DCL
My mother grew up in the Depression, but her family was one of the lucky ones because my grandfather had a job. He didn't make much, but it was enough. They lived in walking distance to all of their extended family and they visited back and forth frequently. My grandmother never thought anything of family dropping in and her having extra mouths to feed for dinner. They never had much meat, but she'd just add a few more potatoes to the pot. If that wasn't enough, there was always a pot of soup going on the back of the stove.
Now that hard economic times have arrived once again, we have to start rethinking our dinner menus. People who used to dine out frequently are finding they are having to brush up on their culinary basics. Having company for dinner may now mean adding another potato to the pot rather than serving esoteric, expensive ingredients meant to impress.
Everybody likes to save money and the kitchen is actually a pretty easy place to start. You can begin by choosing healthy, inexpensive forms of protein such as legumes. Cut down on the amount of meat you eat, and buy cheaper cuts when you do. Think about braising in a crock pot rather than roasting. Increase the number of vegetables you eat, and buy locally rather than expensive fruits and vegetables from other places. Use what you buy, rather than letting it languish in the back of your refrigerator. Food waste is total waste.
1. Tuscan Kidney Beans With Sage
My daughter pointed out to me that a lot of her university friends are having potluck holiday parties. Of course, being students, they don't have a lot of money, so potluck is the way to go.
These beans can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. If you are making this for a party, just double the ingredients. You can make it up to two days ahead. Read more about Tuscan Kidney Beans With Sage.
2. Quinoa Cakes
I was writing a post for TreeHugger for my new series On Moving Toward Vegetarianism, when I thought, I really should include a recipe to illustrate my point. So in the middle of writing, I left my desk, ran to the kitchen and made Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese. I made enough for two, but by lunchtime I had made so many trips down to the kitchen for just another little taste, it was gone. The original recipe called for four cups of cooked quinoa and I made that much, although I only made a half recipe. So I was left with a lot of quinoa.
It occurred to me that the quinoa would make a nice little fried cake. Scavenging through my refrigerator for bits and pieces to make a sauce, I ended up with some canned tomatoes, a handful of jumbo green olives, and some capers. I had a handful of swiss chard from my garden, which is still going strong and I had the makings of a really easy, cheap meal. Check out your refrigerator and see what great ingredients you can come up with. Read more about Quinoa Cakes.
3. Peng's Homestyle Bean Curd
This recipe contains a small amount of pork, but you can omit that if you are vegetarian and it is still a tasty dish. I had medium-firm tofu, rather than firm, so I put it between two plates and weighted it for about 20 minutes and drained off the excess water. I also have yet to find Shaoxing wine, so I always just substitute whatever alcohol I happen to have on hand. This time, I used dry vermouth, but I have used sherry, whiskey, and wine in the past-it's a bit of a free-for-all. I used the little Thai bird's eye chilies, which are extremely hot, so I seeded them and left them whole so I could just spoon them out when the dish was finished. You can get fermented black beans at Asian markets. Read more about Peng's Homestyle Bean Curd.
4. Pasta with Tuna and Beans
I have struck up a cyber friendship with Elaine, a dietician based in Vancouver and I follow her website Greens and Berries. She had a link last week to another website Limes and Lycopene from a nutritionist names Kathryn Elliott blogging from Sydney, Australia. This blogger set a challenge to her readers: make dinner using only ingredients from your pantry. The list of fifteen ingredients below were the only things you were allowed to include.
1. Olive oil
2. Tinned tomatoes
3. Tinned beans
4. Soy sauce
5. Frozen vegetables
6. Flour
7. Pasta or rice
8. Tinned fish
9. Eggs
10. Bread
11. Olives
12. Meat from the freezer
13. Fresh onions
14. One (spice) or spice mix
15. One dried herb or herb mix
I read about this after the deadline, so I was too late to make an entry, but I still took up the challenge and I wanted to share the idea with my readers. I actually cook like this all the time, so I didn't find it difficult, but I had never thought about limiting the number of ingredients this way. I have always maintained that the easiest way to make quick, nutritious meals is to have a well stocked pantry with healthy ingredients at the ready. I used seven of the 15 ingredients to make a quick pasta dish that was on the table literally in the time it took to cook the pasta. I should mention that salt and pepper were considered a given and not included on the list. Read more about Pasta with Tuna and Beans.
5. Eggplant with Chilli and Spring Onion
My husband and I watched the Olympic roundup in the evenings this past summer while we enjoyed Chinese food for our dinner. You can make this easy eggplant dish in the time it takes Michael Phelps to win another gold medal. Okay, not quite, but it's quick. I used a Sicilian eggplant which is globe shaped, unlike the traditional eggplant. There are almost no seeds in it and there's is no bitterness in the flesh at all. You can serve it hot, or at room temperature if you want to make it earlier in the day. It would go well with the Black Bean Tofu. If you have access to really good Chinese black vinegar, use that, otherwise balsamic is fine. Read more about Eggplant with Chilli and Spring Onion.
6. Black Bean and Vegetable Soup
I was casting about yesterday looking for something to make for lunch. I've been good, so my refrigerator is cleaned out and my cupboards have had their spring makeover and I knew exactly what I had on hand. Rather than choose a recipe and then go to the store to get the ingredients, I decided to use only what I already had.
I'm making a big effort not to waste any food so making a soup or stew is a good way to use up all the bits and pieces hanging around. Sometimes I just haul out all the stuff in my vegetable crisper and figure out how to incorporate as much of it into a meal as possible. I had some onions, a single carrot, some celery, some mushrooms, a slightly wrinkled parsnip, some cilantro and on my counter some slightly wrinkled potatoes. Add a can of black beans and some stock, and you've got soup. Give it a try and don't be afraid to make it up as you go. Read more about Black Bean and Vegetable Soup.
7. Crispy Tofu With Shiitakes and Chorizo
I've tried to get tofu crispy lots of times, but it's never really worked. Apparently the secret is a non-stick pan, and the patience to leave the tofu alone while it sears. I don't have a non-stick pan, but I do have plenty of patience. I let the tofu sizzle away in my well-seasoned wok, while I chopped the mushrooms and made some rice and it worked very well. The recipe calls for extra firm tofu but I find it a bit dry, so I used firm and then pressed it for half an hour between two plates with a weight on it.
My daughter and I spent awhile hemming and hawing about whether or not to include the chorizo. It seemed like an odd flavour to add and we all eat so much less meat than we used to. In the end, Emma thought that we would miss the chorizo because there were so few ingredients, so I used it. The dish was delicious, but I wouldn't hesitate to leave the sausage out and make it vegetarian. Read more about Crispy Tofu With Shiitakes and Chorizo.
8. Crustless Quiche
This quiche is one of those meals that is appealing on a wintry day. It's rich-tasting and satisfying and best of all, takes only a few minutes to make because you don't have to fuss with pastry. I made it for my mother for her birthday lunch and it was a big hit. Pair it up with some sauteed greens and you have a really nice brunch meal. There is ham in the quiche, but if you are vegetarian, substitute mushrooms or spinach. Add them to the pan just before the onions are done. Read more about Crustless Quiche.
9. White Bean and Escarole Soup
You can have a pot of this soup ready in less than half an hour. I ended up using swiss chard in this recipe because that was what I could get at the market, but any green leafy vegetable such as spinach or kale would work, as well. I used cannellini beans, but kidney beans would also be fine. This is a healthy, cold weather soup that is really easy. Read more about White Bean and Escarole Soup.
10. Quesadillas with Vegetables
Each week of spring sees a few more vegetables on offer at the farmers' market and my bags get a bit heavier. This week I met up with my daughter Emma, as well as Becca, my son's girlfriend, and we wandered from booth to booth discussing the possibilities for dinner. I passed over the beets and parsnips this week in favour of soft lettuce and the first rhubarb of the year. We also bought more garlic bulbs, cucumber, spinach, radishes, and an organic red pepper.
When we got home the girls unpacked the produce and got to work making quesadillas for dinner. Quesadillas seem to be standard fare for university students, and both Emma and Becca proved to be quite adept at making them. In the spirit of our bread challenge, they even made their own tortillas. In fairly short order, we had absolutely delicious quesadillas chock full of market vegetables, topped with organic sour cream and Becca's homemade salsa. Read more about Quesadillas with Vegetables.
