Marmee's jambalaya with brown rice

Yesterday I made jambalaya with brown rice, and it worked! We loved it. I think this version is even easier than the original, because you don't have to babysit it on the stove. It does take a bit longer, though. It makes a ton, enough to feed us all twice. I'm sure you could halve it without much trouble.

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Brown rice jambalaya

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion
• 2–3 ribs celery
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 2 1/3 cups water
• 2–3 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1 cup cooked chicken
  
• 1 cup chopped smoked sausage

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Saute chopped vegetables in oil in large Dutch oven.
   
3. Add tomatoes, water, and spices, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice.
4. Cover and transfer to preheated oven; bake for 1 hour.
5. Add chicken and sausage and stir in vegetables that have come to the top. 

Serves 8.

(Adapted from this recipe.)

Never Fail Pie Crust

I remember mom teaching Meg and I about pie crusts during the prep for one Thanksgiving. Meg's turned out beautifully. Mine...not so much. It was enough of a disaster that I didn't even attempt another one until last summer. I didn't have a recipe on hand, and my husband was on the phone with his mom while I was whining about wanting to make a pie. She kindly provided the following recipe at his request:

Never Fail Pie Crust
(makes 2 crusts, and is also proven to discourage viola jokes)

2 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
up to 1 c shortening (I start at 2/3 c and have never gone over 3/4 c)


1 egg, whipped
1 T vinegar
1/4 c water

Mix dry ingredients together, then mix in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine wet ingredients, then add to dry. Divide dough into two equal balls.

Roll crusts out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper (I know you are tempted to skip this step, but it really does turn out better if it is observed). Scatter a few drops of water on the countertop before you put the bottom paper down to prevent slippage.

This is my mother-in-law's only pie crust recipe and, true to its name, I have never failed (at least in the crust department) whilst trusting to it.

If you need some inspiration to fill your pie crust, may I suggest this delicious peach pie filling. I recommend subbing lime juice for the lemon, omitting the nutmeg altogether, and adding 1 t ginger instead. Yum!

Crustless spinach quiche

Crustless spinach quiche (about $2.40)

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped (20¢)
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach ($1)
• 5 eggs (50¢)
• 1–2 cups shredded cheese (70¢)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Saute onion in oil (optional).
3. Thaw and drain spinach.
4. Beat eggs well. Add salt, pepper, cheese, onions, and spinach. (If you're using a very salty cheese, use less salt.)
5. Pour into greased pie pan and bake about 30 minutes, until set. Let sit about 10 minutes before serving.

I usually leave out the onion because I'm lazy. This is one of the easiest meals ever.

Cheap meals

Since we're mostly skinflints, I thought it would be fun to share some cheap meals. You can include a cost breakdown if you like. I'm estimating.

Here's a start:

Black bean and rice salad (about $4.60)

Salad Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 cup rice (~30¢)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1–2 cans black beans ($1.20 for 2)
• 1/2 onion, chopped (10¢)
• 1 pepper, chopped (80¢)
• 1 cucumber, chopped (80¢)
• 1 can corn (60¢)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (80¢)

Dressing ingredients

• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. Saute rice in oil. Add 2 cups water and salt, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Whisk together dressing ingredients.
3. Combine all ingredients.

Serves 6.

Amy's Breakfast Recipe

Ingredients:

1 box of cereal (variant)

1 bowl

1 spoon

1 bowlful of milk

Pour first the cereal, then milk, into the bowl. Eat it with the spoon.

Fast. Impossible to mess up.

My kind of breakfast.

Eggs: Theme & Variations

I was thinking through my favorite breakfasts and came to the conclusion that I rarely have an egg-free one. So, hopefully this doesn't count as too common because I'm going to show how my standard egg recipes have evolved into something a little more eggs-trordinary. hee hee hee.

I like these because pretty much all of the prep work can be done the night before and it makes me feel as if you're having a fancy breakfast.

Southwest Scrambles

fold your choice(s) of the following into your scrambled eggs:
1. diced green onion
2. diced yellow onion
3. diced bell pepper
4. chopped cilantro
5. hot sauce
6. red pepper flakes
7. diced Anaheim or jalapeno pepper
8. salt & pepper

add your choice(s) of the following to the cooked mixture
1. black beans
2. pinto beans
2. shredded cheese
3. fresh cilantro leaves
4. salsa
5. tortilla to wrap in


Sauteed Veggie Scrambles

fold your choice(s) of the following into your scrambled eggs:
1. sauteed zucchini
2. sauteed summer squash
3. sauteed yellow onion
4. sauteed bell pepper
5. sauteed mushrooms
6. salt & pepper
7. salt, pepper & dill weed (a personal favorite)
8. minced garlic or garlic powder

add your choice(s) of the following to the cooked mixture
1. fresh minced basil
2. fresh minced oregano
3. diced tomato
4. shredded cheese
5. french bread toast to scoop onto

I have a few other variations, but they would make the post pretty long, so I'll save them for another time.

my breakfast contribution

Mr. Tupman (thanks for the name for my husband, John!) makes me this for breakfast a lot, and I absolutely love it!

We call this "Egg in a Toast."

Ingredients needed:

Bread

Eggs

Salt and Pepper

All you have to do, is rip out a circle from the middle of the bread - about half dollar sized. Then you put it in the frying pan (and we melt a little butter in the pan before we put it in) and crack an egg into the bread. Salt and pepper to taste, and cook like you would a regular egg. We also like to put some cherry tomatoes in the pan while it's cooking. It makes a nice addition to an already yummy breakfast.

I don't even like eggs, but this may be my favorite breakfast ever! I love poking the egg so the yolk runs out, then dipping my bread into the yolk.

Breakfast ideas

As I'm sure you can all imagine since you know how little a morning person I am, breakfasts really aren't my strong point and I tend to not be very creative.

I do have good intentions, though. I have a whole folder of bookmarks devoted to breakfast. So I'll share some links with you instead of an actual recipe.

• Carrot cake waffles
• Pumpkin spice granola
• Idaho sunrise
• Strawberry smoothie
• Make your own cereal

breakfast week

I, Beth, hereby declare this week Breakfast Week.

Post your favorite breakfast recipe.

The catch - no waffles, pancakes, or other common breakfast items.

Fettuccine with Brussels sprouts

One last spaghetti recipe from me. This is one of John's favorites.

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8 ounces fettuccine

1 pound brussels sprouts
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup walnut halves, toasted

1. Cook fettuccine.
2. Chop Brussels sprouts, onion, and garlic.
3. Fry in butter until tender.
4. Drain pasta and toss together all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

Spicy sausage spaghetti sauce

I made this one up myself. It's my favorite!

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1 pound hot Italian sausage
2 onions, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
6 14.5 ounce cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 small cans tomato paste
juice of one lemon
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
zest of one lemon

1. Cook sausage, onions, garlic, and peppers in 6-quart, heavy-bottomed pot. 
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Simmer until sauce comes together and thickens, about 45 minutes. 
3. Add basil and lemon zest and serve. 

Serves 12. 

BLT Spaghetti

I just made this for dinner tonight. Dear husband (what do I call him on this blog? nothing....) requested it, so I made it. It's from the Rachael Ray website, although I didn't follow her recipe exactly.

BLT Spaghetti

1 pound spaghetti

4 thick slices of pancetta (I just used about 6 slices of bacon)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, grated or minced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used a bit more)

1 medium red onion, diced

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 cup basil, shredded (I used slightly under 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped (again, slightly under 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (of course, I probably used more)

2 cups arugula (I used baby spinach)

While pasta water is coming to a boil, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add bacon/pancetta. Brown for about 3 minutes. (Cook pasta when water boils.)

Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook about 1-2 minutes. Add red onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, some salt, and ground black pepper. Cover and cook about 7-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst.

Add spaghetti to skillet along with basil, parsley, and parmesan. Just before serving, top with arugula (or spinach).

Note: This made a lot (you can imagine, 1 lb of spaghetti...) so I put some in the fridge for tomorrow, and froze the rest of it. I can't wait to eat it again!

This was so yummy! I took some (still warm) over to Marmee, and she loved it too! I'm glad I found this just in time for spaghetti week! :) I almost took a picture, but I forgot. Sorry!

Sopa seca

8 oz. spaghetti
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped very vine
shredded cheese
sour cream
cilantro

Heat half the oil in large lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Roll spaghetti in a towel the long way and twist the ends. Grab the ends of the towel and break the spaghetti in half on the edge of the counter. Toast spaghetti in skillet until golden. Remove from pan.

Heat remaining oil and saute onion and garlic with salt. Add cumin. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and chile. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the spaghetti. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. Serves 3–4.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Note: I use the herb measurements as guidelines and not hard-and-fast measurements.

1 lb pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 T cajun seasoning (or more to taste)
2 T butter or margarine
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4 large bell peppers (any color), diced
1-2 small zucchini, diced
1-2 small yellow squash, diced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch green onion, finely diced
1 cup heavy cream (may substitute thickened chicken broth or plain yogurt)

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

1/2 t dried thyme

1 t lemon pepper

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 c grated parmesean cheese

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and coat with cajun seasoning. In a wok or large skillet, saute garlic and yellow onion in margarine over medium heat. Add chicken, cook until nearly done. Add peppers, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until peppers are tender and chicken is fully cooked.Add cream, basil, lemon pepper, and black pepper. Heat through. Toss with pasta and top with parmesean cheese.

Be warned that this fills my full-sized wok to capacity when everything is combined.

Angel Chicken Pasta

Angel Chicken Pasta
Serves 4-6

1 – 1 ½ lbs. chicken tenders
2 T. butter
1 package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
( You can use Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder, and pepper)
2 T. vinegar
2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup
8 ounces light cream cheese
¼ c. chopped fresh chives (optional)
Mushrooms, peppers, or onions (optional)
1 lb. angel hair pasta


Preheat oven to 325. If using optional vegetables, sauté in a separate pan until almost tender.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in salad dressing mix or seasonings. Blend in vinegar and golden mushroom soup. Cut cream cheese into cubes and gradually add to mixture; do not boil. Add chives. Add optional vegetables.
Arrange chicken in 9x13 pan and pour sauce over all. Bake for 60 minutes. Cook pasta al dente, timing to finish when chicken is done. Drain and serve chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Lemon Spaghetti

Lemon Spaghetti

1 pound spaghetti (sometimes I use any ridged pasta, because the sauce coats it better)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I use more)

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Optional - fresh parsley and basil leaves

Cook pasta.

While pasta is cooking, heat a large, deep skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest.

When pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta, and the cream to the garlic mixture. Raise the heat, and bring the sauce to a bubble.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and put in serving bowl. Pour sauce over, and toss to coat. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Balsamic chicken pasta

Everyone post your favorite spaghetti recipes this week!

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Balsamic chicken pasta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 chicken portions
• salt and pepper
• 2 14.5-ounce cans tomatoes
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 pound pasta, cooked (preferably angel hair)

Heat olive oil in medium pan and brown chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce reduces a bit. Serve over pasta.

the story of the chicken

In true Beth character, here is my newest favorite recipe. My husband loves it as well, and it's really simple to make. I found it at tablespoon.com

Chicken Milano

Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Salad

1 cup tightly packed baby spinach or arugula

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons diced red onion

Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a medium bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Stir in salad to coat.

(Here the recipe suggests pounding the chicken to 3/4 in thickness, but I didn't do it.)

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

On separate plates, place flour and bread crumbs. In a bowl, beat the egg slightly. Coat chicken with flour. Dip into egg; coat well with bread crumbs.

In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8 to 10 minutes (more if you don't pound it), turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut and coating is golden brown. Serve chicken topped with salad and sprinkled with cheese.

Here is the picture from the same website: