Asian cabbage slaw: 50 cents/serving

Posted on June 3, 2012 | 1 Comment

This very well might be the most versatile slaw I know of—it’s terrific on its own as a salad, as a side with meat, or as a meal in a wrap, over noodles, or with rice, as it was enjoyed this time. I’m not a fan of mayonnaise-based slaws, so this one features light, crisp flavors and a sesame vinaigrette—perfect for summer, when it might have to sit outside in the sun. Make up a big ol’ bowl and keep it in the fridge for light, cheap, filling lunch salads throughout the week. (If you do this, save the peanuts as a garnish rather than mixing them in, as the acid in the rice vinegar will turn them mushy after a few days.)

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Posted in Chinese, recipes

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Pork and noodles in coconut-tamarind sauce: $1.52/serving

Posted on June 2, 2012 | 1 Comment

As a frozen bag of chipotle chiles in adobo (just empty out the can into a Ziploc) is to Mexican cooking, a frozen bag of tamarind paste is to Thai cooking: indispensable. It’s extremely versatile (you can use tamarind in place of lime juice) and you can always be sure you have some on hand. Tamarind paste can be found in brick form in pretty much any Asian market, and frozen, it lasts pretty much forever. I’ve probably had the same block in my freezer for almost two years, and I’m just now getting to the last little chunk. It’s great for any kind of curry or pad Thai, desserts, and thrown-together weeknight dishes like this one that could benefit from a little sweet tanginess.

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Posted in ad lib, recipes, Thai

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Splurge: apple-miso ice cream: 26 cents/serving

Posted on May 31, 2012 | 3 Comments

Believe it or not, this ice cream was not born of a pregnancy craving. It was born of the arrival of a new ice-cream maker to replace our Kitchen Aid stand-mixer attachment, which ceremoniously sprung a leak around the time I became pregnant and REALLY could’ve used some ice cream. I was so excited to finally have ice cream again that I didn’t care what kind it was—I just wanted it now. Apples were the only fruit we had on hand, and a quick perusal of Epicurious confirmed they have been paired with white miso before in desserts, so onward I pressed with the idea. Was it a good idea? The jury’s still out. It tastes exactly as it sounds—sweet and apple-y, with a salty, umami undertone of miso. I think my taste buds were more confused than anything else. For that reason I don’t necessarily recommend it as a pregnancy dessert (a time when one doesn’t exactly need any more confused body parts), but it would probably make a great palate cleanser in between courses of an Asian meal, or unexpected dinner-party dessert.

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Rotelle with roasted-carrot sauce: 97 cents/serving

Posted on May 29, 2012 | 6 Comments

It may sound boring, but this rich and flavorful sauce is anything but. In fact, if given a choice, I just might choose it over tomato-based sauce, if such a choice were to present itself. That’s how good it is. (B. agrees with me, so this isn’t a completely biased opinion.) I needed to use up an old bag of carrots in the crisper, so I fashioned this dish based on the filling for roasted carrot ravioli, with butter, sautéed shallots, Parmesan, and a little bit of nutmeg. I had originally intended to top the pasta with toasted pecans, but it turned out I didn’t have any. If you have some, I highly recommend it, as a subtle crunch would’ve put it over the top. Some coarse toasted bread crumbs would’ve been a welcome addition as well. Surprise yourself!

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Posted in Italian, recipes

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Groceries: week of May 28-June 3

Posted on May 28, 2012 | 4 Comments

Not bad on the budget this week—only $23.19 spent on produce, dairy, and a few extras to supplement what we’ve already got on hand in the pantry and freezer. The garden is teeming with herbs and snow peas, and the strawberries should be ripening any day now, which should keep us in snacks and sorbet for at least a couple of months. See below for the complete receipt breakdown, and what everything we bought this week will be used for.

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Posted in basics, shopping

Roasted celery root and bacon soufflé: $1.80/serving

Posted on May 26, 2012 | 2 Comments

I make quite a few savory dinner soufflés on the $35-a-week budget, both because we can use our backyard hens’ eggs and because it’s a great blank canvas for odds and ends. This week’s stockpile consisted of a few stray frozen strips of bacon and a nice, firm celery root I bought after failing to locate any other appealing in-season vegetables. (It probably doesn’t help that I hate asparagus, which is everywhere right now. How someone decided that stuff was edible will forever be beyond my comprehension.) I knew the two flavors would work well together after the success of February’s celery root and beer soup, so I figured I’d try them out in a new format. I have to say, it definitely worked; roasting the celery root allowed for a concentrated-enough flavor to stand up to the bacon, and using bacon fat as a base for the béchamel infused the whole thing with noticeable but unobtrusive hints of pork and smoke. Très délicieux!

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Posted in ad lib, French, recipes

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Red beans and rice: 62 cents/serving

Posted on May 24, 2012 | 5 Comments

Because of red beans and rice’s highly desirable price-to-tastiness ratio, I’ve been experimenting with it for years, and let me tell you: Despite the seemingly simple lineup of ingredients, there are many, many opportunities for things to go wrong (slow cooker vs. stovetop, red beans vs. kidney beans, rice cooked in-pot vs. separate, ham hock, no ham hock, different kinds of sausage…). This recipe, in my opinion, is both the most authentic and the best-tasting. It eschews the slow-cooker; uses small red beans, which cook up creamier than kidney beans; includes ham hocks and sausage; and has the beans served over the rice, which is the only way I’ve ever seen it in Louisiana. Don’t be afraid to make up a double batch—it tastes better the longer it sits.

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Posted in recipes, Southern

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Red-lentil dal with apples: 55 cents/serving

Posted on May 23, 2012 | 1 Comment

I don’t cook a lot of Indian food (no particular reason why; I just don’t find myself drawn to it), but when I do, it’s usually some variation of dal, a simple, usually vegan lentil stew that can be made using whatever vegetables or lentils one happens to have on hand. This red-lentil version was born to use up half a can of whole tomatoes I had languishing in the freezer, as well as some of the 4 lbs. of Granny Smiths we bought this weekend at Winco; the apples add a sweet tang that goes perfectly with the earthiness of the lentils. It’s quick, warming and healthy—perfect for a rainy weeknight. (Yes, I know the Pacific Northwest is probably the only place in the country right now where it’s still raining and 55 degrees, but just humor me.)

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Posted in Indian, recipes

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Groceries: week of May 21-27

Posted on May 20, 2012 | 5 Comments

Just a weekly budget update for those who like to see how these things work. As I mentioned yesterday, because I’m pregnant I’m having to eat larger servings than I was in the past, as well as purchase and eat more fruit, which can get pricey even when it’s seasonal and on sale. (Our strawberries and raspberries aren’t ripe yet.) Still, between avid meal planning, smart shopping, and cooking from scratch using raw, unprocessed ingredients, we’re coming out pretty much on budget. Read on for the specifics.
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Posted in basics, shopping

Cheese-stuffed mac ’n’ cheese pie: $1.26/slice

Posted on May 19, 2012 | 18 Comments

I suppose I should preface this post by stating the obvious, given the meal: I’m pregnant. Four months pregnant, to be exact. (For those who’ve seen me in person and wondered how I managed to get quite a beer belly* from eating bread, fruit and mostly vegetarian meals, now you know.) Am I still making it on $35 a week? For the most part, yes. I’m still espousing the principles, baking all my own bread, growing my own food, and making all my own meals, I’m just eating a little more of them, and occasionally making things like this. It basically takes care of all the pregnancy cravings in one go: pie, macaroni and cheese, caramelized onions, and, to top it all off, goat cheese. (As anyone who’s been pregnant recently knows, listeria danger precludes you from having soft cheeses like goat, blue or brie unless they’re heated, leaving very few opportunities for one to get her fix.) In a way, I’m a little sorry I brought something like this into existence because, pregnant or not, I could eat it every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and never get tired of it. I’m sorry I brought it to your attention as well, because once you try it, your life will never be the same.

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Posted in Midwestern, recipes

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