Quinoa and Portobello Pilaf

I usually make a quinoa pilaf as a side dish, but I felt like mixing things up a little and declared today Meatless Friday in our house, so it served as our main dish.  Taking into consideration that portobello mushrooms have an almost meaty flavor and that quinoa contains all of the essential amino acids that qualify it as a complete protein (not to mention its high amounts of dietary fiber, iron, folate and tons of other nutrients), it was a very satisfying main dish, all four kids cleaned their plates, and my husband said he would most definitely eat it again as a main dish.

My local large discount store that I normally try to avoid at all costs put a bunch of the Bob's Red Mill products they aren't going to carry anymore on clearance, plus I had a coupon for $1 off of two Bob's products, so I got a great deal on a couple bags of quinoa.  I usually order quinoa from Amazon.com since it's cheaper to buy a case of four large packages than it is to purchase individual bags or even from the bulk bins at my grocery store (and using my Amazon gift cards for Recyclebank and Swagbucks, I can sometimes get a case for free or very little $). Also check the bulk bins--that's a great way to get just what you need and usually at a lower price. I got my portobello cap from a bulk bin, and it was only one of two options, the other being white button mushrooms. I chose the nice deep flavor of the portobello over the mild and sometimes near-flavorless white buttons, but if you have a wide variety of mushrooms to choose from, you can get creative.

I am serving this alongside kale from the garden dressed with a little olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper, fresh strawberries that were on sale for $1.50/lb, which we'll probably eat all of, and raw kohlrabi, which was only $.75 for a good sized head at the farmers market, of which we will eat about a third. Another healthful, quick and easy $5 ($4.76) dinner!

Quinoa and Portobello Pilaf

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups homemade vegetable stock (or any vegetable/chicken stock)
1 large portobello mushroom cap, chopped (apprx 1 1/2 cups)
1 small onion, chopped (apprx 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

Directions: Heat olive oil in a large skillet or sauce pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add quinoa and saute for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, just until quinoa is lightly toasted. Add salt, pepper and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes, until stock is absorbed. Stir in chives and/or use them to garnish each serving.

Cost:

Quinoa (organic): On clearance for $7/ bag, coupon for $1 off 2 ($6.50/bag), used 1/4 bag = $1.63

Portobello mushroom: $1.38/cap = $1.38

Total Cost: $3.21

Four Servings: $.80 per serving

Six Servings: $.54 per serving

Packet-Grilled Beets

I surprised myself and could not resist a gorgeous bunch of beets at the Farmers Market yesterday. I ran into my mom at the market, and she reminded me that I had such disdain for beets as a baby that I would start crying as soon as she or my dad took a jar of them out of the cupboard (and yes, that revelation does make me wonder why they insisted on torturing me so). Beets are a very good source of folate and manganese with a little Vitamin C and dietary fiber thrown in there, so I have given them another chance. They are definitely very........"Earthy" tasting, but they have a natural sweetness mixed in there too.

A few months ago, my husband and I went out with the intentions of purchasing a fancy new gas grill. After reminiscing about the taste of food grilled over charcoal/wood chips, we left with a giant "old-fashioned" Weber grill. We absolutely love it, and my only complaint is that I feel wasteful when I take something off the grill, and there are still perfectly hot coals just sitting there. There are many vegetables and even fruits that I grill along with the usual meats, but I am expanding my horizons in that respect to get the most out of the charcoal (and bonus, no heating up the house for any part of the meal!). There are many vegetables I cook right on the grill grate, but beets really need to tenderize and don't taste quite right to me when partially cooked, so I use the foil packet method.

These were served with grilled salmon topped with Cucumber Salsa and fresh pineapple. The cucumber salsa cost me a total of $.35, the wild-caught Pacific salmon was on sale for $6.29/lb and the pineapple was on sale for $2. So for only $10.64, we had a gorgeous, healthful dinner that took minimal time and effort!

Packet-Grilled Beets

1 lb beets (about 4-6, depending on size)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Aluminum foil/premade foil grill packets

Wash beets and peel if desired, or scrub well if leaving peel on (they get very tender and unnoticeable when cooked). Slice into 1/4" thick rounds. Place in a large mixing bowl or zip-top bag, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Place in foil packet and grill for about 30 minutes, turning halfway.

Admittedly not the supermodel of root vegetables, but there is a definite Earthy sort of beauty there!

Cost:

Beets (farmers market): $2/1 lb bunch = $2.00

Total Cost: $2.00
Four Servings: $.50 per serving

Six Servings: $.33 per serving

Cucumber Salsa

I knew my cucumber plants would climb, but I had know idea the extent to which they would spread out. I wish I would have taken a picture--one of them tried to choke out both a tomato plant and a head of broccoli! It spread out and wrapped a creepy little tendril around each plant before I found it one morning and rerouted it to yet another trellis. So my cucumbers are thriving, and I am left trying to figure out what to do with them after tiring of refrigerator pickles and throwing them on salads. Tiring of refrigerator pickles and homemade ranch dressing, I also needed a new use for my dill. I am also grilling salmon for supper and was thinking about what I would top it with to make it more interesting. So, cucumber salsa it is! I imagine this would be a great topping for almost any fish, maybe even chicken, and I can vouch for the fact that it is equally delicious when scooped up with organic corn tortilla chips.

You can use any blend of fresh herbs, I used the parsley, dill and chives because that's what I have in my backyard. I originally wrote the recipe with just dill and parsley, but I just noticed my chives are dangerously close to out of control, so they got added as well. I wrote the tomato as "1 cup diced" since there are so many varieties and sizes of tomato--I used a couple small roma tomatoes and some little yellow tear-drop shaped grape tomatoes. The only item I purchased for this recipe was a lime, everything else came from my garden. Even if you have to hit up your farmers market or grocery store, it's an economical recipe.


Cucumber Salsa

2 cups cucumber, diced
1 cup tomato, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
Juice of half a lemon or lime (about 1 Tbsp, or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and gently stir. Let sit in fridge for at least half an hour before serving.

Very excited to finally have tomatoes ripe for the picking!

Cost:

Lime: On sale for $.69, used 1/2  =$.35

Everything else: Garden Freebies

Total Cost: $.35

Rosemary Garlic Potato Wedges

While wandering around the Farmers Market and contemplating a side dish for dinner tonight, some small red potatoes caught my eye. I love roasting them, as they get so creamy on the inside and really don't need much to enhance their flavor. 

I wanted a fresh garlic flavor on the potatoes tonight, but roasting minced garlic at high temps for long periods of time usually results in overly browned or burned garlic bits with a bitter taste. My solution is to warm the olive oil with a smashed clove of garlic or two for just a bit to extract some of that fresh garlic flavor. If you don't care for garlic, by all means, skip that step. If you like a garlic flavor but don't want to take the extra step, sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder on the potatoes before tossing. Rosemary can be incredibly strong, which is why I always use it dried over fresh and don't use a lot, but you can adjust the amount to your own liking. Any variety of small/new potato will work here, and the recipe is very easy to adjust if you need more or fewer servings.

Served with grilled chicken breasts marinated in my Honey Mustard Marinade and some raw broccoli from the farmers market, we have a dinner made with fresh, local ingredients for just under $9!

Rosemary Garlic Potato Wedges

1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Warm olive oil and garlic in a small sauce pan over low to medium low heat while you prepare potatoes, for about ten minutes. Scrub potatoes but do not peel, pat dry and cut each potato into 8 wedges. Place in a large bowl or directly onto baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil when it is cool enough to handle, sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary and toss to evenly coat. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, until golden brown, turning once about halfway through.

Cost:

Potatoes: $3.50/quart container, used 3/4 =  $2.63

Total Cost: $2.63

Six Servings: $.44 per serving

Honey Mustard Marinade

Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of the marinade before pouring it over the chicken, so you get this lame photo.

It's a perfect day for grilling, so I think I will post both a marinade and a side dish, yet to be determined, today! I had made up an extra batch of the dressing for my Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta Salad I needed to use up, so I tweaked it a little and came up with this marinade. I am using it on a pound of chicken breasts. We don't eat pork anymore, but plain old Dijon mustard on pork used to be one of my favorite things to grill, so this would be great for a pork loin/roast or pork chops too.

I didn't add any extra acidity (vinegar/lemon juice) since mustard has quite a bit of vinegar in it, and the little added mustard over what I used in the pasta salad dressing gives it plenty of tang. I added just a bit of oil to create an emulsification that will stick to the meat a little better, and I threw in some garlic because, well, I like garlic, and I think it pretty much enhances the flavor of almost anything. If you don't like it, leave it out. As mentioned in my pasta salad post, I used a coarse grain mustard, but a whole grain, brown or Dijon would work well too. I would steer clear of the yellow stuff for this recipe.

At only $1.25 (and that's with organic mustard), this is cheaper than any of the bottled stuff I have seen, and it's much cheaper than buying those pre-marinated meats. And you know exactly what is/isn't in it!


Honey Mustard Marinade

1/2 cup homemade vegetable stock (or any vegetable or chicken stock)
1/3 cup whole/coarse grain, brown or Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions: Whisk all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and pour over meat, letting sit in fridge for 1 to 12 hours.

Cost:


Mustard (organic): $3.00 /9 oz jar, used 1/3 = $1.00

Honey (farmers market): $4/16 oz bottle, used 1/16 = $.25

Vegetable Stock: Homemade Freebie

Total Cost: $1.25

Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta Salad

Forgot the cucumbers before I took the picture!

In trying to come up with more recipes that use the delicious local honey I get from my farmers market, the honey mustard flavor combination, one of my favorites, immediately popped into my head. I don't buy the commercial honey mustard sauces/dressings because of all the additives in it. For the dressing in this recipe, I used only organic mustard, local honey and my homemade vegetable stock (instead of oil). I used a coarse grain mustard, but a whole grain, brown or Dijon would work well too. I am not sure I would try it with a yellow mustard, but if you do, let me know how it turns out!

I have a few freebies in this recipe, but even if you purchase a couple tomatoes, a cucumber and some stock, your cost will not be a lot more than mine. I could have gotten whole wheat pasta instead of the organic gluten free pasta for $1.25 less per package, so it could save you that much over my calculations if organic and/or gluten free pasta is not a concern for you. You don't have to stick to the vegetables I used either. I used what I had in the garden and found at the farmers market (I do have my first bell pepper almost ready in the garden!)--you could substitute/add carrots, broccoli, snap peas, radishes, black olives, banana peppers, etc.

Served with raw organic baby carrots and raw organic broccoli (I used my $2 off 2 Earth Bound Farm products coupon from Recyclebank for them), we had ourselves a fresh, healthful $6 dinner with enough leftover for me for lunch tomorrow!


Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta Salad

6 oz dry pasta, cooked according to package directions
1/2 lb cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup homemade vegetable stock (or any vegetable or chicken stock)
1/4 cup whole grain/coarse grain/brown mustard
2 Tbsp honey
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small/med cucumber, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: cheddar cheese, diced into small cubes

Directions: Mix stock, mustard, salt, pepper and honey in a small bowl. Place chicken, vegetables, cheese if using and pasta in a large bowl and pour honey mustard mixture over top, tossing to evenly coat. Refrigerate at least half an hour before serving, stirring a couple times to redistribute dressing.

Cost:

Chicken breast (veg-fed/no antibiotics): On sale $2/8-10 oz breast, used 1 = $2.00

Mustard (organic): $3.00 /9 oz jar, used not quite 1/3 = $1.00

Honey (farmers market): $4/16 oz bottle, used 1/16 = $.25

Pasta (organic/gluten free): On clearance for $2.50/12 oz pkg, used 1/2 = $1.25

Onion (farmers market): $.50, used 1/3 = $.17

Bell pepper (farmers market): $.50, used 1/2 = $.25

Tomatoes: Garden Freebie

Cucumbers: Garden Freebie

Vegetable Stock: Homemade Freebie

Total Cost: $4.92

Six Servings: $.82 per serving

Sweet and Sour Chicken Sloppy Joes

I do not blame you one bit for thinking you can't possibly imagine how sweet and sour chicken and sloppy joes meld together into one dish. But stay with me here--there are a lot of the same flavors and ingredients in both dishes!

I adore the great big chunks of pineapple, green pepper and onion in sweet and sour chicken, but I diced them small for this recipe so they were around the same size as the pieces of chicken.  I love that this recipe features all of my favorite sweet and sour chicken flavors with much less fat and additives. I will serve it on whole grain buns with homemade roasted potato wedges or sweet potato fries and a salad made with tomatoes and kale from my garden, and we'll have a complete dinner for right around $7!


Sweet and Sour Chicken Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 bell pepper, diced (apprx 1/2 cup)
1 small onion, diced (apprx 1/2 cup)
2 small carrots, diced (apprx 3/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pineapple, crushed or diced small
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Place chicken in skillet over medium high heat, season with salt and pepper (go easy on the salt for now since we're adding soy sauce later). When 3/4 of chicken is no longer pink, add carrots, green pepper, garlic and onion. Drain if necessary once all chicken is cooked through.

Step 2: Add pineapple, honey, tomato sauce , soy sauce and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, until mixture has the consistency you desire.

Alternate Preparation:  After browning meat, place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Cost:

Ground chicken (Smart Chicken): On sale $3.99/lb, used $1 off coupon = $2.99

Bell pepper (farmers market): $.50/each, used 1/2 = $.25

Onion (farmers market): $.50, used 1/3 = $.17

Carrots (farmers market): $2.00/bunch, used 1/6 = $.33

Pineapple: $1.38/each after sale and coupon, used apprx 1/6 =$.23

Honey (farmers market): $4/16 oz jar, used 1.5 oz = $.38

Tomato sauce (organic): 8 oz can on sale = $.75

Total Cost: $5.10

Six Servings: $.85 per serving

Farmers Market Ratatouille

Nope, it's not just a movie! But I do have to say, thanks to the movie, my kids were much more excited to try my ratatouille than I know they would have been otherwise. Ratatouille makes a great main dish, served with quinoa, couscous or brown rice, and it makes a great side dish served with grilled chicken or fish. The recipe can very easily be adjusted to fit your needs as far as number of servings.

Continuing with the theme of late, there are many, many different recipes for ratatouille. You will find varied ingredients and varied preparations. I adjusted this one to the vegetables I found at the farmers market this morning (pretty much the usual at my market) and the herbs growing in my backyard. Use what's in season and at a good price. As for preparation, I skip the the strictly stove-top preparation you will often see in recipes (makes it too mushy for my taste) and even the sauteing of the vegetables prior to baking, and I just layer everything right in a baking dish--keeps it a bit fresher tasting in my opinion. Using the slow cooker is also a great option when you need the convenience.

This is a fresh, healthful dish, and combined with some quinoa or brown rice and fresh fruit, we'll have another $5 supper tonight!

Farmers Market Ratatouille

1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced into rounds (roughly 2 cups)
1 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds (roughly 2 cups)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds (roughly 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium yellow squash, sliced into rounds (roughly 2 cups)
1 small onion, sliced into rings (roughly 1 cup)
1 medium bell pepper, sliced into rings (roughly 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Parmesan cheese


Step 1: Optional: After eggplant is peeled and sliced, place in a colander. Generously sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes to an hour. This will draw out a brownish, sometimes bitter liquid. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. If your eggplant is small and does not have many seeds, or if it is fresh, you might be able to skip this step. If it's larger and has many seeds, you might want to let it sit longer. Some people don't notice a bitter taste in eggplant, others are very sensitive to it. Possible bitterness aside, it does draw out excess moisture and can help keep the eggplant from becoming super mushy. 

Step 2: Layer the vegetables in a 9" x 11" or similar-sized baking dish, dividing the olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs and sprinkling over two or three layers of vegetables.

Step 3: Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Top individual servings with Parmesan cheese if desired, or add to top of entire dish during last ten minutes of cooking. 

Alternate Preparation: Layer ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Cost:

Eggplant: $.75

Zucchini: $.75, used 1/2 = $.38

Tomatoes: $2/6 Roma tomatoes, used 2 = $.67

Yellow squash: $.50

Onion: $.50, used 1/3 = $.17

Bell pepper: $.50

Total Cost: $2.97

Six Servings: $.50 per serving

Juicing!

My sweet friend Nicole (whom this post is dedicated to) recently asked me if I use a juicer. I do indeed. I love fruits and vegetables, and although most of the time I would rather eat them whole and get the maximum nutritional benefit from them, we love juice as a treat on its own, as a smoothie base, in hot cereal instead of water, etc. For those who struggle to eat their recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day, a juicer is a great idea--there is still plenty of goodness in the glass (especially compared to a lot of the store-bought stuff)! Juicing seems to be getting more and more attention lately, so there's lots of info/suggestions/recipe out there--this is just a little about why I like it.

As far as money goes, yes, I spend more for less as compared to the big $.99 bottle of juice on the store shelf with who knows what in it. But the amazing taste, the extra nutrients and the absence of any additives is far worth it to me and my family. And as usual, I am creating flavor combinations based on what fruits and veggies I find at the farmers market or on sale at the grocery store, so I still do it as economically as possible. We did splurge a little on our Jack LaLanne Power Juicer, but it is wonderful and has held up like a champ!




Not only is the result fresh and delicious, I love having creative control over my juices as far as what does and doesn't go in them. And the flavor combinations are endless--it's really fun to experiment! I like to use vegetables along with just a bit of something like apple, kiwi or even carrots to sweeten it ever so slightly and make it a bit more palatable for the kids, but I am a big fan of the strictly veggie ones as well  (I love the combo of tomato, celery, carrots, spinach and a very small amount of onion).

These are some of our favorite flavor combos so far:

Orange, Strawberry, Pineapple

Spinach, Apple, Carrot, Kiwi

Blueberry Grape

And the finished products, in the same order as pictures above:

Crummy pic as usual, but it's a beautiful, swirly, pinky-peach color!

Admittedly a bit swamp juice-ish looking, but the color is the only noticeable trace of the spinach. It's a sweet, delicious concoction!

A gorgeous plum-purple color, tastes just as good as it looks!

Quick Coupon Alert!

Smart Chicken is offering a $1/1 product coupon on their Facebook page! Check the left margin of the page. Of course I just bought three packages yesterday, but there was still a good sale on it. ;)