Peppers, Peppers, and More Peppers

I have always liked the taste of bell peppers.  I also like the color they bring to a dish.  Well, this week seemed like pepper week at our house.  We made pepper steak one night, had egg salad topped peppers for lunch another day, and another night we had stuffed peppers. 

The egg salad topped peppers were a last minute inspiration based on what I had in the fridge and the fact I hadn’t made rolls and someone had eaten the last one.  It was absolutely yummy!  I made a simple egg salad, added celery, and seasonings and topped mini peppers with the mix.  Delicious.  Who needs bread when peppers are available?

Egg Salad Topped Peppers

2 hard boiled eggs smashed
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
1-2 Tbsp mayo
Dash of mustard
Mini sweet peppers halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb blend

Mix the eggs, celery, mayo and mustard together.  Top the mini peppers.  Add seasonings to taste.

The second recipe has been begged for by Cinnamon for several months now.  She had never had stuffed peppers before and thought they sounded good.  Well finally this week, she got her wish.  She was excited, until she tasted them.  Then she was enamored, asking for them again and making plans for peppers in the future.  She has a plan brewing for stuffing mini peppers for an appetizer dish for Christmas.  Yes, that is how much that girl loved these peppers.  Everyone enjoyed them actually.  I guess they will be on the menu again! 

Stuffed Peppers

1 lb ground beef or venison

1 large onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 celery stalks chopped
4 mushrooms chopped
½ cup parsley minced
1 cup uncooked rice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 large can of tomato sauce
6 bell peppers

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cut tops off the bell peppers and clean out the center.  Set “lids” aside. 

Brown ground beef, garlic, and onion in a skillet.  Add mushrooms and celery and cook for a few minutes.   Add parsley, rice, oil, salt and pepper, and tomato sauce.  Mix together.  Fill hollowed out peppers.  Top with the “lids.”  Place the peppers in the baking dish.  Add water to the bottom of the dish (about ¼ inch).  Bake for 90 minutes at 325 degrees.

They are also easy to make and inexpensive if you buy the peppers when they are on sale. You can make them for less than $1.30 a serving. I simply added a spinach salad to round out the meal.

Quick, Easy, and Under a Buck

Eating gluten free often times takes plenty of preparation.  I like it when I can find something that is fast and easy.  One of our favorite easy lunch meals or individual dinners when it is a "fend for yourself night" around here is Thai Kitchen.  The instant rice noodle soups are a hit with my family.  We don't just eat them as the package suggests though.  We jazz them up a bit.

We have added all kinds of variations to this simple soup.  We make the soup according to the package and then add a vegetable and a protein.  Our vegetable choices are frozen peas, corn, mixed veggies, broccoli, or a Normandy mix, fresh sliced onions or mushrooms.  We add these during the boiling stage to thaw them out and quickly cook them.   Next we add a protein like crumbled bacon, leftover ham or chicken, shrimp, or hard boiled eggs.  We let it cool and allow the soup to thicken into more of a sauce.  Yum. 

Not only is this dish quick taking less than five minutes start to finish, but it is inexpensive.  You can make this dish for less than a dollar.  Quick, easy, gluten free, and frugal!  What more could you want!  Oh, and it tastes great too!

The Incredible Potato

OK.  Potatoes are just plain cheap.  This week at one of the local grocery stores you can get a ten pound bag for $1.99.  That's a mere twenty cents a pound!  That is a lot less expensive than pasta or even rice!

My kids love potatoes.  They speak variety.  Variety in the kind of potato: red, russet, Yukon gold, white, and others I have never even tried.  Variety in what you can do with them: bake, fry, hashbrown, whip, mashed, sliced.  The list goes on and that is using them as a stand alone.  You can use them in a lot of recipes too.  You can do so much with them, but as I look at my current menu calendar for October they are only on the menu six times.  Even if I just added a few more meals with potatoes, that could impact my budget in a positive way.

Look at it this way, when I made spaghetti this month, the pasta (I had to use two packages) cost me $4.36.  That's just for the pasta.  Nothing else.  Compare that with this complete dinner I made the other night.  It was a variation on  Shepherd's Pie.  The cost: $4.46.  Total!!! 

This is a great recipe when you are in a hurry.  I used some of the hamburger I froze from batch cooking the other night.  Although I had to boil the potatoes and whip them, this is a great recipe to make when you already have leftover mashed potatoes!

SHEPHERD'S PIE (A VARIATION):

1 pound of hamburger
2 cups of soy milk
2 cups of water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 cup gf flour
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
Whipped potatoes (I think I used about 4 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown your hamburger.  Crumble.  If you are using hamburger you already cooked, you are already ahead.  Add the vegetables to the hamburger and cook over medium heat.  When vegetables are cooked, add flour to thoroughly coat the hamburger and vegetables.  Add your water, soy milk, and bouillon cubes.  Stir until the mixture thickens.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour into a casserole dish and top with whipped potatoes.  Place in your preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

This was simple and delicious.  You could add a salad or vegetable or let the dish stand on it's own.  You may want to adjust your liquid amounts.  Mine turned out like a thicker gravy, but if you wanted a more solid meat mixture try reducing the water and milk.  I hope you enjoy!

The Perfect Autumn Day For Soup!

Today was your typical fall day.  The day started with very crisp air and a fine fog weaving its way through the pine trees.  The colors by mid-afternoon were vibrant against the monochromatic grey sky.  By evening the deer had gathered down the hill where I could see them from my kitchen window.  A mama and her fawn nosing through the yellowed grasses.  The smells of onions and garlic wafted through the air.  The perfect day for soup!

When I make soup, I make soup; lots of soup!  This is the perfect meal for batch cooking.   I usually make two different kinds at the same time.  Tonight I made a chicken vegetable rice in one pot and a vegetable beef in a second pot.  I figure since there are many ingredients that overlap, it is just easier to make two.  Clean up is easier too, especially since it is Allspice's night for dishes!

Tonight we had soup and biscuits.  The best part: after eating 10 bowls of soup, the rest is ladled into individual containers which I put in the freezer to use for lunches.

There are 17 lunches ready to place in the freezer!

 I have a hard time spending $2.00 or more for a can of soup when I can make homemade soup for so much cheaper.  Tonight's vegetable beef cost $10.50 and made the equivalent of 15 cans of soup.  That's 70 cents a serving!  The chicken vegetable rice cost $7.19 and made 12 servings.  Each serving is only 60 cents.  Good for you and the budget!

I hope you enjoy these recipes.  I do want to apologize though.  I am one of those cooks who tends to not measure things or just throws things in at the last minute.  Sometimes, in trying to write the recipe, it may reflect that a bit.  I don't follow a recipe when I make soup either.  Most of the time I make it from what I have on hand.  So with that, if you have any questions, let me know and I will try and clear it up!

CHICKEN VEGETABLE RICE SOUP:

1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp olive oil
4-5 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
1/2 bag of frozen broccoli florets
1/2 bag of frozen peas
1 container (32 oz) chicken broth.  I use this kind.
1 can of chicken (12.5 oz) or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups of Minute Rice
Water
Bay leaf
Seasonings (I use salt, garlic pepper, basil, oregano, and Italian seasonings to taste)
 
In a large pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  Add celery and carrots.  Add broccoli and peas and continue to cook over medium heat until thawed.  Add chicken, broth, and rice.  Fill the rest of the pot with water.  Add bay leaf and seasonings to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down heat to simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  If two much evaporates during this stage you can always add more broth or water. I added both.

 My pot is not as big as I would like and so after we ate dinner I added more water and some seasonings to balance the ratio of liquid and solids in order to freeze it.

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP:

1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 1/2 to 2 lbs of hamburger
1 small can of mushrooms
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of kidney beans; drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans; drained and rinsed
2 cans of diced tomatoes with their juices
2 cans of tomato sauce
Water
Bay leaf
Seasonings to taste (I used salt and garlic pepper, basil, oregano, garlic salt)

Brown your hamburger along with the onions and minced garlic.  When the hamburger is cooked drain the meat.  Add frozen vegetables and mushrooms.  Stir in the tomato paste.  Add water to rinse the can.  Add kidney beans, black beans, and diced tomatoes.  Add tomato sauce.  I add water to rinse the cans.  Fill the remainder of the pot with water stirring to incorporate all ingredients.  Add your bay leaf and seasonings to taste.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

The Scramble for Dinner

Ever notice that in those hours of pure desperation you are able to come up with something that turns out pretty good.  Being a mom of three incredibly busy teenagers I tend to live on that very edge.  That precipice where as long as you don't look down you will be ok.  That moment when busy can easily become overwhelming.  Yesterday, was such a day.

It wasn't that yesterday was running-with-my-heat-cut-off busy, it was actually somewhat normal aside from the added dental appointments which kind of threw off the day.  It's just that when it was all said and done, I suddenly found myself at 4:30 needing to have dinner on the table by five so we could leave the house by 5:30 for a Bible study and a church presentation.  I looked at the menu, and realized the meal of salmon (still in the freezer), sliced potatoes and onions (made from leftovers that didn't exist), and broccoli, was probably not going to work.

Plan B.  I looked in the fridge for some inspiration.  Nothing jumped out at me and said, "Make me!"  Hate it when that happens.  Looked at the pantry.  Nothing.  Inspiration was definitely hiding.  Then I thought...okay this just needs to be quick, so what is quick.  I know........

What...doesn't everyone think chicken when they are in a hurry.  Well maybe not chicken, but eggs are quick.  I will just make breakfast for dinner.  Perfect. 

 Let me be honest here.  I am not a big breakfast fan.  Never have been.  I usually eat leftovers for breakfast, after all, it is dinner somewhere in the world.  Another issue, I really don't like eggs.   Hard boiled are okay, fried flat like a pancake are good, but that is usually my limit.  Sometimes scrambled eggs with ketchup, but a little goes a long way.  My dinner was going to be eggs, what was I thinking.

Scrambled eggs, fried ham slices from Sunday's ham, and toast.  Then I thought what if I made the eggs more like dinner food.  So I tried it.  It was good.  No, it was really good.  I would even have it again, it was that good.  You know what else?  It didn't taste like scrambled eggs.  My family, who I will admit looked at me rather strangely when I announced dinner was scrambled eggs, really liked it.  That's the true test, isn't it!

So, I thought I would share it with you.

DINNER SCRAMBLE:

12 eggs, beaten

1 carrot chopped

3 celery stalks (including the leaves) chopped

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 Tbsp butter (I use Earth Balance)

1 large can of mushrooms or 4-5 fresh mushrooms sliced

Garlic Salt

Garlic Pepper

McCormick Basil and Garlic (Perfect Pinch) 

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the butter.  Cook until vegetables are soft and onions are translucent.  Add mushrooms.  Add eggs and thoroughly cook.  Season with garlic salt and pepper and Basil and Garlic blend.  Top with mozzarella cheese.

This is a meal that is great when you are in a hurry and dinner needs to be on the table yesterday!  The "Dinner Scramble" itself, is approximately $4.30 and feeds six.  So, its cheap, and fast, and delicious.  What more could you want out of a meal?  Yeah.  I know.  Bad question.  But when dinner is on the table by five and my family is out the door at 5:30  with smiles on their faces, its all good!  So very good!

Cheap Eats: Baked Potato Night

A staple that I sometimes forget about is the potato.  A great and budget friendly gluten free food.  There are so many ways to fix them.  One thing I decided to do when I put my monthly menu together was to eat more potatoes.  They are cheap and they are simple.  I grew up in Idaho, you would think I would have thought of it by now!  But, alas, I had not.  So, this month I re-instituted the Baked Potato Bar night.  I used to have this meal more regularly in the past, but somehow, I forgot about it.  Don't ask me how.  Anyway, we have  this on the menu only once this month, but in the future it will be on there at least two or three times. 

Often times I forget how versatile the potato is.  I think potato.  I think butter and sour cream.  Well, actually being dairy intolerant as well, I think potato, salt and pepper.  My family thinks the other version.  Especially, Cinnamon who loves, I mean loves, sour cream!  Besides just topping your baked potato with the usual butter and sour cream, try some of these ideas:

Broccoli and Cheese
Chili, onions and Cheese
Ham and Cheese
Loaded: Bacon, Onions, Chives, Cheese

Or even try some of these more elaborate creations:

The Veggie: Grilled Broccoli, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Onions, Green Peppers and Cheese
The Taco:  Hamburger, Olives, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Guacamole, Cheese
Pizza: Pepperoni, Sausage, Mushrooms, Olives, Onions, and Pizza Sauce with Mozzarella Cheese
Chicken Parmesan: Grilled Chicken, Onions, Mushrooms, and Parmesan
Chicken Alfredo:  Chicken, Bacon, Mushrooms, Alfredo Sauce
The Grilled Steak: Steak (sliced thin), Flaked Crab Meat, Grilled Asparagus
The German:  German Sausage, Sauerkraut, Onions

Use your imagination!  Serve with a salad or veggie  for a complete meal.  Simple and delicious.  Tonight we had the Pizza Baked Potato.  It was a hit!  Allspice even had a friend over who thought it was great.

Pizza Baked Potato:

Russet Baking Potatoes (one for each person)
1 Onion chopped
1/2 can of olives ( I just use whole olives and break them into pieces)
Mushrooms (fresh and sliced or canned)
2 cloves of Garlic minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 can of Tomato Paste
1 can of Tomato Sauce
Pepperoni  (24 slices)
Sausage sliced (I used our venison we had made into GF German Sausages)
 water
Italian Seasonings, Salt, Pepper
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Scrub your potatoes until they are clean.  Dry thoroughly.  Poke each potato with 8-12 deep puncture marks.  This allows the moisture to escape while baking.  Dry again.  Rub potato skins with olive oil.  Coat thoroughly.  Roll in sea salt and desired seasonings.  I used Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb and sea salt. 

Bake on the middle rack of the oven.  I placed a pan on the bottom rack to catch any drippings.  Bake for about an hour.  The more potatoes you have the longer it will take.  I actually cooked the potatoes (I had 6) for 90 minutes or so.  I  turned my heat up for the last 30 minutes to 400 degrees to cook them a bit faster because these potatoes were huge.  The skin should be crisp, but the potato should feel soft.

While your potatoes are baking, shred your cheese and make your pizza topping.

Saute onions and garlic with a little olive oil over medium heat.  Add sausage and heat thoroughly.  Add mushrooms and olives.  Then add tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.  Add Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper to taste.  Toss in your pepperoni.  Let simmer until potatoes are ready.

When your potatoes are done.  Use a fork to perforate the skin lengthwise.  Then press the ends toward the center and the potato should burst open.  Top with your pizza topping and mozzarella cheese.  Enjoy!

We had our pizza baked potatoes with steamed broccoli.  The cost of this meal: $11.91 and it fed four teenagers and two adults.  You could make this even cheaper if you used either sausage or pepperoni instead of both.  I was about to do that myself until Cinnamon scoffed at me and said, "This is a one meal wonder; it has to be loaded!"  So, there you have it.  By the way, the definition of a "one meal wonder" is a dish that can star on its own.  Just in case you were wondering. ;)