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Frugal Foodie Friday : Leftovers are not all bad

February 13, 2009

Yes, I am bringing it back with a twist.

Of course I always intended this weekly post to highlight savings on food finds, but now, it says so!

I want to touch on the subject of leftovers. I know a lot of people do not appreciate reruns of a meal, but around this house, its all about the veggies.

We are trying to eat healthier, so I have reduced our meat portions to what is recommended, which is approximately 3 ounces a serving, or roughly the size of the palm of your hand. I only make enough for the family to get the correct portion, and no extra. Saves on money and overeating.

We do eat copious amounts of veggies to round out our meals, and I do tend to cook more than we usually eat in a setting. Veggies last longer in the fridge than most meats, so if you think you have to eat them two consecutive days, its just not true. We would get bored easily if that were the case.

I usually save up the left overs for 2-3 days and have a variety plate toward the end of the week, with smaller portions, but more variety per meal.

Last night we had the rest of the lavender and rosemary potatoes, and the eggplant in a spicy sauce, along with a piece of pan fried veal for each of us.

The cost of last night’s meal?

veal: $1.40 (reduced at the meat counter for quick sale)

potatoes:$  .30 (50 lb bag for 15.00 at Farmer’s Market)

eggplant: $1.00 (1/2 of two eggplants, 1.00 each at Farmer’s Market)

seasonings:$  .65, approximately, max

Total = $ 3.35, or $1.68 each adult, and the kid ate for free!

So, designate a day for veggie variety day and save yourself some money and time!

Posted in Frugal Fridays | Tagged , , | No Comments »

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Spicy & Creamy Zucchini Soup

February 13, 2009

I saw a recipe recently for cream of zucchini soup, and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I had a few zucchinis left over from making lasagna the other night and decided to make my own.

Before:

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After:

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I loved it. The spiciness from the peppers added an extra layer of flavor. The real shocker was how much my husband liked it - I figured he’d just tolerate it, but he raved about it.

At about 35 calories and 2 grams of fat a mug full, its a winner!

Spicy & Creamy Zucchini Soup

adapted from Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes

  • 2 small onions, quartered
  • 1/2 bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, ribs and seeds removed for less heat, left in for more
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3  zucchini skin on cut in large chunks
  • 4 c.  chicken stock
  • 4 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
  • 1/2 chicken bouillon cube - I used a chicken & tomato bouillon
  • salt & pepper to taste

Combine chicken broth, all vegetables and bouillon and cook on medium heat until tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and purée,  adding the sour cream.

An immersion blender would be ideal for this, otherwise, ladle into food processor a little at a time and  purée till smooth.

Adjust seasonings to taste before serving

Posted in soup, zucchini | Tagged , , , | No Comments »

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Grilled Tuna Medallions with Avocado Remoulade

February 12, 2009

My husband loves Tuna. He’d never had anything but canned tuna until we went to a seafood buffet in Orlando when we had been married 6 months. I try to buy some steaks every now and again, but its pricey for us right now, so when I found medallions on sale for 5.99 /lb, I couldn’t pass it up.

I had several avocados here about to go bad, so I decided to make them all work together. And they did.

Before:

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After:

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The lemony brightness of the remoulade went well with both the tuna and the asparagus that I sauteed in olive oil as a side dish. Hubby loved it.

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Tuna Marinade

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

mix together and marinade tuna in a Ziploc bag for 20-45 minutes

Avocado Remoulade

  • 2-3 medium avocados, peeled and diced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Dijon or deli mustard
  • 2 tbsp cilantro
  • 1 green onion, chopped - white and green parts
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt

blend ingedients in food processor until smooth, chill until served.

Posted in avocado, healthy cooking | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

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Zucchini Lasagna

February 11, 2009

I was looking online and found a recipe for zucchini lasagna and thought the concept sounded great, but of course I had to make it even healthier than just replacing the noodles with thin strips of zucchini.

Before:

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After:

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The outcome was great! It had the classic lasagna flavor, and while it was just as comforting, it still had a nice light feel to it and was nothing to feel guilty over when you were finished.

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This will definitely be an item I will come to again and again when I have a craving for Italian!

Zucchini Lasagna

  • 3-4 medium zucchini, cut into thin ribbons - I used a large veggie peeler/cheese cutter to make slices
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 8 oz to 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 c. fresh spinach leaves, kind of packed down
  • 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce - I used Bertolli Fire Roasted Tomato
  • 1 1/4 c. 2% milk mozzarella or pizza blend cheese, shredded
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 c. fat free cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

cut zucchini into thin strips lengthwise, using a vegetable peeler or a mandolin cutter, and allow to drain between sheets of paper towels to absorb excess moisture for 15-30 minutes. You can also salt the slices to help draw out the moisture, but I avoided the extra sodium and had some excess moisture in my lasagna that I drew out with a turkey baster between the covered and uncovered portion of the baking process.

brown and drain ground beef, add chopped bell pepper and onions, and cook until softened. add pasta sauce and 1/2 c. spinach leaves and allow to reduce/thicken on medium to low heat

mix cottage cheese, 1/2 c. spinach, egg and garlic powder in food processor and blend until smooth

begin layering zucchini in a greased dish, layering cottage cheese mixture, then another layer of zucchini, then pasta sauce mixture. Repeat layers until your dish it full, layer with cheese on top.

Baked covered for 35 minutes at 350, then uncovered for 10-15 minutes more, or until cheese on top is golden brown

Posted in healthy cooking, lasagna, zucchini | Tagged , , | No Comments »

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Ponzu Grilled Chicken

February 10, 2009

This chicken came out wonderful and complimented the Eggplant With Spicy Sauce very well, since there were like flavors in each. It was a hit in this house.

I think it would go well with a variety of Asian-inspired sides, and a host of veggies.

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Ponzu Grilled Chicken

  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch in thickness
  • 5 tbsp Ponzu Sauce
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp black pepper

after pounding chicken thin, marinate in remaining ingredients in a Ziploc bag for 30-60 minutes

grill for 10-15 minutes until no longer pink

Posted in chicken, healthy cooking | Tagged , | No Comments »

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Eggplant in a Spicy Sauce

February 9, 2009

I bought The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook this weekend and have been chomping at the bit for two days to make something.

Today I made Eggplant in a Spicy Sauce. It had to wait until today because I had to run and pick up a number of things, like Toasted Sesame Oil, Chili Paste and Ponzu Sauce, which until I bought the book, I had never heard of. Ponzu is a type of soy sauce with a citrus flavor. Its lighter than regular soy sauce, to me, anyway, and not as intensely salty. I plan to keep it as a staple now that I have tried it.

Before:

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After:

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It was very well received here. It had a nice flavor that we don’t have on a regular basis in this house.  The ginger and the chili sauce gave a little heat, but its wasn’t overpowering.

I actually used chili paste because I couldn’t find the garlic chili sauce. I don’t imagine it did much to alter the dish. I also only used 1 tablespoon of ginger because ginger can be a bit much to us. It was a wonderful, exciting way to fix eggplant that we’ll definitely have again!

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Eggplant In a Spicy Sauce

from The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

  • 1 lb eggplant, skin on, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
  • 1 c. onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
  • 2 tbsp garlic, freshly minced / grated
  • 4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 1/4 c. Ponzu Sauce
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp garlic chili sauce

place ginger, olive oil, 2 tbsp of cilantro and garlic in a saute pan over medium heat, then add onions, cooking approximately 2 minutes until onions are soft

add eggplant, cooking until slightly softened and some pieces browned - stir frequently

add remaining ingredients and cook until eggplant is softened considerably and liquid is absorbed

garnish with remaining 2 tbsp of cilantro and serve


Posted in eggpplant, healthy cooking | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

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Fragrant Lavender and Rosemary Potatoes

February 8, 2009

I got such a deal at the Farmer’s Market on potatoes, I couldn’t pass them up. Now  I sit here with 25 pounds of potatoes, and can’t bear the thought of eating that many baked potatoes.  So, A Veggie Adventure to the rescue again!

I was so excited to see a recipe using lavender. I have this ginormous bag of it that I bought over the summer when I ordered my bulk herbs. I don’t know what possessed me, probably just having gotten home from a trip to Savannah, Georgia, where I bought several of the most amazing Lavender Cookies from a lovely lil bakery called Back in The Day. Needless to say, I never attempted the cookies and had 4 ounces of lavender blossoms in a bag in my cupboard. You never realize HOW BIG 4 ounces is until you see them in light little flowers.

Anyway, back to the taters.

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They were so much better than I ever could have hoped for. The rosemary and lavender worked so well together. Hubby gave them a thumbs up too.

Fragrant Lavender and Rosemary Potatoes

adapted from A Veggie Adventure

2-4 potatoes, washed and cut into quarters
1 tbsp dried lavender (for the water)
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. dried lavender
1 tbsp.  fresh rosemary, finely chopped
salt to taste

Place the potatoes and lavender in a medium saucepan.

Add water to cover and bring to a boil and continue to boil until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife but still hold their shape. Drain, allowing the lavender to cling.

Melt the butter, add the 2 teaspoons lavender, the rosemary and the salt and stir. Add the potatoes and stir well to coat with butter.

Posted in Savannah, healthy, healthy cooking, potatoes, rosemary | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

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One More New Item Of Interest

February 7, 2009

…then it will be back to our regularly scheduled recipes and foodstuffs pictures!

You will notice on the right, I have added a series of pages on some Frugal Finds and Tips that I have come across in recent days.

I will continue to add to this as I come across items that saved our family money, because I want you to be able to do the same, especially in light of today’s current economy.

As always, comments are welcome on the pages.

I hope you are able to use some of the tips along the way. After all, change is good, as long as its in your pocket!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | No Comments »

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Shorter Name, Same Blog!

February 7, 2009

I have purchased my domain, so those of you who come by and see me often, the web address is now a shorter one. I am at:

http://www.lobsterandfishsticks.com

Feel free to bookmark it!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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Parsley Pesto (and infused olive oil)

February 7, 2009

I wanted something to go with the lamb chop I was going to make for dinner, and thought about pesto. I was afraid that the basil flavor would be overpowering, not to mention I didn’t have any fresh in the house. What I did have was a bunch of parsley, and so I had an idea.

I used a combination of parsley and toasted hazelnuts instead of the traditional basil and pine nuts. It turned out great. The garlic is very prominent and its still light and yummy. Perfect for my lamb.

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The best part? I looked down into my food processor and I had gotten too much olive oil in it. I strained the pesto through a small sieve and still have a great texture for the pesto, but got a few ounces of pesto flavor infused olive oil in the process. I marinated my chop it it - just added another layer of flavor. Awesome.

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Parsley Pesto

  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 c. toasted hazelnuts
  • 1/4 c olive oil

Add first three  ingredients to food processor  and pulse together.

Slowly add oil until desired texture is achieved.

To make flavored oil: add approximately 5 tablespoons extra oil and pulse for 30 seconds. Strain through a small sieve.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | No Comments »

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