Fabulous Cabbage

Do you eat cabbage? We love the stuff. Raw, it's crunchy and a bit peppery. Boiled, it tastes buttery and smooth. And the great thing is, it's super cheap--30 cents a pound the last time I bought some!

Here are three of my favorite cabbage recipes:

Cabbage Patch Soup from allrecipes (pictured above). This recipe is easy and tasty. We use real bacon, double the cabbage, and leave out the peas.

Chicago Dog Salad from Rachael Ray. It sounds weird, but it's really yummy. We shred the cabbage ourselves; it's easy.

Jeanne's Vegetable-Beef Borscht from the Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook. Borscht is a traditional Russian stew. It is usually made with beets, which turn it bright red. I was excited to find this recipe which is as flavorful as the traditional recipe I use, but much simpler. Preparation still takes some time, but it's worth it! The recipe works best in a 5 quart slow cooker. You could go larger. My alterations and substitutions are in parentheses. Please forgive me if they annoy.

1 lb. beef roast, cooked and cubed (I used less, cut small, and browned but not cooked through)

half a head of cabbage, sliced thinly

3 medium potatoes, diced

4 carrots, sliced

1 large onion, diced

1 cup tomatoes, diced (I used a 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes)

1 cup corn

1 cup green beans
2 cups beef broth (I doubled this, 4 tsp beef broth concentrate)

2 cups tomato juice (I used 1 cup tomato sauce)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dill seed (really it's optional; for more authenticity add chopped fresh dill to each serving)

2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp)

1/2 tsp pepper

water

(I also added a bit of honey after cooking to complete the flavor, maybe 1 tablespoon for the whole batch)

sour cream

1. Mix together all the ingredients except water and sour cream. Add water to fill slow cooker three-quarters full. (At this point the vegetables are piled way over the water line. They will cook down.)

2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours. (Or on high 2-3 hours, on low 4, if you're a little slow like me).

3. Top individual servings with sour cream.

Variation (which I highly recommend!): Add 1 cup diced cooked red beets during the last half hour of cooking. (I peeled a large beet, pierced it with a fork several times, cooked it in the microwave until tender, and then diced it.)

Great Source for Recipes

I told you I'd get back to you about Cheap, Healthy, Good. The verdict? Great recipes. Useful tips like the top ten cheap & healthy foods. Recipes are simple and straightforward. Leans towards vegetarian, but there are recipes with meat as well. Plenty of blog-style fluffy entertainment (usually I just skip to the recipes). Check it out. The above picture is of Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers.

Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions

Last night we ate Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions for dinner. This dish is thoroughly unglamorous, the ingredients are simple, and we love to eat it. Add a side of beans or meat for protein.

Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions (Julianne's method)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
2-5 Potatoes
3-6 Carrots
1 Onion
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash the potatoes; peel the carrots. Chop the onion. Put water on the stove to boil, enough to cover the potatoes and carrots.

While you wait for the water to boil, heat about a teaspoon of the oil in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent. Cut the potatoes and carrots into half-inch chunks.

When the water starts to boil, add the potatoes and carrots, boil about 9 minutes, or until the potatoes are just barely as soft as you like them.

Drain the potatoes and carrots. Add the rest of the oil to the frying pan, then add the potatoes and carrots. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook a few minutes more, stirring continuously, adding salt and pepper to taste, until the potatoes and carrots are brown around the edges.

Serve immediately, with ketchup.

A Delicious, Less Costly Recipe for Pesto

I love it when I find out I can replace an expensive ingredient with something more practical. We just tried out a this recipe for pesto, which calls for pistachios ($4 a pound) instead of pine nuts ($20 a pound). It was delicious. Life is good.

Feel free to leave out the Kalamata olives if you don't like them or don't feel like buying some. You can also replace part of the olive oil with water to make a reduced fat version.

Creamy Pistachio Pesto over Whole Wheat Pasta

Variations on Split Pea Soup

We ate this soup last night for dinner. It is warm, comforting, and cheap. The potato pieces in it add nice texture, and it's a prettier green than most split pea soups! I added some extra butter (I guess that makes it vegetarian and not vegan), salt, and lemon to get the flavor just right, and I cooked it half an hour less on the final step. You can find the recipe here: Vegan Split Pea Soup

Here is the other recipe I use for split pea soup. This one has ham in it. It has a different flavor and texture, but it's still yummy and inexpensive. Incredible Split Pea Soup

Potatoes, Now Available in Handy Single Serving Size!

Here is a recipe that is often taken for granted: Baked Potatoes. They are cheap, convenient, and nourishing. Leave off the foil, and they will have better flavor and texture (really!). Here are instructions for baking from the instructor of my introductory cooking class at Utah State.

Baked Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400°. Wash potatoes, pat dry, rub with a little vegetable oil, and then sprinkle with salt. Pierce each potato with a fork several times. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for about an hour.

You can also bake these in the microwave. Follow the same instructions for preparation, but cook in the microwave on HI, turning potatoes over every couple of minutes until done. In the microwave, they only take a few minutes.

Swiss Oats

Breakfast cereal can be expensive. The price per pound is often $3 or more. Compare that to less than $1 for rolled oats, flours, and whole grains. This huge difference in cost means you can save a lot of money each week, just by rethinking breakfast. Consider making waffles from scratch. They are super-cheap, and you can freeze and toast them later. You could also start an oatmeal habit. Skip the packets, though. Old fashioned oats are easy to cook in the microwave (microwave in a wide bowl, with a bit of butter to prevent overflows).

If you are looking for something you can prepare ahead of time, or if you want a cooler breakfast for summer, try Swiss Oats. Here is my recipe:

Swiss Oats

2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups milk

fruit, fresh or dried
chopped nuts

Combine oats, salt, cinnamon, honey and milk in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with fruit and nuts for individuals to mix in as desired.

Recipe for Tuna Rolls

Make these instead of tuna boxed dinner! They are cheaper, faster, and just as handy. Jeremy remembered them from his childhood, and I made up my own version. Try them, they're tasty.

Tuna Rolls with Special Sauce

1 batch of biscuit dough (use your own, or see 60 Second Biscuits post)
1 can of tuna
2 tablespoons mustard
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup relish, chopped pickled banana peppers (yummy!), or finely chopped onions


Preheat the oven to 400°. Make the biscuit dough. Roll out dough to form a rectangle, approximately 8 inches by 12 inches. Open and drain tuna. Spread tuna evenly over biscuit dough. Roll up dough with tuna inside to form a log 12 inches long. Use string to cut dough into 3/4 inch thick rolls by wrapping string around the log and pulling it tight. Place tuna rolls on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until light golden brown on top, about 12 minutes.

While rolls are in the oven, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and relish to make the sauce.

Eat the rolls warm, topped with sauce if desired.

Two Recipes for Bean Soup

Beans are one of my favorite things. They are cheap, nutritious, and filling. Make them a staple, and you will save money.

Here are two recipes for bean soup--one simple, one fancy, both yummy.

Bean Soup, adapted from a recipe in the 1976 edition of the Crockery Cooker Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens:

2 cups dry pinto beans
half an onion, chopped (or 1/4c dry chopped onion)
1 1/2 tablespoons chicken broth concentrate or 4 cubes bouillon
1 teaspoon salt (I sometimes leave this out)
pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
grated cheese, bacon pieces, and/or sour cream for toppings

Sort through beans to remove any pebbles or dirt. Rinse thoroughly and soak overnight. Drain beans and put them in the slow cooker with the onion, broth concentrate, salt, pepper, and marjoram. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cover and cook on high 6-7 hours, or on low 12-14 hours. 20 minutes before you eat, mix the flour with the milk and add the mixture to the slow cooker, and continue to cook 15 minutes. Serve with topping.

Caribbean Black-Bean Soup, from the 2007 edition of Light and Healthy Recipes, by Good Houskeeping:

1 package (16 ounces) dry black beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced [if you carefully remove the seeds, these won't make the soup spicy hot]
2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups water
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges (optional)

1. Rinse beans with cold running water and discard any stones or shriveled beans. In large bowl, place beans and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. (Or, in 6-quart saucepot, place beans and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Heat to boiling over hight heat; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.) Drain and rinse beans.
2. In 6-quart saucepot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add jalapeno chiles, ginger, garlic, allspice, and thyme; cook, stirring, 3 minutes.
3. Add beans and water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until beans and sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes longer.
4. Spoon 1 cup bean mixture into blender; cover, with center part of cover removed to let
steam escape, and puree until smooth. Return to saucepot. Stir in green onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, if you like.