What Do We Do With the Veggies, and the Weekly Special with Mary Anne

Marsh has meat this week. Family pack assorted pork chops are 99 cents a pound. Hormel Cure 81 Spiral Sliced Half Hams are 99 cents a pound. Sugardale hams (water added) are 69 cents a pound. And they have iceberg lettuce for 99 cents a head. These prices are good through next Wednesday, February 26.

Aldi has some great buys on produce. Green peppers are three for $1.49. Mushrooms are 99 cents for eight ounces. Roma tomatoes are 99 cents for twenty ounces, or 80 cents a pound. Red potatoes are $1.89 for five pounds, or a little less than 40 cents a pound. Onions are 99 cents for a three pound bag. These prices are good through next Tuesday, February 25.

IGA has turkey breast for $1.19 a pound. Ten pound bags of chicken leg quarters are $5.99, or 60 cents a pound. These prices are good through next Sunday, February 23.

Kroger has their regular one-week sale and also a special four-day sale. The four-day sale ends Sunday, February 23. On sale for those four days they have milk for $1.98 a gallon (limit 2) and ten pound bags of russet potatoes for $1.98, or 20 cents a pound (no limit). On sale for the week ending Wednesday, February 26, they have iceberg lettuce for 99 cents a head and leaf lettuce for 99 cents a pound. Celery is 99 cents a head and Roma tomatoes are 99 cents a pound. Ragu spaghetti sauce of various types is $1.29 a jar after a 50 cent discount for buying six of various things. Split chicken breasts (including bone and skin) are 99 cents a pound. Various cheeses are $3.49 a pound. Cottage cheese and sour cream are $1.99 for 24 ounces. 

I’ve given recipes for all of the types of meat that are on sale this week, so I’m going to do something a little bit different. I’m going to focus on the veggies instead of the meat. I’ll still give recipes and menus that come in at about $1.50 per serving for the whole meal, though, and they will all include meat. I just won’t limit myself to one kind of meat.

The first recipe, SMOKEDSAUSAGE AND PEPPERS uses Bar S Smoked Sausage that’s $3.99 for two and a half pounds, or $1.60 a pound, this week at Marsh. There are a few different kinds at this price. I’m going with the Polish sausage. In case you’re wondering why I say to cut the sausage on the diagonal, it’s because it makes the pieces look bigger! This will cost about $5.15 and will make four servings. You could add a lettuce salad and stay under $6.00. Or a can of fruit. Or carrot sticks and dip. Or you could add some more veggies to the sausage and peppers. Carrots would be good, or cabbage, or mushrooms.

One of my favorite vegetable dishes is MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS. It seems to go over well with guests, too. It goes with just about any kind of meat. Here I’ll pair it with pork chops. You’ll think this makes a huge amount, but because the mushrooms and onions cook down so much you’ll end up with a lot less than you expect. It makes four servings as a side dish. With the mushrooms and onions on sale, it will cost about $2.50. Add four 8 ounce pork chops for another $2.00, and a salad of iceberg lettuce, carrots, green pepper, and a diced Roma tomato for another $1.50, for a total of about $6.00.

And finally, PEANUT STIR-FRY. You can use whatever meat you want with this – IGA’s turkey breast or chicken leg quarters, or Marsh’s pork. It's the PEANUT SAUCE that's important here. Let’s go with the pork, shall we? Pork is so good in a stir-fry and goes well with peanuts, too. You can use pretty much any vegetables you have on hand. I just chose these because they’re on sale and the colors look nice together. Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are good in a stir-fry, too, as are fresh green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. Pretty much anything goes. This will come to a little over $5.00 and will make a lot. You shouldn’t need anything to go with it.

Isn’t it great when veggies go on sale? These are good, but I can hardly wait till summer!

Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 pound coarsely chopped bok choy
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the bok choy and mushrooms; stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, until done.

Russian Vegetable Pie

(from The Vegetarian Epicure via tastebook.com)

Crust

1-1/4 c flour

1 t sugar

1 t salt

4 oz softened cream cheese

3 T butter

Filling

3 cups shredded cabbage

1/2 lb (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 T butter

4 oz softened cream cheese

4 – 5 hard-boiled eggs

Basil, marjoram, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste

2 T dried dill weed (the leaves, not dill seed)

Make a pastry by sifting together the dry ingredients, cutting in the butter and working it together with the cream cheese. Roll out 2/3 of the pastry and line a 9” pie dish. Roll out the remaining pastry and make a circle large enough to cover the dish for the top crust. Put it away to chill. (Or you can use two purchased pie crusts. Leave the second one out for a bit to soften, then roll out flat to use as a lid for the pie.)

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cabbage and sauté for several minutes, stirring constantly. Add at least 1/8 teaspoon each of the marjoram, tarragon, and basil, and the salt and pepper. Stirring often, allow the mixture to cook until the cabbage is wilted and the onions soft. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan and sauté the mushrooms lightly for about five to six minutes, stirring constantly. Spread the softened cream cheese in the bottom of the pie shell. Arrange the egg slices in a layer over the cheese. Sprinkle them with the dill weed, then cover them with the cabbage mixture. Layer the mushrooms on top, then cover with the circle of pastry or the second crust. Press the pastry together tightly at the edges, and flute them. (Or use the tines of a fork to press them together, going all around the flat rim of the pie pan so the two crusts are pressed tightly together.) With a sharp knife, cut a few short slashes through the top crust. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is light brown.

Sausage and Mushroom Quiche

1 lb breakfast sausage (not links or patties)

8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

6 eggs

8 oz shredded cheese (Cheddar is good)

2 c half and half (whipping cream is better but costs more)

Heat a skillet. Add the sausage, break it up and brown it. Drain off some of the grease if you want to. Add the mushrooms before the sausage is completely browned and cook it until the mushrooms have given up all their juices and it has all evaporated. Be sure to cook them really dry or the quiche may be watery. Meanwhile, put the eggs in a blender and blend them for a couple of minutes. Like 120 seconds or more. Add the cream and blend another couple of minutes. Add the cheese and blend it another couple of minutes. Stop the blender between each addition or it’s likely to be thrown all over the kitchen. When the sausage and mushrooms are done, put them in the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. (You can use a pie pan, which is more traditional, but it probably won’t all fit and/or may spill all over the bottom of your oven.) Spread them out evenly. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and mushrooms, trying to keep them spread out evenly. You may need to go back and spread them out a bit if the eggs disturbed them. Bake at 350 for about 45 to 60 minutes.

Hamburger Veggie Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 c chopped celery

1 lb baby carrots, sliced

8 oz mushrooms, washed and sliced

8 oz cabbage, shredded

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can green beans

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef, onion, garlic and celery. Drain the fat off if you want to; I seldom do. Add the rest of the ingredients, plus a tomato can of water that you use to rinse out the can. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the carrots and cabbage are done.

Joe's Special

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

8 oz mushrooms, washed and sliced

½ t oregano

6 eggs, beaten (or not - I almost never beat eggs before I add them to anything)

Dash nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have exuded their liquid and it has evaporated. Add the ground beef and garlic and cook until the meat is browned. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach is done. Add the eggs, nutmeg and salt and pepper and scramble it all together, cooking it until the eggs are as done as you like them.

Pork and Vegetables

Most vegetables go well with pork. Ones that are traditionally associated with pork include:

Cabbage
Sauerkraut
Mushrooms
Acorn and other winter squash
Green beans
Peas
Broccoli
Corn
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Greens
Sweet potatoes

Dried beans and other legumes go well with pork, too, specially split peas and white beans.

Pork and Peanut Stir-Fry

You can use whatever meat you want with this – IGA’s turkey breast or chicken leg quarters, or Marsh’s pork. Let’s go with the pork, shall we? Pork is so good in a stir-fry and goes well with peanuts, too. You can use pretty much any vegetables you have on hand. I just chose these because they’re on sale and the colors look nice together. Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are good in a stir-fry, too, as are fresh green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. Pretty much anything goes.

2 lbs pork spareribs

3 T oil

2 peppers

3 carrots

8 oz mushrooms

2 onions

PEANUT SAUCE (recipe follows)

Start by preparing the meat and vegetables. It goes together quickly once you start cooking, so you want to have everything ready before you start.

To Prepare Ingredients:

Remove the meat from the bones and cut it into thin slices, about 1/2”x1/2”x2.” Basically, you want matchstick shaped pieces, as tall as they are wide. The length of the pieces will depend on the size and shape of the pork chops. Set the pork aside. Save the bones to make bone broth.

Remove the seeds and stem from the peppers and slice them about the same size as the pork strips. Peel the carrots and cut them on the diagonal into 1/2” slices. Peel the onions, halve them through the stem and root ends, and cut them into 1/2” slices. Clean the mushrooms (the experts say to wipe them with a damp cloth, but I rub them gently under running water) and slice them into 1/2” thick slices. If the mushrooms are big, halve them before slicing.

Make the PEANUT SAUCE (recipe below)

To Cook the Stir-Fry:

Heat the oil in a big skillet or wok. When it’s hot, add the meat and keep it moving around in the pan until it’s done. Not necessarily browned, just done. Remove the meat. Add the carrots and onions to the oil and drippings in the skillet and toss them around for a couple of minutes, then add the mushrooms and peppers. Remember you want the meat in a stir-fry to be crisp-tender, and they’ll cook a little bit more after you add the meat and sauce. (If you like your veggies soft, go for it! Just cook them a few minutes longer. I won’t tell.) Add the meat and sauce and toss it over the heat just until the meat is heated through and the sauce is evenly distributed. Add water a tablespoon at a time if you need to thin the sauce.

PEANUT SAUCE

(A Cookbook for the Financially Challenged, by Alexandra Pauley)

½ c smooth peanut butter

2 T soy sauce

2 t minced garlic (or 1 T garlic powder)

1 t chili powder

1 t minced fresh ginger (or 1 t powdered ginger)

Combine everything and pour it over the cooked meat and vegetables. Toss well to coat. You may need to add a bit of water to thin it, but wait and see how it works once it’s on the meat and vegetables. There may be enough moisture in them to thin it enough.

Mushrooms and Onions

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced (about 1 lb)

2 T oil or drippings

Parsley or thyme (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the mushrooms and onions. Sauté them until all the liquid is cooked out of the mushrooms, and the mushrooms and onions are cooked way down and are soft. Add the parsley or thyme, if using, about 5 minutes before the vegetables are done if using dried herbs and at the end if the herbs are fresh. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You’ll think this makes a huge amount, but because the mushrooms and onions cook down so much you’ll end up with a lot less than you expect. It makes four servings as a side dish.

Oat and Lentil Loaf with Mushrooms and Walnuts

This vegetarian main dish provides a complete protein, thanks to the combination of oats and lentils. It can be made vegan by omitting the eggs and substituting flax seed (or simply adding some extra vegetable broth or tomato sauce; this will change the texture but still be tasty). If you would like to incorporate meat, you could substitute cooked ground beef or pork for the lentils. Grated cheese, either mixed into the loaf or sprinkled over the top, is also a nice addition.

1 cup brown lentils
1 cup oats
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
2 eggs (or 2 Tbsp flax seed soaked in 4 Tbsp warm water)
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried basil (optional)
½ cup ketchup or BBQ sauce (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook lentils in boiling, salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
3. While lentils are cooking, sauté onion and mushrooms in olive oil or butter until onion is translucent and mushrooms are soft, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook for two more minutes.
4. Add oats, diced tomatoes, and cooked onions and garlic to cooked lentils.
5. Stir in eggs or flax seed, chopped walnuts, salt, pepper, basil, and ketchup or BBQ sauce.
6. Pour mixture into a loaf pan or small casserole dish and bake until top of loaf is crispy, about 40 minutes.

Not sure where this treasure comes from. If you know, let us know and we will happily credit the creator.

Shaker Chicken Pudding

(adapted from Old Shaker Recipes, from Bear Wallow Books, 1982)

2 c cooked chicken (or turkey)

1 c fresh sliced mushrooms

1/2 c diced onion

1/2 c thinly sliced celery

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 t dried rosemary

2 c chicken stock

5 eggs, beaten

1 T butter, in slivers

Dash nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325. In a baking dish, combine chicken, vegetables, salt, pepper and rosemary. Mix well. Combine chicken stock with beaten eggs and pour them over the chicken and veggies. Dot the top with slivers of butter and a dash of nutmeg. Place baking dish in a pan with 1” hot water. (Put the larger pan in the oven and add boiling water, then the baking dish. Don’t put the water in the pan and then try to move it to the oven. You’re likely to splash hot water on yourself.) Bake at 325 for 50 – 60 minutes.

Sauteed Mushrooms and Onion

1 lb fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 T drippings (or olive oil or other oil, but drippings are best)

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley and/or thyme (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the drippings or oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and mushrooms. It will look like way too much, but it will cook down a lot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have exuded their liquid and it has evaporated. (If you’ve never cooked with fresh mushroom, they’re full of water, which cooks out. There will be a fair amount of liquid in the pan, but then it will evaporate and the pan will be dry again.) The mushrooms and onion should be browned and the mushrooms should have shrunk a lot. Add some salt and pepper, and some parsley and or thyme if you happen to have it. Serve as a side dish, or put in an omelet, or add some cooked chicken or cooked pork for a full meal.

Baked Chicken Breasts with Zucchini and Mushrooms

2 pounds zucchini, cut into 1/2” slices

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 c onion, chopped

1 c chopped fresh tomato (or 1 cup drained canned diced tomato)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 drops Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce, or just a pinch of cayenne)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs total)

2 T olive oil (or other oil)

2 T parsley, minced (for garnish) (or 1 T dried parsley, added with the vegetables)

Preheat oven to 350. Put vegetables and garlic in the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and Tabasco or cayenne. If you are using dried parsley, add it now to the vegetables. Place chicken breasts on top of the vegetables. Drizzle olive oil over chicken and vegetables and add more salt. Bake for about 45 minutes, basting the chicken with the accumulating juices. Try not to disturb the vegetables. Use a turkey baster to draw up the juices if you have one. If not, tip the baking dish slightly so the juices run down to the lower end, and scoop them up with a spoon. Sprinkle the dish with the parsley before serving, if you are using fresh parsley.