrigerator.

Poor old cabbage – it never made it that far!

Necessity is the mother of all invention, and in this case the invention paid off. I substituted the cabbage for the Swiss chard in this Vegetarian Times recipe for Guadalajaran quesadillas, and the end result was great! In fact, it was so great that I’ll be using it again, especially when I’ve got more cabbage than I know what to do with. Forget substitutions – this quesadilla stands on its own!

The stats:

Tortillas: $2.29/ten ($0.46/person)
Cabbage: Prepaid.
Cheese: $2.99 ($1.50/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Rice: $2.19 ($1.10/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $12.46 … or $5.31 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes an additional quesadilla for lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Ramen With Rotel, a Chik’n Patty, and Salad.

2009-07-22T22:20:00.002-04:00

Well, hello!

I feel like lately all I’ve been doing on this blog is apologizing for my absences. Truthfully, I’ve been in and out of town – visiting family in Florida, spending long lazy weekends out on the patio or on some of the DC area’s best trails – and thus haven’t been cooking at home as much as I’d like. Or, if I do, I run out of time to blog about it. (Speaking of, please humor some “Catching Up” posts later in the week!) The summer is like that, I suppose. Right now, we’re just going with the flow.

Tonight was my first meal at home in a full week – in the meantime, I was treated to my mother’s famous lunches and my father’s famous big breakfasts, so I really can’t complain. :) Groceries were few and far between at the house tonight, so I swung by the grocery store to pick up the makings for one of my standby meals. It was just as good as always!

The stats:

Ramen: $1.25/six ($0.10/person)
Rotel: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Boca chik’n patties: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $10.43 … or $3.83 per person.

:)

Gumbo and Rice.

2009-07-15T21:13:00.002-04:00

Now this is a meal I hadn’t had in awhile!

Usually, I make my gumbo with chik’n. But today, I was still in a chorizo mood after yesterday’s quesadilla fiesta, so I added some veggie sausage instead. It was so good! I really loved the flavors, as well as our New Orleans spice blend, put to its inaugural test today.

Gumbo is a meal I grew up with, and it never disappoints. And the best part is that we’ve got more for leftovers tomorrow!

The stats:

Chorizo: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Mixed vegetables: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Vegetable broth: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Okra: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Diced tomatoes: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Rice: $2.19 ($1.10/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $15.86 … or $7.95 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes at least one additional portion for leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Chorizo Quesadillas and Rice.

2009-07-14T20:39:00.001-04:00

Tonight’s meal was supposed to be Guadalajaran quesadillas with beet greens. But I was missing several ingredients – most importantly the tequila that the greens sautee in! – and the car is in the shop, which makes it nearly impossible to pick up additional supplies. (I mean, I could; I cycle quite a lot. But who wants to bike to the liquor store, for crying out loud, after walking half an hour home?)

The Safeway was much closer, and hence, chorizo quesadillas it was. And I’ve gotta say – through improvisation comes excitement! These were great.

In another random turn of events, I deemed our beloved quesadilla maker unfit for labor tonight; even though I cleaned it well and proper after our last fiesta, it was still not tidy enough for my liking and I wasn’t in the mood to give it the deep cleaning it so deserves. (Remember: Car in shop. Repairs equal bills. Bills equal sadness in Chez Recessionista.) So I brought out the frying pan and heated the tortillas that way instead. They turned out great! In fact, I dare say this is a much easier, faster, and definitely tidier way of making quesadillas.

So, in short, a great meal. And not to worry about those beet greens – you’ll see them again tomorrow, cooked into a Cajun classic!

The stats:

Tortillas: $2.29/ten ($0.46/person)
Cheese: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Chorizo: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Jalapeno: FREE from the garden!
Refried beans: $1.59 ($0.80/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $9.88 … or $3.39 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes an additional quesadilla for lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

BBQ Chicken and Cornbread With Salad.

2009-07-08T20:56:00.003-04:00

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: There is absolutely nothing better than coming home to a house that is already fragrant with dinner. Oh, God bless the Crock-Pot!

I made this BBQ Chicken and Cornbread dish, which is quickly becoming a favorite here at Chez Recessionista, before work this morning and set it to low before leaving the house. By the time I got home some nine hours later, the aroma of barbecue filled the air and the barbecue’s cornbread topping had puffed up to perfection. Served with a salad, it was a great dinner!

The stats:

Barbecue chik’n: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Jiffy cornbread mix: $1.18 ($0.59/person)
Eggs: $4.00/dozen ($0.33/person)
Sweet potato: $0.93 ($0.47/person)
Corn: $0.78 ($0.39/person)
Barbecue sauce: $0.99 ($0.50/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $13.86 … or $5.28 per person.

:)

Veggie Dogs With Corn, Beets, and Baked Beans.

2009-07-07T22:31:00.001-04:00

The cool yet summery weather beckoned me back outside tonight, and I couldn’t resist lighting up the grill and popping open a beer for a little cookout. On tonight’s menu were some fresh ears of corn, some beets from our CSA, enough veggie dogs to feed an army, and some baked beans simmering inside.

I think I still need to get the hang of beets. I haven’t had much experience with them over the years, and it surely shows whenever they end up in my CSA box or at the farmer’s market! Tonight’s stint of grilled beets turned out OK, but just OK – I followed some suggestions I found online and put them into a foil packet peeled and whole, and they came out pretty tough. I think next time I’ll slice them into rounds and see if that makes them more tender. Does anyone have any suggestions?

At any rate, the meal was a summer delight. It’s so nice to dine outside several times a week – there’s nothing like fresh air!

The stats:

Veggie dogs: $3.50/eight ($0.44/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Corn: $0.50 ($0.25/person)
Beets: Prepaid!
Baked beans: $2.00 ($1.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $6.99 … or $1.81 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough for several rounds of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Hamburger Helper With Salad.

2009-07-06T20:47:00.001-04:00

Well, this is turning out to be a week of comfort foods! I didn’t intend for the menu plan to be this way, but I confess that I’m not complaining, either. :)

We hadn’t had Hamburger Helper (well, Safeway’s equivalent, anyway) in quite some time, but some nights it just makes sense to throw something quick and easy together, pair it with a salad, and call it a day. Of course, I’m not trying to relegate Hamburger Helper just to the quick-and-easy category; I happen to like it, too! And I’m a firm believer that, when integrated into a balance diet, it’s not devoid of nutrition or sending us on the road to wreck and ruin.

The salad made me feel a little better about that, too.

Anyway, the next couple of meals I’ve got planned will, I hope, tilt the balance back a little bit from prepackaged foods. But in the meantime, we’re relishing our foray into the Comfort Foods of The Week!

The stats:

Hamburger Helper: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Ground “beef”: $4.99 ($2.50/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $10.97 … or $5.50 per person.

:)

Ramen With Rotel and Salad.

2009-07-05T22:17:00.003-04:00

Some days, you’re just too tired to spend much time in the kitchen. Today, after a lazy afternoon at the ballpark (watching the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves – a conflicted afternoon indeed for a Southerner like myself), I arrived back home with not one iota of desire to cook a big fancy meal.

Thank goodness for ramen and Rotel! It comes through for me every time.

This really has become one of my favorite go-to meals these days, as I’m sure you can tell if you’ve been around here for very long. I know that if time is tight or the spirit is weak, I can whip this meal up in 10 minutes flat with very little prep work. Tonight I went the extra mile and put together a premade bag of salad. Julia Child might’ve frowned on it in her heyday, but sometimes, one must do what one must do! And I like to think that even my beloved Julia wasn’t above busting out the ramen-in-the-microwave trick every once in awhile, when she got into a pinch. A girl can dream, can’t she?

The stats:

Ramen: $1.25/six ($0.10/person)
Rotel: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Chik’n patties: $4.99/four ($1.25/person)
Salad: $3.99 ($2.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $11.92 … or $4.20 per person.

:)

Independence Weekend Grilling.

2009-07-05T22:09:00.002-04:00

This weekend, in preparation for Independence Day, we lit up the grill twice – the first time serving LeeLee, me, and a couple of friends who happened to drop by to say hello at a very opportune time, and the second time just for the two of us. Both meals turned out well – there weren’t any leftovers, which is always a good sign!

On Thursday evening, I put some Brussels sprouts and broccoli on the grill to bake in foil packets while I boiled some new potatoes indoors. Closer to serving time, I threw the veggie burgers on, and just before they were ready, I toasted the hamburger buns until they were just beginning to brown. You’ve got to be careful with toasting bread on the grill – one minute too long and you’ve got charcoal!

This was the first time I’d grilled broccoli, and it worked out well. The stems became much more pliable, and the green tops were tender but not weak. I’ll definitely give it another go!

Then, on Friday, we lit the grill up again for some chik’n patties, accompanied by zucchini procured at the Wednesday farmer’s market (again, baked in a foil packet). The onion rings were a decadent little treat as they baked indoors, and they went with the rest of the meal beautifully.

But the most decadent part of the meal was the vanilla soy ice cream we ate for dessert, topped with homemade strawberry preserves. Talk about sugar shock! But every sugary spoonful went down so smoothly, evoking memories of childhood summers and Independence Day weekends gone by. There’s just nothing more American than strawberries and vanilla ice cream!

Saturday night was spent sitting atop a hill at the Marine Corps War Memorial with some friends, picnicking and game-playing in anticipation of the fireworks that surely did not disappoint. No pictures, no stats, but a good time nonetheless!

I hope everyone had as much fun this weekend as I did! Here’s to a great week ahead.

Now, the stats:

Veggie Burgers With Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, and Parslied Potatoes.

Veggie burgers: $2.99/four ($0.75/person)
Brussels sprouts: $2.50 ($0.63/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Red potatoes: $2.00 ($0.50/person)
Broccoli: Prepaid!

GRAND TOTAL: $8.48 … or $2.00 per person.

Chik’n Patties With Zucchini and Onion Rings.

Chik’n patties: $4.99/four ($1.25/person)
Zucchini: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Onion rings: $3.69 ($0.92/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $12.17 … or $3.54 per person.

:)

New Project No. 3: Gardening.

2009-07-01T20:09:00.004-04:00

This year, I’ve had a longtime dream realized, and it’s making my heart sing with joy.

A few weeks ago, I was plucked from the waiting list and given my very own plot in our neighborhood’s very own community gardens. To say I am elated is a gross understatement of my excitement about this. Given the shade and space constraints at Chez Recessionista, I’ve only been able to grow vegetables in containers for the last few years, which has yielded suboptimal crops.

This year, though … well. Look out!

We moved in to our plot right away (actually, we were so excited that we walked down to the gardens the very evening we learned we’d made the cut and began to work!), and already it is proving to be a thrill. We’ve got eight tomato plants of different varieties, four bell pepper plants, three cucumbers, and three zucchinis. We’ve also got a little additional box for flowers – to dress up the place, you know.

I just don’t know what to do with all this sunlight and free dirt. It’s a dream come true for a wannabe gardener like me! Already we’ve met some of our gardening neighbors, and they’ve really enhanced the “community” aspect for us.

So, as with my other recent projects, this is great fun. But is it frugal?

Absolutely!

This time I don’t have to make much of an argument at all for the recessionista nature of this project. Look at the numbers and see for yourself:

Four Rutgers tomato plants: $2.50/four
Four Big Bertha pepper plants: $2.50/four
Four Roma tomato plants: FREE (given to me by a neighboring gardener who had extras)
Three cucumber plants: $2.50/three
Three zucchini plants: $2.50/three
Four butterfly garden plants for the flowerbox: $20/four (and they’re perennial!)
Cages: FREE from leftover supplies
Yearly dues: $25 OR a plant for the community flowerbeds.

GRAND TOTAL: $55.

… and that’s that. If my tomatoes behave as I hope/fear they might, we’ll not have to buy tomatoes again for about the next 25 years. :) Same with the zucchini! And we’ll be in stock of cucumbers and peppers, too, for the remainder of the summer. Even longer when I send them through the canner!

Anyway, do expect some updates from the garden as the season progresses. We’ve already come a long way from here:

The garden today:

:)

Blackened Chik’n With Red Beans and Collards.

2009-06-30T21:17:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, you just need to get back to your roots a little bit. And for us here at Chez Recessionista, that means digging deep and going Cajun.

We’re from Florida, not Louisiana, but Cajun roots stretch far and wide in the South. I grew up eating blackened grouper and crawfish and the occasional beignet, and oh, how I love that cuisine. I think LeeLee and I would both agree that we’ve left a big piece of our heart in NOLA, and we’re happy any time we can channel even a portion of our favorite city here in the D.C. area.

Tonight’s meal did not disappoint! LeeLee blackened the chik’n with pizzazz, and the farm-fresh collards popped with flavor. The red beans did a great job of filling out our meal and giving us a good old Southern experience here in an area that pretends it’s not below the Mason-Dixon line. Served alongside the last of our latest batch of homebrewed beer, it was a meal that couldn’t be beat!

The stats:

Quorn chik’n: $4.99/four ($1.25/person)
Red beans: $0.89 ($0.45/person)
Collards: Prepaid!

GRAND TOTAL: $5.88 … or $1.70 per person.

:)

BBQ Chik’n Pizza With Salad.

2009-06-29T19:11:00.001-04:00

I was intrigued by this pizza recipe the instant I saw it and knew it would be a good diversion from our usual Italian-style pizzas. When I was a teenager, my friend Christy always made a superb barbecue chicken pizza – she was the cook, I was the taste-tester – and I really hadn’t had one since then. Tonight seemed like as good a night as any, so when I got home from work, I pulled the homemade pizza crust out of the refrigerator (I made it yesterday in preparation for today) and got to work.

The preparation was so easy – I almost felt badly calling this a homemade meal, so little preparation work did this require! And after 20 minutes or so from end to end, the final result was ready for the tasting.

It’s a naturally cheeseless recipe, and I didn’t miss the dairy a bit. But I did find that the barbecue sauce made the crust a little chewier than usual – something I’ll have no problem rectifying the next time around. All in all, it was a good pizza – not my best, I’ll admit, but that had nothing to do with the recipe itself. And it’s definitely one I’ll try again!

The stats:

Chik’n strips: $3.49 ($1.75/person)
BBQ sauce: $1.85 ($0.93/person)
Pizza crust: $1.12 ($0.56/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $6.46 … or $3.24 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes at least one additional meal’s worth of leftovers. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Spinach Salad With Bread.

2009-06-28T21:21:00.003-04:00

Oh, yes. Now THIS is a dinner salad.

For reasons I can’t quite explain, I’ve sorta moved away from the dinner salad concept over the years. I grew up eating them nearly every summer in nearly every variety – tuna salad with pasta shells, rotisserie-chicken salad on bed of fresh greens, big bowls of fruit salad that were teeming with colors and sweetness. But as time has gone by, I’ve just not given the summer salad the respect it deserves.

Tonight’s spinach salad changed all that.

I dare say that this will soon become one of the mainstays of our summer months. It’s hearty enough to serve as a whole meal, and it includes a variety of nutrients so I know we’re getting a decent health profile with dinner. Oh, and it’s tasty, too. And pretty easy to fix.

And believe you me, tonight was a night that required re-entry onto the health wagon. After the weekend we’ve had, filled with barbecues and rich Indian food (separate occasions, I can assure you :)), we needed to get back onto the nutritional straight-and-narrow. This spinach salad did the trick!

But LeeLee’s homemade salsa for last night’s cookout at a friend’s house was no slouch, either:

The stats:

Eggs: $4.00/dozen ($0.67/person)
“Bacon”: $3.39 ($0.85/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Mushrooms: $1.99 ($0.50/person)
Baby spinach: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Rolls: $3.50/dozen ($0.58/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $15.87 … or $3.85 per person.

:)

Chik’n Tetrazzini With Salad and Rolls.

2009-06-25T21:53:00.001-04:00

So often, I’m at a loss as to what to do with the Crock-Pot during the summer months. In fact, I’ll confess here and now that many summers, the slow cooker doesn’t even see the light of day, bless its heart, so averse am I to soups and stews and other Crock-Potterly edibles. But then I stumbled onto a new (to me) blog – A Year of Slow-Cooking. And my world is changing!

A recipe that Stephanie wrote about the other day caught my eye – Turkey Tetrazzini – and I knew I had to give it a try (with vegetarian substitutes, of course). Thursday nights can get hectic, what with crazy work hours and nearly end-of-week responsibilities, so I figured this would be the perfect night to give the tetrazzini a whirl!

And whirl it did. It took me all of 20 minutes to prepare the Crock-Pot this morning, and another 2 minutes’ worth of work (20 minutes of cook time) to prepare the spaghetti tonight. And this meal was worth every moment! What a fantastic dish. I loved the creaminess of the sauce and the way each component mingled together, from our Quorn chik’n to the chopped artichoke hearts to the peas. This is definitely a meal I’ll be making again – what a find! Thanks, Stephanie, for the recipe!

No stats today, but I just made my weekly run to the grocery store tonight so I’ll be back on track tomorrow. Thanks so much for your patience this week!

:)

Catching Up: Old Faithful, “Pork” and Beans, and a Sweet Surprise.

2009-06-25T21:46:00.004-04:00

Well, I suppose now that we’re coming up on another weekend, I ought to catch y’all up on the last one! :) I really am sorry it took me so long! I promise to behave better.

Last Friday, we had a date to see “Star Trek” on one of our local IMAX screens, so we had no time to waste! Old Faithful came to the rescue, as usual, and as usual it was a hit. Fast, easy, healthy, and tasty – a winning combination!

On Saturday, we hosted a little dinner get-together, and I so regret not taking any photos! The fun of the evening just carried me away, and by the time I thought to take a picture of our stuffed bell peppers, salad, bread, and dessert, only coffee and conversation remained.

Sunday brought with it an old-school favorite – pork and beans! After a day of traveling around the area, seeing sights we hadn’t seen before, LeeLee and I returned home exhausted – but hungry. I chopped up some veggie dogs, warmed them with some baked beans, and blanched some broccoli on the side for a comfort-food meal:

Oh, and the sweet surprise? My dear friend RayRay and I have a little homemade-goodies pipeline going, whereby we keep each other supplied with all sorts of tasty treats. In exchange for a bottle of my homebrewed beer, RayRay delivered some homemade yogurt and granola, which we promptly dug into Sunday night. Oh, how wonderful it is! I could eat it like ice cream. Thank you, RayRay!

So, all in all, a great weekend of good eatin’. And this weekend, I’ll be sure to record our fare as it happens so I don’t have to fess up a week later!

:)

Coconut Curry With Tempeh and Naan.

2009-06-23T21:38:00.002-04:00

First of all, I apologize for my absence over these last few days. We had a weekend full of entertaining dinner guests, spending time with old friends, and racing in four-mile runs, and I confess I’m running a bit behind as a result! But I’m back on track now … mostly.

I say “mostly” because I’m afraid that in the hubbub I’ve lost something very important to the state of this blog – my weekly grocery receipt! So this week will be a little bit different here at Chez Recessionista. Instead of meal breakdowns at the end of every post, I’ll be omitting them in the hopes that you’ll understand and forgive this momentary lapse. :)

So. Let’s get down to it.

Tonight I gave a new recipe a try -- coconut curry with tempeh! I’d never made a curry before, and I was pretty intimidated at the prospect, but in the end I didn’t have any problems at all. In fact, I found this to be one of the easiest meals I’ve cooked in quite awhile (save for Old Faithful, of course), and it certainly looks like it takes much longer than 15 minutes on the stovetop. :)

We gave Tofurky’s Coconut Curry Tempeh a try tonight for the first time, and it was a delight! It fit in beautifully with the flavor of the rest of the dish, mingling its marinade in with the coconut milk perfectly. The Roma tomatoes were great, the spring onions fresh from our CSA were pungently tasty, and the basil from the garden was the perfect finishing touch. We’ll definitely be making this one again!

No stats today, because of that unfortunate receipt-losing experience. If I find it (and I haven’t given up hope yet!), I’ll be sure to update this post with the results!

:)

New Project No. 2: Baking.

2009-06-18T22:20:00.004-04:00

Bread, rising.

I’ve always loved to bake. As a child, I loved to bake sweets. As a teen, I got into the habit of baking those Amish Friendship Breads (you know, the ones with the million starters that always seemed to end up in my freezer). As a college student, I was given a pizza dough recipe by a friend of mine, and it instantly became my favorite (in fact, it’s still the one I use today).

But recently, I received a new recipe from another friend of mine (she found it on one of the sites I’ve linked to on the right), and it has launched me into a new and exciting world: Bread-making.

There’s just something so rustic, so self-reliant, about baking bread. I knew I had to give it a go right away. So on my next trip to Safeway, I picked up some extra flour and some new yeast and got started.

Some bread recipes can be a bear to make the first few times – so many ingredients, so many rises, so many steps in between. But this English Muffin Bread is no-knead and contains only a very few ingredients, all of which are easy to keep on hand. It took me about 10 minutes’ worth of work to measure and mix everything together before letting the two pans of dough rise in their pans for an hour, and after another half-hour of baking, I had two fresh loaves waiting for me!

I dug into the first one right away, using it for my sandwiches all that week. The second one I put immediately in the freezer (homemade bread doesn’t keep as well as store-bought, so if you’re not going to be using it straightaway, it’s best to freeze for the time being). This week, as I began to select my lunches for work, I pulled the bread back out and placed it in the fridge to thaw – I’d say it’s even better after having been frozen for a few days!

(And yes, I topped the bread with peanut butter and my homemade jam! :))

So, it’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s tasty. But is it frugal? Let’s see.

Flour: $1.99/bag ($0.50/loaf)
Yeast: $2.49/three ($0.83/loaf)

GRAND TOTAL: $4.49 … or $1.33 per loaf.

Now, you can’t beat that! If I’m VERY lucky I can get a loaf at Safeway for $1.00, but it’s usually at least $1.50. And lower-quality, too!

So I think I’m going to keep up the bread-making habit. Since this recipe yields two loaves, I only have to bake them once every two weeks to keep my lunches moving along. It’s a very small commitment for a tasty payoff!

(And thank you, RayRay, for turning me on to this recipe in the first place!)

:)

Veggie Burgers, Baby Squash, and Baked Potatoes.

2009-06-17T22:43:00.002-04:00

When the clouds are heavy with wannabe rain and the middle of the week is weighing on your shoulders, it’s time for a cookout!

Some baby yellow squash from the Wednesday afternoon farmer’s market made the decision easy. During the spring and summer, we always keep veggie burgers and veggie dogs on hand for an impromptu cookout (as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now!), but the squash that graced the market today for the first time this season really pushed my menu over the edge. And it tasted great – so fresh and firm!

We’re blessed to have so many farmer’s markets to choose from in the DC area, and the Wednesday afternoon market in Alexandria is a little-known gem. As the season progresses, more and more vendors – and vegetables! – are showing up, which makes every trip a surprise. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for me next week!

The stats:

Burgers: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Potatoes: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Squash: $2.50 ($1.25/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $8.49 … or $3.00 per person.

:)

Swiss Chard Quesadillas With Refried Beans.

2009-06-16T20:53:00.001-04:00

Now THIS meal is a keeper!

I stumbled across this recipe a week or two ago, and lo and behold, just after I found it, here came some Swiss chard in our latest CSA delivery! As it happens, we also had some leftover tequila from a cocktail party a few weeks ago, and so a meal was born.

This meal has several steps, but they’re all so easy to accomplish. From sautéing the onion to throwing the tequila in the pan to letting the chard get good and wilty, it’s an easy meal! And our quesadilla maker really gets the job done in the end – it got the tortillas nice and toasted in perfect fashion!

We served the quesadillas with refried beans, and each had a glass of homebrew beer on the side. It was a great, easy summertime meal, and I know we’ll be making it again! In fact, now that our chard is maturing out in the backyard garden plot, we may be making it sooner rather than later. Stay tuned!

The stats:

Swiss chard: Prepaid (CSA).
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Green chiles: $0.99 ($0.50/person)
Tortillas: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
White cheddar cheese: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Refried beans: $1.59 ($0.80/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $7.56 … or $3.55 per person.

:)

Sloppy Joes, Lima Beans, and Tater Tots.

2009-06-15T19:09:00.002-04:00

I do love a sloppy Joe!

This is another of those meals that nourishes the body but can be made within 15 minutes, from refrigerator to table. Without the tater tots, it could be made even quicker, but we had the luxury of a little extra time tonight and, so, tater tots it was.

Everything turned just as I’d hoped it would. The sauce melded with the ground “beef” and mushrooms very well, the lima beans packed a nice boost with their sweet, mellow flavor, and the tater tots were a fun, carby side item. And now we’re all filled up just in time to go relax with some friends, whiling away another Monday night!

The stats:

Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Ground “beef”: $4.69 ($2.35/person)
Pizza sauce: $1.85 ($0.93/person)
Mushrooms: $2.95 ($1.48/person)
Lima beans: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Tater tots: $3.69 ($0.92/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $15.17 … or $6.30 per person.

:)

Beer Brats With Asparagus and Onion Rings.

2009-06-14T22:09:00.005-04:00

If it’s Sunday …

Well. You know.

So, on the grill tonight were beer brats from Tofurky and asparagus from this week’s CSA delivery. The onion rings were relegated to the oven while I sat outside in the nice breeze, drinking the first of my latest batch of homebrew while watching the mourning doves chase each other from branch to branch on a tree in the next back yard over.

I love the beer brats – they have a different flavor from the Italian sausage and kielbasa, a little bit of a milder tone. They went beautifully with the asparagus grilling next to them – and, of course, what doesn’t go well with onion rings? :) I found the beer brats particularly relevant today, what with the fresh homebrew and all.

Then, after dinner, we ventured over to the community garden to check in on our plot. The rain may have brought with it some weeds (and some complaints along the way from Yours Truly), but it’s surely given the tomatoes a boost!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, all!

The stats:

Tofurky Beer Brats: FREE!
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Asparagus: Prepaid!
Onion rings: $3.69 ($0.92/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $4.68 … or $1.04 per person.

:)

Happy Anniversary, LeeLee!

2009-06-12T17:01:00.002-04:00

Just a short post today, because my husband of five years is taking me out to dinner in a few minutes. But I did just want to comment on today’s anniversary picnic and outing at the National Arboretum, where we wandered amid the herb garden and the bonsai walk and the Asian collection. It was a fantastic afternoon!

For our picnic, we brought along sandwiches made with Tofurky Italian deli slices on Asiago bread as well as a bean-and-corn salad served on a bed of lettuce, with fresh strawberries on the side and coconut granola bars for dessert. It was the perfect lunch for a hot June day!

Now: On to one of our favorite restaurants. It’s not Chez Recessionista, but it’ll have to do! ;)

:)

Chik’n Fajitas With Refried Beans and Rice.

2009-06-11T21:14:00.000-04:00

First of all, I recognize that tonight’s photo looks a little … sloppy. That’s because what you are looking at is LeeLee’s plate, mid-meal. The reason is simple: The meal smelled and looked so good that once I put everything on my plate, I strode confidently to the table and commenced eating, without a single photo taken. In fact, it wasn’t until my plate was nearly cleared and I was on my way back to the kitchen for seconds that I remembered my duties here at Chez Recessionista and ran back to the table, asking LeeLee to WAIT! I NEED A PHOTO!

On the plus side, the meal was very good. :)

I had wanted to cook this out on the grill, but the rain was looming, and the humidity was reaching 100%, and, frankly, it just didn’t seem like very much fun to be outside cooking something that I could just as easily cook indoors. So I caved to the weather. I won’t make a habit of it, though!

Anyway, the peppers and chik’n made great fajita fillings, and the refried beans and rice were great on the side. We’ll definitely be making this one again – perhaps on the grill next time!

The stats:

Chik’n strips: $3.99 ($2.00/person)
Bell peppers: $3.00 ($1.50/person)
Refried beans: $1.59 ($0.80/person)
Rice: $2.25 ($1.13/person)
Tortillas: $2.99/six ($1.00/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $13.82 … or $6.43 per person.

:)

Veggie Burgers With Asparagus, Kale, and Baked Beans.

2009-06-10T20:57:00.000-04:00

Tonight, we did our best to beat the rain while cooking some burgers out on the grill and cleaning out the remainder of last week’s CSA delivery – just in time for a new one tomorrow!

I wrapped two batches of asparagus in foil (with butter and seasonings, of course) and put them on the grill to cook while I tended to another batch of crispy kale inside and put the baked beans on to warm up. (I also added a foil packet of squash to the grill – may as well get tomorrow’s lunch cooked along with everything else!) I had two frozen veggie burgers left from the weekend’s festivities, so as we got closer to time I put them on to heat up. At the very last, I draped them with some leftover cheese and, once they were off the grill, topped each with a sliver of leftover veggie bacon from brunch a few days ago – yum!

The best part? We beat the rain! Here’s hoping we can do so again tomorrow, when I have another grill-friendly meal to prepare. Stay tuned!

The stats:

Burgers: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Asparagus: Prepaid (CSA)
Kale: Prepaid (CSA)
Baked beans: $2.19 ($1.10/person)
“Bacon”: $4.99 ($0.62/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $11.67 … or $2.72 per person.

:)

BBQ Chicken and Cornbread Casserole With Crispy Kale.

2009-06-09T18:53:00.003-04:00

It’s Tuesday. You know the score. Evening meetings, things to do. So as usual, I needed a meal that would be quick to prepare and provide us a nutritional boost, too.

The Crock-Pot to the rescue!

I gave this recipe a try for the first time a month or two ago, and it’s been waiting in my arsenal ever since. Tonight I used more barbecue sauce than I did the last time around, and the meal was even taster as a result. This casserole is a filling, hearty dish, perfect for a stormy evening like tonight. The kale that was served on the side, baked to crispness in the oven, was a great accompaniment! I’d never tried the recipe before, but you can bet I’ll be using it again and again now.

The stats:

Chik’n strips: $3.49 ($1.75/person)
Barbecue sauce: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Jiffy cornbread mix: $1.18 ($0.59/person)
Eggs: $4.29/dozen ($0.36/person)
Sweet potato: $0.79 ($0.40/person)
Corn: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Kale: Prepaid! (Part of our CSA delivery.)

GRAND TOTAL: $9.31 … or $4.85 per person.
BUT WAIT! This makes enough leftovers for at least one additional meal, so the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

"Beef" Pizza With Salad.

2009-06-08T19:03:00.002-04:00

I think I’m finally getting the hang of pizza crust!

I’ve used the same dough recipe for years, and through that time I’ve worked quite a bit on the spices and flavoring. This time around, though, I think I got it right, and the pizza really popped as a result! The trick to seasoning is, I think, to feel like I’ve over-seasoning the crust with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano; once I felt like I’d really messed it up by putting “too much” in, I think I got it right. :)

I made the dough last night, letting it rise for an hour before I put it in the refrigerator at bedtime. This evening, all I had to do when I got home from work was pull the dough out of the fridge and start cooking! It was so easy – I’ll have to get my act together more often on the night before Pizza Night.

Accompanying the pizza tonight was a tossed salad filled with lettuce, tomato, garbanzo beans, and a homemade dressing. It was a great summertime meal for a nice hot day!

The stats:

Flour: $2.89 ($0.29/person)
Yeast: $8.49 (($0.27/person)
Cheese: $1.99 ($1.00/person)
Ground “beef”: $4.69 ($2.35/person)
Sauce: $1.85 ($0.93/person)
Tomato: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Lettuce: Leftovers from lunch!
Garbanzo beans: $1.00 ($0.50/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $21.91 … or $5.84 per person.
BUT WAIT! I’ve got beef, cheese, and sauce left over. I’ll either mix them together for an upcoming sauce or put them in a wrap or sub for lunch. So the per-person price goes down even more!

:)

Burgers With Squash, Devil Beans, and Tater Tots.

2009-06-07T22:15:00.000-04:00

If it’s Sunday night, it’s Cookout Time! :)

Tonight, after a stint at the gym for LeeLee and a dip in the community pool for me, we cracked open a homebrew and lit up the grill for a farmer’s market feast. I sliced a zucchini and a yellow squash (purchased at Wednesday’s farmer’s market on my way home from work), mixed them together in two foil packets (along with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder), and threw them on the grill for half an hour or so, while the tater tots baked inside and the Devil Beans that LeeLee procured from the farmer’s market yesterday warmed on the stove. (I’d just like to add that I recognize the Devil Beans are a little more expensive than our usual fare, but I’ve gotta tell you, it was worth every penny. God bless Miss Kitty and her farm stand! :))

A little closer to time, I put two veggie burgers on to warm up, and nearer still to serving, I put two buns atop the grates to toast. The final result? A great Sunday night meal that left us full and lingering on the patio for another hour or more.

The stats:

Veggie burgers: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Onion: $0.50 ($0.25/person)
Tomato: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Squash: $2.50/five ($0.50/person)
Devil Beans: $6.00 ($3.00/person)
Tater tots: $3.00 ($0.75/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $17.49 … or $6.00 per person.

:)

Ramen With Rotel and a Chik’n Patty.

2009-06-06T17:17:00.001-04:00

Please forgive the tardiness of this post – as you can see, this was last night’s meal, but we were in a hurry to get to our evening plans out with friends and I didn’t have time to post after dinnertime! So here I am, a day late. :)

If you’ve been reading these pages for very long, you can probably tell that ramen with Rotel is a go-to meal for us. Within 10 minutes, I can have a hearty, filling dinner on the table, and while many nights we love to linger well after the meal is finished, sometimes we have places to go and people to see! That was of course the case last night, so ramen with Rotel fit the bill beautifully. I believe it’s my favorite ramen-based meal – and all things considered, one of the healthiest, too! No sodium-laden flavor packet to content with, no frying in oil; just good old noodles with tomatoes and green chilies, topped with a protein-packed chik’n patty. It can’t be beat!

The stats:

Ramen: $0.29 ($0.15/person)
Rotel: $1.69 ($0.85/person)
Boca Chik’n Patty: $3.50/four ($0.88/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $5.48 … or $1.88 per person.

:)

Sesame-Ginger Tempeh With Ramen.

2009-06-03T18:45:00.002-04:00

(First of all, I apologize for the lack of photos tonight -- I was having a devil of a time with the lighting!)

Well, this proved to be an interesting meal indeed!

You know when, sometimes, you grab a drink of clear liquid, thinking all the while it’s water, and it turns out to be Sprite? Not a bad taste – just not what you expect?

That’s sort of the way tonight’s meal went.

I suppose I should have tasted the Tofurky sesame-ginger tempeh prior to cooking it and mixing it with ramen and peanut sauce. But I was chatting with LeeLee, and dodging a meowing cat who was begging for dinner a full two hours early … and I had a firm grasp of what I expected the tempeh to taste like. In my imagination, of course.

So imagine my surprise when it tasted totally different! Again, not bad – just very different.

The tempeh was much more tart than I expected, more acidic – I suppose I should’ve guessed that by the “ginger” part of the “sesame-ginger” description, but I didn’t, and my taste buds were so surprised when they encountered said tartness. But once I got used to it, it wasn’t a bad taste – just surprising at first. To me, the sesame-ginger version of the tempeh wasn’t quite as good as last night’s lemon-pepper, but I think I’ll buy it again.

I will say that the pairing with the ramen and peanut sauce was not my finest culinary hour. I think a protein like this would be much better off amid a stir-fry, over white or brown rice. Oh, well – something to try next time around!

The stats:

Sesame-Ginger Tempeh: FREE!
Ramen (two packages): $0.67 ($0.34/person)
Peanut sauce: $2.50 ($0.63/person)

GRAND TOTAL: $3.17 … or $0.97 per person.

:)