After the Rain a Nice Evening

It was a great day to take a long nap because of the rainy weather. This evening I wanted to get out. First I picked up a few things I needed at Krogers. Then I got a ginger-peach tea to go and visited my brother and his family. I love my brother and his family. It was great visiting with them. My brother really makes me laugh a lot. He is hilarious and he's also a wonderful Christian. He liked hearing me quote all the scriptures I currently have memorized.
I came home with a big bag of Roma tomatoes I'd gotten on sale. I'd never cooked or even eaten scalloped tomatoes but have been wanting to try them. I remembered seeing an interesting recipe but I think the cookbook was sold in the garage sale (I had way too many books). I sliced the tomatoes, sprayed canola oil on them, and sprinkled with onion powder, black pepper, and dried basil. I baked it uncovered for almost an hour at 350F then added soft whole wheat bread crumbs and cooked it for about 15 more minutes. Overall I'm kind of happy with how it turned out. I served it with Parmesan cheese. Some bites of tomatoes taste too spicy and some taste great. I think next time I'll just add a little of the basil to the bread crumbs, instead of sprinkling it directly on the tomatoes, so it wont taste so spicy. I really, really love vegetables and I'm glad to add another vegetable dish to my repetoire.

Easy Vegetarian "Meat Pie"

I made some Italian Lentils a few days ago. I accidentally put them in the freezer! Tonight I defrosted it, fried some & stuffed it in a pita. It reminds me of meat pie. Very tastey! In case you would like to try it here are both recipes.

Easy Vegetarian Italian "Meat Pie"

leftover That's Italian! Lentils Florentine
Tabasco (about 5 drops per patty)
Parmesan cheese, about 1 Tbsp. per patty
vegetable oil spray
whole wheat pita bread

Cut a 3-4 inch opening at the tops of pitas. Toast if preferred or just warm in the microwave. Add Tabasco & Parmesan cheese to lentils, stirring well. Make into large patties. Spray a skillet with vegetable oil spray. Fry patties over medium heat for about 5 minutes or so, cooking on both sides. Patties are still soft after cooked. Place patties in pitas. If you squish the pita a little bit, you'll get some of the filling in each bite. Serve and enjoy!

You might want to make some of these patties to keep in your freezer, ready to be defrosted and fried for a quick tastey meal.


That's Italian! Lentils Florentine

1 cup lentils, washed
1 medium onion, peeled & microwaved whole
3 cloves garlic pressed
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
6 oz. can organic tomato paste
about 1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
a few drops of Tabasco
Parmesan cheese
black pepper, liberally

Cover lentils with water, add pressed garlic & oregano. Bring to a simmer. Add more water as often as necessary, but be careful to avoid making it soupy. Cut cooked onion in strips and add to lentils. When lentils are almost done (lentils cook quickly), add defrosted spinach. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Tabasco, pepper, olive oil and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Rutabega

I cooked one of my favorite foods a different & healthier way today. It's rutabega! I usually eat rutabega that's been cooked with ham. In fact once I tried cooking it without ham and I couldn't even eat until I added ham to it. I decided cook a small rutabega in the microwave and season it with cumin. I like it a lot!

Here's my recipe:

Half a small rutabega (you'll probably need a hammer or something to use like a hammer to do this). Peel the rutabega and cut in about 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a small microwave safe cooking dish. Add water to about to about 1 1/2 inches from the top of the dish (or almost cover the rutabega with water). Loosely cover and microwave for about 7-10 minutes, stirring about every two minutes for even cooking. Add more water if needed. Sprinkle with cumin when served. Add salt and/or pepper if needed.

EDIT: I discovered that I didn't like these rutabegas nearly as well when I ate left overs.

Carrot Souffle

I found this recipe for carrot souffle (see link below), which I made a few small changes to, and sweetened with honey. I was in a hurry and forgot to add the butter! This souffle is so good that I may enter it in a recipe contest!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Picadillys-Carrot-Souffle-30216

This website has really helpful info on cooking with honey:

http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/cooking-with-honey.html

Well this is another recipe that is very good with honey substituted for sugar. Oatmeal raisin cookies made with a blend of honey and brown sugar are awesome. I have a theory that a lot of things are better cooked with honey rather than sugar.

I'm generally getting quite enthusiastic about cooking!

Tofu Stuffed Peppers

I just took some Tofu Stuffed Peppers out of the oven, for tomorrow. They're tastiest when made a day or two before eating. These are one of my Mom's favorites which I really like too. Mom requested these when we saw that bell peppers are on sale. I pretty much follow this recipe at the link below, except I parboil the peppers and bake the stuffed peppers in the oven at 350F for about 30 minutes. The recipe calls for 4 bell peppers but it made enough to stuff 6 large bell peppers. Before adding the tofu, squeeze all the water out of it. (NOTE: Try 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil instead of 2 tablespoons or the stuffing might taste too oily.)

http://deliciouslivingmag.com/mag/dl_recipe_416/

I want to make some carrot souffle too and need to find a good recipe.

Creative Frugal Recipes

I like making up my own recipes. Here are some of my favorite frugal recipes. They're mostly dishes of beans or lentils deliciously combined with tastey vegetables. I've gotten compliments from family members on these recipes, except for the "Very Veggie Lentils" which they haven't sampled yet.

Frugal creative cooking is fun!

Creamy Pumpkin Kale Soup

I give this recipe five stars! It was requested for Thanksgiving too.

1 C beans (15 beans mix)
1 large bunch of kale
1 can of pumpkin
1 onion
1 can evaporated milk
vegetable oil spray
salt and pepper to taste

Wash beans and soak for 8 hours. Discard soaking water. Cover beans with water and boil until tender (about 1 hour). Set aside beans, reserving bean broth.
Wash and de-stem kale. Spray a large pot with vegetable oil spray. Add kale and 1/2 inch of water. Cover and cook over medium high heat just until tender, stirring often and adding more water as needed. Set aside kale to cool, reserving the vegetable broth.
Peel onion and leave whole. Spray a small microwave safe cooking dish with vegetable oil. Add onion, cover loosely and microwave on high for 5 - 10 minutes. Allow to cool some then cut onion in half.

Add evaporated milk to blender. Add onion and blend till smooth.
Set aside half of onion/evaporated milk mixture (leaving the other half in the blender). Add half of kale to blender. Blend until finely chopped. Repeat with remaining kale and onion/evaporated milk mixture.

Add kale mixture to a large pot. Add bean broth and vegetable broth from the kale. Add pumpkin, stirring well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Add beans and simmer for 2 minutes.
For the best flavor prepare a day ahead.


Hearty Pottage

2 qt. homemade chicken or turkey broth
1/2 lb. dried black-eyed peas (no presoaking needed)
1 medium sweet potato, microwaved till done
1 large onion, microwaved till done
5-6 green onions, cut in 2-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
6 oz. tomato paste
1 small head of cabbage, cut in 1/2-inch slices
1/2 green bell pepper, in small 1-inch long strips, sauteed
3 large mushrooms, in 1/2-inch cubes, sauteed
4 drops of Tabasco
coarsely ground black pepper
Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning (to lightly season)
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
vegetable oil spray

Wash and drain black-eyed peas. Add 1 qt. homemade broth to a sauce pan. Add peas and partially cook (for about 15-20 minutes). Add 2 cups of homemade broth to blender. Slice microwaved sweet potato in eighths and puree with the broth. Add to black-eyed peas. Add another 2 cups of homemade broth to blender. Coarsely chop microwaved onion and puree with the broth. Add to black-eyed peas. Add tomato paste and mix thoroughly.
Spray a large pot with vegetable oil spray. Add cabbage and 1/2 cup of water. Partially cook cabbage over medium heat, being careful to add additional water, a little at a time, as needed.
Add black-eyed pea mixture, green onions, garlic, black pepper and about 4-6 shakes of Cavender's Greek seasoning. Simmer until cabbage and black-eyed peas are done. Stir in green bell pepper, mushrooms and Tabasco and cook about one more minute. Stir in olive oil.


Very Veggie Lentils

1 lb. lentils
2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
2 plum tomatoes, cut in chunks
10 green onions, sliced
8 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (add more if needed)
2 small carrots very thinly sliced
salt
coarsely ground black pepper

Wash and sort lentils. Add water to about 1/2-1 inch above lentils and add garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer about 7-10 minutes. When the lentils begin to get tender, add tomato and alternately add about half of the green onions, carrots, and spinach gradually. Turn off heat and gradually add remaining green onions, carrots, and spinach. Stir till spinach wilted. Most of the water will have absorbed into the lentils. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt lightly and add a small amount of coarsely ground black pepper.
The lentils have a great nutlike taste and all the veggies in it really taste terrific.


Italian Lentils a la Bleu

This is a very hearty dish with lively Italian flavor!

1 lb. lentils
5.5 oz. package green onions, in 1/2 to 1-inch slices (about 1 1/2 - 2 bunches)
about 1 C frozen cut leaf spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
Tomato paste with garlic, basil, and oregano
coarsely ground pepper
Bleu Cheese, crumbled
Wash and sort lentils. Add just enough water to cover lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes. Add 2/3rds of green onions. Add frozen spinach and olive oil. Simmer, stirring frequently, until lentils are al dente, adding reserved green onions during the last minute or two of cooking time. Add Balsamic vinegar and add pepper to taste
Serve with tomato paste and bleu cheese.


Bean and Bowtie Casserole

This is kind of a dressy spin on beans.

1 lb. dried beans (15 kinds of beans)(reserve 2 3/4 C of bean broth)
1/2 lb. bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
3/4 - 1 C shredded colby jack cheese (or your favorite)
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, minced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 clove of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
2 drops of Tabasco, or to taste
plain yogurt or sour cream

Soak beans 8 hrs. Drain and boil until the navy beans (the small white beans) are al dente. Drain beans reserving bean broth. Cool beans and pasta. Salt and pepper beans, to taste. Add pasta and beans to a large bowl, mix well.
Cool and strain bean broth. Add 2 3/4 C of broth to blender. Turn blender on low and gradually add flour, then add tomato sauce. Pour broth-tomato mixture into a greased sauce pan. Add garlic and Tobasco.
Cook broth mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously, until bubbly. Add bacon and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Add onion and green pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour sauce over bean and pasta mixture. Mix well.
Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake in 350 F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly, and serve.
Makes 6 large servings or 8 or more medium servings.
This is great with a with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.


Mexican Black Beans

I love the black beans at Cuco's Mexican restaurant. I found ideas for my recipe at Epicurious.com, which has recipes from Gourmet, and Bon Appetit! magazines. The beans will cook down a lot.

3 lbs. black beans
1 quart Organic Swanson's chicken broth
1 1/2 heads of garlic, pressed
juice of 2 limes
1 Tablespoon or more ground cumin
2 to 3 teaspoons or more cayenne
1 or more jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
salt to taste
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
plain non-fat yogurt or sour cream

Soak beans 8 hrs. or overnight. Discard soaking water. Add chicken broth. Add enough water to cover beans well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hrs, adding more water as needed. Add olive oil, lime juice, cumin, cayenne, garlic, jalapeno, and salt while cooking over medium heat. Simmer, stirring often until too thick to simmer--about 1-2 hrs, adjusting seasonings as needed (this splatters-- so to get it to thicken more, you may prefer to bake it in the oven during the final cooking stage). To each serving add shredded Monterey Jack cheese and top with about 1 tablespoon of yogurt or sour cream, and slightly swirl it into the beans.

Three Bean Salad
This salad is unique because it has three different kinds of dried beans.
1/2 lb. small red beans
1/2 lb. navy beans
1/2 lb. garbanzo beans
light mayo
apple cider vinegar
spicey brown mustard
salt to taste
coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

Wash beans. In separate pots, cover beans with several inches of water and soak for about 8 hrs. Discard soaking water. Then add more water and simmer beans until al dente. Drain and cool on plates. Salt lightly.When beans are cooled, add 1/4 cup of each type of bean to each serving bowl, add bean salad dressing and blend. Add plenty of coarsely ground black pepper and salt to taste.

Bean Salad Dressing
3 - 4 parts light mayo
1 part apple cider vinegar
scant amount of spicey brown mustard
(Shur-Fine and Kroger's are good brands of brown mustard)


Spinach Dip Stuffed Pitas

These sandwiches are really tasty and super healthy-- a great way for sandwich lovers to eat more veggies. They are quick and easy to prepare too.
Fat free yogurt cheese (with several layers of cheesecloth, strain yogurt for an hour or so to make cheese)
frozen chopped spinach
onion, chopped
mushrooms, chopped coarsely
onion powder
McCormicks Season-All OR Greek seasoning
sliced avocado
whole wheat pitas
extra virgin olive oil
OPTIONAL Tabasco

Microwave frozen spinach just until hot. Squeeze out moisture well. Let cool. Add spinach to yogurt cheese. Add a little onion powder and Season All or Greek seasoning, and a few drops of Tabasco, if desired. Stir in onion, mushrooms and any of the optional ingredients you choose. Halve pitas, toast (if preferred) and drizzle insides of pitas with olive oil. Stuff pitas with spinach mixture and avocados. Enjoy!