Sunday, September 25, 2011

Chard Soup With Cumin and Lime

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetable Literacy
For 4-6

8 cups packed trimmed chard leaves (about 1 pound or 20 leaves)
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 onion, sliced
1 small potato, scrubbed and sliced
1 carrot, scrubbed and sliced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ cup sour cream or yogurt
Freshly ground pepper
Grated zest and juice of one lime

Rinse the chard, chop it coarsely and set aside in a colander to drain.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, potato and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, smashing it into the vegetables, and then add the cumin., coriander and chard leaves. Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons salt over the top, cover the pan and allow the leaves to cook down substantially before adding 5 cups water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, cover partially, and simmer until the potato has softened. Puree with a stick blender until smooth (you can do this right in the pot). Add the sour cream and blend again. Return the soup to gentle heat. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and stir in the lime zest and juice. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Mango Salsa

(Ellie Krieger at foodnetwork.com)

1 mango, peeled and diced (there’s a secret to doing this that I’ll share in a minute)
1/2 c peeled, diced cucumber (about 1/2” dice)
1 T finely chopped jalapeno
1/3 c diced red onion
1 T lime juice
1/3 c roughly chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything but the salt and pepper and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

It seems like peeling and dicing a mango should be easy, but there’s a big, flat, pesky seed in the middle that complicates things. Here are directions from mango.com.

Start by washing the mango, then stand it on your cutting board stem end down and hold on to it. Place your knife about ¼” from the widest center line and cut down through the mango. Flip the mango around and repeat on the other side. You should have two side pieces with no seed and one center piece that is mostly seed. Cut parallel lines about 1/2” apart (or however you want your pieces to be) into the flesh of one side, being careful not to cut through the skin. Turn it around a quarter of the way and cut another set of lines about 1/2” apart to make a checkerboard pattern. To release it from the skin, either use a large spoon to scoop it out (like you would an avocado), or turn the piece inside out by pushing the skin up from underneath and scrape the mango off the skin with a knife or large skin. Do the same thing with the other side piece.

Laurel's Coleslaw

(based on a recipe in Laurel’s Kitchen, by Laurel Robertson, et al, 1976)

1/2 head cabbage, red and/or green, finely shredded, about 1-1/2 pounds
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c lemon juice or vinegar
Salt to taste

Toss everything in a big bowl. It’s only half a head, so it should make about six cups of coleslaw.

Variations (don’t use more than one or two added ingredients at a time):
Dill weed
Tarragon
Caraway seeds
Poppy seeds
Celery seeds (that’s my addition – she doesn’t mention them)
Toasted sunflower seeds
Chopped walnuts
Slivered almonds
Raisins
Dates
Chopped dried apricots
Fresh pineapple chunks
Fresh orange chunks
Grated apple
Cardamom (if you’re adding fruit)
Green beans, cooked
Grated carrots
Corn (she says cooked, but I think it’s even better raw off the cob)
Minced green pepper (red pepper would be even more colorful)
Chopped celery
Minced parsley
Shoestring beets, cooked (in which case I think you’d end up with oddly colored salad)
Onion (again, she doesn’t mention this, but I think it’s good)
Buttermilk instead of some or all of the mayo

Coleslaw

(closely based on a recipe in 500 Low-Carb Recipes, by Dana Carpender, 2002)

1 head green cabbage, finely shredded (about 3 pounds)
1/4 sweet red onion, finely minced (about 1/2 cup or 2 ounces)

Coleslaw Dressing:
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c sour cream
1 to 1-1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 to 1-1/2 t prepared mustard
1/2 to 1 t salt
1 to 2 t sugar (or 1/2 to 1 packet artificial sweetener)

Mix the dressing in a small bowl. Combine the cabbage and onion in a big bowl, pour on some of the dressing, and toss well. You may want to use all of the dressing, or you may not. Or you may want to use more, in which case you’ll need to make another batch of the dressing. In any case, it’s a lot easier to add more dressing than to take some back if there’s too much.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

All Recipes

5 Minute Chili Chicken
Acorn Squash (roasted) with Rice Pilaf Stuffing
African Chicken Vegetable Soup (Mafe)
Apple Beef Stew
Apple Carrot Casserole
Apple/Celery/Grape/Nut Salad
Applesauce for Canning
Apricot Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
Arugula Pesto
Arugula with Pasta and Potatoes
Asparagus
Asparagus #2
Baba Ganoush with Slow Cooked (or Baked) Eggplant
Baked Crispy Won Ton Strips
Baked Beans
Baked Chicken Breasts with Zucchini and Mushrooms
Baked Fish with Boursin Herb Cheese
Baked Kale Chips
Baked Peach Pancake
Baked Stuffed Apples
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Poached Cranberries
Baked Yams, Apples and Canadian Bacon
Banana Bread
Balsamic BBQ Sauce
Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas with Mustard Greens
Bananas Foster
Basic Beans
Basic Grilled or Roasted Chicken Breast
Basic Roasted Acorn Squash
Basic Shortcake Recipe
Basic Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
Basic Zucchini Mixture (BZM)
Basil and Tomato Stuffed Chicken
Basil Pesto
Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Better BBQ Chicken Sauce
Black Bean Burgers
Black-eyed Pea Gumbo
Black-eyed Peas with Country Ham
Blueberry Muffins with Flaxseed Meal
Blueberry Salsa
Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir-Fry
Brazilian Seafood Stew
Breadcrumbs
Bread Pudding
Broccoli, Spinach and Chicken Casserole
Broiled Catfish with Mustard
Broiled Peaches and Blueberries
Broiled Peaches or Apricots
Browned in the Crock Pot Bulk Ground Beef
Browned in the Oven Bulk Ground Beef
Browned in Water Bulk Ground Beef
Budget Breakfasts
Budget Lunches
Buttermilk Substitute
BZM (Basic Zucchini Mixture)
BZM-MHC Zucchini Meatloaf
Cabbage Goulash
Cabbage Roll Casserole
Cabbage Salad
Cajun Turkey Seasoning
Caribbean Chicken and Squash
Caribbean Fish Chowder
Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
Carrot and Ground Beef Skillet
Carrot Ginger Soup
Carrot Salad
Cauli-Rice
Cauliflower and Ham Pudding
Cheese Crusted Chicken with Cream
Cheese Strata
Cheesy Beef and Green Beans
Chicken and Apples in Creamy Sauce
Chicken and Cabbage Lo Mein
Chicken and Sesame Salad
Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken Casserole with Green Chilis
Chicken Chips or Crisps (Gribenes)
Chicken Curry in Coconut Milk
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Chicken in Lime
Chicken Lazone
Chicken Salad a la MAW
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
Chicken Stock
Chicken Stock III
Chicken Stock or Bone Broth
Chicken Vegetable Egg Drop Soup
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Chicken Vegetable Soup Three Ways
Chicken with Chipotle
Chili Seasoning
Chilled Cucumber Soup with Mint and Yogurt
Chilled Peach and Nectarine Soup
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Mud Cake
Chorizo and Eggs
Coca-Chicken
Coffee Can Ice Cream
Coleslaw
Coleslaw Dressing
Coleslaw for Company
Collard Greens with Smoked Meat
Copy Cat Boursin Cheese Spread
Copy Cat Frito Lay Bean Dip
Copy Cat Montreal Steak Seasoning
Corn Cob Jelly
Corned Beef and Cabbage Saute
Corned Beef and Vegetables
Corned Beef Omelet
Corned Beef Quiche
Corned Beef Scramble
Cornell Chicken Barbeque Sauce
Cottage Cheese Zucchini Pancakes
Cranberry Orange Chicken - Crock Pot
Cranberry Sauce
Cream of Chicken Vegetable Soup
Cream of Reuben Soup
Cream of Tomato Soup
Cream of Whatever Soup Mix
Creamed Spinach
Creamed Spinach
Creamy Herbed Pork Chops
Creamy Gazpacho
Creamy White Bean Dip
Crispy Baked Catfish Nuggets
Crock Pot Ratatouille
Cuban Pork
Cucumber Ice Pops
Cucumber Salads
Cucumber Water
Dandelion Pesto
Deviled Chicken or Pork Chops
Devonshire Eggs
Domada (West African Stew)
Dressing/Stuffing
Easiest Eggplant and Sausage Casserole
Easiest Pot Roast
Easy Borscht
Easy Chicken Divan
Easy Greek Yogurt Cucumber Sauce
Easy Grilled Chicken
Easy Mexican American Chicken
Easy Mustard Pork Chops
Easy No-Recipe Main Dish Salads
Easy Pickled Watermelon Rind
Egg Balls for Soup (Garnish)
Eggplant and Ground Beef Casserole
Eggplant Casserole
Eggplant Casserole II
Eggplant Chili
Eggplant Soup
Eggplant Tempura
Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce
Eggs Baked in Zucchini
Empanadas with Greens and Olives
Escalloped Bacon and Eggs
Extra Easy Hummus
Fajita Salad
Fish and Bok Choy Noodle Stir Fry
Fish Stew
French Bread Chips
French Onion Chicken
Frozen Diced Peppers
Frozen Diced Tomatoes
Frozen Honeydew Smoothie
Frozen Whole Tomatoes
Fused Grilled Chicken
Galette Dough
Galletto Marinara
Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread Snacks
Garlic Butter Fish with Creamed Spinach
Garlic Corn on the Cob
Garlic Lime Chicken
German Pancakes
Gribenes (Chicken Chips or Crisps)
Gravy
Greek Grilled Chicken
Green Bean Succotash
Green Beans Almondine
Green Beans Hellenika
Green Beans with Zucchini
Grilled Chicken Banh Mi Salad
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Grilled Fruit
Grilled Onions
Grilled Pineapple
Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry Salsa
Grilled Zucchini Pizzas
Ham
Ham and Broccoli Saute
Ham and Spinach Casserole
Ham and Whatever Else is Handy Quiche
Ham Broth
Ham Loaf
Ham, Potatoes and Green Beans
Hamburger Quiche
Hamburger Veggie Soup
Herb Roasted Pork Loin
Hollandaise Sauce
Homemade Croutons
Honey and Rose Cooler
Honey Mustard Chicken and Apples
Honeydew Smoothie
Harvest Stew
Homemade Maple Syrup
Hoppin' John
Horseradish Sauce
Hot and Sassy Corn Bread
Huevos Ree-os
Individual Strawberry Meringues
Italian Dressing
Italian Fish Soup
Italian Grilled Chicken
Italian Sausage and Peppers
Italian Sausage and Zucchini
Jammin' Pulled Pork
Joe's Special
Kale Pesto
Kale Salad
Kansas City Beef Soup
Kim Chi - Korean Sauerkraut
Kittencal's Best Deviled Eggs
Lasagna (vegetable) with Butternut Bechamel Sauce
Laurel's Coleslaw
Leftover Chicken Santa Fe Burritos
Leftover Chicken Santa Fe Salad
Leftover Chicken Santa Fe Several Ways
Leftover Chicken Santa Fe Tacos
Leftover Chicken Santa Fe Wraps
Leftover Santa Fe Chicken, Beans and Rice
Lemon Legs
Lentil-Escarole Soup with Sausage
London Broil
Luscious Rice Pudding
Mac 'n' Cheese
Mafe (African Chicken Vegetable Soup)
Magic Dust Seasoning Mix
Mango Salsa
Maple and Apple Baked Chicken
Maple Mustard Baked Chicken Thighs
Mashed Potatoes
Meagan's No-Fail Yogurt
Mexican Chicken Soup
Microwaved Summer Squash with Garlic and Dill
Minestrone Soup
Mint Watermelon Salad
Moroccan Rub
Moussaka
Mulligatawny Soup
Mushrooms and Onions
Mustard Sauce
Mustardy Pork Chops with Chicken and Apples
New World Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup
Oat and Lentil Loaf with Mushrooms and Walnuts
Olive Oil Mayonnaise with Garlic
Onion Soup Mix
Orange Chicken
Orange Ice Pops
Orange Milk Shake
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Oven Fried Zucchini
Panzanella Bread Salad
Parmesan Almond Chicken Breasts
Parmesan and Cheese Crusted Pork Chops
Pasta with Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Peach and Pepper Salsa
Peach Smoothie
Peanut Sauce
Pesto Recipes
Pie Crust
Pineapple Upside Down Ham Loaf
Pita Chips
Poached Chicken for Salads
Pocket Full of Greens
Pork Adobo and Vegetable Stir Fry
Pork Adobo Salad
Pork and Fruit
Pork and Peanut Stir-fry
Pork and Sauces
Pork and Vegetables
Pork Chops and Herbs
Pork Chops Bakes with Cabbage and Cream
Pork Chops with Indian Seasonings
Pork Fried Cabbage
Pork Seasoning Mix #1
Provencal Tart with Gruyere and Herbs
Pumpkin Basics
Pumpkin, Cabbage and Chicken Soup
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin with Pork
Pureed Tomato Soup
Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken
Quick Creamed Ham
Quick Pickles
Red Bean and Celery Root Soup
Red Beans and Rice Soup
Red Hot Cucumbers
Roast Turkey
Roast Turkey Breast with Gravy
Roasted Cabbage
Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted Delicata (or Acorn) Squash with Red Onion
Roasted Green Beans
Roasted Peppers
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Roasted Watermelon Seeds
Rose Petal Pesto
Rose Petal Sandwiches
Rose Water
Rose Water Cookies
Russian "Korean" Carrot Salad
Russian Vegetable Pie
Salad Un-Recipes
Salsa Chicken
Sausage and Mushroom Quiche
Sausage Squash Casserole
Sauteed Mushrooms and Onion
Sauteed Peaches or Apricots
Savory Bread Pudding with Vegetables
Seattle Dogs
Sesame Cookies (Benne Wafers)
Shaker Chicken Pudding
Sichuan Style Eggplant
Simple Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Simple Stewed Chicken Legs
Simple Vinaigrette
Simplified Moussaka
Sliced Frittata with Tomato Sauce
Slow Cooker Pork Adobo
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Smoked Sausage and Peppers
Smokey Cacoa Nibs Encrusted Pork Chops
Smoky Country Style BBQ Ribs
Soupy-Chicken
Southwestern Frittata
Southwestern Roasted Carrots
Spaghetti with Creamy Spinach and Tarragon
Sparkin' Pie
Spiced Beef with Apples
Spiced Cranberry Overnight Oatmeal
Spicy Mexican Coleslaw
Spicy Mustard Pork Chops
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Steak Salad
Steamed Pork Chops
Stewed Chicken and Chicken Broth
Stewed Chicken Leg Quarters
Stir-fried Broccoli, Carrots and Mushrooms
Stir-fried Italian Sausage and Peppers
Strawberry & Blueberry Smoothie Deluxe
Strawberry Pavlova
Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Stuffing/Dressing
Swai Nuggets a la Hilda and Howard
Sweet Hot Mustard Chicken Wings
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Burritos
Sweet Potato Cakes
Taco Salad
Taco Salad II
Taco Summer Squash Casserole
Tartar Sauce
The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot
Tilapia (or Other Fish) with Garlic Butter
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Tomato Bread
Tomato, Cucumber and Pepper Salad
Tomato Salads
Tomato Soup Three Ways
Tortilla Chips
Tortilla Strips
Tuna Tetrazzini
Turkey and Celery Salad
Turkey and Noodles
Turkey, Broccoli and Spinach Casserole
Turkey Carcass Stew
Turkey Creole Soup
Turkey Gravy
Turkey Loaf
Turkey Waldorf Salad
Unbelievable Baked Buffalo Wings
Unstuffed Peppers
Vegetarian Chili
Veggie Manicotte with Tofu Ricotta
Waldorf Turkey Salad
Watermelon Ice Pops
Watermelon Ice Pops II
Watermelon Pickles
Whipped Cream
White Sauce
White Sauce Mix
Wild Rose Petal Jelly
Zucchini and Carrots
Zucchini and Carrots
Zucchini and Egg Casserole
Zucchini and Ground Beef Casserole
Zucchini and Tomato Toss
Zucchini Minestrone
Zucchini Parmesan
Zucchini Pie
Zucchini Skillet Supper
Zucchini Spice Bread
Zucchini with Corn and Cilantro
Zucchini with Pine Nuts

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How-to's, Tips, and Other Articles About Cooking and Food Preparation

A Rose by Any Other Name

Apples for Dinner

Brassica Juncea! Wait, What?

Budget Basics and the Food Stamp Challenge

Canning Season is Here

Cool as a Cucumber

Corned Beef Cuts and Basics

Domestic Diva Delights Hubsters

Don't Throw That Away!

Fermentation Fun at MHC

Ham Basics - Costing, Types, Spiral Sliced vs. Unsliced, Etc.

Hey! What's Swai?

How to Buy Herbs and Spices

How to Can Tomatoes

It's That Peachy Time of Year

It's Yogurt Time, Folks!

Make Your Own Salad Dressing

Menus for a Week for Four for Under $110

Pears and Plums Past Their Prime

Pocket Full of Greens

Pressure Canning

Pumpkin Basics

Special Farmers Market Edition - 2013

Strawberry Season

What Do You Eat When Nothing's on Sale?

Which Spuds for You?


Regular Columns:

     Mary's Monday Musings

     The Weekly Specials with Mary Anne



Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Here’s a little bit about me and my recipes and meal ideas. For various health reasons, I eat very low carb. This means no grains of any kind (no flour, pasta, ramen, rice, bread, noodles, corn, etc.), no sugar of any kind (no sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, etc.), no potatoes, and no low fat foods (they usually add sugar and starch when they take out the fat). In other words, none of the foods that are typically used to create inexpensive meals. Instead, I eat meat, vegetables, eggs, and dairy. By shopping the sales and knowing what’s cheapest where, I am able to eat this way and still keep my food costs fairly low.

The average food stamp (SNAP) benefit per person in Indiana in 2012 was $132.46, or about $4.40 per day. This was my target when I started this column. I figured $1.50 each for lunch and supper, and about $1.00 for breakfast. The other 40 cents was theoretically used for stocking up on things that are on sale or that you only need a little of at a time, like a bottle of oil. At the end of 2013, the food stamp benefits dropped by about 5.5%. I don't have actual figures for the average benefit after this drop, so I'm assuming $4.16, or 5.5% less than it was in 2012. I'm sticking with $1.50 per person for supper; I can't seem to get it any lower than that and have good, filling, nutritious meals without the fillers. That means that the 24 cents has to come from breakfast or lunch. I'm now using $1.25 for lunch and $1.00 for breakfast. 

Most of my menus are right at $1.50 per serving, for an entire meal. This is using the most recent prices I have for all of the ingredients – the sales prices if there are any, or other actual current prices. This does sometimes involve going to several stores to get the cheapest prices. With the exception of things on sale, I usually shop at Walmart, Aldi and the Farmers Market. You may be able to get some of the things I use at Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, or other food pantries. My costs assume that you have to buy everything. You may be able to get food at the Farmers Market for half price by converting food stamps to market vouchers. I assume that you are paying full price.

Sorting through all of the recipes online to find the cheapest good recipes that don’t use grains, sugars or potatoes is time-consuming. I love to cook and to look up new recipes, so I have a lot of recipes already. I hope you find this column helpful.*

Mary Anne

Update 8/14 - Average food stamp benefits received in April and May of this year were $4.00 per person per day. I'll be working with that figure from now on.

Budget Basics and the Food Stamp Challenge


Vegetarian Zucchini

Pork Loin and Pork Chops

Chicken Breasts

Chicken Legs and Fruit Salad

Ground Beef (and a few raspberries)

Chicken Thighs

Chicken Salads

Memorial Day Picnics

Add Some Spice with Chorizo

Summertime and the Grillin' is Easy

Cinco de Mayo

Menus for a Week on a Budget

Eggs, Eggs, and More Eggs!

Celebrating Springtime

What? Pork Chops Again?!

Where's the Budget Ground Beef?

Grilled and Roasted Split Chicken Breasts

Something Fishy

Pork Chops

What Do We Do with the Veggies?

Chicken Leg Quarters and Leftover Chicken

Herbs and Spices and Fish Stew

Super Bowl Snacks on a Budget

Pork Chops

Chicken Breasts

Lucky New Year's Foods

You Mean There's Still More Ham Left?!

Hamming It Up

Nothing Warms You Up Like Chicken Soup

Thanksgiving Dinner for 12 (and lots of leftovers!) for under $50

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Cheap Fish

I Hate to Cook Chicken!

Chicken Thighs






*This section is under construction. We will post an archive of Mary Anne's Column in the coming weeks/months.