I am a pastaholic! It's something I just crave and have to have sometimes. So thanks to some recent recipes from the magazine Everyday WITH RACHAEL RAY I discovered so many different ways to serve up pasta. Some of my favorite sauces that I have tried lately are surprisingly the simplest, which usually interprets to inexpensive as well. This is definitely cooking 101 the "pennyless" way.
One way you have got to fix pasta is tossed in an oil-garlic sauce. Boil salted water with pasta till just at al denta*. While pasta is cooking in a small skillet combine 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup of chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic and a pinch of salt over medium-high heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle the sauce is ready. I actually didn't have in parsley, but I did have spinach that I chopped finely (any fresh herb would be great). I tossed the sauce and whole wheat spaghetti together; topped it with Parmesan, and then out of my two-year-old's mouth I heard "MMMMMMMM!". Not kidding, he practically licked his bowl!
I cannot tell you enough how inexpensive, easy, healthy and delicious this meal is. The key to making any pasta dish is making sure to cook your pasta properly and making a simple sauce. In Italy they tend to say they like pasta with their sauce, not sauce with their pasta. A rule to live by when cooking pasta. Ciao!
*See: Tips to Eat or Cook By
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Corny
Potluck tonight at our dear friends' Amanda and Stuart's home. Good food and even better company. Tonight I brought a dish to the party I thought would be a great way to end summer, a Corn Cobb Salad. I got the idea from Rachael Ray and anyone can make this take on a Cobb Salad. It's 3 cans of corn or corn on the cob boiled, red peppers, sliced avocado, chopped bacon, bleu cheese, salt, pepper, and a vinaigrette dressing. Let it chill for several hours. I let it chill for close to two hours and it was not long enough, it needs to sit at least three hours in the refridgerator; it would be best overnight. I also suggest going light on the bleu cheese or use a milder cheese in it's place. Any cheese would work. I love bleu cheese so I put quite a lot in it, but it was just a little overpowering. People seemed to enjoy this dish despite the experimental miscalculations. It was a perfect match for my taste buds, but next I may try using feta cheese just to change it up a bit! Try it out your next potluck! By the way, why is it called a potluck?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Just Add Shrimp
I always plan my monthly menu by the sales at all the grocery stores. This month there was a sale on frozen shrimp at Meijer so tonight I used that shrimp in a Shrimp Casserole. I got this recipe from my friend Amanda and she got it from her mother-in-law. It is an easy recipe, and a great way to get almost all the food groups.It may sound like an odd mix of ingredients, but they all work really well together and make a great dish that can last you a couple of nights.
You simply layer 2 cups of cooked rice, a bag of frozen shrimp, a small bunch of asparagus (any green vegetable would be good; we had green peppers tonight) a mixture of one can cream of mushroom soup with 2 tablespoons of chopped pimentos and black pepper, and then top it with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake on 400 degrees for 30 minutes. It comes out bubbling and oh so tasty! It's great for kids too!
You simply layer 2 cups of cooked rice, a bag of frozen shrimp, a small bunch of asparagus (any green vegetable would be good; we had green peppers tonight) a mixture of one can cream of mushroom soup with 2 tablespoons of chopped pimentos and black pepper, and then top it with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake on 400 degrees for 30 minutes. It comes out bubbling and oh so tasty! It's great for kids too!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Bring the Funk
I have a guilty pleasure....I hate to admit it....but....I watch Oprah. Really I switch back and forth between Oprah and Ellen, but still I watch it. The other day I was watching her show and saw chef Jamie Oliver. He was making what he calls Funky Spaghetti.
I made it for dinner tonight, and it totally brought the funk. It's a great way to use up the last of your tomatoes from your garden or from your neighbor's garden, and the only cooking that has to be done is to the pasta.
His recipe calls for spaghetti, a bunch of cherry tomatoes cut in half, 6 splashes of olive oil, salt, pepper, basil and marjoram. I cut up steak tomatoes that I had, and used basil and thyme instead. After the pasta cooks, simply toss all the ingredients in the spaghetti and smash some of the tomatoes to make a very light, translucent sauce. This simple, healthy, and inexpensive dish was to surprisingly flavorful. We topped it with Parmesan and all had seconds, including my two-year-old!
Check out www.oprah.com for the actual recipe, but I think you could toss pretty much anything in this spaghetti and it would be good. Try it out, it's perfect for the busiest of days.
I made it for dinner tonight, and it totally brought the funk. It's a great way to use up the last of your tomatoes from your garden or from your neighbor's garden, and the only cooking that has to be done is to the pasta.
His recipe calls for spaghetti, a bunch of cherry tomatoes cut in half, 6 splashes of olive oil, salt, pepper, basil and marjoram. I cut up steak tomatoes that I had, and used basil and thyme instead. After the pasta cooks, simply toss all the ingredients in the spaghetti and smash some of the tomatoes to make a very light, translucent sauce. This simple, healthy, and inexpensive dish was to surprisingly flavorful. We topped it with Parmesan and all had seconds, including my two-year-old!
Check out www.oprah.com for the actual recipe, but I think you could toss pretty much anything in this spaghetti and it would be good. Try it out, it's perfect for the busiest of days.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Feeling Cheated On
My kitchen has definately been neglected the last few days. I need to give it some nourishment and love here soon or it might leave me if I'm not careful! It's just been a busy life lately. Sunday, church was an all day event for us, and then family has been in town the last couple of days. It's been a crazy, but joyous last few days; unfortunately that means someone is not getting the attention they need and that is my kitchen. The most it's seen of me is for some scrambled eggs and some beans and rice.
Let me share with you a little tip with you that makes all the difference when making what can be a mundane meal. You can save a ton of money each month if you simply add in beans and rice to your monthly menu. We have it about every week just in different variations. You can take a tour around the world simply through rice and beans, and it saves you at least fifty dollars each month.
The real trick to cooking your beans so you get as much flavor out of them as possible is by using an iron or non-stick skillet, good cooking oil, and garlic. After sauteing the garlic for a minute cook your beans on medium heat while stirring till tender. Once tender let them simmer for at least ten minutes, add spices and smash them. This gives the beans a creamy and meaty consistency. When finished cooking, simply spoon over rice (I usually buy a big bag of whole grain brown rice for the fiber, which can cost a little extra*; one bag lasts our family 5-6 weeks).
*See: Tips to Cook or Eat By
Let me share with you a little tip with you that makes all the difference when making what can be a mundane meal. You can save a ton of money each month if you simply add in beans and rice to your monthly menu. We have it about every week just in different variations. You can take a tour around the world simply through rice and beans, and it saves you at least fifty dollars each month.
The real trick to cooking your beans so you get as much flavor out of them as possible is by using an iron or non-stick skillet, good cooking oil, and garlic. After sauteing the garlic for a minute cook your beans on medium heat while stirring till tender. Once tender let them simmer for at least ten minutes, add spices and smash them. This gives the beans a creamy and meaty consistency. When finished cooking, simply spoon over rice (I usually buy a big bag of whole grain brown rice for the fiber, which can cost a little extra*; one bag lasts our family 5-6 weeks).
*See: Tips to Cook or Eat By
Friday, September 11, 2009
Mastering the Art with Just Pennies
If you want to be entertained come by my apartment a little before dinner on Friday nights and watch as I try to cook intensely from the Masterng the Art of French Cooking cookbook by the one and only Julia Child. Today was the day I finally got to test my culinary skills as a "pennyless" cook striving to cook like a master.
After a pursuit across town searching for this 3 pound bird I finally discovered it at Kroger for $0.88 a pound. So this entire French gourmet meal cost me under $7.00 to make!
One hilarious task that I had the horror of mastering was the trussing of the chicken. I forgot to buy string and a long needle to truss*; so I had to be extremely creative. I found some ribbon, that said Merry Christmas I might add, and poked it through each part of the chicken with the end of a meat thermometer. I poked and prodded till it looked like the diagrams. It probably took twice as long as it should have.
I barely could leave my kitchen during the roasting time, basting the chicken in rich butter and it's own fat every 8 minutes, but when I pulled the chicken out of the oven it was as if it was singing. There it was, sitting in the pan surrounded by a chorus of caramelized carrots and onions, shining in all it's wonderful glory. Brown and crisp just waiting for the perfect moment to be carved as the juices cascade down it's side. I had accomplished it, what every great restaurant and cook is judged on....the perfect roast chicken!
Paired with this miraculous bird was sauteed potatoes and buttered peas. The aroma of this meal filled the kitchen, and the taste of this authentic French cuisine daintily danced on my tongue. An orchestra of flavor that is simple, yet perfectly and indescribably delectable. Merci Beaucoup Julia!
*The art of tying a chicken into the perfect roasting or rotisserie position.
After a pursuit across town searching for this 3 pound bird I finally discovered it at Kroger for $0.88 a pound. So this entire French gourmet meal cost me under $7.00 to make!
One hilarious task that I had the horror of mastering was the trussing of the chicken. I forgot to buy string and a long needle to truss*; so I had to be extremely creative. I found some ribbon, that said Merry Christmas I might add, and poked it through each part of the chicken with the end of a meat thermometer. I poked and prodded till it looked like the diagrams. It probably took twice as long as it should have.
I barely could leave my kitchen during the roasting time, basting the chicken in rich butter and it's own fat every 8 minutes, but when I pulled the chicken out of the oven it was as if it was singing. There it was, sitting in the pan surrounded by a chorus of caramelized carrots and onions, shining in all it's wonderful glory. Brown and crisp just waiting for the perfect moment to be carved as the juices cascade down it's side. I had accomplished it, what every great restaurant and cook is judged on....the perfect roast chicken!
Paired with this miraculous bird was sauteed potatoes and buttered peas. The aroma of this meal filled the kitchen, and the taste of this authentic French cuisine daintily danced on my tongue. An orchestra of flavor that is simple, yet perfectly and indescribably delectable. Merci Beaucoup Julia!
*The art of tying a chicken into the perfect roasting or rotisserie position.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
A different take on rice and beans
Beans and rice are a staple in the McDougal household. We've gone through months where that is our dinner four or five times a week. That kind of repetition can get kind of boring, so I've learned to change the same ole' beans and rice into something interesting and different. This is my go to meal when the budget for groceries is run out for the month, or when there's nothing else in my kitchen left to eat.
Beans and rice can be created in so many ways so here's the version I made tonight for dinner.
Black Beans
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 small onion
1 green pepper
2 cans of black beans
1 tbsp cumin
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper
Saute garlic, onion, green pepper until caramelized. Add beans and spices. Cook for 15 minutes on medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Yellow Rice
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves garlic
2 tbsp Turmeric
Cilantro
Cook rice according to package directions with water. During cooking time add garlic, 1 bay leaf, and Turmeric. Add Cilantro at end of cooking process.
Roasted Corn Salsa
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small chopped onion
8 small chopped fresh tomatoes
1 can of corn
1 bunch of cilantro leaves
2 tbsp cumin
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a small roasting pan in olive oil. Toss in onion, tomatoes, corn, salt, pepper and drizzle on more olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes. Place roasted vegetables in blender and add Cilantro, cumin, and more salt and pepper. Blend and add more spices to taste.
Serve Rice and beans together and top with salsa, place tortilla chips on side. Have cheese sauce, sour cream, and Sriracha Chili Sauce available for garnish.
Be prepared for clean plates. My two-year-old even cleaned his!
Beans and rice can be created in so many ways so here's the version I made tonight for dinner.
Black Beans
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 small onion
1 green pepper
2 cans of black beans
1 tbsp cumin
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper
Saute garlic, onion, green pepper until caramelized. Add beans and spices. Cook for 15 minutes on medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Yellow Rice
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves garlic
2 tbsp Turmeric
Cilantro
Cook rice according to package directions with water. During cooking time add garlic, 1 bay leaf, and Turmeric. Add Cilantro at end of cooking process.
Roasted Corn Salsa
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small chopped onion
8 small chopped fresh tomatoes
1 can of corn
1 bunch of cilantro leaves
2 tbsp cumin
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a small roasting pan in olive oil. Toss in onion, tomatoes, corn, salt, pepper and drizzle on more olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes. Place roasted vegetables in blender and add Cilantro, cumin, and more salt and pepper. Blend and add more spices to taste.
Serve Rice and beans together and top with salsa, place tortilla chips on side. Have cheese sauce, sour cream, and Sriracha Chili Sauce available for garnish.
Be prepared for clean plates. My two-year-old even cleaned his!
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