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The Kitchen Recessionista

So, here we are, in a recession. Let's eat!

Pantry Cleanout, Day 4: Hazelnut Cranberry Roast With Peas and Rice.

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Now THIS was a meal I’ve been wanting to try for some time.  Over the holidays, I spotted this hazelnut cranberry roast en croute, made by Field Roast, in the freezer at Whole Foods and decided to pick it up for a special dinner treat.  Originally, I’d planned to serve it for our New Year’s Eve dinner, but our schedule became a bit loaded and so we decided to have pizza instead; and so the roast sat, waiting for its time in the oven – until tonight.
I haven’t felt my best this week, so today I worked from home in order to spare my colleagues from a cold.  As a result, I had plenty of time to wait out the 1.5-hour cooking and resting time that the roast requires.  (For the record, it requires absolutely NO hands-on work other than taking it out of the package; it just takes time to bake!)
When LeeLee called to say he was getting close to the house, I put on a can of peas and heated up some Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice that had made its way to the very back of the cabinet (I didn’t have quite enough regular white rice to make a full pot).  By the time he walked in the door, all that was left to do was allow the roast to rest for 5 to 10 minutes (the package says 10 minutes, but we couldn’t wait!), and then we sliced it open.
The filling is fantastic!  The meaty portion is very similar to many of Field Roast’s other offerings – which is to say, it’s spicy and flavorful and great – and the cranberry stuffing in the middle gives a nice sweet surprise to every bite.  And the puff pastry that encases the roast – yum!  I used my Cook’s Privilege to score an end piece just to enjoy as much pastry as I could, and I’m not a bit sorry for it.
When our pantry cleanout is finished and the restocking begins, we’ll definitely add another of these hazelnut cranberry roasts to the freezer!  You needn’t have a holiday in order to have a festive dinner.  Sometimes, a regular old Thursday will do just fine.
:)

Pantry Cleanout, Day 3: Baked Tofu With Green Beans and Mac and Cheese.

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All right, tonight put us over the hump on this week’s pantry cleanout.  And we’re really hitting our stride now!
This morning, I opened a package of tofu that had been hanging out in the fridge for a while and sliced it into about eight rectangles, each about half an inch thick.  I placed each of the rectangles in a big zip-top bag – which was then placed into another zip-top bag, because I’ve had these bags go south on me and leak marinade all over my fridge in the past – and then concocted a new sauce for them to marinate in.  First, I added several tablespoons of olive oil and then a generous (a teaspoon or so?) helping of Cajun seasoning.  Then I sprinkled in some parsley and, finally, about half a teaspoon of cumin seed.  I sealed both bags and flipped the tofu back and forth for a couple of minutes, letting the oil and spices evenly coat each of the slices.  After that, it was to the fridge, where it would rest while I was at work.
After work, I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper – a new trick that I hadn’t tried before with tofu – and laid out each of the tofu rectangles.  I put the sheet in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes, then flipped the tofu; another 20 minutes, then flipped again; and finally one last 20-minute interval.
During that last interval, I got to work (hurriedly, I must say, since I spent the middle 20 minutes chatting on the telephone with my mother about the presence of two snowy owls at Washington National Airport – a rarity in this area, for sure!) putting together the macaroni and cheese and green beans.  I set the mac and cheese to boil and opened a can of green beans, mixed them with a jar of drained pimientos, and put the two veggies in a pot together to heat up.  By that point, the macaroni was cooking nicely, so I let it cook for the last 12 minutes of the tofu’s bake time.
By the time the tofu was ready, so was everything else, and we piled our plates high.  As I mentioned, this tofu was a new recipe for me, and as a result I was excited and a little nervous to find out how it worked out.  The result: Glorious!  The Cajun seasoning really gave it a kick and the cumin seeds were flavorful but not overpowering.  And the lengthy cook time, paired with the use of the parchment paper, gave the tofu a meaty texture that I just love.  I’ll definitely give this another try with barbecue sauce, a balsamic marinade, an Italian blend … the options are endless!
The best part of the meal, to me, is that I never would’ve given this a try without our pantry challenge this week.  Maybe I would’ve gone with an old standby, or maybe I would’ve tried something new, but it’s safe to say that I wouldn’t have concocted this particular meal without a little push in that direction.  Our pantry cleanout is that push, and I’m so glad for it.  We’ll definitely be trying this again – both the meal and the cleanout!
On to tomorrow!
:)  

Pantry Cleanout, Day 2: Huevos Rancheros.

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This pantry-cleanout week is getting good!  On tonight’s docket: Huevos rancheros!
We love huevos rancheros, and we love breakfast for dinner.  So as I scanned the fridge, freezer, and cabinets and saw we had all the fixins right here at home, I knew we had to hop-to.
I had half a package of corn tortillas in the freezer, so I pulled four of them out (two for me, two for LeeLee) and heated each one in a nonstick skillet for a minute or two on each side.  Once they were heated, I arranged them on our plates and went on to the next step: Heating up the refried beans.
We had half a can of beans left over from Sunday night’s dinner, so I heated them up in the microwave in the bowl I was storing them in.  Once they were warmed through, I spooned half atop LeeLee’s tortillas and half atop mine, topped each plate with cheese and some jalapeno slices (from the same jar we used last night), and cracked two eggs into the pan to fry.
Four minutes later (I know, I should cook them for less, but I’m paranoid about undercooking them!), the eggs were fried, so I carefully transferred one egg apiece to our plates.  I arranged two sausage links on each plate, as well, and then rang the dinner bell (figuratively – but wouldn’t it be FUN to have one of those old-fashioned triangles they used to ring for dinner?).
LeeLee was happy to see one of his very favorite brunch dishes on the dinner table instead, and I was tickled that I had everything I needed on hand to concoct another pantry meal!  And dinner went down quite smoothly – within 10 minutes, we’d wolfed everything down, leaving only the faintest veneer of yolk on our plates.
I’m learning a lot from this week of cleaning out my pantry – can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
:)

Pantry Cleanout, Day 1: Black Beans and Rice (aka Old Faithful).

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Welcome to Day 1 of this week’s Great Pantry Cleanout of 2014!
The other day, in preparation for the new year, I went through my kitchen cabinets – I mean, reallywent through them – to see what-all had expired, what we weren’t using that could be donated elsewhere, and just how many cans of corn we had in there, after all.  (The answer: Five.  Five cans of corn, bought along the way for who knows what and relegated to the dark recesses of the kitchen cabinetry.)
Through this exercise, I learned two things:
  1. Spices that expired in 2005 have far surpassed their usefulness and ought to be tossed.
  2. We have a TON of canned goods and other nonperishables that are perfectly edible and are taking up valuable storage space. 

I reorganized everything and am so pleased with how the cabinets look now when I open them.  But those five cans of corn just kept staring at me.  As did the pinto beans.  The black beans.  The two half-used bags of rice.  And so on and so forth.
Enter: Our weekend trip to New York City.
Now, New York is an expensive place, but LeeLee and I budgeted for our two-night stay this past weekend.  In fact, it was also our Christmas present to each other.  I’ll get into the frugal (and less-frugal) components of that trip in another post soon – I promise! – but suffice it to say, New York is always pricey.  Which is why we don’t go very much.  And which is why we always feel guilty and overspent when we get home, even when we stayed well within our budget guidelines (honest!).
So as we stood at the bus stop yesterday, waiting for our BoltBus to arrive and ferry us back home, we decided that this week would be a week where we concocted meals straight out of our pantry.  What’s the sense in going to the grocery when we’ve got shelves and a freezer full of perfectly good food right here at home?  And so, the goal: To not go to Safeway at all this week, except for maybe a fresh vegetable or two.  Or toilet paper. 
One day in, we’re doing just fine!  Tonight, I used up one of those two half-empty bags of rice, adding a packet of Goya seasoning to create a yellow rice to go with our black beans, plucked from the newly tidied pantry.  We each added a Morningstar Farms chik’n patty – left over from last week’s ramen with Rotel – and topped our meals with sour cream and cheese that were waiting in the fridge.  We even had half a container of cherry tomatoes to work with!  And a jar of sliced jalapeno peppers, which gave the dish a spicy kick.
So once again, Old Faithful comes to the rescue.  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Give me black beans and a bag of rice, and I’ll give you a dinner that can’t be beat!
What’s on the docket for Day 2?  Stay tuned!
:)

Ramen With Rotel and Vegetables.

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So, tonight’s planned meal will have to wait till next week – as happens sometimes, life got in the way.  I lingered a bit at the animal shelter tonight (cutting up hot dogs for the resident pups is hard work!), LeeLee had to work (from home, at least) this evening, and we’re still on a bit of a recovery mission/celebratory time after Florida State’s epic win on Monday night.  So when I realized I had to go to the grocery store anyway, regardless of whether I’d made tonight’s planned dinner (which was, for the record, halushki) or another, I decided to take the easy way out.
Ramen with Rotel it is!
This quick-fix dinner is a staple on this little blog.  It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it’s filling, especially with the vegetables I steamed on the side.
First I got those vegetables cooked – a quick five minutes in the microwave and they were good to go.  Next I crumbled up some ramen noodles (without the spice packet) into a large measuring cup, then added a can of Rotel, and then half a can of water.  Cooked the whole thing in the microwave for about six minutes and it was ready to come out!
Then it was time for two Morningstar Farms chik’n patties to take their turn.  Two and a half minutes was all it took to be cooked through, and then it was just a matter of assembling!  The ramen was divided evenly between our plates and topped with the chik’n patties; the veggies were also divided evenly and took their place to the side of the noodles.  We were both pretty hungry tonight, so we mowed dinner down in record time!
The only sad part is there are no leftovers, but this is such a quick, inexpensive meal to make that it’s all right.  A sandwich will do just fine in my lunch tomorrow instead!
:)

Pea and Olive Pizza.

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Is it cold enough for you out there?  (Friends in the Southern Hemisphere, just sub out “warm” for “cold.”)
First and foremost, we’re riding quite an exuberant high around Chez Recessionista this week, since my beloved Seminoles clenched the national championship trophy last night!  I would’ve blogged – we had West Coast chili in keeping with the Rose Bowl theme – but I was too busy alternating between jumping to the ceiling in jubilation and flinging myself onto the side of the front door in despair.  (It was a little bit of a rough game for three or so quarters there.)
As a result of last night’s festivities, tonight LeeLee and I are both a bit tired (the game went late last night, and the celebration went later).  So I knew we needed a relatively easy, quick meal to put on the table.
Now, when I made up this week’s menu plan, I had intended to make a batch or two of pizza dough to put in the freezer for nights just such as these.  Alas, my best-laid plans were not to be, and so tonight I found myself stopping by the grocery store on the way home for a Pillsbury pizza crust, which did the job perfectly fine, if I do say so myself.
I came across the recipe for green pea and black olive pizza in Nava Atlas’ The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, which incidentally is one of my very favorite go-to cookbooks.  My best friend gave it to me as a wedding gift nearly 10 (!) years ago, and it hasn’t strayed far from my reach since then.  I use it all the time, and tonight was no exception.
Instead of a red pizza, I elected to do a white version, so I spooned a few dollops of ricotta cheese on my prebaked crust and topped it with some “pizza blend” cheese (that is, mozzarella and cheddar – I confess I’d never really thought of that combination as a “pizza blend” before, but there the package sits, proudly in the grocery aisle).  I topped the cheeses with a hearty helping of frozen (straight from the bag!) peas and a small can of sliced black olives and put the pizza back in the oven to bake for about 15 more minutes.  As it cooked, I tossed a quick salad (my go-to – romaine with cherry tomatoes, olives, and parmesan cheese) and set the table.  And poured myself a glass of wine while I was at it, because why not?
The end result was fantastic.  This pizza looks so fresh, so dadgum healthy in spite of the cheese, and the Pillsbury dough was a worthy stand-in for homemade.  LeeLee and I each had three slices, and we’ve still got enough for one of us to eat for lunch tomorrow.  I love a leftover!
Stay warm, friends, and go Noles!
:)

Tomato-Basil Quiche.

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I’m telling you – when you want some snow in the Mid-Atlantic region, just ask me to warm up a quiche in the oven.  It never fails!  Every time I add quiche to our weekly menu plan, we get snow, either in shovel-worthy amounts or dustings.  Tonight, my friends, is no different.

The holiday season is winding down, and with it my energy is also taking a nosedive.  Thank heaven I made an extra quiche a few weeks ago and put it in the freezer for just such an occasion!
So when LeeLee called to say he was about an hour away from coming home, I simply unwrapped our prepared quiche (I’d frozen it in two layers of aluminum foil and put it in a freezer bag) and put it in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes.  
When LeeLee called to say he was about 15 minutes out, I tossed together a quick salad with the usual suspects – romaine, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and black olives – and by the time he walked in the door, the house was warm and cozy, and most importantly to my mind (and hungry stomach), dinner was ready!  And it took no time at all to prepare.
We have the tiniest freezer known to humankind, so I can’t stock it as full of homemade ready-to-heat meals as I’d like, but tonight is a fine example of why it’s a great idea to have at least one or two on hand at any given time.  If we hadn’t had this quiche, I can safely say tonight may have been a takeout or pizza-delivery night.  But because we were stocked up, we were able to eat more healthily AND save money – a winning combination!  And we have plenty of quiche left over for tomorrow’s lunch, too – snow or no snow!
Stay warm, wherever you are!
:)

Black-Eyed Peas, Collard Greens, and Cornbread.

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Happy New Year!
LeeLee and I have a few traditions for how we spend Jan. 1 each year – some go back in our families for decades, and some have begun in more recent times.  First of all, we always wake up and put a “sausage”-egg casserole in the oven (I like to make it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge until breakfast time), which we eat while watching the Tournament of Roses Parade out in Pasadena.  Then, brunch done and coffee consumed, we’re fortified and ready to tackle the afternoon event: Our annual hike at Theodore Roosevelt Island!
We’ve been making this trek each New Year’s Day (and other times throughout the year, too) for seven or eight years, and now we wouldn’t dare miss it.  Some years it’s cold and drizzly, some years unseasonably warm.  Today, it was a perfect winter day – sunny, crisp, and cold.  Many other hikers had the same idea, too – we had to wait 10 minutes for a parking space to open up!  But as usual, the hike was worth the wait, and the day was so lovely that we lingered longer than usual, taking trails we usually skip just so we could spend a few more minutes in the fresh air.
Then we came home, caught up on some this-and-that around the house, and before too long it was time for the main event: Our New Year’s Day feast!
Being Southerners, there are some foods that are simply staples of the Jan. 1 meal.  So I wasted no time in getting right to work.  I heated a pot of black-eyed peas, stuffed another deep pot full of collard greens, and mixed up a batch of cornbread in the cast-iron skillet.  Half an hour before dinner was ready, I added some rice to the rice cooker, and five minutes before dinnertime, I heated up some Tofurky Andouille sausage in a pan – which was, by the way, amazing (we’d never tried it before!).
As far as serving goes, LeeLee and I go about our plates a bit differently.  I like to stack every component one on top of the other – first rice, then collards, then black-eyed peas, and finally the sausage on the side – while LeeLee likes to keep each part of the meal separated.  Different strokes, I suppose. :)
Both of us applied a liberal amount of Cajun seasoning and hot sauce, however, with a little pat of butter to complete the scene.  Some things you just can’t live without!
Paired with a viewing of the Rose Bowl, our first dinner of 2014 was indeed complete.  I can’t think of a better tradition! 
In related news, I had a post all written up and ready to go for yesterday’s New Year’s Eve feast – but in the hustle and bustle of entertaining our dinner guests, I neglected to post it!  So look for it below. :)
Here’s to a great year!
:)

New Year’s Eve Pizza.

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Well, if it isn’t the last day of the calendar year!

First of all, may I just ask where the time went this year?  It seems like moments ago we were off celebrating the dawn of 2013, and now it’s … dusk.  Or should I say dawn – the dawn of a new year!
Or something like that.  The whole space-time continuum thing can get me a bit turned-around from time to time.  Suffice it to say, the year flew by, as did the one before it, and so on.  In fact, the years seem to be flying by faster and faster as I get (gulp) older.  How does that work?
Ahem.  Let’s talk about something much more concrete, shall we?  Dinner!
Our friends Denise and Matt joined us for pizza tonight, and I knew I wanted to be able to entertain them during our feast rather than being stuck in the kitchen throughout the evening.  So I got started a day early!
Last night, I put together a ball of pizza dough – my trusty KitchenAid makes it a snap – and let the dough rest in the fridge all night and throughout the day today. Then, just before our friends arrived, I brought it out of the fridge and shaped it into the mold of my pizza pan.  After 12 minutes in the oven at 450 just to firm up the crust, I brought it back out, topped it with pizza sauce, mozzarella shreds, and chopped veggie burgers and sliced black olives, and put it back into the oven for another 12 minutes (again at 450).  As the pizza cooked, I whipped up a quick salad – just romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, olives, and garbanzo beans – and before we knew it, our martinis were consumed and the pizza was ready!
And so begins the last few hours of 2013.  I’ll be sure to regale you with any good stories to emerge from the rest of tonight!  And in the meantime, happy new year!  Here’s to a wonderful 2014!
:) 

Taco Night!

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From taco soup last night to “beef” tacos tonight, I suppose we’ve got Mexican cuisine on the brain this week!  Looking back, it’s a shame we didn’t serve margaritas with our dinner tonight, but then we didn’t need those calories anyway in this high-octane holiday season!
We arrived home from work (and a volunteer stint at the animal shelter) around 6:45, and by 7:20 dinner was on the table.  I put a pot of yellow rice in the rice cooker and set to work chopping a tomato and washing some romaine lettuce (and opening a can of sliced black olives – hee).  As the rice began to soften, I began to heat up some Morningstar Farms “beef” crumbles in a pan (seasoned with some adobo powder) and warmed four hard taco shells in the oven.  The rice cooker clicked off a couple of minutes before the oven timer dinged – perfect timing!  And with that, dinner was ready.
As usual, it was a fantastic, filling meal, and I regret to inform you that we’ve got no leftovers!  We came to the table hungry tonight, it seems, and the tacos fit the bill just beautifully.  Not a bad way to begin ringing out 2013!  Next up: Ringing in 2014.  More to come on that just as soon as it happens!
:)