Vegetable Broth or Stock

A very simple way to boost the health benefits (not to mention the flavor) of your soup, while saving money is to stash your veggie scraps and make your own vegetable broth! Keep a gallon size freezer bag or large glass jar in your fridge or freezer and place your vegetable scraps in it throughout the week.  Some examples of scraps great for broths:

onion and garlic tops, bottoms and skins

kale, swiss chard and other green stalks

ends of celery (just a little)

apples and pears

tomato tops and bottoms

parsley stems

spinach stems

lettuce stems

pea pods

zucchini tops

carrot tops and peelings

pepper tops and seeds

potato peelings

pumpkin/winter squash peelings

prunes (adding a few gives the stock a rich, almost meaty flavor)

When you are ready to make your broth, fill a large stockpot with double the amount of water as the amount of scraps you’ll be adding. Cabbage family vegetables and celery have strong flavors, so use sparingly. Eggplant will make it bitter, and avoid citrus rinds and banana peels. Heat to boil and then simmer 1-6 hours, adding water if needed and your favorite herbs, if desired.   Let cool and then strain out veggie pieces with a colander or cheesecloth.  Save broth in the fridge or freezer for future use or use immediately to make your favorite soup. It is also possible to can your homemade stock, as long as you use a pressure canner. 

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

This tasty pie is a complete meal, and freezes well. --adapted from Bill Granger

2 tbsp – olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 garlic cloves – chopped
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2 tsp – dried basil (and/or other herbs/spices of your choosing)

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1  14-15 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1  14-15 oz can of chickpeas – drained & rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked beans, drained)
1 cup vegetable stock

1 tbsp sugar
5 oz baby spinach leaves
2 lbs potatoes – peeled and cut into pieces
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 Tablespoons milk, half-and-half or cream

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil & add your potatoes. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until they are tender.

In a large pan, heat your oil over a low heat & fry the onion for about 10 minutes until soft & beginning to caramelize. Then add your garlic, red pepper and fry for 1 minute. Add basil, salt and pepper, tomatoes, chickpeas, stock and sugar. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, to reduce some of the liquid. Add the spinach leaves & combine until wilted. You’ll probably need to stir them in a few batches at a time.

Transfer the chickpea mixture to an over proof dish or baking pan & set aside.

When your potatoes are done, drain, and return to the saucepan. Add your butter and milk, and mash until fluffy. Season to taste with sea salt & freshly ground black pepper and then spoon on top of your chickpea filling. Bake right away and serve, or wrap up well for freezing (foil then ziplock is good protection from freezer burn).

When ready to bake, bake frozen (don’t defrost) in a pre-heated 400F oven for 45 min, or until heated through remove the foil for the last 10- 15 minutes of baking, to brown the top slightly (you can also set it under the broiler for a min, to brown the little peaks of mashed potato. Serve hot.

Chana Masala

This is a simplified take on a well-loved Indian dish. This version is adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Good and Cheap. Serve with brown rice and a tossed salad. Make extra, and freeze a batch for a quick, delicious meal.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds (not ground)
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or less)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika (regular or smoked)
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups canned tomatoes with their juices, chopped small
2/3 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon, juiced (optional)

Measure out all the dry spices except the cumin seeds and put them in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the cumin seed and stir for about 5 seconds. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

*you can make beans in a slow-cooker these days. No presoaking** just cover them 2 to 3 inches of water and cook them 3 hours on high (or 8 hours on low.

**many people recommend soaking beans first, and disposing of the soaking water before cooking, to make beans easier to digest, causing less gas. Others say it is not necessary. Try both and see what works for you!

Hearty Spinach and Chickpea Soup

This simple soup is best made with homemade vegetable broth. It lends a richness to the soup that you just can't get with store bought broth. This works as a complete meal, and freezes well. 

2 cups uncooked brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces (4 cups) fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

1-2 cups  or 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 bag (5 ounce) baby spinach leaves

Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste

1.     In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a rapid boil. Stir in brown rice and return to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook, without lifting lid, for 30 minutes.

2.     Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat.

3.     Check rice after 30 minutes; if it's not yet tender, cover and continue cooking, up to 10 more minutes. Stir 2 cups cooked rice and chickpeas into the broth; return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes to allow flavors to blend.

4.     Stir in spinach and cook, uncovered, until just wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Freeze in plastic containers when fully cooled. When defrosting and serving, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Budget Lunches

The average daily food stamp benefit in Indiana in 2014 is about $4.16 per person. I usually try to break that down as $1.00 for breakfast, $1.25 for lunch and $1.50 for supper, and the extra 39 cents a day (about $11.70 per month) to cover things that you have to buy more of than you need that month, like a jar of mayo when you just need part of a jar. I can usually squeeze supper out for about $1.50 by using what's on sale, but sometimes the sales just don't cooperate and I have to go over. Fortunately there are several quick and easy lunches that run less than $1.25 and so leave some extra for supper. Here are some examples. 

Salad. A can of tuna is 69 cents at Aldi. Add a couple of tablespoons of mayo (about 7 cents), a chopped carrot (about 15 cents), a bit of pickle relish (about 10 cents), and some lettuce (99 cents a head for iceberg lettuce) and you’ve got a big lunch for about $1.20. Or make the same kind of salad with hard boiled eggs instead of tuna. With four eggs it will come to about $1.05. Or a cup of chicken, from the leg quarters at Walmart, for about $1.20. 

Soup. A cup of homemade bone broth (you are saving all of your bones and making broth out of them, aren’t you?), half a pound of frozen vegetables (spinach and broccoli are best, or whatever you have or is on sale, so let’s say 65 cents for half a pound of broccoli from Marsh, since we know they have broccoli), some cream or milk (21 cents for half a cup of half and half at Aldi), a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese (25 cents at Aldi), and some seasonings and you’ve got a big hearty bowl of soup for about $1.15 if you use homemade bone broth, or $1.40 if you use canned chicken broth. Or you can just buy canned soup and stay around $1.00, though you never know what’s really in it.

8/1/14 - Sliced Frittata with Tomato Sauce, German Pancakes, Baked Peach Pancakes

7/18/14 - COTTAGE CHEESE ZUCCHINI PANCAKES. Less than $1.00 per serving topped with fruit on July 18, 2014, using big zucchini from the Farrmers Market to make BZM (BASIC ZUCCHINI MIXTURE), which you can make during the summer when the big zucchini are cheap and plentiful and then freeze until you need it when they're not. Even cheaper if you use HOMEMADE YOGURT. Get your yogurt starter from the Hub.

Cheesy Beef and Green Beans

(based on a recipe from grace2882.wordspot.com)

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 14-oz cans green beans, drained (or about a pound of fresh green beans, cooked)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and onions are tender. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, green beans, garlic powder and chili powder. Cook until heated thoroughly. Add 1 cup cheddar cheese and stir until cheese melts.

Budget Breakfast

When I'm figuring how much a meal should cost in order to keep the month's food at or under the average Indiana food stamps allowance actually received, I usually figure $1.00 for breakfast. However, because it's getting harder and harder to get in a good supper for no more than $1.50, the amount that I allow for supper, I've started posting Budget Breakfasts - complete breakfasts that I'm going to try to keep to no more than 50 cents per person. Nothing fancy, of course, but reasonably good and nutritious breakfasts that don't rely on bread, cereal, oatmeal, or other grain-based dishes. Sometimes the menus will depend on what's on sale at the time, so I'll include the date.

8/1/14 - German Pancakes, Baked Peach Pancake

7/11/14 - 1 cup of homemade yogurt with 1/2 cup of chopped peaches - 40 cents OR Peach Smoothie, over 2 cups - 45 cents

7/4/14 - Strawberry & Blueberry Smoothie Deluxe, about 1-3/4 cup - 50 cents

6/20/14 - Honeydew Smoothie, about 1-3/4 cup - 25 cents

6/13/14 - 1 cup of homemade yogurt and either a fourth of a cup of raspberries or half a cup of blueberries, plus a few slivered almonds - 50 cents

6/6/14 - 3 eggs scrambled in 2 teaspoons of butter - 50 cents

Kansas City Beef Soup

The butter and flour will make a sort of gravy base for the soup. If you leave out the butter and flour, you’ll have a clear broth for the soup instead of the gravy. If you happen to have some homemade beef broth, you could use it instead of the water and beef bouillon granules. Of course, you’ll use regular ground beef or ground chuck, not the ground sirloin.

(from Best Easy Ground Beef Recipes Cookbook, by Best Recipes 2Day)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

8 cups hot water

2 pounds ground sirloin or ground beef

2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup carrot, diced

1 cup celery, sliced

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (any variety)

28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon pepper

In a large Dutch oven or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the flour, stirring to form a smooth paste. Gradually add in the hot water, a little at a time, whisking after each addition, until smooth. Simmer until thickened. In a large skillet, cook the beef until browned. Drain. Add beef bouillon granules, onion, carrot, celery, mixed vegetables, tomatoes and the pepper to the flour mixture in the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

CABBAGE ROLL CASSEROLE gives you the flavor of traditional cabbage rolls without all the blanching and rolling and filling and so forth. The original recipe calls for some white rice, and some broth to cook the rice. If you want to try it that way, add half a cup of rice and a can (2 cups) of beef or chicken broth when you add the cabbage and tomato sauce.

(based on a recipe at allrecipes.com)

1 lb ground beef

1 c chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

16 oz can tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce)

2 lbs cabbage, chopped

1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 T Worcestershire sauce

Brown beef, onion, and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven, seasoning with the salt, pepper and cayenne as you do so. Add the Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Spread the beef mixture evenly over the bottom of the pot or Dutch oven, spread the cabbage over the beef, and then the tomato sauce over the top of that. Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir well, cover, and cook another 5 minutes or so, or until the cabbage is done to your liking. Some like it really soft, others like it to still have a bit of crunch.

Leftover Chicken Sante Fe Several Ways

LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE SALAD, is different than the recipes I usually .give, with corn, beans and tortilla strips. It just sounded too good to skip, and it can be adapted so many ways. Leave out the tortilla strips and put it in taco shells instead for LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE TACOS. Spread the salad in tortillas or wraps for LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE WRAPS. Wrap it up in tortillas for LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE BURRITOS. Leave out the lettuce and add the rest to some cooked rice for LEFTOVER SANTA FE CHICKEN, BEANS AND RICE and serve the salad on the side. And so on. You get the idea.

LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE SALAD

(based on a recipe at food.com)

1/4 c Italian dressing (creamy or regular)

1/4 c chunky salsa (hot or mild)

2 T lime juice

2 c cooked chicken

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

4 c salad mix (lettuce, cabbage and carrots), or shredded lettuce

1/4 c (4 T) sour cream

2 oz shredded Cheddar cheese (1/2 c)

tortilla strips 

Mix the Italian dressing, salsa and lime juice together in a large bowl, big enough to hold the whole salad. Add the chicken, beans, corn and lettuce and toss to coat. Divide the salad on four plates and top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream and two tablespoons of shredded Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle a few tortilla strips on each serving.

Italian Dressing

(based on recipes in Quick-Fix Healthy Mix, by Casey Kellar and Nicole Kellar-Munoz, 2009)

1-1/2 t ground pepper

1-1/2 t sugar

1-1/2 t dried parsley

1/2 t salt

2 T olive oil (or other oil)

2 T white vinegar

Mix the pepper, sugar, parsley and salt together in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Add the oil and vinegar and shake well. Shake again immediately before adding to the salad.

Tortilla Strips

To make your own tortilla strips, cut corn tortillas in strips about 1/2” wide and 2” long. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake them at 350 for 6 minutes. Use a spatula to turn them over (don’t worry if not all of them get turned over, just try to get most of them), sprinkle them with salt, and bake them another 6 to 9 minutes or until they just start to brown. Remove them from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle with more salt to serve.

You can make tortilla strips in the microwave, too. Cut the corn tortillas into strips like above, and spread them out in a single layer, not touching on a paper towel-lined plate. Nuke them until they are crisp but not burnt. Check them after 30 seconds, though it may take up to a minute and a half. How long it will take depends on your microwave. Sprinkle with salt to serve.

Southwestern Frittata

(based on a recipe from Tyson.com)

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/3 cup green onion, sliced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 t chili powder

1/2 cup tomato, chopped

1 cup cooked chicken breast strips

1/2 cup Colby-Jack cheese

In a medium bowl combine eggs, cumin, and salt; set aside. In a 10-inch broiler-proof skillet add olive oil, corn, sweet pepper, onions, garlic and chili powder and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes; add tomato. Continue to cook, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken. Pour egg mixture over mixture in skillet. As mixture sets, run a spatula around edge of skillet, lifting egg mixture so uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking and lifting edges until egg mixture is almost set (surface will be moist). Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4-5 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until egg is set and cheese melts. (Or cover loosely and continue cooking on top of stove until cheese melts and the egg is set.) To serve, cut into quarters.

Chicken Vegetable Soup Three Ways

I don’t really have a recipe for SIMPLE CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP. I just use whatever’s handy that sounds good at the moment. So I’ll just describe the process instead of giving a formal recipe. After you roast chicken and take the meat off the bones, put the bones, along with the meat that didn’t come off in the nice big chunks, in a big pot, along with about 6 cups of cold water. (Use cold water when you want the flavor to go into the broth, hot water when you want the flavor to stay in the meat.) Add a small onion, a peeled but whole carrot, a stalk of celery, salt and pepper, and whatever seasoning you like. Some poultry seasoning is easy and good. Bring it to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for half an hour to an hour. While it’s simmering, take about a cup of the broth and pour it in the pan you cooked the chicken in, and use it to scrape up any juices and browned bits that stuck to the pan. Carefully pour the liquid back in to the pot. Repeat if necessary. You want to get all of the flavor that seeped out into the roasting pan while you were cooking the chicken. (Of course, this doesn’t apply if you grilled the chicken.) When the broth is done, strain it, saving both the broth and the solids.

When the solids are cool enough to handle, pick any meat off of the bones and add it back to the broth. There will probably be a cup or so of meat, depending on how closely you cut off the big chunks and also on how the store cut the split fryer breasts to begin with. Chop the cooked carrot and add it to the pot. You can chop the cooked onion and celery, too, if you like, but I usually don’t bother. I just toss them.

Add a chopped onion, a couple of chopped carrots, some chopped celery, and whatever other vegetables you have. A chopped tomato is good, if you happen to have one (I use fresh in the summer, or, in the winter, one I froze the previous summer. Or I skip the tomato.) Some frozen chopped spinach, or chopped kale, or chopped chard adds some nice color. Sliced mushrooms, if they happen to be on sale. Broccoli florets. Sliced or chopped zucchini or summer squash. A few green beans, cut about 1/2” long. Peas, either fresh or frozen. You get the picture. Whatever you have on hand and feel like using. Ditto with herbs. Some thyme, or parsley, or basil, or rosemary would be good, if you have them. I seldom add any more herbs. That’s up to you, too.

Let everything simmer together for about 15 minutes to half an hour. The vegetables should be not only done, but soft, though not necessarily mushy. Taste it and add more salt and pepper if needed. Now you can go either of three ways. You can leave it as it is and eat it as CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP. You can run everything through the blender and then add some cream to make a CREAM OF CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP. If you do blend it, do it in batches, only filling the blender about half full and holding the lid on with a towel. The heat from the soup can make it splatter all over the kitchen, making a huge mess and burning you while wasting a lot of the soup. Or you can add some eggs and make CHICKEN VEGETABLE EGG DROP SOUP. To do this, bring the soup back up to a full boil and add some eggs, anywhere from four to a dozen, depending on how thick your soup was to begin with. I usually use two or three eggs per person, but I like a really thick soup, almost a custard. Once the eggs are in the soup, beat them with a fork, being sure to get the yolks, then simmering until the eggs are done. With four eggs, you should have shreds of egg throughout your soup. With twelve, it should be almost a soft custard.

That’s a lot of directions for a simple soup, but it really is simple. If you’ve read this column for long, you know that I tend to be long winded when I’m describing a process. 

By the way, if you cut the meat off the bones before you cook it, so that you basically have boneless skinless fryer breast meat to use in recipes, you’ll make the soup the same way. Just cook the broth the full hour to begin with. Or, whether you cut the meat off the bones before or after you cooked them, you can freeze the bones instead of making the broth right away, and make a big batch of broth later. For that matter, you can save the bones after you make the soup and add them to other bones to make bone broth. There won’t be as much flavor in the bones, since they’ve been used once, but they’ll still have lots of minerals and such to add to a long-simmered bone broth. 

Basic Grilled or Roasted Chicken Breast

(Twice as Nice: 25 Chicken Breast Recipes for Today and Later, by Sandra Liu)

However you cook the chicken, start by salting and peppering some split fryer breasts, bone in and skin on. Then proceed as follows.

Gas Grill

Heat the grill to high, then put the chicken on oiled racks, with the thickest part towards the center of the grill. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. Turn the chicken, keeping the thickest part to the center, and reduce the heat one notch. Repeat two or three more times, always keeping the thickest part towards the center of the grill and reducing the heat one notch each time. It should take about 25 to 30 minutes total, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Test for doneness; if it’s not done, return it to the grill and cook it for another 5 minutes, then test again. Repeat until it’s completely done.

If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grill them for about 15 minutes total, turning them two or three times. Check for doneness. If not done, return them to the grill and cook another 3 minutes. Repeat as necessary.

Charcoal Grill

Prepare the coals, and put an oiled grill 4 to 6 inches above the coals. When the coals are medium hot, put the chicken on the grill. Cover and cook, turning every 5 minutes, until done, about 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the size. Test for doneness; if it’s not done, return it to the grill and cook it for another 5 minutes, then test again. Repeat until it’s completely done.

If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grill them for about 15 minutes total, turning them two or three times. Check for doneness. If not done, return them to the grill and cook another 3 minutes. Repeat as necessary.

Oven

Preheat the oven to 350, and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a roasting pan, without crowding, skin side up. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on size. Turn on the broiler and broil about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown with a few charred parts. Check for doneness. If the chicken is not done, reduce the heat back to 350 and cook the chicken another 5 minutes. Check again for doneness, and repeat until it is completely done.

If using boneless, skinless chicken, preheat the broiler and broil the meat about 5 minutes per side. Test for doneness. If necessary, return to the oven, retesting every 3 minutes until thoroughly done.

Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165. If you have a meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the meat, but be sure it does not touch the bone. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, poke the meat with a knife at the thickest part. The meat should be opaque and no longer pink.

What do you do with the cooked chicken breasts, however you cook them? Start by carefully cutting the meat off the bone, trying to get as much as possible off in one big chunk. Set aside the bones; we’ll get back to them in a minute. Slice the meat crosswise. If you’re going to eat the chicken immediately, you might want to leave the skin on the chicken and slice it too. If you’re going to be saving the chicken and using it later, go ahead and pull the skin off and eat it right away. It’s much better when it’s freshly cooked.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, or Do It Yourself?

I’ve been wondering how the price of split fryer breasts and boneless, skinless fryer breasts compare. You can often get the split breasts for 89 or 99 cents a pound, and boneless, skinless breasts are often on sale for $1.89 or $1.99. I had a pack of split fryer breasts and I cut off the meat to make pieces like the boneless skinless kind you can buy. I don’t remember the exact numbers, but when I compared the cost of the original chicken to the cost of the meat I had cut off at the boneless, skinless price, they came out almost exactly equal. I paid the same for the split fryer breasts as I would have if I had bought the boneless, skinless fryer breasts. And I had the skin and the bones and the meat on the bones, besides. I cooked up the skin to make Chicken Crisps, boiled the bones to make bone broth, and there was enough chicken left on the bones to make a salad. So, the result of my little experiment was that it really is cheaper to buy the split fryer breasts and do the work yourself. Of course, the ones that are already boned and skinned are quicker and easier to use. I use both.

Figure that about half the weight of the split chicken breasts will be in the boneless, skinless portions, so if you need a pound of boneless skinless chicken, you’ll need to start with two pounds of split chicken breasts. Between 8 and 9 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast will yield a cup of diced, cooked meat. Let’s call it 8 ounces, so 1 pound of split chicken breast will yield about 1 cup of diced, cooked meat. More or less. That’s about 99 cents per cup of cooked meat this week (March 21, 2014), plus you get the bones, the skin, and some meat that’s left on the bones after you cut off the big chunks.

Stewed Chicken Leg Quarters

To stew the legs, start by removing the skin. Just grab the skin where it’s been cut, and pull it off. Save the skin to make CHICKEN CHIPS/CHICKEN CRISPS/GRIBENES. Then put the skinned legs into a pot of water. Hot water is supposed to be better, because it keeps more of the flavor in the chicken and less in the water. Cold water is supposed to be better if what you’re looking for is flavorful broth. Since I use both the chicken and the broth, I just do whatever is easiest, which usually means running water from the hot water tap but not worrying about letting it warm up first or heating it on the stove before adding the chicken. Cover the chicken with water. You can add some salt, poultry seasoning, an onion, some carrots or celery, and/or a bay leaf or two, but I usually don’t bother. I figure that whatever I’m going to use the chicken in will have salt and herbs and other flavors so I don’t use them when I’m cooking the chicken. That way I don’t have to worry about whether the flavors I used when I cooked the legs goes well with the flavors in the final dish, or whether it’s over-salted because I salted both the legs and the final dish. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it and simmer until the chicken is done. Falling off the bone is good, cooked to death is not. Depending on how many leg quarters you have and how big a pot, probably an hour or so.

If you want to stew your chicken in a slow cooker, follow the same directions except cook it for about 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 on low.

Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

To roast the legs, place them in a single layer on racks in rimmed baking sheets and/or baking dishes. The rims are important to keep the drippings from pouring onto the floor of the oven. The racks are nice to help the bottom of the pieces brown, but they’re not important. If you don’t have racks, or don’t have enough racks, just put the chicken directly on the pan. Bake the chicken at 350 to 375 for about 45 minutes to an hour. It should not be pink next to the bone. 

Corned Beef and Vegetables

A corned beef dinner can be cooked in a slow cooker, on top of the stove, in a pressure cooker, or even baked. I prefer it cooked in water, so I won’t talk about baking it. Whether you use the slow cooker, the pressure cooker, or a pot on top of the stove, it’s pretty much the same. You cover the corned beef with water, add some seasonings, and simmer it gently until it’s fall apart tender. You can cook it all day in the slow cooker on low or for one hour in the pressure cooker or for a few hours in a pot on top of the stove. Most people cook the veggies – carrots and onion for sure, and maybe celery, parsnips, or rutabagas, and probably potatoes – with the meat and then add the cabbage for the last half hour or so.

When I cooked corned beef a couple of weeks ago (it was leftover from when it was on sale a year ago and really needed to be used), I cooked it in the pressure cooker. When it was done, I took it out of the liquid and set it aside to rest. Then I took some of the liquid and cooked some Brussels sprouts and carrots in it. By the time the vegetables were done, the meat had rested enough that it was much easier to cut, and the vegetables weren’t cooked to death. It worked great.

In case you didn’t catch it – be sure to let the corned beef rest for a bit before you cut it. You want to slice it across the grain and it will fall apart if you cut it immediately. After fifteen minutes or so, it should stay together pretty well so you can make nice thin slices. About a quarter of an inch or so seems to be standard for slicing corned beef to eat as a meat dish on its own.

Here are some things to do with corned beef, in addition to the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage. You can use leftover corned beef in them, or you can cook up a chunk of corned beef special to use in these recipes. And don’t forget corned beef sandwiches. Corned beef on rye, with Swiss cheese and mustard. Or a Reuben sandwich, with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. If you’re planning on leftovers, remember that there’s a lot of shrinkage. You’ll need to start with twice as much as you need cooked. Need more options? Try 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Saute
Corned Beef Omelet
Corned Beef Quiche
Corned Beef Scramble
Cream of Reuben Soup

Which Spuds for You?

Idaho potatoes, sometimes called “russets” because of their color, are best for baking. Their skin is rougher and the flesh is mealy or floury when cooked. They tend to sort of dissolve a bit when they’re boiled. Idaho potatoes are oval in shape and can weigh up to a pound, though about six ounces is more common, at least when you buy the bags of them. 

Red potatoes have smoother, red skin and are rounder. They are better for boiling because they hold together better. Their flesh is said to more “waxy” or firm. They are usually smaller than Idaho potatoes. Red potatoes are usually preferred for potato salad and in corned beef dinners.

You know those wonderful roasted potatoes that Kayte fixed a couple of weeks ago? Those were red potatoes. The roasted potatoes she fixed a couple of months ago? They were Idahos.  

When we lived in Idaho, we used Idaho potatoes for everything and they worked just fine. Red potatoes, though, don’t make very good baked potatoes.

Cream of Reuban Soup

I’ve never made CREAM OF REUBEN SOUP, but if I were to make it I would change the recipe quite a bit. I hesitate to give you my version, though, when I’ve never tried it. So I’ll give you both recipes. The basic recipe will be the one from the website, and I’ll give the changes I would make in italics next to it. Take your pick. I can hardly believe I’m saying this, since I basically believe you can never have too much cream or butter, but it sounds too rich for me. Some rye croutons (toast some rye bread, then cut it into 1/2” to 1” cubes) would be good on top of the soup.

CREAM OF REUBEN SOUP

(from biglove.lvhr.com, with my variation)

1/2 c beef stock (2 c broth from cooking corned beef instead of stocks)

1/2 c chicken stock

1/4 c coarsely chopped celery

1/4 c coarsely chopped onion

1/4 c chopped green pepper

2 c coarsely chopped cabbage

1 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T cold water (skip)

1 c [1/4 lb] coarsely chopped corned beef (2 c)

1 c chopped Swiss cheese

3/4 c sauerkraut, drained and rinsed (or another cup of cabbage)

1/4 c [1/2 stick] butter

2 c half and half (1 c half and half)

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Combine stock, celery, onion and green pepper (and cabbage if using) in large saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are crispy-tender (I’d cook them until the cabbage is soft but not over-cooked). Add dissolved cornstarch (if using) and continue cooking until the soup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in corned beef, cheese and sauerkraut, blending well. Melt butter in a large double boiler over medium heat. Stir in half and half. Add soup and blend until smooth. (I’d add the butter to the soup and run it all through a blender until smooth. Return it to the pot it was cooked in and add the cream.) Heat through, but do not boil. Garnish with chives.

By the way, an easier soup is to just combine some leftover corned beef with leftover vegetables in leftover cooking liquid from cooking the corned beef and vegetables. Add more veggies if the soup needs them. If you add raw veggies, cook them first in some of the cooking liquid so the leftover veggies don’t overcook. Reheat it all, then serve with rye croutons if you have them.

Corned Beef Scramble / Omelet / Quiche

I didn’t realize until I started working on this column that I don’t really use recipes when it comes to corned beef. I get ideas for things to do with the corned beef, but then I just go my merry way. Corned Beef and Cabbage Saute, above, is one example. CORNED BEEF OMELET is another one. For that matter, so is cooking the corned beef to begin with. Think of the following recipe as just a basic idea, and then use whatever you have on hand and like. I’ve never tried it, but sautéing some leftover Brussels sprouts with the corned beef and onions sounds pretty good to me. So does adding a good squirt or spoonful of spicy mustard. Or maybe some Thousand Island salad dressing, like in Reuben sandwich. Or whatever. Use your imagination.

When I make “omelets” I usually either make a scramble or I pour the eggs on top of the filling and cook it that way. Sort of like a frittata except I don’t broil it. I’m too lazy to bother with cooking the filling, then setting it aside while I cook the eggs, then putting the filling on the omelet and folding it. Suit yourself. It tastes the same either way. Making it into a scramble (cooking the filling, then adding the eggs and scrambling it all together) or making it into a frittata sort of thing (I need to come up with a name for this – how about a flat omelet) works better when you’re cooking for more than one or two people, because you’re not supposed to make an omelet for more than two people; you’re supposed to make separate omelets and that’s a hassle for everyone. So I’m going to skip the omelet bit and give directions for making a scramble or a flat omelet. Turning it all into a quiche would work, too, come to think of it. I’ll give directions for that, too. It’s all pretty much the same.

1 T fat, preferably from the corned beef

1 onion, chopped

8 oz cooked corned beef, diced

8 eggs

1/2 c cream or milk (1 to 2 c for a quiche)

1/2 c (2 oz) shredded Swiss cheese (2 c or 8 oz for a quiche)

            (or try mozzarella, instead)

1 T spicy brown mustard (optional)

For the filling, however you cook the eggs

Heat the fat in a large skillet, add the onion and corned beef and cook it until the onion is soft and the corned beef is getting crispy.

For a scramble

Meanwhile, combine the eggs, milk and mustard and mix well. Pour the egg mixture over the corned beef and scramble it all together until the eggs are set to your liking. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve.

For a flat omelet

Meanwhile, combine the eggs, milk and mustard and mix well. Pour the egg mixture over the corned beef and let it set for a minute or so. Gently run a spatula under the omelet and let the uncooked eggs run underneath. Repeat until the top of the omelet is as done as you like it. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then cut it in wedges to serve.

For a quiche

Meanwhile, combine the eggs, milk, and mustard in a blender and blend it for a minute or two. Really. Like 60 – 120 seconds, or even longer. Add the cheese and blend it another minute or two. While the eggs are whirling around, spread the corned beef in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. You can use a pie pan, but be sure it’s a deep dish pie pan, or use two pie pans, or else it’s likely to spill all over the floor of the oven. Gently pour the egg mixture over the corned beef, then bake it at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Some people like to reserve some of the cheese and sprinkle it on top before baking, so the forms a crust on top. 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Saute

The first dish, CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE SAUTE, is sort of a corned beef and cabbage stir-fry. I found the recipe in a drawer of clipped recipes at my aunt’s house after she died, so I have no idea where it came from originally. I usually make it when I have leftover corned beef, but I just use whatever vegetables I have handy. Actually, come to think of it, I really don’t use the recipe at all. I just saute/stir fry (I’m not sure what the difference is – maybe sautéed veggies are usually cooked until soft while stir fried vegetables are cooked only until tender-crisp?) some onions and carrots and cabbage, usually in fat from cooking the corned beef, and then add some corned beef. But here’s the official recipe. Take your pick whether you want to do it “right” or take the easy route. Either way, it should be good. By the way, when I was looking for recipes online, a lot of the bloggers said that they just start with a 12 ounce can of corned beef. Not corned beef hash, which has potatoes in it, but plain corned beef.

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE SAUTE

2 T cider or white vinegar

1 T sugar

1 t caraway seeds

1/4 tsp salt

1 small head Savoy cabbage – about 1 pound (I use green cabbage, which is cheaper, and I’d use about a pound and a half)

1 large carrot (I’d use at least a couple, or half a pound or so, but then I like carrots)

1 medium-sized red onion (or yellow onion or whatever you have)

1 lb lean, sliced cooked deli corned beef (or leftover corned beef)

Salad oil

Mix the vinegar, sugar, caraway seeds and salt in a small cup.  Set aside. Remove core from cabbage and coarsely shred it.  Coarsely shred the carrot.  Cut the onion in half, and then slice it. Cut the corned beef into short sticks. In a 12-inch skillet over high heat, cook the onion in 1 T oil until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.  Remove to bowl with slotted spoon. In the same skillet, cook cabbage and onion in 2 T oil until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add vinegar mixture, onion, and corned beef.  Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through. 

Corned Beef

A corned beef dinner can be cooked in a slow cooker, on top of the stove, in a pressure cooker, or even baked. I prefer it cooked in water, so I won’t talk about baking it. Whether you use the slow cooker, the pressure cooker, or a pot on top of the stove, it’s pretty much the same. You cover the corned beef with water, add some seasonings, and simmer it gently until it’s fall apart tender. You can cook it all day in the slow cooker on low or for one hour in the pressure cooker or for a few hours in a pot on top of the stove. Most people cook the veggies – carrots and onion for sure, and maybe celery, parsnips, or rutabagas, and probably potatoes – with the meat and then add the cabbage for the last half hour or so.

When I cooked corned beef a couple of weeks ago (it was leftover from when it was on sale a year ago and really needed to be used), I cooked it in the pressure cooker. When it was done, I took it out of the liquid and set it aside to rest. Then I took some of the liquid and cooked some Brussels sprouts and carrots in it. By the time the vegetables were done, the meat had rested enough that it was much easier to cut, and the vegetables weren’t cooked to death. It worked great.

In case you didn’t catch it – be sure to let the corned beef rest for a bit before you cut it. You want to slice it across the grain and it will fall apart if you cut it immediately. After fifteen minutes or so, it should stay together pretty well so you can make nice thin slices. About a quarter of an inch or so seems to be standard for slicing corned beef to eat as a meat dish on its own. 

In case you’re wondering about all the different kinds of corned beef this week, here’s a quick run-down on them. I don’t remember ever hearing of corned beef rounds before, so I did a bit of research. Apparently it’s just what it sounds like. Corned beef rounds are made from the round (think round steak or round roast) and are leaner than the briskets. Corned beef briskets are made from the brisket, or the chest of the animal. The brisket comes in two cuts, the point and the flat cut. The point is sort of triangular in shape, and the grain runs in different directions, making it harder to cut across the grain. The grain of the flat is consistent. The point is fatter than the flat cut, with more marbling. In terms of popularity, the point seems to be the most popular, followed by the flat cut brisket, and then the rounds. Corned beef really shrinks when you cook it. 

Figure on about half as much cooked as you started with raw. So to get a pound of cooked corned beef, you’ll have to buy two pounds raw. To get twelve ounces cooked, you’ll need a pound and a half (24 ounces) raw. 

Garlic Butter Fish with Creamed Spinach

Fish

4 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t salt

1/2 t dried dill weed or parsley

1/2 t paprika

2 lb fish fillets or nuggets

Spinach

2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach

2 T butter

1/2 c minced onion

2 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 c cream or half and half

4 T cream cheese

In saucepan, combine butter, garlic, pepper, salt, dill weed, and paprika. Heat over low heat until butter is melted and starts simmering. Remove from heat. Brush a little of the butter mixture in the bottom of a shallow baking dish (line baking dish with foil, if desired) then place tilapia fillets on the buttered area. Brush top of each tilapia fillet with the seasoned butter mixture. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until tilapia flakes easily with a fork.

  

Meanwhile, put the frozen brick of spinach in a microwaveable casserole with a lid.  Add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and nuke on high for 7 minutes. While the spinach is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat and start sautéing the onion and garlic.  When the onion is translucent but not browned, add the cream.  Bring it to just below a simmer, and whisk in the cream cheese until it’s melted. Check the spinach, and if it still has a cold spot in the center, stir it up and give it another 1 to 2 minutes.  You want it just barely done, not cooked to death. When the spinach is done, put a strainer in the sink, dump the spinach into it, and press it with the back of a spoon to remove all the excess water. Add the spinach to the sauce.

Now you’ve got the fish cooked and the creamed spinach cooked. Chances are they didn’t finish cooking at the same time. At least, they never do when I cook them. So put the spinach over the fish and smooth it out nicely, then nuke it for just a minute or two. You don’t want to actually cook anything, just to reheat it. Serve it directly from the casserole.

Creamed Spinach

(adapted from Dana Carpender’s Every Calorie Counts Cookbook)

2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach

2 T butter

1/2 c minced onion

2 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 c cream or half and half

4 T cream cheese

Put the frozen brick of spinach in a microwaveable casserole with a lid.  Add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and nuke on high for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat and start sautéing the onion and garlic.  When the onion is translucent but not browned, add the cream.  Bring it to just below a simmer, and whisk in the cream cheese until it’s melted. Check the spinach, and if it still has a cold spot in the center, stir it up and give it another 1 to 2 minutes.  You want it just barely done, not cooked to death. When the spinach is done, put a strainer in the sink, dump the spinach into it, and press it with the back of a spoon to remove all the excess water. Now stir it into the cream sauce, and serve.

Tilapia (or Other Fish) with Garlic Butter

If you're using frozen fish, be sure to thaw them (in the fridge!) and pat them dry before cooking them, or the garlic butter sauce will be watery.

(based on a recipe from southernfood.about.com)

4 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t salt

1/2 t dried dill weed or parsley

1/2 t paprika

2 lb fish fillets or nuggets

In saucepan, combine butter, garlic, pepper, salt, dill weed, and paprika. Heat over low heat until butter is melted and starts simmering. Remove from heat. Brush a little of the butter mixture in the bottom of a shallow baking dish (line baking dish with foil, if desired) then place tilapia fillets on the buttered area. Brush top of each tilapia fillet with the seasoned butter mixture. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until tilapia flakes easily with a fork.

Baked Fish with Boursin Herb Cheese

If you’ve ever watched Chopped on the Food Network, or other shows of that type, you’ve probably heard that fish and cheese just don’t go together. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard Scott Conant criticize a contestant for using fish and cheese in the same dish. Fortunately, we’re not on competing for $10,000 so we can do whatever we want! BAKED COD WITH BOURSIN HERB CHEESE calls for both Boursin (an expensive herbed cheese – see the copycat recipe to make your own) and Parmesan.

(based on a recipe from allrecipes.com)

2 T butter, melted

2 lbs Swai nuggets (recipe called for cod fillets)

4 oz (1/2 c) Boursin cheese with herbs, at room temperature (or make your own)

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with garlic, onion, and peppers, drained

            (Italian style is basically what they’re looking for. Be sure to save the

            juice for soup.)

salt and pepper to taste

2 T shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400. Pour 1 tablespoon of the melted butter into a baking dish to coat the bottom. Arrange the nuggets in the dish. They should fit snugly but in a single layer. (It doesn’t matter how many pans you have in how many sizes, you won’t have one the right size. Just do the best you can.) Pat the fish dry using a paper towel. Spread the Boursin cheese evenly over the fish. (Just sort of dab it on, since it probably won’t spread as nicely over the nuggets as it would over fillets. But it will spread a lot better at room temperature than if it’s cold.) Pour the drained tomatoes over the top. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle remaining tablespoon of butter over the top. Bake for about 15 -20 minutes, or until the fish is done and the cheese is bubbling.

Copycat Boursin Cheese Spread

(based on a recipe from food.com)

1 very small clove garlic, finely minced 

            (put it through a garlic press if you have one)

6 oz cream cheese, softened (2 3-oz packages, or ¾ of an 8-oz package)

1/3 c butter (about 5 T), softened

1/4 t dried oregano

1/2 t Italian seasoning

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Be sure the garlic is very finely chopped or you’ll end up with chunks of garlic in the cheese. (Yuck!) A food processor works well for this, if you have one. Otherwise, use a mixer or just keep smooshing it against the side of bowl until it’s completely smooth and the herbs are evenly distributed. The cream cheese and butter need to be soft, but not melted or runny. This makes about one cup. Use it in BAKED FISH WITH BOURSIN HERB CHEESE or use it to stuff celery sticks or to fill hollowed out cherry tomatoes, or spread it on crackers. It can be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen up to three months.

Stir-fried Carrots, Broccoli and Mushrooms

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal

1 lb frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

4 oz fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 T oil

Heat a big skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer but before it smokes, add the vegetables and cook, stirring, until the carrots are tender-crisp, the broccoli is heated through, and the mushrooms have given up their juices and the liquid has evaporated. Add a couple of tablespoons of the fish marinade at the end, if you like, but be sure to cook it at least two or three minutes. You should always cook a marinade if it has had raw meat, fish, or poultry in it.

Zucchini would be good in this instead of the mushrooms, if you were making this during the summer when they’re available in your garden or at the Farmers Market. Or, if you want to grill but don’t have a grill basket, put the raw veggies on four pieces of aluminum foil, then put the marinated fish (from SWAI NUGGETS A LA HILDA AND HOWARD) on top, and drizzle with a bit of the marinade. Fold the foil up around the fish and vegetables and seal tightly. Put the packets on the grill and cook them for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how hot your coals are. Serve a packet to each person, and let them open their own on their plates. Open them very carefully, because the steam can really burn you!

Swai Nuggets a la Hilda and Howard

When I lived in Northern California, I lived right on the coast. I could see the tops of the fishing boats from my office windows. Salmon was big around there, both with sports fishermen and commercial fishermen. I was fortunate to have some friends who were avid (and successful!) salmon fishermen, and I ate a lot more of it than I would have if I had had to buy it. My favorite way of cooking the salmon was my friend’s method of marinating it in soy sauce, brown sugar and fresh ginger. I suppose it’s sort of a teriyaki treatment. It works for other fish, too, as in this recipe for SWAI NUGGETS A LA HILDA AND HOWARD. Fresh ginger is best in it, but you can use powdered if that’s all you have. Or Chinese Five Spice Powder. I think Kikkoman is the best soy sauce, but that may just be because that’s the kind I grew up with. Did you know that most soy sauce has wheat in it? Be sure to read the label carefully if you’re sensitive to wheat.

2 lbs Swai nuggets

1 c soy sauce

2 – 4 T brown sugar (I like it extra sweet, myself)

1 T grated or minced fresh ginger

1 T oil (not needed if you use an oily fish like salmon)

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and oil in a zip lock bag. Mix well, making sure that the brown sugar is all dissolved. Add the fish and marinate for about half an hour. Cook it however you like – nuke it for a few minutes, or bake it for about 10 minutes, or broil it. Or, if you have a grill basket, you can grill it, which is the way Howard used to cook the salmon.