Some Easy and Inexpensive Recipes….

I’ve been talking to a bunch of friends lately about recipes and food in general.  We all are affected by the economy, and those of us with families to feed are noticing that food bills are going UP not down.  I don’t know how stores can in all honesty charge MORE for food right now, because people have less to spend on these necessities.

Whatever….I think we can make out better with a bit of time and effort.  Perhaps these times will make us better cooks, too.

I have been thinking of our own diet.  I have cooking responsibilities for a husband and son.  The son will be going very soon off to the Navy…so it will be just my dear husband and I.  But I think we need to lessen the impact of meat on our bodies and health and I don’t feel so guilty doing that with the kid not around.

I have been making beef and chicken broths a lot lately.  It’s easy and formed the basis for a lot of good meals….and combined with a crockpot…what’s not to love?

I admit we have a rather wanky diet.  I cook Japanese a lot…or did until recently.  We do still make miso-based soups and we make sushi about once a week. But a steady diet of tofu is not to ‘the boys’ taste…though they will eat their way through rolls of sushi with no complaint.  It’ s just that the nova has become very expensive, and it’s the basis of our sushi.

So…back to the broths.  A good beef broth can’t be beat.  I use it for the basis of French Onion Soup and the guys like it a lot.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

5 large onions, sliced thinly,

2 teaspoons of olive oil

saute the onions until transparent.

Add thinly sliced carrots, celery, with s/p and 1/2 cup (or more) of sherry..not cooking sherry….DRINKING sherry.

a good two quarts of beef stock and simmer on very low for about an hour.  The usual toast rounds with Gruyere cheese or something compatible.  Under the broiler for a few minutes.

BEAN SOUP

I buy bags of red kidney beans/Navy or white beans/lentils/split pea/garbanzo beans/ and mix them together in a container.  It gives more for later and is actually cheaper.

I saute some sausage (link or kielbasa) and onions together until sausage browned, and then add  about 1 or two cups of bean mixture.  In goes about 3 quarts of pre-made beef broth.

In a crockpot this can be a leisurely simmer for hours.  In a Brown Betty on the stove top…about one and 1/2 hours.

Generally, it’s a good cook who keeps onions/garlic/potatoes/pumpkins, root crops in some quantity.  In a root cellar.  If we don’t formally have those, use a bin somewhere….a plastic one is fine with a cover…in the basement or cellar…where it’s cold or cool.

Oh..one of my favorite dishes from a friend in Australia…Nick:

ROAST PUMPKINS….GOOD FOR USING THOSE JACK ‘O LANTRENS

Cut up in chunks….(de string the inners)

Bake in a 350 oven with cinnamon/brown sugar/butter/s/p.

Until tender.  A great and different starch for a meal.

Cut up/raw pumpkin is frozen easily….just pack in ziploc bags.

Lady Nyo who is heading towards the kitchen for some roast pumpkin…taste tester here.

And from Berowne:

Here’s a favorite of our own creation:
RATATOUILLE

1 large onion, chopped coarsely
1/2 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, cut into squares
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 cup fresh mushrooms, whole or sliced
1 15-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano

In a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid, saute the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil until soft; stir in eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms and saute a few minutes more. Add tomato and seasonings. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until all vegetables are well cooked.

Uncover and allow liquid to evaporate, to taste; turn up heat if necessary.
Serves 4-6.
Variations include addition of a large potato cut in chunks, and carrot rounds.

Tags: Bean Soup, Beef Broths, Food for Thought, French Onion Soup, Pumpkin, recipes, sushi