Unlike the founding fathers who dumped three shiploads of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest British taxation, we are not going to discard anything in these hard times. Instead we are going to make biscuits fit for the Queen of England! This recipe is courtesy of my mother who was cooking from the classic Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I've made these biscuits hundreds of times. They are easy to make and delicious to eat.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup butter
*1 ¼ cups milk or 1 ½ cups buttermilk
Heat oven to 450 F. Sift dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk, stir with a fork just until moistened. Use a large spoon to drop 12 biscuits onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
*If serving the queen, your mother-in-law, or your boss, you can knead and roll the biscuits on a floured board and cut them with a round cutter or with the rim of a glass dipped in flour. You’ll need to decrease the milk to 1 cup. If using buttermilk decrease to 1 ¼ cups.
Serve them with...
Clotted cream for the Queen. Jam, butter, honey, eggs, sausage, gravy, bacon or ham for the rest of us (including your boss and your mother-in-law).
Leftovers -
Save extra biscuits and make bread pudding.
What it costs –
A pittance!
What it means to your waistline –
12 biscuits = 4 WW Points/each
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Comfort food that won't blow your budget
Knowing that my job may be eliminated in two months makes me want to eat every bit of junk food I can find. And since I've been craving red beans and rice but am unlikely to get to New Orleans (or even the Jazz Kitchen) any time soon, I decided to make one of my favorite comfort foods myself, with an eye to my budget and my diet. Hope you enjoy this, too.
Red beans and rice
6 servings, 6 Points each
2/3 lb dried dark red kidney beans
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 Tbsp. thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth, or homemade
2 bay leaves
1 cup uncooked brown rice
Place the beans in a large bowl and add water (about 1 inch above the beans, maybe 2 or 3 quarts). Soak overnight. Drain and rinse.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic until browned. Add the smoked sausage, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the red beans, chicken stock and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
When the bean mixture is about done, cook the rice. You should be able to take about 2 cups of broth from the bean mixture -- cook the rice in that instead of water. Yum! Then discard the bay leaves, add a few drops of hot sauce to taste, and enjoy.
What it costs:
$9.00 total, $1.50/serving (or less, if you have rice or other ingredients in your pantry)
Make it cheaper:
*I used 2/3 lb. dried red beans, soaked and rinsed, instead of 2 cans red beans
Make it healthier:
*I used brown rice instead of white
*I used turkey sausage instead of pork sausage
Red beans and rice
6 servings, 6 Points each
2/3 lb dried dark red kidney beans
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 Tbsp. thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth, or homemade
2 bay leaves
1 cup uncooked brown rice
Place the beans in a large bowl and add water (about 1 inch above the beans, maybe 2 or 3 quarts). Soak overnight. Drain and rinse.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic until browned. Add the smoked sausage, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the red beans, chicken stock and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
When the bean mixture is about done, cook the rice. You should be able to take about 2 cups of broth from the bean mixture -- cook the rice in that instead of water. Yum! Then discard the bay leaves, add a few drops of hot sauce to taste, and enjoy.
What it costs:
$9.00 total, $1.50/serving (or less, if you have rice or other ingredients in your pantry)
Make it cheaper:
*I used 2/3 lb. dried red beans, soaked and rinsed, instead of 2 cans red beans
Make it healthier:
*I used brown rice instead of white
*I used turkey sausage instead of pork sausage
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Can't afford to take the private jet to London?
Neither can I. But I can afford flank steak on sale. Ralph's was selling it as "London Broil" which when cut right (on the bias) or cooked long enough can be tender and taste good! Serve this thick soup in your fancy pasta bowls over mashed potatoes for a twist on shepherd's pie.
Shepherd's Pie for the Out-of-work Executive
(5 Large Servings - 5 WW Points each)
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fraction of a Frozen Steak
1/2 Onion, Chopped
3-4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Cans Beef Broth
1 Can Corn (Undrained)
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes (Undrained)
2 Cups Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes
Pepper to Taste
Thinly slice as much as possible (approximately 1/8 of total) from frozen steaks. Chop slices into 1/2 inch pieces.
Heat oil in a dutch oven. Add onions, garlic and meat slices. Stir occasionally until meat is browned (and onions are not).
Add beef broth, followed by all other ingredients. Cook until potatoes are hot, or longer if you have the time and the willpower.
What it Costs
1 Pot of Soup = 5 American Dollars / 3.41 British Pounds
Servings = 5
Make It Cheaper
Fresh potatoes instead of frozen
Vegetable oil instead of EVOO
Water instead of Beef Broth
Whatever tomatoes are on sale instead of Ro-tel
Shepherd's Pie for the Out-of-work Executive
(5 Large Servings - 5 WW Points each)
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fraction of a Frozen Steak
1/2 Onion, Chopped
3-4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Cans Beef Broth
1 Can Corn (Undrained)
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes (Undrained)
2 Cups Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes
Pepper to Taste
Thinly slice as much as possible (approximately 1/8 of total) from frozen steaks. Chop slices into 1/2 inch pieces.
Heat oil in a dutch oven. Add onions, garlic and meat slices. Stir occasionally until meat is browned (and onions are not).
Add beef broth, followed by all other ingredients. Cook until potatoes are hot, or longer if you have the time and the willpower.
What it Costs
1 Pot of Soup = 5 American Dollars / 3.41 British Pounds
Servings = 5
Make It Cheaper
Fresh potatoes instead of frozen
Vegetable oil instead of EVOO
Water instead of Beef Broth
Whatever tomatoes are on sale instead of Ro-tel
Monday, April 6, 2009
A quick, easy lunch
In honor of the lovely, summery weather we're having here in Southern California, here's my favorite fast, cheap and easy (and healthy!) lunch:
Three-bean salad
1 can green beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (or green -- whatever you've got on hand)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
cider vinegar (red wine vinegar is also good)
healthy oil (olive oil, canola oil, whatever you've got)
salt and pepper
The vinegar, oil, salt and pepper are to taste; I usually go with a 2-3 Tbsp. of vinegar, 1 Tbsp. of oil and a mess of salt and pepper. This makes enough for me for a week (Mon-Fri), especially if I have a hard-boiled egg with it.
Last week, the beans were on sale at Ralphs for 75 cents/can. The bell pepper was $1.19, and half of the onion was about 60 cents. Not counting the staples, that's about 80 cents/day for lunch. Add an egg, and you're at just over a dollar. Not too shabby!
Three-bean salad
1 can green beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (or green -- whatever you've got on hand)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
cider vinegar (red wine vinegar is also good)
healthy oil (olive oil, canola oil, whatever you've got)
salt and pepper
The vinegar, oil, salt and pepper are to taste; I usually go with a 2-3 Tbsp. of vinegar, 1 Tbsp. of oil and a mess of salt and pepper. This makes enough for me for a week (Mon-Fri), especially if I have a hard-boiled egg with it.
Last week, the beans were on sale at Ralphs for 75 cents/can. The bell pepper was $1.19, and half of the onion was about 60 cents. Not counting the staples, that's about 80 cents/day for lunch. Add an egg, and you're at just over a dollar. Not too shabby!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Meal planning tip
My husband is vehemently opposed to The Los Angeles Times, so no coupons (and alas, no Grocery Game) for me. And even though I have less on my plate than Bobbi does (pun completely intended!), I don't want to spend my entire weekend running from grocery store to grocery store.
So, I've recently subscribed to E-Mealz (http://e-mealz.com/). For $5 a month, you get weekly meal plans and aisle-by-aisle grocery lists. You can choose your plan by the store you frequent (they have Kroger, Ralphs and Wal-Mart, among others) or dietary preference (low carb, low fat or "points," which is Weight Watchers-friendly but not official). You can also choose a plan for 2 people or for a family of 4-6 people.
Thus far, I'm pleased with my purchase ("Points," any store, 2 people). The shopping list is easy to read, and although it's organized by aisle, it's easy to figure out which ingredients to cross out if you want to skip a meal. Still, I'm new to the service, so I'll post a more thorough review in a week or two.
So, I've recently subscribed to E-Mealz (http://e-mealz.com/). For $5 a month, you get weekly meal plans and aisle-by-aisle grocery lists. You can choose your plan by the store you frequent (they have Kroger, Ralphs and Wal-Mart, among others) or dietary preference (low carb, low fat or "points," which is Weight Watchers-friendly but not official). You can also choose a plan for 2 people or for a family of 4-6 people.
Thus far, I'm pleased with my purchase ("Points," any store, 2 people). The shopping list is easy to read, and although it's organized by aisle, it's easy to figure out which ingredients to cross out if you want to skip a meal. Still, I'm new to the service, so I'll post a more thorough review in a week or two.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
First things first...The Grocery Game
I'm busy. I work full-time, volunteer, entertain, clean my own apartment and teach a class at my church. As a result, I don't have time to drive around town looking for bargains.
Several years ago, a friend introduced me to thegrocerygame.com.
The Grocery Game pairs up each week's grocery store sales with all existing and unexpired coupons. The result is a list of rock-bottom prices...and the beginning of my grocery list. $5 each month buys a subscription for the list to one grocery store chain. You can get more lists and find more bargains, but for my money, I'm driving to Ralph's down the street and calling it quits. The last time I shopped, I bought $210.50 of groceries and saved $68.82. In my book, that was a failure! I usually try for a 1:1 ratio of spending to savings. In other words, I try to spend $125 and save $125. It isn't hard, it isn't rocket science, and it is definitely worth it!
The list is generally current from Saturday night until Tuesday night. You'll need the coupons from the Sunday paper. Don't clip the coupons. Leave the circular intact and mark the date on the front with a Sharpie.
On Saturday, I log on, get the Ralph's list, and begin my menu planning based upon what meats and vegetables are cheap. This is how chef's cook! They buy what is in season and on sale. They call it a "special." I call it smart!
The last time we shopped, I bought a four pound beef roast for $6.78. That pot roast was served for four dinners. Five pounds of potatoes were .97/bag. My husband and I ate delicious pot roast and mashed potatoes for less than $2/meal.
I hope that you'll give it a try. Cheap cooking begins by slashing the prices of what you are buying. You'll still save money if you buy full-priced groceries as opposed to eating out, but we aren't looking for pennies of savings, we are looking for dollars!
Several years ago, a friend introduced me to thegrocerygame.com.
The Grocery Game pairs up each week's grocery store sales with all existing and unexpired coupons. The result is a list of rock-bottom prices...and the beginning of my grocery list. $5 each month buys a subscription for the list to one grocery store chain. You can get more lists and find more bargains, but for my money, I'm driving to Ralph's down the street and calling it quits. The last time I shopped, I bought $210.50 of groceries and saved $68.82. In my book, that was a failure! I usually try for a 1:1 ratio of spending to savings. In other words, I try to spend $125 and save $125. It isn't hard, it isn't rocket science, and it is definitely worth it!
The list is generally current from Saturday night until Tuesday night. You'll need the coupons from the Sunday paper. Don't clip the coupons. Leave the circular intact and mark the date on the front with a Sharpie.
On Saturday, I log on, get the Ralph's list, and begin my menu planning based upon what meats and vegetables are cheap. This is how chef's cook! They buy what is in season and on sale. They call it a "special." I call it smart!
The last time we shopped, I bought a four pound beef roast for $6.78. That pot roast was served for four dinners. Five pounds of potatoes were .97/bag. My husband and I ate delicious pot roast and mashed potatoes for less than $2/meal.
I hope that you'll give it a try. Cheap cooking begins by slashing the prices of what you are buying. You'll still save money if you buy full-priced groceries as opposed to eating out, but we aren't looking for pennies of savings, we are looking for dollars!
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