For the next month, Puttanesca's kitchen will chronicle the "getting ready for Christmas" process in my house! That means...
Yes, I'm going to share my prized cookie recipes from my Mom and grandma. Yes, I'm going to share my recipes for my candies and sweets and goodies that I give to my friends.
I hope you all enjoy the new direction this blog will take for the season!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
$0.59 per serving ~ Ham and Mashed Potato Casserole with Cheesy Veggies
Josh requested mashed potatoes on Monday... I wound up with way too much left over. This was based on one of my grandma's old recipes with a few changes.
Ham and Mashed Potato Casserole ~ $2.70 total cost, $0.34 per serving
3 cups hot mashed potatoes (free!)
2 eggs, separated ($0.20)
1 cup evaporated milk ($0.50)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt
white pepper
garlic powder
1 cup diced deli ham ($1.00)
2 tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($1.00)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix lemon juice into evaporated milk and let stand 5 minutes.
2. Blend together mashed potatoes, egg yolks, milk, and spices.
3. Fold ham into potatoes.
4. Separately beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into potatoes.
5. Butter a large casserole dish. Place potatoes into dish, and dot top with remaining butter.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
7. Top with cheese and bake 10 more minutes.
Makes 8 servings
The Verdict
This was a HUGE success. Josh ate 3 servings, Julia 2, and Jim 2, plus Josh wants it for breakfast in the morning! I served it with frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in a light butter sauce ($1.00, $0.25 per serving.) I know what I am doing with leftover potatoes from now on!
Ham and Mashed Potato Casserole ~ $2.70 total cost, $0.34 per serving
3 cups hot mashed potatoes (free!)
2 eggs, separated ($0.20)
1 cup evaporated milk ($0.50)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt
white pepper
garlic powder
1 cup diced deli ham ($1.00)
2 tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($1.00)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix lemon juice into evaporated milk and let stand 5 minutes.
2. Blend together mashed potatoes, egg yolks, milk, and spices.
3. Fold ham into potatoes.
4. Separately beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into potatoes.
5. Butter a large casserole dish. Place potatoes into dish, and dot top with remaining butter.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
7. Top with cheese and bake 10 more minutes.
Makes 8 servings
The Verdict
This was a HUGE success. Josh ate 3 servings, Julia 2, and Jim 2, plus Josh wants it for breakfast in the morning! I served it with frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in a light butter sauce ($1.00, $0.25 per serving.) I know what I am doing with leftover potatoes from now on!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
$1.44 per serving ~ Pumpkin Apple Soup and Crispy Cheese Sandwiches
I've been really sick with asthmatic bronchitis. I know when I get sick all I want is soup and comfort food... so I decided to use what I had in the house to make some "upscale" sick food.
Pumpkin Apple Soup ~ $4.20 total cost, $0.70 per serving
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped fine ($1.25)
1 large onion, chopped ($0.25)
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree ($1.00)
1 large apple, chopped unpeeled ($0.25)
2 cups apple cider ($0.25)
1 cup water
4 chicken boullion cubes ($0.10)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.10)
salt to taste
dash liquid smoke
3 tsp. white pepper
2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup heavy cream ($1.00)
1. Lightly saute onion and bacon in a large soup pot.
2. Add pumpkin, apple, cider, water, boullion cubes, brown sugar, salt, liquid smoke, white pepper, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well to combine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Use immersion blender to puree in pot, or remove to food processor and process till smooth.
4. Over very low heat, add in cream and stir until well combined. Serve immediately
Makes 6 small servings.
Crispy Cheese Sandwiches ~ $2.75 total coast, $0.64 per serving)
8 slices bread (from breadmaker, loaf cost $0.75 to make)
4 slices each provolone and muenster cheeses ($2.00)
butter
grated cheese.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Butter 4 slices of bread and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place face down in pyrex dish. Top with 1 slice of each cheese. Butter the other slices of bread and top the sandwiches, butter side up.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of sandwiches, flip, and bake 10 more minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
The Verdict
I made the mistake of scooping out very big bowls of this soup... it is such a rich soup, with such complex flavors, that only a little felt like a lot of food! WOW! It was so delicious. Jim loved it, his mom adored it, Josh liked it but didn't eat very much, and Julia wore most of hers. Josh did LOVE the cheese sandwich, and between him and Julia they demolished 2 whole sandwiches!
Pumpkin Apple Soup ~ $4.20 total cost, $0.70 per serving
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped fine ($1.25)
1 large onion, chopped ($0.25)
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree ($1.00)
1 large apple, chopped unpeeled ($0.25)
2 cups apple cider ($0.25)
1 cup water
4 chicken boullion cubes ($0.10)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.10)
salt to taste
dash liquid smoke
3 tsp. white pepper
2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup heavy cream ($1.00)
1. Lightly saute onion and bacon in a large soup pot.
2. Add pumpkin, apple, cider, water, boullion cubes, brown sugar, salt, liquid smoke, white pepper, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well to combine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Use immersion blender to puree in pot, or remove to food processor and process till smooth.
4. Over very low heat, add in cream and stir until well combined. Serve immediately
Makes 6 small servings.
Crispy Cheese Sandwiches ~ $2.75 total coast, $0.64 per serving)
8 slices bread (from breadmaker, loaf cost $0.75 to make)
4 slices each provolone and muenster cheeses ($2.00)
butter
grated cheese.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Butter 4 slices of bread and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place face down in pyrex dish. Top with 1 slice of each cheese. Butter the other slices of bread and top the sandwiches, butter side up.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of sandwiches, flip, and bake 10 more minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
The Verdict
I made the mistake of scooping out very big bowls of this soup... it is such a rich soup, with such complex flavors, that only a little felt like a lot of food! WOW! It was so delicious. Jim loved it, his mom adored it, Josh liked it but didn't eat very much, and Julia wore most of hers. Josh did LOVE the cheese sandwich, and between him and Julia they demolished 2 whole sandwiches!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
$0.68 per serving ~ Lentil Bean Soup
I was feeling vaguely creative and had to use the crock pot. I threw this together on a whim...
Lentil Bean Soup~ $6.75 total cost, $0.68 per serving
1 cup dried lentils ($0.75)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed ($0.80)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed ($0.80)
1 28 oz. can chunky crushed tomatoes ($1.00)
1 cup chopped carrots (free from the garden)
1 large sweet onion, chopped ($0.40)
4 cups vegetable broth ($2.00)
4 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp. coriander
1 tbsp. black pepper
grated cheese
1. Place all ingredients in crockpot. Stir to mix.
2. Cover, cook on low 7-8 hours
Makes 10 servings
The Verdict
Julia ate a lot of this, but wore more than she ate. What a mess! Josh enjoyed it, but liked the fresh bread dunked in it best. Jim liked it, and I loved it. Plenty of leftovers. Next time I'll add more spices.
Lentil Bean Soup~ $6.75 total cost, $0.68 per serving
1 cup dried lentils ($0.75)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed ($0.80)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed ($0.80)
1 28 oz. can chunky crushed tomatoes ($1.00)
1 cup chopped carrots (free from the garden)
1 large sweet onion, chopped ($0.40)
4 cups vegetable broth ($2.00)
4 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp. coriander
1 tbsp. black pepper
grated cheese
1. Place all ingredients in crockpot. Stir to mix.
2. Cover, cook on low 7-8 hours
Makes 10 servings
The Verdict
Julia ate a lot of this, but wore more than she ate. What a mess! Josh enjoyed it, but liked the fresh bread dunked in it best. Jim liked it, and I loved it. Plenty of leftovers. Next time I'll add more spices.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Josh's Star Wars Stew
Josh is obsessed with Star Wars. As in, he watches it every day if we let him. So last night when he was grumpy and didn't want to eat, we named everything in the stew after Star Wars...
Josh's Star Wars Stew ~ $5.75 total cost, $0.96 per serving
1 lb. ground beef ($2.00) May the Force beef with you...
3 potatoes, chopped ($1.00) Darth Taters
2 beets, chopped (free from our garden) Obi-Wan KenoBeets
5 carrots, chopped (free from our garden) Lando Carrotrissian
1 head bok choy, chopped (free from the CSA) ChewBokChoy
1 red onion, chopped (free from the CSA) Qui-Gonion Jinn
12 oz. beer ($1.00)
1 cup chili sauce ($1.50)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.25)
1. Brown ground beef and place in crock pot.
2. Mix chopped vegetables together and add to crock pot.
3. Mix beer, chili sauce and brown sugar together. Pour over meat/veggie mix.
4. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Makes 6 servings.
The Verdict
Julia ate more than she wore, which is a triumph right now. Josh enjoyed it, but liked the bread fresh from the breadmaker better. Jim said it was delicious, and I ate two helpings. I will definitely use that sauce again in different stew combinations!
Josh's Star Wars Stew ~ $5.75 total cost, $0.96 per serving
1 lb. ground beef ($2.00) May the Force beef with you...
3 potatoes, chopped ($1.00) Darth Taters
2 beets, chopped (free from our garden) Obi-Wan KenoBeets
5 carrots, chopped (free from our garden) Lando Carrotrissian
1 head bok choy, chopped (free from the CSA) ChewBokChoy
1 red onion, chopped (free from the CSA) Qui-Gonion Jinn
12 oz. beer ($1.00)
1 cup chili sauce ($1.50)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.25)
1. Brown ground beef and place in crock pot.
2. Mix chopped vegetables together and add to crock pot.
3. Mix beer, chili sauce and brown sugar together. Pour over meat/veggie mix.
4. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Makes 6 servings.
The Verdict
Julia ate more than she wore, which is a triumph right now. Josh enjoyed it, but liked the bread fresh from the breadmaker better. Jim said it was delicious, and I ate two helpings. I will definitely use that sauce again in different stew combinations!
Monday, October 12, 2009
A brief Puttanesca update...
I don't know if anyone is still reading, but I apologize for my absence. Marching band season is drawing to a close... we only have one more competition, and after that it is only football games. I've had no time to get creative in the kitchen. But I will return in a week or so with all new, fun recipes!
Like everyone else, my family budget is feeling the pinch of this economy. We had to switch daycares, which meant more outlay of cash. So I will do my best to continue to create delicious, different recipes on a meager budget. I won't let the money crunch stop my food fun!
So I have a question for you, if you are still paying attention... what's your favorite way to stretch your food dollar?
Like everyone else, my family budget is feeling the pinch of this economy. We had to switch daycares, which meant more outlay of cash. So I will do my best to continue to create delicious, different recipes on a meager budget. I won't let the money crunch stop my food fun!
So I have a question for you, if you are still paying attention... what's your favorite way to stretch your food dollar?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
$0.48 per serving ~ Clean-out-the-Crisper Pasta
The school year has begun, and with me working with the marching band after school, we've been too busy for me to come up with new recipes! However, we had a lot of veggies in the fridge and I wanted to use them all up. This was inspired by something I saw on a cooking show with someone whose name rhymes with Machael May.
Clean-out-the-Crisper Vegetable Pasta ($0.48 per serving, $2.88 total cost)
1 pound whole wheat penne ($0.88)
1 medium zucchini (all veggies free from our CSA)
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium bell pepper
1 red onion
3/4 cup flaxseed meal ($1.00)
3 branches fresh basil (all herbs grown in our garden)
2 branches flat-leaf parsley
2 branches mint leaves
3 tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup grated cheese ($0.50)
1 cup ricotta cheese ($0.50)
nutmeg
black pepper
salt
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1. Cut all vegetables into a 1-inch dice. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Roast 15-20 minutes in oven.
3. Cook penne in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water.
4. Place flaxseed meal, herbs and garlic in food processor. Pulse while drizzling in 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil. Put herb mixture in a large bowl and stir in about 1/4-1/3 cup grated cheese.
5. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta with nutmeg and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
6. Stir reserved cooking water into herb/cheese mixture. Toss together roasted veggies and cooked penne with herb sauce. Stir ricotta into pasta and serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
The Verdict
Jim and I both went nuts over this. Josh said he didn't like it, ate all the veggies and left the pasta behind?!? Julia enjoyed it, but as of yet we've not found a food she doesn't like. When I make it again I will try different veggies and use more garlic and cheese... the flavor was subtler than I expected.
Clean-out-the-Crisper Vegetable Pasta ($0.48 per serving, $2.88 total cost)
1 pound whole wheat penne ($0.88)
1 medium zucchini (all veggies free from our CSA)
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium bell pepper
1 red onion
3/4 cup flaxseed meal ($1.00)
3 branches fresh basil (all herbs grown in our garden)
2 branches flat-leaf parsley
2 branches mint leaves
3 tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup grated cheese ($0.50)
1 cup ricotta cheese ($0.50)
nutmeg
black pepper
salt
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1. Cut all vegetables into a 1-inch dice. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Roast 15-20 minutes in oven.
3. Cook penne in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water.
4. Place flaxseed meal, herbs and garlic in food processor. Pulse while drizzling in 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil. Put herb mixture in a large bowl and stir in about 1/4-1/3 cup grated cheese.
5. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta with nutmeg and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
6. Stir reserved cooking water into herb/cheese mixture. Toss together roasted veggies and cooked penne with herb sauce. Stir ricotta into pasta and serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
The Verdict
Jim and I both went nuts over this. Josh said he didn't like it, ate all the veggies and left the pasta behind?!? Julia enjoyed it, but as of yet we've not found a food she doesn't like. When I make it again I will try different veggies and use more garlic and cheese... the flavor was subtler than I expected.
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