http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/02/weeknight-black-bean-chili/
I continue my quest to rule budget bytes apparently and also my trend of making everything a keeper recipe. I suspect as the year goes on, I'll take recipes out as keepers, but at this point.
Cost: Canned stuff can be pricier, but it's still cheap.
Convenience: So easy to make. Hardest part is prepping the onion and garlic, everything else is just dumping in cans and measuring spoons of stuff and stirring it rarely.
Delicious: Waiting to see what it tastes like after a couple of days, but even one night later it's awesome.
Freeze: Dunno.
Uses: Super convenient hearty filling meal. Also could be great for having guests over when don't have time to cook or are doing it when they're there and not wanting to have to think about it.
Notes: I made my veggie by only using 2 cans of black bean, 1 can light kidney, and 1 can pinto bean. This did make it soupier (added one can), so may consider draining one of them next time, but the soupy tastes good. This would be really good with the adds on she mentioned--green onion, sour cream,tortilla chips and such. Oh, and the diced tomato, I used the jalapeno ones instead of the green chile ones. Aaaand I didn't have oregano, so I used the italian seasonings because the first ingredient is oregano.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Staple: Kale Chickpea Curry Soup
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/05/kale-chickpea-soup/
Cost: Cheap!
Convenience: This is super easy to make. It's fast, it's simple, the ingredients are all easy.
Delicious: This is a more delicate flavor than some of my others, but it's really delicious. The chickpeas aren't always exactly the right texture, but I suspect that would just be fixed by not buying the cheapest possible chickpeas.
Freeze: Dunno.
Uses: Delicious soup that's healthy, light, and easy.
Notes: I added twice the curry, but I also think my curry is weak because its' old, so I don't know what the overall effect is. Also, next time, don't be in such a hurry--and actually take the time to make sure the kale is in bite sized pieces.
Take two: --work on getting the textures and spices better. The kale pieces can be still smaller, the potato bits should be better cooked (turn it up to a high temperature much sooner, it will take FOREVER otherwise), those chickpeas still aren't the best--consider making own and freezing? Need to get the pressure cooker up and running and see if can freeze. Spices muddle it up-- use straight up oregano-- get it at store soon.
Take four?: It really does matter that you put the kale in and let it cook enough to wilt before you put all the other stuff in. I did this recipe from memory and forgot the order. It's a soup, so it's still perfectly delicious, but the kale is better when you do it that way.
Take who knows? I ended up using crushed tomatoes instead. Still worked delicious, but changed the taste.
Cost: Cheap!
Convenience: This is super easy to make. It's fast, it's simple, the ingredients are all easy.
Delicious: This is a more delicate flavor than some of my others, but it's really delicious. The chickpeas aren't always exactly the right texture, but I suspect that would just be fixed by not buying the cheapest possible chickpeas.
Freeze: Dunno.
Uses: Delicious soup that's healthy, light, and easy.
Notes: I added twice the curry, but I also think my curry is weak because its' old, so I don't know what the overall effect is. Also, next time, don't be in such a hurry--and actually take the time to make sure the kale is in bite sized pieces.
Take two: --work on getting the textures and spices better. The kale pieces can be still smaller, the potato bits should be better cooked (turn it up to a high temperature much sooner, it will take FOREVER otherwise), those chickpeas still aren't the best--consider making own and freezing? Need to get the pressure cooker up and running and see if can freeze. Spices muddle it up-- use straight up oregano-- get it at store soon.
Take four?: It really does matter that you put the kale in and let it cook enough to wilt before you put all the other stuff in. I did this recipe from memory and forgot the order. It's a soup, so it's still perfectly delicious, but the kale is better when you do it that way.
Take who knows? I ended up using crushed tomatoes instead. Still worked delicious, but changed the taste.
Keeper Recipe: Microwave-Steamed Zucchini
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmh this is such a keeper. It could not be easier, healthier, or more delicious. I was just looking for a way to use up a zucchini that was going to go bad, but I will be doing this over and over.
http://www.food.com/recipe/microwave-steamed-zucchini-323310
"
http://www.food.com/recipe/microwave-steamed-zucchini-323310
"
DIRECTIONS
Keeper Cheesy Vegetarian Chili Mac
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/01/cheesy-vegetarian-chili-mac/
Super easy, not that fast and can't really be left alone because it needs stirring regularly, but good and really filling.
Cost: Cheese is the most expensive part. Could be cheaper with homemade beans, but there'd need to be a lot of them, not sure it'd be worth it.
Convenience: This is super easy to make... but not fast and not unattended. It needs to be stirred a lot, but it's mostly just dumping in ingredients.
Delicious: Good!
Freeze: Supposedly a yes.
Uses: Hearty, warm, good food. A good complement for times when I've got light soups and I just need something filling.
Notes: I need to buy a wooden spoon so i can do a better job of scraping the bottom. Too much of the flour ended up on the side of the pot. Also, the kroger brand kidney beans were a little dry or something. Used 1.5 cups of shredded cheese.
Super easy, not that fast and can't really be left alone because it needs stirring regularly, but good and really filling.
Cost: Cheese is the most expensive part. Could be cheaper with homemade beans, but there'd need to be a lot of them, not sure it'd be worth it.
Convenience: This is super easy to make... but not fast and not unattended. It needs to be stirred a lot, but it's mostly just dumping in ingredients.
Delicious: Good!
Freeze: Supposedly a yes.
Uses: Hearty, warm, good food. A good complement for times when I've got light soups and I just need something filling.
Notes: I need to buy a wooden spoon so i can do a better job of scraping the bottom. Too much of the flour ended up on the side of the pot. Also, the kroger brand kidney beans were a little dry or something. Used 1.5 cups of shredded cheese.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Keeper: Grilled Cheese Sandwich
So, I don't even have a recipe here, but it's definitely one of my keeper things. I wanted something warm and filling and delicious, but was too lazy to do much. So, I made a grilled cheese with pepperjack cheese and it was great. I'm sure I might want to do an actual write up later and include exciting variations, but in the meantime-- I will record that this is an option.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Keeper Recipe 3: Moroccan Lentil Veggie Soup
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/11/moroccan-lentil-vegetable-stew/
Damnit! So, I messed this up a little, I put too much cinnamon in and I used two different kinds of lentils ecause it was what I had. So, it's good, but not amazing. But I'm calling it a keeper anyway because its' one of my favorite things to pull out of the freezer previous times I've made it. Can't stop me.
Cost: haven't calculated it, but budget bytes claims it's like a dollar a serving.
Convenience: Very easy to make!
Delicious: Quite good!
Freeze: This is so good frozen and reheated. 10/10
Uses: It's a soup and it's different and it freezes amazingly well and is generally warm and happy.
Notes: Don't mess it up next time
Damnit! So, I messed this up a little, I put too much cinnamon in and I used two different kinds of lentils ecause it was what I had. So, it's good, but not amazing. But I'm calling it a keeper anyway because its' one of my favorite things to pull out of the freezer previous times I've made it. Can't stop me.
Cost: haven't calculated it, but budget bytes claims it's like a dollar a serving.
Convenience: Very easy to make!
Delicious: Quite good!
Freeze: This is so good frozen and reheated. 10/10
Uses: It's a soup and it's different and it freezes amazingly well and is generally warm and happy.
Notes: Don't mess it up next time
Keeper Recipe 2: Summer Vegetable Tian
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/08/summer-vegetable-tian/
Cost: It's the cost of veggies and cheese pretty much. Not the cheapest ever, but definitely not expensive.
Convenience: This is super easy to make. It takes at least an hour to make, but most of that is unattended cooking. It's mostly lots of chopping and cramming for the work part. It is a little annoying that it uses up the dish to saute too-- so it might be nice to find other recipes to pair it with.
Delicious: So good. Soooo good. Mmmmmmh.
Freeze: Probably a no. Haven't tried yet.
Uses: We'll see how it holds up this week as one of my major meal options. It's not the most filling thing on the planet because it's mostly just watery veggies, but it was sooooo good. This makes a great side dish, a great snack food for my tastes.
Notes: It came out watery in the bottom this time, I just drained it off and it wasn't a big deal, but there were some recommendations to take the seeds out of the tomato, salt the veggies first, or cook it for longer. ALSO, I used sweet potato instead of potato and cooked the potatoes for 3-4 mintues before I chopped them up, that seemed to work well. Also, the cheese was delicious melted, but not evenly distributed and not really toasted brown (I burned my hand, so I was over it)-- so that could be better next time too. Also, I basically doubled the recipe and used a larger pan because I didn't have an 8x8..There's definitely room for modification on this recipe to make it more stellar, but I'd eat it any day of the week.
Cost: It's the cost of veggies and cheese pretty much. Not the cheapest ever, but definitely not expensive.
Convenience: This is super easy to make. It takes at least an hour to make, but most of that is unattended cooking. It's mostly lots of chopping and cramming for the work part. It is a little annoying that it uses up the dish to saute too-- so it might be nice to find other recipes to pair it with.
Delicious: So good. Soooo good. Mmmmmmh.
Freeze: Probably a no. Haven't tried yet.
Uses: We'll see how it holds up this week as one of my major meal options. It's not the most filling thing on the planet because it's mostly just watery veggies, but it was sooooo good. This makes a great side dish, a great snack food for my tastes.
Notes: It came out watery in the bottom this time, I just drained it off and it wasn't a big deal, but there were some recommendations to take the seeds out of the tomato, salt the veggies first, or cook it for longer. ALSO, I used sweet potato instead of potato and cooked the potatoes for 3-4 mintues before I chopped them up, that seemed to work well. Also, the cheese was delicious melted, but not evenly distributed and not really toasted brown (I burned my hand, so I was over it)-- so that could be better next time too. Also, I basically doubled the recipe and used a larger pan because I didn't have an 8x8..There's definitely room for modification on this recipe to make it more stellar, but I'd eat it any day of the week.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Monday, January 4, 2016
Keeper Recipe: Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Soup
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmh
So I used the full fat coconut milk, which I'm sure makes this way less healthy, but it is fantastic. It's so easy, so delicious, and quite different
Note for next time taken from the comments section:
"We made this soup last night but didn’t feel like eating soup again tonight, so we threw it on top of some jasmine rice and added chickpeas, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower for an instant curry. It was delicious!"
FAILED ATTEMPT ONE BELOW
I more or less made this soup:
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/spicy-coconut-pumpkin-soup/
It's kind of a less because I made some desperate changes:
1. I used zesty chicken spice instead of bouillon. Turns out better than bouillion needs to be refrigerated. It smelled and looked fine, but I saw the label on the top after I'd left it out for three weeks. And given the weather has been freakishly warm and they literally sometimes use broth to grow bacteria in labs... it hurt me, but I tossed it. And I refuse to go to the grocery store twice in one week. Can't. make me.
2. Grocery store was out of fresh ginger when I went (see note: can't make me go to the grocery store again), and I know the powdered doesn't taste the same at all.
3. I was trying frozen garlic, but it didn't smell very strong.
4. I was in the middle of doing laundry, so I didn't toast the cumin and red pepper flakes, I just dumped it all in.
5. Didn't have anything else to put the cilantro in, so used the whole bunch. Cause at that point, why not?
I list this all, so that when I say, it didn't turn out quite how I wanted, it's clear that it may not be the recipe's fault. The flavor wasn't right and I think I was expecting more texture (it's totally smooth excpet for the onion)--I'll see what I think of it tomorrow.
That said, this recipe is fast and SO easy and different, so I'd rather give it another go and see if I can fix it rather than just ditching it.
Cost: Cilantro, Coconut milk, and pumpkin are the big expenses. Not bad at all.
Convenience: SOOO easy, fast, and convenient
Delicious: This isn't great yet-- but I'm going to start modifying and/or actually do the recipe correctly.
Although note, 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes will NOT make this spicy.
Freeze: Dunno, not finding out this time
Uses: SO FAST AND EASY. It's literally chop onions, garlic, ginger and toast those, then dump the rest in the pot and warm it up. If this could be delicious, it would be an incredibly easy recipe.
Notes: Ideas for modification: Follow the recipe!, Plain yogurt, sriracha, pumpkin or yam chunks, pumpkin seeds, coconut milk with more fat, fish sauce/lime/lemongrass/brown sugar? (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/146035/the-best-thai-coconut-soup/ )
Update: This recipe is definitely a keeper. I need to remake it how it's supposed to be made and then see what modifications, but I just made it worth having. I added sriracha, toasted sesame seeds, and tomatoes and it was quite good! Doing this right and with a few extra tweaks, this has real potential. I will continue to update with the modifications and when I redo this recipe properly with any regular modifications, I will redo this whole thing into a keeper recipe.
Modifications Tried
1. Sesame seeds, sriracha, and fresh tomato: mmmmh good, the flavor combo isn't right enough to be delightful, but good.
2. Didn't have any more tomatoes... but I did have some leftover sockarooni tomato sauce from the gnocchi. It was great!! It thickened it up just enough with only like a tablespoon in a bowlful. It did weaken the flavor some,but well worth it for fixing the texture. I'm hoping the bouillon would be able to do this too! I still might want to see about adding more veggies. Maybe one of the stirfry veggie bags in the freezer?
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Keeper: Easy Ricotta Gnocchi
I was super excited about this. For me, gnocchi is one of those recipes that is reserved for people who cook like magicians or professionals. Turns out, that couldn't be more wrong. Working with the dough was hard, because I don't know that I've done it since I was a little kid, but it was tons of fun. I ended up using way too much flour and it wasn't that pillowy, but it was still plenty good enough to eat.
So,
I used this recipe: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/08/easy-ricotta-gnocchi/
but, next time, I want to try this one: http://www.deliciousdays.com/
Cost: Surprisingly cheap. I rarely get gnocchi because the store bought stuff is expensive, but with this recipe, it's totally doable.
Convenience: All the recipes say that it's SUPER fast. It wasn't for me, it took more than an hour to prep, but I believe the recipes that other people can be that fast. If I practice... I could knock out home made gnocchi in no time. So, this is still a project, but maybe soon....
Delicious: Gnocchi is amazing. The first attempt was like a 6/10, so still delicious, but nothing to write home about. My guess it was problems with trying something new rather than the recipe.
Freeze: Oh my god. The recipe says this is easy to freeze. I COULD HAVE MY OWN FROZEN GNOCCHI IN THE FREEZER. Someone call Martha Stewart so I can use my snooty voice.
Uses: I don't know. It's pasta. If I got good at this, it would be super fast and easy to make for other people and would be totally fake-fancy, but not yet.
Notes: So, the parchment paper WILL rip and get all over you. Should have put more flour on it. You should flour your hands too. It will help a lot. Don't whisk the dough. You'll be sorry. Use a spoon. Smaller is better for the pillows. Use less flour next time! It'd prob be faster to do them in one batch instead of multiples. Playing with the dough was a crazy amount of fun. I think I need an apron.... Had it with store bought Newman's Sockarooni and it was awesome, but looks like nearly any sauce goes good on it.
By round two, I bet this one will be a keeper. Just not quite there yet.
Round Two! So, what I did was whisk up the dough very good, added about a cup and a half of flour slowly whisking that in. Then I put it on a cooking board coated with flour (coated my hands too) and then started kneading it, adding bits more as I went(just have the measuring cup full of flour and grab and pinch). I'm still very slow, but it gets better all of the time. It was delicious!
I still need an apron.
So,
I used this recipe: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/08/easy-ricotta-gnocchi/
but, next time, I want to try this one: http://www.deliciousdays.com/
Cost: Surprisingly cheap. I rarely get gnocchi because the store bought stuff is expensive, but with this recipe, it's totally doable.
Convenience: All the recipes say that it's SUPER fast. It wasn't for me, it took more than an hour to prep, but I believe the recipes that other people can be that fast. If I practice... I could knock out home made gnocchi in no time. So, this is still a project, but maybe soon....
Delicious: Gnocchi is amazing. The first attempt was like a 6/10, so still delicious, but nothing to write home about. My guess it was problems with trying something new rather than the recipe.
Freeze: Oh my god. The recipe says this is easy to freeze. I COULD HAVE MY OWN FROZEN GNOCCHI IN THE FREEZER. Someone call Martha Stewart so I can use my snooty voice.
Uses: I don't know. It's pasta. If I got good at this, it would be super fast and easy to make for other people and would be totally fake-fancy, but not yet.
Notes: So, the parchment paper WILL rip and get all over you. Should have put more flour on it. You should flour your hands too. It will help a lot. Don't whisk the dough. You'll be sorry. Use a spoon. Smaller is better for the pillows. Use less flour next time! It'd prob be faster to do them in one batch instead of multiples. Playing with the dough was a crazy amount of fun. I think I need an apron.... Had it with store bought Newman's Sockarooni and it was awesome, but looks like nearly any sauce goes good on it.
By round two, I bet this one will be a keeper. Just not quite there yet.
Round Two! So, what I did was whisk up the dough very good, added about a cup and a half of flour slowly whisking that in. Then I put it on a cooking board coated with flour (coated my hands too) and then started kneading it, adding bits more as I went(just have the measuring cup full of flour and grab and pinch). I'm still very slow, but it gets better all of the time. It was delicious!
I still need an apron.
Staple: African Peanut Stew
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/08/african-peanut-stew-vegan/
This was my biggest absolute winner of 2015. I made it like four times. It's really delicious and really filling. It's been popular with a range of people and I love the taste.
Cost: Pretty cheap overall.
Convenience: Really easy. The longest part at this point is chopping up the stuff... if get faster than that... it's gonna be an absolute breeze
Delicious: It's so good. Mmmmmh.
Can you pressure or slow cook it?? I have no idea. Not tried yet
Freeze: Yup. It's not perfect, but it works quite well.
Uses: Make for other people, Eat all week, It's a favorite, use it for anything.
Notes: I actually prefer the non-natural peanut butter with it, extra crunchy versions. I've tried it with kale, but like it better with the collard greens. If you use the whole bunch of collard greens instead of half, it makes the flavor quite a bit less sharp, buuuut you get way more healthy greens so it's a tough call. I trade off like every time I make it. . The ginger is super important to it, if it's not fresh, it's just not as good. The best Tom suggested putting it on toast and it was super good -- bet it would also be amazing on naan or jasmine rice.
This was my biggest absolute winner of 2015. I made it like four times. It's really delicious and really filling. It's been popular with a range of people and I love the taste.
Cost: Pretty cheap overall.
Convenience: Really easy. The longest part at this point is chopping up the stuff... if get faster than that... it's gonna be an absolute breeze
Delicious: It's so good. Mmmmmh.
Can you pressure or slow cook it?? I have no idea. Not tried yet
Freeze: Yup. It's not perfect, but it works quite well.
Uses: Make for other people, Eat all week, It's a favorite, use it for anything.
Notes: I actually prefer the non-natural peanut butter with it, extra crunchy versions. I've tried it with kale, but like it better with the collard greens. If you use the whole bunch of collard greens instead of half, it makes the flavor quite a bit less sharp, buuuut you get way more healthy greens so it's a tough call. I trade off like every time I make it. . The ginger is super important to it, if it's not fresh, it's just not as good. The best Tom suggested putting it on toast and it was super good -- bet it would also be amazing on naan or jasmine rice.
And now for something completely different
Hi Ounces!
Welcome to the exciting, possibly temporary, transmogrification of pluck and ounces. Here's the goal: I want to have some place to keep track of what I'm cooking. Why?
- For inspiration when I am staring blankly into the dark night completely unable to remember anytime I ever cooked anything
-So that I have something searchable of stuff that I actually know how to make-- need to stock up on frozen food? Want a soup? Not a problem.
- Because online things require less organization than writing because they're a lot easier to change.
You are, as always, invited, to join in or make your own transformations, as the desire moves you.
My burning desire is my New Year's Resolution #10. By 11:59 pm December 31, 2016, I will have at least 12 keepable recipes. Get after it.
Let's see what happens in cooking in 2016!
Pluck
Welcome to the exciting, possibly temporary, transmogrification of pluck and ounces. Here's the goal: I want to have some place to keep track of what I'm cooking. Why?
- For inspiration when I am staring blankly into the dark night completely unable to remember anytime I ever cooked anything
-So that I have something searchable of stuff that I actually know how to make-- need to stock up on frozen food? Want a soup? Not a problem.
- Because online things require less organization than writing because they're a lot easier to change.
You are, as always, invited, to join in or make your own transformations, as the desire moves you.
My burning desire is my New Year's Resolution #10. By 11:59 pm December 31, 2016, I will have at least 12 keepable recipes. Get after it.
Let's see what happens in cooking in 2016!
Pluck
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