Economical eats
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
We are still saving money this week, this time by sharing another round of inexpensive recipes.
It’s important to remember that eating cheaply does not mean eating foods that are not nutritious.
Sure, those Twinkies might be three for a dollar, but is that a better breakfast than fruit and oatmeal? Just because Ramen noodles are 10 for a dollar doesn’t mean you can live on them and remain healthy. What you save in food costs you will end up spending at the doctor’s office.
Have you seen all of the “10 for $10” and “spend $10 get $5 off” promotions in our grocery stores? What a great opportunity to save on your household bills, and more than that, to help stock the food pantries around town. I don’t need 10 jars of pasta sauce, but I could use five and give five to the needy for the same price as when they’re not on sale. Give it a thought!
Phyllis Dorcas sent in a couple of ideas that she thought would be helpful. I really like the oats in this tuna fish recipe — they add fiber as well as stretch the quantity. I approximated the amounts for the add-ins. It’s all to taste, of course. Thank you, Phyllis!
STRETCHED TUNA SALAD
3/4 cup quick-cook oats
1 can tuna fish
Mayonnaise/salad dressing
1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
2 eggs, hard boiled
1/2 cup cheese, your choice, diced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats on a cookie sheet and toast them until light brown, about five to seven minutes. Add these to a can of drained tuna fish and mix in the remaining ingredients as needed or desired. Phyllis also sometimes adds a dash of milk, or pickle juice, and maybe chopped celery, onions or pimientos. That helps keep your tuna salad interesting.
ECONOMICAL SYRUP
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar (granulated)
3/4 cup water
Maple flavoring, optional
Combine the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a full, rolling boil. Turn heat down and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit on the burner, uncovered, overnight. Add flavoring at this time if you want it. If you cover the pan it will trap the moisture and thin the syrup.
Refrigerate in a covered container and use on pancakes, muffins, biscuits and so forth. Phyllis says not to microwave it to reheat it because that will thin it out.
PHYLLIS’S FAVORITE PANCAKES
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
3 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. Canola oil
Sift the dry ingredients together. Combine egg, milk and oil, then add to the dry ingredients and stir well. Do not over-beat.
Bake on a hot griddle, nonstick or lightly oiled, in 12 silver dollar-sized pancakes or about eight four-inch pancakes. Pour some of Phyllis’s syrup on there and you’ll be a happy camper.
One of the things that got me through college was the “one piece of meat, one batch of rice, one can of cream of X soup” formula. That would be my main dish and I’d have a vegetable or salad. I even made it with veggie burgers! Then there’s the “can of chicken or tuna mixed with a box of Mac-and-cheese” formula, or the “rice, beans and cheese wrapped in a tortilla and covered with salsa” formula.
That can of “Cream of X” can still help you out, even though it’s gotten pretty expensive. You can stretch it with plain yogurt or sour cream. Even though the price of rice is increasing, it’s still a very economical choice. And preparing dried beans instead of buying canned ones will save you a “lot o’ moolah.”
This recipe feeds four for a cost in ingredients of about $10. It came from Alicia Ross and Beverly Mills of Desperation Dinners. They recommend choosing any reduced-fat, reduced-sodium versions of the ingredients that you can find. When you rely on processed foods, you need to be aware of how all that adds up because it can affect your health. Eating cheaply doesn’t mean eating unhealthily!
CONFETTI CHICKEN AND RICE
1 cup long-grain rice
2 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (about 12 oz.)
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup low-fat milk
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. black pepper, or to taste
Salt to taste
1/3 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
Start cooking the rice according to the package directions. Thaw the chicken if necessary and cut into bite-size pieces. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and then add the chicken, cooking until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, five to six minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the vegetables into a colander and rinse briefly under warm tap water to remove any ice crystals. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible. You can, of course, use fresh vegetables of your choice!
Add the soup and milk to the skillet and stir until well combined. Stir in the mixed vegetables, garlic, basil and black pepper. Cook until the mixture comes to a very slow boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring from time to time.
Just before the rice finishes cooking, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the skillet, cover it and remove it from the heat. To serve, spoon the chicken mixture over a bed of hot rice.
So, there’re a few more ideas to help stretch your food budget! Next week we’re doing gourmet burgers. The week after that we have a special column, so you can take a break.
Don’t forget the Taste on April 25! Emporia Main Street is setting up the party tent in White Auditorium. The Tallgrass Big Band will perform. There will be beers and wines for tasting, light munchies from several downtown eateries, and fancy cigars from Jack’s Tobacco. Advance tickets are $30, or you can pay $35 at the door. Call 340-6430 for more information. Let’s get cooking!
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