Recipes: It came from the kitchen...

[April]

I like food. Better yet, I like making food. I'm sure many of you fall into one or both camps so it surprises me that we lack a decent recipe sharing/discussion thread.

But fear not, Sorus provides.

From the Kitchen of ...

Aoiroo
Aoiroo's Snacks

Breela
Sliced Summer Squash

Cubist
Dutch Baby

Dr Archeville
Chili Chocolate Fudge Pie
Curried Chicken/Turkey Salad
Tres Leche Cake
Weight Watchers Cake Recipe (vegetarian/vegan friendly)

Electra
Recipes Grouped by Ingredient
Boxed Macaroni and Cheese & Dry Boxed Pasta
Ramen Noodles & Couscous or Quinoa
Chicken & Crockpot Recipies
Standalone Recipes
Spicy Crockpot Chicken Wraps with Quinoa

Geez3r
Geez3r's Specialty Pasta

Quinn
Spaghetti Pie

ShaenTheBrain (Cooking advice for people who don't cook, by people who don't cook!)
Peanut Pasta Salad / Rice Bowl (Vegetarian/Vegan-Friendly)

Sorus
Creamy Tomato Soup (vegetarian friendly)
Sauteed Pepper Pita Pockets (vegetarian friendly)

trollthumper
Chocolate Pecan Pie

[April]

Creamy tomato soup

An awesome soup recipe passed around my little circle of friends. Since I like you people I thought I would share the awesome.

2 large cans (4 pounds?) tomatoes

1 cup heavy cream

1 sweet onion

1 sweet bell pepper

1 bunch of fresh basil

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

4 cloves of garlic

2 spoons of cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 spoon black pepper

1 spoon white pepper

1 spoon of dried oregano

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup olive oil

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are soft.

Add the tomato, pepper, half the basil, and all of the spices.

Boil for 15 minutes.

Lower heat to a simmer. Add the rest of the basil and slowly stir in the cream while cooking for 5 more minutes.

Serve with hard bread.

[trollthumper]

What the heck. This one got plaudits at the last "displaced geeks" Thanksgiving.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

CRUST*

6 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (2/3 of 9 oz. package)

5 tbsps. butter, melted

FILLING

6 oz. bitter or semi sweet chocolate coarsely chopped (bakers chocolate)**

4 eggs

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tbsps. butter (melted but still slightly warm)

2 cups pecan halves

Crust Directions:

1. Use deep 9" pie pan. With fingers or fork mush up chocolate cookies until they are very finely ground.

2. Tip cookie stuff into butter and work with your fingers. When mixed, use your fingers to press mixture into the pan until you have a full crust.

3. Bake crust in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Let cool.

4. When cool, spread pecans on the wafer crust.

Filling Directions:

1. Put chocolate in heat-proof bowl. Heat over small pan of boiling water and remove both from heat.

Stir chocolate until it is melted.

2. Whisk eggs until foamy. Whisk in brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla. Blend in butter and combine well. Gradually add in tepid chocolate and stir well.

3. Gently pour chocolate mixture into the pie pan on top of pecans.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until filling is set in the middle.

*If you don't want to make the crust, a pre-fab chocolate graham cracker crust will do.

**I used the baker's chocolate blocks when last making this, but due to the mess that ensued from all the chopping, I recommend an alternative. If you've got a local Trader Joe's, they've got semi-sweet chocolate disks that are perfect for melting in a double boiler.

[Dr Archeville]

A fine post-Thanksgiving recipe!

Curried Turkey (or Chicken) Salad

Prep Time: about 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

2/3 cup mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 cups (approx. 8 oz.) cubed chicken or turkey breast

2 Granny Smith apples, cubed

1 cup red onion, diced

1/2 cup red pepper, diced

1/4 cup almonds, crushed

1/4 cup pecans, crushed

1. Mix mayonnaise (or yogurt) with curry powder in large mixing bowl until thoroughly blended.

2. Add all remaining ingredients and toss gently to cover with the dressing.

3. Refrigerate for 1 hour before eating (to allow flavors to mingle).

Best if eaten within 24 hours, but can be stored for up to 72.

[April]

1 container whipped cream cheese (you can use the others, but this spreads the best)

4 pita pockets

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

pinch of salt

1 cup raspberry vinaigrette (sometimes I make this homemade, like when the raspberries are cheap, sometimes I just buy bottled) - for homemade raspberry vinaigrette I use probably a half of cup to 3/4 cup pureed fresh raspberries, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, a pinch of dry mustard, a pinch of pepper, and 3 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions:

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge while you prep, it will be easier to smear inside the pockets when it's a little warmer. Cut the peppers longways and place them into a saute pan, hit them with a little salt and pour in the balsamic vinegar and slowly heat to medium-low. You don't want the vinegar to smoke but you want the peppers to caramelize and vinegar to reduce. If you want to make the fresh vinaigrette do that now. If you are using a bottled variety, go ahead and just coat the inside of the pita pockets with a generous amount of cream cheese.

Once the peppers are tender, place them inside the pockets and drizzle with the vinaigrette. A couple of these make for a decent main course or I serve smaller ones as appetizers at dinner parties. Also, you can add chives, dill or even chopped pecans to the cream cheese for extra flavor/texture.

[N/A]

Cooking tips, for people who don't know how to cook, by people who don't know how to cook! One step up from a Sinfest-style "banana burrito."

This is a dish I've slapped together regularly for over a decade. It's very, very loosely based on pad thai, but requires less in the way of "crackerjack timing" than wok cooking.

Peanut Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

Eggs (1-2 per person, optional)

Garbanzo Beans (canned or dry, optional)

Pasta or Rice (doesn't matter what type of either one)

Thai Peanut Sauce (you can usually find a bottle for around $4-5 in the "ethnic foods" section of a decent grocery store)

Tofu (I prefer it "Extra Firm")

Vegetables (fresh or frozen)

• [*:21qew33l]Broccoli
  [*:21qew33l]Carrots
  [*:21qew33l]Cauliflower
  [*:21qew33l]Corn
  [*:21qew33l]Feel free to experiment with any others that you like

Directions & Notes:

Quantities vary depending on personal preference and how many people you're "cooking" for.

I normally have no tolerance for spicy foods, but "spicy peanut sauce" is pretty mild.

If you're crazy enough to buy dry beans, then spend all day softening 'em up first. Otherwise, just crack open the can, drain 'em, rinse 'em, and toss 'em in at the end. I don't recommend any other type of bean; neither kidneys nor pintos really mesh well with the other flavors at work here. But for some reason, garbanzos do.

Boil up some rice or pasta as a base, whichever (and whichever type) you prefer. If you're using pasta, some form of stringy or flat noodle will probably work a little better than tubes or shells. This part can be done well in advance if you just wanna stick it in some tupperware and pull it out of the fridge later. I find that it's useful to have a container of pre-cooked rice in the fridge at all times, since it's usually the most time-consuming part of any meal involving it.

Chop up the veggies into bite-sized bits if they need chopping. Cook 'em if they need cooking. Feel free to undercook them a bit, since they'll be getting a little more heat at the last step. The broccoli, cauliflower, and especially the carrots give it some "crunch." If you want or need to decrease the "crunch factor," then omit the carrots and the cauliflower, and cook the other veggies down until they're soft.

Slice up the tofu into bite-sized cubes, maybe 1-1.5cm on a side. The tofu, eggs, and/or garbanzos team up to bring the protein. If you're not a fan of garbanzo beans and/or cholesterol, feel free to omit either of them. The tofu stands alone just fine. Tofu always does a great job of absorbing the flavor of whatever you cook it with, and the peanut sauce is no exception.

Then just dump everything, along with a liberal helping of the peanut sauce, into a pan (sauce or skillet, either one works) or a microwave-safe bowl, stir it all together until the sauce is evenly distributed, and heat it up just a little. Stir it again once or twice as you "cook" it, which shouldn't take long, since most of the components should be at least partially pre-cooked beforehand.

The peanut sauce gives some great flavor to what would otherwise be pretty bland components. The whole thing is nutritionally balanced; you've got carbs, protein, and plenty of veggies. And most important of all, it's relatively quick and easy to throw together. Enjoy.

[Quinn]

Here's a cardiovascular feast of doom my mother taught me to make before I headed off to university. Note to all students: put up a flyer saying "Big Spaghetti Pie Dinner, $5 for a full plate" once per month will make you one of the most popular people in the residence. And one of the wealthiest. Cheers!

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients

-1 1/2 lbs ground beef

-1 lg. onion

-1 green pepper

-2 cloves garlic

-1 tin Primo Thick & Zesty Garlic & Herb, 688 mL

-1 tin plum tomatoes

-pasta spaghettini

-1 brick sharp cheddar cheese

-1 cup breadcrumbs

1. Take a 5 to 6 quart Dutch Oven.

2. Brown over medium heat:

-1 1/2 lbs ground beef

-1 lg. onion, chopped

-1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

-2 cloves garlic, minced.

3. Add:

-1 tin Primo Thick & Zesty Garlic & Herb, 688 mL

-1/3 tin plum tomatoes

4. Bring to simmer.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

6. Make spaghetti in boiling water until al dente (tender but firm).

7. Drain and add to sauce, plus:

-1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

8. Mix well, top with:

-1 cup breadcrumbs

-1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

9. Bake for 30 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 3-4 people per pot.

Note: For a little extra zip, pour about a fingertip's worth of dried hot peppers into the sauce before the spaghetti.

[Cubist]

This is my standard dish for potlucks and similar 'contribute to the feast' gatherings. It has always been well received.

Dutch Baby, or, the Pancake of Doom

Needed equipment

A paella pan. If you're not sure what that is, look for a round, shallow, wide pan with a flat bottom and sloping sides; any pan which fits that description should do nicely.

Mixing bowl. For this specific rendition, a 2-quart (2-liter) mixing bowel should do; if you want to make a bigger Dutch Baby, a larger mixing bowl may be indicated.

Eggbeater. I heartily recommend an electric beater, but if you prefer a manual eggbeater, that's your business.

Measuring cups. You'll want two -- one for the milk, and one for the flour. Unless you're okay with using the same cup for both milk and flour, in which case, go right ahead [shrug].

Functioning oven. You'll want the pan to have a lot of empty space above it, so arrange the cooking racks accordingly.

Ingredients

Four fresh eggs

Milk -- 1 (one) cup , or 250 ml

Flour -- 1 (one) cup, or, again, 250 ml

1 (one) cube of butter -- 4 ounces (120 g), that is

Instructions

Start pre-heating the oven. 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or 190 degrees Celsius for those of you who live in a country that's gone metric.

Use the eggbeater to blend the eggs together into a yellowish goop. Set the beater/blender on 'high'; you want to force a bunch of teeny little air bubbles into the batter in colloid suspension.

Add the milk to said goop, blending all the while.

Stir/blend the flour into the egg/milk proto-batter.

After the oven reaches the desired temperature, put the butter in the pan, and then put the pan in the oven.

Keep stirring/blending whilst the butter is hotting up.

When the butter is completely melted, pour the batter into the pan.

Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the batter is a friendly golden-brown with inviting 'hills' billowing up from its surface.

When the pancake is done, its edges should be rising/curling up like a big bowl (see also: "empty space above the pan"). Together with the billowy hills in the center, it's quite impressive-looking.

Carve that sucker up like a pizza pie. Serves as many as 8-12, depending on how big you make the slices.

Variations

The recipe scales up or down, depending on the size of the pan you're gonna cook it in. Let N be the number of quarts (liters) of water your pan can hold; you'll want N eggs, N/4 cups (N * 60-odd ml) of milk, N/4 cups (N * 60-odd ml) of flower, and N ounces (N * 30 g) of butter (up to a maximum of N=4 -- as long as you've got enough butter to 'wet' most of the pan's bottom when said butter melts, you should be good to go). Yes, the recipe above assumes a pan that holds four quarts. Personally, I use a six-quart pan, hence I need 6 eggs and 1.5 cups apiece of milk and flour; when it's done, I slice it into 16 bits like any self-respecting hacker-type would.

Margarine can be substituted for butter with little/no ill effect.

The butter gives it enough flavor (salt) that this can be eaten as it stands. At the same time, the recipe is sufficiently 'neutral' that you can get away with adding a wide variety of other ingredients, if you like; you can add sliced hotdogs to the pre-cooking batter, or slather fruit preserves on the finished pancake, or add pretty much anything else within arm's reach of 'edible', really.

I've been told that this recipe is basically "Yorkshire pudding without the drippings". This phrase may inspire some ideas amongst those of you who are more familiar with British cuisine than I am.

I have tried using ground-up rice in place of wheat flour. The taste is pretty much unaffected; the resulting rice-based pancake is somewhat... 'heavier', I suppose is the best way to describe it... than the usual wheat-based version. Key point: Make sure the rice is thoroughly reduced to powder before you stir it into the batter! To whatever extent the rice kernels remain kernels rather than powder, your pancake is gonna have some real dense pockets in it.

Latest edit, 22 May 2012: Finally noticed the missing bits of 'Needed Equipment' (i.e., mixing bowl and measuring cups). Said bits are no longer missing.

Edit, 24 May 2011: Noted the results of an experimental rice-based variant.

Edit, 23 Apr 2011: Added metric equivalents to the many measurements which didn't have them already

[N/A]

...Pancake Pie. Brilliant!

It's also worth noting that they do make pretty decent substitutes for milk, butter, and yes indeed, eggs, so it's easy to do a vegetarian-friendly version of this one.

[Geez3r]

Alright, you guys have a bunch of top shelf stuff here, I'll cover the bargain bin.

Geez3r's Specialty Pasta aka How Geez3r survived college

1 lb Ground Beef (I prefer the 85/15 variety)

1/2 box of medium shell pasta

1 8oz. can of tomato sauce (usually I get Hunts)

1 10.75oz can of tomato soup (usually Campbell)

Cheese of your choosing to taste, I prefer New York Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese in copious amounts.

Brown up the ground beef in a semi-deep frying pan, and drain the grease. While that's going on, boil the pasta. Start later if you like your pasta aldente.

Reduce the heat and add the sauce and soup. Stir thoroughly. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add pasta & meat sauce together in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly. Add cheese to taste.

In case of leftovers, an average sized bowl takes about 1:30 to 1:45 to reheat on high in the microwave.

[Dr Archeville]

The Mayans were the first to drink hot chocolate, back in 400 AD, but they flavored it with chile peppers. Cacao (cocoa) beans and chile peppers were two of the main crops grown by the Mayans, so it's natural that some enterprising cooks would experiment with combining their flavors. Since these ancient times, chocolate & chiles have been a common duo in Mesoamerican cooking. The recipe below is a basic chocolate fudge pie, kicked up a notch.

Ingredients

Dry Stuff

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

* 1 tablespoon flour

* 1 tablespoon chili powder*

* Pinch (~1/4 teaspoon) salt

Wet Stuff

* 2 eggs, lightly beaten

* 1/3 cup milk

* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

* 1 stick of butter or margarine, melted & cooled

Misc.

* 1 unbaked pie shell**

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients in a large-ish bowl.

Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract to dry ingredients, and mix well to combine.

Add liquid butter/margarine, mix well to combine.

Pour into unbaked pie shell, bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

* Omitting the chili powder gives you a solid chocolate fudge pie. You could also try using 2 teaspoons chili powder + 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 tsp chili powder & 2 tsp cinnamon) instead of 1 tablespoon chili powder.

** Don't use frozen Pet pie shells, the recipe doesn't work right with those even if the shell if given plenty of time to thaw to room temperature. I typically use the off-the-shelf plain or graham cracker crust shells.

[trollthumper]

If anyone's read A Song of Ice and Fire, you'd know the author loves his medieval cookery (as well as his angst and grimdark). Well, a few bloggers have taken it upon themselves to recreate the recipes from the books, using medieval and Victorian equivalents and extrapolating them into a modern format. If I get the time and a little extra cash, I'd personally love to give the spiced honey biscuits and beef and bacon pies a little spin.

[Dr Archeville]

A very simple recipe for cake, one healthier than the normal box cake mixes due to lack of eggs and oil.

Ingredients

One (1) box cake mix (Spice, Yellow, Chocolate, etc.)
One (1) large can pie filing, or two (2) small cans pie filling (pumpkin, apple, cherry, strawberry, etc.)

Directions

Dump contents of both into large bowl, mix thoroughly. This will take some due to the decreased amount of liquid.
Bake at temperature & time indicated on cake mix box.

I've tried the following combos so far:

Apple Pie Filling + Spice Cake Mix
Cherry Pie Filling + Chocolate Cake Mix
Pumpkin Pie Filling + Spice Cake Mix

All turned out quite well.

[Dr Archeville]

And now for something more decadent: Tres Leche Cake.

Ingredients

Yellow or Golden Butter Cake mix (plus whatever eggs, butter, oil, etc. the mix calls for), or homemade yellow/golden cake of your choice
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
Topping for cake (I've used cool-whip, but you can also make your own whipped topping)
Garnish (cherries, fresh berries, cinnamon, etc.)

Directions

Bake the cake mix as directed in a 13 x 9 inch pan, let cool.
Once cooled, pierce 20-30 holes in the cake with a chopstick or skewer.
Mix the 3 kinds of milk in a bowl.
Pour milk mix slowly over the cake. It may not look like it will take it all, so pour as much as you can without it spilling over the side, then wait 15 minutes. This should be enough time for it to absorb enough that you can add the rest.
Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour (preferably overnight) to let it absorb all the tres leche mix.
Put topping and garnish on cake.

[Ecalsneerg]

Now for something completely different... Whisky Noodles!!!

Ingredients

Noodles.

--I used cheapish packet noodles, but a brand name like Super Noodles, not supermarket own brand rubbish. Get noodles which you would eat with another recipe. Flavoured noodles work, but make it a mild flavour. I used Chow Mein flavour.

Whisky.

--I used Southern Comfort for this. You probably want to use something like that, which has a bit of a fruity flavour, so it actually tastes of tasty, not of booze.

Water

--Duh.

Disclaimer

This, surprisingly, is a sober recipe. I have done it sober, and everyone adored them. I have done it drunk, and hatred ensued. It may seem like a dumb idea, but as a tasty pre-night out snack, it works

Directions

You're going to have to eyeball quantities, sorry. But as a rule of thumb, if drinking it would get you drunk, you're going about this the wrong way. I'm also assuming you can cook noodles, but since my first attempt at this was on a campfire, it's not exactly taxing.

Begin by cooking the noodles as you normally would, adding water first, and if you insist on beginning to booze it up now, add maybe a capful. You don't want to drown them.

After a few minutes of normal cooking, add a splash of whisky to the water. You want to do this quite early on, so the flavour has time to set in. Then simply cook as normal, adding a splash or so to taste every so often, but not too often.

The main issue here is overdoing it. Remember, you're cooking, not boozing, so all you're aiming for is flavour. Think of it as a glaze, not the meal itself.

Serve up, with a drink. I recommend a beer accompaniment, rather than whisky, to keep the palate balanced.

[Electra]

Okay, after much delay, here are my best cheap recipes. I'm going to divide it up into a few posts for easier reference. These recipes are actually part of a much longer work in progress that is a comprehensive guide to cooking and eating cheaply, which will be posted on my blog when I'm finished with it, if anyone is interested. Recipes are grouped by main ingredient.

Main Ingredient: Boxed Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and Cheese is a staple of cheap cooking, and more versatile than you'd think. Use half-again as much evaporated milk as the recipe calls for and only half as much butter for a healthier version that is just as creamy.

Macaroni and Peas

Ingredients:

2 boxes macaroni and cheese

1/2 bag frozen peas

4 hot dogs

Garlic Salt

Put water on to boil for macaroni. While the water heats, cut the hot dogs into small pieces. When the water is boiling, put in the pasta, wait two minutes, then add the hot dog pieces. When the macaroni is nearly cooked, add the peas and cook just long enough for them to get warm and the pasta to finish. Drain all, return to pan, and add cheese powder, milk and butter. More milk may be required for desired texture. Season with garlic salt to taste.

Tacoroni and Cheese

2 boxes macaroni and cheese

1 lb frozen ground turkey OR 1 cup dehydrated TVP

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 jar salsa

1/2 cup any yellow or Mexican shredded cheese

Make macaroni and cheese according to instructions on package, or using modified directions above. While macaroni is cooking, brown ground turkey in skillet and add taco seasoning, OR mix taco seasoning with water and rehydrate TVP according to package instructions. Add meat or TVP to completed macaroni and cheese, add salsa, stir well, reheat on stove if necessary. Serve, topped with shredded cheese.

Main Ingredient: Dry Boxed Pasta

Dry boxed pasta comes in many different forms, and these recipes work for all of them. It's merely a matter of preference and availability. For an extra nutritional boost, look for sales on whole wheat pasta or garden-style multicolored pasta. It takes a bit longer to cook, but it's very nice, and very filling.

Chicken Linguine (Chicken Optional)

Dry boxed pasta (Rotini and thin spaghetti work best)

Butter or margarine

Grated Parmesan cheese in a jar

Garlic Salt

Leftover chicken, cubed (leftover grilled chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, skinned fried chicken, whatever, so long as it's all meat with no sauces and can be cut small)

This recipe has no amounts given because it is extremely flexible and relies upon the taste of the cook and the number of portions needed. Cook up the pasta to your desired tenderness, drain well, return to pot. Add approximately 1tsp margarine per portion of pasta (that's box portion, not how much you think you'll eat, so that an entire box of pasta would take approx. 4tbs of margarine), and stir till it melts. Shake on Parmesan cheese and garlic salt, stir to coat. Taste it several times as you go, add more until it tastes yummy. At this point you can stir in your chicken cubes if you have them, or just eat it the way it is. If you have any feta cheese crumbles, they are also really good in this dish.

Meat (or Meatless) Sauce for Spaghetti

1 lb ground turkey (OR 1 cup dehydrated TVP)

1 large jar or can commercial spaghetti sauce

1 can diced tomatoes, not drained

1 bay leaf

Minced Garlic (dry or fresh, fresh is best)

Fresh Basil, Oregano and/or Rosemary if available

Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

The spaghetti in this recipe is self-explanatory, so I'm focusing on the sauce here. For meat sauce, brown the turkey first in your saute pan, adding a spoonful of garlic and some Italian Seasoning while you do it. Drain by soaking up the excess grease with some paper towel, there shouldn't be too much. Add all the ingredients to this pan. Start with the jar of sauce, then the diced tomatoes and their liquid. Add 1tsp dry minced garlic, or a heaping tbsp of fresh minced garlic, then chop any fresh herbs and add them. Add bay leaf, Italian seasoning (less if you're using some fresh herbs), salt and pepper to taste, then simmer for about 20 minutes on low. As the sauce cooks, you will probably want to add more spices to taste. When the sauce is done simmering and the spaghetti is about done, remove the bay leaf and discard it, then add the cheeses and stir well. Serve over the noodles, adding extra parmesan if desired.

[Electra]

Main Ingredient: Ramen Noodles

Ramen noodles are a stereotypical staple of the cheap diet, and for good reason. They are extremely inexpensive, as well as tasty and versatile. They are by far the least healthy main ingredient on the list though, with a high fat and sodium content and few redeeming nutrients. Remember to use these recipes in moderation.

Broccoli Ramen Casserole

2 packages chicken ramen

3/4 cup shredded cheese, yellow is best

1 cup frozen broccoli (other frozen veggies may be substituted)

1tsp minced garlic

Pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in saucepan, toss in frozen broccoli. Wait for water to return to boil, add noodles and cook. When noodles are soft, drain and return to pan. Add the contents of one ramen flavor packet (set the other aside for chicken broth, or for flavoring other dishes). Add cheese and garlic, stir well until cheese is melted. Add pepper to taste.

Spicy Buffalo Ramen

2 packages Spicy Chicken ramen

3 tbsp (approx 1/4 brick) cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheese, yellow or Mexican-specific is best

2 tbsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce or other buffalo wing sauce (more or less to taste)

Cook ramen noodles and drain thoroughly, return to pot. (You can also cook in the microwave and drain with a fork, but watch out for the steam.) In a separate small dish combine cheese, cream cheese, one spicy chicken ramen packet (save the other for later) and hot sauce. Microwave until cheese is melted and stir together, pour over noodles. To get all the sauce from the dish, fork up some clean noodles and use them like a mop to swirl around in the bowl. Mix sauce and noodles thoroughly, add more hot sauce if additional heat is desired.

Main Ingredient: Couscous or Quinoa

Couscous and Quinoa aren't as easy to find on the cheap as other carb staples, but if you can get them, they're really nice. Quinoa can stand in for rice or couscous, and is absolutely packed with nutrition. It's worth looking for.

Cheesy Lemon Pepper Tuna Couscous (or Quinoa)

1 cup dry couscous or quinoa (rinse the quinoa first!)

1/2 cup any shredded cheese, yellow is best

1 can tuna, not drained

Lemon pepper seasoning

Make couscous or quinoa according to package instructions. (Note: It is way, way easier to make good quinoa in a rice cooker than on the stove.) Add tuna and all liquid, as well as cheese. Stir well until combined. If mix is too dry, add a splash of milk. Season with lemon pepper to taste. If you don't like lemon pepper, garlic salt will also make a nice flavor.

[Electra]

Main Ingredient: Chicken

Yes, I know Chicken isn't a starch, but these recipes are for the stovetop too. The pinwheels go on tortillas, and the tomato chicken goes over baked potatoes, oven roasted potatoes, rice, quinoa, or pretty much anything. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are more expensive than other kinds of chicken, but you can catch it frozen on sale.

Tomato Soup Chicken

2 large or 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can tomato soup concentrate (Campbell's usually, it gets very cheap on sale)

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup warm water

Olive Oil

Brown the chicken breasts in the olive oil in your sautee pan. If the breasts are thick, be extra careful they cook through to the middle. You might want to put the lid on for a little bit. While the chicken browns, mix soup, water, sugar and vinegar in a bowl or large cup. When chicken is almost finished, pour mixture overtop,, making sure to soak everything really well. Put the lid on and simmer for another 5 minutes per side, then with the lid off until the sauce begins to thicken. Serve any way you like, on a sandwich, over potatoes or rice, any starch that will soak up the delicious sauce.

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

1 large or 2 small chicken breasts (or leftover rotisserie chicken)

Olive Oil

Buffalo Sauce

Cream Cheese

4 tortillas

Ranch Dressing

Celery (optional)

Cook chicken in olive oil in skillet or sautee pan. Chop cooked chicken as finely as you can, into a sort of pre-chicken salad consistency. Stir in buffalo sauce to taste. Spread cream cheese on a warmed tortilla shell, making sure to get the edges. If desired, chop celery fine and sprinkle it over entire tortilla. Sprinkle buffalo chicken mix over entire tortilla. Roll up tortilla and slice into 5-6 pieces. Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.

Beer Can Chicken

(You actually need an oven for this one, but if you've got one, it's cheap and delicious)

1 whole raw chicken

1 can beer, any kind

Spice Rub (I use Emeril's Essence)

Butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make sure your chicken is thawed, then rinse it well inside and out, pulling out any packaged parts from the cavity. Lightly coat the skin with butter, then rub liberally with your favorite spice rub. Take the can of beer, open the tab a tiny bit, then use a can opener to remove the entire top. Drink or pour out 1/3 of the beer, then add 1 tbsp rub to the remaining contents. Place can upright in a baking pan, then pop the chicken on top of it, so that the can goes into the cavity and the can and legs form a tripod for the chicken to stay upright. Cook at 400 for 1/2 hour, then turn oven down to 350 for an additional 1.5-2 hours. If you have a meat thermometer, use it, otherwise check for juices that run clear, legs that are very loose, and white meat clear through when sliced open.

Crockpot Recipes

A crockpot is a must-have appliance for the frugal kitchen. A crockpot not only lets you prepare a meal to cook while you aren't even home, it takes the cheapest, toughest, most freezer-burned cuts of meat and turns them into something nice through the magic of just cooking them for a really, really long time. A crockpot, like a rice cooker, is something you can often find with years of life left in it at a thrift store, or you can look for sales, display models, clearance, or scratch-n-dent specials.I personally prefer a very large crockpot, since even if I make too much food, crockpot leftovers are usually very nice.

Pot Roast

This is a go-to meal for when you are having guests, because it is easy, inexpensive, plentiful, and looks like a lot more work than it is. Some ingredients are more expensive, but can be used more than once The amount of everything is very flexible. I recommend at least two pounds of meat, whatever kind of beef roast is cheapest when you're shopping.

2lbs or more beef roast (Pot roast, round roast, any sort of thick, inexpensive cut of beef)

4-6 medium potatoes

1-2 lbs baby carrots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can mushrooms, pieces and stems

1 packet onion soup mix

Worcestershire Sauce

Red Cooking Wine (optional, but nice)

Garlic Salt

Pepper

Trim excess fat from roast, then garlic salt and pepper both sides freely. Set aside while you chop the potatoes into 3/4 inch chunks (about the size of a Duplo block), and rinse the carrots. Layer the bottom of the crockpot with potatoes and carrots, till there is just enough room on top for the meat. This amount will vary with the size of your roast and your crockpot. Shake soup mix packet over roast and veggies, then add cream of mushroom soup. Fill soup can halfway with water and stir vigorously to get the residue, pour into pot. Add mushrooms and liquid to pot. Splash in approx 3 tbsp each Worcestershire and wine, a little more if you have a big pot. Add lid, turn crockpot to low, and cook for 6-8 hours until meat is falling apart. Stir occasionally.

When the roast is finished, remove it and the vegetables to serving dishes and preserve the leftover cooking liquid. This can be thickened into gravy with flour and cornstarch, or used as a wonderful hydrating liquid for TVP. TVP made with this liquid can be served as meatloaf sandwiches with ketchup.

[Electra]

Okay, here's what we had for supper tonight. It was cheap and yummy, so I'll post it up here

Spicy Crockpot Chicken Wraps with Quinoa (Serves 2)

4 lbs chicken legs ($4.00, 3/4 chicken saved for leftovers, so about $1.00)

1/3 cup margarine ($0.25)

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (Free with coupon, probably normally $0.50)

6 Soft Taco size flour tortillas ($0.50)

1/3 pkg cream cheese ($0.35)

1 cup Quinoa ($1.65)

Cost per serving: $2.12, no other sides needed

Layer chicken legs in crock pot, pour most of the red hot sauce over top, reserving a few tbsp for later. Reserve more or add more for added spice. Cut margarine into pats and put over top of the chicken. Cook on high 4-5 hours until chicken is soft and done. Separate chicken from bones and gristle, discard latter. Put 1 cup of chicken meat in separate bowl, refrigerate remainder for other meals. Shred chicken fine with a fork, add remaining hot sauce and stir. Spread cream cheese on tortillas, layer with a few spoonfuls of hot chicken, roll and cut into pinwheels. Serve with ranch dressing. Makes six wraps, approximately 18 large pinwheels.

To make quinoa, strain solids out of crockpot cooking liquid, put 2 cups liquid in rice cooker. Add 1 cup thoroughly rinsed quinoa, cook approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes two heaping servings.

[Breella]

Super awesome summer veggies!

Sliced Summer Squash (Zucchini & Yellow are my favorite)

Tomatoes

Onion

Dice onion, I usually use half to three quarters of a baseball size one depending on how much squash and tomatoes I have. Saute the onion on the stove until almost translucent and pieces are brown. Set aside.

Slice squash and tomatoes into rounds, in a glass pan layer squash, tomato, onion and a cheese of your liking. Cover with foil and bake for about 45min at 350*. Squash should be soft when done.

Stubborn squash? no foil to cover the pan? don't like your squash so soft? Bake for the 45 minutes then remove to saute pan and brown them gently. Tastes great either way!

[Aoiroo]

Aoiroo Snacks

Okay, if you guys are bored or have some stuff around, here's what I like to eat or make.

Sliced Potatoes

Okay, super unhealthy but also super tasty treat, probably has a formal name on the web but here's how I like to make potatoes as a snack.

Requires

One potatoe

Butter

Microwave Safe Plate

Salt

Basically, you take the potatoe and cut it horizonally into circles. You can peel it if you like, but the skins have ton of nutrients and honestly for this snack you're gonna need them cause nothing else is healthy about it.

You put them around a plate like your cooking tostino pizza rolls then you get like a tablespoon of butter, chop it into chunks and put them all around the potatoes. Then you add salt on top (however much you like) and cook it in the microwave for four to seven minutes. How they turn out depends on how thin you cut the circles, if they're super thin they're nice and crispy like chips, if there thicker they the're sort of like mini baked potatoes. Either way, super tasty.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Okay this one is something you can make for a meal and it's super tasty and probably way healthier.

You need

2 Cups of Bread Crumbs

Some Chicken Breasts

1 teaspoon of Salt

1 teaspoon of Garlic Salt

Any Other Seasonings You'd Like

1/2 a cup of butter

Okay so this is essentually a breaded backed chicken recipe. You start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, get out a cookie sheet and cover it in foil. Then you make your mix. You put in the bread crumbs salt and garlic salt, you can also add peprika and peper and rosemary and anything else you like to season with, just make sure you keep additional ingredients under a half a teaspoon each so they don't end up overpowering them.

. Anyway, you get the chicken breasts, get a knife and cut them into four or five chunks. After that wash the chicken in cold water then dip it in butter then the crumbs. If you want to keep the crumbs in be sure to pack them onto the chicken before you put them on the cookie sheet. Now it's time to cook, you can cook from 45-55 minutes, because the pieces are smaller they cook more quickly and will be more crispy if you put them in longer (which you can do if you like them that way).

Smores

Heh yeah.

4 Whole Gramcrackers

1 Hersey Bar

4 marshmellows

So microwave smores. So break the hersey bar into four whole pieces, put them on one half of each gramcracker and put the marshmellow on top and put it in the microwave for 45 seconds. The marshmellow is big smoosh the other half of the gramcrackers on top and let it cool down.

[Cubist]

Dutch Baby addendum: On Wednesday, I cooked up a DB with sausage in it. It was Johnstown brand garlic sausage with tiny chunks of red pepper and three cheeses, and I chopped up two of those sausages into tiny bits which got stirred into the batter before cooking. The resulting DB was well-recieved, so I must have done something right.