Dressing

Garlic French Yogurt Dressing

1 cup unflavored yogurt
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

Mix it all up and chill. Use on tossed green salads, with cooked Swiss chard (cooked then tossed with the dressing, chilled and then served), and beets.

Easy Homemade Vinaigrette and Variations

Mix up your own vinaigrette in a small jar.

6 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
a pinch of salt
a bit of fresh ground pepper
1 tsp of Dijon

You can also use lemon juice instead of the vinegar.

Thai-influenced Salad Dressing

If you want a Thai twist, add some fish sauce too:

1 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbs water
3/4 tsp rice wine vinegar
pinch of red pepper flakes


Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing

Used a bit more garlic and added a bit more sour cream to make it thicker.

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp honey
2-3 cloves garlic , minced (I like a lot of garlic)
2 T grated onion
1 pinch dill
1 pinch oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (less if non Kosher)
1/2 tsp ground pepper
a shake of Tabasco sauce

This comes out a bit runnier than store-bought Ranch style dressings but the flavor is fantastic.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Handmade Pizza Dough

2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil
5-6 cups flour

Combine water and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar, salt, and oil. Add half the flour and mix. Add remaining flour and knead until smooth. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and put in a warm spot to rise for about half an hour. (On cold days, briefly warmyour oven, then turn it off, and put the bowl in there. Leave the lightbulb on to provide a bit of warmth.)

Punch the dough down and split into 2-3 pieces, depending on how big you want your pizzas and how thick you like your crusts. Press onto a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan until the dough is about 1/4" thick (for thin crusts).

Spread your favorite sauce, sprinkle on grated mozzarella, add toppings, and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Pizza Sauces

Pizza Sauce

The options are almost endless for a good tomato pizza sauce. Or you might prefer a "gourmet" white garlic sauce.

*1/2 an onion diced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 (15 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
* 1 (6 oz) small can of tomato paste
* 2 tsp Italian herbs, a store blend
* a pinch of salt

Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until soft. Then add everything else. Cook at a low simmer for an hour, stirring and break up the tomatoes periodically.

Canned tomato sauce

Take a can of tomato sauce, put some Italian herbs in and simmer for 10 minutes or to blend it. Suggested seasonings include an Italian blend, or oregano, garlic powder or chopped garlic, red wine...

Jarred sauce

Use your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce (bought on sale of course!).

Crushed tomatoes

A can of crushed tomatoes, seasoned as above.

Tomato paste

In a pinch, a can of tomato paste watered down, seasoned, and simmered a while.


Nice Thick Pizza Sauce

2 Tbs oil
1 Tbs butter
1/2 an onion, chopped very finely
1/4 cup celery, chopped very finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce
2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
2-3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fennel seed

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and saute 5-10 minutes over low until very soft. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir until smooth.

Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir while bringing to a simmer. Turn it down to a very low simmer or it will spatter all over. Cover partially and cook 30 minutes to an hour.

Take the bay leaf out and spread the sauce over your favorite pizza dough. I like to prebake my pizza just a few minutes before spreading sauce.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Make Your Own Enchilada Sauce

You can adjust the amount of chili powder in particular to make a spicier sauce or cut back on the spices if your kids are sensitive.

28 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp chili powder (more to taste if you like)
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp or less salt (I used a bit less)
1/2 tsp cumin

Mix it all up and heat through.

This makes enough to easily make a 9x9 pan of chicken, turkey or cheese enchiladas.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Chimichurri Sauce

This lively sauce is Argentian in origin, although I'll make no claims about its authenticity. It tastes great however!

1 cup fresh parsley
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 olive oil (use the virgin here; you want the flavor)
1-2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper (or more to taste)

Chop up the parsley in your food processor, scraping down periodically. Add the garlic cloves one at a time and pulse the food processor on after each one. Add the oil, lemon juice, peppers, and sat and blend until mixed, about 5 seconds.

You can also make this by hand, chopping up the parsley and garlic, then whisking in the other ingredients.

You can refrigerate this until dinner is served! Serve with chicken or steak.

From www.cheapcooking.com

Varieties of Sauces

A Very Simple Barbecue Sauce without Vinegar

1 cup ketchup
1 Tbs. Worcestershire
1 Tbs. mustard
1 1/2 Tbs. oil
salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce (optional)

Simmer these together for 15 minutes.
Use this on chicken, ribs, either on the grill or cooked in the oven.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce #2

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar (firmly packed of course!)
2 Tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp steak sauce (like A1)
2 tsp honey
1 tsp mustard (the liquid yellow kind, not the dry)
1/4 tsp or more cayenne

Mix everything together in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered to avoid horrid splatters on your stove, about half an hour, stirring frequently.

This is great on ribs, chicken.


My Favorite Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs Worcestershire
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

I rarely use the liquid smoke since I typically use this with ribs I'm grilling outside on the barbecue. They get real smoke flavor instead! If you like the smokiness and are cooking in a crockpot or in the oven, you might want to add that though.

Mix everything together in a saucepan and simmer, partially covered, about 20 minutes.

Make Your Own Chili Sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. vinegar
dash of cloves
1 minced garlic clove
1 Tbs. chili powder

Simmer together for 5 minutes.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Dill Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon Beau Monde seasoning

Mix together and chill at least an hour before serving. Serve with
vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, radishes, endive, green onions, cherry tomatoes, celery.


Olive Dip with Vegetables

1/2 cup green olives, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and cook over low heat a few minutes. The recipe called for "smashed" garlic cloves
but next time I'm chopping them, so you can eat them easier.

Serve them with dipping vegetables of your choice. I used sliced red peppers, jicama, carrots, green onions, and endive.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Onion Quiche

Crust
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 pound of butter
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling
2 onions, sliced thinly and sauteed in a bit of butter until soft
leftover egg white from crust plus 3 more whole eggs
2 cups milk or cream
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
2 cups shredded cheese (Swiss or Cheddar or a combination)

Use a mixer or food process to mix the flour and salt, then add the butter and mix until crumbly. Add the egg yolk and water and mix until it forms a ball. You don't need to roll it out. Just break off pieces and press it into your pie pan or quiche dish. Prick with a fork a few times and bake at 450 for 5 minutes to partially bake it. (If you want to roll it out, refrigerate it for 20 minutes or so to chill the dough first.)

While the crust is baking, slice the onions and saute them in a bit of butter until soft. You could also use cooked bacon, ham, or other leftover veggies instead of the onions.

Mix together the leftover egg white and additional eggs, milk, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

Put the onions in the partially baked pie shell, sprinkled the cheese over it, and carefully pour the custard mix in.

Baked at 450 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 30 more minutes.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Potato Skins

When you are peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes or stew or hash browns and the kids are driving you crazy wanting something to eat, try this snack!

Scrub the potatoes before peeling them and keep the peels in big pieces, as much as possible. This might be easier if you use a knife rather than a peeler.

Take the strips and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder--or any other spices you might like. Bake 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees, until slightly crisp. Sprinkle some grated cheese (we like cheddar) over the peels and return to the oven for a few more minutes.

Yum yum yum....


From www.cheapcooking.com

Spanish Rice

2 Tblsp vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ½ cups water
1 ½ tsp salt
¾ tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 small green pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce.

Heat oil in 10 inch skillet. Cook rice and onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Goes great with homemade enchiladas!


From www.cheapcooking.com

Pesto Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

These are a great easy appetizer to make and travel well to potlucks!

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
a few dashes of pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
20 cherry tomatoes

Use a food processor to blend together the basil, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic.

Mix the pesto with the ricotta.

Make an X in the bottom of each tomato cherry almost to the top. Gently spread it open and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Spoon the pesto-ricotta mix into each tomato.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Turkey Enchiladas

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

28 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp chili powder (more to taste if you like)
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp or less salt (I used a bit less)
1/2 tsp cumin
Mix it all up and heat through.

Enchiladas

2-3 cups chopped turkey (or chicken)
12 corn tortillas
3 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced onions (optional)

Put a bit of sauce in a baking dish. Dip corn tortillas in the sauce to soften them, lay some diced turkey and grated cheddar cheese on them (and onions, if using), roll them up, and lay in the baking dish. Cover with the rest of the sauce and some extra grated cheese. Cover the dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so.

Serve with Spanish Rice.



Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Follow the recipe above and just substitute the salsa verde for the red sauce.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Make your Own "Cream of ..." Soup

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 cup milk

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over it and stir to incorporate. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk.

Cream of chicken
If you want to make a cream of chicken flavored sauce, use half broth and half milk. If you have troubles getting this to be smooth, try heating the milk or broth before adding to the flour and butter. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, barely simmering, for a few minutes until thick.

Cheese sauce
To make a cheese sauce, add grated cheese and stir until melted.

Cream of celery or mushroom
To make a cream of something, saute 1/4 cup or so finely chopped celery, mushrooms, or onion in the butter before adding the flour and use half broth and half milk.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Meatball Soup

Ingredients:-

1 pound frozen mixed vegetables or about 3 cups leftover cooked vegetables
24 meatballs (already cooked)
1 -2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
small can of mushrooms or 8 ounces fresh, sliced
1/4 cup Madeira or Marsala wine (optional)
1/2 cup water
2 cups beef broth
1-2 cups beef gravy

If the vegetables are frozen, put them in a colander and rinse them under cold water. If the meatballs are frozen, pop them in the microwave for a few minutes to defrost. If you're serving over rice, like I did, start the rice cooking.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or 4 quart soup pot. Cook the onion and garlic a few minutes of medium heat, stirring periodically. Add the mushrooms and cook a few more minutes. You want the onion to be softened and the mushrooms to be lightly cooked.

Stir in the wine, water, broth, meatballs, and vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce to a moderate boil and cook, with the pot partially covered, until everything is heated through, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, make your gravy if you need to. I used some Kitchen Boquet to make mine.

Stir in the gravy and cook another minute, stirring, to thicken the stew. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until ready to serve.

From www.cheapcooking.com

Stracciatelle Soup with Meatballs, Pasta, Spinach and Carrots

Ingredients :-

6 cups chicken or turkey broth
1/2 cup tiny pasta (pastina or anci de pepe, our favorite)
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1/2 pound spinach, sliced thinly (julienne or chiffonade is the “proper” term)
1/2 pound of small tiny meatballs (or large if that’s all you have!)
2 eggs
grated Parmesan cheese at the table

Bring the broth to a simmer and add the pasta, parsley, marjoram, carrot, spinach and meatballs. Simmer, covered partially, until the pasta is done (about 9 minutes for my frog eye balls) and the meat is heated through (if you started with frozen, , it seemed to be done just fine in 9-10 minutes).

In a small bowl, whisk together the two eggs, then pour into the broth while stirring. If you stick a wooden spoon or a fork up against the bowl and pour across it, it breaks the eggs into smaller streams which is what you want. Stracciatelle means “rags” and that’s what the eggs look like as they cook in the broth, similar to Egg Drop Soup if you like Chinese food.

Try to get the eggs in a thin stream and stir the soup as you pour. Stirring with a whisk would probably help. Anyway, you want strings of egg. Put the lid on, turn the heat off, and let the soup sit a few minutes while you set the table, then dish up!

Serve with some grated Parmesan cheese for those that like it.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Meatball Recipes

Italian Meatball Recipe

Adding a bit of grated Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley gives these meatballs an Italian flavor.

1 pound ground beef or turkey or combo
1/2 to 3/4 cup crushed plain crackers or bread crumbs
1 egg
1 clove minced garlic (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley if you have some
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all this up and then form into small balls with your hands. The meat mix will stick less if you wet your hands with cold water before starting to form the meat balls.

Bake at 350 until done, about 25 to 30 minutes. You can also fry them in a skillet for 10 minutes or so if you’d rather. Cut one open to make sure they’re done if in doubt.

No So Italian Meatballs

1 pound ground beef or turkey or combo
1/2 to 3/4 cup crushed plain crackers or bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley if you have some
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all this up and then form into small balls with your hands. The meat mix will stick less if you wet your hands with cold water before starting to form the meat balls.

Bake at 350 until done, about 25 to 30 minutes. You can also fry them in a skillet for 10 minutes or so if you’d rather. Cut one open to make sure they’re done if in doubt.


Different Ways to Serve Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs. Of course you can serve meatballs and marinara sauce over spaghetti. It's classic and it's good! If you're starting with frozen meatballs, just add them to the sauce as it cooks.

Meatballs and Sauce over Rice or Egg Noodles or Mashed Potatoes. Heat the meatballs up in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Add a tablespoon of beef broth base or bouillon (or heat in beef broth if you have some). Simmer for half an hour. Just before simmering mix 3 Tbs of cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water and stir in to thicken the sauce.

Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy. Follow the recipe above but add some sauteed fresh mushrooms or a can of mushroom pieces to the gravy.
Meatball Sandwich. Heat the meatballs and place in a French roll. Top with some warmed leftover spaghetti sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted.

Barbecue Meatball Sandwich. Heat the meatballs with some barbecue sauce. Add some of those crunchy Durkee fried onions or sauteed onions if you'd like. Serve in a French roll.

Meatballs with Cream of Mushroom Soup. Heat the meatballs in a can or two of cream of mushroom soup (or make your own cream of soup). Again, serve with whatever starch you like: mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, etc. You can also add a packet of onion soup mix for a different flavor.

Meatballs with Mushroom Cream Sauce. Make your own cream of mushroom soup but stir in some sour cream at the end. Mix in the meatballs and pour into a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so (longer if the meatballs were still frozen.)

Add to Your Favorite Soup. Here's a soup with spinach and meatballs and another meatball soup that uses frozen mixed vegetables.

If you've got young kids, you can always just heat them and serve with some ketchup on the side for dipping.


From www.cheapcooking.com

Beef/Chicken and Parsley Omelet

5 eggs
1/2 a chopped up onion
4 slices of beef/chicken
handful of chopped parsley leaves
2 table spoons of plain yogurt
salt and pepper

Method

Cook the bacon pieces until they were dark brown, flipping them over every couple minutes. Drain on paper towels when done.

While they’re cooking, crack open all the eggs into a medium sized bowl and mix them together. Set aside.

Chop the onion into about 1/4 inch pieces, put in a bowl, and set aside.

Leave a spoonful or two of bacon grease in the pan and add the chopped onion. Saute until limp then put them back in the bowl and dump out any leftover grease.

Pour the eggs into the greased up pan, let it start to set and try to lift up the edges a bit and let the runny eggs run under, then leave it alone until it’s a little soft and wet on the top, but not liquidy.

Take the beef out and chop or tear it into small, half inch pieces.

On half of your eggs, sprinkle on the beef, then the parsley leaves, then the onions and the yogurt. Then, fold the empty half of the eggs on top of the other half.

From www.cheapcooking.com

Omelets with Cheese, Sour Cream and Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:-
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs butter
1/4 cup or so shredded cheese
1/4 cup or so sour cream
a few large dollops of tomatillo salsa

Method

Whisk the eggs together in a medium bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Grate the cheese. I just had some of the Mexican blend around otherwise I would have just used Jack or Cheddar.
Heat the butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. When it has melted, tilt the pan so the butter has coated the bottom well. Then pour in the eggs.

Cook slowly until the bottom has begun to set. Tilt the pan and lift the set eggs to let the runny ones run under the set part. Continue until the eggs are still wet on the top, but not too runny. Add the cheese, salsa, and sour cream to half the eggs, then fold the other half over onto the top. Cook another minute or two until firmly set.

Cut the omelet in half and serve with some toast. French bread is fantastic but any buttered toast will do.


From CheapCooking.Com

Picnic Planning

Pack some homemade soup in a thermos. First, fill the thermos with hot water and let it sit for a few minutes. Then dump it out and refill with your hot soup.

Help your homemade pie travel well by putting an aluminum pie plate upside down over the top. Use a few rubber bands to hold it in place.

If you want to serve hot dogs but don't want to grill them, heat them up at home, then place in a thermos of hot water. They'll be plenty warm at lunchtime. (This works for school lunches, too!)

Pack dishes with lots of liquid in resealable plastic bags and bring a serving dish for dishing them up. The bags will take less room in the cooler and won't spill.

If you're bringing a salad, pack the dressing in a small jar and toss at the picnic.
Pack deviled eggs in a mini cupcake papers or a tin to keep them from getting messed up.

Don't forget to bring something to clean up with if you won't be near running water.


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