My friend Marissa served these delicious oven roasted tomatoes for lunch one day. When she told me how she prepared them, I couldn't believe how easy they were to make. With her permission, I am sharing this quick and easy side dish recipe since the two main ingredients are on sale at Publix this week.
Oven Roasted Grape Tomatoes
Two packages of tomatoes will make 6-8 side dish servings. The tomatoes will cook down considerably in the oven.
Ingredients:
Grape Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Directions:
Halve tomatoes lengthwise.
Place on cookie sheet with inside facing up.
Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes.
Heat oven to 200 degrees.
Place tomatoes in oven.
Cook for about two hours until most, but not all of the juices have evaporated.
Remove from oven.
Salt.
Serve and enjoy!
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Easy Recipe for the End of the Month Stretch
I received an e-mail from a friend earlier this week who is expecting her third child in November:
"I am trying to meal plan for November and I am bored with all my recipes. Since I don't plan on leaving the house much, there are a lot of days to plan for! If you get a chance, can you send me your favorite easy recipe?"
I have been wanting to post this recipe for some time, but her e-mail motivated me to share it now.
I threw this together one night when I was first married and not feeling well. I was looking for something easy that I could make with what I had on hand and had minimal cleanup because our apartment didn't have a dishwasher. The bonus is that it is a very inexpensive dish to make, so if you are looking for a nutritious meal to help stretch your budget at the end of the month this is it! My little experiment was successful, and it has remained one of our favorites!
Beans and Rice
Serves 3-4 main dish servings. This recipe can easily be multiplied for larger families or if you are having guests. If you have leftovers you freeze it in individual serving containers for when you are too busy or tired to cook.
I strongly recommend canned beans instead of dried beans for this dish. In my opinion, the flavor is much better with the canned beans.
1 can corn (.42 can Wal-Mart)
1 can black beans (.49 can Aldi)
1 can kidney beans (Even though it is more expensive than Aldi or Wal-Mart, I like the Kroger brand best for this as the syrup is thicker .56 can)
long grain white rice (Amount will vary based on your family. Price has been about .66/lb lately)
shredded cheese for topping
salsa (optional)
Open all the cans.
Drain retaining a thick coating of juice on the beans. Do not rinse the corn or beans.
Place corn in pot and turn burner to medium heat.
In a separate pot put water in pot for rice turn on high.
Cook corn for a few minutes, while water for rice is preparing to boil.
Stir corn so it doesn't stick to bottom. You want to place the corn in the pot and start to cook them before the beans or they will be undercooked and crunchy.
Place rice in water once it is boiling. Cook as directed.
Place both cans of beans in with corn and stir.
Continue to stir mixture periodically to avoid having beans stick to bottom of pot. If the mixture is cooked at a temperature too high or not stirred they will burn!
Mixture will become thicker as beans start to become mushy. You can have either moist where basically the beans are just heated or you can have it a bit drier and the beans are mushier.
In general, I use the rice as the timer at my house for when the beans should be cooked.
Turn off rice and bean mixture when cooked.
Layer rice then bean mixture.
Top with shredded cheese.
You may also top with salsa (My husband prefers having this addition.)
I have occasionally used the mixture as a baked potato topping, but I like it better served over rice.
If you have a favorite easy recipe to share with us please leave a comment. If you have a blog you can provide a direct link to the recipe. You can find some other recipes that I have shared here.
"I am trying to meal plan for November and I am bored with all my recipes. Since I don't plan on leaving the house much, there are a lot of days to plan for! If you get a chance, can you send me your favorite easy recipe?"
I have been wanting to post this recipe for some time, but her e-mail motivated me to share it now.
I threw this together one night when I was first married and not feeling well. I was looking for something easy that I could make with what I had on hand and had minimal cleanup because our apartment didn't have a dishwasher. The bonus is that it is a very inexpensive dish to make, so if you are looking for a nutritious meal to help stretch your budget at the end of the month this is it! My little experiment was successful, and it has remained one of our favorites!
Beans and Rice
Serves 3-4 main dish servings. This recipe can easily be multiplied for larger families or if you are having guests. If you have leftovers you freeze it in individual serving containers for when you are too busy or tired to cook.
I strongly recommend canned beans instead of dried beans for this dish. In my opinion, the flavor is much better with the canned beans.
1 can corn (.42 can Wal-Mart)
1 can black beans (.49 can Aldi)
1 can kidney beans (Even though it is more expensive than Aldi or Wal-Mart, I like the Kroger brand best for this as the syrup is thicker .56 can)
long grain white rice (Amount will vary based on your family. Price has been about .66/lb lately)
shredded cheese for topping
salsa (optional)
Open all the cans.
Drain retaining a thick coating of juice on the beans. Do not rinse the corn or beans.
Place corn in pot and turn burner to medium heat.
In a separate pot put water in pot for rice turn on high.
Cook corn for a few minutes, while water for rice is preparing to boil.
Stir corn so it doesn't stick to bottom. You want to place the corn in the pot and start to cook them before the beans or they will be undercooked and crunchy.
Place rice in water once it is boiling. Cook as directed.
Place both cans of beans in with corn and stir.
Continue to stir mixture periodically to avoid having beans stick to bottom of pot. If the mixture is cooked at a temperature too high or not stirred they will burn!
Mixture will become thicker as beans start to become mushy. You can have either moist where basically the beans are just heated or you can have it a bit drier and the beans are mushier.
In general, I use the rice as the timer at my house for when the beans should be cooked.
Turn off rice and bean mixture when cooked.
Layer rice then bean mixture.
Top with shredded cheese.
You may also top with salsa (My husband prefers having this addition.)
I have occasionally used the mixture as a baked potato topping, but I like it better served over rice.
If you have a favorite easy recipe to share with us please leave a comment. If you have a blog you can provide a direct link to the recipe. You can find some other recipes that I have shared here.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Menu Planning by Using the Sales Circluar - Eggplant Casserole Recipe
Eggplant is one of my favorite foods. As promised earlier this week, I'm sharing one of my favorite eggplant recipes. My parents made this when we had fresh eggplant from the garden so it brings back several good childhood memories for me.
This is a very simple recipe that can be used as a side dish or as a main dish if you are vegetarian or have a meatless night in your menu plan. Like most casseroles, it travels well so it is great for a potluck dinner or when taking a meal to one who is ill.
I chose to share this particular dish this week since the ingredients are currently on sale at Publix. I wanted to provide an example of being able to reduce your budget by planning a menu around items that can be found on sale and demonstrate that you don't have to eat junk food in order to save money.
Eggplant Casserole:
Recipe makes 9x13 casserole dish. 6 healthy portions. Leftovers can be frozen for homemade "tv dinners".
Ingredients:
2 Smaller Eggplants- Look for firm eggplant with a shiny peel. $1.29/lb at Publix
2 28 oz Cans Diced Tomatoes - The Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes are on Advantage Buy at Publix for $1.75/28 oz can see scenario here to get these for FREE.
1 package (tube) of crackers - (like Ritz, Town House, etc.) OR
Substitute the crackers for the Progresso Bread Crumbs that are on sale BOGO and have a $1/2 printable coupon.
1 8oz package of shredded cheese - Publix has their brand on sale for $2.00 this week. Not the best deal, but at least it is discounted some.
Directions:
Slice eggplant into 1/3 inch pieces. (Inside of eggplant should be firm and light in color. The seeds will be visible throughout.)
Salt and soak eggplant in water for 30 minutes. This removes the bitter taste often associated with eggplant.
Spray casserole dish with oil (I use canola)
Remove eggplant from water and rinse salt off of eggplant.
Place first layer of eggplant into dish.
Drain tomatoes.
Layer first can of tomatoes on top of eggplant.
Place second layer of eggplant.
Layer second can of tomatoes on top of eggplant.
Crumble crackers into crumbs. Tip: Crumble them in the package to reduce mess.
Sprinkle cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs) over eggplant.
Top with cheese.
Heat oven 350 degrees.
Cover pan with aluminum foil.
Place in oven and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Cheese should be melted and eggplant should appear dark in color.
Serve over bed of rice (I allow at least 2/3 cup per person, more if serving as main dish.)
For an Easy Meal Serve With These Other Sale Items:
Barber Stuffed Chicken Breasts (2 pieces) $4.99 BOGO
$1.50/1 after $1/1 (9/7 S1) OR $1/1 Printable Coupon
Publix Classic Salad Mix 16 oz. $1.99 BOGO
A complete meal for 6 for just over $2 per person, or skip the chicken and save even more!
This is a very simple recipe that can be used as a side dish or as a main dish if you are vegetarian or have a meatless night in your menu plan. Like most casseroles, it travels well so it is great for a potluck dinner or when taking a meal to one who is ill.
I chose to share this particular dish this week since the ingredients are currently on sale at Publix. I wanted to provide an example of being able to reduce your budget by planning a menu around items that can be found on sale and demonstrate that you don't have to eat junk food in order to save money.
Eggplant Casserole:
Recipe makes 9x13 casserole dish. 6 healthy portions. Leftovers can be frozen for homemade "tv dinners".
Ingredients:
2 Smaller Eggplants- Look for firm eggplant with a shiny peel. $1.29/lb at Publix
2 28 oz Cans Diced Tomatoes - The Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes are on Advantage Buy at Publix for $1.75/28 oz can see scenario here to get these for FREE.
1 package (tube) of crackers - (like Ritz, Town House, etc.) OR
Substitute the crackers for the Progresso Bread Crumbs that are on sale BOGO and have a $1/2 printable coupon.
1 8oz package of shredded cheese - Publix has their brand on sale for $2.00 this week. Not the best deal, but at least it is discounted some.
Directions:
Slice eggplant into 1/3 inch pieces. (Inside of eggplant should be firm and light in color. The seeds will be visible throughout.)
Salt and soak eggplant in water for 30 minutes. This removes the bitter taste often associated with eggplant.
Spray casserole dish with oil (I use canola)
Remove eggplant from water and rinse salt off of eggplant.
Place first layer of eggplant into dish.
Drain tomatoes.
Layer first can of tomatoes on top of eggplant.
Place second layer of eggplant.
Layer second can of tomatoes on top of eggplant.
Crumble crackers into crumbs. Tip: Crumble them in the package to reduce mess.
Sprinkle cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs) over eggplant.
Top with cheese.
Heat oven 350 degrees.
Cover pan with aluminum foil.
Place in oven and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Cheese should be melted and eggplant should appear dark in color.
Serve over bed of rice (I allow at least 2/3 cup per person, more if serving as main dish.)
For an Easy Meal Serve With These Other Sale Items:
Barber Stuffed Chicken Breasts (2 pieces) $4.99 BOGO
$1.50/1 after $1/1 (9/7 S1) OR $1/1 Printable Coupon
Publix Classic Salad Mix 16 oz. $1.99 BOGO
A complete meal for 6 for just over $2 per person, or skip the chicken and save even more!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Dishes with Eggs - Recipes for Ham and Spinach Quiche and Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Since eggs are on sale this week I thought that I would share a couple of my favorite dishes that use eggs. When possible, I try to use ingredients from my stockpile that I have gotten on sale to help reduce cost.
Ham and Spinach Quiche - From my Dad
This recipe makes two (2) 9x13 pans AND one (1) 8x8 pan of quiche or can be cooked in deep dish pie shells. This is great for hospitality or to freeze for homemade frozen dinners (or breakfasts as the case may be). Note that the uncooked mixture can be stored in a covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight to make morning preparation easier.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup flour
1 quart half and half
16 eggs
3/4 lb. ham (I typically use prepackaged deli slices, but freshly cooked or frozen leftover scraps work well too)
2 pounds frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
3/4 bag Kroger frozen chopped onion (thawed)
3/4 bag Kroger frozen chopped bell pepper (thawed)
4 cups shredded cheese (mixed in)
2.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4-6 cups shredded cheese (top)
Put flour in bowl.
Slowly pour in 1/2 and 1/2 while stirring to dissolve flour.
Add eggs and mix well.
Chop Ham in to small pieces or dice if using fresh.
Add other ingredients except cheese for the top and stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
If using casserole dishes spray with cooking spray (I use canola) before placing mixture in pans.
If preparing ahead, keep mixture covered in the bowl in refrigerator, and stir before placing mixture into prepared dishes.
Top with cheese.
Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes
Quiche is done when cheese is light brown and knife comes out clean when inserted.
Blue Berry French Toast Casserole
Adapted From a Recipe Found on the Internet Several Years Ago - Website Unknown
Makes one 9x13 pan or slightly smaller casserole dish depending on the size of the loaf/loaves of bread. Plan ahead! Must sit overnight in refrigerator for bread to absorb mixture. Can be frozen in individual servings to be reheated for a quick breakfast treat or dessert!
Ingredients:
Loaf of Bakery Bread - Be sure to buy the bread on Manager's Special because you need the bread to be dry so it will absorb the mixture well
8 oz package of cream cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
6 tablespoons of butter, melted
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup syrup
Spray pan with cooking spray.
Break the bread into small pieces. Use half to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place cream cheese on microwave safe plate.
Place powdered sugar on top of cream cheese.
Heat in microwave for 30 seconds.
Mix/mash cream cheese and sugar with fork.
Spread cream cheese mixture on top of bread.
Layer washed blueberries on top of cream cheese.
Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon sugar.
Tear remaining bread and place on top of blueberries.
Mix butter, eggs, milk, and syrup.
Pour mixture over bread.
Use a spatula to press down the bread so that the mixture is well absorbed.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Ham and Spinach Quiche - From my Dad
This recipe makes two (2) 9x13 pans AND one (1) 8x8 pan of quiche or can be cooked in deep dish pie shells. This is great for hospitality or to freeze for homemade frozen dinners (or breakfasts as the case may be). Note that the uncooked mixture can be stored in a covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight to make morning preparation easier.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup flour
1 quart half and half
16 eggs
3/4 lb. ham (I typically use prepackaged deli slices, but freshly cooked or frozen leftover scraps work well too)
2 pounds frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
3/4 bag Kroger frozen chopped onion (thawed)
3/4 bag Kroger frozen chopped bell pepper (thawed)
4 cups shredded cheese (mixed in)
2.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4-6 cups shredded cheese (top)
Put flour in bowl.
Slowly pour in 1/2 and 1/2 while stirring to dissolve flour.
Add eggs and mix well.
Chop Ham in to small pieces or dice if using fresh.
Add other ingredients except cheese for the top and stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
If using casserole dishes spray with cooking spray (I use canola) before placing mixture in pans.
If preparing ahead, keep mixture covered in the bowl in refrigerator, and stir before placing mixture into prepared dishes.
Top with cheese.
Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes
Quiche is done when cheese is light brown and knife comes out clean when inserted.
Blue Berry French Toast Casserole
Adapted From a Recipe Found on the Internet Several Years Ago - Website Unknown
Makes one 9x13 pan or slightly smaller casserole dish depending on the size of the loaf/loaves of bread. Plan ahead! Must sit overnight in refrigerator for bread to absorb mixture. Can be frozen in individual servings to be reheated for a quick breakfast treat or dessert!
Ingredients:
Loaf of Bakery Bread - Be sure to buy the bread on Manager's Special because you need the bread to be dry so it will absorb the mixture well
8 oz package of cream cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
6 tablespoons of butter, melted
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup syrup
Spray pan with cooking spray.
Break the bread into small pieces. Use half to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place cream cheese on microwave safe plate.
Place powdered sugar on top of cream cheese.
Heat in microwave for 30 seconds.
Mix/mash cream cheese and sugar with fork.
Spread cream cheese mixture on top of bread.
Layer washed blueberries on top of cream cheese.
Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon sugar.
Tear remaining bread and place on top of blueberries.
Mix butter, eggs, milk, and syrup.
Pour mixture over bread.
Use a spatula to press down the bread so that the mixture is well absorbed.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Hospitality Without Breaking the Bank
In Honour and Love Your Husband's Frugal Friday post she requested help for an inexpensive dessert that could be used when she hosts a bible study for ten.
Apple Crisp is one of my favorite desserts to make. It has multiple benefits: it is simple in that it has a limited number of ingredients to buy, most of them are probably already on hand, it is quick and easy to assemble, it is travels well, it is inexpensive to make, and is almost always enjoyed by all.
Apple Crisp
Ingredients
~ 3 Pounds of Baking Apples (Usually can be found for .99/pound, or less if they are in
season, look for bulk bags with smaller apples, to save even more. Aldi is a good place to look for these. Or better yet, pick them from your orchard or a pick your own orchard.
Stick of Butter or Margarine (Generic butter is .50/stick, Margarine is as little as .13/stick. Total of .50 - 2.00 for a box)
1 Cup of Brown Sugar (Normal Price $1/box. Use coupons and bring this cost down if you don't have any on hand)
1 1/2 Cups - 2 Cups of Oatmeal depending on how thick you would like your topping (Normal price ~$2.25 for a canister. Having these in your stockpile from a BOGO deal and using coupons will bring this price down considerably.)
1/4 Cup of Sugar (optional) (I saw a 4/lb. bag this week advertised for ~$2)
Directions
Peel and cut apples into slices or chunks. ( I usually slice them and cut them in half).
If apples are extremely tart roll in 1/4 cup of sugar.
Place in a layer in a 9x13 pan.
Melt butter.
Mix brown sugar with the butter until sugar is dissolved.
Add oatmeal.
Stir until oatmeal is well coated.
Cover the apples with the oatmeal mixture.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Be sure not to over bake them or you will have applesauce!
Let cool.
Serve and top with an optional scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Total Cost of Ingredients
Even if you had to go out and buy the full size containers at full price you would still be well under a $10 budget. However, this is a good example of where having a stockpile of ingredients on hand will really save you money. The apples are my biggest expense and I can do this for $3 out of pocket or probably a total of about $4 for all of the ingredients. If I choose to use ice cream that is another $2 for a carton. If you have budgeted for $10 and you end up spending less I would encourage you to save that money to apply it to future hospitality expenses. Maybe once a month use those savings to host an simple inexpensive dinner like a pasta, salad, and dessert.
It is great to practice hospitality in whatever way we can. Remember it isn't about what you serve or how much it costs, but spending time and fellowshipping with the people you care about.
Please check back for future posts on simple recipes on a budget.
Apple Crisp is one of my favorite desserts to make. It has multiple benefits: it is simple in that it has a limited number of ingredients to buy, most of them are probably already on hand, it is quick and easy to assemble, it is travels well, it is inexpensive to make, and is almost always enjoyed by all.
Apple Crisp
Ingredients
~ 3 Pounds of Baking Apples (Usually can be found for .99/pound, or less if they are in
season, look for bulk bags with smaller apples, to save even more. Aldi is a good place to look for these. Or better yet, pick them from your orchard or a pick your own orchard.
Stick of Butter or Margarine (Generic butter is .50/stick, Margarine is as little as .13/stick. Total of .50 - 2.00 for a box)
1 Cup of Brown Sugar (Normal Price $1/box. Use coupons and bring this cost down if you don't have any on hand)
1 1/2 Cups - 2 Cups of Oatmeal depending on how thick you would like your topping (Normal price ~$2.25 for a canister. Having these in your stockpile from a BOGO deal and using coupons will bring this price down considerably.)
1/4 Cup of Sugar (optional) (I saw a 4/lb. bag this week advertised for ~$2)
Directions
Peel and cut apples into slices or chunks. ( I usually slice them and cut them in half).
If apples are extremely tart roll in 1/4 cup of sugar.
Place in a layer in a 9x13 pan.
Melt butter.
Mix brown sugar with the butter until sugar is dissolved.
Add oatmeal.
Stir until oatmeal is well coated.
Cover the apples with the oatmeal mixture.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Be sure not to over bake them or you will have applesauce!
Let cool.
Serve and top with an optional scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Total Cost of Ingredients
Even if you had to go out and buy the full size containers at full price you would still be well under a $10 budget. However, this is a good example of where having a stockpile of ingredients on hand will really save you money. The apples are my biggest expense and I can do this for $3 out of pocket or probably a total of about $4 for all of the ingredients. If I choose to use ice cream that is another $2 for a carton. If you have budgeted for $10 and you end up spending less I would encourage you to save that money to apply it to future hospitality expenses. Maybe once a month use those savings to host an simple inexpensive dinner like a pasta, salad, and dessert.
It is great to practice hospitality in whatever way we can. Remember it isn't about what you serve or how much it costs, but spending time and fellowshipping with the people you care about.
Please check back for future posts on simple recipes on a budget.
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